fic: Acceptable Risk pt II (TNG/VOY) [rated M] J/C, C/P
Title: Acceptable Risk pt II of II
Author: oparu
Rating: Mature
Pairing: Kathryn Janeway/Chakotay, Beverly Crusher/Jean-Luc Picard
Spoilers: none
Summary: AU. Commander Kathryn Janeway has been assigned to the Enterprise as Captain Picard's first officer after Will Riker takes command of Voyager. When Beverly Picard is taken by the Maquis, Kathryn has to go undercover and rely on an ex-Starfleet Commander Chakotay of the fledgling Maquis to get Beverly back.
Notes: for courylenwillows on her birthday. Happy Birthday darling!
Sunset forgotten, they walked through the trees as the light faded. The lazy desert insects droned around them and Kathryn stuck close behind him.
"The stars will be out soon," he promised, sliding her back down. "They're a little blurry because of the plasma storms, but they're definitely worth a look."
The ridge behind the village looked out onto a vast empty valley. He waved his hand over the dark vista and grinned at her as they stopped. "When the sun's up you can see for several kilometres."
Chuckling, she followed his hand and put her hands on her hips when she faced him again. In the waning light, she was black and grey silhouette, but his mind was more than capable of filling in her beauty.
"When it's dark I can see about a metre," she quipped. "Maybe half."
"Come towards the sound of my voice," he teased, backing along the trail he had memorised.
"It's not that bad, Chakotay. You're the black blob against the grey."
She still took his outstretched hand and held it firmly. When they reached the rock outcropping where he meditated occasionally, he sat down. The stone behind him was still warm from the day and being able to put some distance between the village and himself for a little while always calmed him.
Kathryn stood over him, still peering out at the darkness. There wasn't much to see now that the sun was almost all the way down, but it didn't seem to bother her.
He reached up his hand to her, stroking her thigh to gain her attention. She turned her face down towards him and he could make out a smile.
"It's beautiful here, isn't it? All desert and stubborn trees as far as the eye could see." She sank down next to him; her gaze suddenly on him instead of the vista. "Is it better than Starfleet? Being out here? Are you-"
"I don't think about it," he explained, reaching for her waist and pulling her closer.
She straddled his leg, almost in his lap. Kathryn's voice was soft, and he could imagine seeing sympathy on her face. "You think about Cardassians."
Chakotay's dry chuckle was humourless and made her smile that much more poignant. "I think about my people. I think about keeping them safe."
Kathryn began to argue, but she stopped herself before he had to. "I didn't come out here for you," she told him, but he wasn't sure if either of them believed it. "I'm here to bring Beverly home."
"That was your plan," he corrected her, running his hands up to cup her breasts before pulling her ever closer to him. "Right now, you're out here for me and that's nothing shameful."
She kissed his cheek and Chakotay felt her smile. "I've never been ashamed of you."
He caught her top and tugged it free from her trousers and belt. Beneath the borrowed shirt, all she wore was a thin, flimsily-not-Starfleet, bra. Her nipples responded immediately to the friction of his hands as they passed over her breasts. She sighed, changing position to kneel over his lap. The weight of her was slight, and he eased her closer still. He wanted the heat of her directly over him as his arousal began to harden further. Kissing her had been more sensual than anything he'd done for the last few weeks since his father had died. He hadn't felt much since then, but Chakotay felt her now.
Her fingers nimbly began to pull his shirt off his shoulders. He helped her and shrugged out of it. Laying it on the stone, he nuzzled her breast through her bra until he earned another breathy little gasp. Kathryn removed it herself impatiently, then guided his fingers to the incredible soft flesh of her breasts. They filled his cupped hands, surprising him again with their abundance. Her uniform hid her figure too well.
Kissing her as he crushed her to his chest, he put aside the gnawing anger in his gut and tried to remember how he'd been before, when he'd been innocent. The last time he'd been pressed against her body, he'd believed in the universe. He'd had principles and dignity. Now touching her was as close as he came to dignity, and her trust was his only honour.
Kathryn wriggled free of her trousers, letting him explore the smooth, naked skin of her legs. She kissed his neck, sending heat racing down his spine. He slid his right hand up her inner thigh until he could stroke her clit through her panties. Her moan urged him on and he slipped one finger beneath the fabric. She was as wet as he was hard, and he curled his slick finger up from her entrance to rub across her clit. Her breathing sped, and she moaned just to tease him. Her tongue was more insistent, demanding more of his mouth.
She tugged her panties free and added them to the pile of discarded clothing. The cool night air was exquisite against his damp skin and the heat of her was more than enough to keep him warm. She reached into his trousers, warpping her hand around his dick and running the length of it. Even the dry touch of her hand was enough to make his body ache for her. She teased him a little, circling the tip with her thumb and brushing him against the all too soft skin of her inner thigh. He released her breasts, caught her hips in his hands and pulled her firmly down. She had little choice but to take him inside of her, and her teeth nipped at his neck with the shock of penetration.
She rocked from one side to other, just enough to fit him comfortably in the tight wetness of her. Normally, he would have flipped her beneath him, but he wanted to spare her the stone against her skin and let her keep control. Kathryn rose on her knees, letting him slide free just a little before taking him deeper than before. She kissed him again clumsily. Her lips ran rough over his as she found a rhythm. He tortured her breast, sucking the nipple until she cried out and he took the other into his mouth. At first she was slow, using a steady rotation of her hips, but as he found her clit again, her use of him grew more desperate.
Rocking her hips down and taking him deep, she panted into his neck. He held her hips, keeping her balanced as she arched her back and leaned away from him. Braced on the rock behind him, he thrust up into her, meeting her with a counterpoint that had them both walking the razor's edge of release. He fumbled with her clit, then smoothly began to roll it between his fingers. She tugged at his wrist, but he kept it up. First she gasped, pressing her forehead into his chest. The gasp became a moan, then a slow, halting cry. He grabbed her shoulders, holding her firm against him while the shaking her her body and the spasms of her around him sent him over the edge into the white-hot abyss. He marked her neck, claiming her as he spilled himself within her.
The stone behind him held him up, and he held her until both of them remembered how to breath again. She lay over him for a time, warm and content. Kathryn kissed his forehead, then his temple as she began ease herself away.
She traced his tattoo in the dark and her fingers followed it so perfectly she must have already committed it to memory. "This is new."
"For my father," he replied, reluctantly handing her back her bra. He pulled her close and kissed each of her breasts before letting her go.
"Sometimes I wonder if I wear the uniform for mine," Kathryn confessed, helping him back into his shirt. "After he died, when I thought about leaving Starfleet, I wondered if I was only in it to make him proud."
He chuckled again, but this time he felt it all the way down in his belly where he'd been a long time without laughter. "Not you, Kathryn. You're in Starfleet because you love it."
"Seems to be the only thing I can love," she replied softly instead of bitterly.
The wind was cool, and he could feel the rain in it. Storms were rough in the desert and they'd had all the time they were going to get. Reluctantly dragging both of them to their feet, he held her face long enough to seal the lines of her into his memory. "Your love is endless," he promised her. "You just need someone worthy to receive it."
She kissed him, holding him close and sharing his soul. There may have been a tear on her cheek as she held him, or perhaps it was the beginning of the rain.
"Storms here are brutal, we have to go." He held her hand, walked her back to the village, and put Kathryn Janeway back into the safest part of his mind. She was too pure for him as he was now. His darkness would never be able to let her go without singeing her.
Even though Kathryn tried to be quiet, Beverly had been a mother too long not to hear someone sneaking in. She opened her eyes, surfacing slowly from sleep. The wind had picked up since she'd fallen asleep, and it wailed around the little building that was her prison.
Kathryn took off her boots and padded across the stone in her bare feet. She sat down on the bed across from Beverly, and in the weak light of the old Bajoran lantern, Beverly could make out the marks on her chest and neck that were slowly darkening.
"I know those weren't there when you left," Beverly quipped, yawning into her pillow.
Kathryn startled, pulling up her shirt to hide them. "I didn't mean to wake you."
"It doesn't take much," Beverly promised, rolling heavily to her side so she could watch Kathryn blush. "I see you found Chakotay."
Kathryn's face contorted through several kinds of chagrin before she finally smiled. "I did."
"And?" Beverly baited. Manoeuvring her pillow so it was easier to look over at the other woman, Beverly waited for her to elaborate. "Kathryn, you can't just come home in the middle of the night after being out in the desert with the darkly handsome ex-commander. Especially not with those kinds of marks."
Sighing, Kathryn tried to get a good look at her neck. "Is it that bad?"
"You didn't tell me he was a biter," Beverly teased her mercilessly. She waved ehr hand towards the medkit by the door. "Come over here with that and I'll help you."
"He didn't bite," Kathryn protested. "At least, I don't think so."
"You bruise easily," Beverly reminded her gently. "Pale skin like yours shows all the marks. Trust me." She paused to frown a little. "A certain captain of the Enterprise may have given me more than my share of suspicious marks."
Kathryn looked mortified at the thought of her commanding officer that way, then she relaxed.
Beverly kept up her smile and wished there was a way she could work without sitting up. "Closer. I don't want to have to leave my bed."
That brought Kathryn's giggles to the surface and Beverly beamed at her. It was easier when she could make her laugh.
"He bites?" Kathryn asked, curiosity winning over her good sense.
Beverly used the wall and the side of her bed to drag herself up to a sitting position. The great weight of the baby was heavy and solid. She buried every wish she had to have her own body back. She would not have this baby in a Maquis camp, no matter how much more comfortable she'd be with it born.
Kathryn set the med kit on the bed beside her, and Beverly knocked her pillow down so she could sit on it.
"He gets carried away," Beverly answered coyly. "I'm sure if I bruised less easily, it wouldn't even be a problem. However, If he lingers too long, my skin loves to turn purple and remind me he was there. Just like yours," she finished, taking a look at the marks circling Kathryn's neck and breasts. "A little dermal regenerator and you'll be alabaster again."
Smirking in response, Kathryn obediently dropped the straps of her bra from her shoulders. "You miss him."
"I feel like part of my soul is gone," Beverly corrected, beginning with the darkest mark on Kathryn's neck. "I wake up and think he's here. I have dreams so vivid I'm absolutely convinced I'm back home on the Enterprise. Yes, I suppose that means I miss him." She set the regenerator down and winced and the baby nudged uncomfortably up towards her rib cage. Overhead, the rain began to lash the roof. The tiles forming the roof made each drop loud and percussive. "You know the worst part?"
Kathryn shook her head. "No."
"It's been nine days," Beverly replied, mocking her own pain. "I'm going crazy without Jean-Luc and it's been nine days since I've seen him. If that's not-"
"Romantic-"
"Pathetic-" Beverly finished with a wink. "I don't know what is."
"I think you're allowed to miss your husband," Kathryn insisted. Her sincerity was touching and Beverly tucked a stray lock of her auburn hair behind her ear. The Enterprise's first officer was kind enough to let the extremely maternal gesture go with remark.
"God, I miss him," Beverly agreed. "II can say that much, but anything more I try to avoid mentioning. If I think about it too much--"
"It gets impossible," Kathryn finished for her. The dermal regnerator hummed and obediently chased the last traces of bruising from Kathryn's chest.
Beverly patted her cheek and that drew a look that reminded her of Wesley when he was embarrassed by her. Kathryn was nearly her age, she didn't need to be mothered. Yet, it was nearly impossible to stop herself.
"Sorry," she said with a grin. "I'm doing it to everyone."
"It's charming," Kathryn promised, pulling her shirt back on. She started to leave, but a sudden crack of thunder stopped her cold.
Beverly looked up at the roof, wondering if it would hold as the storm increased its fury all around them. The rain grew steadily louder and angrier, lashing the tiles of the roof like the drums in a Klingon opera. "I think we're all right," she concluded. "It's rained here before and we were fine."
Kathryn's eyes were still on the ceiling and Beverly easily read the tension in her body. She knew how to recognise fear and it was written all over the other woman's posture.
Patting the bed next to her, Beverly resigned herself to not going back to sleep. "Did I ever tell you I'm afraid of heights?"
Standing over the bed, Kathryn glanced down at the hand offering her a space next to Beverly. She brought her gaze up from the bed and smiled weakly. "I don't think it's come up."
Thunder cracked again, this time rattling the crude wood and glass windows. Kathryn debated for one more minute before she scampered up and joined Beverly on the bed.
"Don't worry, I couldn't sleep through this anyway," Beverly lied comfortably. She could sleep through everything as a necessary survival instinct, but if Kathryn detected the lie, she said nothing. The rain grew in intensity, punishing the roof with something harder than water. Possibly hail, by the cracking noise it made.
"What was I saying?"
"Heights," Kathryn reminded her. She crossed her legs in front of her chest and held them close. She easily could have been a child, from the way she sat.
Beverly leaned back against the cool wall and stared into the weak light of the lantern. The last time it had rained, it had gone out, and now it was starting to flicker. How spoiled she was on the Enterprise where everything worked all of the time.
"Jean-Luc and I," she paused and smiled innocently over at Kathryn. "It is all right if I bore you with my husband, isn't it?"
Hail, it had to be by the increase in intensity, poured down out of the sky as if the heavens themselves were falling. The lantern between their beds flicked one more time before it went out. Kathryn's back stiffened and Beverly shifted closer to the other woman.
Her daughter twisted as well, turning in the too tight space of Beverly's womb. She was lower than she'd been before, and Beverly was acutely aware that it was feet more often than arms that kicked into her ribs. Head down was good, even ideal, but she wasn't ready. Her daughter would just have to wait.
"Is this the kind of story of Captain Picard story that I pretend I've never heard, or may I tell him I know it?" The hint of teasing in Kathryn's tone was entirely at odds with the tension Beverly felt in her arm. Reaching across, she took the other woman's hand and brought it to her belly.
"Might as well air on the side of caution," Beverly teased. "I might forget to stop when I get to the juicy details."
Kathryn laughed weakly. "Right."
"I think the little one seems to share your opinion of storms," she remarked gently. No matter how easily she could have fallen back asleep sitting up, Beverly knew the baby would have her up again within the hour and she couldn't leave poor Kathryn alone in the dark listening to the chaos outside. Holding the other woman's hand tightly against her belly and the frightened child within, she sighed and pulled herself back from sleep. She could stay awake.
"I've been afraid of thunderstorms since I was child," Kathryn admitted as lightning flashed across the room. The strobe effect made crisp, terrifying shadows on the wall and Kathryn's shoulder was that much closer to Beverly's.
"I have a distinct and terrible memory of standing on the edge of a cliff on Arveda Three," she left in the name of colony in case they needed that distraction too. "I must have been three or four and I'd gone much closer to the edge than Nana ever would have let me."
"You were an explorer?"
"More rebel than explorer," Beverly corrected regretfully. "If it was forbidden, it was fascinating."
"Right," Kathryn murmured. "What happened?"
"Nothing, thankfully," Beverly continued. "I got out near the edge, wrapped my arm around a tree and stared out into what seemed to be an endless abyss of mist. It was probably less than a kilometre down, but when you're that young, it looks like a black hole. Now I think about going near the edge again, the edge of anything, even the warp core catwalk down in engineering, and my stomach drops away. My hands get sweaty and damp and I'm three years old again."
Kathryn's fingers relaxed just a little and Beverly smiled knowingly.
"So, how does the captain fit into this?"
"The captain," Beverly repeated wickedly. "You see, Jean-Luc would rather be up to his elbows in ancient things than doing anything else, except perhaps sitting on the bridge of the Enterprise. The last time we were near Bajor, one of the Starfleet historians exploring the ancient temples of Racantha province sent him a communiqué all about the wonders of this temple. The Temple of Earthly Enlightenment, very old, very important in the Bajoran religion, and of course, something Jean-Luc absolutely must see. So we take a shuttle down there and land on a suspiciously dull steppe. We walk down into the temple and I let down my guard because we're underground, what can possibly be up high underground?"
Kathryn's smirk was clearly visible as lightning crackled above them. Then, almost immediately, thunder shook the roof like an angry god. The storm was right on top of them.
"We walk into the chamber of reflection, which is nice enough: lots of tapestries, and it opens out into the edge of a cliff. Jean-Luc walks over to what I think is a window, maybe a balcony, but no, the Bajorans have built the chamber right to the edge of the cliff, which is sheer rock above and below us for untold distance. I grabbed his arm so hard he thought I was about to faint. I, of course, hadn't thought it necessary to tell my darling husband that heights make me want to crawl into bed with the blankets over my head."
"How long have you known each other?"
Beverly had to laugh. "Twenty-five years."
"And it just never came up?"
"We don't do a lot of rock climbing," Beverly protested playfully. "I bet you haven't told Mr. Darkly Handsome that you hate thunder."
"I've known him three months," Kathryn protested, laughing. "It's not remotely comparable."
"Have you told him?"
"No, of course not."
"Then you can't judge."
"When I've known him twenty-five years and still haven't told him, then that might apply, but now you're grasping at straws."
"Would you like to make captain some day, Commander Janeway?"
Kathryn nodded, still laughing but now regarding her curiously. "I had intended to."
"Then stop arguing with the captain's wife. It's not going to get you any closer to the big chair."
"You expect me to believe Will Riker never argued with you?" Kathryn teased, resting her head on Beverly's shoulder.
Beverly patted Kathryn's knee warmly. "He was smart enough to get off the Enterprise before Jean-Luc and I got married, you, unfortunately, haven't been that lucky."
Eventually, it was Lieutenant Ro's plan Chakotay followed. Ro Laren, who was a beloved protégé of Captain Picard's ever since she'd come aboard with her bad attitude and terrible record two years ago. He'd sponsored her application to advanced tactical training, and as far as Kathryn could tell, put every effort into making the potential screw-up an outstanding officer.
Ro was also undercover. She'd been taken in by another Maquis cell, one run by a kindly Bajoran called Macias. Kathryn had seen him once or twice, and Beverly had confirmed that he was a decent man.
Chakotay believed Ro's defection from Starfleet because Macias believed her. Beverly was putting on an excellent front of betrayal on behalf of her husband, and Kathryn followed her lead when Ro outlined the plan. The Maquis would attack a Yridian convoy full of supplies. Beverly had confirmed that the Cardassians could use the contents to construct a biogenic weapon, and as disgusted as the doctor was with that idea, she stuck to Starfleet principles and argued vehemently for letting Starfleet handle the situation.
Ro had lost all faith in Starfleet, and biting speech about Picard's cowardice and refusal to accept what the Cardassians were doing to the innocent people the Maquis were trying to protect was sitrring. Chakotay was convinced. Macias was convinced, and all of the Maquis cells would work together to stop this Yridian convoy.
Kathryn had expected that the plan to get them out of the village and back to the Enterprise would involve them sneaking away from the nearly empty village when everyone was gone. Instead, Beverly and Kathryn were unceremoniously led into one of the tiny Maquis raiders.
Ro slipped Beverly's commbadge back to her. "The Enterprise should be able to detect you with this. Stay in the cargo area until you hear the shields power up. The pilot of your ship is the son of Admiral Paris, and the Admiral wants him home."
Kathryn knew Tom had run away from his father's anger after the accident that had killed three Starfleet officers. She hadn't known Admiral Owen Paris would go to such lengths to get his son back, but it fit with her mentor.
"Commander, when you're close enough, drop the shields, cut your engines and pretend to suffer a massive power failure. All of our ships are cobbled together and no one will suspect anything. The rest of the Maquis fleet will leave you in the nebula, and you'll be easily picked up by the Enterprise."
"What about you?" Beverly asked, dropping her pretense of disgust. "How will you get back?"
"I have to keep my cover," Ro answered evasively. Beverly's blue eyes darkened with suspicion but she said nothing. "Tell the captain-" Ro paused, fighting with something deep within herself. "Tell him I'm sorry. It's been a long time since I felt like I belonged somewhere."
Ro turned sharply and disappeared into the chaos of preparation.
Beverly held her commbadge in her hand and stared at it for a long time before she looked up at Kathryn. Her voice was still and flat when she spoke. "Let's go."
The tiny cargo area of the Maquis raider was less than comfortable, and the hour or so it took them to reach the Hugora nebula and the edge of the Federation border was nerve-racking. Beverly said little, Ro's very real betrayal of her husband had significantly affected the doctor.
"He was so proud when she made lieutenant," Beverly said, staring at the bulkhead behind Kathryn's head. "I don't think he would have been happier if she'd been his own daughter."
The constant hum of the warp drive stopped, and Kathryn nodded to Beverly as she got to her feet. She quickly shut down main power to the shields, and cut all the engines a moment after that. She could hear the pilot, young Mr. Paris, cursing in the cockpit. She'd have to take care of him. "Wait here for me," she told Beverly as she listened at the door.
When Tom opened it, still swearing at his feeble little ship, Kathryn was ready for him. She didn't even have to hit him once he saw Beverly behind her.
"Chakotay sold me out!" he snapped bitterly. "That son of a bitch--"
Kathryn felt for him. It couldn't have been easy to have Admiral Paris for a father, and then making that mistake must have been more than Tom could handle. And yet, instead of doing the right thing, he'd lied and covered up the death of three of his fellow officers. That wasn't someone one could just forget about.
"We need to contact the Enterprise," Kathryn ordered him, helping Beverly up to her feet. "I'll try to get you leniency, Mr. Paris. It'll go a lot easier for you if you help return us to the Enterprise now than if I have to knock you out and do it myself."
He took Beverly's other hand and led her up to the co-pilot's seat. His anger for Chakotay didn't stretch as far as the doctor, and Kathryn had hope for the furious young man. "You're Doctor Picard," he realised abruptly. "Half the first fleet is looking for you along the demilitarised zone."
"My husband's an important man," Beverly sighed, trying to get comfortable in her chair. "Thank you, Mr. Paris."
"So what, I'm just turning myself in?" Tom asked Kathryn with an expression painfully reminiscent of her dog when Molly knew she was somewhere she wasn't meant to be.
"I'm afraid so," Kathryn said sympathetically.
"On my first mission?" Tom shook his head. "If Chakotay didn't trust me, he could have just said so."
Kathryn sighed and let Tom continue to berate Chakotay. Maybe she wouldn't have trusted him either or perhaps, Chakotay just wanted to send the young man home before it was too late for Tom and his father.
When the Enterprise came into view like a great white swan in the dark ocean of space, all she could think of was going home. Beverly reached across and grabbed her hand. She was fighting the tears in her eyes, but the relief on the doctor's face was so strong it shone like a stellar cluster. The tractor beam steadied the ship and the transporters took them a moment later. After that, it was over.
Rematerialising on the Enterprise's transporter pad, the three of them only had a chance to stand there for a moment before the captain had Beverly in his arms. He passed Kathryn in a blur of red and black and everyone but Beverly faded from his universe.
She stepped down with a nod to Worf. "Mr. Paris is going to be our guest for awhile."
Tom's eyes widened as the huge Klingon looked him over.
"The brig?" Worf rumbled.
"Confine him to quarters," Kathryn suggested. Perhaps there was still time to rehabilitate the young man. She'd talk it over with Picard, when she had a chance. Maybe tomorrow, when he stopped whispering to his wife and drying the tears in her eyes.
She politely looked away, waiting patiently to be acknowledged or dismissed at his leisure.
Worf pointed Paris towards the door with a sharp look. "Come with me."
Tom was wise enough to realise that arguing with a Klingon was not something he wanted to do, but not quite smart enough not to joke. "Well, if you ask me that nicely, how can I refuse?" he quipped.
Kathryn smirked, listening to Tom leave with Worf as she contemplated the wonders of a hot bath and her own, thunderstorm-free bed. She was yawning when the captain tapped her shoulder to draw her attention.
"I don't know how to thank you, Number One," Picard said with such sincerity that Kathryn's chest stung. The love for his wife radiated from him so strongly that Kathryn was humbled. Beverly had her arm wrapped around his, and she held his hand like she was never letting go. Picard had caught most of her tears, but a few still twinkled in her eyelashes.
"I still can't believe you let him stab you," Beverly teased, smiling gratefully. "He's a fencer, not a knife fighter, it's a miracle I didn't have to replace your whole liver."
Jean-Luc smiled, and to Kathryn's surprise, he chuckled as he kissed the back of Beverly's hand. "To get you back, I had to rise to the occasion."
"I'm happy to be of assistance, captain," Kathryn answered, trying not to yawn again. "Anytime."
Beverly let go of Jean-Luc long enough to hug her tightly, and the embrace startled Kathryn completely. "Thank you," Beverly whispered again. "Thank you."
"It's all right," Kathryn promised. "I'm sure if circumstances were ever reversed, somehow-" If Chakotay needed her back...
"It will be our pleasure to stage your rescue, should you ever require it," Picard promised warmly. He was rarely this exuberant with his emotions, and Kathryn suddenly understood where the depth of Beverly's affection came from. There was much more to Captain Picard than most people ever got to know.
"Ro," Beverly began, her expression darkening. "Jean-Luc, Ro's not coming back."
"No," Picard argued gently. "It's just her cover."
"She asked us to tell you she was sorry," Beverly replied just as kindly. "I don't think betraying Starfleet bothered her. All she seemed to care about was letting you down."
Picard stiffened and tugged down sharply on his uniform jacket. "I'll need a full report."
Kathryn nodded, turning for door. Might as well get started now before she really was tired. "I'll get started on it--"
Picard caught her shoulder and stopped her with an apologetic look. "You'll take the rest of the day off and join us for dinner," he corrected. "Please."
Smiling at little, she acquiesced. "Yes, sir. Thank you, captain."
Picard's eyes went back to Beverly and softened with affection. "Number One, believe me, it's the least I can do."
Watching them return to each other, Kathryn couldn't help wondering if Chakotay would ever be that glad to see her. Even if she'd ever see him again. He had so much anger to work through and it would be a miracle if he survived his desperate fight against the Cardassians. It was a miracle she was willing to spend some time praying for, if only his spirits would listen.
Author: oparu
Rating: Mature
Pairing: Kathryn Janeway/Chakotay, Beverly Crusher/Jean-Luc Picard
Spoilers: none
Summary: AU. Commander Kathryn Janeway has been assigned to the Enterprise as Captain Picard's first officer after Will Riker takes command of Voyager. When Beverly Picard is taken by the Maquis, Kathryn has to go undercover and rely on an ex-Starfleet Commander Chakotay of the fledgling Maquis to get Beverly back.
Notes: for courylenwillows on her birthday. Happy Birthday darling!
Sunset forgotten, they walked through the trees as the light faded. The lazy desert insects droned around them and Kathryn stuck close behind him.
"The stars will be out soon," he promised, sliding her back down. "They're a little blurry because of the plasma storms, but they're definitely worth a look."
The ridge behind the village looked out onto a vast empty valley. He waved his hand over the dark vista and grinned at her as they stopped. "When the sun's up you can see for several kilometres."
Chuckling, she followed his hand and put her hands on her hips when she faced him again. In the waning light, she was black and grey silhouette, but his mind was more than capable of filling in her beauty.
"When it's dark I can see about a metre," she quipped. "Maybe half."
"Come towards the sound of my voice," he teased, backing along the trail he had memorised.
"It's not that bad, Chakotay. You're the black blob against the grey."
She still took his outstretched hand and held it firmly. When they reached the rock outcropping where he meditated occasionally, he sat down. The stone behind him was still warm from the day and being able to put some distance between the village and himself for a little while always calmed him.
Kathryn stood over him, still peering out at the darkness. There wasn't much to see now that the sun was almost all the way down, but it didn't seem to bother her.
He reached up his hand to her, stroking her thigh to gain her attention. She turned her face down towards him and he could make out a smile.
"It's beautiful here, isn't it? All desert and stubborn trees as far as the eye could see." She sank down next to him; her gaze suddenly on him instead of the vista. "Is it better than Starfleet? Being out here? Are you-"
"I don't think about it," he explained, reaching for her waist and pulling her closer.
She straddled his leg, almost in his lap. Kathryn's voice was soft, and he could imagine seeing sympathy on her face. "You think about Cardassians."
Chakotay's dry chuckle was humourless and made her smile that much more poignant. "I think about my people. I think about keeping them safe."
Kathryn began to argue, but she stopped herself before he had to. "I didn't come out here for you," she told him, but he wasn't sure if either of them believed it. "I'm here to bring Beverly home."
"That was your plan," he corrected her, running his hands up to cup her breasts before pulling her ever closer to him. "Right now, you're out here for me and that's nothing shameful."
She kissed his cheek and Chakotay felt her smile. "I've never been ashamed of you."
He caught her top and tugged it free from her trousers and belt. Beneath the borrowed shirt, all she wore was a thin, flimsily-not-Starfleet, bra. Her nipples responded immediately to the friction of his hands as they passed over her breasts. She sighed, changing position to kneel over his lap. The weight of her was slight, and he eased her closer still. He wanted the heat of her directly over him as his arousal began to harden further. Kissing her had been more sensual than anything he'd done for the last few weeks since his father had died. He hadn't felt much since then, but Chakotay felt her now.
Her fingers nimbly began to pull his shirt off his shoulders. He helped her and shrugged out of it. Laying it on the stone, he nuzzled her breast through her bra until he earned another breathy little gasp. Kathryn removed it herself impatiently, then guided his fingers to the incredible soft flesh of her breasts. They filled his cupped hands, surprising him again with their abundance. Her uniform hid her figure too well.
Kissing her as he crushed her to his chest, he put aside the gnawing anger in his gut and tried to remember how he'd been before, when he'd been innocent. The last time he'd been pressed against her body, he'd believed in the universe. He'd had principles and dignity. Now touching her was as close as he came to dignity, and her trust was his only honour.
Kathryn wriggled free of her trousers, letting him explore the smooth, naked skin of her legs. She kissed his neck, sending heat racing down his spine. He slid his right hand up her inner thigh until he could stroke her clit through her panties. Her moan urged him on and he slipped one finger beneath the fabric. She was as wet as he was hard, and he curled his slick finger up from her entrance to rub across her clit. Her breathing sped, and she moaned just to tease him. Her tongue was more insistent, demanding more of his mouth.
She tugged her panties free and added them to the pile of discarded clothing. The cool night air was exquisite against his damp skin and the heat of her was more than enough to keep him warm. She reached into his trousers, warpping her hand around his dick and running the length of it. Even the dry touch of her hand was enough to make his body ache for her. She teased him a little, circling the tip with her thumb and brushing him against the all too soft skin of her inner thigh. He released her breasts, caught her hips in his hands and pulled her firmly down. She had little choice but to take him inside of her, and her teeth nipped at his neck with the shock of penetration.
She rocked from one side to other, just enough to fit him comfortably in the tight wetness of her. Normally, he would have flipped her beneath him, but he wanted to spare her the stone against her skin and let her keep control. Kathryn rose on her knees, letting him slide free just a little before taking him deeper than before. She kissed him again clumsily. Her lips ran rough over his as she found a rhythm. He tortured her breast, sucking the nipple until she cried out and he took the other into his mouth. At first she was slow, using a steady rotation of her hips, but as he found her clit again, her use of him grew more desperate.
Rocking her hips down and taking him deep, she panted into his neck. He held her hips, keeping her balanced as she arched her back and leaned away from him. Braced on the rock behind him, he thrust up into her, meeting her with a counterpoint that had them both walking the razor's edge of release. He fumbled with her clit, then smoothly began to roll it between his fingers. She tugged at his wrist, but he kept it up. First she gasped, pressing her forehead into his chest. The gasp became a moan, then a slow, halting cry. He grabbed her shoulders, holding her firm against him while the shaking her her body and the spasms of her around him sent him over the edge into the white-hot abyss. He marked her neck, claiming her as he spilled himself within her.
The stone behind him held him up, and he held her until both of them remembered how to breath again. She lay over him for a time, warm and content. Kathryn kissed his forehead, then his temple as she began ease herself away.
She traced his tattoo in the dark and her fingers followed it so perfectly she must have already committed it to memory. "This is new."
"For my father," he replied, reluctantly handing her back her bra. He pulled her close and kissed each of her breasts before letting her go.
"Sometimes I wonder if I wear the uniform for mine," Kathryn confessed, helping him back into his shirt. "After he died, when I thought about leaving Starfleet, I wondered if I was only in it to make him proud."
He chuckled again, but this time he felt it all the way down in his belly where he'd been a long time without laughter. "Not you, Kathryn. You're in Starfleet because you love it."
"Seems to be the only thing I can love," she replied softly instead of bitterly.
The wind was cool, and he could feel the rain in it. Storms were rough in the desert and they'd had all the time they were going to get. Reluctantly dragging both of them to their feet, he held her face long enough to seal the lines of her into his memory. "Your love is endless," he promised her. "You just need someone worthy to receive it."
She kissed him, holding him close and sharing his soul. There may have been a tear on her cheek as she held him, or perhaps it was the beginning of the rain.
"Storms here are brutal, we have to go." He held her hand, walked her back to the village, and put Kathryn Janeway back into the safest part of his mind. She was too pure for him as he was now. His darkness would never be able to let her go without singeing her.
Even though Kathryn tried to be quiet, Beverly had been a mother too long not to hear someone sneaking in. She opened her eyes, surfacing slowly from sleep. The wind had picked up since she'd fallen asleep, and it wailed around the little building that was her prison.
Kathryn took off her boots and padded across the stone in her bare feet. She sat down on the bed across from Beverly, and in the weak light of the old Bajoran lantern, Beverly could make out the marks on her chest and neck that were slowly darkening.
"I know those weren't there when you left," Beverly quipped, yawning into her pillow.
Kathryn startled, pulling up her shirt to hide them. "I didn't mean to wake you."
"It doesn't take much," Beverly promised, rolling heavily to her side so she could watch Kathryn blush. "I see you found Chakotay."
Kathryn's face contorted through several kinds of chagrin before she finally smiled. "I did."
"And?" Beverly baited. Manoeuvring her pillow so it was easier to look over at the other woman, Beverly waited for her to elaborate. "Kathryn, you can't just come home in the middle of the night after being out in the desert with the darkly handsome ex-commander. Especially not with those kinds of marks."
Sighing, Kathryn tried to get a good look at her neck. "Is it that bad?"
"You didn't tell me he was a biter," Beverly teased her mercilessly. She waved ehr hand towards the medkit by the door. "Come over here with that and I'll help you."
"He didn't bite," Kathryn protested. "At least, I don't think so."
"You bruise easily," Beverly reminded her gently. "Pale skin like yours shows all the marks. Trust me." She paused to frown a little. "A certain captain of the Enterprise may have given me more than my share of suspicious marks."
Kathryn looked mortified at the thought of her commanding officer that way, then she relaxed.
Beverly kept up her smile and wished there was a way she could work without sitting up. "Closer. I don't want to have to leave my bed."
That brought Kathryn's giggles to the surface and Beverly beamed at her. It was easier when she could make her laugh.
"He bites?" Kathryn asked, curiosity winning over her good sense.
Beverly used the wall and the side of her bed to drag herself up to a sitting position. The great weight of the baby was heavy and solid. She buried every wish she had to have her own body back. She would not have this baby in a Maquis camp, no matter how much more comfortable she'd be with it born.
Kathryn set the med kit on the bed beside her, and Beverly knocked her pillow down so she could sit on it.
"He gets carried away," Beverly answered coyly. "I'm sure if I bruised less easily, it wouldn't even be a problem. However, If he lingers too long, my skin loves to turn purple and remind me he was there. Just like yours," she finished, taking a look at the marks circling Kathryn's neck and breasts. "A little dermal regenerator and you'll be alabaster again."
Smirking in response, Kathryn obediently dropped the straps of her bra from her shoulders. "You miss him."
"I feel like part of my soul is gone," Beverly corrected, beginning with the darkest mark on Kathryn's neck. "I wake up and think he's here. I have dreams so vivid I'm absolutely convinced I'm back home on the Enterprise. Yes, I suppose that means I miss him." She set the regenerator down and winced and the baby nudged uncomfortably up towards her rib cage. Overhead, the rain began to lash the roof. The tiles forming the roof made each drop loud and percussive. "You know the worst part?"
Kathryn shook her head. "No."
"It's been nine days," Beverly replied, mocking her own pain. "I'm going crazy without Jean-Luc and it's been nine days since I've seen him. If that's not-"
"Romantic-"
"Pathetic-" Beverly finished with a wink. "I don't know what is."
"I think you're allowed to miss your husband," Kathryn insisted. Her sincerity was touching and Beverly tucked a stray lock of her auburn hair behind her ear. The Enterprise's first officer was kind enough to let the extremely maternal gesture go with remark.
"God, I miss him," Beverly agreed. "II can say that much, but anything more I try to avoid mentioning. If I think about it too much--"
"It gets impossible," Kathryn finished for her. The dermal regnerator hummed and obediently chased the last traces of bruising from Kathryn's chest.
Beverly patted her cheek and that drew a look that reminded her of Wesley when he was embarrassed by her. Kathryn was nearly her age, she didn't need to be mothered. Yet, it was nearly impossible to stop herself.
"Sorry," she said with a grin. "I'm doing it to everyone."
"It's charming," Kathryn promised, pulling her shirt back on. She started to leave, but a sudden crack of thunder stopped her cold.
Beverly looked up at the roof, wondering if it would hold as the storm increased its fury all around them. The rain grew steadily louder and angrier, lashing the tiles of the roof like the drums in a Klingon opera. "I think we're all right," she concluded. "It's rained here before and we were fine."
Kathryn's eyes were still on the ceiling and Beverly easily read the tension in her body. She knew how to recognise fear and it was written all over the other woman's posture.
Patting the bed next to her, Beverly resigned herself to not going back to sleep. "Did I ever tell you I'm afraid of heights?"
Standing over the bed, Kathryn glanced down at the hand offering her a space next to Beverly. She brought her gaze up from the bed and smiled weakly. "I don't think it's come up."
Thunder cracked again, this time rattling the crude wood and glass windows. Kathryn debated for one more minute before she scampered up and joined Beverly on the bed.
"Don't worry, I couldn't sleep through this anyway," Beverly lied comfortably. She could sleep through everything as a necessary survival instinct, but if Kathryn detected the lie, she said nothing. The rain grew in intensity, punishing the roof with something harder than water. Possibly hail, by the cracking noise it made.
"What was I saying?"
"Heights," Kathryn reminded her. She crossed her legs in front of her chest and held them close. She easily could have been a child, from the way she sat.
Beverly leaned back against the cool wall and stared into the weak light of the lantern. The last time it had rained, it had gone out, and now it was starting to flicker. How spoiled she was on the Enterprise where everything worked all of the time.
"Jean-Luc and I," she paused and smiled innocently over at Kathryn. "It is all right if I bore you with my husband, isn't it?"
Hail, it had to be by the increase in intensity, poured down out of the sky as if the heavens themselves were falling. The lantern between their beds flicked one more time before it went out. Kathryn's back stiffened and Beverly shifted closer to the other woman.
Her daughter twisted as well, turning in the too tight space of Beverly's womb. She was lower than she'd been before, and Beverly was acutely aware that it was feet more often than arms that kicked into her ribs. Head down was good, even ideal, but she wasn't ready. Her daughter would just have to wait.
"Is this the kind of story of Captain Picard story that I pretend I've never heard, or may I tell him I know it?" The hint of teasing in Kathryn's tone was entirely at odds with the tension Beverly felt in her arm. Reaching across, she took the other woman's hand and brought it to her belly.
"Might as well air on the side of caution," Beverly teased. "I might forget to stop when I get to the juicy details."
Kathryn laughed weakly. "Right."
"I think the little one seems to share your opinion of storms," she remarked gently. No matter how easily she could have fallen back asleep sitting up, Beverly knew the baby would have her up again within the hour and she couldn't leave poor Kathryn alone in the dark listening to the chaos outside. Holding the other woman's hand tightly against her belly and the frightened child within, she sighed and pulled herself back from sleep. She could stay awake.
"I've been afraid of thunderstorms since I was child," Kathryn admitted as lightning flashed across the room. The strobe effect made crisp, terrifying shadows on the wall and Kathryn's shoulder was that much closer to Beverly's.
"I have a distinct and terrible memory of standing on the edge of a cliff on Arveda Three," she left in the name of colony in case they needed that distraction too. "I must have been three or four and I'd gone much closer to the edge than Nana ever would have let me."
"You were an explorer?"
"More rebel than explorer," Beverly corrected regretfully. "If it was forbidden, it was fascinating."
"Right," Kathryn murmured. "What happened?"
"Nothing, thankfully," Beverly continued. "I got out near the edge, wrapped my arm around a tree and stared out into what seemed to be an endless abyss of mist. It was probably less than a kilometre down, but when you're that young, it looks like a black hole. Now I think about going near the edge again, the edge of anything, even the warp core catwalk down in engineering, and my stomach drops away. My hands get sweaty and damp and I'm three years old again."
Kathryn's fingers relaxed just a little and Beverly smiled knowingly.
"So, how does the captain fit into this?"
"The captain," Beverly repeated wickedly. "You see, Jean-Luc would rather be up to his elbows in ancient things than doing anything else, except perhaps sitting on the bridge of the Enterprise. The last time we were near Bajor, one of the Starfleet historians exploring the ancient temples of Racantha province sent him a communiqué all about the wonders of this temple. The Temple of Earthly Enlightenment, very old, very important in the Bajoran religion, and of course, something Jean-Luc absolutely must see. So we take a shuttle down there and land on a suspiciously dull steppe. We walk down into the temple and I let down my guard because we're underground, what can possibly be up high underground?"
Kathryn's smirk was clearly visible as lightning crackled above them. Then, almost immediately, thunder shook the roof like an angry god. The storm was right on top of them.
"We walk into the chamber of reflection, which is nice enough: lots of tapestries, and it opens out into the edge of a cliff. Jean-Luc walks over to what I think is a window, maybe a balcony, but no, the Bajorans have built the chamber right to the edge of the cliff, which is sheer rock above and below us for untold distance. I grabbed his arm so hard he thought I was about to faint. I, of course, hadn't thought it necessary to tell my darling husband that heights make me want to crawl into bed with the blankets over my head."
"How long have you known each other?"
Beverly had to laugh. "Twenty-five years."
"And it just never came up?"
"We don't do a lot of rock climbing," Beverly protested playfully. "I bet you haven't told Mr. Darkly Handsome that you hate thunder."
"I've known him three months," Kathryn protested, laughing. "It's not remotely comparable."
"Have you told him?"
"No, of course not."
"Then you can't judge."
"When I've known him twenty-five years and still haven't told him, then that might apply, but now you're grasping at straws."
"Would you like to make captain some day, Commander Janeway?"
Kathryn nodded, still laughing but now regarding her curiously. "I had intended to."
"Then stop arguing with the captain's wife. It's not going to get you any closer to the big chair."
"You expect me to believe Will Riker never argued with you?" Kathryn teased, resting her head on Beverly's shoulder.
Beverly patted Kathryn's knee warmly. "He was smart enough to get off the Enterprise before Jean-Luc and I got married, you, unfortunately, haven't been that lucky."
Eventually, it was Lieutenant Ro's plan Chakotay followed. Ro Laren, who was a beloved protégé of Captain Picard's ever since she'd come aboard with her bad attitude and terrible record two years ago. He'd sponsored her application to advanced tactical training, and as far as Kathryn could tell, put every effort into making the potential screw-up an outstanding officer.
Ro was also undercover. She'd been taken in by another Maquis cell, one run by a kindly Bajoran called Macias. Kathryn had seen him once or twice, and Beverly had confirmed that he was a decent man.
Chakotay believed Ro's defection from Starfleet because Macias believed her. Beverly was putting on an excellent front of betrayal on behalf of her husband, and Kathryn followed her lead when Ro outlined the plan. The Maquis would attack a Yridian convoy full of supplies. Beverly had confirmed that the Cardassians could use the contents to construct a biogenic weapon, and as disgusted as the doctor was with that idea, she stuck to Starfleet principles and argued vehemently for letting Starfleet handle the situation.
Ro had lost all faith in Starfleet, and biting speech about Picard's cowardice and refusal to accept what the Cardassians were doing to the innocent people the Maquis were trying to protect was sitrring. Chakotay was convinced. Macias was convinced, and all of the Maquis cells would work together to stop this Yridian convoy.
Kathryn had expected that the plan to get them out of the village and back to the Enterprise would involve them sneaking away from the nearly empty village when everyone was gone. Instead, Beverly and Kathryn were unceremoniously led into one of the tiny Maquis raiders.
Ro slipped Beverly's commbadge back to her. "The Enterprise should be able to detect you with this. Stay in the cargo area until you hear the shields power up. The pilot of your ship is the son of Admiral Paris, and the Admiral wants him home."
Kathryn knew Tom had run away from his father's anger after the accident that had killed three Starfleet officers. She hadn't known Admiral Owen Paris would go to such lengths to get his son back, but it fit with her mentor.
"Commander, when you're close enough, drop the shields, cut your engines and pretend to suffer a massive power failure. All of our ships are cobbled together and no one will suspect anything. The rest of the Maquis fleet will leave you in the nebula, and you'll be easily picked up by the Enterprise."
"What about you?" Beverly asked, dropping her pretense of disgust. "How will you get back?"
"I have to keep my cover," Ro answered evasively. Beverly's blue eyes darkened with suspicion but she said nothing. "Tell the captain-" Ro paused, fighting with something deep within herself. "Tell him I'm sorry. It's been a long time since I felt like I belonged somewhere."
Ro turned sharply and disappeared into the chaos of preparation.
Beverly held her commbadge in her hand and stared at it for a long time before she looked up at Kathryn. Her voice was still and flat when she spoke. "Let's go."
The tiny cargo area of the Maquis raider was less than comfortable, and the hour or so it took them to reach the Hugora nebula and the edge of the Federation border was nerve-racking. Beverly said little, Ro's very real betrayal of her husband had significantly affected the doctor.
"He was so proud when she made lieutenant," Beverly said, staring at the bulkhead behind Kathryn's head. "I don't think he would have been happier if she'd been his own daughter."
The constant hum of the warp drive stopped, and Kathryn nodded to Beverly as she got to her feet. She quickly shut down main power to the shields, and cut all the engines a moment after that. She could hear the pilot, young Mr. Paris, cursing in the cockpit. She'd have to take care of him. "Wait here for me," she told Beverly as she listened at the door.
When Tom opened it, still swearing at his feeble little ship, Kathryn was ready for him. She didn't even have to hit him once he saw Beverly behind her.
"Chakotay sold me out!" he snapped bitterly. "That son of a bitch--"
Kathryn felt for him. It couldn't have been easy to have Admiral Paris for a father, and then making that mistake must have been more than Tom could handle. And yet, instead of doing the right thing, he'd lied and covered up the death of three of his fellow officers. That wasn't someone one could just forget about.
"We need to contact the Enterprise," Kathryn ordered him, helping Beverly up to her feet. "I'll try to get you leniency, Mr. Paris. It'll go a lot easier for you if you help return us to the Enterprise now than if I have to knock you out and do it myself."
He took Beverly's other hand and led her up to the co-pilot's seat. His anger for Chakotay didn't stretch as far as the doctor, and Kathryn had hope for the furious young man. "You're Doctor Picard," he realised abruptly. "Half the first fleet is looking for you along the demilitarised zone."
"My husband's an important man," Beverly sighed, trying to get comfortable in her chair. "Thank you, Mr. Paris."
"So what, I'm just turning myself in?" Tom asked Kathryn with an expression painfully reminiscent of her dog when Molly knew she was somewhere she wasn't meant to be.
"I'm afraid so," Kathryn said sympathetically.
"On my first mission?" Tom shook his head. "If Chakotay didn't trust me, he could have just said so."
Kathryn sighed and let Tom continue to berate Chakotay. Maybe she wouldn't have trusted him either or perhaps, Chakotay just wanted to send the young man home before it was too late for Tom and his father.
When the Enterprise came into view like a great white swan in the dark ocean of space, all she could think of was going home. Beverly reached across and grabbed her hand. She was fighting the tears in her eyes, but the relief on the doctor's face was so strong it shone like a stellar cluster. The tractor beam steadied the ship and the transporters took them a moment later. After that, it was over.
Rematerialising on the Enterprise's transporter pad, the three of them only had a chance to stand there for a moment before the captain had Beverly in his arms. He passed Kathryn in a blur of red and black and everyone but Beverly faded from his universe.
She stepped down with a nod to Worf. "Mr. Paris is going to be our guest for awhile."
Tom's eyes widened as the huge Klingon looked him over.
"The brig?" Worf rumbled.
"Confine him to quarters," Kathryn suggested. Perhaps there was still time to rehabilitate the young man. She'd talk it over with Picard, when she had a chance. Maybe tomorrow, when he stopped whispering to his wife and drying the tears in her eyes.
She politely looked away, waiting patiently to be acknowledged or dismissed at his leisure.
Worf pointed Paris towards the door with a sharp look. "Come with me."
Tom was wise enough to realise that arguing with a Klingon was not something he wanted to do, but not quite smart enough not to joke. "Well, if you ask me that nicely, how can I refuse?" he quipped.
Kathryn smirked, listening to Tom leave with Worf as she contemplated the wonders of a hot bath and her own, thunderstorm-free bed. She was yawning when the captain tapped her shoulder to draw her attention.
"I don't know how to thank you, Number One," Picard said with such sincerity that Kathryn's chest stung. The love for his wife radiated from him so strongly that Kathryn was humbled. Beverly had her arm wrapped around his, and she held his hand like she was never letting go. Picard had caught most of her tears, but a few still twinkled in her eyelashes.
"I still can't believe you let him stab you," Beverly teased, smiling gratefully. "He's a fencer, not a knife fighter, it's a miracle I didn't have to replace your whole liver."
Jean-Luc smiled, and to Kathryn's surprise, he chuckled as he kissed the back of Beverly's hand. "To get you back, I had to rise to the occasion."
"I'm happy to be of assistance, captain," Kathryn answered, trying not to yawn again. "Anytime."
Beverly let go of Jean-Luc long enough to hug her tightly, and the embrace startled Kathryn completely. "Thank you," Beverly whispered again. "Thank you."
"It's all right," Kathryn promised. "I'm sure if circumstances were ever reversed, somehow-" If Chakotay needed her back...
"It will be our pleasure to stage your rescue, should you ever require it," Picard promised warmly. He was rarely this exuberant with his emotions, and Kathryn suddenly understood where the depth of Beverly's affection came from. There was much more to Captain Picard than most people ever got to know.
"Ro," Beverly began, her expression darkening. "Jean-Luc, Ro's not coming back."
"No," Picard argued gently. "It's just her cover."
"She asked us to tell you she was sorry," Beverly replied just as kindly. "I don't think betraying Starfleet bothered her. All she seemed to care about was letting you down."
Picard stiffened and tugged down sharply on his uniform jacket. "I'll need a full report."
Kathryn nodded, turning for door. Might as well get started now before she really was tired. "I'll get started on it--"
Picard caught her shoulder and stopped her with an apologetic look. "You'll take the rest of the day off and join us for dinner," he corrected. "Please."
Smiling at little, she acquiesced. "Yes, sir. Thank you, captain."
Picard's eyes went back to Beverly and softened with affection. "Number One, believe me, it's the least I can do."
Watching them return to each other, Kathryn couldn't help wondering if Chakotay would ever be that glad to see her. Even if she'd ever see him again. He had so much anger to work through and it would be a miracle if he survived his desperate fight against the Cardassians. It was a miracle she was willing to spend some time praying for, if only his spirits would listen.