Voyager Christmas Carol

OK, so Paramount owns the characters, the ship etc. But last time I checked Charles Dickens' stuff is out of copyright, so I'm all right on that score. If Paramount or whomever screams, we'll just change the names. All agreed?

A Voyager Christmas Carol

Christmas Eve

Admiral Janeway was dead. Had been for some time too and Kathryn Janeway knew that. She'd been there.

She'd spent the afternoon in her ready room going over status reports, repair reports, and others reports. Neelix had tried to talk to her about having a Christmas party the next day. She hadn't said Bah Humbug, but she had said no. Supplies were too low to waste on such frivolity. Maybe later. Neelix had been disappointed, but hadn't argued. He'd returned to the kitchen and his leola root soups and pies.

Finally, the shift was over. She grabbed the last of the data padds to take with her. She'd finish them this evening, after dinner.

The mess hall was somber, the crew were feeling the distance from where they were to where they wanted to be, again. Janeway looked around, she'd come to dislike the various holidays of the different cultures represented on her ship--especially the Terran ones, since most of the crew were human. And if she would have admitted it to herself, because the holidays also made her feel a little melancholy.

She looked at her dinner, big mistake she realized. Then only ate a little, before she left for her quarters and a quiet evening reading reports.

A quiet evening that was doomed before it began.

She reached her door, and went to punch her keycode in. She heard a noise and looked around quickly. Nobody was around, the lights dimmed as the ship entered its night cycle. She turned back to her door and again started to punch in her code. She stepped back in shock, there was a face on the keypad. She dropped the padds.

"Father?"

She rubbed her eyes, "Kathryn Janeway, you're now hallucinating." Yet another reaction to Neelix's food.

She picked up the padds and entered her dark quarters, the lights brightened on her command and she looked around. She put the padds down and moved to the replicator for a cup of hot chocolate.

She nearly screamed when the lights dimmed suddenly.

"Kathryn?" A voice said.

She turned, "Father?" It was her father in full Star Fleet regalia, but he was wrapped up in books and memos and data padds. She repeated, "Daddy?"

"Hello Golden Bird. Before you ask, yes I am dead have been for what 15, 20 years. Spirits don't keep track of time like you mortals do."

She shook her head, some hallucination. Her father hadn't had a sense of humor. Not that she remembered anyway. "What are you doing here?"

"Just like me, straight to business, no small talk, no time for yourself or the ones you love, strictly business. Admiral Necheyev would be proud of you."

"I don't have time for small talk, I have six reports to read this evening, and a briefing to prepare."

"Kath, it's Christmas Eve. Even Star Fleet allows a day off now and then. Even for Captains."

"Yea right, but not Admirals, how many times were you there at home. How many of the big moments in our lives did you miss..." She turned away.

"I know, and look at my punishment. I've spent the past years traveling the galaxy condemned to wander, wrapped in every Star Fleet and Federation rule, regulation and protocol ever written."

She looked back at him, again noticing his chains. "Is there nothing you can do?" She asked quietly.

He shook his head, "But there is something you can do." She looked at him startled. "To save yourself from a similar fate. Even out here in the Delta Quadrant seventy thousand light years from any admiral or politician you've wrapped yourself in these same chains. Don't daughter, don't throw your life away. Your chains are as burdensome as mine ever were and you're still young." Her father's spirit stopped speaking for several minutes. Kathryn didn't respond, she just stood there too stunned to move. Finally the admiral spoke again. "I'm here to warn you. You will be visited by three spirits. Expect the first at midnight." He stepped back and floated away--out her window and disappeared into the stars.

Janeway stood there several seconds, wondering. She finally decided the whole thing was a hallucination and sat down at her couch. She didn't bother to bring the lights back up, as she had fallen asleep.

Christmas Past

From somewhere a chime rang once, twice...eight times...twelve times. Janeway woke up and looked around. "Damn, I fell asleep on my couch." She looked at the unread reports and shook her head. "I'll set my clock for 0400 and spend two hours reading them." She stood and went to the bathroom. Her neck was sore, she would take a quick bath, and change before going to back to sleep--in her bed not the couch. She stopped. What was that noise. Laughter? With a shock she remembered what had happened earlier, the visit from the spirit of her father--if that's who it truly was--and his warning of three spirits. "Computer what time is it?"

"The time is zero hundred hours and two minutes."

Janeway smiled. Good, nothing had happened. She took a step toward the bathroom and stopped. There it was again, that noise. From the corridors. This would never do. She moved toward the door to warn whoever was outside that they needed to be quiet in the halls, especially at midnight. Her doors slid open and she froze.

This was not the corridors of Voyager. There were bright lights, a staircase. With a shock she realized it was her grandmother's house. She looked around. This was a scene from her childhood. There was an eight year-old Kathryn Janeway sitting on the floor tearing open a package, crying silently. Her father had not been able to be here, again. He'd been working on something--she couldn't remember what. Everybody had carried on. She reached down to touch her younger self.

"She can't see or hear you," somebody said.

Janeway looked around. "Are you the spirit who's visit was foretold to me."

"Yes I am," a older woman dressed in white appeared, her features were hazy. "I see you remember this Christmas."

Janeway nodded. "It was one of the worst of my childhood. My Father did not come. I had so wanted to tell him about school. I had wanted a telescope and he said he would get me one. He didn't."

The spirit nodded. "A lonely Christmas, you weren't particularly close to your sister or mother."

Janeway smiled and shook her head. "I wanted to be like my father, to travel, to see the stars, to understand the stars. Phoebe was an artist and mother was, well, mother. I didn't understand either of them until too late." She turned away from the scene, knowing she didn't want to see the unhappiness that was coming. "Who are you?"

"I'm the Ghost of Christmas Past. I am here to show you what was. I have another Christmas to show you." There was a blinding light and she found herself in a little house.

"Mark?" Janeway asked as she recognized his house.

"Remember they cannot see or hear us. Your first Christmas with Mark."

Janeway smiled. "That may have been one of the best Christmas's ever. How is Mark now?" She asked. The spirit just shook her head. A Christmas only two years after the death of her father, she'd received a two week leave from Star Fleet and had returned to Earth to spend time with Mark. It had been quite special. She watched as a slightly younger Kathryn Janeway walked down the stairs to get a cup of coffee. Janeway had to smile at that. Mark came down a few seconds later.

Janeway smiled as she watched the scene from her past, remembering how Christmas had been a little late. She turned to look at the spirit. "Why are you here?"

"Surely, the herald told you. To show you the meaning of Christmas, to save you from a fate like your father's. My time with you is short. Voyager's first Christmas. Remember?"

Janeway nodded and the spirit continued. "Not a happy one. It was too soon after being pulled into the Delta-Quadrant. No one was ready to celebrate anything." Some had tried. There was a flash and she found herself in her ready room, watching herself. The chimes rang. "Enter," both Captains said. Janeway laughed at her trained reaction.

"Captain," her new First Officer said.

"Commander, how can I help you?" The Captain from the past said.

"Paris has programmed the holodeck and some of the crew are there. I was wondering..." He looked at her questioningly.

"I don't think so, I'd rather not."

"Captain, it's not really a Christmas party--more of we're blue party."

"No, I'm not in the mood for a blow-out either. Just warn them I expect them to be able to handle their duties tomorrow."

"Aye Captain." He turned and left.

"What were you thinking at that moment?" The spirit asked.

Janeway blushed. "I was thinking he was a dangerous man. And very good-looking."

"My time is upon me, the next spirit will be here soon."

Janeway looked around. She was back in her quarters, standing in the door, looking at the empty corridor.

Christmas Present

She turned to go back to her bed, rubbing the back of her neck. Weird, that didn't quite cover this night. Strange, bizarre.

She froze. Her eyes opened wide.

"Welcome Captain Janeway, I'm the Spirit Of Christmas Present," the spirit announced in a deep, boisterous voice. The spirit was dressed in green robes, stood maybe 7 feet tall and was bathed in light. He looked down on her. "Grab hold of my robes, we're going to take a tour of your ship." She took hold of an edge, and felt the strange sensation of flying through her ship.

She was aware of soaring through engineering, picking out a few faces, then flying through the jeffrey tubes.

B'Elanna, Tom, and Harry were in Tom's quarters. Tom had served Orange Juice. "Well, Merry Christmas all. I've put together a Christmas Breakfast before we have to report to duty. Waffles anybody?" He turned to the replicator. "Run Paris 12." Three plates of Belgian waffles appeared. "I don't know what you like on them, so go ahead and order. My treat." Tom's were dripping in butter and maple syrup. Harry ordered strawberries and whipped cream and B'Elanna had hers plain. They sat down around the table Tom had improvised.

Harry raised his glass, "Here's to the New Year, May we find ourselves one year closer to the Alpha Quadrant..."

"One year further away from the Kazon..." B'Elanna added.

"To good friends, and don't threaten to kill me, but here's to the best Christmas I can remember." Tom looked a little embarrassed. "Even if I have duty in 45 minutes."

"We didn't celebrate Christmas--we had the Klingon equivalent. I hated that too."

Harry smiled. "My memories of Christmas are mostly good. My parents, and relatives all took their leave at that time or tried to."

Tom laughed. "My father missed almost all our Christmases. He didn't believe in presents either. He wasn't about to give a kid something he didn't earn. I didn't get much, if you can imagine." He laughed. Janeway could sympathize with him on missing fathers.

B'Elanna poured herself another glass of orange juice. "Here's to new beginnings. May they be better than our pasts. The waffles were good. Thanks Tom. I'd better be going."

"See you around, B'Elanna."

"You too Tom. And Tom, Harry, Merry Christmas." B'Elanna dumped her dishes into the recycler and left.

"Well Harry, thanks for sharing Christmas with me."

Harry grinned. "Tom, let me help you clean-up."

"Don't worry about it. I have plenty of time, but you don't."

Harry stood up, "I forgot, sorry Tom, but I've got to get going. See you on the bridge."

Tom stood there smiling, when the door closed his smile faded, and he sat down in his chair, his mind obviously lost in thought.

Janeway moved toward him, "He can't hear me can he?"

"No. You have an excellent crew."

"I know."

The spirit looked at her and nodded, she again took the hem of his robe.

There were only a few diners in the mess hall, the bulk would be arriving in about 15 minutes. Neelix was working on breakfast. "Kes, do we have any more of those apples."

"Still some in cold storage, about 20 pounds I think. Do you want them for breakfast?"

"No, I was thinking of dinner. Would you look in the computer and see what it would take to make apple pie?"

"Apple pie?"

"It's some sort of Terran dessert, I thought the crew might appreciate it."

Kes moved closer to Neelix and whispered, "You aren't upset with the Captain for not allowing you to have a Christmas party?"

"No sweetie, she was right, but I don't think she is aware of the low morale. They've been out here over 2 years, they need something to remind them of the alpha-quadrant and to celebrate their home here on Voyager."

"Don't you become low too, you are morale officer. I'll find those recipes for you." Kes looked around and glanced at the spirit. She couldn't see them, but Janeway was sure the Ocampan had sensed them.

"A bright young woman, she *sees* more than she lets on."

Janeway was aware of the floating sensation again.

Christmas Future

She looked around, she was not on her ship. She was in an unfamiliar office building.

A tall, cloaked figure stood in the aisle 5 meters in front of her. She could not tell if it was male or female, or even what it looked like. It raised a bony hand and motioned for her to approach. She did.

"Are you the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come?" She asked quietly. The spirit did not respond, but glided down the hall, Janeway followed. The stopped by a door.

Janeway read the sign, "Admiral Kathryn Janeway Star Fleet Command: Science Division. Voyager makes it back to the Alpha Quadrant?" The spirit did not respond. The door opened and the two of them entered.

There were two officers in the room, neither of whom she knew.

"Well, the old woman died the other day," the taller, female commander said.

"So I heard. When I first joined Star Fleet, Admiral Necheyev was considered one of the coldest people around. I spent two years with her. Cold was right. Then I was assigned to Admiral Janeway."

"Janeway wasn't too bad. Imagine 15 years in the delta-quadrant..."

"Even her crew considered her distant. No wonder Star Fleet promoted her to Admiral."

"Fred, don't. She had an unhappy life. When she returned, everything was different. She had to start over."

"Not all her crew had that reaction. I think Voyager is still in the record books for having the most marriages between crew members," Fred went back to packing his stuff. "I've applied for to be assigned to the Enterprise. Five years serving Admiral Janeway is enough. I don't want to see anymore high ranking brass. Anyway from what I hear, Janeway had a chance of happiness on Voyager--she just didn't take it."

Janeway looked at the spirit. "Take me out of here." The person they were talking about couldn't be her, could it?

She found herself standing in a darkened room. "Where are we? No, don't bother, you won't tell me." She went and looked around. It was a lonely room, very few furnishings, two chairs, a table, a couch, a replicator. And several awards. "The Nobel Prize in Physics, The Federation Astro-Physics award." There were several others. Janeway smiled. "My life couldn't have been that bad. These are the top science awards in the Federation. But it is such a lonely room. Spirit, the rest of my crew, how are they?" No, she hadn't expected the spirit to answer. But the little room saddened her, certainly her life hadn't been that empty of anything but science and Star Fleet.

The ground under her feet crunched--they were standing on a snow covered yard, it was still night, but the quarter moon was offering a little light. She shivered, even though she couldn't feel the cold. The spirit beckoned her forward, she followed hesitantly, dreading what she would find.

They were in a cemetery--one reserved for Star Fleets finest she noted with pride, a feeling that did not last. The spirit was still urging her forward.

Then she saw him. Even kneeling, his back to her she could recognize him. She moved forward. "Chakotay?" He didn't respond.

"Kathryn, I hope you find the peace you never found in life," he whispered. He didn't move for several minutes. Finally the cold forced him to move. He started to stand and stopped. He reached into his coat and pulled out a single red rose. Placing it carefully by the tombstone, he spoke even softer, "We could have been happy together. So long Kathryn Janeway." He stood and walked away.

Janeway stood there and watched him leave. She looked down at the rose and reached down to pick it up. "What a fool I've been," she whispered as she held the rose close to her face. She closed her eyes as she brushed the rose along her cheek.

When she opened her eyes, she was back in her quarters. She was lying in her couch. She rubbed her eyes. What a strange dream, she thought as she started to stand up. As she did, she saw on the floor a single red rose. She reached down to pick it up. It was cold to the touch. Suddenly she burst into tears.

Christmas Morning

Kathryn Janeway woke slowly, a moment of confusion, she was in her quarters in her bed. "Computer what time is it?"

"The time is zero five thirty."

"What is the date?"

"It is stardate 51021 point five."

"Calendar date?"

"Twenty fifth of December."

She rubbed her eyes and clambered out of her bed and dressed. The dark, starlit reaches of space she found oddly comforting. She moved to the table where she had left the padds and picked on to read.

"No," she said loudly as she touched the rose that lay there. Instead she went to the replicator, ordered herself a cup of coffee and moved to her computer terminal. "Computer, display replicator rations." She sipped her coffee as she looked at the display. "Transfer 400 credits to Neelix's account, authorization Janeway two sigma five."

She then tapped her comm-badge. "Janeway to Neelix."

"Good morning Captain, Merry Christmas. You're up bright and early."

"Yes Neelix, Merry Christmas," she wondered how much sleep she'd had. "I've transferred 400 replicator rations to your account. Go ahead and have this party."

"Captain? Yes. I can have it ready this evening. Captain, may I borrow Tom Paris--I need his help to program the holodecks."

She smiled. "Yes, I'll arrange it."

"Thank-you Captain, see you for breakfast, Tom gave me a recipe for sticky buns. Despite all the substitutions, he actually thinks they're good. I'll save you one."

"I'll be there shortly. Janeway out. Wait a minute, Neelix."

"Captain?"

"Have snow. I like snow."

"Snow? Yes Captain."

She realized the Talaxian wouldn't understand that reference, but Tom would. She laughed quietly, then a little louder. She was feeling like a kid. Happy, jittery, energetic.

#

#

Neelix's sticky-buns were that, sticky, gooey and leola root free. And quite good. Maybe not as good as her mother's, but the best she'd had in the Delta Quadrant. She could feel the eyes of the crew on her, she just grinned more. So, if they thought she was acting strangely: she was and enjoying every minute of it.

#

#

The bridge was noisy, by the time she arrived for her shift, everybody had heard about the party. She assigned Tom to Neelix for the day and had his substitute take the conn.

She had caught Chakotay watching her several times, she'd just smiled in return. Finally, after the fifth or was that sixth time she looked at him and asked, "Commander, are you going to the party?"

"Yes Captain," he smiled at her.

"Good, I hate going to these things alone," she smiled back. She was as giddy as a teenager.

He looked at his console and whispered, "I would be honored Kathryn."

She laughed quietly. "I'll get you for that."

"How?" He looked back at her. He wondered at her behavior--but was enjoying himself too much to worry about it.

Despite the lack of any interesting anomalies, nasty aliens, or just merely threatening diseases the day went quickly.

Christmas Evening

Kathryn smiled as she watched Chakotay's jaw drop open. She was pleased that the long dark green dress she'd chosen to wear had that affect on him. "Commander, you're on time. Shall we go." She walked over and took his elbow.

"We could stay here," he managed to say rather hoarsely.

She just grinned. "What, and have the crew start talking?"

"They're going to talk anyway. Kathryn," he looked a little awkward. "What's going on?"

"Going on?" She smiled. "Nothing Commander, what did you think was going on?"

"Dressed like that, I thought you might be trying to seduce me."

"Why Commander, I didn't think I had to." Just before her door opened, she reached up and pulled his head down and kissed him, then ducked away to avoid his embrace. "None of that."

#

#

The party was in full swing when they arrived. She had asked for snow, and Neelix had put in snow. Outside was about 2 feet of snow, and one very intense snowball fight. Kathryn smiled, she would love to throw one or two, but she wasn't dressed for the occasion.

#

#

The evening passed in a whirl of color and imagination. Janeway watched the crew of Voyager enjoy themselves and quietly realized she was enjoying herself too. She smiled to herself as she sipped some of Neelix's rendition of egg nog. For once she could say that the delta-quadrant version was a major improvement over the alpha-quadrant. She turned slightly and looked for her first officer, he was talking with Tom and B'Elanna. She looked away. For the first time that day, she was tired. She would quietly slip out. By now, no one, well almost no one, would miss her if she left. She started to walk toward the door, no one stopped her, they were all engrossed in their own conversations and activities. As she reached the door she looked back and noticed Chakotay watching her. Ever so slightly she nodded her head and slipped out.

#

#

Forty five minutes later she quietly admitted him to her quarters.