Title: Guaranteed Delivery 
Author: Cait N. 
Series: VOY 
Pairing: C/7, J/C 
Rating: R 
Parts: 1/1 
Feedback: Yes, please! caitn@mindspring.com
Website: http://www.asstr.org/~CaitN/voy/delivery.html
Copyright June 2003

Disclaimer: Paramount owns the characters not the words.

Summary: Two months after Voyager returns to the Alpha
Quadrant, Janeway and Chakotay are back to being close friends.
But will all that change once Chakotay confesses his "problem"
with Seven?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

They were sharing coffee (and tea) and croissants at a small
café near Starfleet Headquarters. Since Voyager's return to the
Alpha Quadrant, Janeway and Chakotay had slipped back into their
earlier, comfortable friendship. Truth be known, they  were
probably more comfortable with each other than they ever had
been out in the Delta Quadrant; at least, when they skirted the
issue of his relationship with Seven. Janeway wouldn't admit it,
but that was still a wound that had yet to heal. No one knew
about the dreams she had at night --   she'd wake in the morning
to sweat-soaked sheets and a burning ache between her thighs.   

Chakotay had arranged the afternoon meeting, citing "something
important" that he wanted to talk to her about. Once at the
café, he seemed to be stalling, talking about the weather, his
latest project, Janeway's promotion. Out of trivial subjects, he
toyed with his napkin.

"Out with it," Kathryn ordered in a fake stern voice.

"We've become close, haven't we?" Chakotay asked. "Close enough
to where I can tell you anything - anything - and it won't
'weird you out' as Naomi would say?"

Kathryn frowned. It sounded serious indeed. She covered his
hand with hers. "Chakotay, you can tell me anything."

"Even if it involves Seven?"

Ah, that was the real test. She sighed inwardly. She supposed
if they were ever going to be real and true friends she'd have
to hear details of him and Seven sooner or later. She'd made up
her mind when she'd first learned of their relationship that
she'd rather have Chakotay in her life as just a friend than not
at all. But a part of her… "Yes, even if it involves Seven."

"You remember postal workers?"

Huh? Her mind must have wondered off and she'd missed
something. "Postal workers? Mailmen?"

"Yes, they delivered mail back in the days before PADDS and
other innovations."

"I remember them, but what do they have to do with your story?"
She was really lost now.

"They had an old saying." Chakotay mused, "Neither rain, nor
snow, nor gloom of night will stay these couriers from the swift
completion" - no, that wasn't his problem at all; his fe-*male*
always got through before he did, and then went postal when he
wanted to continue.

His vacuous stare ate up the silence until she realized what he
was saying. "Chakotay, pull yourself out of it!" Kathryn told
him, snapping her fingers in front of his face. "I can't believe
I'm about to say this," she muttered just under her breath. "So,
Seven gets off before you do. What's the big deal?"

"The big deal is that *I* would like to come for a change."

She *really* didn't need that image in her head. "Just slow
down."

"Tried that."

"Have you tried a different position?"

"Kathryn," he sighed. "We've tried the 'Kama Sutra', '101 Ways
to Prolong Sex', and 'Making Love, Not Sex'. We've tried anal
sex, oral sex, tantric sex, frottage, bondage, foreplay, no
foreplay. You name it, we've tried it, but nothing works. The
only way to keep her from coming before I do is for me to not
touch her at all. And even then sometimes she gets so worked up
when she's blowing me, she starts squeezing her legs together,
or rubbing herself, and comes anyway." 

Kathryn took a long drink of her coffee. "Is it hot in here? I
think it's hot in here."

"I don't know what else to do."

"Do you love her?"

No hesitation. "No, I don't love her."

"You're not in love with her and you've only been going out,
what, three months now?"

"Yes."

"Dump her."

"I can't!"

"Why not?"

"Because now it's like a challenge to come before she does. If
I dump her now, it's like giving up. And because she's trying to
explore her humanity. I don't want to scar her for any other man
she might get involved with."

"Chakotay, give up." 

"Kathryn --"

"Chakotay." She leaned forward and under the cover of the
coffee shop table, ran a hand along his upper thigh. "In the
interest of sharing information, I've never had Seven's problem.
Never."

He gulped. "Never."

Kathryn shook her head. "I have a delivery to be made,
Chakotay, and I think you're just the 'swift courier' I've been
looking for." She squeezed his thigh.

"Check please!"


THE END
