Disclaimer: Paramount owns Star Trek and all its characters. I'm just playing with them.
Copyright rebel_jediknight, May 2000.
Pleeeaaase email me at [email protected] and tell me how I'm doing!!!!!
After a particularly boring day on the bridge, Kathryn Janeway sat slumped on the couch in her quarters, her uniform jacket tossed carelessly over the back of a chair and a cup of coffee in her hand. It felt so good to be able to get out of it at last... but she wasn't finished with the day's work yet. She was expecting Chakotay any minute: they'd agreed to go through the latest crew reports over dinner.
Just half an hour more, Kathryn, she told herself silently. Half an hour, and then you'll finally be able to take it easy, and have a nice relaxing dinner with Chakotay.
The door chimed. "Come in," she called, and looked up, expecting to see Chakotay with a stack of PADDs in his hand.
To her surprise, Seven of Nine entered, looking flustered. "Captain, may I have a moment of your time?" she inquired.
"Of course, Seven. Have a seat."
"I prefer to stand."
"Oh, I keep forgetting. Anyway, what can I do for you?"
"I have a question... concerning Ensign Kim."
"Ensign Kim?"
"Yes. When I look at him, I feel... nervous. Unsettled. What does this mean?"
So that was why she was flustered. "You have a crush on him," Kathryn said, trying to hide a smile.
"A... crush."
"You are romantically attracted to him. It's not uncommon for you to feel unsettled when that happens."
"I see. How do I proceed?"
Kathryn shrugged. "Tell him," she suggested simply. "Speak to him privately and tell him. I'm sure he'll be very happy." She smiled inwardly, having noticed the looks Harry had been throwing at Seven recently.
"And love?"
"Love?" Kathryn repeated, surprised.
"Yes. I have been having hearing so much about this thing called love, I wanted to investigate further. Is this what I feel for Ensign Kim?"
"You have romantic feelings for Ensign Kim. But under the right circumstances, it can turn into love."
"What is love?"
Kathryn reflected for a few moments before replying, "I don't think you can analyze or explain love, Seven. It just is."
"But if I do not know what love is, then how will I know if it has happened to me?"
"Oh, you'll know," Kathryn said quietly. "Believe me, you'll know."
"And if I love somebody, how will I know whether he loves me in return?"
"You'll be able to see it in his eyes, every time he looks at you."
Seven inclined her head to one side. "Thank you for the advice, Captain."
"Anytime. Was there anything else?"
"Actually, yes. I do have one more question for you, if you do not mind."
"Ask away."
"I have observed you and the Commander... flirting... on numerous occasions. What is the meaning of this ritual?"
This time Kathryn had to make a valiant effort to hide her smirk. "It's not a ritual, Seven. Chakotay and I are best friends, we often flirt and tease each other for fun."
"I see." Seven paused before matter-of-factly stating, "He is in love with you."
"What?... How?" Kathryn was speechless. She had not expected Seven to notice anything like this.
Seven explained: "Captain, a moment ago you told me I would be able to see love by the look in somebody's eyes. Now I realize I have seen this look directed at you countless times by the Commander, however, I have been unable to explain it until today. But you love him also, do you not?"
Kathryn could only stammer out an acknowledgment.
"Then I do not understand." Seven's voice took on a more puzzled tone. "You love him, yet you have not told him? Why?"
"Protocol... What would the crew think?" Kathryn muttered, more to herself then anything else, but Seven heard and frowned.
"That is curious. You are worried that the crew might react adversely to your having a relationship with the Commander, but I have repeatedly heard various crewmembers wishing you and the Commander would 'get together,' so to speak."
"I... didn't know that."
Seven continued, "It is true. And in addition, it does not seem logical to conceal your feelings from the Commander. Life on Voyager is hardly safe. Both you and he have come close to dying many times, and if he was to be killed before you told him, you would have missed a chance at true happiness."
Suddenly Seven noticed how uncomfortable Kathryn was looking. "Captain, I am sorry. I have obviously broached a sensitive topic. Perhaps it would be best if we discontinued this discussion. Once again, thank you for your advice." She turned and disappeared, leaving Kathryn to her thoughts.
Seven walked down the corridor towards the mess hall feeling relieved. Her job was done, and she had also gotten some answers to her confusion about Ensign Kim. Now she could only hope the Captain would be as forthright with her feelings as she was about to be with hers.
She entered the mess hall and made her way over to a table in the corner where three people sat.
"Ensign Kim, Ensign Paris, Lieutenant Torres," she greeted them, and was acknowledged in turn by a nod from each.
"Did you do it?" Tom asked eagerly.
Seven nodded. "I have spoken to the Captain."
"How did she take the news?"
"When I told her the crew was open to the idea of her having a relationship with the Commander, she was... very surprised."
Looks were exchanged around the table. "Well, it's up to her now," B'Elanna said quietly. "Thanks, Seven."
"You're welcome. After all, I am as eager to see them happy together as you are." She looked at Harry. "Ensign Kim, I require your assistance in Astrometrics. There is a malfunction in the scanners."
"Is it okay if I bring my coffee?"
"Of course."
"All right, I'll see you guys later." He stood up. "After you, Seven."
In Astrometrics a few minutes later, Harry pulled up the results of his system diagnostic, and frowned. "The scanners are working fine," he said.
"They are."
"Then why did you call me down here?"
"I wished to speak to you. Privately."
"Uh, alright, what's the matter?" he asked nervously.
"I have realized that I have a crush on you."
"A what?" Harry spluttered.
"A crush. A slang term for a romantic attraction. Do you not feel the same way?"
"Well, yeah... but, are you sure?"
"I believe the appropriate term for a situation like this is 'Shut up.'"
"Uh... okay but..." He trailed off, helpless.
"It seems logical at this point to assume that the next order of business would be to kiss you," Seven stated firmly. She put her hands on Harry's shoulders, slammed him back against the wall, then draped her arms over his chest. "Resistance is futile," she intoned, and kissed him.
Harry was still too astounded to do anything.
Kathryn was still sitting on the couch, in the exact same position Seven had left her in.
Are Chakotay and I that obvious that Seven, of all people, could notice? she asked herself. She was right, I do love him, but if I told him and we started a relationship, what would Starfleet think? The crew? She stopped dead on that line of reasoning as Seven's earlier words rang through her head again. The crew wished they would get together. They wished they would get together... Wished they would get together...
The chime buzzed, startling Kathryn out of her reverie, and she suddenly realized the coffee in her cup had gone absolutely cold. She took a deep breath, regained her composure, and set the cup down. "Come in."
Chakotay entered, still in uniform, the crew reports in his hand. "Hi," he said cheerfully.
"Hi," she replied slowly, distracted.
"The crew reports," he said, offering her the PADDs.
Kathryn took the PADDs and dumped them on the floor. "Here, sit down," she said, gesturing to the couch. "We need to talk."
Puzzled, he didn't say anything, just sat down next to her. "What's wrong?" he asked, concern evident in his voice. He could see that something was bothering her, and this worried him.
Kathryn took a deep breath. "Chakotay... Do you still want to give a relationship a go?"
He was stunned, but recovered fast. "Of course. Why?"
"Well... Seven was in here a few minutes ago. What she said... made me realize something."
"What did she say?"
"Basically... that we could have died out here, Chakotay. Many times over. And I think we both know we were just lucky we didn't."
"Well, that's the risk we choose to take, isn't it?"
"Maybe, but it makes me think... we have no idea what's going to happen to us tomorrow... one of us could be killed for all we know. And I know that if that happens to either one of us, we'll realize what we've missed." Kathryn looked at the floor, then raised her head. "But it'll be too late by then, and we'll both spend the rest of our lives regretting that we never had a relationship when there was a chance." She paused, then looked Chakotay straight in the eye. "I don't really want to have to go through that."
There was hope in his voice. "What are you trying to say?"
"I guess... I'm trying to say I love you. And I know now that that will never change." she murmured as she leaned over and kissed him gently.
After they broke apart, Chakotay pulled Kathryn into his arms, hugged her tightly, and she buried her face in his chest.
"I'm sorry I pushed you away for so long," she whispered.
"Oh, Kathryn," he sighed as he kissed her forehead and wiped away the tears which were threatening to spill over from her eyes. "It's alright. I love you too and I always will." He suddenly remembered something. "Kathryn?"
"Hmm?"
"What was Seven doing here in the first place?"
Kathryn smiled into Chakotay's shirt. "She had a crush on Harry," she said, her voice muffled by the fabric. "She came to ask me what to do. Then she asked why we flirted, and then she told me point-blank that you were in love with me."
"She was right."
"I know."
He squeezed her tighter then and they sat like that for a while. Eventually they fell asleep on the couch in each other's arms, content at last in knowing they'd never be alone again.
The End
