by Dakota

"So am I forgiven now?"

"I suppose.  It's not your fault you're a pig and a p'tak by nature.  I love you anyway."  B'Elanna moved closer to Tom hoping he would follow her lead.  Her worries were unfounded as Tom pulled her closer and proceeded to demonstrate his feelings by actions, not words.

An hour later, B'Elanna stirred slightly.

"You awake?"  Tom's voice surprised B'Elanna; she had thought he was asleep.

"Yes.  I've been thinking."

"Thinking?  About what?"

"About us.  How did you know the exact thing to say tonight?"

"Promise not to get mad if I tell you?"

"Well, no, no promises.  But if you don't, I'll get mad anyway, so talk."

"I went to Chakotay.  I figured he knows you about as well as anyone else on Voyager and asked his advice." Tom had shifted slightly to hug B'Elanna, knowing that if she reacted he'd have a slightly better chance of restraining her. She was quiet for a moment.

"Did you tell him exactly what this fight was about?"

"No, just that we'd had a fight and you were pretty angry. He said he'd already figured that out for himself. We talked a while. He got me thinking about a few things, gave me a few suggestions, and told me to time it carefully when I did apologize. I took his advice and you know the rest."

"I talked to him, too. That's why I was ready to listen to you earlier. He reminded me that you being a pig and p'tak is part of the reason I love you."

"He said that?"

"Not in so many words, but that was the gist of it."

"I'm glad you listened to him."

"Me, too." B'Elanna was silent a moment before continuing. "Have you ever wondered how many other people have benefited from his advice over the years?"

"Not really but I imagine everyone on the ship has talked to him at some time or another about personal problems. We're all a lot better off for his advice and interest, even if all he does is listen."

"It's too bad he doesn't have anyone to help him solve his long time problem."

"He has the captain." Tom's response was automatic until he thought about exactly what B'Elanna had said. "Oh, I see what you mean."

"It's too bad we can't do something."

"Maybe we can. Look, we all know what he wants. All we have to figure out is a way to give it to him."

"Somehow I don't think the captain will go along with this."

"Ok, so we have to think of some way to convince her."

"Just exactly how do you think we can do that when he hasn't been able to get her to change her mind about fraternization?"

"I don't think he's tried, at least not seriously, in the last few years. We need to convince her, not him."

"I'm glad you realize that we need her cooperation."

"I need to think about this for a while."

"Good, in the meantime, I think you can continue with this apology you started earlier."

"Continue?"

"Is that a problem?" B'Elanna hands wandered low on Tom's belly, then moved to tickle him slightly just under his ribs.

"It's not a problem right now, but if you keep that up, it will be. Now lie back and let me apologize properly."

Tom and Ayala walked into the mess hall the following day and hurried through the serving line. Ayala walked over to Sam as Tom approached B'Elanna and Harry.

"Where's Jenny?"

"She's stuck in the lab. She's not sure she'll make it today."

"Well, slide over and make room for Sam and Ayala. We need to talk."

Sam had finished most of her lunch and dropped off her tray. She was carrying her drink as she followed Ayala to their table. Tom quickly grabbed her an extra chair and the five of them made room at a table for four.

"Well, you'll have to fill her in later, Harry. B'Elanna and I were talking the other night about how much the commander helps the crew with personal problems. We were thinking that it might…"

"Wait a minute, mister. You were thinking. There is no 'we' in whatever scheme you have dreamed up now."

"All right. I was thinking that it might be nice to help him solve his only real problem."

"The commander doesn't have any problems." Harry spoke up looking a bit confused.

"Sure he does. What's the one thing he wants more than anything but can't have?"

"To get back to the Alpha Quadrant?"

"I mean in his personal life. Pay attention, Buster."

"He doesn't have a personal..." Harry's voice faded away as he realized what he was about to say and what Tom meant finally penetrated his rose-colored glasses.  "Oh."

"Yes, 'oh'."

"I already told you, Tom, I'm not having anything to do with messing in their lives. This is their business and until they ask for our input, we should leave them alone."

"That's the problem, neither of them will ever ask."

"What makes you think the captain wants to change the situation?"

"Well, to be honest…"

"That's a new twist." Harry's muttered words were clearly audible but Tom pretended to ignore him.

"… I don't actually know. What I do know is that they have been in the same rut for the last five years and it's time to get them out of it."

"I've known Chakotay for a long time, Tom, and there is nothing you can do that is going to get him to force the issue with the captain. He loves her but he also respects her and the decisions she makes. He may not like it, but he will live with it." Ayala spoke with firm conviction and a tinge of regret.

"What if the captain wants out of that rut as much as the commander? We need to give her an excuse, not a reason."

"What do you mean?" Sam was curious.

"Think about it. They are in a rut and neither of them knows how to get out. The captain made her decision years ago when she still thought we'd be home in a few years. Well, those years have come and gone and we're still a long way from Earth. I think she'd change her mind if she had an excuse. Why don't we give her that excuse?"

"How do you propose we do that without making matters worse?" B'Elanna was now curious.

"Well, if we want the captain to change her mind, we need to keep the attention on the commander."

"What? Why?"

"Classic misdirection. If she's focusing on him, she won't notice we're actually trying to get her to rethink that decision about fraternization."

"I'm telling you, you're not going to get Chakotay to play along with this, Paris."

"He doesn't have to play along. We tell them both we want to say 'thank you' to Chakotay for helping us over the years and we've planned a little dinner to show our appreciation. That will get the captain there."

"What's the catch?" Harry sounded resigned to trouble.

"The catch?" Tom tried to sound surprised and look innocent, but failed miserably at both.

"Don't try to sound so innocent, Tom Paris, you always have an angle. Just tell us what it is." Sam's voice was patient but her expression mirrored Harry's.

"There is no catch.  I just thought we could all give the commander a little something. Nothing elaborate."

"Like what?" B'Elanna spoke up again, daring Tom to cross the line she considered acceptable.

"Like some scented candles or aftershave."

"And how is that going to help him?" Ayala spoke again.

"Coffee scented candles and coffee aftershave. Maybe some fresh roasted coffee beans."

"What! He barely drinks the stuff."

"I know. So who do you think would be the one to find those items the most appealing? Who might decide to help him enjoy his gifts?"

Ayala started chuckling first, followed quickly by Sam. B'Elanna was slower to respond as she considered all the possible reasons Tom could be wrong.

"You might just have something there, Helmboy."

"So you'll all participate?"

Sam glanced at Ayala. "What do you think? Could this work or would they both think we were interfering?"

"We would have to be very careful to make sure we don't give away our real objective beforehand, but I think it could work. I don't think it would hurt their relationship even if it didn't get them together."

Sam exchanged a silent communication with Ayala then turned to the others. "Ok, we're in. I'm warning you right now, Tom, if this backfires, I am not going to hesitate to lay it all at your door."

"I'm in, too, but I'm not making any promises about Jenny until I've talked to her."

"Well, just don't let her talk you out of it, Buster."

"Stop calling me that."

"I call you that on the holodeck so what's the problem."

"We're not on the holodeck for one thing and it's not my name for another."

Tom ignored Harry as he turned to B'Elanna. "Well, B'Elanna?"

"I'm not sure it will work, but it's worth a try. Now who wants to get them which gift? I think I'll get Chakotay some raktajino. What about you, Sam?"

"I'll get him some chocolate covered coffee beans. The captain loves chocolate almost as much as she does coffee."

"I'll get him fresh roasted coffee beans." Ayala spoke quickly before there were only the 'smelly' items left."

"I have plenty of rations saved so I was thinking about a cappuccino machine." Tom always had to have the extreme choices.

"Isn't that a little elaborate?" B'Elanna made it clear that she thought he was overdoing it.

"Well, he's helped me more times than I can count, B'Elanna." His glance told B'Elanna that Chakotay must have gotten him past some of their severest fights.

"Ok, but don't come begging me for my rations when you run out. Harry, what about you and Jenny?"

"Well, I guess we can get him the scented candles."

"Get him scented toiletries, too, like aftershave and bubble bath."

"Bubble bath?  Are you nuts?"

"We want the captain to enjoy these gifts, remember? Just do it, Harry." Tom's voice indicated that he was not going to argue and expected Harry to follow directions.  "Now, I think I can get the captain to let us hold this little dinner in her quarters – after all they are larger than anyone else's."

"That won't work, Paris. If you give him all this stuff in her quarters, he'll wait until we leave then just give them to her before he leaves. It will have to be in his quarters for this to work."

Ayala's words opened a definite flaw in Tom's plans and the discussion turned to fine tuning Tom's basic plan.

In the end, Kathryn found the simplest solution – lying to Chakotay. She invited him for a casual dinner, made sure he got tied up in Engineering at the end of his shift so she had time to get ready, and had the computer tell her when he was in the shower. Then she and the others swiftly made their way to his quarters, entered and set the table. When Chakotay emerged ten minutes after entering the shower, he found his quarters filled with uninvited guests.

The eight sat and enjoyed their meal talking about ship's business and gossip. They discussed a new holoprogram that Tom was considering. When they finished, Tom and Harry quickly cleared the table and brought them all coffee. Chakotay's curiosity finally got the better of him when they didn't offer him tea.

"What's this all about? Kathryn, I though we were having dinner in your quarters."

"I think I'll let them explain." She nodded to Tom.

"Commander, we just wanted to thank you for all the things you do for us and the rest of the crew."

"I don't understand."

"You're always ready and willing to listen." B'Elanna spoke up. "You give advice when we need it and don't when we aren't ready to hear it.  You tell us when you think we've messed up and help us put things into perspective."

"I'm just doing my job, B'Elanna."

"No, you aren't just doing your job. You’ve been our friend when we needed you most and then stepped back when we didn't." Sam's voice was quiet but firm as she glanced at Ayala. "You've helped all of us develop friendships and relationships that might not have happened without your support. We just wanted to say we've noticed and appreciate what you've done for us."

"I don't know what to say."

"Then don't say anything – at least not yet." Tom was a bit rude but he had to make sure both the captain and the commander understood what the gifts represented. "You've helped most of us get what we wanted most or keep what was the most important in our lives. We'd like to get you what you want most, but that's beyond our abilities. We're hoping these little gifts will assist you in achieving your objective."

Chakotay and Kathryn both looked confused at Tom's closing words and were slow to comment. B'Elanna held out her gift to Chakotay.

"This is from me." She waited expectantly while he opened the bulky package.

"B'Elanna, I don't know what to say." Chakotay had no idea why B'Elanna, of all people, would get him raktajino. She knew he seldom drank the weaker Terran variety and never touched the Klingon counterpart.

"You don't need to thank me, Chakotay."

"Open mine next, Commander." Sam reached across the table to hand a box to Chakotay.

Chakotay was clearly uncomfortable accepting the gifts but managed to open the second one with good grace. His words about the choice of gifts echoed his confused expression. "Chocolate covered coffee beans. How thoughtful of you.  Thank you, Sam."

Ayala extended his gift. "This goes with Sam's present. Hope you enjoy it, Chakotay."

As he opened Ayala's five pounds of roasted coffee beans, he started getting suspicious but spoke his thanks warmly and sincerely. His suspicions increased as he opened Jenny's gift of more than two dozen coffee scented candles in assorted sizes and shapes and were confirmed by Tom's hissed whisper to Harry.

"You were supposed to be getting him the candles."

"Shhhh. Jenny insisted. She refused to give him…" Harry's face flamed.

"Give me what, Harry?"  Chakotay asked and Harry nearly sank through the deck.  Then Harry stepped forward looking more embarrassed than Chakotay.

"This, sir." Harry's arm shot out to deliver his gift.

"If you don't want to give me something, you don't have to."

"Yes, he does, Commander. Trust me. He wants to give you this." Tom's voice made it clear that Harry was not going to be allowed to back down from what was clearly participation in one of Tom's schemes.

Harry's arm remained extended leaving Chakotay no choice but to accept the bulky package. He carefully opened the package, clearly concerned by Harry's behavior. He lifted the lid off the box to find shampoo, liquid soap, conditioner, lotions and bubble bath, all coffee scented, enough to last for months, maybe even years. No wonder Harry looked ready to sink through the deck. Chakotay glanced briefly towards Kathryn but her gaze was unfocused and thoughtful despite the suppressed smile.

Tom distracted Chakotay's attention from Kathryn as he retrieved a very large box from the corner and placed it on the floor next to Chakotay's chair.

"This is from me, Commander."

Chakotay debated the wisdom of opening the garishly wrapped package.

"Go ahead, Chakotay. I'm sure it won't hurt you. Will it, Tom?" Kathryn's voice made it clear that she was curious about this final gift even if Chakotay weren't.

"Well, if it does, you and B'Elanna are going to miss him a lot more than I will."

In a few minutes, Chakotay had removed the wrapping paper and was staring at a box labeled 'cappuccino machine'. He reached inside and removed an instruction booklet printed in at least a hundred languages including Ferengi, Latin, Klingon, Vulcan, Greek, Bajoran, Romulan, Irdu, Cardassian, Standard, and Old Church Slavonic, to name just a few.

Chakotay's manners eventually took control. "Thank you, all. Trust me when I say, this really wasn't necessary."

"We thought it was, Commander." Sam spoke for the rest for them. "Just saying thanks didn't seem to be adequate. We wanted to do something nice for you just this once."

"What's wrong, Chakotay, cat got your tongue?" Kathryn's teasing words made him look up. "Is there something you want to ask them perhaps?"

Chakotay was at a loss. He had a million questions, most of them more appropriate for taking Tom apart bit by bit. His hands reached out to grasp two of his gifts – a candle and one of the toiletries. He checked the scent – it hadn't changed.

"I was just curious about their choice of scents for all these." He motioned with his hands holding the two items.

"Is there something wrong with coffee, Chakotay?" Kathryn's voice was still teasing.

"Not at all. As I said, I was just curious."

Tom stood and motioned toward the door with his head. The others all stood and gathered as much of the scattered paper as they could. Ayala had wrapped his arm around Sam, Harry had his around Jenny, and B'Elanna and Tom were arm in arm.

"As I said earlier, Commander, we would have liked to get you what you want most, but that's beyond our abilities. We're hoping these little gifts will assist you in achieving your objective." Tom and B'Elanna followed the other couples toward the door. "Oh, by the way, Commander, we don't mind if you want to share those gifts with a friend."

The six quickly exited, leaving a slightly embarrassed Chakotay with a pile of gifts he didn't want wondering how he was going to explain this to Kathryn. All he could do was stare at the box with the cappuccino machine. He had never even tasted cappuccino.

"Would you like some help with that?"

"What?"

"I asked if you would like some help with that. They said you could share, so I thought maybe you'd share with me."

"Umm, sure."

Kathryn's smile lit her face. She reached out to take the candle out of his hand.  "Come on, then. Let's go."

"What?"

"The candles and bubble bath – you said you'd like some help and would share them with me. Let's go." Chakotay glanced at the item he was still holding then felt his empty hand grasped as he was led towards his bathroom. Halfway there, his brain finally caught up with events and he stopped, nearly pulling Kathryn off her feet.

"Kathryn, wait." She turned to look at him. "Were you in on all this?"

"Only on the food, not the gifts."

"Then why are you going along with them?"

"I'm not."

"Then you're teasing me?"

"No. I meant that I'm doing this because I want to, not because of Tom's latest scheme."

"If you want all that stuff out there, just say so. Those things are much more to your taste than mine."

"Nice pun, mister, but I fancy that sharing them would significantly increase your enjoyment, don't you?"

"Kathryn, I'm serious."

"So am I." Kathryn stood in front of him, still holding his one hand in hers. "We're both so comfortable with our relationship the way it is that we're afraid to change it. But I've wanted to change it for a long time now. All that out there was like the answer to a prayer so I thought I'd take advantage of it. It's up to you."

Suddenly he turned and pulled Kathryn back toward the table and all the gifts. He gathered up the candles and shampoo and put them in her arms. He picked up the cappuccino machine and headed for the door not noticing the disappointment and hurt on her face. He stopped at the door and looked at her.

"Well, come on, Kathryn. Let's go. Your tub is bigger than mine."