AN: Finally, Chapter 16, I hope you guys enjoy it.
Chakotay was early for shift the next day, intent on avoiding the unavoidable. Kathryn was precisely on time, as usual. Upon her entrance she dismissed Gamma Shift, allowing Alpha Shift to take over.
"Lieutenant Paris, turn the ship around and set a course for our new 'home'," she ordered, taking a seat in her chair to hear the morning reports from her senior staff.
Chakotay, meanwhile, spent the duration of the reports avoiding looking at Kathryn, at all costs. Unfortunately, that didn't work, as the light reflecting off the necklace she wore caught his attention. 'Wait, necklace!' is what echoed through his mind upon seeing this. Of course, the Commander was required to take a closer look. The item breeching uniform protocol happened to be the exact same necklace that he'd given to the Captain last night. This knowledge cause a grin to settle across his face.
Once the reports where done Kathryn nodded. "Good, I'll be in my ready room. Commander, you have the bridge," she stated as she stood and stepped into her ready room.
Chakotay nodded, though Kathryn had already disappeared, the former Maquis was a little slow on the draw today. Outside of his nod he did nothing, in fact, the bridge was entirely silent until B'Elanna, who was temporarily occupying the bridge, spoke up/
"Got anything to tell us, Old Man?" she questioned with a raised brow, which was mimicked on the faces of the rest of the bridge staff, inclusive of Tuvok.
"Like what, B'Elanna?" he enquired.
"Like the Captain's obvious breech in uniform standards," the Klingon stated, being one of three people on board who knew what that particular item meant to Chakotay.
"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about, and even if I did, I'm sure it's no one's business but the Captain's," he stated firmly, and quickly, causing Tom, Harry and B'Elanna to simultaneously shake their heads.
"Sure think, Chakotay," Paris noted with a snicker, earning a glare from Chakotay. "Shutting up, Sir."
"Good idea, Paris," the Commander answered, shaking his own head just before commbadge chirped.
"Janeway to Chakotay," came the voice on the other end.
"Chakotay here, Captain."
"Commander, I'd appreciate your opinion on something, if you'd care to join me."
The Commander nodded his head. "Yes, Ma'am," he responded, standing from his chair, to the left of center.
"Good, Janeway out," with that the communication ended.
"Tuvok, you have the bridge," Chakotay gave, just moments before he was permitted entrance into the office just off of the bridge.
Once inside the ready room, Kathryn motioned for Chakotay to have a seat. "I thought it might be a good idea to figure out how we intend to go about colonization, or at least have a solid idea before the next staff meeting," she gave in a completely professional tone.
Chakotay sat down in the chair across from the couch, taking his cue from Kathryn's tone. "A sound thought, Captain," he gave by way of response, though, admittedly, he was distracted.
Janeway nodded, seemingly not noticing her first officer's distractedness, before diving head first into the discussion. The topic of the party didn't come up for the hour that they spent together. By the end of that same hour Chakotay was all but running out of the room, after their discussion had turned heated.
Once on the bridge he took his seat and eyed Tom. "Shut it, Paris. I swear, if I hear one word you'll be in the brig, or out the airlock, depending on my mood," he stated in an all too serious tone.
"Aye, Sir. Though, I think I'd prefer the airlock. The brig means facing the Captain, and when you're running from her, I want to be ahead of you."
"Tom," Chakotay's voice took on a warning tone.
"Aye, shutting up, Sir," he responded as a nearby commbadge chirped.
"Janeway to Torres."
"Torres here, Captain," the engineer spoke from her station, monitoring the functions of engineering, without getting down and dirty.
"Report to the ready room, Lieutenant."
"Aye, Captain, I'll be right there," the Klingon tapped her badge off and waddled over to the Captain's ready room, where she was promptly let in.
Sitting at her desk, Kathryn motioned for B'Elanna to have a seat, which she promptly did, taking the weight off her feet.
"B'Elanna, aren't you supposed to be on maternity leave?" Kathryn enquired.
"Uh… well, if you ask the Doctor…"
"He would say yes," Janeway nodded her head. "I won't tell, if you promise to go directly to your quarters afterwards," she stated before replicating tea for the engineer and coffee for herself. "How is that little girl doing anyway, B'Elanna?" Kathryn asked, setting the tone as she handed B'Elanna the tea.
"She's good, Captain, energetic, she takes after Tom in that regard," is noted. "I'm hoping she'll be born before our last transmission with Starfleet. I want the Admiral to get to see his granddaughter," she stated.
"You've really taken to the Admiral, B'Elanna, I take it he was happy for you and Tom?"
"He was, Captain, he said that, even though he couldn't be here for her, at least she'd have you. Admiral Paris has a lot of confidence in you."
Kathryn smiled at this. "Thank you, B'Elanna," she stated, moving to pat the younger woman's hand.
"Captain, permission to forget that you're the captain?" she enquired, causing Janeway to laugh.
"Permission granted, B'Elanna."
"Kathryn, what's been going on between you and Chakotay lately?" she questioned, motioning slightly to the necklace that Kathryn still wore.
Janeway sipped at her coffee before answering. "Nothing, why do you ask?"
B'Elanna looked her Captain in the eyes. "Kathryn, I know Chakotay. There was a time, years ago, that I wished he'd look at me the way he looks at you. He likes you, Kathryn," she grinned as she watched the look on Kathryn's face as she prepared to argue. "Please, don't argue. I'm not trying to interfere in your relationship, I'm just saying that none of us, the crew, would mind if you and Chakotay got together. I think most of us would be happy," B'Elanna continued. "Besides, he gave you his necklace," she winked with that. "Just consider that, maybe for when we colonize. Starfleet isn't out here, and neither are their protocols."
"You're starting to sound like Chakotay, B'Elanna," Janeway noted as she grabbed a padd off her desk. "We where just discussing colonization, actually, and I'd like you to take a look at these plans. Some of them require your area of expertise," she noted, quietly dismissing B'Elanna's argument as she handed the padd over.
"You're as much an engineer as I am, Captain."
"Firs off, you're The Chief Engineer, second, I'm not the one who's about to go stir crazy from being on maternity leave," she noted with a smile.
B'Elanna chuckled. "I thought it was Neelix's job to save our sanity, Captain," she gave, shaking her head. "I'll take a look at this, of course. But you should consider what I said," Torres noted as she stood, with effort.
"To your quarters, before I call the Doctor."
"Yes Ma'am," she stated before exiting the ready room and heading towards her and Tom's quarters.
AN: Input is loved. Also, if anyone has suggestions for what they'd like to see, I'm all ears.