Midnight Cooking Lessons

By: Cimorene, colebaltblue@juno.com

Author's Note: This was inspired by a cooking experience of my own, I tried to teach a very dear friend of mine how to cook brownies from scratch (who can ruin brownies, right?). My experience ended in complete disaster and a ruined batch of brownies. I think we'll stick to boiling water.

Disclaimer: Paramount Pictures owns all things Star Trek. I am making no money off this story (or any others that I write), it was created for entertainment purposes only. No copyright infringement intended.

Midnight Cooking Lessons

By: Cimorene, colebaltblue@juno.com

Kathryn was hungry, goddamnit. It was 0200 hours and she was hungry, so hungry that she couldn't sleep. She rarely got this hungry. Usually a cup of coffee after dinner would tie her over until morning when she could get a cup of coffee for breakfast. Maybe she'd need a bowl of soup at night along with the cup of coffee.

A bowl of soup and a sandwich later, the insane hunger remained. She didn't want to use any more of her replicator rations, so she decided to suffer whatever Neelix had set out for snack.

Voyager was surprisingly quiet as she walked the halls. Granted it was the night shift and so naturally fewer people were up performing their various duties. The halls were darkened to give an artificial night to a crew that was used to a planet's daily cycles. She walked along in full captain mode. (Anytime she was out of her quarters or her ready room she was in full captain mode.) She nodded to the two ensigns that hurried past her and kindly averted her eyes at the young crewman she saw coming out of someone else's quarters. On Voyager privacy was prized and encounters that were odd or puzzling, like meeting people coming out of strange quarters at strange hours, were ignored and never spoken of.

Kathryn had completed her short walk to the mess hall. Predictably it was dark inside the messhall proper, but she did hear noises and see lights coming from the galley. Maybe Neelix would be insane enough to be up at this hour cooking, maybe not. She had just planned to grab whatever was on the counter and hightail it back to her quarters before the person noticed her presence, but a familiar sounding voice and a not so familiar sounding curse stopped her.

"Chakotay?” she queried into the area behind the counter.

"Ow. Yes. Is that you Kathryn?” came a crash and a disembodied voice from within.

"Chakotay. For god's sake what are you doing up at this hour and what are you doing in Neelix's kitchen? Does he know you are here? Are you making something good? What are you making? Can I have some?” Her stomach rumbled at the recollection that Chakotay could cook some pretty darn good food.

"To answer your questions in order. I'm here because I am cooking. No he doesn't. Yes. Brownies. And last but not least, yes you may when they are done.”

With the last sentence Chakotay appeared from the galley into the counter area.

"Would you like to help Kathryn? I could use some.”

She noticed that he had called her Kathryn. He hadn't done that much lately. In fact they hadn't talked much lately at all. She brushed away the thought and began firing questions at him again.

"Sure I'd like to help - if I get some when they are done. Are they just plain brownies? Are you making them from scratch? How can I help? Where did you get all of the ingredients out here?”

She was leaning across the counter in an attempt to see into the kitchen without actually going in. She really was curious and it had been far too long since she had eaten some of his cooking.

"Full of questions tonight aren't we? You must be really hungry to be down here looking for food in Neelix's kitchen. Well I've just started making them and yes they are just plain brownies. I've replicated most of the ingredients but some I've found in Neelix's kitchen.”

In fact, Chakotay had most of the ingredients tucked away in a storage container he kept in the back of the galley for his midnight forays into the kitchen. He had to laugh at her inquisitiveness. She really was cute when she was like this. Being alone and without work always relaxed her. Seeing her trying to get a look inside the kitchen just made him laugh more. With a chuckle and a mock sweeping bow he invited her in.

Kathryn entered the kitchen and looked around like a kid in a candy store. She noticed that he had laid out most of the ingredients out on the counter already and he had turned on the oven to preheat. With a grin she turned to him.

"Well what do I get to do?”

"You can start by melting the chocolate on the stove with the butter. I'll let you know what you can do next after you finish that.”

He just shook his head at her eager jump to get started.

"So Kathryn, what brings you into Neelix's kitchen at 0200 hours?” he said trying to start up a conversation.

"Hmm . . .? Oh, well, I was hungry,” she said grinning sheepishly at him.

"Hungry? I'm shocked and amazed. The invincible Kathryn Janeway, who survives on ten cups of coffee a day and no sustenance of nutritional value, is actually hungry. There is hope for the galaxy yet!” he said playfully.

"Chakotay, I'm not that invincible. You know that. Besides even goddesses need to eat sometime and this looks like some pretty good nectar and ambrosia to me,” she said with mock seriousness, surveying the ingredients.

"Oh we've now promoted ourselves from Captain to goddess, have we. Does that make me Zeus the king of the gods and you Hera, my queen?”

Chakotay didn't realize the implication that his statement might have until it was already out of his mouth. It would be interesting to see how she reacted to it though. Instead of backtracking, he merely watched her.

She turned to him with a carefully guarded look. One that managed to look quizzical, shocked, insulted, pleased, and amused all at the same time.

"No,” she said carefully. "I am queen of the Amazon woman warriors and you, my dear, are merely a slave to me.”

"Oh, a slave? I suppose bondage to you really couldn't be that bad. I mean I do get to sleep at the foot of your bed. Don't I, your majesty?” he said with a smirk.

Chakotay was treading on dangerous territory, very dangerous territory and he knew it. He was taking innocent teasing to a higher level - he had just upped the stakes. He was curious as to how she would react.

Kathryn merely snorted at his remark. To tell the truth she really didn't know how to respond. She was surprised to see this side of him again. He had quit flirting with her about three years ago. She didn't even know if he still had feelings for her, well feelings of a romantic nature. He could just be keeping up the friendly banter of a close friend.

With a start Chakotay realized that it was the first time in years he had made that type of comment to her. Most of the time they were together outside of the bridge they were either fighting or meeting to discuss reports. He never just spent time with her any more, very rarely did they have dinner, and if they did it was hurried and only business was discussed. She might not know how to take his comment. That would explain her sudden silence. He didn't think that she was angry with him, she would have said something if she was angry. He had probably just confused the hell out of her.

"Is the chocolate done yet?” he asked quietly.

"Yes it is. Melted and all. What do you want me to do with it next?” she replied.

Chakotay had suddenly grown very quiet after his last comment. He hadn't said anything else to her. She had probably scared him by her silence. Perhaps he thought she was angry with him, which was far from the truth. She wasn't angry, merely confused, but she didn't know how to react to his teasing.

"Well I know your cooking skills . . . do you think you might be able to put it in that bowl over there? And then put two cups of sugar into the bowl? Or is that too difficult?” Chakotay grinned at her. And received a smack with a potholder on the arm for a reply. Inwardly he breathed a sigh of relief. The fact that she was playing around with him showed that she wasn't angry. She must have just simply been thrown off balance.

Carefully she poured the chocolate mixture from the pan into the bowl. She grabbed the container of sugar and carefully added two cups, while Chakotay looked over her shoulder at her work. She could hear him breathe a sigh of relief at the fact that she hadn't managed to screw that up. Cooking skills indeed!

Meanwhile Chakotay had been busy mixing together the flour and other dry ingredients of the batter. He smiled and took the bowl of sugar and chocolate from Kathryn, added a little vanilla and some eggs and dumped the contents of the other bowl in.

"Kathryn, you can either stand there and watch me and all you get to lick is the spoon, or you can mix this yourself and then lick the bowl. Your choice, and while you are deciding you can grab that pan from over there and bring it here so we can put the batter in it.”

He pointed to a shallow oblong pan on the far side of the kitchen. She went over to pick it up, setting the greased pan down on the counter next to the bowl of the brownie mixture.

"I'll mix,” she said, licking her lips and staring hungrily at the bowl of mixture. Eager to get started she grabbed the bowl from Chakotay. He threw his hands up in mock surrender and mumbled some comment about her being as bad as a vulture in the middle of the Mojave Desert in July. She was glad she only half-heard it. Otherwise Chakotay wouldn't have been hit with just the potholder this time. Chakotay leaned back and watched her attack the batter with determination.

That's when he noticed the flour on the tip of her nose. It was so cute. It was coupled with a smudge on her cheek. He had no idea how they had got there. He wouldn't be surprised if she ended up with chocolate all over her face by the time they were done either. He stifled his laughter, he didn't want to laugh at her now. He would make some comment later on the attractiveness of it and see how she reacted. It had, after all, been a while since he had last flirted with her, and he missed their playful banter.

Kathryn looked up when she was done mixing to find Chakotay grinning at her. He definitely had that gleam in his eye that said he was up to no good. She gave him an admonishing look and held up the bowl.

"It's done. What do I do next, oh great chef?”

" 'Oh great chef'? Wait a minute here, I thought I was the slave that slept at your feet?”

"You are my slave, but slaves can be good cooks too. How else am I supposed to stay fed?” she said as he gestured at the pan. With a questioning glance she pointed from the bowl to the pan. He nodded in reply and she began to scrape the batter into it while leaving a generous portion in the bowl for her to lick. She noticed Chakotay grinning at her again.

"Kathryn, you realize that I'm entitled to half of the bowl don't you? I mean I did start the whole project didn't I?”

"Half the bowl! I'm the queen here, silly. I get the entire bowl. You just get the spoon.”

She turned to him with an indignant glare. He merely flashed her those terribly enduring dimples in return.

"Put them in the oven, Kathryn, or they'll never get done. Then set the timer for twenty minutes. We can clean up as they're baking. We have to leave the kitchen spotless or Neelix will throw a fit. But first I'll let you lick the bowl.”

Some time later, Kathryn sat on the counter with a nearly clean bowl in her lap. Her mouth had brownie mix all around it and her fingers were covered as well. She had managed to get a smudge on her cheek too, on the opposite side of the flour smudge. She looked like a little kid.

By now the brownies were nearly done and smelling absolutely delicious. Kathryn jumped down and walked over to the sink and began washing the bowl. She managed that way to get most of the brownie mix off of her fingers but obviously still didn't know about her decorated face.

"So Chakotay, what will you do with the brownies now that you've made them? Are you going to share any with your partner in crime?”

"I normally take them back to my quarters, then I eat a few and put the rest away for me to eat later, while I'm working on reports. I suppose you can have one if you ask very nicely. We can take them back to my quarters and share some. How does that sound?”

"Sounds good to me,” Kathryn replied with a grin.

With that remark the timer went off signaling that the brownies were done. Chakotay took them out of the oven saying that he wouldn't trust her this late in the game because if she screwed up now then they'd have to start the whole process all over, and 0230 hours was not the time to do it. Clutching the pan, Chakotay turned the oven off. He nodded to Kathryn to lead the way and they started out of the mess hall.

Luckily they didn't run into any crewmembers on their way to his quarters. He was glad for that at least. Kathryn would be extremely embarrassed if she knew that she had brownie mix and flour smudges across her face. As they arrived at his quarters, he keyed in his access code and nodded for her to go in first.

"Computer, lights 50%. Now Kathryn you are incredibly cute with flour and brownie mix on your face but I'm sure you would like to go and wash it off. You can use my shower and I'll even let you use some of my replicator rations to get a pair of pajamas to change into.”

While he said this Chakotay had set the pan of brownies down on the table. He merely smiled at Kathryn's indignant look, and flashed his dimples when she blushed in embarrassment at the mention of pajamas.

"Would it be more… appropriate”, she began, "if I went and used my own shower?”

"Well, you could”, he replied, "but the brownies are here. Warm and waiting for you when you get out. ”

She nodded and grinned saucily, then pranced off to his bedroom and the bathroom beyond.

Kathryn hurried out of her uniform, trying to ignore the thoughts that leapt into her head about Chakotay using this same sonic shower every day. After a quick shower she reached out and grabbed the towel sitting on the rack. Chakotay's towel. Wrapping it around her she stuck her head out the bathroom door just to make sure that he wasn't in the bedroom and hastened out.

'Problem. I'm in here, I have no clothing, and the replicator - source of my new pajamas - is in the room where Chakotay is,' she thought as she dashed back into the bathroom.

"Chakotay? Do you just have an extra pair of pajamas I can wear tonight? Please?” she said from behind the safety of the bathroom door.

"Sure Kathryn. You'll see them just inside the closet. Although you know I'd much prefer it if you just kept that towel on. Its not like I haven't ever seen it all before.” Damn he was getting daring tonight. Perhaps it was the thought of her in his pajamas?

She could hear his grin in his voice. Rolling her eyes in response she crept over to his closet and grabbed the pair of pajamas that had just been tossed in there. She quickly put the loose grey pants on and pulled the T-shirt on over her head. She had to tighten the drawstring on the pants a great deal before she felt she could walk without them falling off. The legs came down so far that they covered her toes. The T-shirt was huge and she felt like she was swimming in it. She didn't have any underwear to put on, but she figured that if she was careful, then Chakotay would never know. Hitching up the pant legs so she wouldn't trip on them she walked out into the main room.

Chakotay was seated on the couch with his back to her. She could see the plate of brownies and two glasses of milk sitting on a tray in front of him. She hurried over and sat on the opposite side of the tray, facing him, and tucked her legs up underneath her. He just grinned at her and motioned for her to take a brownie. He laughed as she eagerly grabbed one and then reached down to pick up one of his own.

"So how often do you make these little treats at two a.m.?” she said after she had taken her first bite. "Oh my these are delicious.”

They were delicious. Almost as good as she remembered her mother's caramel brownies to be, but not quite.

"I should come bug you in the middle of the night more often,” she said unthinkingly.

"I'd like that, Kathryn,” Chakotay said mildly as she devoured her second brownie. She looked up at him in shock at his comment. It was the last thing that she expected from him. He wasn't referring to her bugging him for business purposes, he was asking for a lot more. They had definitely moved now from just casual teasing to outright flirting. This could get dangerous for the both of them.

"That can be arranged.” Kathryn downplayed her response by getting up and walking to the replicator. After ordering a cup of coffee - black of course - she turned to Chakotay with a sheepish grin. "I hope you don't mind . . . "

He just smiled back in reply.

Neither of them knew what to do next. They were at a point where they could just laugh off their comments as sleeplessness or they could act on them. Kathryn was torn. She desperately wanted a 'more than friends' relationship with her first officer, but she didn't know how their command relationship would be affected by such intimacy.

Chakotay watched as Kathryn became very engrossed in her cup of coffee. He had an idea as to what was going through her mind but didn't know what to say to her. He knew what he wanted - he had loved her for so long, dreamed about her at night, and thought about her all throughout the day. Not knowing what to do he stood up carried the tray of brownies to a storage container in the corner. After recycling their milk glasses, he finally moved to stand before her.

She was looking down at her coffee when she saw him move in front of her. Now she was going to be called on those four simple words. She was terrified that she wouldn't be able to take this step. She was afraid that at the last second she would stiffen up and refuse him, like she had so many times before. She was afraid of hurting him again by pushing him away, and that this time he would never ask again. She looked up at him, her doubts written clearly on her face.

Chakotay gazed down at Kathryn as she turned her face up to him. They were standing only inches apart. It would be so easy for him just to reach down and kiss her right there, he longed to do just that. Instead he reached out with his hand and brushed her damp hair back from her face. It hung in straight strings from her shower earlier. There were wet spots on her shoulders where it had rested. To him, she had never looked so beautiful. He watched as she closed her eyes and leaned into his hand. He wanted so desperately to lean down and brush his lips against hers, to kiss her until her lips hurt, until they were both breathless and gasping for air. When she opened her eyes to look up at him he just couldn't help himself. He closed the distance between them and softly touched his lips to hers.

The kiss was everything that she had dreamed of. It wasn't pushy or demanding, merely soft and gentle. It awakened something more within her, driving her earlier fears aside. As he pulled away a little she looked at him again, this time without holding anything back. All of her desire was present in her eyes. In his eyes she could see his love for her, as he leaned down to kiss her a second time.

Finding no resistance Chakotay deepened the kiss. He brushed his tongue across her lips and she opened them for him. He could taste the coffee on her breath and the hint of brownies. He tangled his hands in her hair and pulled her closer. As their bodies began to touch he broke off the kiss. This was new territory for them. He wanted to take it slowly so that there would be no mistakes, no regrets. He didn't want her running away from him now.

As Chakotay hesitated, Kathryn reached up and pressed her palms against each side of his face, running one thumb gently along his jawbone. Finally, she thought, this is it. After all this time, after all the scenarios she had imagined, something as silly as needing a midnight snack had brought them to this. The thought made her smile.

"What is it?" Chakotay asked, as he slipped his arms comfortably around her waist.

"I was just thinking", she replied, "that I never realised cooking lessons with you could end up being so much fun."

He returned the smile. "Is that so?"

She nodded slightly. "Uh-huh. In fact", she went on, absently stroking his face, "I was wondering why we didn't do this a long time ago."

"Maybe it just wasn't the right time yet", he said softly.

"Maybe it was the right time," she countered, "and I was just to stupid to notice."

"Stupid?" he said, raising his eyebrows. "Kathryn Janeway? Kathryn the Goddess? The Queen of the Amazon warriors?"

She grinned again, broadly this time. "Or maybe", he continued, "I just needed to see you in the right kind of clothes. These are some very sexy pajamas you have on, Kathryn. They might be a little small for you though…"

Kathryn chuckled, then grew serious. "I have wanted this for a long, long time," she said slowly, her eyes gazing into his.

Chakotay caught his breath at her throaty admission, but before he could respond Kathryn went on. "The thing is, I think we have a problem."

Chakotay swallowed, fearing the worst. "What?"

"Well," she continued, her face taking on a mischievous look, "I think I'm in your debt for that cooking lesson. You showed me how to bake brownies. Then you shared the brownies with me. What am I going to give you in return?"

He sighed with relief, then tightened his arms around her waist, pulling her closer.

"I'm sure we'll think of something, Kathryn", he said.

And he kissed her again.

THE END