SUMMARY: Janeway musings.

CODES: VOY, J/C

RATING: PG13

DISCLAIMER: The rock rules the universe.

NOTES: I found this crazy song while searching for something else and it just stuck. The song is by Marv Johnson, BTW.

"You Got What it Takes"
by Liz VanZandt

You don't drive a big fine car
You don't look like a movie star
And on your money we won't get far...
Now you don't live in a beautiful place
You don't dress with the best of taste
And nature didn't give you such a beautiful face
But baby you got what it takes to satisfy...
You got what it takes to set my soul on fire...
You got what it takes for me

He's not the most handsome man in the universe. Hell, he's not even the most handsome man on Voyager. Don't tell Chakotay I said this, but there are at least half a dozen crewmen I find more attractive than him. It's not that he's ugly or anything, he just wouldn't win any beauty contests. I know, I know, after you hit forty, it's all downhill from there. And out here on a starship, there's relatively little activity, so it's more difficult to stay in shape. But the fact is, Chakotay enjoys Neelix's cuisine just a little too much. And it shows. Even that boxing program of his doesn't do enough to counteract all the fat and calories in Neelix's cooking.

But I could live with a little bit of a gut. The fact is, I'm not as fit as I used to be either. It's almost as if the warranty is up once you hit forty.

But my point still stands -- Chakotay is only moderately handsome. It wasn't like it was love at first sight, or even second. No. I looked through all the material Starfleet has on him before we left DS9 all those years ago, and while I was moderately impressed by his service record, his picture didn't send my heart racing. Sure, the first time I met him face to face my heart was beating a little faster than normal, but that was all adrenaline. It was the middle of a crisis situation for crying out loud! I didn't have time to be assessing Chakotay.

Sure, I'll admit he's not hard on the eyes, but he's just not the most handsome man I've ever known either.

He's not the most intelligent person I've ever known either. Yes, he's extremely competent and an excellent tactician. And obviously he has at least some brains or he never would have passed the Academy. But he obviously hasn't dealt with science of any kind since the required science class as a first year cadet; I wouldn't trust him with anything past bandaging in Sickbay; and the only thing he's good for in Engineering is the grunt work. I know I'm probably being a bit harsh on him; his job certainly doesn't require any of that knowledge specifically.

He is by far one of the most accident prone pilots I've ever met though. Maybe it's me and I've just had the misfortune to be on shuttles with him the few times he's ever crashed, but I've lost more shuttles because of that man than any other single cause.

Sure, he's a good officer, but he never would have earned his own command, even if he hadn't left Starfleet. I've known a lot of officers, good and bad, in my life, and Chakotay falls somewhere in the middle. Yes, he is without a doubt the best first officer I've ever had, but he works hard to earn that distinction. I know he puts in a lot of extra hours working on the schedules and trying to understand B'Elanna's reports, and I appreciate the effort. But the truth is, what it takes to be a good first officer is not necessarily what it takes to be a good captain. Sure, he could command Voyager if he had to, but at this point, I'd rather not test that theory.

He's not really the most romantic guy either. Sure, he can spin a good yarn, but even those get a bit cliché after awhile. And they're always so predictable -- boy meets beautiful, intelligent girl while far away from home, she earns his respect, he falls in love and they wind up together in the end. Or, if he disagrees with me on something, he pulls out some old legend that resembles one of Aesop's fables.

But beyond his storytelling, he's no more romantic than your average male -- of any species. I'm not the kind of woman that's overly sentimental and romantic -- mushy, as my sister used to call it -- but I do appreciate the little things, the ones that tell you he cares.

Contrary to popular belief, his hands aren't all that talented. The fact is, I tend to overwork, and by the time I realize this, my muscles are so tight and sore that anyone's hands will seem wonderful.

His taste in clothes leaves a lot to be desired. As does his taste in women, not to mention his choice of extra-curricular activities. His taste in music is bizarre at best, and don't even get me started on the selection of books he enjoys reading.

I can hear you now -- if he's all this, why stick around? If he's not all that handsome or intelligent, not a very good pilot or officer, not particularly romantic or talented, and his interests are all opposite of mine, why is he still so damn attractive and lovable? I don't know. I've been asking myself those same questions for almost as long as I've known Chakotay, and I have yet to figure out just what it is that sets him apart from everyone else and turns my insides to jelly with just one look. All I know is that whatever it may be, he's got what it takes.

The End

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