Story #14: THE GIFT
by Delta and Shalee
Winter snow is
falling down
Children laughing
all around
lights are turning
on
Sitting by the fire
we made
You’re the answer
when I prayed
I would find
someone
and baby I found
you…
~*~
Time
It’s such an intangible thing.
Yet, when given a moment, you can almost touch it.
Feel its texture . . . its taste, sometimes bitter, sometimes
sweet
That’s how Kathryn Janeway felt at this moment, bittersweet. It
had been ten years since their return from the Delta Quadrant, fifteen since Voyager’s fateful mission into the
Badlands. So very much had changed, yet had stayed the same. Friendships forged
had remained constant, only the family had diverged. Growing, renewing and moving
to places around the galaxy. Living life apart but never out of contact. Now,
the family gathers. One hundred and forty five people once strangers on the
lone starship in the Delta Quadrant, they were closer than some families bound
by blood. How their family had grown in the ten years since their return,
numbering at this time two-hundred and twenty-three, soon to be two-hundred and
thirty-one. Marriages outside the family and children had speeded its growth
and numbed the bitterness of their long plight. Now, it was time to enjoy the
sweetness of the gifts they had been given.
The gathering group quickly was
filling up the lower level of the large house that Kathryn and Chakotay now
called home. Within a year after their
return to Earth, they had gone back to the midwestern United States, where
Kathryn remembered fondly an old house that she knew would be perfect for their
family… and for Chakotay’s plans for his future endeavors. It was an old
structure, dating back to the early twenty-first century, its four-story
structure filled with untold stories of midwest winter blizzards and summer
tornadoes; unsolved disappearances and even possible ghosts; its long history
even included a fire in which Janeway herself was involved!
Upon their first visit to the place,
which was meant to be only a side trip in their visit to the area, they found
the place almost as she remembered it from more than thirty years earlier –
still unoccupied and dilapidated. With
typical Janeway enthusiasm and optimism, Kathryn convinced Chakotay that this
would be just the place to fulfill his plans. Oh, yes; it took a little bit of
coercion – but by now, she knew just the right buttons to push on her husband
to get him to see things her way.
Finally, he saw the merits of the place, and agreed to negotiate for its
use. After months of debate regarding
the legalities of its occupancy, for its last owner three hundred years earlier
had stated that no one would live in it after his death, the old mansion stood
in restored contemporary grandness.
Through the wizardry of late twenty-fourth century shuttlecraft, Kathryn
was able to commute back and forth easily to her office at Starfleet
headquarters, and Chakotay, having resigned from Starfleet, proceeded to
develop a galactic anthropological consortium. And now, the old edifice was the
perfect place for the current reunion.
From the other side of the room Chakotay watched the myriad of
emotions flash across Kathryn face. He knew exactly what she was feeling and
thinking. Excusing himself from the group he had been talking with the former
Maquis captain moved stealthily through the burgeoning crowd to reach his
wife’s side in moments.
“Hey”
“Hey, yourself… “ Kathryn replied as she allowed herself to be
enveloped in a hug.
“You okay?” Chakotay asked as he looked down into her face.
“Sure, just thinking.”
“More remembering, I’ll bet.”
Kathryn chuckled softly as she turned to watch the crowd. “Yes,
remembering.”
“Do you know what I remember?” Chakotay asked as his arms
encircle her from behind.
“What?”
“Our first real sail on Lake George.”
“Mmmm, aboard the Edgewater.”
Kathryn murmured nestling her head back against Chakotay’s shoulder as they
gently swayed to the music floating across the room.
“Uh huh, the second
one. Built from the designs and holo-images of the original.”
“I wonder if she stills roams the lake on Gaia.”
“I’m sure she does. She was a tough little boat.” Chakotay
answered.
“Well, she survived us on our honeymoon; that has to mean something.”
“It means more than something; that’s the night we created… ”
“Kathryn, Chakotay! ” came Tom Paris’ voice from across the
room. The couple looked in that direction and noted him motioning them over.
Kathryn smiled wanly as Chakotay waved and together they headed
over. Tonight was a night for
retrospection and it was just beginning.
~*~
Act
Two: SHARING
All
I want is to hold you forever
All
I need is you more every day
You
saved my heart
From
being broken apart
You
gave your love away
And
I’m thankful everyday
For
the gift
~*~
Commander Harry Kim smiled as he watched his wife take in the
tableau in the huge room. Huge was an understatement. He was certain this was
one of the reasons Kathryn and Chakotay had brought this house, lots of room to
expand. The other reasons being it was less than ten miles from her childhood
home and her mother. Harry grinned as he noted Gretchen Janeway with several of
the former crew. At ninety, she was still spry and a force to be reckoned with.
“Did Kathryn say this house was almost four hundred years old?”
Sarah Hickman-Kim asked as her eyes scanned the interior of the mansion.
“Yeah, she and Chakotay bought it from the last surviving member
of the original owner. Kathryn visited it as a child and fell in love with it.
Chakotay, of course, saw it as a fixer-upper.”
“He would. It’s so grand though… not at all like Kathryn or
Chakotay.”
“It may seem that way, but it’s only this room. The smaller
rooms, dens, parlors, bedrooms are quite cozy… fireplaces in every one.”
“Sounds nice; maybe we can find one that’s unoccupied and… ”
Sarah whispered as she brought her face closer to Harry’s.
“Mom… ”
“Saved by the bell,” Harry quipped… but it earned him a smack on
the chest from his wife.
“Quiet,” Sarah scolded as their eight-year-old daughter
approached with her five-year-old brother in tow.
“Mariah, what is it? Sean, stop pulling on your tunic like that;
you’ll stretch it.”
The dark haired boy looked abashed for a minute, and then
scooted up to his father. Harry chuckled as he ruffled his son’s hair. Sarah
was the disciplinarian in the family, and was very good at it.
“Mom, can I go with Kammy and Hope?”
“Where are they going?”
“There’s a pool out back, Aunt Kathryn said we could if you
agreed. It’s monitored by computer, almost like a holodeck.”
“I suppose its all right, but no wild notions.”
“Great… thanks,” Mariah replied and a second later as was gone.
“Tell me again; whose child is she?” Harry asked with a chuckle.
“All ours, my dear, she’s all ours.” Sarah answered as she
kissed him soundly. Neither noted the screwed face their son was making at the
display. Sean Kim had already decided he was never going to kiss a girl. Uh uh; no way!
~*~
One of the renovations to the old castle-like house was the
addition of a long portico along its front.
It faced to the southwest, so that evenings could be enjoyed but also so
that folks viewing the setting sun could remain protected from its heat and
blaze on long summer days. It was now
into the final days of August, and most of the summer heat was over for another
year. But an older couple, neither of who minded all of the heat, strolled down
the portico’s long length. Even in the warm waning days of Earth’s northern
hemisphere’s summer, they wore their traditional Vulcan attire, albeit, in
light of the casual atmosphere of the event, not their most formal wear. Their long light-weight robes of subtle
grays and tans loosely draped their bodies, gently cinched in place by narrow
tooled belts.
Tall and slim, their dark hair now highlighted with a silvery
gray, they remained somewhat apart from all the others and the boisterous high
spirits of the occasion. They did not mean to appear aloof; it was just that
they were there without any of their own family – their four children and their
spouses and the seven grandchildren had remained on Vulcan, none of them
understanding the human need for socialization and reminiscing.
Without a word, they stopped at the same time, looking out into
the green expanse in front of them where people were now migrating from the
confines of the house. Children running gleefully in and out of groups of
talking adults… several dogs chasing the children… tables laden with food and
drink underneath the shelter of white canopied open tents – it was a far cry
from the disciplined and spartan days aboard Voyager.
Tuvok turned to his wife, his eyes speaking silent words of love
and admiration to his partner of almost sixty years. “My wife, my spirit is grateful for your accompanying me to this
populous event. I know that there is little logic for a gathering such of this,
with no ritualistic or spiritual merit; yet, looking at these friends, I can
tell that the communal aspects of the festivity are important for their
continued well being, and I find that our presence is valued.”
T’Pel extended her hand to her mate, fingers spread in the way
of Vulcan intimacy. His long fingers
reached out, their fingertips touching and communicating the deeply seated
emotions they still shared for one another.
“My husband, it does me honor that you want to share this part of your
life with me. I know that these people
became your family for five years; indeed; if it hadn’t been for their
concerned caring for you, I would not have you beside me now.”
They stood motionless, their eyes and hands conveying all that
needed to be said, assimilating the joie
de vivre that formed an all-encompassing blanket of love across the
gathered community.
~*~
One of the more interesting trios attending the reunion was a
young Starfleet cadet accompanied by two older gentlemen, both of whom were of
non-Terran heritage. Naomi Wildman,
still part child by human chronology but a young woman by virtue of her Ktarian
half, came with her biological father, Greskrendtregk, a Ktarian, and the
Talaxian man, Neelix, who had been her surrogate father for her three years in
the Delta Quadrant, Neelix.
When Voyager’s Legacy
returned, Neelix was most apprehensive of attempting to locate Naomi’s father…
not just because of having to report to him the death of Samantha, but also
having to justify his connection with Naomi… and Sam. Their initial contact put Neelix’ diplomatic skills to one of the
most difficult tests he’d ever faced; but in the end, it was Greskrendtregk
himself who became the true diplomat.
Greskrendtregk had been on Deep Space Nine when his wife left
with the Voyager crew fifteen years
earlier. He could not understand why
Starfleet needed to send a xenobiologist on a mission to the Badlands to begin
with, especially since it was known to be hostile territory during this height
of the conflict with the Cardassians.
He was devastated when Voyager
suddenly disappeared; he and Samantha, married almost six years, had finally
decided to begin a family. When Voyager’s Legacy showed up suddenly from
within the unexplored depths of the Delta Quadrant, he was ecstatic at the
thought of a reunion with his wife.
However, when he heard nothing from Starfleet in their initial calls to
family members in the Alpha Quadrant, he knew something must be amiss, and he
contacted them himself.
Captain Janeway herself finally communicated to him the sad news
regarding Samantha’s death. However,
his sorrow was short-lived when she relayed to him that he had a daughter… a
fine young girl by the name of Naomi, whose youth and spirit had been a
lifeline for the entire crew. Indeed,
just about all of them felt that she was ‘theirs’, and it was going to be
difficult to give her up.
Upon recovering from the roller coaster shock of learning of
Samantha’s death only to discover that he was a father, of course
Greskrendtregk wanted to meet Naomi as soon as possible. He was most anxious to thank all who had
cared for Naomi over the years, but most especially those who had been the
little girl’s caretakers since Sam’s death.
Janeway fell silent for a moment before continuing, her voice
taking on a low, almost apologetic tine.
“Greskrendtregk, as I’m sure you have heard, a year ago our ship crashed
on an unknown planet in the Delta Quadrant, damaged beyond repair and
practically killing any hopes of our ever returning to the Alpha
Quadrant.” She stopped, taking a deep
breath before proceeding. “Our lives
were taking on new directions… new meanings; survival was paramount for all of
us.” Again, she took a respite in her story. “Samantha was a wonderful
mother. However, even with all the rest
of the crew supporting her and Naomi, it was evident that Naomi needed a loving
male to be a father figure for her.
Another one of our crew – in fact, a native of the Delta Quadrant – had
also lost a partner recently, and he (Neelix is his name) and Sam became… good
friends. In light of their friendship,
he and Naomi quickly bonded. When Sam
died, Naomi especially needed Neelix, much as he needed her.”
Greskrendtregk felt his heart sink. “What you telling me, Captain, is that Naomi already has a father… and does not need me.”
“No, no!” Janeway rebutted.
“Not at all! Neelix understands
the situation and knows that Naomi’s place is with her real father. She has been told ever since infancy all
about you; Sam even gave her her own little PADD with her ‘father files’ on
them. Now… Neelix has told her that she
can finally meet you and she is most excited – truly anticipating your reunion,
in fact!” She continued with
suggestions for an initial meeting of the three of them, attended also by
herself and anyone Greskrendtregk wanted to bring.
Two days later, in a small conference room at Starfleet
headquarters, Kathryn Janeway, Neelix and Samantha met with Greskrendtregk for the
first time.
Somewhat shy at first, Naomi, clung onto Neelix’ arm and cowered
behind him. The Captain made
introductions, smiling all the time and attempting to alleviate some of the
apprehension. Neelix’ firm hand, hidden
behind Naomi, gently urged her towards the large Ktarian man who was her
father.
Greskrendtregk knelt, and held out his hands, not forcefully,
but slowly, his palms open and towards the young girl. “Hello, Naomi,” he said softly. “I’m sure glad your long trip is over and
that you’ve made it back to Earth.”
She took a couple of steps towards him, flashing questioning
looks to either side of her, to Janeway and Neelix. His eyes never left hers… eyes that matched hers… a smile that
matched hers. Tears came to his eyes,
as the only person he saw in her face
was Samantha. “Naomi. That’s such a pretty name… and you look just
like your mother…”
Naomi’s eyes welled at the mention of her mother. “My mother’s gone to the Great Forest…
that’s what Neelix says…”
Greskrendtregk glimpsed up at Neelix, who nodded quickly. “Then… that she has, my little one.”
Naomi looked at him, her eyes now quizzical. “And you’re wrong; I can’t look like
Mommy, ‘cause I look like you!”
She reached out and touched the four fleshy nubs on his forehead, and
then moved her fingers to the smaller similar ones on her own forehead. “Mommy
told me that these were a special gift from you.”
“She was right,” he said, hesitatingly drawing her towards
himself in a hug. “But the rest of you…
well, you are definitely Samantha’s little girl.” He picked her up with one arm and stretched out his other to
Neelix. “And you, my friend, seem to
have been a guardian angel for her. I
cannot thank you enough.”
It was all Neelix could do to hold back his tears at this
point. He took the dark Ktarian’s hand
in a firm shake, and tried to make his answer as cheerful as possible. “The pleasure has been all mine,
Greskrendtregk. I have never known as
child so… so… wonderful.” He tried not
to swallow the last words in a choke.
Naomi, in her ever astute ways, suddenly realized that the words
being spoken meant that Neelix was going to be leaving her… leaving her with
this man she had just met. Huge tears
welled up in her eyes, now opened wide in horror; she squirmed in the
stranger’s arms. “Neelix!” she cried
out. “No… no! Don’t go!”
He reached up to her, brushing the tears off her cheeks. “I have to, sweeting. This is your father, and you belong with
him.”
She looked back at Greskrendtregk, who was wrought with conflicting
emotions. The scene suddenly became
frozen, as all the participants stopped time while life-involving decisions
could be made. In Earth time, it
probably seemed an eon; in the infinite time of the universe, only a
micro-nanosecond elapsed.
Slowly, movement came back, and Greskrendtregk tenderly put
Naomi down, urging her towards Neelix.
Once more, he knelt down and spoke softly to his daughter. “Naomi, until three days ago, I didn’t even
know that I had a daughter. Today, when I first saw you, I felt that I had
known you for your entire life.” He
looked up at Janeway and Neelix, who now held Naomi’s hand again. “But I haven’t. Neelix, however, has been with you since before you were
born. He has been with you through all
the good and bad that have come into your young life; I have not. Although I am your father in the flesh,
Neelix is your father in spirit… and, if he so desires, I think he should
continue to be your father.”
Naomi looked back and forth between the two men, who spoke to
each other’s hearts and souls only through their eyes. The young girl was obviously conflicted,
having been counseled by the captain and Neelix that her biological father
would be taking her into his life… and that hers would be changing. Greskrendtregk’s look and nod assured
Neelix that this was the right decision… that he could never be the father to
her that Neelix had been during these young formative years of her life.
Neelix’s eyes took on a shine brighter than any star in the
universe as he realized the sacrifice the other man was making. “Well, little sprout… would you like to
continue living with me? Of course, we would certainly all get together with
your papa Greskrendtregk as frequently as possible; after all, we really want to learn to be one family…”
“Oh, yes!” Naomi cried out.
“That would be just… perfect!”
She reached out for Greskrendtregk’s hand and took his and Neelix’s
between her two smaller hands. “Then… I
would be the luckiest girl in the whole galaxy… ‘cause I would have two fathers!”
And so it came to be that this was exactly how things worked
out. Although Naomi lived with Neelix
until just the past year, when she entered Starfleet Academy as one of the
youngest cadets ever, the threesome spent much of their time together. Now, they all were attending the Voyager reunion as the family they had
become. Naomi almost danced along in the middle, her arms linked through one of
each of the proud gentlemen on either side.
Smiles beamed from all three of their faces, smiles that reflected love
that transcended mere ‘human’ possibilities.
~*~
Next to Naomi Wildman, the next oldest of the offspring of Voyager’s crew was Kammy Paris. Like Naomi, she bore the distinct
characteristics of her mixed heritage, which seemed to highlight the most
striking of all the combinations. At ten, she was tall for her age, thanks to
her dad’s genes. The Klingon ridges
under her hairline were attenuated somewhat, but they still cast a stern
appearance to her high forehead, and gave an almost eerie appearance in
contrast with her crystal blue eyes.
Kammy assumed her role of ‘elder’ child with great responsibility,
feeling that she herself should make certain that ever one of the forty-two
children in attendance was involved and having a good time, even if that meant
she was not actively participating herself.
“She’s definitely you,” Tom whispered to B’Elanna, as they
watched their very determined daughter guiding a group of six year olds away
from the older children and trying to interest them in a game of vortex
ball.
B’Elanna nudged him in the ribs. “Better that than running around making bets on which fully
clothed person gets thrown into the pool first!”
His eyes gleamed back at hers, his laughter taking them back to
the early days on Voyager. “Oh?
Whatever gave you that idea? Is that an
invitation for me to take the initiative?”
She smiled back at him.
“No; it’s just that sometimes she seems almost too perfect… and I’m waiting for the real Paris part in her to come out.” She sighed, looking out at the girl who was growing up much too
fast; soon, she would be her own person… and then… gone. “Sometimes I wish… I
wish…”
“I know,” Tom answered softly, pulling her close to him and
kissing the top of her head. “I do,
too. But we’re lucky to have her.”
“I know,” B’Elanna responded.
“But… it’s my own fault that she’s an only child. You are such a wonderful father; you really
deserved to have more children.”
“B’E… let’s not go into this again. What happened, happened.
There’s no fault anywhere… with anyone.”
“I just can’t help but think…
“Then don’t,” he said,
not for the first time, knowing that she replayed the accident in her mind all
too frequently.
After their return and all the ensuing celebrations and
debriefings and reunions with his family and her father, Tom and B’Elanna had
been assigned by Starfleet to work on developing a fleet of warp speed
shuttlecraft patterned after the design of the Delta Flyer. The couple was delighted with their assignment, for it
meant they could stay together as a family and follow through with they liked
to do best. After all their years of
personal hardship and self-doubts, their lives finally had pulled together and
they at last found some peace and happiness.
Kammy was growing like the proverbial weed, and both her
grandfathers were as proud as could be when her first ‘word’ sounded like gapa… which they immediately announced
was “grandpa”. She was walking by the time she was a year old and never still,
much to her parents’ delight… and chagrin!
She was a true treasure to all of them.
Two years had passed since the return of Voyager’s Legacy. A new
load of raw ore, high in dilithium content, came into the research engineering
area where B’Elanna was now in charge.
When Lt. Armistead had come into her office excitedly announcing that
the dilithium content was almost four times what had been predicted originally,
B’Elanna had to see for herself. She
practically ran with Armistead to the processing area.
A large rectangular tank with a capacity of ten gigaliters sat
behind a containing wall and force field.
It held the refined molten product of the ore, waiting for final
processing into usable fuel for warp cores.
“What’s the purity level?” B’Elanna called out over her shoulder
to the technician by the monitoring console.
“We’ve got it to ninety-nine point nine two percent,” he
answered back. “One more pass through
the ion beam and we should have it within point zero-zero one percent
pure. In fact, it’s time for it to
recycle. If you can stick around for a
few more minutes, I can give you an update,” he added.
“Great!” B’Elanna said, slapping her hands enthusiastically
against her hips and turning towards him.
Just then a power surge ripped through the lines to the beam
disrupter, opening the slit for the atom-splitting energy to shoot towards the
enclosed chamber… and anything… or anyone… in its path. At this particular moment, B’Elanna
Torres-Paris was in its direct path. A
slight tingle passed through her body as the pulsating ray did also, leaving
her somewhat disoriented and dizzy. The
technician immediately cut all power to the instrument and ran over to
B’Elanna, who now was slumping to the floor.
Lt. Armistead hit his comm badge. “Medical facility… code yellow in engineering!”
Within minutes, medical personnel and a radiation hazard unit
were in engineering, containing the residual theta radiation that was in the
enclosed area. The technician had been
behind a protective shield, but B’Elanna and Armistead had been out in the
open… and B’Elanna had borne the brunt of the rogue discharge. She was immediately transported to the
nearest med facility.
The accident had not proven to be life threatening; however, she
did suffer second and third degree burns on her torso and abdomen. Tom, who was doing a test run away from
Earth, was called back immediately.
Even though it took him only nine hours to return, to him, it seemed
like nine eternities. By the time he
arrived, she had been stabilized and tissue regeneration to the burned areas
had been begun. In four days, she was
pronounced healthy enough to return home, although her work duties were
curtailed for two weeks.
However, before her final release from the med facility, the
attending physician called the couple into her office. They could tell, before she said a word,
that she had some difficult news for them.
“Tom… B’Elanna…” Dr. Rose Cantor began, “although we have been
able to repair all of the damage done by the radiation burns, there is another
effect that I’m afraid we weren’t able to restore. I know that you are a healthy, young couple… and that you have
one daughter and would like to have some siblings for her. However… B’Elanna, I’m afraid that the theta
radiation affected your ovaries to the extent that all of your genetic material
has been damaged beyond any hopes of restoration. I truly am sorry, but it looks like you will never be able to
become a mother again. I… I really am sorry…” she continued.
So. That was it. In one split second… billions and billions
of infinitesimal particles destroyed their hopes… their dreams.
B’Elanna sat in shock, trying to comprehend what she had just
been told. No; what she was hearing couldn’t be true! She was fine! She could walk and talk and breathe and
function just as she could before… why, there was barely a scar left from where
she had been burned! No, no; everything
would be fine; she knew it would – the doctor just didn’t know what she was
talking about; she was mistaken. She
and Tom would continue to ‘work’ on that sister or brother for Kammy; after
all, hadn’t they been through worse things before?
Tom came around her and hugged her. She could feel his body shaking just as hard as hers… his own
grief crashing in on him in torrential waves.
He whispered into her thick hair.
“It’s alright, B’El; it’s alright. The important thing is that you are here… that Kammy and I didn’t
lose you.” His voice was at the point
of breaking, but Tom Paris had gotten strength before from her; he knew that
now he must be hers.
He helped her get up, cradling her in one arm as he reached out
to Dr. Cantor, who was almost crying herself.
“Thank you, doctor; we truly appreciate your honesty. But… most important… thank you for saving my
wife.”
The years had gone by.
By the third year after her accident, B’Elanna had accepted the
immutable truth of its outcome. If
anything, it had all brought her and Tom even closer, exemplifying the best of
what solid love relationships are all about.
Although he knew she thought about their unborn children, she
rarely spoke of it. It was just that
today… seeing all of the young ones around them… knowing what they had hoped
for…
“Yep, B’Elanna Torres-Paris, that’s one beautiful young lady we
have out there.” He pulled her close,
hoping to calm the demons inside her.
B’Elanna took his hand in hers, squeezing it in
affirmation. “I know. And I am thankful
everyday for her… and you.” She reached
up and pulled his face down to hers, not caring who saw her. “But you… you are the greatest thing that ever
happened to me, Thomas Eugene Paris.”
~*~
With her usual efficiency, Annie Graham, nee Annika Hansen, aka Seven of Nine, former Tertiary
Adjunct to Unimatrix Zero One, was locating all the members of her rather large
family. Her blonde hair, still long,
was pulled to the back of her neck and held in place with a large wooden
clasp. Ten years after Voyager, she remained a handsome woman,
although her waspish waist had thickened some, her hips broadened a bit and her
trademark full breasts now weighed heavily.
After all, having given birth seven times would do that even to the most
disciplined of women! Nonetheless, the flowing sky-blue tunic and slacks she
wore allowed that she was still a beautiful woman.
Shortly after the Voyagers’ return to Earth, Annie and Harlo
Graham married. Harlo became in much
demand for xenobiology medicine and cybernetic conferences, in addition to his
heading up the thriving Institute of Galactic Medicine. Annie, with her typical
enthusiasm for new challenges, opted to become a full time wife and
mother. She and Harlo proved to be a
rather prolific pair, and she decided that her budding maternal instincts
aboard Voyager were merely a testing ground for what she now considered her
most important role – motherhood. In
the ten years since their marriage, their union had produced seven remarkable
offspring, all sharing their parents many talents and intellectual and physical
attributes.
Annie suddenly stopped, realizing that the frenzied motion of
her efforts was an inefficient use of her energies; after all, each of the
children had his or her own communicator.
She tapped the comm-pendant that hung from a chain around her neck,
summoning the tribe.
“Attention, all Graham children. You will proceed to the southeast corner of the portico where
your father and I will meet you in five minutes. You will arrive prepared for
our performance, which will commence at exactly 1530.”
Suddenly, from all directions, the seven children hurried to
meet at their assigned assembling place.
There was Alastria, the oldest at nine years, almost a clone of her
mother; next in line came Benzar, who was eight and already showed signs of his
father’s outgoing personality. Next in line was Chamra, seven years of age,
and, as the ‘mother hen’ of the brood had Caldos, the feisty two-year-old in
tow. Rigel, Drayon and Yonada, five, four and three years old respectively, ran
out from the same clump of bushes where all three of them had been hiding in a
lively game of hide-and-seek with several of the other children. Each of the
seven children wore a shirt of the same color of their mother’s attire – there
was no mistaking any of the Grahams!
One… two… three… four… Annie counted off, nodding at the
appearance of each of her offspring.
From behind her, she heard the unmistakable hum of her partner in
production, the irrepressible Harlo Graham himself. With energy that never flagged, he came behind his wife,
grabbing her in a quick hug. “I see
that you have summoned our little group,” he smiled at her beatifically. “I hope that all of them are in good voice
today.”
The tall blonde woman nodded with serious affirmation. “We practiced for the required forty-five
minutes this morning. They all realize
the importance of this performance, and do not wish to fall short of your
expectations.”
“Ah, my sweet Annie,” Harlo said to her while gleefully groping
for a quick fondle of her full backside.
“I do so admire your
capabilities with all of our young ones.
Although they do get in my hair at times… oh, don’t look at me like
that; you know what I mean… you do a remarkable job of organizing them and
keeping them happy. As you do me… “ he
concluded, his touch now transforming into something that made her smile.
She took his hand and silently led the way to the corner of the
long porch where all the Graham children stood, lined up according to
height. The commotion of their actions
started drawing attention from the other guests. Soon, the lively din of the large gathering dwindled, as people
wondered what their largest family group in attendance was planning to do.
Annie walked down the stair-step line of her brood, combining
the tasks of straightening out-of-place hair, wiping tell-tale smudges off
faces and pulling shirts into alignment as she moved. She took her place at the end next to Caldos, gently enclosing
his pudgy small hand in hers and cooing to him to be still. Harlo nodded to her as they all stood in
readiness for what was to come. All eyes were now on the group on the portico.
The doctor stepped up to the long rail and smiled smugly out at
all in attendance. “Good afternoon, my
friends,” he began officiously. “Annie
and I are delighted to be with you again today. Although we’ve had the opportunity to see many of you on a
regular basis, there are others whom we haven’t seen for ten years… and several
more whom we’re meeting for the first time today.” He nodded at some of their newest acquaintances in the
group. “By this time, I’m sure you have
gotten to meet all of our wonderful children…” and with a wave of his hand, he
proudly presented them.
“As you know, in addition to my professional responsibilities, I
have continued my avocation of vocal performance.” A few anonymous catcalls
came from within the crowd. Harlo
raised an eyebrow, giving them the stern look that had silenced his critics
before. “Over the years, Annie has
developed her own singing talents as well, and I’m happy to say that all of our
children share in this favorite pastime of ours.” Several snickers came from the awaiting audience, in noting that
a couple of the older children were rolling their eyes at the all-too-familiar
pomposity of their father. Undaunted,
the man continued. “So, today, I would
like to introduce to you, for the first time in performance… the Graham Family
Singers!”
A slight gasp of disbelief rippled through the waiting group,
realizing what was to follow.
Impervious to these reactions, Harlo took his place at the end of the
line opposite Annie. He draped his arm
around the shoulders of Alastria, whose face contained mixed emotions of
embarrassment and happiness. She lowered her head shyly as Harlo looked at her,
his face beaming with pride. He glanced
down the line at Annie and asked, “Ready?”
She nodded to him.
He looked out over the sea of anticipating faces in front of
them. “Today, as our inaugural piece,
we would like to sing for you the song that Annie and I first learned together;
I sometimes call it ‘Annie’s Song’,” he smiled sweetly, then hummed the opening
pitch to the group.
Suddenly, floating out into the air of the bright summer
afternoon, came a chorus of voices so sweet and melodious that they rivaled the
birds in the trees all around them. In
precise pitches and perfect harmony, words succinct and clear, the group sang
out to their friends:
“You
are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You
make me happy when skies are gray
You’ll
never know, dear, how much I love you…
Please
don’t take my sunshine away.”
The song transported many in the audience back to days long ago
on Voyager, and most of the watching
eyes became misty.
~*~
Kathryn walked into the kitchen and headed for the
replicator. Chakotay, at the
preparation table was putting together another tray of Risian pastries.
“We’re running out of Altarian cider again,” she said, calling
up an order for several pitchers of the hard ale. “I guess the Graham Family Singers have driven everyone to
drink,” she laughed huskily, pulling out the first pitcher.
Chakotay looked over at her, his eyes full of merriment. “What’s the matter, Kathryn; jealous of
their rousing performance?”
She shook her head vigorously.
“Never for a moment! I had my
fill of ‘talent shows’ years ago!”
His voice lowered, as he took on a more serious tone. “But all their children. You do wish that…”
She came over to him, wrapping her arms around his torso, now
somewhat thicker than it was during their Voyager
and New Hope days. “Chakotay… we both
know how fortunate we are to have Hope and Kolopak. I… I never even thought we would be… could be… blessed with even them.”
He turned and enfolded her, pulling her close. “Yeah; guess there was just something in the
wood I used to build the Edgewater,
wasn’t there?”
She reached up, touching his lips with the tips of her
fingers. “Either that… or some powerful
magic in a certain man I know…” Her fingers were followed by her lips. “Chakotay… we both know that they were a
very special gift for us, one that I will never quite understand…”
“But a gift we both accepted… with love and thanksgiving.”
In the next few seconds, their eyes replayed the events of ten
years earlier, scrolling across the screens of their minds – a vivid replay of
the months of tumultuous events beginning on Gaia and culminating on Earth six
months after their return.
The steady hardships of leading Voyager in the unknowns of the Delta Quadrant and the subsequent
stay in New Hope had taken their toll on Kathryn Janeway physically. Although at that time she was far from being
an ‘old’ woman, her body, in defending itself against so much, had thrown her
into that inevitable physical state that all women reach in their lives, the
time referred to biblically as when she ‘ceased to be in the manner of
women’. Within the first few months on
Gaia, the doctor himself confirmed that Kathryn’s hormonal pattern had changed
drastically, and that even though she was only forty-three years old, she was
indeed post-menopausal. With mixed
emotions, Kathryn greeted her ‘fate’; on one hand saddened to think that she
was ‘old’ so soon; but on the other hand, she was relieved that she no longer
needed to receive the monthly injections that were deemed necessary by
Starfleet for all unmarried personnel.
Two weeks into the return trip of Voyager’s Legacy, Kathryn began to feel ill. Chakotay was concerned that she had allowed
herself to fall into her old habits of existing primarily on coffee with very
little that resembled decent food.
However, this time, she couldn’t even look at coffee; the beverage
nauseated her. Initially, she refused
to see the doctor, brushing it all off as a lack of sleep and an increased
workload.
“This is the eighth morning in a row that you’ve been this way,”
Chakotay pleaded with her. “Now… you’re going to check with the
doctor now!” His tone became a
demand.
Kathryn weakly shook her head as she came out of the bathroom
area, “Yes; you’re right.” She laughed
weakly. “You know, if I didn’t know
better, Chakotay, I’d think I was pregnant…”
He helped her pull on her uniform tunic. “But… didn’t you say
that there was no way? Isn’t that why
you told me that there was no need to worry about taking the suppressant
inoculations?”
“That’s what the doctor told me…” she answered. She took a deep breath and pinched her
cheeks. “I really should have a little
bit of color; I don’t want him to think that I’m part of a holodeck grid.”
“You’re almost as thin as one,” Chakotay retorted, leading the
way out of their quarters. “Now… I
don’t want ‘no’ as an answer; I’m going with you.”
“What’s the matter?
Think I’ll change my mind?”
“Maybe,” he quipped.
“Or… maybe I just want to see what I can do to help.”
Twenty minutes later, in an older version of the sickbay that
they remembered from Voyager, the
three senior officers traded astonished looks of disbelief. There was no doubt about it; the doctor had
done his scans three times: Kathryn Janeway was indeed pregnant; not just
pregnant, but pregnant with twins!
Of the three, Kathryn was the most incredulous. “But… but… I thought… you said…”
The doctor nodded. “I
know; I know. But… well, sometimes…
things just happen.”
“So… when do you think that this little… um… ‘miracle’
occurred?”
“From the genetic maturation profile, I would say that these
babies are what people in former times used to call ‘honeymoon babies’,” he
responded.
“’Honeymoon…” Kathryn said.
“On the Edgewater?”
Chakotay took her tenderly in his arms. “Well… you always did say that the place felt magical…”
Some of Kathryn’s strength seemed to be coming back as she
hugged him with more vigor than he could remember in a long while. Just knowing… something… washed her with
relief and raised her spirits.
“Now, Captain,” Harlo continued, very much with his doctor’s hat
on again, “we are going to have to do something about changing some patterns in
your lifestyle, if you want everything to proceed satisfactorily with this
pregnancy.”
“She’ll do whatever you say, doc,” Chakotay answered for
her. Then, looking at her, he queried,
“Won’t you?”
Janeway was still in shock… in awe… of the revelation. “I… am… pregnant! This is truly amazing.
Never would I have dreamed… oh, Chakotay! I hope you don’t mind…”
“Mind?” the ecstatic man cried out. “Kathryn, next to your finally saying that you loved me, this is
the most wonderful thing that I could ask for!
You are going to be a terrific mother; I can only hope to be a good
father…”
“I’m sure you both will be excellent parents,” the doctor stated
matter-of-factly. “Now… will both of
you listen to me? We really have to
discuss things…”
The news of Kathryn and Chakotay’s pending parenthood spread
throughout the ship faster than a brushfire in the Vulcan wastelands. Although Kathryn insisted on no special
treatment, the entire crew was at her beck and call for the remaining weeks of
the journey; no Starfleet captain had had a more dedicated company.
By the time they made their jubilant return to Earth, Kathryn
was feeling much better. She had put on
some healthy weight, her color was back, and her energy was at peak
levels. Although the story of her
pregnancy had shocked her and her first-officer husband, to Starfleet, it took
a backseat to the other events of their journey. Weeks and then months of
debriefings stretched out, much as her pregnancy had done to her. The pregnancy’s continued progress was
uneventful; Kathryn behaved herself, Chakotay monitored her rest and food, and
a room was just about ready for the arrival of their double-trouble
package.
Earth’s annual winter holidays were concluding for the year, and
the air outside Starfleet headquarters was brisk and windy. Kathryn and Chakotay had just left the last
required social event of the season, weary in body, but relaxed in spirit. They had almost reached the transporter area
when Kathryn stopped suddenly, inhaling a with a quick gasp. “Ohhh!” she jerked
as a peculiar sensation shot throughout her.
“What’s wrong, Kathryn?” Chakotay asked with sudden concern.
“I don’t know,” she answered, looking for a place to sit
down. “Nothing really hurts; it’s just
that… that something doesn’t feel right.”
Chakotay hurriedly sought his commbadge as Hondo Swedlund exited
from the Admiral’s party where they had all been.
“Kit!” he cried out, seeing the distressed look on her face.
“There’s something wrong…”
“Yes,” she answered weakly, her words barely audible under
Chakotay’s summons for an emergency medical transport. “Hondo… “
she barely got out, before collapsing into his waiting arms.
When she awoke, she was in a biobed in the local med
facility. Chakotay was there beside
her, his face a mixture of love and concern.
“The babies…” she feebly inquired. “How are the…”
Chakotay brushed the damp hair back off her forehead. “Shhh; they’re fine, sweetheart. And you’re
okay, too; your early-warning system seems to have saved everyone.”
“Wha…what????” she asked.
“It seems that one of the umbilical cords became tangled… around
both babies. We got here in time; the
folks here quickly unwound the first problem that our kids have caused… and I’m
sure that it will be the first of many…”
She grabbed his hand tightly as a paroxysm of pain shot through
her. “Uhhhhh… are you sure everything
is alright?”
Chakotay smiled down at her.
“Yes. You’re just reacting as
anyone would following a surgical removal.”
His eyes gestured towards her much-flattened torso. ”The doctor decided
that it was time for our family to arrive, so she performed a caesarian
section. Kathryn… we have two
beautiful, healthy babies…”
As if on cue, a duet of cries came from the warmed incubator
next to the biobed. “Would you like to
meet our son and daughter?” he asked, his eyes bright with a layer of tears.
Kathryn’s eyes were already on the small enclosure next to
her. She stretched, raising herself on
her elbows. “Oh, yes; where are they?”
Chakotay carefully lifted one of the small bundles from the
resting place. Her eyes blinked open,
two sapphire blue windows looking at her mother for the first time. Kathryn tucked her into the crook of her
arm, adjusting the thermal covering that tightly encased the infant. “Hello, Hope Voyager; welcome to your home
on the planet Earth.” She turned, as
Chakotay filled the space in her other arm with the other half of their matched
pair. Following his older sister’s
lead, Kolopak Edward looked up at his mother through a heavy mop of black hair
that covered his head. Kathryn’s face looked up, more radiant than he could
ever remember. “They’re beautiful,
Chakotay.”
“All three of you are,” he smiled back.
Chakotay leaned over the threesome, a faint smile on his
face. He nodded at all of them in a
motion that Kathryn knew all too well… his silent acknowledgement of a job well
done.
The ‘accident’ of the twins’ conception proved to be just that…
a strange fluke in the ways of any biological system. Immediately following the birth of Hope and Kolopak, Kathryn’s
hormone levels recalibrated themselves to the post-menopausal levels she had
known on Gaia. These two children were
a true miracle in every sense of the word.
Kathryn and Chakotay’s current reverie was broken by shouts from
the two offspring about whom they were just reminiscing.
“Mom! Dad! Tom says that
he’ll take some of us on a short flight of the original Delta Flyer next week! Can
we go, please?” Their voices called out in unison, as Kolopak ran up to his
mother and took her in one of ‘those’ hugs that he knew she couldn’t resist,
while Hope grabbed her father’s hand, knowing that she was wrapping herself
around his heart.
“Who all is ‘we’?” Kathryn asked, not wanting to give in too easily. “Where would you be going?”
“Kammy… Sean… Mariah… Vorlax… “ Kolopak rattled off.
“And Naomi said she’ll be there, too!” Hope expounded, deep into
hero worship of the young cadet.
“Puh….leeezz?” they
both pleaded.
The older two acquiesced.
~*~
Act Three: RECEIVING
Watching
as you softly sleep
What
I’d give if I could keep
Just
this moment
If
only time stood still
But
the colors fade away
And
the years will make us grey
But
baby in my eyes
You’ll
still be beautiful
~*~
The two and a half days of fun and reminiscing were drawing to a
close. Almost all of the large group
had said their good-byes and wearily transported back to their homes or
stations scattered throughout the quadrant; the rest were in the final stages
of making their departures.
A lone figure leaned over the railing of the portico, assessing
the now-empty setting in front of him.
Hondo Swedlund had come alone… alone, as always. Kathryn and Chakotay had asked their old
friend to stay over a few extra days before he headed back to San Francisco,
where he was one of the drill chiefs in Starfleet’s elite Rangers school. Now he stood in his solitude, listening to
residual sounds, smiling at shadowy images, putting all the puzzle pieces in
place. The reunion had been a long time
coming, but it was needed… to bring to a close the old life and to open a new
book, looking forward to the future with a new energized hope and
vitality.
Throughout the emotional event, as he migrated from group to
group, sharing in raucous laughter and healing tears, he knew that his own long journey was nearly over, too;
his purpose completed. In the eternal
cosmic picture, these years were but a blink… but every one of those blinks
formed a small essential part of universal purpose. He turned, his large body showing a few signs of the advancing
years but still a magnificent physical specimen. Chakotay and Kathryn strolled over to him, their arms around each
other.
“Hello, my old friend,” Kathryn smiled at him. “I do hope you have enjoyed yourself.”
He turned and leaned against the railing. “Yeah, Kit… probably
more than you’ll ever know.”
“So… what’s it like in the Rangers these days?” Chakotay asked,
trying to get their somewhat reticent guest to tell them a little more about
his own life.
“Not what it was like in our youth, Chakotay,” he stated. “But… there are lot of good youngsters out
there now… ones who have a good feel for physical and moral discipline; they’ll
turn out fine.” He paused and looked at
his friends. “And how about you? How are you after all these years?”
Kathryn’s face took on a strange questioning look. “Why, Hondo… you of all people should know!
It seems like you’ve always been around when the most horrendous of our crises
of our lives have hit…”
He nodded and smiled.
“Yeah, guess I have.” His steel
blue eyes slowly focused on each of them in turn. “Did you ever wonder about that?”
“About what? Chakotay asked.
“About why I always seemed to be around…”
Chakotay looked at Kathryn before speaking, a sudden realization
hitting him. “Now that you mention it…”
Hondo nodded in approval.
“Yep, sure does. Looks like you’ve finally found all the right answers;
guess it’s time for me to move on.”
Kathryn was even more confused.
“Whatever are the two of you
caring on about?”
Hondo paused before answering her. “Kathryn… Kit… I know that you haven’t ever considered yourself a
spiritual person; but I do know that
you’ve at least given some thought to the fact that sometimes reason and logic
just can’t give you all the answers.”
“Yes,” she allowed slowly.
“Let’s just say that I’ve been around you… and Chakotay… to sort
of ‘nudge’ you in the right direction at the right times…”
Kathryn shook her head, still not wanting to comprehend what he
was saying. “I’m not sure…”
He smiled. “Yes, I think
you are sure; you just don’t want to
admit it.”
“Kathryn… I think what we have here in our friend, Hondo, is
someone that folks used to call a ‘guardian angel’.”
Hondo chuckled. “Yep,
I’ve been called that, among other things…”
Kathryn looked back and forth between the two men, shaking her
head. “No; no; there’s no such…”
“Think, Kathryn,” Chakotay said softly.
A velvet silence enveloped them, much as the approaching night
skies began to wrap the world around them.
This whole concept was something that Kathryn Janeway just didn’t know
about. Finally, with a deep breath, she
said, “Perhaps.”
Hondo laughed heartily.
“And that, Kathryn Janeway, shows that you can do some healthy
doubting. Yep, there’s definitely hope
for you yet!” He pulled his friends
into his broad embrace. “I know that
you invited me to stay for awhile, but there are still a lot of folks out there
that I’ve got to see.”
“But everyone has gone,” Kathryn blurted out before stopping
herself. “Oh. Oh!” she continued,
suddenly realizing what he meant. “You
mean… out there!”
“Yep; places to go, people to see. But don’t worry; I’ll be back to finish up with you two,” he
winked as he started towards the steps off the long porch. “Remember… I’ll
always be watching out for you.”
He waved as he walked down the path into the rapidly engulfing
night, suddenly disappearing as if he had never been there.
Kathryn looked up at Chakotay, her eyes asking him if he really
understood what happened.
He merely nodded and took her into his arms.
All
I want is to hold you forever
All
I need is you more every day
You
saved my heart
From
being broken apart
You
gave your love away
And
I’m thankful everyday
For
the gift
~*~
FINIS: The Series – PICTURE THIS
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