Disclaimer: Star Trek and its characters don't belong to me. I just take them out to play and promise to have them home at a reasonable time.

Author's Note: I don't even know what my muse is doing anymore. This is unbeta'd so all mistakes are, as always, my own.


Jaffen accompanies her to the Bridge when it's time to set Voyager back on course for the Alpha Quadrant. After ordering Tom to take the ship to warp and again reassuring Chakotay that she's happy to be back, Kathryn hands the Bridge off to her first officer and motions for Jaffen to follow her to her Ready Room. When the door slides shut behind them, she smiles up at him and tilts her head at the chair in front of her desk.

"Let's get you registered in the crew manifest as a civilian engineering consultant," she says as she sits in her chair. Jaffen returns her smile and sits, leaning forward to watch her work. Pulling up the crew manifest on her console, Kathryn taps in a few commands and then stops, a frown forming as she stares at the screen before her.

"What's wrong?" Jaffen asks, his voice concerned.

"I didn't think about quarters," she replies, glancing up at him. "I just assumed that you'd stay in mine. It didn't occur to me until just now that you might want your own space."

"I asked you to move in with me on Quarra, didn't I?" he says lightly. "I don't need my own space; Kate." He looks unsure suddenly. "Unless you need space."

"I just didn't want to ignore your needs. I'm happy to share quarters with you, Jaffen," she soothes, reaching across the desk to touch his hand. A few more keystrokes and the deed is done; for the first time, the captain's quarters are listed as shared quarters. Kathryn's caught off-guard by the surge of emotion that comes with that realization but she shakes it off. "I'm off duty for the next two days, per Doctor's orders, so we'll have time to settle in after we stop by Sickbay for the Doctor's all-clear."

They make their way back onto the Bridge and Kathryn stops for a moment to talk to Chakotay, letting him know that the Doctor's insisted she take two days off. He looks shocked that she's complying without complaint, though Kathryn doesn't miss the way his eyes stray to Jaffen more than a few times; she informed him earlier that Jaffen is staying onboard and he congratulated her on finally thinking of her own happiness. Patting Chakotay's shoulder and offering him a smile, she leaves the Bridge in his capable hands and heads for the turbolift. Jaffen follows and they stand side-by-side in the 'lift, the silence comforting while they wait for their destination.

The Doctor is pleased to declare her perfectly normal and is even more pleased to hear that she's taking two days off without fighting him. His smug grin irritates her but Jaffen's gentle hand on her lower back keeps her from snarking; she finds she's less high strung with his presence. They speak quietly while the Doctor runs standard tests on Jaffen, logging his physiology in the computer for the official record.

"Welcome to Voyager, Mister Jaffen," the Doctor says. "Your records are complete and I'm happy to say you're a healthy Norvalian male."

"Thank you, Doctor. I know I'll be in good hands should I need medical assistance," he replies and Kathryn smiles at the look of pride on the hologram's face. When she and Jaffen are in the corridor outside Sickbay, Kathryn can't help her laughter.

"You truly stroked his ego," she gasps through hiccups of laughter. Jaffen looks pleased with himself as he slips an arm around her waist.

"He seems like the sort of man who appreciates a little compliment," he says, grinning unrepentantly at her. She nods, mirroring his action as she wraps her arm around his waist.

"He really is. If you ever want to really get on his good side, compliment his singing."

They spend an hour touring the ship, letting Jaffen get acquainted with his new home. Their stop in Engineering is brief, since B'Elanna isn't back on duty yet, but Jaffen's clearly intrigued by the warp core and readings on the consoles. Kathryn stands back and lets him get his fill, enjoying the way he flits from station to station with an enthusiasm she rarely sees in Engineering. When he's done admiring her ship, they make their way to the Mess Hall and are promptly greeted by Neelix.

"It's so good to see you well, Captain!" The morale officer beams at her before turning to Jaffen and extending his hand. "And you must be Jaffen!"

"Thank you, Neelix," Kathryn says, smiling at the enthusiastic handshake Jaffen's receiving. After a moment, she decides to spare him. "Jaffen and I are just stopping in to say hello and check up on crew morale."

"There's a lot of tension," Neelix admits as he releases Jaffen's hand and looks around the crowded Mess Hall. "A lot of people are conflicted about the lives they lead on the planet and how relationships started there are going to transfer here." He looks up and beams at Jaffen. "But we're very happy to have you with us, Jaffen. If you need anything at all, I'm only a call away."

Kathryn's quiet on the way back to their quarters, her mind running over what Neelix said about morale. She makes a mental note to encourage Neelix to plan a party, though she knows he's always ready and willing to throw a party. This time she's certain a 'Welcome Home' party is just what her crew needs.

"You seem a thousand lightyears away, Kate. What's going on?" Jaffen asks. Kathryn turns to smile at him, shaking her head slightly as they make their way to the sofa.

"Sorry, I was just thinking about crew morale," she answers, sitting. "This was a hard experience for people and I'm worried about them. They're a resilient crew and they'll get through this with flying colors but I'm concerned."

"That's what makes you such a good captain," he says as he sits and wraps his arms around her as she settles against him. He presses a kiss to her temple and she leans into him a little more, sighing happily.