"No," Harry answered when she began to explain the plan. He'd never interrupted her before and it took Kathryn a moment to recover.

"No?"

"No," Seven concurred. "Your plan to remain behind while Voyager returns home is flawed. The Admiral's plan where Voyager returns home is also flawed. The only logical course of action is to destroy the transwarp hub. We will find another method of reaching Earth. We will adapt."

Chakotay's smile was dangerously a smirk. Kathryn looked from him to Tuvok. Tom and B'Elanna were still in sickbay with the Doctor, and the Admiral had insisted on supervising the modifications to Voyager in B'Elanna's absence.

"That plan is not what I'm ordering you to do," Kathryn reminded the four faces staring at her.

"Though I have rarely found the need to fail to heed your orders before, unfortunately, I believe this is a time where I must agree with Mr. Kim and Seven of Nine. Voyager will not abandon you in the Delta Quadrant, nor will we return home to risk losing you to the Borg. Using the transwarp hub poses too great of a risk. We would rather continue as a family than risk losing what we have in the small hope of seeing the families we left behind."

She'd been on the verge of tears since she'd left sickbay. Crying into Chakotay's chest seemed to have only weakened her defences. This meeting was supposed to be short and when it was done, she was meant to prepare to stay in the Delta Quadrant alone. It was the only way to get her crew home and keep herself out of the hands of the Borg.

"Voyager will have ablative armour, enhanced phasers, transphasic torpedoes and all the shield enhancements the admiral can give us," Harry listed off. "Don't get me wrong, captain. I'd love to follow your orders and go home, but, if there's one thing I've learned from you, we don't leave one of ours behind. We all go home, without knowing the Borg are coming to get you in a few years, or none of us do. At least not today."

"You may file a formal complaint in all the permanent records of the crew involved in this decision," Tuvok added, lifting a PADD from the table. "Though I believe it will take some time to do so."

The PADD went to Chakotay first, who began to smile as soon as he read it. "Captain, the only names missing from this list are yours and mine." He paused and set down the PADD to add a note to the bottom. "And I'm afraid I agree with them. You'll have to put us all on report, but, you'll have to do it here, on Voyager in the Delta Quadrant."

"I know a lot of the crew were tempted to return home, captain," Harry volunteered. "I was, but the cost is too high. Besides, we can call home on the Pathfinder and Ambassador Chakotay's Starfleet perfected slipstream warp drive a few years from now. What's a few more years among friends?"

She dropped her head into her hands, utterly failing to keep the tears out of her eyes. "Harry, Chakotay, Tuvok, Seven- all of you- talked the crew into this?" she asked without looking up.

"The crew required very little convincing," Seven reported. "We wish to remain in this collective, even if the collective remains located in the Delta Quadrant."

"It is logical to remain as a unit when the unit functions as efficiently as this one," Tuvok added.

"Tom said I am to tell you 'like hell we'll let you stay, captain'," Seven added. "B'Elanna's sentiment was even explicit."

Chakotay was trying very hard not to chuckle, and his small failure made her lift her eyes from the table.

"I should put all of you in the brig," Kathryn said, shaking her head as tears ran hot down her face. She wiped at her eyes once, but finally let herself weep.

"It would be difficult to run the ship by yourself," Seven observed. "I have experienced it and it was less than ideal."

"You should listen to Seven, captain," Chakotay added traitorously. "She knows what she's talking about."

"I don't know if it's appropriate to thank you for mutiny, but in this case, I will make an exception." Kathryn hated her voice for wavering; there was little she could do to prevent it. "Thank you, all of you. I hope you realise this is a once in a lifetime occasion."

"Yes, ma'am," Harry agreed, beaming.

"And that if you ever- ever- even think of doing this again-"

"We would rather not be required to intervene in this method, however, this time it was necessary." Tuvok finished for them.

"The modifications to the ship are underway," Seven reported. "We require thirteen hours and approximately forty-five minutes to complete them. Perhaps longer if Admiral Janeway continues to assist us."

"She needs the work right now," Chakotay explained. "Be patient with her."

"I shall endeavour to do so," Seven replied. She thought for a moment, then added with a slight smile, "perhaps it is good that Lieutenant Torres is in labour now, while the admiral would be getting into her hair."

"We might not want to mention that," Harry said.

"I had not intended to."

"You're dismissed," Kathryn said, glancing at each of them as they stood. "With my thanks."

Harry just grinned at her. Seven appeared pleased and Tuvok lingered to make sure she was all right.

"Would you make a visit to Admiral Janeway for me? I think she might be in need of a nice cup of Vulcan spice tea."

"Of course, captain."

Kathryn dismissed him with a pat on his shoulder and turned to the star-filled window. Her heart had been wrenched and twisted. She'd been given the dressing down of her life, by herself, no less, and her crew had mutinied to save her life. She should have been thinking of one of the myriad problems in desperate need of her attention. Instead, the almost interrupted kiss she'd shared with Chakotay was first in her mind.

He leaned against the table at her side, patiently waiting for her to take advantage of his presence, as she always did.

Speaking of anything would have only made her tears run faster, and she was running out of the energy to produce any more.

"Let me walk you to your quarters," he said, rubbing her shoulder gently. "The crew have their assignments, the Doctor will announce when B'Elanna has her baby, you've done enough for one day."

"They didn't have to do that," she protested as they headed for the door. "All of them. Every last name."

"Wouldn't you take the ship into danger for any one of them?"

"That's different," she argued. Kathryn tried to discern how and finally had to give up entirely. "Maybe it's not. I don't know anymore."

"It's been a long day," he reminded her gently. "Even without our unexpected guests."

She'd been so heartless. "Chakotay- you- I mean, how are you coping with-"

"Losing myself?" he answered, sending the turbolift to deck three. "He was at peace," he explained, taking his time with his thoughts. "I've been at war with myself most of my life, in one way or another. That me, whatever he'd been through before he came here, was at peace once he arrived."

A cool sensation ran down her spine like a hand and she shivered as they paused outside her quarters. "Because of me."

"More because of hope," Chakotay corrected her kindly. "Though, you're definitely part of that."

Kathryn tapped the panel, opening the door to her quarters. They were dark and still; the last place she wanted to be at the moment. "Cup of tea?"

"Always," he agreed, following her in.

The door hissed shut behind them and Kathryn paused before she reached the replicator. She turned, not even bothering to ask the computer for the lights. He waited, smiling at her patiently in the dark.

"What is it?" he asked gently.

Her split second of debate was brief and one sided. Instead of answering him, or even turning on the lights, she closed the distance between them and kissed him. Unlike the slow exploration of their kiss in the ready room, this was quick, rough and demanding. Instead of talking, or even trying to slow her down, he understood what she needed. He always did; perhaps that was why she loved him to a foolish degree. She no longer doubted in the slightest that she had loved him for several years.

His hands caught her shoulders, first holding her close, then tugging at her uniform jacket. She didn't have the energy or the patience for slow and thoughtful. Catches and zippers melted beneath his nimble fingers and she shrugged out of her jacket. Guiding his hand to her breast, she sighed as he crushed it hard between his palm and her chest. His fingers crawled back along it, teasing the nipple through her bra and the thin grey undershirt. Chakotay kissed down her neck, sucking the flesh until she gasped at the feel of his teeth.

Tearing off his jacket and helping him fumble out of it, she retreated towards the sofa. The bed and the bedroom could wait.

Instead of following her lead, he grabbed her legs and lifted her up on the glass table in the centre of the room. Wrapping her legs around his waist, Kathryn tugged his shirt free, then up and off his shoulders. Licking and nibbling her way up his chest, she moaned when his hand ran down her stomach. Her breath sped in her chest when he tossed her undershirt away. Ignoring her bra, he took both breasts into his hands and abused them through the fabric. Warm, insistent fingers slipped beneath to tease her nipples and she tore the bra off herself in frustration.

He chuckled, let it become a growl in his throat, and pulled off her shoes in quick succession. She reached for his trousers, feeling the hard heat the moment she had them open. Teasing it with her hand through his shorts, she kissed him roughly. He panted into her mouth, reaching around her hips. Kathryn lifted her butt from the table so he could tug her own trousers, and panties with them, off completely. Forcing her nude legs open wide around his waist, he dropped his hand down her stomach and chased the wetness of her up towards the aching desperation of her clit.

Then she really moaned, loud enough to startle him. He kissed her to take it away, sliding his fingers in a slow, maddening circle. The cool glass beneath her and the heat of him in front of her were almost too sharp a contrast to comprehend. He checked with his fingers, teasing her, making her wonder if he was really going to make her wait.

Penetration came in a deep, conquering thrust. Her surprised exhalation became a gasp of surrender. His fingers held her lower back, keeping her steady and tight against him. His hips ruled their motion, but she controlled the angle. Using her legs to pull him in and increase the friction between them, she let her breathing go.

He caught her neck and held her lips firm to be kissed. Chakotay's tongue fought against hers, distracting her as he found his way deeper. She was easy, almost too much so. Between his fingers and the heat of him within, she laughed and panted her release into his neck. He held her a moment, still full within her.

He stroked her cheek, unbelievably patient and somehow maddeningly calm. "Bed."

Separating from him renewed the ache she'd thought was over. Kathryn was only a moment ahead of him, but still somehow he'd found time to remove the rest of his clothing. He caught her against the bulkhead on the way to her bedroom. Pushing her hair aside, he kissed the base of her neck, then down her back. When he was content, he flipped her, lowered his mouth to hers and reminded her what she loved about kissing.

He even added a few things.

Half-retreating, half-leading him to the bed, she turned so that she was the one who pushed him back onto it. The blanket she hadn't found time to make that morning slipped aside and Chakotay tugged her down. Climbing into his lap, she moaned her way through his exploration of her breasts before she buried him deep within her again. The angle was different, sharper, and she relished his huff of surprise. Rocking over him, Leaning back first, then falling forward so she curled over his chest. Their rhythm was syncopated and much harsher than it might have been. When her gasps had become desperate whimpers, he flipped her over, bent back her leg and let her stop thinking.

Twisting her hands into the sheet, she let go with one and ran it through his sweat-dampened hair. She loved him, her fingers promised as they trailed down his neck. It wasn't loneliness or lust.

Licking up from her breast to her chin, he kissed her slowly and sweetly, stopping his movement within her long enough to be sure she understood. This was commitment, a promise that neither of them would push the other away.

Her body sealed their bargain, stiffening and shuddering through an orgasm much stronger than the first. Kathryn was still beneath him, caught between the heat of his chest and the damp sheets of the bed, when he found his release within her. For a moment, they were both undone, tangled together and lost to the rest of universe.

When he tried to roll off, she kept him, wanting the weight for a while longer. She smiled up at him, holding his cheek before he kissed her.

He pulled her over with him when he rolled, stopping with her head on his shoulder and her legs entwined with his.

"I thought you were the type to make your bed," he said, amused.

Kathryn giggled and kissed the smooth skin of his shoulder. "I was in a hurry."

Toying with her hair, Chakotay laughed with her. "It was busy day."

"Wasn't it?" she sighed, closing her eyes and wishing the lingering peace of her orgasm would remain until she slept.

"We should have-"

"Oh yes."

Something chirped. Kathryn was somewhere between sleep and a lazy sense of wonder but she knew the sound was her commbadge. She groaned, lifted her head and finally crawled from the bed. The chirping continued and he followed her. Her uniform jacket and her precious commbadge were on the floor in a heap in front of the replicator.

"Janeway here." She hoped she didn't sound too out of breath. Maybe it was late enough that she could have been asleep.

"Sorry to wake you," the Doctor said cheerfully. "I just thought you might like to know that the newest member of the crew arrived just a few minutes ago. Little Miral and both her parents made it through labour with flying colours."

"Thank you, Doctor," she replied, cradling her commbadge in her hand as the sound of the baby testing her new lungs filled her quarters. "Give them my congratulations, won't you?"

Chakotay's strong arms wrapped around her as the Doctor promised to do so. He held her close, easing the last of the ache in her heart. The baby was all right, the crew would remain together and somehow, they would find a way home.

"So you stopped being an idiot?" Kathryn asked, her eyebrow raised in a nearly Vulcan expression.

Her younger self, little Captain Kathryn Janeway, fidgeted a little but smiled. "I did."

Shaking the hypospray full of the deadly paralytic agent in her direction, Kathryn nodded her approval. "Good," she said. "I'd hate to think someone else would have to come back and knock some sense into you."

The captain smiled, clearly grateful. "Thank you."

"I was harsh," Kathryn said almost apologetically. "Very harsh."

"I may have needed you to be," the captain replied gently. It was that innocent smile of hers that Kathryn had lost over the last few years. Maybe the captain could find a way to keep it. If she had Chakotay, she had a good chance.

"Keep him around," Kathryn suggested. "He's not going to lose any of it as he gets older."

The captain blushed faintly when she realised what her older self was insinuating. "You-"

"I'd wasted decades without him," Kathryn interrupted serenely. "Why would I have wasted any chance to be with him?"

The captain pondered that for a moment, then nodded. "I'm happy for you. The ambassador too."

"We took too longer to figure it out and we paid for it," Kathryn concluded, beginning the shuttle launch sequence. "Don't do that."

"I won't," the captain promised earnestly.

Kathryn missed that wide-eyed look. How long had it been since she'd been able to do that? Ten years?

"Godspeed, Admiral," the captain bid her farewell, heading for the hatch before it closed.

"Captain," Kathryn called over her shoulder. "It was good to see you again. Take care of yourself. If you're not careful, you could become a real bitch in your old age."

The captain's smile gave way to a little laugh. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Only one cure for it you know," Kathryn deadpanned, knowing she'd be naive enough to fall for it.

The captain looked up from the bottom of the ramp. "Oh?"

"Regular sex," Kathryn answered before she turned back to her console. "Regular incredible sex is preferred, provided you know where to find it. Shouldn't be too hard," she called as the hatch shut her in. Teasing herself about her sex life was far from an eloquent farewell, but it was what the captain needed.

Flying out of Voyager's shuttlebay towards the Borg and her fate, Kathryn smiled to herself. Chakotay had been right, there was peace in the end. Her end had a finality to it that was comforting and the captain was still near the middle of her life. Kathryn had been there and lost everything that mattered; the captain still had a chance to be happy.

A damn good chance.

A flaming transwarp hub was a hell of a memorial and Tom counted it for both of the visitors from the future. The green flashes of the destruction of all the Borg in the nebula continued to rage as Voyager leapt away to warp. Admiral Janeway had given her life for them, distracting the Borg long enough for Voyager to blow the transwarp hub into flaming splinters. Tom glanced back from his console and caught the captain sharing a long look with Chakotay.

They'd been doing that lately. Maybe longer than he'd even noticed them gazing at each other. Yesterday, in between B'Elanna swearing and telling him they'd never have sex again, he'd seen the captain let Chakotay hug her. He knew friendly hugs and that one had been far from 'your my best friend' territory and firmly into 'I love you and I'd do anything to ease your pain'."

Not that anyone suspected they were anything less. According to Harry, who'd heard from Chll, who'd seen Seven with Beth Lang talking about her failed date with Chakotay: the captain had been in love with Chakotay almost as long as the first officer had been in love with her.

Since he had B'Elanna, and the baby, Tom figured his life was about as good as it could possibly get. That meant he was free to meddle in everyone else's. Since Seven had Beth, and it appeared the captain and the commander had finally gotten it into their heads to scratch an itch must have desperately needed attending too, his mission was Harry.

Poor guy just couldn't get a date. Tom set the autopilot and glanced thoughtfully up at the starlines above him on the viewsceen. They had a few years left out here, Harry had to get lucky eventually. It was a small ship.

On his console, Tom caught the reflection of Chakotay's hand on the captain's back as they disappeared into the ready room. He turned in his chair, meeting Harry's eye and raising his eyebrows. "Seems like the ghosts of Christmas future did them some good."

"Maybe they just needed to know that it was all right," Harry mused.

"I believe the phrase is that they needed "a good kick in the uniform"," Tuvok quoted as he took the captain's vacant seat.

"That doesn't sound that Vulcan to me, Tuvok." Harry observed.

Tom looked on, grinning at both of them.

"It is a proud Starfleet tradition," Tuvok replied, only showing a trace of disdain. "I heard it from Captain Sulu."

"Which one?" Harry wondered. "Hikaru or Demora?"

"You are such a nerd," Tom sighed, rolling his eyes. "Everyone knows that was Captain Hikaru Sulu. What did you do at the Academy anyway, study?"