Enjoy the extra-long, extra-fluffy finale!

Six

'What rules? I thought we were just racing to the finish line?' Tom's cheeks were already starting to turn pink thanks to his face-down position across B'Elanna's shoulders.

'The fact is, Mr Paris,' Neelix explained smugly, 'the Command Carry is not simply a race, but a scavenger hunt as well. In the last half hour, my trustworthy assistant has been hiding coloured flags in five secret locations around the ship. To complete the course, each pair must follow a set of clues to collect five flags from five different locations around the top five levels of the ship. The first pair to return to the mess hall with all five flags will be the winners! Aha - here comes my assistant now with the clues...'

The doors to the mess hall whooshed opened and the whole room watched on with varying degrees of curiosity, anticipation and trepidation as Voyager's number-two Vulcan crossed the room towards them.

'Mr Vorik! I trust you were successful in your mission?' Neelix greeted him.

'I have done as you instructed,' Vorik responded dourly.

'And the clues, ensign?'

Ensign Vorik angled his jaw towards the line of competitors to address them.

'I have selected the following locations to represent five key qualities that have brought Voyager and her crew safely through the Delta Quadrant thus far. You will find what you seek in a place of farsight, a place of preparation, a place of energy, a place of repair, and a place of rest.'

There was an instant buzz of conversation as competitors and crew rushed to decipher the puzzle, but Neelix whistled for silence.

'There a few final conditions before we start... One - you may collect your flags in any order, two - ponies are not permitted to remove their blindfold at any time, and three - riders may only dismount in order to collect their flag... Does everybody understand the rules?'

The teams nodded their assent.

'Then we are ready to begin,' Neelix grinned. 'Ensign Vorik, it's up to you to keep everyone in line until we return. Would you please do the starter's honours?'

Vorik sighed like it was a task beneath his intelligence, but agreed.

'On your marks, get set, go!'

Pandemonium descended as the ponies surged forward and the riders screamed instructions over the swelling roar of the crowd.

'Forward, Mr Vulcan!' Neelix shrieked at his mount, who was refusing to move. 'Go! Quickly! They're getting away!'

'It is illogical to go anywhere until we have agreed upon a course of action,' Tuvok answered reprovingly.

'Straight ahead, commander,' Captain Janeway urged her pony towards the doorway, her eyes glowing with the thrill of the competition and a plan already forming in her mind. 'Head for the turbolift. We'll start at the bridge then go down to Deck 5 and work our way back up.'

'Yes, ma'am!' Chakotay set off strongly to please her, colliding with a slower pair but recovering his balance and carrying on without a missing a beat.

'Oh, kill me now,' the doctor whinged as somebody bumped into Seven in the crush, nearly knocking him to the ground.

'That can be arranged,' the ex-Borg replied, her vocal inflections more elevated than usual. 'You said left, doctor. I went left. Be more specific!'

'This way, Harry!' Naomi shrilled, turning the ensign's head like a rudder so they could avoid the jostling throng. 'I bet the place of rest is where the beds are. Let's go check out your quarters!'

'See ya later, suckers!' Tom yelled jubilantly as B'Elanna approached the mess hall door to take the early lead. 'The energy clue. Might be Engineering?' he mooted a plan.

'Can't be. Too low down,' B'Elanna gasped, using Paris's projecting legs as a shield to block the couple who were closing in fast behind them. 'Neelix said the top five decks only. Lead me to the energy grid on Deck 4!'

Tuvok and Neelix were the last to leave the mess hall, sent on their way with cheers and encouragement from the crew, and when the doors finally closed behind them Ensign Vorik called for attention.

'Mr Neelix has left me in charge until the conclusion of the race. I suggest we all wait calmly for the runners to return and-...'

'Well, I don't know about all of you,' Lieutenant Ayala pushed to the front of the group, 'but my money's on Paris and B'Elanna. Who else is in?'

All hell broke loose as half the crew clamoured to place their bets, while another dozen or so officers spilt out into the corridors to find a better vantage point to watch the race.

'You were right, Mr Vulcan!' Neelix exclaimed excitedly when he spied Harry Kim exiting his quarters, with little Naomi proudly waving a green flag on a stick above her head. 'The first flag is in the crew quarters! But do you think Mr Vorik would have chosen your cabin or mine?'

Tuvok altered course without waiting for directions from his sighted rider. 'The flag will be in your quarters, Mr Neelix. I trust Ensign Vorik is wise enough to know not to enter mine.'

'So what are our options?' Chakotay recited the list as he and Kathryn stepped out of the turbolift onto the bridge. 'Farsight, rest, repair, energy, preparation... I'd say we can definitely rule out rest for the bridge...'

'Agreed,' Kathryn added drily.

'...but what about energy? Every console in this room runs on the stuff. Can you see anything near the control panels?'

Kathryn made a quick visual sweep around the helm controls, their command chairs in the centre of the bridge, and the comms and ops consoles behind them.

'Nothing,' she felt disappointed, then her eyes fell on a door at the far side of the room. 'But maybe...' she ordered her pony to the doorway. 'Where do I go every morning to prepare for the events of the day, commander?' she prompted him.

'The ready room!' he twigged immediately and carried her over the threshold.

'Ha!' the captain cried out in victory when she saw a bundle of red flags sitting on her desk. 'One down, four to go!'

'Come on, Tom!' B'Elanna was getting frustrated. 'This is the main energy grid besides Engineering. There's got to be a flag in here somewhere! Check behind the control panel near the door!'

'I think I hate this game!' Tom griped, still unsuccessful. 'Let's try a different clue and come back to this one later.'

B'Elanna growled in annoyance but followed Paris' directions towards the turbolift.

'Wait!' he called out all of a sudden, remembering something further down the corridor. 'I think I've got it!' he urged her towards a familiar doorway.

'Yessssss! Let me down!' Tom slithered off his partner's shoulders to claim a blue flag from the circular platform at the side of the room. 'It's the transporter room, Bey,' he sounded proud of himself for figuring it out. 'Transporters. Energy. Energize - get it?!'

'That's just dumb,' B'Elanna's lip curled as she bent to pick up her boyfriend, ready for the next leg of the race.

'You're only saying that because you didn't think of it first,' Tom smirked. 'Get trotting, horsey. I've got a good feeling about Deck 3.'

'Make that two down, three to go!' Kathryn halted her pony as they exited the ready room. 'Flags. Just behind the lower-right corner of the viewscreen,' she directed him. 'Farsight. Magnification on the viewscreen certainly gives us a long-range view!'

'You are a wonder, captain,' Chakotay congratulated her with a grin.

'You're pretty wonderful yourself, commander,' she gave the blindfolded man a soft peck on the lips to prove her point.

'Kathryn!' he looked mildly shocked. 'You're usually more discreet. Are you planning on getting caught today?'

'No, Chakotay,' she chuckled, clambering back up into the saddle. 'I'm planning on winning today - that kiss was purely for motivation. Pick up the pace, pony. We've got three more flags to collect.'

'Direct me to Deck 5,' Seven demanded as soon as she broke free of the other competitors.

'Just a minute. I'm supposed to be the one giving the directions,' the doctor argued.

'There was nothing in the rules to say the pony can't choose the destination,' she persisted. 'Deck 5. Comply.'

'Now you're just being rude!' the EMH nagged in her ear. 'Use your manners like we've been practising. I won't tell you how to get to Deck 5 until you tell me why you want to go there - and ask me nicely.'

Seven gritted her teeth. 'Show me the way to Deck 5, please,' she added with exaggerated calm. 'I wish to go to Sickbay.'

'Sickbay?' the doctor looked confused. 'You seem in perfect health to me, Seven. Can't this wait? We're meant to be in the middle of a race, remember!'

The Borg gave up. 'As you insist on refusing to help, I will have to do this my own way,' she blocked out the doctor's next volley of complaints and focused on using her internal chronometer to estimate the correct direction to the turbolift.

'Are you... cheating, Seven of Nine? You can't use your Borg technology to navigate! It's an unfair advantage,' the doctor tugged at her shoulder to make her listen to him.

Seven refused to accept the admonishment. 'Lieutenant Tuvok is a Vulcan. Are you suggesting that he will not use his superior strength and intelligence to his team's advantage?'

'But that's not the point,' the EMH spluttered as they exited the turbolift on Deck 5 and Seven's pace quickened towards the sickbay. 'It's not... in the spirit of the game.'

'Perhaps not,' Seven stepped through the sickbay doors and came to a standstill, 'but it is a more efficient strategy than relying on you, doctor. Can you see the flags or do I have to adjust the calibration on my cortical implant to see through the blindfold as well?'

The doctor humphed. 'They are on the central bio-bed. The place of repair, I presume.'

The sound of rowdy cheering grew louder as the command teams began their final scramble back towards the mess hall.

Captain Janeway, meanwhile, thought she and her pony had earned a quick moment to themselves when they stopped in at Chakotay's quarters on Deck 2 to collect their last flag.

'More motivation?' Chakotay smiled against her lips. 'You realise we're not going to win at this rate, captain.'

Kathryn lifted a hand to his cheek, admiring his clean-cut profile in the dim lighting of the cabin. 'I think I'm already winning, commander,' she smirked softly, to which Chakotay replied with another kiss.

Just outside in the corridor, Lieutenants Torres and Paris were making a dash for the mess hall when Tom saw the tail-end of another couple disappearing around a corner ahead of them.

'Come on, Bey!' the excitement in his voice urged her even faster. 'Team Tuvix dead ahead. Hang right and you can take them!'

B'Elanna growled and kicked into a new gear - promptly bashing Tom's skull against the bulkhead. His body went slack and the race was forgotten.

'Tom!' B'Elanna ripped the blindfold from her eyes and dragged the limp lieutenant from her shoulders, cradling him in her arms. 'Tom! Are you alright? Talk to me!' she sounded angry, but she always sounded angry when she was scared.

Tom was still. Then he groaned and opened his eyes. 'Did we win?' Paris asked with a woozy smile.

B'Elanna sighed heavily. 'We would have,' she grumbled, 'if wasn't for your big head!... Hey doc,' she spotted a flash of silver with a bald frown above it that was heading their way. 'Over here! Tom's been hurt. Can you take a look at him?'

'Gladly,' the EMH slid down from his impatient pony's back. 'I'm sure you won't mind a brief delay, Seven - to make up for your earlier... efficiencies?'

Seven unknotted her blindfold and crossed her arms. 'It was a pointless exercise anyway,' she glared at him, though her face became almost wistful when she heard the jubilant sounds of the five year old girl in the adjacent corridor, shrieking encouraging commands to her noble steed.

Unaware of Tom's accident, Neelix looked into the distance and saw cheering crewmen lining the way to the mess hall up ahead.

'We're winning, Mr Tuvok!' he laughed in disbelief.

'Then it is almost over,' Tuvok stated gratefully.

Neelix twisted around to check if anyone was advancing on them from behind and saw something that made him alter course.

'Ah... actually, there's one more turn coming up, Mr Vulcan,' he instructed hastily.

'I am certain the way is straight ahead,' Tuvok disagreed.

'No. Definitely a right turn here,' Neelix leant sideways to drag Tuvok along with him, punching at the opening mechanism to the nearest doorway and urging his pony inside.

It took a moment for Neelix's eyes to adjust to the dim lighting. It looked like Commander Chakotay's quarters. Vacant, of course. Or...'

'Actually, you were right all along, Mr Tuvok,' the Talaxian's eyes widened, and he wheeled Tuvok around by his shoulders in an attempt to exit the room.

'Make up your mind, Mr Neelix. Is it to be in or out?' Tuvok demanded.

'Out, definitely out!' Neelix assured him, and they were on their way again.

'Naomi! Harry!' the crew were still cheering for their champions when the rest of the competitors crossed the finish line; Tuvok and Neelix in a respectable second place, Tom raising a victorious fist as he and B'Elanna entered the mess hall for third, and the doctor and Seven trailing a short distance behind them, both arriving on foot.

When Captain Janeway and Chakotay hurried into the mess hall a minute or so later, Tom approached them with a baffled, somewhat amused expression.

'What happened to you two? My partner knocked me out and we still finished faster than you did!' he smirked.

'Now, now, Mr Paris - there's no need to make anybody feel bad,' Neelix swept in to intervene. 'Today is supposed to be a celebration, after all! Here...,' he bustled over to the kitchen and retrieved a glass filled with pale, bubbly liquid - handing it to Tom.

'Talaxian champagne from my personal stores - to toast the winners,' he announced proudly. 'If you're looking for something to do, lieutenant, why don't you take a tray around the room and see that everybody gets a glass.'

Paris agreed to the task and wandered off as Lieutenant Tuvok approached the group, acknowledging his captain and commander before fixing his racing partner with a probing expression.

'What did you see in that room, Mr Neelix?'

'What room?' he asked innocently.

'You know what room,' Tuvok frowned. 'The one you led me into when you decided to intentionally sabotage our progress and hand the winning position to Ensign Kim and Naomi Wildman.'

'Oh, that room,' Neelix suddenly remembered. 'Sorry to disappoint you, Mr Vulcan, but I don't remember seeing anything of particular interest. I only had us stop there as a ploy to let little Naomi have the perfect ending to her big day. Children, you know,' he sighed happily. 'You just want to give them everything, don't you?!'

Tuvok raised an eyebrow and found he had pressing tasks to attend to elsewhere.

'Thank you, Mr. Neelix,' Kathryn glanced downwards, somewhat guiltily.

'Whatever for, captain?' the Talaxian assumed an air of tactful ignorance.

Captain Janeway kept her voice low. 'For not giving us away after seeing us in…,' she glanced up at Chakotay for support, '…a compromising position. It's not that we want to hide our news from the crew forever, it's just...'

'...the relationship is still new,' Chakotay took over, his face earnest and his hand hovering protectively at Kathryn's elbow. 'It would be nice to keep it our own secret for a little while longer.'

Neelix looked from the captain to the commander and beamed at them both.

'Well, I didn't see anything compromising, captain,' he assured her. 'All I saw was two keen competitors demonstrating teamwork and co-operation on race day. That's hardly something to write home about!' he looked across the room to Tom Paris and changed the topic smoothly. 'It seems the toasts are almost ready to begin. Why don't you two go and get yourselves some champagne so the real festivities can commence.'

Kathryn threw her arms around her dear, generous, speckled friend and squeezed him tightly.

'Thank you,' she whispered, pulling back as Chakotay stepped forward, clasping Neelix warmly by the shoulder and shaking his hand.

'Happy race day, friends!' Neelix raised his glass to a resounding echo from all the crew – the last official toast of the evening.

'And a happy race day to you, too, captain,' he added under his breath, lifting his drink to the woman he admired so greatly.

Kathryn didn't notice the gesture. She was clinking her own glass with Chakotay's, their faces mirrored expressions of satisfaction and joy.

Neelix smiled and nodded to himself. 'A very happy race day, indeed.'

Author's Note:

Hooray! It's over & out for this story. Please be kind and leave a review if you've enjoyed the chapter/story. I've really appreciated the encouraging words I've received over the course of posting, and also getting to know a few of you a bit better along the way.

For the hardcore fans, Chakotay's cabin is technically on Deck 3 (or 6, depending on the episode!), but I took the liberty of moving him to Deck 2 to fit with the story.

What's Next?: I'm going to have a couple of weeks off writing to binge some TV (Voyager Seasons 5-7 & probably lose my DS9 virginity - eeek!), then possibly return to fanfic writing with a Q-themed short story/one-shot if the writing gods are kind. Stay well & prosper ;)