Gretchen did not want to admit that she was very happy to be back in her quarters, but she was. It was about 2 in the morning as she was escorted by security officers to her room. They left and she immediately lay down on her more comfortable bed. She had not been returned to duty, just unexpectedly confined to quarters instead of the Brig.

She sighed, deciding finally to enjoy her relative freedom for now. She had a much larger bed, a small sitting room, and a bathroom that she could actually turn around in.

Her doorbell beeped.

"Come in," she said, expecting Harry and Tom.

"Hello, hello," came a cheerful voice, as Neelix entered, "It's good to see you free."

"Thanks Neelix," said Gretchen smiling, rising up and walking a few steps to her sitting area, "Do you want some tea or something? My treat. I successfully made my replicator more efficient the other day. I was about to start expanding the changes before I was imprisoned."

"But for now, it's our little secret," said Gretchen, holding a finger to her lips, "I was thinking we could surprise everybody at your next party."

"Oh great idea, great idea! The crew will be so happy! And you're right, we'll have to make a big reveal!" said Neelix very cheerfully.

His voice became more serious, "But I came to ask for your urgent help with something."

"What is it Neelix?" said Gretchen in concern.

"Well you see," he said leaving momentarily, and then returning from the hallway with a box, "These are all files of Seven's family, the Hansens. The Captain has ordered her to go through them to get ideas for invading the Borg ship, since her parents were experts on the subject…..I've been downloading the files for Seven, it's quite a big job. I'm supposed to deliver them to her…..But I think she should have some help going through them. And she might just accept it from you."

"Why?"

"Well you work with her for one. For her really, so she might feel more comfortable…..And you have a lot in common. You both grew up in the Delta Quadrant because your family were explorers…..And you both lost that family…I can tell Seven feels like an outsider…..She'd never say it, she's too proud. But there's a reason she's bonded with Naomi. You're much the same, except you're at an age and skill level where you can help her with this."

"I….alright Neelix. I would, except I'm on very thin ice with Janeway. I guess if you could talk Seven into coming here."

"Already taken care of the Captain," said Neelix, handing her the box, "I'm quite persuasive when I need to be you know. The old Talaxian charm."

Gretchen laughed, and they both headed out of the room.

"Ensign Kincaid," said Seven of Nine, raising an eyebrow as Gretchen entered Cargo Bay 2 with the box of datapads, "I believed you were still confined to the Brig."

"Janeway let me out for now," said Gretchen evenly, "And Neelix asked me to help you go through these."

"I do not require assistance," said Seven coolly.

"Two people would be more efficient," said Gretchen, "And I might see something that only makes sense in the future."

Seven starred at her for a moment.

"I promise to be unobtrusive. I'll speak when spoken to, unless it's urgent."

"Alright," said Seven, nodding formally, "You may start with these data charts, and I will start with the logs."

Gretchen sat in the corner all night, reading the data charts in complete silence until Seven's Astrometrics shift started at noon and Gretchen stumbled back to her quarters and immediately fell asleep.

"So Gretchen's helping Seven now?" said Chakotay as the two of them entered the otherwise empty Briefing Room and the door closed behind them, "Don't get me wrong, I'm relieved that she's confined to quarters now, but a little worried too. You seemed so adamant she was a security risk. What changed your mind?"

Janeway paused, knowing he would not like what he heard. She spoke softly, "The Doctor was concerned for her mental state,"

"What? Kathryn I told you…."

"I know," said Janeway, raising a hand, "I know, you wanted to talk with her. Maybe you would've seen it…..As it is we're lucky Tom and Harry have been keeping such a close eye on her. The Doctor was monitoring her, but Tom's the one who requested a full examination."

Janeway continued, "From what the Doctor and security says, she seemed somewhat depressed, until after I turned down her request to be on the Away Team, and then she essentially shut down."

"What request?"

"The night before last, when you were off-duty, she requested to be put on the Away Team. I told her I'd consider it if she'd tell me what happened with the Equinox crew. She offered to tell me after this mission. I said I'd think about it, but neither of us has budged."

"Kathryn that's huge, if she's offered to tell you what happened. And she has specialized knowledge of the future. Considering the skills she's shown so far she should be more than capable of fulfilling a role on the Away Team."

"That's if she's trustworthy. Gretchen's a wildcard, and one we don't need on this mission. I won't play favorites because she happens to have half my DNA."

"That could be exactly what we need. If the Borg can predict our behavior, we're dead. But how could they predict Gretchen?"

"Unpredictable doesn't mean good," she said, starring him down, "As far as we know, she killed 15 people in cold blood. I can't trust someone who doesn't value life. She'll be just as valuable here, as a consultant."

"You can't know that." Chakotay said heatedly, "And what are you afraid of? That she'll destroy a few extra cubes? This is the Borg we're talking about, if she managed to destroy the entire species, we'd celebrate."

"What about Voyager's crew? The Away Team? I could be putting them in danger by taking her."

"She grew up on Voyager. Everyone on this ship is her family. The ship is her home. Whatever reason she wants on the Away Team, it won't be to harm Voyager."

"She's already done harm to Starfleet personnel," said Janeway intently, continuing to look him directly in the eyes, "And covered up the evidence."

Chakotay held her gaze, speaking just as intensely, "Killing the person she blamed for the death of her mother, and harming said mother and her crew are not the same thing. However you feel about what she may have done, that logic doesn't hold up to scrutiny." His voice became lower, "I saw a lot of revenge in the Maquis, I tried to temper it, every time, when it was excessive….racial, mindless. But if I had come across the exact Cardassians that killed my family….I doubt just and even-minded is what people would use to describe what I'd do….."

Chakotay breathed in hard, "She was very wrong, to kill someone who had already been sentenced…. and to go behind our backs… "

Chakotay's shoulder's squared and his voice became firmer, "You're the Captain and you don't want to play favorites. I understand that. I wouldn't risk the crew if I couldn't defend my beliefs rationally and I have. But we've faced the Borg before and we'll do it again, we may only get one chance to keep our daughter from self-destructing. To show her she has a future here. We risked the Delta Flyer mission betting on B'Elanna during her depression. The entire senior staff bet on you rather than let you sacrifice yourself in the Void during yours. Our daughter's a member of this crew too, doesn't she deserve for us to bet on her?"

Janeway looked at him seriously, and nodded.