Seven hours later, Kathryn looked around Deep Space 9’s largest reception area normally reserved only for formal station functions.  It was filled with tables where the passengers and crew of Voyager had been welcomed and fed.  There were three serving lines and enough crew from DS9 to assist each child through the line, leaving the accompanying adults free to serve themselves.  On the wall behind the head table was a huge “Welcome Home” sign.  The few civilians the doctor wanted to have checked by the station’s medical staff had been taken to the infirmary and examined.  They rejoined the others before even half had made it through one of the serving lines.  Other than Janeway and Chakotay, the head table held only Sisko, and the station’s first officer Colonel Kira.  Other command staff members from the station, Voyager and Defiant were among the civilians and crew at the other tables.

When it became clear that everyone was finished eating and the children were becoming restless, Kathryn stood to address the group.  Her first announcement was to Voyager’s crew, thanking them for all the personal sacrifices during recent weeks.  Her next announcement was to ask them not to unpack when they returned to their quarters tonight because there would be new housing assignments in the next day or two.  She followed her announcements by extending her wishes to those departing Voyager for a happy and peaceful future, introduced Ben Sisko and sat down.  Captain Sisko first announced that this reception hall would serve as the dining room for the new residents of DS9 for the next week at least.  They should expect to see station staff and some other civilians from the station joining them for meals.  They were asked to begin to get to know some of these people.  He then explained that housing assignments had been made and that a member of the station crew would escort each group.  Everyone was told to advise their escort of any problems with the assignments, especially if it affected the children, and every effort would be made to correct the problem yet this evening.  Slowly the groups were called, introduced to an escort and left the room.  The station staff had left while Captain Sisko had been explaining the housing assignments.  Voyager’s crew soon followed realizing they could move back to their old quarters and beds.  Colonel Kira and Dr. Bashir followed the last group from the room.

Ben looked at Kathryn and Chakotay.  “How about that drink at Quark’s now?”  Kathryn and Chakotay exchanged glances. Tired as they were, neither was ready to sleep.  Both felt the need to just sit back and talk.

“Lead the way, Ben. You’re buying!”  Kathryn laughed at Ben’s effort to express shock and dismay.  She took Chakotay’s hand and followed Ben toward the door.

Once in the main corridor, Kathryn linked one arm with Chakotay and one arm with Ben.  Laughing the trio made their way through the corridors toward the Promenade.  Ben selected their route to avoid the most congested corridors and brought them out on one of the balconies overlooking the Promenade near Quark’s.  They paused to lean on the rail and to watch the people below for a few minutes.  The high volume of shoppers from the day was gone and most of the stores were closed with the exception of restaurants, bars and specialty entertainment vendors.  Quark’s was definitely the main attraction in this part of the station.  Kathryn was amazed that the Promenade had changed so little since Voyager’s last visit. The emotional stress of the last assignment had made their absence seem much longer than it had been.  To Chakotay it seemed that a lifetime had passed since he viewed the Promenade.  His last two visits while he was in the Maquis had gotten him only into some of the more remote corridors of the station to meet contacts or pick up a few supplies.  Watching the others, Ben was startled to realize that the station felt different than it had.  It looked the same.  Most of the original occupants were still here or had returned when the war ended.  There was still the same hustle and bustle at all hours.  But it felt different.  There was a feeling of peace and contentment that was absent before the Cardassian War.  The station finally felt like part of Bajor instead of Cardassia.  He shook himself out of his contemplation of the station and moved toward the stairs.  The others followed him down.

As they entered Quark’s, Ben looked around hoping to find an out of the way table where they could talk in relative peace. They were in luck; Ben spotted a table along one wall away from the noise of the dabo table. Once seated, they were immediately approached by Quark himself hoping to sell a bottle something expensive to celebrate a successful mission. He left the table disappointed with the order for two coffees and one hot tea. The trio made small talk until their drinks were served and they knew they wouldn’t be interrupted for a while. Then Kathryn began to fill Ben in on the last few months on Voyager, starting with finding the first of the survivors and ending with Chakotay’s rescue. Chakotay then picked up the conversation, summarizing his experiences after being taken by the Cardassians, only touching on the abuse to which he had been subjected. He then addressed events since he had been rescued by Voyager.

As the evening progressed, Kathryn sensed some tension between the men as Chakotay was recounting some humorous incidents on Voyager -- concern and protectiveness from Ben, jealousy and possessiveness from Chakotay.  She knew she could tell them both they were being silly, but opted to let them work it out themselves.  She made an excuse to leave the table to speak to someone by the dabo table and get a refill on her coffee.  She made a point to stay away at least fifteen minutes, but she kept an eye on the two men.  When she finally saw Ben laugh at something Chakotay had said, she returned.

Ben was trying to explain baseball to Chakotay, who had never seen the game played.  Evidently as the conversation progressed, Ben had made a reference to “who’s on first?” and was now entangled in explaining both the positions of players so Chakotay would understand the joke.  The conversation was worse than the joke itself and after a few minutes, Kathryn couldn’t hold the laughter in any longer.  Both men looked at her, highly offended at being found so amusing.

“Does she do this often on the ship, Chakotay?”

“Not since I came aboard?  Do you think she should go to the infirmary?”

“Probably not. It’s probably just a combination of the stress of the last months, lack of sleep, and too much caffeine finally affecting her mind. Why don’t you take her back to Voyager and put her to bed. If she’s not better in the morning, let me know. I’ll help you drag her to sick bay.”  Kathryn was not at pleased at being discussed as if she were not present, or by the implied insults.

“Ben, could you give me directions back to Voyager? It’s been a long time since I was on DS9 and I’d hate to walk the long way around the habitat ring.”

“Gentlemen, I can find my own way to Voyager, thank you very much. Chakotay, if you want to return to the ship, I’ll be happy to let you accompany me now.” Kathryn rather liked the idea of Chakotay putting her to bed and was pleased that Ben had approved their relationship.  While she didn’t need that approval, it was nice to know that her two friends accepted each other’s role in her life. They rose to leave and parted from Ben at the entrance.  As Kathryn and Chakotay headed to the upper ring and quieter corridors, she asked, “Why don’t we take the long way home?  I feel like walking a bit.”

“You’re the captain, Kathryn.  I’ll always be at your side.  Just don’t get me lost on this station tonight. OK?”  They both knew that the humor was to lighten the moment created by the sincerity of his first two statements. With their arms wrapped around the other, they slowly took the long way home to Voyager.

Three days later Kathryn was beaming as she approached Chakotay at a table in Quark’s where they had agreed to meet Tom and B’Elanna for lunch.  She knew he would be early and wanted to catch him before the others arrived.

“Hi, beautiful!” Chakotay greeted Kathryn with the smile saved just for making her blush.  It was successful as usual.  He wondered why she was still smiling.  Usually that smile earned him a glare that would melt tritanium.

“You’re out of uniform, mister!  And that is no way to address your commanding officer!”  Her tone and smile belied the reprimand her choice of words should have conveyed.

“What?”  Now he was confused and concerned. Then he noticed the packet Kathryn was carrying with an official Starfleet insignia on the outside. Light was beginning to appear at the end of the tunnel.

“I told you so!”  Kathryn's smile seemed to keep growing.

“What exactly did you tell me that has you smiling so much?”

“I told you Starfleet had already cut your orders for Voyager before I left.  And I was right.  They were in a sealed envelope in Sisko’s office.  Even he didn’t know what they were until he received instructions this morning to deliver them to me immediately.  Your re-enlistment and rank commission in Starfleet is backdated to the rescue of the Élan, but your ten years start today.  Your record will show that you were a POW during the Cardassian War.  You have back pay and accrued leave and benefits from your re-enlistment date. Your rank is full commander and you are tenth in line for your own captaincy.  But that won’t happen unless we say it should. That was in a separate communiqué to me that made a few amendments to your original orders.  Now, I repeat, you are out of uniform, Commander.  What do you have to say for yourself?”

“Permission to hug my captain, sir?”

“Permission granted.”  Chakotay enveloped her in a huge bear hug.  Those nearby had heard part of the conversation and understand the two were celebrating his official assignment to Voyager’s crew.   B’Elanna walked up just as Chakotay was releasing Kathryn.

“Did I miss something?”  B’Elanna asked.  She knew about their relationship, but the display in public was unexpected.  Chakotay caught B’Elanna in another bear hug.

“It’s official, B’El!  I’m officially your superior officer and the first officer on Voyager.”

“Hey!  What’s going on here?  Don’t let me interrupt you two.  Did I miss something?”  Tom was never afraid to put his nose into other people’s business, especially if he thought it was his business, too.  He definitely considered B’Elanna his business.

“No, Tom.  I was just reprimanding Voyager’s first officer for being out of uniform.”  Kathryn answered his question.

“We don’t have a first offi ...  Hey!  That’s great!  Congratulations, Chakotay.  Guess you’re stuck on Voyager with the rest of us.  Watch out for the captain, though.  She can be a real martinet at times.”

B’Elanna looked at Kathryn. “I’m sorry, Captain.  I’m trying to train him, but it’s just about impossible.  I had always heard that pigs were intelligent.  I guess this one is an exception to the norm.”

“Ah, B’Elanna, I am intelligent.  I think you’re beautiful, don’t I.”  B’Elanna blushed and slapped Tom’s arm.

Chakotay chuckled at the interplay and Kathryn’s effort to maintain a serious face.  He tugged Kathryn’s arm to guide her toward a chair and gestured for Tom and B’Elanna to sit down as well.  They placed an order for mineral water and fruit juice with the waitress who left menus while she got their drinks.  Kathryn handed Chakotay the official packet and quickly filled Tom and B’Elanna in on Chakotay’s orders while he read through them and the amendments contained in Kathryn’s communiqué.  She then officially relieved Tom from all duties as first officer of Voyager, for which he was profoundly grateful.  After they ordered their lunch, Chakotay excused himself to take his papers back to Voyager.  Just as their food was being served, he returned -- in uniform.

“Is this better, Captain?”

“Much. Thank you, Commander.”

The four enjoyed the food and the company as they laughed and talked about the experiences of several crew from Voyager.  Tom had stopped Harry from buying worthless gems from Quark... again.  Several had gone to Bajor to look up acquaintances from previous visits or to visit family.  Almost everyone bought something to decorate and personalize his or her quarters.  After the severe crowding of the past months,  they seemed to feel a need to define their personal space.

Kathryn updated them on the status of the civilians Voyager had transported to DS9.  All were doing extremely well physically and were making progress in their emotional and psychological recovery.  Family members for about twenty children had been located and were en route to DS9 to pick up the children. The saddest news was that not even names were available for the twelve youngest ones. Three of the four and five year olds had been identified as being siblings of older children, but the others were orphans with no chance of finding families.  Many of the women from the camps wanted to keep the children they were caring for, but no decision had been made.  Much would depend on whether those women had families to help them start a new life. A handful of Bajorans had offered to take in not only children but to open their homes to one or more adults needing to start a new life.  While a mixture of happy and sad, it was already better news than Voyager’s crew had expected and more than the civilians had dreamed possible only a few weeks earlier.

As they were leaving Quark’s, Kathryn finally returned to ship’s business.  “Come on, Commander.  I haven’t logged you in as Voyager’s first officer yet and Tom needs to turn his command codes over to you.”

“Captain, do you mind if B’Elanna and I do a little shopping before we return to the ship?  This is the first chance we’ve had to just wander around together since we docked.  Besides, you can override my codes and Chakotay should put in his own anyway.  Do you really need me?”

“OK, Tom, I guess I’ll let you off the hook this time.  But you will turn those codes over by 16:00 today.  Understood?”

“Yes, Captain.  Thank you!”

Chakotay watched the couple as they walked away arm in arm.  He hadn’t had time to talk with B’Elanna about her relationship with Tom and wondered if it was more serious that he at first thought.  His words echoed his thoughts, “How serious are those two anyway, Kathryn?”

“Pretty serious, I think.  They’re not using both their quarters any more than we are.  She’s quieter . . . almost softer . . when he’s around, if that makes any sense.  Tom isn’t afraid of B’Elanna or her temper.  He’ll take her on in staff meetings or in the mess hall, even in engineering.  He’ll even confront her when her temper is out of control.  She lets him get away with it, too.  What really convinces me though is that Tom isn’t flirting with every pretty female on the station, even when he knows B’Elanna is on duty in engineering.  So, yes, I’d say they were pretty serious about each other.”

“They seem as if they’re good for each other, but I don’t know Tom all that well.  I do know B’Elanna seems happy with him.   I hope they make it work.  Now, you said something about logging me in as your first officer, Captain.  Shall we?”  Chakotay gave a slight bow and gestured for the Captain to lead them to Voyager.  A few minutes later Kathryn was startled when Chakotay did not follow her through the hatch linking the ship to the station.  She looked back at him with a question on her face.

“Permission to come aboard, sir?”

“Permission granted, Commander.  Welcome aboard.”  Kathryn greeted her new first officer and reached out to shake his hand.  “Let me escort you to the bridge, Commander.”  Once on the bridge, Kathryn entered Chakotay’s assignment to Voyager in the official logs and transferred all the command codes she was holding in lieu of a first officer to him.  She also established the appropriate additional command codes that would enable him to override certain of her codes if the situation would ever warrant it.  She made a point not to transfer the codes held by Paris.  She had the ensign at Ops post a general announcement to the crew about Chakotay’s assignment to Voyager and his rank.

“Could I speak to you in your ready room, Captain?”

“Of course, Commander.”

They entered the ready room.  Kathryn was puzzled and slightly concerned by his request.  Even when he wanted to discuss something personal, Chakotay had always hinted at the subject and left her to suggest the ready room.  This was unusual, very unusual.

“What’s wrong, Chakotay.  Is there a problem already?  Weren’t your orders satisfactory?”

“Nothing is wrong, Kathryn. I have everything I asked for.  Starfleet met all the conditions, just as you anticipated they would.  However, I do want something else.  If I can’t have it, that’s OK too.  This request is strictly personal.  I want to marry you before we leave DS9.  Will you marry me, Kathryn?  We can make it as public or as private as you want.  We can celebrate on the Promenade, or find someone on Bajor who will keep our secret from everyone we know.  However you want it is OK with me as long as you marry me.”

“Why, Chakotay?”

“Because I love you.  Because I want us to have a family someday, hopefully sooner than later.  I want our children to know we married because we wanted to marry, when we wanted to marry.  I never want them to think we only married because we wanted children.  And if something happens to us, I want there to be a record somewhere of how we felt about each other.  Because I want someone to know that we shared more than command of a ship called Voyager.  I want someone to know or something to show that we loved each other from the very beginning.  If anyone ever doubts it was love at first sight, I want them to know it was true and not just empty words.  But mostly because I love you.”

“Janeway to Ops”  Chakotay waited.  He had no idea what Kathryn thinking or doing.

“Yes, Captain.”

“Get Captain Sisko on a secure com line to my ready room and patch it through when he’s ready.”

“Captain. Is there something I can do for you?  I thought you would be busy showing your new first officer around your ship this afternoon.”

“He knows his way around pretty well already.  Could you spare us about 15 minutes sometime this afternoon, Ben?”

“Sure, Kathryn.  Shall we say 15:00?”

“Excellent.  We’ll meet you in your office then.  Thanks, Ben.  Janeway out.”  The screen blanked.

“Kathryn, what was that all about?”

“I trust Ben to keep our secret, Chakotay. He can keep a written record of our marriage in a sealed file for us just as he kept your orders for Starfleet.  When we’re ready to go public, he can put it in the station’s computer records and copy Starfleet HQ.  We’ll bring a copy back to Voyager with us.”

Chakotay smiled.  His soon-to-be wife certainly knew how to keep him off balance.  He hoped he never regained his balance.  He pulled her into his arms making sure she knew who would command their private life.  Kathryn understood his message and decided it was only fair.  She was responsible for Voyager and her crew.  She could let Chakotay be responsible for Kathryn.

Tom and B’Elanna slowly headed for a more deserted part of the Promenade after leaving Kathryn and Chakotay at the entrance to Quark’s bar.  He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to his side.

“That’s great news about Chakotay isn’t it, B’El?”

“I can say it now, but I was really worried the brass wouldn’t let him stay on Voyager.  He’s a good captain and they are so short-handed right now, I really thought they’d make him take his own ship.”

“I know.  That possibility had crossed my mind.  I thought about discussing the possibility with the captain, but after I thought it out, I decided to wait and see what happened.  Don’t take this wrong, B’El, but I think Starfleet was afraid of what the former Maquis might do if they put Chakotay on another ship.  They could have lost a huge portion of Voyager’s crew.  The brass may have even feared an outright mutiny on Voyager.  Easy, honey.  I know it would never happen.  I know the entire crew is loyal to Kathryn but the brass doesn’t know that.  They might think we’re still walking a tight rope balancing the different backgrounds among the crew.  You and I both know how much they discourage personal relationships between officers on a ship, especially the command staff.  Well, I think they’d be relieved if they knew where Chakotay spends his nights.  They see him as the guarantee to keep the crew happy.”

“So you don’t think they’ll try to transfer him off Voyager in a month or two?”  B’Elanna was clearly looking for reassurance on this point.

“No, I think we’ll get to keep him for a long time.  You’re much more likely to have to deal with me getting transferred now.  I think I’m safe on Voyager for another couple of months.  After that I don’t know.”

“Tom, don’t say things like that.  They upset me.  I don’t want you transferred to another ship where I can’t see you every day.  My life has been one big upheaval.  Voyager is the most stability I’ve ever known and now you’re saying that might change.  I don’t think I could handle it if you were transferred.”

“I know, B’Elanna.  I don’t know what I’d do if I couldn’t hold you in my arms at night.  I do know one thing; I’d do everything I could to keep us together.  I think the captain would try to help us, too.  Look, let’s deal with today, not might-be’s, OK?  I love you too much to spend time worrying about something that might never happen.”

“Do you?”

“Do I what?”

“Love me?”

“Of course.  How could you ask such a thing?”

“You’ve never actually said it before.  All these months together and you’ve never actually said the words.”

“I didn’t realize you needed the words.  I thought you knew I loved you.  I’m not good with words when it comes to what I really feel, B’Elanna.  You know that.”

“I do know, but I like to hear them -- I need to hear the words sometimes.  I don’t need them all the time and I don’t need them in public, but sometimes I need to hear them when it’s just the two of us.  Can you do that for me?”

“B’Elanna, if you asked me I’d try to say I love you in public everyday.  I just don’t know how successful I’d be until I got used to it, but I’d try.  I do love you very much.”

“I love you so much, Tom, it scares me sometimes.  Let’s go home.  I really need you to hold me tonight.”

“I’ll be glad to hold you, B’Elanna, and anything else that you might decide you need tonight.  Anything you want as long as you love me and you let me love you, OK?”

“OK.”

Voyager’s captain and first officer hurried down the corridors of DS9 heading for Captain Sisko’s office.  They had lost track of time after they spoke with Ben and were nearly late for their meeting.  They reached his door just as the chronometer turned to 15:00.  How embarrassing!  They were nearly late for their own wedding.  How would they ever explain that to their grandchildren?

Ben Sisko greeted them as they entered his office.

“Kathryn.  Chakotay.  Am I allowed to ask whether this is an official or private meeting?”

“Of course, Ben.  We just don’t want this broadcast around the station and ship.  I guess for you the meeting is official and for us it’s private.”  Kathryn, ever the chatterbox, spoke for both.  Ben looked slightly confused at the description of the meeting.

“Maybe you should explain exactly what you want, Kathryn.”

“It’s simple, Ben.  We want you to marry us.  No, that sounds wrong.  I mean we want you to perform our marriage ceremony . . . now.  And we need you to keep it a secret.  You can put a written record in a sealed envelope in your files.  We’ll bring a copy with us to Voyager.  When we’re ready to share our marriage with Starfleet, we’ll let you know and you can enter it into the station’s records.

“So, will you do it?”

“Of course.  And congratulations! . . .  You mean now? as in the next five minutes?” When they nodded, he gathered his thoughts and searched through his desk for a book.  After searching every drawer, he found it on a shelf behind his desk.  “Any particular type of ceremony?”

“Short, sweet and simple.”  Chakotay finally entered the conversation.  “This is just for legalities.  This is to satisfy civilian and military authorities if something happens to one of us. Our personal promises have already been made and sealed.”  Twenty minutes later Kathryn and Chakotay left Ben Sisko’s office.  Chakotay was carrying an envelope and both were smiling.  If anyone had entered Sisko’s office in the next half hour, they would have been welcomed by a grin that rivaled the Cheshire cat’s.

Two weeks after Voyager arrived at Deep Space 9, Kathryn was just ending a meeting of her senior staff in preparation for departure later that afternoon when she was interrupted by the bridge. “Priority communications from Starfleet Command being relayed by DS9 coming through, Captain,” announced the ensign covering Ops while Harry was in the meeting.

“Put it through, Ensign.”  Kathryn was puzzled.  Voyager’s orders to return to the area around the Badlands to search for more prison camp survivors had come through a week ago.  Her much promised Chief of Security had not come through and she had been advised that one probably would not in the foreseeable future.  She was not surprised to see Admiral Paris appear on the screen in the briefing room.  She was surprise at his suppressed anger and frustration.

“Captain Janeway. Your orders have been slightly altered. You are to remain at Deep Space 9 until the next transport from Earth arrives. It is scheduled to reach DS9 sometime tomorrow afternoon. Pick up your delivery and be on your way within one hour of the transport’s arrival.  Understood?”

“Yes, Admiral. What exactly am I . . ..”

“Paris out” The screen blanked. Janeway turned back to her senior staff.

“You all heard our change of orders.  Feel free to give additional leave to your departments at  *your* discretion if you can spare them this evening.  B’Elanna, it appears you’ll have all morning tomorrow to finish up those diagnostics you’ve been trying to finish so I expect you to be off duty by 18:00 today.  The same goes for the rest of you.  Make sure you take advantage of this delay to relax.  Commander, relieve all non-essential crew of their duty shifts until 12:00 tomorrow at which time I will expect a fully staffed ship. Department heads should make recommendations to you within the hour.  By 13:00 I expect Voyager to be ready to leave DS9 and all crew to be back on board.  Questions?  Good.  Dismissed.”

The senior staff left the briefing room planning what they would do with the extra evening on the station.  At least two of them had already decided who was necessary each shift until tomorrow noon and had only to put it into written form for submission to Chakotay for approval.  Chakotay waited to talk to Kathryn.  He put his arms around her and kissed her briefly.

“So, wife, do you want to go dancing at Vic’s night club in Quark’s holodeck? Or do I get to accompany the captain for a pleasant dinner in the bar?”

“As much as I would love to go dancing with you, I think the captain and first officer should put in an appearance at Quark’s.  Some of the crew may get a bit carried away and our presence may temper their fun enough to keep them out of Odo’s brig overnight.”

“Shall I put a curfew of the leaves when I approve them?  Say 01:00 hours until 06:00?”

“Probably a good idea.  At least we’ll know where our “children” are even if we don’t know what they’re doing.”  Chakotay chuckled. In private he and Kathryn had taken to referring to the crew as their children. They both felt much older than the rest of the crew and were in fact old enough to be the parents of most of them.  His former Maquis had started calling him the “old man” again in the mess hall and at off-duty functions.  Chakotay hoped for everyone’s sake no one ever called Kathryn the “old lady.”  He did NOT want to deal with the ramifications of that remark if she ever heard about it.

Voyager’s command team enjoyed a quiet dinner at Quark’s, or least what passed for quiet at Quark’s. They were only interrupted a dozen times while they ate. Once they finished eating they moved to a larger table where they were joined by most of the senior staff. They sat around for several hours telling stories about their childhood, jokes, out right lies about each other, and seeing who could come up with the most outrageous idea about tomorrow’s “delivery”. Their presence had the desired effect on the other crew present and only one was returned to the ship before the curfew went into effect. That crewmember fell asleep at the bar. His friends took pity on him and carried him home to his quarters before returning to Quark’s.  At 12:45, Chakotay stood and reminded them all of the time.

“Well, I guess our time is up.  Seems to me like we have to make it back to the ship before the curfew is in effect.  It wouldn’t look good if the senior staff broke curfew the night before Voyager leaves DS9. “

“Don’t tell me you wrote that into the leave for you and the captain, Chakotay?”  Tom couldn’t believe they would restrict their own activities officially.

“Of course. How could I in good conscience ask something of this crew that I was unwilling to do myself. I know the captain feels the same way.” The last comment earned him a death glare from the captain. He had forgotten to tell her about the curfew on her leave papers. Oops!

Kathryn and Chakotay made a point of leaving Quark’s and dropping a big hint to the other crew remaining at the dabo table and bar. As they made their way back to Voyager, she asked,

“Just why did you include the curfew on our papers? It was unusual enough to include it on the senior staff’s. And you might at least have mentioned it to me.”

“The reason I gave is sufficient. . . for the senior staff.  I also wanted to make sure they were back on Voyager and hopefully in their quarters resting, if not sleeping, tonight.  Last, but not least, I wanted to make sure *we* were back in our quarters at a reasonable hour.  We both have bridge duty at 12:00.”

“I take it you have plans when we get back to Voyager other than sleeping?”

“Yes, Captain, I certainly do.  I hope you don’t mind, Captain, but my plans are with my wife.  I think she will approve them when I explain them to her.”

“You’re probably right, Commander.  You’re probably right.”