Title: Playing Doctor

Series: TNG/VOY XO

Rating: NC-17

Codes: Howard/Chakotay

Synopsis: Academy days story in which medical student Beverly Howard gets a taste of the Indian Outlaw himself, Cadet First Class Chakotay.

Author's Notes: The idea for this little flight of fantasy came from surfing around the Startrek website library. Their bio on Chakotay places him at Starfleet Academy two years behind the Chief Medical Officer of the Enterprise (the info there is different than the info in the Encyclopedia). Since she has referenced a brief, intense affair she had before meeting Jack Crusher, well it was too interesting a possibility to pass up. This was originally posted to ASC on January 28, 2002.

Feedback is always appreciated, posted or e-mail.

Whoa Nellie's Romance Star Trek Fan Fiction Stories

http://whoanellie.fortunecity.com

Playing Doctor

"Howard!" Dr. Sulake yelled for his med student. The infirmary at Starfleet Academy was unusually busy this afternoon. One of the Talavian students had returned from break with a virus that was causing severe illness among the other students. On top of the parrises squares finals and other sporting events, every pair of hands was needed for medical duties.

Beverly Howard, second year medical student, finished entering patient information into the database and located the source of the bellow. "Yes, Dr. Sulake?"

"Take over here, use that dermal regenerator on the cut under his eye and the bruising. I need to get back out there." Snapping off the osteogenerator that he had been using to repair the hairline fractures along the left cheek bone, he stepped back. "He should be coming around any time, run another set of scans before he leaves. He has a mild concussion but there's no signs of cranial edemas."

"Yes, Doctor." She picked up the dermal regenerator and checked the setting before applying it to the unconscious man's left eye. Alone with her patient she took note of his condition, he was breathtaking. 'It's not appropriate to see your patients as anything more', she sternly reprimanded herself. Still, his dark hair was soft against her hand as her fingers rested against his head to steady it while she reached across him to work on his injuries. His features were strong, even in repose. His body was powerful, he was probably around 188 cm tall with broad, muscular shoulders and chest. That was easy enough to see since he was only wearing a tank top and shorts. He wasn't that old, though, probably a freshman or sophomore cadet. He stirred, starting to wake up. "Hold still," she cautioned him.

"Where am I?" As soon as Chakotay opened his eyes, he no longer cared. Standing over him was a beautiful, blue-eyed woman with fiery red hair pulled back into a ponytail. From her form-fitting uniform, he could see that she was perfectly proportioned with pert, rounded breasts jutting out over a slender waist and long legs; that and the fact that she was medical personnel.

She had been right about the shoulders. That was Beverly's first thought, pressing him back onto the biobed. Not releasing the firm, tanned flesh, she answered the question that he'd asked in a very appealing husky voice. "You're in the infirmary, you've been injured. Lie still, I'll be done in a few minutes." She returned to the task of healing the cut and the bruising. "What happened?"

"A Nausican with a mean right hook," he responded. She smelled wonderful, like fresh flowers. "What's your name?"

"Beverly. Why were you fighting with a Nausican?" Her voice was softer than she'd intended.

Chakotay smiled, it was obvious that she was trying to be serious and professional. It was also obvious that, as a woman, she wasn't very sure of her allure. Even without trying, she had an easy charm and beauty; there was a passionate woman in there just waiting to be found. "That's what you do in boxing matches." As he spoke, his left hand came up and covered hers, trapping it against his body.

Her breath caught in her throat when he smiled. Dimples appeared in both cheeks and those rugged, handsome features softened with a boyish charm. His large hand engulfed hers, the warmth of his skin searing the back of her hand. "A boxer, huh? Are you any good, Cadet . . . " Some doctor-in-training she was. She'd completely forgotten to look at the PADD for his name. What was it about this man that completely fried her synapses?

"Chakotay," he supplied helpfully. He wasn't sure why she had blushed all of a sudden, but it was adorable. "Cadet First Class."

Her ears were ringing, was she breathing? Beverly shifted in a vain attempt to subtly relieve her discomfort. "Is that a first or last name?" Finally she was finished and she pulled her hand away from his to turn the regenerator off.

"Both." He sat up, watching her nervously arrange the equipment on the tray. "I'm Indian, my people only have one name."

"Oh." 'Well that was intelligent,' she thought to herself. 'Say something!' Her mind screamed at her when silence fell. "I need to run another scan before you leave." She picked up the medical tricorder.

"In a hurry to get rid of me?"

Her hands were shaking slightly so the scan took longer than usual. "No, not at all."

"Academy champion."

His scent was very masculine, she had been inhaling deeply when he spoke and she didn't immediately realize what he'd said. "What?"

Her discombobulation was amusing, his smile grew in response. "You asked if I was any good," he reminded her in a low voice. "I'm undefeated, at least I was until the Nausican," he laughed ruefully.

"Oh." There it was again. She knew she had a better vocabulary than that. Why couldn't she come up with something, anything, even remotely witty to say?

Standing up brought their bodies together. He tilted her face up with one hand while the other found the tie for her ponytail and released it. "I bet you've got a fiery spirit to match this fiery mane," he whispered, combing his fingers through the heavy, silky tresses. "You're beautiful like this, you should always wear your hair down." Applying gentle pressure on her jaw, he coaxed her mouth open and lowered his face to hers, covering her mouth with his.

Fireworks exploded in her head. His lips were full and firm crushing hers beneath them. A tingle had begun low in her body when he urged her mouth open and it flared into an intense throb as his tongue slipped into the warm, moist cavern. Beverly was sure she would have fallen if not for him holding her. She rested her hands against those broad shoulders, anchoring herself. She forgot everything, lost in the incredible sensation of his tongue stroking and caressing the sensitive depths of her mouth. One of his hands tightened its grip in her hair while the other moved down around her back to pull her closer. His body was powerful, hard in fact, with an impressive bulge she could feel even through his athletic equipment. Her breasts were crushed against the unyielding wall of his chest.

Breaking the kiss, Chakotay breathed deeply for a moment, enjoying the feel of the long, svelte body against him. "When can you leave, Fireball?"

"1800," her head was still swimming. She hadn't wanted the kiss to end. She had needed to breath but if he hadn't broken the kiss, there was no telling what would have happened.

"I'll run back to my room, shower, change and come back then." He tipped her face up to meet his gaze. "Have dinner with me."

Not able to trust her voice, she nodded her assent and he was gone. Sinking onto the biobed, she tried to control the intense ache in the pit of her stomach. The PADD with his information was laying on the tray and she grabbed it. Eighteen, no nineteen, she corrected herself. He had just turned nineteen; old enough but there was still five years between them. Flipping her hair off her shoulder, she mentally shrugged. If he didn't mind older women then who was she to look a gift stud in the mouth?

....................................................................................

"Where are we going?" Beverly had spent the rest of her shift on pins and needles. Part of her was skeptical, trying to convince the other part that she'd never see him again. Of course that other part was too busy checking her appearance and her hair in every reflective surface that she passed to listen. She had run a brush through her hair and slipped a headband on to keep it out of her face but left it hanging loose. She had just finished with her last patient and been dismissed when he sauntered in. That was the only way to describe the self-assured swagger in his walk. He had waited patiently while she checked out and collected her things and then put his arm around the small of her back, ushering her out.

Outside of the infirmary building, Chakotay stopped and turned to face her, claiming her lips in a hard, passionate kiss. He pulled back and admired her, eyes closed, lips slightly moist and swollen. "Do you care?"

Shaking her head no, she opened her eyes to find him studying her intently. She could feel herself being drawn deeper and deeper under this dark, seductive man's spell, powerless to stop it. She bit her lip to keep from moaning aloud when he slowly and deliberately drew the headband off.

"You left your hair down," he murmured approvingly. "Thank you." He took her hand and together they walked to a transporter pad. Tapping in coordinates, he guided her onto the platform and stepped up beside her.

They materialized off of the Academy grounds although Beverly wasn't sure where. Her heart was pounding so hard that she was afraid he could hear it. Anticipation mingled with anxiety, heightening the arousal that had been slowly building since that first kiss.

It took only a minute to find the picnic basket and blanket that he'd stashed there earlier. Using a borrowed phaser to heat some rocks, he spread the blanket out and looked over at the beautiful redhead watching him. "I wanted some privacy," he offered simply.

Her breathing quickened. "How do we get back?"

"Are you really thinking about going back, my little fireball?" His voice was low, knowing. He crossed over to her, lightly trailing a finger down the swan-like column of her neck. He found the opening to her uniform jacket and pulled the snaps open one by one, his eyes never leaving hers. "If you don't want to stay,--"

"No," her answer was a breath of protest. "I mean yes, I want to stay." God, he was so sexy. Things like this didn't happen to her, usually her acerbic wit kept men at arms length. With this man she was too uncharacteristically tongue-tied to say half of what she was thinking; not that she was doing much thinking. She gasped when large, strong hands cupped her breasts through the fabric of her uniform top.

"Tell me to stop," he challenged her. She was so incredibly intoxicating. He didn't really want to stop but he had to know that she was willing. "If you don't want this, all you have to do is say so and I'll stop." He nuzzled her hair, the silky strands tickling his nose. "We'll just eat and go back, I won't hurt you."

Her nipples were already aching, her body pulsing uncontrollably. There wasn't water cold enough to ease this need he'd ignited. She reached up and jerked his cadet uniform jacket open. "I don't want to stop," she replied softly.

He needed no further encouragement, sweeping her into his arms and laying her gently on the blanket. He quickly stripped off his own clothes, leaving them in a heap by the blanket. Kneeling over her, he pulled her boots off and made short work of her uniform. His body was hard and throbbing with desire as his eyes traveled over the alabaster curves, clad only in a bra and panties. He knelt between her legs and traced his fingers along the insides of her thighs, teasing her. He was rewarded with a whimper, her hips lifting off the blanket. The panties were easily removed before he settled himself over her. He covered her mouth, his tongue forcing its way past her lips to claim every part of this luscious, responsive body.

His body was straight out of the holonovels, a primitive savage standing over her in all of his naked glory. His hands burned where they touched her skin, fire streaking through her at his light tantalizing caresses. Feeling him finally on her, pressed against her sent an erotic thrill coursing through her. The smooth, tanned skin was hot everywhere it pressed against her body. She wriggled out of her bra and tossed it away, her movements causing him to brush intimately against the heated juncture of her thighs. His mouth was devouring her, taunting and titillating her with his tongue. A shudder of desire rippled through her, caused by the feather-light touch of his hands stroking down her sides. Grasping her slender thighs, he pulled them further apart. As she lay there, her tongue entwined with his, his body pressing her against the blanket-covered ground, her legs spread wide, he drove himself into her body. Beverly gasped into his mouth with the sensation of being utterly filled. She needed no urging to wrap her legs around his hips, her hands winding around his neck at the same time.

She was so hot and tight that he came almost immediately. Hardening again a second later, Chakotay broke the kiss and began thrusting into the welcoming body under him. He held her hips steady and set a frantic pace, his body demanding more of this, more of her. Small noises were coming from her throat, her head tossing back and forth against the blanket. Without breaking stride, his mouth latched onto the smooth, creamy skin on the side of her neck. Alternately licking and sucking the tender flesh, he felt her buck strongly beneath him, screaming as she orgasmed.

Panting, she tried to catch her breath even though he kept going. She had almost forgotten how much stamina men had at nineteen. Sparks of sensation shot through her in the aftermath of her release. When his mouth moved from her throat to her breast, the moist heat enveloping the sensitized skin, arousal began building again. She shifted her legs up further to drape them over his shoulders, years of dancing giving her the flexibility to accomplish this. He realized what she was doing and brought his hands up to hold her legs. The position allowed him to drive even deeper and she lost herself in the burning pleasure of him stroking into her, hard and fast.

He didn't want this incredible race for pleasure to ever end. When she moved her legs up to his shoulders, he could feel his body bury even deeper into hers with every thrust. Biting and sucking strongly on the curve of her breast, he pulled back and concentrated on the pleasure his body was feeling. Pausing to catch his breath, he pulled out briefly and slipped her legs off his shoulders. He flipped her over, gripped her hips and drove himself back into the tight wetness.

Her body was grabbing him with every stroke, desperately trying to hold him inside her. Before she could protest the lost contact, he was thrusting back into her body, slamming himself against her hips over and over. She clutched the blanket with both hands, pushing herself back against him, meeting his every stroke. Questing fingers found her breast, squeezing the nipple even as his other hand reached around to add to the erotic pleasure his body was bringing her. His fingers felt like they were everywhere, stroking, pinching, caressing and inflaming. Suddenly, her body exploded in an even stronger release, driving the breath from her lungs.

Feeling her body spasm around him for a second time, Chakotay drove into her twice more and his own body convulsed. He shouted his satisfaction, holding himself inside her until the tremors stopped. He plopped down onto the blanket, stretched out full-length beside his hot date and idly drew circles on her creamy, glistening skin with his finger. "That was incredible, you are incredible."

Beverly peeked through the curtain of her hair. She didn't even have the energy to turn over and he was making conversation. At least he was sweaty, beads of sweat glinting off the tanned skin. She had a feeling that she was going to be very pleasantly sore in the morning.

Without bothering to get dressed, he sat up and reached for the basket. "I don't know about you, but I'm starved." He paused and cupped the taut roundness of her butt. "Maybe after dinner we can have more dessert. I've got a taste for flambe'."

It took effort, but she managed to roll herself over and sit up. From the look on his face, she was going to be lucky if she could walk in the morning. Then again, she thought as he flashed those dimples at her, when your toes curl, who needs to walk?

.............................................................................................

"Beverly," her red hair didn't take long to spot from the entrance to the infirmary. Chakotay had a break between classes and stopped by to find her. Neither of them got much sleep last night but, wow, what a night. Those long legs of hers could get into some of the most amazing positions, by the time he'd activated the remote to trigger a return transport he was convinced that she was double-jointed.

All day, every time she had heard her name, she'd jumped. This time, hearing him call her name and seeing him standing there, her heart skipped several beats. Trying not to look like she was rushing, she hurried over to him. "Chakotay, hi."

His finger lightly caressed the flawless pale skin along the side of her neck. "You erased it."

"Only that one," she whispered, flushing.

"So you kept the one down here?" As he spoke, his fingers glided downward.

She grabbed his hand and looked around to see if anyone was watching. Even without him touching her, her breasts already ached. "Not here," she hissed, more frustrated than embarrassed.

There was a maintenance closet nearby which Chakotay dragged the redhead into and locked the door. He had hardly been able to concentrate in his classes this morning because he'd been thinking about her.

"What are you doing?" This was a bad idea, they shouldn't be doing this. Of course, the fire that had ignited in her body at his appearance was urging her otherwise. Breathing deeply didn't help, he smelled wonderfully clean and masculine.

Claiming her lips, his tongue plunged into the warm depths of her mouth as his hand found the edge of her uniform jacket and pulled it open. He backed her up against a wall and pressed his body into hers. Last night wasn't enough, he needed more of this fiery woman. He cupped her breasts through her shirt, kneading them in his strong hands. His own uniform was getting uncomfortably tight. Her tongue danced with his, an erotic coupling. When his lungs demanded air, he broke the kiss, taking in lungfuls of oxygen. "Just checking," he gasped out.

He was going to bare her breasts. That thought send Beverly's libido into overdrive. He would have to if he wanted to see the mark that his mouth had left there last night. She moaned, closing her eyes in wordless acquiescence to his intentions. Her jacket slipped from her shoulders, his hands cool against the bare skin of her shoulders. His body was tight, muscular as it pinned her body against the wall. He was busily pulling her top up, freeing it from her uniform pants so she entangled her fingers in his hair and pulled his face back down to hers for another hard, passionate kiss. This time her tongue slipped into his mouth to explore. Cold air against her bare midriff sent a shiver through her, their bodies writhing together for a brief instant. Straining to maintain contact with him, she held the kiss until he had the shirt jumbled around her neck. She released him, their mouths separating only for a second while he swiftly stripped it off and dropped it to the floor. His fingers fumbled with the clasp to her bra so she reached around and unhooked it for him, the action forcing her breasts against the hard wall of his chest.

Dropping the small piece of cloth, Chakotay stepped back slightly to gaze down at the firm, creamy mounds. He lowered his head and dragged his tongue across the discoloration on the upper curve of her right breast. "So I just need to make sure I leave these in places that don't show," he murmured low in his throat.

His tongue was coarse and raspy against the tender skin, drawing another shiver from her body but this time it wasn't from the cold. Her nipples were throbbing, silently crying out for attention from him. He didn't disappoint, drawing a wet circle around the tip before drawing first one and then the other into his mouth, sucking strongly. "Yes, oh God, yes." Whether she was answering his observation or responding to the ministrations of his mouth, she didn't care as long as he didn't stop. Her hands held him against her chest, whimpering softly.

Straining against the fabric of his uniform, he found the waistband of her pants and shoved them down to her ankles along with her panties. He dropped to his knees, his mouth leaving a wet trail down the flat lines of her stomach. Her navel was a small, delicate indentation and he nuzzled it before continuing his journey south. She was gasping and moaning softly, her hands pulling at his hair almost painfully. He avoided the juncture of his hips, moving instead to the creamy sensitive skin of her inner thighs. Quickly taking a mouthful of the delicate skin, he bit and sucked hard, her hips bucking against his face. Repeating the procedure on her other thigh, she was whining low in her throat, her body rocking against him uncontrollably. He stood up, freed himself from his pants and claimed her lips as he quickly buried himself completely in her tight, waiting body. His entry was rougher than he'd planned, his body slamming hers hard against the wall. His mouth softened against hers, his tongue pulling back to lick at her lips in apology.

When his mouth journeyed down her body, the anticipation of what was to come sent waves of arousal through her. Waiting to feel the wet heat of his tongue against the very center of her desire, she was shocked to feel him sucking on the tender skin of her thighs, realizing immediately what he was doing. By the time he had left his mark on the other thigh, she was breathless, her skin tingling from the actions of his mouth and her body dripping wet with unsatisfied need. The force of him impaling her against the wall knocked the breath out of her. His hard length filled her, pulsating inside her with every beat of his heart. When his tongue left hers to circle her lips, she pulled it back and began sucking on it in an erotic imitation of what her body craved so badly. She increased the pressure and the pace to match the actions of his body moving with long strokes in and out of her body. With her uniform pants tangled around her ankles, she couldn't move her hips, forcing her to rely on him to set the pace and drive them both toward the pleasure they sought. Her arms wrapped around his neck, she continued tugging and suckling his tongue. Need burned through her body, raw desire stoked to unbearable levels by the hard and fast pace he set.

He could feel the urgency building low in his stomach and he increased the pace, pulling himself almost completely out before driving himself all the way into her body. What she was doing to his tongue was sending incredible sparks through his entire system. It was coming, the sensation getting sharper, stronger. Just as she squealed into his mouth, her body gripping him tightly in a powerful orgasm, a deluge broke loose in his own body. He held her hips against his while the spasms of his release shook him.

"God, you are so good." Beverly panted heavily. "Don't you ever get enough?"

Chakotay dropped a kiss on the end of her nose. "Not of you." He released her and bent to retrieve her bra and shirt while she pulled her pants back up. "When can I see you again?" He tucked himself back into his own trousers and straightened his uniform.

She sighed in disappointment. "I have a major exo-biology exam tomorrow morning. I need to study tonight. How about tomorrow night?"

"I'll be at the track until 1700. I've got a big bout this weekend so I'm really pushing the workouts." He chuckled and brushed his lips softly against hers. "You're doing wonders for my cardiovascular conditioning, my little fireball."

"My pleasure, believe me." She arched her eyebrow at him, holding her hands out in an unspoken question.

Combing his fingers through her hair, he nodded satisfactorily. "You look fine."

"I should probably leave first, give it a minute or so before you follow." Beverly knew she wasn't the first med student to fool around in this maintenance closet but it was still embarrassing to even think about getting caught.

He shrugged. "Fine by me, it'll give me time to think about more places I can leave marks on that delicious body of yours." His leer was spoiled somewhat by the wink he shot her.

.........................................................................................

She found him in the locker room. Everyone else was gone, he was alone. Her body thrummed with anticipation, ever since the idea had occurred to her she had been fantasizing about his reaction. His back was toward her so he didn't see her walk in. He stood up, stripping off his tank top and she just stood and stared, appreciating the tawny, muscled perfection. "Hi."

At the sound of a female voice in a men's locker room, Chakotay jumped and spun to face the intruder. "Fireball, what are you doing in here?"

"I've been thinking about something," she began with a coy smile. She flattened her hand against the smooth, taut skin of his powerful chest and backed him up against a locker. "Specifically, I've been thinking about geese and ganders."

His body reacted strongly to the mere sight of her, by the time she had stripped his shorts and underwear down his legs, he was hard and throbbing. He barely had time to acknowledge the intent expression on her face before she dropped to her knees, running her hands up through the coarse hair on his thighs. Her tongue tickled the tender skin on the inside of his thigh, intensifying the fierce pounding of his body. He moaned aloud when her mouth latched onto the skin and sucked strongly, leaving the same mark on him that he had left on her creamy white thighs the day before. As he had, she shifted to repeat the process on his other thigh by which time his hands had wound themselves in her fiery red hair. He gripped handfuls of the silken tresses, steadying himself. He gasped at the sensation of her small hand grasping his hard length and stroking it sensuously. He nearly lost all control when her mouth enveloped the bulge below her hand, toying with it, batting it around the moist cavern with her tongue.

Beverly heard his response and smiled against his heated skin. She moved her hand down to entangle her fingers in the small, curly hair there and tugged sharply, relishing the sound of his quick intake of breath. Pleased that he hadn't taken control of the encounter, she held him steady and swirled her delicate pink tongue around the tip of his hardness, peeking up through her lashes to make sure that he was watching her every movement. Licking her way down his straining length, she took him into the moist depths of her mouth. He was begging and pleading in the background, but all she could think about was the erotic act that she had been dreaming about all day. She moved him in and out of her mouth in a slow, steady pace. His hands in her hair tightened, urging her to a faster tempo and she rewarded him by increasing the suction of her mouth on him. His dark, lean body standing in front of her with the hard, sweat-dampened muscles powerless in her grasp was extremely heady.

He couldn't stand the sensations for long and he tried to pull her away before he lost control. She resisted his efforts and increased her tempo destroying his restraint. His hips jerked and he groaned as she brought him to orgasm with nothing more than her mouth. He looked down to see her smiling up at him in feminine satisfaction. Holding out his hand, he helped her to her feet and claimed her lips in a deep kiss, tasting his own essence on her lips. He picked her up, full-length against him and walked toward the next room. "Well, now we both need a shower."

"Chakotay!" Beverly squealed, struggling against him. "I'll get all wet."

He stopped and pulled open her uniform jacket, discarding it on the floor. Nuzzling the sensitive spot just below her ear, he took the delicate, rounded lobe between his teeth and nibbled gently. "If I were to check," he whispered in her ear. "I bet you're already very wet."

His breath wafting across her ear sent shivers down her spine. Her common sense fled and she kicked her boots off, helping him remove the rest of her clothing. Allowing him to sweep her into his strong arms, she wrapped her arms around his neck, her head resting against his shoulder.

In the showers, he set her down and activated the water spray, adjusting the temperature before pulling her under the spray with him. As their bodies slickened under the wet stream, he cupped the firm roundness of her breasts and lapped at the nipples. She was beautiful with her head thrown back, her hair soaking wet, water streaming down the bowed length of her slender, perfectly-proportioned body. His body was already hard again, but he waited, instead trailing his fingers down her body to comb through the small, red curls below her belly button and then lower still. She gasped, straightening up and gripped his shoulders tightly, her wet hair whipping against his bare skin as she buried her face in the hollow of his neck. His fingers moved against her, into her, she was incredibly wet and not just from the water. He deftly manipulated her until she was crying against him, biting his shoulder from the intensity of the tremors shaking her lithe body.

She was still quivering from her release when he lifted her and impaled her onto his waiting length. Warm water beat against her back while his hot body filled her, his hands lifting her only to pull her back onto him. The sensations were overwhelming and she barely noticed the cold, hard tile against her back after he dropped to his knees and lowered her to the floor. All that existed was the burning pleasure of him driving into her body with hard, fast strokes, his chest grazing against her aching nipples. It was as it their bodies were made just for this pleasure.

The heat of their bodies joined in their quest for satiation made the warm water feel almost cool by comparison against his back. His pace was frantic, his body demanding total release. Her legs gripped his waist tightly, urging him to even higher heights of desire. The familiar pressure began to build to a painful intensity and he reached for it, slamming himself into the willing, passionate body under him. Suddenly she screamed and convulsed around him, a second, even stronger release gripping her. Her orgasm only inflamed him to push for more, his hands running feverishly along her slick, wet body. Her body was trembling uncontrollably when he felt her seize him in yet another powerful spasm, too breathless to even utter a sound. The sight of her silent scream of pleasure sent him over the edge, his body jerking into her, his groan of release echoing around the tiled room. His heart was pounding furiously in unison with hers, their mingled gasps for breath swallowed up by the steady stream of water washing over their bodies.

"Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God," Beverly moaned over and over under her breath.

"I always thought that fire and water didn't go together." Chakotay observed after his breathing calmed, still comfortably inside her heated depths.

Even after his release, he still felt wonderful inside her. "You learn something new every day," she cooed back.

............................................................................................

"How is it," Beverly began after another marathon sex session with her young, Indian lover. His roommate was gone for the weekend so they had privacy and a comfortable bed. "That I know every inch of your body intimately and virtually nothing about your mind?" To punctuate her point, her fingers trailed down the clean, tanned lines of his back and across his tightly muscled posterior.

Laying on his stomach, his head propped on one elbow, he shivered at her touch. "Keep that up and you'll get a refresher course on my body, Fireball."

Unable to resist, she smacked his bare backside. "I'm serious, Chakotay. I don't know anything about you. I know you're Command track but what are your career plans? Why did you join Starfleet?"

He caught her hand before she could pull it back. Without releasing his grip on her, he maneuvered himself into a sitting position, cross-legged. Dark eyes met blue eyes as he drew her hand up and placed an open-mouth kiss against her palm, his tongue flicking out to moisten the soft skin. "We put in for post-graduate assignments today."

She waited expectantly for him to continue. Finally, "And? Or do I have to beat it out of you?"

Pulling her to him, Chakotay rolled until she was under his body. His fingers found her ribs and tickled her mercilessly.

"Okay, okay," Beverly laughed, surrendering to his playfulness.

She was so beautiful when she smiled. He covered her mouth in a long, tender kiss. "I put in for the Yamato but I wouldn't mind the Stargazer. The captain of the Stargazer has a pretty decent record in exploration and first contacts. That's what I'd like, a deep space vessel or a science ship; maybe the Drake, the Victory, or even the Ulysses. I want to go places, see things that no one has ever seen before."

Her heart dropped. "Adventure."

"Hey, Fireball . . . Bev, what's wrong?" He saw her face change as he talked about the postings he was hoping for.

"I didn't join Starfleet for adventure, I want a nice, quiet, stable life. I want kids but I don't want to be raising them alone while you're off galavanting about the galaxy."

"We can have a stable life in space," he argued, panic rising. She was making it sound so definite. "Once you're a real doctor we can ship out together. We have all the time in the world to think about kids."

She shook her head reluctantly. "I'm a homebody, you want adventure. I'd be sitting home wondering if I would ever see you again or if a Starfleet officer was going to show up on the doorstep with condolences. I'm not sure I could live like that." Her voice trembled with emotion. Their relationship had started off so hot and heavy that neither of them had given a second thought to their respective futures. "You enjoy boxing and I can't stand to watch such violence. I love the theater and dancing, those things bore you to tears. You want command of your own ship, captains are married to their ships and I can't accept second place in your life."

Chakotay sat up, extending his hand to help her up. "You're ending it."

"Outside of sex, do we have anything in common? Can you honestly tell me that we have a future?" She was truly hoping that he could. This past week had been the most intense, overwhelming week of her life. There were times when being an adult was absolutely dreadful.

"I guess not." His reply was subdued. "We should probably get dressed. I'll walk you back to your quarters."

They dressed in silence, neither of them in the mood for idle conversation. Outside the entrance to her building, she caught his hand and pulled him toward her. Brushing his lips with hers, she whispered. "I'll never forget you, Chakotay."

He smiled down into her sweet face and reached up to run his fingers through her hair. "Always wear your hair down, my little fireball. It suits you." He stroked her cheek. "Who knows, our paths may cross again someday. I'll be the captain of my own ship and you'll be my chief medical officer."

Nodding, her lip quivering tremulously, she couldn't speak for the lump in her throat. Watching her lover walk away, she already missed the feel of that hard body pressing into her and the sex so intense that it left her utterly exhausted.

"Hey, Red, where've you been? I've been looking for you all day."

Beverly winced at the dreaded nickname. Given her hair color, it was inevitable but that didn't make it any less annoying. Chakotay had never once called her that, 'his little fireball' was what he'd called her. She turned around to greet her old friend. "Walker, hi. When did you get in?"

"Just today. Listen, I'm meeting a friend for dinner and I'd like you to meet him."

After the week she'd had, any other man was bound to pale in comparison. "I don't think so, Walker, not tonight."

"Aww, come on. I've got a date and if you come it'll be a foursome. That's just a lot less awkward." He held her hand in his. "Please?"

"All right," she never could say no to her friends.

"Super!" He put his arm around her shoulders and led her away. "You're gonna love this guy, I promise. His name is Jack."

**FINIS**

Incendiary