Constance Goodheart Saves the Day
by Wendy Parkinson
wendyparkinson@hotmail.com
Summary: Kathryn meets Tom for chapter two of Captain Proton.
Rated PG.
Everything belongs to Paramount - I'm just playing. I'm not
making any money from this story - wish I was!
This is a sequel to my previous story Captain Proton to the
Rescue (also on this site) - I recommend you read that first
otherwise I don't think this will make much sense.
CONSTANCE GOODHEART SAVES THE DAY
I was sitting in my command chair on the bridge staring
sightlessly at a Padd and giving myself a serious talking to.
*Kathryn Janeway, you're behaving like an adolescent. Pull
yourself together, woman! You're a Starship Captain not some love
struck teenager!*
A few minutes earlier, I'd found myself gazing dreamily at the
back of my helmsman's head, wondering what it would feel like to
run my fingers through that blonde wavy hair. I was touching my
lips, remembering our kiss the night before when a voice
penetrated my reverie.
"Captain..... Captain..... Kathryn!" hissed my second
in command. "Are you all right?"
"Mmm, yes.... sorry. Not really very interesting you
know?"
I waved the Padd I was holding vaguely in his direction and
smiled half-heartedly. Sometimes I'm grateful we don't have any
genuine telepaths on board. In an attempt to radiate efficiency I
glanced round the bridge, trying not to stare at Tom, then went
back to studying the Padd intently.
Hence the talking to....
*It's just hormones. After all, how long is it since you've been
kissed properly by a man, a real man, not some holocharacter?
Four years at least. It's just hormones. Let it go, Kathryn, it
meant nothing to him. It was just part of the program, a little
fun. You were playing the part of his girlfriend, so he kissed
you. So what? And in any case, he's seeing B'Elanna who just
happens to be a fiery half Klingon who'd tear you limb from limb
if she knew what you were thinking, command structure or no
command structure.
And of course, you know his father. Remember Admiral Paris,
Captain Paris he was then, telling you about his son? How he was
a natural pilot, how proud of him he was. Tom's too young for you
to be thinking about him like this. You can remember when he was
a boy.*
My eyes left the Padd and moved of their own volition straight to
the helm. Tom turned round as if he knew I was watching him and
smiled.
*He's not too young, he's a grown man with twinkling blue eyes.*
Twinkling? I really was losing it. Before anyone else noticed I
decided to resort to protocol.
"Report, Lieutenant?"
"Everything's fine, Captain."
He turned back to the controls. I could deal with this, he's just
a good friend, I could behave professionally.
I fled to my ready room.
But of course I was meeting him tonight for chapter two......
Getting ready that evening I could feel butterflies in my
stomach. This was ridiculous, I was behaving like a high-schooler
on her first date. I took a couple of deep breaths and inspected
myself in the mirror. I smiled. Same as yesterday, still
amazingly tarty.
As I opened the door, I wondered if I might run into Chakotay or
Tuvok. Tonight I didn't really care, I knew I was going to enjoy
myself and forget I was the Captain for a while. In a rebellious
way I rather hoped I did see one of them. I rather liked the idea
of shocking them rigid. Sometimes they can be much too serious. I
was only going to the holodeck with a junior officer. I don't
think that's grounds to relieve me of duty. Well, it isn't yet,
but those two might try....
Waiting for the turbolift I heard footsteps behind me. It was
Chakotay. He virtually ran up as the doors opened and I stepped
in. When he realised that it was me the look on his face was
priceless. A kind of outraged shock which turned to worry when I
told him where I was going and with whom.
"Kathryn, are you sure that's such a good idea? That dress
is incredibly...."
He couldn't bring himself to say it so I helped him out.
"Tarty?"
I think he blushed, but he's so dark it can be difficult to tell.
"I was going to say provocative."
"Same thing."
"Not exactly."
The turbolift doors opened and I began to move towards them.
"Well, Chakotay, much as I enjoy debating semantics with
you, I really have to go. I promised Tom I'd meet him at 2100
hours."
He stepped forward quickly and grabbed my arm.
"Have dinner with me. Forget the holodeck."
I couldn't tell if he was worried or jealous. Either way, I
wasn't about to stand up Captain Proton.
"Sorry, Commander. Not tonight."
I left him standing in the turbolift, his arm still outstretched.
It's funny, but the crew think that eventually Chakotay and I
will get together, if we haven't already. A kind of dynastic
union, I guess. Very appropriate and completely boring. I know we
work well together and I count him as my best friend but we
didn't even sleep together on New Earth when he was literally the
only man on the planet. Sometimes I get the feeling he wants to
take things further but he's never said anything directly and
anyway it'd ruin our working relationship. I think he knows that.
I was almost at the holodeck when I saw Tuvok coming the other
way. His face was its normal Vulcan mask of calm but as his eyes
flicked down my dress, paused at the high heeled shoes, then
returned to my face I could tell he was upset. OK, the word
'upset' is relative with a Vulcan..... I noticed a slight twitch
of his mouth.
"Tuvok."
"Captain. Could I ask where you are going?"
He might as well have added 'dressed like that' because that was
what he meant.
"I'm joining Lieutenant Paris for his Captain Proton program
in holodeck one. I'm playing Constance Goodheart, Captain
Proton's secretary."
He raised one eyebrow and looked at me in the way only Tuvok can.
"I see."
"Got to go, I'm running a little late."
He nodded then carried on down the corridor. As I glanced over my
shoulder at his departing back I hoped fervently that I wasn't as
predictable as Chakotay and Tuvok.
When I entered the holodeck I couldn't see Tom. I was standing in
what I guessed to be some kind of spaceship. The walls were
covered with knobs and dials. An occasional flashing light broke
the monotony. There were a couple of round windows, reminiscent
of ship's portholes, at about head height on either side of the
room. Hearing a noise to my left, I noticed a small hatchway near
the floor. I crouched down in front of it.
"Tom?"
His head suddenly appeared in front of me.
"Captain! I'm sorry, I didn't hear you come in. Let me get
out of here."
"Look Tom, we're off duty. In fact, in here you're the
Captain. Why don't you call me Kathryn?"
As he emerged from the hatchway and dusted himself down he had a
strange expression on his face. A touch of surprise and something
else I couldn't quite put my finger on.
"I'd be honoured... Kathryn."
I felt a slight shiver run through me when he said my name. To
cover my confusion I tried to get into character. "So what
are we doing today, Captain Proton?"
He grinned. "Saving the universe, Constance!"
He led me over to a chair on the other side of the room.
"We're going to Mars. I've been told there are little green
men there causing trouble."
"Little green men?"
"Yes, the scourge of the galaxy!"
I giggled. It was all so wonderfully over the top I couldn't help
it. He smiled back then continued, "The ride can be a little
rough when we take off. You need to be properly strapped
in."
I settled myself into the seat and tried to fasten the straps.
There seemed to be far too many and I couldn't work out where
they were all supposed to go. Tom noticed I was struggling.
"Here, let me. I think this is easier for someone else to do
for you."
As he was talking he leant right over me to retrieve a strap that
was aggravatingly out of my reach. Grabbing it, he began to
straighten up and glanced over at me when our faces were inches
apart. He stopped dead and licked his lips. Our eyes locked, I
couldn't look away. His blue eyes were boring into mine,
electricity crackling between us. I was convinced he was going to
kiss me. I wanted him to. He was so close I could feel his breath
on my face. Then suddenly I saw him swallow and he looked away.
He finished strapping me in without looking into my eyes once.
Turning away from me he went over to the pilot's seat.
Neither of us said a word. I don't know what was running through
his mind but mine was in turmoil. I had spent the last twenty
four hours telling myself that my reaction to Tom's kiss had been
hormonal and he couldn't possibly feel the same way. Now he was
behaving like he did feel something and I had no idea how to deal
with it.
Tom's voice brought me back to reality.
"Constance, brace yourself. We're ready to take off!"
He'd fastened himself into the pilot's seat and was flicking
switches and turning dials as if his life depended on it. It
crossed my mind that he was nervous and using the activity as a
distraction.
"Five, four, three, two, one..... blast off!" he
shouted.
The rocket shook violently as it began to lift off the ground. I
grasped the arms of the chair to steady myself. As we rose into
the air I was thrust back hard. It felt like a heavy weight was
pressing on my chest. This rocket certainly didn't have inertial
dampers. Gradually the shaking subsided and I found myself
watching Tom.
What had almost happened? Had I imagined it? I really had to try
and get a grip. Tom was resolutely piloting the rocket, his eyes
never leaving the controls. I could see beads of sweat standing
out on his forehead as he concentrated. For him he was being very
quiet. I felt an irrational need to say something, to break the
silence that was hanging between us. I blurted out the first
thing that came into my head.
"So how are things between you and B'Elanna?"
I winced as soon as the words left my mouth. What was I thinking?
And I'm supposed to be a trained diplomat. He twisted round in
his chair, his mouth open in surprise.
"I..... er ....... we...... well..... Don't you know?"
he stammered.
"Sorry?"
"B'Elanna and I split up a few weeks ago when we were in the
void. It's been pretty amicable, I guess. We'd just drifted
apart." He hesitated. "I guess you were busy."
"I had a few problems," I replied vaguely, looking at
the floor. My behaviour while we were travelling through that
vast area of nothingness was not something I was particularly
proud of. And I certainly didn't want to discuss it.
He looked at me and smiled gently. "We missed you. It didn't
seem right when you weren't around. I'm glad you're back."
I was touched by his frankness and returned the smile. Our eyes
met for the first time since.... well, 'before'. This time there
was just friendliness and respect in the exchange, exactly the
qualities I'd come to expect from Tom Paris.
A control panel began to bleep and he turned away to deal with
it.
"Approaching Mars!" he announced. "Hang on, this
could get a little bumpy!"
There was an ear-splitting roar and the rocket shook as Tom
fought with the controls. My knuckles were going white as I
gripped the chair arms, my breath was coming in short gasps. The
holoprogram was incredibly realistic, it really felt like Captain
Proton's spaceship was about to come apart at the seams. Smoke
was beginning to seep into the cabin, making my eyes smart. Then
with a bone jarring jolt the rocket touched down.
"Welcome to Mars, Constance!" He stood up and waved his
arm towards the window with a flourish. I unbuckled myself,
grateful that at least the safety harness was easy to get out of.
"Thank you, Captain Proton," I replied as I tottered to
my feet. I was going to have to replicate some different shoes
for chapter three, these were downright dangerous. I'd end up in
sick bay with a sprained ankle at this rate and I could just
imagine the Doctor's reaction when I explained my injury.
*You were on the holodeck with Mr. Paris? You fell off your
shoes? I'm afraid that's definitely grounds to relieve you of
duty. You're obviously unstable.*
Of course, the old sourpuss has a pretty low opinion of Tom,
which wouldn't help matters. I guess he wouldn't really try to
relieve me but I couldn't face the embarrassment. No, new shoes
were definitely needed for chapter three. I mentally shook
myself. We hadn't finished chapter two yet, who'd said anything
about chapter three? Tom's voice penetrated my thoughts
.
"Constance, look at the view!"
He pointed out of the window. As I neared it, I could see the
Martian landscape. The light was dull but I could make out a
desolate planet covered in reddish brown dust and rocks. Then
movement caught my eye. About twenty five yards from the rocket I
saw a humanoid creature dart behind a large boulder. A slightly
hunched figure, he was dressed in clothes that blended with the
background, making him difficult to see.
"There's someone out there!" I exclaimed.
"Yes, Constance, it's one of the little green men. The
scourge of the galaxy! We must drive them away!"
He walked towards the door and put his hand on the latch.
"Captain Proton! Don't we need space suits? We'll suffocate
out there!" I clutched my hands together on my chest as
dramatically as I could manage.
Tom grinned. "And cover up that dress? No way! In this
program, Mars has a breathable atmosphere."
I felt my face getting hot. I was blushing again. Tom was
watching me, revelling in my discomfort, his eyes running
appreciatively up and down the dress as if to emphasise his
point.
Still grinning, he tossed me a laser gun and we stepped outside.
Indicating that I should stay behind him, he began making his way
towards the boulder, weapon at the ready. Our feet made crunching
noises as we moved, small clouds of red brown dust being
disturbed with each step. When we neared the boulder, I could
hear the sound of raised voices. I looked at Tom. "The
little green men?" I asked.
"Yeah, the scourge of the galaxy." He motioned to his
right. "You go that way, Constance. We'll surround
them."
He crept off around the other side of the boulder and I soon lost
sight of him. The arguing voices were now loud enough to drown
out the sound of our footsteps. As I got closer I could make out
some of the words. The little green men were having a
disagreement about money. Money? There was nothing here but rocks
and dust. What could they possibly want money for? When I
gingerly stuck my head out from the cover of the rock I got my
answer.
The little green men were Ferengi! I could hear them clearly now.
"You owe me ten strips of gold pressed latinum!"
"No, I don't! It's only eight. I have my overheads you
know!"
"You'd sell your mother!"
"Only if I could get a good price."
Intent on their argument, they were completely oblivious to our
presence. Tom appeared around the other side of the boulder,
behind the Ferengi. He waved to me, indicating that I should
remain quiet. Stepping out from his hiding place he announced,
"I am Captain Proton. You will surrender to me, scourge of
the galaxy!"
"Never, human!" spat one of the Ferengi, as they both
drew their phasers. They aimed straight at Tom. He got one of
them with his laser gun as he dived for cover but the other hit
him with a phaser blast before he reached safety. He crumpled to
the floor, moaning.
My mouth dropped open in horror. The Ferengi had shot Tom. How
dare he? Nobody shoots a member of my crew and gets away with it.
I knew the safeties were on and that Tom was only acting but I
was still affected by the sight of him writhing in pain on the
ground. I was mad as hell and wanted revenge. I drew my weapon
and stepped out to confront the remaining Ferengi.
"Constance Goodheart to the rescue!" I yelled. The
Ferengi swivelled to face me and started to raise his phaser. I
shot him before he had chance to use it. "That's for Captain
Proton, you scourge of the galaxy!"
"Oh Constance, my hero!" Tom had propped himself up on
his elbows and was grinning at me. I laughed and shook my head in
disbelief.
"Why Ferengi?"
"They were already in the database and I didn't have the
time or the inclination to program a new species. Anyhow, in some
strange way they seemed appropriate....."
Still laughing, I walked over to him and offered my hand to help
him up. I had no intention of giving in to my hormones this time.
But the treacherous shoes betrayed me. As I leant over to help
him I completely overbalanced and toppled over, pushing him back
onto the floor and ending up sprawled across his chest. I felt
strong arms encircle me and before I knew what was happening he
had rolled us over and was lying on top of me, our faces almost
touching. I swallowed hard. I saw his gaze travel to my lips as
if he was debating what to do. When his eyes returned to mine,
they were dark and clouded.
"Kathryn," he murmured, his voice a caress. I loved the
way he said my name. Closing the distance between us, his lips
softly touched mine. A feather light touch. A whisper. I knew I
was trembling. His fingers were in my hair. I leant into his
hand, wanting more. His kiss became more insistent, his tongue
requesting entrance. Granting him access I lost all capacity for
rational thought.
When his lips left mine the loss was palpable. I sighed and
opened my eyes. Tom studied my face and smiled.
"Chapter three tomorrow?" he whispered.