Janeway made a lap around the bridge and greeted each crew member as she began her duty shift. It had been quiet for the past several weeks and the crew was enjoying the lull as the nice break it was from their recent scrapes. They were still adapting to their arrival in the Delta Quadrant and grateful for the momentary smooth sailing on the long trip home.

She walked down the steps and took her seat next to her First Officer. They had only worked together a few short months but they had quickly developed and settled into an easy rapport. "Good Morning, Commander."

"Good Morning, Captain. Sleep well?"

"Too well. I'm afraid I might get used to this pleasure cruise."

"I wouldn't say that. I don't think we're beyond Kazon territory yet."

She nodded and checked her computer. Her eyes ran down the daily logs and reports. "B'Elanna has the diagnostics completed already?"

"I told you she was the best engineer I know. But, at the risk of contradicting myself, she's going to need a little excitement to work off some of her pent up energy lately. We didn't have this much quiet on my ship."

"Well, I'm sorry this isn't the Maquis, Commander."

With a smile, he said, "Are you?"

She returned his grin and said, "I'm taking you back home. What more do you want?"

"Not to testify at my trial?"

"I plan on giving evidence on behalf of all of the former Maquis."

"My heart skips a beat," Paris interrupted. "For the prosecution or for the defense, Captain?"

Janeway straightened in her chair. "I don't see your reports here, Mr. Paris. Is there something I should know?"

"I'll handle that, Captain," Chakotay said.

"See that you do."

Voyager jerked and was rocked to the side. It's lighting and terminals flickered on and off.

"What was that?" she demanded.

Paris' fingers flew over his console. "I have no idea."

"Well get one, Mr. Paris. Now!" She stood up and moved to Harry's station.

"Captain," Tuvok said. "I'm reading Vidiian ships. Two of them coming fast."

"Shields up!" Chakotay said.

"Not responding!" Harry called.

Voyager was rocked again and the captain fell to the floor. Springing up, she said, "Report!"

"We've been hit by an energy weapon," Tuvok said. "It's disrupting the weapons array. They're locking on. We're being boarded, Captain."

"Security teams to…"

The turbo lift doors flew open and two Vidiians stepped out with weapons firing. Tuvok was taken down immediately as was Paris. The bridge security team engaged the intruders as Chakotay went for his weapon and the captain.

Harry was next to fall along with most of the other bridge crew. Chakotay got off two shots before he pulled himself and the captain down the corridor and away from the bridge.

"What are you doing?" Janeway said.

"Regrouping," Chakotay answered. He pulled her aside into a Jeffries tube and sealed the door.

"Is this what you do in the Maquis? Turn and run? Open that hatch. I have a ship to defend."

"Relax. These are scout ships. It will be a while until the real trouble starts."

"You do realize this is my ship and I am still the captain?"

Chakotay's eyes danced with hers. "Of course, Captain."

"Good." She hit her combadge. "B'Elanna, report."

"Engineering is secure, Captain. We were able to put up force fields."

"Excellent. The bridge is overrun at the moment but the Commander and I are about to remedy that."

"Understood. What the…" An explosion sounded in the background and the comlink went dead.

"B'Elanna! B'Elanna! Janeway to Engineering, respond!" No one did and Janeway went for the hatch.

"Don't!" Chakotay grabbed her hand and pulled her back. His hand went over her mouth before she could protest.

Footsteps sounded outside as the aliens walked into the corridor. "You have everything?"

"The ship is ours. The crew is being offloaded as we speak. We should be complete within five minutes. We've also secured access to Engineering."

"Good. This will make an excellent haul for our research. Do you have the captain?"

"No. She was not in Engineering where I expected her to be."

"Find her if you can and add her to the holding labs."

"You would like us to search?"

"No. There is nothing she can do alone. We have most of what we came for."

"Shall we destroy the ship?"

"No. Leave it. Others may want to investigate this technology. Their doctor is useless. Mere programming. The ship will keep until the others decide its fate."

Their footsteps faded away as Chakotay's hand slipped from her mouth. "My crew," she whispered.

"We'll get them back."

She pushed him away. "This is your fault. We could have stopped them. Instead, you hid…"

"…like the smart officers we are. If we hadn't, we'd be on our way to those labs now too."

"We'll wait until they leave the ship. Then we'll make our way to Engineering and see if we can beam everyone back on board and get out of here."

Chakotay wiped beads of sweat from his face that had formed in their close quarters. "They've turned off environmental controls."

"Probably conserving the ship's energy. Let's get to my quarters. We can access all of the ship's systems from there without bumping into any lingering guests."

Chakotay nodded and followed behind.

Within an hour, they had arrived near the hallway their individual quarters shared. Chakotay held an ear to the wall and then quietly slid the hatch open and jumped out. He helped the captain down and she walked to her door and keyed in her entry. Her doors slid open and then quietly closed behind them.

"Well, I never want to do that again," she said. "I much prefer the walk here."

Before Chakotay could respond, a noise sounded outside the door. He drew his weapon and pointed it at the door as Janeway quickly sealed the entryway with her keypad. Some scuffling and erroneous beeps from the outside keypad clearly indicated frustration on the part of the attempted intruder. An energy blast sounded against the door and Chakotay gripped his phaser more tightly. The captain drew hers and waited until the sound of footsteps walking away quieted their nerves.

Janeway put her phaser down and checked her computer. "One in this section and nine more scattered throughout the decks."

"They left guards," Chakotay said.

"Appears like it." She made a few more taps on her console. "I've got them locked out of the ship's main systems. They won't be able to use sensors."

"Good. So if we stay quiet, they won't even know we're here."

"Looks that way. Two scout ships off the port bow. I guess they're going to take their time leaving." She looked over at her First Officer. "At ease, Commander."

Chakotay relaxed his grip on his phaser and slowly lowered it. "We need to make sure they can't gain entry."

"I have the door sealed. They won't get in any conventional way."

"Good. Then we wait." He looked around. "I like what you've done with the place."

She smiled as she sat down at her desk. "You've never been in here before."

"No, but I've been to plenty of Captain's quarters and this is the nicest one yet."

"Really?"

"Yes. You haven't done a thing to it. It's almost exactly as it was issued to you. Don't you ever just relax?"

"Voyager is a new ship, Commander. My first mission went a little longer than I thought it would. Interior design was not exactly a priority."

"Well, it should be." Chakotay walked over to a table that held pictures of her fiancé Mark and her dog, Molly. "Family?"

"My fiancé, Mark, and my dog, Molly, who I told him he could handle for just a few days."

"Remind me never to sit for you." Chakotay placed the pictures down. ""I didn't know you were engaged."

Janeway met his dark eyes. "It's not a subject that's come up. Did you leave someone behind like that?"

Chakotay walked over and sat down in a chair near her desk. "No. I've never been that involved with anyone."

"No one? I doubt that. You want me to believe you are a true mercenary, then?"

"Freedom fighter," he corrected. "So, what are you going to do now?"

"Now, I am getting my crew and my ship back and we are going home."

"I meant about your relationship." The captain didn't answer him. "I'm sorry. If this is too personal..."

"No. It's a good question, Commander. I…I just don't have the answer yet."

"I understand and it's Chakotay. It seems more appropriate to talk to a friend by name rather than an officer when discussing personal lives."

She nodded. "Yes, I suppose so. So how about you? You've never been that close with anyone?"

"I guess I just haven't met the right girl."

"You will."

"Yes, I will."

"No one has peaked your interest?"

"Maybe there's been one…"

"One?"

His eyes swept over her. "Point made, Captain. Let's change the subject." Chakotay rose and patted his knees. "What are we going to do when our visitors leave? You have a plan?"

"Yes. We go to engineering and captain the ship from there. We find out where our crew is and then go get them."

"All alone? No back up?"

"Are you frightened, Commander?"

"Excuse me?"

Janeway stood up. "Voyager is more advanced than the Vidiian ships. They are more focused on their version of medicine rather than the technology they fly with. We can overpower them easily especially with the element of surprise."

"Go in hard with guns blazing."

"We take our crew back and then jump to warp. They'll never know what hit them."

Chakotay grinned. "Classic Maquis maneuver."

"Classic Starfleet attack pattern…"

Chakotay held up his hand. "Please don't quote the book to me. I know it by heart."

"If that we're true, you wouldn't have thrown it away so easily."

Chakotay's smile faded. "You know I had reasons to do what I did."

Janeway walked around her desk and stood in front of him. "I'm sure you did. It was a flippant remark, Commander. I apologize."

"You're going to turn me into the authorities as soon as we make it home, aren't you?"

Janeway nodded. "Yes. In seventy-five years, you may trade all of this for a warm cell and hot meals."

"Is that where you think I belong?"

"I think you lost your way. But, I also think you found it again with my help. And I hope you'll realize that the longer you wear that uniform."

Chakotay unzipped his jacket. Stripping it off, he tossed it on the floor.

Janeway glanced at the discarded clothing. "Or maybe not." She looked up at him and said, "I think you're afraid to be the man you really are."

Chakotay's eyes grew dark. "Is that what you think, Captain? You haven't known me for very long."

"Long enough. When you're in close quarters like we are, you get to know people better than they'd like you too."

"Really?"

"Yes, Chakotay. And what I observe in you is a man with a good heart who tried to do the right thing in a very wrong way."

"You think the Maquis are wrong?"

" Wrong in their methods. I think they are a group of individuals who have the best of intentions to right a grievous wrong but we all know where that usually leads us."

Chakotay's eyes swept over her again. "I'd be careful about making assumptions, Captain. I've studied you too."

"Oh? And what have you decided? Do you plan on leaving? Or mutinying? I'm afraid we're fresh out of crew to help you accomplish that."

"And you are fresh out of crew to defend you." He stepped into her personal space. "I'd be very careful about your next words to me."

Janeway studied her First Officer's angry expression as he stood there in his sweat stained t-shirt. "So much pent up anger, Chakotay. You keep it close to you like armor. Like you'd be letting yourself down without it. It is the one thing holding you back from who you truly are."

"I could the same about you with your Starfleet rules and regulations. You don't even know what real passion is about. I'm actually surprised you recognize it at all, Captain."

Janeway stepped back as his words stung. "You don't know enough about me to make that judgment."

"Those were my words."

"I think this conversation is over. I apologize if I overstepped, Commander."

"You didn't overstep. You were just testing yourself."

"Testing?"

"Yes. You wanted to see what it would be like to give in and actually play with some of that passion you admire in me so much."

"I didn't say I admired it."

He took her by the shoulders. "You do admire it. You admire it so much it frightens you." She tried to step out of his grasp but he held her tight. "If you're going to play the game, Kathryn, you may as well play it well."

He bent down and his lips seared hers with a full blown kiss. He tasted her with his tongue as he sought more. She tried to push him away but he held her close taking what he wanted. Her resistance faded as she allowed him to do so. It surprised him and he stopped and pulled back. A resounding slap against his cheek sent him back further.

"How dare you!" she said.

Chakotay wiped his mouth and rubbed his cheek. "I'm glad I did. You enjoyed that. You wondered what passion was like. Now you know."

Janeway marched over to her desk. "You'll be in the brig as soon as this is over."

"For seventy-five years?"

She picked up her phaser. "Unless I decide otherwise."

Chakotay chuckled. "You enjoyed every bit of that and you're welcome." He held up his hands. "But I do apologize. I never thought the right circumstances would present themselves this soon. I may kiss a few Vidiians before this is over."

"I'm glad you find this amusing, Commander."

He leaned over her desk. "I think you're a beautiful woman behind that title of Captain and there is no hidden agenda here other than it's been a long time for me and I know for you too."

"There will be no fraternization among the officers."

"For seventy-five years? That's a long time, Captain. You may want to rethink that."

"If I do, it won't be with you."

Chakotay nodded and stepped back. "I'm sorry to hear that. But I won't take it as your final word."

"Yes, you will." She placed the phaser on her hip. "And try to repair your male ego another time. We need to focus on getting our crew back."

Chakotay looked at her computer screen. "It looks like they haven't moved much since the last time. We may be in here a while." He watched her set to work.

"Make yourself at home, Commander," she said. Pointing a finger, she added, "With the amenities only."

Chakotay sat down in the chair beside her. "I really am sorry, Captain. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable on your own ship and especially not in your own quarters."

"We'll discuss it later. I'm sure Tuvok would love to hear about it for his report."

"A report that goes where? Starfleet is seventy-five years away."

Her hand banged the desk. "Stop saying that!" She took a deep breath. "Do you think I don't know that, Chakotay? Do you really think I don't know how deeply I've affected everyone with my decision? About what I've done to my ship and my crew?"

"Captain, you're not responsible…"

"It's my ship. It's my crew. I'm responsible. And now they're getting prepped for god knows what but we all know it's something they won't survive. I can't keep letting them down. I won't."

"Captain, look at me. It's not your fault. The same thing happened to me. Remember? I'm the reason you're even here. If you want to blame someone, blame me."

"No, I won't. But do you blame you?"

"No. I got caught in an alien's bad choices. None of us are responsible for that. Besides, you at least still have your ship."

"You sacrificed your ship to save us."

"Yeah I did." His dimples returned. "So maybe I'm not such a bad guy after all." He watched her return to work. "You asked me a question a while ago about if I ever felt anything towards anyone before. The answer is yes."

Janeway's fingers stopped. "Then you did leave someone behind?"

"No. I think I found someone when I got to where I didn't expect to be." She turned to him. "I found you, Captain. And, with all due respect to Mark over there, if you were mine, I don't think I'd ever let you leave my sight."

"Commander…"

"Chakotay. And I heard loud and clear that you're not ready to move on and I get that. But, you hear this. We're going to be out here a long time. Possibly the rest of our natural lives. And I don't want to live it alone. And if you never get to that point, I confess I don't understand that, but I will respect it. I'm just glad I had a moment to see what it would be like. I had to take that much from you. And I apologize for it. It came at your expense, Captain, and it won't happen again."

Janeway listened but could only nod as she turned back to her computer and her plan now to distract herself from his words and her racing thoughts.