Under the Surface
by Melissa

Twin suns hung low in the sky, far over the water. Sunset was approaching, though they would have light for over another hour, and the crew of Voyager lingered on the beach as long as they could. They were loathe to abandon the beauty of their first day of shore leave in months, and those who had been lucky enough to draw the evening rotation were determined to make it last as long as they could.

Chakotay woke to the sensation of water falling gently on his face. Rain? He thought groggily, opening his eyes.

B'Elanna stood over him, grinning, her hands cupped and dripping water on his face. As soon as he opened his eyes fully, she opened her hands and let the water fall, splashing his face and soaking his hair.

"Dead woman," he growled, surging to his feet even as she spun on her heels and fled. She was swift but stumbled slightly on the sand, enough for him to catch up to her and grab hold, yanking her protesting form into his arms and starting purposefully towards the water.

"You'll get wet too, Chakotay," she yelled, struggling half-heartedly to free herself, laughing the whole time. Paris and Kim were cheering him on from a few yards away.

"It'll be worth it," he snapped in mock anger, striding into the water up to his waist and opening his arms, letting her fall with a splash that soaked him from head to foot. She lunged at his legs, attempting to drag him under, and he moved away as several of the crew ran into the sea to join the battle.

Half an hour later he was back on the blanket, a light sweater and thin pants replacing the shorts he had been wearing. The approaching evening had brought a slight chill to the air. B'Elanna sat next to him, a jacket thrown over her suit, and they watched Paris and Kim's poor attempts at building a bonfire. "I expect this performance from Tom, but I thought better of you, Starfleet," she called out, laughing as the helmsman turned around with an exaggerated look of pain on his face.

"I'm hurt, B'Elanna," Paris said, clutching his chest. She picked up a handful of sand and threw it at him, and then turned to Chakotay as the two officers bent back to their task.

"Hey." B'Elanna waved a hand in front of his face. "Where are you, Commander?"

Chakotay blinked, moving his gaze from the sky to his half-Klingon friend beside him. "What?"

"Why don't you get out of here while everyone's concentrating on something else? Go play with Captain Janeway."

He met her eyes evenly, his face giving nothing away. "You know she's up on the ship, B'Ela, and I'm perfectly happy spending these hours here rather than on the Bridge."

B'Elanna raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah?" She looked around carefully, and then pointed a finger way down the beach. "Who do you think that is?"

Chakotay turned his head in the direction she indicated, and saw someone far down the beach, walking alone. Kathryn, he thought chidingly, realizing that she'd probably been planning to do this all along: say she'd prefer to remain on the Bridge for the evening rotation, despite his arguments, and then beam down quietly and enjoy the sunset without "spoiling the crew's fun". It was a disagreement they'd had time and again over the years, and he'd all but given up on winning it.

"She'd rather be alone," he said quietly. B'Elanna reached out two fingers and turned his head back around.

"Who the hell do you think you're talking to, Chakotay?" she reprimanded him, a half-smile flitting across her face. "Get up off your lazy ass and go drop someone else in the ocean. Might do them some good."

"She'd kill me," he smiled, a trace of sadness twisting his lips slightly.

"No," B'Elanna replied. "I'll kill you unless you stop circling each other like vultures and get over the whole protocol business."

"Easier said than done." You shouldn't even be having this conversation.

"That's not the Chakotay I know and like most of the time," she said, laughing at the look of exasperation that crossed his face. "Tom wants to send a petition around the ship."

Chakotay groaned. "She'd kill him. She'd kill me. We'd be in the brig for sixty years. You tell him that if-"

"Shut up, would you?" B'Elanna shook her head. "Bring your sense of humor down with you next time, okay?"

He cuffed her on the arm affectionately. "You always could get my back up."

He looked down the beach again, and then back at the rest of the crew. They all seemed to be occupied, talking and laughing in small groups or splashing on the fringes of the waves.

"Maybe I'll...take a walk," he said slowly. She howled with laughter.

"Yeah, I thought so."

He waggled a fist in her face jokingly, and then turned abruptly serious. "If anyone asks, I went back to the ship," he said quietly, and she nodded. He chucked her under the chin with his fingers and leveraged himself casually up off the blanket, walking down the beach and trying to look unhurried. B'Elanna smothered a grin, wondering how he was managing not to run, and then got up to join the crowd growing around the pathetically small fire several yards away.

. . .

The sea air on her face felt and smelled delicious. Janeway tilted her head back, letting the breeze lift her hair, and dug her bare toes into the sand. She had meant to stay on the ship, allowing the other crew the luxury of the sunset, but in the end she hadn't been able to keep away. She had turned the bridge over to Tuvok and gone quickly to her quarters, changing into a long, comfortable dress of soft blue, grabbing a blanket, and beaming down to the beach far enough from the crew so she could watch them without being obtrusive.

"Aren't you on bridge duty?"

Chakotay's voice startled her out of her reverie, and she opened her eyes to see him standing over her with his arms folded.

"Guilty as charged," she smiled, wondering that she hadn't known he would seek her out if he realized what she had done.

He unfolded his arms and stood sharply at attention. "Captain, as your First Officer it is my duty to inform you that failure to fraternize with your crew is against Starfleet Delta Quadrant rule number omega four nine."

"Oh, really?" Janeway raised an eyebrow. "Why haven't I been informed of this rule before, Commander?"

"Well, ma'am, you've never disregarded it so blatantly before. I'm afraid I'll have to insist you join the party."

She grinned up at him. "How about I just stay here and fraternize with you?"

His jaw dropped slightly and her smile faded as the words hung in the air. Did I really just say that out loud? she thought, shocked.

He recovered quickly, extending a hand down to her. "Why don't you, Captain?"

Janeway's heart was suddenly racing, and her throat went dry. She stared up at him, his face open, his lips smiling.

And she put her hand in his.

When Chakotay pulled her to her feet and let go, she was strangely disappointed. He quirked an eyebrow and said, "Take a walk with me." She said nothing, but turned in the direction he indicated with a nod--away from the party--and matched her stride to his lazy ambling.

"Have you noticed, one of the suns is going down much faster than the others?" he asked conversationally, skimming one bare foot across the sand and kicking a little into the air.

"Yes," Janeway replied, her gaze automatically moving left to the ongoing sunset. "But it's still the longest sunset I've ever observed."

"Some things do seem to go on forever, I guess, while others are just never long enough."

She turned her head sharply, but Chakotay's eyes were locked on a small object some feet away. "What is it?" she asked as he walked over and bent down. He picked the object up and then straightened, brushing some stray sand off the arm of his sweater. His hand was closed over whatever it was as he paced back across the sand to her.

A grin lit his eyes as he shoved his hands behind his back, shifting the object back and forth between them. "Pick a hand," he finally said.

Janeway shook her head, smiling. "Really, Chakotay."

Chakotay tipped his head to the side and tilted his chin upwards a little. "My nieces used to love this game."

An image of Chakotay with children flashed before her, and the thought was unexpectedly warming. She found herself reaching out a finger and pointing to his right hand.

He brought the hand out from behind his back and opened it slowly to reveal a tiny, perfectly formed shell, brown fading to pale cream as the whorls got tighter towards the middle. She smiled, delighted, and picked it up from his palm. She held it up to the fading light to admire it.

"This planet has been full of pleasant surprises," she murmured, missing the flash in his eyes. "So," she continued, moving her gaze back to him, "what would I have gotten if I picked the other hand?"

Chakotay's smile faded, and the playful look in his eyes was replaced by something much more serious. He took a step closer, and then another, and picked up her other hand. He lifted it gently between their bodies, rubbing the fingers gently. He took a deep breath. Janeway held hers.

When his lips covered hers tentatively, she held herself stiffly, waiting for the outrage to wash over her. Instead, she found herself relaxing almost immediately, taking a tiny step forward to lean against him. The shell dropped unnoticed to the ground. He's barely touching me. This is hardly a kiss. A warmth spread up and out from her belly, and every nerve ending seemed suddenly more alive than they had in years. I should probably stop this. His hands were running gently across her hair, almost reverently. He's wondering why I haven't stopped him yet. Maybe I won't.

Almost as if he'd heard her, he pressed closer, his mouth moving slowly across hers, catching her lower lip carefully between his teeth for barely a second. Oh, God. She repeated his movement, and felt him shudder under her hands. Shouldn't I be feeling guilty? Thinking about the crew? Yes, the crew... She felt his tongue pressing gently into her mouth and she opened her lips a little wider, meeting his with her own, shivering at the sensation that shot through her at the first touch. He's really good at this, a distant part of her mind observed. Her hands moved up his chest slowly, curving around the back of his neck. His hands were moving down her back, pulling her impossibly closer to him as his tongue began to plunge in and out of her mouth. She felt a weakness growing around her knees. God. No wonder I worried about doing this. The scent from his hair drifted to her nose, soap and the faint traces of salt. He smells like the sea, she thought, wondering that she would find that so erotic.

"Do I pass?" Chakotay murmured against her mouth.

Janeway's head jerked back slightly, and their eyes met. "What?" she said, flustered, trying to dampen the arousal she knew must be shining out of her eyes.

"Should I tilt my head a little to the left? How does the wind feel on your face?" he asked seriously.

Her eyes narrowed. "What the hell does that mean?"

A wry smile twisted his lips. "You're analyzing every second of this."

"I am not."

Chakotay raised an eyebrow and stared at her until she flushed guiltily. "Maybe a little." At his bark of laughter, she raised a hand and shoved at his shoulder. "Shut up. Just because I-"

He leaned forward and quickly stifled whatever she was about to say with another kiss, lingering for several moments. "Now, what were you going to say?" he asked quietly when they separated and her head was tucked under his chin.

"Damn you, Chakotay."

He smothered another laugh in her hair at her petulant tone. "What is it, Kathryn?"

"I forgot."

He couldn't hold the next wave in and he pulled her to him, his laughter ringing out into the night air. She drew back and glared at him for several seconds before her cheek twitched and she finally joined in.

"Damn you," she said again when their laughter had subsided and her head was once again tucked under his chin.

"What for now?" he asked, amused, his heart full to bursting. She had not moved away.

"I haven't had a chance to work all this out."

Chakotay smiled into her hair. "You've had over four years, Kathryn. Either you love me, or you don't."

"Oh, I love you, but it doesn't--"

They both froze, time standing still on the beach.

Chakotay held her so tightly he wondered that she could breathe, but she made no move to pull away. Four years of longing couldn't possibly be culminating in this. It was too easy. But Kathryn Janeway was wrapped in his embrace, as he'd always imagined, the smell of her hair filling his nostrils, her cheek rubbing gently against his chest.

Was it truly this easy?

"I didn't mean to say that." Again, she sounded so like a sulky child that he found himself shaking with laughter again. Oh, the absolute joy of her. He had thought if this ever happened he would be completely wrapped up, totally absorbed in it...but then, he probably already was. The expression of the feelings could not possibly make them stronger than they were.

"Didn't you, Kathryn."

Janeway pulled away--reluctantly, it seemed to him--and faced him, hands moving to her hips unconsciously. He grinned.

"Hello, Captain."

She sighed forcefully, looking down at her feet briefly and then back up at him. "Stop it. This isn't funny."

"Isn't it?" At her look that clearly said 'Explain, Mister,' he went on, "Look at us. Four years of dancing around each other leads us to this beach. You keep saying things off the top of your head which you don't mean to say and cursing me for it, and now you've gone into 'red alert' mode."

"There are a million reasons why we shouldn't do this," Janeway burst out in frustration. "The crew, for one thing. What would they think if--"

She was surprised into silence when he reached out and hauled her back against him. "Give me a few minutes, Kathryn," he said in a voice low with passion, "and I'll make you forget the damn analysis." His mouth descended to hers and plundered, his tongue running over her lips and behind her teeth. After several minutes, he dragged his mouth from hers with no small effort. "We'll get past it," he continued, his voice a little more ragged, "because beyond it there's a place where I can love you, and I won't stop until we find a way to get there."

"Chakotay..."

"Yes, Kathryn." He pulled back slightly, just enough to be able to look her in the eyes fully.

Janeway's stomach twisted itself inside out and back as she fought back the impulse to grin. "Damn you," she murmured half-heartedly, and slid her hands down to cup his bottom. His jolt of surprise was worth all the discomfort.

"Kathryn?" His voice was guarded, wary...hoarse. This time, she did grin.

"What can I do for you, Commander?"

Chakotay raised an eyebrow and smiled a little. "What would you like to do for me?"

The wind blew in from the sea, lifting her hair and tangling it around her face. Her hands came up to push it back down but he beat her to it, tucking it behind her ears and smoothing it with his fingers. His touch was gentle, easy, and the implied familiarity brought a sudden lump to her throat.

"What would I like to do for you?" she whispered, her eyes suddenly very serious. She turned her head a little, staring out into the fading sunset, and then back at him. One deep breath was all she would allow herself. "I was thinking of plunging headlong into the sea, Chakotay. What do you think?"

He was an extremely quick, intelligent man. There was very little about Kathryn Janeway he couldn't read from her body language, or her words, and he was rarely at a loss to respond to her. But it was only at this moment in time that he realized just how strong his fear was that this would never happen; that they would continue to journey together without truly sharing in it. He paused for a long moment, searching her face, letting her words seep into his heart.

"I think," he said finally, his voice very quiet, "that I would like to join you. Very much."

Janeway reached up to where his hands still cupped her face and pulled them down, intertwining their fingers. "I would like that."

Chakotay lifted their joined hands between them, kissing each of hers softly in turn. "It's beautiful here," he said, and she smiled a little and nodded. "The sun is going down," he continued absently as she moved closer to him.

"Another one is coming up, Chakotay."

He released her hands and pulled her to him tightly, burying his nose in her hair and kissing the top of her head.

She said something incoherently into his neck.

"What?" he murmured. Her hands came up and pushed at him a little.

"I said I can't breathe." She smacked at him lightly with one hand as he grinned down at her.

"I have that effect on women."

Janeway snorted, pulling free and bending to gather her blanket up off the ground. "Delusions. I should get you to sickbay."

Chakotay threw a handful of sand at her, missed completely, and laughed anyway.

"Is that the best you can do, Commander?" she asked in her sternest command voice, edging backwards across the sand, arms full of sandy blanket.

"You haven't begun to see the best I can do, Captain," he replied, a dangerous gleam in his eye.

She did the only thing anyone could do in that situation.

Pivoting sharply on one heel, she broke into a run down the beach towards the rest of their crew.

Chakotay jogged easily behind her, letting her tire, planning his next move carefully.

The last thing any of the crew expected to see was their Commander swoop down on their Captain like a hawk and carry her, squirming and threatening, into the sea. They heard her outraged shout as he dropped her soundly in the water.

"He'll be scrubbing the plasma conduits for sure," Kim said, shaking his head in wonder. A satisfied smirk lit Paris' face as he pictured the payback that was about to roll in to him.

"Somehow I doubt it, Harry," he drawled, getting to his feet and holding out a hand to B'Elanna. "Come on, B'Ela, the least we can do is give him a hand."

"Give him a hand? I don't think so, Paris," she said, charging into the water and launching herself at Chakotay hard enough to send him under. Janeway, her hair dripping into her eyes, her dress soaked through, laughed harder than anyone had ever seen her.

"I thought she would 'kill you', Chakotay," B'Elanna hissed into his ear under the cover of the splashing and shouting that was ensuing.

Chakotay grabbed her knee and pulled at just the right angle to make her sway dangerously. "She decided to jump, B'Ela. I was just...helping her in."

B'Elanna's eyes widened in shock just before she toppled back into the water and the wave closed over her head.

"Bad move, Chakotay," Paris laughed, shaking his head. "Come on, Captain, aren't you going to--Captain?"

Paris, Kim and Chakotay quickly looked around, but only saw B'Elanna as she surfaced, spluttering water and threats.

"Uh oh," Kim said.

Five seconds later, something under the water plowed into Paris and Chakotay hard enough to send them both flat on their backs, under the surface. A head broke the waves several feet away and the Captain got to her feet, grinning triumphantly. Chakotay followed quickly, his grin unabated, while Paris struggled back to his feet as B'Elanna watched and laughed.

"Nice work, Captain," she called.

Janeway folded her arms and quirked an eyebrow. "I thought this was the best way for me to keep on top of things. What do you think, Mr. Paris?"

Paris opened his mouth and shut it again, looking back and forth between his two commanding officers. With only the tiniest glint in his eye, he said softly, "I'd say I'm not the only one who's getting the payoff they deserve."

FINIS