An unusual counseling. Both come away with something.

"Scott, so glad that you could come." human Janeway says, smiling as Scott enters Holodeck 2. A re-creation of Yosemite National Forest is playing, and a camping sight has been set up next to a bubbling brook. In all, this looks to be a very tranquil scene. Scott smells a rat.

"Captain, what can I do for you?" Scott asks, waiting for the other shoe to fall.

"About that bridal bouquet . . . . " Janeway begins. Scott hides a flinch, knowing that this day might come come. "Why?"

"Permission to speak freely, Captain? Even if it seems out of line?" Scott asked formally. Janewy, eyebrow raised, nods yes. Scott draws a ragged breath, then plunges in to it.

"Captain, I know that you are familiar with the fact that some of the dimensions I bounce to, before I was taken aboard the Voyager . . . . some had televisions shows that had the Voyager as a fictional show . . . . that showed some of the things that had happened here?"

"Yes, I had heard." human Janeway says, suddenly uncomfortable about this discussion for some reason.

"Well, you might not know how CLOSE those television episodes were. I've heard and read that log, the public version of it, were you and Commander Chakotay got marooned on a planet after contracting a disease that made it impossible to leave. That time where you sent the Voyager away, so that the other wouldn't catch it. I remember, how close you two got . . . ."

" . . . ." human Janeway says, not knowing what exactly to say. She DID say for Scott to speak freely . . . .

"Captain, I haven't gone around revealing all of this, and what all I know." Scott says, looking Janeway directly in the eye. "It wouldn't help anything, and would be childish to tell tails. Hell, even though I've watch EVERY episode three times, at least, there are still things that surprise me! I mean, there are still things that I don't know, and can't even begin to guess at with you and the crew, character wise. However . . . .I sometimes wonder WHY you two haven't gotten together, because . . . . the others have already KNOW you two like each other, even before I came along! I and Samantha just kinda hoped that, besides the fun of doing it, it would give you two a subtle nudge, Captain."

Janeway looks at Scott. Scott sees about a half dozen expression cross her face, then she just shakes her head and throws up her arms.

"A subtle nudge?" Janeway echoes in a flat voice.

"Captain, pardon me if I'm out of line here, but you two . . . . ." Scott says, shaking his head sadly. "I'm a romantic at heart, and it just saddens me to see the current state of affairs between you and Chakotay and . . . "

After a time, Janeway looks back at Scott with a slightly curious look.

"With our furry counterparts being so close to each other in life experiences and all . . . . is the same thing happening with the . . . . others?

Scott thinks about how his Samantha Wildman and the human Wildman both got pregnant from a Kitarean male who'd lied to her about his taking . . . . precautions, and nods.

"Except for a minor detail here and there, exact." Scott says.

Janeway looks off into the horizon, and then back at Scott.

"That . . . . definitely answers one burning question I and Chakotay had." Janeway says quietly. "I've been told by Chakotay that you and furry Ensign Wildman same up with the idea of using the the Guardian for getting home. Is that true?"

"Actually, it was totally Samantha's idea, Captain." Scott smiles. "She came up with the idea by herself. She was more than a little disappointed when human Commander Chakotay didn't get the real gist of the idea, that of it was supposed to replace the idea of getting home by using another Scott to get home when some bright guy sees what Q's warning does to that idea . . . ."

"You and her have been planting that seed among the crew, haven't you?" Janeway says, snapping her finger, making the connection. "That's why moral hasn't gone into the toilet when Q's warning about 'not messing with reality like that' got out."

"Well, actually, we weren't the only people who came up with this idea." Scott coughed. "Others came to that conclusion independently, and started to spread that . . . hope when moral started to dip . . . .But we were part of the effort.

"We were only following the old adage of taking care of a problem at the lowest level in the chain of command, Captain." Scott says, seeing Janeway's look. "That's the same reason why I and Samantha went to human Commander Chakotay instead of straight to you or your furry counterpart."

"Well, that pretty much wraps that up, Scott." Janeway says after a little bit of reflection. "It wasn't what I had expected, but . . . .Well, Scott, all I'll ask is that you . . . . don't make any more 'subtle hints' with me and Chakotay. But, I'll think about what you . . . . suggested, okay?" Janeway adds gently. "I don't think I need to talk with furry Wildman. I've learned what I came to learn, and more."

"Sure thing, Captain!" Scott smiles, and leaves.

Janeway sits in silence, thinking about all that has been said. She admits that there was MORE than a kernel of truth to what Scott had said. Also, Scott had some balls to say what he had said, but then again, she had INVITED him to tell her what was on his mind.. Finally, . . ..

"I'll have go and do this slowly, because . . . . I'm just not sure that I'm ready for this." Janeway mutters. "They sure as @##% didn't cover falling for your first officer and getting stuck . . . ." Janeway shakes her head, just not knowing what to exactly do. Well for now, she'd take things as they had been, but maybe sometime in the near future . . . .

1. Soon, Scott and the Wildman twins are discussing the day on the job down in the Mess Hall.

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