Kathryn laughed and smiled as she passed through the crowd in the mess hall. The annual Prixin celebrations were coming to a close and she had never been happier at one before. Somehow, the Talaxian celebration seemed extra special these days now that they had regular contact with the Alpha Quadrant. Just last week, Kathryn had spoken to her mother and sister back on Earth, hardly able to talk through her tears as she heard their voices for the first time in almost seven years. Earth had never seemed so close as it did now.

She'd also taken the opportunity to introduce them both to Amelia, now a lively four year old, and they had adored her instantly. Amelia had been uncharacteristically shy at first, but at the end of the eleven minute conversation she was babbling away happily to her grandmother and the aunt she had been named for. It was a marked difference from even a few months ago, when Amelia had still been struggling with speech. All the Doctor's tests showed that Amelia had cognitive abilities and intelligence far beyond her years, yet she'd always struggled with certain things, such as speech and gross motor control. She could barely run or jump without losing her balance, but her fingers were quick and fast when typing on a PADD, all indications Tom used to promote his 'she'll be a pilot someday' viewpoint. Yet Kathryn was not concerned. Her daughter would develop at her own pace, whatever that was.

Her senior officers were all standing together close to the buffet table. As she approached, Chakotay gave her a wide grin. Kathryn couldn't stop herself grinning back, feeling the usual flutter of her heart when he looked at her in that way. She went and stood beside him, loving this chance to relax a little with her crew.

"Want to get in on things?" Chakotay asked her. "Tom's betting we'll be back in the Alpha Quadrant by the end of the year."

"Really? That soon?" Kathryn looked to Tom with an eyebrow raised. "That's ambitious."

"Come on! We're in contact with the Alpha Quadrant every day," he said, looking disheartened at some of the looks he was receiving. "Some of the Federation's top minds are working on this. They're gonna get us back soon!"

"I have to confess, I've been thinking the same myself," Kathryn said. "Things are certainly much more hopeful than they've been in a while."

"Well, I say two years, tops," B'Elanna said. "But Harry says eighteen months."

"I've got twenty months," Chakotay said, winking.

Kathryn looked at Tuvok. "And what do you think?"

Tuvok head his head higher. "Vulcans do not bet," he said stiffly. They all sighed in disappointment before he spoke again. "However, if pushed, I would say thirteen months, two weeks, four days."

"Very exact, Commander," Kathryn laughed. She chewed her bottom lip for a moment. "I think I'm going to have to side with Tom on this one. By the end of the year. Nine months at most."

"Thank you, Captain!"

Discussion had turned to the stakes in the bet when Kathryn was roused by a shout behind her.

"Captain Janeway!"

Neelix was marching towards her and he looked furious. The effect was ruined somewhat, however, by the fact that he had been drenched in what looked like a substantial amount of some sort of scarlet sauce. Two figures were being propelled in front of him, barely concealing their laughter.

"Captain Janeway, I have to regretfully announce to you that I have been the victim of a cruel prank!" Neelix said, holding his head up proudly even as sauce dripped into his eye. "And it's the two youngest members of the crew who are to blame."

Kathryn was finding it difficult to maintain a straight face. In front of Neelix stood Amelia and Naomi Wildman, identical grins of glee stretched across their faces.

"What happened?" she asked, trying to keep her voice free of mirth.

"They booby-trapped one of my cupboards!" Neelix scowled down at the two girls. "My best sauce—ruined!"

"Amelia!" Tom had stepped forward. He was doing a much worse job of hiding his laughter than even his daughter was doing. "That was mean."

"It was Naomi's idea!" Amelia protested, her eyes wide and innocent looking. But Kathryn was not fooled easily.

"I can't believe you two!" Tom was attempting to be stern but failing miserably. Behind him, B'Elanna was hiding her grin behind her hands. "Was that a nice thing to do to Neelix?"

"No," the girls said in unison, clasping their hands in front of them, doing the perfect impersonation of little angels. Hanging their heads and feigning contriteness, they turned around to face Neelix. "We're sorry."

Oh, they're good, Kathryn thought. They've rehearsed this down to a tee.

Neelix's anger faded as he looked down between the two girls, and he faltered.

"Yes, well, I suppose there was no harm done," Neelix said, his resolve weakening. "Children will be children, as the Humans say. Just lucky I've got a spare pot in the refrigeration unit."

He walked off back to the galley and the girls glanced at each other in triumph. Their jubilation was short-lived, however, as they turned to see the senior officers still staring down at them.

"I think the captain should issue a punishment, what do you think?" Tom asked, looking to her and winking.

Thanks, Tom. How come I always have to be the bad guy?

Kathryn stood with her hands on her hips and looked down at the two of them. Voyager's first, and so far only children, they were the darlings of the crew and spoiled utterly rotten.

"Both of you will go and help Neelix clean up the mess in the galley," she said with her severest voice. "And then, you will give him an apology. A real one. Do you understand?"

They nodded mutely, much more subdued than before.

"And then," Kathryn said, allowing herself to smile. "You are ordered to help yourself to the desserts. It's still a celebration after all."

The two girls cheered slightly, and agreed readily, running off to the galley, Naomi holding Amelia by the hand to stop her losing her balance.

Kathryn turned back to her crew, who were all now laughing openly.

"What are we going to do with her?" Tom asked, shaking his head.

"Good question," Kathryn said to him. "I assume it's you she learned this from?"

He placed a hand over his heart. "Me? How dare you!"

"Please, Tom," B'Elanna said, rolling her eyes. "I know it was you who taught her to alter the temperature of the sonic shower while I was in it."

"Innocent until proven guilty."

The party continued for a long time as the supplies of food dwindled but supplies of alcohol seemed to increase. Talk turned to families and hopes of seeing them again soon. As always, these conversations were tinged with sadness, but Kathryn was still more hopeful than ever. She took up a seat by the mess hall windows after a while, needing a break from the constant cacophony of voices buzzing through her head. She laughed as she watched Amelia running around the mess hall, screaming with delight as her father tried to catch her. She only fell a couple of times.

"She's getting better at that." Chakotay had come to sit next to her, and he too turned to watch Amelia. "Wasn't so long ago she couldn't run at all."

"She's come a long way," Kathryn agreed. "She took so long to start walking I was afraid she'd never manage it. But she's stubborn."

"Wonder where she gets that from?" Chakotay chuckled at her side.

Kathryn didn't even attempt to contradict him. She watched him from the corner of her eye. These were the times she loved most on Voyager; when the crew all came together to relax and have fun. When she and Chakotay were more informal with each other than ever.

Over the last two years, her barriers had been growing weaker and weaker. He was there all the time, eating with her in her quarters, coming with her on outings to the holodeck with Amelia, first into her ready room when he thought she needed support with something. But he'd never raised the possibility of them finally giving into their feelings. And neither had she.

It made her wonder; did he actually want them to be together? Kathryn was still not entirely convinced he was always honest with her. There was still a certain sadness which came into his eyes sometimes when he was with Amelia, or when talking about her to Kathryn. The worst had been last week when Amelia had asked excitedly when B'Elanna was going to have a baby so she could have a brother or sister. She wasn't sure why it had bothered him so, or why he'd left the room shortly afterwards.

At that moment, Amelia came bouncing up to them and she threw herself at Kathryn, who scooped her up to sit her on her knee. She was quite possibly too big for this now, but she wasn't about to complain.

"Mommy, what's a targ?"

"A targ?" Of all the many questions Amelia asked everyone every day she hadn't expected one like this. "It's an animal. A sort of pig that Klingons like to keep as pets. Why?"

"Daddy says I'm as hard to catch as one," she said with a giggle. "Did B'Elanna have a targ when she was a little girl?"

"I don't know, why don't you ask her?"

"Daddy's with her," Amelia said, pulling a face, and Kathryn laughed, imagining what they were getting up to. "Can you get targs on Earth? In Indiana, where grandma lives?"

"No, just on the Klingon homeworld, I think."

"That's Qo'noS."

"Yes, it is," Kathryn smiled. "You've been listening to your lessons."

"I want to see it. I want to see Earth too." Amelia said, playing with Kathryn's combadge. "I want to see where you all used to live."

"Quite the explorer, aren't you, Amelia?" Chakotay said, looking meaningfully at Kathryn.

"I like finding out stuff," she said. She smiled up at Chakotay. "Where did you used to live?"

Kathryn tensed, unsure if Chakotay would want to talk about his home colony with Amelia, not after the news they'd had in the data streams about the wars with the Dominion and Cardassians. Chakotay, however, did not appear perturbed.

"I'm from a Federation colony far away from Earth," he answered her. "My people lived there for a very long time. But we had to move when some bad people came to our home."

"Do you miss it?"

"Very much," he said, only Kathryn seeing the pain behind his eyes. "I miss my father. He used to tell me lots of stories about my ancestors."

"Like what?"

Kathryn sighed. Her curiosity was insatiable, and she did not want Chakotay to be bothered by her. But Chakotay looked pleased at being asked. Glancing for a second at Kathryn, he reached out and pulled Amelia onto his own knee.

"Oh, there are lots of stories from my people," he said. "There are stories about people who can change their skins and look like different animals, about Spirits which guide us and stories about winning great battles. But do you want to hear my favourite story?"

Amelia nodded eagerly.

"Well, it's about a warrior, a very angry warrior, who was lost and didn't know his way. He was fighting with himself and his tribe. He couldn't find peace anywhere, no matter how hard he tried. The only thing that seemed to help, was fighting in battles. He was made a hero, but he still wasn't happy."

Kathryn had gone very still, heart beginning to beat fast. Chakotay did not look at her, but continued smiling down at Amelia, who was hanging on his every word.

"One day, he and his people were captured by another tribe, who were led by a woman warrior. Her own tribe was very small, and too weak to defend itself from its enemies, so she invited him to join her. She was brave, and beautiful, and very wise. The angry warrior promised that he'd always stay by her side and do whatever he could to help her. From then on, she came first. And he began to finally feel happy, for the first time in his life."

"So he wasn't angry anymore?"

"No, the opposite," he said, smoothing her hair back. "He found love, and peace, and a new family. A family he would die to protect. He stopped thinking about himself, and all his own worries, and dedicated himself to others. Putting their needs before his own."

"Did he live happily ever after?"

Chakotay lifted his eyes to Kathryn's. "The story was never finished," he said, speaking across the top of Amelia's head. "But I hope so."

Kathryn swallowed and looked down at her hands. Did this mean what she thought it did? Her memories from New Earth flooded back to her. How close they'd become, how he'd touched her, looked at her, when they'd come the closest they ever had to lowering their barriers. Was he also thinking the same?

Amelia, entirely oblivious, continued to ask questions.

"Was the woman warrior very brave?"

"Very."

"Braver than a Klingon?"

"No doubt."

"Even B'Elanna?"

"I'd say so."

"Even my mommy?"

Again, Chakotay looked over at Kathryn. "Your mommy is the bravest woman I know."

Kathryn offered him a smile, almost certain her cheeks were beginning to glow. She wished they were out of here, out of the company of half the crew with all their eyes on them.

Amelia looked pleased. "She is. Is my daddy brave?"

Chakotay made a face. "I'm not too sure about that."

"Hey, I heard that!" Tom had been approaching from behind Kathryn, and he had a mock offended look on his face. "Don't listen to him, Amelia. Daddy is very brave. He's marrying a Klingon after all!"

"But B'Elanna isn't scary!"

"Just wait till you're older, kid," Tom laughed. "When you're not so cute, I promise you'll feel the full force of her wrath." He looked to Kathryn. "I was going to take her home, Captain, if that's alright. It's getting late."

"Of course." Kathryn kissed Amelia on the cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Amelia hugged her and Chakotay and walked off, hand in hand with Tom. Kathryn watched her go. It never got any easier.

"You okay?" Chakotay appeared concerned.

"Yeah," she said softly. "I just hate it when she can't be with me. Selfish of me, I know."

"Not selfish, just natural." Chakotay said reassuringly.

"Perhaps," Kathryn sighed. "Just makes me wish I had a child of my own that I didn't need to send away every few days."

"Maybe you will, someday." Chakotay met her with a long gaze which left her almost breathless. How was it he was able to do this to her, to leave her speechless with a single look?

She stood up, seeing that the mess hall was slowly beginning to empty. "I think I'll turn in as well. I'll see you tomorrow."

Kathryn didn't stop or look back until she reached her quarters. Once inside, she leaned against a bulkhead.

Only then did she allow herself to smile.