Disclaimer: I still don't own the Star Trek stuff mentioned in this story. More's the pity.

Notes: Written for the VAMB 2014 Secret Summer Exchange. The request I received asked for something adventurous involving Janeway, Tuvok, Paris or other members of the senior staff, but it must have some sort of moral or ethical dilemma for them to face. Thanks to QS for using some of her very limited available time and ensuring all the commas were correctly placed.

Eight Hours by Cheshire

6:00 PM

Chakotay entered the ready room, the smile on his face fading away at the solemnity of the room. She stood at the viewport, her back to him, appearing to watch the slowly-revolving planet below them.

"What is it, Commander?" she asked without bothering to face him.

"All of the crew are back on board and all the departments have reported in as ready and operational. We're ready to leave when you are, Captain."

"Fine. Set a course heading and put us back on track for the Alpha Quadrant. Warp six."

"Aye, Captain."

He didn't leave. He waited and the silence drew out between them. There'd been no sound of the doors opening and closing; she knew he was still there. In the stillness of the room, he heard it when she finally took in a deeper breath.

She half-turned to face him. "Was there something else, Commander?"

"You recalled Tuvok back to the ship and went back to the planet's surface with the magistrate alone," he said. "Mind telling me why?"

She snorted air through her nose and turned back to the view of the stars. "Captain's prerogative."

"I know what you did, Kathryn. I know why you went back down to the planet by yourself without telling me, without telling anyone," he said, watching as her back stiffened at his words. He hadn't said them in anger or with any accusation. He just wanted her to know that he knew. "I can't condone your actions, but I understand why you felt you had to take them."

Finally, she turned to face him full on. She took the two steps to the railing without saying a word, but she didn't lean on it as he'd expected. Instead, she put one hand on her hip, eyeing him. "What is it exactly that you think I did, Commander?"

8 hours earlier

"Wouldn't you prefer to have lunch, Captain?"

"I am having lunch, Tuvok."

"Your selections of food were mainly from the breakfast portion of the menu."

She shook out her napkin and draped it across her lap. "Well, if we were on Earth, we'd call this brunch. It's the best of both worlds, a little bit of breakfast, a little bit of lunch."

"I prefer my meals to be on a more routine schedule. As I have already eaten breakfast several hours ago, I have no wish to have it again."

"Tuvok, you were finished with breakfast before I was even awake."

"I am aware that your standing order before leaving the ship was that, short of an emergency, you were not to be disturbed before nine AM."

"All of you conspired together for me to take shore leave," she said, pointing a finger at him. "Now you have to face the consequences."

"I see."

She sipped fruit juice from a delicate crystal flute, enjoying the consternation on her chief of security's face.

He seemed to finally settle with the idea and gingerly picked up his own glass of juice. "The Doctor will be pleased that you are drinking something besides coffee."

She grinned wickedly at him. "Coffee comes later…with dessert."

*Voyager to Captain Janeway.*

She glanced at the alien timepiece near the restaurant's door and did the quick conversion in her head. It was ten AM. She shook her head and with a little sigh activated her comm. badge. "Good morning to you too, Voyager."

*Sorry to bother you, Captain, but we might have a situation developing.*

She glanced across the table at Tuvok. "What is it, Commander?"

*Neelix just called in. He was in the market area with Ensign Wildman and Naomi, but they've both disappeared. We tried contacting them and scanning for their badges but so far we haven't been able to locate them.*

Janeway motioned for Tuvok to let the restaurant know they were leaving. "Where's Neelix now?"

*He's still at the store in the market where they were last seen.*

"Can you transport Tuvok and me to his location?"

*There's a designated transport area at the front entrance of the market. I'll have Neelix meet you there. Standby.*

Within a moment, Janeway went from a sunny country villa cafe to a bustling marketplace filled with people and storefronts in all directions. She shivered once at the change in temperature and felt Tuvok move in closer to her side as they moved away from the platform. She scanned the crowds for any sign of Neelix.

"Captain!"

She saw Neelix's blond Mohawk bobbing towards them through the crowd before she could actually see the Talaxian's face. As soon as he reached Janeway's side, he started pulling her back the direction he'd just come.

"I'm so sorry, Captain. I don't know what happened. One minute we were all in the store and the next…I had just found some lovely catermillan spices, but when I went to show them to Samantha – she and Naomi were gone." He stutter-stepped around an old man pushing a cart. "At first, I just thought they'd moved aisles, and then that maybe they'd gone outside. But I couldn't find any sign of them anywhere. They just disappeared." He stopped in front of one of the larger shop fronts. "This is the last place I saw them, Captain."

Tuvok had his tricorder out and Janeway and Neelix followed him into the store. Just to double-check, she hit her badge. "Janeway to Ensign Wildman. Ensign Wildman, respond." Neelix twisted his hands together and she saw Tuvok speaking with a worker. "Janeway to Naomi Wildman. Naomi, respond please."

The only answer was silence.

"Neelix, where was the last place you saw them?"

He pointed immediately to the back corner of the store. "Over there." He started moving quickly, leaving Janeway to follow him. "I went to the culinary section," he motioned a few aisles over in the opposite direction, "I was told they have excellent grabas fruit here. Naomi, naturally, wanted to check out the toys."

The entire back corner of the store was filled ceiling to floor with brightly colored games, plush dolls stuffed like animals native to the planet, and trinkets that would attract any child's eye. There was also a miniature planet set orbiting the two stars of the local system. Janeway reached out and spun the largest of the five planets.

Neelix's head was bobbing up and down. "I bought a set just like that one for Naomi yesterday. I don't know if she's even had time to use it yet. She was so excited to come down this morning."

Janeway put her hand on Neelix's shoulder. "I'm sure she's fine. We'll find them." She tapped her comm. badge again. "Janeway to Voyager. Status report."

*We've still had no luck locating either of the Wildmans using scanners. All other crew members have checked in and are accounted for. I contacted the local government and their security forces are sending a response team to your location,* Chakotay paused. *Any luck on your end, Captain?*

"Standby." She looked to Tuvok as he scanned the shelves of toys.

"I am detecting DNA evidence that both Wildmans were present at this location."

"I already told you that," Neelix interrupted.

The tricorder emitted a trio of beeps; Tuvok trained it towards the floor, kneeling as he scanned closer. He dislodged a metallic looking tool from underneath the bottom shelf. He held it up for Janeway to see the discoloration on its blunted end. "Scans from the tricorder indicate that this is Ensign Wildman's blood."