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Betwixt & Between	By : Sagga Category: Star Trek > Voyager Views: 4316 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek: Voyager, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1-Betwixt & Between
- 2-Part 2
- 3-Part 3
- 4-Part 4
- 5-Part 5
- 6-Part 6
- 7-Part 7
- 8-Part 8
- 9-Part 9
- 10-Part 10
- 5
- 6
- 7
A/N: My apologies for the delay. It�s been a busy month and I only recently
found a sledgehammer big enough to destroy my writer�s block. The next chapter
will be out in maybe a week (less than two weeks for sure). After that, I think there�s
only a couple more chapters to the end. Yay! Anyway, enjoy.

Betwixt and Between
Part 6

The
beings gathered around to discus the proposition that had never been
contemplated. To allow outsiders into
their home, their realm, it was unheard of.
Absolutely preposterous, they said.
To allow them to infiltrate their space would be an unacceptable
risk. The many on the council were
adamant that no one could enter.
�They
pose no threat to us,� Osa
spoke. �They only want to go home. They helped us protect our Yuri. We should help them get home.�
�That�s
not our duty,�
Another
member of the council spoke up. �It was
not their duty to help us.� There was
silence while the being of energy contemplated.
�Your
son, what of him?� one member of the council asked.
�He
is well, but somewhat confused,� Osa
said glancing down briefly as he thought of the turmoil his son held.
�He
can not stay with them indefinitely.�
�I
know. I don�t believe he will. He will barely age while his friends pass him
by. It would be too lonely. But I do believe he would like to live with
is mate, however long he lives.�
There
were nods of agreement. First loves were
always the hardest. They turned back to
the topic which had been the purposed of this meeting. �I am still wary of this plan, Osa, but I suppose it would only
be fair to help them cross their distance since they have given us so much
more.� Osa nodded. He had hoped that the council would see all
that they had gained thanks to the Voyager crew. Though the crew did not know it, Tom and Yuri
represented important parts of their society.
Both of them are new life being brought to their race, both of them very
fragile when compared to the mature ones.
Most Alorem never had the chance to procreate
in such a direct manner. Few of them are
fortunate enough to create compatible new life.
Their environment is harsh for a young one and many die before they have
a chance to live, vanishing into background noise just as they are conceived. For this reason, the young ones who make it are
watched over by the whole society.
Though there are hundreds of thousands of them, with varying degrees of
energies and abilities, you�d be hard pressed to find any two beings in their
society who were not somehow connected.
�Draft
a proposal. We will review it. If we agree than you will have our permission
to contact Voyager and proceed with further planning. However we maintain final judgement as to
whether it is an acceptable risk to us and them.� Osa
nodded and bowed before leaving their presence.

There
was silence around the table. Several
pairs of eyes were riveted on the screen in the Conference room. Each person
calculating the implications if such a plan were to come to fruition. They were careful to keep their excitement in
check after coming across too many plans to get them home which failed. Captain Janeway
stood up and walked to the screen to get a closer look. It would be so simple.
Alorem and normal space intersected in many areas but the
distances between the intersections varied depending on which space you were
in. In some places a journey of a
thousand light-years in normal space was only three in Alorem
space. The pockets where the two spaces
intersected were more numerous in the delta and gamma quadrants and appeared to
extend beyond the Milky Way Galaxy.
There were some in The Alpha and Beta Quadrants but they were
sparser. The closest they could get to
sector 001 would be about one hundred light-years but that would put them deep
into Cardassian territory. The closest safe destination was about one
and a half thousand light-years but it left them with a negotiable path to
Federation space.
In
the diagram a preliminary path was displayed showing the overlap of the spaces
and Voyager�s path leapfrogging from each area of overlap. Voyager would not be able to stay in Alorem space indefinitely.
They�d have to pick up dilithium, deuterium,
any other materials needed to maintain the ship and food stuffs. There were also a whole host of engineering
problems that needed to be solved. Alorem space was different from normal space and the
differences were enough to cause great damage to Voyager and her crew. However, if they were successful they�d be
only a year and a half away from home in just over nine months at warp 6.5.
Janeway turned to her crew with a restrained but hopeful
smile. �Let�s get to work, shall we?�

�Greg,
what would you say if I started dating Tom Paris?�
�I�d
say that I knew there had to be more between you two to cause some so many
sparks.� Chakotay glared at him. �It�s the truth. We�ve been out here for a long time and you
and Paris seem to have this �attack and parry� dance going on between the two
of you. I used to wonder if I�d figure
out the steps before we got home. Seems
I�ll have to speed up my analysis if this plan to get
home works.� Greg took a sip of his
drink, pondering while his companion remained silent also pondering. �But,
yeah. Sexaul
tension would explain a hell of a lot,� he said, nodding a few times.
�It�s
not sexual tension. Just��
�Sexual
tension,� Greg finished. He looked
around the bar, spotting the subject of their conversation talking to Garrett
Jones across the way
�No,
it�s more than that.� Chakotay had done
a lot of thinking in the past several hours and he was beginning to see things
more clearly. Greg glanced at him.
He
sighed. �Look I�ll be the first to admit that Paris was an ass
when we first met him. Maybe he would
have been less of one if we hadn�t been jerks to him in the first place, but
he�s changed. Some recently,� he said in
reference to this incident with the Alorem, �but
mostly just slowly over the years. I
think he might do you some good. Or at
least get you to loosen up a bit.�
�Maybe��
Chakotay said distractedly. He wondered
if it was too late. He looked up in time
to see Tom leave the establishment and after a moments hesitation he followed. From the bar Greg wished him good luck and
tossed back the remainder of his drink.
He felt someone take the recently vacated stool next to him. He looked over and saw Jones.
�Scotch,
straight,� the man ordered of the bartender.
�Something
got you down?� Greg asked lightly. Not needing a response but open to listen if
the man did.
�Just thinking that if I�d met him first it would be different.� He downed his drink quickly, enjoying the
burning in his throat. He ordered another.
�I nearly changed my mind.� The last statement was made very quietly but
Greg wondered at its meaning.
�Maybe
you still have a chance.�
Garrett
shook his head and picked up his refilled drink. �He just better make him
happy.�

Tom
had left Sandrine�s early but didn�t want to head to his quarters just
yet. Deciding to just wander around for
a while he let his mind drift. It didn�t
drift very far before he heard someone calling his name from behind him. He thought he recognized the voice but that
wasn�t possible. He hadn�t spoken to that particular person for what seemed
like ages.
�Tom!�
�Yes?�
Tom looked back at Chakotay wondering what he�d done now.
The
first officer caught up with him. �I was
hoping I could speak with you.� There was no response as Tom waited for him to
start talking. �Privately,� he clarified and Tom�s cool azure gaze met his
briefly. Chakotay saw and gamut of
emotions but could only label a few �some where to his favour but some where
not.
Tom
gestured for Chakotay to lead the way acting as though this were nothing more
than a meeting between two officers about ship�s business. Chakotay lead them to a small observation
deck. The lights were low and the stars
were still as though time had frozen for this very confrontation.
Tom
stood at the large windows looking at the stars beyond while Chakotay stood a
little behind him and stared at a view he thought was far more beautiful.
�I�m
sorry.� Tom didn�t respond. �What I said
to you in my office was uncalled for.�
�But
it was the truth.�
�No!�
Chakotay was quick to interrupt. �I was unsettled and confused and I took it
out on you. I�m sorry for hurting you.�
Tom
finally turned to him but their eyes only briefly met. �Isn�t that what you
wanted? Finally giving Paris what he
deserved?� His voice was deceptively calm.
Chakotay
looked down. He should have expected
that there history would have worked against him but somehow he imagined that
this would be a lot easier. �You didn�t deserve what I said, Tom. I lashed out
at the closest person. I�m sorry that it
was you.�
�I�ll
bet you are,� Tom though sarcastically.
�You�re forgiven.� He turned to
leave but as he passed him Chakotay caught him by the arm.
�Wait.�
�Now what?�
�I
need to ask you�� he wasn�t sure how to word it, �Is it too late for me, for
us?�
�What?!� Chakotay was
about to repeat himself but Tom spoke again. �Nevermind. I heard you.� He wrenched his arm loose from the other
man�s grip. Silently he looked around
the room just as an excuse not to look at Chakotay. �Why the sudden change of heart? Not long ago you couldn�t
stand the sight of me.�
Chakotay
was going to correct him and say that looking at him was never a problem, however the look in Tom�s eyes warned him that he
wouldn�t appreciate any jokes. �I just
started being honest with myself.� Tom
rolled his eyes. He�d never been one for
all that self-improvement/self-analysis jazz.
�I discovered that not everything I believed was true.� He explained further. Tom just stood there, waiting. How was he going to make him understand? �Look, Tom, we have a long and ugly history
but maybe we can get past it. All I�m
asking for is a chance.�
�What
makes you think you deserve one?� Tom
crossed his arms and leaned against a couch.
�I�ve had to put up with a lot,� Tom didn�t know where this was coming from, �maybe the spell has worn off.� He really shouldn�t be playing hard to get
�Chakotay may have another change of heart �but it was too late to stop himself now.
The
reference to one of his greatest worries brought Chakotay up short. He began to second guess himself but decided
to see this through, hoping he was wrong.
�There is no spell. No magic, no
strange Alorem sense of duty�it�s just you and me,
Tom.�
�I
don�t trust you.�
�Then were on the same page.� Tom narrowed his eyes. They stared at each other for a few moments
before Tom shook his head and at some thought and went for the door. �You never answered my question.� Tom looked over his shoulder. �Is it too late for us?�
There
was a long pause in which Chakotay didn�t breathe. Eventually Tom answered. �No.� And then he left.

Tom
returned to his quarters and tried not to think about what he�d just done. He changed out of his uniform and slipped
into bed in his briefs. �Lights out,� he
called and the room was plunged into darkness and near silence. The hum of the warp engines could be heard
throughout the ship and his quarters were not different. The soft sound soothed his nerves and relaxed
him as it always did. His mind wandered
and as had been the pattern of the last many nights it wandered to thoughts of
Chakotay. He turned onto his stomach and
buried his face in a pillow. What had he
been thinking? Even now he couldn�t
answer that. So he was still hung up on
Chakotay, that was a given but why the hard to get attitude? Wasn�t he being offered everything that he
wanted?
He
sighed and turned over. He stared at the
ceiling, which in the darkness, he couldn�t see. He still felt a little angry at Chakotay, not
for any one thing but for various little things: the way he treated Tom after
his return, the way those dark eyes could freeze him on the spot, the fact that
Tom still wanted those eyes on him. His
left hand idly traced a pattern on the cool white sheets while Tom remembered
those captivating eyes �eyes that had been looking directly at him that night
and held no contempt, no hate. He could
picture Chakotay�s face. The sensual lips moving, creating words he
had longed to hear. Of its own volition
his hand reached out to touch the image that had been created in his mind. Of course there was nothing before him, only
darkness.
Sighing
he turned to his side and hugged the extra pillow to his chest. �I�ve got it
bad,� Tom whispered to himself. A soft
smile crept onto his face as he considered that maybe whatever he had was
catching. Tomorrow, he vowed, I�ll talk
to him. No jokes, no attitude, just me.

The
night gave way to the day but with no sun to greet them at dawn they had to
take the computers word for it. It was a
busy start to what would be a busy day, even though Voyager was at all-stop for
the time being. They were preparing to
go into Alorem space.
The first jump would not occur for almost two weeks but that time was
needed to repair even the most minor damage that had been overlooked or
ignored. Janeway
wanted Voyager at peak performance for the journey. A few probes were also being launched in to Alorem space. They
need to know what to expect on both sides.
How would Voyager stand up to the different stress fields, how would Alorem space react to have a large mass suddenly within it? They also needed to stock up on resources.
Every shuttle was scheduled for short away missions to collect the needed
supplies and this morning Tom would be one of the first to go.
He
only had time for a quick breakfast but when he saw Chakotay sitting at a table
with only the company of a data padd he only
hesitated briefly before joining him.
�Is this seat taken?� It took a moment for the surprise to leave the
older man�s face.
�Uh, no. Have a
seat.� There was a strained silence and
Tom pushed his food around on his plate.
�So�you have a mission today?� Chakotay asked.
�You�re
the one who made the roster,� he smiled at him glad to know that the
awkwardness was being felt on both sides.
Before Chakotay could say anything Captain Janeway�s
voice rang out over the comm system asking for
Chakotay.
�Gotta go,� he said with a shrug. �Are you busy this evening?� he asked before
he stood. Tom shook his head. �Dinner? My quarters? Eighteen hundred?�
Tom was frozen for a second before he managed to nod. Chakotay smiled and before Tom could get his
mouth to start working the man was gone.
The shock had not completely worn off when Ensign Kim sat down in the
recently vacated seat.
�Hey. Are you okay?
You look kinda�.I don�t
know, weird.�
Tom
seemed to notice him for the first time.
�I�ve got a dinner date...�
�You
sound surprised��
�With
Chakotay,� he continued hardly hearing what Harry had said.
�I
figured as much.� Harry eyed Tom critically.
He looked alright except for the spacey expression. �Don�t you have a mission today?� That startled Tom out of his reverie. He cursed and downed his coffee in a few
large gulps.
�Gotta go, Har. See ya!� He dashed for the door and the shuttle bay
leaving a smiling Harry Kim in the mess hall.
Finally things were heading in the right direction.

Tom
and Chakotay never got the chance to have dinner that night. Both their duties
kept them busy far longer than anticipated and the pattern would continue until
the time of the first jump. So for the
next two weeks they couldn�t spend nearly as much time together as they desired. It eventually came down to when one was
working and the other wasn�t they�d simply sit together quietly, sometimes a
head resting in a lap, sometimes shoulder to shoulder. Few words were exchanged
but words had always just gotten in the way before. The casual closeness went a long way towards
breaking the few remaining barriers between them. The fatigue left them with little energy for
many words and even less for the fronts they both used to protect themselves. It wasn�t long before they were sharing the
same bed, though only for sleeping.
It
was the night before the first jump Tom had visited Alorem
space with Osa that
day. He returned in the late evening and
after giving his report to the Captain he headed for Chakotay�s
quarters. He gave no thought to what he
was doing, simply following what had become his routine. He entered the code for Chakotay�s
quarters and greeted his CO with a smile.
Chakotay was making the final review on a number of systems but appeared
to be near completion. Tom lay down on
the couch, the top of his head brushing Chakotay�s
thigh and his legs dangling over the arm.
Due to his trip to Alorem space his extended
senses were more active than usual. From
Chakotay he felt a slight tingle �similar to but much duller than when they�d
shared their first kiss not too many days ago�

They
were sitting together on Tom�s couch �Chakotay reviewing reports and Tom
writing them �when Chakotay noticed the distant look in Tom�s eyes. He was looking at the padd
in his hand but obviously not seeing it. �Tom,� Chakotay called softly. He was having trouble concentrating as well
after three hours of nothing but administrative reports. He supposed Tom was
having the same problem.
Tom
didn�t respond to Chakotay. He sat with
one leg bent beneath him and his baby-blues remained focussed on some invisible
point. Chakotay shifted closer somewhat
amused. �Tom.� He was a little louder this time but still no
response. He thought about doing something
like licking Tom�s ear, surely that would get a response, but settled on moving
closer and being just a little louder �still nothing. Chakotay would have been impressed if he
weren�t so confused. Chakotay looked him
over critically at first, but as he took in the sharp jaw line the perfect
nose, the long eyelashes, the smooth skin, he lost his objectivity. Ever so gently Chakotay touched the back of
his fingers to Tom�s cheek.
The
touch startled Tom back to reality. That
coupled with Chakotay�s close proximity caused him to
drop his padd and give a slight jump. He looked at Chakotay with wide eyes. They were both frozen for several seconds
before Tom released a large breath, the tension leaving him. He reached for his jettisoned padd. �Jeez, Chakotay! Warn a guy, would yay!� Chakotay moved back minutely but didn�t take
his eyes off the flushed face. After a
moment he leaned forward again. Tom saw
him coming out of the corner of his eye and turned slightly to ask what he was
doing. He never got around to it. When the soft lips touched his own all
thought froze and a tingling sensation made its way down his back. As Chakotay was pulling away, Tom launched
himself at him pinning him to the sofa and continuing the kiss. Chakotay�s shock
allowed Tom to slip his tongue past his lips, to plunder his mouth. Big, warm hands slid up Tom�s side and soon
found their way under his loose shirt.
It
was like minute electric shocks wherever Chakotay touched. When he lightly trailed the tips of his fingers
up the middle of Tom�s back �a gentle caress from his lower lumbar to the top
of the thoracic- Tom moaned into the kiss as the tingling increased causing the
muscles of his back to tense. They would
have continued on exploring each other�s mouths and skin but the entrance to
Tom�s quarter�s suddenly slid open for Ensign Kim. Chakotay and Tom were back to their
respective seats in less than a second but Harry was no fool, he knew what he�d
interrupted.
�Hey,
Harry.� Tom said, trying to disguise his breathlessness. �You want a drink?�
Harry
tried unsuccessfully to stifle his smile.
�Don�t worry I�ll get it,� he said waving for Tom to stay seated. He got his drink and evaluated the couple on
the couch. After a moment he commented,
�I though only pregnant women glowed.�
Tom was suitably confused but Chakotay and Harry could see the slight
luminance from Tom and the hair that shone and flowed. With his flushed cheeks and completely open
expression Tom was a portrait of ethereal splendour.
�Well,
I have somewhere else to be�� Harry said.
He put his empty glass back in the replicator
to be reclaimed and headed for the door.
�Uh�yeah�see
you later, Har.� Tom watched him go, still trying to
understand his previous comment. He gave
up and went back to the work that he�d abandoned. He didn�t get far when he felt Chakotay�s eyes on him.
He glanced up. There eyes
locked. Tom leaned over gave Chakotay
another kiss, tender but short, and then went back to work.

So
maybe it had been their first and second kiss but that�s just details.
�Tom!� The blonde man startled and noticed his
boyfriend looking down at him. �Are you okay?�
Tom nodded. Chakotay tilted his
head to the side. �Where do you go when
you space out like that?�
�I
don�t go anywhere and I�m not spaced out,� he said, slightly miffed. He�d been feeling increasingly anxious that
last two weeks. Only his time with
Chakotay put him at ease. However, it
seemed that tonight Chakotay�s presence would not be
enough to settle him. He sat up and
stretched while Chakotay collected his padd into an
ordered stack. Tom leaned forwards
resting his arms on his knees, his hands lightly clasped. He knew what it was. He�d ignored it for as long as possible but
he�d always felt something similar in these instances, rare though they�d been.
�You
okay?�
�Yeah,
just wondering what it�s going to be like�y�know�going
home and all.�
Chakotay
scooted closer and rested a hand on his shoulder. �Captain Janeway
won�t let anything happen to us.�
�Captain
Janeway isn�t God.�
Strangely annoyed and unsettled with the close proximity Tom stood and
moved to the viewport. When Osa
had first proposed the plan Tom had been excited. The crew could finally go home. They were on the verge of realizing their
dream, yet it wasn�t until the prospect was immediately at the horizon that Tom
began to realise that he�d been lying to himself for three years. The Alpha Quadrant, the Federation, did not
mean for Tom what it did for everyone else. There was no home to return to, no
family to embrace, no hope to put his faith in.
He had an eight by twelve, grey-walled coffin lying in wait for his
return. �I can�t go back,� he whispered
to himself.
He
suddenly found himself turned around and facing the panicked face of his commanding
officer. �Tom�� words failed him. He shook his head trying to think of
something, anything to say.
�I
can�t go back.� Chakotay�s
grip at his shoulder�s tightened.
�Nothing
will happen.� Chakotay tried to convey with his eyes and his touch that which
he could not portray in words. However,
the windows to his soul betrayed his own worry.
Tom wasn�t the only one facing prison time in the Federation. Chakotay, as leader of the former Maquis crew, not only had himself but the rest of his crew
to protect. Feeling guilty for piling
more worry onto Chakotay, Tom decided to let it go. He pulled him in to a hug and for long
moments they just held each other.
�You�re
right. We�ll be okay.� It was a lie but it made them feel better
than the truth would have and on some level they both knew it.

That
night Chakotay didn�t sleep much. He spent
the majority of his waking moments watching the man beside him. In silent agreement they decided to sleep
together in Chakotay�s bed. They did little more than kiss and cuddle and
eventually Tom fell asleep. The thoughts
churning in his mind kept Chakotay awake and fairly alert. He too was worried about returning to the
Alpha Quadrant but Tom�s dilemma was still unique to his. Chakotay had no choice but to return. Dorvan was his
home. Tom on the other hand had little,
if anything to return for. He had family
in the AQ but none of whom, he believed, would want anything to do with
him. And now he also had family in the
Delta Quadrant -Alorem Space was apparently easier to
gain access to in the Delta Quadrant.
How was Tom supposed to choose?
He was half human and fifty percent Alorem. Not quite one and not wholly the other. Betwixt and between �a
fitting idiom.
Sighing
he tightened the hold he had around Tom�s waist. The other man mumbled softly for a second
before finding some comfort in the embrace and returning to dreamland. Chakotay was determined not to loose him. The path to this point had been extremely
turbulent, both emotionally and physically but they had found a balance since
then. Chakotay had found his other
half. Tom gives him flight and Chakotay
gives Tom a perch to rest. He took a
deep breath catching Tom�s scent and relaxing him. Tom had protected him when it had been
matters of exploration and the unknown. Chakotay would protect Tom especially
now when it was matters of home and of the heart.

�We�ll
still have a year and a half to travel before we reach Federation space,� Tom
reported, �but for the most part our path has been explored and mapped by
previous Starfleet and Romulan missions so there
shouldn�t be many surprises.� He retook
his seat at the conference table, his portion of the report concluded.
�A
year a half �that should be enough time to get everything in order,� commented Janeway. �There are
some communications relays in that area of the Beta Quadrant. If we�re lucky
they�re still operational and we�ll be able to contact Starfleet during that
time.� She looked at the faces around
the table already beginning to miss the time they shared together. There was still one last mission to complete
and when the nine months were over�it would mark the end of there journey as a
single crew. She knew that being so
close to home would change the dynamics between the crewmembers. They would all be eager to hear about the
conflict in the DMZ but they were cheering for opposing sides. Starfleet versus Maquis
on Voyager would become friend versus friend.
It could tear them apart down the seam most had forgotten still
existed. Voyager would no longer be an
isolated community. They�d again be
subject to external issues, one of them being how to deal with nearly half of
the crew being outlaws, one convicted felon, one former Borg and their single
delta quadrant native. She�d already
discussed it with Chakotay and she was committed to seeing all crewmembers
being free but nothing could guarantee they�d maintain their positions in
Starfleet.
Well
there would be not point in worrying if they never reached the Alpha
Quadrant. It was time for their leap
frog through Alorem Space to begin.

End Part 6
- 5
- 6
- 7
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