Naomi took a deep breath, straightening her collar. It had been a long time since she'd been aboard Voyager, but she still felt wistful when she thought of it. To her, her childhood had ended in a way when she'd stepped onto earth.
Today was her first day at Starfleet Academy, and ever since she'd been Captain's assistant on Voyager this had been her dream. So why was she still unhappy?

Icheb had graduated with honours already and was slowly making a name for himself. Naomi had seen how he sometimes faced harsh tutors merely due to his being one of the Voyagers. Most people expected that the Voyager children would have an easier time of it in Starfleet than anybody else. Having witnessed Icheb's journey and experienced enough of school life herself, Naomi knew that this wouldn't be the case. Yes, there would be some who might grant favours in the hope of it getting back to Janeway, but there would be many more that would criticise her for her decisions, thinking that her position of minor fame made her a target.

She wasn't going to let that happen. Her mother had disagreed with her, but when Naomi had explained her reasons for wanting to enter Starfleet with her father's surname, she's acquiesced. Tears had been shed as she revealed what her history had given her, but Naomi was determined to succeed in her own right.
She'd spent her life dodging the fame that followed her after Voyager. She was still a child when they got home, and she had moved to her father's home world quite soon after the homecoming. She'd missed Voyager desperately, but nobody had really considered that. Her mother had worried about her, but hadn't considered staying on earth for her daughter's sake. And would it have helped, really, when most of Voyager's crew were dispersing around the galaxy?

Naomi had three favourite times of year. The anniversary of their disappearance, when the crew met up to see each other. The anniversary of their homecoming, when a huge and much more official Starfleet bash was thrown.
And, finally, the Captain's birthday, when every year the Voyager crew found a reason to throw a "surprise" party for the now aging Admiral.

The same happened on her birthday, every year. It wasn't quite often enough for her, but she still saw her family.

She brushed off her collar, dragging herself from her daydreams and reminisces. She had to go in just ten minutes. She was transporting directly to the Academy, and the idea of her first day terrified her.

That, of course, was one of the reasons she had to do it.

She moved into the breakfast room, ready to grab a quick breakfast bar or something before leaving. Her mother, however, had set the table for a meal, even though Naomi had only ten minutes to spare. What surprised her most, however, was the presence of one of her favourite people in the world on the other side of the table.

"Seven!" She squealed, abandoning any sense of propriety as she leapt to embrace her old mentor. The embrace was returned by the Borg woman.

"Greetings, Naomi. I am here to wish you luck on your admission to the academy." Naomi hugged her again.

"Thank you, Seven. How did you get here? I thought you were on Vulcan!"
"Hey, "her mother interrupted. "You eat. Seven can talk while you eat. Go on, Naomi."

With a smile and a quick hug for her mother too, Naomi seated herself and dug into the pancakes her mother set in front of her, finishing them just in time.

"I have to go!" She caught sight of the clock. She had only a few minutes or she wouldn't reach the transport station in time.

Her mother gave her a warm hug before waving her out the door, Seven of Nine at her side.

Naomi smiled as she raced down the road with a wave back.

"Bye, Mom! Bye, Seven! See you later!"

The day had begun better than she'd expected. With fresh courage, she faced the idea of the academy.
Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad, after all.