by Dakota

Kathryn stepped off the turbolift to find her first officer waiting for her.  They turned and walked quickly down the corridor.

"Tell me what happened."

"I don't have all the details, but it appears he was a bit careless with sampling the foods being offered in trade and only ran the standard check for substances harmful to Terrans. I had tried it earlier and it's quite good but unfortunately Talaxians can't eat this particular Gataran fruit.  he doctor's initial report is that he will be fine in a week or two once the symptoms of the allergic reaction subside. He described it as severe and very debilitating but not life threatening. Neelix will be confined to sickbay for at least four days then released to his quarters for at least ten more days."

Kathryn slowed her stride when she heard Neelix was not going to die from what he ate. She considered whether his carelessness warranted any further punishment. She asked a few more questions as she and Chakotay approached sickbay. They entered to find Neelix moaning.

"He has a tummy ache, Captain, which is to be expected when you eat something that is not good for you."

"You're sure he is in no immediate danger?"

"I'm certain. The same trace compounds in this particular fruit occur in at least one fruit native to Talaxia, a fruit that Talaxian children frequently eat when they find it growing wild. They are miserable for a few days and learn to avoid the fruit, but they suffer no permanent harm. Unfortunately for Mr. Neelix, the effects last much longer in adults."

"How did you find that out?"

"Mr. Neelix told me in between moans and groans. Now, if you want to talk to him, please return in the morning. His tummy ache will continue to worsen slightly for the next seven hours. By morning, it should be nearly gone and he will be able to speak more coherently. I'm sure you would find it nearly impossible to understand anything he says right now."

Satisfied that Neelix was going to survive, Kathryn and Chakotay left sickbay and headed back toward the turbolift.

"Aren't you due to take a few hours shore leave now, Kathryn?"

"I was just leaving when you called me about Neelix."

"Good, then you can beam down with me now. If you have no plans, I'd be happy to explore the city with you."

Kathryn gave Chakotay a mock glare but for once she didn’t argue, at least not much. "Is there any point in arguing?"

"Not really."

"Ok, but you're paying for dinner."

Three hours later, in one of the larger market towns of Gatara, Kathryn and Chakotay were making their way through a small park on their way to a restaurant a resident of the area had recommended. They had asked for something small and quiet and popular with the residents, not the visitors. They found the restaurant on a side street snuggled between a florist shop and what looked like a bakery. The manager greeted them cheerfully and showed them to a table next to the window. Kathryn and Chakotay both sat down, glad to rest after wandering the streets and shops for several hours.

Their waitress quickly served them cool drinks and left them to study the menu, promising to explain the various dishes to them when they were ready. Forty minutes later, they had finished and were enjoying the local version of hot tea while they chatted about the situation on Voyager.

"Neelix being sick really puts us in an unusual position."

"How so?" Kathryn's attitude was mildly curious but not overly concerned.

"We finally have a large supply of fresh food and his illness has left us with no one to cook it for the crew." Chakotay had avoided bringing this problem to Kathryn's attention all afternoon, but knew that sooner or later they would have to deal with it.

"You mean we don't have anyone who can fill in for a few days." Kathryn seemed genuinely surprised at that information.

"We do – for a few days, but assigning anyone to the mess hall for an extended period will leave at least one department short handed. We've taken his enthusiasm for granted, Kathryn, because he works a double shift most days. This is for at least two weeks and Neelix didn't have any warning to make things up ahead of time as he usually does when he's going to be gone for a few days."

"At least two weeks? Didn't the doctor say he'd be back by then?"

"I'm just being cautious. He might be back on duty before then, but he could just as easily take longer to recover."

They continued talking and had their cups refilled but had not managed to come up with a viable option.

"Excuse me." They looked up to see a woman standing next to their table. She was clearly not a native of Gatara. "Your waitress happened to hear you mention your cook was ill and told me."

"Yes?"  Kathryn spoke a bit abruptly, not seeing how the situation on Voyager was any of this woman's business.

"I have a proposal to make. As you can tell, I'm not a native of Gatara. I'm a traveler of sorts. I stay on a planet for a year or two then I move on. I usually work my passage from one system to the next. I liked it here so I've been here through five of their seasons, but I'm ready to move on. I haven't found a ship or crew that interested me – until now. I'd like to work my passage to the next system you visit as the cook on your vessel."

"You don't even know where we're going and we don't know whether you can cook." Chakotay was the first to find his voice.

"It doesn't matter where you're going. If I like it, I'll stay, if not I'll just find another ship and move on." The woman smiled slightly. "As for knowing whether I can cook, you do. I've been working here in the kitchen as a cook for some time. I prepared most of your meal this evening. So, do we have a deal?"

"What's your opinion of leola root?" Kathryn had to ask.

"A necessary evil that I hope to avoid during our journey. If you insist on including it in the ship's menu I will be happy to do so."

"No. That won't be necessary. Our ailing chef is quite fond of that particular vegetable but I would welcome a break from it." Kathryn exchanged looks with Chakotay. They knew she could cook the locally grown foods and she was obviously willing to go. Chakotay shrugged and nodded slightly – this was as good a solution as they were likely to find. Kathryn had one last question.

"If we ask your present employer and the local police, will they warn us about you for any reason?"

"They'll probably tell you I could talk my way into or out of just about anything, and confuse most people in any debate, but they will also tell you that I keep my word."

"Ok, you have a deal. I'm Captain Kathryn Janeway and this is my first officer, Commander Chakotay. We'll meet you in the main square in ten hours, if that's satisfactory."

"Thank you, Captain. That is quite satisfactory. You may call me Rianen."

Two days later, Kathryn and Chakotay sat in the ready room listening to the doctor complaining about their newest passenger.

"I'm telling you, Captain, there's something wrong with her story. She is not a native of the Delta Quadrant. Look at that picture. Except for the clothing, that's 'Rianen' on the Enterprise less than ten years ago, only she was calling herself 'Guinan' then."

"All right, Doctor. We'll ask her about this. I'll allow you to stay, but if you say one word to interrupt us, I'll turn off your speech processors. Am I making myself clear?"

"Yes, Captain."

A few minutes later Rianen arrived in the ready room. She seemed surprised at the presence of the doctor, yet calmly accepted it without comment.

"What can I do for you, Captain?" She spoke calmly, almost as if in control of the conversation.

"Please, sit down. The doctor has brought something to my attention that I wanted to ask you about." They all sat down except the doctor who hovered in the background. "It seems the doctor found records of someone who gives every appearance of being you. We have medical records and a limited biographical record of someone who looks very much like you going by the name of 'Guinan'. Our last reports placed this person on another Federation ship, the Enterprise, only a few years ago, nearly thirty-five thousand light years across the galaxy. Can you explain this?"

"Yes." Kathryn waited for more. Rianen seemed to realize that the captain was waiting for her to continue. "May I ask a question?"

"Certainly."

"Does the explanation affect our agreement?" Rianen's question caught Kathryn by surprise. Kathryn wished she had had time to discuss that one with Chakotay.

"Only if something in your past violates our laws or affects the safety of this ship and crew."

"And you are willing to take my word for that? "

"Yes."

"I have not broken any of your laws for I have never been in the Alpha Quadrant and I know of nothing in my past that would place this ship or crew in any danger. Is that sufficient?"

The doctor stepped forward and opened his mouth, only to snap it closed and step back when Kathryn directed her eyes on him in warning. She was clearly not satisfied with the statement but knew that any additional explanation could be as true or false as the one she had heard.

"If that's all you are willing to tell me, then it will have to be." Kathryn stood and was surprised when Rianen remained seated.

"Thank you, Captain. You've answered my questions; it is only fair that I now answer yours.

"I don’t know Guinan so all I can tell you about her is that she is undoubtedly a member of my species. I'm not sure what she told your people in the Alpha Quadrant, but the Borg attacked our planet and those of us who escaped went in many directions. Like many others, I chose to journey slowly stopping and learning about various people. Most of the time, I have traveled as I am now – by working my passage from one planet to the next.

"Your files should tell you that we are a very long-lived species especially compared to your own, so it is unremarkable that our journeys have taken us so far. As for our appearance, our species does not have the variety of facial features most other species do. That is all I can tell you." Rianen glanced at the chronometer. "Now, Captain, I only have about an hour to finish preparing dinner. If you don't mind, I'll return to my work."

Kathryn stood and this time Rianen rose to her feet as well. "Thank you, Rianen. I'll see you later in the mess hall."

Rianen left and Kathryn turned to the doctor. "Satisfied, Doctor?"

"Not really."

"Well, it will have to do. Her explanation is consistent with what we know. She has done nothing to make us question the veracity of her statements. Dismissed, Doctor."

After the doctor left, Kathryn sighed and sat down at her desk. "Do you believe her, Chakotay?"

"Yes. She has no reason to lie and there is nothing in the information we have to indicate she might be. Even if she were Guinan, there would still be no problem since she was a valued member of Picard's crew."

"I believe her, too." Kathryn allowed a small smile to creep across her face. "I would have hated to lose such a good cook. What do you have on your schedule for the rest of the day?"

"I have to check some things in the science labs. I'll meet you here at 18:00 for dinner."

"See you then."

Chakotay and Kathryn arrived in the mass hall about 18:30 to find it crowded. It hadn't taken the crew long to realize the Rianen was a wonderful cook and considered leola root suitable only for those confined to the brig. They took their time going through the serving line so that the people who had taken their usual table would have time to find new seats. They talked quietly about the status of some of the equipment in hydroponics that was going to need some extensive maintenance while they waited. As they picked up their trays and moved through the line, Rianen greeted them with her now familiar smile on her face.

"Captain, Commander. I prepared a few new dishes this evening and I made sure I saved you both a sample of each." She reached under the counter and pulled out two small plates with three unfamiliar foods for them. "There is also plenty of the main course. Lieutenant Paris said it reminded him of vegetable linguini, whatever that is."

"Rianen, could you do something for me?" Kathryn asked as she sniffed the aroma of the samples.

"I will try."

"Would you make sure you leave all your recipes for Neelix? The crew is clearly quite fond of your dishes and I'd like Neelix to have the benefit of your experience."

"Of course, Captain. I'll leave him a complete set of the recipes and send both you and the Commander a copy, just in case something happens to his copy."

"Thank you, Rianen."

They started to move on to the desserts when Rianen spoke again. "I have something special for you to try for dessert, Captain. May I bring it to you when you're ready?"

Intrigued, Kathryn and Chakotay nodded then moved toward their table after making sure its former occupants had found other seats. They chatted amiably for about half an hour before Rianen showed up with some fruity concoction. She pulled up a chair and sat down to watch them taste it. She grinned as the smiles spread over their faces.

"I'm glad you like this. It's one of my favorites but the Gatarans don't enjoy tart fruit very much so it's been a while since I made this."

"It's wonderful. I hope we have a plant or two or at least some seeds for this, Chakotay."

"I'll check when we finish dinner, Captain."

"Morning will be soon enough."

The trio chatted about Gatara while Kathryn and Chakotay enjoyed their dessert. Finally, Rianen grew silent. Kathryn finally asked her what she was thinking.

"I want to ask you something, but I'm not sure it's an appropriate question."

"Why don't you ask it and if it's not appropriate, we'll tell you." Chakotay offered a simple solution to the dilemma. "You won't learn our customs unless you ask."

"All right. Why does the crew act like you two are not a couple? It seems to me that you feel strongly for each other."

Kathryn and Chakotay both paled and neither met the other's eyes. Chakotay spoke first, addressing the question but not its answer.

"Rianen, the question is appropriate for close friends or family members. Our friendship is probably a little new for that type of a question."

"I am sorry, Captain, Commander. I didn't mean to be rude."

"It's all right, Rianen. We're not offended." Kathryn allowed Chakotay to continue for them both. "If I didn't want to answer it, I would not have, but I don't mind answering your question. I believe you have mistaken a very strong friendship and a comfortable professional relationship for something more."

Rianen smiled and nodded as she stood to leave. "Are you sure I am mistaken?" With that, she was gone leaving both Kathryn and Chakotay uncertain how to respond.

Five weeks later, Neelix had reclaimed his kitchen and, after a few days resistance, had started using some of Rianen's recipes. A hastily spread campaign of praise for his knack at improving Rianen's recipes quickly ensured he kept them on the regular menu. Rianen had departed at a trading outpost and Voyager had adjusted to her absence.

Kathryn had evaded Chakotay when he tried to find her to go to dinner one evening. During his search he was sidetracked in engineering for two hours, so at 22:00 hours he was still trying to track her down. He finally found her in the abandoned mess hall eating chicken parmigiana.

"Kathryn, I've been searching the ship for you. Why did you leave your combadge in your quarters?"

"So you wouldn't find me."

"Well, now that I have found you, do you mind if I join you?"

"Of course not. Go get a fork."

Chakotay went behind the counter to get a fork and something cold to drink from the replicator before sitting down opposite Kathryn. He dipped his fork into the pasta and sauce, wrapping it with practiced ease around his fork before taking a bite.

"Hmmmm. This is wonderful, Kathryn. Can you give me the replicator program?"

"Actually, I can't."

"Tell me whose program it is and I'll ask them for it. I don't mind."

"It's not a program." Kathryn's comment drew a blank look from Chakotay. "Really, it's not a program. I cooked it myself."

"You cooked this? I thought you hated to cook?"

"I do most of the time but that doesn't mean I can't cook."

"Why haven't you ever mentioned it to me? Better question, why in all the years we've been on Voyager haven't you ever cooked dinner for me?"

"Well, at first I didn't want to take the time. I was focused solely on getting us home. Then you started cooking for me once in a while and I enjoyed being lazy. I also know how much you liked fixing those meals for the two of us. Over the years, those meals became our time and I didn't want to change them, so I never mentioned it." Kathryn stopped talking but it was clear that she had something more to add but was reluctant to say it. Chakotay waited until she continued. "It also seemed too domestic for me to cook for you."

"It's not too domestic for me to cook for you though?"

"You know what I mean. It would feel too personal, too permanent."

"Is that a bad thing, Kathryn?"

"No, not bad. Definitely not bad, but it never felt quite right." Kathryn took another bite to give herself time to think. "You remember that comment Rianen made when she first came on board? I've been thinking about it."

"I remember. What have you been thinking?"

"I'm not sure."

"Not sure what you're thinking?"

"Not sure we aren't mistaken, or at least I'm not sure she wasn't seeing something that I've managed to avoid seeing. I think I'd like to find out. I didn't like not knowing the answer to that question." Chakotay chuckled at her last comment.

"How do you plan on finding out the answer?"

"Why don't I cook dinner for you one night next week?"

"It's a date, Kathryn."

"Yes, exactly."