*NOTE: Beta Betrayal is part one of three in a trilogy. It is more serious and as such requires that you take a little more time to get into it. I hope you enjoy it as it sucked my creative writing juices dry . . . night after night I'd sob and sigh over a story that was getting the better of me. But, TAA DAA, here it is. I tried to make a lot of it as plausible as possible . . . but remember, it is fan fiction and it demanded to be created just as is. Thanks!*

This story is rated NC-17; You must be 18 years or older to read this story.

Kathryn Janeway felt power in every one of her steps as she walked, arm in arm, with Chakotay back toward the bridge from astrometrics.

"I'd say that was ten points for our team and zero for theirs," she glanced his way noting his beaming smile in her direction. She returned it evenly.

"That's the last time we'll see the Bangar come knocking at our Starfleet door," Chakotay agreed.

"What were they thinking to try and *ram* my ship?" Kathryn was outraged.

"Captain, I think they mentioned they wanted technology," he smirked.

"Damnit, Chakotay," she rolled her eyes, "Everyone in this godforsaken quadrant wants technology. Maybe we should sponsor some sort of Technology Addicts Anonymous . . . we could make a bundle," she raised her eyebrows rather pointedly.

Chakotay laughed, "It seems appropriate though, don't you think?" He continued, "Here we are, about to cross over into the Beta Quadrant and we finish our time in the Delta Quadrant with a fight that we win. A man could get used to this sort of luck."

"Well, Commander, I have to say that on this trip . . . " she patted his arm with her hand, "you've been my lucky charm."

"Captain, Commander," an Ensign walked by, repair kit in hand, acknowledging her seniors.

"Ensign," Kathryn smiled back in the woman's direction. "Is it me," she turned to the man by her side, "or does our crew seem to be . . . glowing?"

"It's not you," his eyes twinkled, "It's *us*."

"Commander?" she questioned.

He opted to change the course of conversation, "How about a victory dinner, tonight . . . just the Captain and the Commander?"

Kathryn sighed, "Your quarters or mine."

"Is that a hint of blase' I hear in your voice Kathryn?" he asked, startled.

She stopped and he held onto her arm hoping she wouldn't pull away.

"It's not that I don't enjoy dinner with you, Chakotay . . . and lord knows we *do* have to eat . . but . . "

"But?" he prodded and then it dawned on him. "Same old . . same old . . . your quarters . . . my quarters . . . or, heaven forbid, the messhall."

"Been there, done that," she confirmed. "See Kathryn. See Kathryn and Chakotay eat. See Kathryn and Chakotay eat in their quarters . . . again."

"Well then, I have an idea," his eyes lit up with the words.

Kathryn groaned, "Not the holodeck either, Chakotay--" her words were cut off as he put a finger to her lips silencing her gently.

"Not the holodeck," he confirmed . . .

"Chakotay?" Kathryn questioned as she crawled through jeffries tube twenty-one. "Why am I crawling through here? I'm hungry damnit. I need to be fed. Didn't I save the ship from the Bangar today? Don't I deserve food?"

"Take a left Kathryn," he said as he crawled along behind her.

Kathryn stopped suddenly at the juncture between twenty-one B and twenty-two A and smiled. The juncture was larger than the crawling space of the tubes themselves and had been neatly decorated with picnic attire -- for two.

"What do you think?" Chakotay asked from behind her.

"Absolutely wonderful," Kathryn was breathless as she moved further in and found a place to sit, her back against the tube wall, in front of one of the place settings. Chakotay soon followed.

"I admit, it's a little small and you have to work to get here but . . ." he leaned against the wall, taking a deep breath to cool himself down, "it's different . . . we've never had dinner *or* lunch here . . . no interruptions . . . no peeping *Toms* . . ."

"Isn't *that* a miracle!" she smiled . . . "but how did you get all this in here without anyone seeing? Especially my chief of Security?"

"Captain, you don't want to know."

"Noted," she stated with a sly wink.

"I was thinking," he stated as he poured some of the white wine he had replicated into her glass. "sensors picked up a class two nebula and I had considered taking the Delta Flyer out to for some readings."

"Isn't that an everyday phenomenon?" Kathryn swallowed, realizing she may have insulted him, "You're interested in taking some field notes then?"

"No . . ." he glanced down to the food he was serving them and then let his gaze remain with hers, "but I'm interested in you. There's room enough for two on this expedition." He let the suggestion sit with her for a while.

Kathryn felt caught off guard. She had known Chakotay felt close to her for some time, but since New Earth he hadn't mentioned his feelings again . . . until now. "Let me . . . think on it," she stated gently and was relieved when he smiled gently and nodded his understanding.

Harry Kim was having a hard time believing it. After six years, he was going to be able to see his parents again. It had taken him more than two years of their trip through the Delta Quadrant to let go of everything he had left behind. And now? Now he wasn't sure if his parents would be ready for the man that was returning to them.

"What are you thinking about?" B'Elanna asked as she pulled out a chair to sit down in. The mess hall was anything but a quiet place today. People were talking wildly about what awaited them on Earth, who was hoping to stay on Voyager, who was hoping to be transferred. Things had started to slowly change.

"My parents, Earth, Libby, everything," Harry didn't look up.

"Hey," B'Elanna caught his attention, "take it a day at a time. That's all we have anymore."

"I felt the rush of the battle only five hours ago . . . felt the pride in defending Voyager and the crew and I realized that . . . that . . . we may never be able to do that together, again. For so long, we've been able to redefine and confirm our support to Starfleet, to seeking out new life . . . making first contact . . . and yet, this ship, Voyager has been like our own private world. When we get back -- it just won't survive in the Alpha Quadrant," Harry's passion seeped forth through his words.

B'Elanna's eyes fell, "None of us know how our lives will change when we get home. But," she reached across and took his hands gently, "we've learned to live with hard times, to accept change and more importantly help each other through it. This will just be another time where we will have to search our hearts and confirm our personal loyalties."

Kathryn walked onto the bridge, after having dinner with Chakotay, and smiled at Tuvok, "Don't look so surprised."

"I am not, nor have I ever looked 'surprised,' Captain," Tuvok stated. "You left the bridge a total of six hours and twenty four seconds ago."

"I know, I know, but . . . what else is there to do?" Kathryn threw up her hands, "One trip across the galaxy and you feel like you've done it all . . . leaves little or no excitement."

"On the contrary, I thought you would be 'excited' to return home," Tuvok questioned getting to the point.

"I was," Kathryn sighed, slipping into her command chair. "I was . . . you know, the strangest thing occurred earlier."

"Captain?" Tuvok questioned.

"I think," she tried to state her words carefully, non-challantly, "the Commander thought we, the command-duo . . . should get away for a day. Study a nebula . . . or two . . ." her words trailed off. She was hoping that Tuvok would find it illogical and she then would find it illogical herself. Truth be told, she was looking for an end to the debate that raged within her. To go or not to go . . . that was her question.

"Perhaps the Commander's suggestion holds more wisdom than the two of you initially pre-supposed. It will be your last time, as Commanding Officers, to advise and council each other outside of the crew and Starfleet," he stated.

Kathryn raised her eyebrows and wondered why she had ever thought of consulting a Vulcan in the first place.

"And," Neelix's voice held more than a few joyful overtones, "I've decided to make a splendid feast with the main course being, are you ready for this?" He rubbed his hands together, "Pekking Duck! I found it in the replicator database."

"Sounds great, Neelix," Tom smiled as he walked down the hallway with the Talaxian.

"It's so nice not to have to worry about energy reserves -- lets me experiment with my cooking skills," Neelix continued.

"Yeah," Tom stated, his mind elsewhere.

"Lieutenant? Is . . . there . . . something wrong?"

"No, nothing I can't handle," he said. "So, you wanted my help? Doing what exactly?"

Kathryn Janeway had been walking, with no clear direction, searching for an answer to the question that filled her mind. Tuvok had been of little or no help. And, finally, after three decks, four turbolifts and one combadge interruption from the Doctor, she had stated an internal "affirmative" to the proposal Chakotay had offered her earlier, over dinner. What harm was there in her going with him, getting away from the ship, studying her final Delta Quadrant Nebula . . . if even for one day . . . alone . . . with him. Chakotay.

She smiled at Lieutenant Nelson who nodded as he passed and kept on going down the hallway. Slowing, she let her hand drag across the smooth wall of Voyager's interior. Chakotay was punching in his code to enter his quarters. Kathryn sighed, and closed her eyes, taking her hand from the wall she gently brought her fingertips, in a slow motion, to graze across her reddened lips. Looking up, she saw that he was gone.

"Neelix to the Captain," the voice came through the combadge.

"Janeway here, what is it Neelix?"

"Do I have your authorization then, Captain?"

"Authorization?" Janeway asked out loud, her eyes still focused on the closed door in front of her. Closed.

"For the Alpha Quadra--" he started.

"Oh yes," Kathryn's body snapped out of it and she shook her head gently, "Carry on Mr. Neelix. You have my authorization." She turned and headed back in the direction she had came . . . changing her mind. She would let him sleep the night, undaunted, and in the morning -- she'd wake him and they'd begin their journey. No doubt he'd be surprised.

PART 2

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