Captain Kathryn Janeway stood where she had stood for 7 years on her ship and looked round at the empty bridge. Everyone had been reunited with friends and family and had headed off to a party to welcome their safe return home. Ensign Harry Kim had been reunited with his parents and girlfriend Libby, B'lanna and Tom had been moved to somewhere off the ship to care for their new born baby, the Doctor was greeted by fans of his holonovel and Seven of Nine had met her Aunt for the first time. Janeway had met with her family and had a teary reunion but had requested a moment, while everyone else went to the party, so she could say goodbye to what she considered an old friend. Kathryn ran her hand over the helm control panel, recalling Tom's expert piloting skills and the time when she had been subject to an alien scientific study and nearly destroyed the ship as a result. She looked over at tactical and smiled as she remembered the Vulcan scolding she used to get from Tuvok, her oldest friend. Her eyes then wondered over to the operations station where Harry Kim used to stand. A fond look passed over her face at the thought of Harry. She looked up at the blank screen and thought of her crew, B'lanna and her intelligence and wicked temper, Seven and her almost childlike misunderstanding of the world around her thanks to the work of the Borg, the Doctor who had become a very close friend to her despite his holographic being. And then Janeway thought back to those lost or left behind, Kes, Ahni Jetal, Seska, Neelix, all those she had come to know gone from her life. Janeway moved back from the helm and sat down in the chair that she had commanded the ship from while they were stranded for those 7 long years. Kathryn looked to her left at the empty seat beside her and a tear rolled down her cheek. After years of being a lone ship in an uncharted area of space, with no friends or allies Kathryn Janeway had never felt so alone.

"One last moment with your ship?" A voice said from the door and Kathryn whipped her head round and gave her signature smile,

"I'm trying to work out if I can fit it in my garden" she joked and the chair next to her became occupied.

"Kathryn I know you, your making jokes and putting on a brave face but you don't want to let go do you?" Kathryn's eyes welled up as she shook her head,

"I guess I'm just worried about life off this ship, Tuvok has his wife, Seven her long lost Aunt, Tom and B'Lanna have each other and their new family and I feel all of my family was on board this ship. This giant metal can that carried us across the Delta Quadrent, this ship that never gave up on us, on me and I have to leave it behind. I have to leave my family behind." Kathryn blinked back the tears in her eyes and they locked onto the brown ones of her companion who smiled at her with his warm, comforting smile

"you're not alone Kathryn, we're all still a family and as for voyager well..." He paused and rose from his chair and looked round the room. He stopped near the operations station and picked up a small chuck of metal that had fallen off during the efforts to get home. He returned to the chair and handed it to her

"Here, now she'll never leave you." Kathryn took the metal and allowed the tears to roll freely down her cheeks as she smiled. The two sat in comfortable silence for another 5 minutes or so until he turned to face her"we going to go to this party or not?" He asked with a grin and she nodded as they both stood. Kathryn leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek and he gave her a confused look

"what was that for?" She grinned at him "everything." He returned her grin and linked arms with her as the exited the bridge. Captain and First officer leaving their ship, for the very last time.

I have recently rewatched Endgame and though I still absolutely love it I was hugely disappointed that at the end Chakotay wasn't by Kathryn's side. I'm a massive J/C shipper and hated the idea of C/7 but that's how they chose to do it and they did an amazing friendship between the two so this can either be interpreted as J/C romance or friendship depending on your perspective.

I am planning a Voyager fanfic series where I'll be using an OC I've created but it won't be centred around them and I'll be adding some scenes, rewriting some episodes and hopefully ending up with some ships we all wanted to see happen. It's still in the works so keep an eye out of your liked this little one-shot. Please read and review .