Disclaimer: I don't own any of this, I'm making no money off of it.
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Kathryn Janeway sighed nervously and tugged at her new civilian clothing. Then she got up and began pacing again. Seven and Chakotay were supposed to arrive sometime that afternoon and the waiting was getting on her nerves.
"Kathryn, will you please sit down?" said Phoebe. "You know Mom will be furious if you pace a hole through her carpet."
The Captain stopped her pacing and chuckled softly.
"Sorry -- it's a hard habit to break. I'm surprised the carpet in my quarters managed to survive seven years of my pacing."
"Well, will you at least sit down? Pacing isn't going to make them get here any faster, you know. Besides, do you actually think that when they get here you'll be able to act like everything is fine?"
Kathryn started to open her mouth to protest, but then shut it dejectedly and sighed. Dropping onto the couch she quietly muttered, "Phoebe, you know me too well."
"Precisely, that's why you should trust me when I say that everything is going to be okay."
"I know, it's just."
She was interrupted by the tone signaling that someone was at the door. She glanced quickly at her sister's encouraging face, took a deep breath and then got up off of the couch to answer the door. She opened it to the sight of her smiling First Officer and Seven of Nine.
It wasn't hard for her to force a smile as he stepped forward to hug her affectionately. Despite everything, she was still pleased to see Seven and she gave her a warm squeeze on the arm.
"Well, don't just stand there," she said with forced cheerfulness. "Come in."
She turned slightly as Phoebe and her mother came up beside her and she introduced them to the couple at the door. Everyone was soon involved in the conversation and even Seven was interacting well with everyone. Of course, the conversation soon drifted to Starfleet and what would happen to Voyager's crew now that they were back in the Alpha Quadrant.
"Do you know when the briefings are supposed to begin?" Chakotay asked Kathryn.
"I talked to Admiral Paris this morning. He apologized but said that Starfleet would like to begin debriefing us about two weeks before the rest of the crew. He also assured me not to worry about the Maquis. He says they won't be prosecuted and any of them that want to remain in Starfleet can keep their commissions."
"That's good. We had always been concerned about what would happen to the Maquis when we got back to Earth."
"Well," said Phoebe, "I wouldn't be worried about anything. I don't think that Starfleet would dare to deny their newest heroine and her brave crew anything."
"That's not entirely true, Phoebe. I made some decisions that may not sit very well with Starfleet Command," replied Kathryn.
"Now, now, Kathryn I refuse to let this conversation turn to talk about Starfleet and all of Voyager's dangerous missions. You three are on vacation for the first time in seven years. You should enjoy yourselves," said Gretchen quickly.
Chakotay laughed softly. "This is nothing. You should see how hard I had to work to convince her to take a break while we were on Voyager."
This caused Phoebe and Gretchen to laugh in understanding while Kathryn mock-glared at Chakotay.
They continued to converse for a while, and later that day Kathryn took Chakotay and Seven around her native Indiana showing them local tourist attractions and where she had grown up.
When they finally returned to the Janeway home, it was late at night so everyone retired to their quarters for the night.
As Kathryn was getting ready for bed, she heard a soft knock on her door and Phoebe poked her head inside. Kathryn motioned for her to come in and Phoebe moved over to sit on the bed. Phoebe raised her eyebrows in question.
"Well?" she asked softly.
Kathryn set down her hairbrush and turned to her sister with a sigh. "Oh, Phoebe I hadn't realized how much I took his presence for granted until he was gone for a few days. Seeing them together does hurt...but I do enjoy having them around again."
Phoebe thought for a moment. "Well, Kathryn...it seems to me that you have two choices here. You can either tell Chakotay how you feel about him and deal with the consequences or accept the fact that they're together now and just get on with your life."
"How can I tell him now, Phoebe? He's happy with Seven. He's moved on...and no matter how much I want to tell him, I can't risk destroying our friendship."
"Whatever you're going to do, do it soon. You can't keep living like this."
Kathryn turned around and looked at her reflection in the mirror. "I know, Phoebe. I know."
* * *
The next morning Kathryn was up early, determined to get a positive start on the day. When she got to the bottom of the stairs she was surprised to see that Seven and Chakotay were already up and in the living room, and for some reason Seven appeared to be preparing to go somewhere.
Seven saw her first. "Good morning, Captain."
"Good morning. Is everything all right?" she asked.
"Everything is fine," replied Seven. "Last night I received a communication from my aunt. She was aware that I was on Earth and she invited me to visit her for the day. Chakotay and I thought that it would be best if I were to go alone for the first visit so that we can get better acquainted. I will be spending the day with her."
"That's wonderful Seven. I hope that your visit goes well."
Seven smiled slightly. "Thank you, Captain."
"Now if you'll excuse me I haven't had my morning coffee yet."
As she entered the kitchen and began to pour herself a cup of coffee, she pondered the day wondering what it would bring. She took a long sip of the warm liquid and let the warmth flow down her throat before she turned back towards the living room.
As she neared the room she heard Seven call for a site-to-site transport to her aunt's house. Seven was gone by the time she entered the room, and she sat down in the chair across from Chakotay without saying a word. After they had been sitting for a moment she spoke up.
"How is she adjusting to being back on Earth, Chakotay? Is she really okay?"
"She's doing as well as any of us, I think Kathryn. You know Seven -- she always adapts."
They both shared a smile at this observation.
"But what about you?" he continued. "How are you doing now that you're back on Earth?"
"I'm adjusting well and I love being with my family...but in some ways I miss Voyager. I miss the crew and having a goal to focus on."
"Have you thought about what you want to do now?"
"Not really. I think my main goal now is to get through the debriefings without getting court-martialed."
"What are you doing until the debriefings begin?"
"I don't know. I just thought --" She paused as the communication console in the living room lit up. "Sorry."
She turned to the console and hit the button to accept the transmission. The smiling face of Tom Paris filled the small screen on the terminal before her.
"Hello, Captain. It's good to see you."
"You too, Tom. How are things?"
"Miral's teething already. She's making such a fuss I think the Admiral would consider evicting us if he wasn't so taken with her and B'Elanna."
She chuckled. "I always thought your father would fall for them."
"Sorry to call this early in the morning, but the rest of the crew insisted."
"The rest of the crew insisted? What's going on?"
"Well, most of the crew and their families have been in contact with each other and they decided to meet at the real Sandrine's in Marseilles to have a big celebration for our safe return, to remember those who didn't make it home and to meet each other's families. The crew elected me to convince you and your family to attend."
She smiled. "We wouldn't miss it."
"Good. I think you might have had a mutiny on your hands otherwise. It wouldn't be the same without you."
"I'm looking forward to it."
"Oh, by the way -- do you know where I can reach Chakotay? I thought he was staying in Starfleet quarters but I haven't been able to track him down."
One side of her mouth curled up in a smile. "As a matter of fact, I'm sitting here looking at him."
"Oh," said Tom, concealing his surprise.
"He and Seven are staying with me for a few days," she explained.
"Well, tell them that they and their families are invited too, of course."
"I will."
"I'll see you tonight, then. 1900 hours, Marseilles time. Paris out."
And with that the screen went back to its previous blank state. She paused, seeming to think for a moment, then turned excitedly to Chakotay.
"I have an idea. You wanted to know what I had planned to do before the debriefings. I don't have anything planned, so let's go to Marseilles for the day. We can go to Sandrine's tonight and Mom and Phoebe can meet us there."
He smiled. "That sounds like a great idea."
"Good. Why don't you call Seven and let her know about tonight and make sure that she knows that her aunt is invited."
As she said all this she got up from the couch deposited her dishes in the sink and began to walk towards the stairs.
"I'll be right back. I'm going to get ready and I also have to wake Phoebe. Her husband is supposed to be calling her this morning and she wanted to be awake before he did. He was supposed to come here yesterday but he got delayed."
* * *
Kathryn smiled happily as she studied her appearance in the mirror. She had brought two dresses with her to Marseilles and she wasn't sure which one she wanted to wear tonight. Finally she decided that she was feeling daring this evening even though she was tired. She and Chakotay had spent the entire day together exploring the city and all that it had to offer. The day had gone wonderfully. They had talked a lot and their friendship, which had been growing more distant since Chakotay and Seven had been dating, was repaired to almost better than it had been before. She was sorry that the day was coming to a close, but she couldn't wait to see her crew again.
By the time she was ready it was well past 1900 hours. The party had already begun, but she was keeping to her tradition of arriving at the party a little late.
As she exited the hotel room she had rented for the evening she was surprised to see Chakotay standing outside her door dressed for the party.
"What are you doing here, Chakotay? Where's Seven?"
"She and her aunt got delayed. They should be here in an hour or two, so I thought I would wait for you and go with you if you don't mind?"
"Of course I don't mind. Thank you for waiting for me. Have you seen Phoebe or Mom yet?"
"Yes, Phoebe just arrived, but your mother has been here for a few hours now. She's very popular with the crew, but be careful Tom has got her telling all of your most embarrassing childhood stories."
Kathryn laughed and looked resigned. "Well at least she hasn't got out any old pictures of me."
They exited the hotel and began to walk towards Sandrine's. When they arrived a few minutes later, Tom and B'Elanna greeted them at the door.
"Welcome to Sandrine's," announced Tom as they approached.
The Captain looked around the bar with a smile. "I'm impressed, Tom. Your recreation on Voyager was quite accurate."
"He even convinced Sandrine to let us have the place to ourselves for the evening," added B'Elanna.
Tom pulled Chakotay towards the other side of the room into a conversation with Harry Kim and a few other officers, leaving the Captain alone with B'Elanna.
"Did you bring Miral?" she asked B'Elanna.
"No, we left her with one of Tom's sisters. She's teething and kicking up a fuss. You wouldn't believe the noise she's capable of. I didn't think she would be a very good addition to the party in her current mood, and Jenny seems more than capable of handling her."
They started moving across the room. "Looks like most of the crew is already here," observed the Captain.
"Samantha, her husband and Naomi are already here," said B'Elanna. "Naomi is dying to see you by the way. She's crazy about her father and she wants you to meet him."
"I'll have to be sure and find her."
"She's okay for right now I think. Your mother is over there with her right now and they're getting along wonderfully."
"That figures. Mom always was good with children. I think I'll go find them now, as a matter of fact."
"Sure Captain, I should go call and check on Miral anyways."
The Captain briefly scanned the room looking for Naomi and her mother. She eventually spotted them at the far side of the room. The crew had cleared out the center of the room and created a makeshift dance floor so she began easily walking across the floor greeting people as she crossed. Just as she was about to reach the other side she felt a hand on her arm. She turned expecting another well-wishing crewmen. Instead she found Chakotay.
"Would you care to dance?" he asked with a smile. "My previous partner," he glanced towards Naomi, "Stood me up."
"Of course...but only one. Naomi apparently wants to see me."
He held out his hand and they whirled away out onto the center of the dance floor.
At the same time, Seven entered Sandrine's, unnoticed by everyone. She saw the Captain and Chakotay and began to walk towards the dance floor. She stopped near the edge of the dance floor, waiting for the dance to be over before she announced her presence. Standing near her were Tom, B'Elanna and Harry. She was standing slightly behind them, so they hadn't noticed her come in either. She started to walk towards them, but paused as she overheard their conversation.
"I don't know Tom," B'Elanna was saying. "I don't think they're a couple just because they're dancing now."
"Maybe not by itself," he conceded, "But they're back in the Alpha Quadrant now -- she doesn't have to worry about him being her first officer...and besides, he's been staying at her home in Indiana. He was there when I called her this morning."
"So what?" interjected Harry. "You said Seven was staying there as well."
The conversation ended there however because the dance drew to a close and the Captain and Chakotay walked over to join them. Seven also joined the group. When Chakotay saw her, he stepped over to her side and greeted her and then they exchanged a small kiss. They failed to notice the shocked reaction of the group that was standing there and the Captain's barely perceptible flinch.
When the music started up again, Chakotay spoke to Seven in a low voice and he followed her towards the dance floor.
After they were out of earshot, B'Elanna was the first to react.
"What the hell was that?" she whispered in the direction of Tom and Harry.
"Are they...together?" said Harry incredulously.
"They couldn't be," said Tom, watching them dance.
"It sure looked that way," muttered Harry.
"But...Seven?" said B'Elanna.
The Captain was unable to ignore their conversation and depsite her similar reaction she felt obliged to speak up. "That's enough, B'Elanna. I know you don't agree, but it's really none of our business." She took a deep breath and paused before she before she began speaking again. "From what I can see they seem very happy together and I for one wish them the best."
With that everyone resumed what he or she was doing. Tom and B'Elanna moved off to dance, with B'Elanna still muttering angrily about Chakotay.
Kathryn slowly walked over to the booth where Phoebe was sitting and sank into the seat slowly with an exhausted sigh.
"Are you okay, Kathryn?" At her sister's surprised look, she added, "I could see you from across the room. I have a pretty good idea what the others were saying."
"I really wanted to agree with B'Elanna you know, but I just couldn't. He's happy with her and as long as he's happy I'll just deal with it."
"Well Kathryn I know just what will cheer you up --why don't you go talk to Naomi? She's been asking about you all evening."
"I think I will. She's so happy right now it's hard to be sad around her."
As she walked over too the table where Naomi and her parents were sitting, Phoebe remained seated. She was thinking about her sister. She knew that Kathryn couldn't go on this way much longer. Finally she decided that she would have to do something about the situation, but she just didn't know what to do. Fortunately she was saved from having to decide what to do because Chakotay slid into the booth across from her.
"I see Kathryn left you to fend for yourself," he commented as he sat down.
Phoebe smiled. "You know Kathryn -- her crew comes first. She's over there taking to Naomi. Where's Seven?"
"She's talking to the Doctor." He glanced around to make sure they were isolated before he turned back to her and lowered his voice. "How's Kathryn doing?"
"You tell me -- you're the one who spent the day with her."
"We talked, and she said she's fine...but it seems like she's been a bit off for the last few days."
"It will probably take her some time to adjust to being back on Earth."
"It's more than that."
Phoebe took her time considering what she would say. She knew the real reason Kathryn was acting the way she was, but she couldn't say that to Chakotay. Orcould she? Kathryn would kill her of course, but itwould at least make someone take action -- whether it worked out or not at least everything wouldn't be hanging in limbo like it was now.
Chakotay noticed how long she was taking to answer. "You have noticed the difference, haven't you? Is it the debriefings? Is there something she's not telling me?"
"She hasn't talked to me about the debriefings."
"Is she in some kind of trouble with Starfleet? Are they going to force her to resign? Please, Phoebe --I've known her for too long for her to hide when something's bothering her."
"There is something bothering her," she conceded, "But it's...it doesn't have anything to do with Starfleet."
"Then what?"
"You see...she has a problem and she has two choices. The problem is if she chooses one she'll be miserable for the rest of her life and if she chooses the other she won't be able to live with herself."
He didn't answer, and the pained expression on his face was obvious.
Phoebe wondered if he knew what she was talking about. "Are you all right?"
"I'm just surprised she didn't talk to me. I know I'm not her First Officer anymore, but I thought she still trusted me. Why didn't she tell me she had a problem?"
"You are the problem," she blurted.
"What?"
Phoebe sat there with her mouth hanging open for a few seconds before she stammered, "I mean, I don't...forget I said anything."
"What do you mean, I'm the problem?" he demanded.
The words left her mouth before she had a chance to think. "She's in love with you."
For a moment just sat there with a blank expression. "But she never said..."
"She wanted you and Seven to be happy...even if it was at the cost of her own happiness."
Chakotay seemed to think about this for a moment then started to get up from the booth. "I don't really know what to say. I think...I need to think about this for a while."
With that he got up from the booth in silence. She watched him move through the crowd away from her and she sighed.
"Oh Well, she thought, What's done is done. I just hope that I'm not around when Kathryn finds out what I just told him.
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Kathryn Janeway sighed nervously and tugged at her new civilian clothing. Then she got up and began pacing again. Seven and Chakotay were supposed to arrive sometime that afternoon and the waiting was getting on her nerves.
"Kathryn, will you please sit down?" said Phoebe. "You know Mom will be furious if you pace a hole through her carpet."
The Captain stopped her pacing and chuckled softly.
"Sorry -- it's a hard habit to break. I'm surprised the carpet in my quarters managed to survive seven years of my pacing."
"Well, will you at least sit down? Pacing isn't going to make them get here any faster, you know. Besides, do you actually think that when they get here you'll be able to act like everything is fine?"
Kathryn started to open her mouth to protest, but then shut it dejectedly and sighed. Dropping onto the couch she quietly muttered, "Phoebe, you know me too well."
"Precisely, that's why you should trust me when I say that everything is going to be okay."
"I know, it's just."
She was interrupted by the tone signaling that someone was at the door. She glanced quickly at her sister's encouraging face, took a deep breath and then got up off of the couch to answer the door. She opened it to the sight of her smiling First Officer and Seven of Nine.
It wasn't hard for her to force a smile as he stepped forward to hug her affectionately. Despite everything, she was still pleased to see Seven and she gave her a warm squeeze on the arm.
"Well, don't just stand there," she said with forced cheerfulness. "Come in."
She turned slightly as Phoebe and her mother came up beside her and she introduced them to the couple at the door. Everyone was soon involved in the conversation and even Seven was interacting well with everyone. Of course, the conversation soon drifted to Starfleet and what would happen to Voyager's crew now that they were back in the Alpha Quadrant.
"Do you know when the briefings are supposed to begin?" Chakotay asked Kathryn.
"I talked to Admiral Paris this morning. He apologized but said that Starfleet would like to begin debriefing us about two weeks before the rest of the crew. He also assured me not to worry about the Maquis. He says they won't be prosecuted and any of them that want to remain in Starfleet can keep their commissions."
"That's good. We had always been concerned about what would happen to the Maquis when we got back to Earth."
"Well," said Phoebe, "I wouldn't be worried about anything. I don't think that Starfleet would dare to deny their newest heroine and her brave crew anything."
"That's not entirely true, Phoebe. I made some decisions that may not sit very well with Starfleet Command," replied Kathryn.
"Now, now, Kathryn I refuse to let this conversation turn to talk about Starfleet and all of Voyager's dangerous missions. You three are on vacation for the first time in seven years. You should enjoy yourselves," said Gretchen quickly.
Chakotay laughed softly. "This is nothing. You should see how hard I had to work to convince her to take a break while we were on Voyager."
This caused Phoebe and Gretchen to laugh in understanding while Kathryn mock-glared at Chakotay.
They continued to converse for a while, and later that day Kathryn took Chakotay and Seven around her native Indiana showing them local tourist attractions and where she had grown up.
When they finally returned to the Janeway home, it was late at night so everyone retired to their quarters for the night.
As Kathryn was getting ready for bed, she heard a soft knock on her door and Phoebe poked her head inside. Kathryn motioned for her to come in and Phoebe moved over to sit on the bed. Phoebe raised her eyebrows in question.
"Well?" she asked softly.
Kathryn set down her hairbrush and turned to her sister with a sigh. "Oh, Phoebe I hadn't realized how much I took his presence for granted until he was gone for a few days. Seeing them together does hurt...but I do enjoy having them around again."
Phoebe thought for a moment. "Well, Kathryn...it seems to me that you have two choices here. You can either tell Chakotay how you feel about him and deal with the consequences or accept the fact that they're together now and just get on with your life."
"How can I tell him now, Phoebe? He's happy with Seven. He's moved on...and no matter how much I want to tell him, I can't risk destroying our friendship."
"Whatever you're going to do, do it soon. You can't keep living like this."
Kathryn turned around and looked at her reflection in the mirror. "I know, Phoebe. I know."
* * *
The next morning Kathryn was up early, determined to get a positive start on the day. When she got to the bottom of the stairs she was surprised to see that Seven and Chakotay were already up and in the living room, and for some reason Seven appeared to be preparing to go somewhere.
Seven saw her first. "Good morning, Captain."
"Good morning. Is everything all right?" she asked.
"Everything is fine," replied Seven. "Last night I received a communication from my aunt. She was aware that I was on Earth and she invited me to visit her for the day. Chakotay and I thought that it would be best if I were to go alone for the first visit so that we can get better acquainted. I will be spending the day with her."
"That's wonderful Seven. I hope that your visit goes well."
Seven smiled slightly. "Thank you, Captain."
"Now if you'll excuse me I haven't had my morning coffee yet."
As she entered the kitchen and began to pour herself a cup of coffee, she pondered the day wondering what it would bring. She took a long sip of the warm liquid and let the warmth flow down her throat before she turned back towards the living room.
As she neared the room she heard Seven call for a site-to-site transport to her aunt's house. Seven was gone by the time she entered the room, and she sat down in the chair across from Chakotay without saying a word. After they had been sitting for a moment she spoke up.
"How is she adjusting to being back on Earth, Chakotay? Is she really okay?"
"She's doing as well as any of us, I think Kathryn. You know Seven -- she always adapts."
They both shared a smile at this observation.
"But what about you?" he continued. "How are you doing now that you're back on Earth?"
"I'm adjusting well and I love being with my family...but in some ways I miss Voyager. I miss the crew and having a goal to focus on."
"Have you thought about what you want to do now?"
"Not really. I think my main goal now is to get through the debriefings without getting court-martialed."
"What are you doing until the debriefings begin?"
"I don't know. I just thought --" She paused as the communication console in the living room lit up. "Sorry."
She turned to the console and hit the button to accept the transmission. The smiling face of Tom Paris filled the small screen on the terminal before her.
"Hello, Captain. It's good to see you."
"You too, Tom. How are things?"
"Miral's teething already. She's making such a fuss I think the Admiral would consider evicting us if he wasn't so taken with her and B'Elanna."
She chuckled. "I always thought your father would fall for them."
"Sorry to call this early in the morning, but the rest of the crew insisted."
"The rest of the crew insisted? What's going on?"
"Well, most of the crew and their families have been in contact with each other and they decided to meet at the real Sandrine's in Marseilles to have a big celebration for our safe return, to remember those who didn't make it home and to meet each other's families. The crew elected me to convince you and your family to attend."
She smiled. "We wouldn't miss it."
"Good. I think you might have had a mutiny on your hands otherwise. It wouldn't be the same without you."
"I'm looking forward to it."
"Oh, by the way -- do you know where I can reach Chakotay? I thought he was staying in Starfleet quarters but I haven't been able to track him down."
One side of her mouth curled up in a smile. "As a matter of fact, I'm sitting here looking at him."
"Oh," said Tom, concealing his surprise.
"He and Seven are staying with me for a few days," she explained.
"Well, tell them that they and their families are invited too, of course."
"I will."
"I'll see you tonight, then. 1900 hours, Marseilles time. Paris out."
And with that the screen went back to its previous blank state. She paused, seeming to think for a moment, then turned excitedly to Chakotay.
"I have an idea. You wanted to know what I had planned to do before the debriefings. I don't have anything planned, so let's go to Marseilles for the day. We can go to Sandrine's tonight and Mom and Phoebe can meet us there."
He smiled. "That sounds like a great idea."
"Good. Why don't you call Seven and let her know about tonight and make sure that she knows that her aunt is invited."
As she said all this she got up from the couch deposited her dishes in the sink and began to walk towards the stairs.
"I'll be right back. I'm going to get ready and I also have to wake Phoebe. Her husband is supposed to be calling her this morning and she wanted to be awake before he did. He was supposed to come here yesterday but he got delayed."
* * *
Kathryn smiled happily as she studied her appearance in the mirror. She had brought two dresses with her to Marseilles and she wasn't sure which one she wanted to wear tonight. Finally she decided that she was feeling daring this evening even though she was tired. She and Chakotay had spent the entire day together exploring the city and all that it had to offer. The day had gone wonderfully. They had talked a lot and their friendship, which had been growing more distant since Chakotay and Seven had been dating, was repaired to almost better than it had been before. She was sorry that the day was coming to a close, but she couldn't wait to see her crew again.
By the time she was ready it was well past 1900 hours. The party had already begun, but she was keeping to her tradition of arriving at the party a little late.
As she exited the hotel room she had rented for the evening she was surprised to see Chakotay standing outside her door dressed for the party.
"What are you doing here, Chakotay? Where's Seven?"
"She and her aunt got delayed. They should be here in an hour or two, so I thought I would wait for you and go with you if you don't mind?"
"Of course I don't mind. Thank you for waiting for me. Have you seen Phoebe or Mom yet?"
"Yes, Phoebe just arrived, but your mother has been here for a few hours now. She's very popular with the crew, but be careful Tom has got her telling all of your most embarrassing childhood stories."
Kathryn laughed and looked resigned. "Well at least she hasn't got out any old pictures of me."
They exited the hotel and began to walk towards Sandrine's. When they arrived a few minutes later, Tom and B'Elanna greeted them at the door.
"Welcome to Sandrine's," announced Tom as they approached.
The Captain looked around the bar with a smile. "I'm impressed, Tom. Your recreation on Voyager was quite accurate."
"He even convinced Sandrine to let us have the place to ourselves for the evening," added B'Elanna.
Tom pulled Chakotay towards the other side of the room into a conversation with Harry Kim and a few other officers, leaving the Captain alone with B'Elanna.
"Did you bring Miral?" she asked B'Elanna.
"No, we left her with one of Tom's sisters. She's teething and kicking up a fuss. You wouldn't believe the noise she's capable of. I didn't think she would be a very good addition to the party in her current mood, and Jenny seems more than capable of handling her."
They started moving across the room. "Looks like most of the crew is already here," observed the Captain.
"Samantha, her husband and Naomi are already here," said B'Elanna. "Naomi is dying to see you by the way. She's crazy about her father and she wants you to meet him."
"I'll have to be sure and find her."
"She's okay for right now I think. Your mother is over there with her right now and they're getting along wonderfully."
"That figures. Mom always was good with children. I think I'll go find them now, as a matter of fact."
"Sure Captain, I should go call and check on Miral anyways."
The Captain briefly scanned the room looking for Naomi and her mother. She eventually spotted them at the far side of the room. The crew had cleared out the center of the room and created a makeshift dance floor so she began easily walking across the floor greeting people as she crossed. Just as she was about to reach the other side she felt a hand on her arm. She turned expecting another well-wishing crewmen. Instead she found Chakotay.
"Would you care to dance?" he asked with a smile. "My previous partner," he glanced towards Naomi, "Stood me up."
"Of course...but only one. Naomi apparently wants to see me."
He held out his hand and they whirled away out onto the center of the dance floor.
At the same time, Seven entered Sandrine's, unnoticed by everyone. She saw the Captain and Chakotay and began to walk towards the dance floor. She stopped near the edge of the dance floor, waiting for the dance to be over before she announced her presence. Standing near her were Tom, B'Elanna and Harry. She was standing slightly behind them, so they hadn't noticed her come in either. She started to walk towards them, but paused as she overheard their conversation.
"I don't know Tom," B'Elanna was saying. "I don't think they're a couple just because they're dancing now."
"Maybe not by itself," he conceded, "But they're back in the Alpha Quadrant now -- she doesn't have to worry about him being her first officer...and besides, he's been staying at her home in Indiana. He was there when I called her this morning."
"So what?" interjected Harry. "You said Seven was staying there as well."
The conversation ended there however because the dance drew to a close and the Captain and Chakotay walked over to join them. Seven also joined the group. When Chakotay saw her, he stepped over to her side and greeted her and then they exchanged a small kiss. They failed to notice the shocked reaction of the group that was standing there and the Captain's barely perceptible flinch.
When the music started up again, Chakotay spoke to Seven in a low voice and he followed her towards the dance floor.
After they were out of earshot, B'Elanna was the first to react.
"What the hell was that?" she whispered in the direction of Tom and Harry.
"Are they...together?" said Harry incredulously.
"They couldn't be," said Tom, watching them dance.
"It sure looked that way," muttered Harry.
"But...Seven?" said B'Elanna.
The Captain was unable to ignore their conversation and depsite her similar reaction she felt obliged to speak up. "That's enough, B'Elanna. I know you don't agree, but it's really none of our business." She took a deep breath and paused before she before she began speaking again. "From what I can see they seem very happy together and I for one wish them the best."
With that everyone resumed what he or she was doing. Tom and B'Elanna moved off to dance, with B'Elanna still muttering angrily about Chakotay.
Kathryn slowly walked over to the booth where Phoebe was sitting and sank into the seat slowly with an exhausted sigh.
"Are you okay, Kathryn?" At her sister's surprised look, she added, "I could see you from across the room. I have a pretty good idea what the others were saying."
"I really wanted to agree with B'Elanna you know, but I just couldn't. He's happy with her and as long as he's happy I'll just deal with it."
"Well Kathryn I know just what will cheer you up --why don't you go talk to Naomi? She's been asking about you all evening."
"I think I will. She's so happy right now it's hard to be sad around her."
As she walked over too the table where Naomi and her parents were sitting, Phoebe remained seated. She was thinking about her sister. She knew that Kathryn couldn't go on this way much longer. Finally she decided that she would have to do something about the situation, but she just didn't know what to do. Fortunately she was saved from having to decide what to do because Chakotay slid into the booth across from her.
"I see Kathryn left you to fend for yourself," he commented as he sat down.
Phoebe smiled. "You know Kathryn -- her crew comes first. She's over there taking to Naomi. Where's Seven?"
"She's talking to the Doctor." He glanced around to make sure they were isolated before he turned back to her and lowered his voice. "How's Kathryn doing?"
"You tell me -- you're the one who spent the day with her."
"We talked, and she said she's fine...but it seems like she's been a bit off for the last few days."
"It will probably take her some time to adjust to being back on Earth."
"It's more than that."
Phoebe took her time considering what she would say. She knew the real reason Kathryn was acting the way she was, but she couldn't say that to Chakotay. Orcould she? Kathryn would kill her of course, but itwould at least make someone take action -- whether it worked out or not at least everything wouldn't be hanging in limbo like it was now.
Chakotay noticed how long she was taking to answer. "You have noticed the difference, haven't you? Is it the debriefings? Is there something she's not telling me?"
"She hasn't talked to me about the debriefings."
"Is she in some kind of trouble with Starfleet? Are they going to force her to resign? Please, Phoebe --I've known her for too long for her to hide when something's bothering her."
"There is something bothering her," she conceded, "But it's...it doesn't have anything to do with Starfleet."
"Then what?"
"You see...she has a problem and she has two choices. The problem is if she chooses one she'll be miserable for the rest of her life and if she chooses the other she won't be able to live with herself."
He didn't answer, and the pained expression on his face was obvious.
Phoebe wondered if he knew what she was talking about. "Are you all right?"
"I'm just surprised she didn't talk to me. I know I'm not her First Officer anymore, but I thought she still trusted me. Why didn't she tell me she had a problem?"
"You are the problem," she blurted.
"What?"
Phoebe sat there with her mouth hanging open for a few seconds before she stammered, "I mean, I don't...forget I said anything."
"What do you mean, I'm the problem?" he demanded.
The words left her mouth before she had a chance to think. "She's in love with you."
For a moment just sat there with a blank expression. "But she never said..."
"She wanted you and Seven to be happy...even if it was at the cost of her own happiness."
Chakotay seemed to think about this for a moment then started to get up from the booth. "I don't really know what to say. I think...I need to think about this for a while."
With that he got up from the booth in silence. She watched him move through the crowd away from her and she sighed.
"Oh Well, she thought, What's done is done. I just hope that I'm not around when Kathryn finds out what I just told him.
