Epilogue
As the hovercar turned down the dirt road, Kathryn felt the same excitement she'd felt as a child when her father had made the final turn onto the lake drive. She reached across the console between them and covered Chakotay's free hand with hers. He glanced over at her from the driver's seat of the car and smiled. They drove past the familiar driveways and followed all the familiar curves and twists and turns, up and down the hills, until they reached the end of the road and turned down the drive of the Janeway family house. Chakotay parked the car in the driveway, but before he could say a word, Kathryn was out of the passenger seat and walking quickly down towards the lake. Chakotay took two of their bags out of the back of the car and carried them into the house. It was a little musty, having been closed for the past few months, but it still felt like home. He smiled as he put the bags in the bedroom, their bedroom, and opened the windows to air the place out.
When he had finished unloading the car, he walked down the hill to the water, where Kathryn was standing on the dock. He knew that she had to greet the lake first when they arrived and appreciated the almost childlike innocence she had maintained about it. He walked down to the sandy beach and bent down to touch the lake. The water seemed to embrace him, saying, "Welcome home."
It had now been two years since Chakotay's accident, and he and Kathryn had just returned from their second visit to Bokara III. They had agreed that they would spend three months each year helping with the efforts to build and maintain settlements for refugees on Bokara and a few other planets, too. The rest of the year, they lived in the house at Lake George. Kathryn's book had been a great success, and she was working on a second on. She taught workshops and gave lectures, and Chakotay did, too. Sometimes, they even lectured together, which was probably the most entertaining scenario for the student audience.
He joined Kathryn on the dock, standing behind her, pressing his body against hers, and intertwining their hands. She turned her face towards him, and they shared a kiss. "Happy?" he asked.
"Absolutely," she replied, leaning back against him. "You?"
"I am happy."
She savored the feel of his broad chest behind her. "I think I needed to come to Lake George to find peace within myself, but even then, there was something missing." She let go of his hands and turned to look at him. "You."
He cupped her face between his hands. "My peace has always been with you, Kathryn. I just needed to come here to find it again."
Around them, the breeze blew, creating waves on the lake that crashed against the rocks. A hawk flew overhead, screeching out above them. Clouds moved across a bright blue sky, and the sun shone down. She smiled and leaned forward as he pressed his lips to hers for a long, sweet kiss.