Standard disclaimers apply: Paramount owns these characters and I am writing this story only to satisfy my imagination. Reproduce this story if you wish, but keep my name attached to it.

Immaculate Q-ception

"Captain Kathryn, my dear!" boomed a voice out of the quiet. The sound was startling and Captain Janeway leapt out of her chair, spilling some of her decaffeinated coffee down the front of her long silk nightgown.

"Q!" she snapped. "What are you doing on my ship again?" It had been a relaxing evening for Kathryn. She had retired early to her quarters, changed into her familiar, comfortable nightclothes, and settled in to read a favorite novel with her warm cup. It had been relaxing, that is, until the introduction of that amazingly annoying voice.

Q feigned hurt. "Aren't you happy to see me? It has been a while, and I'm sure you consider me an old friend."

Kathryn put her cup down and stood erect with her hands on her hips. "Why are you here, Q? I don't trust you with my crew."

"You wound me, Kathryn. And to think I came here only as a gesture of good will. I enjoyed our last meeting so much that I dropped by only to give you a gift. A small token of my esteem."

Kathryn was not convinced. "A gift, you say? Do you plan to send us instantly home? Or maybe you are going to blink yourself out of existence, never to harass my ship again. Either of those would certainly be acceptable."

"Play nice Kathryn, or I may change my mind and give my gift to someone else. I did so want to see your reaction to it, though. A case study, of sorts..."

"Oh, no, Q, I certainly will not allow you to hang around and observe my every move no matter what you plan to give me. Please leave."

Q moved closer. "I already planned to leave after presenting my gift. I would like to drop by on occasion to see it, but perhaps as a fly in your soup or something adequately unnoticeable, all right? May I present the gift now?"

"Can I stop you?"

"So, Kathryn, the gift has been presented."

Janeway looked around her quarters, paying particular attention to the starfield outside her window just in case he HAD sent them home. It did not change. "Well, where is it?"

"You can't see it just yet, but trust me, you will in time. You will have to let me know how you like it. I had originally wanted to make it myself, but the Continuum wouldn't allow me to get that involved in human affairs, so I had to choose a likely mortal candidate to help me. I hope I made the right choice. What am I saying? I am a Q. Omnipotent! Of course I made the right choice! Adios, Katarina. Until next time..."

Q's assumed human form gradually faded away in front of Kathryn's eyes. Her eyes flashed with the anger she had presented to Q, but deep down she was curious. Q's gift could be almost anything. Perhaps a miracle would occur and they would find their way home in the next few weeks. Or perhaps it would be something so simple as an unlimited coffee supply. Kathryn sighed. No use wondering, she thought. I won't know until Q wants me to know, and that will be in his own sweet time, so I may as well go about my business. Janeway reached over to turn on her computer console.

"Captain's Log, stardated today, audio only. I had a visit from our favorite nemesis, Q, this evening which surprisingly lasted only a few minutes. He said he was granting me a gift which I would not actually see yet, but would 'in time.' I am curious to find what gift he would actually be willing to give me."

When she finished with her log, she made a mental note to tell her senior officers about the visit at their regular staff meeting in the morning.

One Earth Standard month later.

Chakotay watched the starfield blur by much the same as it had for the last several weeks. Things had been very routine for those weeks; no engineering difficulties, no alien attacks, no personnel disputes. It was a good thing, too, Chakotay kept thinking, because the Captain had obviously been under the weather for the past few days. He glanced at her for the sixth time in ten minutes. She looked pale and exhausted. She had been eating very little, and he had noticed that even her coffee that she enjoyed on the bridge in the mornings had gone cold three days in a row now. It certainly can't be stress, he pondered, because these are the quietest weeks we've probably ever had. I wonder if she has been to see the doctor. He promised himself he would express his concern to her the next time they were alone. A trip to sickbay for an examination might even be a welcome diversion from the tedium.

The next time Chakotay stole a look at Janeway, she was no longer pale, but flushed as if she had a fever. She caught his glance and said in a voice that only he could hear, "I am going to my quarters for a while." Louder, she said, "You have the bridge, Commander." The Captain rose and attempted her usual purposeful stride toward the turbolift. It was a mistake, because after only a few steps, she began to teeter. With a panicked expression she reached out for something with which to steady herself, but she was already too far from her chair and her console to grab on. As she lost consciousness and slumped, Chakotay managed to grab her and then gently ease her to the floor of the bridge.

The First Officer first checked Janeway's pulse, which was racing, but strong. Then he slapped her cheeks, calling "Captain, Captain!" to try to rouse her. Finally, he lifted her like a baby and headed off the bridge. "Contact Sickbay," he commanded, but Lieutenant Paris was already speaking with Kes and the Doctor, who immediately made preparations for the Captain's arrival.

Kes met Chakotay at the door of sickbay as he jogged in. "She just collapsed on the bridge," he said to the doctor and Kes as he put the Captain down on a bed. "She hasn't been looking well lately at all, although she hasn't mentioned anything. She was on her way to her quarters, where I hope she was going to lie down."

The doctor finished his second bioscan by the time Chakotay finished speaking and then leaned over to activate the biobed controls near Janeway's head. Kes glanced at the monitor, did a double take, and then looked at the doctor in amazement. How strange, Chakotay thought. I didn't think anything could surprise Kes, Returning to the problem at hand, he spoke to the doctor. "Well? Is it serious?"

"Not at all," said the hologram. "Her symptoms are perfectly normal, and even a good sign for a woman in her stage of pregnancy."

Kes yanked the doctor's arm hard to quiet him as Chakotay tried to digest this new information.

"Pregnancy? The Captain?"

Kes tried to soothe the First Officer. "Yes, according to the bioscan, the Captain is about four weeks pregnant, although I don't think she knows it yet. Actually, Doctor, I think the Captain should know this right away, don't you?"

"Yes, of course," he replied, reaching for his hypospray of stimulant.

"Shall I leave?" asked Chakotay tentatively. It occurred to Kes that this was the first time she had seen him tentative about anything.

The doctor opened his mouth, but the Ocampa cut him off. "Of course not, since you already know. I'm sure she could use a friend when she finds out."

"But who is going to be my friend?" Chakotay muttered. Kes looked at him curiously, but said nothing, as Kathryn was beginning to come around.

She looked up at her officer and the two medical personnel. "Well," she managed to croak. "Will I live?"

Kes jumped in. "Of course, Captain. In fact, we have some good news for you. There's going to be another baby on Voyager. You are due in about eight months." Both Kes and Chakotay searched Janeway's face for a reaction. Neither got the reaction that they anticipated.

The Captain chuckled. "Well, either that's the best joke I've heard in a long time or your medical instruments are seriously malfunctioning. Which is it?"

The doctor replied, "My instruments are in perfect working order, as usual, and I assure you we are not joking. Now, whom else should I congratulate?" This time Kes stomped on the hologram's foot, hard. "Why are you doing that Kes? I cannot be hurt!" Kes stomped again anyway.

The Captain jumped in. "Well something is wrong. I, for one, do not believe in immaculate conceptions. And I promise you I did not pull any Seska stunt and steal anyone's DNA!"

Kes thought that Chakotay looked relieved, although he tried to hide it. She smiled faintly at him.

The doctor spoke in his matter-of-fact way. "You have not had intercourse in the last four to six weeks?"

Both Janeway and Chakotay flushed slightly. The Indian looked intently at the Captain, waiting for her answer.

"No," she said simply.

"Most unusual," said the doctor. "I suggest we do a thorough examination, including a study of the embryo's DNA, and see what information we can gather." Janeway nodded. Chakotay excused himself and headed for the bridge.

Over the next several hours, Kathryn was poked, prodded, and lectured by the doctor. Kes's soft voice was the only thing keeping her sane, the Captain thought. Kes explained what they were doing and what they were looking for every step of the way, and, where appropriate, what they were finding out. "The baby is fully human," she said, "and I can determine the sex if you want to know, but you might want to think about it a little bit first. Our original assessment of four weeks along seems to be accurate and neurological development of the embryo is completely normal. A DNA analysis for identity is all that's left to run."

"You mean to determine the baby's father," Janeway stated.

"Yes," replied Kes, "and for that matter, to be sure you are the mother. This is just strange enough that we ought to be positive." The Captain nodded. Kes continued. "You just relax now. We have all the samples we need and the computer will be pondering the answer for a while."

"Computer," the doctor began, "analyze DNA sample Janeway One to determine parentage and percentage possibility. For the first run, assume that Captain Kathryn Janeway is the maternal parent and search for a paternal parent within the male crew of Voyager." He turned to his companions. "That is the most likely scenario. If necessary we can expand our search from there. We may not know for several hours."

"Analysis complete. One match found," stated the computer's female voice.

"Percent probability?" asked the doctor.

"The match is 99.99467 percent probable."

Janeway sat up. "That's as close as one would ever get," said the doctor. "State the name of the paternal parent.

"Commander Chakotay."

Kathryn stood in the turbolift, composing herself. Why did I volunteer to do this? She thought. The doctor could have told him in his own blunt way, or Kes could have done it. But that's not fair. It is my responsibility to tell him, even though I have no idea what either of us might have done to cause this, She took a deep breath and briefly considered the doctor's instructions to her. Rise slowly to avoid fainting. Get extra rest. Be sure to keep food in the stomach at all times. He had not allowed her to leave sickbay until she forced some food down. At least he had delivered an anti-nauseant to help. You're procrastinating, Kathryn, she thought. Then she took a deep breath and stepped out onto the bridge. All eyes turned to look at her. She ignored them. "Commander Chakotay, would you join me in my ready room, please?"

Chakotay nodded to Tuvok, indicating that he was to take the bridge, and followed the Captain into her ready room.

"How are you feeling, Captain?" Chakotay asked as soon as the door closed behind him.

"Can we please have this discussion as just Kathryn and Chakotay?" she asked. Chakotay noted that she looked vulnerable, a side she rarely showed.

"Of course, Kathryn," he spoke softly.

"I am feeling quite a bit better, Chakotay, at least physically. Otherwise I am confused. I don't know what has happened. I've always thought that I might have a child someday, but I never expected it to happen mysteriously, and so far from home. I expected it to be a decision I made, not something that was done TO me."

Chakotay stifled a chuckle. It was so like the Captain to always expect to be in control. He had to admit that in this case she was right. Most people had children as a result of their actions. Apparently Janeway had taken no such action. But he did not make any of these statements, but simply said, "I had hoped you had begun to think of Voyager as your home."

The Captain smiled. "That will be another discussion, Chakotay. For now I have more information that I need to share with you. I don't know how to make this any easier for either of us, so I'm just going to come right out and say it." Chakotay looked at her with his typical intense expression. Then he smiled slightly, as if to provide reassurance. "The doctor has been able to determine that you are the father of this baby I'm carrying."

They sat in silence for a moment as Chakotay absorbed the news. He looked surprised, Kathryn thought, but not upset. She was grateful. Finally he spoke. "I guess I'm just not meant to conceive a child in the normal manner," he said, and they both laughed.

"I'm sorry, Chakotay, but I just don't have any theories on how this happened," the Captain said. Chakotay thought, I guess we're in a region of space where your dreams at night are actually real. Then he mentally slapped himself and concentrated on the subject at hand.

"Well," he said, "We both know what DIDN'T happen a month ago. Let's figure out what DID happen a month ago. Why don't I check the ship's logs, and you can go through your personal and Captain's logs."

"Captain's logs..." she said. The proverbial light bulb turned on. "Computer, locate my Captain's log concerning the most recent visit of the entity known as 'Q'."

"Log located," stated the computer voice. "Replay?"

"In a moment. First, what is the stardate of the entry?"

"Stardate 50124.5."

"Four weeks ago!" exclaimed Chakotay.

"A gift that I wouldn't see right away, but that I would in time..." Janeway joined in. Together they listened to the log and the pieces began to fall into place.

Chakotay grinned. "So I'm the 'likely mortal candidate,' huh? That's been my life-long aspiration!" There was a pause and Chakotay got suddenly serious. "So what do you plan to do, Kathryn?"

"It is not my decision alone," she answered.

"All right, then, what would you LIKE to do?"

"I don't know if this is the right time in my life to have a child. I don't like the circumstances surrounding it, and I don't like the danger of the unknown here in the Delta Quadrant. I am concerned about the reaction of the crew and how this would affect my ability to command this ship. I do know, though, that I do not like the idea of killing anyone, especially the innocent. The circumstances surrounding this child are not the fault of the child."

"You would like to keep the child, then," Chakotay said quietly.

"Well, you have a say in this, too. What do you think?"

"You know me better than that, Kathryn. Do you really need to ask?"

"I guess I just want to hear you say it aloud, Chakotay."

The Indian sighed and took the Captain's hand. "You know I will always be there for you. And I will always be there for this child if you will let me. I almost had the chance to be a father once before, so I know I am ready for it. I think you are ready for it too, you just need to realize it. The idea will take some getting used to, but I know this can be a blessing if we let it." Chakotay paused. Kathryn didn't say anything, so he continued. "You probably don't want to hear this because it doesn't fit into our 'defined parameters,' but I would like nothing more than to have a child with you. I think it will be some child, don't you?"

Janeway smiled vaguely and averted her eyes. "We need to tell the crew, then. I think informing the senior officers first is appropriate, don't you?"

Chakotay replied, "Yes, but how about first thing in the morning? I've never felt such an urge to talk to my animal guide in all my life."

"The morning then."

Chakotay turned to leave and then stopped, "Oh, and Kathryn," Janeway finally met his gaze. "Congratulations."

"Congratulations, Chakotay."

When the Captain got off duty, she first stopped by sickbay to ask Kes to please not tell anyone, not even Neelix, about her condition just yet. It was a relief to spend a few minutes chatting with someone who was genuinely happy for her. When Kes asked how Chakotay was taking the news, Kathryn had to admit, "He's ecstatic, of course. Isn't that just like a man who doesn't have to be nauseous and carry the weight around!"

"I'm not surprised, Captain. I could sense that much from him. You must have had a good talk. You seem to be dealing with it much better now."

"I'll get used to the idea with time," Kathryn said. "I just hope the crew will."

"They've gotten used to being seventy years from home and working with 'the enemy,' so to speak, and replicator rations, and Neelix's food. They should have no trouble dealing with this."

"Thank you, Kes. You've been wonderful as always."

"I'm just returning one of the many favors I owe you, Captain."

In her quarters, Kathryn was still trying to compose her thoughts after staring at an engineering report for an hour. She hadn't actually comprehended a word of it. Finally, she got up and left her quarters, planning to make an informal inspection tour of the ship. Instead, within a few minutes she found herself standing outside the door to her First Officer's quarters. To her surprise, it opened before she rang the bell. Chakotay, apparently expecting her, said nothing, but stepped aside to allow her access. She noted the medicine bundle neatly wrapped on his floor. "Have you contacted your spirit guide?" she queried.

Chakotay replied softly, "No. I haven't been able to clear my mind enough to concentrate on it."

"My thoughts have been whirling as well," said Janeway.

"Perhaps I'd have more luck if you helped me," Chakotay said.

Kathryn nodded, remembering how he had first helped her to contact her animal guide. They both sat cross-legged on the floor. Chakotay poured the stones from his medicine bundle into Janeway's palms and then gingerly covered her hands with his. The Captain watched for a moment as he closed her eyes, and then she did so, too.

After a few minutes of struggling to clear her mind, she began to see what she supposed was Chakotay's vision. A huge gray wolf trotted out of a forested area and stood before Chakotay and Janeway. She did not speak, but examined them both with liquid eyes. She turned and headed back into the woods, pausing and gazing at the two humans with a look that implored them to follow. They did. After a short stroll through the peaceful, cool woods, the wolf stopped and looked up into the trees. Chakotay and Kathryn followed her stare and saw a tiny, beautiful bird with brown wings with silver tips perched on a tree limb. When the bird noticed them watching, it began to jump up and down on the branch, fluttering its wings and chirping happily. It was such a sight that both humans laughed, entranced. The wolf trotted off, leaving Janeway, Chakotay, and the little bird behind. The bird became emboldened and glided down from the tree to flutter around the humans' ears, still chattering. Finally, it landed on Kathryn's shoulder and stared at Chakotay curiously. Chakotay looked at Kathryn with the same curious expression. "Do you understand?" he asked her.

"The bird is our baby?" she questioned.

"Yes," the Indian replied, "Our daughter. Can you feel the joy, Kathryn? Does she make you feel the joy?"

Kathryn nodded. She truly did feel joy, along with excitement and anticipation, but, surprisingly, no fear.

Chakotay released her hands, breaking the spell and bringing them back to his ordinary crew quarters on Voyager. He allowed her the silence of the moment as he returned his stones to their sack for safekeeping.

Finally Janeway spoke. "Doesn't your animal guide usually speak to you?"

"Yes, usually. I guess this time she decided that it wasn't necessary. That a picture, or in this case, a feeling, was worth a thousand words."

"How did you know that the baby is a girl? I didn't see any proof of that."

Chakotay smiled. "I just know. You can confirm it with the doctor if you like."

"I trust you," the Captain said. "Now, I think we should both try to get some sleep. Senior staff meeting in the morning, you know."

"Do you trust me to know how the crew will react?" Chakotay inquired.

"Well, I would like to hear your opinion."

"I think they will be surprised at first, as we were, but that they will be very happy for us once they get used to the idea."

"Will they believe that Q is responsible for this?" Kathryn asked worriedly.

"Most will," Chakotay responded, "and those that don't will have proof that Starfleet and Maquis can work together and get along." He grinned.

"What about the command structure of this ship?"

"What about it? You will still be in charge, and if you aren't able at any point, I will take over, in the same way it works now. At some point one or both of us may want leave. We should be taking leaves now and just don't. Perhaps we can both be only human for a change. Don't worry, Captain, every one will stand behind you. I have full confidence in your ability to separate your work and your private life. You're quite good at 'defining those parameters'." He grinned again.

Kathryn gave him a dirty look, but it quickly softened. "I'm sorry if I have hurt you, Chakotay. I will try to do better. Thank you for all your help. Goodnight." She turned to leave.

"Goodnight, Kathryn."

The next morning, the usual group of officers sat around the conference room table for their daily meeting. Kes looked expectant, since she was aware of the important announcement to be made, but the rest of the crewmembers were unsuspecting. Since it was early and the meeting was generally very routine, some even looked sleepy. The Captain decided to go ahead and shake things up.

"There is only one item on the agenda for this morning. I have something very important to tell you all. Please listen carefully until I am completely finished and then I will field any questions you may have." Only Chakotay and Kes had any idea of the nervousness the Captain was inwardly suffering, because there was no outward sign of it. Janeway was all business, as usual. The officers straightened and paid closer attention, but were still not as alert as they were in crisis situations.

The Captain began. "You will recall that about a month ago I was visited by Q again. He said something vague about giving me a gift that I wouldn't see until some later date. He claimed that he would pop in on occasion to observe that gift. Well, nothing seemed to come of it, although I thought it strange that after his last lengthy visit he would come and leave quickly without causing any difficulty. I logged the occurrence, we discussed it in a meeting very much like this one, and, as there was nothing further we could do at this point, we closed the books on it, so to speak. Everyone with me? Remember?" Heads bobbed up and down around the table as everyone agreed. Kes suddenly understood.

"Well," Janeway continued, "I have since found out what Q was up to. I am not sure exactly what he plans to gain from it, but..." She paused and took a deep breath. "He apparently somehow impregnated me. He wasn't allowed by the continuum to impregnate me himself, so apparently he used Commander Chakotay as a donor."

Since she was not startled by this announcement, Kes used the ensuing silence to observe the faces around her. Tom Paris looked as though he was stifling a laugh. Kes knew that he had sensed chemistry between the Captain and First Officer, and she guessed that he suspected a cover-up. Harry looked completely stunned. He didn't handle surprises particularly well. Tuvok was the typical Vulcan, completely composed and showing no sign of emotion. Kes suspected his brain was working overtime processing all the available information, though. B'Elanna Torres looked angry, as she often did, but she was also examining the Captain and Chakotay's expressions. She's more sensitive to other people's feelings than most of us give her credit for, Kes thought. Neelix was having difficulty not speaking. He looked unsettled at not being allowed to talk. Kes suspected that he was truly happy about the baby and wanted to express his congratulations. He was probably thinking that another baby would be very good for morale. Kes had already observed that the Captain held her head high, defying anyone to disagree or comment negatively, so she moved on to Chakotay. He looked unbelievably calm, almost as calm as Tuvok. He had obviously made peace with the situation. Kes smiled.

"Chakotay and I have discussed the situation and decided to keep the child. The circumstances surrounding her conception are not her fault and she deserves a chance at life, no matter how it began. I will need your support and assistance in informing the rest of the crew and making me aware of any problems the situation may create."

Now Kes was surprised. How did the Captain already know that the baby was a girl? To her knowledge, no one in Sickbay had given her that information. She shook her head in amazement and returned her attention to the Captain's speech.

"Discussion? Questions?" Captain Janeway asked.

Neelix jumped right in. "Might I be the first to extend my congratulations to both of you, and might I add that this could be very good for crew morale. After all, the happiness of the Captain and First Officer trickles down to all of us."

"Captain," B'Elanna interrupted, "If Q was so quick to give 'the gift,' how do we know that he won't be just as quick to take it back?"

Tuvok answered, "It would be illogical for him to take it back considering his desire to 'observe' it."

"Unfortunately this means we may be seeing quite a bit more of that character," said Paris.

"Unfortunately there's nothing we can do about that. He can pop in any time he likes whether we like it or not," Chakotay pointed out.

Kim finally recovered the ability to talk. "I definitely think two children on the ship will be better than just one. I was an only child and I know how very lonely that can be. Now Ensign Wildman's baby will have a playmate of nearly the same age."

Kes added, "After the loss of Ensign Hogan, I think everyone will be happy to have a new 'crew member'."

There was a pause. Janeway was surprised at the course of the conversation. Her officers seemed to take the whole incident in stride and focused on valid rational points. They were not emotional, accusing, or concerned about Janeway's command, as she had feared. She was very proud of them.

"I will adjourn this meeting for now," she said, "but know that if you have any comments or concerns you can come to me at any time. If you would feel more comfortable, see Commander Chakotay. I don't expect that the baby will affect the command structure of this vessel, except perhaps temporarily in eight months, but if you should ever feel that it is compromised, be sure to let one of us know. Dismissed."

Everyone rose and left the conference room. Paris paused to slap Commander Chakotay on the back and congratulate him, and Kes stopped to give the Captain a hug. The rest acted completely normal, much to Janeway's relief. Chakotay was the last to leave, and he simply paused and gave the Captain a grin, as if to say 'well done.' He just missed seeing the tiny angular male face on Janeway's fourth pip, which laughed for a moment and then winked out of existence.