Story: "Teacher, Teacher" USS Voyager NCC-74656:Alpha Quadrant Series

Characters: Kathryn Janeway, Boothby

Rating: K+ … A mild invective thrown about

Disclaimer: This belongs to Paramount, the writes, the Roddenbury estate and whomever else holds the copyright, I just play in their world.

Summery: Kathryn is about to begin her first day as a teacher at Starfleet Academy, she needs encouragement and there's only one person on Academy grounds qualified to give it.

It was a sunny morning in San Francisco as the clouds lazily drifted over cadets hurrying toward classes, through the old gardens and buzzing about the outdoor cafeteria. Kathryn Janeway's first class of eager cadets wouldn't begin until 0800 hours, giving her forty minutes to lay in the grass, just out of sight.

"I watched your homecoming, Admiral Janeway."

Kathryn's head lifted and a smile graced her face. "Boothby!" She sat up as he eased down on the grass next to her.

"It saddened me to think you were gone, Kathryn, I enjoyed your company." He pulled a rose out from the pocket of his old pants and laid it across her lap.

She picked it up with gentle, shaking fingers as though it were made of butterfly wings and pressed the soft petals to her face. She closed her eyes and remembered the first time Boothby had approached her with a fresh rose from his many gardens.

She was sitting on a bench, sobbing. Tears flowing through tightly held fingers.

He gently nudged her as he sat. "I've seen a lot of cadets come through here, worried about leaving their homes, homesick. They are all homesick."

She tossed a glance at the old man beside her. "Mr. Boothby, my father told me I'd meet you in the gardens."

He pressed his thumb against her cheek, wiping away the tears. "So it is homesickness, ey?"

She shook her head, hair coming loose from the braid down her back. "No, I … I'm not a big fan of crowds. I like to do my own thing. I hate this."

Boothby looked surprised. "And yet you joined Starfleet?"

She laughed at that. "My father's an admiral. I love science… I have precious few outlets."

"You're too young to let social gatherings bother you." He smiled a soft smile, his eyes glinting with new life unbecoming of most men of his age. He stood and left her there.

She watched him vanish behind some small maple trees, saplings almost. Her father told her to look for him, seek him out as his wisdom rivaled that of every teacher in the academy. Suddenly he returned, carrying a fresh cut rose.

"This may help."

She tipped her head to the side as he lifted her hand, forced her fingers open and lay the thorny rose in her palm, careful to keep the sharp bits away from her soft skin.

"You have potential, future, brilliance. Now go out there and make some friends." He all but growled before placing a gentle kiss on the back of her other hand and again vanished.

She sat for a little while longer staring down at the beautiful flower. She curled her fingers around it, letting one of the thorns draw a drop of blood from her finger.

"I missed it here dearly." She sighed as she inhaled the rose still pressed against her face.

"Yes." He nodded. "When Voyager disappeared, I knew you'd survive, but I didn't know if you'd ever come back. I would die wondering what happened to the bright young woman commanding her."

She smiled at him and turned her face back to the sky. "I often was curious what had become of you. If you still tinkered around the academy grounds or if you'd been forced to retire… I didn't think I'd ever see you again myself."

"They wouldn't dare to make me retire, Kathryn."

She laughed and crossed her legs Indian style. She placed her hand on top of his and looked him in the eye. "I have students to get to, entry level."

"They'll be a handful." He was warning her, but softly.

"Homesick I'm sure." She winked as she said it.

"Some may be afraid of groups." He offered with a sparkle in his eye.

"Than I'll point them to a great teacher who hides in the gardens, waiting to speak to the heart of anyone who will listen."

"I think that's you." He pushed her hair behind her ear, much like her father used to and smiled. "Someone needs to lighten my cadet load, there are too many of them in these damn gardens." He swept his hand in front of them before turning back to her.

"Do you think I can help them as well as you?" It was almost rhetorical. She'd always left crew morale to Neelix and before Voyager every ship she'd served on had a counselor, she never had to worry about feelings.

"I do."

"Well, I learned from the best." She stood and he did so along with her. "Boothby… it's good to be back."

He nodded simply and kissed her hand before vanishing the way he did so long ago.

She took a deep breath and walked to the classroom, her classroom. As her students filed in awkwardly she smiled, making eye contact with each one. She clutched the rose in front of her with both hands. "Welcome to Starfleet Academy, I'm Admiral Kathryn Janeway and for the next four months I'm going to introduce you to a world of opportunity, of passion and of greatness." She paused and again swept her gaze over the room. "It will be hard, some of you won't make it, but if you put your heart into it you can serve the United Federation of Planets in the greatest ways and help protect their citizens; our friends and families... And you will boldly go where no one has gone before."