by K.N. Senko

Disclaimer:  Paramount and Viacom own Star Trek (oh the pain, the pain):  they would never inflict this kind of pain on Captain Janeway and her crew.
 
 
 
Back to Day 5
 
 
 
Day Six

Kathryn watched as the members of her crew filed into the mess hall.  Chakotay suddenly appeared beside her, setting down a tray.

"I've been told that everyone in the crew has received their orders to meet here."  Kathryn didn't reply.  Chakotay kneeled beside her:  "What's wrong?

"What are they going to think, Chakotay?"

"Hey:  you're the one who told me that it doesn't matter what they think or say..."

"But look at me..."

"I have:  and you look absolutely beautiful."  Kathryn could feel the baby move inside her as Chakotay placed his hand on her swollen tummy.

"I just feel so bizarre in this condition."  It seemed that she had blown up overnight.

"Kathryn," his words brought her back to him.  "You are beautiful," he repeated:  "You are so beautiful that I can hardly keep myself from taking you into my arms right here, right now:  I have never seen you look more attractive."

"Captain," B'Elanna's greeting interrupted.  She and Tom had arrived suddenly, and were now setting their trays down across the table, sitting next to where Chakotay's tray already sat.

"Good morning, B'Elanna," Kathryn smiled.  Chakotay had already stood, moving to his seat across from her.

"I was beginning to get worried about you.  You were gone when Seven and I woke up," the relief was evident in Torres' voice.

"The Commander and I had a few things to discuss before this morning's announcement."

"Captain!" Neelix greeted exuberantly:  "if I may say so, you look radiant this morning."

"Why thank you, Neelix:  you don't look so bad yourself," she looked up as Seven sat down beside her.  Seven placed her napkin on her lap, then noticed the Captain's changed shape:

"Captain..."  Kathryn cut her off:

"Did you sleep well Seven?"  Seven looked at her, confused, then seemed to realize that Janeway didn't want her to mention it:

"It was... intriguing.  I am still unaccustomed to the disconcerting feeling that accompanies waking."

"Maybe you would like some real quarters when we get back to Voyager, Seven," B'Elanna commented.  "Tom, could you get me some more water?"  Tom rolled his eyes, but took B'Elanna's glass.

"I see no reason to abandon Cargo Bay II at this time."

"Well, you have been complaining about a lack of privacy..."

"Is there any reason that I should not?" Seven queried.  Janeway jumped in, not wanting an argument on her hands:

"What B'Elanna is trying to say, Seven, is that the cargo bay is a public area; there are times that crewmembers need to be in the cargo bay.  Your privacy will always be violated at one time or another because we need to use the area," Kathryn paused:  "Maybe it's time you got some quarters of your own, and then both issues would be solved."

"I would have privacy..." Seven began.

"And the crew would be able to use the cargo bay whenever they needed to."

"That is logical, Captain," Tuvok stated as he seated himself.

"I will consider, your suggestion, Captain," Seven answered.  Torres rolled her eyes, then noticed that Paris was returning:

"Tom..." she greeted.  "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Tom answered as B'Elanna began to gulp down the cool beverage.  "Where's Harry?" he asked as he seated himself.

"I believe that he is the last in line," Tuvok replied.  "He was inspecting quarters in order to determine whether every crewmember is present."

"Speak of the devil..." B'Elanna put in as she caught sight of Harry, headed their way.

"Why are you comparing Mr. Kim with a man who goes around doing evil things?" Neelix asked.

"It's a figure of speech, Neelix," Tom explained.

"That isn't a very flattering figure of speech..." Neelix was cut off by Harry:

"Sorry I'm late," he sat down:  "Everyone's here, Captain."

"The Ensign is correct, Captain," Tuvok replied: "I have concluded a head count and determined that all members of the crew are accounted for."

Kathryn looked to Chakotay; he smiled encouragingly, then stood.  He took his glass and tapped the side with his eating utensil.  The room slowly became quieter as all eyes turned to him.

"I'm sure that everyone is wondering why we asked you all to be here this morning..." he hesitated.  "Now that everyone is here, the Captain would like to make an announcement."  Chakotay took Kathryn's hand and helped her stand.

As Chakotay helped Janeway step up and onto the bench she the few voices that had continued before now stopped immedietely.  Kathryn smoothed her dress self-consciously.  Then the hum of voices began.  Kathryn scanned the many faces of the members of her crew, trying to see each of the many reactions that were beginning.

Tom whispered something to Harry.  Harry turned red.  B'Elanna's mouth was hanging open.  Neelix's eyes looked like they were about to pop out.  Chakotay gave Kathryn's hand a squeeze in support.  She took a deep breath:

"Please:  hear what I have to say, and then you can talk amongst yourselves."  The room was instantly very quiet:  "As you can see, I am... expecting a baby.  For those of you who are wondering, it is Commander Chakotay's child, but it is not what you think.  The Commander and I did not have relations of that nature, rather, our captors seemed to deem it necessary for me to have a child.

"These aliens have medical technology that shortens the length of a pregnancy.  Because I was the first woman to become pregnant,  my due date is in three days.  If you are a woman wearing blue, I feel compelled to inform you that you, too, are pregnant."  The crew was beginning to talk again:  "I understand your concern about the situation:  if you have any questions, please feel free to ask me after breakfast."

Chakotay helped Kathryn down, and she sat back down heavily.  The room around them was filled with voices, but the senior staff was completely silent.

"Now you know," she stated softly.  Unlike the rest of the room, the senior staff seemed to be speechless.  No one spoke for almost a full minute.

"Captain, what if I don't want this child?" Torres blurted out.

"B'Elanna!" Tom exclaimed.  Suddenly the senior staff was all talking at once:

"I don't know how to raise a child... and after my relationship with my mother..."

"I had a bad relationship with my father, I still want this baby..."

"Captain, how will you raise this child?  As the commanding officer of..."

"I hope that you've been eating right, Captain..."

Chakotay looked at Kathryn sympathetically.  Tuvok watched the confusion, obviously considering it illogical.  Harry was very silent.

"Stop!"  Kathryn felt her child jump within her, as did the rest of the people at the table.  "B'Elanna, you know as well as I do that Federation law prohibits abortions, and if I may be blunt, you should have thought of that sooner."

"Captain..."

"I don't want to hear it; you and Tom have been having intimate relations for over a year, and it was bound to happen sooner or later..."

"We were using birth control..."

"Which is not 100% effective," she answered.  "If you consider yourself mature enough to sleep with a man, you should at least have the decency to accept the fact that you are going to have his child."

"It isn't even alive yet."

"That's garbage, and you know it..."

"Even if I wanted to," B'Elanna cut her off, "I don't know how to raise a child..."  This time, it was Kathryn who interrupted:

"And you think that I do?"  Chakotay reached over and placed his hand over Kathryn's:  "I'm sorry, B'Elanna:  I shouldn't have snapped at you like that.  But even if we were on Voyager and had the facilities to murder your baby, I wouldn't allow it, and I don't believe that the Doctor would perform the... operation... either.  If, after you've had the baby, you still don't want the child, I'm sure that someone would be willing to adopt it."

Kathryn paused, waiting for B'Elanna to respond, but her chief engineer remained silent:  "Neelix, I would suggest that you make morale a priority this morning:  certain members of the crew will be ecstatic, others will have reactions similar to Lieutenant Torres'.  Make sure that they know what is expected of them."

"Yes, Ma'am," he stated resolutely.

"Captain," Seven began:  "Do you still intend to attempt escape in three nights?"

"Yes, I do."

"Shouldn't we wait until after the babies are born?" asked Tom.

"In that scenario, we would have twenty-five recovering women as well as twenty-five infants," Tuvok replied.

"But if the Captain goes into labor, we will have twenty-five pregnant women and a new member of the crew on the way," Neelix put in.

"I won't," Kathryn answered.

"Captain," Seven stated, confusion in her voice:  "there is no means at our disposal to prevent you from doing just that."

"Even if I do go into labor," she answered, "it's the only way.  We are going to get off this planet."

"Captain?"

"Our captors intend to take the babies from us after they are born," Chakotay supplied.

"Why would they do that?" Harry asked.

"It's rather obvious that we're slaves here, Harry," Tom answered.

"No familial bond or knowledge of parent's beliefs would make the children most willing slaves," Tuvok agreed.

"At any rate, it isn't an option," Janeway answered.  "I won't accept the fact that they're going to just take our children away from us:  we'll have to leave on the ninth night."
 
 
 

"Water?"  Chakotay turned to find Harry offering him a jug.

"Thanks."  As Chakotay took a long drink, Harry seemed to hesitate:

"I guess that congratulations are in order."

"It's strange:  I never allowed myself to hope that..." Chakotay stopped.

"You never really let yourself believe that you and the Captain would ever be together," Harry supplied.

"I guess so."

"It's alright, Commander:  we've been expecting for this to happen for years," Harry paused.  "I guess that in a way we lost hope, too.  You have both been through a lot together."

"I'll say," Chakotay smiled.  "You think that the crew will really accept us being a couple?"

"Yah:  I do."

"Thanks Harry."

"Any time, Commander:  any time."
 
 
 

"Is this seat taken?"  Kathryn looked up:

"Of course, not, Chakotay," she answered.  "Who else would I be saving it for?" she was about to take her first bite when Tom appeared:

"Captain...  Commander..." he hurried up, out of breath:

"Slow down, Tom," Kathryn stated calmly, yet with a touch of concern:  "What's wrong?"

"B'Elanna shut herself in the bathroom in your room and won't talk to me."

"What did you say to her?" Kathryn asked as they stood and started weaving through the tables to get outside.

"I just told her that I loved her, no matter what she chose."

"That's all?"

"That's when she ran away."

Kathryn walked as fast as she could, which didn't seem to be as fast as usual.  She was finding it difficult to walk with her usual large stride, and was beginning to have to adjust her pace to accommodate the weight she had gained and the unsteadiness it had given her.

Finally, they stopped in front of the small building:

"I think that you two should wait out here," Kathryn said softly.

"Captain..." Tom stopped her.  His eyes seemed to plead for help:  "Good luck."

Kathryn nodded, then stepped inside the cool building.  She approached the bathroom:

"B'Elanna?"  She stepped up to the closed door, listening for a reply:

"Go away," B'Elanna answered.  Janeway tried the doorknob:  it turned, but she couldn't open the door;  B'Elanna was probably leaning against it.  "I don't want to talk to you."

"Fine:  I'll talk," Kathryn answered.  She swallowed:  "I don't know why you don't want this baby, but I do know that Tom wants it..."  B'Elanna let out a half-laugh, but there wasn't any humor behind it:

"Tom doesn't know what he wants.  Why would Tom want to have a baby with me?  I'm just giving him the easy out.  I don't really care..."

"Yes you do," Kathryn answered.  "Why else would you be hiding from it?"

"I'm not hiding," she retorted:  "I just don't want to talk about it anymore."

"B'Elanna," she paused:  "I know that you can feel your baby move inside you.  At least try to love that little one..."

"I do love her... or him."

"Then why...?"

"I don't want Tom to leave me the way my father did."

"B'Elanna..."

"This baby is going to look like me."

"And Tom will think that it is the most beautiful, precious baby that he has ever seen," Kathryn answered.  "Tom will never leave you..."

"You don't know that."

"Yes, I do.  Tom doesn't care what other people think about the way you look, or the way your child will look.  Tom will make a wonderful father, and he's not going to make the same mistakes that your father or his father made."

"How can you be sure?"

"Because he loves you.  He loves you so much, B'Elanna, and he loves your baby, too.  Won't you let him take care of you and your child?"  B'Elanna opened the door and came out, tears running down her cheeks.  Kathryn hugged her tightly.
 
 
 

"You aren't going to lose anyone," Chakotay answered.

"She's never going to speak to me again," he continued, undeterred by Chakotay's statement:  "I'll never get to hold my baby..."

"Tom."  Paris turned to find B'Elanna standing in the doorway of the shack:

"B'Elanna," he breathed in relief.  They met each other halfway:  "I love you, B'Elanna, please forgive me..."

"No," she answered.

"B'Elanna..."

"No, Tom:  I'm not going to forgive you... because I'm the one who needs to be forgiven."  B'Elanna stepped closer to Tom and he took her hands in his own:  "I'm so sorry..."  That was when their lips met and they launched into a frenzied embrace, half apologizing, half kissing.

Chakotay suppressed a smile, and then looked to Kathryn.  She was smiling back.  She tilted her head, as if to silently say:  "let's go" and began walking back toward the mess hall.  After venturing one more glance over his shoulder, Chakotay jogged to catch up, then fell into step beside Kathryn.  Tom and B'Elanna had a lot of talking to do.
 
 
 

"We certainly had to wait long enough for it," Kathryn retorted.  "I didn't think that the crew was ever going to let us eat in peace."

"Its been quite a day," Chakotay agreed as they took their trays to the recycler.  He suddenly realized that Kathryn's face was screwed up, as if in pain.  "Kathryn?"

She suddenly realized that he was watching her and looked away:

"I'm fine."

"You aren't fine," he turned her to face him:  "You're in pain."  She tried to assume her captain's stance and a stern expression, but then doubled over, grabbing his arm for support.

"I'm taking you to see the doctor..."

"No, no:  I'm fine, Chakotay, really."

"No you aren't, and it doesn't matter what you say, we're going."
 
 
 

"The tests will take about ten minutes to process.  You can stay here until then," she turned to Janeway:  "Don't go anywhere."

"I'll make sure that she doesn't, Doctor," Chakotay answered as Talitha left.  Kathryn turned away, but she could feel Chakotay's eyes on her.  She lifted a hand to her mouth, trying desperately to hold back the tears.  "I don't guess that you'd care to explain why you're acting like this," Chakotay commented.

"I'm pregnant, isn't that enough?"

"No, it isn't.  I know you, Kathryn.  Tell me the truth:  you owe me that."

"I'm scared."

"Of what?"

"Of losing this baby."

"But there's more to it than that, Kathryn.  What aren't you telling me?"  Kathryn didn't answer for a long time, and she knew that he had given up on ever receiving an answer, turning to pace again.  Finally, she sat up and turned to face him:  he was standing by the room's only window, staring out into the night.

"This isn't my first baby."  Chakotay looked to her, surprised.

"You've had a child before?" he asked, approaching the biobed.  "When?"

"It began almost twenty years ago," she answered.  "I was engaged to a starfleet officer:  a good man named Justin Tighe.  He and my father died in a shuttle accident before I even knew..."

"I'm sorry."

"No, Chakotay:  I've dealt with their deaths.  Finding out that I was carrying Justin's baby gave me a reason to live.  It was the most incredible experience I've ever had, knowing that I was carrying a new life, and it was the best six months that I've ever lived.  The entire pregnancy went perfectly, there was no warning," she swallowed, pausing, unable to continue.  A tear began to run down her cheek.

"What happened?" Chakotay asked softly.

"She was so perfect...." Kathryn whispered, crying softly.  "They took her from me a few minutes after she was born.  I never saw her again... complications..."  She broke off, unable to continue.  Chakotay took her into his arms as she sobbed.

He comforted her as she cried.  After the tears had stopped, she pulled away slightly, laying her head on his chest:

"I never forgave myself, Chakotay," she finally stated.  "I should have been there for her, I should have done something..."

"There was nothing that you could have done, Kathryn, you know that."  She pulled away, angry:

"But there should have been!  She was my baby and I let her die:  and now your baby..."

"Our baby is not going to die, Kathryn."

"How can you say that?  How can you know for certain?"

"I know Kathryn," he answered.  "I know."

The doors opened and Talitha stepped into the room:

"Your child is going to be fine."

"What is it?  What's happening to me?" Kathryn asked.

"It's gas,"  Talitha answered as she approached the distraught couple.

"But the contractions..."

"Are perfectly normal for a woman who is at your stage in a pregnancy," she answered.  "They're a bit stronger than I'd like, but you are in no danger of miscarrying.  It's probably stress:  I'd recommend that you stay in bed for the rest of the evening and take it easy tomorrow.  I trust you can take care of that?" she turned to Chakotay.

"But I'll be working..."

"Not tomorrow," she replied.  "You will all be allowed a day of rest tomorrow:  camp policy."

"I don't know what to say..." Kathryn started.

"Just promise me that you'll take it easy for the next couple of days, alright?  Isn't there anything that I can do to make sure you aren't rushing across camp every ten minutes?"

"Well, I'll try, but being the captain..."

"Why my superiors chose you for the first test subject, I'll never know.  Surely there must be something that I can give you to keep you busy."

"Well, there is one project that I've been wanting to start..."
 
 
 

"I'm going to knit a baby blanket," Kathryn smiled.

"I couldn't help but wonder why you chose blue..."

"He knows your voice," Kathryn interrupted, leading the way back to the shack she shared with B'Elanna and Seven.

"Who does?" Chakotay asked.

"Our baby," she answered.  Chakotay shook his head, smiling:

"Kathryn, why do you keep calling him a he?"

"Why do you?"

"Quit changing the subject."

"Come here," she took Chakotay's hand, placing it on her stomach:  "Feel him?"

"There you go again..." Chakotay answered with a smile.  Kathryn only laughed.  "He likes your laugh."

"He does?"

"Your voice, too," he confirmed.  He paused:  "I'd say that he's going to be a little gymnast."  Kathryn laughed harder.  "What?" he asked, stopping.

"You called him a he again."

"Kathryn..." he stopped when she reached up, lightly tracing the outline of his tattoo.  She caressed his cheek, her thumb stopping on his lips.  He kissed it, then moved closer to her, taking her in his arms and kissing her full on the lips.

"I love you, Kathryn Janeway."

"I'm going to give you a beautiful boy, Chakotay."

They both smiled in the moonlight.
 
 
 
On to Day 7