*

Kathryn sat in the rocking chair, holding her baby daughter in her arms. She would never have believed that when she gave this rocker to Seven for Kathryn B’Elanna that she would ever use it. Or that hers would be the fifth child that would be brought into this Voyager family and rocked in this chair. It seemed inconceivable to her that almost four years had passed since they had escaped into fluidic space. She watched the people in the mess hall as they milled around, eating, talking, laughing, children playing – it reminded her of family reunions on her family’s farm.

The thought caused a brief moment of sadness. She had never been able to see her own family when they had arrived at the space station. Her mother had been ill at the time, and her sister was afraid for her to travel. At the time, she had told her sister not to worry, that she would be home in a couple of days. But she had never made it.

Her mother would be so proud. Admiral Paris stayed in touch with her family and relayed news. Her mother was now doing well. Maybe she would see her one-day yet. No, not maybe. She had to believe they would go home one day; her mother would see her grandchild.

Admiral Paris and Darrian Green continued their work to make it safe for them to return. After almost four years of a silent partnership, they finally thought they were clarifying the trail of credits to identify who was really responsible for what had happened. It was a circuitous path, almost more of a blind maze than they had thought when they started their work. According to the Admiral, Darrian Green had put himself at great personal risk to ferret out the real culprits behind Alta Ro’bara. Kathryn had never realized the man would have such a personal strength. Admiral Paris told her the man was on a mission. Between him and Leader Tayroe Orvis, they had managed to provide Darrian Green some level of protection, but he had buried himself deeper than their protection could extend. Even as she sat rocking her newborn, Darrian Green was closing in on the people responsible for Voyager being in fluidic space.

She still wanted to go home, but she would never exchange what she had now for being on Earth. This was her home. Chakotay and Katie were her family, as were the people gathered in this room with her.

She lifted her hand to Chakotay and stood, holding her sleeping child closely to her. Nodding to him, she waited as he called for quiet and watched while everyone in the room turned to her. Taking a deep breath, she started speaking.

"I want to thank all of you for sharing this night with us. I can’t imagine not having all of you to share this special time with Chakotay, Katie and me. Today, this has never felt so much like home, and you have never felt so much like family.

"One day, I know we will return to Earth. There are people there still fighting for us and the home that so many of us love. But for this moment, for tonight, this is where I am happy to be." She moved closer to Chakotay, accepting his hug, pressing her face closely to his.

The room fell quiet. After a moment, hands searched hands and hugs were shared. No one said anything for a long time.

The Doctor and Kathryn B’Elanna walked into their living quarters. The Doctor stopped for a moment, listening to the silence in the room. They had just bid Seven goodnight in the cargo bay. Tonight was her night to regenerate in her alcove. He sighed. He hated these nights. He hated sleeping by himself when she was so close. He hated how silent their bedroom was without the sound of her breathing. He hated how cold her side of the bed was without her in it.

But, it could not be helped. She had to regenerate. He and Kahkar had spent hours pouring over her medical records, studying her physiology, searching for a way to completely remove her implants, but they had not been successful. Seven finally had asked them to stop, her disappointment growing each time they failed to find a solution.

So, every fourth night, he slept by himself. And every fourth night he laid in their bed missing her.

"Daddy?"

He looked down at his daughter, who was shaking his hand, trying to get his attention. "What, honey?"

"I need a hug."

He kneeled down to her. "You mean you know you need to give me a hug."

She threw her arms around his neck. "Yes, Daddy. I need to give you a hug."

He gave himself over to his daughter’s hug, laughing when she started to nuzzle his neck. "How can you do that to me?" He jerked his head away. "I’m not supposed to be ticklish!"

She pulled back and used her finger to poke him in the stomach. "Because you’re just a hologram?" When he gave her the evil eye, she laughed, "You’re not just a hologram; you’re my daddy."

He pulled her to him. "And you’re my best girl. Now," he turned her around and patted her bottom, "you need to go to bed."

She squealed and ran toward her bedroom. "Okay fine." Stopping at her bedroom door, she looked back at him. "I love you, Daddy. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, sweetheart." When the door closed behind her, he sighed. There was something bothering her. He could tell that something was wrong. He had hoped she would talk to him after they had left Seven, but she had not. She would. He knew she would talk to him eventually.

She was so much like her mother. He just had to give her time. She would have to process whatever it was that was bothering her and would talk to him about it when she was ready. He suspected it had something to do with her conversation with Seven yesterday. He had broached the subject with her on the way to the sickbay, but she had obviously not wanted to talk about it so he did not push her. Looking around the empty living area, he ordered the lights down to minimum and walked into his bedroom and got ready for bed.

He was almost asleep when he realized he was not alone. Rolling over, he saw his daughter standing next to his bed.

"Daddy, can I sleep with you?"

"Of course." He slid over, giving her room to crawl in next to him. "Can’t sleep?"

She sighed and was slow to answer. "No."

She sounded just like her mother.

"Want to talk about it?"

He could see the shape of her hands fidgeting. He stayed silent, giving her time to talk to him. When she did not say anything, he took a chance. "Your mother told me you asked about the Borg." He waited. "Is there anything about the Borg you would like to ask me?"

She hesitated a moment. "Like what?"

"Like why the do what they do?" She did not react, so he tried again. "Like what does the fact that you’re Borg mean?" She looked up at him. He knew. "Kathryn B’Elanna, you’re Borg. But being Borg does not mean that you’re bad." He took a breath. "Do you think your mother’s bad?"

She looked at him, her eyes wide and quickly shook her head. He frowned, knowing there was something else that was bothering her. Gathering her in his arms, he pulled her to him. "Talk to me, Kathryn B’Elanna. Tell me what’s wrong."

She nestled herself into his arms, reminding him of how she felt to him when she was a baby. He stayed still, letting her find her words in her own time. Finally, he felt her move slightly and knew she was about to speak.

"Daddy?"

"Yes?"

"Will I have to have implants like Mommy?"

He almost laughed with relief. He tightened his arms around her. "Well, I don’t think so. To be honest with you, Kathryn B’Elanna, I don’t really know, but Kahkar and I studied you very carefully when you were a baby and neither of us believe you will have implants. Plus, the Borg gave your mother her implants. She did not grow them. They operated on her and that’s how she got hers."

"Will that happen to me?"

He pressed his head against hers. "I hope not. Kathryn B’Elanna, I won’t lie to you. I can’t promise you that you will always be safe, but I promise you to do everything I can to make certain that never happens to you."

She relaxed against him. "Daddy?"

"What, sweetheart?"

"Don’t tell Mommy."

"Why not?"

She sighed. "I don’t want to hurt her feelings."

"Kathryn B’Elanna, you won’t hurt her feelings. You should tell her how you feel."

"It will make her sad."

"Why do you say that?"

"I know she gets sad when she looks at her implants."

"Well, your mother would rather not have her implants, but she accepts that they are part of her."

"Can you take them away, Daddy?"

"No, I can’t. Your mother needs them to live."

She looked up at him. "The Borg broke Mommy." Her voice was quivering.

"Kathryn B’Elanna, the Borg hurt your mother." He reached up and brushed back her hair. "They stole a lot from her and they hurt her. But she survived. And, if what happened to her had not happened, you would not be who you’re. If you asked your mother, I think she would tell you that everything she went through was worth it to have you."

She stayed still in his arms. When she finally spoke, her voice was a whisper. "Really?"

"Really. We both would. Neither of us would have had anything happen differently if it meant we would not have you."

She sat still, wrapped in his arms for a long time. Finally, she said, "Spoon with me, Daddy."

He shifted, and they stretched out on their sides. He pulled her to him, her back to his stomach and wrapped his arm around her. She fell sound asleep. He listened to her breathing and felt the beat of her heart. He thought about her mother regenerating in her alcove, wondering if she would be relieved or upset when she found out about their conversation. Kathryn B’Elanna would talk to her mother. She would tell her mother she was afraid of having her own implants. He knew Seven would comfort her and tell her how much she loved her. He also knew Seven would cry in his arms afterward, hiding her hurt from her daughter.

Kathryn B’Elanna was right. The Borg had broken her mother.

Ketaria looked up at Kathryn, her face brightening. "Oh, Kathryn. She wants to visit!"

"Really?" Kathryn’s eyes widened. Taking Chakotay’s hand, she nodded quickly at Ketaria.

In a matter of seconds, a blue light appeared and two forms took shape in the middle of the living quarters. As soon as they solidified, Lonely Light reached out and took The Sage’s hand, steadying her. The Sage did not move from her spot, but immediately lowered herself to the floor.

"Come, Kathryn." Ketaria motioned her over towards The Sage. "You will have to bring Katie to her."

Kathryn and Chakotay moved closer to The Sage, both opening their minds to her.

Please, may I hold the child?

Kathryn leaned forward, handing Katie to The Sage, watching as the long fingers gently wrapped around her child’s body and cuddled her close. She listened to the silence in her mind, waiting on The Sage to communicate with her again. She sat still, watching as The Sage bowed her head toward the child, the eyes looking carefully at the small face. She expected her daughter to start crying any minute, but the baby stayed quiet and still. Finally, The Sage raised her head, and Kathryn saw her face crinkle slightly.

She has been blessed with grace and wisdom and courage. She is a mix of her parents. She will do both of you proud.

Chakotay leaned forward slightly. "Thank you for your words. We will share your gift with her as she grows."

It will be a gift to watch her grow. The crinkling of the face grew more pronounced. For as long as I am given the gift to be able to watch.

"We hope that you’re able to enjoy that gift for a long time." Kathryn watched the eyes of The Sage, seeing how weak and tired they were. It had been a long time since they had visited, and her frailty was surprising.

The Sage’s head dipped slightly. Thank you for your wishes. She looked around the room. Your family is doing well?

"Yes." Kathryn smiled at her. "We are."

And Voyager?

"Keeping the ship together has been a challenge, but we’re managing."

You have heard from your friends on Earth. They are still working to bring you home.

Kathryn gave Chakotay a surprised look, then nodded. "Yes. Admiral Paris and Darrian Green think they are getting closer to finding out who was behind Alta Ro’bara. When that happens, we hope we will be able to go home."

You will find your way home one-day, but it will happen in its own time. Trust the path that time takes. It will be for your good.

Chakotay and Kathryn shared a hopeful look. Her words implied they would go home. Kathryn bit her lips, not wanting to break The Sage’s concentration.

Besides, your going home means you will leave our home. I have grown used to the presence of your thoughts. I would miss you. I would miss the children you have shared with us. Their innocence has been good for us. Their energy has invigorated us.

Ketaria laughed. "And you have enjoyed Kathryn B’Elanna’s visits."

The face crinkled again. Yes. I must admit I have.

"She visits you?" Kathryn asked.

She visits frequently. We have shared many hours in her special place. She makes me feel…young again.

Kathryn nodded. "I understand."

She is a curious child. The eyes swiveled to settle on Kathryn’s face. Curiosity is a good thing. But it sometimes needs to be contained. She will need those with the gifts of grace and wisdom and courage to give her guidance.

Kathryn sat back slightly, wondering at the words of The Sage. Before she could form her thought, The Sage shifted, handing the child to her father. When Chakotay took his daughter in his arms, The Sage stood.

We must go. I feel the need to rest. Thank you for allowing me to visit with you.

"No, it is we who should thank you. We were honored by your visit." Kathryn stood to face The Sage and Lonely Light. "Please visit any time."

Thank you.

Lonely Light reached to take The Sage’s hand, steadying her. As quickly as before, the blue light filled the room and the two figures disappeared.

"Well, little girl," Chakotay spoke to his daughter, "I think you made a very positive impression."

Kathryn looked down at the face of her daughter, her heart almost bursting with pride. Then, she cast a look at Ketaria, seeing the same concern she felt over The Sage’s words about Kathryn B’Elanna.

Ketaria gave Kathryn a slight nod. They would talk later.

"Regeneration cycle complete."

Seven’s eyes opened, and she stepped out of her alcove. Taking a deep breath, she gave herself a moment to gain her bearings before stepping down from the platform and moving to the diagnostics. Studying the results, she smiled. It had been a successful regeneration and all of her implants were working at peak efficiency. She accessed her task list for the day, reviewing it. Looking over the list, her mouth tightened slightly. Maintenance checks and repairs. Nothing new and nothing demanding. Shaking herself, she laughed. She would have thought she had had enough excitement in her life.

Checking the chronometer, she quickly turned and left the cargo bay. With any luck, Kathryn B’Elanna would still be asleep, and she and the Doctor would have a little private time. She did not think he would mind her waking him early. She quickly walked to her living quarters, almost rushing through the doors. When she entered her bedroom, she stopped, seeing the shapes of the two figures cuddled closely together. She stood, with her hand on the door facing and watched her husband and her child as they slept. Finally, she backed up and allowed the door to close.

They had missed her. She smiled to herself. Checking the chronometer again, she moved into the studio and checked the painting. She was capturing their expressions. She had their eyes exactly right. Moving closer, she saw how much Kathryn B’Elanna looked like her father. She had his beautiful smile and the tenderness of his eyes. She had his wistful expression. She had his way of using his hands. Seven thought about the feel of her daughter’s hands when she would trace a line down her mother’s arm, starting at her shoulder and ending at the tip of her index finger. It was a touch that warmed Seven’s heart, filling her with happiness. It was something that the Doctor did, something he did almost without thought. It was a tender touch; a playful expression of love.

She started to pick up the pallet, then stopped herself. She could not allow herself to get lost in painting this morning. She would have to get her work done first, then she would come back to work on this painting. It was almost finished. She had already decided this painting would be placed on the wall between their bedrooms. It would become a focus for the living quarters.

Backing away, she checked the time again and decided it would not be too early to wake them. Moving into the kitchen area, she pulled out pans and started cooking breakfast. She preferred cooking to replicating. It was as satisfying to her as was painting.

How full her life was now. She had learned to love doing simple, seemingly mundane things every day. Painting. Cooking. Cleaning. Day to day…things. All of these small things seemed to work together to make her life complete and satisfying. She realized she was humming. It was a habit she had picked up from the Doctor. Many nights, they would work together to prepare dinner. He would start humming, and she would find herself adding the harmony. Sometimes, they would start singing, but most of the times they simply hummed and cooked. It was such a small thing, but she found it made her happy and added to her contentment. Placing the food on a tray, she lifted it, carrying it into the bedroom.

"Computer, lights to fifty percent." As the lights came on, she saw her husband start to stir. "Wake up you two." She sat down on the edge of the bed. "I have breakfast in bed."

The Doctor’s eyes opened, smiling immediately when he saw her. He shook his daughter who groaned her sleepiness. "Wake up, sweetheart. Your mother has breakfast in bed for you."

Kathryn B’Elanna slowly opened her eyes, then rubbed her eyes and yawned. She blinked her eyes open and looked blearily at her mother.

"So, did someone stay up too late last night?"

When Kathryn B’Elanna groaned again, the Doctor said, "I guess we did stay up a little late last night." He glanced down at his daughter. "We were up late talking night."

Seven heard the tone of his voice, her eyes worriedly searching his face. He gave her a quick wink, and she relaxed. "Well, you can take a nap this afternoon, Kathryn B’Elanna. But right now, I have pancakes for you."

Kathryn B’Elanna’s eyes came wide open. "Pancakes?"

"Yes, pancakes."

"With syrup?"

Seven laughed. "Yes, with syrup."

"But it isn’t my birthday yet."

"No, it is not." Seven leaned forward to place the tray on Kathryn B’Elanna’s lap once she had pulled herself up in the bed. "This is your pre-birthday breakfast."

"But will I get pancakes on my birthday?"

"Absolutely."

The Doctor chuckled. "Besides, your birthday is almost a month away."

"No it isn’t, Daddy!"

"I thought it was."

"No! It’s ten days away."

"It can’t be." He was fighting his laughter. "You can’t only be ten days away from being seven."

"Mommy tell him."

"Your father knows when your birthday is." She reached forward to help Kathryn B’Elanna fix the tray on her lap. "He just doesn’t like the idea of you getting any older." She gave the Doctor a look. "Or himself."

The Doctor whooped his laughter. "May I remind you that I am a hologram? I can’t get older."

"Oh?" She reached up, brushing the hair just above his ear. "And what is this gray?"

"Oh, that." He reached up to touch the hair at his temple. "I had B’Elanna add that. I thought it would make me look more distinguished."

"You don’t look distincted."

He gave his daughter a strange look. "I don’t look distincted?"

"No, you look like Daddy."

He broke out in laughter and moved to allow Seven to join her daughter in the bed, holding the tray so she could also enjoy breakfast in bed. He sat and watched, laughing when Kathryn B’Elanna poured a little extra syrup over her mother’s pancakes, giving her a big grin. Then, she poured a little more over her own before hungrily starting to eat.

Ketaria moved through engineering, following the sounds voices. Tiptoeing to a corner, she peered around and allowed herself the pleasure of watching the scene before her.

B’Elanna was on her knees, surrounded by the children of Voyager – her own son, To’mas, Harry and Supala’s twins, Gene and Teri, and Tuvok’s two younger children, Elieth and Asil. Each one had a tool and they were working a makeshift assembly line with B’Elanna giving frequent instructions of assembling whatever they were working on. She watched as Gene and Teri fumbled with their tools, their faces screwed up in concentration as they worked. B’Elanna kept giving instructions and encouragement along with corrections. Ketaria noticed how the criticism was given as quickly as the praise, but it only seemed to spur the children on to improve and do better. After a while, she stepped from around the corner, walking up to the assemblage.

"Keta!" Gene looked up, dropped his tool and ran to her, his arms outstretched.

B’Elanna grunted as she pushed herself off of the floor. "Hello, Ketaria. I didn’t hear you come up."

Lifting Gene in her arms, she said, "I didn’t want to interfere. You all looked so busy."

"Well, I was trying to keep them busy." She laughed, moving a piece of equipment out of the way with her foot. "It’s a challenge thinking of things to keep them occupied. I was trying to figure out how to mix a little babysitting in with work."

"What is it?" Ketaria was looking at the pieces scattered on the floor.

"Oh, it’s just a filtering system. We took it apart, cleaned it and now are putting it back together."

"I’m impressed."

"Well, it isn’t anything delicate, and it’s kept everyone involved." She brushed her hair back from her forehead. "I’m surprised, but they are actually getting pretty good at it."

"I think you make them want to learn, B’Elanna."

"What?"

"You handle them well. You are as quick to correct them as you are to praise them. They know exactly what to expect from you. Children respond well to someone when they know where the boundaries are."

B’Elanna gave her a puzzled look, not certain what to say in return. Finally, she said, "I don’t think I ever thought that people knew what to expect from me."

"You might be impatient with adults, B’Elanna, but you seem to have a world of patience with these children."

B’Elanna watched the children who had gone back to work and nodded her head. "I think they constantly amaze me with how much they want to learn. Adults seem to spend most of their time running away from learning. I respect the curiosity these children have."

Ketaria stood quiet, then asked, "Where is Kathryn B’Elanna?"

B’Elanna moved to correct Teri, helped her for a moment, then stood and stepped back, watching her work. "Very good, Teri. You have it now." Then, she turned to Ketaria. "She’s with Seven this morning."

"Oh?"

"Yes. Seven contacted me and told me she had to have a talk with KB."

"Oh." A frown crossed Ketaria’s face. "Do you know if something is going on?"

B’Elanna sighed. "Something is."

"And?"

"I can’t tell."

"Ah. Sworn to secrecy."

B’Elanna nodded.

"May I guess?" When B’Elanna hesitated, Ketaria said, "I have not talked with Kathryn B’Elanna, but I have shared some of her feelings. She cannot yet hide everything from me." She took B’Elanna’s arm and walked her away from the children huddled on the floor. "Kathryn B’Elanna will have to work things out with her mother. What she is afraid of is very natural." She hesitated, then asked, "How many times were you afraid of becoming more like your mother?"

"Oh, very many times!"

"Well, it is the same for Kathryn B’Elanna, only she is afraid of growing implants that will make her very different from the other children. I don’t think it really has anything to do with the Borg. So," she turned to face B’Elanna, "you do not need to be worried."

B’Elanna stared intently into her eyes, then dropped her head and gave a relieved laugh. "Thank you."

"I knew you were worried."

B’Elanna patted Ketaria on the arm. "I’m so glad you’re around." Checking the chronometer, she clapped her hands. "Okay, gang. It’s time for you to learn more about pluses. T’Pel will be waiting on you, so go get cleaned up."

She took their tools as they stood and watched as they ran off to the bathroom in engineering. Blowing her hair out of her face, she shook her head at Ketaria. "Getting back to work will almost be a relief!"