"She might be scared of the transporter, but the car is a different story," Kathryn grunted when Jetta bounced into her lap for the third time to see through the back window of the taxi.

Chakotay tugged the pup back to his side of the seat. "Jetta, don't hurt Kathryn," he scolded.

Blocking the wagging tail with a hand in front of her face, Kathryn said, "I'm not injured that easily."

"No, but I'm willing to bet she doesn't weigh much less than you do."

"Rose colored glasses, Chakotay."

He grinned. "You love roses."

"You're hopeless," she laughed.

He peered around Jetta with a look that should have melted the upholstery. "And gladly so, my love."

Her cheeks flushed and she turned to the window, tilting her head when his knuckles caressed her jaw. The gate of the Starfleet training beach came into view, saving her from either having to fend him off or crawl into his lap alongside Jetta.

While Kathryn arranged for the driver to return the next evening to pick them up, Chakotay hauled their bags from the compartment. The smaller bag felt twice as heavy as the other one.

"What did you put in this?" Chakotay asked.

"That's Jetta's," Kathryn answered as she slid out of the seat.

"You packed the dog a bag?"

"We had to bring food for her. And her blanket. Some toys, a couple of towels in case she gets wet, a detangling brush, a pillow…"

"Stop," he laughed. "I get the picture. We have a diaper bag for the dog."

She grinned and kissed his cheek. "No diapers, I promise. The waste disposals are all yours, though."

He glanced down at Jetta and shook his head. "I said you would be trouble, didn't I?"

Jetta wound the leash around his legs and happily panted up at him. Kathryn took the band off his wrist and bent down to untangle Chakotay. As she finished, the noise of the gate swinging open caught the attention of all three. They looked up to see Tom Paris, arms crossed, leaning with one shoulder against the gate post.

Tom remarked, "The commander is in shorts, the captain is wearing a sundress and a smile, and there's a red-headed little one with you. People might start thinking you're a family, you know."

Kathryn asked Chakotay, "Are we ready for this?"

"I could whisk you away to Vienna, instead," he answered with a wink.

"Oh, no!" Tom interrupted. "Everyone is waiting for you." He stepped back and waved them though the gate.

"Hold that thought," she told Chakotay as she took his hand and led him toward the beach. "Vienna will be our escape plan."

"Just say the word."

The sound of laughter and splashing reached them before they stepped off the dock onto the sand. Several of the crew, including Naomi, were playing in the water with a giant beach ball. Other groups were scattered along the waterfront on blankets or sitting around folding tables. A circle of stones marked where the bonfire would blaze, and tents stretched in a line down the beach.

Mike Ayala spotted the command team and waved, which caused several others to look their direction. In seconds, Chakotay and Kathryn were surrounded by almost half of their Voyager family, returning hugs, greetings, and well-wishes. Jetta stayed between the two, uncertain in the sea of strange people. Chakotay heard the pup whimper, and reached down to pat her head.

Raising his voice enough to be heard over the chatter, he said, "Thank you. It's great to see everyone."

The crowd eased back a little to give the couple and dog some room. Naomi worked her way to the front and knelt down. "What's her name, Captain?"

"This is Jetta. Hold your hand out and let her sniff you. She's friendly."

Naomi did, and Jetta sniffed her fingers then licked the water off the tips. She wagged her tail when the child giggled, then licked her face.

"Can I play with her?" Naomi asked.

Chakotay nodded to Kathryn. "I think you can let her off the leash. She won't go too far away from us." He pulled the ball out of Jetta's bag while Kathryn unhooked the leash. "She likes to play fetch," he told Naomi as he handed her the toy. "Just don't throw it in the water. I'm not sure if she knows how to swim yet."

"I'll watch after her," Naomi said, backing away and holding the ball where Jetta could see it. The dog stepped forward, stopped, and then hesitantly started again.

"It's okay, Jetta. Go play ball." Chakotay's reassurance was all she needed to run off after Naomi.

B'Elanna clapped Chakotay's shoulder and said, "I'll show you where your tent is. A few are set back a little where it will be quieter."

"We'll be fine where everyone else is," Kathryn assured her.

"Well, Miral won't appreciate a raucous crowd at midnight. Me and Tom, Sam and Naomi, and you guys have the family tents.

Kathryn laughed. "In that case, I appreciate the thought. Where is Miral?"

"Jenkins had her last I saw. She's been passed around since we got here. I'm sure it won't be long before she gets back to me, though. It's almost feeding time."

Chakotay took the leash from Kathryn and tucked it into the bag. "I can take this stuff if you want to stay here. You can find us a table and something to drink."

"That sounds good. Bring the towels back with you."

He eyed her cream-skinned shoulders and upper chest bared by the dress she wore. "Did you bring sunscreen?"

"Already wearing it."

"I would have put it on you," he said in a low voice.

"I know," she grinned. "That's why I'm already wearing it."

He chuckled and kissed her cheek, then walked with B'Elanna to the tent. Kathryn approached the table of refreshments and studied the choices. On one end stood a pitcher of bright yellow liquid. She leaned closer to figure out what it was, and Mariah Henley stopped beside her.

"I recommend bypassing that one, Captain."

Kathryn raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess. One of Tom's concoctions?"

"No, actually Chell made it. Bolians have a high tolerance for alcohol."

"Noted, and thank you. I think we'll have water, at least until after lunch."

Mariah pulled two bottles of water out of a portable chiller and handed them to her. "Here you go, Captain"

"Please, call me Kathryn."

"Yes, ma'am." Mariah grimaced and corrected, "I mean, Kathryn."

Kathryn clasped the other woman's arm and smiled, thanking her for the water. As she moved to a table to wait for Chakotay, she thought about her crew, particularly those not part of the senior staff. While she felt a special bond with all of them, she knew that it would take a while for them to get comfortable around her as anything other than a commanding officer. It was entirely possible that when she received her new orders from Starfleet, she could end up commanding some of Voyager's crewmen again. For now, she just wanted to be part of the group.

She felt a pair of large, warm hands land on her shoulders and looked up. Chakotay leaned down toward her but stopped halfway, his eyes questioning. She reached up and pulled him the rest of the way into a brief kiss.

"It's okay," she said.

He smiled softly and sat down beside her, laying the towels on the table. "I wasn't sure. Our crew won't mind, but I didn't know if you would."

"No, I don't mind. Within reason, of course," she added.

He chuckled and held her hand on his leg. "I'll behave if you will."

"That sounds like a challenge."

"Oh, it will definitely be a challenge."

She held his gaze for another moment, then sat back and looked out over the ocean, ignoring the chills on the back of her hand from Chakotay's circling thumb. The sky was a clear blue, the sun warm on her skin, and the love of her life sat by her side where he'd been for years but now with the freedom to share all they had longed to before. Her questions, uncertainties, and even the deep-seated guilt faded away in the contentment of their accomplished goal to return home.

Chakotay spotted Jetta several meters down the beach climbing a sand dune. Naomi stood at the bottom, and her waving hands looked to him like she was trying to get Jetta to come down. He whistled loudly and watched Jetta's head snap up as she focused on the sound. In one leap, she bounded off the dune and raced for their table, with the child running hard to keep up. Chakotay and Kathryn chuckled at Naomi's contortions as she avoided the clumps of wet sand kicked up by the dog.

Jetta went straight to Chakotay and rubbed her side along his leg, leaving a smear of dirt across his bare shin. She was covered in sand, a few strands of seaweed, and something sticky he didn't want to know about. Pushing her away from him, he stood up and said, "I think it's time to find out if the she can swim. It's either that or a bath." He pulled off his shirt and glanced at Kathryn. "Would you like to join me?"

"Let's see, stay here and enjoy a peaceful moment on a sunlit beach, or wet dog?"

He laughed. "Never mind. We'll be back soon."

"Can I come, Commander?"

Chakotay smoothed Naomi's hair from her face and smiled. "Sure. You can help me coach her if she's scared of the water."

Kathryn studied Chakotay's broad back and flexing calves as he strolled toward the water until she heard an approaching wail. Tom positioned a chair beside Kathryn for B'Elanna to sit down with a crying Miral, and he took a seat across the table.

"Right on time," Kathryn remarked. "You said feeding time was coming soon."

B'Elanna draped a light blanket over her shoulder, covering the baby and settling her to nurse. "Like clockwork," B'Elanna said. "Most of the time she's a happy baby, but let her get hungry and the Klingon genes take over."

"She's gotten so big since we left the ship. I'm sorry I couldn't be around for you these last few months."

Tom spoke up. "Don't be. What you had to go through was hard enough. We had my parents and the rest of the crew. You didn't have anybody."

Kathryn glanced toward the water where Chakotay was slowly guiding Jetta into the waves. "I had Chakotay," she said quietly. "He was there every day."

"You couldn't talk to him, though."

"No, but I knew he was there. It helped."

B'Elanna asked, "So how did you two finally get together?"

Kathryn smiled and shrugged. "I missed him. When word of the Board's decision finally came through, I decided to tell him in person."

"That was it?"

"Yes, that was it," she laughed. "I told him the news, he hugged me, and now I'm moving in with him."

B'Elanna grinned, wide-eyed, and Tom quipped, "That must have been some hug!"

They rested back in their chairs and watched Jetta paddling through the water between Chakotay and Naomi. More of the crew continued to arrive, including Harry, the Doctor, and Seven, and Tom set about greeting the newcomers. Miral soon fell asleep, the smell of food drifted on the breeze, and the easy banter and laughter of people enjoying each other's company filled the air. Kathryn realized that at that moment, she was the happiest she had been since long before her journey across the galaxy began.

After a leisurely picnic lunch, Kathryn and Chakotay spent the afternoon catching up with everyone, learning what they had been doing since leaving the ship and making a point to ask how they were settling into Alpha Quadrant life. Promises were made to get together often, and reassurances given that the command team's door would always be open to anyone.

Kathryn sat back and listened as every crew member they spoke with said a special thank you to Chakotay for helping them get through a situation, or being there to listen, or offering advice when they needed it. She had known that Chakotay mentored the crew, but had not quite realized how vital he was to the well-being and smooth operation of the ship. He had only mentioned concerns about individual people if he felt she needed to know in her capacity as captain.

Now she understood that those times when he mentioned anything had been only a fraction of the total time he had spent lending an ear, a shoulder, or a hand to their crew and to her. She respected him even more for his tireless assistance, his quiet discretion, and his gentle nature that so often put the cares of others above his own. In their new life together as equal partners, she determined never again to take him for granted.

While Kathryn heard the gratitude for Chakotay, he listened to the crew thanking her for getting them home. Each one of them was grateful for her unwavering belief that they would make it, and for encouraging them when their own belief began to waver. She had led by example, never expecting more from them than she was willing to do herself, and always expecting their very best. She had been tough but fair, compassionate, courageous, and daring.

Chakotay squeezed her hand each time he listened to them thank her for her fierce protection of ship and crew. They knew that many times, it had been Kathryn's actions and decisions alone that saved them and allowed them to continue toward home. Their petite but deadly captain had meant the difference between life and death, and they loved her for it. Chakotay had no doubt that her iron will and determination would manifest in their life together on Earth, and he vowed to himself never to stifle those qualities that were so much a part of her.

As the sun began sinking toward the horizon, the command team lounged on a blanket in the sand. Chakotay sat with one knee pulled up and Kathryn's head lying on his other thigh, while Jetta napped at her feet. He played with Kathryn's hair and watched the changing colors of the sunset dance across the auburn strands. The day had been as close to perfect as he could imagine, and his heart filled when she whispered, "I love you."