Note from Cheile:  When I got to this part of the series, I was 
struggling for a title.  I was debating between "Longing Heart" and 
"Maquis Passion", but then I read a poem by a friend of mine called 
"Passion's Fire".  It helped to inspire me--and my friend allowed me to 
use the title of the poem for the title of this part.

First Glance, part 6 - Passion's Fire
by Cheile


Dedicated to Diane Running Horse Smith, for her praise and encouraging 
me to quit procrastinating.  :-)


        The day wore on.  Kathryn was confused, hurt and angry all at the same 
time.  She hadn't wanted to hurt Chakotay, but had been so stunned with 
the fact that she had actually slept with him.
        *Admit it, Kathryn, you fool.  You love him.*
        She did love him.  There wasn't any other way to put it.

*

        B'Elanna lay, exhausted yet sated, on top of Tom.  Her head rested on 
his shoulder.  More than before, she was aware of him--his voice, his 
laughter, his touch.  And she loved him.
        *Don't be ridiculous, B'Elanna.*
        *Shut 'up', brain!*
        "I'd love to stay here all day," Tom murmured, gently stroking her 
hair.
        "So would I, but we can't," she said, rising up.  "Chakotay will wonder 
where I am."
        He pulled her back down.  "Let him wonder."  He kissed her.
        She allowed the kiss, but once they separated, she got up again.  "We 
can't.  Get dressed.  If Tiernan finds out you're not secured, he'll 
tell Chakotay."  She dressed, put on her shoes and went to get her 
hairbrush.  When she finished and turned around, he was dressed and 
standing beside her.
        "Tie me up," he said with a teasing grin, extending his wrists.  "As 
long as you torture me tonight the way you did last night."
        B'Elanna was seriously considering flinging her brush at his head.  
"Maybe."  She set the brush down and ordered him over to the far side of 
the room, where the shackles were attached to the wall.  He flopped down 
on the floor and held his wrists up with a grin.  She sighed as she 
locked the shackles.
        "I promise to behave, 'Lanna," he said solemnly.
        "Yeah right," she snorted.  Kneeling beside him, she kissed him gently.  
"I'll be back later."
        He reached as far as the chain would allow to caress her face, his blue 
eyes full of love.
        B'Elanna rose to her feet, looked down at him for a long minute, then 
left, locking the door behind her.  She had to talk to Chakotay.

*

        B'Elanna found Chakotay down the hall from his quarters.
        "There you are," he said.  "I was wondering if you were going to sleep 
the day away."
        "I have to talk to you.  This is important."
        "About what?"
        "About Tom."
        Chakotay's eyes darkened.  "What did the bastard do to you?!"
        *Only steal my heart*, B'Elanna thought.  "Nothing.  I was wondering if 
you might consider letting him go.  We'll still lock him in my room, but 
not in the shackles."
        "Why?"
        "He doesn't know anything," she said truthfully.  She had talked to Tom 
last night about the situation.  "Janeway got him out of the New Zealand 
prison by saying that if he helped the, they'd give him freedom.  He 
didn't know why they let him out--he hadn't been with you long enough to 
know any of the real hideouts.  It was pure coincidence that led them 
here."
        "And?"
        "And what?  That's it."
        "There's something else, B'Elanna.  I can see it in your eyes."
        She took a deep breath.  "I love him."
        "You what?!"
        "I love him.  And I don't care what you say, Chakotay.  He's the only 
other man that has ever treated me decently.  I won't hurt him.  I 
won't."
        "And what if you give him this trust and he escapes?"
        B'Elanna looked him straight in the eye.  "You can kill me."

*

        Still in Chakotay's room, Kathryn sat on the bed, not paying any 
attention to whatever was going on outside in the hall.  Then she heard 
Chakotay's voice.  Oh no, he's coming back.  But his footsteps stopped 
not far from the door.
         "There you are," he said.  "I was wondering if you were going to sleep 
the day away."
        "I have to talk to you.  This is important."  That was Torres.
        "About what?"
        "About Tom."
        "What did the bastard do to you?!"
        "Nothing," was the answer.  "I was wondering if you might consider 
letting him go.  We'll still lock him in my room, but not in the 
shackles."
        Kathryn was surprised.  Let Tom have free rein?  Was the girl 
addle-brained?  She might as well let him escape.
        "Why?"
        "He doesn't know anything.  Janeway got him out of the New Zealand 
prison by saying that if he helped the, they'd give him freedom.  He 
didn't know why they let him out--he hadn't been with you long enough to 
know any of the real hideouts.  It was pure coincidence that led them 
here."
        "And?" she heard Chakotay say
        "And what?  That's it."
        "There's something else, B'Elanna.  I can see it in your eyes."
        A long pause.  "I love him."
        Kathryn's eyes grew wide, even though they couldn't see her.  Had she 
heard Torres right?  She was in love with Tom?
        "You what?!"
        "I love him.  And I don't care what you say, Chakotay.  He's the only 
other man that has ever treated me decently.  I won't hurt him.  I 
won't."  Her voice was filled with stubborn determination.
        "And what if you give him this trust and he escapes?"
         "You can kill me," was the reply.
        Was she so daring?  She was Klingon, after all.  But still--  No, it 
made sense.  But was she telling the truth?  Had Tom Paris finally met 
his match?
        Another long silence.  "All right, B'Elanna.  You win.  But you make 
sure Paris doesn't pull anything.  I know him.  He'll turn on anyone 
when he feels it necessary.  It's a good thing that Kathryn didn't have 
to put up with him for much longer, otherwise he probably would've 
betrayed her too."
        Kathryn stopped listening, a funny feeling in the pit of her stomach.  
She and Torres were in the same dilemma.  Had could she deny that she, 
too, was in love with the enemy?
        She had to apologize to Chakotay.
        As if fate was giving her no chance to change her mind, the door opened 
and Chakotay walked in, letting it close behind him.
        "Kathryn," he began.
        "No, wait."
        He stopped, looking at her strangely.
        Kathryn slid off the side of the bed, walking over to him.  She stopped 
about an arm's length away.
        "I--I'm sorry for what I said earlier.  I don't hate you, but--it was 
so hard for me to admit that I was--"
        "In love with me?" he finished.
        She flushed.
        "I know.  It took me a while to admit it, too."
        She jerked her head up, expecting him to be mocking her.  But the look 
in his eyes was clear.  He was telling the truth.
        "I think B'Elanna was right," Chakotay said, closing the distance 
between them.  "We're both caught in this dilemma.  She's in love with 
Paris--and I'm in love with you."
        He drew her into his arms.  His lips met hers.
        Kathryn accepted his kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling 
him closer.  His hands began to explore gently, reaching for the ties on 
her blouse, undoing them , sliding the sleeves off her shoulders, down 
her arms, to fall away, leaving her bared to his hungered gaze.
        Suddenly shy, she crossed her arms over her chest.  He took her wrists 
and with barely any effort, moved her arms away.  After gazing upon her 
for a minute or two, he lifted her up, carried over to the bed and set 
her down on it.  In short order, he removed her slippers, his boots and 
was naked to the waist.
        Rising up, she held her arms out to him.  He gently pushed her back 
down, then moved from the edge of the bed to lay beside her, his kiss 
burning a fiery path across the bare skin of her shoulders.  He paused 
only to strip away the remainder of their clothes before drawing her 
into his arms.
        He suckled lightly at each breast before the kiss trailed down her 
stomach.  He parted her legs with a gentle hand, and for a brief moment, 
his eyes locked with hers.  Then he leaned forward and Kathryn was lost 
as he began to explore.  She cried out, her hands entangled in his hair.
        "Chakotay--oh!"  Her breath caught in her throat as a shock trembled 
down her spine.
        He moved up, his eyes gazing deep into hers.  With tender slowness, he 
came to her.  Kathryn clung to him.  This was what she had been so 
longing for.  The night before, he had ignited the fire of her 
passion--and only he could suppress it.
        Her senses were spinning.  His voice, low and husky, echoed in her 
ears.  His touch burned her skin.  For this short time, there was no 
hatred and enmity, nor Starfleet and Maquis.  Only Kathryn and Chakotay, 
their love and desire, giving all to one another, physically, 
emotionally and spiritually.
        Caught in the spiral of passion, Kathryn wondered how she could bear 
life without him.  She had never been possessed in this way before.  How 
could she leave him?  *Never*,  her mind vowed.  Never would she leave 
Chakotay.  She loved him.  And he loved her.
        As he thrust one final time, their ecstasy reached the peak.  They 
clung to one another as the waves crashed down.  Chakotay groaned 
softly, pressing Kathryn close, even as she writhed beneath him, her 
empassioned cries the only sound he could discern.
        After the tide ebbed away, Kathryn lay immobile, her eyes closed, her 
heart pounding.  She could feel Chakotay showering soft kisses across 
her face.  She opened her eyes.  He was looking down at her, his eyes 
full of love.
        "I love you, Kathryn," he whispered.  *Even though you're the enemy, 
God, I love you.*
        "I love you, Chakotay," she whispered back.  *And I never, never want 
to leave you.*
        He kissed her again, then ordered the computer to turn the lights out.  
As the room went dark, he turned her around, so that her back was 
against his chest.  She snuggled close to him.  He pulled the covers 
over them and soon both were sound asleep.

*

        Tiernan stepped out from where he'd been hiding.  He had heard the 
whole conversation.  It figured that B'Elanna was whoring for Paris, 
like Stadi was for Daren.  A furious rage filled him.  B'Elanna wouldn't 
accept him, yet she would sleep with that bastard.  He would fix the 
little half-breed bitch.  And he intended the same for Kathryn.  Soon, 
he would send out the contact signal.  Then he would make B'Elanna--and 
Kathryn pay for what they'd done.

To be continued......


Legal B.S.  Paramount owns the main characters, I own the story, 
Liernaloch, Daren and Tiernan.  Copyright 1998, by Cheile.  Comments to 
cheile@hotmail.com