Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of Paramount and TPTB. The plot is the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Warning: Rated M Violence, angst, and adult situations included but nothing overly graphic.

Under My Skin: Chapter 4

Tom Paris

"When did this interaction take place?" Tuvok asks.

It had taken a relatively short amount of time to gather the senior staff in our quarters after our meeting with Chakotay. The only people missing were the command team. It's an unofficial official meeting.

"Not thirty minutes ago." Belanna explains. "He put Ayala on bridge duty and on his way out flashed Ayala an old Maquis hand signal. Then he came here. While he listened to Tom's report, he flashed hand signals to me behind his back."

"Do we assume the 'four captured' is referring to four other people?" Harry asks.

"Computer, what is the current crew complement?" Tuvok asks.

"140."

"How many people are on board Voyager at this time?"

"139."

"Computer, who is currently not on board Voyager?"

"All personnel are on Voyager at this time." Tuvok raises an eyebrow at the contradiction.

"Well that certainly answers a lot of questions." The doctor scoffs.

"Perhaps, the 'four captured' is referring to the Captain." Seven comments.

How did she make that leap? We all look at her for an explanation. She complies, "I completed a mission that made me interested in time paradoxes. The Enterprise experienced a time loop where they sent a message of 'three' to themselves. The 'three' referred to the rank insignia on Commander Riker's collar."

"Computer, is Captain Janeway currently on board Voyager?" Tuvok asks again.

"Affirmative."

"Tuvok to Captain Janeway." He taps his comm. Badge.

"Captain Janeway is off duty and requests that all non-essential calls be directed to Commander Chakotay."

"We already tried that." The doctor tells him.

Tuvok raises an eyebrow. "Computer, are there any life signs in Captain Janeway's quarters?"

"Negative."

"Computer, what is the current location of Captain Janeway?"

"Captain Janeway is in her quarters." We all look at each other.

"Obviously, someone or something has tampered with the computer." Belanna growls. "I've already run a diagnostic and I haven't found anything, yet."

"Computer, is Captain Janeway conscious." The doctor jumps in to the questioning.

"Captain Janeway is asleep."

"Myself and the doctor will go to the Captain's quarters and determine her physical presence." Tuvok states with a nod to the doctor.

"Wait a minute. I don't think that's such a good idea." Belanna stops them from leaving with her comment. "If these, whoever they are, have manipulated the computer and have surveillance on Chakotay it stands to reason they are watching the Captain's quarters as well. If you just go barging in there, and she isn't there you may set off some sort of alarm."

"Do you have another suggestion?" Seven asks.

"The Jeffries tubes have an offshoot access into the Captain's bedroom. An escape door for Captains. We could go have a look, and even enter her quarters without triggering the door."

"Very well, Lt. please take the doctor with you and determine if the Captain is indeed in her quarters or needs assistance."

Belanna nods and heads out the door with the Doctor in tow.

Ayala

Belanna contacts me. She lets me know the poker game will be an all nighter. She asks me to keep an eye on the big guy. Belanna and I have served with him longer than anyone else on this ship. I still don't know the entire story about what's going on, but even if she hadn't called me I would know something was wrong. Everything is just a little off with him today.

I watch him from the security station as he sits in his chair on the command deck. He continuously shifts his body weight as if he can't get comfortable. Usually he takes this time to catch up on reports but he hasn't even picked up a padd today. He just stares into the viewscreen as though willing it to show him something. His hands clench the arm rest until his knuckles are almost white and then he catches himself and releases. Each time he lets go, he looks over at the Captain's empty chair. He moves as though he is going to leave his seat to pace the bridge perhaps, but then he winces and sits back in his chair. The cycle begins again.

Tom Paris

Belanna and the doctor come back to our quarters to report, not trusting the comm. System. "She's definitely not in her quarters. There's no sign of a struggle and nothing looks out of place."

Our situation is not helped with this news. Seven has returned to astrometrics to try some different scanning, but we don't have anything new to go on. Harry has gone down to engineering and Belanna leaves soon to join him. We may not be able to sound a red alert, but soon the entire ship will be quietly working on getting the Captain back from wherever she has been taken. The doctor wants to run scans on Chakotay so we come up with a plan to get him to sick bay. Tuvok agrees and leaves for the bridge. The Doc leaves for sick bay and I head to Sam's quarters. We're going to need our youngest crewman for this job.

Chakotay

I haven't heard from Belanna and I'm starting to wonder if she understood my message. I resist the urge to call her. I can't help but glance again at Kathryn's chair. Spirits, hold on Kathryn.

"Doctor to Commander Chakotay." The call breaks the silence on the bridge.

"Go ahead doctor." I answer him. It's too much to think that Kathryn has mysteriously appeared in sick bay, but I do hope this is part of the crew's efforts to fix the problem.

"Our youngest crewman seems to have picked up a painful viral infection. Her mother is on duty and the captain is asleep. I was wondering if you could come down and comfort her while I work on a cure."

I smile slightly. Naomi would have to be missing a leg to need comforting. She's modeled herself after the captain too much in that respect. "Of course doctor, I'll be right down."

Now I understand why Tuvok has been taking the past hour to go over a five minute report with Ayala. "Mr. Tuvok, you have the bridge."

"Aye, sir." The Vulcan's face reveals nothing but he was with the Maquis long enough to have learned our hand signals. I flash him the 'four captured' sign and he simply nods. Relief washes over me as now I know for sure they are all working on a solution.

I reach sickbay and find Naomi lying on a biobed crying softly with the doctor hovering over her. I stand by her side and grasp her hand. The doctor nods to me, "Please just try and keep her calm. I'll be able to give her something to sleep in just a few minutes."

I talk to Naomi and ask her to stay strong for just a little while longer. I ask her to be brave like the captain. I tell her the doctor is working on a solution as we speak. I hope Kathryn can hear me and realize the words are for her.

The doctor dematerialized once he was out of sight and then rematerialized out of my line of sight. Being photonic, there was no sound of footfall but I can tell he's behind me. Naomi's eyes stray to his location once and I squeeze her hand gently. She squeezes her eyes shut as though in pain and then reopens them to look at me. "Naomi, honey, I know you want to be the best Captain's assistant you can be."

She nods. I continue, "Why don't you tell me what you like best about the captain?"

She lets a few more tears fall and then begins to speak about how the captain told her the rules of being a Starfleet captain once. She hiccups and then continues, "It was that time we lost Seven. The captain, she told me, we never ever leave a member of the crew behind. That we will always go after them no matter what, and we will bring them home."

I could've kissed her. I missed the doctor's exit but he strides out of his office with a hypospray in hand. "I don't have a cure yet, but this will help her sleep for awhile."

Naomi let her eyes close after he administered it to her. They fluttered open as I begin to pull my hand away from hers, "Commander, if the captain isn't too busy when she wakes up, could you ask her to come and see me."
"Of course." She closes her eyes and let's go of my hand. The doctor looks up from the biobed and assures me that she'll be fine given time. I nod and exit sickbay. I have less than an hour.

Kathryn

I know he'll be here soon. They just finished healing me. Well, the really obvious wounds anyway. I can't remember having ever been this tired before. My soul aches from the punishment my body has received today. I finally have my uniform back on, but I can still smell myself. I reek of sweat and blood. The smell of the Gul rolls off of me in waves that make me nauseous. I can smell my fear too. I lean my head back against the wall. It feels cool to the touch. I close my eyes for a moment.

There's a hand on my shoulder. My eyes snap open and I scramble towards the wall I was leaning against. Then I see his warm brown eyes. "Chakotay."

"I'm here Kathryn." He looks down at my hands and clasps them in his own. His eyes are full of concern. "How are you?"

I know what he's asking. I can't even begin to get into that now. I dodge the question. "I'm healed to a qualified medical standard."

He hears how hoarse my voice is. He knows I've screamed since he saw me last. He simply nods acknowledgement at my statement. He helps me to my feet. I lean against him for a moment as my legs are unsteady. He gives me a small smile, "Get something to eat and try and get some sleep."

"I need to check on Naomi first. Make sure she's alright." I acknowledge the gift he gave me when he spoke to the child. He squeezes my hand. The Gul joins us and I release Chakotay.

"Chakotay, we are so pleased you could join us again. The Captain and I have had a wonderful time today getting to know one another." The Gul places his hand on my shoulder. I can feel the anger radiating off Chakotay. "You surprise me Chakotay. I was under the impression she was your woman, but let's be honest. It's been awhile for her."

Chakotay roars and lunges. He manages to get a hand on the Gul's throat before collapsing to the floor in a ball of controlled pain. Two guards have hold of me and the Gul turns in my direction with the control in his hand. He rolls his massive neck from side to side. Chakotay yells out in pain from the floor. "He really is quite pathetic, you know. I can see why you didn't choose him."

I spit in his face. He sneers at me. The guards release me as the transporter whine envelops me. I see the walls of my quarters. I manage a step towards the couch before the pain strikes. It is all consuming. It is easily the worst it has been yet. I collapse to the floor hitting the couch on the way down. My bones feel as though they are crumbling to pieces. My skin feels like it's on fire. I taste blood in my mouth. The pain goes on and on unrelenting. My throat is constricted. I can't yell out. I can't breathe.

The switch is flicked. The pain stops. I suck in air like a newborn child. My vision tunnels into darkness. I pass out.