The BLTS Archive- There's Magic in the Air by Bronte (bronte62fan@yahoo.com) --- Disclaimer: The characters are not mine...I'm just borrowing them. I'll give them back, I promise! This story is in response to Ki's challenge to Cha Club writers. This tale is based on things magical and must include these words: solar eclipse, Mars, moon, Fae, Elven, dragons, union, spirit, consecration, blessing. --- A strange feeling came over Chakotay, making him shiver with dread. When Captain Janeway asked him to lead the away mission, he jumped at the chance to get off the ship and walk on solid ground again. It had been 7 months since their last opportunity to visit an 'M' class planet that was as hospitable as this one appeared. So why was he suddenly filled with a sense of foreboding? This morning, Chakotay had assembled a team of four, which included Harry Kim, B'Elanna Torres, Tom Paris and himself. Due to the heavy ion interference, the transporters were inoperable. Lieutenant Paris expertly piloted the shuttlecraft through the atmospheric turbulence, only making the Commander nervous a couple of times. "That wasn't too bad, considering what a hot-shot Paris is," Chakotay reflected. Upon arrival, they split into two groups. Kim and Torres began to explore caves that sensors show may have rich deposits of dilithium. Chakotay and Paris began exploring the dense forest, searching for fresh foods to replenish their depleted supply. "Edible mushrooms..." Chakotay thought, imagining himself enjoying fresh homemade mushroom soup for dinner. "Please let there be edible mushrooms!" Much to Chakotay's dismay, they found no mushrooms. In fact they found no food at all. "Tom, doesn't it seem strange that nothing in this forest is edible? I've noticed wildlife all around, but nothing for them to eat." "I've noticed the same thing. I performed a scan on the various creatures living in the area and they appear to be similar to the ones on Earth. Maybe the ion interference is messing with our sensor readings. This just doesn't make sense..." Tom said as he began knocking the tricorder against a nearby tree. "Tom, I don't think that will help," Chakotay scolded. "Besides, the last thing we need is a broken tricorder." "I know, I know. You're right. Somehow, it just makes me feel better!" Tom declared, grinning as he noticed the older man struggling to suppress a smile. "Maybe Chakotay isn't such a stuffed shirt after all," Tom mused to himself. The men entered a small clearing with waist-high grass and a sea of yellow daffodil-type flowers. "I feel like I'm in the middle of an enchanted forest, like the ones I read about as a child," Tom pondered. "It's so surreal. I almost expect some type of fae to come out of the forest and lead us to its magical kingdom!" Chakotay wasn't amused by Tom's observations. That sense of dread was still with him, as the blue-green sky began to darken. "What the..." Chakotay stammered. "If these readings are correct, we are witnessing a solar eclipse! Why didn't we know that this was going to happen? These things are not particularly spontaneous!" Chakotay's sarcasm was not wasted on Tom. "This shouldn't be happening...couldn't be happening," Tom thought. Tom nudged Chakotay, trying to get his attention. "Chakotay, this place gives me the creeps. Let's get out of here!" Tom whispered. Chakotay didn't respond. His gaze was fixed on the trees on the other side of the small clearing. Tom tried to get the Commander's attention, but had no success. "Chakotay! Wake up!" Tom hollered, hoping to snap him out of whatever spell he was under. It seemed to work as Chakotay turned his head, facing the worried pilot. "You'll never believe what I just saw," Chakotay said, almost in a dream-like state. "What did you see?" Tom asked, not liking this turn of events one bit! "I saw several Elven-like creatures peering at me from the underbrush. Then they just disappeared into thin air...just like that!" Chakotay snapped his fingers, making Tom jump at the unexpected noise. "Tom, I think there is a spirit at work here in the forest," Chakotay said eerily. "What are you talking about, Chakotay? Spirits? That's absurd! Next you're going to tell me you've seen sprites, trolls, or maybe werewolves during the last full moon!" Tom was in no mood to hear about supernatural sitings. "So now are you going to tell me to build an altar, say a blessing, and perform a full blown consecration ceremony to appease them so they won't eat us alive??" Tom looked like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car as Chakotay peered at the apprehensive younger man. Chakotay laughed, breaking the tension a little. "You are so gullible, Tom. I didn't see a thing! I just wanted to see if I could get you all worked up. I thought your eyes were going to pop out of your head!" Chakotay bent over, grasping his stomach, trying to control the belly laugh that threatened to take over his body. Just then, Tom heard a noise from behind them. Tom looked over his shoulder, just in time to see the flames leaping toward Chakotay. "Get down!" Tom yelled as he tried to push the commander to the ground. He was too late. The flames barely touched the Commander, but it was enough to start his trousers on fire. Tom wrestled him to the ground, rolling Chakotay to his back, smothering the potentially deadly flames. "Chakotay, are you all right?" Tom asked frantically. "Yeah, I'm fine, I think... What was that??" Chakotay gasped. "Uhhh, I don't know," Tom lied. "We seem to be safe for now. Whatever it was is gone now." Chakotay reached behind him, tenderly touching the reddening skin of his buttocks. His trousers and boxers were burned, leaving backside exposed for all to see. "Tom, I've got to get you out of here before something happens to you too. I think I can walk. I'm not burned too badly," he said quietly. Chakotay flinched as he tried to determine the extent of his injury. "Never mind that, Chakotay. Roll over. I need to take care of that burn," Tom said while opening the small medical kit they had brought along. "I need to rub this ointment on your skin before you burn any further." "Oh no you don't," Chakotay snapped. "I'm not letting you touch me there! I can do it myself!" "Quit acting like a big baby," Tom chastised. "Just roll over and shut up, ...sir!" Tom hadn't seen anyone act so self-conscious since he went with his best friend, who is now the pastor at the Union of Souls Ecumenical Church, to the beaches on Mars for Spring Break. But that's another story... Tom began rubbing the salve on the clenched buttocks of the embarrassed commander. "Relax, Chakotay. You'll be fine. I don't even think you'll blister. Once we get back to the shuttle, I'll run a dermal regenerator over your skin and you'll be good as new." Chakotay let out the breath that he didn't realize he was holding. "Tom, I'm sorry I'm being such a pain in the.......ass." Suddenly both men began giggling at the unexpected pun. "I didn't mean to say it that way..." Chakotay just gave up trying to explain and enjoyed the humor of the situation and the company of the younger man. "Let's get back to the shuttle. Now--if you don't mind," Tom demanded as he helped the Commander off the ground. "Gladly," Chakotay replied as he removed his jacket and wrapped it around his waist to cover his exposed cheeks. "Don't do that on my account," Tom teased. "I kind of like the view!" "Very funny, Tom. Always the comedian..." Chakotay deadpanned. "I wasn't trying to be funny." Tom stated with a serious tone. "Lieutenant, are you hitting on me?" Chakotay queried. "Yes, ...if that's OK." Tom replied, anxiously awaiting the reaction of the older man. "That's more than OK," Chakotay purred as he pulled the pilot into an embrace. "Would you mind if I kissed you now or should we wait for our official first date?" "Now would be great..." Tom was silenced as Chakotay's lips covered his own, parting slightly, allowing the men to deepen the kiss. Chakotay pulled away, smiling warmly at Tom. "By the way, I don't believe you when you say that you didn't see what caused my backside to barbeque. What did you see, Tom?" Chakotay looked deeply into Tom's blue eyes and Tom knew he couldn't lie to this man. "You'll never believe me, but here it goes... It was a fire-breathing dragon..." Tom said meekly. "What???" sputtered Chakotay. "Are you serious?" "Dead serious," replied Tom. Chakotay knew that Tom was not joking. He grabbed the pilot by the hand and pulled him quickly to the shuttlecraft. Just as they reached the door, Harry appeared. "Welcome back," Harry said brightly. "You sure took your sweet time getting back... Say, what happened to you, Commander?" "Don't ask, Ensign. You don't want to know," Chakotay sighed. "Oh, yes I do!" Harry thought, smiling to himself, taking his station. "I just have to wait to get the full scoop from Tom after we get back to the ship." Tom gazed at Harry, reading his mind, knowing that his best friend will pry the details out of him later on. "Is B'Elanna back?" Tom asked. "I'm here," she replied from the back of the shuttle. "I was just securing the dilithium we collected." As she moved forward, she notice Chakotay wincing as he sat in the co-pilot's chair. "What happened to you?" she asked before she realized the implications of her question. "I mean...I just... What have you been doing? Don't tell me. I don't want to know. What goes on in your personal lives is none of my business..." The chief engineer spun around, stomping to the back of the shuttle, muttering to herself and looking completely embarrassed. "B'Elanna, it's not what you think!" Chakotay protested. "Not yet anyway..." Tom murmured, so only Chakotay could hear. Chakotay smiled. "Not yet, but soon..." Back in the forest, the fae smiled. "All is now as it should be," they sung as they disappeared into the mist, only to return when undiscovered love calls again. --- The End