May 16, 2378 1620 Bridge
"Cha-" Tom started to speak to the commander as he existed the ready room but stopped the moment he saw the expression on Chakotay's face. The older man looked like he had just received some devastating news and he moved quickly to the turbolift without acknowledging anyone on the bridge. Tom swung around in his chair to face Lt. Ayala who had just relieved Tuvok at tactical. "Hey Mike, you know what's bothering Chakotay?"
Ayala shrugged his shoulders. "Well he-" the swoosh of the ready room doors cut off Mike's response as the captain came on the bridge and relieved Lt. Rollins, who had come on shift just before Tom to man Ops and been asked by Tuvok to take the bridge, so that the commander could make his daily security rounds.
Tom wasn't sure whether or not to ask the Captain about Chakotay's mood for fear it was something she'd said to him that had put the sorrowful expression on his face. He hated to see the big guy looking so down. He'd had a rough start with Chakotay but they'd pretty much gotten over it. When he thought about Chakotay now he thought of him as his wife's big brother. And as brothers-in-laws go he was one of the best. Tom decided to see if he could gather a few of the usual suspects in the mess hall for the dinner break to figure out what was up. He started sending out messages through the padd system.
To: B'Elanna Torres, Harry Kim, Mike Ayala, Scott Rollins, Ken Dalby
From: Tom Paris
Time Sent: 1622
Hey gang Chakotay just walked across the bridge looking like he got gut punched or he just lost his best friend. How about those who can meet in the mess hall at 1930, and lets see what we can do to cheer him up. Oh and in the mean time, if you know what gives, would you clue everyone else in?
To: Tom Paris
Cc: B'Elanna Torres, Harry Kim, Scott Rollins, Ken Dalby
From: Mike Ayala
Time Sent: 1624
I was about to say when the captain came out; it might be that letter he got from his sister. He hasn't seemed to be himself since he got it.
To: Tom Paris
Cc: B'Elanna Torres, Harry Kim, Scott Rollins, Ken Dalby, Mike Ayala
From: Kathryn Janeway
Time sent: 1626
You got it right on your second guess, Tom. I just told him that Boothby died. Although what Mike says is true too.
Paris, Rollins and Ayala all started guiltily when they realized that somehow the Captain had intercepted their communications.
"Its all right gentlemen. I'm not going to put you on report or anything like that". She walked down to stand beside Paris and placed a hand on his shoulder. She turned to better be able to see Rollins and Ayala.
"In fact I'd like to encourage you to do as Lt. Paris suggests and do a little brainstorming about how to help the commander through this rough spot, but - not while you're on duty".
There was a chorus of Aye Captains, and then Ayala ventured "It'll be hard though Captain, I mean he's the one who always helps everyone else through the tough stuff."
"Yes I know you're right, lieutenant," she replied softly "but perhaps just the fact that people are trying to help will make a difference." With that pronouncement the Captain returned to her command chair and the rest of the shift slipped by uneventfully, at least on the bridge.
May 16, 2378 1625 Engineering
When Dalby saw Chakotay come through the doors to engineering he was momentarily concerned that the commander was annoyed at him for the comment about Maquis discipline, but as he studied his former captain's face he realized it wasn't anger or annoyance etched on the warrior's face, it was grief and weariness. Before Chakotay had even had time to reach him, Dalby had decided his old captain was much in need of some time alone and he had a plan.
"Dalby to Vorik," Ken said.
"Vorik here," replied the young Vulcan.
"Get your butt back up here Vorik," Dalby ordered, "Chakotay's taking your assignment and you're gonna be in charge for a while."
"Have you cleared this with the commander?" asked Vorik
"No, but I'm about to - and Vorik, I'm not going to take no for an answer from him. So I repeat, get your butt up here." Dalby said.
"I will be up directly," replied Vorik.
Just then Chakotay entered the engineering office. "Hi Ken, sorry I'm late," Chakotay said in a weary voice.
"No problem, look I took the liberty of making most of the assignments already and uh - well I thought from the look on your face that you could use a break," at that comment Chakotay's head snapped up as he wondered what Ken had seen in his face.
From Chakotay's reaction Dalby knew this was going to be a tougher sale than he had originally thought, but he pushed on. "So why don't you swap assignments with Vorik and let him push the padds around up here in B'Elanna's office."
"I appreciate the thought Ken, but just because I'm having a tough time sucking it up today, doesn't mean the engineering crew should have to suffer under Vorik" Chakotay said.
"Whoa, wait a minute-" Ken was about to launch in on his former captain for his erroneous assumptions but decided that because Chakotay had had enough confidence in him to make him a Chief Warrant Officer that he should do this by the book. "Permission to speak freely sir?"
Chakotay wondered about the wisdom of granting Ken that liberty but couldn't really think of a good reason not to, so he simply said, "Granted."
"First, Vorik has spent the last 7 years working for B'Elanna, side by side with Human, Bajoran and Bolian crewmates. He's not exactly your standard issue Vulcan any more. The engineering crew will be just fine with him in charge." Ken stopped himself for a second and took a deep breath.
"And second, don't you ever say or even think that you have to 'suck it up' for this crew. For God's sakes Chakotay, I know that everyone on this ship looks up to you. The younger guys like Kim and Gerron think of you as a father figure and those of us who are a little older think of you as the big brother we wished we'd had, but none of us are kids anymore, not even Gerron. The Delta quadrant has made us all a little bit older and wiser. We don't need or expect you to be ten feet tall or able to leap tall buildings in a single bound." Ken's voice was beginning to thicken with emotion and his eyes glittered with unshed tears.
"For years I've watched you take care of everyone on this freaking ship from the captain on down to the lowliest crewman and you always know what to say or do. I've never known how you know when people just need a pat on the back or one of those broad shoulders of yours to cry on or-" Ken laughed a little "or one of your big fists in his face. But you always do." Ken could see he was getting to Chakotay so he pressed on a bit more.
"Chakotay if something is getting you down, it's OK for you to let that show. Hell if you need to stand in the middle of the mess hall and break down and bawl–it's OK. None of us is going to think less of you. If you need to go a few rounds in that boxing program of yours with a real live sparring partner, well I think I know a couple of guys who aren't completely terrified of your fists."
Ken noticed that Chakotay seemed to flinch when he mentioned the boxing program and he wondered what that was about.
"I don't think I'll be using that program for a while" Chakotay said in a soft voice.
"Why's that?" Ken asked quietly.
"Part of what's getting me down is I just learned that the man who trained me to box just died". Chakotay answered.
"Oh, Chakotay I'm sorry." Ken paused for a moment then said, "Look, just go with my idea for this shift. Let Vorik supervise engineering and you go do some mindless EPS repairs in a Jefferies tube in the middle of the ship, OK? Give yourself some room to breath."
"Okay Ken." Chakotay agreed, too drained to resist anymore. At that point Vorik who had been standing just outside the chief engineer's office listening to the whole conversation with his Vulcan hearing, entered. Dalby nodded at him and turned to leave.
"And Ken" Chakotay added as Dalby turned around "Thanks, you know you're not too bad at knowing what somebody needs yourself." Dalby grinned and left Chakotay with Vorik.
Vorik handed the commander a repair kit and said. "The EPS couplings that need overhauling are on deck seven. And Commander, Chief Dalby is correct in what he says."
"About what, Vorik?" Chakotay asked curious as to what the Vulcan had overheard.
"The crew do indeed respect, even love you, but they no longer need you to be their 'hero'. It would not injure them for you to show what you may think of as emotional weakness. Everyone on this ship, with perhaps the exception of Naomi Wildman, are mature enough to understand that human beings experience a wide range of emotions and on occasion need help from friends and family to deal with those feelings." Vorik stated.
Chakotay was shocked, Ken Dalby was correct. Vorik wasn't your standard issue Vulcan anymore. He had been underestimating the young Vulcan, probably for years.
"Vorik, I owe you an apology. I've underestimated your ability to understand your crewmates and myself. I've even let my misjudgment affect how I make work assignments," the commander said with a note of chagrin in his voice.
"No need to apologize Commander, it is a common error for non-Vulcans to believe that just because Vulcans have mastered their emotions that they are incapable of understanding the emotions of others. An error that is compounded by some members of my race being reluctant to communicate about such issues." With that Chakotay decided the only graceful thing to do was beat a hasty retreat to the recalcitrant EPS couplings on deck Seven.
May 16, 2378 1640 A Jeffries Tube on Deck Seven
Later as he sat in front of the access port for the first EPS coupling on deck seven, he realized why Ken had at first thought to give this job to Vorik. It was fairly boring work, which wouldn't bother a Vulcan that much, but might drive a Human or Bajoran nuts. Fortunately for Chakotay he had lots to think about so he wasn't going to mind a job that wasn't a mental challenge.
He thought first about the comments Ken and Vorik had made. He realized that not only did many of the crew think of him as a big brother or even a father, but that he had begun to think of the ship as his village and the crew as members of his clan. Perhaps he was being thoughtless not to turn to them when he needed solace.
He found himself thinking about each of the things that were bothering him: Maliya's letter, his avoidance of B'Elanna, Boothby's passing and the contraceptive booster issue. He felt he'd thought over the issue of Maliya's letter enough to know that he simply needed to wait until he could speak to her and he still wasn't sure he knew exactly why he was avoiding B'Elanna but the two things seemed connected.
Boothby, what could he do about how he felt about Boothby's passing? It was simply grief he was feeling and that was something he'd just have to work through. He knew the steps of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance, he'd been through them often enough with members of this crew. When he thought of the most devastating loss of his life, when his family had died in the attack on Trebus, he realized he'd gotten stuck in the anger and bargaining phases a long time, but had eventually moved on. Where was he in the process of grieving for his old mentor Boothby?
He hadn't even thought to deny that Boothby was gone. He knew the man was elderly so his death wasn't exactly unexpected and he would never think to question what Kathryn had told him nor could he imagine that the Gazette had made an error in reporting Boothby's death.
Was he angry about Boothby's death? Yes, he realized he was. More startlingly he found he was angry with Boothby! It was irrational and almost childish but he felt like a man who was like a second father to him had abandoned him. 'Oh right Chakotay,' he thought to himself, 'the old man died just to spite you, just to make sure that you once again didn't get a chance to reconcile yourself with a man you loved like a father, over a simple matter of harsh words spoken.'
He found himself thinking back to the first time he'd met Boothby. It was early in his first year in the academy. He was sitting beneath a large tree with his Star Fleet issue boots and socks off wiggling his toes in the grass. There was something about feeling the living turf beneath his feet that calmed him and he needed a lot of calming these days. He was homesick and anxious. He missed his parents and sister and his friends. And he was dreadfully worried that someone besides the doctor who had done his intake physical would learn that he had lied about his age to get into the academy. The doctor had been cool about it and promised not to tell anyone unless it was absolutely necessary and he added that he couldn't imagine what would make it necessary to reveal the information. But still Chakotay worried, there were so many times when he did something that revealed him as naïve or inexperienced. Luckily so far everyone had chalked it up to his upbringing on Trebus, but he wondered when his luck would run out.
He had just brought his attention back to the padd in front of him. He was supposed to be deciding which sport to participate in. All cadets were required to participate in some sport or another throughout their entire tenure at the academy. They could of course change sports at appropriate times and in fact in most cases were encouraged to do so. Chakotay found the list rather unenlightening. On Trebus there were four main sports - Stickball, Foot Racing, Wrestling and Atlatl Competitions. As was expected of the son of the tribe's leader he was good at all of them, but he wasn't sure how that translated to the sports the Academy had. The only one he could find was Wrestling but they had two forms and he didn't know which one would be like what he was used to or if either would be at all. It would be a couple of years before he learned that lacrosse was a milder version of Stickball and that track and field included foot racing and the javelin throw, a javelin wasn't an Atlatl but he figured he could have adapted, but as it turned out he didn't need to, he would excel at a new sport. As he sat there contemplating what he should do, Boothby walked up to him.
"Hello cadet", Boothby said.
Chakotay leapt to his feet and for a reason he couldn't understand fought down the urge to call the older man 'uncle' as a young man in the tribe might call an older man as a way of showing respect and affection and instead replied, "hello sir."
"You don't have to sir me son, I'm not an instructor here just the groundskeeper", the old man smiled at Chakotay and pointed down at his bare feet. "Now there's a sign of a sensible lad, getting in touch with the land."
Chakotay smiled back at the older man. He was greatly relieved not to be scolded for going barefoot.
"What are you doing, son?" Boothby inquired and pointed at the padd Chakotay was holding.
"Trying to choose a sport, but I'm afraid I don't know much about these sports. They are very different from the ones played on my home planet." Chakotay replied.
"Would that home planet be Trebus?" Boothby inquired.
"Yes," Chakotay replied with enthusiasm. "How did you know that?"
"Well you look distinctly Native American to me and the only Native Americans I've heard of who don't live on Earth, live on Trebus. Here let me see that padd and lets see if I can help you decide." Boothby said as he motioned for the boy to resume his seat on the grass and then joined him.
Later Chakotay realized two things, one was that Boothby steered him to boxing so he could train him, but he didn't mind that. The other thing he realized much later was that it was pretty strange that the academy groundskeeper was an assistant trainer for the boxing team, but he supposed stranger things did occur.
Once he connected with Boothby most of his homesickness went away. He still had lots of trouble with his youthfulness and his contrary nature but he felt he had someone who was always on his side. In the vernacular of boxing he knew Boothby was "in his corner". That was important to a 15-year-old kid trying to pretend he was 18.
He remembered training sessions with Boothby and some real tongue-lashings when his contrariness got him in trouble. He recalled finally admitting to Boothby his real age only to discover that he already knew. Boothby explained that he had suspected Chakotay was underage and decided to check with the doctor who had given him his intake physical. At first Chakotay wanted to be angry but then he realized that Boothby only had his best interests at heart.
The memory of the older man laughing at him after his only loss suddenly popped into his mind. A young Nausican he had faced at the beginning of his second year had knocked him out with a brutal left hook, which Boothby pointed out he could have avoided if he hadn't been trying to show off for the pretty young redhead with blue eyes and porcelain skin who was seated in the front row. Boothby took great pleasure in pointing out to him that not only was she an admiral's daughter but she was jailbait to boot! Chakotay didn't understand that term at first, but when Boothby explained it to him he pointed out that as he was only 16 it shouldn't be that big a crime for him to be interested in a 15 year old girl! Boothby countered that as everyone but he and Dr. Adams thought Chakotay was 19 years old, it would be.
Spirits, Chakotay chuckled to himself, it just dawned on him, that cute redhead he'd been trying to impress all those years ago might have been Kathryn Janeway!
Chakotay's memory leapt forward to taking his leave of Boothby after his graduation. Boothby shook his head and said, "Well ensign you don't look much like the young cadet who sat under the tree barefoot fretting about what sport to take".
"Well I've grown 12 centimeters and put on almost 13 kilos since then" Chakotay said as he pulled on his ear.
"Yeah well if I'd known you lied about your age I'd have been prepared for you changing weight classes just about every year" the old man said.
"Hey don't say that too loud or I'll get in trouble", Chakotay interjected.
Boothby grinned at him "well when I said you didn't look like that young kid what I meant is you've matured, you've got a look of confidence about you now. You'll do fine, son."
The two men stood rather awkwardly looking at each other, neither wanting to be the one to say goodbye. A pretty blond ensign called out to Chakotay to hurry up. Finally Chakotay reached out his hand to shake Boothby's. The older man took his hand but then pulled him into a bear hug and said to him, "Go on now son, take care of yourself and write me once in awhile."
Chakotay did write Boothby occasionally, every time he was promoted or transferred. He remembered the first time he wrote, when he made Lieutenant junior grade, he realized he didn't have an address for Boothby so he just sent the letter to
Boothby
Star Fleet Academy
San Francisco, California, Earth.
He got a congratulations note back with that same return address. Every time he was promoted he got such a note and the one time he was demoted he got a letter from Boothby telling him to be calm about the set back and reminding him that he was lucky, if headquarters had really wanted to they could have cashiered him out of the service for lying about his age on his application. The fact that they didn't meant that they recognized what a good officer he was. Boothby wanted details about the incident that had led up to the truth about his age coming out, but Chakotay couldn't bring himself to tell Boothby about it and he wondered how Boothby had found out about his demotion in the first place.
The next time he saw Boothby was over 11 years later when he returned to the academy as an instructor in 2366. He wondered if Boothby would remember him? He found the older man working in a flowerbed. "Do you need any help, Boothby?"
The older man looked up at him and said, "Sure son, give me a hand up, I'm not as young as I used to be." As Chakotay helped the older man up he said, "So you're going to be teaching Advance Tactical, huh?"
Chakotay felt like the sun has risen on him. Not only did his old mentor remember him, Boothby already knew what class he would be teaching.
"Yes, though I'm not sure how I got recommended for this position. I mean, well you know." Chakotay didn't want to say something that would make it sound like he was crowing about the coup this position was.
"You mean that teaching Advance Tactical is the position they reserve for officers that they are grooming for a captaincy of one of the more prized ships in the fleet?" Boothby replied.
Chakotay pulled on his ear and said, "Yeah, well-"
"Look Chakotay its not a mistake, you deserve this." Boothby hooked his arm around Chakotay's shoulder and said, "Come on lets go to the Gym, I've got a light heavyweight needs a new sparring partner."
"Uh, you think its ok for a new instructor to spar with a student?" Chakotay asked uncertainly.
Boothby laughed, "Don't you remember sparring with Sandoval?"
"Oh yeah, I'd forgotten about him," Chakotay responded with a smile.
"Well let's go see if you can make more of an impression on this cadet than Sandoval did on you."
May 16, 2378 1930 Mess Hall
While Chakotay was mindlessly working on EPS couplings and reminiscing about Boothby, a brainstorming session was taking place in the mess hall. Tom, B'Elanna, Harry Kim, Ken Dalby, Mike Ayala, the Delaney twins - Jenny and Megan and Samantha and Naomi Wildman all gathered around a table. Ken Dalby was just filling everyone in about the "lecture" he had given Chakotay a little while ago.
"Of course I hadn't seen your messages or I don't think I'd have said anything about sparring partners" Ken added.
As murmurs of assent and tender sentiments about Boothby circled the table, Naomi asked. "What did Commander Chakotay mean when he said he had to 'suck it up'?"
Tom Paris jumped in to the silence that had descended on the table and replied. "Naomi when someone says they have to 'suck it up' they mean they have to pretend that something that is really hurting them isn't bothering them at all."
"That's not fair." Naomi proclaimed indignantly. "If something is hurting Commander Chakotay he should have as much right to cry about it as anyone else."
"He does Naomi, he just doesn't feel like he should because he's the first officer of the ship." Tom answered.
"Oh," Naomi said, "kind of like how the Captain doesn't think she has the right to have a boyfriend because she's the Captain?
There was laughter and a chorus of "rights" then Mike Ayala said "out of the mouths of babes."
Naomi indignantly replied "I'm not a baby anymore."
Mike reached over and drew the young girl to his side and said, "I know that Naomi but until B'Elanna's baby is born you're the closest thing any of us have got." He then looked at her in a very charming way and asked, "Forgive me?"
Naomi blushed and said "Sure." Next to Commander Chakotay, who was "taken" anyway, Lieutenant Ayala was about the handsomest man onboard or at least that's what she thought.
"Well gang, any suggestions on how to cheer up Chakotay?" Tom asked.
Jenny Delaney said, "Well if we could change the Captain's mind about the boyfriend issue that would cheer him up." There was some nervous laughter at the table as people thought about previous failed attempts to bring the captain and commander together.
"Yeah, well I think we all know by now that's not happening and any intervention on our part usually ends up hurting Chakotay more than helping." Said B'Elanna.
"Besides," Harry added, "what he's down about right now doesn't seem to be about the captain but about his sister and Boothby."
"Yes, Harry," B'Elanna added, "but there's more to it I'm certain of that."
"Why are you so sure there's something else, honey" Tom asked.
"Because Flyboy," B'Elanna replied a little ticked at Tom for calling her honey, "ever since he got his sister's letter he's been avoiding me."
Just then Neelix dropped by the crowded table and said, "Well I think I understand what that might be about."
"Well?" Tom said, exasperated when Neelix didn't continue with an explanation.
"Well-" Neelix began reluctantly. He looked rather bashfully at Samantha Wildman. "Well, after I'd been on Voyager for awhile I began to make friends, including Samantha, and at a certain point I started feeling guilty about my friendship with Samantha and pulled back."
"I remember that" Samantha interjected.
"Why did you feel guilty?" B'Elanna asked very interested.
"Because I began to realize I was letting Samantha fill the role of sister in my life and I felt like I was betraying the memory of my sister Alixia." Neelix replied softly as Samantha took his hand and squeezed it gently.
"What made you stop pulling away?" Samantha asked.
"Kes," Neelix replied. "She talked with me for a long time. Asking me about Alixia. Kes convinced me that my sister would want me to have the kinds of friends who come to mean as much to me as family."
"Sorry folks I must go, somebody needs me at the counter" Neelix said and made a hasty retreat. Everyone in the group recognized Neelix's retreat for what it was. As effusive as the man could be at times even he could have a tough time talking about his feelings so openly.
B'Elanna considered Neelix's words. "Do you think- could Chakotay be feeling guilty about his relationship with me now that he knows his sister is alive?" she asked.
"Maybe," Tom answered, "of course its kind of stupid."
"What do you mean by that," B'Elanna said sharply, she was about to get mad at Tom on Chakotay's behalf.
"Well, a man can have more than one sister. I do." Tom said simply.
"Well," B'Elanna chuckled, "if that's his problem, I'll simply tell him that and it ought to fix that problem fast enough."
"You know if it were me and I had thought my sister was dead for what, ten years? And then I found out she was alive; I'd wonder what happened to her all that time. I mean, Chakotay wasn't in the Delta quadrant the whole time. Couldn't she have gotten a message to him sooner that she was OK?" Harry asked.
"Well I don't know Harry," B'Elanna replied, "all that time Chakotay was in the Maquis. It would have been tough to get word to him." B'Elanna didn't add what many at the table were thinking, that maybe Chakotay's sister hadn't been OK while he was still in the Alpha quadrant.
"Tough, but impossible?" Harry asked.
"Darn near," replied Mike Ayala, "unless she knew what his codename was or could guess it."
"Did you all have a codename in the Maquis?" Harry Kim asked eagerly.
"No, Starfleet," B'Elanna replied affectionately, "only the cell leaders."
"So what was Chakotay's codename?" Megan asked.
B'Elanna looked at Mike Ayala and Ken Dalby and they nodded to her to go ahead. None of them noticed Kathryn Janeway walk up behind the group.
"His codename was Jaguar," the captain said.
Everyone's head swung around to look at the Captain.
Harry Kim said with a hint of awe in his voice, "Wow, Chakotay was the Jaguar?" Harry Kim, with his interest in the Maquis while he'd been in the Academy, had certainly heard of the notorious Jaguar.
B'Elanna asked, "How did you know that, did Chakotay tell you or did Tuvok?"
"Neither," the captain replied, "Starfleet knew Chakotay was the Jaguar - it was really a fairly obvious codename for him." Janeway turned to face Harry and continued, "You don't think Star Fleet and the Obsidian Order would have planted operatives on Chakotay's ship if he hadn't been the biggest threat the Maquis had, do you, Harry?" Janeway replied.
"Captain?" Harry Kim began.
"Yes, Harry?" Janeway responded.
"Why do you say it was an obvious codename for him?" Harry liked learning new things about his role model, so he was anxious to hear the captain's answer.
"Because he is the oldest living male member of the Jaguar clan. Chakotay's tribe believes that his clan, and more specifically his family, are direct descendants of the Jaguar kings of the ancient Mayans." Janeway told Harry rather proudly. The romantic in Janeway liked this aspect of Chakotay's background.
"So you mean," Harry asked incredulously, "that Chakotay is like – the hereditary king of his people?"
"Yes," Janeway replied between sips of coffee, "but don't ever ask him about it or let him know I told you about it, OK?" Janeway couldn't for the life of her figure out why she had just revealed that tidbit of information about Chakotay. She knew from conversations she and Chakotay had had on New Earth that he'd never been comfortable with his father's or his tribe's expectations of him
"So," she asked, "have you come up with an idea to cheer up Chakotay?"
"Not yet", Tom said somewhat frustrated. "We've mostly been hashing over why we think he's so down."
Megan Delaney said, "I think we should do something to show him how much we appreciate all he does for this crew."
"Yeah, we should have a party and give him a gift of some kind." Her sister added.
"Well, what sort of gift would Chakotay appreciate?" Tom asked, already warming to the idea of a party.
"I've got it," Harry said, "more time."
"What Harry?" B'Elanna asked.
"I was just thinking about if I were in his shoes- and I realized I'd sure want more than 3 minutes to talk to the sister I thought had been dead for 10 years." Harry said. There were murmurs of assent around the table.
"Lets have a party and as a gift give him all the communication time on one day" Jenny said.
"Well I have no objections but I think it would be a good idea to get all of the crew to agree. After all some people will be giving up the time they should be having to talk to their loved ones." Kathryn said.
"Yeah, well it wouldn't be the first time and the reason seems better than a trial over a holonovel," Ken Dalby muttered under his breath.
B'Elanna said rather loudly to cover up Ken's muttering, "Just one problem with this idea, Chakotay probably won't let us have a party for him if he knows about it ahead of time. I mean think about the fiascos his birthday parties usually are." There were many nodding heads at that remark. "What excuse are we going to give for this party? And don't look at me, we've already had the baby shower."
"How about my birthday?" The captain suggested. "Only how about you have it the day before, that would be Chakotay's half birthday." She added with a grin.
"His half birthday?" several people asked.
"Yes Chakotay is almost exactly three and a half years older than me. His birthday is November 19th and mine is May 20th." The captain shifted into her giving orders mode. "Neelix, Tom you two plan a birthday party for Commander Chakotay for May 19th, draft anyone you need. The rest of you start informing the crew of the real plan and make sure everyone is all right about the communications gift. Naomi?"
"Yes, Captain?" the young girl replied wondering what her assignment might be.
"Your primary duty is to make sure the Commander believes this party is for me, understood?"
"Okay, but Captain, don't you want a birthday party and presents for yourself, too?" Naomi asked as only a child could.
"Oh Naomi if this party cheers Chakotay up it will be all the birthday party and present I need." Janeway said as she hugged Naomi. "Ladies and gentlemen I believe many of you are overdue back at your posts."
Amid chair scuffling and trays sliding a chorus of "aye captains" rang out.
As the group departed no one realized how much "sucking it up" Kathryn Janeway was doing herself. The contraceptive booster issue was preying on her mind.