"Wait! They left without me saying goodbye."

"Oh. did you want to say something? It didn't occur to me."

"Not funny!"

The actors came to the end of the scene and turned to look expectantly at their director.

"That's great, guys. I think this thing is really coming together." Tom beamed happily at his captain. "You're a quick study, Captain. I can't believe you've managed to memorise that whole scene already!"

"It's not so hard once you get down to it." Kathryn stated trying hard to ignore the disbelieving grin that Chakotay was attempting to hide behind the padd containing his script.

"Well I hope everyone else is following your example. We don't have unlimited time to rehearse this so the sooner everyone knows their lines, the better." Tom's gaze swept around the assembled cast as he attempted to emulate the captain's death glare. Unfortunately, judging from their amused expressions, he didn't manage to carry it off. He resolved to practice in his bathroom mirror at the earliest opportunity. Collecting his thoughts he turned back to business. "Ok, that's all for today, next time I want to skip ahead and rehearse the storm scene. Seven, Harry, there's a new song for the two of you so you should get together and run through it before rehearsal."

Tom gathered up his padds and swept out of the holodeck leaving his crew mates to stare after him in silence.

"Do you think it was wise to allow Tom total control over this project, Captain? It looks like the power is starting to go to his head." Chakotay enquired.

Kathryn turned to grin at him. "Don't worry about it, Commander. If he steps over the line we can make his life a misery, and he knows it. Now I'm hungry and I believe you promised me some of your vegetable biriani."

With that the captain and her first officer left the holodeck arm in arm.

=^=

Kathryn and Chakotay strolled into the holodeck to find the rehearsal already underway. Tom heard them enter but, although he frowned at their tardiness, he said nothing and the activity on the stage continued without interruption. Harry and Seven were in the middle of a duet that Kathryn hadn't heard before, she sank into a seat in the holographic stalls and prepared to listen but as she did so the song came to an end.

"Sounding good, guys!" Tom enthused. "Now let's run through the whole scene and put the song in its place. Captain, Commander, this is the scene with the storm. The song comes at the end of the scene while the two of you are sheltering under the table and when it finishes Jack leans forward and kisses Jane."

There was a moment of silence while the two new arrivals digested that piece of information. Tom watched Kathryn's expression turn to stone and wondered if perhaps he should start running now or if it was better to stay where he was and hope for a quick and merciful death.

"Mr Paris, if you know what's good for you, you will forget that you ever mentioned that idea." Kathryn approached her quaking helmsman with death glare set to annihilate.

*Damn , she's good.* Tom thought even as he fought the urge to capitulate without a fight. Glancing at Chakotay he drew strength from the amused twinkle in the commander's eyes and prepared to do battle.

"But, Captain, all the classic pantomimes include a love story. Think of Cinderella, think of Sleeping Beauty."

"Think of being demoted to Ensign, think of scrubbing the plasma manifolds."

"You wouldn't do that over one little kiss. How bad could it be? It's just one tiny kiss? I know you'd rather it was me than Chakotay but still." Paris hoped his cheeky grin would win her over.

"That's not the point, Mr Paris. It's hardly appropriate behaviour for the captain to kiss her first officer."

"Actually it's Chakotay who kisses you."

"Lieutenant!" The warning in Janeway's tone caused Tom to raise his hands in surrender. "In any case, I thought you wanted to base the pantomime on our stories of New Earth and I can assure you that we didn't kiss un." Kathryn paused with a look of confusion on her face, glanced at Chakotay, then continued, "under the table."

"I said the panto was based on your stories, I didn't say it would stick rigidly to them," Tom protested. "Please, Captain, it's just one tiny kiss but it's vital to the whole story, won't you at least give it a try?"

Kathryn looked into the pleading, puppy-dog eyes and felt her resolve slipping. Maybe she'd find a way to wriggle out of it later once she'd had time to think. For now she'd play along.

"Just one kiss, you say?"

"Yes, well actually, no. There's another one at the end. But that's all."

Janeway fixed a stern gaze on her hapless officer.

"And you promise you won't add any more later?"

"I promise! Does that mean you'll do it?" Tom looked hopeful.

"It means we'll try it but I'm making no promises."

"That's great, Captain!" Tom enthused. "It'll be great, just wait and see."

Kathryn looked sceptical.

"That remains to be seen, Mr Paris. But unless we get on with the rehearsal there will be no pantomime and it'll be a moot point."

Tom took the hint, called for the cast to take their places, and the rehearsal began.

=^=

"You almost slipped up, didn't you?"

Kathryn looked questioningly across the dinner table at Chakotay.

"Slipped up?"

"At the rehearsal. You told Tom that we didn't kiss under the table but that wasn't what you started to say."

"Was it that obvious?" Kathryn looked worried.

"Only to me. Everyone else was more interested in whether you were going to kill Tom on the spot or make him suffer first."

Kathryn grinned and looked relieved. "You're right. I was going to say 'we didn't kiss until much later', but then I realised that no-one knew that we'd ever kissed at all."

"Would it really matter if they did know? New Earth was a long time ago, what happened then is past history."

"It may be old news for us but it would be a new source of gossip and speculation for the crew," Kathryn's tone was sober and the laughter had faded from her eyes. "You know what it's like on this ship, Chakotay, the rumours would soon start flying. Before we knew it everyone would believe that we'd been indulging in a passionate secret relationship for all these years and they'd be watching our every move for evidence to back up their suspicions."

"Explain to me again why we're not doing just that."

"We both agreed it was better this way, do you regret that decision?"

"I'd be lying if I said I never wondered if we could have made it work, but I think we made the right choice at the time. Returning to Voyager and readjusting to life here was hard enough without the added pressure of a more intimate relationship."

"And now?"

"And now, I have a very special friend whose company I enjoy. If we'd continued the relationship we started on New Earth we might have missed out on the friendship and that would have been a shame. I like having you as my friend Kathryn and that's enough for me, at least for now," Chakotay finished with a grin and a squeeze of his friend's hand

Kathryn looked relieved. "I feel the same way. What we had on New Earth was wonderful and if we'd stayed there I think we would have had a good life together but life is good here too and I value your friendship more than I can ever say. I'm glad we didn't risk that by trying bring New Earth back to Voyager."

Kathryn rose from the table and crossed to the replicator. She obtained two mugs of coffee and they settled on the couch in a companionable silence. After a few minutes Kathryn turned to Chakotay with a wicked grin.

"So my friend, are you going to kiss me?"

Chakotay choked on his coffee. "Excuse me?"

"We have a panto to rehearse remember? And that kiss this evening was a little awkward."

"Can you blame me? It may not have been the first time I've kissed you but I've never done it with half the crew watching and you have to admit it was unexpected."

"It was, and Tom will pay for that! He may have got his way this time but if he thinks he can get away with springing things like that on me he'll soon learn differently."

"I look forward to seeing it but remember, Kathryn, we need a pilot and he's the best we've got. Don't hurt him too badly."

"I try to restrain myself. Now, Commander, get under that table we've got some rehearsing to do."

"Aye, Captain."

Laughing the two friends crawled under the table...

=^=