Disclaimer: I own nothing, I work at taco bell, I'm just a child...



Chakotay walked into Kathryn's ready room, and looked at her in shock. She had a glass of vodka in her hands and she was crying. She was looking out at the stars as they went by, and she was all red. Her eyes were puffy, she had been crying for quite a while.

He walked up to her cautiously, "Kathryn?"

She looked at him, and looked back at the stars. "Chakotay, I'm sorry."

He looked at her and edged in closer, "Sorry for what Kathryn?"

"For letting you down..." she let out a sob, "for letting you go lonely so long that you went looking somewhere else for the love that I wanted so badly to give you, but couldn't."

He looked at her, she was drunk, that was the only reason she was bearing so much to him. This wasn't Kathryn Janeway, Captain of the starship Voyager. This was a broken, middle aged woman who needed to be told how much she was really valued. He stepped over and sat next to her and took her hand lightly in his and tried looking into her eyes. She resisted looking at him and she looked out the star gaze again.

He looked at her face and the tears welling in her eyes, "Kathryn if this is about Seven and me, you have to know the full truth of what is going on. I found out she was using me as a holocharacter, trying to get in touch more with her human side with relationships and I found out that she was using me as a guide, so I offered to help her out in real life. It's been nothing more than a few casual dinners Kathryn, I need you to calm down."

She stared at the stars, "Chakotay, how can I believe that after all I've seen?"

He choked a little, "what do you mean?"

She looked at him tears in her eyes, "I saw you kissing her Chakotay, your arms wrapped around her. I walked into Astrometrics when it happened, and I left as quickly as I had come in. I don't suppose that was training as well?"

He sighed and fell back into the couch, "No it wasn't. I'm sorry you had to see that Kathryn, but I did think I felt something for her, but when I kissed her, there was nothing...no spark, no need, nothing. There was nothing there. Nothing like the kisses I have scared with you on New Earth."

"Flattering Chakotay..."

He looked at her, "You know what, I can't sit here and wait around for you forever you know. I do love you Kathryn, this crazy undying love that will never leave my breaking heart, but you keep pushing me out, pushing me away to where I have nothing to hold onto! You have given me no hope for a future! What did you expect me to do?"

She looked at him, tears falling from her eyes, "It doesn't matter anymore, does it? You've made your choice."

He looked at her and got up, heading toward the door he looked at her, "I love you Kathryn, accept that, because it's not going away."

Seven of Nine walked into Sickbay and went into the Dr's. Office. She looked at him and gave her best practiced smile.

"Seven? Is anything wrong?"

She stood tall, and looked him in the eye, "No Dr. nothing is malfunctioning. I do wish to state a question if I may."

He stood up next to her, "Go ahead."

"I request your presence in Holodeck two this evening, 1900 hours."

"Are you asking me on a date Seven?" If he had a heart, it would be beating a million miles a minute by now.

"Yes, I am. I have given our relationship a lot of thought, and I believe you are a compatible mate for me, we understand each other."

He smiled, "I will be punctual."

The Voyager crew was gathered on Holodeck two, standing around the crowded Sardines. Paris and B'Elanna were sitting at a quiet table in the corner, both their hands on her very pregnant stomach giggling together. Chakotay was sitting in a corner, Kathryn in the other...still not speaking to each other. Harry was playing pool with a few of the crew. Then Seven and the Doctor walked into the room together, arm in arm, looking at each other, and the room went silent.

Seven and the Doctor walked over to their table on the other side of the room and began an intimate conversation, and the crew finally stopped gawking.

Chakotay looked over and smiled, 'finally' he thought to himself. He looked over at Kathryn and sighed, he got up and went over to her. She didn't look at him for a moment, until he took her hand and got her on her feet and embraced her openly. She was surprised at his public display of his emotions when the crew was watching, knowing her reaction would be nothing but distance. He held onto her tighter and whispered into her ear, "I'm sorry..."

That did it...that broke those walls down. Tears flashed into her eyes again, and she wrapped her arms around him and buried her head in his shoulder. He whispered into her ear, tears evident in his voice, "I love you...I'm so sorry..."

Soft music was humming in the background and he separated himself from her and took her to the dance floor. They started swaying to the music, the crews eyes on them, fixated on their every movement, and especially every tear that fell from their Captain's eyes. They saw the faint moving of lips, but couldn't figure out what was being said.

The Doctor and Seven joined them on the dance floor, both very close, talking to each other, smiling, and the crew could see real affection in Seven's eyes.

"Seven is with the Doctor, Chakotay?"

"Yes...I suppose she's been interested in him for quite a while."

"I'm sorry for not letting you into my life like this before Chakotay...It's just so hard, being the Captain."

"I know...I know that. I'm sorry that things happened the way they did, I wish I could go back and change it all, but I can't now. I can't change anything...I can only wish that our future will be better than this. No more jealousy, no more fighting over command structure...no more parameters."

"I promise, no more."

They walked off the dance floor, hand in hand and sat where Kathryn had been sitting earlier that evening and looked deeply into each others eyes. Abruptly Paris stood up and shouted, "Alright, who had today as the day the Commander and Captain would get together?"

Kathryn laughed out loud and looked at her crew surprised.

Ensign Kim jumped up, "I did! I won the bet!" Then he looked sheepishly at the Captain and shrugged his shoulders, "hey, even I have my fun."

The Doctor and Seven stopped dancing and the Doctor looked at Seven who was looking at Chakotay.

"You miss him?"

She looked at him, "No. I was the one who terminated our social interactions."

He looked as shocked as a hologram could, "You did?"

"Yes. I was interested in pursuing something more meaningful to me."

Seven cautiously reached up and touched his face. She looked into his eyes, "I have carried feelings for you for a while now Doctor, but I did not feel I was ready to approach you with them."

He took her into an embrace, and she returned the gesture. When they pulled apart, Seven of Nine, former Borg, also known as "ice queen" reached for the Doctor and kissed him.

Kathryn looked over and laughed, "Well I guess we're not the only ones with a happy ever after."