Summary: A new challenge is suddenly introduced in Kathryn's life.

The hallway was nearly empty, there were too few people for her taste. Commander Kathryn Janeway sat, nervously, in one of Starfleet Command briefing rooms, waiting. Being submitted to a meeting with the brass was rarely a good thing. She used the time to recall what had happened in the last few weeks, trying to remember if she had done something wrong that caused the meeting, but she didn't find a thing. Besides, her captain would had said something.

The door opened and Admirals Nechayev, Moore and James entered the room. Kathryn quickly stood at attention. They positioned themselves at the other side of the table, in front of her, and left the PADDs and the box they were carrying on the surface.

Alynna smiled at her, wanting to soothe her a bit. "At ease, Commander."

"Please, sit down." Admiral Moore told her.

"Thank you, sir." Kathryn replied.

The four of them sat down. They were silent for a few seconds, even if for Kathryn seemed like minutes, until Admiral James began to talk.

"You must be curious about the reason of this meeting." She said.

"A bit, ma'am." Kathryn answered.

"You haven't done anything wrong." Alynna quickly continued. "Your service record continues to be as exemplary as always."

"And this is one of the reasons why we're here today." Moore explained. "Captain Santana got an offer to teach at the Academy and he has decided to accept it." He paused, smiling slightly at Kathryn's astonished face. "Alynna, would you like to tell her?" He asked his colleague.

Please! Somebody tell me, now!, Kathryn wanted to yell at them.

"Santana sent us the crew evaluations a few weeks ago." Alynna began. "He praised your work and was really impressed with your progress over the few years you've been serving under him. He thinks you are ready."

"Ready for what?" Kathryn asked, without thinking.

"To be the next Captain of the USS Bonestell." She answered, smiling. "The Admiralty had a long meeting about this. We know that there are commanders with more experience but you've got something special, Kathryn, we all know it. The Bonestell is a science vessel and, with your extensive scientific background and your work over the years, we think you deserve this opportunity. So, please, stand up."

Kathryn quickly complied and stood up while the three Admirals did the same. Admiral Moore gave Nechayev the small black box. She went around the table and stopped in front of Kathryn. Alynna opened the box and left it on the table.

"Commander Kathryn Janeway, I hereby grant you Field Promotion to Captain with all the commensurate responsibilities and privileges of that rank. Congratulations, Katie." Alynna said, pinning the fourth pip on Kathryn's collar before shaking her hand.

"Congratulations, Captain." The other two Admirals told her, also shaking her hand.

"Thank you." Kathryn sincerely replied.

"Take the weekend off, Captain. We'll see you on Monday, bright and early, to talk about your first mission." James told her.

"Thank you, ma'am."

"Dismissed."

Gretchen Janeway was sitting at her kitchen's table, grading some papers, when she heard the front door of her home being opened. Thinking it was Phoebe, she continued with her work after taking an small sip of tea.

"Ma! Are you home?" Kathryn yelled from the hall.

"Kathryn?" Gretchen said out loud, surprised. She quickly stood up and went to greet her daughter. She engulfed her in a tight hug and kissed her cheek. "What are you doing here?"

"Can't I stop by to see my mother?" Kathryn asked, joking.

"Of course!" Gretchen exclaimed, lightly smacking her daughter's arm. "Come on, let's go make some coffee for you."

Together, they walked to the kitchen. While Gretchen made the coffee, Kathryn sat down and grabbed her mother's papers to pry a bit.

"Where's the little monster?" Kathryn asked her mother.

"At class. She'll be back by dinner. Will you stay?" Gretchen replied, turning her head to look at her.

"Probably." She answered, absent-mindedly, while she continued to read. "Your students are a bit amateurish."

"They are in their first year, give them a break Katie." Gretchen laughed. She took the cup from the coffeemaker and gave it to her daughter.

"Thanks." Kathryn said before returning the exams to her mother.

"Tell me." Gretchen simply stated.

"What?" Kathryn asked, amused.

"You obviously have something to tell me. I know you, Katie. So, spill it."

"Don't you see something different about me?" She asked her mother, enjoying the situation.

Gretchen, intrigued, began to look at her daughter, carefully taking notice of all the little things she could find. Finally, a minute later, her look set on her daughter's uniform. She stared at the collar of the uniform and something clicked on her mind. Gretchen jumped out of her chair.

"There's a new pip on your collar!" She exclaimed, excited.

"It is." Kathryn replied, as if it was nothing.

"Katie!" Gretchen exclaimed again before going around the table to embrace her daughter. "Congratulations, honey!"

"Thanks, Ma." She laughed at her mother's enthusiasm.

"Captain Kathryn Janeway. Sounds great." Gretchen told Kathryn after releasing her.

"It really does." She replied, grinning widely.

"We have to celebrate it." Her mother told her.

"No, Ma, please. I haven't told anyone besides you."

"What are you waiting for? Go tell that handsome man of yours, change your clothes and be back for dinner. I'll call everybody else."

"Ma ..." Kathryn began.

"My house, my rules." Gretchen interrupted her. "Go." She ordered. "I'll see you later."

"Yes ma'am."

Kathryn opened the door of her apartment in San Francisco and found Will laying down on their couch, watching an old movie and eating popcorn.

"Is this the way how you enjoy your shore leave?" She teased him while she left her coat on the back of the armchair.

Will grabbed the remote form the coffee table and paused the movie. Then he left it, along with the popcorn bowl, on the coffee table and sat down. "Hi honey." He replied, smiling.

Kathryn approached him. She tried to sat down next to him but he took her hand and made her sat on his lap, straddling him, before he leaned to kiss her lips.

"Hi." She replied before deepening the kiss.

When they came out for air, Will put his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. "I called Headquarters and a young man who, by the way, told me he was your new assistant, explained that you had already left for the day." He told her.

"I have an assistant?" Kathryn asked, surprised.

"You didn't know?" He asked her, amused.

"No, I didn't." She answered.

"Why do you have an assistant?" He asked while he kissed her neck.

"Must come with the new rank." Kathryn replied.

"What?" He stopped kissing her, raising his head to look directly at her eyes.

"Look at my collar."

Will quickly did it and opened his eyes widely, amazed.

"Kitty-Kat! When did that happen?"

"Two hours ago." She replied.

"Congratulations!" He exclaimed before claiming her lips one more time. "Why didn't you tell me?" Will asked.

"I didn't know they were going to do it." She quickly explained. "They surprised me at the meeting."

"We have to celebrate it!" Will told her, excited.

"Mom's on it. She's calling everyone for dinner tonight."

"That's great." He said, smiling widely. "But it wasn't exactly what I had in mind."

"What did you have in mind, Commander?" Kathryn asked seductively while she ran her hands down his chest.

"Are you sure you wanna know?" Will teased her.

"I am."

"Is that an order, Captain?" He continued.

"It is." Kathryn answered, enjoying the verbal foreplay.

"Aye, ma'am."

A few hours later, everybody had already arrived at Gretchen's house, everybody but Will and Kathryn. Gretchen, proud of her daughter achievement, had invited almost all the family: her mother, Alynna, Theo, Will parents and his grandmother. They didn't have to wait very long. Half an hour after the last guest had gotten there, the couple arrived.

When Kathryn opened the door everybody hurried to greet her with a loud applause and one or two whistles. She began to laugh, a bit embarrassed with all the attention she was getting. Will put a comforting arm around her waist and kissed her cheek.

All her family approached her and congratulated the new Captain while Gretchen and Will, standing together next to the kitchen's door, smiled.

After a wonderful meal, the family talked over coffee and a few shots of liquor while Will helped Phoebe clear the table. When everything was in its place, Phoebe retained her brother-in-law to speak with him.

"Hey, big-bro." Phoebe happily said.

"Hey, Phoebs." He replied a bit suspicious.

"How are you?" She asked him. "You were a bit quiet over dinner."

"Was I?" Will told her.

"Yeah." Phoebe answered. "I was wondering ... Are you ok with all this?"

"With what?" He asked even if he knew what she really wanted to ask.

"Kathryn's promotion."

"Why wouldn't I be okay with that?" He replied, a bit offended. "You know me, I'm not a chauvinistic guy. I'm really happy for her."

"You're right. I'm sorry." Phoebe quickly replied.

"You aren't sorry, but that's ok." Will said, surprising her. "You were only looking out for your sister, I understand." He explained but she remained silent. "Come on, give me a hug."

Will opened his arms and Phoebe gratefully accepted the embrace. Kathryn entered the kitchen and found them.

"Hey! Are you trying to steal my boyfriend?" She teased her sister while approaching them.

"I tried but he only has eyes for you." Phoebe joked back, breaking the hug.

"Good to know or I would kill you, both of you." Kathryn said, also looking at Will.

"Did you eat all the brownies?" Phoebe asked Kathryn.

"No, Ma didn't let me." She said. "Go before someone does."

Phoebe left the room leaving the couple alone. Kathryn quickly demanded a hug from her boyfriend and kissed him softly on the lips.

"Wanna go to Lake George this weekend?" She asked him.

"A romantic getaway before returning to work on Monday?"

"Yeah."

"Perfect."

They both returned to work next Monday: Will to the Enterprise, Kathryn to the Bonestell with a three months mission to explore and investigate a new nebula near Starbase 22. Her mission was a success, or she thought it was before a Vulcan ensign dressed her down in front of three admirals for failing to observe proper tactical procedures.

When she arrived home after the debriefing at Headquarters, she quickly changed out of her uniform into comfortable clothes and called the Enterprise to talk with Will.

"Hey, Kitty-Kat!" He greeted her smiling widely, but his face changed when he noticed hers. "What's wrong? What did they say at the debriefing?"

"The damn Vulcan." Kathryn murmured.

"What?" Will asked, not having heard her.

"The debriefing went fine, until a Vulcan tactical officer, an ensign." She began explaining. "A damn ensign, Will!" She exclaimed, offended. "Dressed me down because, in his opinion, I didn't follow proper tactical procedures! And you know what's worse?" She asked. "Now I have to endure his presence on my next mission!" Kathryn replied without giving him a chance to do it.

"It was your first mission as Captain, Kath, it was likely that you'd forget to do something." Will said, trying to calm her down.

"I didn't!" She exclaimed again.

"Kitty-Kat, we both know that you tend to ignore routine tactical procedures." He told her, grinning at her obvious irritation.

"Don't laugh." Kathryn told him, calming down.

"You look cute when you're angry." Will said.

"I don't. Starfleet Captains don't look cute." She said.

"You do." He replied, still smiling. "Are we still on for next week?"

"Yeah. We'll stop at Starbase 15 to gather some equipment. I'll give you a tour."

"Well, if I get a tour you get a tour too. Would you like to see Enterprise?"

"I would." She told him, smiling slightly.

"I have to go. My shift begins in ten minutes." Will explained.

"Ok. I miss you and I love you, Big Guy."

"Me too, Kitty-Kat."

"See you next week."

They both blew a kiss to their screens and ended the transmission. Kathryn went to the kitchen to replicate a cup of coffee and some dinner while she day-dreamed about the quick rendevouz they'd have next week.