A/N: Since this chapter is fairly short (but poignant!), I'm going to include two chapters in this week's update. You're welcome.
That was how, fifteen minutes later, the entire senior staff was on the Bridge to witness crossing the Neutral Zone. There wasn't much of a change on the viewscreen. If you were at a console and could see the difference in ion trails or the subspace frequencies being used you could tell. But somehow, they all knew. The final leg of their journey had begun.
Tom, Harry, Chakotay, Tuvok, and Janeway were all in their usual places. B'Elanna sat at the Engineering station. The Doctor, Seven and Neelix stood on the platform behind the Captain and her first officer.
Just to make it official, Harry said, "Captain, we have cleared the Neutral Zone."
"Thank you, Lieutenant. Mister Paris, slow to full impulse," Janeway ordered.
"Aye, Captain," Tom said.
After that was done, Janeway opened the shipswide channel again.
"People," she said to gain their attention. "We have just left the Neutral Zone. We made it!"
There was a moment of silence. Then, all over the ship, the crew rose to attention and began to applaud their captain. Janeway allowed this to go on for several minutes. Tears were welling up in her eyes as she said, "All right, back to work!" She knew she was blushing. She closed the channel as everyone returned to their posts.
"Mister Kim, please send the following transmission, audio only. 'From Captain Kathryn Janeway of the USS Voyager to Starfleet HeadQuarters: We're home.' End transmission," Janeway said.
"Aye, Captain," Harry said. There was a pause. "Tranmission sent, Captain, along with our current coordinated and course heading."
"Good thinking, Lieutenant. Thank you."
"Whoever is in charge of Communications at HeadQuarters is about to get the shock of his life," Tom said with a grin.
Janeway laughed. "Tom, for once you've made an understatement. The whole Quadrant is about to get the shock of their lives!"