Disclaimer: Paramount owns all things trek… I don't, but I can still play with them.

A/N: This came about after prolonged exposure to Murphy Brown.

F.Y.I.

For Your (caffeine) Intake

By Gates Hepburn

"You realize this is all your fault, Chakotay?" Tom Paris said as he glared at his commanding officer from across the table of the briefing room. "If you hadn't told the Doctor that she was up to… what? Twenty cups a day? He never would have known and then wouldn't have cut her off cold turkey leaving us with… with that!" he exclaimed as he pointed to the door leading to the bridge.

Chakotay glanced around the room at the rest of the male members of the senior staff gathered around the table trying to garner some semblance of support and only finding disapproval even from the stoic Vulcan.

"It was in her best interest," Chakotay weakly stated as his defense, even to his own ears it didn't hold water… but it was the truth.

"While I do not agree with the method, I do concur that the captain will benefit from the removal of caffeinated beverages from her diet," Tuvok coolly added.

"But, my god it's only been two days and she's already on the warpath," chimed in young Harry Kim.

"And it's nearly the 18th of the month," added Paris.

"Already?" Harry shuttered as he brought his knees up to his chest.

"It is logical to believe that after the first initial week of withdrawal, the captain will be back to her usual self," commented Tuvok.

"But we've never seen her when she wasn't all pumped up on caffeine," replied Tom.

"Stay out of her way and leave her to me," said Chakotay as he rose from the table "…and don't, I repeat don't give her coffee… no matter what she threatens. Understood?" he glanced around the room to see three heads nod in the affirmative. "Good, dismissed," he watched them all exit before turning to look out the viewport trying to gain some strength before facing her on the bridge. Surely she knew he was the reason the Doc had cut her off and there was no way she would be happy about it.

Stepping out onto the bridge, Chakotay was surprised to not see her sitting in her chair… in fact he didn't see her at all. The coast is clear he thought as made his way over to his chair.

"Janeway to Chakotay… my ready room NOW"

No such luck he thought as he abandoned any thought of taking up residence in his chair and crossed the command deck to her ready room doors. The doors immediately whooshed opened as soon as he was in sensor range, he reluctantly stepped inside and the doors whooshed shut behind him.

He found her standing by her replicator, favorite mug in hand and the most pathetic attempt at a puppy dog face that he had ever seen plastered to her face… had he not been afraid for his life he probably would have outright laughed at her.

"Captain" he acknowledged her, not really sure what to expect at this point. He had entered expecting her to bite his head off, only to be greeted by her looking like a child that was just told that it couldn't play with its favorite toy.

"Please, Chakotay… just one cup? At least let me have one… to say goodbye!" she begged. "I'll do anything" she emphasized the words bringing a chill to his spine.

Begging… he couldn't believe it, the brave Captain Kathryn Janeway had resorted to begging.

The first day after the Doctor issued his order she had been a trooper… for about an hour, she didn't want the Doctor to think he had won. But after the initial hour she was ready to issue brig time… then the threat of opening an airlock and spacing anyone who stood in the way of her and her coffee. The second day she had pulled out a big can of guilt; it had almost worked on Neelix too. Claiming that she needed coffee to ease her headache, Neelix was all but willing to give her what she asked for, but B'Elanna overheard their conversation and prevented Neelix from making the exchange by escorting her to sickbay for a hypospray to ease her head. And now on day three she had resorted to begging.

"Kathryn, this is really for your own good!" Chakotay stated as he carefully made his way over to her, still unsure if she'd snap back into anger.

"Oh Chakotay, please… it's my only vice!" she was still begging as he took his place by her side.

Cupping her chin and looking into her eyes he answered her in almost a whisper, "Let's go to your quarters where I can give you something you need more."

Looking into his eyes she just nodded… hell she was determined to get him to give in and give her coffee one way or another.

"Ooooh Chakotay, lower… oooh yeah right there," Kathryn moaned as Chakotay gently rubbed her feet as they both relaxed on her couch, Kathryn with her feet propped up on Chakotay's lap.

"Come on Kathryn, admit it, this is much better than a coffee fix."

"Not quite," she replied.

"Alright then, get up," she looked confused as he removed her feet from his lap and rose from the couch.

"Huh?" she questioned.

"I'm going to give you something else you need," he stated as he made his way towards the door to her bedroom, she followed behind him not missing a beat; he missed the lopsided smirk that graced her face and then the brief disappointment when he entered her bathroom.

"I'll draw you a bath… and when you emerge all rested from your soak, I'll have dinner waiting for us," he filled the tub and then exited the bathroom to start dinner.

About an hour and a half later, after she had thoroughly enjoyed her bath and dinner, Chakotay surprised her with caramel brownies for dessert.

"Chakotay these taste just like my mother's," Kathryn grinned while finishing off her brownie.

"She gave me her recipe in our last data-stream," he confessed, before cutting her another piece and holding it up for her to bite. "Come now Kathryn, admit it… this night has definitely been more rewarding than coffee!"

"Alright… you're right, it has… but there is still something more that I need," she conceded as she took his hand and led him to her bedroom.

Later that night as they lay together tangled in her sheets, Chakotay thought to leave.

"Where do you think you're going?" Kathryn questioned.

"To my quarters. It will be morning soon," he evenly replied.

"Stay"

"Kathryn, in all the years that we've been together, you've never let me stay through the night."

"I've also never filled your cabin with the ships stores of leola root before, but hey, there's a first time for everything."

"You didn't?" he asked wide eyed.

"Oh, I did… back when I was still mad at you. It seemed like a really good idea at the time," she chuckled as she cuddled up closer to him.

Kissing her forehead he let himself fall asleep knowing that he would wake up by her side.

"Doctor to Captain Janeway," came the call from the EMH that awoke both Kathryn and Chakotay.

"Janeway here," she groggily answered his hail.

"Alright you win! I don't appreciate activating in the morning to an office full of tribbles! I've restored your coffee privileges… but let's try and keep your intake to under ten cups a day," the doctor conceded.

With a full out grin, Kathryn rose from the bed and walked to the replicator in the other room.

"I don't believe it… tribbles? Where ever did you get tribbles?" Chakotay called from the bed having known full well that she'd succeed in eventually getting her coffee rights back sooner or later.

"I can't tell you… temporal prime directive," she smiled… oh yes she always knew that holographic tribble program that her future self gave her would come in handy one of these days she thought as she typed her command in the replicator for a hot mug of coffee… black.

The End