The Captain, The Commander, & The Mistletoe!

by ALM_Voyager

Captain Kathryn Janeway turned over in bed and looked out her expansive window, at the stars rushing by, fondly reminding herself that this wasn't just any day in the Delta Quadrant . . . it was Christmas Eve. She folded her arms on her feather pillow and rested her chin against her wrists thinking to herself of how her crew had been anticipating this holiday since December first . . . even Neelix was starting to adopt more and more of Earth's holidays, new and old, as the years progressed.

"I wonder what Mark and his wife are doing for the holiday season . . .going to the holiday ballet performance? The symphony or perhaps off to Maine to ski in the freshly fallen snow?" she buried her eyes into the pillow's soft, dark existence and sighed to herself. Not that she hadn't already given up on that part of her life, but every now and then her mind slipped, just when she was vulnerable enough or when her day was quiet enough, to reflect on the Kathryn she 'used' to be. "But I'll be damned if this Kathryn will stay in bed a moment longer, negotiating with that wicked voice of the past," she muttered out loud as she pushed back the covers, grabbed her robe and went into her bathroom to change into her starfleet uniform.

"Tom . . ." Harry Kim's voice held a tone of warning as he stretched his friend's name out for an unusual amount of time. "Are you crazy? She'll kill you! And if she doesn't, he will."

"Don't worry about it, Harry! She'll never know," Tom smiled and pushed his fork into the mound of green, chunky food that looked like molded cheese. "And what the hell is this stuff anyhow? I thought Neelix was going to aim for a more holiday-oriented mess-hall menu today?"

"That's it," Harry pointed a finger at the food, but quickly withdrew it as if the mound of green-stuff might suddenly attack him. "Neelix thinks that because it's green, it'll get everyone into the holiday spirit . . .you know, green, red, white . . . .Ho, Ho, Ho?" Harry smiled glumly.

"I can't believe you tried to explain that one to me," Tom shook his head.

Harry dropped his forehead into his hands and took a deep breath, "So . . ." he looked up, "what are you going to get B'elanna for Christmas this year?"

"Nothing you'd want to know about in detail . . ." Paris smirked.

Janeway walked down the corridor towards the mess-hall, nodding her head every now and then to the Ensigns that passed. Everyone was full of smiles, and she even saw a few replicated Santa Clause hats as she passed by. The jingle of bells rounding the corner made her turn around and slow her steps as she noted the festive bracelet on Ensign Nicoletti's ankle. Millions of treasured songs were dashing through her mind and it took everything she had not to sing, or even whistle, out loud.

As the door to the mess-hall slid open she took note of the off-duty crew starring at something green on their issued food trays. It . . . looked as if . . . it were. . .moving . . or jiggling . . . or gushing. Not good. Kathryn caught herself a second before she would have crinkled her nose up in a distasteful manner. There were very few options . . . except for maybe one . . it started with a 'C' and ended with an 'E' . . . that was if she could get to the replicator before . . . . "Captain!" Paris' voice caught her just as her left foot was raised in the air. She sighed and knew that Paris had already figured out her battle plan: avoid Neelix's food at all cost, raise shields if you have to, and get your a$$ to that cup of coffee.

Paris was already standing next to her as she put a smile on her face and greeted, "Mr. Paris. And how are you?"

"Uh, much better than you're going to be," he slyly said, but quietly enough that only she could take note of it, before he waved his hand in the air at . . . Neelix.

Neelix jovially waved back and started to scamper over towards the two of them, with which Kathryn couldn't hold back a little bit of a groan. "Captain! How good of you to stop by! Have you tried the Martonian Christmas platter I whipped up?"

"Whipped?" Kathryn said aloud as her stomach churned at the idea, but Neelix was oblivious.

"It's a delicacy, a little mushy, but once you get it to slide down the back of your throat and let it hit your gut . . .WHAMO!" He made a startling little grunt of satisfaction as he finished off the description.

"Captain . . ." Paris eyed her evilly, and she knew what was coming next, "you look a little . . . green."

"Oh, I'll get you Mr. Paris . . ." Janeway started towards her crewman with a grinch-ish gleam in her eyes, but Neelix grabbed her elbow in enthusiasm and started to steer her towards the meal. She threw back over her shoulder, "Coal, Mr. Paris. That's what bad Pilots get when they mistreat their Captains . . ."

"Now, now, Captain," Neelix, the moral-officer took over, "you know how he is."

"Coal, I tell you . . ." she muttered. Just then her combadge called for attention, "Torres to Janeway."

"Janeway here," she replied, praying for something, anything that would get her out of the mess-hall, "go ahead."

"Can you stop by engineering, we've been working on those sub-space modifications. But we need your authorization code before we can . . ." B'Elanna was saying but Kathryn interrupted her.

"On my way, Lieutenant!" She nodded to Neelix's frowning face and practically ran for the doors.

Neelix stumbled after her, "Oh! And don't forget to stop for dinner, Captain! I've got something even better than the Martonian Christmas platter planned for it! Bring the commander, too!"

CONTINUED IN PART 2!

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