he watches her across the room as she greets the crew members, a touch here, a hold there, all smiles. She knows each one by name, has all their favourite foods, family names, key shared events at her fingertips. Now, she is perhaps unaware that she is sharing one of hers with them. He wonders if she is aware of the pronounced sashsay to her step today, of the overfull lips, bruised by hours of passionate embrace, the slight flush of her cheek that perhaps comes with awareness of his glance.

The conversation in the turbolift has, if anything, renewed his vigour and confidence. Admitting the need to take things more slowly, find their steps, his steps in the alpha quadrant before further promises can be made seems inherently right. It is the beginning of a return to himself. It is this resurgence of self that allows him to deflect the light hearted banter from his friends without misplaced anger.

'so, from your expression, I guess everything is still in working order' Mike makes an early jibe as he sits down. 'better than working order' suggest Sam 'watch her wiggle' and the delaney sisters smother a joint giggle. They haven't been so close to the command team, and are currently uncertain over the extent they can take liberties. Harry, however, needs a thump on his back, happily administered by Tom. Probably administered too enthusiastically by the speed and trajectory the mouthful of pain au chocolat takes that narrowly misses Icheb, sitting behind with an excitable Naomi. 'it's OK, Harry' tom says in his best older brother tone 'parents do have sex...eventually' as he grins wickedly at Chakotay. 'knock it off, P'tak' says a ravenous B'Elanna, who is single handedly trying to empty the table of the heaps of french and danish breakfast items. Keeping a part Klingon baby well fed takes a lot of energy. He just grins wolfishly back at all of them. 'A gentleman never tells' is his only answer, catching her eye across the room, and hoping that the reassurance he sends gives her the courage not to just run away. He does have a moment of fear, but the tilt up of her chin shows him she is in defiant mode. All will be well.

When he pays attention again to the conversation swirling around the table, it is clear that his are not the only quarters to have seen some last minute excitement. So he passes on the his congratulations that he is is 'not the only one to execute *well laid* plans' with particular emphasis on well laid. B'Elanna murmurs her appreciation on his good come back and so the table degenerates into a fiesta of double entendre and thinly veiled smut. He knows he should probably shut down this talk, it isn't entirely becoming, but they are still off duty, and he is feeling very smug and comfortable in his overall performance, and they are probably close enough to all be considered family. Megan and Jenny are unaware that this isn't the usual senior table conversation style, and are somewhat shocked, and feel that they have missed out over the last seven years. Harry just continues to enhance his roseate hue, starting at a gentle peach but now he is truly flaming. Jenny quite likes the fact that he isn't as brazen as the others. She as quite high hopes for this relationship, newly minted that it is. Chakotay was not the only senior crew to have a member that performed rather spectacularly, and Harry's dedication to duty was quite exemplary. She shifts in her chair and strokes his thigh. This just increases his roseate hue.

Unfortunately, a highly embarrassed Harry, with a dollop of arousal from the presence of a clearly appreciative and interested Jenny, and the topic of conversation, is not a Harry that thinks before he speaks. 'but what about Seven?' falls into the conversation like that rock, the ripples of which are clearly visible through the table. Chakotay frowns, Mike hides a snort of laughter, luckilly B'Elanna doesn't have a batleth and a snuffling Miral distracts her. An irascible chakotay places a glower of nearly the magnitude of a Janeway death stare in his direction, he adds to his likely destruction with, 'well clearly it must of been in working order, Seven would never accept anything that wasn't working with maximum efficiency'. The amsuement and horror combination at this statement is only accentuated by what Harry can't see. The Captain has made it to within audio range, and clearly picked up this incoming, from the speed at which she is now approaching the table.

By a stroke of good fortune all round, Seven is not within the same range, as Tuvok, always the perfect gentleman, has noticed her discomfort with the captain's suggestion of joining her at the over rowdy long table, and instead suggests they breakfast together in a quieter area. She willingly accepts, and here he will offer her the opportunity to come to Vulcan, when the time is right. That although not generally suitable for humans, the kohlinar discipline may be helpful for her, as it has been for B'Elanna. Seven contemplates her surprise at this information, reviewing her interactions with the chief engineer, and realising that although they are, to her mind, still overly emotional, there has been a clear reduction in combustible episodes. She nods her acquiescence. They discuss Vulcan quest for emotional control and Tuvok's company is most acceptable. So much so, that when he gives her advice on the interrelationship between herself and the command team, she realises the logic of his calmly delivered review and decides that she will aim to be as dispassionate.

back on the noisiest table, Tom has kicked Harry, hard. His immediate complaint is stilled by the raspy tones of his Captain, whose head seems to have materialised at his side. He wishes that he perhaps had choked to death on the pain-au chocolat, or that their would be a red alert, or aliens might transport him away. Either way, his heart appears to have stopped beating, and it is hard to draw a breath. 'Harry, this is not a conversation that becomes the senior team in such a public space' all the team at the table have a slightly shameful air about them now 'especially since she inadvertantly misclassified her interactions with the commander due to her innocence in these matters' it doesn't pass notice that this time B'Elanna is kicking Tom to make sure that he doesn't say anything. It may have been misclassified, but neither of them are completely sure it was inadvertant. 'I do not wish Seven to be discomfited by idle gossip on this matter, please allay any crew members concerns on this delicate issue if raised with you'

Having passed her reprimand, she then swings to sit the other side of B'Elanna, who unlatches a now well fed again Miral and plonks her in the Captain arms, whilst Tom busies himself by pouring fresh coffee. She quirks a smile down the table. 'I see that your manual must have been well researched, Tom. Perfect deflection. Chakotay, i hope that you will be reading it?' Chakotay can tell from her smile that his role is to work with her to get the table back to their previous state of relaxation, and with his best dimpled smile, responds 'I prefer a more...hands on... approach to mastering the subject' to a bit of a horrified gasp from probably Jenny, and wide grins from most of the senior crew, he continues with 'would you agree to further...experimentation, obviously with the best of scientific objectives when the...opportunity... arises'. The senior table collapses with this statement. A very blushing Captain just shakes her head with a smile born of some rather wonderful recent experiences coupled with the insane desire to just drag him away right now, and instead talks to Miral, as 'the most sensible member of her crew currently, and the most likely to behave' whilst Chakotay receives high fives from Mike and Tom. Harry whines as to why this is appropriate whilst his comment wasn't, so that both sisters tell him to grow up, it is the subject that is important. B'Elanna and Sam just share big grins, as they are both inordinately happy with the way things have finally turned out.

The conversation settles to a more appropriate line, mostly admiring Miral, and wondering what the docking or landing procedures will be. The mixed ensigns and crew around go back to concentrating on their own conversations about the events of yesterday and the lives they are going to make now home. It has been a surprise to a fair number of them that the command team actually weren't involved at any point before, but no one is anything other than happy for them now. This noisy team of clearly good friends, however disparate they seemed at the start, is what has helped get them all home. That their heroes are also human just makes them more cherished. The general swirl of conversation continues after the senior team leave to go on duty, the captain hugging everyone who stands as she walks past. That would be nearly everyone. Her first officer chivvying her along to her rolled eyes, as they are expecting the Admiral to contact at any moment. She points out Seven and Tuvok are undoubtedly on the bridge, but does make a sharpish exit with a wave.

-0-0-0-

This rather humorous chapter is dedicated to my sister, who was a writer and musician with a great sense of laughter and joy in her life, and had her life tragically cut short by cancer. Each year I try something new that I think she would have laughed at or with me about. For her this year, it is writing fanfic for star trek, which she hated! Missing you, sis, on what would have been your birthday. Always in my thoughts remembering the laughter we shared.