A do not own star trek voyager or its characters.

So here's the next chapter. i'm going to be gone for the next few days so i won't be posting for a little while but i'll try and get the next chapter up ASAP. enjoy!

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Chakotay was shocked. He couldn't believe it. He looked at the girl who was hugging him more closely and saw a lot of Kathryn in her. She had the same long red hair and the same blue eyes. She was also quite petite, which was why—in the distance—he had thought she was Janeway. But when looking more closely at her, he could see the differences. She had freckles on her faces—most around her nose—but they weren't totally obvious. They were more like a part of her face.

And she was young. Much, much younger than Kathryn. She looked to be sixteen or something, which made him worried. What had happened here? If this is his daughter—which he could tell by looking at her face—then how did she get so old so fast? According to his calculations, unless something caused Kathryn to deliver early, she should still be pregnant.

Tom came up behind him and looked at the girl. The girl looked back through her large curious eyes. When she looked at him, she smiled. He wasn't sure why. She gave him a hug—but a much smaller one than she gave Chakotay. After releasing them, she grabbed Chakotay's hand and tried to pull him in the direction she was going. He wouldn't budge. She looked at him and froze.

Chakotay felt himself being studied. She seemed to be thinking and trying to confirm his identity. Then she looked at Tom. They noticed something was wrong with her, just by the look in her eyes.

"Have you come to bring us to Voyager?" she asked nervously. Chakotay looked at the girl, unsure of what she meant. She seemed to suddenly begin to worry.

"Not everyone, at least not yet. Voyager needs engineers to repair her first," he explained. This didn't seem to help much. If anything, it made it worse. However, she tried to mask it and if they hadn't seen how nervous she was a few seconds ago, it would have been believable. Apparently, the "captain's face" was genetic.

"Well then, we better hurry if we want to get to town square before it becomes too dark. I'm sure all the adults will be happy to see you." Chakotay and Tom followed but gave each other a confused look. All the adults? Chakotay thought. What did that mean? Were there more children then just this one? Of course, Naomi Wildman would be there, but he got a feeling there would be a lot more children than just these two.

As they walked, Chakotay tried to make conversation and learn some things about what was going on. The walk was long and in a similar direction as they had had walked earlier, but on a different path.

"You know, you have us at a disadvantage. You know our names but you haven't told us yours." She blushed but answered anyway.

"Katrina Janeway," she answered, then continued with a devilish smile. "But if you have any questions, I'll only answer them if you answer mine, one question for one."

"Alright, deal," Chakotay said. He figured she just wanted to know stuff about him—nothing too major or anything—so it wouldn't hurt her to ask. However, he went first.

"What's happened since the Kazon left the crew here?" He wanted to know more general things, to get an idea. Specifics he could get later.

"Well," she said after thinking for a moment, no doubt collecting her thoughts, "sometime soon after the Kazon left, Kes found natives here, lead by Konoth. They agreed to help us and helped cure Naomi. After that, there was some volcanic activity and the crew began to build a settlement. The crew still had hopes of you coming, especially anytime they thought they saw something in the sky. None had been Voyager. Some people managed to stay optimistic and determined while others decided to just settle in and tuck their hope in the deep recesses of their minds. Harry Kim is the former. If you so much as hint at the fact that Voyager's not coming, he flips out. I'd think after all this time, he'd at least let people let themselves believe what they want. My mother's the opposite of him, completely. She still has hope—don't get me wrong—but she's not searching under every rock for a possible way home. I remember this time when I saw Harry actually turning over rocks outside of town, hoping to find something. It was hilarious."

Tom and Chakotay looked at one another. Harry Kim seemed to fit the bill but her mother—who she said was Kathryn—didn't seem accurate. She wouldn't just give up and settle on this planet. That was not like her. Tom needed to know more.

"So you're saying Captain Janeway hasn't been looking for every possible way home?" he asked.

"Well, not now. According to B'Elanna, at the very beginning—after having resources and a system to get more, she was 'vigorously determined' and wouldn't stop trying to patch together idea. But that's just what B'Elanna says. I've never seen her like that before in my life and I don't have even the slightest memory of it. Other people agree with B'Elanna's story but they make it seem much more relaxed about her search, but still searching. Now she just investigates when people 'see' Voyager."

Chakotay was glad to be hearing this small recap of what had happened here on the planet. It would prepare him better for when he got to Kathryn. It troubled him to know something was wrong with her—her actions showed it—and wanted more than ever to be with her and hold her in his arms. How he missed Kathryn.

"So now I get to ask you each a question," Katrina said. "Why has it taken you almost seventeen years to find us?"

That stopped them in their tracks. Seventeen years? What? No wonder she's this old. But wait . . . how is that possible? Chakotay thought to himself. He saw Katrina was staring at him with a confused look and realized he must look concerned.

"Maybe you should forget I asked," she said, trying to save them both from answers that obviously were difficult. "Anyway, we're almost there. Just over that hill."

She pointed to it and Tom Paris smiled at her. "Race you," he said and she answered by sprinting off. He followed after her and Chakotay watched with a smile as Katrina won and started giggling. He walked after them, catching up as they were calming down but still smiling.

Then she took their hands and let them look out. They could see the settlement and the town square. They could see their crewmembers and hear the giggles of children. Everyone seemed to be quieting down to go to sleep.

And then it happened. After all this time, it was finally becoming reality. She looked down into the town square and was filled with joy.

Down in the town square he saw her.

He saw Kathryn.

His Kathryn.

--

Janeway stood in the town square, looking for Katrina. She was supposed to be back by now. It was later than Katrina usually came back by a lot. She hoped to find her in the square but instead she found Naomi playing with some of the little children. Naomi and Katrina split up sometimes but she had hoped today would not be one of those days. She walked over to Naomi to ask where and when they had split.

"A while ago."

"Before or after the appearance?" Naomi thought about it, trying to be sure.

"Before. Definitely before." That didn't make her feel any better.

"Where were you?"

"Over the hill, as usual. I don't know why she isn't back yet." Janeway looked up at the hill, where Naomi and Katrina often ventured. She saw nothing and was about to go climb and look on the other side when she saw Katrina reach the top.

And then she saw two figures next to her.

She looked at them, trying to figure out who they were. They didn't seem threatening but from this distance, the Kazon could look unthreatening. However, as she looked at the two, they looked oddly familiar. And then she was able to use the light to see the face of one.

She gasped and prayed that she wasn't hallucinating. Naomi turned to look at her, and then followed her gaze. She saw the figures but they meant nothing to her.

But they were everything to Janeway. She couldn't move as she stared up and took in this moment. Standing there, at the top of the hill was Chakotay.

Her Chakotay.

He was actually there. Voyager had really come. They were going to go home.

But most of all, she had Chakotay back.

To Be Continued . . .