fic: (VOY) Borrowed Time, 1/3
Borrowed Time
Author: CK (DrLizThirose)
Rating: NC-17 / P18
Summary: My entry for VAMB's Secret Santa exchange 2011. My task was to write a JC Resolutions fix that would prevent an early rescue from New Earth and definitely bring Kath and Chak together.
Complete request: J/C Resolutions story. No early rescue from the planet, but definitely bring them together. Can even make KJ (after some introspection) pursue Chakotay (who plays hard to get lol) versus the other way around.
At least one strong R-ish or smutty scene with them. (more is ok if you can or want to)
Also, a pregnancy and/or birth if you're able is ok as well.
Disclaimer: If they were mine, I would have written them a script according to my story and sent them away to New Earth... unfortunately, they belong to some very, very unromantic people - Paramount and co.
Author's Note: I decided to go into that story with a rewritten "Angry Warrior" scene that follows Jeri Taylor's original script (to some extent), and then start at the "I can build this boat" scene.
Find Part 2 here and Part 3 here.
_______________________________________________________
When she emerged from behind her partition not even an hour later, there was a hint of anxiety in her features. Still, she strode resolutely to the table and sat down across from him.
"We have talk about this," she said; it was a clear statement, no doubt in her voice evident, contrary to what he saw in her eyes, what she tried to hide behind the captain's mask. He put aside the PADD he was working on, slowly so, all the while watching her thoughtfully.
"All right..." He folded his hands in front of him, leaning forward towards her, looking her straight in the eye.
"We know that we are going to be here the rest of our lives. The question is... what is our relationship going to be, exactly? I think we need to define some parameters." His left eyebrow twitched, as if contemplating rising, but then thinking the better of it; instead he regarded her with something she recognized as determination in his expression.
"I don't think I can tell you - exactly. And I'm not sure I can define parameters. But I can tell you a story... An ancient legend among my people." He allowed himself a tiny smile to pull on the corners of his mouth, before he went on. "It's about an angry warrior... who lived his life in conflict with the rest of his tribe... a man who couldn't find peace, even with the help of his spirit guide. For years he struggled with the demons inside him, but the only satisfaction he ever knew came when he was in battle. This made him a hero in his tribe, but the warrior still longed for inner peace."
He rose and started to slowly stride through the room, followed by her eyes. He had spent the evening thinking about how to tell her, whether to tell her now at all, and still he needed to find the courage to go through with this story.
"One day he and his war party were captured by a neighboring tribe, led by a warrior princess. She called on him to join them, for her tribe was too small and weak to defend themselves from all their enemies. The warrior princess was brave, and beautiful. And very wise. The angry warrior swore to himself that he would stay by her side, doing whatever he could to make her burden lighter. From that point, her needs would come first. And in that way, the warrior began to know the true meaning of peace."
He stopped his pacing and turned to her, who was still watching him with a mixture of expectation and confusion. He took a deep breath, holding her eyes with his for his next words.
"He didn't realize for long time that what he was feeling was love - because he had never known love before."
Tears were unstoppably rolling down her cheeks when the full meaning of his words hit her. Of course she knew exactly what he was saying; and for some reason it didn't even surprise her. Still, her heart beat so wildly like she had just run a marathon. With great effort she managed to keep her voice as steady as possible for her next words: "Is that really... an ancient legend?" Her heart warmed when he began to smile widely, and blushed a bit, like realizing only now what he had just revealed to her.
"No. But that made it easier to tell you." She smiled as well then, her eyes full of affection when she stood up and walked over to him. She came to stand only half a step before him, and looked up at him for long moment. He didn't dare to move even one muscle, anxiously awaiting what she would do. He was more than mildly surprised when suddenly, she lifted her arms and wound them around his neck, pulling him to her in a tight embrace.
It was the most intimate gesture they had ever shared. Was it promising something? Neither of them knew. But one thing they knew for sure. A man and a woman who had to spend the rest of their lives alone on a planet far away from anyone and anywhere they knew, had ever known, couldn't be 'just friends' forever. And they knew that, as of this moment, something had changed between them; something that was worth exploring.
=^=
It resembled a warm day in May on good old Earth, that world outside their little cabin on an alien planet far away from their home quadrant they now had to call their new home. New Earth. Warm rays of the system's solar star greeted the morning hours and embraced Kathryn Janeway, former captain of the Starship Voyager, when she stepped out of the door. She would never have thought it possible, but life in the wilderness didn't seem all that unappealing to her anymore. The air was fresh, and she took a deep breath, turning her face to the light breeze playing around the house and inhaling the scent of wet earth and dew-covered plants emanating from the woods.
"Good morning," a voice from behind her greeted her, and she smiled when she turned around.
"And to you," she replied, her voice gentle, and gladly accepted a cup of coffee he was giving her. Chakotay, the man who used to be her second-in-command and would now be her company for the rest of her life, laughed when she hummed after taking a long sip.
"You know, we won't have coffee forever. Maybe you should try and get used to something else. Tea really isn't that bad. And we certainly won't run out of herbs." He winked at her, and she rolled her eyes.
"Before that happens, I rather find myself some substitute. They has to be some kind of... 'New Earth' coffee here. We could make a fortune with it," she smirked, and he returned the gesture.
"Say that just a bit louder and Neelix will be back here in no time," Chakotay deadpanned, critically eyeing his surroundings like looking for the Talaxian they had met shortly after their arrival in the Delta Quadrant and who had become a worthy member of Voyager's crew.
"Yes... plus every Ferengi that ever was," she added and they stared ahead in seemingly contemplating silence, only broken by the sounds of both of them drinking their respective beverages. Seconds passed, maybe a few minutes. Then Janeway couldn't hold back a giggle anymore - and they both erupted in laughter. It took them a moment to regain their composure, gasping for air and hiccupping even when they had calmed down again.
"That's how I like my days to start," Chakotay said and then walked back into the cabin. "Do you have a moment for me?" she heard him calling from the inside a moment later, "I'd like your opinion on something."
"Well, you've come to the right person. I always have an opinion," she stated, the smile as evident in her voice as it was on her face when she joined him in front of his computer. Immediately, she recognized the 3d sketch she saw on it, and her eyes lit up. "A boat!"
"You said you wanted to explore the river. I think I could build this."
"We could go on a camping trip," she suggested enthusiastically, and he quirked an eyebrow at that.
"I'm not sure we could fit the bathtub in the boat," he quipped and then smiled cheekily, at which she responded by laughing happily.
"Well, that's all right, I'll have the river." Kathryn loved the idea already; although she wasn't that much of an admirer of camping trips of any sort, she couldn't wait for their expedition down the river by boat and not just foot. This world held some surprises, she was sure, and if the rest was even half as beautiful and earth-like as the area they had already covered with their explorations...
"Do you hear that?" Chakotay brought her back from her musings, and she looked up at him, at once listening intently.
"No, what?" He nodded towards the door.
"Listen. I think your little friend is back." Now she heard it, too; the distinctive low squealing and the suspicious rustling sounds that were so familiar by now. Quickly they made their way outside, only to be indeed greeted by the small ape-like being Janeway had become so fond of. And obviously those feelings were reciprocated. The animal wasn't standing at the edge of the forest anymore, but had come close to the house this time, taking a curious look at the plant bed with the Talaxian tomatoes - Janeway had planted them a few days back after discovering her love for gardening - before his attention was drawn by the two humans walking out of the cabin.
"Well, hello there," Kathryn greeted him, her voice soft as to not to disturb him or scare him away. The little primate squeaked again, and pointed insistently into the river's opposite direction; the part of their surrounding area they hadn't yet explored more thoroughly. Janeway crouched down, intently looking at the animal and asking, "You want us to go this way?"
Chakotay smiled fondly at this "exchange". Kathryn's encounters with the creature were adorable, to say at least. He had no idea how trustful the rest of this species was, but if it was for him to judge, he would say that her way to treat the ape had given her some advantage in gaining his trust. Something told him that sometime soon his companion's favorite pet would change from dog to monkey. He just hoped that there weren't any ten-times-as-big parents around missing and searching for their little one.
The animal squeaked again, his arms still stretched out and pointing away from their camp, like he wanted to give some extra emphasis to his recommendation. Chakotay saw Janeway nodding and then rise, while their visitor retreated back behind the tree line.
Before she could say anything, Chakotay was already speaking. "So, are we going to follow his tip?"
"It's not like we had much else to do... for the rest of our lives. Or that we wouldn't have covered that area anyways," was her answer; then she patted him on the shoulder and went back into the house.
=^=
The ship was flying at high warp; there was no need to waste any time. Elegantly it was maneuvered through space as it raced towards its destination. It longed to get back to sheep lost, to its heart and soul abandoned by unfortunate circumstances.
"Long-range scanners are now detecting the planet, sir. Estimated time of arrival in approximately thirty-five hours."
"Thank you, Mr. Kim." Lieutenant Commander and acting captain Tuvok rose from the commanding officer's chair in the middle of Voyager's bridge and came to stand before the view screen, hands clasped behind his back. "Are we in communications range yet, ensign?" He then continued, looking shortly over his shoulder to OPS station.
"We are, but there seem to be some inferences. I can't get a signal through yet." Harry Kim's fingers moved quickly over his controls, frantically trying to open a channel, but it was to no use. They would have to wait until they got closer to the planet to contact their crewmates.
Back on their way to the planet where they had left their captain and commander, the Federation starship was taking a big detour of around seventy light years by flying in the exact opposite direction of where their ultimate destination - Alpha Quadrant and Earth - lay. Every single crewmember knew that their former captain wouldn't approve of the dangers they'd taken up on to get an antidote from the Vidiians, and that they were now losing precious time on their journey to the M class planet they'd left their commanding duo on. After all, they were ignoring a direct order.
And still, they couldn't have cared less about any possible, though not very probable, consequences. Kim and the rest of the crew had done their best to convince Lieutenant Commander Tuvok to take the risk and ask the Vidiians for their help. When the Vulcan man had finally agreed, they had worked without pause to get the cure, all of them eager to bring the pair they all held so dear in their hearts back aboard.
"Did you hear that Neelix is planning a big 'Welcome Home!' party on holodeck two for tomorrow night?" Even highly concentrated on flying the spaceship, skilled pilot Tom Paris still was able to enjoy some small talk with his crewmates - much to Tuvok's disapproval.
"I think, Mr. Paris, you should keep your mind concentrated on the task at hand so there will be persons to celebrate tomorrow night," the Vulcan commented in his usual stoic demeanor, and Tom rolled, facing his console and thus unseen by his commanding officer, his eyes.
"Really, Tuvok, leave that bit of anticipatory joy to the people. Trust me, it will motivate them."
"Plus," Harry piped in, "there's no reason to assume that this mission will fail. The hardest part already lies behind us."
"I think there is a saying among humans that advices not to 'count the chicken before they are hatched'," Tuvok surprised them with a rather usual argument, effectively muting Harry and Tom, both of them staring at him open-mouthed. If Tom hadn't known better, he would have been sure that there was the resemblance of a smug grin on the Vulcan's face.
=^=
Chakotay had immediately gone to work as soon as the computer had finished all necessary calculations and announced the blueprint as finished. By that time, both he and Janeway had brought logs and pre-cut planks to a clearing halfway between the river and their house. But actually building the boat proved to be not as easy as assumed by the man who was otherwise an adept craftsman. It even went as far as bringing him to curse under his breath, much to his female company's amusement.
Janeway was working some smaller logs and planks according to Chakotay's instructions, trying to give him a hand as good as she was able to, but still, they were only making slow progress. And when it began to rain heavily in the early evening, they had to surrender for the day, hastily covering their work before running back over muddy ground and under dripping trees to their shelter.
"A kingdom for a starship," Kathryn sighed when she thankfully accepted the towel from her fellow sufferer who was just as soaked through to the bones as her. "No rain, no wind, no weather, no insects, but steady temperatures-"
"... hostile aliens, firefights, unknown diseases..."
"Touché."
They smiled at each other before retreating to their private areas to get rid of their dripping wet clothes; the last thing they needed now was to catch a cold.
"Do you mind if I take a shower first?" Janeway asked loudly while putting on her dressing gown.
"Not at all, I wanted to suggest that you go first anyways." He appeared from behind his partition just the moment she did as well, and grinned at her when he added, "You know, I'm more used to this rough kind of life." Kathryn resisted the sudden, quite unfamiliar urge to stick out her tongue, but instead only rolled her eyes and headed for the bathroom, ignoring his snickering as she did so.
It took her around twenty minutes to finish - and when she left the bathroom, wrapped only in a towel so big it seemed to wear her and not the other way around, he had a strong feeling of déjà-vu. Her hair was hidden beneath a towel-turban, leaving her neck and shoulders deliciously free of anything that could have obstructed his view. He would have needed to be dead to not stare at her.
The light tapping of her bare feet was the only sound in the room when she walked back to her sleeping area. Just before she vanished behind her partition, she stopped, and, without turning to him, whispered, "Chakotay, stop staring!". Then she was gone from his sight.
His brain, only slow at thinking at this moment, took a few seconds to send a "Widen!" command to his eyes, and a "Blush!" one to his face. However, something inside him also noticed that she hadn't ignored him or shied away from his longing gaze, but had instead acknowledged it in a rather untypical and, as far as he saw it, flirtatious way. A smile crept onto his face. Maybe there was still hope.
Right now, he had to banish those thoughts from his head for the time being. There was a boat to build, and some other ideas to bring into visible plans they could work with; everything else would take its own time, just like their relationship did. But if there was anything they had enough of, it was time.
Satisfied with the prospect of what was yet to come, he turned his attention back to the computer in front of him that showed Voyager's surface readings and mappings. The river led into a valley with a big lake, and went on from there in smaller streams, at the foot of the surrounding mountains vanishing into these. However, no water came from them on the other side of the hills. The same construction found itself in the opposite direction of their camp, away from the river - mountains into which water disappeared, but here from the side that was not facing them. He wondered whether one could enter the mountains from Janeway's and his side of them.
When Kathryn accompanied him at the table a few minutes later, he was busily at work, thinking everything through, and then suggesting the idea he had come up with: If the river was not yet an option to explore, since building the boat would take some additional time, maybe they should indeed try out the primate's recommendation and take a closer look at the mountains they lay in the other direction.
His female companion was enthusiastic about the idea, and so postponing their boat trip - or working on the vessel - to not be stuck on the small lands they had claimed for too long, the decision was made.
Early the next morning, given the weather had improved, they would leave.
=^=
Voyager's bridge was busily quiet, with everyone dutifully working at their stations while the ship flew with a steady speed towards Janeway and Chakotay's location. Tuvok had once again taken place in the captain's chair, reading a report and occasionally checking in with Harry for any changes.
"Did you find a solution for the problems with communication yet, Ensign Kim?" he asked once more when Paris announced that they would arrive in about seventeen hours.
"I'm sorry, sir, but I can't just explain what causes them. There's no apparent reason. Nothing on the sensors indicates where these disturbances come from. To be honest, I'm running out of ideas." There was a note of desperation in his voice, and he earned himself a sympathetic look from his friend Tom.
"Then it will be a surprise for them; I don't think they will mind, given the fact that it brings them back aboard," the pilot commented, deliberately ignoring Tuvok expected protest. That, however, never came. The acting captain knew better than to give the younger man a lesson in discipline; he had spent enough time around humans to be able to at least sometimes tolerate certain inappropriate traits.
"Then maybe you should consult with engineering. This very well could also be a yet undetected problem in the ship's systems."
"Yes, sir," the ensign acknowledged, immediately returning his attention to the task.
=^=
After the heavy rain the evening before, Kathryn and Chakotay had feared their hiking plans would literally be rained off. But when they poked their heads out of their cabin early this morning, dawn accompanied by the first rays of sunlight invited them to go through with their plans. The still-cool air made the prospect of wandering and roaming the lands they hadn't yet explored even more appealing, and so breakfast was a quick affair, as was packing their backpacks.
In no time, they were on their way, choosing the general direction of the mountains and therefore the destination their little ape-like friend had pointed out to them. Equipped with sleeping bags, food and every other necessary utensils, they were planning to stay overnight if the environment would allow it. It was about time to get away from their cabin for a while; change was always welcomed, especially to explorers and scientists.
A good twenty minutes into their hike to the mountains, Janeway suddenly stopped, her hand on Chakotay's arm bringing him to a halt as well. When he looked at her, he was met by a fearful expression that scared him to no end.
"Kathryn? What is it?" he wanted to know, his hands grabbing her shoulders and forcing her to look at him.
"Chakotay..." she began, her voice only a whisper, "did you... did you-"
"Dear Heavens, Kathryn, please tell me what the matter is with you!" He was close to panicking. Whatever it was, it frightened Kathryn Janeway. And that was reason enough for him to be seriously worried.
"Did you... lock the door?" He stared at her dumbfounded for a moment, his mind needing a moment to process her words.
"Did I... wha-" he began to stammer, but then the sounds from his throat died, leaving his mouth standing agape - and him speechless. Kathryn held her frightened expression, though he recognized the first tell-tale signs of an enormous fit of laughter coming on in the way her eyes started to twinkle, and the corners of her mouth to twitch. And then of course there was this very faint chuckling gurgle from somewhere in her throat; if not belly, because she was working so hard on suppressing it.
When the panic in his features began to vanish and was replaced by a deep, puzzled frown, the woman lost it.
"Oh Chakotay... I'm sorry, but you should have seen your face," she burst out laughing, shaking and bending over, holding her stomach. The man in front of her stared at her incredulously.
"Not even remotely funny, Kathryn. Not even a bit. Do you know how scared I just was?!" Always calm and well-composed Chakotay felt anger bubbling inside him, and only the part of him who adored Kathryn so much - and a happy, joyfully laughing Kathryn even more - kept the part that wanted to scold, really scold her, in check.
"I guess I got too much fresh air," Janeway smiled and shrugged; then she resumed her way to the mountains, the hint of a bounce in her step. Voyager's former first officer shook his head and couldn't help but sigh. He loved this new side of her, but he definitely still needed to get used to it.
He followed her wordlessly, and they didn't talk anymore while hiking through this jungle-like nature of the planet towards the mountain range that was a good three-hour-walk away from their cabin. Their tricorders led their way and acted as map and compass equally. Smaller rock formations dotted the wayside, almost like someone had placed them there to offer some grey contrast to the lush green surrounding them in the forest.
"I wonder if there is some kind of pattern to these rocks," Janeway voiced her thoughts after a while. But her companion only gave a grumbled response. She looked at him irritated. "Really, Chakotay? Are you going to pout for the next days?"
"I am not pouting, Kathryn. I'm just... that was unnecessary and...," he sighed deeply and shook his head, "inappropriate, immature behavior." When he faced her then, his expression was serious - and for the first time she realized that she really had acted like a little child who wasn't able to grab the significance of their situation. She had always been the responsible one, safe for those moments in her youth when she had given in to her curiosity and risked something, against better knowledge and judgment. But that had only happened a very few times, something every young person had to experience, and other than that, she had usually showed just how much a good leader and commanding officer she would make later. And proven it, too.
Here, on New Earth, there was only the two of them; no one to help when something happened, no back-up or rescue teams. They had to rely completely on themselves and the respective other. They had to trust each other without even the hint of a doubt. There was no room for pranks and practical jokes, for pulling each other's leg. At least not if it would scare the hell out of the other.
Heavily sitting down on one of the rocks at the side of the path they were just passing, Janeway slowly nodded, acknowledging his words, the expression on her face solemn and thoughtful.
"You're right, Chakotay. I'm sorry. I feel like... I don't know what it is. I haven't been myself in these past weeks. Maybe it's this environment, the new planet, the new home, the prospect of spending the rest of our lives here. Maybe I'm just going insane because I fear solitude." Her last words were only a mere whisper and her eyes got lost in the distance. Only the gentle touch of his finger under her chin brought her focus back to him who was now crouching before her.
"You're not alone here, Kathryn. I know this is difficult, being confined to this unfamiliar planet in an even more unknown region of space. But I promise that I will do everything in my power to make us have a good life here." He smiled at her. "The warrior princess' needs will always come first for the angry warrior, remember?"
For the second time since they had come to this world, her heart was overflowing with love and affection for him. His words touched her as deeply as his little tale he had told her a while ago and was now referring to. She knew better than to deny that she was falling in love with him, if she hadn't already. And those little moments, apart from everything else in general, time and again reminded her why. Even if this planet had been crowded, stuffed with billions of people, he would still have been the most wonderful, kindest person, and man, of them all.
"I know. And I can't begin to tell you how grateful I am." She sighed - something she did far too often recently in her opinion - and cupped his face with her hands, her thumbs brushing his cheeks gently. He lifted a hand himself and covered one of hers with it, leaning into the touch while closing his eyes. Then he loosened her hand, lacing it with his, and looked up at her again.
"Come on, I want to reach the mountains before noon; the area scans Voyager made showed a stretch of some sort of dry and level land between the forest and the mountain range. We won't have any protection from the sun there."
The last hour of their walk passed surprisingly fast, and finally the entrances into what they hoped would be caves came into view. Choosing one of them suggested by their tricorder readings, they cautiously went inside, their wrist beacons providing them with enough light to explore the insides the mountain.
"It never ceases to amaze me how nature can form such structures," Janeway commented when she looked around, the tunnels seeming to stretch endlessly through the mountainside.
"I'm sure you'll be even more amazed when you see this," Chakotay called from a bit farther away; their voices echoed so effectively through the tunnels that they probably could have heard each other even if they had been several kilometers away from the other. Following the sound of his voice, she walked up to him, only to stop dead in her tracks when she saw what he had discovered - the archway to a cave that could only be described as gigantic. As could the lake in its midst.
"I think you've just found my bathtub," she declared and grinned at her companion.
=^=
The door chime to the ready room made Tuvok look up from the PADD he was reading. Just another report he dutifully reviewed while Tom Paris took care of bridge business as long as they hadn't reached the planet yet.
"Come in," he said, as toneless as always, and waited for who the opening door would reveal. "Ensign Kim," the Vulcan acknowledged when he recognized his visitor, and motioned for him to take a seat while he put down the reading device.
But the young man was too anxious to sit. "Sir, I'm afraid I've disturbing news," he instead immediately began, and Tuvok rose an eyebrow, waiting for Harry continue, who did so hastily. "Lieutenant Torres and I found what may be the reason for our communication problems. There is a subspace rupture that seems to have..." he stopped, searching for the right word, "swallowed the planet Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay are on. We can't determine whether the planet is still there at all, or was..." Harry trailed off and took a deep breath, then finished with "destroyed."
Tuvok considered the other man's words for a moment, before he stood and replied, "I strongly recommend to not rely on quickly made conclusions. For all we know, this may be a periodically occurring phenomenon. As you may recall, we scanned the planet and surrounding space thoroughly. We should wait until we're closer to it; this certainly will give us new or at least improved results."
Harry looked like he was about to protest, but then thought the better of it, and simply replied, "Yes, sir."
"In the meantime, you and Lieutenant Torres should continue to monitor the readings and inform me as soon as you get any new or additional results."
"Of course, sir." Tuvok nodded and dismissed Kim by sitting back down and turning his attention to his PADD again. The Asian man sighed inwardly and slowly retreated towards the room's door that led to the bridge; but, just before he reached it and it could slide open, he heard the lieutenant commander's voice once again.
"Ensign, you should not... worry too much. I am sure we will find the captain and the commander alive and well, and will be able to continue our journey with them on board soon."
His mouth pulled into a half-smile, Harry looked back at Tuvok who was still reading his PADD.
"Thank you, sir." With that, he left the room.
=^=
Janeway and Chakotay had taken their time to explore the caves and tunnel system; out of scientific curiosity and to assure that there weren't any bad and dangerous surprises waiting for them. However, the structure looked like it had been naturally formed over the course of centuries, if not millennia, and the only signs of life inside this stony world were some exotic flowers and plants.
Only a few meters away from the main entrance into the mountains they had found a small cave that could almost be described as cozy; especially since it was surprisingly warm inside it. In silent agreement the two humans chose this cave as their campsite, and while Janeway unpacked their bags, Chakotay collected some stones, assembled them to a kind-of fireplace and heated them with a shot from his phaser.
Their shared a light supper, having eaten something on their way already, and talked a bit about trivial things, both of them tired after their hike. Eventually, Janeway decided to make a good use of the water-filled cavern Chakotay had found earlier.
"You know how I was taught never to break with traditions?" she asked while pulling a towel from her backpack, and her former first officer looked at her questioningly. She chuckled. "I love a good bath before going to bed." With that, she stood up from her sleeping bag she had been sitting on, and walked out of their campsite cave, adding, "I'll be back in half an hour."
Chakotay only smiled and shook his head, but checked his chronometer to make sure he could follow her if she stayed away for too long.
=^=
Expecting the big cave to be as dark as they had first discovered it, Janeway had taken a flashlight with her that was bright enough so she wouldn't have to second-guess every step. But when she entered the cave, it proved her precautions unnecessary - lights literally hanging in the air close to the ceiling provided enough brightness to see into every last edge of the holey structure. Quickly scanning the new addition to the cavern that hadn't been there during their earlier explorations, the tricorder cleared the phenomenon's safety, allowing Janeway to hold to her plan of taking a swim.
Minutes later, after getting rid of all her clothes - of course she hadn't thought of bringing a swimsuit, but then, she also hadn't thought she would need one, in any way - she dove into the clear, cool water. Coming up again and shoving back her hair, she took a moment to enjoy the refreshing feeling that woke her from their hike tired and exhausted body - and became ensnared by the curious appearance above her.
In pure astonishment she looked up at the dancing lights shining down upon her, illuminating the cave and its surreal flora with their silvery and golden lights. Kathryn was sure that, if there was actually a paradise, they had found it on this planet. The beauty surrounding her was breathtaking, and she was so spellbound by it that she didn't even notice the part of her body not in the waist-deep water slowly cooling off, or that she shivered slightly.
She just stood there - fascinated, trapped in her own mind, and unmoving.
=^=
Chakotay had become worried when Kathryn didn't come back after the promised half hour like she had told him. They still couldn't be sure whether there really wasn't any humanoid population or even another kind of hostile alien species on this world, and even though she wasn't that far away, he wasn't about take the risk. Getting his tricorder and his phaser, he walked the short distance through the tunnel that led to the cave.
But what he discovered there threatened to make his heart stop.
Where there had been a stunning view before, was now an undeniable magnificence to.
The water of the small lagoon looked black, and yet it was glittering magically - in the bright light of glowing globes floating high in the air under the ceiling. The rock face surrounding the underground pond appeared so smooth like it had been artificially formed and polished, and the flowers surrounding the water place that might have been an explosion of color in normal daylight appeared in faint pastels dotting the grays of the cavern. But the Indian man couldn't have cared less about this beauty surrounding him - for there was only one beauty catching his eye: his friend and former captain standing amidst the lake, her back to him, perfectly still. And completely naked.
An undeniable, irresistible desire engulfed him, making him undress himself, before it pulled him towards her, like a puppet on a string, farther and farther into the pool. It was trance-like state that controlled him, as he noted somewhere in his suppressed conscious mind, and as much effort as he put into it, he couldn't free himself of this strange influence. When he approached her, she didn't move, didn't acknowledge him; she remained as she was, like his statue of porcelain in the dark waters of an alien planet's lagoon. Like she didn't have any control either.
He saw her shivering in the cool air of the cave when he was still a few steps away, and instinctively began to move faster, an eagerness to reach her, to warm her, befalling him. He even began to use his arms to help him go faster, parting the water forcefully, until finally he came up behind her, his hands finding her shoulders and coming to rest on them, pulling her to him so that she rested against him. But already the moment his hands touched her skin, the longing, the arousal he felt threatened to overpower him.
She still wasn't reacting; it was as if she was completely entranced by the lights floating above their heads, and he was equally mesmerized by the view, as he was by the woman in front of him.
His naked body pressed against her from behind, his hands slowly beginning to descend down her front. One of them stopped at her chest, caressing and gently kneading her breasts, teasing her nipples already hard from the coolness of the water; his other hand, however, soon vanished beneath the surface of the clear water, gliding deeper yet, over her stomach, until his fingers reached the soft curls at the apex of her thighs and then dipped between her legs, where they were greeted with a heat that stood in harsh contrast to the water they were standing in. Hesitantly, reverentially almost, his fingertips worked slowly onwards, slipping between her folds, until one finger could enter her.
Her sharp cry, filled with pure lust and pleasure, nearly sent him over the edge. She leaned into him, squeezing his erection between them, and he deftly fondled her sex, adding another finger to her heat, finding just the right spots to tease, to bring...
"No!" she suddenly exclaimed, breaking free from the spell that had held her, and withdrew from his embrace. She turned around, looked at him for moment in shock, panic almost, before she dove into the water and swam with forceful strokes back to the shoreline. Chakotay had his back still to her, staring at the blank, glistening walls surrounding the underground lake, his head empty, his mind confused, while she retreated quickly, running back to their camp.
TBC...
Author: CK (DrLizThirose)
Rating: NC-17 / P18
Summary: My entry for VAMB's Secret Santa exchange 2011. My task was to write a JC Resolutions fix that would prevent an early rescue from New Earth and definitely bring Kath and Chak together.
Complete request: J/C Resolutions story. No early rescue from the planet, but definitely bring them together. Can even make KJ (after some introspection) pursue Chakotay (who plays hard to get lol) versus the other way around.
At least one strong R-ish or smutty scene with them. (more is ok if you can or want to)
Also, a pregnancy and/or birth if you're able is ok as well.
Disclaimer: If they were mine, I would have written them a script according to my story and sent them away to New Earth... unfortunately, they belong to some very, very unromantic people - Paramount and co.
Author's Note: I decided to go into that story with a rewritten "Angry Warrior" scene that follows Jeri Taylor's original script (to some extent), and then start at the "I can build this boat" scene.
Find Part 2 here and Part 3 here.
_______________________________________________________
When she emerged from behind her partition not even an hour later, there was a hint of anxiety in her features. Still, she strode resolutely to the table and sat down across from him.
"We have talk about this," she said; it was a clear statement, no doubt in her voice evident, contrary to what he saw in her eyes, what she tried to hide behind the captain's mask. He put aside the PADD he was working on, slowly so, all the while watching her thoughtfully.
"All right..." He folded his hands in front of him, leaning forward towards her, looking her straight in the eye.
"We know that we are going to be here the rest of our lives. The question is... what is our relationship going to be, exactly? I think we need to define some parameters." His left eyebrow twitched, as if contemplating rising, but then thinking the better of it; instead he regarded her with something she recognized as determination in his expression.
"I don't think I can tell you - exactly. And I'm not sure I can define parameters. But I can tell you a story... An ancient legend among my people." He allowed himself a tiny smile to pull on the corners of his mouth, before he went on. "It's about an angry warrior... who lived his life in conflict with the rest of his tribe... a man who couldn't find peace, even with the help of his spirit guide. For years he struggled with the demons inside him, but the only satisfaction he ever knew came when he was in battle. This made him a hero in his tribe, but the warrior still longed for inner peace."
He rose and started to slowly stride through the room, followed by her eyes. He had spent the evening thinking about how to tell her, whether to tell her now at all, and still he needed to find the courage to go through with this story.
"One day he and his war party were captured by a neighboring tribe, led by a warrior princess. She called on him to join them, for her tribe was too small and weak to defend themselves from all their enemies. The warrior princess was brave, and beautiful. And very wise. The angry warrior swore to himself that he would stay by her side, doing whatever he could to make her burden lighter. From that point, her needs would come first. And in that way, the warrior began to know the true meaning of peace."
He stopped his pacing and turned to her, who was still watching him with a mixture of expectation and confusion. He took a deep breath, holding her eyes with his for his next words.
"He didn't realize for long time that what he was feeling was love - because he had never known love before."
Tears were unstoppably rolling down her cheeks when the full meaning of his words hit her. Of course she knew exactly what he was saying; and for some reason it didn't even surprise her. Still, her heart beat so wildly like she had just run a marathon. With great effort she managed to keep her voice as steady as possible for her next words: "Is that really... an ancient legend?" Her heart warmed when he began to smile widely, and blushed a bit, like realizing only now what he had just revealed to her.
"No. But that made it easier to tell you." She smiled as well then, her eyes full of affection when she stood up and walked over to him. She came to stand only half a step before him, and looked up at him for long moment. He didn't dare to move even one muscle, anxiously awaiting what she would do. He was more than mildly surprised when suddenly, she lifted her arms and wound them around his neck, pulling him to her in a tight embrace.
It was the most intimate gesture they had ever shared. Was it promising something? Neither of them knew. But one thing they knew for sure. A man and a woman who had to spend the rest of their lives alone on a planet far away from anyone and anywhere they knew, had ever known, couldn't be 'just friends' forever. And they knew that, as of this moment, something had changed between them; something that was worth exploring.
=^=
It resembled a warm day in May on good old Earth, that world outside their little cabin on an alien planet far away from their home quadrant they now had to call their new home. New Earth. Warm rays of the system's solar star greeted the morning hours and embraced Kathryn Janeway, former captain of the Starship Voyager, when she stepped out of the door. She would never have thought it possible, but life in the wilderness didn't seem all that unappealing to her anymore. The air was fresh, and she took a deep breath, turning her face to the light breeze playing around the house and inhaling the scent of wet earth and dew-covered plants emanating from the woods.
"Good morning," a voice from behind her greeted her, and she smiled when she turned around.
"And to you," she replied, her voice gentle, and gladly accepted a cup of coffee he was giving her. Chakotay, the man who used to be her second-in-command and would now be her company for the rest of her life, laughed when she hummed after taking a long sip.
"You know, we won't have coffee forever. Maybe you should try and get used to something else. Tea really isn't that bad. And we certainly won't run out of herbs." He winked at her, and she rolled her eyes.
"Before that happens, I rather find myself some substitute. They has to be some kind of... 'New Earth' coffee here. We could make a fortune with it," she smirked, and he returned the gesture.
"Say that just a bit louder and Neelix will be back here in no time," Chakotay deadpanned, critically eyeing his surroundings like looking for the Talaxian they had met shortly after their arrival in the Delta Quadrant and who had become a worthy member of Voyager's crew.
"Yes... plus every Ferengi that ever was," she added and they stared ahead in seemingly contemplating silence, only broken by the sounds of both of them drinking their respective beverages. Seconds passed, maybe a few minutes. Then Janeway couldn't hold back a giggle anymore - and they both erupted in laughter. It took them a moment to regain their composure, gasping for air and hiccupping even when they had calmed down again.
"That's how I like my days to start," Chakotay said and then walked back into the cabin. "Do you have a moment for me?" she heard him calling from the inside a moment later, "I'd like your opinion on something."
"Well, you've come to the right person. I always have an opinion," she stated, the smile as evident in her voice as it was on her face when she joined him in front of his computer. Immediately, she recognized the 3d sketch she saw on it, and her eyes lit up. "A boat!"
"You said you wanted to explore the river. I think I could build this."
"We could go on a camping trip," she suggested enthusiastically, and he quirked an eyebrow at that.
"I'm not sure we could fit the bathtub in the boat," he quipped and then smiled cheekily, at which she responded by laughing happily.
"Well, that's all right, I'll have the river." Kathryn loved the idea already; although she wasn't that much of an admirer of camping trips of any sort, she couldn't wait for their expedition down the river by boat and not just foot. This world held some surprises, she was sure, and if the rest was even half as beautiful and earth-like as the area they had already covered with their explorations...
"Do you hear that?" Chakotay brought her back from her musings, and she looked up at him, at once listening intently.
"No, what?" He nodded towards the door.
"Listen. I think your little friend is back." Now she heard it, too; the distinctive low squealing and the suspicious rustling sounds that were so familiar by now. Quickly they made their way outside, only to be indeed greeted by the small ape-like being Janeway had become so fond of. And obviously those feelings were reciprocated. The animal wasn't standing at the edge of the forest anymore, but had come close to the house this time, taking a curious look at the plant bed with the Talaxian tomatoes - Janeway had planted them a few days back after discovering her love for gardening - before his attention was drawn by the two humans walking out of the cabin.
"Well, hello there," Kathryn greeted him, her voice soft as to not to disturb him or scare him away. The little primate squeaked again, and pointed insistently into the river's opposite direction; the part of their surrounding area they hadn't yet explored more thoroughly. Janeway crouched down, intently looking at the animal and asking, "You want us to go this way?"
Chakotay smiled fondly at this "exchange". Kathryn's encounters with the creature were adorable, to say at least. He had no idea how trustful the rest of this species was, but if it was for him to judge, he would say that her way to treat the ape had given her some advantage in gaining his trust. Something told him that sometime soon his companion's favorite pet would change from dog to monkey. He just hoped that there weren't any ten-times-as-big parents around missing and searching for their little one.
The animal squeaked again, his arms still stretched out and pointing away from their camp, like he wanted to give some extra emphasis to his recommendation. Chakotay saw Janeway nodding and then rise, while their visitor retreated back behind the tree line.
Before she could say anything, Chakotay was already speaking. "So, are we going to follow his tip?"
"It's not like we had much else to do... for the rest of our lives. Or that we wouldn't have covered that area anyways," was her answer; then she patted him on the shoulder and went back into the house.
=^=
The ship was flying at high warp; there was no need to waste any time. Elegantly it was maneuvered through space as it raced towards its destination. It longed to get back to sheep lost, to its heart and soul abandoned by unfortunate circumstances.
"Long-range scanners are now detecting the planet, sir. Estimated time of arrival in approximately thirty-five hours."
"Thank you, Mr. Kim." Lieutenant Commander and acting captain Tuvok rose from the commanding officer's chair in the middle of Voyager's bridge and came to stand before the view screen, hands clasped behind his back. "Are we in communications range yet, ensign?" He then continued, looking shortly over his shoulder to OPS station.
"We are, but there seem to be some inferences. I can't get a signal through yet." Harry Kim's fingers moved quickly over his controls, frantically trying to open a channel, but it was to no use. They would have to wait until they got closer to the planet to contact their crewmates.
Back on their way to the planet where they had left their captain and commander, the Federation starship was taking a big detour of around seventy light years by flying in the exact opposite direction of where their ultimate destination - Alpha Quadrant and Earth - lay. Every single crewmember knew that their former captain wouldn't approve of the dangers they'd taken up on to get an antidote from the Vidiians, and that they were now losing precious time on their journey to the M class planet they'd left their commanding duo on. After all, they were ignoring a direct order.
And still, they couldn't have cared less about any possible, though not very probable, consequences. Kim and the rest of the crew had done their best to convince Lieutenant Commander Tuvok to take the risk and ask the Vidiians for their help. When the Vulcan man had finally agreed, they had worked without pause to get the cure, all of them eager to bring the pair they all held so dear in their hearts back aboard.
"Did you hear that Neelix is planning a big 'Welcome Home!' party on holodeck two for tomorrow night?" Even highly concentrated on flying the spaceship, skilled pilot Tom Paris still was able to enjoy some small talk with his crewmates - much to Tuvok's disapproval.
"I think, Mr. Paris, you should keep your mind concentrated on the task at hand so there will be persons to celebrate tomorrow night," the Vulcan commented in his usual stoic demeanor, and Tom rolled, facing his console and thus unseen by his commanding officer, his eyes.
"Really, Tuvok, leave that bit of anticipatory joy to the people. Trust me, it will motivate them."
"Plus," Harry piped in, "there's no reason to assume that this mission will fail. The hardest part already lies behind us."
"I think there is a saying among humans that advices not to 'count the chicken before they are hatched'," Tuvok surprised them with a rather usual argument, effectively muting Harry and Tom, both of them staring at him open-mouthed. If Tom hadn't known better, he would have been sure that there was the resemblance of a smug grin on the Vulcan's face.
=^=
Chakotay had immediately gone to work as soon as the computer had finished all necessary calculations and announced the blueprint as finished. By that time, both he and Janeway had brought logs and pre-cut planks to a clearing halfway between the river and their house. But actually building the boat proved to be not as easy as assumed by the man who was otherwise an adept craftsman. It even went as far as bringing him to curse under his breath, much to his female company's amusement.
Janeway was working some smaller logs and planks according to Chakotay's instructions, trying to give him a hand as good as she was able to, but still, they were only making slow progress. And when it began to rain heavily in the early evening, they had to surrender for the day, hastily covering their work before running back over muddy ground and under dripping trees to their shelter.
"A kingdom for a starship," Kathryn sighed when she thankfully accepted the towel from her fellow sufferer who was just as soaked through to the bones as her. "No rain, no wind, no weather, no insects, but steady temperatures-"
"... hostile aliens, firefights, unknown diseases..."
"Touché."
They smiled at each other before retreating to their private areas to get rid of their dripping wet clothes; the last thing they needed now was to catch a cold.
"Do you mind if I take a shower first?" Janeway asked loudly while putting on her dressing gown.
"Not at all, I wanted to suggest that you go first anyways." He appeared from behind his partition just the moment she did as well, and grinned at her when he added, "You know, I'm more used to this rough kind of life." Kathryn resisted the sudden, quite unfamiliar urge to stick out her tongue, but instead only rolled her eyes and headed for the bathroom, ignoring his snickering as she did so.
It took her around twenty minutes to finish - and when she left the bathroom, wrapped only in a towel so big it seemed to wear her and not the other way around, he had a strong feeling of déjà-vu. Her hair was hidden beneath a towel-turban, leaving her neck and shoulders deliciously free of anything that could have obstructed his view. He would have needed to be dead to not stare at her.
The light tapping of her bare feet was the only sound in the room when she walked back to her sleeping area. Just before she vanished behind her partition, she stopped, and, without turning to him, whispered, "Chakotay, stop staring!". Then she was gone from his sight.
His brain, only slow at thinking at this moment, took a few seconds to send a "Widen!" command to his eyes, and a "Blush!" one to his face. However, something inside him also noticed that she hadn't ignored him or shied away from his longing gaze, but had instead acknowledged it in a rather untypical and, as far as he saw it, flirtatious way. A smile crept onto his face. Maybe there was still hope.
Right now, he had to banish those thoughts from his head for the time being. There was a boat to build, and some other ideas to bring into visible plans they could work with; everything else would take its own time, just like their relationship did. But if there was anything they had enough of, it was time.
Satisfied with the prospect of what was yet to come, he turned his attention back to the computer in front of him that showed Voyager's surface readings and mappings. The river led into a valley with a big lake, and went on from there in smaller streams, at the foot of the surrounding mountains vanishing into these. However, no water came from them on the other side of the hills. The same construction found itself in the opposite direction of their camp, away from the river - mountains into which water disappeared, but here from the side that was not facing them. He wondered whether one could enter the mountains from Janeway's and his side of them.
When Kathryn accompanied him at the table a few minutes later, he was busily at work, thinking everything through, and then suggesting the idea he had come up with: If the river was not yet an option to explore, since building the boat would take some additional time, maybe they should indeed try out the primate's recommendation and take a closer look at the mountains they lay in the other direction.
His female companion was enthusiastic about the idea, and so postponing their boat trip - or working on the vessel - to not be stuck on the small lands they had claimed for too long, the decision was made.
Early the next morning, given the weather had improved, they would leave.
=^=
Voyager's bridge was busily quiet, with everyone dutifully working at their stations while the ship flew with a steady speed towards Janeway and Chakotay's location. Tuvok had once again taken place in the captain's chair, reading a report and occasionally checking in with Harry for any changes.
"Did you find a solution for the problems with communication yet, Ensign Kim?" he asked once more when Paris announced that they would arrive in about seventeen hours.
"I'm sorry, sir, but I can't just explain what causes them. There's no apparent reason. Nothing on the sensors indicates where these disturbances come from. To be honest, I'm running out of ideas." There was a note of desperation in his voice, and he earned himself a sympathetic look from his friend Tom.
"Then it will be a surprise for them; I don't think they will mind, given the fact that it brings them back aboard," the pilot commented, deliberately ignoring Tuvok expected protest. That, however, never came. The acting captain knew better than to give the younger man a lesson in discipline; he had spent enough time around humans to be able to at least sometimes tolerate certain inappropriate traits.
"Then maybe you should consult with engineering. This very well could also be a yet undetected problem in the ship's systems."
"Yes, sir," the ensign acknowledged, immediately returning his attention to the task.
=^=
After the heavy rain the evening before, Kathryn and Chakotay had feared their hiking plans would literally be rained off. But when they poked their heads out of their cabin early this morning, dawn accompanied by the first rays of sunlight invited them to go through with their plans. The still-cool air made the prospect of wandering and roaming the lands they hadn't yet explored even more appealing, and so breakfast was a quick affair, as was packing their backpacks.
In no time, they were on their way, choosing the general direction of the mountains and therefore the destination their little ape-like friend had pointed out to them. Equipped with sleeping bags, food and every other necessary utensils, they were planning to stay overnight if the environment would allow it. It was about time to get away from their cabin for a while; change was always welcomed, especially to explorers and scientists.
A good twenty minutes into their hike to the mountains, Janeway suddenly stopped, her hand on Chakotay's arm bringing him to a halt as well. When he looked at her, he was met by a fearful expression that scared him to no end.
"Kathryn? What is it?" he wanted to know, his hands grabbing her shoulders and forcing her to look at him.
"Chakotay..." she began, her voice only a whisper, "did you... did you-"
"Dear Heavens, Kathryn, please tell me what the matter is with you!" He was close to panicking. Whatever it was, it frightened Kathryn Janeway. And that was reason enough for him to be seriously worried.
"Did you... lock the door?" He stared at her dumbfounded for a moment, his mind needing a moment to process her words.
"Did I... wha-" he began to stammer, but then the sounds from his throat died, leaving his mouth standing agape - and him speechless. Kathryn held her frightened expression, though he recognized the first tell-tale signs of an enormous fit of laughter coming on in the way her eyes started to twinkle, and the corners of her mouth to twitch. And then of course there was this very faint chuckling gurgle from somewhere in her throat; if not belly, because she was working so hard on suppressing it.
When the panic in his features began to vanish and was replaced by a deep, puzzled frown, the woman lost it.
"Oh Chakotay... I'm sorry, but you should have seen your face," she burst out laughing, shaking and bending over, holding her stomach. The man in front of her stared at her incredulously.
"Not even remotely funny, Kathryn. Not even a bit. Do you know how scared I just was?!" Always calm and well-composed Chakotay felt anger bubbling inside him, and only the part of him who adored Kathryn so much - and a happy, joyfully laughing Kathryn even more - kept the part that wanted to scold, really scold her, in check.
"I guess I got too much fresh air," Janeway smiled and shrugged; then she resumed her way to the mountains, the hint of a bounce in her step. Voyager's former first officer shook his head and couldn't help but sigh. He loved this new side of her, but he definitely still needed to get used to it.
He followed her wordlessly, and they didn't talk anymore while hiking through this jungle-like nature of the planet towards the mountain range that was a good three-hour-walk away from their cabin. Their tricorders led their way and acted as map and compass equally. Smaller rock formations dotted the wayside, almost like someone had placed them there to offer some grey contrast to the lush green surrounding them in the forest.
"I wonder if there is some kind of pattern to these rocks," Janeway voiced her thoughts after a while. But her companion only gave a grumbled response. She looked at him irritated. "Really, Chakotay? Are you going to pout for the next days?"
"I am not pouting, Kathryn. I'm just... that was unnecessary and...," he sighed deeply and shook his head, "inappropriate, immature behavior." When he faced her then, his expression was serious - and for the first time she realized that she really had acted like a little child who wasn't able to grab the significance of their situation. She had always been the responsible one, safe for those moments in her youth when she had given in to her curiosity and risked something, against better knowledge and judgment. But that had only happened a very few times, something every young person had to experience, and other than that, she had usually showed just how much a good leader and commanding officer she would make later. And proven it, too.
Here, on New Earth, there was only the two of them; no one to help when something happened, no back-up or rescue teams. They had to rely completely on themselves and the respective other. They had to trust each other without even the hint of a doubt. There was no room for pranks and practical jokes, for pulling each other's leg. At least not if it would scare the hell out of the other.
Heavily sitting down on one of the rocks at the side of the path they were just passing, Janeway slowly nodded, acknowledging his words, the expression on her face solemn and thoughtful.
"You're right, Chakotay. I'm sorry. I feel like... I don't know what it is. I haven't been myself in these past weeks. Maybe it's this environment, the new planet, the new home, the prospect of spending the rest of our lives here. Maybe I'm just going insane because I fear solitude." Her last words were only a mere whisper and her eyes got lost in the distance. Only the gentle touch of his finger under her chin brought her focus back to him who was now crouching before her.
"You're not alone here, Kathryn. I know this is difficult, being confined to this unfamiliar planet in an even more unknown region of space. But I promise that I will do everything in my power to make us have a good life here." He smiled at her. "The warrior princess' needs will always come first for the angry warrior, remember?"
For the second time since they had come to this world, her heart was overflowing with love and affection for him. His words touched her as deeply as his little tale he had told her a while ago and was now referring to. She knew better than to deny that she was falling in love with him, if she hadn't already. And those little moments, apart from everything else in general, time and again reminded her why. Even if this planet had been crowded, stuffed with billions of people, he would still have been the most wonderful, kindest person, and man, of them all.
"I know. And I can't begin to tell you how grateful I am." She sighed - something she did far too often recently in her opinion - and cupped his face with her hands, her thumbs brushing his cheeks gently. He lifted a hand himself and covered one of hers with it, leaning into the touch while closing his eyes. Then he loosened her hand, lacing it with his, and looked up at her again.
"Come on, I want to reach the mountains before noon; the area scans Voyager made showed a stretch of some sort of dry and level land between the forest and the mountain range. We won't have any protection from the sun there."
The last hour of their walk passed surprisingly fast, and finally the entrances into what they hoped would be caves came into view. Choosing one of them suggested by their tricorder readings, they cautiously went inside, their wrist beacons providing them with enough light to explore the insides the mountain.
"It never ceases to amaze me how nature can form such structures," Janeway commented when she looked around, the tunnels seeming to stretch endlessly through the mountainside.
"I'm sure you'll be even more amazed when you see this," Chakotay called from a bit farther away; their voices echoed so effectively through the tunnels that they probably could have heard each other even if they had been several kilometers away from the other. Following the sound of his voice, she walked up to him, only to stop dead in her tracks when she saw what he had discovered - the archway to a cave that could only be described as gigantic. As could the lake in its midst.
"I think you've just found my bathtub," she declared and grinned at her companion.
=^=
The door chime to the ready room made Tuvok look up from the PADD he was reading. Just another report he dutifully reviewed while Tom Paris took care of bridge business as long as they hadn't reached the planet yet.
"Come in," he said, as toneless as always, and waited for who the opening door would reveal. "Ensign Kim," the Vulcan acknowledged when he recognized his visitor, and motioned for him to take a seat while he put down the reading device.
But the young man was too anxious to sit. "Sir, I'm afraid I've disturbing news," he instead immediately began, and Tuvok rose an eyebrow, waiting for Harry continue, who did so hastily. "Lieutenant Torres and I found what may be the reason for our communication problems. There is a subspace rupture that seems to have..." he stopped, searching for the right word, "swallowed the planet Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay are on. We can't determine whether the planet is still there at all, or was..." Harry trailed off and took a deep breath, then finished with "destroyed."
Tuvok considered the other man's words for a moment, before he stood and replied, "I strongly recommend to not rely on quickly made conclusions. For all we know, this may be a periodically occurring phenomenon. As you may recall, we scanned the planet and surrounding space thoroughly. We should wait until we're closer to it; this certainly will give us new or at least improved results."
Harry looked like he was about to protest, but then thought the better of it, and simply replied, "Yes, sir."
"In the meantime, you and Lieutenant Torres should continue to monitor the readings and inform me as soon as you get any new or additional results."
"Of course, sir." Tuvok nodded and dismissed Kim by sitting back down and turning his attention to his PADD again. The Asian man sighed inwardly and slowly retreated towards the room's door that led to the bridge; but, just before he reached it and it could slide open, he heard the lieutenant commander's voice once again.
"Ensign, you should not... worry too much. I am sure we will find the captain and the commander alive and well, and will be able to continue our journey with them on board soon."
His mouth pulled into a half-smile, Harry looked back at Tuvok who was still reading his PADD.
"Thank you, sir." With that, he left the room.
=^=
Janeway and Chakotay had taken their time to explore the caves and tunnel system; out of scientific curiosity and to assure that there weren't any bad and dangerous surprises waiting for them. However, the structure looked like it had been naturally formed over the course of centuries, if not millennia, and the only signs of life inside this stony world were some exotic flowers and plants.
Only a few meters away from the main entrance into the mountains they had found a small cave that could almost be described as cozy; especially since it was surprisingly warm inside it. In silent agreement the two humans chose this cave as their campsite, and while Janeway unpacked their bags, Chakotay collected some stones, assembled them to a kind-of fireplace and heated them with a shot from his phaser.
Their shared a light supper, having eaten something on their way already, and talked a bit about trivial things, both of them tired after their hike. Eventually, Janeway decided to make a good use of the water-filled cavern Chakotay had found earlier.
"You know how I was taught never to break with traditions?" she asked while pulling a towel from her backpack, and her former first officer looked at her questioningly. She chuckled. "I love a good bath before going to bed." With that, she stood up from her sleeping bag she had been sitting on, and walked out of their campsite cave, adding, "I'll be back in half an hour."
Chakotay only smiled and shook his head, but checked his chronometer to make sure he could follow her if she stayed away for too long.
=^=
Expecting the big cave to be as dark as they had first discovered it, Janeway had taken a flashlight with her that was bright enough so she wouldn't have to second-guess every step. But when she entered the cave, it proved her precautions unnecessary - lights literally hanging in the air close to the ceiling provided enough brightness to see into every last edge of the holey structure. Quickly scanning the new addition to the cavern that hadn't been there during their earlier explorations, the tricorder cleared the phenomenon's safety, allowing Janeway to hold to her plan of taking a swim.
Minutes later, after getting rid of all her clothes - of course she hadn't thought of bringing a swimsuit, but then, she also hadn't thought she would need one, in any way - she dove into the clear, cool water. Coming up again and shoving back her hair, she took a moment to enjoy the refreshing feeling that woke her from their hike tired and exhausted body - and became ensnared by the curious appearance above her.
In pure astonishment she looked up at the dancing lights shining down upon her, illuminating the cave and its surreal flora with their silvery and golden lights. Kathryn was sure that, if there was actually a paradise, they had found it on this planet. The beauty surrounding her was breathtaking, and she was so spellbound by it that she didn't even notice the part of her body not in the waist-deep water slowly cooling off, or that she shivered slightly.
She just stood there - fascinated, trapped in her own mind, and unmoving.
=^=
Chakotay had become worried when Kathryn didn't come back after the promised half hour like she had told him. They still couldn't be sure whether there really wasn't any humanoid population or even another kind of hostile alien species on this world, and even though she wasn't that far away, he wasn't about take the risk. Getting his tricorder and his phaser, he walked the short distance through the tunnel that led to the cave.
But what he discovered there threatened to make his heart stop.
Where there had been a stunning view before, was now an undeniable magnificence to.
The water of the small lagoon looked black, and yet it was glittering magically - in the bright light of glowing globes floating high in the air under the ceiling. The rock face surrounding the underground pond appeared so smooth like it had been artificially formed and polished, and the flowers surrounding the water place that might have been an explosion of color in normal daylight appeared in faint pastels dotting the grays of the cavern. But the Indian man couldn't have cared less about this beauty surrounding him - for there was only one beauty catching his eye: his friend and former captain standing amidst the lake, her back to him, perfectly still. And completely naked.
An undeniable, irresistible desire engulfed him, making him undress himself, before it pulled him towards her, like a puppet on a string, farther and farther into the pool. It was trance-like state that controlled him, as he noted somewhere in his suppressed conscious mind, and as much effort as he put into it, he couldn't free himself of this strange influence. When he approached her, she didn't move, didn't acknowledge him; she remained as she was, like his statue of porcelain in the dark waters of an alien planet's lagoon. Like she didn't have any control either.
He saw her shivering in the cool air of the cave when he was still a few steps away, and instinctively began to move faster, an eagerness to reach her, to warm her, befalling him. He even began to use his arms to help him go faster, parting the water forcefully, until finally he came up behind her, his hands finding her shoulders and coming to rest on them, pulling her to him so that she rested against him. But already the moment his hands touched her skin, the longing, the arousal he felt threatened to overpower him.
She still wasn't reacting; it was as if she was completely entranced by the lights floating above their heads, and he was equally mesmerized by the view, as he was by the woman in front of him.
His naked body pressed against her from behind, his hands slowly beginning to descend down her front. One of them stopped at her chest, caressing and gently kneading her breasts, teasing her nipples already hard from the coolness of the water; his other hand, however, soon vanished beneath the surface of the clear water, gliding deeper yet, over her stomach, until his fingers reached the soft curls at the apex of her thighs and then dipped between her legs, where they were greeted with a heat that stood in harsh contrast to the water they were standing in. Hesitantly, reverentially almost, his fingertips worked slowly onwards, slipping between her folds, until one finger could enter her.
Her sharp cry, filled with pure lust and pleasure, nearly sent him over the edge. She leaned into him, squeezing his erection between them, and he deftly fondled her sex, adding another finger to her heat, finding just the right spots to tease, to bring...
"No!" she suddenly exclaimed, breaking free from the spell that had held her, and withdrew from his embrace. She turned around, looked at him for moment in shock, panic almost, before she dove into the water and swam with forceful strokes back to the shoreline. Chakotay had his back still to her, staring at the blank, glistening walls surrounding the underground lake, his head empty, his mind confused, while she retreated quickly, running back to their camp.
TBC...