by,
Captain Kim
Disclaimer: Paramount does not write J/C. I do. That's all you need to know.
Authors Note: This is the first part of something, unfortunately I had no I idea what I was doing when I wrote this so I assume I'll write more since it's not finished. Please forgive the spelling, I'm bad at it.
Captain Kathryn Janeway walked into the conference room ten minutes late. The entire room fell silent as the giant doors closed behind her. She stood respectfully in front of the reprimanding eyes of 21 various Starfleet officers.
"I apologize for my tardiness, please continue." As she quietly took the only empty seat that was left around the oval table, Admiral Paris continued with his lecture
Janeway shifted comfortably her chair, pretending to be completely enthralled by the Admiral's speech, only catching small snips of what he was talking about. She was far too tired to really care about the Admiral's speech, the last week had been exhausting.
Ever since Voyager had returned home, her days were filled with conferences, speeches, classes, parties, briefings, and trials. In fact the reason she was late was because she had just returned from a class that had run a little late. If she had known that returning home would be like this, she would have never-
"Captain?"
Janeway jumped at the sound of the Admiral's voice. Desperately trying to look attentive she asked simply, "Yes Admiral?"
Admiral Paris looked at her like a father who had caught his daughter coming home late from a date. "Captain Janeway, have you been listening to a thing I have said?"
"Yes, of course." She just might be able to talk her way out of this.
"Ok then," He looked at her with challenge in his gray eyes, "tell me, what is your opinion about the Aturi directive."
Janeway's eyes locked with the Admiral's, as if she would be able to extract the information from his mind with a single glance. It didn't work, so she decided to use another tatict, one that she had learned form years of expeirince. "I have no opinion, Admiral."
His eyes widened with amazment. The expression on his face almost said clearly, 'smart girl.' He then turned and walked around the oval table until he was directly behind her chair. "Good, that's just what we've been looking for, someone with a bias opinion. Congratulations Captain, you have the mission."
She spun around to face him, eyes filled with shock, but he had already returned to the front of the conference room, so she was unable to glare at him.
"Another meeting will be held tomorrow at 0300 hours, dismissed." The room emptied leaving Janeway and the Admiral alone.
They remained silent, Janeway's head still reeling. 'Just what she needed', she thought, 'another item to add to her list of things to do.'
Admiral Paris moved towards her, "You will meet your partner on Deep Space Nine at docking bay 24 tomorrow morning at 1400 hours."
Captain Janeway didn't say a word, she simply sat there wondering how she was possibly going to fit this into her schedule.
The Admiral began to walk away when he remembered something, "And Captain you might need this." He dropped a PADD on the desk in font of her, and walked out of the room.
Captain Janeway picked up the PADD, and began to read it. It was his speech. She smiled, and then began to read it.
___________________________________________________
The next morning she stood on Deep Space Nine at docking bay 24 waiting for her shuttle to arrive. After spending the entire previous night catching up with the latest Quantum theories. Apperently that was what this trip was about, a scientific trip aboard a science vessel, studying Quantum theories. Now she new why the Admiral picked her to command this trip, not because she wasn't paying attention, but because he knew that she was a scientist at heart. So after a night of no sleep and seven cups of coffee she was ready to embark on a new discovery, proof of the Aturi Quantum theory.
At that moment her shuttle arrived. She wantched through the veiwport as it landed gracefully in dock 24. Once the space doors closed she took her place in frot of the docking doors eargerly awating the adventure that lay ahead.
The doors opened, and she waited for the pilot, and her future partner, to emerge. No one came, leaving Janeway to speculate if the shuttle had piloted itself to the station. The he appeared. At first she didn't regonize him, not because he looked different, but because he was the last person she had expected to see.
"Hello Kathryn." His warm brown eyes locked with hers, and for a moment her breath was lost in his stare. After a moment of uncomfortable silence, he reached for her bag. "I'll take this." Then he turned and walked back into the shuttle, leaving her in a state of permanent shock. "Are you planning on coming in or are you going to ride on the hull?" His cheery voice came from within the shuttle. When Janeway finally recovered, she entered the shuttle.
Chakotay was busy at the console entering coordinates, and confirming destinations. "I'm glad you decided to join me. I heard the ride on the hull is ruff, if not impossible." He turned then smiling at her surprised expression.
"How did you know-?" Chakotay cut her off.
"That you were here?" He grinned, his dimples showing nicely in the shuttles bright lights. "It may have been a year since I've last seen you, but I can still feel your presence."
Janeway smiled warmly, she hadn't realized how much she had missed him until now. It has been a long time since she had heard is soft voice, or seen his sweet smile, or felt his calm presence. 'Snap put of it Kath,' she reprimanded herself. 'It's just Chakotay, your fist officer, your friend. It's not as if he has come back from the dead.'
"Sit down, make yourself at home." Chakotay's voice thrust her back into reality. He was now standing at the console, by an empty chair, willing her to sit down. Janeway walked over cautiously, as if there was a trap, and she was about to get caught.
"You look like you've seen a ghost." Chakotay sat in the chair beside her, continuing with his tasks.
Janeway looked at him through the corner of her eyes, "No, not a ghost, just a surprise. Not many people surprise me."
He paused for a moment and looked at her playfully, "I know." Then he nonchalantly returned to his work.
Then, it began to happen. Like usual, his playfully mood began to rub off on her, and the game of cat and mouse began. "So what are you doing on this mission?" She asked in a sultry voice
She couldn't see his face, but knew that he was smiling. "You mean, what are the chances of you and I being put on a mission like this one."
Janeway stood and sauntered over to the other console, "accidentally" brushing Chakotay's shoulder while passing by. "Don't get me wrong Chakotay, it's wonderful seeing you again, but you never struck me as the type who would be interested in a dull science mission like this one,"
He turned around abruptly, and leaned back in his chair. "Your right I wasn't intrested in the scientific aspect of the mission."
Her eyes lit up with sly curiosity. Facing him she asked almost seductively, "Then why."
Chakotay leaned forward, his eyes transmitting the aura of mischief. Then he said simply, with a tone of sweetness, "You."
They froze, eyes locked as the tension grew. Janeway was caught off guard by his intensity, her skin grew hot and her heart began to pound. That's when she knew, the attraction was still there. After a year without even a sign of his existence, he still had a way with her heart. She turned away, and returned to her work at the console. "So Commander-"
"You mean, Captain."
Janeway turned around again looking at the cocky grin of her Commander. "Excuse me?"
I've been promoted, and if I'm not mistaking, they put me in charge of this mission so-"
"Wait a minute, your not telling me that your the Captain of this mission."
Chakotay laughed, he wasn't used to surprising her this much in one day. "That's right, and your acting Commander. Just for this mission, of course."
Janeway threw her arms up in the air, "Oh this makes sense, put the man who used to be my first officer in charge of a mission that I'm an expert on."
Chakotay smiled gently and said with a small degree of playfullness, "I guess they finally found out that I was the 'real' Captain aboard Voyager."
Janeway couldn't help but smile at his comment. The years they had spent on Voyager building their friendship had not dissipated during the past year. "OK..Captain take us to our destination."
Just as Chakotay turned to his console Janeway secretly thought, this is going to be a long ride.
Ta Da!
