Here's a chapter for all the people who've left me panicked reviews in the last year, especially Danielle Scully...sorry I left you guys hanging...lol

Enjoy

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There was really nothing for the Captain to do except wait for Q to reappear at some point to reveal his newest scheme. In the meantime, she'd promised to have dinner with her tactical officer two hours after her shift ended. At least it gave her something to think about...something that wasn't Q or Chakotay.

Speaking of Chakotay, he'd been casually polite to her all day--a behavior which usually indicated he was upset with her. Even after she'd called him to her Ready Room to deliver the apology she hadn't gotten to give him at breakfast, he'd still been coolly nonchalant to her throughout the rest of their shift. Kathryn decided to ignore him as best as she could. After all, she better things to do than sit around and coddle her First Officer.

Funny, Kathryn thought. There was a time when that's ALL I wanted to do.

She was glad when the first shift ended and the second shift arrived to relieve them.

"I'll see you at nineteen hundred?" she asked Tuvok, casually leaning against his workstation as he finished a diagnostic before letting the second shift ensign take over.

"Yes, Captain," replied Tuvok evenly. "Shall I bring anything?"

"A bottle of wine might be nice..." she hinted teasingly, knowing Tuvok didn't share her penchant for good alcohol.

"Very well," he said with an imperceptible sigh. Kathryn grinned. She didn't notice Chakotay walk behind her to the turbo lift until he'd already passed her and the doors were closing. She frowned for a brief second. He never left a shift without asking her about her evening plans, or at least saying goodbye. How childish, she thought.

She smiled at Tuvok and went to get her quarters in presentable order.

1900 hours rolled around just as Kathryn was replicating dessert. Her doorbell chirped.

"Come!" she called, and Tuvok quietly entered, holding a bottle of good chardonnay. Kathryn smiled at him, glad she'd thought to invite him to dinner. It had been too long. She'd been neglectful of their friendship.

The dinner went well. Kathryn had taken care to replicate food suitable for the Vulcan palate. Nothing too spicy or exotic. Tuvok graciously allowed her to pour him a glass of chardonnay, but only sipped at it intermittently. They talked quietly of old times and old friends, new friends, and Voyager. Tuvok made her laugh with his usual blunt insights on everything. Soon it was late, and they both needed to rest before going on duty in the morning. Kathryn walked Tuvok to her door and gently took his hand in hers.

"I'm glad you came here tonight." she said, smiling warmly. "It was good to see you."

"As am I," Tuvok replied stoically. "I enjoy your company, Captain."

She squeezed his hand and said goodnight. Tuvok left and the doors whooshed shut behind him.

It felt strange to be alone. Kathryn recycled her dishes and leftover food. When her dinning area was clean, she sat down on her couch, thinking she'd read a few more chapters in Pride and Prejudice, a Jane Austen novel she'd replicated only days before. Kathryn held the book in her hand, but found herself frowning at the cover with distaste. She didn't feel like reading, which was strange; she almost always read after dinner. She felt restless and agitated. What's wrong with me? She wondered, absently pacing the living room floor. What do I want? She had just rounded the coffee table for the third time when the answer came to her in a disconcerting flash. I want friends. I want to DO something tonight besides just sit here and read a book.

Unwillingly, she remembered how much fun she'd had the previous evening with Q. It had been so nice to spend time with someone who wasn't a subordinate on her ship, someone who was an equal that she couldn't give orders to. Tuvok's visit had been very nice, but the Vulcan was always so reserved. While she had friendly ties with her senior staff, she could never truly let herself go around them. She thought enviously of the holodeck program Harry had invited her to the day before. No doubt that he, Tom and B'Elanna had enjoyed themselves. They were just a few friends spending time together, and as long as they were all trapped in the Delta Quadrant, she, the Captain, could have none of it. There would be no completely candid evenings with too much wine and laughter. There would be no fellow officers crowded around her table in the Mess Hall casually telling her the latest gossip. It wasn't possible for her to have those experiences and still be the supreme authority figure on this ship. Maybe if she was a different person, or the situation was slightly less extreme...she was sure that there was a Captain out there somewhere who could balance being friends with her crewmates and being their superior officer, but she wasn't that captain. It was so unfair she wanted to scream.

But I have a good job, she thought. I have a wonderful crew who's very loyal to me, and I have the opportunity to study a region of space that no Starfleet Captain has ever seen. I'm not entirely hopeless!

Kathryn slumped onto her couch with a sigh. In the end, there really wasn't anything she could do. She was lonely, and she would stay lonely until Voyager returned to the Alpha Quadrant.

The chime on her door chirruped.

"Come!" she called. The door whooshed open, and to Kathryn's surprise, it was Q.

"I used the door," he told her smugly.

"I noticed," Kathryn quipped acerbically. "Thank you." In her brief period of self-pity, Kathryn had forgotten all about Q. How had she managed that? In the end it didn't matter, because she was suddenly very glad to see him.

She watched with some amusement as Q strode through the door, acting as though he owned the place, and made a beeline straight for her. He pulled a rose from behind his back and presented it to her with a bit of a flourish. She accepted it with a small smile.

"I know we weren't scheduled to have our next date until tomorrow evening, but I was bored and wanted to see you," Q said almost belligerently, sitting down on her couch and patting the space next to him suggestively. Kathryn walked to the couch and sat next to him gratefully.

"I'm glad you're here," she said, her nose buried in the rose he'd brought her. "I was lonely."

Q looked at her with surprise. Kathryn blushed and continued to fiddle with her rose. Why did she say that? She hadn't meant to say that at all.

"Careful, Ma Capitaine," Q chuckled. "I might actually think you enjoy my presence." Kathryn rolled her eyes.

"Not likely," she snorted, putting her nose back into her flower. "Where is this from? It smells delicious."

"Do you like it?" asked Q, looking pleased. "They grow them in a hothouse on Felmar Prime. Would you like another?" Kathryn smiled and shook her head. One was enough. "Very well," Q sighed.

They sat together in silence for a moment.

"You're awfully quiet," Kathryn said. She stood to replicate a vase for the rose, but Q eliminated the need by snapping his fingers and making one appear next to her copy of Pride and Prejudice. Kathryn put the rose in the vase.

"Is there something you wish to discuss?" Q asked.

There were a number of things she wanted to discuss; mostly having to do with what Q had told her earlier about being kicked out of the Continuum for being infatuated with her, but when she looked back at him sitting on her couch, she got the impression that he was very tired.

"Nothing that can't wait," she murmured. "Would you like a glass of wine?"

"That would be nice, thank you," said Q, politely. Kathryn replicated and uncorked another bottle of the same chardonnay Tuvok had brought her earlier in the evening. She handed Q a glass and resumed her place on the couch with her own.

Q took a sip from his glass and made a terrible face. "Awful!" he cried. Kathryn didn't know if she should laugh or be insulted. She watched as he concentrated on his drink, which soon turned dark blue.

"That was an excellent chardonnay you just snubbed," she chided gently. Q snorted derisively and handed her his drink.

"Taste this and you'll understand why," he quipped.

"What is it?" Kathryn asked.

"Just try it," said Q, his voice tinged with exasperation.

Kathryn swallowed a sip of what she was sure was the best wine she'd ever had in her life. Q moved to take his glass back, but she slapped his hand away playfully and took another sip. Q chuckled at her quietly and another drink flashed into his hand.

"Told you you'd like it," his voice was smug. Kathryn rolled her eyes at him and sipped at the drink again. "I should warn you though, this stuff has a much higher alcohol content than you're used to, darling."

"Doesn't taste like it," Kathryn smirked, swallowing another mouthful and leaning back in to the couch contentedly.

"Just wait a bit...you'll feel it," Q chuckled, watching her carefully as he drank his own drink. A moment of silence passed between them, but it wasn't the uncomfortable kind. Q was right, the blue drink did have a kick, and Kathryn gave him a bit of a goofy smile as a feeling of overwhelming warmth and well-being coursed through her.

"You didn't come here just to get me drunk, did you?" she laughed, looking at the handsome Q next to her.

"Of course not," Q smirked in a manner that suggested the opposite. "You're the one who confiscated my drink, Kathy."

"Ha! You didn't exactly protest," the Captain laughed. She looked down at her drink and realized ruefully that she'd almost finished it. Shrugging to herself in a devil-may-care way, Kathryn kicked back the last two swallows and set her empty glass down on the coffee table with a bit more force than necessary. She heard a snort of disbelief from Q and looked up to meet his eyes. His gaze was part surprise and part admiration.

"Did you enjoy it?" he asked silkily with a hit of sarcasm.

"Yes. Thank you," said the Captain in all seriousness. She stood unsteadily with every intention of going to the replicator and getting a glass of water, but something cleverly tangled itself in her feet, and she tripped, landing unceremoniously in Q's lap with her back to his chest.

"Oops! Why hello..." he said with a smirk.

"Cute," she sneered, turning to look at him. "You did that on purpose."

"Moi? Certainly not..."

"Liar," she quipped, and tried to stand up again. This time, she lost her balance all by herself, landing back in Q's lap with even less grace than before. She couldn't hear him laughing, but she could feel it against her back.

"Shut up," she hissed. "I need a glass of water."

She felt his arm wrap around her waist and pull her back against his chest. The action sent waves of heat all through her. His other hand appeared in front of her face holding the requested glass of water. He was chuckling at her softly.

Fine, she thought. He wants to play? I'll play...

Taking the water glass, Kathryn gulped it down before setting it on the coffee table and leaning back into the suddenly tense Q behind her. Her head rested lightly on his right shoulder. Slowly she turned her face to the side of his neck and exhaled through her nose, wondering if he'd feel it on his skin through the Starfleet turtleneck. Instantly his arm around her waist tightened.

"Kathy..." he hissed, not moving.

It was official. She was intoxicated, and now her every thought was focused on mercilessly torturing Q. Why? She wasn't sure, but she felt wicked and it felt good.

Both his arms were around her waist now, holding her tightly, as though he were afraid she'd try to escape. Facing forward, Kathryn reached down and placed her palms over the backs of his hands, threading her fingers through his and gently pulling his hands to either side of her hips. Behind her, she felt Q sigh in disappointment. He obviously thought she was going to try and get up again, and he was going to let her.

Kathryn smirked.

Instead she leaned back into him completely and began to playfully guide his hands over her body. Behind her, Q gasped as her hands moved his over her thighs, up over her hips and around her flat stomach. He sat in awe, allowing her to move him where she wished, and after a few moments teasing, she brought both hands up to cup her breasts.

Kathryn jumped as Q turned his head and put his lips next to her ear.

"You're being very naughty, Kathy," he whispered, taunting her.

"Moi?" she innocently whispered back, turning her face to his. She'd momentarily forgotten how much she liked the sound of his voice, especially now when it was all husky. Her heart was beating like a bird's, and she was sure he could feel it under his left hand. His eyes were burning into hers, and she felt matching heat between her legs.

They sat like that for a moment, frozen in time. Finally, Q lowered his mouth to hers with a soft kiss.

"You're drunk," he whispered. His hands were still on her breasts. She wished he'd do something besides hold them like a dumbfounded child.

"I feel good," she whispered back, trying to kiss him again. He turned his face away, and she caught his jaw instead. Frustrated, she reached up and pulled his face back to hers with both hands. She felt his hands drop from her chest and reposition themselves around her waist.

"Q..." she hissed, positioning her body so that her legs were up on the couch and her back against the armrest. Q grunted at the shift in weight, but didn't protest. Kathryn grabbed the collar of his uniform and pulled him down for another kiss, his upper body pressing into hers. Q responded well, one hand at her waist rubbing a crescent into her skin with his thumb, the other reached up to play with her hair. Kathryn wrapped both hands around his neck and shoulders, kissing him with abandon. She decided it was the best making-out she'd ever had. Q's tongue was doing wonderful things to hers, swirling round and round, retreating, and plunging back in to do it all over again.

He pulled away from her mouth to do magical things to the sensitive spot on her neck. Through her pleasure induced haze, Kathryn remembered him telling her that foreplay with a Q could last for decades, and now she believed it. It felt as though they could sit there forever teasing each other until they couldn't stand it anymore. She decided she could live with that.

One of Q's hands was still at her waist. Kathryn reached down and tried to slide it up over her chest, but the hand refused. She tried again with the same result, and this time the mouth on her neck paused.

"What's wrong?" she whispered, looking up into Q's face. Q hesitated.

"I won't take advantage of you like that," he said flatly.

"But you'll kiss me like this?" she hissed, suddenly angry. "What's the difference?"

"The difference is that you'd let me kiss you, even if you weren't inebriated," Q retorted, his voice taking on a bit of an edge. "I don't want you to...what is it? Hate yourself in the morning?"

"Oh!" Kathryn jumped up furiously, nearly tripping over the coffee table in the process. "Get out!"

"Now Kathy," said Q, rising gracefully and extending his hands pleadingly. "Don't be upset..."

"I don't know what I was thinking, letting you touch me! Get out!" She wasn't sure why she was so angry, she only knew that she was. Q looked at her seemingly shocked by this sudden outburst, but then he lowered his hands and stood up a little straighter.

"All right, my dear: I'll go. I'll see you tomorrow," he walked towards the door.

"Don't bother!" she snarled. "I wouldn't care if you never came back."

Q looked back at her, his expression pained. His eyes searched her face, and then roamed over her body, taking in her swollen lips and ravaged hair. A smirk appeared.

"You're appearance would suggest otherwise," he said, grinning wolfishly. Kathryn gasped, but before she had time to retort, he'd closed the space between them, and his mouth was on hers once again. This time, the kiss was harsh and demanding, a sharp contrast to the soft, languid ones they'd shared a few moments before. This time, he kissed her fiercely, with hard passion. It was a kiss designed to humble the recipient, and it worked: Kathryn was weak in the knees. He let her go just as she was beginning to respond, and took in the expression on her face with some satisfaction.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he repeated, whispering in her ear.

There was a flash and he was gone.

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