Course Correction Studio

Tag: Dani Janeway

  • A Love Less Ordinary – Chapter 3

    Colonel Kira Nerys pressed the door chime outside Dukat’s quarters. It was the morning after his date with Danielle Janeway, and Kira was mad. She hadn’t had a chance to go and talk to that Cardassian snake Dukat before his evening with the young Ensign Janeway, but it was Saturday, now, and she was off duty. She had

    all the time in the world.

    “Come in,” a voice beckoned from within the quarters. Kira pressed the open button. The doors slid open, and she stepped in. The doors slid shut behind her.

    “You shouldn’t leave your door unlocked like that,” Kira said. “I’m sure there are plenty of people around here who’d like their chance at you.”

    Dukat turned to face Kira. “Why, Colonel – I didn’t know you cared.”

    “I don’t,” Kira said bluntly. “It’s just that I’ve got enough to worry about around here without a murder on my hands.”

    Dukat let the insult pass, as usual. “What can I do for you, Colonel?”

    “You could leave, but I know that’s not going to happen, so I’ll settle for this-” She took a few steps toward Dukat. “You could leave Ensign Janeway alone.”

    Dukat had known it would only be short time before Kira came barking up his tree about the matter. She was right on schedule. “Ah, so this is about Danielle?”

    “Yes, this is about Danielle,” Kira said. “Dukat, there are plenty of other women on this station to choose from to have your way with.”

    “They are, Colonel, but I don’t want them; I want Danielle,” Dukat insisted. “And for your information, it isn’t about having my way, as you so put it.”

    “What is it about, then, Dukat?” Kira asked Dukat in a manner that told him that she already had an answer for her own question. He didn’t answer, but merely looked at her, interested in where she was going. “What kind of game are you playing this time?” Kira continued.

    “No games, Colonel,” Dukat said. “I’m merely a lonely man who’s found some companionship.”

    The laugh that came from Kira was more than just a little sarcastic. “Okay, we’ll play this innocent act. You’re looking for companionship. But why her? What’s so special?”

    “She is what’s so special, Colonel,” Dukat said. He walked over the sofa and sat. Kira remained standing. “When she looks at me, there is no fear in her eyes. She doesn’t see me as some monster, although she has every reason to. The only thing she isn’t sure of is if she can trust me, for which I can’t say I would blame her if she didn’t.”

    “If she knows what’s good for her, she won’t,” Kira spat.

    Dukat nodded. “You could be right,” he said. He realized that Danielle still hadn’t come to him with her decision on whether she wanted to pursue this relationship with him, and as far as she was concerned, this relationship might already be over. But he would never let Kira know that. He wanted the upper hand while he could still maintain it. He didn’t want to give her any fodder for her cannon. “So far, though, Danielle has given me a chance.”

    “A chance to what? Hurt someone else?”

    “I would never dream of hurting Danielle. I’d rather cut off my own arm.”

    “Don’t say that around too many people. You might start to give people ideas.”

    Dukat stood and walked around the coffee table to Kira. “This isn’t a joking matter, Colonel. Do you really think I’d do anything to hurt Danielle?”

    “Yes. I do.” Kira’s brown eyes met Dukat’s blue ones and embarked on a most intense stare-down with them. Kira couldn’t believe that the man actually had the nerve to sit here and lie to her face. Well, actually, she could believe that. What she couldn’t believe was that he actually expected her to believe that what he was saying was true. Like she was some kind of idiot!

    Then Dukat said something to Kira that turned her entire train of thought surrounding him around. “I swear on the life of my daughter that I would never do anything to hurt Danielle, just as I would never do anything to harm Ziyal,” he said.

    Dukat didn’t blame Kira for not believing him. He hadn’t expected her to. She never had before. But she should know, having spent enough time with Cardassians and with him, that when he or any other of his species swore on the life of his child, that was his highest word, and it was assured that it would not be broken.

    The door chime was the only thing that broke the staring contest between the Cardassian and the Bajoran. “Come in,” Dukat called, turning his attention to the door. The doors slid open, and Dani Janeway entered. She stopped short when she saw Kira. “Colonel Kira,” she greeted, almost immediately aware of the reason for her visit.

    Kira simply nodded to the ensign. “Ensign.”

    “Danielle,” Dukat said.

    Dani walked towards Kira and Dukat. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” she said, already knowing that she was.

    “No,” Dukat said. “In fact, the colonel was just leaving.”

    Kira looked at Dukat. The fact that she was leaving was news to her. That skeptical glare of Kira’s was present, Dani noted. Kira turned to Dani with the same glare, on the way out of Dukat’s quarters.

    Once the doors had closed, Dani turned to Dukat. “What did she say?” she asked him.

    “Nothing,” Dukat lied. “The colonel is just concerned about my safety. She says I should keep my door locked.”

    “She’s right. Things can get dangerous sometimes. Especially for you.”

    “So I’ve heard.” Dukat gave the door one last look before letting the whole matter drop and turning his attention back to Dani. “Have a seat.”

    “Thanks.” Dani sat on the sofa. Dukat sat down beside her. “I’ve come to a decision about what I want to do,” she informed him.

    “Before you say anything else, I would like to say something,” Dukat requested.

    Dani nodded. “Okay.”

    “Danielle,” Dukat began, “I realize that you have every reason in the universe not to trust me, but I won’t ask you to ask you to be with me if it’s going to make you uncomfortable. But if it isn’t going to make you uncomfortable,” he said, taking her hand and looking intensely into her eyes, “Please – don’t deny me this opportunity to be happy.”

    “I won’t,” was Dani’s reply. “I’ve decided that we should move forward with this relationship. I decided last night, actually. I just had to be sure.”

    “Are you?”

    Dani nodded. “Yes,” she said.

    “You realize this won’t be easy,” Dukat pointed out.

    “Yes, I’m aware of that. But you tell me – what relationship is?”

    Dukat smiled. “None, I suppose,” he replied. He reached out and stroked Dani’s face with the tips of his fingers. Dani watched his face as he did so. Was she really doing this? Was she going to dive into another serious relationship?

    Another serious, controversial relationship? Why?

    Because there was something about the man sitting before her that Dani found it hard to say no to.

  • Graduation – Chapter 9. Party Time

    That had been yesterday. Just like that, four years had been washed down the drain. Dani wanted to cry, but she didn’t want to give Will the satisfaction of seeing that he had made her cry.

    Everyone listened to Rear Admiral Camden as he spoke.

    “And now, I’d like to present to you a group of cadets who have more than excelled in the areas of leadership, scholarship, and command. These students have proven that they have what it takes to lead others successfully. These Academy graduates are not only at the top of their class, but also Command School graduates. Cadets – as I call your name, please step forward.” And he started announcing the names of the command school graduates. It didn’t take him long to call out the names. Out of the class of 300, only fifty had applied to command school. Out of fifty applicants, only 23 were accepted. Out of 23, only 10 completed the program successfully.

    The admiral made it to Dani’s name, which was number five on the list.

    “…Cadet Danielle Janeway…” Camden announced.

    Will had been watching Dani even before she stepped forward to take her place with the other command school graduates. He couldn’t believe that she’d walked out on him just the night before. He’d wanted to cry then, and he wanted to cry now, but he didn’t want to give her the satisfaction of seeing him cry. He had always been close to Dani, even beforeVoyager had been stranded in the Delta Quadrant. But they’d grown even closer over the past four years. Joined at the hip almost…

    Xxx

    “Dani, where are my boots?” Will asked. He was running around his quarters frantically searching for his uniform boots. He was to attend a diplomatic function in twenty minutes, and he couldn’t find his boots.

    Dani, who had dressed at Will’s, was attending as Will’s date. Right now, she was putting her earrings in. From the bathroom, she yelled, “They’re in the closet.”

    Will searched the closet frantically but didn’t see them anywhere. “Where?” he yelled. “I don’t see them? Are you sure they’re here?”

    Dani put her second earring in. “I put them there myself,” she said. He is so clueless, she thought. “Check the floor, the right side.”

    Will looked on the floor of the right side of the closet and, surely enough, found his boots neatly waiting to be worn. He picked them up and then sat down on his bed. It was only when he went to pull his boots on that he realized he wasn’t wearing any socks. He looked over the bed. They weren’t lying out anywhere.

    “Dani-” Before he could even ask, she was out of the bathroom – and she had socks with her. She walked over to him.

    “Here,” she said, handing him one of the socks. The other in hand, she bent down and socked his bare foot. She picked up the corresponding boot and slid his foot into it. Standing up, she said, “There.”

    Will stood, now completely dressed.

    “Are you ready?” Dani asked, inspecting Will’s dress uniform. She absently straightened the jacket and brushed imaginary dust from his shoulders.

    “Do I look alright?” Will asked.

    “You look fine,” Dani said.

    Will looked at Dani. Instead of a dress uniform, which she wasn’t obligated to wear because she was not yet an officer, wore a long, sleeveless, royal blue gown. “And you look gorgeous.”

    “Thank you.”

    “Maybe we should just blow off this party and stay in tonight,” Will suggested, moving in on Dani. She stopped his advance with her hand.

    “No way. You’re not missing this and getting into trouble because of me.”

    “So by-the-book. Starfleet Academy is doing something to you.” Will smiled. “Let’s go. We’re going to be late.”

    Xxx

    Dani and Will walked into the Zikonian ballroom arm-in-arm. Neither of them had expected quite so many people to be in attendance at a diplomatic function, such as a dinner, but maybe diplomatic dinners were a big deal on this planet. Or in this city, at least.

    “I hate these things,” Will whispered to Dani, as he and she walked through the large room.

    Dani’s smile seemed frozen on her face as she whispered his reply. “Don’t worry – it’s only a few hours.”

    A man whom Dani and Will both took to be a waiter approached them. “Beverage?”

    Dani and Will each picked up a glass. Will nodded slightly to the waiter. After the waiter left, Will said, “At least they give us something to make it through the night with.” He took a sip. “Not bad.”

    Dani took a sip, as well. “Alcoholic?” she asked.

    “I think so. Whatever it is, it’s strong and highly potent. I’m already getting a bit of a buzz.”

    “Yeah, me too.”

    “I think that’s enough of whatever this is,” Will said. He dreaded the thought of what could happen if he and Dani happened to get drunk on this occasion. Dani handed him her glass, and he deposited both on a passing waiter’s tray.

    “Will?”

    Will turned at the call of his name. Captain Picard was making his way toward him and Dani. A Zikonian diplomat was with him.

    “Will – I’d like you to meet the Zikonian chancellor, Litus Spar,” Picard introduced. “Chancellor Spar, this is my first officer, Commander William T. Riker.” Spar and Will shook hands.

    “Pleased to meet you, Commander,” Spar said.

    “A pleasure,” Will said.

    Picard continued. “And from Starfleet Academy, Cadet Danielle Janeway.”

    “How do you do?” Spar greeted Dani, shaking her hand. Dani smiled and nodded.

    “If you all would excuse me,” Dani said. Will looked at her. She leaned into him and whispered, “I’ll see you at dinner.” Before Will could protest her departure, she was gone. She’d gone and left him to his own devices. He looked at the Zikonian chancellor and pasted a smile on.

    Xxx

    At dinner, 30 minutes later, Dani rejoined Will at a large table.

    “That was dirty,” Will said to Dani, as they sat.

    “I never agreed to stay with you the entire night,” Dani said. Will looked at her. “Besides, you did pretty well without me, didn’t you?”

    “I would’ve done much better with you by my side,” Will said. “You’re more of a diplomat than I am.”

    “Really? That’s news to me.”

    Xxx

    Will rolled onto his back, taking Dani with him. They had returned to the ship from the Zikonian diplomatic dinner over an hour ago. Dani now sat atop Will, kissing him. His fingers were immersed in her long, dark tresses.

    Dani sat up and leaned back down again to rest her head on Will’s bare chest.

    “Marry me, Dani,” Will said.

    “I will,” she said. “I already said I would.”

    “No. I mean sooner. Now.”

    Dani sat up. “What’s the big hurry? It’s not like I’m going anywhere. Are you?”

    “I just don’t want some younger guy to take you away.”

    “I don’t want a younger guy – I want you.” She once again place her head on Will’s chest. “You know you’re the only captain of my ship.”

    “Yeah. For now.”

    Dani sat up again. “What does that mean?”

    “In a few years, when I’m in my fifties, will you still feel that way?”

    “What about when I’m in my fifties? Are you sure you won’t want someone younger?”

    “When you hit fifty, I’ll be in my…let’s just say I’ll be pretty damn old. I’ll be lucky to have anyone.”

    “I believe that when you love a person, you never stop loving them, no matter what happens. No matter if they’ve sprouted a few gray hairs here and there, or they’ve formed a few wrinkles, or put on a little weight – you always love that person.” Dani leaned down so that her face was close to Will’s. “I love you, Will.”

    “I love you,” Will replied. Dani kissed him.

    Xxx

    That had only been a year before. Only a year. Will believed what Dani had said, about loving someone forever. He still loved her, and he knew that she still loved him. But sometimes, love just wasn’t enough.

    Will looked down at the field.

    “And now, ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the graduating class of Starfleet Academy,” Camden said. “Cadets – Atten-tion!” The cadets snapped to attention. “Each of you entered this Academy cadets, and now each of you shall leave as Starfleet Ensigns. By the power invested in me by the United Federation of Planets and by Starfleet, I now proclaim you graduated.”

    The audience members stood and clapped and cheered. It had been a long road, but they had finally made it. Another chapter of Dani’s life was coming to a close. Despite the new ensigns’ efforts to maintain straight faces, many of them broke into smiles. But Dani wasn’t smiling this day.

    It was the night of graduation. The general sentiment among the Academy graduates was that everyone was entitled to have a good time after working their asses off for however many years it took them to get through the program. If that just happened to involve getting drunk, so be it. And for Dani Janeway, on this particular night, it meant exactly that.

    Xxx

    ‘I’ve made it through the Academy,’ Dani thought. Through command school, Emma Shale…Nimembeh. ‘I deserve to kick back and have some fun for once.’ She kicked back the last of her first bottle of Romulan Ale. Dani Janeway was now officially drunk.

    “Way to go, Dani!” Kyle said. Their whole little group was at one of the many parties sure to be taking place around San Francisco that night. “I knew you had it in you,” Kyle continued. He offered her another bottle of ale, but she promptly refused.

    “No,” she said. “But keep it handy in case my buzz starts to wear off.” She and Kyle were shouting over loud music, and her speech had the tiniest hint of a slur in it.

    “Now that’s what I’m talking about,” Kyle said. He was proud. Dani had finally learned how to drink.

    Dani retreated to a balcony outside the apartment. Rane followed. “Dani?”

    Dani turned and watched Rane approach her. “Hi,” she said.

    “Are you okay?” Rane asked.

    “Of course,” Dani replied. “Why shouldn’t I be?”

    Rane studied her drunk friend for a moment. “I don’t know. You just seem sort of down for a person who just graduated from the Academy – and command school – at the top of your class. You should be one of the ones having the most fun.”

    Besides Emery, Dani hadn’t told anyone at the Academy about her and Will. Now, she decided, was as good a time as any.

    “Will and I broke up,” she said.

    Rane couldn’t believe her ears. “When?”

    “A few days ago,” Dani said.

    “I’m sorry,” Rane said. She noted that Dani seemed awfully calm about having ended a four-year long relationship with a guy she’d been crazy about and who’d been crazy about her.

    “It’s okay,” Dani looked at Rane. “It was good while it lasted.”

    Someone inside the apartment announced, “It’s time for Suck and Blow!”

    Dani looked at Rane and smiled. “Come on – we don’t want to miss all the fun, do we?” She went back into the apartment with Rane following close behind.

    Xxx

    Will stood, in dress uniform, in the middle of the Academy ballroom talking with a group of professors. One really couldn’t call it talking, though. Will was mostly listening. No, he wasn’t really doing that, either. His mind was elsewhere that night. It was the night of the Academy graduation, and Will was attending Starfleet’s annual gala to commemorate the event.

    Will realized that one of the professors had addressed him. Will did little more than nod and offer a fake smile.

    “Would you gentlemen excuse me please?” Will said, excusing himself from the group. As he walked away, he took a drink from his glass. That was when he noticed that the color of the drink was the same color as Dani’s eyes. He quickly found that he was unable to down the rest of the beverage, and deposited it on a nearby table.

    I should be with her, tonight, Will thought. I should be with her right now, celebrating her arrival on the Enterprise.

    Instead, he was sulking because they’d broken up-and because Dani was going to Deep Space Nine instead of the Enterprise. Because he’d been a fool. He sighed and wondered what she was doing at this very moment.

    Xxx

    At the party, Dani was lying face down on somebody’s bed. She giggled for the fourth time in two minutes.

    “If you don’t stop moving, this isn’t going to look right,” Khatain said.

    “I can’t help it,” Dani said. “It tickles.” She buried her head in a pillow as she felt another wave of giggles coming over her. The Klingon shook his head and continued with his work.

    Dani lifted her head once the giggles had passed. “Khatain, how much longer will this take?” she whined.

    “I am almost done,” the Klingon said. “If you didn’t want it so detailed, I would have been done eons ago.”

    “It has to be detailed. Any other way wouldn’t be right.” Dani rested her head on the pillow once again.

    “I can’t believe you’re actually doing this,” Rane said. She was seated in a chair beside the bed.

    “Why?” Dani asked. “My father did it.”

    “Your father did it for a reason.”

    “And I’m not?”

    “You’re drunk.”

    “I am not,” Dani argued. She lifted her head and realized that the room was suddenly spinning. “Okay, maybe I am.” She lowered her head onto the pillow again. “But I know what I’m doing. I’ve always wanted to get the mark of my father’s people.”

    “Yeah, but on you a-“

    “-Back!” Dani interrupted. “It’s my lower back.”

    “There,” Khatain said. “It is complete.” Dani looked up at Khatain. She hopped out of the bed and hurried over to the nearest mirror, which was mounted beside the closet. She turned around so that her back was facing the mirror. Looking over her shoulder, into the mirror, she spotted the symbol on her lower back. It was the same triangular-shaped symbol that appeared on her father’s forehead

    above his left eye.

    “Is it satisfactory?” Khatain asked.

    A smile slowly appeared on Dani’s face. “It’s perfect,” she said. Khatain handed the necklace he had used to draw the design back to Dani. Dani turned around and looked at herself in the mirror frontally. She looked at the charm she was holding and back at herself again. She was ready to start over again. It seemed that her life, so far, had been a series of new beginnings. Voyager, the

    Academy, Will…and now Deep Space Nine.

    “Deep Space Nine, here I come,” Dani muttered.

  • Graduation – Chapter 6. Training Day

    Dani remembered when she had finally settled the score between her and Emma. It hadn’t been that summer on the Enterprise; it had been over a year later, during her junior year at the Academy, after Dani had finished a mission training session in one of the Academy’s holodeck classrooms…

    xxx

    22-year-old Dani Janeway checked the Tactical Eye Display of her hazard suit. Life support – good, weapons status – good. She looked down at the weapon in her hands. The Infinity Modulator, or I-MOD. She remembered when Seven of Nine had first designed it.

    Obtaining the I-MOD was one of Dani’s mission objectives. She’d already met that one. Her other objective was to save her crewmates. Doing that would require her to actually engage the Borg. She couldn’t believe how afraid she actually was. As many times as she’d encountered the Borg in her lifetime…

    She wouldn’t even have to engage them if it weren’t for those damned force fields, she thought. To deactivate the force field, she had to disable the warp plasma conduit powering it. And that would alert the Borg to her presence and they would start to come after her. That’s where those Borg distribution nodes came in handy. A good shot in the right place would disable the node and any nearby drones.

    Dani looked down at the I-MOD. Surely it wouldn’t take a blast from the I- MOD to disable a conduit or node. She whipped out her phaser and fired at the nearest conduit. Sparks flew from the conduit as the force field came down. Before she could make it to the nearest distribution node, three Borg were already on her. She only got two of them with down with the phaser. By the time she got to the third one, he’d already adapted. She pointed the I-MOD at him and fired. The drone went down. Before any other drones showed up, Dani found the distribution node and fired at it with the I-MOD.

    Dani looked around her. All the Borg that had been on a direct course to her position were instantaneously frozen into position before they went limp and fell to the floor. Dani passed into the corridor that had once been restricted by a force field.

    Dani had absolutely no idea where she was supposed to go next. She had entered a large open area with some kind of energy conduit in the center of it. The floor wasn’t complete, though. It lined the perimeter but left the area directly surrounding the conduit open. She looked down through the floor. Her holographic crewmate was being held in some type of holding cell. Dani didn’t see any other particular way to get down besides jumping, so she did.

    She wasn’t surprised to find a drone manning a console connected to the conduit in the middle of the room.

    “Am I glad to see you,” the holographic prisoner said. “Get me out of here.”

    “I’m working on it, believe me,” Dani said.

    She looked at the drone working at the console. She would have to shoot it to gain access to the console. She pointed her phaser at the drone and fired. The drone went down.

    Dani didn’t hesitate before running over to the console. She quickly put her phaser away and started working with the console to release her crewmate. She didn’t have much time, though. Drones would be flooding this place in about eight seconds. In two seconds, the cell’s force field was down and the crewmate was out. In another three seconds, Dani and crew member number 1 were out of the chamber. According to her objectives, Dani still had two other crewmates to save. She and crewmate number 1 entered the hallway with three seconds to spare. It wasn’t much of a window, but it was something.

    As the two turned the corner, they were ambushed by the Borg. Dani, with the I-MOD, fired off rounds endlessly. She held the drones off for a while, but then more appeared. And as if the timing couldn’t have been more perfect, the energy for the I-MOD ran out. Dani whipped out her compression rifle. She fired a total of three, maybe four, shots before the Borg adapted. She looked around for any help, but her comrade was gone. Dani, as a last resort, tried hand to hand combat with the drones. Within ten seconds, the drones had overtaken her, and she had been ‘assimilated’.

    The holographic Borg cube disappeared and was replaced by a hologrid. The doors slid open, and Commander Nimembeh walked in. Dani took off her helmet.

    “What happened, Cadet?” Nimembeh asked. “You and your entire team were assimilated.”

    “The I-MOD ran out of energy,” Dani explained. “I couldn’t keep-“

    “The I-MOD ran out of energy because of you, Cadet,” Nimembeh interjected.

    “Because of me? Every single shot I fired-“

    “Was unnecessary. If you’d just disable the distribution nodes with a phaser before trying to disable the conduits, you would have had less Borg to deal with, and more saved energy for the I-MOD.”

    That particular course of action hadn’t occurred to Dani, and now she felt royally stupid.

    “If you’re going to make it in command school, Cadet, you’re going to have to start thinking like a command officer.”

    “Yes, Commander.” Dani put her helmet back on, and Nimembeh walked out of the room.

    Xxx

    “Damn,” Dani said as her holographic surroundings disappeared for the third time in the last two hours. She took off her helmet.

    “You have been assimilated,” the computer announced.

    “Yeah, yeah,” Dani said. “As many times as I’ve been assimilated, I should be the Borg Queen by now.” She was about to give the computer the command to restart the program when doors to the holoarena opened. Emma Shale walked in. “Great,” Dani muttered.

    “What was that?” Emma asked, making her way to Dani. “Happy to see me?”

    “I’m in the middle of a practice session, if you don’t mind,” Dani said. “Computer, restart the program.” She moved to put her helmet back on.

    “Belay that order,” Emma said quickly.

    Dani, still helmetless, looked at Emma. “What are you doing? Look, I don’t have time to play with you. I need to get through this.”

    “Why don’t you face it, Dani – you’re just not cut out to be a command officer. If you’re sinking this early in the training, there’s no way you’ll survive later on, when it starts getting really tough.”

    Dani ignored her. “Computer-“

    “They say it’s in your blood.” Emma continued. “I don’t think so. Your mother isn’t any kind of real captain. Captains don’t strand their ships in the Delta Quadrant. And your father – how long has he been a commander? Didn’t he used to be in the Maquis way back when? He’s nothing but a traitor. A wolf in sheep’s wool. And what about that boyfriend of yours – how long has he been a commander? Shouldn’t he be a captain by now? If he were truly captain material, don’t you think he’d have his own ship by now?”

    Dani was using all the strength she embodied to keep herself from knocking Emma on her ass. But of course, Emma didn’t know that, so Emma continued.

    “I don’t know which is worse – a Commander who doesn’t even belong in Starfleet, a Commander who should be captain, or a captain who should be an ensign.”

    Dani looked at Emma. Every word that came out of that girl’s mouth was bringing her closer…one step closer…

    “You know,” Emma said, stepping up to Dani, “it’s a good thing neither of your grandfathers is alive today. They wouldn’t-“

    Emma didn’t have a chance to finish. Dani had her on the floor before the next word was out. Emma had a bloody nose before the sentence was even formed.

    All the pressure had finally gotten to Dani, and Emma had been the one who’d made her snap. Emma got one good sock in, a hit to one of Dani’s eyes, but that was all. If Nimembeh hadn’t come in and pulled Dani off of Emma, Emma probably wouldn’t have survived.

    “Cadet,” Nimembeh said. Dani, who was still fuming, didn’t seem to hear him. “Cadet!” Dani’s head snapped to Nimembeh. “Report to your residence hall until further notice.”

    Dani’s eyes flickered to Emma and back to Nimembeh. She walked out of the hologrid. She’d probably just ruined her Starfleet career, but she’d finally beat that bitch’s ass.

    Xxx

    Dani reached her room just as the transmission beacon on her computer console was going off. She reached it before it could end. Seeing that it was Will, she answered quickly before he could cut the transmission.

    “Hello,” he sad. The look on his face when he saw Dani was priceless. “What happened to you? Your eye…”

    “Nothing,” Dani said. “I was in a fight.”

    “A real one?” Will asked. Dani nodded. Will immediately realized what had probably happened. “Emma?” he surmised.

    “Emma,” Dani said.

    “You didn’t kill her – did you?”

    “No. I think I just…” A smile formed on Dani’s face as she thought about the word coming out of her mouth next. “…broke her nose.”

    A smile began to form on Will’s own face, but he quickly covered it with more appropriate emotions, like concern and disappointment.

    “This is very serious, Cadet,” Will said. His face was stern, Dani could see, but his eyes were not. They revealed his true feelings: happiness, pride – and love. But since he was trying to be serious, Dani removed her own smile and decided that she would try to be serious, too.

    “I know it’s serious,” she said. “I probably just ruined my career.”

    “I wouldn’t say it’s that serious,” Will said. “You’ll probably just get a formal reprimand and some labor chores.”

    “My parents won’t be happy about this.”

    “No, I can’t imagine that they would. In fact, my guess is that they’re harder on you than the Academy and Nimembeh will be. Nimembeh…” said Will, remembering Dani’s dilemma with him. “Does he know, yet?”

    Dani felt sick to her stomach already, thinking of what Nimembeh’s punishment might entail. “He’s the one who pulled me off of Emma,” she said gravely. A wave of panic swept through her. “You don’t think they could throw me out of command school for this, do you?”

    Will honestly didn’t know about that one. “Well, fighting is behavior unbecoming of any officer. That goes doubly so for a command officer. I don’t think they would expel you for it, though, seeing as how it is your first infraction. As long as it doesn’t become a habit, I don’t think you should have any problems except a possible reprimand.”

    Dani’s comm badge beeped. “Nimembeh to Cadet Janeway.”

    Dani immediately answered the comm. “Janeway here, sir.”

    “Report to my office immediately, Cadet.”

    “Aye, sir.”

    Nimembeh closed the link. Dani looked at Will. She felt like she was about to throw up.

    “Call me later so you can fill me in,” Will said.

    “Okay,” Dani said.

    “I love you,” Will told her.

    “Love you, too,” Dani replied. “Bye.”

    “Riker out,” he said before cutting the link.

    Xxx

    Dani sat in Nimembeh’s office twenty minutes later.

    “Cadet, you know that fighting isn’t tolerated at the Academy. This is your third year. You should know better,” Nimembeh reprimanded. “Would you care to explain yourself?”

    “Sir, it wasn’t as if I planned on getting into a fight with Cadet Shale,” Dani began. “It’s just that…you have no idea what she’s put me through these past few years. She’s tried to make my life a living hell, Commander.”

    “Elaborate.”

    “With pranks,” Dani said. “By spreading lies and rumors. I’ve ignored it largely, because that’s life. You have people who don’t like to see others succeed. But today on the hologrid, I just…lost it. I don’t know any other way to explain it. She started talking about my family, and-“

    “It was a matter of pride.”

    Dani looked at Nimembeh. She couldn’t believe she was talking to the same man who’d ridden her ass for the past two and a half years. He was being so understanding.

    “Well, yes, sir,” Dani said. “Part of it was pride. But I suppose the major reason was that I was just tired. Tired of her always in my face. Tired of trying to get through that simulation. I realize that I threw the first punch and initiated the actual fight, and I take full responsibility for it. I’m ready to accept any punishment that you deem appropriate.”

    Dani waited for Nimembeh to relay her inevitable punishment. Instead, he smiled.

    Uh, oh, Dani thought. She’d never seen this man smile before. That must mean he’s got something really good planned.

    “Cadet,” Nimembeh began, “I believe you’re starting to think like a command officer.”

  • Graduation – Chapter 1. Leaving Indiana

    It should’ve been one of the happiest days of her life. Instead, it ended up being one of the worst.

    “At ease, cadets,” Rear Admiral Camden instructed. The multitude of graduating cadets on the large athletic field simultaneously shifted to the ‘at-ease’ position. It was graduation day at Starfleet Academy. 24-year-old Danielle Janeway, along with three hundred of her classmates were about to become Starfleet ensigns. But Dani was miserable. She was about to leave her closest friends for a science post on Deep Space Nine. That wasn’t the cause of her melancholy demeanor, though.

    As Adm. Camden spoke, Dani searched the audience for her parents. Chakotay and Kathryn Janeway were seated in the alumni section along with the other Starfleet parents. Dani allowed herself a little smile. Her parents were the picture of pride, both of them beaming.

    Dani’s eyes wondered over the crowd, and she realized that he was here, as well. She hadn’t expected him to be there. Her eyes fell to the grass as she remembered times when they’d been happier, like when she’d moved into her residence hall. He’d been there, then. She remembered that day very well…

    xxx

    Dani slipped her last data PADD into her suitcase and shut it. “I guess that’s everything,” she said. “I hope that’s everything.”

    “Dani, the transport will be here any minute, now,” her mother called from somewhere in the house. “Are you almost ready?”

    “Just about,” the 20-year-old called in reply. As she stood going over the imaginary list in her head, she didn’t notice her father approach the bedroom doorway.

    “Don’t worry; you’ve got everything,” Chakotay said.

    Dani turned to the doorway to face Chakotay. “I know,” she said.

    “Besides, if you arrive and you realize that you are missing something, we can always send it to you,” Chakotay reminded his only daughter.

    “Yeah.” Dani brought her suitcase to an upright position.

    Chakotay stepped into the room. “Are you nervous?”

    “No, not really,” Dani replied. “I’m excited, though.”

    “That’s good. There’s a lot to be excited about. Academy life is…unique. I suspect it’s unlike anything else you’ll ever experience.”

    “I know,” Dani said.

    “Dani, I just want you to know that your mother and I are very proud of you. We’ve always been proud of you, but especially now.”

    “Because I’m going to the Academy?”

    “Partially. But that’s not the only reason. Dani, we’re proud of you for everything you’ve done in your life. You didn’t have an ordinary childhood. You know that. You’ve had to mature very quickly, more so than your peers. We’re just proud of you for handling it so well.” He and Dani hugged each other.

    “I wouldn’t have gotten anywhere without you or Mom,” Dani said.

    “I know that there’s a lot of Starfleet in our family,” Chakotay began, “and that you’ve been around it all your life, but I don’t want you to feel as if you’re at all obligated to go to the Academy. Your mother and I only want you to go if it’s what you want to do.”

    “It is, Dad,” Dani said earnestly. “This is the life that I want.”

    Chakotay nodded. “Let’s go then.”

    xxx

    Move-in day at the Academy-probably one of the busiest days on campus. Besides move out day.

    Dani walked down the hallway, looking for her assigned room number, 419.

    “409, 410…” Dani said, searching the walls. Her mother and father, and Will Riker were a few paces behind her. “418, 419,” Dani said. She peered through the open door. Someone, her roommate, she assumed, had obviously started moving in. Suitcases already occupied one of the two beds in the room. Dani walked over to the unclaimed one and put her suitcase on it. Her three followers did the same.

    “Well, what do you think?” Kathryn asked Dani.

    “It’s not bad,” Dani replied. “It’ll just take some getting used to.”

    “It’s nicer that what I had my freshman year,” Will input.

    A girl carrying a box entered and froze the instant she saw the room’s new occupants. She immediately placed the box on the bed and stood at attention.

    “At ease, cadet,” Kathryn gently said, as the highest-ranking officer in the room. The young woman relaxed noticeably.

    Dani stepped forward, offering her hand. “Hi. I’m Dani Janeway,” she said.

    The girl just stood there, unmoving. Dani didn’t quite know what to do. The girl seemed petrified. “Um..” Dani managed.

    “You’re my roommate?” the girl blurted.

    “Yes; Dani Janeway,” Dani said, emphasizing her outstretched hand. The girl hesitantly took Dani’s hand and weakly shook it. “And your name is…”

    The girl realized that she had neglected to mention her name. “Oh, sorry. Emery Bell.”

    “Pleased to meet you, Emery,” Dani said.

    Emery let go of Dani’s hand and just stared in amazement at the people standing before her. Legends, practically.

    “Emery, this is my mother, Captain Kathryn Janeway, my father, Commander Chakotay, and Commander William Riker,” Dani introduced. Emery shook hands with each of them in turn. She stepped back, awed.

    “Wow…” she said. Will, Dani, Chakotay, and Kathryn all looked at each other.

    “Well, it seems that you two have a lot to talk about,” Chakotay said. “So, we’ll let you get settled.”

    “Oh…”Dani trailed off, following her parents and Will out of the room and into the hallway, where she hugged her father. It was time for them to leave.

    “Remember to keep your focus,” Chakotay said, offering some final words of advice. “But have fun, too.”

    “I will,” Dani said.

    “And remember that we’ll be there if you need anything,” Kathryn reminded her. “Don’t hesitate to call or send us a message.”

    “I will.” Dani hugged and kissed her parents for what must’ve been the hundredth time. Chakotay and Kathryn looked at their daughter one last time before their eyes fell on Will. They then left him and Dani alone.

    Will took Dani’s hands into his own.

    “Well, this is it,” he said.

    “I know,” Dani said. For the past three months, Will Riker had been a staple in her life. After Voyager had returned to the Alpha Quadrant, they’d embarked on a relationship that’d had a bumpy start due to some initial objections from Dani’s father. But eventually, things had smoothed over and Dani and Will had been able to proceed with their relationship as any other couple would. Except Dani and Will were not any other couple. Voyager’s return from the Delta Quadrant had riveted the crew of the ship to celebrity status with the press. They were constantly being dogged by the media. The public had been especially fascinated by Dani. After Voyager had left, Dani had been reported as missing by her family on Earth. They hadn’t known that she was on Voyager, and a massive search had been organized in an effort to find her. Everyone had been surprised and relieved when Voyager had first been contacted, and it’d been discovered that Dani had been there the whole time.

    So Dani’s relationship with Will had developed under the eye of the Federation News Service and other news organizations.

    “These past few months have been heaven for me,” Will continued. He’d been on leave for the past few months while the Enterprise had undergone refits and maintenance on her systems. Now, his leave was coming to the end, as the Enterprise would be embarking on its next mission in a matter of days. Boy was he ever glad he’d decided to stay on Earth instead of spending his leave somewhere else.

    “Me, too,” Dani said mirroring Will’s statement.

    “Part of me doesn’t want to let you go, you know,” Will admitted.

    “I know. But you’ve got the Enterprise, and I’ve got this.”

    “What if I told you that I didn’t want the Enterprise, and that all I want is you?”

    Dani smiled and shook her head. “What if you told me that?”

    Will nodded. “Yeah.”

    “I’d tell you that you were lying. The Enterprise means the world to you. You’ve spent the bulk of your career there.”

    “Which is why I wouldn’t mind giving it up for you.”

    “You’ve always wanted that command, Will. I find it hard to believe that you would just throw it away.”

    Will laughed. “Me, too. But I would. If you asked me to.”

    “I could never do that to you. I know your career is important to you, no matter what you tell me here and now.”

    “You’re right – it is important. But it’s starting to pale in comparison to you.” With that, Will bent down and kissed Dani’s lips. “I love you, Dani.” He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to his body.

    “I love you,” Dani replied.

    “I think it’s only fair that I warn you beforehand – these first few weeks, I’m probably going to be calling you every hour.”

    Dani laughed. She looked up and Will with tears in her eyes, and he wiped away her them with his fingers. They hugged each other again and kissed one last time before parting ways. Dani didn’t even cast a final glance and Will as she walked into her room because she knew that she wouldn’t be able to let him go if she did. He looked after her as she broke away from him and walked back into her room.

    Dani looked at Emery. It was different, now that her parents and Will were actually gone. She’d never really been away from both of her parents on a long-term basis before. She’d always imagined how Academy life would be and how it would feel when her parents left her, but she didn’t imagine that she’d feel this way, like she didn’t know what to do next.

    “So,” Dani began, “where are you from?”

    “New York,” Emery replied.

    “City?” Dani asked. One of the few things about Academy life that had caused her apprehension was roommate assignments. Protocol prohibited roommate changes unless serious problems arose. The idea was to get the cadets to work out their own problems. That didn’t always work.

    “Yeah,” Emery said in reply to Dani’s question.

    “I’m from-“

    “Indiana,” Emery said, beaming. “I know.”

    Dani almost asked how she knew, but then she remembered who she was. She laughed. “Yeah, I guess just about everybody knows that, don’t they?”

    “Yeah,” Emery said.

    The door chimed. Both young women looked at it. “Come in,” they both said. The doors slid open and two young women walked in.

    “Hi,” one of them said. “My name is Elizabeth Crawley, and this is my roommate, T’Lo. We live across the hall.”

    T’Lo was obviously Vulcan, with the customary closely-cropped Vulcan haircut and Vulcan calm. Elizabeth was tall, taller than either Emery or Dani, with long, blonde hair that was pulled back into a neat ponytail.

    “Hi,” Dani said. “This is my roommate Emery Bell.” Emery shook hands with the new neighbors. “I’m-“

    “Dani Janeway,” Elizabeth said, cutting Dani’s introduction short. “I know. Oh, my gosh – we’ve heard so much about you.”

    “I can imagine so,” Dani said.

    “I can’t believe you’re living across the hall from us,” Elizabeth said. The girls seemed to be somewhat in awe. Dani nodded. “So, where are you from?” she asked Elizabeth.

    “London,” Elizabeth replied. “You’re from Indiana, I know, but it must’ve been amazing spending seven years on a starship.”

    “Yes,” T’Lo agreed. “It must have been quite an experience for you.”

    “Yeah, wel,l it was just like being on board any other starship – only longer,” Dani explained.

    Just then, Emma Shale make her grand entrance into Dani’s life for the first, but certainly not the last, time. She entered the room, her little entourage following at her heels. She entered and approached Dani as if she were granting her the privilege of meeting her.

    “Hi,” Emma said. “Emma Shale.” She held her hand out to Dani in a sort of royal manner. Dani took it and shook it.

    “Hi,” Dani said. “Dani Janeway.”

    “I know,” Emma said. Dani considered skipping her intro from now on. It just seemed pointless, since everyone already know her anyway. “Have you put in your request for a room change, yet?”

    “I was under the impression that changes in room assignments were not permitted,” Dani said.

    “Only in special cases,” Emma informed Dani. “This is a special case.”

    “How so?”

    “You’re Dani Janeway, and I’m Emma Shale,” she said. “It’s only natural that we room together.”

    Dani looked at the others in the room. She was oblivious as to why she and Emma should be so special, but everyone else seemed to know. “Why?” Dani asked Emma.

    Emma laughed a little. “Why not? I’m an admiral’s daughter, and you’re…well, your Dani Janeway.”

    “And that affords us special treatment?”

    “Of course.”

    “I don’t believe in giving or receiving special treatment when it’s not warranted.” Dani watched Emma’s smile fall to the floor. The moment it hit was the moment all trouble between Dani and Emma began.

  • Homecoming – Chapter 7

    Deanna Troi, the Enterprise’s resident counselor, sat in a chair in the temporary office provided to her by Starfleet. “I must say, I was thoroughly surprised when I saw your name in my appointment log,” she said. “You know you don’t need an appointment to talk to me.”

    Will Riker sat on the sofa across from the counselor. “I know,” he said. “I just…” his voice trailed. As Deanna observed him, she saw that he was fidgeting, rubbing his hands together and such. Deanna also noticed how he was leaning forward, sitting on the edge of the sofa.

    “Well, what seems to be bothering you, Will?” Deanna asked.

    “I..I think I’m in love, Deanna,” Will said.

    Deanna’s face lit up. “Will – that’s wonderful!”

    “Is it?” Will asked cynically.

    “Of course it is. Who’s the lucky woman?”

    Will looked Deanna squarely in the eye. “It’s Dani.”

    Deanna’s smile didn’t exactly fall, but no one would say that she was beaming exactly. “Dani? Dani Janeway?”

    Will nodded. “Yeah.”

    “Will, I get the feeling that you don’t think that’s a good thing.”

    “Well, yes and no.” Will stood and began to pace the area beside the sofa.

    “What do you mean, ‘yes and no’?”

    “I don’t know what I mean. I don’t know what any of this means. I just know what I’ve been feeling since Voyager returned from the Delta Quadrant.”

    “And what’s that?”

    Will reclaimed his seat on the couch. “I don’t know how to explain it. I guess part of it was seeing her after so long. And I definitely did not expect her to look the way she does. Another part of it is that my hormones kicked in. But that wasn’t all. I don’t know. I’ve always felt that she was special. But I always felt more like a friend or a close uncle, maybe. Then she came back, and everything was different.”

    “You saw her as a woman, and you were attracted to her,” Deanna surmised.

    “Yes. That’s it. That’s it exactly. But I think it might be more than just attraction. That’s why it scares me.”

    “Why would it scare you?”

    “Because it seems wrong somehow.”

    “How? Tell me why it would be wrong for you to be in love with Dani.”

    “It’s just that she’s so young, and-“

    “And? You’re telling me that something so insignificant as an age difference is a good reason not to pursue a relationship?”

    “It could be.” Will knew that wasn’t true. “It wouldn’t be right.”

    “Why?” Will didn’t have an answer for Deanna. “It sounds to me as if you’re trying to convince yourself that any kind of romantic relationship with Dani would be wrong,” Deanna said. “I don’t think you’re buying it.”

    “You’re right; I’m not.”

    “Why are you fighting this?”

    “I don’t know,” Will said with a sigh.

    “How do you feel?”

    “What?”

    “When you look at Dani, when you spend time with her, how do you feel?”

    Will sat back for the first time in his meeting with Deanna. “I love being with her. When I’m with Dani, I feel like I don’t ever want our time together to end.”

    “That’s a very strong sentiment,” Deanna said. “How does she feel?”

    “I don’t know,” Will admitted. “That’s a problem, as well. I kissed her the other night at the party.”

    “You mean on the cheek.”

    “No. I mean on the lips. The funny thing is I didn’t even plan it. It just happened.”

    “What was her reaction?”

    “I don’t know. We were both kind of shocked. And before either one of us could say anything, Tom Paris called her back into the party.”

    “Unless she makes it absolutely clear that she doesn’t want a relationship with you-“

    “Like you did when we first met?” Will asked, smiling for the first time that afternoon.

    “Like I did when we first met,” Deanna agreed, remembering when she’d first met the young lieutenant named Will Riker on Betazed all those years ago.

    “We couldn’t have been very much older than Dani is now,” Will reminisced.

    An idea suddenly presented itself as a possible reason for Will’s reluctance to enter into a relationship with Dani. “Will, your reasons for not becoming involved with Dani wouldn’t happen to stem from the fact that we’re Imzadi, would they?”

    “I won’t lie to you, I have thought about it. I’m not going to say that us being Imzadi would ever keep me from pursuing a serious relationship, but I don’t think I’ll ever enter into a relationship without thinking about what we had.”

    “That’s true for me also. We’re Imzadi, Will. We’ll always share a special connection. What I’ve come to learn over the years is that I’m capable of loving people besides you. Do you believe that you are? That’s the question you’ve got to answer before you enter into this relationship or any other.”

    xxx

    Dani sat in her bedroom working her way through the last of her missed magazines. It had been nearly a week since she finished her final entrance exam and interview, and she needed something to take her mind off the Academy exams she’d just completed. ‘And also off of Will Riker,’ she thought.

    The door chimed. “Just a minute,” Dani called. She left her desk and walked into the living room to answer the door. When it slid open, Will was standing in the hallway. “Hi,” he said.

    “Hey,” Dani said. The atmosphere was somehow tempted to become awkward, but Dani wouldn’t let it. “Come in.”

    Will stepped into the apartment, and the doors closed behind him. “I think we’re overdue for a talk,” he said.

    “Me, too,” Dani agreed. She walked into her room, and Will followed. “We’ve…got to talk.” She reclaimed her seat at her desk.

    “Yes.” Will remained standing. “We would’ve talked sooner, but I knew that you had the exam, and I didn’t want you to be distracted. But that’s over, so now we have to talk about what happened that night at your party.”

    “I know,” Dani said. Will may not have wanted to distract her before the Academy exam, but that’s sure what happened. During the actual testing, she was able to concentrate on the material, but during the lunch break, Dani’s mind had drifted to thoughts of Will. “It’s been on my mind quite a bit.” Will was standing in front of Dani. “What were you thinking?” It sounded more like an admonishment than a genuine question. Will wasn’t expecting that kind of reaction from her. He sat down on the nearest thing that would have him, which happened to be Dani’s bed.

    Dani stood. “I mean, you said you didn’t want to distract me before the test. Well what the hell did you think kissing me would accomplish?”

    “I don’t know,” Will replied. He felt like a little like a child being scolded by his mother. “It was just a spontaneous thing.”

    “So, what did it mean?” Dani asked.

    “I don’t know.”

    Dani sat down beside Will on the bed. “Will, what is going on?”

    Will looked into Dani’s big brown eyes. “I’m falling in love with you,” he said quietly.

    Dani just stared at Will blankly. She wasn’t sure if she’d heard him correctly. When she didn’t respond for a few moments, Will became concerned. “Dani?”

    “I’m sorry,” Dani apologized. “It sounded like you said you were falling in love with me. Did you?”

    “Yes.”

    Dani nodded. “Oh. I see.”

    “How do you feel?” Will asked.

    “It’s funny you ask that,” Dani said. She told him earnestly, “I don’t even know. I’ve been trying to sort out my feelings for you since before we arrived on Earth. And I still don’t know.”

    “I understand,” Will began. “I don’t-” He was interrupted by the soft lips that were suddenly brushing against his.

    Neither Will nor Dani heard the apartment doors slide open, nor did they hear Chakotay as he called out for Dani. They didn’t even hear when Dani’s bedroom door opened, and Chakotay entered.

    “What the hell?” Chakotay exclaimed. That got Dani and Will’s attention. They immediately parted and stood. “Dani – what is going on here?”

    Dani honestly didn’t know what to say because she honestly didn’t know what was going on. Will had come over to talk, and Dani had ended up kissing him – on her bed. She looked at Will. “We’ll finish our talk later, Will,” she told him.

    Will nodded to her. He and Chakotay stared each other down as Will made his way to the door.

    After Will was gone, Dani braced herself. She knew one rough discussion with her father was in store.

    xxx

    “Kathryn, she was kissing him –

    on her bed!” Chakotay exclaimed. He and Kathryn were in their bedroom discussing what had taken place that day in their daughter’s bedroom. Kathryn was sitting on the bed, and Chakotay was pacing heatedly in front of her.

    “She’s an adult, Chakotay,” Kathryn said. “She has the right to kiss whomever she wants, sleep with whomever she wants, date, marry, whatever. She can do it.”

    At the utterance of the word ‘sleep’, Chakotay had stared at Kathryn in disbelief. “Not in my house,” he said.

    “Pardon, but this isn’t even your house,” Kathryn reminded him. “As far as Starfleet is concerned, this apartment belongs to them.”

    “Well, not in my house in Indiana, at least,” Chakotay said.

    “May I also remind you that we co-own that house,” Kathryn said.

    “You know what I mean,” Chakotay shot.

    Kathryn stood. “Chakotay, she’s just exploring her options.”

    Meanwhile, Dani, who’d been listening to her parents discuss the issue at hand, had been trying, unsuccessfully, to raise Will via the comm system. When she got the automated message that relayed for the third time in an hour that Will wasn’t home, decided that a trip over to his place might be in order.

    xxx

    Dani pressed Will’s door chime. A few moments later, the apartment doors slid open, and Will appeared in the doorway. Dani’s presence had obviously taken Will by surprise.

    “Dani?” he said. It came out as a question.

    “Hi,” Dani said. “Can I come in?”

    “Sure,” Will said. He stood to the side, allowing Dani access to the apartment. Dani stepped in, and the doors slid shut behind her. “What are you doing here? Your father-“

    “I don’t care what my father wants,” Dani said. “I know he thinks that this is a really bad idea. He’s all but forbidden me from seeing you anymore.”

    “I can’t say I blame him,” Will said. “I probably wouldn’t want my daughter seeing me, either. How’d you get away?”

    “He and my mother were in their bedroom talking.”

    “About us, no doubt,” Will surmised.

    Dani nodded. “They probably don’t even know I’m gone, yet. I just walked out.” Will nodded. Dani continued. “Will, I think we should try this. I mean, I really, really like you; and I think I’d regret it if I passed this up.”

    “Dani, I don’t want to create a rift between you and your parents. I grew up without a mother and without a father, in essence. We weren’t very close. Are you sure this is really what you want to do?”

    “My parents love me, and if they respect me, then they’ll respect my first real decision as an adult.”

    “It doesn’t always work out that way, Dani.”

    “I can’t let them dictate my life.”

    Will looked down at Dani and realized that she was right. She’d never get anything out of life if she lived only to fulfill her parents’ wishes.

    xxx

    When Dani and Will entered the Janeways’ apartment, they found that Kathryn and Chakotay had abandoned their bedroom for the living room. They stood immediately when Dani and Will entered.

    “What the hell is he going here?” Chakotay asked. He looked at Will.

    “I brought him here so we could all talk,” Dani said.

    “There’s nothing to talk about,” Chakotay insisted.

    “There’s plenty,” Kathryn said. Chakotay looked at her.

    “Thanks, Mom,” Dani said. “Now, everyone, please have a seat.” She looked at Will, indicating that he should sit, as well. He walked over and took the chair beside the couch that Kathryn and Chakotay were occupying. Dani remained standing in front of the three of them. “Now,” she began. “There seems to be some kind of question as to my decision-making capacity around here.”

    “Dani – why would you think that?” Chakotay asked.

    “It seems that way to me,” Dani replied. “Every decision that I make about my future is questioned by everyone. It’s like you don’t think I know what I’m doing.”

    “Dani-” Chakotay began, but didn’t finish.

    “-I’m not finished, yet,” Dani said, demanding the attention of the others in the room. “I know that you all are trying to look out for my best interests, but, damn it, I’ve got to live my own life. If that means I want to go to the Academy -” She looked at Kathryn before continuing. “-or that I want to date Will -” She looked at Chakotay, “-then so be it. You guys don’t want me to make any mistakes, but I will, no matter what you do or what you say. Just let me make them and learn from them. Like you did.”

    Will, Chakotay, and Kathryn all looked at each other, as what Dani was saying finally sunk in. Dani’s birthday had been days ago, but it was tonight that these individuals, especially Chakotay, were seeing just how much Dani had grown. He felt like an idiot for not having more faith in his daughter. He looked up at his daughter, 20 years old, standing there, all grown up. He looked at her for the first time, not as the little girl she had once been, but as the adult she had become.