TITLE: A Quiet Night In
AUTHOR: Matteabrit
SUMMARY: All Kathryn wants to do is curl up under a blanket with a good book.
RATING: G
DICLAIMER: I still have nothing, Paramount has it all.

All Kathryn wanted to do was have an early night. Voyager was in a quiet part of space, Neelix did not actually have some event for her to attend, and her basic reading was all caught up. It was January in the terran year, a time when, if she’d been back home, she’d have wanted to curl up in front of a fire with a good book. She couldn’t have the fire here on board Voyager, obviously, not unless she went to the holodeck, but she could certainly curl up on her couch under a blanket, wearing her pyjamas, and involve herself in a good novel. After finishing her shift, she accepted a report from her first officer and said goodnight to him. She then left the bridge before he could say anything to her. She strode into her quarters, flung her jacket over a chair, and went into her bedroom to change.

Less than half an hour later few of her crew would have recognised her. Uniform gone, face devoid of makeup, Kathryn Janeway wore her most comfortable pyjamas and was curled up under her blanket with a good old-fashioned book in her hands. With a hot mug of chocolate on the table beside her she settled in for the evening.

So involved in her book was she that it took three attempts for the sound of the door-chime to attract her attention. When it finally did she looked up in disgust, wondering who could possibly want to disturb her. “Computer, who is at the door?” she asked wearily.

“Commander Chakotay,” was the reply.

She sighed and placed her book down on the table. This was one person who wasn’t going to go away if she ignored him. He’d be using his override to get in if he didn’t get a response. “Come,” she called, trying to force some cheerfulness into her voice.

“Hello, Kathryn,” he said with a smile as he walked in. “Hope I’m not disturbing…” He stopped, stared at her briefly, and burst out laughing. “Goodness, Kathryn, nice comforter.”

She thrust the blanket back in disgust and swung her feet down to the ground. “This had better be good, Chakotay,” she deadpanned. “You’ve interrupted my reading.”

“Have you eaten yet?”

“I…” Come to think of it, no, she hadn’t. The novel had proved to be a pretty engrossing one.

“Fine.” He walked past her to her replicator and begun punching commands into it. “I was worried about you,” he said as he worked. “You disappeared so quickly after the shift ended. Usually I have to drag you kicking and screaming from your ready room.”

“That is not true,” she protested. “I have never kicked or screamed on the bridge.”

“All right,” he conceded, turning back from the replicator with two steaming plates in his hand. “I’ll admit you don’t. After all, it wouldn’t be the captainly thing to do.”

Kathryn tried to glare at him but the look on his face hindered that. She took the plate he held out to her and looked down at it. Steamed vegetables in a myriad of colours, lying on a bed of white rice, had been Chakotay’s choice for dinner and certainly looked appetising. She picked up the fork and began to eat. Her friend took the chair beside her settled his own plate on his lap.

There was silence for a while as they ate; Kathryn found she was hungrier than she had previously thought. After she was finished, Chakotay leaned forward with a smile to pick up her plate. “I’m glad you liked it,” he said. Then his entire expression changed and he burst into laughter.

“What?” Kathryn asked, bewildered by his sudden outburst. “What’s so funny?” She began to look down at her top. “Did I spill something?” she asked, picking at the material.

“No.” He carefully put the plates down on the low table and leaned in close. For a moment Kathryn panicked, concerned that he might be about to kiss her. She hastily leaned back as far as she could but Chakotay kept coming and in short order she found herself trapped between him and the back of the couch. Suddenly his hand shot out and a finger jabbed her softly in the stomach. “What’s this?” he asked with a gleam in his eye. “Kathryn Janeway has rabbits on her pyjamas?”

She blushed instantly but tried to recover. “So?” she asked indignantly.

He sank back down on the floor and howled. “Brave Captain Kathryn has rabbits on her pyjamas. Pale pink pyjamas with little fluffy bunnies on them.” The laughs came from deep within him, seemingly unstoppable.

Kathryn rolled her eyes at the sight of him shaking uncontrollably before her. “For your information, Mister,” she began, still attempting to salvage some dignity. “I was planning a quiet night in. Me, my book, my comforter,” she ground out. “And yes, even my pale pink pyjamas with little fluffy bunnies.”

“There’s something wrong with that scenario,” Chakotay replied, choking back his laughter.

Kathryn nodded. “I totally agree with you.” She paused. “Seems I forgot my over-protective first officer who would barge his way into his friend’s quarters and be presumptuous enough to cook dinner for her.” But she couldn’t be mad at him; his jovial mood was infecting her and, try as she might, she couldn’t help but giggle slightly at the situation. “Anybody else, Chakotay…” she grinned. “Anybody else…”

“Yes?”

Kathryn picked up a soft pillow and proceeded to attempt to beat her friend over the head with it. He stuck his hands up in defence. “Isn’t it against the rules for a captain to beat up her first officer?”

She shook her head vehemently. “No captain tonight, this is a Kathryn night.”

His eyebrow rose. “Really? And what does Kathryn do on a Kathryn night?”

“Curls up in a blanket, with a book and…”

“Wears pale pink pyjamas with little fluffy bunnies on them,” Chakotay laughed and staggered back to his feet. “Okay, I get the hint. I’ll leave you to it.”

Before Kathryn could properly think about it, her hand shot out to grab him. “No, Chakotay. Don’t ever feel you have to go.” She paused and smiled shyly. “I do actually enjoy your company.”

He looked down at her. “Are you sure?”

“Sure. Just make yourself comfortable.”

“Do I have to replicate suitable clothing?”

Kathryn rolled her eyes. “Just grab yourself something to read, shut up, and make yourself comfortable.” Seeing the sly grin appear on his face she quickly added, “I don’t mean that comfortable, Chakotay.”

She ignored his murmur of, “Shame.”

A couple of months later Kathryn had a birthday. After the crew had helped her celebrate Chakotay escorted her back to her quarters where he presented his own gift to her. She opened the box a little warily and couldn’t help but stare quizzically when she saw what was inside.

“A pale blue pair?”

He shrugged. “Did I get the size right?”

“Well, yes, you did. And thank you. I just don’t get the why. I mean, you know I already have a pair.”

He laughed and then lifted up the pyjamas, which were decorated in the same rabbit motif as her pink set. “Ah, yes, but little fluffy bunnies can multiply you know.”

Underneath the material, at the bottom of the gift box were five small white beanbag rabbits.

Kathryn threw back her head and laughed.

FINIS

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