Kathryn had left Tom in sickbay more then an hour ago, with plans to go to engineering for an update and to speak with Tuvok when she was finished there. Kathryn had more things to accomplish then she had time to accomplish them in; Tom, on the other hand, was bored. He perked up when the sickbay doors opened, hoping it was someone he could pass some time with. Anyone would do at this point.

Ensign Harry Kim slowly made his way into the room, giving Tom a weary look. Tom sighed, 'Might as well apologize now.'

"Harry get over here and keep me company. The Doc refuses to let me leave," Tom smiled as Harry made his way to is bio-bed and sat in the chair next to him.

"First, I'm sorry. Second, it was Tuvok's plan and he wanted everyone's reactions to me to be genuine. I didn't get a say in this. Third and last, you weren't the only one kept in the dark, only the Captain knew what was going on."

"Understood, this is Starfleet, sometimes what you have to do, isn't necessarily what you want to do," Harry answered, easily putting Tom's subterfuge behind them.

"So, all those times you were a jerk to the captain, it was for show?" Harry asked, jumping right back into their friendship.

"Yep," Tom smiled, and couldn't help making the younger man blush. "Kathryn and I are still doing the bump ugly."

Tom promised himself that he would never again become irritated with Harry's naivety, again. It had been awhile since Tom could make a simple suggestive comment and make the younger man blush instead of cringe, he was surprised how much he missed it. Soon enough, life and years would erase Harry's naive nature, Tom decided to savor it for what it was, instead of cursing it for what it wasn't, while Harry still had it.

"Ugh, Tom, she's the captain, don't say those things," he admonished, a horrified look on his face.

"She's also a very curvy woman with great hands," he replied in a voice that made Harry's blush deeper. "Really, Harry, have you ever looked at her hands? Amazing!"

"Again, she's the captain. I will not talk about her like this."

"Well, let's not talk about the captain. Let's talk about my really hot girlfriend."

"So, you and the captain, is it still a secret?" Harry asked, curious as to where things stood right now.

"No, not really, we're going to Neelix's party together, tomorrow. Everyone will know after that. Hey, guess what?"

"If it's about your sex life, I don't want to know," Harry said, holding up his hands in mock defense.

"B'Elanna caught us kissing earlier."

"Way to go. You can't go around kissing the Captain where ever you please, and hope no one notices."

"I'll have you know, she was kissing me!" Tom said, his voice full of playful indignation. "You should go tell her that."

Harry rolled his eyes as he answered, "I'll get right on that."

=/\=

"Everything going good?" Tom asked as Kathryn entered his quarters later in the evening.

She was out of uniform and her hair was down, pulled back with a clip, this meant she'd had time to go to her quarters. This tiny detail let Tom know nothing was horribly wrong. This wasn't a quick visit before she went to hang out in an access tube with a toolbox and her own colorful language. She'd be here for the night, barring any unexpected problems.

"Better then expected, actually," Kathryn smiled back at him.

Standing up, Tom moved over to Kathryn, taking her face in his hands and bringing his mouth to hers. The soft kiss was punctuated by the slow caress of his fingers along her cheeks and jaw. As the kiss continued, Tom's hands begin to roam further down, skimming along her shoulder, down her arm, across her breast. He began to undress her, unhurriedly as they continued their kiss.

Tom broke the kiss when he needed space between them to finish removing her clothes. Kathryn looked down and saw her blouse and bra on the floor, she gave a small chuckle, "How do you do that? Get me undressed without me noticing?"

"Talent. Pure talent."

"You do have talent," she hummed, closing her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again, a serious expression graced her features, "But, the Doctor made a point of letting me know that under no circumstances were to to engage in anything strenuous."

"It doesn't need to be strenuous," he smiled, lightly caressing her hip.

Kathryn looked at him in doubt, eye brow raised in disbelief.

"I promise, I'm not about to do anything that could possibly get you and me both lectured by the doctor. I know you'd never forgive me."

Tom reached for the waist band of her pants and, meeting no resistance from her, he undid the button and pulled the zipper down. "Trust me, nothing strenuous, I just need to feel you."

When they were naked before each other, Tom began to kiss his way down Kathryn's body, lowering himself to his knees as his kisses continued lower. He ran his tongue over her hip bone as one of his hands slid over her skin to the apex of her thighs, he moved two fingers between her legs and slowly spread her folds to make contact with her heated center.

Her head fell back, her lips parted in delight as Tom continued to manipulate her into readiness. He felt her temperature rise, her skin becoming rosy with her desire.

In one fluid movement, Tom moved from his knees to sitting cross legged on the floor. Kissing Kathryn's thighs before pulling her down into his lap, guiding himself into her with the hand that had been pleasuring her moments before.

Tom let out a contented sigh as Kathryn wrapped her arms and legs around him. He hugged her close to him, skin to skin, neither one of them moving. Kathryn moved her hands across his back, enjoying the feel of his muscles beneath her fingertips.

His hands were in perpetual motion, roving across her back, along her thighs, up into her hair, everywhere that he could reach. Burying his face into the curve of her neck, he whispered against her skin, "Nothing strenuous, see? This is what I need. I wasn't gone long, but I missed you."

Kathryn rested her head against his shoulder, their upper bodies pressed tightly together. "I missed you," she murmured in return.

They sat entwined together for a long time, neither moving to enhance their pleasure, both just enjoying the connection they already shared with each other.

Tom's fingers moved up and down her spine as he finally began to move, rocking slowly, his pelvis moving against her's in a slow sensual rhythm. Kathryn began to move with him, their bodies, unhurriedly, rocking fluidly against each other.

The heat of arousal and desire started in her core and slowly, more slowly then ever before, radiated outwards, encompassing every nerve ending in her body. Tom and Kathryn continued to rock against each other while wrapped in each others' arms for some time, neither trying to hurry their way to release.

When her orgasm finally came, it didn't come in the form of a tidal wave crashing into her, with screaming and panting; instead her orgasm rolled over her like waves lapping along a quiet shore, with a soft sigh and gentle heat.

Tom's hit him, in much the same way, a slight stiffening of his body as his hold on her became tighter. He nipped her shoulder lightly with his teeth as his seed spilled forth inside of her.

They continued to hold each other, long after their orgasms subsided, neither one of them looking to break the connection and contentment encompassing them. Both of them had their eyes closed, resting their heads against each other, drifting in a place between wakefulness and sleep.

Kathryn hummed softly, before finding the energy or desire to move, "We should move to the bed. The Doctor won't approve of this as a sleeping position."

"The Doctor doesn't know what he's missing," he replied, kissing along her neck. "But, I suppose you're right."

Despite their intention to go to bed, they stayed where they were for several more minutes, touching each other, savoring and extending the sensuality of their coupling.

When they finally made it into bed, Tom and Kathryn wrapped themselves around each other and quickly fell into a contented sleep.

=/\=

Tom rang the chime of Commander Chakotay's office, he wanted to clear the air about his recent behavior towards the Commander, before Kathryn and he made their relationship public. Tom didn't want any animosity between him and Chakotay to mar the crew's view of their relationship.

Despite his desire to clear the air, he was still dreading this meeting with Kathryn's first officer.

The doors slid open and Tom entered with more then a little trepidation, Chakotay had been on the receiving end of a lot of his bad behavior.

Chakotay was sitting at his desk, going over duty rosters, and looked up as Tom entered, his face an unreadable mask.

"May I have a word with you, Commander?" Tom asked formally, standing at attention.

"Have a seat, Lieutenant," he replied, motioning towards the seat in front of his desk.

"I wanted to apologize," Tom started as he took the offered chair. "I know most of the things I did were necessary to complete the mission, but I know some of it went a little further then it should have."

When Chakotay didn't say anything in response, Tom continued, "I know, or have an idea, how you feel about her."

Chakotay opened his mouth to protest, but Tom staved off his words, "Don't think I don't realize you're the better man for her. Don't think I don't worry that during some uneventful day on the bridge, when she's spent a good deal of her shift staring at the back of my head, she's going to turn to you and realize what a terrible mistake she's made."

"Kathryn, isn't one to make a decision of this nature lightly or casually. If she'd had any desire to be with me, if her thoughts and emotions had been confused between the two of us, she wouldn't have began a relationship with you."

"Well, see, that's part of the problem, isn't it?" Tom asked. "She really wasn't in her right mind when we started this."

"But, she is now," Chakotay said, finding himself in the role of Tom's counselor. "She has had time, and time didn't change her feelings. She has thought it out and chosen you. I've accepted what my role in her life is. Perhaps, it's time that you accept yours."

=/\=

"Stop worrying," Tom gently intoned as he entered Kathryn's bathroom, finding her twisting her hair up in an elaborate bun.

"I'm not worried. There's nothing for me to be worried about," Kathryn replied, forcefully.

"You're right, there is nothing to worry about. But, you're still worrying," Tom tried to reassure as he moved in behind her, looking at her in the mirror.

"I am not," she glared at him from the glass.

Tom smiled at her, pointing out, "Ten minutes ago, you were ready to go. Now all of a sudden you're in here fiddling with your hair. Which, by the way, you should leave down."

"No, I shouldn't," she said with a frown, starting to put pins in her hair.

"Yes, you should," he answered back.

Tom batted her hands away from her hair, causing her hair to cascade down her back. "You're not on duty, so the hair stays down and no uniform."

"I'm not in my uniform."

"But, you were thinking of putting it on," Tom told her knowingly.

"I was not," she crossed her arms in front of her and let out a little huff. Tom was right and she knew it, she was worried about the crew's reaction to her and Tom's relationship, and the hair and the uniform helped her to feel more in control of the situation.

"You were," he laughed, grabbing the hairbrush from the sink and running it quickly through Kathryn's hair.

When he had it brushed out, he reached around Kathryn and grabbed the hair clip from the counter and handed it to her, "If I do it, it's going to look all wrong."

"Fine," Kathryn said, taking the clip and pulling her hair away from her face and securing it, letting it cascade down her back.

"Beautiful," he smiled, kissing her neck, "Now, remember there's nothing to worry about."

"And if they think a captain shouldn't date a crew member?"

"They don't think that. The people who lost big in the Chakotay/Janeway replicator ration pool are going to be the only ones that are a little irked, but they'll be happy for you, they are happy for you."

Tom decided to add a little joke, "They're going to figure I blackmailed you into this. Before you know it they're all going to be trying to save you from my evil clutches."

Kathryn laughed at that, turning around to face him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. "Okay, I give up. I'm not going to worry about. We'll sort any problems that pop up as they come along. I promise if you end up dead, I'll find the person who did it, you will be vindicated."

"There's the spirit," Tom cheered, taking her face in his hands and kissing her soundly.

=/\=

"I see not worrying lasted a long time," Tom said, looking at the woman standing next to him, as they approached the doors to the holodeck.

"I'm not worrying," Kathryn hissed.

"What's with the drumming fingers?" Tom asked, nodding towards the hand at her thigh.

Kathryn looked down, visually confirming her fingers, were in fact, tapping against her thigh in a furious rhythm, "Damn."

Tom laughed as the doors to the holodeck slid opened, revealing them to the people inside. He placed his hand on her lower back, a small gesture, but one that would be noticed, as he gently led the reluctant woman inside and towards Neelix.

The crew present looked up at the new arrivals, they watched the couple enter and make their way across the room. The people who didn't immediately take notice of their entrance were nudged or whispered to by the people standing closest to them.

Neelix met the Captain and Lieutenant with a jovial smile and greeting, "Tom, I'm so glad that you are back and uninjured."

The short Talaxian man wrapped his arms around Tom's middle, gathering him into a hug. Kathryn had to smile at the look on Tom's face. Tom returned the hug with little hesitation. "Neelix, I can't tell you how good it's to be back and to be myself, again."

Neelix let go of Tom after several moments, standing up straight and smoothing his hands down the front of his brightly printed jacket. He turned towards Kathryn with a smile, "Captain, I'm so happy to see that you and Tom, here," he said nodding his head towards Tom, a knowing smile on his face, "have decided to make your relationship more public."

Kathryn was a little taken back by Neelix's straightforwardness, not that she should have been, he rarely minced words. After a beat, she managed to reply, "Thank you, Neelix, we felt it was time."

"Let me be the first to wish you my best. Now I must go and see to the rest of the guests. You know where to find the food, enjoy. And welcome home, Tom."

Kathryn swiftly moved her eyes across the room, taking note that many of her crew had been close enough to hear the exchange with Neelix. Tom lead her towards the table where the food was spread out. Grabbing plates the pair started adding food to them.

Kathryn could feel lots of eyes trained on her and Tom, it was making her nervous. "No one's threatened to take command of the ship, or throw you in the brig or even questioned your sanity," Tom commented, making her look up at him. "So far, so good."

"True," she admitted. "Everything is fine, great actually. But, now I know what you were talking about. Now I feel like the main attraction at a circus side show."

The crew had seen their Captain's easy rapport with her helmsman, saw Tom's hand on her lower back, heard Neelix's exchange with her. With their suspicions finally confirmed, they all continued on with what they had been doing before the now official couple had entered the holodeck. Yes, they still occasionally glanced in her direction, she seemed much more relaxed then she'd ever been before, and the crew liked seeing her this way.

Tom reached for her hand, giving it a quick squeeze before letting it go again. "I've always found you to be the main attraction of any event," he whispered suggestively to her.

Kathryn smiled up at him, slipping her arm around his, determined to be at ease with the changing dynamics of the ship. They were going to be out here for a long time, Voyager was becoming more than just a Starfleet ship trying to get home, it was becoming a home. Relationships, children, families couldn't be too far off for the crew. While she may be the Captain, their leader, she was very much a part of Voyager's crew.