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“Voyagers’ Rest?” Admiral Janeway discretely wiped at her eyes.
Stupidly, she hadn’t suspected anything at all when Tuvok put in a formal request for her to attend a medical appointment with him. On her birthday. But Vulcans were not big on birthdays, and she hadn't given it a single thought.
Even when he said the appointment was to be held at a meditation retreat, she was clueless. That fit Vulcan treatment styles. The reason he requested her presence was related to that mindmeld they'd shared once, so he said, and it all added up.
Even when their trip involved a long shuttle flight to these gorgeous woodlands, she had come along in all innocence.
Even when they’d landed by the entrance of a very large, very beautiful building that looked like a resort, still she had no clue.
But standing there by the grand double doorway was little Naomi Wildman—not so little any more, it seemed like she’d grown at least five centimeters since Janeway had last seen her in the few short months since their fiery return to the Alpha Quadrant—and above her, was a banner saying “Welcome to Voyagers’ Rest”.
“Yes! Voyagers’ Rest!” Naomi jiggled back and forth in her excitement. “Are you surprised? Mom thought you might have guessed, from how we've all been busy getting this ready. There was a vote. Some wanted to call it Voyage’s End, but that was too sad, too final. Not what any of us want. Instead, this is a place for us all, to rest, to gather together and share new adventures. A new home for us, whenever we’re on Earth, or whenever we want. And we’ll always find other Voyagers here, just like old times.”
Janeway looked accusingly at Tuvok, who, of course, returned her gaze perfectly impassively.
“You could have told me, Tuvok.”
“Yes, I could. However, I was requested not to. You will find that most of the crew—”
“Those that can make it, which is almost all the crew!” Naomi broke in excitedly.
Tuvok waited until the little girl was finished to recommence. “Most of the crew are already here for our inaugural celebration. Chell wishes to inform you that drinks and appetizers will be served at 1800 hours.”
“He said he created a perfect leola root substitute!” Naomi said.
“Anything edible that is not in fact leola root fits that description.” Tuvok said dryly, ushering Naomi and Janeway inside.
And waiting there grouped in the large entrance way was a small crowd of Voyagers, along with some of their family members Janeway recognized, all their dear faces shining with joy. They cheered and clapped as Janeway came in, one by one stepping forward to hug her. The second to last person to step forward was Annika. “So good to see you Admiral.” The ex-Borg, her hair down, wearing a simple cotton dress, looked much more relaxed than Janeway could ever remember seeing her. “And I want to introduce my girlfriend, Natasha.”
Janeway briefly hugged the shyly blushing woman who stepped forward, even as Naomi tugged on Janeway's sleeve.
“We are not to take too long in greetings, everyone has jobs to do to get ready.”
Annika, Natasha and the others all nodded, smiling, and soon disappeared into the depths of the building.
Naomi indicated the grand stairway in invitation, “And my job is to show you to your quarters, Admiral! They are on Deck 3! Follow me!”
Janeway looked to Tuvok. “Another conceit insisted upon by the crew,” he said, raising a nonplussed eyebrow. “The floors have all been given deck names.”
“And your room is Captain’s Quarters, even though you are an admiral. Not to us, not here! Here you will always be our captain!” Naomi called out, already halfway up the first flight of steps. “This way you’ll find it easy to find your way about!”
*
Deck 3 really did look like Deck 3 on Voyager.
Admiral Janeway was feeling deeply emotional and was not sure if she liked it. Or if she loved it. Or maybe it was all too much.
It had been a very tough few months and now that she was in a place that felt so much like home she realized how bone-deep tired she was, how long she'd been living on the razor's edge, how homesick she'd been, how homesick she still was, how much she missed her crew, how much she missed…
Janeway stopped and turned to look at the door right where Chakotay’s quarters had been. And indeed there was the exact replica of the same door, standing blankly closed, revealing nothing.
“Chakotay’s quarters!” Naomi sung out, already at the door to the Captain’s Quarters, shifting from foot to foot in excitement. “He said to say, sorry, he can’t be here just yet.”
Chakotay’s quarters. Chakotay.
He'd been off in Trebus for the past few months. Through the debriefing process, they'd seemed to be shyly recovering their old camaraderie, a little of their old spark. But then he'd gone back to his community for a time at the far side of the Quadrant, and they’d barely been able to speak, actually had no contact at all for the last month or so. Kathryn told herself she would be happy if only they could recover a little of their old friendship. Even just a little.
It was so strange to feel suddenly in this close facsimile of home.
But it also stirred up the most intense feelings of all that she’d lost along the way.
As she followed Naomi into the new Captain’s Quarters, Janeway struggled to identify whether the tears she could barely repress were more of sorrow or joy.
*
“Now you’ve seen your quarters, there is another surprise I get to show you before the party!”
Naomi, if anything, was even more excited. “We can do a whole tour tomorrow, but first we see this, and then you have time to get ready for the party!”
She took Janeway’s hand to lead her down a smaller stairway—this was different to Voyager’s deck three layout—that lead directly out the back of the large building, along the side of a terrace set with tables, where she could see different Voyagers bustling about—Was that Harry? And Tom?
But Naomi wouldn’t let her stop, pulling her breathlessly along a narrow path threading first through a lovely garden, then through the gently whispering woods, to finally come to a small octagonal building.
“There!” Naomi said, pushing Janeway ahead of her towards the little structure, set among the graceful trees.
It was all made of wood, with large stained glass windows all the way around, representing a background of stars and glowing nebulae, and as she neared, Kathryn saw there among them were little Voyagers, flying boldly forth. Looking more closely, Kathryn noticed also an old flying machine... an abundance of scattered orchids... a light sprinkling of leola roots... twin pulsars... So many details, so many references, all set out among the stars in gorgeous glowing jeweled colours... And those, there, cheekily hidden among them all, were those... monkeys?
Kathryn looked back, but Naomi had already disappeared.
Her heart beating fast, Kathryn walked around the octagonal room to find double doors at the back, thrown wide open.
And there between them, his hands on his hips, his head ducked, his dimples pressing into his cheeks, was Chakotay.
He stepped to the side to show what was in the room.
Of course. Standing in the centre of the little room, surrounded by about a thousand roses and a thousand more lit candles, was...
“A bath? You made me a bath!”
“Actually, I made you a whole bathhouse. This time I want to be sure to keep the monkeys out."
And there it was, the answer: the tears she was struggling to contain were borne of joy. Pure, unadulterated joy.
Working hard to hold a serious expression, Kathryn placed her own hands on her hips. "Hm, I don't know, Chakotay," she finally managed. "It might be my imagination, but I feel like... somehow... this bath seems big enough for two."
"You might be right. That sounds like a hypothesis worthy of testing some day."
"Well, I always have been rather partial to the scientific method."
They stood grinning at each other, Janeway battering away a few errant tears.
Finally, his expression becoming serious, Chakotay held out his arms to her, a sizzling invitation sparkling in his dark eyes.
As Kathryn stepped into his warmth, he dipped his face down to hers, murmuring, "Happy birthday, Admiral Janeway!"