The Gift of Joy
Rated – NC17
By Elorie Alton
Disclaimer: All Voyager characters are the property of Paramount. No copyright infringement is intended.
=^=
"Captain, here are the reports I’ve finished." Commander Chakotay walked into Captain Kathryn Janeway’s ready room and handed some PADDs to her. "B’Elanna’s report is on top. She just brought it to the bridge. Engineering is nearly finished with the maintenance of the warp core, so we should be ready to break orbit tomorrow morning."
"Has everyone in the crew had a chance for shore leave?" Kathryn looked up at her first officer. "This is a lovely planet. We don’t see many this nice, and the fact that it’s uninhabited helped too."
"Yes, and I can even report that the Captain had some down time," his dark eyes crinkled up as he smiled, all the dimples showing.
"Naomi and I had a wonderful time. The ocean and beach were terrific and the ruins were breathtaking. It must have been a marvelous civilization. I only wish we could have stayed and investigated further," she answered him with her own crooked smile.
"So do I, Kathryn." Chakotay said as he looked down at the beautiful green crystal resting on her desk. It was the color of emeralds but with a small ember of flame glowing from within. "What is that?"
Kathryn reached for the stone. "Naomi found it on the planet, and gave it to me. Isn’t it beautiful?" She handed the stone to him, their fingers touching in the exchange.
The moment her fingers touched his the fire that rested within the stone blazed forth, washing their faces with a green glow as they looked up into each other’s eyes and discovered that their souls were laid bare.
She could feel the pent-up desire that years of longing had amplified. His love poured over her in waves, so strong she could barely breathe.
He felt her love and her desire for him, but it was surrounded by a wall of fear. He suddenly understood that all the parameters and protocol she had cited to him over the years were only a cover for the fear of losing him. That fear paralyzed her. A fear caused by the loss of other loves in her past; a fear of loss that’s name was Justin and was Mark.
His hand grasped her hand, the stone still in her palm as he pulled her up from her chair and around her desk, drawing her into his arms. The stone fell to the floor as he pulled her to his chest and she circled his torso with her arms. The stone’s influence continued to control their actions now without their contact. It rolled to rest just under her desk, the green fire within blazing brighter.
He murmured soft words to her as his mouth descended onto hers, and she could still hear him in her head as his mind called to her.
Would the grief be any less if we were parted without knowing this, or would we always regret what could have been? I’m not willing to give up what is for what might be. You are my heart, Beloved. His mind whispered endearments to her as her mind accepted and returned them. Chakotay’s last individual thoughts soothed her and she surrendered to him as the wall of fear fell from around her.
They deepened their kisses, tongues tangling together. They each shared the other’s desire, as they knew what had been denied for so long would now be consummated. The joy of what was going to happen rebounded from and to each other then rained down on them in the reflected light of green fire.
Chakotay, now only aware of their mutual desire, pushed his hands up under her jacket searching for the soft mounds of her breasts. She groaned as her clothing became an intolerable barrier and pushed back from his embrace to rid herself of them. For an instant she felt his disappointment at her movement away and the desire to pull her back to him. Then he relaxed as he understood, and he began to remove his clothes as well.
As soon as they were both undressed they came together again, kissing and caressing each other with lips and hands, pressing close to each other. Chakotay could feel Kathryn’s awareness of his erection growing against her stomach, and his mouth on his breast. Kathryn was aware of the lines of fire that ran down his back where her hands lightly touched him.
She slowly kneeled down, the fire from her fingertips running down his body as she placed opened mouth kisses on his neck and chest, tracing down his stomach until she took his penis into her mouth, her tongue swirling around the head.
He growled with the pleasure as their shared arousal rushed through both of their bodies reflecting back and forth between them with growing intensity. He held her head and thrust into her mouth as green light flickering around them.
After a few thrusts he pulled her head back, dropped down to her and slowly lowered her the rest of the way to the floor. He knelt over her, kissing and licking his way down her body. He kissed her lower lips and then pressed his tongue to her clitoris, slowly circling it. She gasped, her hips arching up off the floor, desire and need racing through them both.
He looked up at her and she saw herself through his eyes and knew that she was truly beautiful. He saw himself through her and knew that she now excepted all the love she had denied even to herself, and they understood without a doubt that they would never be apart again.
She reached down to touch him as he kissed his way back up her body, and when he was in position he quickly joined them, pressing deeply within her. They stilled for a few moments savoring the unity, both physically and mentally, joined together at both groin and mouth. Neither now knew who entered or who was penetrated, male and female combined.
The light flashed in pulses growing brighter and brighter. They breathed in unison, in time with the flashes of green light, in time with the awareness of their desire pulsing together. Their bodies moved by instinct into the rhythm of the ancient dance, and they began their ascent as their bodies rocked in unison with the pulses of light, faster and faster, they climbed together to their release.
They climaxed together, Chakotay’s body slamming into Kathryn’s, both of them screaming their release, as he poured his life into her. The green light flared, almost blindingly bright, and then it began to dim as he collapsed on top of her physically spent.
Afterwards as realization returned to them, Chakotay rolled off of Kathryn and pulled her to him, wrapping her in his arms.
"I love you Kathryn," he whispered, his happiness settling around them.
"I love you too," her voice soft against his chest. She could feel his joy, she added it to her own and reflected it back to him.
As their breathing slowed and their awareness of each other quieted, another awareness took over. Kathryn looked up a Chakotay in surprise, the red blush of embarrassment on her face. They could sense the bridge crew. Each member had a unique signature. The sexual tension between Tom and B’Elanna was so thick that it almost had form. Harry radiated distress and Sam Wildman a strange mixture of both sadness and joy. And Tuvok, his essence was quiet strength, but there was also a tiny echo of joy, and a presence that said T’Pel. The bridge crew was fully aware of what had just happened between the two of them.
Kathryn shuttered and pressed into his chest. "They heard us and they know what just occurred here. How did this happen?" her distress building.
"Kathryn, don’t hide from this, don’t hide from me." He knew that he needed to calm her now or she would retreat behind her wall again. "I don’t care that they know. I don’t care if the whole universe knows I love you."
She looked up at him, her blue eyes telling him how much she loved him and smiled her acceptance. "No, I won’t go back. Once with you is not enough, even a lifetime is not enough, but I guess I’ll have to settle for it."
She rolled from him, sat up on her knees and reached for the stone. Its green flame was ebbing, but it still cast a light that colored her breasts and face. She once again heard Chakotay’s thoughts and knew that she was beautiful.
He stood and helped her up. "We had better dress and get out of here, Tom and B’Elanna don’t seem to be doing too well."
She nodded as she began to put her clothing back on. She could feel the tension and need between Tom and his wife, and while the others were settling down, the need between the pilot and the chief engineer grew. Their bodies screamed for some sort of release.
As she smoothed her hair, tucking some of it behind her ear, she caught another image from Chakotay. He was caressing her hair just before he moved it over her shoulder so he could massage the kinks out of her back. New Earth. Kathryn looked back at him and smiled, "It’ll grow back."
He pulled her to him in a quick hug and pressed his lips on her forehead. Then they turned to the door and stepped out onto the bridge. Kathryn was still holding the green stone.
She walked out onto the bridge, Harry and Tuvok were standing together at the ops station, checking various readings.
The captain looked at the two men and spoke, "Are you both all right?"
They nodded yes, and she knew it was true.
She began issuing orders. "Ensign Kim, check the sensor readings for the last half hour. I want some answers. Tuvok, we need to get some relief crew here now."
She turned to the helm, knowing that the man that sat there was not all right and neither was B’Elanna who stood fidgeting nearby. "Tom," She started.
"I’ll be ok, just give me a minute." His breathing was ragged.
"No, you won’t. You and B’Elanna go to the ready room and take care of each other. That’s an order," she smiled gently at the shaken couple, knowing that neither was likely to make it to their quarters in their present condition.
Tom took B’Elanna’s hand and pulled her into the ready room. The sound of a thump echoed out onto the bridge as someone was pushed up against the wall just inside the door, and a growl was heard as the door whooshed shut.
Captain Janeway turned to Ensign Wildman, "I’d like to know how far we broadcast."
"Captain, I don’t think that it went much farther than the bridge."
Kathryn could see the tears in Samantha’s eyes. She went to the science station and kneeled down beside the weeping woman. "Are you all right?"
"Yes I’m fine," the younger woman lifted her tear stained face. "I don’t know why but, it’s just that I could feel Greskrendtregk here with me. Oh! Captain, it was such a gift. Thank you."
Chakotay again helped Kathryn to her feet. "I think we need to go to sickbay and have the Doctor run some tests."
She realized that she no longer heard the thoughts of the other crew and looked down at the stone. All that was left was the deep transparent green. The light still reflected off its smooth sides, but the fire inside was gone. The stone looked for all the galaxy like a very large uncut emerald.
As the Captain and Commander walked to the turbolift, Tuvok walked with them. "Are you up to supervising things for a while?" She asked him.
"Yes, Captain, I am fine."
"Ok, get the relief crew settled in, and we will have a senior staff meeting in a couple of hours. Samantha, I want you there too," she called to the woman, additionally saying to Kim, "Harry, I want you to coordinate the data coming in."
"Tuvok, send Tom and B’Elanna down to sickbay for scans as soon as they are finished," she said, gesturing at the ready room door. "They seemed to be affected much like Chakotay and I were." She entered the turbolift with her first officer.
"I will see to it, and Captain?"
She turned to her old friend.
"Ensign Wildman is correct, it was a gift."
=^=
The meeting was informative as Seven briefed the senior staff on the data she had recovered from what was left of the planet’s data storage system.
"Much of the information stored had degraded with time, and most of it is irretrievable. However, I did find out that these stones were used in the inhabitants’ marriage rituals. They are referred to as gifts of joy. It is said to help form a permanent bond between compatible couples. They did not use the stones in this raw state, but cut them much like gem stones and used the stones for decoration after the ritual was finished. By this planet’s customs, you are married."
The Doctor also reported his findings. "Certain area in your brain that were originally inactive are now showing activity. Captain, your brain waves and the Commander’s show a harmony that wasn’t present before. Lieutenants Paris and Torres have a similar harmony between them, but to a lesser degree. Captain, Commander, I think that you will always have an awareness of each other."
Kathryn felt Chakotay next to her, and knew that he wanted her. She knew that they would have each other later tonight and tomorrow and forever.
"I think that I can live with that." She looked at Chakotay as a broad grin spread over his face. She glanced across the table at Tom and B’Elanna as they nodded their acceptance and knew that they could live with that as well. She heard Chakotay’s mind as it whispered to her, It is a gift.
Yes, her mind whispered back, A gift that I intend to enjoy the rest of my life.
The End