Title: The Prince
Author: Leone
Rating: PG-13
Codes: C/P, K/T, AU
Archive: Cha_Club, TPD, CPSG, Paris Nights. Everywhere else, ask.
I'll probably say yes, but I'd like to know where my stories are.
Feedback: tarrashenna@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: Everything Star Trek belongs to Paramount, not me.
This story along with any other characters belongs to me,
though. Oh, and I'm not making any money on this.

Summary: See part 1

Dedicated to Jeanette, without whom, this part probably still
would be in my 'To do' folder.

Also, thanks to my twin, my beta reader and Kim.

Warning: This is about a relationship between two men. If you
don't like that, don't read it.

********************

The Prince
By Leone

********************
Part 33

Tom sat across from Dr. Kéla'an in the latter's office. They
were talking about Captain Janeway, who had come out of stasis
seven hours ago. Both men knew their Captain well enough to
know that she would return to duty as soon as she got out of
sickbay, so now they were discussing how long she should stay
there.

"I'd like to keep Captain Janeway here for at least a week," Dr.
Kéla'an said.

Tom smiled slightly. "I'm sure you would, Doc. However,
unless you lock down sickbay, you won't be able to keep her
here for that long, and you know it."

Dr. Kéla'an heaved the holographic version of a sigh. "I know,"
he said quietly, then looked questioningly at Tom. "So, how
long do you suggest I keep her here?"

Tom considered it for a moment. "No more than three days. If
you tell her to stay here any longer than that, she'll probably pull
her usual stunt and leave when your back is turned," he answered.

Dr. Kéla'an thought about it for a moment and had to agree with
the young man. "Maybe I *should* lock down sickbay," he
mused.

Tom snorted in amusement, then turned serious. "As good as
that idea is, you can't do that," he said quietly. At the doctor's
questioning look, he elaborated. "What if one of the crew gets
sick, or hurt? The only other place you can go on this ship is the
holodecks."

Dr. Kéla'an lifted a superior holographic eyebrow. "So, create a
holoprogram of a sickbay," he suggested.

Tom cocked his head slightly. A moment later, he smiled
slowly. "I could do that," he said, then lifted an eyebrow. "If I
create a holographic sickbay, are you planning on putting Captain
Janeway there?" he asked with a slight wince, imagining
just how pissed she would be when she discovered that she'd
been locked on one of the holodecks.

Dr. Kéla'an's eyes widened slightly. "No!" he exclaimed. He,
too, could imagine how the Captain would react to being locked
in the holodeck. "No, I thought I'd lock her in *here* and use
the holodeck as an emergency sickbay," he explained.

Tom breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank Goddess. I'd prefer not to
be busted down to Crewman. Chakotay feels bad enough that
he's a Commander, while I'm just a lowly Lieutenant. I don't
want to consider what his reaction would be if Captain Janeway
were to demote me."

"The Commander is bothered with the difference in your
ranks?"

Tom sighed. "Yeah."

Dr. Kéla'an frowned slightly. "Why?" was his next question.

Tom hesitated for a moment. "This is off the record," he said
seriously. He waited for the doctor's nod of agreement before
continuing. "Chakotay thinks that because of who I am, the Captain
should've made *me* the First Officer."

Dr. Kéla'an lifted an eyebrow as he considered this information
in silence. "Do you agree with him?" he finally asked.

"No!" Tom exclaimed. "I'm a pilot. I would *hate* being the
First Officer." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair before
continuing. "It's bad enough that I've had to be Acting Captain
these last months, and not being allowed to fly. I would go mad
if I had to give up flying permanently."

The doctor frowned slightly. "Doesn't Commander Chakotay fly
the ship occasionally?"

Tom grimaced. "Yeah, *occasionally*. Do you have *any* idea
how crazy it drives me, sitting on the bridge and not being able
to sit at the helm?" he asked.

"No, I don't," Dr. Kéla'an admitted.

Tom sighed deeply. "Let me put it this way: It's a fucking miracle
that I haven't gone completely insane while I've been forced
to play Captain."

When Tom stopped speaking, the expression on the doctor's
face changed from curiosity to concern. "Do you want to talk
about it?" he asked gently, knowing that the young man had
been serious.

Tom shrugged. "What's to talk about?" he asked. When Dr.
Kéla'an lifted an eyebrow in reply, Tom sighed and ran a hand
through his hair, gathering his thoughts. "I've had the helm
*once* in the last four months," he finally said. "And that was
to land the ship, so it doesn't really count as flying. Also, because
of all the attacks, I haven't been able to use the holodeck
to run flight sims." Tom grimaced, then admitted, "This is the
first time since I discovered piloting that I've been unable to fly
*anything*, even simulations, and it's driving me crazy!"

The EMH ran a few subroutines, then asked, "What about after
we landed? Surely you could've used the holodecks after the
repairs to the ship were finished."

Tom snorted. "Yeah, I could have. Except that I haven't had
time. I've had *tons* of reports to read."

Before the doctor could comment on that, the doors to sickbay
swished open and a slightly panicked B'Elanna Torres rushed
in, her wailing son in her arms. Dr. Kéla'an rose from his desk
and hurried over to the Chief Engineer. "What's wrong," he
asked when he reached her.

"I don't know," B'Elanna answered, the worry clear in her
voice. "He's been screaming for an hour, and nothing I do
helps."

Dr. Kéla'an grabbed a tricorder and scanned the little boy. After
a moment, he closed the medical instrument again, then looked
at B'Elanna. "It's nothing serious," he reassured her. "Just a
slight case of indigestion." He got a hypo spray, set it, and then
pressed it against the baby's neck.

While the doctor took care of Jonathon, Tom stood a few steps
away, watching in silence. When the boy stopped wailing, the
acting Captain breathed a sigh of relief, glad it wasn't anything
serious. He smiled at B'Elanna when she looked at him, then
turned and left sickbay, heading for the mess hall and his lunch
date with Chakotay.

*****

"Hi, Neelix," Tom greeted the ship's chef and Morale Officer.
"What do you have for lunch?"

"Hello, Tom," Neelix answered cheerfully. "I've made something
just for you. If you go and sit with Commander Chakotay,
I'll bring it right over."

Tom smiled, then turned around and looked for his husband.
Spotting Chakotay sitting alone at a table by the view port, Tom
walked over and waited for the other man to notice him. When
Chakotay looked up, Tom smiled mischievously. "Is this seat
taken?" he asked, deliberatly using the oldest pick-up line in the
book.

Chakotay smiled slightly and decided that two could play that
game. "Actually, I'm waiting for my husband."

Tom smiled for a moment, delighted that Chakotay wanted to
play. Then the smile disappeared as he schooled his face to
show polite interest. "Anyone I know?"

Chakotay pretended to think about it. "He's tall, blond, and has
the most gorgeous blue eyes. He also has a jealous streak the
size of Texas." He shrugged, then continued. "On the other
hand, he's always telling me to live a little. Sure, stranger. Sit
down."

Tom pulled out a chair and sat down across from Chakotay, then
opened his mouth. However, before he could speak, Neelix arrived
with his lunch. The Talaxian put the tray down in front of
Tom who smiled when he caught the delicious scent of the food.
"Thanks, Neelix."

"You're welcome, Tom. Enjoy your meal," Neelix answered,
then turned and went back to the kitchen.

Tom started on one of the grilled cheese sandwiches that Neelix
had made especially for him. After a moment, he looked at Chakotay
who had chosen the vegetarian casserole. "So, tell me
some more about this blue-eyed, blond, jealous wonder who's
your husband," he requested.

Chakotay glanced up from his meal. "What do you want to
know?"

Tom cocked his head slightly, then shrugged. "What's he like?"

Chakotay considered the young man's question for a moment.
Then he looked straight into Tom's eyes as he answered. "My
husband is very beautiful, especially now that he's pregnant."
Chakotay smiled when he saw Tom's faint blush. "I'm very
proud of him. It takes a lot of strength and courage to become
pregnant." He hesitated for a moment, then admitted, "I'm not
sure I could do it. I don't think I have the guts."

Tom smiled and nodded at Chakotay's admission. He wasn't the
least bit surprised. Even though they'd never discussed it, he had
suspected that the other man probably couldn't go through a
pregnancy. Few men could. Tom wasn't sure that he would've
been able to do it himself if he wasn't half-Darrbakhian. He
blinked and shook the thoughts off, then returned to the game.
"So your husband is beautiful, strong and courageous," he summarized,
then lifted a quizzical eyebrow. "Anything else?"

Chakotay thought for a moment, then got a devilish expression
in his eyes. He leaned forward and lowered his voice. "He is
also an *extremely* wonderful lover." He sat back and waited
for the blush he knew was coming.

For a moment Chakotay's words didn't register, then Tom
blushed a deep red as he realized what his husband had just said.
"Chakotay," he hissed. "Don't say things like that in public!"

Chakotay lifted a superior eyebrow. "Why not?" he asked. "It's
true."

Tom glared at his mate. "That's beside the point," he stated. "Do
you want the entire ship to know the details of our love-life?"
He narrowed his eyes when Chakotay pretended to consider it.

Chakotay chuckled quietly and lifted his hands in surrender.
"You're right," he admitted. "I shouldn't have said that. I'm
sorry."

Tom just gave Chakotay another angry glare, then returned to
his lunch, completely ignoring the older man. Before he could
finish his meal, however, he was commed.

"Dr. Kéla'an to Captain Paris."

Tom put his sandwich down, then touched his comm badge to
activate it. "Paris here. Go ahead, Doctor."

"Captain Janeway is about to regain consciousness, so if you
want to be present when she wakes up, you better come straight
to sickbay."

"All right, Doctor, I'm on my way. Paris out." Tom deactivated
his comm badge, then looked at Chakotay. "Do you want to join
me, Commander?"

Wincing slightly at his mate's formal tone, Chakotay nodded in
confirmation. Then he put his fork down, rose from his chair and
gathered the remains of his and Tom's meals on his tray. He
picked up the tray and carried it over to the recycler and disposed
of it. Then he hurriedly followed Tom out of the mess
hall, all the while wondering why the hell his remark had pissed
Tom off.

TBC