Title: The Prince
Author: Leone
Series: Voyager
Part: 6/?
Rating: [R]
Codes: C/P, K/T, AU
Archive: Yes, if you want to
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.

Author's notes1: Flashbacks are marked with //
    Thoughts are marked with {}
    Telepathic conversations are marked with #

Author's notes2: As always, Thanks to Sammi Jo for the beta. I
won't even mention what she spared you from.

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

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

The Prince
By Leone

********************
Part 6

Tom awoke slowly, feeling completely rested for the first time
since Chakotay's accident.

//Chakotay and an away team had been on an uninhabited planet
to gather much-needed supplies for Voyager. It had been going
well, the planet had everything they needed; both food and
minerals.

The away team had divided into two groups. Chakotay led the
first one. He and his team were assigned the task of harvesting
food. B'Elanna took charge of the second group, and they set out
to find and collect the minerals she needed.

They had worked steadily for several hours getting everything
they needed without any problems. Chakotay began
absentmindedly swatting at a bee-like insect that had been
hovering around him. All of a sudden he felt a stinging sensation
in the back of his neck. Seconds later, he collapsed to the
ground, unconscious.

Ayala immediately called for an emergency beam-up, directly to
sickbay. When the Commander materialized, the doctor had
scanned him and found that the venom injected by the stinging
insect was extremely poisonous.

Chakotay was put in stasis while the doctor searched for an
antidote to the poison. Fortunately he was able to find one
almost immediately, and after releasing the Commander from
stasis, injected him with it.

The antidote worked quickly, removing the poison from
Chakotay's body and keeping him unconscious until the poison
was completely out of his system.

****

Tom was on duty when Ayala called for the emergency beam-
up, and couldn't leave the bridge until his shift was over. He sat
at the conn, worried sick about his spouse and unable to go to
him. When his shift was over, Tom walked to the 'lift as calmly
as he could manage and ordered it to sickbay.

Tom spotted Chakotay the minute he arrived in sick bay.
Chakotay lay on a biobed, and Tom's heart constricted painfully
at the sight of his obviously unconscious spouse. The fact that
the doctor was not hovering was only mildly reassuring.
Glancing around sickbay, Tom looked for the EMH, spotting
him at one of the workstations, gazing intently at something on
the screen.

Tom walked over to him, and when the doctor heard Tom
approach, he looked up from his work. "Mr. Paris, what can I do
for you?" he asked.

"Doc, what's wrong with Commander Chakotay?"

"According to Crewman Ayala, the Commander was stung by a
bee-like insect down on the planet, and lost consciousness. I
scanned the Commander and found that the venom from the
sting is poisonous to humans. I've placed Commander Chakotay
in stasis until I can find an antidote. It shouldn't take long now,"
the doctor explained.

"All right. Doc, will you let me know when you take him out of
stasis?" Tom asked quietly.

The doctor looked quizzically at Tom, but didn't ask any
questions. "Of course, Lieutenant," he answered.

"Thanks. I'll be in our quarters," Tom said before he turned and,
with a last glance at Chakotay, left sickbay.

***

The EMH stared after Tom, wondering about the Lieutenant's
obvious concern about Commander Chakotay. He frowned
when he suddenly realized what Lt. Paris had said; that he'd wait
in *our*, not *my*, quarters. Pondering the possible
significance of that statement, the doctor turned back to his
work.

***

Tom walked back to the 'lift and ordered it to deck four. Lost in
his own thoughts, Tom was startled when the doors suddenly
opened. He checked the deck number, surprised to see that it
was his deck, and exited the turbolift. He walked the short
distance down the corridor to the First Officer's cabin, keyed in
the code and entered.

As he stood just inside the doors, Tom recalled memories of the
year and a half that he and Chakotay had been living together on
Voyager. The tears and the laughter, the quiet times when they
sat on the couch, relaxing in each other's arms, their lovemaking.
Sometimes they would start making out on the couch before
they moved to the bedroom. Other times their need for each
other was too great, especially if they'd been apart for a few
days. They would make love on the couch, or on the floor in the
living room, too impatient to wait until they got to the bedroom.

Tom looked around the quarters he shared with Chakotay and
keenly felt the absence of his spouse. It seemed empty without
Chakotay's presence, without his calming influence.//

* * * * *

Tom's thoughts were interrupted when Chakotay stirred beside
him. Turning his head, Tom looked into the soft brown eyes of
his spouse and smiled adoringly. "Hi," he said softly.

Chakotay returned Tom's smile. "Hi, yourself," he said, just as
softly. "How long have we been asleep?"

Tom shrugged. "A couple of hours, I think. Computer, what
time is it?"

"The time is 1645 hours."

"Okay, I was wrong. We've been asleep for more than a couple
of hours," Tom said. "How do you feel?"

Chakotay smiled gently at the slightly worried tone in Tom's
voice. "I feel better, more rested," he answered, reassuring Tom.

Tom sighed with relief. "Good. You must be hungry, though.
You haven't eaten anything since you woke up."

"Now that you mention it, I *could* eat something. First,
though, I need a shower," Chakotay said. "I feel sticky."

Tom laughed at that, remembering that they hadn't showered
since they made love a few hours ago. "You go and shower
while I get you something to eat, then I'll wash up while you
eat."

Chakotay nodded in agreement, got out of bed and on slightly
unsteady legs, slowly made his way to the bathroom. When the
door closed behind him, Tom jumped out of bed and pulled on a
robe before walking to the replicator in the living room. He
ordered mushroom soup, bread, sandwiches, a cup of his lover's
favorite tea and a cup of coffee for himself. When his order
appeared, he carried everything over to the dining table, then sat
down and waited for Chakotay.

Ten minutes later Chakotay came out of the bedroom, dressed in
a pair of loose-fitting pants and a white t-shirt. He walked over
to the table, sat down opposite Tom and looked at the food.
Then he looked at his spouse and raised an eyebrow. "You're not
expecting me to eat all that, are you?" he asked.

Tom laughed and shook his head. "No. I'm going to help you."

Chakotay sighed in relief. "Thank god. I don't think I could eat
all that alone."

Tom laughed again. "No. I don't suppose you could. Now, dig
in." With that, Tom picked up a sandwich and started eating.
Chakotay smiled in response to Tom's laughter, picked up a
spoon and started on his mushroom soup.

When they'd finished their meal, Tom leaned back in his chair,
sipping his coffee and watching Chakotay through hooded eyes.
Despite the fact that his spouse was here with him, Tom was still
worried. He'd been scared to death while Chakotay lay
unconscious in sickbay, and couldn't quite believe that his lover
was out of danger.

When he felt a wave of reassurance from his lover wash over
him, Tom's gaze flew to Chakotay's face.

#I'm fine, Baby,# Tom heard Chakotay 'say' gently.

Tom's mental 'voice' trembled. #I know. I was just so scared.#

Chakotay rose and walked over to Tom, pulled him to his feet
and into his arms. #Shh. I'm here, Baby, and I'm perfectly fine.#

Tom sighed softly and burrowed into Chakotay's strong
embrace. Nuzzling Chakotay's neck, Tom inhaled his scent and
relaxed completely. After a moment, Tom pulled back. Smiling
softly, he gazed into his lover's eyes. "All right, I'm convinced.
Do you feel up to having company? Harry and B'Ela would like
to come by and see you."

Chakotay nodded. "As long as you don't invite the entire ship to
visit, I'm up for it," he said.

Tom laughed. "Oh, I'll just invite Harry and B'Ela tonight. The
rest of the ship can wait until tomorrow," he teased before he
pulled out of Chakotay's arms and walked over to the desk to
comm Harry and B'Elanna.

Chakotay chuckled quietly at Tom's teasing. "Smart-ass," he
mumbled as he moved over to sit on the couch.

Tom laughed again. "I heard that," he said, then sat down at the
desk and commed Harry first, suspecting that B'Elanna was still
in engineering. "Paris to Kim."

"Kim here. What's up Tom?"

"Chakotay's awake and out of bed. I thought that you and B'Ela
might want to come over," Tom said.

"We'd love to. I'll just comm B'Ela in engineering and we'll be
right there," Harry said.

"How did I know that she'd still be there?" Tom asked.

"I don't know. Precedent?" Harry replied teasingly.

"Yeah, that must be it," Tom teased back. "I'll see you when
you've managed to drag her away from her engines."

Harry laughed. "Yeah, see you then," he said, and cut the comm-
link.

Tom shut down his own end of the link, laughing quietly. Then
he rose and walked over to Chakotay, who was sitting on the
couch, watching him with gentle amusement. Tom sat down and
rested his head on his husband's shoulder. Chakotay put his arm
around Tom and held him for awhile before he sighed. "You
better go get dressed before Harry and B'Ela gets here."

Tom lifted his head from Chakotay's shoulder to look at him.
"Jealous, Big Man?" he teased.

Chakotay shook his head. "No, but I'm the only one who's
allowed to look at you when you're dressed in that robe," he said
firmly.

Tom smiled teasingly. "You *are* jealous," he said, his voice
delighted. Then the teasing expression was replaced by a gentle,
loving smile. "That's all right. I don't want anyone else to look at
me when I'm dressed like this either." With that Tom rose from
the couch and walked into the bedroom to get dressed.

Chakotay looked after him and when the door to the bedroom
closed, he rose from the couch as well and walked to the dinner
table to clear it. After he'd recycled all the dishes, Chakotay
went back and sat on the couch, waiting for Tom to emerge from
the bedroom. He thought about Tom's earlier worry, and knew
that despite what he had said, Tom still wasn't completely
convinced that Chakotay was out of danger.

Chakotay's musings were interrupted when Tom returned from
the bedroom, dressed in a pair of tight black pants and a royal-
blue shirt that brought out the color in his eyes. Chakotay's heart
skipped a beat at the beautiful vision of his beloved in blue.

Tom walked into the living room and looked over at Chakotay
on the couch. His breath caught when he saw the mesmerized
expression in Chakotay's eyes. "What?" he asked, his voice
slightly husky.

Chakotay lifted his eyes and gazed into the brilliant blue ones of
his husband. "You are so beautiful," he answered softly.

Tom smiled. "So, you like my outfit, then?" he asked.

"Yes, I do. But then, you knew I would," Chakotay answered.

Tom laughed. "Yeah, I did. That's why I put it on. Well, I better
clear the dinner table before Harry and B'Ela gets here," He
started toward the dining area, only to stop and frown slightly
when he saw that the table had already been cleared. Turning
back to Chakotay, he said, "You should've let me do that."

"Tom. I'm perfectly capable of clearing off a table," Chakotay
said in mild exasperation.

"I know," Tom said quietly. "I just wanted to take care of you."

"Fuss over me, more likely," Chakotay teased.

Tom laughed and opened his mouth to answer, when the door
chime sounded. He sighed softly and turned to the door, calling
out, "enter!"

The door swished open and Harry and B'Elanna entered the
room.

"Hi, Tom," B'Elanna said, moving over to hug him. "Did you eat
anything?"

"Yes, mom. I've eaten," Tom answered. "Now, go pester
Chakotay while I say hi to your husband."

Tom turned to Harry with a smile. "Well Harry, didn't take you
long to get her out of engineering this time. How did you do
that?" he asked.

Harry laughed. "I told her that if she wanted to see Chakotay
today it would have to be now. Otherwise it would be to late,"
he answered.

Tom snorted in amusement. "Apparently it worked. Come in and
sit down. Do you want anything to drink?"

Harry moved over to sit in one of the armchairs opposite the
couch. "A cup of coffee would be nice," he said.

"Coming right up," Tom said, as he moved to the replicator.
"B'Ela, Chakotay, you two want anything?"

"Coffee for me," B'Elanna answered, turning away from her
conversation with Chakotay to answer Tom.

Chakotay smiled at his spouse. "Just another cup of tea," he said.

Tom nodded and placed the order, adding a cup of tea for
himself as well. When the beverages appeared, Tom carefully
picked them up and carried them over to the coffee table. After
he'd put the cups down, he sat down on the couch beside
Chakotay.

The four of them chatted for awhile about their day. B'Elanna
told them about the problems in engineering, and Harry talked
about his shift on the bridge, bringing Tom and Chakotay up to
date on the latest news. Then B'Elanna smiled mysteriously and
looked over at Harry. "Should we tell them?" she asked.

Harry lifted an eyebrow a la Tuvok. "Tell them what?"

B'Elanna gave him a glare. "You know what," she said.

Harry laughed. "Yeah, I know. Of course we should tell them,"
he answered.

Tom and Chakotay looked at each other in puzzlement, then
back as their friends. "What? What should you tell us?" Tom
asked.

B'Elanna turned to the two on the couch and smiled at them.
"I'm pregnant," she announced.

The two men's eyes widened at the announcement, then Tom
jumped up and rushed over to B'Elanna. Dragging her to her
feet, he hugged her. "That's wonderful, B'Ela," he said.

Chakotay smiled. "Yes it is. Congratulations, you two," he said.

Harry returned the Commander's smile. "Thanks Chakotay."

Tom let go of B'Elanna and turned to Harry, who'd stood up as
well. The two friends hugged briefly, before the three of them
sat down again. "So, how far along are you?" Tom asked.

Harry and B'Elanna smiled sheepishly. "Um, six weeks,"
B'Elanna said.

"Six weeks!" Tom exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell us before?"

B'Elanna blushed. "We didn't know for sure until last week, and
we wanted to get used to the idea before we told anyone," she
explained.

"You're the first we've told," Harry added. "The doctor is the
only other person who knows about the pregnancy."

"Oh. That's all right then," Tom said.

Chakotay smiled  and put an arm around his spouse. "Is it a boy
or a girl?" he asked, looking at B'Elanna.

"We don't know," she said. "We didn't want the doc to tell us."

Harry snorted. "*B'Ela* didn't want to know, so doc didn't tell
us," he said, smiling at his wife.

Tom and Chakotay laughed and B'Elanna mock-growled at
them. "I think it's dinner time. The baby's hungry," she said.

Harry nodded and rose from the chair. "Then we'd better go to
the messhall and get something to eat."

Tom stood so he could walk them to the door. B'Elanna bent
down to kiss Chakotay on the cheek before she left. "Take care
of Tom," she whispered. "He was really upset while you were in
sickbay."

Chakotay nodded. "I know. He's still not entirely convinced that
I'm out of danger," he whispered back.

"Then you'll just have to convince him," she said. When
Chakotay nodded his agreement, B'Elanna turned and walked
over to her husband, who stood by the door, talking to Tom. She
hugged Tom briefly. "Will you be back on duty tomorrow?"

Tom sighed. "I suppose so. I don't think I can delay it any
longer, although I would prefer to stay with Chakotay."

"Tom, Chakotay's fine. He doesn't need you to baby-sit him,"
Harry said quietly.

Tom grimaced. "I know. I just want to take care of him."

B'Elanna smiled at him. "You always do that. He doesn't have to
have been in sickbay for you to take care of him," she said
softly. "I'll see you tomorrow, Tom."

"Yeah, see you tomorrow," Harry said and stepped forward to
trigger the door. The door swished open and he and B'Elanna
stepped out in the corridor.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow," Tom called out, then turned
around and walked back to the couch. He sat down next to his
husband and put his head on Chakotay's shoulder.

Chakotay put his arms around Tom and sighed softly. "That was
some news."

"Yeah, it was," Tom agreed.

Chakotay frowned slightly at the tone in Tom's voice. "What is
it, Baby?" he asked.

Tom sighed and shifted so he could look at his spouse. "It's
nothing really," he answered and bit his lip uncertainly before he
continued. "I guess, I'm just jealous."

"Jealous?" the Commander asked.

Tom blushed slightly. "Yeah."

Chakotay frowned in confusion. Then understanding hit and he
smiled gently. "You want to have a child?" he asked, although it
wasn't really a question.

Tom nuzzled Chakotay's neck before he answered quietly,
"Yeah." His voice was so low it was barely audible.

Chakotay considered the matter carefully for a moment, then
drew back enough to look at Tom. He gazed into slightly
pensive blue eyes, his own eyes soft with love. "We can go ask
the doctor if he can help," he suggested.

Tom's eyes widened. "You don't mind?" he asked breathlessly.

Chakotay smiled. "No, not at all. I would love to have a baby.
There's just one thing, though. If the doc can help us, then you'll
have to carry the baby," he said.

"That's all right," Tom said with a blinding smile. Chakotay
couldn't resist that smile and leaned in to gently kiss his beloved.
At first the kiss was soft and gentle, but it soon turned more
passionate. The two men were so lost in each other that they
didn't hear the door chime at first. When it chimed again, they
broke apart with a groan. They really didn't want company right
now.

Tom disengaged from his husband's embrace and stood up to
straighten his clothes. He looked at Chakotay while the older
man did the same. When they both were decent for company,
Tom turned to the door and called out, "Enter."

The door slid open to reveal the Captain.

TBC