Chakotay was still sleeping when Kathryn opened her eyes in late morning. They had slept into each other's arms.

Kathryn untangled herself from his arms and propped herself up on one elbow. Then, she looked at him closely.

Chakotay looked very peaceful and calm. She observed that the lines on his forehead and around his eyes had now disappeared.

Kathryn wondered if she looked better too and she realized that she probably did!

In any case, she felt happy and light.

Kathryn started to caress his face and traced his tattoo. Chakotay stirred and sighed contentedly. Then, he opened his eyes and looked up at her.

He gave her a full-dimpled smile.

"Good morning," she purred and gave him a sleepy smile.

"Good morning, beautiful. How do you feel?"

"I'm fine and actually, I'm a bit hungry. Also, we need a shower," she smiled.

He kissed her softly and after a while, he stood up, completely at ease with their nudity, and brushed his hair back from his face.

"Let's see," he said excitedly, "We'll shower and then, I'll make you breakfast. After that, we can go outside."

Oh, he's a very handsome man, Kathryn thought and widened her eyes trying to focus her gaze on his face.

"Chakotay, you're naked!" she exclaimed finally.

"I know. Oh, we'll put something on to go outside," he joked.

Kathryn rolled her eyes and stood up hesitantly –and naked too.

She put her hands around his neck.

"Will we shower together?" she asked playfully and raised an eyebrow.

"Of course," he declared, "I've been dreaming to take a bath with you since New Earth," he chuckled.

"And I never thanked you properly for the bathtub you built for me," she purred and kissed him gently.

"I'm looking forward to it," he breathed and pulled her closer by her hips.

She sighed. "Fine. And then I'll see your garden… you know how much I love roses."

"Of course I know. This is why I planted a rose garden," he joked.

"You're quite a catch, Chakotay," she pointed out. "You're so gentle and passionate and romantic and sexy and compassionate…" Then, she laughed. "I could go on for hours…" she said and actually, blushed causing him to chuckle.

He kissed her hair tenderly.

"Janeway, you blushed!"

She groaned and buried her face in his shoulder.

"Oh, let's change the subject," she said and he nodded.

What about coffee? Can I drink?" she asked then and raised an eyebrow.

He chuckled.

"You'll drink but only a cup. Doctor's orders."

She sighed in frustration. "Understood. And how I'll go outside? I need clothes. I have only the t-shirt you gave me last night."

"Oh, it's quite isolated here. I have no neighbors."

"That's great," she declared and kissed him again. "Let's be antisocial together."

He laughed heartily.

"So, you can wear this t-shirt or you can go out totally naked. I have no problem."

She chuckled.

"Too bad I can't throw you in the space anymore."

"Come on, Kathryn," he said and offered his hand to her. "We've got a lot to do"

~.~

"Chakotay! This is amazing…" she exhaled as she looked up at the horizon.

"Are you talking about the coffee you drank or the view?" he teased her.

She laughed as he hugged her from behind.

"Shut up! You own my dream house," she exclaimed.

"You know, I always remembered our conversation."

Kathryn covered his hands on her waist with her own.

"Which one?"

"When I asked you how you'd imagine your life back in the Alpha Quadrant."

"Oh, I think I remember," she murmured.

"You told me you wanted a house with a spectacular view and a big garden.

"It's been a long time…"

Chakotay turned her around to face him. With a hand, he pulled her closer and kissed her on the forehead.

"Kathryn, it can be our house if you'd like to."

Her breath hitched.

"What… are you talking about?" she asked hesitantly and traced tenderly his tattoo, avoiding looking into his eyes.

He caught her wrist gently and kissed her palm.

"Look at me, Kathryn."

She obeyed.

"When I bought this house, I was thinking that someday you'd be living here with me," he confessed. "I know it's a bit early and you may prefer to stay with your mother and sister… and you have plenty of time to think about it."

"Oh, stop giving me time Chakotay. This is how 8 years passed," she joked.

He chuckled and lowered his head.

"I love you so much, Kathryn. Eight years - but it's worth it," he breathed.

She said nothing but smiled.

"Come on, let's lay in the grass and look up at the sky. I always liked to do that, but I haven't for years," she admitted.

Then, they lay down and Kathryn sighed in satisfaction.

"Come here," Chakotay said and pulled her closer.

In an instant, Kathryn snuggled against his warm chest and he put an arm around her waist.

"I don't need any more time, Chakotay" she said continuing their previous conversation. "I almost lost you once because I thought I had plenty of time…"

He shook his head. "I won't make the same mistake again – and I don't want to put a pressure on you. Just… think about it – I mean, about us living together… I think it wouldn't be too bad."

She nodded and they remained silent for a few minutes, kissing occasionally.

"Come on, Chakotay. Ask me… what do you want to know? We need to get through this, so we can continue with our lives."

He sighed deeply.

"Fine. Well, you avoided me through the debriefings and after them. You know, I'd tried to contact you repeatedly but you were nowhere to be found. And then you had this breakdown, you couldn't sleep, you wouldn't eat, you had panic attacks…am I right?"

"Oh, I see… the others told you everything," she said bitterly. "You know I'm okay now."

"They care too much about you, Kathryn. But I don't understand why you didn't tell me about your feelings. Why didn't you try to contact me? You went through this bullshit all alone. Why?"

"Oh Chakotay," she sighed. "First, I avoided you because I was too jealous and it'd be unfair to you. I mean, we were friends and you deserved to be happy. I had no right… So, I didn't want to disturb you. Then, when I collapsed, I really needed you and I thought about contacting you but no one had heard from you and I had no idea how I could find you…I know you'd tried to contact me a few times but it was before my, you know, breakdown."

"You'd never disturb me, Kathryn," he groaned, "we grew a bit apart but we always were best friends. Oh, Kathryn. I was here all the time. I just threw myself a pity party and I needed to be all alone for a while but I'd be there for you if I knew."

"I know," she reassured him and hugged him around the waist.

"Never again do this to me, Kathryn," he said and buried his face in her hair.

"I promise," she whispered and she meant it.

"Are you sure you're okay now?"

"I'm fine," she exclaimed, "I mean… I feel alive again, I feel strong and loved – and all these because of you. I have a purpose again, Chakotay. Do you understand me?" she asked him intensely.

"And what about Starfleet? You don't want to go back to work?" he asked and looked at her incredulously.

"I don't know," she moaned, "I think I don't want to be an Admiral. I mean… oh, you saw my future self. I don't want to become like her…" she admitted.

"But you won't," Chakotay assured her. "The timeline changed and none of this is going to happen."

"I thought so," she said sternly. "Then, we were home, I was promoted and you were with Seven – so I started to think that everything was going to be the same."

"But you were wrong and… Kathryn, you know you deserved this promotion – you more than anyone else."

Kathryn shook her head.

"Oh, I don't know. I just tried to do the best with the choices I had."

"And you did. Actually, I think you're one of the best officers Starfleet ever had."

She smiled and caressed his cheek.

"Thank you, but it isn't true. I made many mistakes and I became almost unethical in some situations."

"Kathryn, you did what you had to do. You know we had our differences but I never stopped admiring your courage, your intelligence, and your boldness. You did it, you brought us back to Earth and I know I wouldn't have. I'd probably be dead by now."

Kathryn closed her eyes not willing to think about other possibilities or timelines and caressed tenderly his chest.

"What about you, Chakotay? What do you want to do?"

He shrugged. "I think it's pretty simple for me now. If you stay, I'll stay. If you resign, I'll resign."

Kathryn chuckled. "So you'll follow me down no matter what?"

"Yes, because I belong to you Kathryn since the day I sacrificed my ship – since the day you stepped between Paris and me – and much more now," he answered without hesitation.

"Oh, my Maquis warrior," she said teasingly. "And what if I remained a captain and had the intention to continue the space exploration?"

"I'd follow you."

She giggled. "Oh, Chakotay I know you better than that. You want to settle down, don't you?"

"I'd like to but only if it's okay with you. I said I have no intention of letting you go again and I meant it, Kathryn," he answered and pulled her even closer by her hips.

She sighed and then shrugged. "Fine cause I'm not gonna back off again and I'm very, very tired of starships. I do want to settle down, to have a home and live as a normal person. Am I asking too much?"

"No Kathryn, you aren't but Starfleet was a big part of your life."

She nodded. "Yes, you're right and I know it but I sacrificed too much. I owe you, Chakotay."

"You owe me nothing," he exclaimed.

"I owe us!" she interrupted him, "I owe me, for God's sake."

He smiled gently. "I thought you didn't accept the promotion because you didn't want to do an office job. You're quite an explorer, you know."

She shook her head. "It's an office job but it'd be fine for me. I mean, I think I could do many things – but I guess the alternate timeline scared me half to death. I wanna quit with the exploration - I had enough and I'm not getting any younger. I… I want to create a family," she confessed hesitantly.

"Oh, I agree. I didn't accept the captaincy because I have the same thoughts. But I'd like to teach anthropology to young cadets, so I may accept this position."

"Oh yes," she said enthusiastically, "you'd be a great professor. Do it, Chakotay!"

He laughed. "I'll think about it."

"No, do it and I'll accept the promotion," she said decidedly.

"What?" he said and widened his eyes, "are you serious?"

She sat up and he did the same. "Of course I am! Let's do it together!"

"Together; like we did back on Voyager," he murmured.

"Yes. We were a good team, Chakotay," she said enthusiastically.

He laughed again, heartily. "Fine, let's do it."

"Do you think I'm good at diplomacy? An Admiral should have good diplomatic skills."

"Kathryn, you have to understand something. You can do everything."

"Oh, I can't take you seriously. You're in love with me."

"I mean it and it's the truth."

"What about the family? Are you in?" she asked then with confidence.

"What… are you talking about?" he asked cautiously, not wanting to get wrong her words.

"Oh come on, Chakotay. Don't make me propose you – do you want to create a family with me? I mean with babies and stuff – if we're lucky enough of course."

He laughed softly, his brown eyes boring into her.

"Spirits. You're really something, Kathryn Janeway."

She raised an eyebrow and gave him a lopsided smile.

"Is this a yes or no?"

"So, will you marry me?" he asked with a wide, full-dimpled, grin.

She shrugged. "Why not?"

He looked at her, astonished. "Are you serious or are you making fun of me?"

She stood up, laughing and ran down to the river. Immediately, he followed her.

"Kathryn, wait!" he called, "you're still weak!"

She took off her clothes and he stopped in his tracks.

He admired her slender curves, her graceful neck, her round breasts and trimmed waist, her longs legs and the way her hair caught fire in the sunlight. She was a marvel to him.

"I'm fine, Chakotay," she said loudly as she slipped into the water until only her shoulders showed. "Come on!"

He undressed quickly and swam to her side. Kathryn hugged him and wrapped her legs around his waist. They kissed long and lazily.

"I'll move in with you and I'll marry you," she assured him. "BUT we'll marry quickly – no more engagements and fiancés. I had enough bad luck with this shit. And you'll be the cook."

"Kathryn, are you sure? Don't change your mind later," he warned her.

"Oh my," she said innocently, "don't you trust me?"

He laughed softly.

"With my life."

"Well, too bad for you," she purred and he chuckled.

"When we'll tell the others?"

"In a few hours – well at least to my mother and sister because I need my stuff – my clothes, my books, my favorite cup…"

He nodded with a large grin splitting his face.

"What do you think? You look so calm…" she said and caressed his face.

"I feel...I found true peace again. You… I mean us…our relationship… it feels like home. We're finally home, Kathryn."

She nodded and her eyes were suddenly moist with unshed tears.

"Yes, I have the same feeling. We made it."

He kissed her eyelids.

"So you were right – we're quite a pair," he said trying to make light of the situation.

Kathryn chuckled.

"You know, I never had sex in the water."

"Oh, that's something we can correct," he murmured and they kissed.

Everything was right.

They were finally home.

They had -finally- all the time in the world.