Disclaimer: Paramount sadly owns all, which means that they screwed up the ending of Voyager. So, let’s just pretend that my ending is the right one for the moment? Okay? :D

At Long Last

by Holly

The faint Hum of a transport being initiated was heard as the senior staff was beamed from Voyager to Star Fleet Headquarters.

They all looked at each other and suddenly grabbed the person who was nearest to them, hugging and shaking hands. Tom and B’Elanna hugged as Tuvok and Harry shoot hands. And of course, Kathryn Janeway and Chakotay hugged as well.

“You did it Kathryn,” Chakotay whispered as they embraced.

“We did it,” she corrected. “We finally did it.”

After several throats were cleared Kathryn and Chakotay realized that they were the only ones still hugging. Coming out of their embrace they noted their crew smiling smugly at them, several admirals thinking about what had just taken place and a room full of family members.

The silence only lasted a few seconds. “Captain, Commander, congratulations,” Admiral Paris said as he shook their hands.

At that there was a cheer as family members rushed to greet their long lost relatives and the transporter commenced materializing the rest of the crew.

“Kathryn,” some one yelled. As she turned around she was engulfed in a hug from her mother and sister.

The rather large room was filled with greetings, hugging and crying. Off to the side of it all stood Chakotay, watching the scene set out before him. Even though he was very happy for his crew, he felt a twinge of pain deep inside. He had found out recently that his cousin had died. He hadn’t been particularly close to him, but he had been Chakotay’s last living relative. Now he was alone. He felt more alien here than he had ever felt in the Delta Quadrant. Chakotay decided to go and wait for however long in the briefing room. He had no where else to go anyways.

As he started walking, for some reason he tuned into one voice out of the many voices in the room. “You have to meet him, he’s probably the one person who kept me from going insane the last eight years. Hmmm... where is he, oh, over there. I’ll be right back...Chakotay!!!”

He turned around to see Kathryn working her way through the crowd and before he knew it her hand was on his arm, pulling him.

“Come on Chakotay,” she said with a smile. “You weren’t thinking about sneaking off were you?”

“But Captain, I was just going to...” he protested.

“I know you Chakotay. You were going to go off and hide. Maybe I’ve rubbed off on you,” she commented with a laugh.

“Kathryn, there is no one here for me, I thought that maybe I’d spend some time alone,” he told her in a hushed tone.

At that she stopped dead in her tracks, her arm still holding onto him, and turned around to face him. “I’m sorry Chakotay. I didn’t realize you felt that way.”

Looking at her he smiled. “Maybe I shouldn’t be alone...” he was saying but was interrupted as Kathryn’s family came over to them.

“Kathryn, dear. Don‘t leave us like that again,” her mother, Gretchen, said as she hugged her daughter.

“So, this must be Commander Chakotay, nice to meet you,” Phoebe, Kathryn’s sister, commented.

Chakotay shook both of their hands. “It’s nice to meet you both too.”

He then shook hands with the only other man in the group. Chakotay knew Kathryn didn’t have a brother and thus was somewhat perplexed at first. But he then realized that he had seen this man’s picture many times before.

“Chakotay this is,“ Kathryn said with a slight cough, “Mark. Mark this is Commander Chakotay.”

“Nice to meet you Commander,” Mark said as he shook hands with Chakotay.

“Just call me Chakotay,” he replied. “Nice to meet you too.”

The both stood there for a moment, summing up the other. After they were satisfied Chakotay turned to Kathryn and said with a smile “I’ll see you later then, at the debriefing.”

He turned to walk away but she grabbed his hand to stop him and then let go. “Why don’t you join us?”

“Kathryn, go have fun with your family,” he told her. “Anyways, I’m sure there is something waiting for me to do.” He then turned to her family. “It was nice to finally meet you all, Kathryn has told me a lot about you.”

“Yes, well it was nice to finally meet you too,” Gretchen Janeway said with a smile. “We received quite a lot of letters talking about...”

“Mother!” Kathryn all but yelled.

Chakotay turned to Kathryn and gave her his trademark dimpled smile, the one he reserved solely for her. “Really Captain?” he asked teasingly.

At that she suddenly paled. He had only been joking he thought.

“Kathryn, I was only playing,” he assured her. “Anyways, talk to you later.”

“Commander, you are more than welcome to stay,” Phoebe said, backing up Kathryn‘s earlier offer.

“I really...“ he was saying but was interrupted.

“No, I insist, really,” Gretchen said as she patted him on the shoulder.

“We’ve gotten permission from headquarters to leave for a few hours. I’m sure they won’t mind you coming along.”

“Come on Chakotay, you have nothing else to do. And anyways, you don’t want to argue with my mother,” Kathryn said with a slight smile.

At that Chakotay gave up, realizing he wasn’t going to win this one. He walked with them to the transporter pad.

As they walked Chakotay watched Kathryn. He hadn’t seen her this happy in a very long time. This in turn made him happy. He was standing next to Kathryn, in the middle of the group. He had tried to move off over to the side, giving her room and time alone with her family. But as he had taken his first step towards the side her hand had lightly grabbed his arm, stopping him for not the first time that night. As she did this their eyes met. He was surprised at this. Not at the fact that their eyes had met, this had happened many times before. But at what they were telling him. Kathryn Janeway had never been a dependant person. Chakotay then realized that despite the charade she put on, she was just as dependent as the next person. So he decided to stay by her side, understanding that she needed him.

They reached the transporter site and then beamed out. When Chakotay materialized with the rest of the group he found himself in a house. He figured it to be Kathryn’s mother’s house.

“Oh mom,” Kathryn sighed. “It looks exactly the same!” She then started walking around the living room, looking at everything with a huge smile on her face. Suddenly a dog came into the room and ran up to her.

“Molly!” Kathryn said with delight as she kneeled down and hugged her dog.

Chakotay was now very glad that he had come. He didn’t think he had ever seen her this happy before.

Kathryn stood up, still petting Molly. “Mom, I didn’t know you had kept my house. And it looks exactly the same as it did the last time I saw it.”

“We didn’t have the heart to use it honey,” her mother confessed.

“Well thanks!” Kathryn replied, still investigating everything. She has forgotten so much about the house since she had been gone, borderline on feeling like she was in someone else’s house. Though now that she thought about it, in a way it was someone else’s house. She wasn’t the same person she had been eight years ago.

“Come on, let’s eat,” Phoebe insisted. “We don’t have too much time.”

At her request they all walked into the dining room.

“It will only take a few minutes to replicate everything,” Mark said.

Gretchen handed Kathryn and Chakotay the silverware and plates as she handed Phoebe the napkins. “You three can set the table.”

Chakotay and Kathryn each went around the table in opposite directions. He placed the silverware as she placed the plates. As they finished their tasks Gretchen and Mark walked back into the room, food in hand.

“I’ll be right back,” Kathryn said as she went in the direction of the restroom.

“We forgot drinks,” Phoebe said with a slight laugh. “We always seem to forget something.”

“Actually for once we didn’t forget,” smiled Gretchen as she came out of the kitchen with drinks. “Though I don’t have Kathryn’s or the Com...Chakotay’s.”

She looked up at Chakotay. “What will you have to drink?”

“Coffee would be nice,” he replied. “And of course Kathryn will have coffee too.”

“She’s still obsessed with that stuff?” Mark asked.

“Yeah. If it were even possible I’d say even more so now,” Chakotay said with a slight smile.

“Did I hear coffee?” Kathryn asked as she walked back into the dining room.

“Yeah, they were just talking about your love for the substance,” Phoebe informed her sister.

“Come on, sit down everyone,” Gretchen said as she ushered everyone into his or her seat.

Kathryn sat down next to her mom, who was on her right side followed by Mark and then Phoebe, with Chakotay, as always, sitting to her left.

As they sat down Kathryn looked at the food laid out on the table. Potatoes, a salad and meatloaf. Meatloaf. She couldn’t remember the last time she had had that. Hell, she couldn’t even remember the last time she had had meat period.

“Kathryn, is everything all right?” her mother asked as her daughter continued to stare at the food.

Kathryn mumbled, coming out of her reverie, “oh, nothing really,” but then added “Chakotay is a vegetarian though.”

“It’s fine, a little meat won’t kill me,” Chakotay assured everyone.

“Are you sure?” Phoebe inquired. “We could always...”

“Really, it’s fine,” Chakotay said, interrupting her.

As Kathryn was served her meatloaf she continued to stare at it. She didn’t really know why she was so interested in it. Maybe in a weird way the meat symbolized how she had changed. She knew that sounded absurd but in a way it was true.

Everyone then began eating. “Kathryn, you do eat meat,” her mother reminded her firmly.

“You know Chakotay, this is all your fault,” Kathryn said seriously.

“What’s my fault?” he asked confused.

“I haven’t eaten meat in years and it’s because I’m always eating with you. I guess I‘ve changed more than I thought,” she said with a laugh as she took a bite of her food.

“Or maybe it’s just that I’ve rubbed off on you more than you are willing to admit,” he said, gracing her with his dimpled smile.

“No, me more so,” she replied matter-of-factly.

“Really? How’s so?” he asked.

“You’re drinking coffee,” she reminded him.

“Well see about that,” he responded with another smile.

They sat there for a few seconds, holding their gaze. Suddenly they realized that there were other people eating with them.

“So, what have you all been up to lately?” Kathryn asked, breaking the tangible silence. “The letters I received weren’t too descriptive.”

“We could say the same for your letters,” Phoebe replied. “Anyway, we want to hear about you. Eight years is a long time.”

“Yeah, it is,” Kathryn confirmed, almost getting lost in thought but quickly coming out of it.

“So tell us something about your journey,” Mark piped in.

Kathryn look over at him, she has almost forgot he was there.

“Well so many things have happened,” she answered. “I can’t just pick one.”

“We heard you ran into the Borg,” Phoebe offered. “How’d that go?”

“Which time?” Kathryn asked with a laugh.

“The time we made and then broke an alliance with the Borg, receiving Seven of Nine. The time we rescued Seven back from the Collective or the time Kathryn was assimilated?” Chakotay asked casual.

“You were assimilated?” Gretchen asked with surprise.

“Well, yeah...” she was saying but was interrupted as Chakotay let out a yelp as Phoebe pinched his arm.

“Why’d you do that?” Chakotay asked indignantly.

“You let her get assimilated?!” Phoebe said.

“You’re her sister, you know how stubborn she can be!” he replied but received a pinch in the other arm for the comment.

Phoebe then looked at her sister and laughed. “Yeah, she is stubborn.”

“Anyway, it was either go along with her plan or...well I don’t want to think of what would have happened,” he said with a smile.

“Stop exaggerating Chakotay,” she replied. “You’ve gone against me before.”

“If I remember correctly the last time I ‘went against’ you I ended up being relieved of rank and confined to quarters,” he replied, keeping his voice cool.

At that comment they looked at each other and not for the first time that night held the gaze until Kathryn looked down, braking it.

“I told you I was sorry....” she said.

“You actually never said those exact words,” he replied. He then looked at her and smiled. “I didn’t need to hear them though.”

She looked up at him and gave him her own smile. “Well I guess be both have a habit of that.”

Again the room was silent. Kathryn looked around at everyone who was at the table and smiled.

“Rough time out there, eh?” Mark asked.

“Yeah, but to quote ‘it was the best of times; it was the worst of times,’” she commented.

“Really, and what were the good times?” Phoebe asked.

“Oh, I don’t know,” Kathryn said with a laugh.

“Any romance?” Phoebe asked, wondering exactly what had happened between her sister and Chakotay. They seemed close, he hadn’t left her side once all evening.

Kathryn glanced at Chakotay before she answered. “No, not really.”

At that Chakotay smiles and coughed slightly.

“I could think of a few....” he trailed.

“I could say the same of you,” she retorted.

Phoebe and Gretchen looked at each other and frowned. They had both assumed that Kathryn and Chakotay were together, but from the looks of it they weren’t.

“Sorry...” they both said in unison and laughed.

“Anyway, let’s not talk about things like the Borg and such at the dinner table,” Kathryn said.

“So then, what else happened?” Mark asked, his underlying question apparent.

Kathryn and Chakotay glanced at each other as she continued.

“Nothing, really.”

“You were stranded in the Delta Quadrant for eight years and nothing happened?” her mom exclaimed.

“Alien attacks, repairs to ship, personal problems, Neelix’s parties, holodeck, alien attacks, repairs to ship made...” Chakotay said. “That’s about sums it up.”

“You forgot a few things,” Kathryn laughed. “Like being stranded on an alien planet.” She smiled slightly at him.

“Which time?”

“The first.”

“Oh, I could never forget that,” he said in a low voice.

“Who was stranded on a planet?” Phoebe asked with interest. Maybe there was something more than just friendship between them after all.

“The Commander and I. And well, it’s a long story,” Kathryn replied, not wanting to revisit those ever present memories at the moment.

“A short summary?” Gretchen pleaded, wanting to know what happened.

Kathryn rolled her eyes but didn’t say a word.

“Bathtub, monkey, legend, gardening and a rescue,” Chakotay replied.

“Yeah, I’d say that about sums it up,” Kathryn said with mock seriousness.

“You, Chakotay and a bathtub?” Phoebe asked rhetorically. “Sounds like that must...”

“That’s enough Phoebe,” Gretchen ordered as she noticed Kathryn’s and Chakotay’s faces beginning to turn a rosy red color.

By this time everyone had finished his or her dinner. “How about desert?” Gretchen asked with a knowing smile. “I made your favorite Kathryn.”

“Mom, are you trying to fatten me up?” Kathryn asked with mock accession.

“You look fine Kathryn, you always have,” Mark commented,

“Thanks,” Kathryn replied with trepidation. “But won’t your wife be jealous?” She figured that they might as well get this over with.

At that Mark laughed. “I was wondering when that was going to come into the conversation.”

Gretchen walked out of the kitchen to serve everyone their deserts. She had heard where the conversation was headed and hoped this would cause at least a temporary distraction from it.

“Carmel brownies,” Kathryn noted with joy as she took a bite. “Mmmm, these are delicious. Replicated brownies have always paled to yours mom.”

“Why thank you honey,” Gretchen replied.

Suddenly Kathryn remembered Marks last comment. “I forgave you a long time ago Mark,” she assured him.

“Yeah, I realize that now,” he said as he unintentionally glanced at Chakotay.

“What exactly does that mean?” she asked.

“Well it seems while I was still mourning over your disappearance you and your first officer were sharing some nice alone time on a planet by yourselves,” he replied. “But I forgive you too.”

“Chakotay and I are very good friends, in fact he’s my closest friend. But there is nothing...” she was saying but stopped mid-sentence.

She realized that if she were to finish that sentence it would be a lie. Most likely the biggest lie of her life. So she has certain feelings for Chakotay, feelings that aren‘t usually associated with your best friend. Oh hell, she loved the guy. There, she finally admitted it to herself. Now that wasn’t so bad, it had only taken her six years to do so... Anyway, where did this leave them?

“Sorry,” Mark said.

“What?“ Kathryn asked, coming out of her reverie.

“What I said, you didn’t deserve it,” he explained. “I’m very happy for you and the Commander. It’s obvious that you too are very much in love.”

At that Kathryn and Chakotay froze, not moving a muscle.

“Anyway, I better get going,” Mark said. “I promised my wife I’d be back sooner. Plus, you were supposed to be back five minutes ago.”

Kathryn sat there, not knowing what to say. Were her and Chakotay’s feelings so apparent? If they were, then what had the crew been thinking all of these years? She really didn’t want to think about this at the time being.

“Come on dear,” her mother coaxed. “You don’t want to make Star Fleet wait anymore than you already have.”

Kathryn nodded her head and stood up to leave. As she did this she tapped her comm. badge and said “two to beam up.” She turned to look at Chakotay, feeling him already looking at her and felt the familiar tingling of the transporter.

“Glad you two could join us,” an Admiral greeted as the materialized.

“Sorry, we lost track of time,” Chakotay offered as himself and Kathryn sat down.

“As you already know, we are very pleased,” the Admiral paused,” and surprised that you have returned to the Alpha Quadrant. The next few days are going to be tiring, you all will have many debriefings. I also hate to inform you that the crew....as well as the Maquis...will all have to be housed...”

“Everyone on my ship is my crew,” Kathryn said quickly. “A Star Fleet crew.”

“Yes, well that may have been the case in the Delta...”

“They are all my crew,” she repeated. “The Maquis rebellion ended a long time ago Admiral, as you very well know.”

“Captain Janeway,” he said, raising his hand. “If you will, we’ll have plenty of time to debate this issue.”

She wasn’t going to let them do this, she thought. The Maquis crew had been integrated with her own crew to form a better one. They didn’t deserve to be punished. Just as she was about to add this she felt Chakotay lightly touch her elbow. She looked at him and decided to keep quiet, for the time being.

“Now, as I was saying before. You all will be kept in isolated rooms from each other,” he said as he handed everyone a padd, which indicated to where their rooms were. “After the debriefings are done there will be a ball in which *everyone* on the Voyager and there families will attend. Dismissed.”

Kathryn and Chakotay both stood up and walked out of the room, the rest of the senior staff in tow.

“Kathryn...” Chakotay was saying as they came to her designated door. “I know how you are must feel and I don’t want you saying or doing anything that would...“ he was saying but was cut off.

“Chakotay...don’t,” she told him as she walked into her room. She quickly turned around and added with a smile, “You don’t trust me? Now have I ever in the past given you a reason to think I’d do something stupid?”

“Yes, Kathryn, you have,” he said, smiling his dimpled smile at her as the door shut.

“So you say you disregarded the Captain’s orders and helped the Moneans anyway?” an Admiral asked.

“Yes sir,” Tom Paris replied. Was this boring or what, he thought. He knew in his heart that he had done the right thing. Too bad Star Fleet couldn’t see it that way. Anyway, the past was the past.

“And so you were sentenced for 30 days in the brig and demoted?” the Admiral asked, looking at his PADD.

“Yes sir,” Tom replied.

“But a year later you were promoted back to Lieutenant again?”

“Yes sir,” Tom answered, for about the hundredth time he thought.

“Why is that exactly? I’m sure there were other crew members who deserved the promotion more that you did.”

“I’m not sure why sir. Through the years I’ve tried very hard and after that incident I tried even harder. I guess Captain Janeway recognized my efforts,” Tom replied, annoyed at the Admiral. What exactly was he getting at?

***

“So you punched him?” the Admiral asked.

“Yes, I bunched him,” B’Elanna replied.

“And yet Captain Janeway gave you the position of Chief Engineer. Is that right?” he asked.

“Yes sir,” she said. “I admit that I shouldn’t have punched him. But I guess the Captain realized that, and knew that I was most suited for the job.”

“Better than Carry?”

To this she didn’t reply. Carry had been a friend and she wasn’t going to say she was better than him, even if she was. The guy was dead for the love of Kahless.

“And it says here that you’re married to Lieutenant Tom Paris,” he questioned, not taking his eyes off of the PADD in his hand.

“Yes sir,” she replied. Obviously she was married to Tom; it said it on the PADD. Anyway, Tom was his son, the least he could do was talk about him like he was more than just a stranger he had never met.

“Your relationship caused some, should be say, disturbances?” the Admiral asked.

“That was earlier on in our relationship...” B’Elanna was saying but was interrupted.

“On duty as well as off?”

“Well, umm...” B’Elanna stumbled. Why were they brining this up? So they had been careless with their relationship in the beginning. That had happened years ago, it didn’t matter now. “Yes sir.”

***

“So you helped your friend Wix,” the Admiral asked.

“Well, Admiral sir, he was a very close friend of mine and well, I...”

“Why, Mr. Neelix? Why would you lie to Captain Janeway, after she had trusted you?”

“Well I owed him and well, I hadn’t know that it was a narcotics deal, and he didn’t mean to murder the man. If I had know the trouble it would have caused I would have never agreed to it in the first place.”

“It says here,” the Admiral said as he looked at his PADD. “That you are Chef, Moral Officer, and Ambassador. How so?”

Neelix’s face turned a darker shade of orange, how he loved compliments, he though. And he deserved it, he was very proud of himself.

“Well there was no cook and, well no to brag, but I am quite the cook,” Neelix stated proudly. “Umm...I organize all of the parties, so that makes me Moral Officer. And well I am very sociable and get along with everyone, I guess that’s why I am Ambassador. Not to mention that I knew a lot about the Delta Quadrant and about the different native inhabitants. You know, if I remember correctly I think I first became Ambassador when the Captain and I were...”

“Yes, well that’s quite enough Mr. Neelix,” the Admiral hurriedly added in, before Neelix could carry on any further.

“Oh, sorry sir,” Neelix apologized.

***

“So you had a liaison with this alien,” the Admiral asked.

“Tal, her name was Tal,” Harry replied, annoyed at the admiral. “And yes, I had a liaison with her.”

“Captain Janeway explicitly informed the crew that there was to be no interaction other than that of professional between the two crews, did she not?”

“Yes, she did sir,” Harry replied.

“Yet when she found out and told you to break it off you continued with this affair,” he added.

“Yes sir,” Harry replied.

“Why?” asked Admiral Paris.

“I was in love sir,” Harry replied. That was the simplest way possible he could explain it.

“I see you’re still an ensign,” the admiral said, changing the subject.

“Yes sir, that I am,” he answered.

***

“You are an ex-Borg drone,” Admiral Paris stated.

“Obviously,” Seven replied.

“Since Captain Janeway freed you from the collective I can see that you have caused quite a raucous,” he said, looking at his padd.

“A raucous?” Seven asked.

“You knocked Ensign Kim out, you’ve stolen a shuttlecraft more than once and you’re betrayed Voyager and stayed with the Borg.”

“Those incidents you mentioned are all correct,” Seven gave in. There were reasons for all of them, Seven thought. At first she didn’t realize what being an individual would entail. She has thought they were weak and all she had ever known was the collective. Also, she had stayed on the cube to save Voyager, she didn‘t betray the captain.

“I have done all of those things, but on the contrary I have become an individual and now know how to behavior like one,” Seven replied.

***

“You are a Mark One EMH,” the admiral stated, looking at his padd.

“Why yes, I am,” the Doctor answered the rhetorical question.

“I see that you have done some very impressive things since your program has been activated,” the admiral complemented.

“Why yes I have,” the Doctor said with a smug smile. “One of the many times I have saved the ship was when...”

“But,” the admiral interrupted. “I see that you also betrayed Captain Janeway. You left Voyager to help other holograms on a crusade for freedom and thus put Voyager in danger.”

“Yes, but I know how wrong I was and would never do that again,” he defended. It was a mistake, he thought. He was a hologram after all.

“Let’s hope so.”

***

“It turned out that indeed it was you who were the culprit after all,” the admiral stated, looking at him padd.

“That is correct,” Tuvok confirmed.

“You should have been made first officer after Commander Cavit died, am I right?” he asked.

“Perhaps,” Tuvok said. Even for a Vulcan these questions were, dare he say, tiring.

“Perhaps?” the admiral questioned.

“Technically yes, I should have become first officer. Captain Janeway made the choice of Commander Chakotay being first officer for just reasons though. If she had not I doubt the two crews would have integrated as well as they did. I also believe that the Commander is a very accomplished first office and that he has done a better job than I would have.”

“Is that so,” the admiral stated rhetorically.

***

“And so you took her offer, to become her first officer?” the admiral questioned.

“Yes,” Chakotay told him.

“And why is that? Did you plan on seizing Voyager?”

“Both of our ship were too weak and our crew compliments were down, we needed each other,” Chakotay told the admiral.

“It says here,” the admiral said, looking at him padd. “That you once stole a shuttlecraft without authorization to go and capture one of your Maquis crewmembers.”

“Yes I did,” Chakotay answered. Boy was this annoying, he thought. This was all a part of the past, a past that frankly he didn’t care to remember. Well, the bad parts that is.

“It seems that you and Captain Janeway spend a lot of time together,” the admiral commented.

“There’s not that many people on board and it’s a small ship,” Chakotay told him.

“Right,” the admiral trailed. “It also appears that you’ve crashed quite a few shuttles over the years.”

“Yeah, a couple,” Chakotay answered with a slight smile. Kathryn sure hated when that happened.

***

“It seems you’ve...bent the Prime Directive quite a few times Captain,” the admiral informed her.

“The Delta Quadrant is very different from the Alpha Quadrant Admiral. There are many different species out there and many different situations that would not arise in the Alpha Quadrant. I used my better judgment in every situation,” she told him.

“Yes, I’m sure you did Captain,” he replied. “So you choose to integrate the Maquis into your crew.”

“I wasn’t going to put them in the brig for 70 years Admiral,” she said. “Anyway too many people had died. Combining the two crews was really the only choice.

“It seems you and Commander Chakotay spend a lot of time together,” he said, just as he had asked Chakotay earlier.

“How would you know this?” she asked, getting somewhat annoyed.

“We looked at holodeck records, talked to the crew, and what have you,” he replied coolly.

“Well it is a small ship,” she told him. First they lock her away for several days, they then ask stupid questions, and now they’re prying into the holodeck records. It was nice not having to answer to Star Fleet for all of those years, she thought.

“It seems to be a very small ship,” he commented.

****

Kathryn was the last one to walk into the room. As she did she noticed that the admiral and her whole senior staff were there sitting around a large circular table. It was refreshing to see them again. She hadn’t realized just how much they all meant to her until she was away from them.

She sat down in the only seat left, which was next to Chakotay. She wondered if he had saved it for her or if out of normalcy no one had sat there because they were use to her sitting next to him.

“I know it’s been a very long week and I am happy to tell you all that today is the last day of debriefings,” the admiral said with a smile. “So you may all, with the exception of Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay, go home. I’ll see you all later tonight, at the party. Dismissed.”

Kathryn and Chakotay both wondered why they were asked to stay. Probably just because they were the two ranking officers on Voyager and there were still a few things Star Fleet need to straighten out.

“Captain, Commander, there is only this last debriefing and then you may go home,” he told them.

They both looked at each other, somewhat surprised. “Why is it that the briefing is together?” Kathryn asked.

“Well it involves the both of you,” he answered. “There has been much speculation between yours and the commander’s relationship.”

There were actually debriefing them on their relationship?! How absurd, Kathryn thought. She was just going to speak when the admiral quickly cut her off, “Now Captain, please, we don’t want a rehash of the Maquis discussion.”

Chakotay smiled at that. He had heard what had happened, he had even seen the tape. They had questioned him after that on her saneness. Turns out she told them that she would ‘quit Star Fleet and blow up the whole damn ship’ if they prosecuted the ex-Maquis. So much for taking his advise.

“We just need to make sure...”

“Fine,” Kathryn said annoyed.

“Now, you two were left on a planet, alone together for a couple of months,” he said.

As he said this Kathryn and Chakotay quickly glanced at one another.

“What exactly transpired on the planet?” he asked.

“What exactly does that mean?” Kathryn asked back.

Not wanting Kathryn to go off on the admiral, Chakotay said “Nothing ‘transpired’ admiral. Captain Janeway and myself tried to make the best of the situation that was at hand.”

“Is that so? he asked rhetorically. “Both of your personal logs would beg to differ.”

***

At that Kathryn and Chakotay froze.

This isn’t good, Kathryn thought. The bath tub and legend and...why did she have to keep a record of *everything* that happened?

This could be bad, Chakotay thought. Damn, he had put all, and he meant all of his thoughts and feelings down. He knew he shouldn’t have had those thoughts...

“They’re our personal logs for a reason,” Kathryn told the admiral. “You had no right to read them.”

“Oh the contrary you had no right to not tell me,” he responded.

“It doesn’t matter,” Chakotay piped in. “We didn’t do anything.”

“The Commander is right,” the admiral said. “You two technically did nothing wrong.”

He stood there, looking them over for a minute.

“However we need to make sure that everyone on board stayed in top physical as well as mental health. It seems, however, you two haven’t abided by the latter.”

“What?” they both asked in unison.

“In your logs from the time you spent on New Earth, not to mention all of your logs forwards, each of you stated quite clearly that you were in love with the other,” he said.

The whole time Kathryn and Chakotay refused to look at each other.

“Those were written in the second year of your journey, meaning you two haven’t even talked about your feelings for each other since then. Our councilor has informed us that this is quite unhealthy.”

“That was six years ago,” Chakotay said.

“Yes, but as I said earlier we read *all* of your logs. And from the looks of it, those feelings are still very strong,” he paused, gauging their expressions. “Anyways, we didn’t need logs to tell us this, we knew it from the minute you two transported from Voyager. According to courses, throughout the years you two have spent the most time with each other then anyone else on board, almost as much time as Tom and B’Elanna spend together. He calls you Kathryn and you enjoy that. From what I’ve heard, you two have flirted continuously over the years and when you two fight it breaks both of your hearts.”

They still sat there, dazed at the admiral’s lecture.

“So, it has been recommended you both have six months of leave. Hopefully you will have talked about this with each by then. Now, that that is over with, see you later tonight. Dismissed.”

Kathryn and Chakotay sat there for a minute, stunned. They then both, in unison, got up and walked out of the room. As the door closed they stopped, standing side by side, still not looking at the other.

“I’ll see you later Kathryn,” he told her.

“Yeah, see you later,” she said as they both went their separate ways.

***

“Honey, it’s so nice to see you again!” Gretchen Janeway told her daughter as they embraced.

“It’s nice to see you too Mom,” Kathryn smiled. She had missed her mom so much.

Gretchen took a step back and looked her daughter over. “They made you were your formal wear? You’d think, after being stranded in the Delta Quadrant for eight years, they would have let you wear whatever you wanted to your own ‘Welcome Home’ party.”

“Oh well,” Kathryn smiled. “I don’t think it will kill me.”

“Hey Kath,” Phoebe said as she walked up. Kathryn wondered why she looked so happy and had that smug look of hers on her face.

“Well, let’s have it,” Kathryn said.

“What?” Phoebe asked innocently, still smiling.

“Obviously there is something happening. You have that look,” she informed her little sister.

“Oh,” Phoebe said. “You mean the look a sister gets when she knows that her sister is in love with her first officer and vise versa?”

“Phoebe!” Kathryn yelped with surprise. “Not so loud. And how did you come across this?”

At that Phoebe gave her a puzzled look. “Who doesn’t know?” she asked. “It’s been the topic of basically every conversation today.”

This isn’t happening, Kathryn thought. She glanced at the room and noticed Chakotay talking to Tom. Tom appeared to be very excited and looked to be telling Chakotay something rather interesting.

*

Suddenly Chakotay’s face paled. “What?!” he asked.

“Chakotay, it’s not like everyone on board Voyager didn’t already know you two had feelings for each other. Now, everyone on Earth knows,” Tom joked.

“How did you come across this information?”

“Well, most everyone has read the official reports for the debriefings. They are available to the public you know.”

Great, just great, Chakotay thought. Why was this happening? Why couldn’t everything just be simple? Well, he admitted, nothing really ever was.

He glanced around the room and noticed Kathryn looking at him, her face was pale...she must have heard by now too. He wondered, for a brief second, if she was going to kill him. Wait, nope, she loved him, he reminded himself. Wait...she loved...him! He smiled at that thought.

*

Chakotay had turned around and was now looking at her. She realized that he must know too. Was he mad at her? No, of course not, he loved her. Wait...he loved...her!

Suddenly Chakotay smiled at her, that one dimpled smile that she knew he saved solely for her. She couldn’t help but smile back at him.

She waved him over and he started walking. As he approached, his pace slowed until he was right in front of her.

“Hi,” she said. That was the only word her brain seemed able to process at the moment.

“Hi,” he answered back with a chuckle. Kathryn Janeway, speechless? Now that didn’t happen often.

“Chakotay,” Gretchen said as her and Phoebe walked over to where Kathryn and Chakotay were standing.

“Hi Mrs. Janeway, Phoebe,” Chakotay greeted.

“What did I tell you about calling me that?” she asked with a smile.

“Sorry,” he replied apologetically.

“Come, sit,” Phoebe urged, walking them to the table. “We saved a spot for you both.”

Before they knew it Kathryn and Chakotay were seated next to each other, across from Gretchen and Phoebe.

“So, how did the debriefings go?” Phoebe asked with a sugar sweet smile.

“Shut up,” Kathryn replied.

“What?” Phoebe questioned innocently. “You did have other debriefings than the lovely one that took place today.”

Kathryn glared at her sister. Little sisters, Kathryn thought, would always remain annoying little sisters, even if they were thirty or so.

“They were fine,” she replied.

“We heard you had, let’s just say a little, confrontation, earlier this week,” Phoebe commented, earning a chuckle from Chakotay.

“What?” she asked.

“Just leave it to Kathryn to do everything the hard way,” he said.

“You know, I am still your captain and the brig is still open on Voyager.”

“Point taken.”

It seemed any uneasiness between them had finally cleared.

“I think I’m going to dance,” Phoebe hinted as she looked at all of the other couples dancing.

“Have fun,” Kathryn replied. She knew what Phoebe was getting at and refused to take the bait.

“You’re such a spoilsport Kathryn,” Phoebe replied.

“Captain, Commander,” Tom said as he, B’Elanna, and Harry walked up. Each of them had the same smug, knowing expression that everyone else in the room seemed to have.

“So, how are you two doing?” Harry asked. “Anything new happen today?”

“Harry, I’m pretty sure you don’t want to remain an ensign the rest of your life,” Chakotay commented.

The look Harry got on his face was almost worth being stuck in the Alpha Quadrant all over again Kathryn thought.

“Come on Chakotay, ease up,” Tom told him.

“Yeah, Commander, ease up,” Kathryn mocked, smiling at Chakotay as she did so.

“See, the Captain has got the hang of it.”

“Does she?” Chakotay asked, receiving a pinch in return.

“Harry,” Phoebe said, turning to look at him. “Would you like to dance?”

“Sure,” he replied as he she got out of her seat and they walked onto the dance floor.

“Well...” B’Elanna trailed, motioning to the dance floor. “Tom and I are going to dance as well,” she paused purposely. “You know, why don‘t you two dance as well?”

“Will it make you all shut up?” Kathryn asked.

“Maybe,” replied Tom.

“Fine,” Kathryn told them as she looked expectantly at Chakotay.

“Kathryn, would you like to dance?” he asked, smiling his dimpled smile as he reached for her hand. He took it and then led her to the dance floor. They turned to face each other but then did nothing. They stood there for a brief while until they realized that on a dance floor you dance. Chakotay then took her right hand in his left and then put his right hand on her hip. Suspiciously music started to play just as he did this, and so they started dancing.

“You know,” Kathryn said after they had been dancing for a few minutes. “Everyone is watching us.”

“Would you like to stop?” he asked.

“No,” she replied. “It’s just that after the debriefings today and everything...well...you know what I mean.”

“Yeah,” he answered. “It was a little bizarre.”

“It was,” she confirmed with a slight laugh. “Here I had always thought Star Fleet would be against any relationship between the two of us, when really they encouraged it. So I guess I was wrong all along.”

“You had thought about the two of us in that sense before?”

She looked up at him. “I’d be lying if I said no.”

“They’re right though,” he told her.

“About?” she asked.

“Us not discussing our feelings a long time ago. We should have never let it come this far.”

“Maybe we are nuts after all,” she laughed.

“We should have seen it coming,” he added. “Should have known it when you were talking to Voyager and saying your replicator held a grudge against you.”

“I guess that’s the price we had to play to get our crew home,” she said sadly.

“And now that we are home?” he asked.

“Now at long last we can do all that we have missed out on these past several years.”

“Kathryn?”

“Yes?”

“I love you,” he told her.

“I love you too,” she answered as she laid her head on his chest and smiled.

The End