AUTHOR: Sally
RATING: PG
SUMMARY: a reunion between K and C
DISCLAIMER: these characters are not mine. At least I can enjoy saying that I didn't come up with leola root. Paramount, that's your baby!
"Kathryn?"
She swung around. "Chakotay! How wonderful to see you again." She accepted his hug warmly. "I am so glad you're here. I need your help."
"Oh?" he asked, eyes sparkling. "And just why is that?"
She grasped his arm and dragged him to a nearby pot plant, which towered over both of them and half hid them from the rest of the gathering. "The roving Ambassador from the Delta Quadrant was invited."
He smiled. "Wonderful." The smile disappeared. "Oh no," Chakotay muttered. "He didn't. Did he?"
Kathryn nodded solemnly. "He did. Three new leola root suprises. Lieutenant Commander Paris is about ready to kill him."
"I'm sure his wife will assist him if he needs help. I don't understand what that's got to do with you needing my help."
She looked up at him impatiently. "Chakotay, you always were better with the crew at this sort of thing than I was. Any reprimand from me either came out as a conviction against them or made them feel so guilty that they couldn't face me for days. I don't want that tonight."
"Kathryn. You're an Admiral. Just pull rank on them."
"I'm not sure I can do that with Neelix. He isn't exactly Star Fleet you know."
"Neither am I anymore."
"Exactly. You're the perfect person to do it."
He sighed. "Kathryn. I can't believe it. This is the first time I've seen you in almost five years and you go straight back to relying on me to keep the crew under control."
She looked up at him, eyes wide. "Please, Chakotay."
He knew he was sunk. "Okay, Kathryn. I'll see what I can do."
He wandered over to where the Talaxian in question was appearing to enter into another debate over food with Tom. The former helmsman was gesturing wildly at the plate in the chef's hand. Kathryn smiled as she watched her former best friend interrupt the discussion with a hug for Tom's wife, B'Elanna, and a handshake for the man himself. Within seconds he had pulled them off in another direction and Neelix was left looking for his next…
… Victim, Kathryn realised as she watched him make a straight line for her.
"Ah, Captain," he beamed. "I mean, Admiral. I apologise."
She waved him off. "That's okay, Neelix. Its good to see you here." She tried to be civil.
"Oh, I wouldn't have missed this for the world. Ever since that wormhole stabilised, well, it means I can go back and forth all the time. It is so good to see all of you again. You know, if it hadn’t been for the Commander, I mean, the Captain, coming through with his archeological expedition the other month I would never have known this was happening."
"Chakotay's been in the Delta Quadrant?" she couldn't help but query.
"Oh yes," Neelix replied. "Funny that, he's the only one to have been back since you all got home, and he's not even Starfleet anymore."
She smiled. "Well, he's never been one to stay in one place." Realization dawned. "He told you about the reunion?"
"Oh yes and I jumped at the chance to come. I had several new recipes that I had been wishing I could share with you all." He held out the tray that had been so offending to Tom. "Admiral Janeway, you simply must try something." He pointed a finger at one of the delicacies. "That one, I think."
She had no choice but to take the food and place it in her mouth. "Mmm, Neelix," she managed to get out. "That's, er, lovely." She turned. "Excuse me, but I'm afraid I must circulate. There's a lot of people I haven't seen in a while." As soon as her back turned to him she removed the remains of the obnoxious morsel and placed it in the tub of the plant.
The faint taste of leola root remained in her mouth. "A lot of people," she repeated to herself. Top of her list was the former Commander of Voyager, the one with the tattoo for a target on his forehead. No matter what she might have felt about him in the past this time she knew she had to kill him.
FINIS