S is for Silence
By Ralkana

Disclaimer – I don’t own them; Paramount does. If I owned them, I think they’d have been much, much happier.

Comments and feedback to Ralkana47@yahoo.com would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Author's Note – Written for the alphabet challenge in JC1.

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Kathryn sighed as she pressed her thumb to the padd in her hand, approving it. Placing it on the stack of completed reports, she sipped her coffee as she absently reached for the next padd. When her hand encountered only the desktop, she stared down at her desk. Her “to do” pile was nonexistent. She realized with a stunned chuckle that she was finished for the day. And only an hour and a half after her shift’s official end. Get out of here now! her mind screamed. Before they have a chance to bring you more! Her combadge chirped, and she groaned. See!

“Crewman Wildman to the captain.”

Kathryn let her breath out. “Yes, Naomi?”

“If you please, Captain, I was hoping I could schedule a meeting with you to discuss my scholastic performance this term.”

Grinning, Kathryn took another sip of coffee. She wants to show me her grades again, she mused, staring at the planet turning below.

“That sounds acceptable, Crewman. How about tom—" Damn, can’t do tomorrow, that diplomatic tea. “Day after tomorrow, 1500 hours?”

“That's perfect! Thank you, Captain. Wildman out.”

Stifling a yawn, Kathryn stood up. “Time to go home.”

Her combadge sounded again as she placed her empty mug in the recycler. “Neelix to Janeway.”

“Yes, Neelix?”

“Captain, I just wanted to go over the menu for tomorrow’s breakfast meeting with the negotiating party from the planet.”

“Neelix, I approved the menu a little while ago and sent it back to you. Didn’t you get it?”

“Well, yes, but I wanted to discuss making a change here and there…”

He prattled on for several moments before Janeway realized she didn’t have the faintest clue what he was saying. She wasn’t that familiar with his ingredients to begin with; when he began talking of substitutions, it was completely beyond her.

“Neelix, I’m sure whatever you make will be delicious,” she interrupted smoothly, though her stomach and her conscience both gave a faint twinge at the lie. “Use your best judgment.”

“Thank you, Captain. I won’t let you down. Neelix out.”

Shaking her head with a smile at his exuberance, she entered the bridge, calling good night to her crew. Tuvok stopped her before she made it to the turbolift.

“Captain, the Quilestrian Trajarch has requested the presence of the negotiating team at a banquet tomorrow night, in honor of the successful negotiations.”

“They aren’t successful yet.”

“The Trajarch has no doubt they will be.”

She sighed. “We have that tea during the day—“

“Yes, the Trajarch’s wife was most insistent that you and Lt. Torres attend the tea. However, the banquet—“

“Fine, we’ll be there.”

“Captain, I will need to alter the make-up of the security teams—“

“Yes, Tuvok, do what you need, and inform me in the morning.”

Tuvok took the hint, nodding silently at her and returning his attention to his console. She took three more steps before Harry called to her.

“Captain, the Quilestrian government has requested a copy of our translation algorithms, in order to… ‘assist them in comprehending the boundless wisdom hidden in the utterances of the… great Locarthan sea slug.’”

The entire bridge crew stared at Harry. “Are you sure it’s not our translation algorithms that need help, Mr. Kim?” the captain asked, arching an eyebrow.

“That’s what the message says, Captain.”

She shook her head. “Fine. Add the algorithms to the list; we’ll work it out tomorrow.”

“Aye, Captain.”

She made it to the turbolift doors, sighing in relief when nothing else demanded her attention before the lift arrived. Stepping inside, she called for her deck, closing her eyes and leaning against the wall. Her eyes popped open, rolling frustratedly when her combadge chirped again.

“Torres to the captain.”

“Go ahead, B'Elanna.”

“Captain, three tons of this alloy is not going to be enough. It’s not the grade I was hoping for, and we’re going to need at least five—“

“If you need more, add it to the list, B'Elanna.”

“Aye, Captain. I just wanted to make sure—“

“The Quilestrians seem willing to meet as many of our demands as they can, and we should make the most of that fact. Who knows when we’ll meet another species like them? Whatever you need, add it to the list and we’ll try and get it.”

“Thanks, Captain. Torres out.”

“Seven of Nine to Captain Janeway.”

Kathryn took three deep breaths. “What is it, Seven?”

“Captain, I wish to meet with you to discuss your comments regarding my latest report.”

Damn, I just sent the thing through the system twenty minutes ago! And it was beyond tedious the first time. If I have to go through it again tonight… “Is it urgent?”

The other woman paused. “No, but it would be more efficient to discuss the matter as soon as possible—“

“I’ll discuss your report with you tomorrow, Seven. After the breakfast meeting in the morning and the senior staff meeting at midday, and before that damned tea in the afternoon.”

“Captain—“

“Good night, Seven. Janeway out.”

The turbolift slowed, and then stopped, and she stepped out. The corridors, though never noisy, were busier than usual as it was the dinner hour for alpha shift. She nodded and smiled at her crew, engaging in several quick conversations, glad that her captain’s mask was hiding her fatigue. She was halfway to her quarters before her attention was summoned yet again by her combadge. Why have I never noticed just how annoying that sound is?

“Sickbay to Captain Janeway.”

Her stomach clenched, as it did every time the Doctor called her. Who’s hurt now? “Doctor?”

“Just a reminder, Captain, that you are due for your annual physical this week.”

Her temper flared. “Doctor, you reminded me last week. Twice. And twice the week before that. And three times this week. The last time you reminded me, I informed you that I would be there in four days, and that was yesterday. Do you plan on reminding me every day?”

His own irritation was clear over the comm line. “Considering your history of conveniently forgetting your appointments, Captain, I—“

“I’ll be there when I said I’d be there, Doctor. Not before, and not after. Your concern for my health is duly noted. And appreciated. And I do not need another reminder. Understood?”

Her tone was clipped and icy, and it was several seconds before the Doctor responded. His tone was much more complacent this time. “Yes, Captain. Doctor out.”

Kathryn finally reached her door, and now that she’d reached it, she paused. She knew there would be silence on the other side. Blessed silence. But also solitude, and now that she thought of it, that wasn’t really what she wanted. She continued down the corridor until she reached the next door.

She entered her access code, smiling briefly as she did so. It was still a thrill to enter the code he’d given her… her own code, not an override code; it was proof that she belonged there. The door slid open, and she stepped inside and stopped.

Chakotay was sprawled, fast asleep, on the couch in a pair of worn sweatpants, his hair mussed from a recent shower. His bare feet rested on the coffee table and golden skin peeked out from beneath his unbuttoned shirt, making her heart race. A half-empty cup of tea was on the table, and an open book rested on his lap.

Getting soft in your old age, mister, she thought as she headed quietly for the replicator. If anyone had tried waltzing into his quarters like this several years ago, they’d have been unconscious within seconds. Or worse.

“Hello, beloved.”

She jumped, shaking her head with a rueful grin. “Playing possum, Commander?”

“Nope… just resting my eyes.”

She heard the smile in his voice and chuckled. Stopping herself before she could order coffee, she ordered a fresh cup of tea for him and the most relaxing blend of herbal tea she could think of for herself. After carrying both cups carefully across the room, she handed his to him and brushed a kiss across the top of his head as he murmured his thanks. She settled onto the couch, lifting his arm and curling up under it, into his side as he drew her closer to him.

“Long day?” he asked quietly, pressing a kiss to her temple.

“Mmm,” she murmured, resting her head on his shoulder.

He picked up his book and began reading, and she relaxed, letting her mind and body unwind as she sipped her tea. She knew she should tell him about the banquet, and Naomi, and a hundred other little things that had happened that day, and she knew she should ask him how his day had been, and what he was reading, but she couldn’t bring herself to break the quiet. It had been so long in coming. More than likely, a combadge would chirp in a few moments, or the intercom would sound, or—God forbid—the klaxons would blare, but for now, everything was still, and silence reigned.