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Kathryn Janeway was tired.It seemed as though every conceivable issue that could’ve popped up in a 24-hour span had shown up today. First of all, Neelix’s latest breakfast experiment had been a massive failure, which left Voyager with a fire-damaged, smoky-smelling mess hall, not to mention a hangry crew. When Kathryn had used some of her oh-so-precious replicator rations to make herself a cup of coffee, it had come out tasting watery and bland. But B’Elanna didn’t have time to fix the replicator systems; she was spending her entire morning pounding away at the environmental controls, trying to get the bridge temperature to rise back above snowy-day-in-Alaska levels. The problems had only multiplied from there, with everything from misplaced crew evaluation reports to a sensor glitch that had startled Harry Kim into setting off a red alert. It had been one hell of a day, and Janeway was ready to lay down in her tub with a good book and some quiet music in the background.The first order of business when she arrived at her quarters was to start a hot bath running. She cranked the tap on, turning the water temperature up so high that steam filled the whole bathroom within minutes. Then it was time to let down her hair, which had been pulled in a bun. She felt a dull headache starting as she released her locks from their professional updo. “Computer, play something classical. 18th century era Earth,” she ordered. A calming melody began to pour into the room, setting the mood for a long soak. /@*@\ An hour later, Kathryn emerged from her bath. Just as she pulled on her peach-colored silk nightgown, she heard the door chime.“Come in,” she called, straightening the shiny material over her torso.But there was no reply. Not another malfunction, she groaned internally. Letting out a deep sigh, she made her way over to the door and peeked outside, just to make sure that there really wasn't anyone there. The corridors were empty, as far as she could see to the left and to the right, but just as Kathryn was about to close the door and return to her book, she noticed a small metal bucket on the ground. The bucket was full of ice cubes, and nestled in the very center of the cubes, there sat a pint of ice cream. Coffee ice cream.Janeway bent down and lifted the little present off the corridor floor, then stepped back into her quarters, letting the door whoosh shut behind her. She set the bucket on her dining table and stared at it, wondering who among the crew knew her well enough to predict that this was exactly what she had been craving at the end of a stressful day. Perhaps Tuvok, she thought. They had known each other for years and he could’ve come up with such a thing. But then, it wasn’t like Tuvok to bestow random gifts, and it certainly wasn’t like him to drop them anonymously outside of people’s quarters. Not Tuvok then. She could’ve wasted more time just staring at the dessert, trying to determine its sender, but the ice cream looked so refreshing and delicious sitting there in its ice bath that Kathryn couldn’t wait a moment longer. She lifted the little pint out of its bucket and removed the lid. She noticed that whoever it was had been kind enough to include a small spoon secured to the bucket handle by a strip of ivory-colored ribbon tied neatly in a bow. After collecting the spoon as well, Janeway carried her little treasure over to her bed and sank onto the soft bedspread.Gently, she shaved off a curl of the luscious brown cream, wanting to savor this moment for as long as she could. Then, ever so carefully, she placed the spoon inside her mouth. Silky, creamy, roasted bliss.Kathryn breathed a sigh of contentment and leaned back on her pillows. She ordered the computer to resume the same classical piece she had been enjoying in the tub, and slowly, she felt the wait of the day fall off, ushered on its way by the gentle flavor of coffee ice cream. /@*@\ The next morning, Kathryn arrived on the bridge twirling a little piece of ivory-colored ribbon around her finger, a smile on her face. As she approached the captain’s chair, she quickly tucked the tiny shimmering strip of fabric into her right sleeve. It was such an insignificant detail that no one on the bridge even took notice. No one, that is, except Chakotay, who touched his lips to hide a knowing grin, then turned back to his console to start a new day’s work.