Disclaimer: Mine? No!
Note: Thank you for the feedback I got after the first half of this story! I thought I'd better do the whole lot together this time. Don't know how good it is but have a look! (The ending is pure fluff, enjoy!)
Chakotay and Q were still talking well after Chakotays shift had been and gone, despite himself Chakotay found himself, almost liking the annoying thing. Or maybe it was just the alcohol that was swimming invitingly in the never-ending wine glass.
"So Q," He leant forward and put his hands on his knees, slurring his words only slightly. "Captain Janeway,"
"Kathy," Q corrected quickly. Q looked as immaculate as ever despite consuming nearly as much alcohol as Chakotay had.
"Kathy," Chakotay continued. "You think that Captain Janeway, sorry, Kathy has finally killed off all her human instincts and has gone insane living on this ship, and is right this minute going on a killing spree?"
"Yes," Q stated, his face was completely serious. Chakotay looked up at his face, then he couldn't help it, he started laughing hysterically.
"You...you think Kathy has gone nuts?!" Rocking back on his chair he laughed harder, and promptly fell off his seat and landed in a heap at Q's feet. Q cocked an eyebrow.
"I don't see what's funny." This just fuelled Chakotays laughter until he was rolling around the floor.
"B'ellana to Chakotay," Chakotay tried to stop his laughter until it was just a helpless giggle.
"Go...go ahead B'ell,"
"I think you'd better come down to engineering." The seriousness of her tone quenched Chakotays laughter almost as abruptly as it had started.
"On my way." He stood up and took a deep breath. "Right, bye Q,"
"Wait!" Q snapped his fingers,
"Jeez!" Chakotay found himself in engineering, he turned on Q, "Stop doing that!"
"Okay," Q shrugged, "would you like to go back?" they went to a cabin.
"Q!" Chakotays veins stood out on his forehead, "This is Captains Janeways quarters!" Q tried to suppress a giggle.
"Sorry, where would you like to go? Your cabin, mess hall?"
"No!" Chakotay interrupted sharply, "I'll walk,"
Chakotay strode into engineering.
"Hiya Chuckles!" Q was the first being to greet him. Chakotay looked at him and wished (not for the first time) that looks could kill.
"Where have you been?" B'ellana ran up to him, not bothering to wait for an answer she grabbed his arm and dragged him up to one of the consoles.
"Oh god!" Chakotay took in the scene. An ensign, Thacker he thought her name was, was lying on the floor with her eyes open.
"Is she?"
"Dead," Q Came up behind him with an 'I told you so' look on his face. Chakotay shook his head dumbly.
"She wouldn't,"
"Who wouldn't what?" B'ellana asked sharply. Chakotay jerked out of his thoughts.
"No-one! Nothing." B'ellana looked at him, must still have concussion she decided.
"We checked," She pointed to the console behind where Thacker was lying. "Someone was trying to re-route the power from bridge, Thacker must have disturbed them."
"Do you think we have an intruder?" Chakotay asked.
"It's a possibility,"
"I'll get Harry to scan, does Tuvok know?"
"He's on it." B'ellana turned and began typing codes on the padd in her hand.
"What about Captain Janeway? Where is she?" B'ellana turned to him.
"She was the one who discovered the body, she's gone to her quarters now." Chakotay nodded dumbly and turned to walk away.
"So Chuckles, what do you think?" Q paced next to him.
"I think that something weird is going on, and I don't know what." Chakotay admitted truthfully.
"Well I'm going to go see Kathy," Q disappeared leaving Chakotay walking by himself along the corridor.
"Kathy!" Captain Janeway jerked upright.
"Don't you ever go away," She grumbled, sinking back into her comfy couch.
"Just came to see how you were," Q settled himself down next to her.
"Fine, go away." For the second time that day Q felt hurt at her response.
"What's the matter Kathy?"
"Nothing!" The force of her reply nearly made him jump off the couch in surprise. She glared at him.
"Now I'm going to my quarters to have a rest, and if I see you again I won't be responsible for my actions!" She walked out leaving Q feeling completely bewildered on the couch.
"Humans!" He threw his hands into the air, time to go see Chuckles again.
The next morning Kathryn Janeway woke up at her normal time. She lay still and moved her eyes tentatively, she was ok, it hadn't woken up yet. She silently swung her legs out of the bed and moved towards her comm badge where it had been purposely placed out of her reach, she sped up, she was nearly there.
"Stop!" The voice screamed in her head, she stopped dead. Kathryn watched helplessly out of her own eyes as she turned away and walked into the bathroom. She was a prisoner in her own body.
"You won't get away with this," Her mind screamed, her lips moved and smiled.
"I already have!"
Chakotay stretched and woke up.
"Morning!" Chakotay jumped up and gathered his bedclothes around him.
"Q!"
"Well aren't we a bundle of laughs this morning." Q moved away from Chakotays bedside leaving Chakotay ineffectually trying to cover himself up.
"Now I've been thinking about the Kathy situation and I think I know some friends who can help. Shall I go find them?"
"Whatever," Chakotay growled, "Just get out of my quarters!" Q grinned and disappeared. Chakotay let go of his bedclothes with a sigh of relief and moved towards his bathroom.
"One more thing!" Q reappeared in front of him, "Oh dear," Chakotay became aware of the fact he was stark naked. Q laughed. "I don't know what Kathy sees in you!"
"What did you want Q?" Chakotay covered himself up with his hands.
"Doesn't matter! Bye!" Q left still laughing.
The body of Captain Janeway walked towards Chakotays quarters, everything was going to plan, all she had to do now was dispose of the one person who might notice something was wrong. She stopped outside Chakotays door and hit the bell.
"Come in," She prepared herself with a dazzling smile and walked in.
"Morning Chakotay," Chakotay looked up, surprised to see Captain Janeway before him, she looked better, she had a ridiculous ear to ear grin on her face.
"Good morning Captain,"
"Oh we're not on duty, call me Kathryn." Chakotay paused,
"Okay...Kathryn." She smiled even more at that and began wondering around his room.
"I'm sorry, did you want something?" Kathryn turned to look at him.
"No...just wanted to say good morning."
"Oh right." He waited for her to leave but she just carried on wondering round.
"So Chakotay," She felt his bed and then sat on it. "Where do you see our relationship going?" Chakotay felt shocked.
"I'm sorry...relationship?"
"Oh come on," She had stopped smiling, "I know you feel something for me, and I definitely feel something for you, I love you." She brought her feet up onto his bed and looked at him, daring him to contradict her.
"Kathryn...I" He felt confused, here was the women he had admired for so long lying on his bed telling him she loved him. Something didn't quite make sense.
Kathryn watched helplessly as the thing inside her body reached over and grabbed a phaser while Chakotay was thinking about what she had just said. She had to make him hear her.
"What if I do feel the same?" Chakotay had his back to her, trying to sort out his turbulent emotions, "What if I told you that I love..." He paused, he could hear something in his head. He shook it but the noise just grew louder, "What is it?" he whispered. The voice grew louder.
"CHAKOTAY!" The voice was screaming now, it sounded like Captain Janeway. He whipped round just in time to see her aiming a phaser at his stomach. He grabbed her arm and twisted it until the phaser dropped to the floor. She hissed and swung her arm round hitting him in the face with a force that surprised him. He fell to the floor.
"What's the matter Chakotay?" She asked straddling his stomach. "Being beaten up by the women you love? Tsk tsk." She reached over and grabbed the phaser where it lay.
"You are not the women I love." He managed to gasp, the weight of her was crushing his windpipe.
"What don't you love me?" She leant forwards onto his chest, her hair brushed against his cheek. "Captain Kathryn Janeway, the most wonderful women in the delta quadrant?"
"Captain Janeway is the most wonderful women in the delta quadrant but you are not her,"
"But Chakotay? Can't you tell? It's me Kathryn! You love me." He shook his head.
"Maybe you look like Kathryn, but those aren't her eyes, that isn't her soul, I don't know if Kathryn is still in there somewhere or not but I know that she would never voluntarily do this to me." She hit him across the face for that and then spat at him.
"Say goodbye!" She snarled raising the phaser to his face
"Goodbye!" Said a voice, Captain Janeways body fell to the floor.
"Damn," She muttered to herself. While inside her mind became quiet, drained by the effort of communicating with Chakotay. She picked herself up and brushed herself down.
"Well at least he's gone." She turned round and left the quarters. One down, time for the rest of them.
Chakotay gasped, he was in a strange place.
"Q!" He managed to get out, "I have never been so glad to see you!" Q shrugged.
"It looked like you needed some help,"
"Where are we?" Chakotay struggled to his feet and looked around at his surroundings.
"We're in one of the meteors voyager just passed."
"I had to ask didn't I" Chakotay rubbed his chest.
"I've found out what's wrong by the way!" Chakotay looked up.
"So have I, in a sense." Q nodded,
"Well I'll go first!" He cleared his throat importantly, "I present to you, galarshia," A head floated in the air, it's eyes were red and it's mouth hung open. Chakotay ducked, fear present on his face. Q laughed.
"It's only an image," He shook his head, he really did pity these creatures. "Anyway, this creature thrives off taking over peoples bodies and then taking over the ship/planet just about anything they own."
"Well how do we get rid of it?" Chakotay looked up at the thing floating above him. He felt so sorry for Kathryn, she must be terrified.
"It's not quite that simple." Q interrupted crossly. "Kathy may already be dying, this thing kills it's victims off slowly while it's in the body and then leaves just as they're going to die."
"No," Chakotay shook his head, "She isn't, she spoke to me, just before it tried to kill me, she's still in there."
"I hope so, if they're keeping her alive it's probably for a reason, the fact that it's biding it's time is another thing, almost like it wanted to get right into her mind before it let her die," Chakotay winced, remembering the things that she had said to him, and the things he had said back.
"We have to get back before it does anything else."
Voyager was in confusion. Various explosions were going off around the ship in minor areas. The power was being sucked away.
"What the hell is going on?" Harry held onto his console as the ship shuddered.
"Warp engines are down, Shields down to 46%," Tuvok remained calm as always.
"Are we under attack?" Tom was sweating.
"Negative, the explosions are coming from inside the ship."
"Where the hell are Chakotay and Captain Janeway?" Tom asked no-one in particular as he tried to hang on to his chair.
"Mr Kim, can you find where the explosions originate?" Chakotay appeared in the middle of the room. Tom shook his head.
"Bloody Q's"
"Yes sir," Harry tapped on his console, "Engineering,"
"I'm going there, Tuvok come with me," They strode out of the bridge.
Captain Janeway was down in engineering, she was being overlooked in the general confusion as she set off various explosions round the ship. She crossed over to another console and started to disable the life support systems in the sick bay.
"Captain?" B'ellana walked over, trying to stay upright. Chakotay and Tuvok ran into the room.
"Grab her!" Chakotays command filled the room. Captain Janeway grinned.
"Okay," She grabbed B'ellana and pressed her phaser into her neck.
"Don't come any nearer or she dies," She snarled. Chakotay and Tuvok both stopped. "Now let's all take a little walk."
Chakotay walked into bridge, followed by Tuvok then followed by Captain Janeway still holding B'ellana.
"B'ell!" Tom jumped up and tried to move towards her
"Don't move!" Captain Janeway twisted B'ellanas arm back until she cried out in pain. No-one moved, she smiled. "Good, now go into the corner over there." Gradually they all shuffled into the corner where she was indicating. Janeway turned round and started disabling systems in the ship. A huge explosion sent them all crashing to the floor.
"Captain!" Harry Kim cried out, She spun round and shot him in the foot, the young Ensign crashed to the floor screaming in agony. The rest of the crew stood still in a shocked silence. She glared at them all daring them to say something. When all she got was silence she turned around and carried on with her work. She was typing busily and even started whistling while she was doing it.
"Why are you doing this?" Chakotays quiet voice carried in the still atmosphere.
"You pose a threat to my people," She told him glaring at him with those empty eyes.
"We've never even met your people!" He told her angrily.
"You pose a threat." She told him again.
"Is that all? Then why didn't you just destroy us? Why did you spend time getting to know about us?"
"Shut up!" She screamed at him then she dragged B'ellana up off of the floor.
"When I've killed you all you will no longer pose a threat and your ship will be ours, and for my first victim. Miss B'ellana Torres." Tom shook his head silently, tears falling down his face. Captain Janeway thrust the phaser between B'ellanas ribs. Then she cried out in pain and fell to the floor holding her head. She let go of B'ellana and her phaser. Chakotay grabbed B'ellana and thrust her into Toms arms.
"What's going on?" She asked gratefully holding on to Tom.
"I think the real Captain Janeway is fighting back." Chakotay kept his eyes on Captain Janeway and inched towards where the phaser was lying.
"No!" She shouted, She flung her head back and fixed her eyes on Chakotays face. He stopped, the eyes looking at him were Kathryn's eyes and not the monsters that was inside of her. "Chakotay," Her voice was weak, he knew this was the real Kathryn talking to him, she had somehow got control. "Chakotay you have to kill my body." He rocked back at her statement.
"No!" He whispered hoarsely, "There has to be another way."
"There isn't!" Her voice was barely above a whisper, "It will kill everyone otherwise." She gasped, "You-must-kill-me!" The crew were silent listening to her. They all had tears running down their faces. She gasped again and then was gone. Her body stood up again. Chakotay jerked forward and grabbed the phaser. His hands were shaking.
"You can't do it!" She sneered at him, "You couldn't kill her!" Chakotay was sweating and shaking his heart told him not to shoot but his head told him to do it, he had to respect her wishes.
"I'm sorry," He choked, "I'm so sorry." Then he fired the phaser, it seemed like everything was in slow motion as the beam left his phaser and hit her straight in her gut. She gasped and her eyes flew wide open, then she screamed and collapsed down to the deck. Chakotay sank down to his knees and covered his ears with his hands. Captain Janeways body lay on the deck, it convulsed as the thing inside her left her it flew out of her chest in it's form of a decapitated head. It screamed in anger. The crew shrank back from it but Chakotay was frozen to the spot watching the thing that had been inside Kathryn for so long as it headed straight for him. It screamed again.
"Bye bye!" A voice said, the head stopped dead then exploded it's dying screams echoed round the bridge, then it was gone. Leaving Q standing next to Chakotay. "Those things stink!" Q held his nose. Chakotay dragged himself up and stumbled to Kathryn's side. He felt for a pulse, he couldn't feel anything.
"No!" He refused to give up on her, "I'm not going to let you die!" He started pushing on her chest the way Tom had shown him for resuscitation. He tilted back her head and breathed into her mouth. "Come on Kathryn," He was crying now and the tears lay on her lifeless face, almost mocking his attempts to bring her back to life. "Please," He begged, "Please. He felt for a pulse again hoping beyond hope that he would find something. He wasn't disappointed, he felt a smile spreading over his features when he felt the weak pulse beneath his fingers. He watched, still smiling, as she took a deep breath, sucking oxygen back into her starved body. He rocked back on his heels, almost crying for joy. Q came up behind him.
"Hello Kathy," There was a tenderness in Q's eyes.
"Hi Q," The faint whisper left her lips. Chakotay leant forward and picked up her hand pressing it to his mouth. He thanked all the gods in the universe for letting him see her eyes again.
24 hours later Chakotay was looking for Kathryn, he hadn't been able to stop thinking about her since she first took that miracle breath. He had practically been thrown out of the sick bay after getting in the doctors way. Then they chucked him out of bridge and told him to go see her after he couldn't concentrate on anything. He had seen Tom and Harry grinning at each other as he had hurried out.
"Hello doctor!" He walked into the sickbay
"I take it you're looking for Captain Janeway?" The doctor asked curtly.
"Well, yes."
"Well she left," The doctor sniffed, "Some people! Under a lesser physician..." Chakotay backed out of the door leaving the doctor rambling on to himself.
With the aid of the computer he finally found Captain Janeway in her quarters.
"Come in!" She called as it chimed. He walked in.
"Hello," She turned round.
"Don't you dare give me any lectures about being back on duty to soon," She warned pointing a finger at him. "The Doctor already did that."
"I guessed," He grinned, "What did you say to him?" She looked guiltily at the floor.
"I told him where he could stick his tricorder!" Chakotay threw back his head and laughed.
"Well someone had to do it I suppose!" He said wiping the tears from his eyes, "I just never thought it would be you." She smiled back hesitantly, avoiding his eyes.
"Captain?" He asked tenderly, trying to look at her face. She turned away.
"Well he was annoying me! I shouldn't have done it."
"Kathryn, look at me," His use of her first name made her flinch. She turned round hesitantly and looked him full in the face. He was relieved to see her eyes looking back at him, though with maybe a few more barriers than before.
"I meant what I said, you know," She tried to brush off the comment.
"Said what? You say lot's of things," she turned away again.
"About loving you," Her back tensed at his kind tone. He crossed over to her and put his arms around her. She turned to him.
"Chakotay, did I," She paused, trying hard to get the painful sentence out. "Did I kill that young women?" Chakotay shook his head.
"You didn't, the thing inside you did, it wasn't your fault." Her lower lip trembled and he put up his hand to catch her tears.
"What about Harry?" She persisted, "Is he ok?"
"Harry is fine," He reassured her, "just fine."
"Those things I said, when I came to your room," She began. Chakotay waited. "That, thing whatever it was found my innermost thoughts and said them out loud. I never meant to complicate things."
"I prefer them complicated." Chakotay tightened his arms around her. He looked at the bags under her eyes.
"Have you slept?" His voice was filled with concern. She shrugged.
"I wanted to but I'm scared," She admitted openly, "I'm scared it might come back again."
"It won't," He told her, "Q killed it, see he does have his uses!" She smiled despite herself.
"I wish I could believe you," She looked him in the face, "Chakotay would you..."
"What?" he prompted her.
"Stay with me tonight?" She raised her hand to his face, "Sleep here, please, I just want to be safe."
"The crew will talk," He grinned, he had a twinkle in his eye.
"Just to sleep! For now," She nudged him in the ribs, "Anyway I don't care what the crew thinks for once." He nodded,
"Okay," She slipped out of his arms and walked into the bathroom. He watched her.
"For now?" He repeated to himself grinning.
That night Chakotay and Kathryn slept in the same bed for the first time. He had got into the bed with her after she had asked him, He was stripped down to his boxers. He lay with his face in her hair and his arms wrapped around her. He didn't want to go to sleep at first, he just wanted to watch her breathe. Q watched them both from a safe distance. He felt a twinge of something, what was it? Jealousy? Envy? But anyway he was glad Chuckles and Kathy had finally found each other. At least Chuckles was wearing boxers this time. He watched them tenderly for a moment and then left. The slight noise disturbed Kathryn and she felt insecure, but then she felt the weight of Chakotay pressed up against her. She smiled and turned to face him, intertwining their bodies together. While their bodies lay with each other their sprits found each other in the land of dreams.
The End!
Note: Thank you for the feedback I got after the first half of this story! I thought I'd better do the whole lot together this time. Don't know how good it is but have a look! (The ending is pure fluff, enjoy!)
Chakotay and Q were still talking well after Chakotays shift had been and gone, despite himself Chakotay found himself, almost liking the annoying thing. Or maybe it was just the alcohol that was swimming invitingly in the never-ending wine glass.
"So Q," He leant forward and put his hands on his knees, slurring his words only slightly. "Captain Janeway,"
"Kathy," Q corrected quickly. Q looked as immaculate as ever despite consuming nearly as much alcohol as Chakotay had.
"Kathy," Chakotay continued. "You think that Captain Janeway, sorry, Kathy has finally killed off all her human instincts and has gone insane living on this ship, and is right this minute going on a killing spree?"
"Yes," Q stated, his face was completely serious. Chakotay looked up at his face, then he couldn't help it, he started laughing hysterically.
"You...you think Kathy has gone nuts?!" Rocking back on his chair he laughed harder, and promptly fell off his seat and landed in a heap at Q's feet. Q cocked an eyebrow.
"I don't see what's funny." This just fuelled Chakotays laughter until he was rolling around the floor.
"B'ellana to Chakotay," Chakotay tried to stop his laughter until it was just a helpless giggle.
"Go...go ahead B'ell,"
"I think you'd better come down to engineering." The seriousness of her tone quenched Chakotays laughter almost as abruptly as it had started.
"On my way." He stood up and took a deep breath. "Right, bye Q,"
"Wait!" Q snapped his fingers,
"Jeez!" Chakotay found himself in engineering, he turned on Q, "Stop doing that!"
"Okay," Q shrugged, "would you like to go back?" they went to a cabin.
"Q!" Chakotays veins stood out on his forehead, "This is Captains Janeways quarters!" Q tried to suppress a giggle.
"Sorry, where would you like to go? Your cabin, mess hall?"
"No!" Chakotay interrupted sharply, "I'll walk,"
Chakotay strode into engineering.
"Hiya Chuckles!" Q was the first being to greet him. Chakotay looked at him and wished (not for the first time) that looks could kill.
"Where have you been?" B'ellana ran up to him, not bothering to wait for an answer she grabbed his arm and dragged him up to one of the consoles.
"Oh god!" Chakotay took in the scene. An ensign, Thacker he thought her name was, was lying on the floor with her eyes open.
"Is she?"
"Dead," Q Came up behind him with an 'I told you so' look on his face. Chakotay shook his head dumbly.
"She wouldn't,"
"Who wouldn't what?" B'ellana asked sharply. Chakotay jerked out of his thoughts.
"No-one! Nothing." B'ellana looked at him, must still have concussion she decided.
"We checked," She pointed to the console behind where Thacker was lying. "Someone was trying to re-route the power from bridge, Thacker must have disturbed them."
"Do you think we have an intruder?" Chakotay asked.
"It's a possibility,"
"I'll get Harry to scan, does Tuvok know?"
"He's on it." B'ellana turned and began typing codes on the padd in her hand.
"What about Captain Janeway? Where is she?" B'ellana turned to him.
"She was the one who discovered the body, she's gone to her quarters now." Chakotay nodded dumbly and turned to walk away.
"So Chuckles, what do you think?" Q paced next to him.
"I think that something weird is going on, and I don't know what." Chakotay admitted truthfully.
"Well I'm going to go see Kathy," Q disappeared leaving Chakotay walking by himself along the corridor.
"Kathy!" Captain Janeway jerked upright.
"Don't you ever go away," She grumbled, sinking back into her comfy couch.
"Just came to see how you were," Q settled himself down next to her.
"Fine, go away." For the second time that day Q felt hurt at her response.
"What's the matter Kathy?"
"Nothing!" The force of her reply nearly made him jump off the couch in surprise. She glared at him.
"Now I'm going to my quarters to have a rest, and if I see you again I won't be responsible for my actions!" She walked out leaving Q feeling completely bewildered on the couch.
"Humans!" He threw his hands into the air, time to go see Chuckles again.
The next morning Kathryn Janeway woke up at her normal time. She lay still and moved her eyes tentatively, she was ok, it hadn't woken up yet. She silently swung her legs out of the bed and moved towards her comm badge where it had been purposely placed out of her reach, she sped up, she was nearly there.
"Stop!" The voice screamed in her head, she stopped dead. Kathryn watched helplessly out of her own eyes as she turned away and walked into the bathroom. She was a prisoner in her own body.
"You won't get away with this," Her mind screamed, her lips moved and smiled.
"I already have!"
Chakotay stretched and woke up.
"Morning!" Chakotay jumped up and gathered his bedclothes around him.
"Q!"
"Well aren't we a bundle of laughs this morning." Q moved away from Chakotays bedside leaving Chakotay ineffectually trying to cover himself up.
"Now I've been thinking about the Kathy situation and I think I know some friends who can help. Shall I go find them?"
"Whatever," Chakotay growled, "Just get out of my quarters!" Q grinned and disappeared. Chakotay let go of his bedclothes with a sigh of relief and moved towards his bathroom.
"One more thing!" Q reappeared in front of him, "Oh dear," Chakotay became aware of the fact he was stark naked. Q laughed. "I don't know what Kathy sees in you!"
"What did you want Q?" Chakotay covered himself up with his hands.
"Doesn't matter! Bye!" Q left still laughing.
The body of Captain Janeway walked towards Chakotays quarters, everything was going to plan, all she had to do now was dispose of the one person who might notice something was wrong. She stopped outside Chakotays door and hit the bell.
"Come in," She prepared herself with a dazzling smile and walked in.
"Morning Chakotay," Chakotay looked up, surprised to see Captain Janeway before him, she looked better, she had a ridiculous ear to ear grin on her face.
"Good morning Captain,"
"Oh we're not on duty, call me Kathryn." Chakotay paused,
"Okay...Kathryn." She smiled even more at that and began wondering around his room.
"I'm sorry, did you want something?" Kathryn turned to look at him.
"No...just wanted to say good morning."
"Oh right." He waited for her to leave but she just carried on wondering round.
"So Chakotay," She felt his bed and then sat on it. "Where do you see our relationship going?" Chakotay felt shocked.
"I'm sorry...relationship?"
"Oh come on," She had stopped smiling, "I know you feel something for me, and I definitely feel something for you, I love you." She brought her feet up onto his bed and looked at him, daring him to contradict her.
"Kathryn...I" He felt confused, here was the women he had admired for so long lying on his bed telling him she loved him. Something didn't quite make sense.
Kathryn watched helplessly as the thing inside her body reached over and grabbed a phaser while Chakotay was thinking about what she had just said. She had to make him hear her.
"What if I do feel the same?" Chakotay had his back to her, trying to sort out his turbulent emotions, "What if I told you that I love..." He paused, he could hear something in his head. He shook it but the noise just grew louder, "What is it?" he whispered. The voice grew louder.
"CHAKOTAY!" The voice was screaming now, it sounded like Captain Janeway. He whipped round just in time to see her aiming a phaser at his stomach. He grabbed her arm and twisted it until the phaser dropped to the floor. She hissed and swung her arm round hitting him in the face with a force that surprised him. He fell to the floor.
"What's the matter Chakotay?" She asked straddling his stomach. "Being beaten up by the women you love? Tsk tsk." She reached over and grabbed the phaser where it lay.
"You are not the women I love." He managed to gasp, the weight of her was crushing his windpipe.
"What don't you love me?" She leant forwards onto his chest, her hair brushed against his cheek. "Captain Kathryn Janeway, the most wonderful women in the delta quadrant?"
"Captain Janeway is the most wonderful women in the delta quadrant but you are not her,"
"But Chakotay? Can't you tell? It's me Kathryn! You love me." He shook his head.
"Maybe you look like Kathryn, but those aren't her eyes, that isn't her soul, I don't know if Kathryn is still in there somewhere or not but I know that she would never voluntarily do this to me." She hit him across the face for that and then spat at him.
"Say goodbye!" She snarled raising the phaser to his face
"Goodbye!" Said a voice, Captain Janeways body fell to the floor.
"Damn," She muttered to herself. While inside her mind became quiet, drained by the effort of communicating with Chakotay. She picked herself up and brushed herself down.
"Well at least he's gone." She turned round and left the quarters. One down, time for the rest of them.
Chakotay gasped, he was in a strange place.
"Q!" He managed to get out, "I have never been so glad to see you!" Q shrugged.
"It looked like you needed some help,"
"Where are we?" Chakotay struggled to his feet and looked around at his surroundings.
"We're in one of the meteors voyager just passed."
"I had to ask didn't I" Chakotay rubbed his chest.
"I've found out what's wrong by the way!" Chakotay looked up.
"So have I, in a sense." Q nodded,
"Well I'll go first!" He cleared his throat importantly, "I present to you, galarshia," A head floated in the air, it's eyes were red and it's mouth hung open. Chakotay ducked, fear present on his face. Q laughed.
"It's only an image," He shook his head, he really did pity these creatures. "Anyway, this creature thrives off taking over peoples bodies and then taking over the ship/planet just about anything they own."
"Well how do we get rid of it?" Chakotay looked up at the thing floating above him. He felt so sorry for Kathryn, she must be terrified.
"It's not quite that simple." Q interrupted crossly. "Kathy may already be dying, this thing kills it's victims off slowly while it's in the body and then leaves just as they're going to die."
"No," Chakotay shook his head, "She isn't, she spoke to me, just before it tried to kill me, she's still in there."
"I hope so, if they're keeping her alive it's probably for a reason, the fact that it's biding it's time is another thing, almost like it wanted to get right into her mind before it let her die," Chakotay winced, remembering the things that she had said to him, and the things he had said back.
"We have to get back before it does anything else."
Voyager was in confusion. Various explosions were going off around the ship in minor areas. The power was being sucked away.
"What the hell is going on?" Harry held onto his console as the ship shuddered.
"Warp engines are down, Shields down to 46%," Tuvok remained calm as always.
"Are we under attack?" Tom was sweating.
"Negative, the explosions are coming from inside the ship."
"Where the hell are Chakotay and Captain Janeway?" Tom asked no-one in particular as he tried to hang on to his chair.
"Mr Kim, can you find where the explosions originate?" Chakotay appeared in the middle of the room. Tom shook his head.
"Bloody Q's"
"Yes sir," Harry tapped on his console, "Engineering,"
"I'm going there, Tuvok come with me," They strode out of the bridge.
Captain Janeway was down in engineering, she was being overlooked in the general confusion as she set off various explosions round the ship. She crossed over to another console and started to disable the life support systems in the sick bay.
"Captain?" B'ellana walked over, trying to stay upright. Chakotay and Tuvok ran into the room.
"Grab her!" Chakotays command filled the room. Captain Janeway grinned.
"Okay," She grabbed B'ellana and pressed her phaser into her neck.
"Don't come any nearer or she dies," She snarled. Chakotay and Tuvok both stopped. "Now let's all take a little walk."
Chakotay walked into bridge, followed by Tuvok then followed by Captain Janeway still holding B'ellana.
"B'ell!" Tom jumped up and tried to move towards her
"Don't move!" Captain Janeway twisted B'ellanas arm back until she cried out in pain. No-one moved, she smiled. "Good, now go into the corner over there." Gradually they all shuffled into the corner where she was indicating. Janeway turned round and started disabling systems in the ship. A huge explosion sent them all crashing to the floor.
"Captain!" Harry Kim cried out, She spun round and shot him in the foot, the young Ensign crashed to the floor screaming in agony. The rest of the crew stood still in a shocked silence. She glared at them all daring them to say something. When all she got was silence she turned around and carried on with her work. She was typing busily and even started whistling while she was doing it.
"Why are you doing this?" Chakotays quiet voice carried in the still atmosphere.
"You pose a threat to my people," She told him glaring at him with those empty eyes.
"We've never even met your people!" He told her angrily.
"You pose a threat." She told him again.
"Is that all? Then why didn't you just destroy us? Why did you spend time getting to know about us?"
"Shut up!" She screamed at him then she dragged B'ellana up off of the floor.
"When I've killed you all you will no longer pose a threat and your ship will be ours, and for my first victim. Miss B'ellana Torres." Tom shook his head silently, tears falling down his face. Captain Janeway thrust the phaser between B'ellanas ribs. Then she cried out in pain and fell to the floor holding her head. She let go of B'ellana and her phaser. Chakotay grabbed B'ellana and thrust her into Toms arms.
"What's going on?" She asked gratefully holding on to Tom.
"I think the real Captain Janeway is fighting back." Chakotay kept his eyes on Captain Janeway and inched towards where the phaser was lying.
"No!" She shouted, She flung her head back and fixed her eyes on Chakotays face. He stopped, the eyes looking at him were Kathryn's eyes and not the monsters that was inside of her. "Chakotay," Her voice was weak, he knew this was the real Kathryn talking to him, she had somehow got control. "Chakotay you have to kill my body." He rocked back at her statement.
"No!" He whispered hoarsely, "There has to be another way."
"There isn't!" Her voice was barely above a whisper, "It will kill everyone otherwise." She gasped, "You-must-kill-me!" The crew were silent listening to her. They all had tears running down their faces. She gasped again and then was gone. Her body stood up again. Chakotay jerked forward and grabbed the phaser. His hands were shaking.
"You can't do it!" She sneered at him, "You couldn't kill her!" Chakotay was sweating and shaking his heart told him not to shoot but his head told him to do it, he had to respect her wishes.
"I'm sorry," He choked, "I'm so sorry." Then he fired the phaser, it seemed like everything was in slow motion as the beam left his phaser and hit her straight in her gut. She gasped and her eyes flew wide open, then she screamed and collapsed down to the deck. Chakotay sank down to his knees and covered his ears with his hands. Captain Janeways body lay on the deck, it convulsed as the thing inside her left her it flew out of her chest in it's form of a decapitated head. It screamed in anger. The crew shrank back from it but Chakotay was frozen to the spot watching the thing that had been inside Kathryn for so long as it headed straight for him. It screamed again.
"Bye bye!" A voice said, the head stopped dead then exploded it's dying screams echoed round the bridge, then it was gone. Leaving Q standing next to Chakotay. "Those things stink!" Q held his nose. Chakotay dragged himself up and stumbled to Kathryn's side. He felt for a pulse, he couldn't feel anything.
"No!" He refused to give up on her, "I'm not going to let you die!" He started pushing on her chest the way Tom had shown him for resuscitation. He tilted back her head and breathed into her mouth. "Come on Kathryn," He was crying now and the tears lay on her lifeless face, almost mocking his attempts to bring her back to life. "Please," He begged, "Please. He felt for a pulse again hoping beyond hope that he would find something. He wasn't disappointed, he felt a smile spreading over his features when he felt the weak pulse beneath his fingers. He watched, still smiling, as she took a deep breath, sucking oxygen back into her starved body. He rocked back on his heels, almost crying for joy. Q came up behind him.
"Hello Kathy," There was a tenderness in Q's eyes.
"Hi Q," The faint whisper left her lips. Chakotay leant forward and picked up her hand pressing it to his mouth. He thanked all the gods in the universe for letting him see her eyes again.
24 hours later Chakotay was looking for Kathryn, he hadn't been able to stop thinking about her since she first took that miracle breath. He had practically been thrown out of the sick bay after getting in the doctors way. Then they chucked him out of bridge and told him to go see her after he couldn't concentrate on anything. He had seen Tom and Harry grinning at each other as he had hurried out.
"Hello doctor!" He walked into the sickbay
"I take it you're looking for Captain Janeway?" The doctor asked curtly.
"Well, yes."
"Well she left," The doctor sniffed, "Some people! Under a lesser physician..." Chakotay backed out of the door leaving the doctor rambling on to himself.
With the aid of the computer he finally found Captain Janeway in her quarters.
"Come in!" She called as it chimed. He walked in.
"Hello," She turned round.
"Don't you dare give me any lectures about being back on duty to soon," She warned pointing a finger at him. "The Doctor already did that."
"I guessed," He grinned, "What did you say to him?" She looked guiltily at the floor.
"I told him where he could stick his tricorder!" Chakotay threw back his head and laughed.
"Well someone had to do it I suppose!" He said wiping the tears from his eyes, "I just never thought it would be you." She smiled back hesitantly, avoiding his eyes.
"Captain?" He asked tenderly, trying to look at her face. She turned away.
"Well he was annoying me! I shouldn't have done it."
"Kathryn, look at me," His use of her first name made her flinch. She turned round hesitantly and looked him full in the face. He was relieved to see her eyes looking back at him, though with maybe a few more barriers than before.
"I meant what I said, you know," She tried to brush off the comment.
"Said what? You say lot's of things," she turned away again.
"About loving you," Her back tensed at his kind tone. He crossed over to her and put his arms around her. She turned to him.
"Chakotay, did I," She paused, trying hard to get the painful sentence out. "Did I kill that young women?" Chakotay shook his head.
"You didn't, the thing inside you did, it wasn't your fault." Her lower lip trembled and he put up his hand to catch her tears.
"What about Harry?" She persisted, "Is he ok?"
"Harry is fine," He reassured her, "just fine."
"Those things I said, when I came to your room," She began. Chakotay waited. "That, thing whatever it was found my innermost thoughts and said them out loud. I never meant to complicate things."
"I prefer them complicated." Chakotay tightened his arms around her. He looked at the bags under her eyes.
"Have you slept?" His voice was filled with concern. She shrugged.
"I wanted to but I'm scared," She admitted openly, "I'm scared it might come back again."
"It won't," He told her, "Q killed it, see he does have his uses!" She smiled despite herself.
"I wish I could believe you," She looked him in the face, "Chakotay would you..."
"What?" he prompted her.
"Stay with me tonight?" She raised her hand to his face, "Sleep here, please, I just want to be safe."
"The crew will talk," He grinned, he had a twinkle in his eye.
"Just to sleep! For now," She nudged him in the ribs, "Anyway I don't care what the crew thinks for once." He nodded,
"Okay," She slipped out of his arms and walked into the bathroom. He watched her.
"For now?" He repeated to himself grinning.
That night Chakotay and Kathryn slept in the same bed for the first time. He had got into the bed with her after she had asked him, He was stripped down to his boxers. He lay with his face in her hair and his arms wrapped around her. He didn't want to go to sleep at first, he just wanted to watch her breathe. Q watched them both from a safe distance. He felt a twinge of something, what was it? Jealousy? Envy? But anyway he was glad Chuckles and Kathy had finally found each other. At least Chuckles was wearing boxers this time. He watched them tenderly for a moment and then left. The slight noise disturbed Kathryn and she felt insecure, but then she felt the weight of Chakotay pressed up against her. She smiled and turned to face him, intertwining their bodies together. While their bodies lay with each other their sprits found each other in the land of dreams.
The End!