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| End and Begin Again | ||||||||||||||||
| by Lady Janus | ||||||||||||||||
| Disclaimer: See Part 1. | ||||||||||||||||
| End and Begin Again | ||||||||||||||||
| Epilogue: A toast to new journeys | ||||||||||||||||
| Rating: PG-13 | ||||||||||||||||
| "Five!" | ||||||||||||||||
| The roar of the crew shook the bridge as they watched the large number display count down the light-seconds as Voyager hurtled through space at warp 9 towards an invisible point that would launch them into the next phase of their journey. | ||||||||||||||||
| "Four!" | ||||||||||||||||
| "Three!" | ||||||||||||||||
| "Two!" | ||||||||||||||||
| "One!" | ||||||||||||||||
| "Welcome to the beta quadrant!" Kathryn cried out as glittering confetti fell from overhead. The crew crowding the bridge went wild, shouting themselves hoarse. Even Icheb seemed infected with the excitement, while little Naomi screamed with happiness as she bounced up and down in Ayala's arms. | ||||||||||||||||
| Chakotay added his voice to the roar. | ||||||||||||||||
| "Asta la vista, delta quadrant!" Paris crowed. | ||||||||||||||||
| "To the best crew a Captain could ever ask for!" Kathryn shouted over the din as Chell and his helpers passed the trays of champagne around. | ||||||||||||||||
| "To the best Captain any crew--in any quadrant--could ever ask for!" Tom Paris shouted back as he rose from the helm and swiped a glass from a passing server. He wound his free arm around B'Elanna, who was juggling a screaming Miral with one hand, and a champagne glass in the other. | ||||||||||||||||
| Chakotay didn't think it possible, but the cheering increased in volume and enthusiasm. He realised that Harry was pumping in the response from all over the ship. This was one celebration that would start early and go well into the night, but the crew deserved it, every last one of them--even stoic Tuvok at his station and a visibly angry Seven standing next to him with a cheering U'Lanai at her side. | ||||||||||||||||
| Chakotay looked away from the young woman, swallowing the guilt that rose like the tide to overwhelm him each time he dropped his guard. He raised his glass and smiled at Kathryn as she gently tapped it with her own. | ||||||||||||||||
| "To the journey!" Chakotay shouted. | ||||||||||||||||
| Kathryn flashed a radiant smile and held his gaze. She raised her glass and mouthed his words back to him before turning to clink her glass with B'Elanna's and the other officers who quickly surrounded her. | ||||||||||||||||
| But in that unguarded instant, gazing into Kathryn's blue eyes as Voyager sailed deeper into the black, uncharted ocean of space, Chakotay found reason to hope again. He found . . . love. | ||||||||||||||||
| The End Previous Back to Stories Back to Main Index |
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