Summary:This is an alternate universe story. It spears off mid-season seven, sometime after Lineage and before Workforce. Kathryn is on a supply mission, dealing with an obnoxious planetary leader. Chakotay decides to take matters into his own hands and a new journey begins. 18 chapters (you might want to grab a cuppa).

Rated NC17

A huge thank you to Mary S for the wonderful beta on this opus.

This is a baby/action/adventure fic for Andrea. Happy Birthday, my dear friend. :D

Disclaimer: CBS/Paramount owns everything. No infringement intended.

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Chapter One

Chakotay choked back a laugh, his face breaking into a beaming smile. “That’s not one of your better ideas, Kathryn.”

“Oh, please?” It wasn’t quite a whine, but not far from it. “Just one small spread of photon torpedoes. No one will be any the wiser.”

Chakotay couldn’t help laughing. “I’m sorry, Kathryn. This is where I have to wear my ‘boring but sensible first officer hat’. Now repeat after me - ‘I will not use weapons fire on our hosts.’” She opened her mouth to protest but he held up his hand and amended. “No matter how much they deserve it.”

Kathryn’s eyes narrowed and she gave him a jaundiced look. “That’s not really fair, you know. I am the captain, and I should be able to torpedo whoever I want.”

“I think it’s ‘whomever’, but that’s beside the point. The answer is no.”

“Spoil sport.” She rolled her eyes, and then poked him in the chest. “Well then, Mr Politically Correct, you find some way of stopping Ghalor Zymos from manhandling me every chance he gets, and I’ll happily comply.”

“Is he really that bad?”

Chakotay got another withering look for his trouble. Her voice was like chips of ice but there was an edge of vulnerability in her tone. “Chakotay, the man has four hands - literally - and he won’t keep them off me.”

A sudden flash of anger stabbed at Chakotay, taking him by surprise. His jaw clenched and his hand instinctively curled into a fist. It was a reflex action, but it took some effort to force his fingers to unfurl. How long had it been since he’d felt like this? Certainly a while. He was always protective of Kathryn - she was his captain after all - but this was different. This feeling tapped into something much more primal and he had to make a concerted effort to suppress his anger, not to mention his urge to beam down to the planet and beat the living daylights out of this bastard, Zymos.

Kathryn noticed the change in his demeanour and took a small step away from him. Her voice became conciliatory. “It’s all right, I’ll behave. I’ve dealt with much worse in my time, I’m sure I can handle him.” With an exaggerated shudder, she cringed then smiled. “Bad choices of words there but thanks for letting me rant. I feel much better - even if I didn’t get to shoot him.”

Chakotay returned her smile but the feeling of anger was still sitting like a clenched fist in his middle. He tried to ignore it but his efforts weren’t entirely successful, so he attempted to defuse the tension with humour. It usually worked. “Anytime, Kathryn. I don’t imagine the Ghalor’s wife can be too pleased with his behaviour, maybe she’ll shoot him for you.”

Kathryn’s face brightened. “We can live in hope.”

He chuckled. “Coffee?” She cast him a sideways glance and he laughed again. The tension eased and he was relieved to find that they’d fallen back into their easy bantering again. “Sorry, stupid question. Coffee coming up. How about something to eat? I haven’t had dinner yet. Did they feed you on the planet?”

Kathryn screwed up her nose. “They tried but the food was almost as distasteful as the company. I’d love something if you’re offering.”

“Sure am. Anything in particular you’d like?” He made his way to the replicator and Kathryn followed.

“No, whatever you were planning on having will be fine.”

Chakotay handed Kathryn her coffee and couldn’t help smiling as she took her first sip. Now that was true love. Her eyes closed and her face transformed to a look of ecstasy.

She sighed and opened her eyes to find him watching her. “What?”

He shook his head and chuckled. “Nothing. But I’d advise you not to do that around Ghalor Zymos if you want him to keep his hands to himself.” Chakotay passed her his cup of tea to take to the table, and then turned back to the replicator with a grin and ordered their meals.

“Don’t do what?” Kathryn’s brow knitted in confusion.

Chakotay turned back holding two plates of steaming vegetable pasta. He nodded towards the table and spoke while he carried the plates. “Make love to your beverage. You’ll never be rid of him if you do that.”

“Make love to my beverage!? I do no such thing.”

“Oh yes, you do.” He couldn’t help grinning at her indignation.

Kathryn snorted. “You’re making fun of me now, aren’t you? This is payback for leaving you behind with Tuvok for the last two days.”

“I’m not making fun of you at all. You should see yourself. It’s like lust personified.”

Kathryn placed their drinks on the table and grabbed some cutlery while Chakotay found the napkins.

She let out a disbelieving, “Pfffht,” as she sat down. “What a lot of rubbish.”

Chakotay shrugged. “Ask anyone. I’ll try and capture a holoimage next time.”

Kathryn looked indignant. “I do not lust after my coffee.” After taking a mouthful of food, she waited until she’d swallowed and then waved her fork at him. “I love my coffee, I might even admit to adoring my coffee, but I do not lust after it.”

He quirked an eyebrow at her as he chewed. “Hmmm, yeah, whatever you say.”

She placed her fork on her plate and rested her elbows on the table. “Okay, what do I look like? You show me, and then maybe I’ll be able to tell whether or not it’s my ‘lust’ face.” She sat back in her chair and crossed her arms, throwing him a challenging look.

Chakotay blinked and put down his cutlery. Now this was interesting. Her day of fighting off the overly amorous and multi-appendaged ruler of Belorm had left her a touch on the confrontational side and she was pushing for a fight. He wasn’t about to give her one, but thought it would be interesting to see her reaction. Besides, it might get her mind off the Belormie situation.

He sat back in his seat and crossed his arms, mirroring her pose. “All right. However, you have to promise not to get mad. Okay?”

Kathryn nodded. “Fine. I’m saving up all my anger for Zymos anyway. Go on then, show me what I look like.”

Chakotay held her eyes in a warm gaze as he picked up his mug of tea and cupped it lovingly in his large hands. Still looking deep into her eyes, he dipped his finger into the tea, traced it around the brim of his cup before he licked the tea from his forefinger, and let his eyes flutter shut. Moving the cup slowly towards his face, he took a deep breath, inhaling the aroma. A tremor ran through him and he slowly raised the cup to his lips. He took a long, languid sip letting his face relax into a look of abject bliss. After taking another deep breath, he let his lips open slightly and a touch of a smile softened his features. His hands caressed the mug ever so gently, his fingers stroking up and down the shiny surface in slow deliberate movements.

The tip of his tongue darted out and he licked his lips, then his eyes opened slowly. They focussed on the wide-eyed, flushed face of his captain and friend.

Kathryn made a strange choking noise, snatching her hands off the table and clasping them tightly in her lap. Her lips parted in a reflection of his and her breathing was uncharacteristically rapid. A grin started to break across his face, but then he looked on in surprise as Kathryn suddenly stood, almost knocking her chair over in her haste.

She gave him a harried smile. “I just remembered that I have some reports to finish. Thank you for dinner, Commander. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Before he had a chance to place his mug back on the table, she’d darted out of his quarters. He slumped back in his chair and stared at the closed doors. What the hell was all that about? And she’d barely touched her meal. He sighed. No doubt, he’d offended her and because she’d promised not to get mad, she’d beat a hasty retreat to avoid tearing him to shreds. Although…, he thought wryly, it had never stopped her before.

He frowned, still bemused by her reaction. It hadn’t been his intention to upset her although she didn’t look all that angry. If he didn’t know better, he could have sworn she looked frightened. With a huff, he shook his head at that thought. Kathryn Janeway? Afraid? Standing up, he reached across for her plate. Never.

He was tempted to contact her and ask if she was all right. His hand even hovered over his combadge for a few seconds, but in the end, he resisted the temptation. Knowing Kathryn, she’d just fob him off, saying she was fine and then be irked that he’d even bothered to inquire. If there were a problem, she’d tell him. Maybe.

Chakotay finished his meal, tidied the table, and recycled the dishes. After he picked up her cup and tossed out the remnants of her coffee, he stared at the mug for a moment and came to the conclusion that he would never understand her.

She hadn’t been herself though. This Zymos character and his incessant pawing and unwanted attentions had rattled her. All joking aside, she genuinely seemed upset by the Belormie leader’s advances. She wasn’t in any real danger. There was a security detail with her at all times and Chakotay wasn’t particularly worried that she would come to any harm, but the team were limited in what they could do. It was a difficult and diplomatically sensitive situation. The ship was in dire need of supplies, and that complicated matters. Kathryn, he knew, would feel obligated to tolerate the Belormie leader’s behaviour because of the desperate nature of their predicament, and Chakotay wouldn’t put it past her to put herself in harm’s way, if she felt that it was necessary.

He acknowledged the clench of fear that this thought provoked and decided that he had to do something. The stress of the negotiations was bad enough, without having to put up with the likes of this Ghalor and his wandering hands. That feeling of anger swelled in his chest again. Chakotay picked up his mug of tea and looked at it for a moment, his brow knitting in a frown. There had to be something he could do to help. Taking a seat at his desk, he pulled up all the information they’d gathered about Belormie cultural and social mores and after reading through the convoluted document a small smile teased at the corner of his mouth.

It was an audacious plan and likely to get him into no end of strife, but pretending to be her ‘significant other’ would most likely keep the Ghalor at a safe distance. There were strict conventions regarding bonded individuals within Belormie society and it was the only way that he could see to keep her out of harm’s way, not to mention the Ghalor’s repellent clutches.

Kathryn, he knew, would never approve of the idea, he could hear her protestations already, but this wasn’t about what she did or didn’t want. This was about keeping her safe and perhaps averting an interstellar confrontation. Before he could talk himself out of it, he tapped his combadge. “Chakotay to Tuvok.”

“Tuvok here, Commander.”

“Tuvok, I have decided to accompany the Captain to the surface tomorrow. There are some negotiations that will require my input.”

“Very well, Commander.” There was a pause. “The security team will meet you in the transporter room at 0800 but I welcome the increased protection, although I cannot guarantee that the Captain will.”

Chakotay smiled. Tuvok was like an overprotective parent when it came to Kathryn’s safety and she often railed against it like an obstinate teen, but Chakotay was grateful that the Vulcan was so meticulous. Between the two of them, there was some hope that they could keep her safe, even over her protestations and her natural propensity for finding trouble wherever she went. He tried to keep the amusement out of his voice. “I’ll keep that in mind, Tuvok. Good night.”

“Good night and - good luck, Commander.”

Satisfied, that he would be close by tomorrow and able to keep the slimy Belormie leader at a distance, Chakotay cleared the last of the dishes and readied himself for bed.