Chakotay awoke fully rested, and was still in a daze for a couple of minutes. He felt strange, almost as if something important happened, and something that should have happened didn't. He realized what they were as soon as he sat upright in his bed.

"Computer what is the time?"

"09:00 hours."

He shot off the bed, he had missed his duty shift by one hour. As he ran to the bathroom grabbing his clean uniform as he went, he wondered why the Captain hadn't called him to the Bridge and on the carpet for being late.

"Commander Chakotay, there is a message for you from Captain Janeway." The computer voice informed him just as he was about to step into the sonic shower. Leaving his robe in the bathroom in his haste, he ran out to the computer terminal on his desk.

"Good morning Chakotay. I debated on whether or not to wake you for breakfast, but I decided to let you sleep in so I cancelled the morning wake up call. I also left breakfast for you. There are two extra replicator rations in your computer banks, so order something nice for yourself. I'll see you on the Bridge when I see you on the bridge. Oh, there is a kia fruit on the Table, Neelix said you liked them."

Chakotay chuckled. He wondered what it looked like when she snuck into his quarters and left the fruit on his table. He wondered if she took the precaution to make sure that no one saw her.

Munching on the fruit, this time he walked to the shower to continue getting ready for the day.

Janeway was lost in the world of science in the morning. She was studying the Quantum slip steam drive schematics that they had gathered on the "Dauntless" Vorik, Carey and Harry had proposed a plan to duplicate the drive on Voyager and possibly get them home in a matter of hours. They had given her the specifications on a new drive that they wanted to build and test using the technology. For the first time in their entire time in the Delta Quadrant, their Federation Technology seemed to be compatible with an alien Technology and could be used to get them home. It was the project she had dreamed about overseeing ever since she was stranded in the Delta Quadrant. That B'Elanna's part in the report was less than 1/8th of its content was very telling of her Engineering Chief's mental state.

On the desk next to her were the PADDs that she had taken to Chakotay's Quarters last night. She didn't even look at them when she came on to the bridge in the morning. She needed his input and she would not make the decisions without him. In the matter of personnel, she did not meddle until he invited her to or the situation was dire and needed and immediate response in his absence.

The manufacture of the bennerite crystals fascinated Janeway and without looking up she reached for her coffee cup, brought it to her lips and took a long drink…..of air. Kathryn jolted to attention.

"Damn", she thought, "and I'm all out of rations for coffee for the day." Making a decision, she grimaced. "I think I'll eat in the Mess Hall tonight, I need that pot of coffee."

Just as Kathryn was getting up, the chime sounded.

"Come"

Chakotay entered to see her order her next pot of coffee. He noticed the empty caraft at her desk.

"You're already on your second pot, it's only 10:00am."

"Everyone needs their vices Commander, besides don't forget I was the Captain and the Commander until now."

Chakotay smiled. "Consider yourself the Captain only from this moment on. "

"Thank you. Have a seat," she gestured to the couch and then walked around to the desk to collect her PADDS. "I assumed that you had a good breakfast and you don't want anything."

"No I'm fine." Kathryn poured herself a cup.

"OK," Kathryn settled on the couch and the two of them got into their respective command modes. She handed him a PADD with the Doctor's report. Chakotay skimmed the words as Kathryn recited the essence of what was on it.

"The Doctor thinks that B'Elanna should be given the next week off of work to recuperate. Of course during that time she will still have her Holodeck privileges revoked…."

"That would be kind of difficult. A week off with nothing to do ? I think she'll go stir crazy. What is she supposed to do all day?"

Kathryn picked up a PADD and began to read off of it.

"Meditate, think, contemplate, read…." She put the PADD down and continued. "I know what he had in mind when he said this, but we both know B'Elanna, she wouldn't do that, that would be too hard, she will have to come face to face with what she was doing and have to figure out why she was doing it. I don't even know if she's ready to do that yet."

Chakotay began entering commands on his PADD as he spoke.

"She's ready"

They were simple words that were uttered and with them Kathryn studied Chakotay. She had a fair idea what was going on, and what it had to do with. Chakotay was the only person in whom B'Elanna had confided in over Tom and whatever transpired, it was serious enough and touched something in Chakotay that drained him when he had to deal with it.

As he finished, Chakotay looked up from the PADD and caught Kathryn studying him. Whether she was right or wrong, whatever was wrong with B'Elanna, Kathryn knew that she was not going to find out from him. This was going to be between Chakotay, B'Elanna and Tom and whoever B'Elanna wished to tell. The only way that Kathryn would know the exact nature of what was going on would be from B'Elanna's mouth. But there were implications that she in her role and function of the Captain could not ignore.

"Chakotay, I know that you allowed B'Elanna to go on the Delta Flyer mission because you trusted her to get the job done under pressure, but can she still function as the head of Engineering in everyday matters?"

Chakotay didn't blink, "Yes I know that she can and I recommend that we allow her to continue working, she needs to regain her sense of self again and her sense of value and worth to this crew."

Kathryn picked up her PADD and entered her notes to that effect. Chakotay continued

"However I do think that she should be placed on reduced duty shifts. The Doctor isn't completely wrong. B'Elanna needs to make some time to face her demons, I believe we should allow for that."

Chakotay began entering his notes on the PADD before Kathryn spoke

"Agreed"

They worked in silence for a while on the PADDs until finally they were finished. Kathryn spoke first.

"There is only one other matter, her 'Therapy' sessions. The Doctor believes that she should start those right away……with him as the counselor of course." Kathryn made this remark with a smirk on her face.

Chakotay snorted as the image of B'Elanna decompiling the Doctor's program algorithm by algorithm came to mind.

"Of course" he intoned.

"But I disagree; right now I think that B'Elanna needs you more than the Doctor. You were the only one to get through to her and I think you're the one who is most qualified to handle these 'sessions' "

Chakotay hadn't thought that far ahead in the conversation and Kathryn saw the look of surprise catch his face and then a flash of pain crossed his face. The latter was fleeting, but Kathryn caught it.

She reached out and touched his arm. "I'll consider the matter closed when you tell me that it is and I'll leave the nature and the duration sessions in your capable hands."

Chakotay was going to say something but Kathryn stopped him. "Please don't tell me that you don't think that you're the best choice for this, because deep down you know that you are."

Kathryn smiled at a sad memory, "You seem to have a knack for staging interventions and saving people from the worst part of themselves."

Chakotay remained silent as he remembered how he almost lost her a couple of months ago to the void of her mind. He looked a little away from her with a slight grin on his face

"Trust you to trust me eh?"

Kathryn shook him gently to look at her. He did.

"No, trust me to trust you to trust yourself." He was silent as he mulled the statement over. Finally he stood, "I'll let you know when things are over, Kathryn." Kathryn joined him and catching his shoulder before he turned to leave she gave him a parting thought.

"I know this has something to do with what happened to the Maquis in the Alpha Quadrant." Chakotay gave her a surprised look. Kathryn continued. "Lucky guess, this situation has affected you too much for it to be anything else. Just take care of yourself while you're taking care of B'Elanna"

"Aye, aye Captain," He gave her a serious look and with that he was gone. Kathryn stared at the closed door through which he had exited for a moment and sighing, she got up took her pot of coffee and went back to her desk to finish her study of the slip steam drive.