Taylor marched down the hall with a determined look on her face.  Those who remembered Voyager's early days in the Delta Quadrant were reminded of a certain captain.  Taylor was taller than her mother now by several centimeters but she carried herself with the same confidence that characterized her mother's command.  Being her mother's daughter, she had decided traditions were meant to be followed and so she had chosen to follow a family tradition -- more specifically, one of her father's family traditions -- regarding her name.  She was Taylor.  She refused to answer to any other nomenclature, and there was never any doubt who people meant when they mentioned her name.

Although bearely twenty-one years old, Taylor had been actively working around the ship for several years.  She and a number of others in Voyager's second generation had completed all the coursework necessary to fulfill the requirements for graduation from Starfleet Academy, at least as much as was possible on Voyager.  They had also been required to master other skills normally learned only after graduation on a first assignment.  Taylor was wondering how much longer her mother would delay officially recognizing the group who had finished their studies.  She had moved into her own quarters more than four years ago and was anxious to be recognized as an officer instead of a student.  She sighed as she approached the main mess hall.  Right now she was going to assert her authority as her parents' daughter so it didn't matter.

Taylor's expression softened as she entered the mess hall and started scanning the room.  Right where they were supposed to be, she saw Tom and B'Elanna.  She owed RT one for his accurate prediction of his parents' location.  She approached them and ignored rank as she sat down.

"Hi, Uncle Tom, Aunt B'Elanna."  She intentionally called them by the names she had used as a youngster.  She was about to go into full wheedling mode, as her father would say.

"Hi, Taylor.  How you doing?"  Tom replied for both.

"I'm doing fine, but I need a favor."

Tom's coffee cup stopped halfway to his mouth.  He had learned long, long ago never to trust his captain when she wanted a favor, and he knew Taylor was not just the spittin' image of her mother, she also shared her mother's temperament.  Tom almost excused himself but one look at B'Elanna told him that was not a good idea.

"Tell me what you need, and I'll think about it."

"This isn't that kind of favor, Uncle Tom.  It won't get either of us in trouble.  You've got the Valentine's Day dance coming up right?  Well, I just want you to make a small change to the plans."

"How small?"  Tom was skeptical at best.  He knew that the 'small' changes usually caused the most trouble; he should know, they were his specialty.

"I just want you to make it a Sadie Hawkins dance.  That's all."

"Sadie Hawkins?"

"Yes, from Earth's twentieth century."

"I know what it is and when they were first popular.  I thought about doing one years ago but decided the music wouldn't suit everyone."

"No, not just blue grass and country western music.  Later they had dances with all types of music so that part of your plans wouldn't be affected.  The only part I want you to change is making the women ask the men to the dance."

"Give me one good reason I should make that change."  Tom's challenge was exactly what Taylor had been waiting to hear.

"Mom and Dad."  Tom's blank expression was all the encouragement Taylor needed to continue.  "Mom and Dad are in a rut.  She hasn't had to ask him to do anything or go anywhere with her for years.  She takes him for granted and he doesn't even notice.  I want her to have to ask him to go with her, just once."

"Taylor, she won't ask him even if it's a Sadie Hawkins dance.  They'll just show up together."

"She will if you make everyone ask their dates in public.  Then she'd have to ask him."

Tom was in a quandary.  He glanced at B'Elanna who nodded her head in support of Taylor's request.

"She's right, Tom.  We all take each other for granted once in a while.  It might be a good idea to remind us all just how lucky we are."  B'Elanna's support surprised Tom for it meant she realized she sometimes took him for granted, not an easy admission.  "Besides, it might be fun to watch everyone do the inviting in public."

"You think so?"  Taylor kept quiet and let B'Elanna pick up the argument for her.  This was support from an unexpected quarter.

"Sure.  You used to keep us all on our toes with your plans and surprises.  It will be nice to be put off balance by one of your parties again.  We'll revisit our youth and the kids will have a chance to experience what we all enjoyed at their age.  You aren't going to be able to ask for permission for this little variation either or you'll never get away with making it mandatory."

"Ok, Taylor, but the last time I tried something like this without telling your parents, I got party duty, and I'm still on it after more than twenty years."  Tom yielded to their arguments hoping the command team didn't kill him.

"Thanks, Uncle Tom.  I won't let them hurt you, I promise!"  Taylor hugged Tom and was gone before he had a chance to change his mind.  As she left the mess hall, she grinned.  That had been much easier than she had expected.

Harry watched Taylor talking to Tom and allowed his mind to wander back to the days when she was a little girl playing with Jem in his living room.  He remembered the sleepy giggles from their sleepovers.  He had watched both girls grow up over the years but in hindsight it seemed as if they had done it overnight.  Like the other children on board, both girls had moved to dormitory quarters when they were fifteen and into their own quarters when they reached eighteen.  He realized that for nearly a year he had been watching the woman and not the little girl he had known and wondered when his feelings for her had changed.

"Why don't you ask her out, Dad?"  Jem's voice dragged Harry back to breakfast.

"What?"

"I asked you why you didn't ask her out."

"Ask who out?"

"Taylor, who else would I mean?"

"Taylor?  As in your best friend and daughter of the captain and first officer?"

"That's the one."

"Aside from the obvious problems of her age and parentage, aren't she and RT interested in each other?"

"No way!  They're just buddies."

"They went to the Prixin dance together."

"And I went with Jason.  Big deal!  We all paired off because Commander Paris made it a couples only dance.  If you had gone instead of volunteering for a duty shift, you'd have known we all hung out together, as usual.

"So, why don't you ask her to the Valentine's Day dance?"  Harry knew Jem had grown up but he had no idea she had become so observant and insightful.  "I know you want to ask her, Dad."

"What makes you think that?"

"The way you look at her.  You don't watch her the way you do Carrie or Josie or Kay, not anymore."

"Then how do I look at her?"

"The way Chakotay looks at the captain, and I think you see the same thing he does."

Harry had no argument to counter Jem's simple observation, at least none that were true.

"It's a bad idea, Jem.  She's the captain's daughter and her dad is very protective even if he's very subtle about it.'

"Did you ever think that maybe she's lonely because everyone else thinks the same thing and keeps her at a distance because of it?  Her parents only want her to be happy.  If you think you can make her happy, then ask her to the dance."

"I'll think about it, Jem, but don't count on it.  We'd better be going.  You're going to be late for your shift and I need some sleep."

Jem settled for that much.  She hoped she was doing the right thing to encourage her father.  She knew how he felt and was pretty sure Taylor returned his feelings, but it was hard to be sure because Taylor wouldn't talk about Harry, at least not to her.  Jem knew that if Taylor and her father became involved with each other that her friendship with Taylor would change, she just hoped their friendship survived whatever happened.  She sighed as she headed for sickbay.

A few days later Tom posted the details of the Valentine's Dance at 04:00 hours.  He was hoping it would go unnoticed by the command team if it were buried under the morning updates and announcements.  No such luck.  Chakotay stopped at his table on his way to the serving line to refill their coffee cups.

"The captain and I would like a word with you, Commander."  Tom felt like he'd regressed twenty years in .02 seconds.

"Of course, sir.  Now?"

"No, finish your breakfast, then come join us at our table."

"Aye, sir."

B'Elanna walked up with her tray just in time to catch's Tom's last words.  "'Aye, sir' in the mess hall?  You sound like you're in trouble."

"I probably am.  Our first officer just told me he and the captain want to speak with me, not Chakotay and Kathryn."

"What did you do?"

"All I did was post the Valentine's Day dance details."

"They aren't going to be upset about that.  They probably just have a few questions."  B'Elanna refused to be overly concerned.

"I hope you're right.  I'd better hurry.  They want me to join them when I finish eating."

Ten minutes later Tom approached the command team's table where they sat talking over their cups of coffee.

"Sit down, Tom.  I have a few questions for you."  The captain spoke before Tom could greet them.  Tom pulled up a chair from the next table.  "It's been a long time since you put a twist in a crew gathering, Tom.  What prompted this Sadie Hawkins idea – with the public invitation?"

"I just thought it would be interesting to actually see people asking others to the dance.  Most of us probably haven't asked anyone to a dance in years.  B'Elanna and I don't.  We just know we're going together.  The kids should enjoy it, too."

"Who put you up to it?"

"What?"

"She wants to know who talked you into this, Tom."  Chakotay's voice made it clear he expected an answer.

"Yes, sir. No one talked me into it, but I did discuss it briefly with B'Elanna."

"I'm sure you did discuss it with B'Elanna, but we want to know who talked you into it."

"Why don't you think this was my idea?"

The captain smiled, or maybe that was a smirk.  "Twenty years ago, I would have known it was your idea, and yours alone.  But this isn't twenty years ago, and unbelievable as it seems, you've matured during those years.  So tell me before we're all late for our duty shifts, who put you up to this?"

"Taylor."  The captain was unphased by his response.

"What reasons did she give you?"

"She said she thought it would be fun. When that didn't work, she told me you took Chakotay for granted, that he always asked you to crew functions."  As their expressions turned to amusement, Tom paled as he finally realized he had been conned.  "Well, she was very convincing at the time."

Chakotay spoke.  "For your future reference, Kathryn has never take me for granted and Taylor knows that perfectly well.  She fooled you, Tom.  I hope for your sake whatever she has planned doesn't backfire on you."

When Kathryn and Chakotay stood to leave, Kathryn spoke loudly enough for those are nearby tables to hear.  "Chakotay, would you like to go with me to the Valentine's Dance?"

"It would be my pleasure, Kathryn."

"What do you think she's planning, Kathryn?"  Chakotay's question was not unexpected; Kathryn just hadn't expected it on the turbolift.

"I'm not sure.  You take the bridge until Tom reports, and then come to the ready room.  We can talk about it there."

Kathryn went straight to her ready room while Chakotay relieved Harry from his shift.  Harry passed Tom at the turbolift doors, so Chakotay caught up with Kathryn before she had time to take a sip of coffee from the fresh cup.  A cup of tea for Chakotay was still on the replicator.  She picked up his cup and motioned towards the couch.  They settled next to each other with the familiarity of long years together.

"What's she planning?"  Chakotay got right to the point.

"I'm not sure, but I have a few ideas."  Kathryn went on to explain conversations she had had with Taylor in recent weeks about age differences between couples and relative rank between couples. That last topic had been an interesting one since most of the couples on the ship did not work in the same departments so rank and working together had been a factor in the relationships of only a few, most noticeably the command team. Taylor had made a point of asking Kathryn whether she and her father had ever had problems because she outranked him on the ship.

"So, you think she has her eye on someone?"

"I do.  She's mentioned several times that she doesn't want to wait as long as we did to start her own family.  Our little girl has grown up."

"I know.  Who do you think she likes?"

"There's one more thing that she's mentioned in passing a couple of times."  Kathryn avoided answering Chakotay's question.

"Really?  What's that?"

"Getting involved with an older man."  Kathryn let Chakotay think about that simple statement.  For most people Taylor's age, that probably would mean someone five or ten years older than she, but on Voyager it meant someone more than twenty years older.  After a few minutes he spoke.

"I guess I shouldn't be too surprised.  The only male near her age is RT and she puts him in the same category she does Chad and Cody – nuisances to be tolerated until they grow up.  I was hoping she would be willing to wait for some of the boys to grow up.  Any ideas?  Her concern about you outranking me seems to indicate she's interested in one of the original crewman rather than an officer."

"I think she was misdirecting my attention.  We raised her; she knows exactly what kind of problems we've had over the years.  On the other hand, I think her questions about an older man were real concerns.  She knows that any member of the original crew is old enough to be her father or mother.  There are no examples of that kind of relationship for her to watch."

"So, one of our original officers has caught her attention?" Chakotay's voice was thoughtful as he considered the possible candidates.

"I think it's more than that.  I think she has him in her sights and is going after him.  I suspect the only thing that will stop her is if he doesn't love her.  That's the part that worries me the most.  I know he loves her, but I don't know whether it's the love of a father for child or the love of a man for a woman."

"Who, Kathryn?"

"Harry."

"Harry?  Why haven't you mentioned this to me?"

"It was just girl talk and the suspicions of an overly protective mother.  Nothing seemed to be happening between them so I let it alone.  I thought that it was a phase she was going through and that her focus would change in a couple of months.  It hasn't.  I certainly can't tell her that snap decisions to get involved with a man are a bad idea and doomed to failure."

"That's true.  So, what do we do?"

"You're in charge of the personnel around here; you tell me."  Kathryn tossed the question right back at Chakotay.

"Nothing, we do nothing.  As her parents we have to let her make her own decisions and live with the consequences.  As officers, right now this is none of our business."

"I agree.  As first officer I'd like you to make sure Taylor understands that there will be hell to pay if her personal life interferes with the running of this ship, and even more trouble from her parents."

"Permission to rephrase that?"

"Of course.  In the meantime, I'd like you and Tom to go over the files for Carrie, RT, Taylor and Jem meticulously.  I've been putting off officially acknowledging that they've completed their studies and should be assigned regular duties."

"Tom and I did that two months ago.  Nothing has changed.  Are you finally ready to let them graduate and assign them the rank of ensign?"

Kathryn nodded in response to his question.  "Yes, the captain has been ready but the mother has been dragging her feet."

"I can put Carrie on B'Elanna's team in engineering and RT can start out in stellar cartography.  Jem's started on the materials for the first year of medical school and is going to be spending a lot of time on that.  Want me to put her on a half shift of study and a half shift of duty in sickbay?"

"That's probably a good idea.  Assign additional class work to Carrie and RT in addition to their duty shifts."

"That leaves Taylor.  She wants command path."

"Did she finish all the course work?"

"Every course, plus an independent research project."

"Any solid reason not to put her on command path?"

"No.  She's mastered the material.  All she needs is the experience that will demonstrate whether she can put into practice all the theory she's learned.  Personally, as an officer and not as a father, I think she should be on the command path."

"I agree.  How is she at piloting shuttles and Voyager?"

"Adequate.  I'd trust her at the helm in most situations, but she doesn't have a lot of experience yet.  It's probably her weakest area."

"Good, assign her to the helm and make sure Tom teaches her everything he knows – about every class of ship we have in our files.  Assign her additional course work in psychology and sociology.  She is too much like me."  At Chakotay's questioning glance, Kathryn explained.  "She doesn't have your intuitive insight into people and personnel so she'll have to rely on theory.   There's no guarantee that she'll find someone to fill that gap the way I did.  If she wants a shot at the captain's chair, she's going to have to earn it."

"Aye, Captain.  When do you want to schedule the ceremony?"

"18:00 hours today.  We can do it in my quarters, senior staff and parents only.  Don't tell our cadets what we have planned."

"Fine, I'll add them to the crew duty roster starting tomorrow.  Can I give Tom permission to plan a small celebration in the holodeck afterwards."

"Sure, it will probably be better than letting the kids go celebrate on their own.  Well, I'll take the bridge and let you get to work on all this.  Want me to send Tom in so you can update him?"

"No, I think I'll try to catch Harry before he goes to sleep so he knows he has to be awake at 18:00 hours."

At 18:30 hours, Voyager's most recently appointed ensigns were happily receiving the congratulations of their parents and the senior officers.  Although they had been expecting this for months, the captain had still caught them by surprise.  Kathryn and Chakotay, as the commanding officers, had the privilege of being first through the informal receiving line.  They stood back and watched as the young people were congratulated individually by the other parents and senior officers.

Both paid particular attention to Harry who was among the last to move along the line of newly commissioned ensigns.  His pride in Jem was apparent on his face and in his voice as he spoke to her. He spoke quietly to Carrie and RT, shaking their hands then hugging them, but when he reached Taylor, he stopped short of the hug.  Kathryn and Chakotay couldn't see his face, but they could see hers and recognized the cloud of disappointment that dimmed her smile ever so briefly.  Chakotay leaned down to whisper in Kathryn's ear.

"You were right.  It is Harry."

"So I see.  But I'm not so worried now.  Did you notice that he hugged the others and not her?"

"Yes.  His feelings for her are different than they are for Carrie and RT.  I hope they can work this out."

"So do I.  Let's go torture our oldest child by making her eat dinner with her folks."

"Good idea."

Taylor was more than slightly irritated with her parents, or to be more accurate, with the command team.  Of all times to finally promote the four oldest cadets, they had to do it just as she had worked out a plan!  Now she was standing duty shifts and going through helm training routines for Tom.  She had planned to ask Harry to the Valentine's Dance one morning after he came off duty when the mess hall was quiet.  Now the only time she had free that he was off duty was during dinner.  Unless she interrupted him on the bridge, she would have to ask him there, and it would have to be tonight.  The dance was less than a week away and those who planned to attend had to submit their requests for time off duty by 12:00 tomorrow.  It was now or never.

Taylor entered the mess hall and quickly scanned it for Harry and Jem.  She found them, not off to the side as usual, but at a table near the serving line.  Half the room was within earshot of their table.  Taking a deep breath she forced her facial muscles to relax into a smile, or what she hoped looked like a smile, and then walked to their table.  Jem spoke as she approached.

"Hi, Taylor.  Want to eat with us?"

"Hi, Jem.  No, thanks, I already ate.  I have to meet Commander Paris on the holodeck in five minutes.  I just had a question for you, Harry."  Harry looked up at her and Taylor almost turned away but managed to stay where she stood.  "Would you go to the Valentine's Day dance with me, Harry?"

The people at the nearby tables who had heard her question stopped talking.  The seconds dragged like centuries for Taylor as she waited for Harry to answer.  Their eyes met and Harry was starting to answer her when Chad and Cody rushed up, slapping Harry on the back and jabbering about their latest holodeck program.  Harry watched emotions chase across Taylor's face before she turned to leave.  If he had had an answer to her question, he would have followed her, but she had caught him off guard and he was unprepared to discuss the dance.  He had managed to avoid further thought about his conversation with Jem a few weeks earlier, but he could do so no longer.  He hoped it was a quiet shift because he had a lot to think about.

The next morning Taylor surprised her parents by showing up well before breakfast.  She was vaguely surprised that her old access codes still worked.  She wanted to explain to her parents exactly what had happened in the mess hall the previous night.

"Hi, Mom.  Where's Dad?"

"He's still dressing.  Want some juice?"

"Sure.  I'll get it."  Taylor went to the replicator and retrieved juice for herself, coffee for her mom and tea for her father.  "Seems like old times again, except I don't remember it being just you, and me and Dad.  I can't remember before Kay was born, but I can remember before the twins were born.  Are you sure you wanted them?"

"I'm sure I wanted them, and I'm going to keep them, too.  Have they been causing you problems lately?"

Chakotay entered the room, and kissed Taylor on the forehead before sitting down.

"Not anymore than usual, I guess.  It's their timing that's the problem."

"What did they do now?"  Chakotay asked sensing that the reason for the visit was about to be explained.  Taylor sighed trying to pick the best way to tell them what had happened.

"I was talking to Jem and Harry and they interrupted, completely oblivious to the fact that they might not be welcome at that particular moment."

"Was the conversation that important, honey?"  Kathryn and Chakotay knew enough to fill in the gaps.

"I might as well just say it.  I had just asked Harry to take me to the Valentine's Day dance and he hadn't answered me yet when they showed up."

"What did you do?"

"I just left."  Taylor stood up and went to look out the viewport.  "I didn't know what else to do.  There was no way he could answer once they showed up and I was already late meeting Commander Paris on the holodeck as it was."  Kathryn walked over to her daughter and touched her shoulder.  "Oh, Mom, what do I do now?"  Taylor turned to her mother in tears.  Kathryn put her arms around her and let her cry.  Chakotay watched knowing they both needed this moment together.

After a minute or two, Kathryn spoke.  "Harry is a good man.  He'll answer your question as soon as he has an opportunity.  I imagine you surprised him.  Let him have time to adjust to the idea before you push him for an answer.  When he does give you his answer, listen to the whole answer.  No might mean just this dance, not the next one.  Ok?"

"Ok.  Thanks, Mom."

Chakotay finally approached Taylor and Kathryn.  He hugged Taylor before speaking.  "Your mother is right; give Harry some time.  Now, aren't you on duty in about three minutes?"

Taylor dried her eyes on her sleeve and grinned ruefully at her parents.  "Not exactly.  I have to be on the holodeck in three minutes.  Thanks for being here for me.  It's nice to know this is still my home."

"This will always be your home.  Never doubt that."  Chakotay made the words a promise.

"I won't.  Bye."  Chakotay and Kathryn watched Taylor rush out the door knowing that they could do nothing to smooth the path she walked.

Later that evening, Harry stood in the turbolift hoping it would stall and he would be trapped for about ten years.  His hopes were dashed as the doors opened.  He walked the long way around the deck, trying to delay the inevitable but the door he now approached was his destination.  He sounded the chime and waited.  The door opened to admit him a few seconds later and he entered.

"Could I speak to you, sir?"

Chakotay watched Harry enter the room and wondered what Harry had to say to him.  Suddenly, he was as nervous as Harry, so he fell back on old habits and went over to the replicator. "What can I get you to drink?"

"Iced tea, please, with sugar."  Chakotay busied himself with the drinks, getting coffee for Kathryn and hot tea for himself.  "Shall we sit at the table?"

"That's fine, sir."

"What's with the 'sir,' Harry?  You haven't called me that off duty since the girls were toddlers."  Unwittingly, he reminded Harry of the problem he had come to discuss.

"Maybe that's the best way to explain this.  I haven't called Jem's best friend's father 'sir' for a long time, but today I need to talk to Taylor's father – not father to father, but as potential suitor to father," Harry noticed that Kathryn had joined them,  "and to Taylor's mother.

"I want to start dating Taylor, privately.  I don't want it to be a secret, but I want it to be just the two of us.  I have no intention of going to the Valentine's Day dance with her or anyone else.  I'll be turning down her invitation.  I'd like to invite her to dinner when I turn her down, but I won't do that if you have any objections."

"What will you do if we object?"  Chakotay's bluntness caught Harry off guard but not unprepared.

"Tell Taylor the truth, that I won't date her over your objections.  If she's sincere about seeing me, she'll start trying to change your minds, and I'll be doing the same thing.  If she accepts your answer without a protest, then so will I, but I don't think she will."

"So you would make us the obstacle?"

"No, sir.  You would be doing that; I'd just be letting her know where the obstacle was."

"Fair enough.  Do I need to go through all the reasons this could be a bad idea?  Or have you come up with more reasons than I can?"

"I've probably come up with more, such as ruining her friendship with Jem if this doesn't work out.  The bigger problem is the impersonal part.  If we try a relationship and it doesn't work out, it could affect the entire ship, if only because she's the captain and first officer's daughter.  I thought about that a lot and all the problems arise if one of us wants out of the relationship and the other doesn't.  It's been a long time since I lost Jenny, but I remember what I felt, and this is stronger.  I can tell you now, that I won't ever want to end the relationship, but you'll have to take my word on that.  In spite of that, I promise to let her go regardless of my feelings if she ever wants to end whatever relationship we have.  So, do I have your permission to ask her to dinner?"

Kathryn was the only one of the three who could see the door, so she was the only one who saw Taylor enter the room just as Harry finished speaking.

"Shouldn't I be part of this conversation?"

Chakotay and Harry were surprised when Taylor spoke, but Kathryn quickly responded.  "You're right, you should be, and our part of it is over.  Chakotay, we must be late for something."  She took his hand and pulled him to his feet.  "We'll be back in an hour."

Taylor and Harry didn't move until the door closed behind her parents, then he stood up to face her.  "I can't go to the dance with you next week, Taylor.  I volunteered to stand that shift weeks ago."

Taylor's face remained impassive as her hopes plummeted.  Perhaps she had misunderstood Harry's word when she entered.  "I understand."

"Wait, I'm not finished.  Even if I hadn't volunteered for duty, I still wouldn’t have gone with you.  I want our first date to be ours alone, not something shared with the rest of the crew."

"You don't want everyone to know you're going out with me?"

"Not at all.  I don't care if they know; I just don't want them along with us.  We have enough to work out without the entire crew watching our every move.  I know you won't like this next part, but you're still very young.  You might change your mind about us after a couple of dates.  You have to promise me right now that you'll tell me if you do."

"You're right, I don't like that part.  I might be young, but I know how I feel about you and what I want, so I'll make that promise because it won't happen.  Will you hug me now?"

"What?"

"The night I got my ensign's pip, you hugged the others, but you didn't hug me.  Can I have my hug now?"

"Sure."  Harry opened his arms and hugged his ensign.

Three months later, Taylor tried to catch her parents as they left the mess hall heading for the bridge.  Her efforts were foiled by Jem, who grabbed her arm.

"Come on, Taylor.  Tell me what's going on with you and Dad.  You've both been neglecting me for that last couple of months.  What's going on?"

"I'm sorry, Jem.  Can you meet me for lunch?  I don’t go on duty today until 13:00."  Jem nodded her agreement.  "Great!  Meet you here at 11:30."  Taylor dashed out still intent on catching up with her parents.

Kathryn exited the turbolift first.

"You're relieved, Lieutenant."

Chakotay spoke before Harry had time to acknowledge the captain's comment.  "Could I speak to you in the ready room, Lieutenant?"  It might have been phrased and inflected as a question, but there was no mistaking it as anything other than an order.

"Aye, sir."  One answer sufficed for both orders as Harry turned to follow Chakotay into the ready room.  Chakotay spoke as soon as the doors were closed.

"Lieutenant, you've been spending too many nights out of your quarters.  The reason senior officers are housed near the bridge is so they can access the bridge quickly if they're needed."  Chakotay put up his hand to silence Harry before he spoke.  "I know; she's her mother's daughter but this is a ship's safety issue.  Just fill out the form to change her housing assignment and tell her to sign it and forward it through the proper channels.  Her father is going to pretend he didn't see it and the first officer will follow precedent and approve it."  Chakotay handed Harry a padd with most of the information filled out.  "This will help you get started.  The consent form for your signature is there, too."

"Thank you, sir.  Permission to be dismissed?"

"Permission denied."  Kathryn spoke as she entered the ready room followed by Taylor who had finally caught up with her mother.  "It seems Taylor has something to tell us and wants you to be here, too."

Harry passed the padd in his hand to Taylor. She scanned it briefly, and then added her signature to the forms.  She handed it back to Harry, who quickly flipped to the next page and signed the consent.  He handed it back to Chakotay, who was as puzzled by her consent without so much as a question as he was by the fact that Harry wasn't surprised at her consent.  Chakotay's expression roused Kathryn's curiosity who decided to move matters forward.

"What is it wanted to see us about, Taylor?"

"Well, first I want to apologize for dragging a family matter onto the bridge just now.  I tried unsuccessfully to catch you both as you were leaving the mess hall.  Thank you for taking the time to talk to me, to us."  Taylor sighed before continuing.  "Last night Harry asked me to marry him, and I said yes."

Kathryn was off her feet in a flash hugging Taylor.  "Oh, honey, I'm so happy for you."

Chakotay was on his feet congratulating Harry.  "Congratulations!"

Harry cleared his throat.  "Uh, Captain.  Does this mean you'll marry us?"

"You better not even consider asking anyone else or you'll be walking back to the Alpha Quadrant, mister."

"Mom, you know you wouldn't do that, so don't tease.  We weren't sure how you would feel about it."

"All we want is for you to be happy."

"I know, Mom.  I guess I just needed to hear it again.  Thanks."  Taylor hugged her mother again and whispered in her ear.  "Don't talk, just listen.  I just found out this morning I'm pregnant with a little boy.  I haven't had a chance yet to tell Harry, so don't say a word to anyone except Dad.  I'm going to tell Harry as soon as we leave here, but I don't want to tell anyone else until after we're married."

Stepping back from her mother, Taylor grabbed Harry's hand.  "I need to start packing to move. Jem wanted to meet me for lunch so we can eat with her and tell her our news then.  Come on, Harry, they need to talk."

Chakotay laughed as Taylor dragged Harry to the door, then dropped his hand just before it opened.  Calmly the couple crossed the bridge to the turbolift.  Back in the ready room, Kathryn was still standing where Taylor had left her.  Chakotay touched her shoulder.  "What's wrong?"

"She's pregnant.  She told me she's pregnant – with a little boy.  She just found out this morning and hasn't even told Harry yet.  We're going to be grandparents."

After all their years together, Kathryn still found ways to leave Chakotay speechless.