The BLTS Archive- Destiny With Blue Eyes
by Karen (CP4Karen@aol.com)

---

Disclaimer: Paramount owns them. I imply no copyright  infringement.

c1999 Karen

---

"You may not agree, Chakotay, but this journey will mark  the
beginning of your manhood."

It was simpler to just nod than argue, even if the latter had  become
almost rote for the pair.

Gold and blue.

The thirteen-year-old's attention was suddenly captured by the flash
of color near his left knee, but it was gone before  he could fully
turn his head.  He returned to his father's  description of the land
of his Father's Fathers and sighed.   He could just picture returning
to school for the new term.

HOW I SPENT MY SUMMER VACATION By Chakotay.

I got rained on. I dried off.

I got bug bit. I got rained on. I dried off.

I walked for miles every day. I got bug bit. I got rained on.   I
dried off.

I saw a bunch of old carved rocks. I walked for miles every day.   I
got bug bit. I got rained on. I dried off.

I listened to a bunch of old men talk about when they were my age  and
what a privilege it was to be in the stinking rain forest.  I saw  a
bunch of old carved rocks.  I walked for miles every day.   I got
bug--

There it was again.  Slowly rolling his eyes, Chakotay was rewarded
with a glimpse of a small pink face capped with a mop of golden blond 
curls peeking around the edge of the seat before him.  He was vaguely 
aware that his father had stopped speaking, but was mesmerized by the 
tiny pale hand that moved towards his own.  Suddenly noticing its 
audience, the head disappeared but not before Chakotay was rewarded 
with another flash of the bluest eyes he had ever seen.

The baby did not return.  A stop in San Diego was soon made,  and a
man around his father's age and wearing a StarFleet  uniform lifted
the toddler into his arms in preparation to leave.   He watched in
silence as the man directed a young woman and  two small girls off the
shuttle.  Chakotay had never seen that  much blond hair in his life.

"That's Captain Paris."

Chakotay nodded, not taking his eyes off the departing family. He
grinned as the baby boy waved 'bye-bye' and found himself  waving in
return. They looked like a happy family.  He bet the  captain would
never force his son to do things he didn't want  to do.

As the shuttle took to the air, Chakotay turned to his father.

"Do you know Captain Paris?"

Kolopak frowned.  "I know of him.  Paris has been to Dorvan  a few
times while evaluating the Cardassian threat to the  Federation.  He
comes from a rather powerful family which has been in StarFleet from
the beginning. News media rumors say that he will be an Admiral within
five years."

"You don't like him."  It was not a question.

"I don't know him well enough to say.  It is dangerous to judge people
without information, but I think we would be smart to keep an eye on
him and his activities."

"I thought that Dorvan V wasn't going to join the Federation. How can
he hurt us?"

Kolopak looked down at his son.  The dark chocolate eyes  brought back
thoughts of home.  Forcing Chakotay to make  this trip to earth had
not gone over well.  Kolopak smiled,  thinking of what he would have
to do to make up for that  when they returned.  He sighed, and his
sudden hug surprised  but pleased his son.

"Chakotay, the Federation has good basic ideals, but they will 
protect themselves and their holdings first. If it comes to protecting
the Dorvan system or the Federation, they will not hesitate to  put
themselves ahead of our safety."

Leaving the boy to digest his words, Kolopak leaned back and closed
his eyes.  He knew of his son's hopes to join StarFleet and prayed
that Chakotay would realize that his destiny lay with his people.

Chakotay looked at his father and grimaced.  He would soon have to
tell his father of his ambitions.  With his current grades, he would
be eligible for Academy pre-testing in a little over a year.  Without
his father's signature, it would be impossible.

If his father could just see that the old ways weren't the only way.

---

"Pre-flight checks complete.  We're OK'd for departure as soon as we
get *our guest* stowed away."

Chakotay grinned as he glanced at his co-pilot.  Eric Steiner was a
first generation 'Fleeter like himself.  As newly-minted 'j.g.'s, they
had been given the scut assignment of shuttling 'Fleet bigwigs to and
from Earth as their first piloting rotation.  Six months of  bowing
and scraping, but considering that it was his last stop before command
school and that his co-pilot was his lover made  it bearable. 

And sometimes, downright enjoyable.

"Incoming...."

Chakotay snorted at the quiet remark and turned to greet their
passenger.  Both young men shot to their feet as the Admiralty
insignia on the uniform before them registered.

"At ease, gentlemen.  This is my son, Thomas.  Go on with your flight
checks and we'll stow his kit in the rear."  Chakotay nodded dazedly
as the pair moved away.

Eric leaned over and whispered, "Oh, joy.  A 'Fleet brat.  I'm sure
that we'll hear plenty about how everything is *supposed* to be done."

"Are you kidding?  Scuttlebutt is that 'His Son, Thomas' is  some sort
of prodigy when it comes to flying.  He was acing the sims before he
could do his multiplication tables."

"Oh, please.  No kid is that good."

Their conversation broke off at the sound of a raised voice and a
sharp crack from the lounge.

"--don't want to hear another word.  If you had an aptitude for
anything besides piloting, this wouldn't be necessary.  As it is,
these extra assignments are the only thing that will assure you  are a
semester ahead of your class.  Try not to fuck this up,  Thomas." 

Chakotay and Eric spun towards the console and began to request  final
clearance from Control, turning as the Admiral cleared his throat.

"Gentlemen.  Safe trip."

The shuttle had cleared Earth atmosphere and there was still no sign
of their charge.  Chakotay frowned and gestured with his head towards
the rear of the shuttle.  Eric grinned and shook his head.

"No, I'm not baby-sitting the kid.  Only the chief pilot of this
flight is important enough for that duty."

"I'll remember this the next time you get amorous at 0300, babe. I see
a cold shower or two in your future."

Chakotay yelped as a long finger swept up the cleft of his ass,  and
then kissed his lover soundly.  A deep sigh followed him  through the
cabin, causing him to chuckle as he entered the  lounge.

Gold and blue.

Chakotay smiled at the long forgotten memory.  The curls  were just as
gold, albeit a bit tamer, the body sleek as a  young colt.  He must
have made some sort of sound causing the boy to startle and turn.

Not just blue...sapphire. 

"Did you need something, Sir?"

It was Chakotay's turn to startle, and he grinned ruefully at having
been caught staring.  He was unprepared for the response, however, as
the boy turned bright red and quickly lowered his eyes to the table.

"Actually, Lt. Steiner and I are going to have lunch and  thought that
you might want to join us up front."

"I have to finish my work before we reach StarBase Two."

Chakotay decided not to let the youngster know that he was well aware
of why the schoolwork had to be completed. "I think you have time for
a meal."  He patted a slender shoulder. "C'mon.  I can replicate a
heck of a chocolate milkshake."

That got a small smile.  Not waiting to see if he was being followed,
Chakotay returned to the helm.  Eric looked up as the other man slid
into his seat, and then smiled at the  quiet figure behind them.

"You come to take your turn at flying this bucket?"

Thomas blushed.  "No, the lieutenant said that it was time for lunch."

Eric grinned.  "Well, the lieutenant's name is Chakotay and I'm Eric. 
Why don't you sit at Nav for a bit while I whip up a meal that you
won't soon forget."

"Thank you, sir."

Steiner's eyebrows rose.  "Hey, Chakotay and I run a casual ship,
here.  No sirs on this shift."

The boy blushed.  "I'm sorry, but I'm not allowed.  The Admiral says
that if someone has earned rank, you afford them the respect that it
deserves."

Chakotay's gut clenched at the words, 'the Admiral'.  This kid might
be a 'Fleet brat, but it was in name only.  Forcing himself to grin,
he answered. 

"In that case it's an order, Mr. Paris.  For the duration of this
flight, I'm Chakotay, that's Eric, and you're Thomas.  Got it?"

"Aye, Chakotay, and make that Tom if you would, please." A wicked grin
accompanied the statement, and the other two were pleased to see that
there was still some spirit left in the boy.

"Tom, it is."  Chakotay glanced at his lover who was grinning like an
idiot.  "I thought you were in the process of whipping something?" 

"On my way."

---

After lunch, Chakotay and Eric took turns tutoring Tom in his studies. 
The boy was bright and the excitement over the promise of flying made
the homework relatively painless.


"Tom got to you, didn't he?"

Chakotay looked up from the console to a concerned face. "I was just
wondering what it would be like to have Admiral Paris for a father."

Eric gave a theatrical shudder.  "I think the fact that Tom referred
to his father as 'The Admiral' says a lot."  His lover  gave a rather
absent nod and set the helm to auto.

"I've spent the last two hours going over the day.  The boy was
bright, polite and funny as hell.  Even if we did get the good
behavior because we were strangers, I think Tom Paris is a great kid. 
I just keep remembering his father's words to him before we left."

"He hit him."

Chakotay glanced at his lover's profile which was flushed with what
looked to be anger.  "I thought that was what  I heard, but I didn't
see any marks."

"There wouldn't be.  The Admiral is no fool.  He'd make sure that
anything he did to that kid was either easily fixed or hidden."

Chakotay sighed and then turned back to the helm.  He  thought back to
another shuttle and what seemed a lifetime ago. 

His father had been right about the elder Paris.  Admiral  in less
than five years and deep in the redrawing of the DMZ. 

Even with the concessions, there was talk of trouble coming  with the
Cardassians.  They weren't happy with the value of  their territory,
and had been slowly expanding their holdings.   Dorvan V could
conceivably be the next Bajor, and the  Federation still hadn't made a
firm commitment to aid the  nonaligned worlds that stood in
Cardassia's shadow.

His father had come to Earth and met with the Council, explaining
their needs and intentions to stay on their  home planets.  He was
livid when Admiral Paris had  referred to them as colonists.

Chakotay was doing what he could behind the scenes. He had no
political standing, but had written a treatise on the ethical
responsibilities of the Federation in regards  to planets such as
Dorvan V.  It was quietly but well  received, and his father had
commended him.

He believed in StarFleet and everything that they stood for but
understood that sometimes progress was slow. He just hoped that his
people didn't suffer the consequences of that slowness.

---

Gold and blue.

It had been years since that day on the shuttle, eons since his first
glimpse of one Thomas Eugene Paris. The only resemblance between past
and present was physical. Chakotay nursed his drink and wondered if
the defiant drunk before him remembered either himself or Eric.

The gold had darkened and picked up a red tint along the way.  The
older man idly wondered if that was due to a lack of sunlight, the
peaches and cream complexion mostly cream now.

"That's a hell of a high price, Paris.  What makes you think I'm
willing to pay a drunken mercenary that much for one flight?"  For a
brief moment Chakotay fully expected to be hit, but the rage died as
quickly as it built.  In its place, the familiar defiance laced with
an edge of what looked to be fear.

"I'm the best that you can get, and considering that you are asking me
to go into Fed territory and pick up a load of weapons, I think the
price is cheap."

Privately Chakotay agreed, but still hated the fee.  However, they had
taken heavy losses in the last few weeks at the  hands of the
Cardassians. 

"I'll give you one-third now, and the rest when you return." Chakotay
looked into the thin, pale face and was saddened at the cold smirk. 

"Half now, half after, Big Man.  I've got some debts I need  to settle
before I can leave."

"I can imagine.  Even bad booze is expensive nowadays."

"Yeah, well, fuck you.  I'll be sober when you need me to be.  Now, is
it a deal?"

Chakotay finished his drink and then nodded.  "I'll meet you back here
in an hour."

Tom stared into his glass for a moment and then shoved  it away. 

"I'll be here."

---

"One hell of a day..."

Chakotay cracked open one eye and glanced at the other occupant of the
lift.  "One hell of a year."

Tom smirked and then nodded.  "You have a point.  Every time I think
things are gonna settle down a bit, all hell breaks loose.  If it's
not the Kazon or the Vidiians, then it's Q."  He patted his head. 
"They keep this shit up, I'm gonna be bald by the time I'm
thirty-five."

Chakotay chuckled.  "Could have been worse.  That could have been
Cardassians instead of Ferengi down there  today."

"That's a cheerful thought."  The turbolift doors opened and Tom
exited with a yawn.  Turning back to his companion, he smiled and held
out a hand. "You coming?"

The older man straightened and moved to join his lover. "I say we get
out of these clothes and take a long, hot bath followed by lots of
food and incredible sex."  Chakotay found himself suddenly backed up
and held against the  bulkhead by his shoulders.

"How about we get out of the clothes, have some incredible sex and
*then* have a bath?" 

Chakotay kissed Tom and then pulled him towards their cabin.  "I think
I've gotten old.  Right now, the food and the bath sound as good as
the sex."

Tom keyed the cabin door and stepped inside.  "I'm sure that we can
compromise."  The grin had, if anything,  gotten even more wicked over
the years.  "You start the bath water, I'll get the food.  If I have
my way, everything will be taken care of by the time we get out of the
tub."

Chakotay leaned up against the bedroom entry and began to remove his
clothes.  He watched his lover quickly  punch his request into the
replicator.  Tom looked up and smiled to see that he had an audience. 
Waggling his  eyebrows, he began to place everything on a tray.

The hair, while still full of gold highlights was a dark  reddish
blond now.  The body, tall and straight, was  slender but no longer
thin. Tom had grown from a  beautiful baby into an equally beautiful
man.  Still deep  in his musing, Chakotay silently took the tray and
went  in to start the bath.


Gods, the water felt wonderful. Just short of hot, it  made a
wonderful counterpoint to the iced juice that  he sipped.  He opened
his eyes to comment and saw Tom lighting the last of the candles
before dimming the overhead light.

Gold and blue.

Candlelight danced in his lover's hair, bringing the gold to the fore. 
The eyes, just as blue as ever, sparkled with amusement.

"Care to share your thoughts, Chakotay?"

The older man just shook his head, smiling softly and then leaned up
to claim a kiss from the man sitting facing him.  He still had no idea
if Tom remembered their flight to StarBase Two.

"Just thinking about destiny, fate...the secret of real happiness."

Tom looked intrigued.  "And here I thought you were just another
pretty face.  Have you figured any of it out?" 

"Bits and pieces.  I believe we were destined to be together."

Tom swallowed his bite of cheese and grinned.  "I'm glad you didn't
say fated.  OK, I'll buy that.  How about the secret of happiness? 
You have an epiphany yet?"

Chakotay grinned and pulled Tom up to lie against his chest.  "Yep. 
Gold and blue."

"Gold...and blue.  I think dealing with the Ferengi may have taken
more out of you than we knew."

Chakotay shook his head and ran his fingers through Tom's hair. 
"Gold."  He gently kissed one eyelid. "Blue."

The younger man whispered,  "And how long have you had this theory,"
and then yelped at his lover's fierce hug.

"Maybe longer than I realized..."

---

The End