The Devil Wants To Know


Holodeck Two was packed full for talent night. After weeks of stress and misery, the crew needed something to lift their spirits. It had been declared an official "The Only Way To Participate Is If You Sing" night. Someone had cracked open a collection of ancient earth music, and many of the nights selections were from the collection. The Delaney's and three others were singing something called "Say You'll Be There", and Paris and Torres had found an interesting duet to sing. Chakotay had declined singing anything, but there were rumors as to what the Captain had chosen. Paris was jokingly offering ear plugs for that part of the night. Janeway wasn't letting anyone know what she had chosen, and it was difficult to tell whether or not there were more rumors about what she was singing, or why she wasn't telling.

A stage had been "built" into the program, and a ring of chairs surrounded the stage. The bar from Sandrine's was visible in the back. The lighting was rather dark, but appropriate. Nearly everyone who was off duty had claimed a chair. Even those who were participating were draped lazily in chairs, waiting for the event to begin. Torres was tromping around the "backstage" area, which was just part of the room that was curtained off for performers to change in. Janeway watched with a bemused smile.

"Are you having fun?"

Torres snorted. "A ball."

"Nervous?"

"You have no idea," Torres sighed.

"Well, sit down, you're making me dizzy."

Torres smiled and sat. "How long until it starts?"

"Any minute now."

Just then, Neelix, dressed gaudily as usual, stepped out onto the stage. He tapped the waiting mike.

"Is it on?"

The audience grabbed its ears from the feedback and shouted "Yes!!"

Neelix chuckled as the Engineers fixed the feedback problem.

"Well, lets get this show on the road, shall we?"

"So where's Chakotay sitting?" Janeway asked Torres as she and Paris returned from doing their number. Torres chuckled.

"Front row, off on the left side," Torres grinned. "He looks miserable."

"Good," Janeway smirked. "How many more people until me?"

"Two," Torres said matter-of-factly.

Two people later, Janeway got to her feet and unbelted the robe that she had been wearing. Paris gaped at the dress Janeway was wearing, and Torres punched his arm. Janeway just smirked as she approached the edge of the curtain.

Chakotay sighed as Ensign Jenkins left the stage. He looked at the program. Next was... the Captain. Great, just the person he needed to see now. The song wasn't listed on the program though. A stagehand ran out onto the stage and set down a chair. Then, from behind the curtain appeared the captain. Chakotay felt his jaw unhinge at the sight of her. Janeway was wearing a black dress that went up her neck to just below the base of the skull, and went extremely low in the back. It clung rather tightly until her hips where it flowed easily down to her knees where it ended. Janeway's hair flowed loosely down her bare back.

She approached the chair confidently, and sat down. She crossed her legs at the ankle, and rested her hands on the corners of the chair. Janeway's look was to the floor. Her appearance would have been rather demure, were it not for the dress and the band of hair that flowed over her eyes. She tilted her head slightly, and the music started up. It was a deep, pulsing rhythm created by a combination of drums and piano, with a flute playing eerily in the background. Janeway looked up as she began to sing, her voice ringing surprisingly clear.

"I've been a bad bad girl
I've been careless with a delicate man
And its a sad sad world
When a girl will break a boy
Just because she can
Don't you tell me to deny it
I've done wrong and I want to
Suffer for my sins
I've come to you 'cause I need
Guidance to be true
And I just don't know where I can begin"

Her eyes flashed heatedly. She leaned forward to emphasize on the next lines.

"What I need is a good defense
'Cause I'm feelin' like a criminal
And I need to be redeemed
To the one I've sinned against
Because he's all I ever knew of love"

Janeway pushed herself to her feet. The audience began to clap. Someone whistled.

"Heaven help me for the way I am
Save me from the evil deeds
Before I get them done
I know tomorrow brings the consequence
At hand
But I keep livin' this day like
The next will never come"

She began to stalk to the right corner of the stage.

"Oh help me but don't tell me
To deny it
I've got to cleanse myself
Of all these lies till I'm good
Enough for him
I've got a lot to lose and I'm
Bettin' high
So I'm beggin' you before it ends
Just tell me where to begin"

As she reached the right corner she paused, and then started back to the left.

"What I need is a good defense
'Cause I'm feelin' like a criminal
And I need to be redeemed
To the one I've sinned against
Because he's all I ever knew of love"

She reached the spot on the stage directly in front of Chakotay. She looked down and caught his eyes. They held firmly.

"Let me know the way
Before there's hell to pay
Give me room to lay the law and let me go
I've got to make a play
To make my lover stay
So what would an angel say
The devil wants to know"

Janeway broke look and rose her hands to the roof.

"What I need is a good defense
'Cause I'm feelin' like a criminal
And I need to be redeemed
To the one I've sinned against
Because he's all I ever knew of love"

She balled her fists and lowered them and then started to the chair again.

"What I need is a good defense
'Cause I'm feelin' like a criminal
And I need to be redeemed
To the one I've sinned against
Because he's all I ever knew of love"

Janeway reached the chair and stood behind it, grabbing the back and leaning forward as she wailed something mystically. As the music descended, she sunk to the floor behind the chair. On the last chords she rose suddenly to her feet and returned to sit in the chair.

There was a breathy pause of anticipation before the audience began to clap and whistle. Janeway bowed slightly and then departed the stage, chair in tow.

Backstage was in an uproar. Torres was hooting with laughter at Paris, who looked like he had been drooling. Tuvok was sitting with arms crossed. He raised a brow at the Captain.

"Captain, do you feel that was necessary?"

Janeway smiled. "With my agenda, yes." She went back and pulled her robe back on.

Paris broke from Torres's restraints and nearly bounded up to Janeway.

"Captain, I must say that is the most seductive thing I've ever seen you do!" he cried, before being grabbed by Torres and taken back out into the audience.

"How am I supposed to follow that?" wailed the ensign who was up next. Janeway just sighed and shook her head. She reached for a brush and hair clip and exited out to the side ride of the room where the bar was.

Sandrine was grinning evilly.

"Oh, Capitan that was certainly good for morale," she said mischievously. Janeway smiled back at the French hologram.

"I know, it was, wasn't it?"

"But, I am curious Captain."

"What?"

"Why that song?"

Janeway turned her head thoughtfully and looked back to where part of the audience was visible. She licked her lips.

"Well, I felt like I sort of need to apologize to the crew for what I've put them through in the past few weeks."

"It seems to me that you were speaking more to one specific person," Sandrine said, setting a glass of water in front of Janeway and making her way to the other end of the bar to get a better look at the stage. Janeway turned, and froze glass halfway to her lips.

"Chakotay," she said softly.

He smiled at her, and sat on the stool next to her.

"That was a very... interesting song, Captain." Chakotay said quietly. Janeway sipped her water carefully.

"Thank you," she smiled.

"Kathryn... I never knew you could flaunt like that."

She turned slowly to face him better. "I'm hoping that's a compliment, Chakotay."

"It is."

Janeway set the glass of water down on the counter-top and twisted her lips thoughtfully.

"Chakotay..."

"Yes?"

"You do know why I did that, don't you?"

Chakotay looked thoughtful. "Because you wanted an excuse to show that dress off?"

Janeway slapped his thigh. "You know that's not it."

"Then why?"

"I wanted to apologize to you. I... I should have trusted you more. I know that our... relationship has been hurt by this. And I'm sorry."

Chakotay looked at her seriously. "I should have trusted you too. But the truth is, we were both wrong, and we were both right in our own ways."

Janeway nodded. "So you forgive me?"

"As long as you forgive me."

Janeway smiled. "Of course I do."

"Captain?" a puzzled voice sounded behind them. Janeway and Chakotay turned.

"Yes, Seven?" Janeway addressed the young woman. Seven of Nine wore a rather confused expression on her face.

"In the song you sang..."

"Yes?"

"Why do you feel like a criminal?"

Janeway sighed slightly, and smiled. "Oh, Seven, I thought Harry and B'Elanna explained the concepts of songs to you."

"They did," Seven of Nine said honestly. "But... you obviously do feel as you stated in the song." Seven of Nine blinked slowly, and glanced at Chakotay. Janeway swallowed.

"Seven... I suppose I chose the song because I felt like a criminal. You can't really understand it, but I have been through a few... trying situations in the past few weeks and I feel somewhat that I've let myself and others down."

Seven of Nine nodded slowly, thinking this over.

"Your answer is acceptable, Captain."

Seven of Nine turned slowly to go, and Janeway grabbed her elbow.

"Seven, you weren't sent here to spy on Chakotay and I by B'Elanna and Tom, were you?"

Seven of Nine smiled thinly. "No, Captain. I was not."

"I'll believe you, then."

Seven of Nine nodded, and then turned back to Janeway. "Captain. One more thing."

"Yes?"

"I never knew that you considered Commander Chakotay to be a delicate man."

Janeway heard Chakotay snort in laughter behind them. Janeway licked her lips and breathed slowly.

"He can be in his own way, Seven."

Seven of Nine accepted this, and finally departed..

"I'm a delicate man?" Chakotay grinned. Janeway groaned, and then smirked.

"Would you really like me to show you just how delicate you are?"

Chakotay's grin broadened. "Is that an invitation, Miss Criminal?"

"It might be..."