Disclaimer: see part one.

Thanks go to Tinker J, Blackstars, Elvewin Darkdragon, Mad as Hell, FREAKY CHICK, angelbaby10105 and of course the wonderful Kimberly! Don't worry, the next (and last) part will be coming way faster (even more so if I get a lot of reviews nudge, nudge).


The whole team looked on in amazement as the last rays of sunlight vanished behind the bumpy horizon. Kathryn's eyes were glued to the sign, her mind racing to comprehend its meaning. Was it a vision, a dream, the last remnants of a race long dead? But then what did the sign mean? Was it just a strange coincidence, which had prompted her crew to use the same name the sign held? She doubted even Tuvok, the ever-precise Vulcan, would estimate that chance as anything other than zero.

The sun by now had truly set, taking with it the last source of light, so Kathryn could no longer distinguish the letters that puzzled her so. She tore her eyes away from the dark silhouette that was the only visible remainder of the sign and turned back to her crewmen. Her eyes moved across the group, seeing her own questions reflected in each of their eyes. Her gaze lingered longest on Chakotay, questioning, imploring and understanding flashing between the two of them until she voiced the question that was on all of their minds.

"What the hell is going on here?"

"Isn't it obvious, Kathy?" Q, appearing for the second time that day, asked in a voice that clearly indicated it should be. "I built you a city!" Another round of silence followed his proudly spoken words.

"You what!" Kathryn finally exclaimed after a few moments of staring dumbfound at the omnipotent alien.

"Well, you were planning to built a city too, weren't you? I just helped things along a bit." He waved his hand in a dismissive gesture while rolling his eyes and continued in his same arrogant tone of voice. "Not that you measly humans could have ever made such a beautiful city, of course, but it's the thought that counts. So, Kathy, what do you think?" But Kathryn merely gaped at him, too shocked to speak. Q looked at her with an expectant look that was almost sweet, obviously waiting for her rebuttal. When after a few minutes she still hadn't said anything, he huffed in his usual indignant manner, any trace of the earlier charm gone. "Oh well, it's no fun when you're not even throwing some insult at me." He was about to leave with a flourish when he suddenly seemed to remember something. "Oh I almost forgot! Since I technically can't interfere in your lives – the Continuum, you see – I can't allow you to use this city's technology to repair Voyager and resume your journey home. Therefore, we've come to an agreement; you, my dear Kathy, won't be able to leave the planet. After all, this crew won't leave their beloved Captain behind again, would they?" He quickly snapped his fingers, vanishing before anyone could stop him.

As if by silent agreement, everyone but Kathryn and Chakotay followed his example, returning to Voyager in order to give their commanding officers some privacy. Even after they'd left though, it took a long time before either of them spoke. Kathryn was still staring at the city, even though nothing more could now be seen than a vague outline. Chakotay, who knew she was deep in thought, patiently waited for her to speak. When it didn't seem she was going to anytime soon, he decided to break the silence himself.

"What do you think; should we call the planet Vora or use its official name Karim III and name the city Vora, as Q obviously had in mind?" He purposely said it in a light voice, hoping to shake Kathryn out of her musings. Her answer, however, acted like a bucket of ice water, making him feel as if he'd been frozen to the ground.

"It's only fitting to name the city Vora, after all, it'll be used to repair Voyager. That is, if there's anything left of it once B'Elanna's through with it."

"you don't seriously think we'll leave you behind, do you?" The slight edge of his voice showed he was afraid he already knew the answer.

"Of course you will! It's the only available option. Just promise me you'll get that crew home, Chakotay."

"No!" He, by now, was as close to shouting as he ever got. "I won't let you sacrifice yourself, Kathryn!"

"I'm not sacrificing myself; I'm saving my crew!" Kathryn yelled back at him.

"Maybe they don't want to be saved; at least not like this. Do you really think they'd abandon you here, Kathryn, alone?"

"Why not, they've done it before!"

"They came back for us on New Earth!"

"Because they had the antidote, a solution. There is no way out this time, Chakotay, no loophole! And I can't let them throw away what may be our only chance of getting home because of me!"

"And what about you? Don't you deserve to get home too?"

"I can't go home! Didn't you hear Q; I can't leave this planet!"

"Then we'll stay with you." Chakotay now sounded resolved rather than angry.

"You were saying that I deserve to get home, well what about you? Or Harry? Or Tom, or Tal Celes? Shouldn't they get home too? And what about Naomi; doesn't she deserve to see her father? I can't go home, but you can. All you have to do is leave me here." They stared at each other, reading the determination in the other's eyes. Each was now fighting for what they loved the most: their crew – and each other. Hope, desperation, courage and guilt all showed in the slight sheen of Kathryn's eyes, while fear, worry and love swam in his dark pools. After an eternity that lasted just a few moments, Chakotay whispered two last words, "I can't", before he turned around and walked back to Voyager alone, leaving Kathryn to stare after him until he was swallowed by the darkness, before finally letting loose the tears she'd been fighting.

-()-o-()-

It wasn't until almost an hour later that Kathryn finally re-boarded Voyager. The corridors she passed were abandoned and she realized how late it was. Slowly and in silence, she made her way through the empty hallways back to her quarters. Her mind was already on the coming goodbyes. So absorbed in her thoughts she was that the sound of her beeping combadge nearly made her jump.

"Torres to Janeway." While silently berating herself for her jitteriness, Janeway halted just short of a turbolift and hit her badge.

"Janeway here. What is it, Lieutenant?"

"We're having some problems down in the mess hall," B'Elanna's strangely nervous voice said, "could you come and lent us a hand?"

"Sure, I'll be right there. Janeway out."

-()-o-()-

With a brisk pace, the Captain strode into the mess hall – and froze when she saw how crowded it was. On queue, the crowd parted for her, forming a path to the centre of the room where Chakotay was standing, together with the rest of the senior staff.

"What is the meaning of this?" Though her voice sounded threatening, her eyes shifted from side to side like a cornered animal.

"Chakotay told the crew what you were planning as soon as he got back. We're here to tell we don't want that." Tom sounded uncharacteristically serious and devoid of his usual jokes.

"We won't leave this planet without you." B'Elanna continued in a soft tone.

"If you can't go, we don't go." Harry finished steadfastly. Kathryn looked around at the faces of her crew, each of them determined, her expression still resembling that of a cornered animal. The crew remained quiet, practically holding their breath. Suddenly she turned around and left, leaving behind an anxious crew.

-()-o-()-

"Where's the Captain?" Harry asked B'Elanna, practically bursting into the room that now posed as Engineering at the same time. She turned to him with a frown on her face, but, with her precious engines just about squashed and the rest of Voyager in shambles, that didn't necessarily have anything to do with his question. Now though, her scowl deepened and Harry knew it wasn't good.

"She went to Vora, the city." Harry felt the knot in his stomach begin to tighten. He knew he didn't really want to know more, but his mouth didn't seem to grasp that concept.

"Why?"

"She didn't say and I didn't ask. But she had the same look on her face as she had in the Void, just before ordering us to go to the wormhole and leave her behind to deal with the Malon." Harry heard that underneath her frown, B'Elanna sounded very worried. "It was about an hour ago; Chakotay went after her." Harry nodded hopefully.

"If anyone can talk her out of staying behind, it's the Commander." They smiled at each other, though neither smile seemed convincing; they both remembered their Captain's guilt during their time in the void and how bent she had been on sacrificing herself for her crew. Only a miracle could save them now.

-()-o-()-

"Status!" The worry shone out of his obsidian eyes when Chakotay entered the Bridge fifteen minutes late for his shift. Luckily for the bridge crew, they had time to wipe any smile of their face and quickly return to their work while Tuvok stoically reported Voyager's status. One look at the Commander's worried face was enough for Harry to know that he hadn't gotten anywhere with the Captain. With a disappointed sigh and careful to avoid drawing Chakotay's attention, he went back to work.

When his shift was over, Harry hurried into the turbo lift and ordered it to deck eight, where the exits to the planet were. Within a few minutes, he was on Karim III and headed for Vora with a determined step, hoping to find his Captain in the soon-to-be darkened city. After a lot of searching, he found her sitting in one of the smallest houses; all lights were turned off while she stared through a window. The resemblance between this scene and the one he had seen a few times when he caught the Captain looking out her view ports when he came to deliver a report struck him immediately and he had to swallow hard before he was able to draw her attention.

"Captain?" The short silence made his heart rush in fear.

"What is it, Harry?" She didn't turn around, merely stood there staring off into the dark night sky.

"Can I have a word with you?"

"Sure Harry, what is it?" She finally turned to face him and Harry could barely contain a startle. Her eyes, strangely big in her pale face, looked dead; they showed no sign of the strong woman he had come to respect and love like a mother in the past years. The moonlight made her face look stark and white, resembling a skeleton. He was almost afraid he was too late, that there was no one left behind those staring eyes for him to save. But then, a small flicker of life appeared in her eyes, so fast it was gone before he could truly believe it was there. That split second of life though, gave him the courage to continue.

"Please don't make me leave."

-()-o-()-

Morning found Janeway at the top of the hills overlooking Vora. Her eyes held life again, even though the bags underneath them told of little sleep. She had spent the previous night talking to Harry, hearing his ideas, his unwillingness to leave her behind, even if that meant never seeing Earth again. Listening to the young Ensign had made Kathryn realize what a fine crew she had and, perhaps even more important, that they wouldn't abandon their Captain and would even disobey her orders if necessary. Now she was waiting for Chakotay, who Harry had gone to get. In her head, she was already going over the different crewmembers and things they would need, trying to plan as much as possible for their impending move to the city.

The sound of footsteps and a slight crack behind her made her turn around to see her First Officer a few feet away. He was looking apprehensive, unsure why she had asked him to come here. She realized the breaking twig she had heard had been intentional on his part, because he had wanted to give her some warning he was coming. She gave him a crooked smile and saw him relaxing. With a pat on the ground, she told him to sit down and he settled himself comfortably next to her. They both stared at the city beneath them for a few moments, comfortable silence surrounding them, before Kathryn turned back to him and again smiled a crooked grin.

"I'm sorry, Chakotay."

His eyes remained attached to Vora just a moment longer, but then he too turned to face her. "What for?"

"I made your job even more difficult. I ignored your advice and shut you out because you were looking out for me. Again. Can you forgive your old captain for her foolishness?" Chakotay was no match for her pleading eyes.

"You're hardly old, Kathryn." His dimpled smile told her all she needed to know. Janeway grinned relieved and patted his thigh.

"Luckily I've got my best friend to remind me of that."

"Oh, it's strictly self-preservation: I'm only a few years younger than you are, so if you're old, I can't be young either." Her merry laugh lifted his heart and he was happy to see her cheerful again.

"Now I remember why I keep you around."

Chakotay pretended to be insulted. "And here I thought it was because of my great tactical skills and for being such a fine First Officer."

"Well, not to say I don't appreciate those attributes, but really, next to your dimples, your talent to keep your Captain amused is your greatest asset."

The lively sparkle in her eyes made him bold and invited a wicked grin of his own, which brought out said dimples. "How exactly are these dimples my greatest assets?"

Kathryn blushed slightly, hesitating for just a moment. "They make you look younger." She replied with a small wink. They simply looked at each other for a moment before they both burst into laughter. When after a few minutes their laughter faded, they sat in comfortable silence, enjoying the silent moments just spent being together.

"So, I'm guessing you didn't ask me here just to apologize. What was it you wanted to talk about, Kathryn?" Janeway remained silent and for a moment Chakotay thought she hadn't heard him, but then her eyes moved away from the spot of grass they had been studying and she gave him a smile.

"You know me too well." She seemed quite content with that fact. "Yesterday, when I went to Vora to think." Chakotay remained silent, but did raise an eyebrow in a Vulcan-like gesture. "Alright, to feel sorry for myself. Anyway, while I didn't exactly pay attention, I did notice that it seemed somewhat familiar. So, this morning while Harry was getting you, I took another walk through Vora and discovered that the buildings are placed in the same pattern as they are on Voyager. For example: the streets are numbered as decks 1 through 15 and on 'deck 1' is a large town hall, which I think signifies the bridge, with a few smaller rooms for meetings, like conference rooms. On 'deck 11' is a large power station, there's a hospital on 'deck 5' and a few buildings that are supposedly meant for restaurants or café's are located on 'deck 2'. There are also a lot of open areas complete with control panels surrounding the 'Voyager' part of Vora. I'm not sure what those are, but I think Q has kept in mind additions to the city."

Chakotay raised his eyebrows in a barely noticeable expression of surprise. "Q has certainly given this a lot of thought." He commented. "What about housing, schools and food production?"

"As far as I could see there are a lot of buildings meant as housing, the same as or more than the quarters we have on Voyager, even if you don't count those open spaces around Vora. I haven't really paid attention to schools or farms." Kathryn quickly searched her memory. "No, I really wouldn't know. We'll have to make a few maps of Vora; that would make this a lot easier. We can't really assign housing until we know exactly what we have." Chakotay nodded in agreement.

"I'll send some people from Stellar Cartography to do that; it should fall right into their area of expertise." Kathryn concurred and motioned for him to continue. He hesitated for a second before breaching the next subject. "I also think we should hold a memorial of some kind for the crewmembers who didn't survive the crash. Or maybe for all those who died in the Delta Quadrant."

Kathryn nodded grimly. "I should have thought of that myself. Good, shall we hold that the day after tomorrow?" She didn't look at him to see what he thought, but cast her eyes over the valley while outlining the rest of her plans. "That should give Neelix enough time to plan it and for B'Elanna to see what we'll be able to use of Voyager once we're leaving on the planet. And then the day after the memorial we'll start planning our move to Vora. What do you think?"

Chakotay smiled. "Sounds like a plan to me."

Kathryn returned the smile and inclined her head slightly. "Alright, let's go and put this plan into action then, shall we?" Full of new determination, they got up and calmly walked back to Voyager.

-()-o-()-

The next few days were busy ones for everyone as they helped Neelix with his preparations for the memorial, mapped Vora or worked on B'Elanna's ship wide inventory. But even with those busy schedules, a lot of the crew found the time to assure Janeway that they didn't mind this situation in the least; they were all willing to stay on Karim III, even if that meant never reaching the Alpha Quadrant. In the immortal words of Tom Paris: 'It's a small price to pay for staying with such a wonderful – and lovely – Captain.' (a statement which had caused a lot of applause and cheering and had even brought a smile to Kathryn's face).

The day after the memorial, the command team, as planned, started preparing the move of Voyager's crew to Vora. With the recently finished maps from Stellar Cartography at ready, they took another walk through Vora, discussing their different options.

"I don't know, Chakotay. I just don't think it's fair to assign these houses like we did crew quarters. What right do we have to let someone live in one of the smaller houses just because they were an ensign on Voyager. Those ranks will probably loose their meaning once we're living in a city, or at the least become less important. How can I rightfully live in that castle Q made as the Captain's Quarters when it could easily fit a few families! I can't do that, Chakotay, not when it's my fault we're stranded here in the first place."
Chakotay had listened quietly while she talked and had even nodded in agreement a few times, but at hearing that last sentence suddenly lost his temper. "How many times do we have to tell you?" He asked, half angry and half desperate. "It's not your fault we're here! You did what you had to do." Kathryn was visibly startled by his harsh tone and Chakotay quickly lowered his voice. "Why can't you believe that?" The anguish in his face showed Kathryn clearly how much this affected him.

"I'm sorry, Chakotay, I never realized how much this bothered you." She apologized.

He smiled to show her it was okay. "I just hate to see you that sad." His voice had returned to its normal soft tone. "But we were discussing how to divide housing. I think the best way to do that is to just let everybody keep his or her own quarters, at least for now. We can always switch them later."

"What about roommates?" Kathryn inquired. "A lot of the ensigns now share a room. I know we agreed to that so there'd be a few extra rooms in case we ever needed it and for power preservation, but those reasons don't seem so relevant here. Should we split them? If we do, the original system wouldn't work anymore." She had a contemplative wrinkle on her brow, one that was matched by the one on Chakotay's face.

"Well, some of them might not even want to split. The Delaney sisters for instance; they don't seem to mind sharing a room. Neither do a few of the others. And some crewmembers would even like to share a house here. I don't know about Tom, but I think B'Elanna is feeling quite serious about their relationship."

"Living on a planet will certainly encourage the crew to start relationships." Kathryn intoned.

"They'll start to pair off eventually, you mean?" Chakotay asked with a smile.

"Something like that." Kathryn's famous crooked grin had appeared. "And there are probably also people who would want to move, get different neighbours."

"That's possible." Chakotay nodded thoughtfully. "They have forged a lot of friendships over the years and I think a few would like to live closer together. The only problem is how we are going to organize all this?"

Kathryn shrugged. "Why don't we just let them figure that out for themselves? We let everyone write down their preferences: close to whom, alone or with someone else – those off course will have to be given by both parties involved – and perhaps also who they wouldn't want to live next to. We'll go over those together once we have them all and see how usable it is."

Chakotay smiled. "I think that's a good idea – on one condition."

His smile was infectious and soon Kathryn was grinning too. "And what would that be?"

"That I get to live close to the Captain; I really like her and I've gotten used to living next door to her over the past few years." Though his tone was light, his eyes conveyed a certain seriousness.

Kathryn smiled back tenderly and patted his arm. "Oh, I don't think she'd mind. In fact, I think she'd be very glad to know all those difficult traits of hers haven't caused you to tire of her company." Her voice almost cracked at the end, having trouble bypassing the lump in her throat.

"I don't think that could ever happen; she's much too precious to me." Their eyes locked and they both smiled.

"I'm glad." Her hand slid off his arm as he moved to place a hand on the small of her back. After a few minutes of strolling silently down 'deck 3' like that, Kathryn returned to their original topic, thought their closeness didn't change. "Well, now that that's settled, our only problem is the different size houses."

But as it turned out, that was one puzzle that solved itself just a few days later.

-()-o-()-

"Torres to Janeway." Kathryn, secretly glad for the interruption, put down the report on the different type of buildings she had been ploughing through and answered her comm.

"Janeway here. What is it, B'Elanna?"

"Have you read Seven's report on the structures in Vora?" B'Elanna sounded strangely breathless.

"I'm reading it now. Why?"

"Good. Go to the chapter 'buildings constructed for the purpose of habitation'." B'Elanna continued, completely ignoring Kathryn's question. Janeway quickly skipped to the right part in Seven's rather detailed report.

"Yes?"

"How many different buildings are there?"

"Five." Kathryn was starting to become impatient.

"Just as I thought." Having received the answer to her query, the Chief Engineer seemed to have completely forgotten about her Captain, who was on the verge of demanding an explanation. Luckily for B'Elanna, she became aware of her superior's impatience when said Captain cleared her throat and she hastened to tell what she'd found. "Captain, I think we've just found a way to change the size of a house."

A pause. "What? Are you sure, B'Elanna?" Kathryn could hardly believe her ears. Then she remembered Q was responsible for the creation of the city and knew anything was possible.

"No, I'll have to test it to be sure, but I thought you might want to be here for that." Anything else B'Elanna had wanted to say was cut off as Kathryn jumped out of her chair and practically sprinted out the Ready Room door, remembering that it opened on the Bridge just in time to slow down before the doors opened.

"Where are you now?" Kathryn was now halfway across the Bridge and decided to bring along Chakotay, who miraculously managed to hand over the Bridge to the Lieutenant at Ops and step in before the lift doors closed.

"At the power station on 'deck 11'."

"We'll be right there." The link was terminated before B'Elanna could ask who 'we' were. With a shrug, she returned her attention to the fascinating collection of buttons and controls in front of her.

-()-o-()-

An hour passed before the Captain and Commander returned to the Bridge and went straight to the Ready Room. B'Elanna's discovery had been even more wondrous than they'd expected; not only was the size of the buildings adjustable, ranging from reasonably big for one person to big enough for a large family and a wide selection of pets and other animals and still have room to spare – the type Kathryn had referred to as a 'castle' – but the style was also costume designable. In addition to the controls in the power plant which regulated the size, each house also had its own control panel that allowed the owner to change its whole appearance at will. Roof, number of floors, staircases, kitchen, bathroom, living room, porch, doors – everything was modifiable. As Chakotay had joked, the only thing missing was a roll-out garden. This new discovery had immediately solved their earlier problems with the assignment of housing. All left to decide now was whether everyone got to choose the size of their own house or if that would depend on the number of people living in it. With renewed energy, they went on with the planning.

-()-o-()-

It took another few days, but finally, more than two weeks after Q had first shown them Vora and nearly a month and a half since their crash on the planet, Voyager's crew was finally ready to move into their new homes. Spirits were high the day of the move; most saw this as a new adventure, or just the continuation of the old one. It also helped that everyone had just about gotten the neighbours he or she wanted and moved into a house that was not only a lot bigger than their quarters, had every piece of equipment in it they could want – and some that had taken B'Elanna's team quite a few days to figure out what they were supposed to do – and to top it off could be altered and changed to become exactly what they wanted. Everyone got a few days to move to Vora, get used to their new surroundings and change their house to fit their preferences, before they had to get back to work, be it different from what they usually did. Kathryn, having grown up around the farming lands of Indiana, hadn't needed anyone to tell her that the planet's fall was almost halfway past and that, if they wanted fresh foods next spring, they would have to plant the seeds for crops now. Because they had to act fast, everyone was called on to help; people to take care of the growing food supply would be appointed later. For now, their main priority was making sure they'd have a good harvest next year.

-()-o-()-

The next few weeks passed swiftly and before they knew it all the seeds were sown, everyone had settled into their new life and found something to do and the winter had made its appearance. The days were growing shorter and the cold drove most people inside. Tom rode around in his newly constructed vehicles, drove them to their limits, found another flaw – however minor – in the design and called on Harry to help him fix it until, after a few days, they build a new prototype or modified the old one and started the cycle all over. Harry had also contrived to start up a band again and he and the 'Kimtones' were planning a concert soon. The Doctor was happily testing the new gadgets and medical equipment he'd found in the city's hospital to their limits, Neelix was opening a restaurant, as was Chell, using vegetables from the hydroponics bays, and Seven was further exploring her humanity. If she wasn't playing on her piano (which had mysteriously appeared in her house the day after she'd expressed her wish to learn more about music) she was learning about it – or other aspects of her humanity – from Harry. Chakotay had taken up woodcarving again and was building everything from furniture, which was in high demand from the other Voyagers or Voragers, to toys for Naomi. Kathryn had regained her scientific life and B'Elanna'd immediately picked up her old job as Chief Engineer and claimed the power plant as her domain. After a few weeks of taking apart everything she could find and flicking every switch on the planet – not always with the best results as everyone agreed after the great power shutdown of the first day – she knew the city better than even Q, though she was smart enough not to say that too loudly as the omnipotent pest had the habit of showing up whenever his name was mentioned – not unlike the devil, as one Earthborn Ensign claimed, though she couldn't remember exactly what that old proverb had been.

All in all, things were going peacefully and Chakotay was humming softly to himself as he walked the few meters from his house to Kathryn's for dinner, like they did almost every night nowadays. On Voyager, those dinners had been to discuss business or to relax after a long day of reports, but here they'd simply been a way for them to spend some time together – and for Chakotay to teach her how to cook.

Some days, a few of the former senior staff joined them, but mostly it was just the two of them, swapping news, remembering other times or simply enjoying each others company. Today though, they had guests; guests with a very important announcement and some equally important questions.

Chakotay rang the doorbell, knowing his normal knock would probably not be enough to get Kathryn's attention as he was a bit earlier than usual and she was likely still busy with her research. And indeed, it took a while before she opened the door. He was just about to ring a second time when the door opened, revealing a towel-clad Kathryn with a sheepish expression on her make-up-free face.

"You're early! I didn't expect you for another hour." She absentmindedly brushed a lock of hair behind her ear.

"I thought we might make one of my mother's recipes tonight, but that takes a while to prepare." He nodded slightly towards her momentary robe. "I'm sorry if I came at a bad time."

Kathryn blushed slightly but made no effort to pull the towel around her tighter like she'd done on New Earth." That's all right. I was done a bit early today and thought a bath would be nice before our dinner with Tom and B'Elanna." The stubborn lock had fallen down her face again and she impatiently brushed it away. "Why don't you start and I'll be right down." She let him in before disappearing upstairs.

True to her word, she joined him in the kitchen no more than fifteen minutes later. Chakotay was just searching through the drawers for a certain knife when she stepped in wearing a long dark blue dress.

"I didn't know we were going formal today." Chakotay joked, noticing her dress and the matching necklace and earrings. "I'd better go back home and change." He was wearing a comfortable tan shirt and jeans.

"B'Elanna contacted me earlier; she thought it might be nice to make the night a bit special. I figured she'd contacted you too. Don't worry, you can replicate something and change here, it doesn't really matter."

Chakotay smiled. "Are you sure your replicator rations can take that? I wouldn't want to rob you of your precious coffee. I know how important it is to you." Kathryn pretended to slap him, but he quickly ducked away.

"Oh, you're worth it. Even though this looks pretty good on you," she teasingly fingered his apron; "you look even better in a nice suit." She grinned at him, only half joking. After a few seconds, her grin turned into a smirk as she continued teasing. "Besides, that'll give me an excuse to steal your rations when I'm out." He burst into chuckles at her mock serious face, quickly joined by her throaty laughter.

"So what're we making?" She finally asked, directing the conversation back to dinner. With a startled exclamation, Chakotay made a strange dash towards one of the forgotten pots.

-()-o-()-

The bell rang. "Stop tugging on your shirt!" B'Elanna hissed to her uncomfortable companion.

"I feel like I'm a teenager again and I'm meeting my girlfriend's parents for the first time. Why couldn't I just wear that 'Formula I' shirt?" Tom wined.

"Because," B'Elanna replied, her tone suggesting she'd answered that question at least ten times before, "Kathryn and I thought it would be fun to make it a bit more formal. Besides, it isn't every day you tell your friends." She put extra emphasis on the word, "that you're planning on getting married." She slapped at his hand as he was about to tug on the collar of his shirt again. Wiping a spot of imaginary lint off his suit, she turned around just as Kathryn, looking stunning in a long evening gown and jewellery, opened the front door.

"Ah, there you are. Come on in, dinner's just ready." She stepped aside to let the younger couple pass.

"You didn't cook, did you?" Tom joked, quickly dropping the hand that was once again moving to his shirt as he saw B'Elanna's glare.

Kathryn chuckled. "Don't worry, Tom, Chakotay supervised." At that moment, the person in question called from upstairs.

"Kathryn?" He sounded slightly uneasy.

"Yes?"

"Could you come up for a moment, please?" Kathryn dramatically rolled her eyes and looked at B'Elanna conspiringly.

"Men; can't even dress on their own. Make yourselves comfortable and we'll be there in a moment." She led them to the dining room before going to see what Chakotay wanted. When she'd gone, Tom raised a speculative eyebrow, his uncomfortable shirt momentarily forgotten.

"Well, maybe we should start up those old betting pools again; it seems they're finally getting together this time."

"Oh shut up, Flyboy." B'Elanna said, pushing him in a chair, though her voice was light. "Remember all the other times you said that?"
"Yeah," Tom replied, not deterred in the least if his twinkling eyes were any indication. "But I'm right this time; I'm sure of it." B'Elanna just shook her head, not even bothering to counter his words. Only time would tell.

-()-o-()-

"Dinner was great." B'Elanna complimented as they moved to the couch for some after-dinner coffee.

"Thank you," Kathryn replied, "the recipe belonged to Chakotay's mother. I'm just glad it's not as difficult as it looked." For some reason, that answer made B'Elanna's eyes nearly fall out of their sockets and cast a quick look at Chakotay, but he didn't notice as he was busy getting coffee and herbal tea from the replicator. Kathryn didn't seem to have seen it either for she just continued. "You sounded like you wanted to tell us something earlier, what is it?"

"Well," B'Elanna said, hesitating slightly and exchanging a look with Tom. When everybody had sat down with a cup of tea or coffee in front of them, she continued. "Tom and I are getting married." It came out a bit hurried and Kathryn noticed how B'Elanna gripped Tom's hand. She shared a glance with Chakotay; they'd discussed this while preparing dinner and had expected something of this nature. Simultaneously, they broke into a wide smile.

"That's wonderful news!" Kathryn gushed.

"When's the big day?" Chakotay followed with a brotherly smile. Tom and B'Elanna looked relieved.

"We haven't exactly picked a date yet." Tom answered, glowing like it was his wedding day already.

"But we want it sometime in the coming month." B'Elanna quickly added, no less excited.

"Well, congratulations!"

"Thanks. But that's not all." B'Elanna glanced at Tom again. "We'd like you to lead the ceremony, Kathryn, you know, as former Captain. And Chakotay, I'd like you to give me away. You're kind of a brother to me and, well, I'd really like it if you would…" B'Elanna was by now nearly stuttering.

"I'd be honoured to." Chakotay said, saving her further uncomfortable moments.

"As would I, B'Elanna."

B'Elanna smiled delighted. "Great. We've asked Harry to be best man and Seven's gonna be Maid of Honour."

"Seven?" Kathryn was surprised that, after all the hostilities between the two women, Seven would act as B'Elanna's Maid of Honour.

B'Elanna blushed slightly and shrugged. "She's mellowed since she got together with Harry and she's been a great help in the power plant." Chakotay and Kathryn shared an amused smile; none of them had forgotten how much B'Elanna had valued Seven's help in Engineering. Then, Chakotay lifted his cup for a toast.

"To your wedding and marriage; may you live long, happy, and learn not to kill each other in the process!"

Tom chuckled. "I'll drink to that!" Everyone laughed at B'Elanna's indignant glare and raised their glass.

"To B'Elanna and Tom!"

-()-o-()-

"Well, that was nice." Tom commented as he and B'Elanna walked home after their dinner with the former Command Duo.

"Yes, it certainly was." B'Elanna agreed. "Hey Tom?"

"Yes, B'Elanna?"

"I think you're right." She shifted under his arm so she could look him in the eye. "You remember Kathryn told us they'd made dinner together and that they'd used one of his mother's recipes?"

"Yes." Tom replied, screwing up his face in an attempt to figure out where B'Elanna was going with this.

"Those recipes are secret and can only be passed on to someone in the family." B'Elanna explained. "I remember how Seska used to beg him for some of those recipes, I don't know why, maybe she thought that would prove how much he trusted her. Anyway, he never gave her even a scrap of them. Yet here he is, using them with the Captain."

"So…" Tom said, recognition dawning in his eyes. "Either they're very seriously involved…"

"Or he's pretty sure they will be. Either way, a relationship between those two is very probable."

"Of course," Tom continued, his smile fading a bit. "it can also mean he's given up and doesn't want those recipes to go to waste, so he's teaching them to the only person he could ever see as his wife." He exchanged a look with his fiancée, both their good moods taking a slight downward plunge. That theory was perhaps the most probable and, sadly enough, the least desirable.

-()-o-()-

Chakotay stopped. There, just a few meters away from him and exactly where he'd expected her to be, was Kathryn. He'd noticed that she'd been avoiding him for the past couple of weeks, ever since B'Elanna and Tom had announced their coming marriage, finding excuses for their usual joint dinners or else acting distant, though she tried hard to disguise it. And today she'd snuck out just after the two newly-weds. Finally feeling fed up with her strange silence and wanting to end her self-imposed isolation, he'd went after her. The first place he'd thought to look was the park that she'd gotten into the habit of visiting every day. Despite the cold, it was filled with flowers and plants of all colours, shapes and sizes, the doing of Q no doubt. But now, with nothing but the rays from the pale slice of moon to illuminate it, the cacophony of colour was for once dimmed and left behind little more than a grim place with shadows for company and the sounds of night creatures and rustling leaves for music, an eerie orchestra from the planet itself. Chakotay stood there for a short eternity, drawn by the vision of unearthly quality, which was beautiful in his eyes because of one unmoving segment, sitting on a small stone bench and looking for all the world like she belonged within the ghostly scene. Finally able to break the strange spell that had seemingly held him in its grasp, he took a step closer and accidentally stepped on an unnoticed twig, causing her to look up startled at the resulting crack, which sounded loudly in the silence.

"What are you doing here, Chakotay?" Her eyes were hidden from his sight by the darkness, but her voice sounded tired.

"I could ask the same of you, Kathryn. I noticed you were gone and decided to go find you and ask why you've been avoiding me lately." She turned her head away, back in the direction she'd been staring at before she'd heard him approach. To his surprise, she didn't deny having been avoiding him, but instead asked one of the questions he'd least expected her to ask.

"How do you feel about me, Chakotay?" He was momentarily dumbfounded, but then realised the answer she most likely wanted.

"You're my best friend." However she saw right through his words.

"That didn't answer my question. How do you feel about me?" He didn't know what to say and searched for words. She interpreted his silence as unwillingness to answer and continued herself. "I'm sorry, you shouldn't have to say the words first, not after last time." She moved again, looking his straight in the eye, her voice changing to a softer tone than before. "The truth is; I love you, Chakotay. I have for years. But I hid it too damn well, even from myself. I didn't even realize until New Earth, after your beautiful ancient legend. When Voyager came back that time, I had to bury those feelings again, afraid of loosing myself and the ability to guide our crew home if I didn't. Now, here, with no ship to captain and no crew to lead, I am finally able to act on those feelings."

Chakotay had finally regained the use of his voice, his heart beating loudly. "Then why didn't you?" She stared at him a few long moments and he noticed a sheen in her eyes, though he couldn't say for certain if it was from the moon or tears.

"Because I didn't think you still felt that way about me." He took a few steps closer, spanning the remaining space between them and sat down next to her on the small bench. He waited for her eyes to find his before speaking.

"I fell in love with you the day I met you; that moment on the Bridge when I wanted to attack Tom and you stepped between us. You were so close that I could have easily taken you hostage before anyone knew what was happening; yet you just stood there, not moving a muscle and simply staring at me with those piercing blue eyes of yours. Instead of becoming my prisoner, you captured me that day." His voice was just as calm and intense as it had been while he'd told her his angry warrior legend more than four years ago. When he paused, Kathryn kept staring at him, searching his eyes for what he was about to say. After a beat, he continued. "I never stopped."

It was silent for a moment and neither moved as their eyes remained linked, sharing a special bond. Then, Kathryn's face broke into a beaming smile, her eyes turning moist. Slowly, she lifted her hand to Chakotay's face, tenderly tracing the lines of his tattoo. In a few seconds, they'd somehow moved, holding each other in a tight embrace. And just as Kathryn had feared, now that she'd given in to her feelings, everything but the tall and gentle man holding her fled her mind, caught as she was in the sweet embrace of their changing relationship...