Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own it.

It was late when Kathryn stepped into the messhall. Most of the crew had already had dinner and where turning in for the night. The three or four crewmembers scattered around were just getting ready to check in for gamma shift. Their already hushed talking seemed to grow even softer when she entered.

For a moment as she continued undeterred to the galley she felt their eyes on her. She knew from experience over the last couple weeks that if she looked they would just go back to whatever they were doing as if they hadn't been watching her. Just like Chakotay had been doing lately as well.

She wished she knew how much longer this was going to last. If she did she might just take an extended leave until it blew over. No one could deny she could use a vacation anyways. She nearly scoffed at the thought. There was no way she would be taking a vacation anytime soon.

As she approached the counter the sound of Neelix working became more pronounced until she wondered if he was using the pots and pans as drums just to test how loud he could really be. She didn't see him at first which, considering the kitchen wasn't that big and therefore didn't have that many places for him to hide, slightly surprised her.

"Neelix?"

There was a dull thud and then the talaxian's head popped up over the stove. She had obviously startled him. "Captain," he greeted while rubbing the top of his head where she assumed he had bumped it. A grin spread over his face as he moved around the corner and came to stand facing her at the counter. "I'm so glad you're here!"

"Oh?" She couldn't think of a reason why he'd be so happy to see her. Unless his noise making had something to do with a new recipe and he wanted her to try it. In which case she would have to start thinking of an excuse to make a prompt departure.

"I was worried you wouldn't come by," he answered, though it still didn't really help her understand, as he began putting a plate of food together for her. "You didn't come for lunch and the Commander said you were in your ready room most of the day and then you missed the dinner rush and so I...," he trailed off for a moment, his face darkening a fraction in a fashion reminiscent of a blush as if he realized he were rambling. "Well, I wasn't sure if you'd be by or not."

A small smile crept its way onto her face as she listened to his reasoning. "You were worried about me, Neelix?"

"Well, yes, I guess I was," he admitted, returning her smile. He walked around the counter, her tray of food in one hand, and gently put his free hand on her shoulder as he led her to a table. "You didn't stop by yesterday for your morning coffee either. Between that and not showing up for your usual mealtimes...," he trailed off again, but she knew what he was implying. He had been worried that she hadn't been eating.

It wasn't the food she was avoiding though. It was the eyes. Very rarely, if ever, had the scrutiny of her crew bothered her. This scrutiny was different though. They weren't watching to see her motivations, or wondering if she'd lost her mind, or even sizing her up as if they were unsure whether to trust her or not. Instead it was an awkward gaze that always seemed to follow her. She'd even caught a sympathetic glance ones or twice these last few weeks.

Neelix pulled out a chair for her and she sat down. In doing so her eyes flickered over at the two crewmen, both former maquis she noted, who hadn't looked away since she'd come in. When they caught her looking they averted their stares and went back to their hushed conversation though. Just like usual.

The smile slipped from her face and she turned her full attention to the suddenly unappetizing tray of food in front of her. As Neelix slid into the chair opposite her she picked up a fork and pushed a few strands of pasta around on her plate.

"Have you noticed anything a bit off with the crew lately?"

Neelix's eyes darted to the two crewman on her right and then to the group of three personnel somewhere behind her. He gave her a gentle and sympathetic smile before answering. "They're just not sure how to act yet, Captain. It's not every day you take your fellow crewmembers prisoner and try to take over the ship."

"Try?" She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "They did take over the ship."

"I suppose they did," Neelix murmured, subconsciously rubbing his lower left arm where crewman Dalby had left bruises with his iron tight grip a couple of weeks previously. He snapped out of his thoughtful trance a second later. "They feel bad about it, Captain. They hurt, both emotionally and physically, their friends against their own will."

"I know they feel bad about it, but there's no need for them to. It wasn't their fault," she added softly, looking back down at her plate with a thoughtful look of her own. If it was anyone's fault it was her own. They couldn't be blamed for what they had no control over.

"They also...," Neelix paused as if trying to decide whether or not to continue. "They aren't sure how you feel about them now. They feel they betrayed you and so some of them...some of them think you might not trust them anymore."

"Of course I trust them. It wasn't their fault and I couldn't possibly hold them responsible."

"I know that, Captain, but some of them just need more time to realize that too. It's not just you they're uncomfortable around either I promise. It's gotten better, but that first week or so after it happened there was a mass amount of unease between the former maquis and the original Starfleet. It's gotten better though and I think eventually the rest of the wounds will heal as well."

She hoped he was right. Otherwise she might just take that vacation after all.

The next morning Kathryn made a point to stop by the messhall for her usual cup of coffee, much to the pleasure of Neelix who instantly poured her a steaming hot cup of fresh coffee. It was a few hours later, after the daily Security report from Tuvok, that she made her way down to Astrometrics.

Seven was, as Kathryn expected, working diligently at the main console. These last few days she hadn't seen as much of the younger woman as she usually would. Their weekly velocity game had been put on hold thanks to the possible impending threat of the Mawr Anga. Even without everyone's preoccupation she wasn't sure if she would have had enough energy to make the game even remotely interesting anyways. Much of both of their time had been spent getting the ship ready as a precaution. B'Elanna had perhaps been the busiest of them all though.

"Seven," she greeted upon walking up to the console. "What have you got for me?"

The former borg turned briefly to face her and for a moment Seven refrained from answering as she looked the Captain over. With an arched eyebrow she returned to studying the data readings though after a few mere seconds. "A plasma storm roughly two light years from our present location. I have notified Lieutenant Paris so he may avoid it."

Kathryn nodded in acknowledgment. "Anything else?"

"Yes. I am attempting to plot all the anomalies, but they are proving to be unpredictable. For instance...Sensors picked up a region of relative calmness ten light years away," she began and, with a few taps of the console, she pulled up a map on the large viewscreen.

It was obviously a rough estimate of the region seeing as how the sensors readings were still unclear, but even with what they knew for sure the area looked like a picture right out of the dictionary for the term 'navigational hazard'. Already there were three plasma storms within a fifteen light year radius, a meteor field that might just be the largest she'd ever encountered, and what appeared to be polaric radiation readings at the very edge of the radius.

Seven pointed to a small area just outside the meteor field and then magnified that particular spot of the map. "As you can see there is no obvious phenomena that would pose a disturbance. I was therefore going to recommend using it as a flight path, however half an hour ago the readings abruptly changed without warning." Seven tapped the controls once more and the image changed.

Kathryn leaned closer as she studied the small swirling dot. "Is that what I think it is..."

"It is a particle fountain," Seven answered as she too studied the representation. "There is very little known about such occurrences, even amongst the borg."

"They're exceedingly dangerous," she pointed out. "And there was no previous signs that it could pop up?"

"None that I was able to detect."

Kathryn nodded thoughtful. "Good work catching it, Seven. If anything else comes up contact me immediately."

"Yes, Captain. I shall keep you updated." The former borg's piercing eyes studied her once more before she could leave. "Captain, it might be prudent for you rest. You appear to be quite tired."

'That's probably because I've barely slept in days,' Kathryn thought dryly. "I'm fine, Seven, but thank you for the concern," she answered out loud with a meager smile. She put a hand on the younger woman's shoulder and gave it a light squeeze in passing.

As she moved towards the exit the doors slid opened, allowing Tal Celes to enter. She noticed the young bajoran's tired eyes instantly. Celes however only noticed her presence after a delay and then smiled, albeit tiredly, as they passed each other and Kathryn made a mental note to speak with Seven about how much she was pushing the girl.