Disclaimer: Paramount is owner of Star Trek Voyager, I am of this tale. Not much JC in this one. Comments and feedback are welcome.

Rated G

The field was something most could only conjure in a daydream, its tall, lush grasses seemed to stretch out forever and the occasional breeze made the soft long grass sway with an almost hypnotic lull. Hidden deep behind several tall trees and high bushes was a small pond that was known of only by the people who lived in this quiet town.

The children all came here, usually from the first moment their little feet could carry them anywhere and many a hot afternoon was spent by them jumping, swimming or just splashing around. When summertime came around, it became the favorite spot for little boys to play monsters from the deep to the screams of delight of the young girls.

Near one end of this pond was a towering stone which was flat on top, the area long enough to have as many as three kids sitting atop it.

But at this moment, only two people were there. And only one of them was real.

Kathryn had so missed her old neighborhood watering hole that she had recreated it in the Holodeck during one moment of wild impulse. Now as the midday sunshine shone off the soft tranquil waters, she finally saw things she'd never paid attention to in her youth. The sounds of the creek came to life all around her with the chirps of hidden crickets and fluttering of tiny birds high atop the sky.

Besides Kathryn sat a holoimage of her sister, Phoebe. Both sisters wore a long skirt with a T-shirt style shirt tucked into it. Kathryn wore a pair of sunglasses to hide her tearful eyes.

"This is nice, isn't it?" Phoebe finally spoke.

Kathryn's face broke into a small smile and she nodded. When she'd first gotten the urge to speak with a holoimage of her sibling, she hadn't thought it would be so difficult. Having not seen her in so long was hard.

As much as she might miss her whole family, there were some things only a sister could share with you. And holoimage or not, this was the closest she'd come to her in too many years.

Swallowing hard she turned her view from the water's edge and looked at the image. "It is. I can't begin to tell you how much I've come to miss the moments we've shared."

Phoebe gave her that beloved quirky smile of hers and whispered, "Oh sis. Please don't be sad."

Kathryn's eyes shone with the pain of inner loneliness but the cover of the glasses hid them well.

"How can't I be?" Kathryn answered, "For all I know, I'll might not make it home in time to see you alive. Or - or I might die out here and then there's no way you'd ever know all the emotions I've been going thru since last we talked! Each time we draw a bit closer to Earth I wonder about you, Mom and everyone else. "

Phoebe leaned over, tugged on the sleeve of Kathryn's shirt forcing her to lean down until she placed it onto her lap. Taking a small piece of hair between her fingers she began to softly make small braids on Kathryn's short hair. They spiked left and right and in all manners of angles which made for a funny look on Kathryn.

When the two had been younger that had been the way each would calm the other down if they were stressed or worried.

Even after all these years, Kathryn held onto that whisper of a memory and smiled, secretly thanking the memory banks for that important piece of info. A single tear rolled down her tilted cheek and soaked into her hair.

"So many things are going on in my life that sometimes I think back to this pond and all the fun we'd had, being without a care in the world. Though we sometimes didn't agree on things and fought like cats and mouse every now and then, you've been my best friend for too long. As much as I can share with Chakotay, it's not the same as telling you."

The small fingers in her hair continued to weave as the words clung in the air between them.

"Hmm.. Chakotay. That name just rolls off your tongue, doesn't it?"

With a hard sniffle Kathryn sighed and replied, "He's my right hand man. Commander Chakotay is the closet person to me out here in this patch of space we're calling home."

Stifling a giggle Phoebe asked, "YOUR right hand, huh? Ever had him IN either hand? Goodness! What images come to mind!"

Kathryn rolled her eyes and managed to laugh aloud. "That's not the way I meant it. Now quit that!"

"Oh come on, Kat! Since when can't I bother you about your sweeties?" Phoebe said in a droll tone.

She tugged on a small chunk of semi braided hair to further tease her. Kathryn playfully slapped at her fingers.

A loud scoff and then Kathryn answered, "Now quit that or I'll throw you right into this pond!"

Snickering in an evil way out loud, Phoebe said, "That wouldn't be a first, now would it!"

In that moment Kathryn felt the bond she still held with her sister and her smile was radiant as it spread across her face. Turning her head just slightly she managed to look up at the holoimage and whispered, "Thank you. I'm glad you're my sister."

Phoebe smiled down at her, tickled her with the curl of hair she held and answered, "Always and forever."

The end