Work Text
When the invitation came in, Janeway had been at her mother’s house - too busy to think about getting another place (it wouldn’t be fair, after so long, to ask Mark to leave what’d once been their home. It was his now, for going on eight years).‘My parents thought it prudent to extend an invitation. However, please feel no obligation to accept it,’ had been Tuvok’s words.Janeway looked up at the ceiling of her childhood bedroom. There were still little stick-on stars lining it, accurate constellations or as accurate as she could make them when she’d been eleven and certain she was destined for them - stars, space, the neverending sky.She thought about the meetings she still had to attend (both in person and over subspace), the files she had to look over, reports to write, things to organize, sort out, clarify, painstakingly recount.Mark was married and Molly was an old girl - though he’d offered to give her back, Kathryn had declined.“She needs familiarity at this stage,” she said, laughing to herself because it was what she’d heard her own mother hiss at Phoebe to stop her sister from going on some sort of artist’s retreat. “I hear it’s vital.”What kind of familiarity was she in need of? The entire world seemed unfamiliar to Kathryn. Everything was off-kilter from the war she hadn’t been there for and the seven year absence. What was familiar anymore?Some nights she woke up sweating, wrenched from nightmares where red alerts blared, the ship tossing her into walls as she attempted to right herself and make it to the bridge in time. Some nights she woke up with her eyes burning, stomach growling, missing Neelix’s cooking.She hadn’t slept through a night yet - except for the very first one. That first night had been heaven. Before everyone stopped being sympathetic and started being suspicious, wanting answers, getting fed up with whatever it was they all were doing.
“We’ve been very patient, captain. We’ve tried our best to be understanding…”
There’d never be anything else like it, the pain or the joy of those seven years.‘Tell them I accept their invitation graciously,’ had been her reply to Tuvok two days later, humming as she imagined the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it exasperation flickering across her friend’s face. She could read between the lines just as well as she could pretend she hadn’t.“Bring them this,” her mother had demanded as she walked Kathryn to the transport station. She looked older than Kathryn remembered but she always did - the mother in her memories was permanently thirty something, sleeves rolled up and sweating in the sun, face hard until she noticed Kathryn and beamed.“This too- and this, it’s fresh from the garden.”“They have a garden - they have stores on Vulcan, mom. Mom this is too much-!” Kathryn insisted, attempting to give back a tupperware only to have it returned with an additional box on top.“You’re a strong girl, you can carry it. I know they have- Kathryn, stop. I just want to thank them, I don’t want them thinking I just offloaded you on them - you have to have manners, Kat, you’re always so…no, no you have to give them this! This is for the other one, the father. The man in the wheelchair. Last time we talked he said he wanted to try-”“You’ve talked? When have you talked?” Kathryn asked, eyeing the arrival time which was prominently displayed. Only a minute or so more but from the way her mother was piling on gifts she might be completely buried by then.Gretchen snorted, flinging a hand into the air. “All the time! You’re always so busy…you have to take the time to get to know people but then I guess that’s why you and that boy get along so well.”“Tuvok’s older than you!” Kathryn protested, unable to help her smile. Her mother reminded her of Neelix. He would’ve fit right into the midwest charm and Seven would…Kathryn snickered, imagining it. Someone offering Seven something and her taking it right away, without a second thought.Gretchen made a squawking noise, shaking her head. “And yet he has that face! Oh, I worry about the both of you. You’re so prickly! When you went away I talked to his family quite a bit, you know me - I can’t help but get in there with people. If I get called nosey because of that then fine. You and Phoebe; ‘Mom, you never stop talking’ - how’re you gonna get to know people if you never talk to them? Oh, the shuttle’s coming! Kat, here, take this. You’re gonna miss your- and oh, oh, here, these are for the little ones. What’re you doing? Go, go!”When Kathryn was finally on the shuttle to Vulcan she sighed, reorganizing her bag to cram as much of her mother’s gifts into it as possible and balancing the rest on her lap.She hadn’t seen much of Tuvok’s family besides T’Pel and the children. She rarely visited him on Vulcan and though there was a time they’d both lived on a starbase his extended family hadn’t joined them.She knew that his father had mostly been the one to raise him, an almost regal looking man with locs that trailed neatly down his back, and that his mother was a glamorous woman who was apparently a high-ranking member of Starfleet though Janeway had never come across her. T’Pel’s parents were even more elusive, living deep in the countryside and seemingly loath to travel.“Let me know if there’re any hot guys there,” Phoebe had said flippantly when Kathryn told her where she was going. She’d been leaning in the doorway of Kathryn’s room and suddenly it seemed to Kathryn that she’d been transported back in time to when they were in highschool; Kathryn preparing to be a cadet and Phoebe in her paint-splattered summer clothes, hair tied up with whatever had been closest at the time.“Kat, you’re gonna push people away if you keep acting like you do.” She’d told her back then, arms crossed but voice lackadaisical despite her words. Kathryn had hated that at the time. She’d hated most things about her sister then - it seemed to her that the younger girl didn’t care about anything beyond her art, that she was self involved to the point of letting anything else pass through her.“Not everyone’s looking to win a popularity contest.” Kathryn had snapped, turning away.“That’s what I mean. You take everything too seriously.”“Someone has to.”“Whatever, I’m just trying to help.”“Get out of my room.”“Fine,” Phoebe had shrugged, which was infuriating. Even their then-current argument had been above her. “If you find any hot guys in the cadet program give them my contact information, okay? But not if they’re orange, I’m not with that color right now. I’m purging myself of orange. Pink too.”Kathryn was amused by the memory now though at the time she’d been so mad she’d pushed her sister backwards and slammed the door in her face, ignoring her mother shouting from downstairs for them to stop fighting. It was fun every now and then to remember when she’d been upset over such petty things.Her mother had called her prickly, remembering a different Kathryn, a younger girl who was marching forward, eyes set only on the stars. It made her wonder about her crew, all the people who’d been on Voyager all speaking to a panel of admirals about their experience - about her.Captain Janeway was kind, cold, always calm, always running around like a chicken with her head cut off, she was reliable, I could never find her when I needed her, she was like a sister to me, like a friend, I didn’t think much of her - still don’t, we didn’t speak much, we only really spoke once but it changed my life, typical Starfleet, Maquis sympathizer, I was a bit afraid of her, she scared the shit out of me, she was always so warm, I hated her, I loved her.Whatever they said would be the truth. There’d been as many Captains on that ship as there had been crew.Kathryn smiled as she recognized the familiar formation of stars through the viewscreen. Vulcan was approaching. She could name all the constellations if she closed her eyes and went back. She’d studied those maps a hundred times, that was how she got into things - curiosity and competition fueled her passion. When she’d gotten into tennis she’d wanted to win every tournament and when she’d gotten into ballet she’d wanted every solo.
“Kat, you’re gonna push people away if you keep acting like you do.”
She and Phoebe were more alike than she’d thought back then - they were both singularly focused on their passions, their passions just didn’t align.How would you know? she’d thought at the time, teeth grit as she packed her bags for the academy. You can’t win or lose at art. I bet that’s why you love it so much.Tuvok didn’t have any siblings but he had four children. Kathryn wondered if Vulcans had petty arguments like that - if Sek and Asil ever argued about whether or not one had moved the other’s things or eaten a bit of food which had been hidden behind a jug of sweet tea.She looked out the viewscreen again, gathering up her things in preparation to depart, excitement already building - spurring her own.She guessed she’d find out.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Early mornings on Vulcan were very quiet, at least where Tuvok lived. When Janeway visited she could hear birds far in the distance and sand shifting with the wind, merging with the sound of trees rustling.With her mother it was noisy no matter the time of day, though that had more to do with the house than its surrounding area - three dogs and five cats lived on the property along with several chickens and a Ttarwellian fish that Phoebe had insisted she had to bring home from the market lest it be eaten.But it wasn’t quiet in the city.Tuvok was waiting for her when she exited the shuttle. In the country or ShiKhar his more vibrantly patterned clothing stood out amongst the more popular grays, blacks and dull browns but as soon as Janeway stepped onto the station she saw that Tal’ier kept him in good company. She had never seen Vulcan so bright."Everyone's dressed so colorfully!" She exclaimed, walking up to Tuvok."When I was young my father would ask me 'are you competing with the sun?' If I had the misfortune of seeing him before I went out." Tuvok responded, eyeing her plethora of boxes and bags.Janeway smiled. "My mother would clutch her heart and ask if there was a fabric shortage." She looked around. "I feel silly, maybe my uniform would have been more appropriate.""Is it not in one of these bags?" Tuvok asked wryly, causing Kathryn to smirk at him, beginning to divy up the load."My mother's responsible for this too. Does your father use a wheelchair?" She asked, following Tuvok towards the exit.There were many signs and posters layering the walls - some which were sanctioned and some which obviously weren't.Ads for toothpaste, earmuffs, and card games for children were displayed on a digital board with posters advertising shows, pet sitting services, and cheap food for a good price interspersed between them.'Syeltuk loves T'Lynia' had been written in bold Vulcan script across one of the walls. Someone else had crossed out the girl's name and written 'Vandalism' instead. Then another individual had added 'We all love vandalism' to which 'Vulcans do not love' was written in response.Janeway hadn't been to a Vulcan city other than ShiKhar before and that'd always been for work so she hadn't explored much. Besides, there wasn't much room for graffiti in the country's rolling fields of blooming sand."Have you never seen graffiti before?" A nearby Vulcan asked.Janeway startled, stepping back towards Tuvok when she realized she'd been staring. "I've never seen it so...linear.""They are all likely students from Te'trengul." Tuvok said, clear disapproval in his voice.The woman, who'd seemed irritated by Kathryn, nodded her head in agreement. "Something should be done. This has been here for a month now.""Have you called the station manager?" Tuvok asked."I have but nothing has been done. Just as nothing has been done about the quicksand on Y'rel. They just placed wooden planks over it, as if planks solve the problem."Tuvok appeared to be listening keenly. "I wonder if perhaps Senrenar is not doing his due diligence..."The woman nodded again, picking up whatever he'd been implying. "He's too soft on these sorts of incidents because he went to a school in the district and succeeded. Many were not so lucky - if my granddaughter was writing on walls, I would have her paint them over."Tuvok nodded, shifting the packages he was carrying around. The woman inclined her head."I apologize, you must be busy.""There is no apology necessary. I have children as well and have resided here for a great deal of my childhood."The woman glanced at Janeway, who straightened, hoping not to incur her ire."Are you visiting?""Yes. It seems like a lovely city - I don't mind a bit of graffiti."The woman raised a brow. "Then you should run for office," she said, bowing her head slightly before leaving.Kathryn watched her go then looked at Tuvok, hoping to communicate with her eyes how hopelessly lost she was.Tuvok stared back. "My parents voted for Sarlak.""I see.""Do not mention the quicksand to either of them.""It'll be our secret," she joked, smiling as the two of them advanced towards the exit again.Outside the station, the full force of Vulcan's heat bore down on the two of them and though Tuvok seemed unbothered, Kathryn immediately had to fight to stay standing. She was glad she'd had the foresight to take medicine to help her breathe before heading to the shuttle station because otherwise she might have passed out. Even Indiana's heat had become a bit overwhelming after seven years spent primarily on a temperature-controlled starship.The noise was also new. Even Vulcan cities were cities, and though there was far less of it than there would be on Earth, the medley of people talking, vendors shouting, children playing or crying, and vehicles passing overhead, was potent.Tuvok gestured with his head for Kathryn to follow him towards a row of waiting hovercrafts."The man in a wheelchair is likely T'Pel's father," he said, picking up their last conversational thread. "Though my mother knows yours, my father is not often away from Vulcan."Janeway hummed. "Having our mothers talking behind our backs...it's high school all over again.""Were you a particularly troublesome child?" Tuvok asked, flagging down a craft.Kathryn grinned, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Me? I was an angel."Tuvok tilted his head slightly, though his eyes never left Kathryn's in that uncanny way Vulcans could do. "As was I.".The ride to Tuvok's parent's house was smooth and quiet. The driver only spoke to ascertain their direction before rolling up the divider and leaving them be.Kathryn looked out the window, watching as the tall spires of the city proper began to dwindle and fade, no longer competing with the cliff faces they were built into or beside.When she asked Tuvok, he said he'd lived in an apartment in the city until he'd been a teenager, at which point his parents had moved to the quieter outskirts."Are Vulcan apartments any different from Human ones?" Kathryn asked.Tuvok considered. "There are often meditation halls advertised. Though my father called the one in our building a meditation closet."Kathryn chuckled. "He sounds a lot like you.""He is...quite formal," Tuvok said, his hands folded in his lap. "I must ask that you 'follow my lead' when interacting with my parents.""More formal than you, commander? I'll believe it when I see it." Janeway joked, pointing out the window. "What kind of trees are these?""Komi khaf," Tuvok said. "It's the season of their wilt. Your shoes may become stained."Kathryn groaned. "You could have warned me. I’d have brought a different pair."Tuvok glanced at the pile of boxes between them. "I fear we may not have been able to carry the weight of that particular warning."Kathryn laughed. "Quiet! I'm telling you, this is my mother's doing."Tuvok hummed, picking up his personal communicator. "High school indeed.".Tuvok's parent's house was a sprawling single story which seemed to snake inward around a single tree at its center. There was a wall which sectioned it off from the road and in the distance Kathryn could see another home which appeared similar in construction, the differences seeming to come from personal taste. There was a fog rolling in and the air smelled heavy, like it might rain. When she told Tuvok, he told her that small sandstorms were common in the area.Tuvok stepped forward, typing in an access code which opened the gate with a light beep.Once inside the property, Kathryn gazed around the courtyard. It was sizeable and full to the brim with all manner of plants and flowers. There were two water features - one beneath their feet which was covered by a durable see-through material just inside the gate, as if acting as a mini moat, and the second which seemed to be a floating ball suspended above a chest height pillar.Curious, Janeway walked over to it after setting her boxes down on the bench which curved around the center tree, much as the house itself did. The floating ball of water was actually encased in another see-through material, though this one appeared to sparkle in the quickly dimming light.Just as she was wondering if it was meant to act as a source of illumination at night, Tuvok came out of the house (she hadn't noticed him go in) followed by another man. The man didn't acknowledge her, instead grabbing her bags and hauling them all inside with practiced ease."Friend of yours?" Janeway asked, walking over to Tuvok, who was waiting for her on the steps."An aid," Tuvok clarified, leading her inside. "Apparently my father requires assistance at his age. He is a busy man.""And a fearsome one if you're to be believed - and you haven't let me down yet."Tuvok inclined his head slightly. "Thank you, captain.".The house's interior was thankfully much cooler than it'd been outside which amounted to it being pleasantly warm for Janeway. Immediately upon entering a smell surrounded her, akin to wood during a rainstorm - not enough to overwhelm but enough for the woman to feel immediately at ease.The decor was stylish and gave her the feeling of high-class warmth which was the complete opposite of her mother’s home in Indiana where kitsch ruled the roost. There, the walls were covered in family photos, old drawings from their childhoods which Phoebe always groaned about, medals and trophies which they’d each won (even the ones for participation or third place which Kathryn had hated as a child), and random ‘finds’ her mother had unearthed.The walls of Sunak’s house, Tuvok’s father (as he’d told her on the way), were dark and the decorations hung there seemed to be carefully selected to accentuate the polished wood. Even so, there were clear signs of this being an old house which a family resided in.There was a tapestry hung in the entryway which Tuvok informed her was a commonplace ‘muhl-yaret’, an item typically displayed upon first entering a Vulcan home to signify something about the family. The muhl-yaret of Tuvok’s family, the tapestry, had been woven by monks of a high order and gifted to Sunak as thanks for his decades of dedication to temple work. It signified that they were a family of some prestige and where precisely that prestige lay.Moving into the hallway, Janeway began to smile. Here were the family pictures - many of Tuvok himself though none as embarrassing as the ones Kathryn’s mother displayed at home (the one of her in the sink displayed over said sink was diabolical). She paused to admire one of Tuvok as a toddler. He was asleep in his mother’s arms, an elegant yet severe looking woman who stared into the camera as if she could see Kathryn intruding on the moment through space and time.“Is your mother home?” The captain asked, catching up to Tuvok who had waited for her from a distance.“Not currently, she is apparently away on business. It was unexpected.”“Have you seen her since you returned?”“Not in person. She has more important matters to attend to.”“More important than seeing her son for the first time in seven years?” Kathryn asked, a bit put off.She remembered how Phoebe had screamed when she first saw her, how her typically strong-willed mother had sobbed into the collar of her uniform. It had made her feel like it was all worth it at the time it'd made her feel guilty. She'd been fighting so hard to return to this and was embraced with crushing force. It made it all feel...real, yet at a distance. At that moment she hadn't known which person to be - Captain Kathryn Janeway or Kathryn, Kate, Buggy, as if they were two separate people entirely. She wanted that for all of her crew, that crushing embrace which told them they were missed and longed for.Tuvok raised a brow, obviously not feeling the same way. “I am not planning on going anywhere. Time sensitive tasks must take precedence.”Kathryn sighed but let the matter go. If Tuvok wasn’t upset, why should she be? She'd become used to moments like these and their friendship of over twenty years.They continued down the hall, stopping at the last room where Tuvok signaled for her to wait outside. Kathryn nodded then smiled at their combined seriousness - as if this were a mission.Even outside, Kathryn could hear their conversation.“Father, my captain is here.”“Hello, Tuvok.”“...Hello, father.”A long pause. Janeway pictured the two men staring at one another, weighing something.“A few of your…are here as well,” Sunak said, breaking the silence. The translator dimly filled in the omitted word with a robotic sounding ‘family’. Kathryn guessed the precise word as too esoteric to translate properly.“There was no need-”“I am aware of your penchant for reclusiveness. However, this is necessary. My only son has returned to me again.”Another moment of silence, less tense than the first had been.“I understand.”“Good. Take your captain to her room and then join us for dinner,” Sunak said. Shortly afterward there was a shuffling and the door opened. To Janeway’s surprise, it was his head which emerged - not Tuvok’s.“I thank you, for bringing my son home safely.” he said, his eyes trained on her. He looked older than she remembered but the same had been true of her mother. There were more gray hairs on them both, more lines on their faces.Twice now she'd woken up just in time to see footsteps moving away from her door, footsteps she'd recognize as her mother's anywhere, and in those moments she’d felt like a child again.When Sunak spoke she felt she should stand at attention, as if in the presence of an admiral. His long locs were arranged in an ornate updo with a few artfully hanging downward, adorned in engraved beads. She stiffened, nodding seriously, and he vanished back into the room. The smell of incense wafted out into the hall and when Tuvok joined her again it was clinging to his robes.With a gesture, he bid her to follow him and she did, contemplating the combined scent of incense and wood. It was pleasant, she decided, and privately she hoped that the silences in the conversation between Tuvok and his father had been filled with...something. Whatever her friend would desire in lieu of a hug and tears of joy on the collar of his robes.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The guest bedroom Janeway had been given was small but intentionally decorated. It had clearly been designed as a guest bedroom and Kathryn couldn’t help but think again of her mother, who’d been periodically threatening to build a guest house out back for years.“Are your children coming to dinner?” Janeway asked Tuvok.“Perhaps,” he replied.“They didn’t say?” she asked, eyeing the pile of luggage which the aid had tried their best to stack neatly and out of the way.Tuvok sighed. “It is difficult to parse their responses.”“Well tell them I’m not dragging all this back to Indiana,” she muttered, stretching.Tuvok nodded. “I will find you when dinner is being served.”“Going to catch up with the family?” she asked.“Quite the opposite,” Tuvok said, leaving before Kathryn could respond.She shook her head and smiled before turning around and changing into one of the tunics in the closet. She’d expected some dust but there was none. Again, it seemed the wardrobe was either habitually well kept or they’d prepared for her visit. The latter made her feel a bit self-conscious.Once she was dressed she immediately left the room to explore.Stepping outside from one of the many doors which led into the courtyard, Janeway found that the previously empty space was now occupied.Varith, one of Tuvok’s sons, was sitting on the bench beneath the central tree. Last she’d seen him he’d been a teenager but now he was unmistakably a young adult of solid build, his round face reminiscent of his mother’s if she put on weight. His clothing wasn't totally inkeeping with Vulcan style, at least not the kind Tuvok wore but she supposed that was to be expected. She didn’t think what her mother wore was exactly fashionable after all.A slim man Kathryn didn’t recognize was sitting beside him. The unfamiliar man looked ill - his pale skin appearing thin and sallow with dark circles beneath his eyes. Despite that, he had a more pinched, alert look about him than Varith did, as if it any moment he might be forced to intervene with something.They were both watching the four children who were playing in the courtyard. Two of them appeared to be either Romulan or half-Klingon with the remaining two being full Vulcans. As Janeway stepped out from the awning’s shadow, one of the full Vulcans turned to her with wide, curious eyes.“Who are you?” She asked, rushing over to her. “You are a Human! This is not your house.”Kathryn laughed, surprised by her open manner. “No, it isn’t. I’m a friend of Tuvok’s. Do you know him?”“Tuvok is my great father.”“Your grandfather, T’Meni,” Varith called.“Then who is my great father?” T’Meni asked with seeming earnesty, turning to her uncle.“Sek, ostensibly.” Varith replied. His companion seemed unamused by the exchange.Kathryn felt warm, listening to the young man. He reminded her so much of Tuvok, though he resembled his mother the most of Tuvok’s children.“Who is Sek?” T’Meni asked.“Your father,” Varith's companion responded - sharper than was necessary in Janeway’s opinion.“Sasa-shal,” Varith added and this seemed to connect with the little girl.“Sasa-shal!” T’Meni repeated, returning to her playmates who had waited dutifully for her. “I know a game, ok? Listen. We have to run or the Human will eat us. They eat meat, Sveyko told me so.”One of the non-Vulcan girls, perhaps Sveyko herself, nodded sagely. “And we have to run…” She looked around, waiting while the circle tensed. “Now!” At her signal, all four of the children took off running as fast as they could, vanishing from the courtyard.“Honestly, what nonsense.” The person beside Varith scoffed. Though Kathryn had initially thought they were a man, the voice was distinctly feminine - though nasal in a way which bolstered her sharp, condescending tone. “In my household children were seen and never heard.”Varith gestured to his companion. “Kathryn Janeway, this is my fiancee. Her name is Invar. In her household children were seen and never heard, which is why she now looks sickly and talks behind people’s backs.”Rather than being offended by the comment, Invar scoffed again and turned her gaze to the flowers which she’d perhaps been keeping a watchful eye out for - the children had been playing awfully close to the area.Janeway was torn on whether or not to laugh at what may or may not have been a joke on Varith’s part. She settled on patting his shoulder. “It’s good to see you again, Varith. I have some things for you to take home. Are your siblings here?”“Asil is otherwise occupied, Sek brought three fourths of the children which were recently in the courtyard and Elieth is ephemeral.”That all sounded right to her. “And your mother?”Varith looked at her very seriously. “She is trapped. Perhaps you can assist her.”“And why don’t you help your dear mother?” Janeway asked, teasing.Varith gestured to his leg braces and the crutches beside him. “It was already such an arduous task to make it here…”“You were transported from your starbase, then utilized a hoverchair to reach the front door,” Invar said.“And you were by my side the entire time,” Varith said - the comment nebulous in its affection and delivered so devoid of any emotion it was impossible for Janeway to guess its intention.Invar, however, must have sensed something through their bond because she seemed at once shocked and amused by the statement before walling herself again, leveling a glare at Kathryn.“Is your conversation with the human over?” She asked Varith, returning her attention to him.“Perhaps you should ask the human,” Varith said, picking a piece of lint from his fiancee’s tunic.Kathryn raised her hands. “I’m going! Sorry if I’ve disturbed you two but I’ve got someone to save.”“At a family gathering?” Varith asked, voice low and lackadaisically droll as always. “Really, captain. You work too much.”.Janeway found T’Pel sitting in what appeared to be a small sitting room, staring at an exuberant Betazoid woman who was dressed as if she were about to leave for a night on the town at any moment. Despite it seeming like a lively conversation as she approached, Janeway quickly realized that T’Pel hadn’t said a word and, looking at her, it seemed she wasn’t inclined to either.This didn’t seem to be having any effect on the Betazoid.“So then I told her I wasn’t going to be caught wearing last month’s oozen ten days before the third house announced the new color. I mean could you imagine? My mother would have had my head! She’s already always close to it these days but that’s such an old fashioned way of thinking about it, right? Like we all have to just go out there in whatever the third house deems schlan-demar? It’s verging on oppressive. If Elieth gains more political power he should transfer to the II-RO sector and outlaw people over forty from dictating fashion, whatever house they belong to. It’s so- oh, you must be Kathryn!”Overwhelmed by the force of the young woman’s chatter but stunned by her bright smile, Kathryn found herself quickly wrapped in a hug. Glancing down, she saw that T’Pel was still simply staring into the space the woman had been occupying.“I’m Ione Kitain, Elieth’s wife, fourth daughter of the fourth house of Betazed. You might have seen me in a magazine or twelve? And I just did that perfume ad - oh but you don’t seem the type do you? That’s fine, I personally find Human musk so enticing, not as enticing as Vulcan musk, I know you understand that, T’Pel! But it’s so rare because of the biology. I could give you some perfume if you’d like, the company sent me so much of it I could bathe in the stuff. Oh, I’m so excited, this is amazing, meeting you! Can we take a picture together?”“Uh-”“Thank you!” The woman chirped, posing and snapping a picture faster than the captain could blink. “What was the delta quadrant like? Did you bring anything back? I can sense you’re, like, absolutely stunned which makes sense because I’m stunning but there’s also a heavy sorrow that’s hanging over you like a curtain, draping every other emotion in its shadow. Oh, are you- well Humans don’t have the togethernet do they? I post videos there every Monday and Thursday! Elieth and I recently did this super cute couple’s challenge and he guessed exactly how many freckles I have. Exactly. Isn’t that so adorable? I thought being married to a Vulcan would be too boring for me but he’s just the sweetest. And I’m sure I have my mother-in-law to thank for that! Anyway I should probably get out of your hair, you’ll want to talk to T’Pel, right? She’s not much of a talker but then I guess most Vulcans aren’t. Even Eli mostly shows his love for me through actions instead of words but that’s so manly isn’t it? Oh but before I forget - remind any Vulcans friends you have to vote for Elieth in the next local election! I already told everyone here though so you’re off the hook. And if Humans ever get the togethernet be sure to subscribe to me first thing, ok?”As Ione Kitain vanished down the hall, Kathryn stared forward at the space she had occupied, wordless.“...It’s…good to see you, T’Pel.” She finally said, sinking to her knees.T’Pel continued to stare forward. “...You as well, Kathryn.”The two of them sat in blissful silence for what must have been half an hour before Sek threw open the doors, harried, carrying a crying baby.Janeway balked at the sight. For some reason seeing Varith had felt familiar, interesting, but seeing Sek there with a child of his own was…something new. It made her remember just how much time had passed since she’d seen them all. The boy she’d known for years now had a family of his own. Though he seemed to be no less stressed about them and that at least was familiar. He’d always been the most stringent of Tuvok’s children, insisting that everything be just so.In fact she remembered him asking to watch her work in the lab once only to give her a padd containing a report on her work the next day. Apparently she’d breached several safety protocols and babied him too much. It was the only report she’d ever laughed over.“Mother, what are- Hello, captain. What are the two of you doing in here? Have you seen father? Or Elieth? Dinner is ready.”“Sasa-shal why can we not have pizza?” T’Meni interrupted, her voice high and whining.“T’Meni-bu, You don’t even know what pizza is.” Sek closed the door and walked quickly down the hall, the child on his heels.“...Well,” Kathryn said, rising to her feet and holding her hand out to T’Pel. “Shall we?”T’Pel blinked then accepted it, allowing the human to help her to her feet. A rush of familiar adoration ran through Janeway at the sight of her, the only person she could reliably count on being shorter than herself.“You haven’t aged a day,” she said.“I have aged seven years,” T’Pel responded, walking past her and nodding toward the door. “There will be time to talk later. As it stands, I believe it would cause Sek undue distress if we were to be any later to dinner.”“He might run into Ione, that’d keep him busy for a while,” Janeway said, opening the door and stepping into the hall after letting T’Pel go through.“A cruelty I would wish on no one but the odd few who welcomed it,” T’Pel commented.Janeway couldn’t help but smile, knowing exactly who was included in those ‘odd few’. It seemed even Vulcans had that old parental problem of not liking who your child brought home.She hadn’t had that problem much but she keenly remembered Phoebe’s love-of-the-week being routinely turned away, kicked out, and in one extraordinary incident - ascending to a higher plane in the middle of dinner.“I can’t do long distance, I just can’t!” her sister had shouted before collapsing into tears.The dining room was stately with a slightly more lively color scheme than the rest of the house. It felt more frequently used which was a surprise to Kathryn - the dining rooms in her mother’s home and what had once been her and Mark’s house were both typically piled high with work or half-completed projects and only utilized when looking frantically for something or trying to get some alone time.The reminder of Mark dampened her spirits somewhat but she quickly forgot about it as she was noticed by the other guests.There were several Vulcans in the large room, ones she’d never seen before who seemed to be from all over the planet. The majority looked similar to Tuvok in one way or another but there were plenty who bore no resemblance to her friend or indeed any Vulcan she’d seen before, perhaps from different parts of the planet.Yet they’d all traveled to see him again after an absence of Seven years.Kathryn smiled once again, touched on her friend’s behalf and then amusement took over as she knew him and his ‘penchant for reclusiveness’ wouldn’t appreciate the gesture nearly as much as she did.“T’Pel, have you seen your husband?” One of the Vulcans asked. She was wearing a dress which looked to be mimicking some sort of metal, several ornaments pinning back her slick black hair.“No, I suspect he was avoiding conversation.”“With you?” A man asked.“No,” T’Pel responded, looking around and gesturing for Janeway to follow her to what seemed to be an assigned seat. “Tuvok will sit there, and…Sek have you managed to find your brother?”Sek, who was attempting to retie a ribbon into the hair of one of the children Kathryn had seen in the courtyard, Sveyko, raised a hand palm outward. “If I had found him he would be here.”“Sek has such a harsh tongue,” a man a bit younger than Sek commented. “If I were hiding from him it would be incentive enough to remain hidden.”“Perhaps Elieth has left, he isn’t very reliable. Nor is that girl of yours,” an older woman commented.“Elieth’s the most reliable man I’ve ever met! He even whisked me away on the day of what supposed to be my wedding to take me as his bride instead. It was so romantic!” Ione said, swooning at the memory.“T’Kera’s point exactly,” someone said at the same time someone else said “Are you confusing ‘reliable’ for ‘romantic’?”T’Pel frowned, obviously torn between speaking up on her son’s behalf and not drawing Ione into further conversation. Before she had to make a decision, there was a loud shriek from the other side of the door.Everyone in the room froze and both Kathryn and Sunak stood, ready to defend their family and the civilians in the room respectively.Then the door opened calmly, revealing Elieth on the other side of it.His expression and manner was the picture of Vulcan calm, with no evidence of distress or injury. The only thing notable about his appearance were the loud yet monochrome colors he wore, a style which drew distinct inspiration from Betazoid dress and (Kathryn noted) matching Ione’s bright red ensemble.Elieth bowed slightly then moved to sit gracefully beside his wife, looking around the room which was looking pointedly at him.“What was that?” Someone finally asked and Elieth tilted his head.“The scream?”“Yes, the scream,” Invar said, impatient.“Are you injured?” Sek asked, taking his daughter’s momentary preoccupation as an opportunity to finish tying the ribbon in.Elieth quietly reached into the sleeve of his robes and produced what looked to be a recording device. Pressing a button, the room was filled with the haunted shriek they’d just heard moments ago. He then replaced the device, expression still the picture of nonchalance.“My apologies if the noise disturbed you. I have found that when I enter a room it is most pleasing to have the room’s attention.”There was another moment of stunned silence, interrupted by Ione’s joyful shriek as she pitched forward and wrapped her arms around Elieth, he accepted her embrace without acknowledgement. She kissed his cheek anyway.“That’s my Eli!” she declared, beaming with pride.“...Tuvok,” Sunak commented. “You’ve arrived.”Janeway turned, startled to see her friend had appeared at her side as if he’d been sitting there the entire time.Tuvok nodded, obviously thinking this piece of information was readily apparent.“...Very well.” Sunak said, pausing again, caught off guard by Elieth’s grand entrance and Tuvok’s sudden appearance thereafter. “Then…let us begin,” he said, sounding a small gong which the aide from before had been holding at his side the entire time.As plates and trays began being set out, Kathryn turned to her friend, leaning in.“What was that stunt your son pulled?” She asked, speaking in a low voice, utterly baffled by what had just taken place.Tuvok leaned in as well, matching her tone after considering his answer for a moment. “An effective tactical officer knows when to utilize distraction,” he said simply.The two of them shared a familiar look, something unspoken passing between them. And then they straightened, waiting for the meal to commence.