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 7

Kathryn

Ten minutes, give or take a few. Well, let's get on with it. I push myself to my feet and feel myself sway for a moment. I mentally shake it off. I'm not one to give up, but I have no rational belief that I will see my ship again. Voyager will make it back to Earth, but I won't be with them. I look to my oldest friend. "Tuvok, you have the bridge."

He may not show any emotion, but there is a carefully controlled expression radiating from Tuvok as he stands in front of me. I know he is uncomfortable with touch, but now isn't the time for half measures. I need the contact. I place my hand on his chest and tell him the only way I know how to that I won't be coming back. "Maintain a course for home."

Time to get on with it. I drop my hand and cross towards my ready room. Time to meet this bitch called fate head on. My determination falters just for a moment before I enter my office. I want to turn and tell Tom how proud I am of him. I want to hug Harry and commend him on the man he's become. There's so many things left unsaid and not just to the people in this room. It's too late for that now.

Once inside my ready room, I wait for the inevitable. I hear the chime on my door sound at the same time I hear the now familiar whine of the Cardassian transport. I watch as Tom enters, but my movements are already frozen by the imminent transport. My ready room fades from view, and then solidifies again. I'm still on Voyager. I look at Tom.

"It's over Captain." He watches my reaction closely and continues. "We aren't letting them take you again."

"No!" I exhale. "You have to let me go, Tom. You have to stop whatever it is you're doing. They've got Chakotay." Don't they realize what will happen if I don't go back. Oh God, I have to go back. I have to. Tom's shaking his head at me.

"Tom." I cry out and close the distance between us. This isn't how it is supposed to happen. I intend to grab him and shake some sense into him. I don't make it. I realize now that thrum of pain I felt all day was nothing compared to what the device inside me can do. The white hot pain strikes me all over and my muscles seize. I fall into Tom's chest and he tries to hold me upright, but I slip to the floor in convulsions dragging him with me. I can hear him calling to me, but I can't understand the words. His face is above me, and the ceiling lights shine bright behind his head. I taste blood in my mouth for the second time today. My vision blurs. Forgive me, Chakotay. I'm not strong enough. I let go.

Tom Paris

I follow Tuvok's nod and rise from my seat. We've been waiting for this all day and now it will all be over in a few short minutes. They might be the longest minutes of my life. I pause outside her door and ring for entry. I don't wait for a response and I punch in the security code Tuvok gave me earlier. I enter her ready room to see her frozen in place. The transport has begun. C'mon Belanna work your magic. I see relief quickly pass across her face as she rematerializes on Voyager. The relief is quickly followed by confusion. She locks eyes with me. I tell her, "It's over Captain. We aren't letting them take you again."

Horror crashes down on her face as she thinks of him. She pleads with me to send her back. To allow her to be taken. I want to tell her that we are taking care of Chakotay as well, but I can't give anything away. Someone may be watching right now and I don't want them to know we are locking onto Chakotay as we speak. I shake my head at her to let her know we will not stop. The heartache I hear in her voice as she says my name and closes the distance between us makes my resolve weaken. In the moment I take to refocus, I miss the change in her. She does not grasp me like I expected, but rather falls into me. It's then I realize she's in trouble. The device. I try to keep a hold of her, but she is going into convulsions and I can't maintain my grip. We both fall to the floor. "Captain! Hold on! Paris to Doctor! Emergency transport!"

We appear in sick bay. Her body is still seizing and the doctor works frantically. I throw all my body weight onto her to try and minimize her movements. I feel a bone in her arm snap from the tension the muscles are causing. "Doc hurry up! We're losing her! Kathryn! Listen to my voice! Hold on!"

I hear the hum of the transporter close to me. Her body shudders and then goes limp beneath me. I lean up and look at the doctor. He nods, "We got it."

The transporter hums again and Chakotay's unconscious form materializes on the floor not five feet from me. I look down to see her reaction. Her eyes are closed and her face is relaxed. That's when I realize how still she is beneath me. Too still. "Doc, she's not breathing."

"Get her on the biobed." I easily lift her up and place her on the biobed. Doc works the transport again and Chakotay reappears on the bed next to hers. He works in the aisle between the two beds assessing both of their conditions. The ship rocks and I am almost thrown off my feet. The red alert klaxon sounds throughout the ship. Damn.

Chakotay

"Maintain a course for home."

I can hear the resignation and desperation in her voice. C'mon Tuvok, put it together. Don't let this happen. Use that damnable logic of yours and realize if you can't rescue both of us then at least save her. Get the ship out of here. Lock her in the brig and put up the shields. Put her into stasis and mask her life sign. Do something. When the Gul gets his hands on her this time, he's not going to let her go.

"Looks like your woman is eager to return." The Gul sneers over at me. I hold his look and give him a sneer of my own. It's the longest he's looked away from the viewscreen in the past hour. He's been captivated by her. I can relate.

I know it's close to time, and I know that today is different. They haven't bothered healing any of my wounds this time. The game is over. He'll return me to the ship, and hold that over Kathryn to garner her acceptance. He thinks he's going to keep her. Like hell.

The sound of the chime for the ready room brings my attention back to the screen. The Gul has already signaled to begin the transport of Kathryn. I watch as Paris enters the ready room. His image fades momentarily and then clears. He speaks.

"It's over Captain." I smile as the Gul spins quickly to look at his transport officer for an explanation. Paris' voice rings out, "We aren't letting them take you again."

I laugh out loud as the Gul lets out a rage of frustration. She's safe. I'm still laughing when he plants a boot into my chest. The blow is so forceful; I'm thrown against the wall behind me. I slump to the floor gasping for breath.

The Gul takes the control for her device from his belt. He thumbs it to the highest setting. "If she is not returned to me, she will die."

I can hear Paris yelling her name and calling for a transport. The Gul's booted foot is moving swiftly towards my face. I whisper her name as I feel my head snap back from the force of the blow. Kathryn. I let go.

Harry Kim

"Found him! Locking on signal and beaming him directly to sick bay." I almost forget that finding the Commander is not the end of our current situation. I am immediately reminded as the ship rocks. The Cardassians have decloaked and started firing on us.

"Red Alert. Raise shields." Tuvok calmly commands from below my station. "Helm, set a course away from here. Warp eight."

"Warp engines are off line, sir." The helm reports. "Impulse engines only."

"Evasive maneuvers." Tuvok continues taking a seat. "Mr. Ayala, target their weapon systems and fire phasers."

"Aye sir." Ayala answers from his position at tactical. The phasers fire.

"Their shields are holding." I report. "Engineering reports another two minutes for the warp drive."

"Continue firing, Mr. Ayala. Disable them."

The ship rocks again but our shields continue to hold. This battle is like a nightmare from the Alpha Quadrant. Fighting against the Cardassians could've happened on any given day back home. The real difference is that if we weren't in the Delta Quadrant we could call for backup. The phasers fire again and this time the shields on the Cardassian ship fail. "Disable their engines and weapons, Mr. Ayala."

Voyager receives one more bump from their weapons before a massive explosion rocks the opposing ship. The Cardassian ship vents debris and begins to list. Tuvok rises from the command chair. "Report."

I glance in Ayala's direction, and then read reports from the sensors. "Our last phaser strike must've hit their weapons hold. A secondary explosion destroyed seventy percent of their ship. I'm not detecting any life signs."

Tuvok glances at tactical and raises an eyebrow in Ayala's direction. I hold my breath. Was it an accident that we managed to cause a massive explosion on their ship? Will Tuvok reprimand Ayala for accomplishing the one thing we all secretly hoped for? Belanna's voice breaks the silence that has descended on the bridge. "Engineering to Bridge. Warp engines are back on line."

"Stand down red alert." Tuvok turns back to the helm. "Helm, resume course for home. Warp eight. Mr. Kim, status reports."

"Reports coming in now, sir." I smile. That Vulcan loves the captain as much as the rest of us.