Disclaimer: I don't own them, I don't make profit off them...this story is mine, the character's are not, though they should be, they would be happier people in my hands!

Summary: What if Captain Janeway came out with her feelings to Chakotay after Seven got her hands on him? What would happen when they got home? Very J/C because C/7 is just wrong.

Kathryn was sitting in her command chair, looking at the view of Earth with her own eyes. 7 years they were lost in the Delta Quadrant, seven years that were lost...Seven years that wouldn't be easily made up.
Kathryn got up from the bridge and looked at Commander Chakotay and walked away. She couldn't understand it...she knew he was having a relationship with Seven, yet he didn't tell her about it. She walked into her ready room and walked to the replicator.
"Coffee." She watched the little mug show up and took the coffee and sat down on her sofa. Her mind was racing, he was with someone else...how could he do that. When they were so close to home, how could he do that. How could he turn his back on the unspoken promise that they had for so many years?
Unspoken.
That's why. He didn't know if she loved him because she never told him. She never spoke those words that could have prevented all this...too late now.
Her doors opened and Chakotay walked in. He saw her sitting on the sofa and sat down next to her.
He smiled, "we're home Kathryn, I thought you would have been happy..."
She looked down at her coffee and took a small sip, "I am happy..."
"But?"
She looked at him, her eyes full of pain, "You know what Chakotay."
He looked at the ground, "Yes, I know you know about Seven and I."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I knew this would be your reaction..."
"You knew I loved you...yet you did it anyway. We were so close, Chakotay...so close to home, so close to our happy ending...yet...you did this anyway."
He looked at her in shock, "You love me? Kathryn, you never said anything about it...I thought we had something years ago, but I never knew you would have taken it further when we got home."
She took another drink of her coffee, "I suppose I should have, but there is no changing what has happened. You moved on, I will do the same. Now, if you'll excuse me, I am going to go to my quarters."
He looked at her as she walked away, "was that a tear in her eye?"

Four Months Later

Earth

Kathryn looked at the fire in her cabin, she had left Star Fleet a week ago for a vacation. A long needed vacation.
She missed her life on Voyager, missed her crew, but she mostly missed Chakotay. After they got home and did their reports, she avoided him. He called several times to speak to her, but she refused to answer or return his calls.
Her darkest days were falling behind her now. No more reports to look at, no more explaining the caretaker or any of the attacks she had come across from the Borg, nothing more she needed to do but sit and watch the fire as she sipped her coffee. Fresh tears were falling down her face. She missed all the nights she had with Chakotay, like this one, where he would be with her, talking to her, making her feel safe. She missed their dinners, she missed the random touches to his body. She missed him.
She looked at the door, waiting...for what, she didn't even know. For him to find her maybe...for something to happen. For him to change the future and not marry Seven, but to come for her and spend the rest of his days where he belonged.
She got up and walked to her bed. There would be time to think in the morning. Now it was time for sleep.
"Computer, lights off."

The door opens lightly, Kathryn is sound asleep when the door opened. Chakotay slowly closed the door and looked around. "Computer lights on at 40 percent."
The lights came on, dim enough not to wake Kathryn, though she was sleeping in the other room, her door was open and he knew she couldn't sleep if any light was on. He walked toward her room and looked inside at her sleeping form. He walked into the bedroom, aware that he was crossing the line and her privacy, but this was something that had to be done. He knelt down and looked at her...she was stunning...just as she was the first day he met her.
He ran his hand over her face and through her hair and her eyes opened slowly, he tried to smile but only tears showed in his eyes.
"Chakotay?" she asked, groggy, unsure if this was dream or reality.
"Yes, it's me...I've been looking everywhere for you."
She looked down at her sheets, "Chakotay, why aren't you with Seven?"
He looked at her, "Did you honestly think that I could have spent my life with her, when the woman I have loved all along was sitting here, waiting for me to find her?"
She sighed, "Chakotay, I never thought you would give up on us...I never thought it would come to this. I'm sorry."
He smiled at her, "I never thought you would let those barriers down Kathryn, that's why I pursued something different...I didn't want to spend my life waiting for you when I thought you would never come."
She sat up and looked him in the eye, "I love you Chakotay."
He took her in his arms and kissed her gently, "I love you too Kathryn..."

See, short, sweet nothing...hehe. I just wanted to make up for Endgame because it was...just not right. :) So here it is, my happy ending.