Disclaimer: Star Trek and Star Trek: Voyager are the property of Paramount Pictures and Viacom. I make no money off of this story what so ever. No copyright infringement intended.

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The Return

by Tamar Richardson

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Janeway blinked her eyes open and found herself looking up at Chakotay who was running a dermal regenerator over her forehead. "What happened?" she asked.

"The shuttle's engines failed while we were in orbit and I had to make a crash landing," he replied.

Thunder echoed in the distance. "We need to find shelter." She sat up and looked around. "How about that cave over there?" She pointed to a cave about 100 meters away.

He offered her his hand, she accepted. "Let's go."

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"It's not registering on the tricorder," Chakotay announced.

Kathryn looked inside the cave again. She saw the random splashes of colored smoke swirling around. "Perhaps we should find another place, just in case whatever that is doesn't want to disturbed," she suggested.

"We don't have time," he replied. "The tricorder may not be able to detect whatever that is, but it can detect the ion storm. The ion storm that is going to be directly on top of us in less than 3 minutes."

"Fine," she relented.

They stepped into the cave and at first nothing happened. "See, I told you it was ..." he trailed off.

The colored smoke starting swirling faster and clumping together like the formation of a planet. But this smoke didn't form a planet, it instead formed a humanoid, niff-like girl. "Greetings," she said. "Perhaps I should introduce myself. My name is Kaela."

Chakotay spoke, "I am-"

"I know who you are, Commander," she interrupted. Kaela glanced over towards Janeway. "It's good to finally meet you, Captain."

Kathryn looked at the alien in shock. This was all very sudden. "May I ask how you us?" she asked.

"But of course," Kaela answered. "Kes told me all about you and Voyager.

"Kes?!" they both said in utter amazement.

She nodded. "You see, Kes was not the first Ocampan to evolve out of her humanoid form. Actually, many millennia ago, this was a natural part of our life cycle. Then the Caretaker came and all knowledge of the evolution was suppressed and eventually forgotten." She was about to continue when...

The cave filled with another cloud much like the one Kaela had been. The cloud quickly started swirling and became humanoid, but not just any humanoid...

"KES!" Chakotay and Janeway said in astonishment.

Kes ran over to them and gave them a tight embrace. "I've missed you two so much!" she exclaimed. "Actually, I've missed just about the entire ship."

"It's been too long," Kathryn replied.

"I only wish I could stay longer," Kes said.

"I don't think I understand," Chakotay queried.

"After an Ocampan goes through the change, he or she has to go through many years of instruction before they can hold their humanoid shape for even an hour," Kaela replied.

Kes hunched over and screamed out in pain. "It's started," Kaela said. "You need to change back."

"No," Kes replied. "At least not until I've given them the gift."

"You don't need to give us anything," Kathryn disputed. "Getting us 10 years closer to home was quite enough."

Kes shook her head. "I think she's determined," the other Ocampan added. Kes nodded. "Very well," Kaela replied.

The two Ocampans returned to their sparkling cloud form and started to spin around the cave. They swirled around the two unsuspecting officers. Their tornado of colors and light continued to twist around and around freezing time and space. Everything became clear.

They had unblinded the Captain and the Commander of their doubts and fear. They saw only each other, only the love that they both shared. And then the beings left as mysteriously as they had appeared.

Kathryn and Chakotay stared into each other's eye, not quite sure what to do. Chakotay leaned forward and engulfed her lips. He wasn't about to this moment slip away, like he had so many others. They stayed in each others arms until...

"Voyager to Captain."

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