Their Child by coolcaz
	Author's Note: In a parallel universe, Janeway and Chakotay have a daughter. By some twist of fate she arrives on board Voyager through a spatial anomaly. Emotions are fraught, as Janeway and Chakotay have to decide what to do. She can either stay on Voyager, or has to be brought home to a world where everyone's out to get her. Literally. Chapter 1 Captain Kathryn Janeway of the starship Voyager blinked several times, sat up in bed and stretched, squinting in the artificial daylight that flooded her bedroom. Out of force of habit she switched on her radio for Neelix's "Good Morning Voyager" programme. "Well good morning Voyager," said Neelix's disembodied voice from speakers all over Janeway's quarters. "And here to get your morning off to a stunning start is one of my favourite pieces of music." The captain recognised the piece, Vivaldi she thought. Janeway stood up, reluctantly leaving the warmth and comfort of her bed, and headed for her bathroom, shrugging off her Starfleet standard-issue pyjamas as she went. The captain reappeared from the bathroom fully clothed just as the music was ending. Her long hair flowed down the back of her uniform, and she picked up a brush and headed to the mirror to do something a little more practical with it. "And now for the morning's notices," continued Neelix over the speaker system. "Breakfast specials today are a full Talaxian breakfast - my personal favourite! - and hash browns with your choice of accompaniment. Tom, B'Elanna's sorry for loosing her temper again yesterday and would like to meet you for breakfast. Happy birthday to Lieutenant Luis Ramirez over in security- we all hope it's not many more birthdays until we can once again celebrate at home with our families. That's all the notices for this morning, I'll be right back after this song- a special request for Lieutenant Ramirez's birthday." Janeway stuck a final hairpin into her bun and switched off the radio before leaving her quarters. * * * The doors to the bridge slid open with a smooth hiss and Janeway entered, mug of coffee in hand. She walked once round the bridge, peering over the shoulders of her crew at their consoles, to check everything was running smoothly. Satisfied all was in order, she took her seat next to her first officer, Commander Chakotay, and took a deep drink of her coffee. "Looks like it could be an easy day." she commented to Chakotay. He replied with a raised eyebrow as if to say, 'I don't believe you for a minute, Kathryn, but you're the captain. Whatever.' As they sat in companionable silence, Janeway's hands wrapped around her coffee mug, Chakotay gazing into the starry nothingness of space in front of them, an image flickered and formed itself in the middle of the bridge. A young girl, no more than thirteen, stood before them. Her clothes were twenty-fourth century American clothes, her hair long and auburn, her eyes wide in terror, and round her delicate neck a gold chain bearing the initials K.C. At that moment, something slammed into Voyager, rocking the ship and sending the crew sprawling onto the floor of the bridge. Janeway raised her head from where she had landed on the floor to look at the girl. She was still standing, and uttered the words, "They're trying to kill me!" before crumpling into a heap on the floor. The captain climbed up and ran over to check her life signs with a tricorder. Janeway turned to Ensign Kim. "Emergency transport to sick bay, Harry, immediately." As Kim tapped at his controls, Janeway touched her comm badge. "Janeway to sick bay. Critical patient coming your way." As the image of the girl flickered and disappeared, Jayneway retook her seat and turned to Chakotay. "By now I should have learnt that there's no such thing as an easy day aboard Voyager!" Chapter 2 The girl was lying on a bed in sick bay, wired up to every conceivable sensor. Screens full of readouts were stacked next to the bed, and the Doctor fussed over his motionless patient with every available gadget. Seven of Nine stood to one side, watching the Doctor, when one of the sensors began to bleep alarmingly, and a previously steady readout began to zigzag all over the screen. The Doctor turned to Seven. "She needs a blood transfusion now!" Seven, with her Borg efficiency still in her, went over to a console and started a search for a blood-type match. The Doctor came to look over her shoulder just as the computer reported "NO EXACT MATCH FOUND" in flashing bold red letters. The message cleared to reveal pictures of Janeway and Chakotay and the message "Best match- 50/50 mix". The Doctor tapped his comm badge. "Sickbay to bridge, Janeway and Chakotay report to me immediately." The captain and her first officer looked at each other, and hurried from the bridge. The doors to sickbay slid open effortlessly and Janeway and Chakotay entered side by side. "What's so important?" Janeway asked the Doctor. "She needs a blood transfusion." he replied. He was about to continue when the captain spoke again. "That's a simple enough procedure. Why do you need us? I thought you had samples of every blood type of the crew stored and ready to replicate when the need arose." "Yes, but not this blood type." This time the Doctor did carry on. "This little girl has an extremely rare blood type indeed. The closest match the computer came up with was a mixture of your blood and," looking at Chakotay, "your blood." While they'd been talking, Seven had been busy arranging tubing and inserting a catheter into the girl's lifeless arm. She handed the Doctor a pair of needles connected directly to the girl on the bed. "If you roll up your sleeves and sit down this will be quick and painless." assured the Doctor. Janeway and Chakotay did as they were told. * * * Several minutes later, the Doctor removed the needles from Janeway and Chakotay and ran a tiny emitter over their arms to heal the small puncture wounds. As the Doctor moved to attend to the girl, the captain spoke. "Who is she?" Janeway walked over to where the girl lay motionless, and brushed aside her hair to reveal a tattoo identical to Chakotay's. Finally a clue to the girl's identity. "Run a full DNA match with the crew database." Janeway ordered. Then, turning to Chakotay, "And I thought you said you didn't have any children?" Chakotay was about to reply when the Doctor looked up from his console. "Captain, Commander." He said, looking at them both. "She's... she's... she's your daughter!" Chapter 3 "My daughter?" gasped Janeway, her shocked voice softened somewhat by maternal tones. "No," said Chakotay, lightly resting his hand on her shoulder, "our daughter." The captain looked up into her first officer's eyes, and closed her own as her world went black and she sank to the floor. Chakotay moved to catch his captain as she fell. He lifted her normally strong body that suddenly looked so frail, and laid her tenderly on the bed next to the girl. Seven stepped forward and ran a tricorder over Janeway. "Traumatic shock." Seven announced, clicking the tricorder shut with an air of finality. The Doctor stepped over to Chakotay. "All she needs is rest," the Doctor said, "And time to come to terms with what she's just found out. I suggest you take the rest of the shift off too. Leave the bridge to the others- they're perfectly capable." Without a word, Chakotay nodded briskly, spun on his heel and left sickbay. The Doctor knew something wasn't quite right with either crewmember, but he couldn't quite place it. His programme wasn't configured to know things like that. Captain Janeway opened her eyes and stared blankly at the ceiling before the image focused and she remembered where she was. As she tried to sit up, Janeway felt the strong arms of the Doctor restraining her. The captain shrugged his hands off and swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up. At that moment the ship lurched and Janeway was flung back over the bed. The lights dimmed and the red alert lights came on. Janeway recovered her balance and headed for the door, slamming into the doorframe as the ship lurched again. * * * Captain Janeway strode onto the bridge of Voyager. Chakotay was already there. He had clearly disobeyed the Doctor's orders. Janeway took her seat just as the ship lurched again. "On screen." she commanded, just as another bolt of blue light shot towards the ship. "What is it?" she demanded. "Why is it firing at us?" The crew on the bridge exchanged glances, and Lieutenant Paris answered her. "It's an anomaly, Captain." Tom said. "It's like nothing we've ever seen before." Janeway rolled her eyes in an "it's not like I've never heard that one before" gesture. Tom's voice tailed off as the ship lurched again. Lieutenant Tuvok took over, reporting with typical Vulcan accuracy. "It is a window." He intoned. "It is 100 metres wide and 75 metres high. We are being shot at from the other side of the window. They are using an unknown weapon. Shields are down 26%. They seem to be targeting the sickbay." The ship lurched again and Janeway stumbled off the bridge, closely followed by Chakotay. The captain and the first officer stumbled into sickbay. "She was right," said Janeway, gesturing to the girl, still motionless on the bed, "Someone is trying to kill her. Erect a disrupting force field around her. Fast!" Seven tapped at her console and the air around the bed where the girl lay shimmered momentarily. "Force field erected." clipped Seven. "Bridge to Janeway." Came Tom Paris' voice. Janeway tapped her comm badge. "Here Tom. Go ahead." "Captain, they've stopped firing and the window is closing. They've lost their lock on their target- whatever it was." "Thank you Tom. Janeway out." the captain replied quickly. "Well," continued the captain, "the girl's safe for now. We know what she is, or at least what she seems to be, but not who she is." Janeway glanced at everyone in the sickbay. "So," she said, "what do we call her?" "K.C." said Chakotay, only to be greeted by puzzled looks. "K.C.," he repeated, "the initials on her necklace. I presume they're hers. Let's call her K.C." "It'll do," said the Doctor, "for now." "K.C.," echoed Janeway, "it has a nice ring." She stepped through the force field around the girl, and brushed her fingers over the tattoo on the girl's forehead, murmuring "K.C." over and over again. The captain's calm, controlled facade began to crumble and gave way to the maternal instincts stacked inside her. One salty tear fell from Janeway's cheek onto the girl who was, biologically, her daughter. Kathryn Janeway turned and ran from sickbay, her face flushed and cheeks streaked with tears, pushing Chakotay out of the way as she headed for the door, and as far from the source of her emotions as possible. Chapter 4 Chakotay knocked timidly on the door of Janeway's ready-room. "Come in," she replied in a small, choked voice. The first officer instantly knew she was still crying. He entered and sat down on the couch next to her, and handed her a tissue. "Kathryn," he said gently, laying a hand on her arm, "I think you might want to come back to sickbay now." The captain nodded and snivelled into the tissue. She let her first officer guide her by the arm back to sickbay. Just outside the door to sickbay, Janeway stopped, patted her hair back into place, blew her nose and recomposed herself before entering. K.C. was sitting up on her bed, clad in a Starfleet uniform that was somewhat too large. Her hair was brushed and loose over her shoulders, and her chain bearing her initials still hung around her neck. She fingered it nervously as the two most senior officers on the ship entered. A frown flickered over K.C.'s delicate features. "Mom? Dad?" Janeway was the one to reply. "Sort of." "How can it be sort of?" K.C. asked. "You look like my parents- but you're Starfleet officers. My parents failed the first term at the Academy. That's how they met, but..." Chakotay interrupted. "But, who are you?" "Don't you know?" the girl asked, only to be met by blank looks that, very simply, said 'No'. The Doctor stepped forward. "I think a formal introduction is needed. This is..." "Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Federation star ship Voyager." Janeway continued. K.C. mouthed the word 'captain' with a shocked look on her face. "And this is my first officer, Commander Chakotay." continued Janeway. Gesturing at the doctor, "Our Emergency Medical Hologram, and" gesturing at the semi-Borg standing behind the Doctor, "Seven of Nine." Janeway folded her arms and shifted her weight. "So, who are you?" "Kathryn Chakotay. Born 11th November 2330, daughter of Kathryn Janeway and Chakotay. Apartment 241, 1762 West 24th Street, San Francisco, California 39271." the girl gabbled, reciting the words she'd been taught when very young. Captain Janeway and Chakotay stood momentarily in stunned silence. Then, with intrigue in her voice, the captain spoke. "Tell us about your parents. If you don't mind talking about them." Chapter 5 "What do you want to know? Surely you know it all already..." the girl's voice tailed off. Janeway sat opposite her at a table in the mess hall, arms folded on the tabletop, Chakotay at her side, more relaxed, and drinking coffee. The Doctor hovered in the background. The captain leant forwards. "Start at the beginning. I'll explain why later." Opposite the captain, Kathryn looked bemused, then tucked her hair behind her ears and began. "My parents met at Starfleet Academy. They were both in the same class. They got on, uh, rather well to say the least. They both had aspirations to great things- being an officer on Deep Space Nine, going on historic missions venturing right out of Federation space. But neither of them ever got that far. They distracted each other to the extent that they both got asked to leave before the end of their first term. According to the Admiralty they 'weren't Starfleet material'. "Both my parents were disowned by their families after that. They came from proud families who were unwilling to accept the fall of their children. Alienated and alone, they moved in together. They bought a tiny apartment in San Francisco and married very soon after. Then they had me. "My mother never worked, and my father had a job as a manual labourer and got paid very little. We were a poor family, but I was surrounded by love. I couldn't have asked for more doting parents. Meanwhile, their families had become incredibly powerful in their own rights, and had denied all knowledge of their fallen children. "My father's family began to abuse the fertile soil of their reservation in South Dakota. They forced the entire tribe to convert the area to plantations, and my grandfather became one of the wealthiest drug lords in the Federation. My mother's family pursued a somewhat more legal goal, discovering some of the greatest technological advances of the century. "Both families became renowned across the galaxy, and my parents, as a marriage of the two families, went into hiding the day of my thirteenth birthday, while I was at school. That was the last time I saw them..." Kathryn's voice faded and she wiped a tear from her cheek. Captain Janeway passed her daughter a hanky, and brushed Kathryn's hair out of her eyes. Maternal overtones crept into the captain's voice again. "Come on. Let's get you cleaned up." Mother and daughter stood up, and with an arm around her shoulders, Janeway steered Kathryn out of the mess hall. Chapter 6 They walked along the maze-like corridors of Voyager in silence. The Captain silent for fear of revealing her emotional side, Kathryn silent in awe. They arrived at Janeway's quarters and the doors slid open smoothly. Seated on a sofa under the large windows, Janeway turned to her daughter. "Why are they trying to kill you? And who are they?" Normally, the captain would have been more concerned for the safety of her ship and crew than for personal issues, but her priorities had changed somewhat since the morning. Kathryn shrugged. "I'm the link between the two families, and they want that link severed. It's like a continuation of 'Romeo and Juliet' or something. Both sides of the family want me dead, but the government even more so. They were the ones who captured me when I came home from school." She looked on the verge of tears, and the captain gently laid a hand on her shoulder. Kathryn sniffed and continued. "They sedated me, and when I came round I was on their ship. I was locked in a small room, with a bank of disabled consoles. I managed to make them work eventually. I was trying to find something to lock on to to beam myself out, but I hit the wrong button. The consoles exploded, and I woke up in your sickbay." The captain looked amazed. "You can work the control panels on a Federation ship at the age of thirteen? I'll have to send you to meet B'Elanna- she's our chief engineer." The girl's eyes lit up at this prospect, and made to stand up. Janeway's hand on her shoulder now served as a restraint, rather than a source of comfort. "Tomorrow." the captain said, smiling. "It's late. You'd better go to bed now, if you want to spend tomorrow in engineering that is." Janeway handed the girl a spare pair of standard Starfleet pyjamas, and gazed out the window as Kathryn disappeared into the bathroom. * * * The captain went into her bedroom, where her daughter lay in the bed. Janeway smoothed an invisible wrinkle out of the cover, brushed Kathryn's hair out of her face, and bent to kiss her on the forehead with the words "Good night." As she turned to leave, Kathryn whispered, "Good night, mom." Janeway covered her mouth with her hand, as if to prevent her emotions bursting out, and ran from her quarters, tears glistening on her cheeks in the subdued lighting. * * * Captain Janeway ran almost the length of Voyager, ignoring every officer who passed her. Finally, in a little used corridor, she let herself sink to the floor, and with her back against the hard, metallic wall, let herself cry. Chapter 7 All over the ship, people were heading for bed; running one last diagnostic, finishing a much-deserved cup of coffee, and generally winding down for the night. Ship's functions were switched on to auto, and the minimal crew of night officers came on duty. Chakotay dismissed the bridge officers in the absence of the captain, and as the lights dimmed to power saving mode, the first officer sank back in his chair and mulled over the day's events. He had a daughter? With Janeway? It was too much to take in. Thinking of his captain, he noted the empty chair beside him, and decided it was time they had a talk. Rising from his seat, Chakotay checked the ready room, then stepped into a waiting turbo lift and quoted the deck number for the captain's quarters. Respecting her privacy by not entering, a quick tricorder scan showed she wasn't there, but in his heart of hearts he'd already known that. Janeway was an excellent captain, fair, honest and everything a captain should be, but she was human too. After several days without sleep she was as ratty as anyone else, and occasionally had a tendency to run away from it all. On this note, Chakotay began a search of the ship, concerned for his captain, but also desperately aching to talk to someone about what had happened. * * * Chakotay quickened his pace as the signature of Janeway's comm badge showed up stronger on the small tricorder screen. A final corner, and he saw her sitting alone, crying, leaning against the wall. He crouched down by his captain's side and laid a hand on her arm. "Kathryn?" he asked softly. As he was about to continue, the captain stood up, and he followed suit. She flung her arms around him and let herself cry like she'd never cried before, at least not for many years. Not quite sure what to do, Chakotay hesitated before embracing her. Chapter 8 After several minutes Chakotay looked at Janeway. "What are we going to do, Kathryn?" Janeway lifted her chin defiantly and looked straight at Chakotay, but couldn't hold his gaze and turned away, sighing resignedly. "She can't stay here, Chakotay, she doesn't belong here." This time it was Chakotay's turn to come over all paternal. "But she's our daughter. Surely she belongs here..." as his voice tailed off, the captain spoke again. "She'd not our daughter, however much I wish she was mine. She doesn't belong here. But if we send her back, they'll kill her!" Chakotay looked puzzled. "Where is 'back'?" Janeway frowned and began striding down the corridor. "I don't know, but I'm going to find out. Get some coffee and meet me in my ready room. It's going to be a long night." * * * Chakotay entered the ready room bearing a try of steaming coffee in small metal cups. Janeway was already sitting at the head of the oval table, deep in thought. Chakotay placed the tray on the table as quietly as he could, and slipped into the chair nest to the captain's. At the clatter of coffee cups, Janeway looked up and smiled at her first officer. He handed her a steaming cup, and the captain took it gratefully and sank back in her chair. "So," asked Chakotay, "where do we start?" Janeway took a gulp of coffee and began to relay what she knew of the story. About an hour later, the captain folded her arms and placed an empty coffee cup on the table. "That's all we know, so far." Chakotay raised an eyebrow eloquently, and prodded aimlessly at a padd on the table in front of him. Eventually he looked up at Janeway. "It's your call, you're the captain... I say we keep her here- she's ours after all." His words were met by the steely-eyed gaze of the only superior officer on the ship, her face set like stone. "No." The captain's words fell on Chakotay's ears like tombstones. "She goes back. She's not ours." Chakotay shrugged, silent, but his face said 'whatever'. He knew better than to contradict the captain, especially when he looked like that. He stood to leave, but didn't get too far. "You will not leave this room until we have resolved this issue." Chakotay sat down again fast, squirming like an ensign as the words penetrated his very being, each one like an icicle. Chapter 9 Tom Paris, Harry Kim, B'Elanna Torres and Tuvok came on to the bridge straight from breakfast, chattering away nineteen to the dozen about something inconsequential. Settling themselves at various consoles, they began the routine morning diagnostics of all the ship's major functions- checking the night crew had done their job. B'Elanna checked the engineering systems, Harry the transporters and life support, Tuvok ran the checks on weapons and security, and Tom reset the course to the Alpha Quadrant. No-one noticed as the doors to Janeway's ready room slid open and she stood in the doorway massaging a knotted muscle in her neck, and looking a mere shadow of her usual self. Her hair hung loose and unbrushed down her back, and her feet were bare. The uniform black and red jacket had been discarded and the sleeves of her pale purple turtleneck were pushed up above her elbows. Her cheeks were sallow from lack of sleep, and streaked with tears. Despite appearances, her resolve, and voice, were as flinty as ever. As the captain coughed slightly, her most trusted crewmembers turned to face her, more than slightly shocked to see her looking so unkempt. "I need to see you all in my ready room. Now." As the bridge crew entered the ready room they could tell the captain and her first officer had been in there all night, and neither had slept a wink. The large, oval table was carpeted with empty coffee pots, cups, padds strewn over the table and one smashed in a moment of rage. Between the hi-tech gadgetry lay coloured photos of the captain and her family, dating back to Janeway's early childhood. The captain's jacket was hanging over the back of her chair, her shoes and socks discarded on the floor. Chakotay, in the chair next to her, was fully dressed at least, but looked just as haggard as his captain. The crew took their usual seats around the table. Janeway composed herself, and began. "As you probably all know, we have a visitor on the ship- a young girl. This girl is, biologically at least, Chakotay's and my daughter." Janeway paused, giving the crew assembled around the table time to take this in. "However, she comes from an... alternate reality, accessible through the anomaly we witnessed two days ago. Chakotay and I have thought long and hard about this, but we're going to take her home." For once, not even Paris had a point to quibble over. The captain continued. "B'Elanna- you will look after Kathryn today. She has proved herself to be quite the little engineer already, and has expressed a wish to meet you. Be nice to her, but do not tell anyone else who she is. Address her as Kathryn, and if anyone asks about the name- it's a coincidence." B'Elanna nodded mutely, then opened her mouth to say something, but thought better of it and sank back in her seat. "Tom, you will chart a course back to the anomaly, and take us through it. I leave all of that in your hands. Harry, get the transporters up to scratch, and ensure the ship is cloaked at all times once we're within sensor range of the anomaly. They've tried to kill the girl once; no doubt they'll try again if they find her. Don't let them find her. Tuvok, make sure the weapons arrays are in perfect working order. We know these people are hostile, we want to make sure we can fight back." The captain waved her hand dismissively, picked up her shoes, socks, jacket, an armful of padds and photos and headed for the door. "Well," she quipped, "get on with it." As the captain headed for her quarters, the crew, including Chakotay, scurried back to the bridge. Chapter 10 As Janeway entered her quarters she remembered that Kathryn was still asleep in the bed. Quietly, the captain crept into the bathroom, showered briefly, changed her clothes, and came out looking as immaculate as ever. Captain Janeway went over to where Kathryn lay sleeping, and gently shook her by the shoulder as her own mother used to do. "Wake up, Kathryn, it's time to spend your day in Engineering." At that, Kathryn sat bolt upright in bed. "I'm awake, mom, I'm awake. Look, I'm even out of bed!" the girl replied, leaping to her feet. Janeway was pleased Kathryn was excited, but why did she persist in calling her 'mom'? It was going to be hard enough letting go anyway. In a matter of minutes, Kathryn was out of the bathroom, fully dressed in a Starfleet jumpsuit and lilac turtleneck. She'd also pinned her hair up, emulating the captain. "Can I go yet? Can I go yet?" The girl bounced up and down enthusiastically. Janeway placed a restraining hand on her shoulder and wearily said, "After breakfast." Kathryn stopped bouncing, spun on her heel and headed for the door with the exclamation, "To the mess hall!" The captain followed slowly, wishing the youthful enthusiasm were infectious. * * * Kathryn tolerantly sampled plate after plate of Neelix's breakfast specialities. As the girl ate and ate, Janeway watched over the rim of her mug of coffee. The girl ran out of room way before Neelix ran out of dishes, and flopped back in her chair. "Ready to go?" Janeway asked, and received an enthusiastic nod as a reply. Placing the now empty coffee mug on the table, the captain tapped her comm badge. "Torres to the mess hall." The chief engineer's voice replied quickly, "I'm already on my way, Captain." As B'Elanna entered the mess hall, Kathryn leapt up and ran over to her. With only a cursory glance back at the captain, she shook the engineer's had and smiled broadly. "Good morning Lieutenant Torres. Can I go see Engineering yet?" B'Elanna shot a questioning look at the captain, who smiled back encouragingly, and waved them out of the door. Janeway pushed the empty mug into the middle of the table and stood up slowly. The captain paused momentarily, then headed for the bridge. * * * On the bridge, everything could have passed for normal, as long as no-one tried to look further than the captain's and Chakotay's emotional facades. The crew were at their normal stations, but an uncomfortable silence hung over the bridge. Trying to get things back to normal, Janeway was the one to break the silence. "Lieutenant Paris, what's our estimated time of arrival at the anomaly?" "ETA sixteen hundred hours- six hours to go, Captain." Out of things to say, Janeway sank back in her chair and tapped aimlessly at the console attached to the arm. On her left, Chakotay did the same. * * * "ETA at the anomaly, two minutes and counting." Tom Paris reported, turning to the captain. Janeway looked around the bridge. "Man your stations everyone. Tom, take us in. Hold on tight, this could be a bumpy ride." Chapter 11 "Report!" snapped the captain as the ship finally steadied. Janeway was bombarded with replies immediately, both from the bridge crew and over the comm system. "Shields down to 72 percent." "Structural damage deck 7, repairs under way." "Casualties on decks 6 and 7- nothing serious." "Captain, something's firing at us!" As the ship bucked and rolled, the Captain stood and ordered, "On screen!" Another bolt of blue light slammed into the front of the ship and Janeway had to steady herself against the back of Paris' chair. "Shields at 68 percent and falling." reported Kim from his station. "Mr Paris, evasive manoeuvres. B'Elanna, re-route all extra power to shields and cloaking devices." It wasn't Torres who replied over the comm. though. It was Kathryn. "Yes Ma'am!" The Captain paled. "Chakotay, you have the bridge." Covering her face with her hands, Janeway ran from the bridge, followed by the concerned gazes of the crew. * * * Janeway stormed through the doors of Engineering. "Get that girl out of here, now!" The engineers looked at each other and their eyes finally rested on B'Elanna. Before the chief engineer had a chance to say anything, the Captain had grabbed Kathryn by the arm and was dragging her, protesting, out of Engineering. "But mom, I was helping!" The Captain paused and turned to face the girl, without letting go of her wrist. "Don't you dare 'but mom' me. I am not your mother!" Features set, Janeway dragged the now silent girl along the maze of corridors to her quarters. The door slid open and the two entered. Janeway released her grip on Kathryn's wrist and the girl rubbed it angrily. "You stay here, you do not leave this room, and you do not mess up anything." Janeway stepped out of the room and the door slid shut, hiding Kathryn's shocked face from view. The Captain tapped her comm badge. "Tuvok, put a security seal on my quarters and keep it there until I say so." The comm link snapped shut, and Janeway leant against the wall and closed her eyes. * * * Chakotay had things under control on the bridge, but as Janeway strode through the doors, Harry Kim turned to face her. "Captain, we've got a planet on long-range sensors... it's... earth!" The Captain was the only one on the bridge, except Chakotay, that didn't seem shocked by this announcement. "Tom, take us in to orbit. Harry, keep the shields up and constantly modulating so they can't see us. Tuvok, fire at will if anyone attacks. Chakotay, come with me, we've got to get ready to go." Chakotay stood to join his Captain, and she lead the way off the bridge and in to a turbo lift. "You'll need a couple of fully charged phasers, and any official paperwork you have with you- security passes, things like that. I'll meet you in the transporter room as soon as we're in orbit." Janeway stepped out of the turbo lift, leaving a confused Chakotay inside. "We're taking her home." was all the Captain offered by means of an explanation before the lift doors swished shut. * * * Outside her quarters, Janeway steadied herself, resting a hand against the doorframe. "Computer, lift security seal on my quarters." The computer replied pleasantly, "Security seal, lifted." The Captain paused momentarily before entering, not quite sure what she would find inside. Kathryn sat on the couch under the windows, looking at the framed photo the Captain kept of herself, Mark and their dog. She looked up as Janeway entered. "Who is this?" Janeway looked sad, and then replied. "He's my fiancé, Mark." Not trusting herself to say any more, she gazed out of the window over Kathryn's head. "We've got to get ready to go." Earth was fast approaching in the window. "We haven't got long. We're taking you home." Kathryn turned to look out the window as well, and gasped. She'd seen earth from space before, but she'd never really appreciated its beauty. As Kathryn gawped in awe, the Captain busied herself filling a backpack: phasers, Starfleet documentation, ID cards, diplomas, everything she could find to prove her identity and, hopefully, keep her safe. That done, she moved on to a backpack for Kathryn, with all the clothes she'd arrived in, and a padd to remind her of her time on Voyager, complete with crew database and photos. The Captain handed Kathryn the backpack, and put her own on. "Ready?" she asked. Kathryn nodded, and they made their way to the transporter room. Chapter 12 Chakotay was already in the transporter room, similarly kitted out, when Janeway and Kathryn arrived. They all stepped on to the transporter pads, and Janeway instructed the technician. "Three to beam down to Starfleet Academy, San Francisco, California." The technician's hands flew across his controls, and the images of the three flickered blue and disappeared. Materialising in the transporter room of the Academy, Janeway began to feel nostalgic. Chakotay and Kathryn merely looked confused. The Captain led the way and strode purposefully past the Starfleet technician, hoping he wouldn't ask for an explanation. Uniforms and Janeway's Starfleet ID card served their purpose, and soon enough they stood outside a perfectly ordinary door bearing the legend 'Admiral O. Paris'. As the Captain paced outside the door, trying to bring herself to enter, Chakotay guessed what must be inside- he'd heard enough of the stories to know. The door chimed, and then slid open. Chin lifted, Janeway entered and stood boldly before the fearsome Admiral. The door slid shut behind her, leaving Chakotay with Kathryn in the corridor. Awkwardly, he put a hand on her shoulder. "It'll be alright. Kathryn has got what you could call... a way with people." He looked longingly through the door, wishing he could be with her. The girl tilted her chin to look Chakotay in the eye. "You love her, don't you?" Chakotay looked away, but couldn't avoid the true answer. "She's got Mark." was his terse reply. Sensibly, Kathryn was silent and sat on the floor, back up against the wall. * * * "Oh look, Kathryn Janeway. I thought we got rid of you over ten years ago." Janeway didn't let the Admiral's harsh words get to her, that was exactly what he wanted. "You got rid of the Kathryn Janeway you knew, but not this one." Admiral Paris looked confused. "We'll start at the beginning, shall we?" Janeway continued. Extending a hand, she introduced herself. "Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Federation Starship Voyager." The Admiral glared. Wisely, Janeway retracted her hand and put it behind her back, standing at ease. "Who put you up to this? Where did you get the uniform? The captain's pips? The security clearance?" Admiral Paris' normally florid complexion began to redden further. "I assure you, it's real. I'm from an... alternate reality." As a woman of science, Janeway could barely bring herself to say the last two words. "Voyager is in orbit around your planet, complete with crew." The Admiral tapped viciously at a console on his desk. "Voyager was captained by a Vulcan called Tuvok. It hasn't been heard from in months, believed to be lost in the... delta... quadrant..." his voice tailed off as his computer confirmed what Janeway had just said. There was a ship orbiting earth, and it was Voyager. Among the crew were names he recognised; Tuvok, Harry Kim, Tom Paris- his son. At reading that name he paled. "What do you want? Get on with it." Relieved her explanation had been believed, Janeway poured out the tale of what had happened. "We're bringing her home if, and only if you will admit her to the Academy and ensure her safety." "Well, Miss Janeway, you drive a hard bargain..." * * * The door slid open with a smooth hiss, and Janeway stepped out smiling. Kathryn jumped to her feet, eager to hear what had happened. Smiling broadly, the Captain turned to Kathryn. "You're in!" Kathryn flung her arms around Janeway, but Admiral Paris interrupted the embrace. "That is most un-Starfleet-like behaviour, young lady. If you're going to stay here..." Kathryn released the Captain and turned to face Admiral Paris. "Yes Sir, thank you, Sir!" Chakotay picked up the backpack from where Kathryn had tossed it, and handed it to her. "We should be going now..." Shouldering their own backpacks, Captain Janeway and her first officer turned to leave, but turned as the Admiral spoke. "I know it's an alternate reality, but take care of my son." Admiral Paris turned and led Kathryn off down the long corridor. Janeway gazed longingly after her, then turned and strode towards the exit. Chapter 13 "Apartment 241, 1762 West 24th Street." Janeway read from the padd in her hand. She glanced around to get her bearings and headed off down the street, Chakotay following close behind. In the foyer of the modern tenement block, a quick examination of the mailboxes showed there were 250 apartments in all. Guessing, Janeway hit the button in the lift for the tenth of ten floors. Compared to the turbo lifts on board Voyager, the lift was slow, but soon enough the doors slid open with a resounding "ping". Chakotay was the one to spot the door marked 241, and Janeway crouched by his side to examine the lock. She looked up, smiling. "Finger-print ID lock." Placing her hand on the sensor pad, the door slid open. Janeway and Chakotay stepped over the threshold with a healthy measure of trepidation, phasers drawn but only set on stun. As they looked around the apartment it was clear it had been ransacked recently. Furniture was turned over and framed photos lay smashed on the floor- photos of the happy family who had so recently been residents. * * * Janeway and Chakotay found no signs that anyone had been in the apartment in the past few days, even after an hour of sifting through the debris in every room. As Janeway stood in the middle of the wreckage, she suddenly remembered a story from the twentieth century history class she took in school, but what was the girl's name? "Anne Frank!" she cried aloud, only to be met by a puzzled look from Chakotay. "She was a Jewish girl in Holland in World War Two. Her family hid behind a bookcase!" Chakotay raised an eyebrow. "Well, there was a secret staircase behind the bookcase." Light finally dawned on Chakotay. Janeway ran over to the large bookcase in the corner and started pulling it away from the wall. Hair beginning to come out of its clips she turned to Chakotay. "Are you going to help me, or what?" * * * They walked up the narrow staircase in silence, backs pressed to the walls, phasers drawn. Gingerly, Chakotay pushed open the door at the top of the flight of stairs. They both knew what they were likely to see, but nothing could prepare them for meeting themselves. As the door opened, the people inside leapt up and looked around, grabbing the nearest things to use as weapons. Framed in the doorway, Janeway and Chakotay stood, phasers drawn, facing themselves, wielding large kitchen knives. The Captain and her first officer lowered their phasers as their counterparts dropped their weapons in shock. Captain Janeway holstered her phaser. "I think you'd better sit down." Mrs Kathryn Chakotay sat down on an old-fashioned kitchen chair, and her husband clutched the back of the chair, knuckles white from gripping so hard. Captain Janeway perched on the edge of the couch and her Chakotay leant against the now closed door. Sighing, the Captain began to relay the tale of the past few days. * * * Resting his hands on his wife's shoulders, Chakotay was the first to speak. "So she's definitely safe?" Captain Janeway smiled reassuringly. "Definitely." Mrs Chakotay relaxed on hearing this and looked up at her husband. He brushed the hair out of her eyes. "She gets her brains from you, Kath." Not wanting to ruin the moment, no one spoke. Eventually, Commander Chakotay spoke up. "We should go now, Voyager's waiting in orbit." He extended a hand to his alternate self. "It was good to meet you." The two Chakotays shook hands while the two Kathryns embraced warmly. Heading for the doorway, the Starfleet officers paused and turned. "Good luck. Look after Kathryn- she's a wonderful girl." The couple smiled at the Captain's words, and watched them disappear down the steep staircase. Back in the main apartment, Janeway stopped to pick up a photo of the couple and their child. As the Captain looked at it, she let he shoulders droop in resignation. She'd had a child who was hers, and then lost her. She'd blown what might have been her only chance of motherhood, if they didn't ever get back to the Alpha Quadrant that is. Chakotay slipped a comforting arm round her shoulders and tapped his comm. badge. "Voyager? Two to beam up." * * * Captain Janeway sat on the bed in sickbay for her routine post-away mission medical. She looked shattered, and felt about ten times worse. It suddenly dawned on her that she hadn't slept since Kathryn appeared two days ago. The Doctor ran a scanner over her body and raised his eyebrows. "There's nothing physically wrong with you, but I'm prescribing three days of rest, relaxation and nothing that even resembles duty!" Janeway shrugged non-committally and headed glumly for her quarters. Chapter 14 In the Captain's quarters, Janeway and Chakotay sat on the couch underneath the huge windows. Out of uniform they both looked younger and less severe, especially Janeway. Her hair, loose over her shoulders, softened her often steely face, although the same strength and resolve still showed in her eyes. Janeway leaned an elbow on the back of the seating and gazed out at the distant stars. "Do you think we did the right thing?" she asked forlornly, asking the stars as much as Chakotay. He was the one to reply though, and he slipped his arm around her shoulders. "We did the right thing, Kathryn, we did the right thing." Slightly consoled, Janeway smiled weakly at the stars and stifled a yawn. "You still haven't slept, have you, Kathryn?" Chakotay asked, with notes of concern in his voice. "It was the Doctor's orders, remember? Heavy duty R. and R. and plenty of sleep for both of us. So? Have you slept yet?" Authoratative tones crept over the concern. Janeway bet he was a great captain on the Maquis ship. Her silence was met with a raised eyebrow. "Well...." she began, and received a glare from Chakotay in return. Chastened, she looked at the floor and shook her head regretfully. Another glare came her way. "I... I think I'll sleep now actually." With that, the Captain stretched out on the sofa and laid her head in her first officer's lap. Within seconds she was fast asleep. * * * Chakotay sat in silence, looking fondly, almost lovingly, at his Captain, and brushing the hair out of her eyes. Lifting her head on to the couch he stood up, and lifted his sleeping Captain. Chakotay carried her to her bed and knelt, almost reverently, as he lowered her on to the bed and pulled the covers over her sleeping form. Chakotay just let his lips brush Janeway's forehead as he murmured the word 'Goodnight' and headed for the door. Standing in the doorway, silhouetted by the light from the corridor, he turned back to look at the Captain, fast asleep where he lay her. "Goodnight, Kathryn."