Here is chapter two and "yay!' it's twice as long as the first chapter (it's all about progress people). Thank you so much for taking the time to review the first chapter. This is my first attempt, so I really appreciate the feedback. Hopefully I will manage to update every week.
Chapter 2
The Captain grinned a bit crookedly in her very un-captain like manner, causing a slight flutter in his stomach.
"I trust you, Mr. Paris, and you are the best man for the job."
She trusted him. She trusted him and even the horrifying news of a possible spy onboard could not dampen the pleasure her words had brought him. He felt inexplicably warm. He couldn't stop the laugh that escaped from his throat.
"Mr. Paris?"
"Sorry Captain, I'm just finding myself a little surprised to be in this position. Let's just say it's been a long time since someone put such faith in me."
Her blue eyes softened and he felt that damned flutter again.
"Well you've earned it, Lieutenant. But I won't sugar coat the enormity of the risks in this situation, or even the personal difficulties you'll face—deceiving your colleagues…your friends. But I know you can do it Tom."
Worse than the grin is the slow and soft smile that was lighting up her entire face at the moment. Not that he was cataloging her expressions or anything. It was just that sometimes she was so un-Starfleet Captain, she bordered on adorable… which was absurd, of course.
Especially when he remembered her frequent barks of: "Mr. Paris, I'd appreciate it if you faced the helm rather than Mr. Kim when flying my ship".
"Don't worry, Captain; I gave a masterful performance of Tom Sawyer when I was ten. I'm practically a master in the art of theater."
"Let's hope so." She grinned crookedly again for a moment then turned serious.
"I'll be calling you into my ready room for reports at random intervals. In addition, Mr. Tuvok will contact you with any new information as it arises. I trust you to find a plausible manner to begin the ruse; just remember to keep it subtle for now."
"Understood, Captain." Tom rose from his chair, nodded to her, and turned to leave. On impulse, he turned to her again.
"Captain? Perhaps you might consider returning the favor here, so to speak?"
"Mr. Paris?"
"Well, it just so happens that a certain Captain is quite possibly the greatest pool player in the quadrant. It would certainly provide a diversion for the crew if we held a tournament in Sandrine's. Coupled of course with the excitement of playing against the captain, the evening would be a success."
She smiled briefly while glancing down almost bashfully then quickly covered with a Captain suitable expression of politeness.
"Mr. Paris, I understand—"
"Captain, please. Consider it a morale booster for the crew." Tom smiled warmly.
The Captain glanced down again and then batted her hand in the air briefly.
"Alright Tom, I suppose it's the least I can do for the crew. Let me know when and where and I'll be there."
Tom smiled and then held her gaze meaningfully for a moment.
"Thank you Captain."
Tom turned and exited the room. Neither one had missed the depth of his gratitude.
Kathryn was waiting for the turbolift feeling a little more than taken aback. She lightly shook her head.
"Mr. Paris, just what have you gotten me into…"
"Captain?"
Startled she turned round to find her first officer bemusedly gazing down on her with the twitching of a smirk around his lips.
"Just contemplating my predicament, Commander." Kathryn couldn't help the grin that formed whenever she was confronted with his first officer's silent and veiled "teasing". The turbolift doors opened and they entered.
"Deck eleven." She glanced questioningly towards Chakotay.
"You can't possibly believe I would miss a chance to watch the famed Kathryn Janeway play?" She watched him grin fully, amusement dancing in his dark eyes.
She resisted the urge to roll her own, but couldn't help the slight scowl that formed.
Chakotay's expression seemed to soften a bit.
"Captain, the crew is very excited about the tournament, but mostly they're excited to have the opportunity to interact with you. They are more than just a crew, we're a community now, and I for one, am glad to see you becoming a part of it."
Kathryn glanced down and smiled. When she looked up, still smiling, she was struck by his wide and somewhat unfocused gaze that swept across her hair—down to her mouth. Her stomach dropped, she felt her blood pulse and her smile faltered.
Chakotay's eyes flew to hers, startled. He pulled back quickly—Kathryn felt cold shock, then heat creep up her face. She stepped back.
"How had he gotten so close?" she desperately asked herself.
Standing as far apart as the lift would allow, their eyes locked, each struggled to say something to help pretend they didn't feel the charged air around them.
They also failed to notice that the turbolift had stopped and stood open with Ensign Kim and Lieutenant Torres in the doorway—confusion and shock written across their features.
"Captain?" spoke Torres hesitantly.
"Lieutenant. Ensign. The Commander and I were just on our way to the holodeck. I hope you will be joining us?" Kathryn placed her hands behind her back and smiled as she exited the lift, Chakotay following behind.
"We wouldn't miss this for anything Captain! We're just grabbing something for Tom." said an excited and smiling Kim.
Kathryn looked a little bemused and nodded as she turned and began striding down the corridor. As she heard the lift close, she carefully scanned Chakotay at her side. His posture was stiff.
"God, what was he thinking? And what was that?" she wondered.
Chakotay's jaw clenched and he swallowed. Kathryn stared forward and quickly crossed the last few feet to the holodeck entrance. She knew he had felt her gaze. Feeling very disconcerted, she decided it was best to flash him a relaxed and easy smile, then feigned composure as she entered.
Crewmen were scattered everywhere throughout the dim, smoky bar. Glancing about, she found Paris by the billiard table holding a padd, surrounded by a small group of crewmen.
She quickly realized he must be taking bets on the tournament.
She knew she should march over and reprimand him; however, she was overcome by the energy and ease from everyone around. She decided looking the other way was a small price to pay for her crew's happiness.
Warmed by that thought, she turned to comment on the obvious success of the event to Chakotay—he was gone. Well not gone, but she could barely make out his broad back, seated at the bar.
Kathryn felt a sudden wave of anger quickly followed by shock at her reaction. She turned back to the pool table and met the soft gaze of Lieutenant Paris. He smiled and beckoned her over.
Feeling warmed by the friendly gesture and his open countenance, she stepped forward with a smile to join him as he jovially introduced her to the crowd.
Tom practically skipped to the mess hall for breakfast. He felt lighter than he had in years, despite the fact he was about to start the alpha shift with only fours hours of sleep to run on. Last night had been a success, to say the least.
He even felt surprisingly upbeat about starting his new duties. Not that he was ignoring the seriousness of the situation—he felt revulsion at the thought of a spy amidst the crew. But Captain Janeway had placed more faith in him than anyone ever before.
Grabbing his food and seating himself by the viewport, he thought back to the Captain he saw last night—one he'd never seen before.
She had been relaxed, even flirtatious to a degree—confidently and coyly destroying the competition. At other moments, she seemed almost shy from all the attention, allowing Paris to see her in a new light: vulnerable. It was difficult to remember that the woman who was the first to pick herself off the floor and jump to a console during a crisis was also someone who must be lonely at times.
Tom was pleased that he had been able to help bring her some joy, especially since she had done so much for him. He smiled as he remembered putting his arm across her shoulders, her slightly flushed face and shinning smile looking up at him. And then he felt a slight flutter in his stomach again as he remembered his grip on her shoulder tightening as his arm pulled her slightly closer and against his will
"Damned Leola root…" he muttered, but he felt more unsettled than ill and decided to leave the mess hall and head to the bridge.
On his way out into the corridor, someone forcefully knocked into his shoulder, causing him to lose his balance for a moment.
"Whoa, Commander, what's the rush? I can assure you there's plenty of Leola root surprise for everyone." He smiled but then faltered.
Chakotay had turned a cold gaze down on him and held himself stiffly.
"My apologies Lieutenant, but perhaps you should refrain from insulting the hard work of your fellow crewman, Mr. Neelix."
Normally one to respond with humor, even Tom couldn't muster anything amusing to say while feeling the cold from Chakotay's expression, even as the Commander strode away.
"Well, what did you expect Paris, did you forget he thinks you're scum?" he mockingly thought.
Despite the growing ease between the two, Tom realized Chakotay's opinion of him had probably not changed; he was just following the Captain's orders. On that note, Tom smiled as he headed for the lift:
"I guess I just figured out the perfect way to start the charade." he concluded grimly.