Basics II: Another View
by ILuvKate

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"Commander," Janeway spoke to Chakotay who sat by the fire sharpening
some arrows. "I'm going to the bathing area." Firelight threw
flickering shadows across the angular planes of the First Officer's
face as he glanced up at the Captain.

"Very well, Captain," he replied, watching her figure, weariness
etched in every line, make its way across the camp to disappear
through the thin scraggly screen of trees that hid the bathing area.
He glanced at Tuvok whose gaze was also following Janeway's tired
form, and the Vulcan returned the glance briefly before returning to
his work.

The entire crew worried silently about their captain, seeing her, with
each passing day they spent in Hanon IV's harsh unforgiving environs,
growing more silent, thinner, and grimmer. For the sake of those under
her, she made a valiant effort to project a positive confidence that
they would be rescued, and soon. She moved constantly from one
workgroup to the other, spread out over the small territory they'd
secured for themselves here, talking with various crew, pitching in
and digging or constructing--whatever needed doing. She buoyed them
up, and in return they tried to do the same for her, but just as her
heart was not in the positive confidence she tried to display, theirs
were not in the forced laughing and talking they engaged in for her
benefit.

Kathryn Janeway undressed at the edge of the bathing pool, reveling in
this brief solitude. Out of some obscure desire to punish herself, she
didn't allow herself to come here every day and bathe, but rationed
the opportunities out to herself like a stingy stepmother denying
snacks to her children.

Harry Kim and Susan Nicoletti had discovered this bubbling pool fed by
the hot springs in Hanon IV's underground and had worked for a week to
build a bathing area that would not only permit bathing in heated
water, but would also provide constant clean water. They'd dug,
carried, drained and built in their sparse spare time and everyone on
the crew was grateful for this small amenity, most of all, Captain
Kathryn Janeway, who would have neve admitted her delight out loud,
and who denied herself the precious privilege until she could do
without it no longer.

Janeway sat down on the smooth rock at the edge of the pool, and with
a sigh of contentment, slid into the steaming water, up to her neck.
She settled herself on a perch and leaned back, closing her eyes,
basking in the blessed warmth of the water as it soaked into her weary
body.

The scrape of a footstep and the rustle of the tree branches being
pushed aside, sent her quickly upright, her hand reaching
automatically for the stout stick lying at the edge of the pool,
without which no one left the camp these days. She relaxed as B'Elanna
Torres stopped short just through the screen of trees.

"Captain!" B'Elanna exclaimed. "I'm sorry! I didn't even think about
anyone being here. I--" She turned to leave, but Janeway stopped her.

"Wait, B'Elanna," she said. "Please, come on down and have your
bath--if you don't mind sharing. It's big enough for both of us."
B'Elanna turned back.

"All right," she said. "If you're sure you don't mind. I know you like
to grab a few minutes alone..." Janeway waved a hand.

"It's fine. Please. Come on." B'Elanna nodded and began to take off
her uniform as Janeway settled back down into the water, putting her
head back and closing her eyes again. B'Elanna slipped into the water
and settled down also. A few minutes of companionable silence passed
before Janeway reluctantly roused herself, and reaching for a cake of
the rough soap they'd fashioned following an ancient Terran process,
began to wash herself.

B'Elanna took in the thinness of Kathryn Janeway's body, which still,
despite the slight emaciation, was attractive. She'd always thought
the captain extremely attractive. She'd always had an eye for an
attractive woman, and Captain Kathryn Janeway was that and more.

B'Elanna reined in her thoughts, shaking herself. What are you doing,
idiot? she scolded herself, sitting up and reaching for a cake of soap
as Janeway had done. This is the captain you're thinking about here,
not Cassandra Reilley at the Crooked J Bar on Deep Space Four. She
shifted her position in the water and directed her thoughts to a
project she and some of the Engineering crew working on.

The lap of water as Janeway moved in it, bathing, pulled B'Elanna's
attention back to the captain and she opened her eyes. Janeway had
moved over to the rinsing trough where water sluiced down over her
body, rinsing away the soap and carrying the waste water off to the
side. Unwilling, B'Elanna's eyes roamed over Janeway's naked body and
she felt heat that had nothing to do with the hotness of the water
travel through her belly.

Janeway was running her hands through her wet hair, rinsing it, when
she opened her eyes and her gaze met B'Elanna's. For one long,
electric minute they stared at each other, Janeway fully aware that
B'Elanna had been watching her, studying her body. Slowly she lowered
her hands and looked back at the discomfited Chief Engineer. The
silence stretched out and then Janeway moved slowly but purposefully
through the water toward where B'Elanna sat. As she stopped in front
of the younger woman, she wordlessly held out her hand. B'Elanna, her
expression wondering, reached out and took it, allowing the captain to
draw her upright.

Water ran in rivulets down B'Elanna's body, dripping down the round
globes of her breasts to drop from her nipples, sheeting across her
flat belly, running through the dark patch of hair between her legs.
Kathryn Janeway stood and watched the water cascade off B'Elanna's
shapely form, her eyes traveling from the juncture of B'Elanna's
thighs, upward across her belly, pausing briefly at her breasts and
then on to her face where once again they exchanged a long, silent
look. B'Elanna felt her breath catch at the frank desire in Kathryn
Janeway's face and warmth uncurled in her belly.

"You're so beautiful," Janeway whispered, breaking the silence. "I've
always imagined, but never knew before til now." Suddenly,
incongruously, she licked her lips and B'Elanna felt a wild flare of
arousal at that gesture.

"Captain....," she began uncertainly. The look in Janeway's eyes was
distant, distracted, as though she were in another place.

"Kathryn," Janeway said. She gave a lopsided smile. "Kathryn. We are,
after all, standing here, naked, looking at each other." Her eyes
focused on B'Elanna and she searched B'Elanna's face for a moment.
"I'm not even thinking," she said, her voice serious. "For all I know,
I may be disgusting yo--"

"No!" B'Elanna exclaimed, interrupting her pained declaration. "No,
Captain--Kathryn..." she continued, "you are most certainly not
disgusting me." She moved toward Kathryn, suddenly wanting nothing
more than to soothe the lines of pain etched in her weary face, and
erase the tired shadows under her eyes. She wanted to make Kathryn
Janeway's weary mouth curve in a smile, her eyes to light with
happiness. She wanted, once more to see the Captain's proud carriage
instead of shoulders slumped in weary defeat. She stopped in front of
Kathryn, so close that their nipples were nearly brushing, and the
passion that licked along her nerves found an answering passion in
Kathryn's body.

Their lips met at the same instant and with mutual consent. B'Elanna
savored the taste and feel of Kathryn Janeway's mouth. It felt as she
had always imagined it might, and it tasted right, too. They kissed
only, hands still for the moment, exploring the sensations that
kissing was sending rippling through their bodies.

"Kathryn," she whispered, finally drawing back just a little. She
raised a hand and brushed her thumb across Kathryn's lips. "I have
wanted to do this for so long." She was rewarded by seeing happiness
rise in Kathryn's face, and she was glad she had made her declaration.

"I have wanted you to do that for so long," Kathryn said softly,
stroking the backs of her fingers down B'Elanna's cheek. "What took us
so damned long?" B'Elanna shrugged.

"Running a ship? Staying alive? Getting home?" she said. Kathryn
nodded, her eyes darkening again for a moment, but they brightened as
she looked at B'Elanna again.

"Come on," she said. "We're not going to waste any more time." She
took B'Elanna's hand and led her over to the edge of the pool. "Sit on
the edge, darling," she whispered, brushing her lips across
B'Elanna's. B'Elanna felt her knees go weak and she levered herself up
so that she sat on the edge of the pool, her legs in the water.
Kathryn moved her thighs apart and stood between them. She rested her
palms on B'Elanna's thighs near the juncture of thigh and hip and
B'Elanna shivered. She bent and captured Kathryn's mouth with hers,
and they kissed deeply and hotly.

"Oh, Kathryn," B'Elanna whispered, reaching to cup Kathryn's breasts.
Kathryn gasped, closing her eyes and putting her head back as B'Elanna
rolled the nipples in her fingers. B'Elanna leaned forward and kissed
Kathryn's exposed throat from earlobe to chin and down to her
collarbone. Kathryn whimpered with pleasure and her hands moved to the
patch of hair between B'Elanna's legs. "Ohhhhhhhhh, gods,
ye-e-e-s-s-s-s-s," B'Elanna exhaled on a long sigh, swallowing hard as
Kathryn's fingers parted the heated lips of her sex and ran her thumb
up and down the sides, slick with more than the water of the pool.

"Lie back," Kathryn said softly and B'Elanna complied, feeling the
fire in her belly. Kathryn bent and flicked her hyper-sensitive clit
lightly with her tongue, still sliding her thumbs up and down the lips
of B'Elanna's sex. B'Elanna writhed under her touch, moaning softly.
Her hands moved aimlessly, stroking Kathryn's shoulders, which were
all she could reach.

"Oh, Kathryn, yes, yes!" she gasped, "oh, please.....oh, yes!" She
babbled incoherently, only wanting Kathryn's tongue and fingers to
stroke her harder. Kathryn's feathery touch was driving her insane
with need and the pressure in the pit of her stomach was getting
unbearable. Kathryn took her own sweet time, holding B'Elanna just on
the edge of orgasm, liking the feel of quivering thighs and shuddering
hips. As she sensed that B'Elanna was nearing the apex of her
pleasure, she increased the pressure of her tongue until B'Elanna's
body was in the grip of a mammoth orgasm which left her spent and
gasping in its wake. Kathryn watched her, smiling, enjoying her
pleasure.

B'Elanna sat up, bleary-eyed and stared consideringly at Kathryn.
"You're something else, lady, you are," she muttered. She slid down
off the edge of the pool and into the water. She dipped down, grinning
up at Kathryn, who raised an eyebrow. B'Elanna's head disappeared
below the water and Kathryn gave a stifled exclamation as she felt a
probing tongue enter her. She drew in a deep breath, almost climaxing
at once, so close was she to the edge, but she held herself back in
anticipation of the pleasure to come. B'Elanna's tongue was busy and
voracious, and she found it hard to remain standing, feeling her own
thighs quiver deliciously in response. She leaned forward just enough
to support herself on her arms against the edge of the pool, panting
as the muscles in her lower belly clenched.

"Gods, B'Elanna.....gods!" she muttered. She groaned as she felt
B'Elanna withdraw her tongue. B'Elanna stood, rising from the water,
taking some deep breaths, grinning at Kathryn.

"You like?" she asked, teasing.

"Torture," Kathryn responded. "You're dangerous." B'Elanna suddenly
cupped her bottom, swung her around and seated her on the edge of the
pool.

"I guess you want me to stop, then," she said, straight-faced. Kathryn
just smiled back at her serenely.

"Of course," she drawled sweetly. "If you want to." She paused. "If
you can," she added. B'Elanna snorted.

"Like I could," she remarked. She pushed Kathryn flat, abruptly and
plunged her tongue back into Kathryn's aching sex without further ado.
She made Kathryn come once, twice, and three times before she finally
let up. She hopped up to sit beside Kathryn's prone body and circled a
breast, pulling the nipple up into a stiff point. Kathryn groaned.
"Give me a break," she pleaded. B'Elanna giggled.

"You don't need a break," she said wickedly, trailing her fingers down
Kathryn's body, across her belly and stroking up and down the soft
insides of her thighs. Kathryn shuddered. "Wouldn't want to break the
momentum, now, would we?" B'Elanna purred, leaning over to take one of
Kathryn's breasts in her mouth, sucking the nipple hard enough to
elicit a whimper from her lover. Kathryn's own hands sought breasts,
belly, thighs and butt, and they made slow, gentle love, bringing each
other to sweet climax. They sat, leaning against a rock, embracing,
liking the feel of silky naked skin against silky naked skin. At last,
Kathryn stirred, brushing her lips across B'Elanna's forehead.

"I expect we'd better get dressed and get back out there before we
become the topic of discussion," she said reluctantly. B'Elanna sat
up.

"I wouldn't worry about it," she said, stretching. "When I came in,
the campsite was deserted. I think everyone has gone to bed.

"Then, shall we, also?" Kathryn asked. B'Elanna hugged her in delight.

"I thought you'd never ask," she said. "I thought you'd never ask."
They gathered their clothes, dressed, tidied up and left the bathing
area, heading for Kathryn's sleeping area.

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Copyright 1998 ILuvKate

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The End