A series of little scenes that came into my mind, and I was unable to flesh them out into a full fic. They have been sitting on my hard drive for many years, and the plan is to complete by the end of 2017.

'I need you to be my first officer.'

'With all due respect Captain, the Maquis have no place on a Starfleet vessel.'

She sighed, running her hand over her face. 'We are alone here in the Delta Quadrant. You don't have a ship. There are no planets nearby. We need to integrate these two crews if we are going to survive out here.'

'The Maquis were doing just fine until you showed up,' Chakotay argued.

'You hadn't even made it out of the vicinity of the Caretaker. You weren't even trying to get home!' Kathryn countered, standing up from behind her desk in her ready room, planting her hands firmly on the surface. She leant forward to look him in the eye has he challenged her again.

'Are you going to force me to do this? Lock me up in the brig for the rest of the journey if I don't do what you want?'

'You have a problem with that?' Her voice was dangerously low, her eyes hard and unyielding.

'Yes. I will not be forced to do anything.'

'You're forgetting Captain that you are on my ship and I was sent to capture you. I can do anything I want with you.'

Chakotay's eyes narrowed and he flicked his gaze over the woman in front of him. She was somehow different from the other Starfleet officers he had come across. His mind had taken that comment far too suggestively for his own good. He shook his head and cleared his throat.

He wanted to challenge her, show her exactly how much damage he could do to her in a single move. He was much bigger than she, and he doubted she had the physical strength to resist him.

'You will be my Captain then?'

'You have a problem with that as well?'

'No Captain. I love women.'

His expression remained firm but the twinkle in his eyes gave his smile away. He was clearly enjoying this.

Kathryn read his mind, pushing away from her desk and coming to stand face to face with him. 'I think you'll like this Starfleet Captain. She's witty, gusty and she definitely won't put up with any of your bullshit.'

'Sounds delightful,' he answered sarcastically.

They stared at each other for a moment and watched her. Her auburn hair stood out above all else, wrapped up tightly in bun and secured with pins at the top of her head. His eyes flicked to hers and he exhaled sharply. Sapphire blues stared back at him and he was slightly aware of her lips curling into an almost tell-tale smirk that suggested she knew exactly what he was thinking.

Chakotay cleared his throat, bringing his gaze back to the metallic band on her left hand. 'Very well, Ma'am,' he spat the final word sarcastically. 'I will be your first officer, but only for as long as I deem necessary.'

Kathryn stood up to her full height, drawing comfort from the uniform that sat on her shoulders and the pips that rested on her collar. 'Although I appreciate your distinction of my gender, Commander, I prefer Captain. If you don't mind, of course.'

Without a second glance, she turned on her heel and strode out of the ready room doors, an air of grace following her as she went.

Chakotay paused for a minute to catch his breath, her perfume lingering in the air.

He was definitely in trouble.