'Set a course, for home' came the gentle order. The words that had been commanded for the last 7 years reverberated around the bridge and now finally home was a matter of hours away.
Harry looked around the bridge as the realisation began to sink in. Both the Captain and Commander Chakotay had retreated into the ready room. Since their appearance in the Alpha Quadrant a quarter of an hour ago he had been constantly relaying transmissions from the surrounding ships to the Captain.
The Captain was being barraged with communication; both well-wishing Starfleet Admiralty and Starfleet Headquarters on Earth demanding immediate reports.
Harry felt sorry for the Captain as he deftly deflected a transmission from the USS Albertani. That was enough for now he thought to himself.
All around him the excitement on the bridge was growing. Whispers and laughter were barely concealed and even Tuvok himself appeared to be more relaxed than his usual upright façade.
'Tom to Harry', came a voice over the communicator.
'Harry here' he replied his face stretching into a grin at the gurgling noises he could hear in the background.
'Would you like to come and see the new addition to the Voyager crew?'
Lieutenant Tuvok, who had heard the exchange nodded his head in permission and Harry quickly left the bridge, heading for sickbay.
The corridors where filled with people already celebrating. Friends laughing together, couples embracing and the few Voyager children running around with great grins plastered on their faces.
Harry passed Crewman Chell on the way and he informed him that an impromptu party had already begun in Holodeck 2. Almost all the crewman that were not on shifts had gathered there.
It was only moments later that a message came over the tannoy system from the Captain. With a skeleton crew operating the remaining members of the crew were jokingly ordered to attend the party.
After meeting little Miral, Harry was beset with a strange feeling of sadness. It had always been accepted that he was the one who had wanted to get home the most. He had been sometimes reckless in his ambition to see Earth again and now that it was in sight, he wasn't sure he wanted to leave.
Voyager, the ship that they had all called home for the last 7 years was more than a ship now. It was part of the Voyager family and now just as the crew would be split up, the ship itself would probably be dissected of all it's unusual parts.
His musings had led him back along the corridors to the offices quarters. The corridor was long and wide, the lines only broken up by the large bulkheads. He was about to turn along it when he heard something that made him freeze in his tracks.
Leaning against the viewport, tears streaming down her face, was Captain Janeway. Unsure whether too approach or to inform the Doctor, he was saved the decision by the approach of Commander Chakotay.
'Kathryn' he said softly, reaching to place a comforting hand on her shoulder which she covered with her own.
Neither could see Harry where he stood, unintentionally eavesdropping.
A fresh wave of tears from the Captain caused Chakotay to turn her around and pull her into a close hug.
Harry had never seen this side of their relationship before. He knew they had been friends for a long time, but he had never imagined them to be so close.
'Shhhh' Chakotay hushed her gently. Leaning back slightly and brushing her tears away with his thumbs. The action caused Kathryn to stiffen slightly and move away back to the window.
A pained expression crossed his face for a moment, swiftly followed by one of wistfulness.
'We are home now' he said to her back.
'Yes' she replied, her tear-stained face turning back to him, 'everything we've worked too for the last 7 years. So why does it feel like I'm losing everyone?'
Taking her hands in his he explained to her how she was feeling so accurately that for a moment Harry was convinced that if there was ever an example for proof of the existence of soulmates, this was it.
She was about to turn away again when Chakotay abruptly grasped her hands tighter.
'Tell me you never think of New Earth' he whispered earnestly.
For a moment Harry didn't know what Chakotay meant, and then he remembered the time they had had to leave the Captain and Commander behind on a planet. The Commander had mentioned once that they had christened it New Earth.
Maybe something had happened. The ship had been beset by rumours that they had become lovers after a large wooden bathtub had been beamed aboard when they collected all the equipment. But a matter of weeks later those rumours had been dismissed after witnessing the cold manner between them. It had then been decided then that the command team had hated their time together.
'Chakotay' the Captain said uncomfortably, attempting to break his hold. But Chakotay held on firmly.
'Like I said, we are home now. Everything I told you that night still stands. Everything I felt. Nothing's changed. All the protocol, everything holding us back is gone. In a few hours, you will no longer be my Captain and I will no longer be your First Officer. We'll just be Kathryn and Chakotay. Man and woman'.
While he had been speaking, Kathryn's long built resolve had been crumbling. The walls she had built up where falling down so fast that she could barely stand.
Seeing this in her eyes, Chakotay pulled her closer and continued his impassioned speech.
'Tell me you still love me' he demanded.
A sob escaped the Captain. A sob so pained that Harry suddenly realised how many sacrifices the Captain had made over the last 7 years. She had been in the constant presence of a man she loved above all things and yet she could never tell him; for the sake of the crew and their mission. Harry did not think he could have done the same and survived with his sanity.
For the first time Kathryn met Chakotay's eyes and pulling her hands free of his she reached up to gently cup his face. Her right hand gently begun tracing his tattoo as Chakotay's eyes drifted close with a sigh.
'I think I fell in love with you the moment I met you, and I've been in love ever since' she said softly, at which his eyes shot open.
'You never told me that on New Earth' Chakotay said grinning, his dimples more apparent than ever.
'No' she said, a sly grin appearing on her face, 'On New Earth I only showed you how I felt'.
There was a momentary pause and then they embraced in a kiss so searing and passionate that Harry looked away, a blush creeping up his cheeks.
Embarrassed that he had stayed eavesdropping for so long on such a private moment, he quickly turned and quietly made his way back down the corridor.
They where home, the predicted 70 years had been reduced to 7. Friendships had been forged, relationships blossomed and finally their Captain was happy and un-burdened.
Harry quickly found his way to the Holodeck party that had spilled out into the surrounding corridor with a lightness to his step and a grin on his face.