Title: Monkey Business
Author: Ky (venom69)
Fandom: Star Trek: Voyager
Rating: Age Friendly
Summary: "Can we take him with us?"
Character/Pairing: Janeway/Chakotay
Spoilers: None… the show’s ended!
Warnings: None, really.
Prompt Number for fic101: 24 - Orphan
Author’s Notes: Song belongs to Baltimora
Disclaimer: Usual guff. Not mine, promise to put them back where I found them.
Date: 14/01/07

***

I'm far away from nowhere
On my own like Tarzan Boy
Hide and seek play along
While rushing cross the forest
Monkey business on a sunny afternoon

***

"Can we take him with us?"

Chakotay looked up from the crate that he was packing, sand paintings in hand. "What?"

"The monkey."

"Are you serious?"

Kathryn nodded, a smile on her face as she continued to fold her dresses.

She'd brought them out into the main part of the shelter with the intention that it would be easier than carrying the large storage crates into her small sleeping partition. Unfortunately, she hadn't considered the fact that she'd have to re-fold everything. "Of course. We should take him with us."

"We can't."

"Chakotay! He's an orphan."

"You don't know that Kathryn. Just because we haven't seen any other monkeys," Or any other wildlife at all for that matter. "doesn't mean that there aren't any."

"He's not domesticated."

She shrugged. "So?"

"He's not housetrained."

Kathryn shrugged again. "So?"

"Someone would have to clean up the mess."

"And Tom Paris would never make another smart reply again."

"Kathryn," He couldn't bring himself to call her Captain no matter how hard we tried. "You're evil."

"Now say that again like you don't love it about me." As soon as the words left her mouth, her folding stopped mid-crease and she blinked a few times, wondering how hard it would be to actually kick herself in the ass. "Chakotay... I..."

"Don't."

"No, I..."

"Kathryn." He stared at her. "Don't."

She didn't even want to try to understand his look.

***

"Captain?"

Kathryn managed to squelch her desire to throw out her arms and spin around in circles long enough to turn to Harry Kim as he approached her. "Ensign?"

"We found some berries, Neelix says they're completely safe." He held out a bunch. "I thought you might like some."

"Thank you." She took the berries and smiled. A little of the juice leaked onto her hands and stained them.

"Anytime, Captain." He nodded as he turned to rejoin the away team.

Holding the berries, Kathryn looked around her again.

The lush planet was covered in greenery and she was enjoying the chance to walk on some soft grass - unfortunately it was a little too Un-Captain like to take her shoes off - and breathe in some deliciously un-recycled air.

Rusting in the trees to her right made Kathryn turn sharply.

A small primate with large eyes stared at her, apparently as shocked as she was. He - or she, perhaps - watched her curiously.

"Hi there." She knelt down and picked a berry off, holding it out to him/her. "Are you hungry?"

The monkey on New Earth - she hadn't thought of that place in so long... - had never taken food from her hands and Kathryn wasn't really expecting this one too either.

Pleasantly surprised when the monkey crept forward, she kept her hand steady.

The monkey stretched his/her own arm out and took the berry from her hand, jumping back quickly once s/he had a firm grasp on the fruit.

"Are you an orphan, little one?"

"No, you can't keep him."

The voice from behind her startled her but Kathryn didn't jump.

She should hardly be surprised, either he or Tuvok had been within running distance of her since she'd demanded - much like a child, really - that she join the away team as they scoured for food and she ‘supervised’.

Turning, Kathryn smiled at her First Officer. "I wasn't even going to suggest it."

Chakotay raised his eyebrow, a twinkle in his eye. "So Tom has been keeping a lid on it lately?"

She laughed. "Well… now that you mention it..."

"You're evil, Kathryn." He smiled at her. "I wont pretend that I don't love that about you."

***

End