"I just can't believe that we're really here. That we really have to say goodbye to Voyager," B'Elanna Torres said, gazing out the window of the apartment she shared with Tom. They had bought it yesterday, even before stopping to see his family. They were eager to begin their new lives, and they wanted a good start. Neither of them knew where they were going to be stationed, but they agreed that if it wasn't with each other, then retirement was in the future.

"I know. For the time being, our Voyager family is here in San Francisco with us..but what will happen tomorrow when we get assignments?" Tom asked rhetorically. He felt B'Elanna sigh and placed his hand on her bare back. "It'll be okay. No matter what, they'll never separate us. It took me thirty-one years to find you. I'm not letting you go now," he said, setting his head back down on the pillow at the same time she brought hers up to look him in the eyes.

"I don't plan on losing you, either. But what about Harry and Chakotay?" she asked, naming their two closest friends. He sighed and wrapped his arms tighter around her.

"I honestly don't know, Lanna. I just don't know."

~*~

"Chakotay?" Janeway asked her former Commander. He looked at her, his eyes blank. "Are you okay? You look a million light years away," she commented, smiling at the familiar catch phrase he used to use on her.

"I'm okay."

"And I'm the tooth fairy," she said quietly, taking his chin in her hand and moving his head so he'd have to look at her directly. "We're home, Chakotay . Why so glum?"

"Because, Kathryn. That's just it. We're home," she clearly looked confused, so he took a deep breath and continued. "We get assignments tomorrow. We're going to be split up. I mean..I should be used to it. After leaving the Maquis to join you on Voyager..but it's just different this time. I wasn't close to any of the Maquis except B'Elanna. And now I might have to leave her."

"Is this about B'Elanna?" Janeway asked, her voice darkening. Chakotay shook his head.

"Yes and no. It's not just about B'Elanna. It's about you. And Harry. And Tom. And everyone else I've gotten close to. I can't bear to say goodbye to them. Or to you," he said tenderly, stroking the side of her face with his hand. He leaned down and brushed a kiss across her lips. He separated their faces and held her to him, running his hands down her back.

"You won't lose me, Chakotay. You're stuck with me." she said, a tear slipping down her cheek.

"You promise?"

"I swear."

~*~

"Seven, didn't you have a name before you became Seven of Nine?" Mrs. Kim asked, pouring Seven a steaming cup of coffee.

"Yes." she said mechanically to the woman in front of her.

"What was it?" Mrs. Kim was genuinely interested in the story of the intriguing young woman Harry had brought home. She didn't even seem to notice that Seven wasn't particularly warm to her.

"Annika. But I never liked it," she recalled. Harry smiled.

"Then we should come up with a new name for you," Harry jovially suggested. "That is..if you'd like," he stammered.

"Yes. I'd like to have an Earth name," she said, smiling at Harry. She was finally learning human emotions, much to Harry's joy.

"What names do you like?" Mrs. Kim asked with a smile. Seven pondered the question before answering.

"Well, I'd like something I could shorten out. For example, Tom calls B'Elanna 'Lanna' as a term of endearment, so I believe I'd like for Harry to have such a term for me," she said, never taking her eyes off her lover.

"How about Elizabeth?" Harry suggested.

"That was my mother's name."

"And you loved your mother very much."

"I did."

"Then it's perfect. I'll call you Liz. How does that sound?"

"Elizabeth is perfect."

~*~

B'Elanna held the PADD in her hand, afraid to read it. She was acutely aware of Tom, Harry and Seven standing over her, eagerly awaiting the content of the datapadd, but she couldn't bring herself to scroll down. Tom sensed her apprehension and took the PADD from her. With his other hand, he closed it over her hand and smiled gently at her, trying to reassure her.

Thomas Eugene Paris
Lieutenant Commander
Test pilot
Starfleet Headquarters
San Francisco, Earth

B'Elanna Paris-Torres
Lieutenant Commander, Head of Security
Chief Engineer in charge of test engines
Starfleet Headquarters
San Francisco, Earth

Harry Kim
Lieutenant
Starfleet Vessel The Communicator

Elizabeth Kim (Seven of Nine)
Ensign
Starfleet Vessel The Communicator

"Tom?" B'Elanna asked, snapping her fingers at the far away look in Tom's eyes. His eyes focused and he smiled at her.

"Well, Lieutenant Commander, you are head of security AND Chief Engineer in charge of test engines," he smiled. She let out a little scream at her promotion, but quickly recovered.

"Where?"

"Right here at headquarters!"

"And you?"

"You are looking at the Lieutenant Commander test pilot. I'm stationed at Headquarters, too!" he said, grinning from ear to ear. B'Elanna squealed and flung herself into his arms. He sighed happily and then laughed at the expressions on his friends' faces. "Lieutenant Kim, you and Ensign Elizabeth Kim will be on the Starship Communicator," he informed the couple. They smiled slightly but sobered up at Harry's statement.

"We won't be with you guys," he stated.

"No..but you'll be together. And that alone should make you happy," B'Elanna said softly, slipping away from Tom to embrace Harry and his wife-to-be. Harry gratefully returned the hug, and when he pulled back his eyes glistened with tears.

"It does. But you guys have been my best friends for the past eight years. It's just difficult to imagine a life without you guys." Harry said, choking up. B'Elanna patted his arm affectionately.

"Starfleet, you should know by now that you are stuck with us," she joked, looking to Tom for affirmation. He quickly nodded his head and stepped forward to embrace Harry.

"Look at it this way, Harry. You have to come down from that starship sometime. So we'll set up a room for you and Elizabeth at our place," he suggested, tripping over the name Elizabeth. Harry smiled and looked at his fiancé.

"How does that sound, Liz?" he asked, slipping an arm around her shoulders. She forced a smile.

"Very..hospitable of you. We are grateful." B'Elanna shuddered at the woodenness of the ex-Borg's voice, but said nothing. Instead she just smiled. She was secretly planning a way to kill her husband when they got home.

~*~

"Well?" Kathryn asked nervously. Chakotay held the PADD in his hand, not saying a word. She stood on tip toes and attempted to peek over his shoulder and read the contents, but he moved it away. Her feet hit the ground squarely and she pouted. "Come on, Chakotay! Lat me see!"

Her protest was met with a small grunt, but Chakotay reluctantly turned the PADD over to Kathryn. She scrolled down, eagerly looking for their names.

Kathryn Janeway
Admiral
Defense Instructor
Starfleet Academy
San Francisco, Earth

Chakotay
Captain
Starfleet Vessel The Communicator

Kathryn felt her knees buckle as she read the words. She was on Earth and he would be captaining a starship. It didn't seem fair. She felt herself slip, and Chakotay's arms were around her waist, steadying her. She buried her head in the familiarness of his chest and clung to him. He in turn rested his head on her shoulder, and she soon felt tears soaking into the material of her jacket. She pulled back and looked into his eyes.

Like her own, they were damp with tears and deeply pained. Neither could or wanted to understand. How could Owen have separated them? He knew how in love with Chakotay she was. "Kathryn.." was all he could say before the tears overwhelmed them both.

"Captain..Chakotay.." Tom said as he walked up to the couple. B'Elanna, Harry, and Seven–er..Elizabeth—were in tow. "What is it?" he looked at the faces of his commanding officers and saw a sadness etched there. Chakotay's eyes were damp, and Janeway's mascara was running. He looked at the PADD in Janeway's hand and knew. "They separated you?"

"Yes," Janeway choked. "Yes, Tom, they did." she handed him the PADD and he scanned the contents. He looked back up at his friends and shook his head sadly.

"I'm sorry. I know it's not a consolation, but B'Elanna and I will be in San Francisco, and Harry and Elizabeth will be on The Communicator," he said, hoping to brighten their moods slightly. It seemed to work. Janeway smiled through her tears and embraced Tom.

"That's wonderful." But Chakotay stopped cold.

"I..I'm happy I'll be with a few of my friends. But I did get a promotion..so looks like I'll be commanding you two yet again." he stopped and smiled bitterly. "Kathryn..I'm going back to the house. I'll see you later," he kissed her softly and turned to leave, leaving the confused expressions on his friends' faces behind.

~*~

Chakotay opened the door to the temporary apartment he was sharing with Kathryn. It was very modest inside, just basic necessities, with just enough to make it look like home. There were a few holographic projections and images on the dresser, and he stopped to view them. One—his favorite one—was a picture of him, Kathryn, B'Elanna and Tom. They were sitting in the mess hall during B'Elanna and Tom's wedding reception. One of his arms were draped casually over the smiling bride's shoulder, and the other was around Kathryn's waist. Tom was beside his new wife, a huge smile on his face, and his arm around her. They all looked so happy, smiling at the camera, not a care in the world. Gods how everything had changed.

Chakotay wanted nothing more than to scream and shout about the injustices of the world, but there was no use. Bellyaching wasn't going to keep him and Kathryn together. Fate had smiled down on B'Elanna, Tom, Harry and Elizabeth. But it hadn't been so kind to him and HIS true love. He sighed and moved to the bed, laying down with a groan. He had one week before The Communicator launched. One more week with tow of his dearest friends and his lover.

He heard a key in the lock, and Kathryn entered, smiling at him when she spotted him on the bed. "You worried us Chakotay," she said, sitting on the bed next to him. If he heard what she'd said, he made no move to reply. "Chakotay. Talk to me."

He rolled over and propped himself up on his elbows. "I swore I wouldn't become attached to any of you. I was going to remain neutral. But you can see how well that one worked." he sighed. "One week. One week, Kathryn. Then it could be goodbye forever."

"No." she said firmly. "That is not acceptable. Goodbye will NOT be forever."

"I wish I could believe that."

"Believe it."

~*~

"That is so great dear!" Mrs. Kim said, her voice lacking enthusiasm. She had just gotten her only son back after eight years. And now she was supposed to be happy that he was leaving on another starship? It was unacceptable. But Harry was obviously pleased, so she said nothing.

"Lieutenant. I can't believe it!" Harry was so happy, he thought he'd bust. Only one thing could have made it better: Tom, B'Elanna, and Janeway coming along, too. But he left out that part. His mother had not been happy that he'd befriended two ex-Maquis and a ex-convict. She was especially leery of B'Elanna. She could sense the woman's temper. She had said she could smell the blood of her past.

"It was most rewarding to learn that I am now an Ensign." Elizabeth stated. Mrs. Kim smiled.

"Yes, dear. That's very nice." Elizabeth nodded her head and returned to the food on her plate. She was still curious as to why she had to eat this. But Harry had told her it would please his mother, so she made no complaints. "Who else will be accompanying you on this ship?"

"Chakotay was promoted to Captain, so he'll be the captain." his mother frowned.

"Is that the man with the tattoo?"

"Yes, mom."

"Be careful, Harry. I don't trust him."

"Yes, mom."

~*~

B'Elanna walked into her apartment ahead of Tom and slung her bag down on the chair, her good mood almost gone. Tom followed her in and picked her bag up gingerly and set it on the desk. He knew better than to say a word to her. He'd let her come around. And she did.

"It's not fair, Tom. It's not! Janeway and Chakotay deserve as much happiness as everyone else on that damned ship, if not more so! And everyone else is happy and they're miserable!" she paced the length of the room, stopping to wave her hand for emphasis. "And on top of that, I may never see Chakotay again. He's been my best friend for ten years, Tom. TEN YEARS!" her eyes welled up and she sank down on the bed. "I..I don't know how to say goodbye.."

*So this is what it's about. Chakotay.* Tom thought angrily. *When will she get over this flame she carries for him?!*

At the change in Tom's expression, B'Elanna hastily added, "Tom, it's not like you think. I love Chakotay. I love him the way a daughter loves a father," she smiled. "No, Tom. I don't think of Chakotay romantically. That stopped six years ago," even he had to smile at that. He moved to the bed and embraced his wife.

"I know...but you know how jealous I can get," he murmured into her hair. She nodded mutely and reached up her hand to caress his cheek.

"I know, baby. I know."

~*~

"Well, there is some good news to come out of all this. Tuvok and Lieutenant Carey are on the same vessel, and Neelix is opening a restaurant/dance club called 'The Kes'," Janeway said, as she looked at the sad faces of her friends. They were sitting around a table in a popular San Francisco restaurant, their food untouched and their drinks warm. Or in Janeway's case, cold. "And," she continued, 'Tom's father told me that Voyager is being preserved. It is being encased in a glass case. And there will never be another ship with the same warp core," Janeway added, smiling at B'Elanna.

"That's wonderful!" Chakotay said, flashing the first smile he had smiled in two days.

"And..they're leaving it in tact. Everything will be the same, and the Holodeck will be available to all ex-Voyager's," she said, knowing that would brighten everyone's faces. She was right. "B'Elanna..how would you and Tom like a child of sorts?" she asked, looking the young couple.

B'Elanna nearly choked on her water. "A..a what?!"

"The Doctor needs a home, and he requested to be with you two," she smiled and B'Elanna calmed slightly. Tom barely suppressed a chuckle.

"Are you insane?" B'Elanna asked, her eyes still wide. "I could kill that man! Or..at least deactivate him.."

"B'Elanna, we'd love to take care of the Doctor."

"We would?"

"Yes."

She leaned over and whispered something very low in his ear so no one else at the table could hear. His face turned pale and he stuttered, "you...you..you wouldn't!"

"I would."

"On second thought, Admiral, that might not be a very wise idea," he retracted. B'Elanna smirked and folded her arms over her chest.

"What did you threaten him with?" Janeway asked, curiously.

"No sex," she said bluntly. Tom's face turned tomato red and he ducked his head down quickly.

"Well, a man does need his sex!" Chakotay laughed. The whole table erupted into laughter, except Tom who turned even redder.

"I'm weak, what can I say?" he croaked. B'Elanna took a swig of her water and leaned in closer to her husband.

"You know I couldn't do that to you," his face brightened. "Who would I get it from?" that cracked everyone up. Harry shook his head. He got embarrassed at even saying the word 'sex' and here B'Elanna was, broadcasting her sex life to the entire table.

"I have an idea," Janeway said suddenly. Tom looked up gratefully, and she smiled slightly. "We should go to Voyager one last time..to kind of say goodbye. And to gather the remainder of our personal objects. All of us. The entire crew."

"That sounds splendid, Admiral," Elizabeth said with a nod of her head.

"And please..until Monday, everyone call me Kathryn. I'm not an Admiral YET," she smiled fondly at her friends. They all nodded, but were clearly uncomfortable in doing so. "B'Elanna, Elizabeth, I want to talk to you ladies later. After dinner, perhaps," she said, making it sound more like an order than a request. The women nodded in agreement, already curious about her intentions.

Dinner flew by, and Janeway called the women over and ran her idea past them. A mischievous smile crossed B'Elanna's face and she nodded her head in agreement.