AN: My apologies for the delayed update. I am so appreciative of all of you that read what I write. Just a heads up that I will be traveling for the next several days without internet. Good News: I hope to have lots written when I return. Bad News: I won't be able to post it until next week. Here is one more chapter for you before I return with the rest of my story. I hope you enjoy it.

Kathryn frowned as she sat in her office, padd in hand. Her workload had been heavy with her new Admiral promotion and she was still catching up on all of the rules and regulations that had changed during her seven year absence. She was more than grateful for the distraction when her office door chimed. "Come in," she called, still scanning her report.

Chakotay walked in and grinned at the sight of her sitting at her desk, oblivious to her surroundings. He noticed her coffee cup was stained indicating she had been at it for quite a while. He let the door close behind him and stood just inside the entrance waiting for her to greet him. Finally, her head popped up.

"Chakotay!" Kathryn jumped up and a pile of padds went sliding to the floor. She bent down to retrieve them and he walked over. "It can't be time yet. I asked the computer to warn me so I would be ready for you." She stopped talking as she watched him crouch down next to her and take the padds out of her hands. He placed them on the desk above them, took her hands, and pulled them both up together.

"Hi," he said, gathering her in his arms.

"Hi." She stepped back and brushed a loose piece of hair out of her face. "I'm sorry. Old work habits die hard."

Chakotay nodded. "I see that." He gave her a stern look. "You have five minutes to leave this desk and get out of that uniform. Put something on appropriate for our dinner. Any longer, I will take matters into my own hands and I will not be held responsible for my actions."

Kathryn flashed her own wicked grin. "Careful. Starfleet already wiped your record clean once. Stage another uprising and we won't be so forgiving."

Chakotay gathered her back into his arms and said, "You are not Starfleet tonight, Kathryn. You are my date."

She felt her heart race against his chest and she pulled back. "I'll be right back."

Exactly five minutes later, she returned, true to his requests. She had replaced her uniform with a long casual evening dress, replaced her boots with a pair of delicate heels and adorned herself with some simple gold jewelry. She waved her hands and said, "I forgot to ask where we were going. Will this do?"

Chakotay's eyes glanced over her body. "You'll always do."

Kathryn held up a finger. "Careful, Commander. This is only a first date."

He walked over to her and said, "We'll have a second."

"Maybe. We'll see how you do with this first one."

Chakotay gave her his arm. "I accept that challenge." She put her arm in his as he yanked her combadge off and flipped it on the desk. Before she could protest, he said, "You won't need that where we're going tonight. Come on."

Kathryn walked to the transporter facility, arm in arm with him. The weather was typically cool for a San Francisco evening and the sun had begun to set lending the air a bit more of a chill as the darkness set in. She greeted the transporter attendant and allowed Chakotay to guide her up onto the pad.

"Where are we going?" she whispered.

"You'll see." He gave her a wink and then nodded towards the attendant.

The familiar beams shimmered and Kathryn and Chakotay appeared in a dark room illuminated only by candlelight. She stood a moment and allowed her eyes to adjust to the dimness before she realized where she was. "Voyager? My old captain's quarters?"

"I thought we should begin where we left off." He walked over to the personal computer and switched it on. A familiar Talaxian graced the screen.

"Neelix!"

"Captain Janeway! Or Commander Chakotay tells me it's Admiral now. I'm sorry. I messed that up. Maybe I should start this greeting over." He looked off screen for a moment as Kathryn giggled. Neelix had obviously sent this message from the Delta Quadrant earlier. She waited as he cleared his throat and said, "Let's begin again. Admiral Janeway! It's good to see you! Well, not actually see you but I know you'll be listening to me while I greet you. The Commander tells me he has something very special planned for you tonight. And, since he thought you needed a little encouragement to relax and enjoy this evening, it is my job to do just that. In fact, it is my specialty! So, relax and enjoy the Commander's, er, Chakotay's company tonight and…" Neelix leaned towards the screen and lowered his voice. "…I expect details very soon. It's about time you two. Bon Appétit!"

The screen flashed back to the Starfleet emblem and Kathryn laughed again as Chakotay switched the computer off.

"That was sweet, Chakotay." Her mood sobered. "I miss him."

He stroked her arm. "I do too. But, he's only a message away. And since you never listened to me aboard this ship, I thought I needed some back up to encourage you to relax and be yourself tonight."

Kathryn folded her arms. "That's not true. I always listened to you. Your opinion was very valuable to me."

He grinned. "Well, I don't want you to value my opinion tonight. I want you to value me." He moved towards the table set for two and said, "Join me, please?"

She walked to the table and sat after he held out her chair. She watched him open a bottle of chilled wine and pour both of them a glass. He sat down and lifted his up to her. "To us. To our future."

Kathryn clinked her glass but stopped as she brought it to her lips. She slowly lowered it down catching Chakotay's disappointed expression as she did so. She bit her lip and said, "Why did you think I would be uncomfortable with you tonight, Chakotay?"

Chakotay put his own glass down and said, "Honestly? Past history. I know this is a big step for you, Kathryn. I wanted to be sure it's what you really wanted."

Her finger traced the lip of her glass. "I wouldn't have said yes if I didn't want to be here."

He relaxed and said, "Good, I'm glad to hear that."

"But, I think we need to talk about a few things first."

Chakotay stiffened and sat back in his chair. "Are you defining parameters again?"

She glanced at him and smiled and shook her head. "No. Well, maybe. I just want you to know that I'm going into this with a full commitment, nothing off limits." She looked at him a moment and said, "I need to know if you're doing the same thing."

"I'm not sure I understand."

Kathryn waved her hand around the room. "This, all of this, is beautiful. It's sentimental and it's perfect. I just don't want to…" She lowered her eyes. "…I know I should just shut up and enjoy myself but…"

Chakotay grinned and leaned forward. "Is it possible for Kathryn Janeway to do that?"

She met his gaze again. "Is it possible for you to want me and only me?"

He grinned and teased, "You're a demanding little thing, aren't you?"

"No, I'm serious, Chakotay!" She watched his expression change. "You were right about what you said yesterday. You were right about you and I not having a chance here aboard Voyager while we were in the Delta Quadrant. I didn't give it to us because I needed to get my crew, including you, home first."

"Kathryn…"

She held up a hand and said, "No, let me finish. I'm sorry I pushed you away, Chakotay. But I had to and I'm not sorry I did." Her heart pained as she watched Chakotay look away. "But I'm ready now. I'm ready to completely go where you've wanted me to go for seven years. And I know it's selfish to ask this of you but…I need to know if you're willing to do the same or if this is just a passing thing for you."

"A passing thing?"

Kathryn nodded. "Yes. Do you really want us now or is all of this because you have nothing better to do since…"

Chakotay sighed and pushed his napkin aside. "We're back to Seven again."

Kathryn took a utensil in her hand and sat back in her chair. "You two were pretty serious and you did have a future together that was also…"

"That was also what?" he demanded. "I know Seven and I were together in the old timeline but that's all I know. Obviously, there's more to it since you can't seem to get past it." Kathryn started to shake her head but Chakotay pointed his finger at her. "No, don't do that. You can't ask for complete disclosure with all of our cards on the table and then do that. You want to do this? Let's do it. You first." Chakotay crossed his arms and waited.

Kathryn fiddled with her knife for a moment before she said, "I'm sorry." He didn't answer and she looked at him and realized she had one final chance. "All right." She took a deep breath. "The other me said that you and Seven had married. But, before I could get Voyager home, Seven was injured in an away mission. She made it back to Voyager but died…in your arms." She snuck a look at his face but he remained expressionless. "You were heartbroken and, when Voyager did return to the Alpha Quadrant, you died…of a broken heart…over her."

Chakotay did not speak for several minutes. "That's it?" he finally said. "That's what this has been about?"

Kathryn gripped her knife as she felt another twinge of anger. "You're dismissing what I just said?"

"Yes, I am." Chakotay dropped his arms and leaned over the table. "That was a lifetime Seven and I haven't lived. Thanks to you, we aren't going to live it. If you are going to compare me to someone I've never been, then this isn't going to work, Kathryn. Because I can only be who am I here and now, in this timeline, wanting you, not her."

Kathryn shook her head. "But doesn't what I just said suggest to you the potential that you and Seven could have? If I hadn't changed…"

Chakotay slammed a hand down on the table. The dishware and Kathryn jumped. "I don't want Seven, Kathryn! I want you!" He took a deep breath. "I always have and I always will. And had Admiral Janeway talked to me about how I felt about her, opened up to me the way you are doing now, then I would have told her that the feelings I have for you, now, on Voyager, on New Earth…those emotions don't go away. They got put away when you didn't let me express them but they didn't disappear. Believe me, I've tried to make them." He gently took her hand. "Did it ever cross your mind that I died of a broken heart not just because I lost Seven but because I lost you first?"

Kathryn looked up with tears in her eyes. He gently wiped one away as it spilled down her cheek. "The other you didn't know this, Kathryn, but losing you did a lot of damage because I loved you first. And right here, right now, I still love you. I've never loved Seven and I don't envision a future where I ever will."

Kathryn choked on a sob and rose from her chair to walk around and embrace him. She sat on his lap and held onto him as his large body enveloped her petite one. They stayed that way for several minutes until Kathryn's tears subsided and she sat back on his knees. "I'm sorry."

He brushed her tears away from her cheeks and said, "Don't be. See what happens when you talk to me? I know how hard it is for you to not have order and control in your life. You just have to face the fact that love is one of those areas where you just have to let it happen. It's messy. If it was orderly and controlled, people would be a lot more successful at it, especially you." He smiled at her grin. "I can only promise to love you and only you, Kathryn. And I will. That's all I ever wanted for me in this lifetime or in any other one. If you need to have some control, you've got it. I'm right here for you…all you have to do is want me."

She smiled again through her tears. "I do want you, Chakotay. I always did."

Chakotay placed his hands back on her wet cheeks and pulled her down to him. His lips took hers in a swift passionate kiss that left her breathless. He pulled away and lifted one hand to kiss it. "I can't tell you how long I've waited to hear you say that to me and mean it. Well, actually, I can. But I won't." Kathryn laughed and he glanced back at the table. "How about we get back to our dinner now? I promise you Neelix didn't cook it."

Kathryn giggled again as she rose and wiped her face. "Yes. I'm sorry."

"Great." He raised his glass of wine and waited for her to sit and take hers. "To us and to our future, together."

Kathryn clinked her glass with his and took a long drink. She felt the wine rush through her just as her love for the man in front of her did too. She smiled with her burdens lightened and her hope for the future returning. She knew there would be only good days for them to come.