The BLTS Archive - Untold Love Part Two by Karen (CP4Karen@aol.com) --- Post: BLTS, ASCEM(L) and Archive to R'rain. Disclaimer: Paramount owns them. I imply no copyright infringement. --- The atmosphere that morning was decidedly dismal. There was the hum of various discussions as the Maquis discussed their changes in fortune, and the 'Fleeters discussed the sudden addition of the group of rebels. Not the best atmosphere to attempt to eat in when the food is edible. When it's not....... Tom dropped his fork into his plate and leaned towards his lover. "It's bad enough that we are so strapped for power and materials that everything including replicator rations are doled out like this. But why in the name of the gods did the Captain put that Talaxian in charge of the cooking." Tom grimaced at his plate. "It gives a whole new meaning to mess hall." Vance grinned at his lover and took his first bite. It was also his last. "Gads. I'll be right back." Tom watched open-mouthed as Vance strolled leisurely up to the partition separating the dining area from the kitchen. Glancing back over his shoulder at the younger man, Crittenden winked and then slipped into the kitchen. A voice raised momentarily and then suddenly shut off. Heads turned and watched briefly, waiting for further signs of discord. When none appeared, attention waned and conversation resumed. Tom was considering comming security when his lover returned to view carrying two large bowls. He placed them on the table next to the other breakfast dishes and then prepared a portion from each for himself and Tom. One by one, others from around the mess hall drifted up to the table and began to smile. Soon most of the crowd were partaking of sliced fruit and a sweetened hot cereal. "How did you do that?" Vance smiled and shrugged. "I just pointed out to our little friend that morale was frighteningly low this morning and it might be wise to serve a repast that was a tad more familiar to the crew." Tom grinned. "And how did 'our little friend' take it?" "Just fine. He's taking his new position as morale officer very seriously. That's why I chose that particular phrase to use on him." Tom swallowed his bite and then shook his head. "I get the feeling that he isn't the only one taking their new position seriously. You just silently counseled an entire roomful of people. I'm impressed." "Thank you, love. Speaking of impressed, have I complimented you on your flying abilities? I had seen you pilot a shuttle before, but the acrobatics that you put this ship through to evade the Kazon were inspired." The younger man grinned. "What can I say? There's just something about the threat of getting my ass shot off that moves me to a higher level of piloting." --- Chakotay stood in the shower, reveling in the lukewarm water cascading down his body. The water temperature was a concession to their situation, but the feel of water in comparison to sonics appealed to the all-too-rarely indulged sybaritic streak in the Commander. Seska had left for Engineering just minutes earlier, after a night of unbridled pleasure. It had taken thirty minutes just to regenerate all the traces of their lovemaking. The big man smiled. When he entered his quarters the night before, his mood had been black. The woman's brief taunting regarding his secret one-night stand with Tom Paris had almost stopped things before they got started. Chakotay regretfully turned off the shower and began to dry. He was somewhat confused about the situation with Crittenden and Paris. The Captain had made quite sure that Chakotay understood that Tom was there as Vance's companion, not as an aid to the Maquis' capture. She had taken the news of Tom's brief tour in the Maquis better than he had expected, still going so far as to promote Paris to lieutenant j.g. and make him the senior helmsman. Even Chakotay had to admit that he was by far the best person for the job. The Commander had lain next to his lover for most of the night considering his anger and distrust for Tom Paris. How much of it was truly deserved? There was no doubt that they had never gotten along in the Maquis. Paris had a definite problem with any figure of authority. Chakotay grinned to himself. //Of course, growing up with a tight-assed son of a bitch like Admiral Owen Paris as a father might do it...// But that wasn't really what bothered him. It had been the way Paris had disappeared the morning after they had finally made love. Made love. Chakotay couldn't fool himself. It had been sex, but wildly exquisite sex. He couldn't remember if he had even kissed the other man, just his animal need of possession. They had both gotten drunk after narrowly escaping death at the hands of a Cardassian squad. Several drinks later, a very fervent young blond lay gasping under his equally enthused Captain. Chakotay remembered the feel of the lithe body, the moans and whispered cries as Chakotay made it his mission to taste every centimeter of the satiny skin beneath him. It had built and multiplied until both men came to a screaming climax. The next morning the other man was gone. Chakotay shook off his musing and looked ruefully at his groin. All the thinking in the world would not change the fact that Paris seemed wholeheartedly in love with Vance Crittenden. --- Tom leaned back against the solid warmth of his lover. The turbolift probably hadn't been the smartest place to share a passionate kiss, but they were both reporting for their first shift as members of Voyager's crew and would be apart for the day. Tom was swept into a last ardent kiss and released just as the doors started to open. He watched in amusement as his lover sedately led the way to their first senior staff meeting, as close to being a member of Starfleet as the older man would ever get in his own estimation. Vance had turned down the offer of a commission, saying that 'this old dog' wasn't in the mood for very many new tricks. Tom knew that the real reason was that the older man would hate to be further governed by the very bureaucracy that had always made his work so difficult. It was a subject that had come up a number of times. It was a mystery to Tom how Vance had managed to last so long as a negotiator with his dislike of rules and regulations. Crittenden had just laughed and said that he looked at them as a necessary evil. They were generally followed when absolutely unavoidable, bent when it was more convenient, and hidden behind by the inept. The staff meeting had gone smoothly with the appointment of Maquis B'Elanna Torres as the new senior engineer and a lieutenant j.g. It was obviously an unpopular decision in the eyes of the other candidate, Lt.Carey. Vance leaned over to Tom and whispered, "The lieutenant doesn't seem very happy with his new section head." Tom grinned. "That may partly be due to the fact that she knocked him unconscious in Engineering yesterday." Crittenden's eyebrows crawled toward his hairline. "I'll just consider that pair 'job security'." --- The day had gone fast and Tom managed to convince Harry Kim to join them for dinner in the mess. It lived up to its name again. "I would swear that my casserole just moved." Tom glanced at his lover. The other man seemed serious. Raising his fork, he forced himself to take a bite. Harry watched in awe and then jumped up to grab a pitcher of water from the next table as Vance grabbed for a glass. "Drink this, love." Most of the mess hall watched in amusement as Tom alternated between mouthfuls of swear words and water. "Do *not* touch that stuff! We could use it to burn corrosion off the hull!" A rustling to Tom's right proved to be the new chef. "Oh my, is everything all right here? I've tried to tame everything down for you humans. I would have sworn that leola root would be mild enough." Tom opened his mouth to tell the fur ball that not everyone had stomachs made of durasteel, when he saw the anxious look on the little man's face. "It's OK, Neelix. I guess we're just used to different food, that's all." The alien relaxed. "Oh, good! I will try some of the recipes that I have found in the ship's computer, using the ingredients that I have on hand. I've already found a recipe that will be wonderful with the grejhg'osh glands that I was saving for a special occasion. Tom began to sweat again, but for a different reason. He noticed that they had the attention of most everyone in the hall. "Uh...glands, Neelix?" "Yes, there was a recipe for something called a chicken? It's Catcha-something...there were lots of vegetables, but I can use leola and patomine, and I think that I have some slimning grass left....." Tom noticed that his lover was turning an interesting shade of green. "Neelix-" "-and I'm sure that I still have the dried gant fish. I could grind that up to substitute for the parsley-" "Neelix!" Tom's fuzzy new friend took a quick step back. "Have I upset you, Mr. Paris?" Mr. Paris closed his eyes and sighed. "No. No, of course not. I just wasn't sure if you had been informed that most of the crew are vegetarians." A quick look around the room showed heads bobbing vigorously. "Oh, dear." Neelix was rubbing his hands together in distress. "I do hope that I haven't broken any religious laws for any of the crew! You have to understand that I would never do anything to upset anyone! I-" Vance broke in smoothly. "Of course not. It's not your fault. It's just that...um, most ships on deep space voyages have tended to gravitate towards an all vegetable and fruit diet to alleviate the inertial disturbances caused by the heavier food and the typically slower human digestive cycle." Crittenden smiled his most diplomatic smile. It was the same one that he used on admirals and Romulans. "Over time, our bodies have just gotten used to the blander, non....er, glandular type of meal. Perhaps if you would like, you and I can meet in the next couple of days to discuss the types of meals that would best meet crew requirements." Neelix was beaming. "That would be wonderful! I knew the first time I saw you that you would be a friend." The alien turned and muttered his way back into the galley's storage area. Vance turned and raised an eyebrow. "Do you think that he actually bought all of that?" Harry and Tom exchanged grins. "Hell, I knew the truth and I still almost bought it. Even the part about 'inertial disturbances'. No wonder you and Paris get along so well." Vance chuckled. "Thank you, Ensign Kim. Now, I think I had better advise the Captain that we've all become at least 'temporary' vegetarians and the reason why." Crittenden left the mess hall to a small round of applause. "Is he always like that?" Tom turned to look at Harry. "What do you mean, like that?" Kim shrugged. "You know...so calm, always has an answer, friendly?" The blond head tilted as if in deep thought and the blue eyes sparkled. "I've seen him lose his cool a few times, but for the most part, he is just what he seems." Tom smiled. "Loving him and everything about him just comes naturally to me. I can't picture not doing it." Harry thought of Libby and their quiet, peaceful times of loving. "You two sound just like me and my fiancée, Libby. I feel complete when I'm with her." The sudden look of desolation on the younger man's face was heartbreaking. Tom stood and pulled his friend to his feet. "C'mon, Har. I have a holoprogram that I have been working on for some time. I think you might like it." --- "Lover, you've gone away again." Chakotay turned to Seska and kissed her in apology. "I'm sorry. I was just thinking about everything that has gone on in the last few days. Some of the crew aren't taking it very well." Seska sniffed. "With good reason, Chak. Our *new* captain has exiled us seventy years from home. I'm afraid that I have to agree with B'Elanna. She had no right to do that without everyone's agreement." The big man pushed up to lean against the head of the bed. Seska quickly crawled into his lap, facing him. "Would you have questioned the decision if I had made it?" Seska knew that this answer would be important to their relationship. "No, I wouldn't have questioned it. But you are my captain. She isn't." Chakotay pressed a kiss on the woman's forehead. "She is now. You're going to have to get used to that." "Not necessarily. I still think that you could do the job better, and there are a lot of people that agree with me." The Commander sighed. "You've been asking people? That's a little too close to mutiny." "Only if we actually take steps. And I didn't *ask* people, they're all talking about it. All I had to do was listen." Seska pulled her lover into a kiss. He didn't need to know about Michael's work in engineering yet. "At least watch her and think about it. If you honestly think she'll do a better job than you could, then I won't bring up the subject again." Chakotay frowned. He had been trying to do everything *but* think about the fact that he had voluntarily blown up his own ship to save this one, and then had turned over his crew to another captain. It was definitely a painful subject right now. Seska kissed her way down her lover's abdomen. A quick look at his face proved that he was thinking about what she had just said. Good. It would make her plans that much easier if she had Chakotay as well as Jonas on her side. Concentrating her efforts on the warm brown skin, Seska temporarily put her plotting aside. Carefully placing her hand around the base of the jutting flesh before her, Seska ran a lithe tongue around the glistening head, and then down the underside. Placing two big hands on her head, he silently requested more. She smiled to herself. Jonas had done virtually the same thing not an hour before. Quickly rising to her knees, Seska centered herself and then thrust downwards. A deep groan told her that he was ready to let her do some serious fucking. That was one advantage that he had always had over Michael. Jonas was too damn gentle. //Calls it 'making love'... Great Gul.// Chakotay watched the emotions cross his lover's face, and wondered again what he had done to deserve this. Slowly relaxing, he gave up any efforts at control. The woman above him knew exactly how to please him and seemed to enjoy herself more when she was pleasuring him than at any other time. Seska opened her eyes to find her lover watching as she thrust herself onto his hardened cock again and again. He really was a wonderful fuck. Chakotay smiled at the sounds of pleasure coming from deep in his lover's throat. Slowly running his hands up her sides, he cupped her breasts and began to knead them. Seska arched and drove herself hard onto Chakotay's aching shaft. All thoughts were gone. The only thing that remained was her blind need to continue building the raging heat that pulsed from her belly to her thighs. Growling, she gripped his shoulders and sped up her thrusts. The big man pinched her nipples sharply, grinning at her harsh cry. Placing one hand on her hip, he ran the other between them and began to pull at her bud. Screaming, Seska ground herself tightly against her lover, convulsing as the waves of agonizing pleasure ran through her body. She felt the heated pulsing of the big man's shaft as he released deeply inside of her. She moaned softly and leaned her forehead against the slick shoulder in front of her. He really was such a wonderful fuck. --- "What do you think, Captain?" Kathryn turned to look at Tom, who was flanked by Vance and Harry Kim. "First of all, I'm amazed at your skill as a holo-programmer. Second, I think that it's just what we need to get the crew to relax. Between the bar, the music and the pool table, there's plenty in here to keep people amused." Janeway placed a hand on the lean shoulder before her. "Maybe we could play pool later?" Tom read the woman correctly. "You're a shark." Kathryn laughed. "I admit that I do know my way around a pool table." Tom smiled coolly. "So do I." --- Chakotay walked slowly down the corridor. Seska's words had left him uneasy. He didn't doubt the Captain's ability, but he didn't doubt his own either. Was it vanity to wonder if he could do a better job of guiding the ship home? Could he do a more effective job as captain than he could as second-in-command? Janeway didn't strike him as the type that would completely disregard his opinions. She also didn't strike him as the type that would disregard her *own* opinions in order to honor his, even if he was positive that he was in the right. And what of the ship? Was Seska correct in her idea that the crew would follow him if he should attempt to mutiny? Mutiny! Spirits, what was he saying? There had to be another way. No matter what Seska said, a mutiny would destroy morale and probably any chances they had of both crews getting home. All in all, it was a mess. Finding himself in the main observation lounge, the big man sank onto the corner couch. Looking out at the stars, he tried to imagine seventy years of travel in one small ship. "Commander?" Chakotay looked up to find Vance Crittenden standing at his side. He gestured to the couch beside him. "Where's Paris?" Vance smiled coolly. He had yet to understand what drove the Commander's feeling towards Tom, and exactly what those feelings were. But then, he had a feeling that the big man wasn't too sure about much of that himself. "I left Tom attempting to teach Ensign Kim to play pool." "They have a pool table on Voyager?" Crittenden's smile was more genuine this time. "No, Tom has a holoprogram that he designed. It is a replica of a bar that he used to frequent in Marseilles. Sandrine's really is quite amazing. Actually, it doesn't stop with the bar. He has reproduced a large portion of the city itself as well." Chakotay looked closely at the man beside him. "You really do love him, don't you?" Vance nodded. "He's changed, Commander. He isn't the man that you knew before." Chakotay snorted. "No one could change that much. He was a selfish, drunken, arrogant son of a bitch." Vance clenched his hands in his lap. Taking a deep breath, he spoke. "Have you talked to him, *really* talked to him since you got on board?" "I don't need to." Crittenden sighed. "I don't know what it is that Tom may or may not have done to you, and I can tell that you aren't ready to discuss it with me or with Tom. So, let's back up and talk about the real reason that you are sitting here tonight." Chakotay looked up in surprise. "I'm not in the need of a counselor, if that's what you are concerned about. I just needed a few moments to relax quietly and decided to look at the stars." "Mmmm...and it has nothing to do with the fact that you have found yourself seventy thousand light-years from anything recognizable, or the fact that you destroyed your own ship, or perhaps the fact that you've found yourself surrounded by the very people sent out here to capture you?" Vance smiled at the other man's quick shrug. "If that's not it, then how about the fact that you're suddenly being forced to take orders from someone else, a woman, a Starfleet officer...mmmm, have I come close to any of the reasons that you decided to go stargazing in a deserted part of the ship?" Chakotay frowned. "You're determined to counsel me, whether I want it or not." Vance grinned. "An interesting choice of words, Commander. Not 'whether I need it or not', but 'whether I want it or not'. If I was a psychologist, I would be asking you to think about your wording." "By the way, just what are you?" "I consider myself a mediator. I'm asked to sit in on conversations between factions, and help them keep it civil with suggestions, words of wisdom.....a phaser set on heavy stun...." Chakotay laughed. He realized that he really did like this man. "OK. You win. I am here to think about all the things that you listed and then some. I guess what worries me most is that we have some potential trouble brewing." It was Vance's turn to stare out at the stars. He would have to be very careful with his next words. "Yes. I have heard some of the talk." He prayed that the man next to him would be open enough to consider what he had to say. "Commander, I'm concerned for you. You are in an unenviable position-" Chakotay tensed. "Such as?" "Let's just say that I have noticed that someone close to you has participated in many of these conversations." Chakotay didn't pretend to misunderstand. "She isn't participating. She's listening, keeping an eye on things." "Commander-" The big man stood. "Look, I appreciate your concern. But it's not necessary. I can control my people. Everything will calm down once the two crews get to know each other." Chakotay stalked towards the door and then stopped. Turning quickly, he looked at Crittenden. "How much of this have you told the Captain?" "Nothing yet. But I have noticed that every time I witness one of these conversations, Lt. Tuvok seems to be nearby." Chakotay's stomach lurched. Finally, with a nod, he turned to go. "Chakotay?" The Commander stopped but didn't turn. He was surprised by a warm hand on his shoulder. "Be careful. I say this as a friend. There is something brewing on board this ship, and I am very worried that when it explodes, you are going to be badly hurt." The hand gave a gentle squeeze. Chakotay found himself turning and moving into the arms before him. He was given a brief, warm hug and then released. He looked up into a pair of beautiful green eyes. Vance smiled. "Chakotay, one last thing. I know that you think that Tom has me utterly fooled. I'm not that naïve. I trust him with my life, and believe me, that is not something that I do lightly. You may not like him; you may never like him. But you have to admit, he did not have to save you on those stairs. He did it because he is a good man." The Commander stepped back and shook his head. "I still think that you overestimate him, but I'll tell you what. I'll pay closer attention to what my lover is doing if you'll do the same with yours." He turned again at the door and grinned. "We'll see which of us is the better judge of character." --- The Captain shook her head. She had won the first game, but the next three had quickly gone to Tom. "Well, I know when I'm outclassed, Lieutenant. Where did you learn to play like that?" Tom grinned and sipped his drink. "Did you ever see the library at the house in San Francisco?" Kathryn's eyes widened. Harry looked quizzical. "Your grandfather's table. How old were you when you started playing?" Paris chuckled. "Four. I used to sneak in there when my dad was gone and pull a chair up to the table. After a couple of years, he caught me at it and in typical style, made sure that I was as good as possible. He said, 'If you're going to waste your time, at least do it well.' I've never quite figured that bizarre statement out." Harry smiled. "Maybe that's as close as he could get to condoning your doing something other than preparing for the academy." Kathryn looked askance. "I get the feeling that you have been filling the ensign in on some of your background." Tom smiled softly and put an arm around Harry's shoulder. "Yeah. The weird thing is, he still seems to like me." Kim shook his head. "Like? That's a little strong. Actively tolerate? That's more like it." Kathryn said her goodnights and stepped to the door. Behind her rang the comfortable laughter of two wildly mismatched young men who had against the odds, become best friends. --- "Over here." Seska carefully picked her way through the darkened cargo bay. She suddenly found herself pulled behind a large container and kissed. Suppressing her first inclination to throttle the young man, she instead slowly unfastened Jonas' jumpsuit. "Evening, lover. Did you finish the reprogramming?" Michael nodded and then softly groaned as a hand tightened around him. "Yeah. I hid the subroutines in Paris' hololibrary, just like you said. It can be triggered by you or him. Ahhhhh, Seska...why did you give him primary access and you secondary?" Great Gul, this boy was a dolt. "Because, if anyone finds the routines, it will look like he created them. I can deny any responsibility and Chakotay will back me up. He hates Paris." Seska squeezed the hot flesh and grinned to herself as he bucked, driving himself deeper into her hand. Dropping to her knees, she pulled his hips to her and felt him hot against the back of her throat. Sucking, swirling and nipping, she soon had the young man gasping. Taking a quick look at her chronometer, she saw that she had to meet Chakotay in less than ten minutes. OK... Releasing him, she quickly wet two fingers. She restarted her ministrations and with no warning, sank her fingers deep into his body. Jonas exploded with a shout. Seska kept at him until he groaned and pushed her away. Sinking to the floor, he smiled fuzzily. Tucking the young man away neatly, Seska absently patted his groin and stood. "Don't forget to add a routine that sets the force fields to initiate at your command only. I want no access to engineering once you clear them out. By the way, the Kazon have agreed to meet us in two days time. Can you have everything ready to go by then?" Michael lazily nodded. Seska crouched back down at stroked his cheek. "I wish we had more time, lover, I'd really give you something to smile about." She kissed Jonas. "Once all of this is over, we'll be together all the time." Michael smiled. "I can't wait. I want to spend the first week making love to you in the Captain's bed." Seska smiled and walked off. //A week 'making love'...Great Gul.// --- Vance sat in the darkness and waited for his lover. He was torn between the obligation of notifying the Captain of his suspicions, and the affection that he was beginning to feel for the Commander. At the sound of the door, Crittenden called for the lights and walked out to meet Tom. "How'd the pool lesson go?" Tom smiled and kissed the older man. "Just fine. We even let Harry play for a while." Vance laughed. "So, *is* the Captain a pool shark?" "She has all the makings of one. It will be fun to have someone like her to play against." Vance smiled against the softness of his lover's hair. "Ahhh, I take it that you beat her, then." Paris chuckled. "Three games to one. I'm going to watch her though. I'm still not altogether sure that she's not setting me up for a scam." Crittenden smiled. This had all the makings of a long running rivalry. "What did you do after you left?" Vance sobered quickly. He turned and walked over to the couch with Tom following closely. "Van?" "I'm all right, love. I've just found myself in a bit of a spot." At Tom's quizzical look, he elaborated. "I'm really not sure how much that I can tell you because I don't know if I had the conversation more as a friend or as a counselor." "Ouch." "Exactly. Let's just say that I spoke to someone tonight and they are concerned about morale on the ship." Tom thought a moment. "A mutiny?" Gods, the brat was quick. "Yes, love. There are some very unhappy people due to the Captain's destroying the array. They blame her and want the Commander to take over the ship." "Oh...shit." Tom ran an agitated hand through his hair. "Does the Captain know?" Vance sighed. "I really don't know, but I would guess that she has an idea. Tuvok is everywhere and they are very close." Tom sank back against the couch and closed his eyes. "I told you that I had a real bad feeling about this whole damned mission." Vance reached over and pulled the younger man into his arms. "I know, but it's a little bit late to do anything about it. All we can do now is keep our eyes open and try to protect the Captain." Tom placed a gentle kiss on his lover's brow and then began to unfasten his shirt. Pulling his own sweater over his head, he straddled the older man and wrapped his arms around his waist. The feeling of skin on skin was comforting instead of arousing. Vance softly nipped at Tom's neck where it met his shoulder, and then began to blaze a trail of kisses and licks down to his collar bone. The younger man heaved a quiet sigh and threaded his fingers into his lover's hair. It felt like silk. "I love you, Van." Crittenden smiled. He could sense his young lover's worry and correctly divined that it was directed at him. "I will be fine, love. I just have to figure out how to approach this." Tom pulled the older man's head up and kissed him passionately. "I'm not worried. Much. After all, this is what you do best." Another kiss, more gently this time. "Is there anything that I can do to help?" Vance held him tightly. "You're doing it as we speak, beloved." --- The End