Chapter Eight

Kathryn looked around the table at her senior staff. The meeting had continued after Dawn went to join her sister in the holodeck. Dawn's revelation about that mating thing had thrown her for a loop, and it was taking her a moment to adjust. She was silent as her officers talked among each other.

"What are we going to do with these people?" Tom asked. "Are they staying or should we be setting course for the closest M-Class planet?"

"We don't really have the room to keep them on board, do we?." Harry commented. "Where would they stay? They can't live in the holodeck. Not to mention, that will tap out our supplies."

"What would they do if they stayed?" B'Elanna tossed in her two cents. "This isn't a pleasure cruise. They don't get a free ride."

"Those are all good questions." Chakotay said. "I'm sure the Captain already has a course of action laid out. I especially don't like the fact that, other than the captain, none of us can understand what they are saying."

Seven and Tuvok remained silent. They suspected that they already knew what the captain's decision would be, but they could also tell that something else was weighing on her mind. Suddenly, her gaze refocused on the room.

"Living and fighting with those people in Sunnydale showed me a few things." Kathryn began. "Lessons that I think would be beneficial to our situation here in the Delta Quadrant. I've spoken to Tuvok and Seven about several changes that I want to implement. We've got decades before we reach the Alpha Quadrant, unless we stumble across a miracle. We've followed Starfleet protocols and done everything necessary to survive, but that's all we're doing. Those girls out there lived every day like it was their last, because any night could be their last. They've shown me that survival simply isn't enough. We are going to continue on our way home. We are going to continue looking for possible shortcuts or even a wormhole straight to the Alpha Quadrant but, until we find it, we're going to live like this is our life. So far we have made limited first contact, usually when we're being attacked or when we need supplies. We have made a few friends, but we seem to have collected some big enemies."

"What are you saying, Captain?" Tom asked, confused.

"We trade for supplies using replicated currency, right?" Several of them nodded. "What if we traded simple goods and artifacts to take with us. Establish relationship and allies out here, both for us and for the Federation. Set the groundwork for when Starfleet sends a ship out here by choice, instead of by accident. I've seen some of the holodeck programs. I know that there are artistic types aboard. What would be the harm in creating simple gift items to trade in local markets for artifacts to take back with us? Show Starfleet that there was some good out here along with the bad."

They looked thoughtful.

"Also, we need to start thinking more offensively rather than defensively. We've been winning our battles with as much luck as skill, and we barely have time to patch up before something else takes potshots at us. We need to find a good amount of supplies and a safe planet to drop anchor and really fix this ship. There will come a time when our luck will run out and all we'll have left is Voyager to get us out of the line of fire. She can't do that if she was already half busted going into the battle. B'Elanna, I want you and Seven to put aside your differences and work together on this. We need to upgrade everything from our shields to our weapons. Once they learn the systems, I want you to talk to Willow." Kathryn held up her hand to forestall any protests. "She's easily as smart as Seven. If she had been born on this Earth, she would have been recruited for the Daystrom Institute before she finished secondary school. She excels in science, mathematics and quantum mechanics. She'll probably pick things up first, because she could follow my explanations without actually having to use the systems."

Both B'Elanna and Seven were impressed. She looked so young.

She paused for a moment, sitting back in her chair. "I also want the crew to brush up on their hand-to-hand. We've been boarded too many times, and we obviously can't always get to a weapon. If nothing else, everyone needs to learn basic self-defense to give them the opportunity to make an escape. I want Tuvok and Laren to work with Buffy and Faith on that. Hand-to-hand and bladed weaponry is their specialty. More than likely, they are extremely strong, so you probably don't have to temper your own strength when sparring with them. Are there any questions so far?"

"When do I get their medical files?" The Doctor was, once again, the first to speak up.

"You'll have to create them, Doctor." Kathryn told him. "They are all healthy and recovered from their time in stasis, so give them a complete physical and we'll go from there."

"When do you want to start the upgrades?" B'Elanna asked.

"I want some ideas on my desk as soon as possible barring continued repairs and red alerts." The captain answered. "We need to find supplies and a place to land the ship. Make it a working shore leave. Some time to relax would do the whole crew some good."

Heads nodded all around the table.

"Are you sure we can trust them?" Chakotay finally asked the most pressing question. "We know nothing about them, regardless of the time you spent in their world. We don't understand what they are saying. We don't even know what they are. For all we know they could planning to overthrow the ship and leave us deserted on the first planet we come across."

"I know that you don't know these people, but I do." Kathryn said quietly. "The illusions that appeared all over the ship when we approaching the beacon were true accounts of Buffy's life. Now, I will tell you what the S'Terrans are and what they meant to their world."

- - - BtVS - - ST:Voyager - - -

After the meeting, Kathryn stood next to the window, staring out into the empty starfield as she waited for Dawn. She needed to find out more about this mate thing that was possibly forming between Buffy and herself. As she waited, her mind wandered back to the late night conversations she'd had with Buffy about her rule of staying apart from her crew, smiling again at Buffy's opinions of it, and the promises that she had made to herself. She hadn't expected to have to address the issue so soon. She couldn't deny that she still felt that same tug in her belly at the mere thought of the Slayer, but now she had to consider the ramifications of getting involved with her and how it would look to the rest of her crew. She could still remember the first time she had given in to her need for the blonde.

They had been out on the back porch again, staring up at the stars, as Kathryn told Buffy of yet another adventure in the Delta Quadrant.

"You really miss being out there, don't you?" Buffy finally asked.

"Space was always my first love." Kathryn nodded, leaning against the porch fence. "When we finally made it back to the Federation, I thought that after more than a decade, it was over all of that, but after accepting the promotion, I've found that my place really is on the bridge of a starship. Transitioning back into a chain of command was more difficult that I had anticipated. Life seems to move so slowly now."

Buffy nodded. "I understand that. We have an apocalypse, and everything leading up to it, and it has up fighting for our lives night after night. When it's over, there's this lull, where all the big bads are gone, and all the little minions are in hiding waiting until the next time, and we find ourselves relieved that it's over, but bored out of our skulls at the same time. At least I do. Willow and Xander have other things in their lives to focus on during the downtime. I just have the DoublemeatPalace and overdue bills."

Kathryn chuckled along with the younger woman. Her body tensed as Buffy leaned next to her. "Kathryn, how long are you going to deny what's happening between us?"

"Buffy." Kathryn said, her voice low in warning.

"No, not this time." Buffy interrupted her. "I know you feel it, just like I do. I can smell your arousal every time we get close to each other. I know you've tried to force yourself to keep away, but we seem to be calling to each other."

"Buffy, we can't do this." Kathryn denied. "I'm old enough to be your grandmother."

"My first and last lovers were old enough to be my ancestors." Buffy smirked. "You're going to have to do better than that."

"A commanding officer does not get involved with her officers." Kathryn tried again.

Buffy dismissed that excuse with a wave of her hand. "You already know what I think about that. Besides, you're not in command here. If anyone is, it's me." She glanced over at the Admiral with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "If it would make you feel better, I can arrange to have you thrown out."

Kathryn rolled her eyes in exasperation. Every reason Kathryn gave, Buffy shot down with devastating accuracy and twisted Buffy-logic. Finally, Kathryn fell back on the one thing that should have put an end to it. "Buffy, I'm in love with someone else. You know that."

Buffy turned to face the older woman. Kathryn keep her eyes firmly on the empty streets, refusing to look at her. With gentle fingers, Buffy smoothed a lock of silver streaking red hair behind a sensitive ear. Kathryn shivered. "So am I, but if it's one thing that I've learned in my life, it's that the human heart makes room when it's necessary. It is possible to love more than one person. It's possible to be in love with more than one person as well.

Taking her jaw in a firm grip, Buffy finally forced Kathryn to look at her. "You've been fighting this thing between us since you arrived, but I won't let you hide from it any longer. If you don't want to be with me, simply say so. Otherwise, I'm going to take you upstairs and make love to you."

Then Buffy had kissed her, giving her ample time to draw away if she'd wanted. Kathryn closed her eyes at the memory. That first kiss had been as sweet and slow as honey, flowing through her whole body. Buffy had kept her word. Taking her acquiesce for the acceptance that it was, she had taken led Kathryn back to her bedroom that they had been sharing and made love to her until the sun rose.

"Good memories, I hope." Dawn interrupted her thoughts.

Kathryn jumped visibly jumped, her heart pounding, as she blushed to the roots of her hair. "Dawn, don't sneak on me like that!"

Dawn's brow rose in amusement. "Who was sneaking? I even rang the chime. I simply got tired of waiting."

Kathryn's blush darkened, and she took a moment to regain her composure, gesturing for Dawn to take a seat at the table. "Tell me about what I need to know."

"Are you sure, Kathryn?"

"Very sure." Kathryn nodded firmly. "Tell me everything."

- - - BtVS - - ST:Voyager - - -

'It's time for me to leave, Buffy.' Dawn's voice said in her head as she floated on the water. 'Kathryn arranged for the guards outside the room to escort you, Faith and Willow to the bridge to see me off.'

Swimming quickly to the shore, Buffy called for Willow and Faith and passed on the message. They had just finished dressing when the holodeck door opened to reveal the exit and the awaiting escort. Cautioning the others to stay put and out of trouble, they were taken to the bridge, ignoring the curious gazes of the crewmen that they passed. Stepping onto the bridge, they looked around in interest.

"Wicked." Faith said, amazed.

Dawn smiled at the others as they looked around. "Come give me a hug, Buffy. I won't be able to visit you again after I leave."

"What?" Buffy turned to her sister in shock. "Why not?"

Before anyone could react, all three girls were across the deck, surrounding the brunette. "What do you mean, Dawnie?" Willow asked, almost in tears.

Dawn shrugged sadly, explaining as she hugged them one at a time. "Like The First, I can't exist in any dimension for long periods of time. In your dimension, the monks created a shell for me to hide in, but the Dawn you knew was only a small part of the whole. When she died, her essence returned to me, along with her memories and feelings and love for all of you. Now it is time for me to return myself. I do have a few gifts of thanks for the captain and her crew."

"What?" Kathryn asked, jumping to her feet. "What kind of gifts?"

Dawn turned to smirk playfully the captain, and the bridge crew caught their breath at the pale green glow in her eyes. "Just a few little things to help you on your journey." The green glow grew brighter and brighter until they were all forced to covert their eyes against it. The stars outside were silent witnesses to the glow that covered the majestic little scout ship. Unnoticed by the crew inside her, the ship rippled inside its bubble of light. It shifted, stretched and grew, new decks forming in beneath those that already existed.

"Damn it, Dawn." Kathryn growled. Her vision finally cleared, in time to see her crew glowing. "What did you do, little girl?"

'Just a little thank you, Admiral.' She heard Dawn's voice in her head. 'I would take you home if I could, but I am bound by rules as well. Safe journey.'

Kathryn rolled her eyes in fond exasperation as she silently bid the girl goodbye. She looked around her bridge to see that her officers were recovering quickly from whatever it was that she had done. Buffy, Willow and Faith had not moved from their spot, apparently having recovered faster than the rest of them did. Kathryn wondered idly if Chakotay realized that this had been the perfect time to take over the ship if that was what they'd had in mind.

"I want a full systems scan, inside and out." Kathryn ordered. "Check all systems. Janeway to Sickbay."

Sickbay here. The Doctor answered, much to Kathryn's relief. "Captain, something has altered my matrix."

Kathryn's jaw clenched. "Can you tell what was altered?"

It seems that my memory capacity has been almost tripled and my power requirements have been cut almost in half.

Her brow rose in amazed curiosity. "All right, Doctor, I'll have Seven and B'Elanna take a look at it. Bridge to Astrometics."

Yes, Captain? Seven answered.

"Seven, can you recalibrate the internal sensors to scan the crew? I saw both Tom and Chakotay glowing when my vision cleared, and I seriously doubt that it was just then."