A/N: I have been watching a lot of Voyager lately (and reading lots of related fanfic) and was inspired to write something for "Endgame". It didn't turn out quite the way I was hoping and I know this has been done many times before, but I hope you enjoy it anyway. The title comes from the song "Don't Write Me Off Just Yet" from Music and Lyrics and the relevant(?) passages are quoted at the start of each chapter.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Don't Write Me Off Just Yet

…
And while I know, based on my track record,
I might not seem like the safest bet
All I'm asking you is don't write me off, just yet
…

It was nothing like any of them had expected.

In some respects, it was better. They were back in the Alpha Quadrant after only seven years, making their time together only marginally longer than a deep space mission. They hadn't suffered any more losses and Starfleet had been willing to welcome everyone home with open arms.

However, once the debriefings and general hoopla of their return died down, reality began to sink in.

And the hardest reality of all was that, after tonight, they would be saying goodbye.

The presence of Miral at the celebrations had served to mask some of the general despondency, as the crew were delighted to welcome the newest addition to their family. But as the night wore on, many began to realise that their fond expectations of watching her grow up – in the same way as they had watched Naomi – would not be realised.

Kathryn, always so attuned to her crew, was aware of the change but – for once – had no idea how to lighten their spirits. The last of her strength had been spent on obtaining the permission for one last night on Voyager and, now, the finality of the moment had hit her as well.

"I'm not going to sleep."

The determined voice cut through Kathryn's reverie and she smiled as she spotted Samantha off to the side trying to negotiate with Naomi.

"If I go to sleep then it will be morning," Naomi explained as Kathryn drifted closer, "and, if it's morning, we'll have to leave."

Kathryn's breath caught as she saw the tears welling in Naomi's eyes, "I don't want to leave, Voyager is my home."

"No one wants to leave, Naomi," Kathryn assured her, coming to join them.

"I'm sorry, Captain," Samantha murmured, clearly embarrassed.

Kathryn waved a dismissive hand, "It's all right, Sam, and it's Kathryn now. I'm not your Captain anymore."

"You see?" Naomi interrupted petulantly before Samantha could respond, "Everything's changing."

"Change is inevitable, you know that," Kathryn replied with a small smile.

Naomi pouted, "I guess I never thought about how much everything would change," she replied after a moment. "Will I ever see you again?" she asked, her eyes glistening as she looked up at Kathryn.

"Of course," Kathryn assured her, dropping down on one knee so that they were at eye level. "We're leaving Voyager, Naomi, but we're not leaving each other," she added seriously, "I promise."

Naomi considered her words for a long moment, before surprising Kathryn by throwing her arms around her neck. "I'll miss you," she whispered in Kathryn's ear.

"I'll miss you too," Kathryn replied, hugging her in return.

"Good night, Captain," Naomi said as they broke apart, making Kathryn smile at the added stress on her title.

"Good night, Naomi," Kathryn replied, standing up.

"May I say good night to Icheb?" Naomi asked, looking back up at her mother. At Samantha's nod, she scuttled away into the thinning crowd.

"Thank you…Kathryn," Samantha said with a warm smile as she followed her daughter.

Kathryn's answering smile faded as she turned and caught sight of her crew once more, some of whom were also saying their goodbyes and drifting out of the Messhall.

"Taking stock?"

Kathryn suppressed a start as Chakotay materialised at her elbow, "Something like that," she replied absently, still watching her crew.

"Well, Kathryn, you go us home," he continued after a moment, saluting her with the champagne flute he held.

She nodded.

Chakotay eyed her closely, "I forgot, you don't like saying goodbyes."

She shook her head, "No."

"So don't make one," he suggested, she looked at him in surprise, "you've made a speech to the crew already and, you said so yourself, we're leaving Voyager, not each other," he added with a smile.

Kathryn looked away, "But things will change, Naomi was right about that."

"Some things will never change," Chakotay countered, gesturing to the other side of the room. Kathryn smiled briefly as she caught the familiar sight of Icheb carrying a decidedly sleepier and more docile Naomi out of the room with Samantha following close behind.

She smirked, "I remember him telling me once that it was 'more efficient' to let her get so tired that she fell asleep wherever she was rather than arguing with her about appropriate bed times." She shook her head with a wry smile, "Samantha will have her hands full without so many willing babysitters."

"I'm sure she'll adapt," Chakotay commented with a smile, taking a sip of his champagne.

Kathryn tensed a little at his choice of words, "I'm sure she will," she agreed, in a much more guarded tone.

Chakotay noticed the change and regarded her for a long moment, "Is something bothering you?"

Unconsciously, Kathryn crossed her arms defensively. "I was so focused on getting us home that I never thought about what would happen when we did," she replied, not quite meeting his eye.

"It did happen rather quickly, but I never doubted that we'd be here one day," he told her.

Kathryn regarded him out of the corner of her eye, "Really?"

"Of course."

Kathryn cocked her head as she looked him in the eye, "Things change."

"Not everything," he told her steadily.

Kathryn raised an eyebrow with a noncommittal 'hmm' before walking away. Chakotay took a step to follow her, when it hit him: she knew.

He froze, inwardly panicking, as he watched her make her way through the remaining crew members.

Anger came hot on the heels of his panic and he clenched his jaw: she knew, she was hurt and she still wasn't going to do anything about it. Why did he always have to make the first move? Why should he? He was the wounded party here, he was the one who had…

His anger left him as quickly as it came as he realised that he'd done it again. He'd settled when he should have held out hope.

It was a fatal pattern that had come between him and Kathryn time and again: his willingness to settle for second best, rather than pressing on for what he wanted and gaining the real prize.

Kathryn, though, she wasn't one to settle, but she did give up. Not easily and never when battling for someone (or something) she cared about, but when it came to herself? Always.

She would never sacrifice another's happiness for her own and that was why, every time he settled for another woman, she never interfered.

And why she wouldn't do so now.

No matter how much his willingness to settle hurt her.

And it did hurt her.

He could see that now and he could see that it went further than wounded feelings, his settling made it seem like he had somehow lost faith in her.

Lost faith that they would somehow make it home and, worse, that he'd lost faith they'd eventually find each other. He forgot that some of her determination to get home was fuelled by an unacknowledged desire to be free of their command structure, free of their responsibilities and free to be together.

He once promised to make her burdens lighter without ever realising that only he had the ability to dramatically add to her emotional ones. And did so, with alarming frequency.

He didn't know exactly what the Admiral had told her, but he did know that it had made her give up. This time she thought his settling was final and the only way he'd be able to convince her otherwise would be to break the habit of a lifetime.

This time he couldn't afford to settle.