Any resemblance to people or events, both real and fictional, is purely coincidental.

Sequel to

By JLPresley@aol.com and Winkiebug@aol.com

Chakotay opened his eyes and grinned as he shifted his position in the bed. The familiar hum of the ship's engines reverberated slightly in his ears. Voyager was now repaired and he and Kathryn had been restored to their former positions on the ship. He turned over in the bed and felt empty space. When he looked for Kathryn, he felt empty space.

"Kath? Honey, are you in here?"

His answer was the gentle hiss of the shower. He smiled as he imagined her hands entangled in her thick, honey brown hair. Chakotay loved to touch it and stroke it. Kathryn often quipped that he should marry it.

"You called?"

"Yeah. Mind if I join you?"

"Well, we could save time before going to bed. Come on in."

As Kathryn lathered her hair with jasmine scented shampoo, she felt a warm presence enter behind her. As the scent of cinnamon filled her nostrils, Kathryn felt her hair and scalp being massaged. She smiled as she leaned back against him, his arms surrounding her as her head leaned against Chakotay's chest.

"Feel better?"

"Much, Chakotay. Thanks. What are you smiling about?"

"I never thought I'd be here with you like this."

"We've been together before. We've also been married for five months."

"So, Mrs. Janeway, have any plans right now?"

"As a matter of fact, I happen to be free."

"Good." Chakotay said as he turned her around and gave her a heated kiss. Kathryn arched her neck and moaned in pleasure as Chakotay kissed his way down to the patch of skin behind her ear while his hands roamed over her body. Kathryn laughed as she grabbed Chakotay's face and cupped it in her hands as she kissed him passionately, molding her body to his.

Kathryn was in a white lace dress. There were no sleeves. The bodice clung to her, emphasizing her tiny waist. The skirt billowed around her, many layers of white lace and satin. Her golden brown hair hung down loosely except for the sides, which were pinned up behind her head with baby's breath. She was adjusting the veil on her head when she heard a knock at the door,

"Come in."

Neelix walked in, wearing a tuxedo with a black cummerbund. He looked into the room and immediately found Kathryn by the mirror. He looked over her form before letting out a low whistle.

"Wow! Captain, you look stunning! Commander Chakotay is a lucky man."

"Thank you, Neelix. Is it time?"

"No. We have a couple of minutes. Captain, is something wrong?"

"Neelix, it's not necessary to call me Captain when we're not on the bridge. Call me Kathryn."

"OK. Kathryn is something wrong? You look a bit sad."

"I'm fine. I just miss Tuvok. When Chakotay and I talked about getting married before we returned to the Alpha Quadrant, I always saw Tuvok walking me down the aisle giving me away."

"I know. I miss him too." Neelix said as he embraced Kathryn before Phoebe poked her head in the room. She was wearing her peach and white maid of honor dress, her brown hair styled similar to Kathryn's.

"Kath? It's time."

"All right, Phoebe."

Chakotay was standing at the altar, fidgeting as Tom adjusted the white carnation on his lapel and straightened out his red cummerbund. After a second, Chakotay looked at Tom's father, Admiral Owen Paris, who would be performing the ceremony. He fidgeted again as Tom finished adjusting the flower.

"Will you stop fidgeting, Chakotay? I'm almost done."

"Haven't you ever been nervous at a wedding, Tom?"

"Only my own. Ah! Perfect!"

The music rang out as Phoebe Janeway walked down the aisle. Except for her hair color, she was the spitting image of Kathryn. Kes and B'Elanna followed her down the aisle. As B'Elanna was halfway down the aisle. Kathryn and Neelix appeared and began to walk down the aisle themselves. Chakotay let out a small gasp at the sight of her. She looked like an angel from above. Her blue eyes shone as she drew closer to him, her arm interlaced with Neelix'. It reminded Chakotay of an ancient Earth singer his roommate at the Academy listened to all the time. He couldn't remember the name, except that the singer's nickname had been "Ol' Blue Eyes".

She was beaming as Neelix gave her to Chakotay and Admiral Paris helped them say the words his own son had said not two months before. Chakotay cried as he put the ring on Kathryn's finger, hardly believing that this day had finally arrived. Kathryn's tears began to fall as she smiled while putting the ring onto Chakotay's finger. They were both grinning as Admiral Paris spoke the words they had been waiting to hear for more than three years.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

Applause filled the room as Chakotay lifted the veil over Kathryn's face. It turned into a deafening cheer as Chakotay and Kathryn embraced and kissed each other passionately for the first time as husband and wife.

"Kathryn? Kathryn?"

Kathryn stretched and moaned softly as she rose out of her slumber. She opened her blue eyes to find a pair of obsidian eyes staring back at her. They were smiling and laughing as Kathryn looked around the room, a bit disoriented before she smiled at him and spoke.

"Good morning."

"Good morning, Chakotay. What time is it?"

"0600."

"Were you watching me sleep all night?" she asked, purring slightly as she embraced him.

"Pretty much. You looked so content while you were sleeping that I couldn't resist watching. What were you dreaming about?"

"Our wedding."

"That was beautiful, wasn't it?"

"Not quite as beautiful as the man I married."

"Good one. You hop in the shower while I get breakfast."

"Sure. God, I'm glad I married you!"

Kathryn laughed as she wrapped the robe around her body as Chakotay finished tying his. He looked alarmed when he saw Kathryn grow pale and sway a little before he caught her in his arms.

"Kathryn, are you all right?"

"I'm just a little dizzy. I'm fine."

"Fine my foot, Kathryn. This is the third morning in a row this has happened and you're white as a sheet."

"I must be coming down with something. I'll be fine Chakotay."

"Fine. But if this gets any worse or happens again tomorrow, we're going to see the doctor."

"All right, worry wart. You win."

Chakotay was sitting in his chair on the bridge, reviewing the next week's duty roster on a data padd in his hands. As he put the padd down, B'Elanna Paris, Voyager's chief engineer, walked onto the bridge, two padds in hand. When she saw Chakotay, she walked up to him and spoke.

"Hi, Commander. Is the Captain around? She wanted to see a report on the upgrades to the metaphasic shielding."

"She's in the ready room. She wasn't feeling too well, so I sent her in there to rest five minutes ago."

Chakotay reached to tap his com badge.

"Chakotay to Janeway. Captain, B'Elanna's here to see you. Should I send her in?"

Silence was Chakotay's only response.

"Chakotay to Janeway. Kathryn, are you all right? Kathryn!"

Chakotay turned to Paris, who was sitting at the newly refurbished conn station.

"Paris, you have the bridge. B'Elanna, you're with me."

As Paris turned around and nodded, B'Elanna and Chakotay rushed to the ready room and pressed the door chime. Silence greeted Chakotay's call again. After ringing it two more times, Chakotay entered the override code and stepped into the room, B'Elanna following him close behind. She gasped and Chakotay turned to see what had gotten her attention. Kathryn was in front of her desk in the ready room on the floor. She was unconscious.

"Kathryn? Oh my God!" Chakotay said as he rushed over to her side and felt for a pulse. As he noted that her pulse seemed a bit faster than it should be, he felt Kathryn's breath on his wrist. Torres was tapping her com badge and preparing for an emergency transport to sickbay as Chakotay took Kathryn and cradled her into his arms just before turning into a silver shaft of light and disappearing.

"Please state the nature of the medical emergency." The EMH appeared just as the transporter beam coalesced into Chakotay and Janeway.

"She collapsed in her ready room, Doctor. B’Elanna and I found her on the floor." Chakotay gently placed his unconscious wife on the nearest biobed. "The past few days she’s been experiencing dizzy spells in the morning. I told her she needed to see you, but you know Kathryn..." His voice trailed off as he moved aside to let the EMH scan her.

The Doctor snorted. "Indeed, I do." His brow was slightly furrowed as he studied the readings on the woman lying before them.

Kathryn was pale, the only color on her face coming from a large contusion on her forehead. Chakotay realized she must have hit her head on the desk when she fainted. One hand rose involuntarily and brushed against her cheek. The only time he remembered ever being this scared was when he had heard that Voyager had been attacked by the Dominion.

"Defiant to all Starfleet vessels. We are under attack. Repeat. We are under attack. Voyager has been hit by a gravitic mine and needs immediate medical assistance." Captain Sisko's voice blared out of the speakers on the Zavala's bridge.

A horrible burning sensation gripped him. His eyes drifted shut and he saw the bridge of Voyager. Smoke billowed throughout the silence. Bodies were tossed upon the floor, helter skelter. Chakotay saw faces of friends and of strangers. But he couldn't find the one he loved.

His attention returned to the present, as he gently stroked Kathryn’s hand. Please, don’t let her leave me.

Finally, the Doctor clicked his tricorder shut. "Ah...just what I expected."

Chakotay looked at him in exasperation. "What? What’s wrong with her?"

The EMH smiled brightly and looked at him. "Well, Commander. Do you want the good news or the bad news first?"

"Doctor...." Chakotay’s voice trailed off menacingly as he glared at the hologram. He was beginning to regret Kathryn’s fight to keep the EMH program as Voyager’s CMO.

"Humph." The Doctor sniffed. "Some people really have no sense of humor. The good news, Commander, is that congratulations are in order."

Chakotay stared at him in confusion for a few moments before comprehension dawned. "We... we’re pregnant?" His eyes lit up and he looked down at his wife, ending on her stomach.

The EMH grinned and nodded. "Well, the Captain is pregnant, but I suppose you helped. She’s four weeks along, everything appears to be progressing normally. I think what happened to her this morning was she got up from a sitting position too fast and consequently she fainted. It usually takes a period of a couple months before a woman’s body acclimates to the change in blood pressure brought about by pregnancy." He moved over to a nearby table and picked up another instrument.

"Why hasn’t she regained consciousness?" Chakotay asked, worried.

"That is due to the cranial contusion she sustained. She’ll be fine, but will have a bit of a headache when she wakes up." The EMH began to run the wand across Kathryn’s forehead. "This will take care of the swelling and bruise. She’ll just need to be more careful until she adjusts to the physical changes brought about by the baby."

Chakotay finally relaxed, and pulled a chair up to sit by Kathryn. "I assume you won’t mind if I stay with her until she wakes up, Doctor?" His eyes challenged the hologram good-naturedly.

"No, not at all. I’ve learned better than to try and interfere where mates are concerned." The Doctor moved away, grumbling under his breath.

Laughing, Chakotay leaned over and pressed a kiss to Kathryn’s brow. "I love you, Kathryn, as I’m going to love our child." Then, holding her hand, he sat back to wait until she returned to him.

A few minutes later, his combadge chirped. "Paris to Chakotay." Tom’s voice sounded concerned. Chakotay swore at himself for forgetting to notify them of Kathryn’s condition.

"Chakotay here, Tom. Everything’s okay, the Captain’s going to be just fine." Inwardly, he debated with telling them the good news, before deciding that Kathryn wouldn’t be too terribly upset with him. "Say, Tom. Who had the wager on 4 months?"

Silence as Tom tried to understand what Chakotay meant. "Wager? Oh, my god!" He whooped when he realized what Chakotay was telling him. "Congratulations, Commander!"

In the background, Chakotay could hear the excited voices as the others on the bridge called out their good wishes. He grinned, imagining the celebration that would be held that night.

"Oh and Commander, Kes won the wager again. Remind me never to bet against her in these types of pools!" Tom sounded a little perturbed.

"I will, Tom. Chakotay out." He was still laughing a moment later, when Tom made a shipwide announcement of the news. Kathryn is going to kill him. He sighed, looking at her. "What am I saying? She’s going to kill me for telling him in the first place?"

"Kill you for telling who and what?" Kathryn’s eyes opened slightly, and she turned her head to look at him a little easier. "What happened, Chakotay?"

He stood and bent over to kiss her softly. "You fainted, Kathryn and hit your head on the desk." He raised an eyebrow at her. "Next time, listen to me when I tell you to see the Doctor."

She frowned slightly. "Why, what’s wrong?"

Smirking, he straightened. "Nothing that time won’t cure. About 8 months to be exact."

Kathryn had started to sit up when she stopped and stared at him. "Eight months? Are you saying what I think you’re saying?" Her mouth curved into a grin. "I take it I can start calling you Papa Chakotay now?"

Nodding, he leaned in until his face was hovering an inch from hers. "Yes, ma’am." Anything further was lost as he kissed her again.

Kathryn was on the bridge of Voyager. Commander Chakotay was not beside her. Commander Tuvok was sitting in his chair. For a second, Kathryn wondered why Chakotay wasn't there. Where was Chakotay? She had seen him at the reception held when Voyager returned to the Alpha Quadrant.

Kathryn never got her answer. A support beam hit him as sparks flew from the console when the ship shook violently after hitting some sort of explosive mass. Tuvok ran to the console as the ship shook violently again. Kathryn screamed as she saw a support beam heading towards her. She hit the deck and screamed again as another support beam fell towards her.

Kathryn woke up, drenched with sweat and screaming. She was breathing as if she had been running. She placed her hand on the barely noticeable swell of her belly: the first outward sign of her pregnancy. Before Kathryn could calm down, another hand placed itself on her hand. Kathryn jumped and hit her forehead on Chakotay's temple. As both of them rubbed their heads, Chakotay looked at Kathryn, tender concern in his eyes.

"Kathryn? Are you all right?"

"No."

"Is it the baby?"

"No. I had another nightmare. I think more of my memory is starting to return."

"What was it tonight?"

"I dreamed about what happened when Voyager hit the gravitic mine. Damnit!"

"What is it?"

"I'm tired of having these memories come out now. Chakotay, when are these nightmares going to stop?" Kathryn said, tears coming down her face.

Chakotay pulled his wife towards him and caressed her long chestnut hair as he attempted to calm her down. At the same time, he began to cry.

"I am so sorry."

"For what, Chakotay?"

"I should have been there."

"Yeah. And you'd be dead instead of Tuvok. I may have been very angry at you at the time, but I don't think I could bear it if I had lost you. I love you, Chakotay."

"I love you too."

Chakotay bent and kissed the slight swell of Kathryn's abdomen before pulling her to him. Kathryn embraced Chakotay tightly as he leaned her head on his shoulder. She traced his tattoo with her fingers as slumber settled over both of them.

The next morning, Kathryn and Chakotay left their quarters and headed for the turbolift. Chakotay's arm was around the small of her back as Kathryn leaned her head on his shoulder. She sighed with contentment and smiled as they waited for the turbolift. Kathryn was wearing a maternity uniform for the first time. It was barely discernible under the looseness of the top, but Kathryn's pregnancy was beginning to become evident. Kathryn turned and took Chakotay into her embrace. She laughed as Chakotay responded by giving her a bear hug. After a second, Kathryn gasped. Chakotay broke the embrace as Kathryn gasped, feeling a slight fluttering in her stomach.

"Kathryn?"

"It's all right, Chakotay. I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm fine."

Kathryn gasped again as she and Chakotay walked into the turbolift. He turned her to look at him as she saw the look on his face. Chakotay spoke as he silently pleaded with Kathryn to talk to him.

"Kathryn, do you need to go to sickbay?"

Kathryn smiled, a huge grin forming on her face, as she grabbed Chakotay's hand and placed it on her belly. Chakotay looked completely puzzled until he felt a flutter inside of Kathryn's abdomen. He smiled at Kathryn, his eyes sparkling when he realized what was going on.

"Kathryn? Is that... is that our baby?"

"Uh-huh. Our daughter moved!"

"What makes you so sure it's a girl?"

"Would you believe me if I said I'm psychic?"

"Not a chance."

"All right. It's an instinct."

"Whatever you say, sweetheart."

Kathryn then pulled Chakotay's face down to hers and kissed him on the lips. After they separated, they looked into each other's eyes before kissing again. Kathryn opened her mouth and traced Chakotay's lips with her tongue. Chakotay drank her in as their mouths molded to each other while their tongues danced together. Kathryn ran her fingers through his hair, which made Chakotay pull her even tighter to him, molding his body to hers. When Chakotay broke the kiss, they were both breathing hard as she spoke.

"Computer, halt turbolift."

"Kathryn, what are you doing?'

"This," Kathryn said as she began to open the jacket on his singlet. "Could I ask you something, Chakotay?"

"Of course. Anything."

"Anything, Chakotay?"

"I believe that's what I said."

"Can I rip your clothes off and make savage love to you?"

"You thought you had to ask?"

Kathryn pulled Chakotay to her and kissed him deeply again. She moaned as Chakotay's hands found their way to her breasts, molding them through her uniform. Kathryn groaned from the electric sensations and pressed herself to him. Before she knew what was happening, the top of her uniform hit the floor of the turbolift.

Chakotay was working with B'Elanna Torres-Paris near one of the plasma conduits in engineering. As he handed B'Elanna a mode stabilizer, he had a dreamy look on his face. B'Elanna kept calling to him, but Chakotay paid her no mind until she began to raise her voice. "Chakotay. Chakotay. Mission control to Chakotay!"

"Huh? Oh, I'm sorry, Be."

"You looked like you were a million light years away."

"No. Not that far."

"Right. And I suppose a phantom gave you that mark on your neck."

"What are you talking about?"

"You, my friend, are the proud winner of a hickey on your neck. Is that from who I think it's from?"

"Jealous much, Be?"

Both of them laughed as B'Elanna scanned the conduit. Chakotay saw the look of puzzlement on her face and took out his own tricorder. After he looked at the readouts, he dragged B'Elanna out of the conduit.

"Chakotay, what are you doing?"

"Plasma pressure is building rapidly. You have to get out of there now!"

Before B'Elanna could ask another question, Chakotay had thrown her to the floor before an invisible force slammed right into him. As white smoke hissed into engineering, Chakotay hit the wall and slumped to the deck. B'Elanna rushed over to his crumpled body as she felt for a pulse. She reached for her com badge and tapped it.

"Emergency transport. Torres to Transporter Room One. Medical emergency. Beam me and Commander Chakotay directly to sickbay!"

Kathryn rushed into the room, her blue eyes pale and her alabaster skin white. She was breathing heavily, as if she had been running. As the sickbay doors closed, she looked around the room. B'Elanna was standing by the diagnostic console. Kes and the Doctor were hovering over the body of a badly injured crewman. His head was bleeding profusely from a gash on the right temple. His normally golden skin was ashen. There was blood all over his uniform from multiple lacerations. His left leg and arm were bent at unnatural angles, clearly broken. Kathryn found the tattoo on the left temple and gasped.

"Chakotay! My God!"

As the Doctor and Kes worked furiously over Chakotay, B'Elanna turned around and escorted Kathryn over to the Doctor's office. Both of them had tears coming down their faces.

Kathryn stumbled into the office and sank down into a chair, shaking. "B’Elanna, what happened?"

B’Elanna stood at the window, staring blindly at the Doctor moving swiftly around the unconscious man. "He saved my life. We were working at the console next to the starboard plasma conduit when one of the relays failed. Chakotay pushed me away and took the full brunt of the explosion." Her voice cracked, and her head dropped towards her chest as she tried to continue, "One minute, he was so happy he was positively floating. The next, I’m holding his broken body..." Sobs cut off the rest of her words as she yielded to misery.

Kathryn closed her eyes, and gently rubbed her stomach as if to console their unborn child. "He’ll be all right... he has to." She felt her grief rising, and stood and made her way over to B’Elanna. The two women hugged, each trying to lend the other the support she so desperately needed.

An hour passed, then two. B’Elanna had finally forced Kathryn to lie down on a biobed and rest. Kathryn submitted, but only as long as she could still watch the EMH and Kes working to heal her husband. Exhausted, she finally drifted off into sleep.

She hurried out the door and through the dimly lit corridors. She emerged into the cool San Francisco air, searching through the fog for a glimpse of Chakotay. She started walking towards the fountain, when she saw him standing near the cliff overlooking the bay.

"I just can't right now. We need some time apart, I need to think. Tonight has shown me that you aren't ready for a commitment. You need to come to terms with your relationship with Mark." A sad smile. "Goodbye, Kathryn." For the second time that night, he left her. Oh god, Chakotay, don’t walk away from me!

"Chakotay, come back. Please come back to me." Kathryn was murmuring in her sleep, when the Doctor walked over and gently shook her shoulder.

"Captain." He stepped back as she jerked upright. "Captain, are you all right?"

Kathryn swung her legs over the side of the biobed and gingerly climbed off of it, swaying slightly. She brushed off his attempts to help and made her way over to Chakotay’s biobed. He was asleep (unconscious?), his handsome face relaxed and peaceful. She could have believed he was fine, if it weren’t for the displays monitoring his vital signs.

"How is he?" Her hand gently touched his cheek, then hovered slightly over the healing cut on his temple.

"Commander Chakotay’s injuries were severe, but thankfully not life threatening. We set the fractures in his extremities, they will heal within a day with no long-term effects." The Doctor moved over to stand next to her. "The worst of his injuries was to his liver. We had to remove a portion of it due to the amount of tissue damage, but I cloned replacement tissue that Kes re-grafted to the surviving portion. That will also not be noticeable after a few days."

Kathryn sighed in relief, then leaned over and gently kissed Chakotay on the forehead. "I love you, Chakotay." She whispered, then she straightened and turned back to the Doctor. "Thank you, Doctor."

The EMH beamed, rocking back on his heels slightly. "No thanks necessary, Captain. I was just performing my usual miracles."

Kathryn shook her head, but couldn’t find the energy to laugh at his dry wit. "When will he wake up?"

"He should wake in a few hours. I don’t want to wake him artificially because he needs this time to heal." He turned his attention to her. "You should be resting also. This type of excitement is not good for you, remember you have another person depending on you right now. Plus, I happen to have it on great authority that you haven’t eaten in the past 6 hours."

Kathryn wearily nodded, then leaned down and kissed Chakotay on the forehead again. "I understand, Doctor. But please, let me know as soon as he starts to wake up." She barely acknowledged his affirmative as she slowly walked out of sickbay.

Stepping out into the corridor, Kathryn stopped and leaned against the wall. Her energy reserves depleted, she wasn’t certain if she could make it back to their quarters.

"Captain? How is Cha… are you okay?" Tom’s voice startled her and she jumped.

"Tom, no, I’m sorry. Chakotay is going to be just fine." Her voice was low and he had to strain to hear her. "I’m all right, just tired all of a sudden. How is B’Elanna?"

Tom gently took her arm in his and began to help her down the corridor. "She’s asleep. The Doctor had Kes sedate her finally, she was too upset to do anything but pace and curse." He laughed fondly as he thought of his tempestuous, half-Klingon wife. "As soon as Chakotay’s up to it, she says that she’s going to kill him for this."

Kathryn’s laugh was forced. "I thought of that myself." She turned to him when she reached the quarters she shared with Chakotay. "Thank you, Tom."

He nodded. "There is nothing to thank me for, Captain. You and Chakotay mean the world to both B’El and me. If you need anything, just call."

Kathryn gave him a small smile. "You know you can call me Kathryn, Tom. At least when we’re off-duty." She patted him on the arm, then stepped inside her quarters. Sighing, she made her way over to the replicator where she ordered up soup and a sandwich. Picking up the food, she moved over to the table and sat down. Giving up after a few bites, she made her way over to the couch and lay down. She knew she needed rest, but she was still worried about Chakotay. Maybe if she just closed her eyes for a moment...

"Sickbay to Captain Janeway." The Doctor sounded worried. "Captain Janeway, please respond."

The sound finally roused her, and she pushed herself up enough to slap at her combadge. "Janeway here, Doctor."

"I’m sorry to wake you, Captain, but Commander Chakotay is awake and asking for you."

Kathryn gasped, awake enough to stand. "I’m on my way." She hurried out her door, arriving in Sickbay less than two minutes later. She stopped just inside the door, staring wordlessly at Chakotay. He was sitting up, talking to Kes. Alert to her arrival, he turned his head and smiled.

"Chakotay!" Kathryn flew over to him and he gathered her up in his arms, the left arm a little weaker than the right.

He inhaled the subtle scent of her shampoo as he buried his face in her hair. "Kathryn." Chakotay closed his eyes, not noticing as Kes left them alone. "I love you, Kathryn."

She stepped back, swiping at the tears that fell from her eyes. "You idiot! You could have been killed." Her chest rose and fell with her breathing. "What would I have done if I had lost you?"

Chakotay shook his head at her fondly. "It doesn’t matter now, Kathryn. I’m here, and I will always be with you."

Kathryn stared at him, furious at his seeming indifference. Obsidian locked with blue as she struggled to put her feelings into words. Then, realizing that words couldn’t even express a fraction of her worry or fear, she enfolded him in her arms. "I love you too, Chakotay. Just promise not to scare us like that again."

He laughed then sobered as caught her meaning. "Are you okay? The baby?" His hand rested on the gentle mound of her stomach.

"We’re fine, just a little tired from worrying about you." Kathryn sat up on the biobed next to him, resting her head on his shoulder. They sat quietly, hands entwined, until Chakotay gently maneuvered himself until he was lying down. Reaching up, he pulled her down next to him, then spooned himself against her back, his right arm pillowed beneath her head.

When Kes and the Doctor reappeared, both were fast asleep, hands entwined on Kathryn’s stomach. Kes smiled at the sight then covered them with a blanket. "Good night." She waved her farewell to the Doctor and went to inform Harry, Tom and B’Elanna of the good news.

Two Months Later

Kathryn woke up and slid out of bed so quietly that she didn't wake Chakotay. She grabbed her robe and stretched, staring out at the stars as her stomach stretched out to alarming proportions. Kathryn was four weeks away from her due date and she was wondering if she would make it that long. As she tightened her robe around her, Kathryn jumped when she felt two arms slide around her waist and a pair of lips begin to nibble gently at her neck. Kathryn turned to face Chakotay and gave him a passionate kiss. When Chakotay enveloped her in a bear hug, Kathryn felt their baby kick her from the inside. She and Chakotay laughed before they walked over to the couch and sat down as Chakotay spoke.

"I take it my son doesn't like being squeezed like that."

"Not necessarily."

"Huh?"

"It could be a girl, remember?"

"How do you know?"

"Just a feeling, Chakotay."

Kathryn and Chakotay laughed as he placed a hand on her stomach and felt the baby kick again. When Kathryn looked into Chakotay's eyes, she smiled and embraced him again as she spoke.

"See? The baby agrees with me."

"You're incorrigible."

"I try my best. Now, what's for breakfast?"

"Didn't you just eat a few hours ago?"

"I am eating for two!"

Kathryn leaned towards Chakotay and kissed him on the lips so gently that he trembled. She then grabbed her robe and wrapped it around herself as Chakotay took her hand and got her attention when he kissed her again and spoke. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to take a shower."

"Mind if I join you? It'd save time."

"I don't mind at all, Chakotay, but I don't think it'd save time."

"So?" Chakotay said as he lifted Kathryn into his arms and carried her towards their bathroom. Kathryn's laughter rang in his ears, sounding like beautiful music to Chakotay.

Kathryn was sitting on a biobed in sickbay as the doctor was scanning her. Chakotay was sitting next to her, holding her hand. Kes walked up to them and handed the doctor a hypospray, which he injected into Kathryn's neck. When she and Chakotay looked at the doctor with concern, Kes smiled.

"Don't worry, Captain," she said, patting Kathryn's hand reassuringly. "It's just an injection of vitamin A. You have a minor deficiency, but nothing to be too concerned about."

"That's good news. How's the baby, Doctor?"

"The babies are just fine."

Kathryn and Chakotay looked up, their eyes wide open with shock. Kathryn regained her composure first and managed to speak, her voice shaking a bit. "Did you say babies?"

"Yes, I did. I believe I now understand why your weight gain has been seven percent above normal. One baby's heartbeat masked the other until now. You are carrying twins."

Chakotay's and Kathryn's faces lit up with joy as he helped her climb off the biobed. Chakotay looked at the doctor before speaking. "So when did you say the baby… um, I mean babies were due?"

"Approximately four to five weeks. However, given your age, the fact that this is a first pregnancy, and that you are having more than one child, Captain, you are at increased risk for premature labor. It is my judgment that you be relieved of duty until the babies are born."

"I understand, Doctor," Kathryn said, looking into Chakotay's obsidian eyes as she smiled. "What about going on vacation?"

"Of course, provided that you go by shuttlecraft, not use any transporters, and do not go more than twenty-six hours away."

"You got it."

"Sacajawea to Voyager. We're ready for departure."

"All right, Commander. See you next week."

"Take care of my ship, Paris."

"I will, Captain. Please disembark the ship."

Paris closed the com channel as the Sacajawea sailed free from Voyager. Chakotay put the ship on autopilot as he turned towards Kathryn.

"Kathryn? Are you all right, sweetheart? Kathryn?"

Chakotay turned from the pilot's console to find Kathryn sound asleep on one of the beds in the back. After placing the shuttle on autopilot and setting the chronometer to wake them in three hours, Chakotay grabbed a blanket and set himself on the bed behind Kathryn. His arms encircled her belly, twining with hers as one hand found its way around her and pulled the blanket up over them.

Chakotay was on a boat in a lake, pulling up the sail with the rigging. Sweat was forming on his brow as his peach shirt clung to every contour of his upper body. He was so absorbed in pulling the rigging into the boat that he didn't notice the holodeck doors open, much less who came inside. When Chakotay looked up, he saw her. Kathryn was the one who had come by the shores of the real Lake George in upstate New York.. She was wearing a white sleeveless sundress that clung to her every curve. Her honey brown hair was brushed out to a fine sheen, descending down her back in tumbling waves. Her blue eyes were alive and laughing, lighting up her face. Chakotay was so bowled over by how beautiful Kathryn looked that he tripped in the rigging and nearly fell out of the boat by the dock. After he regained his balance, Kathryn and Chakotay were laughing so hard that their sides ached. Chakotay regained his composure first and spoke as he took in gulps of air, trying to stop his laughter.

Chakotay and Kathryn began to kiss each other passionately again as clothing flew to the shoreline and whispered moans began to join the other sounds of the night.

Kathryn opened her eyes on the shuttlebed to find Chakotay's head on her shoulder, his hand placed protectively on her belly. She sighed and began to speak as she caressed her fingers across Chakotay's brow and ran them through his hair.

"Computer, estimated time before arrival at Betazed."

"Three hours and nineteen minutes."

Kathryn pulled up the blanket around them and snuggled closer to Chakotay as she watched him sleep. She kissed his temple by the tattoo as he stirred in his sleep and drew her closer.

"Kath? You up? Is something wrong?" Chakotay asked, his voice slurred with sleep.

"Nothing's wrong. I was just dreaming."

"I like dreams. About what?"

"Our wedding night."

"Ah. You wouldn't happen to know how long until we arrive at Betazed, would you?"

"A little over three hours."

"Gee, what could we do with that time?"

"I have a couple of ideas, Chakotay."

"I just bet you do," Chakotay said as he kissed Kathryn passionately, molding his mouth to hers as their tongues danced together. At the same time, their hands wandered over each other's bodies, causing moans and sighs.

Chakotay gently eased Kathryn back onto the bunk, his mouth continuing its survey of her body. She gasped as it came into contact with her sensitive breasts.

Immediately, he stilled. "Kathryn? Did I hurt you?" He looked at her, concerned.

She smiled at him, her hands clasping his cheeks. "No, of course not. You could never hurt me. It’s just that, well, my breasts have really gotten sensitive these past few months. The EMH said to expect it, but I didn’t think it would be this much." Kathryn wiggled her eyebrows at him. "Just be careful."

Chakotay’s hand had been stroking the swelling mound of her stomach as she spoke. He looked lost in thought, and she frowned as she saw a sad smile cross his face.

"What are you think about, Chakotay?"

"You." He raised his eyes to meet hers. "How lucky I am to have you. How I almost lost you due to my stubbornness."

Kathryn’s heart melted, tears shining in her brilliant blue eyes. "I love you Chakotay." Then she smiled playfully at him. "But I agree, you are incredible lucky to have me."

He straightened, shaking his head. "You minx. I’ll show you how lucky I am." He thrust his hands under her knit top and began to tickle her ribs.

Kathryn howled, attempting in vain to slap his offending fingers away from her. "Stop it!" She gasped, trying to catch her breath.

Finally, Chakotay withdrew his hands, the skin around his eyes crinkling as he watched her gradually calm down. Then leaning closer to her, he placed a kiss on the tip of her nose. "Serves you right." He started to laugh as she hiccuped. "Sorry, I forgot about that."

Kathryn snorted. "You -hic- didn’t. You know -hic- that always happens when you -hic- tickle me. You do it delib -hic- deliberately."

Chakotay brought his face to hers, his lips a bare millimeter away. "Let’s see if this helps." He kissed her, his mouth absorbing her hiccups that turned into moans.

Beep beep The alert sounds of the navigation console finally broke into their awareness. Chakotay groaned, his forehead coming to rest on her breasts.

"I swear, everyone has it in for us." Wincing slightly, he rose to his feet, then helped her sit up. "I’m getting too old to be sleeping on these bunks."

Kathryn swung her feet to the floor, before levering her quite considerable bulk into standing. "You may be old, but at least you’re not fat. I feel like I weigh as much as this shuttlecraft." Moving slowly, she made her way into the cockpit.

Chakotay was transferring helm control to manual flight as she sat less than gracefully in the co-pilot seat. "You are not fat, Kathryn. I think you look wonderful."

She threw him an exasperated look. "This is all your fault, you know."

He raised an eyebrow at her, reminding her of Tuvok. "Well, if I remember correctly, you were the one that threw yourself at me on the sailboat."

"Trust you to remember the one time..." Kathryn grumbled under her breath. Turning to communications, she sent a hail to the spaceport. "Federation shuttle Sacajawea to Malani spaceport."

A friendly male voice replied. "This is Malani Control. Welcome to Betazed Captain Janeway, Commander Chakotay."

"Thank you, Control. We are requesting clearance to land."

"Granted, Captain. But I must warn you, the area to the south of the spaceport is experiencing a low level ionic storm. Caution is advised."

"Understood, Control. Sacajawea out." Kathryn looked over at Chakotay. "Think you can handle it, Commander?"

He sniffed at her. "Not a problem for us experienced pilots, Captain." He smiled, before nodding to the restraints. "You had better buckle yourself in, though, Kathryn. I don’t want to take any chances where you and our family-to-be are concerned."

Kathryn nodded, before securely winding the restraints around herself. "Okay, I’m ready."

Chakotay spared a quick glance at her to confirm this, before entering the command that took them into the atmosphere. "Hold on, looks like we might be bumped around some." He frowned as he concentrated on the display in front of him.

Kathryn unconsciously gripped the hand rests as she stared out at the storm. Black clouds scudded across the sky, as ion bursts exploded. "I didn’t know Betazed had weather like this."

"They don’t usually, but I guess they have been experiencing an increase in number over the past few years." Chakotay replied, not turning his attention to her.

"Hmmm." Kathryn relaxed as a patch of blue sky appeared less than a kilometer ahead of the shuttle. "Looks like we’ve made it through."

Suddenly, there was a bright flash and the shuttle jerked to the right. Engines whining, the craft began to plummet.

"Damn it!" Chakotay cursed, his hands flying over the controls. "We’ve been hit, the stabilizers are off-line."

Kathryn unbuckled her harness to reach the communication console. "Shuttlecraft Sacajawea to Control. Emergency. An ionic pulse has hit us. Repeat, we have an emergency."

Any reply was lost as the shuttle broke through the lower clouds. Kathryn gasped as she found them heading straight into an area of jungle-like overgrowth. "Chak..!"

Chakotay threw his arms around her as the shuttle plowed into the foliage. His last thought was of protecting Kathryn, before his head smashed into the ceiling.

Tom and B'Elanna Paris were sitting on the couch in the ready room. Her head was leaning on his shoulder as he stroked her hair. Before B'Elanna could say a word, Tom pressed his lips to hers in a gentle kiss that soon began to flare out of control. Tom pressed B'Elanna into the cushions of the couch as their lips began to mold themselves to each other, tongues dancing together.

B'Elanna pushed Tom up off of her and spoke, sounding out of breath. "Tom, we can't do this here! Captain Janeway will kill us if she finds out!"

"Like she and Chakotay haven't done something like this themselves, Be! Live a little!"

"That's different, Tom. It's her ready room!"

"I won't tell if you won't."

"Tell what?"

"Exactly."

Tom and B'Elanna began to kiss again as hands wandered over bodies, causing soft sighs and moans to escape into the ready room. As Tom's hands began to wander over B'Elanna's chest, the communications system activated and Harry's voice flowed into their thoughts.

"Kim to Commander Paris."

Tom sighed as he leaned on top of B'Elanna.

"One of these days, I'm gonna kill Harry."

"Not until I do first, Helm Boy."

Tom laughed as he tapped his com badge.

"Paris here. Go ahead."

"Did I interrupt something, Tom?"

B'Elanna smirked as she answered, sounding as out of breath as Tom did earlier.

"You have no idea, Harry. Do that again and we'll have to have a little chat as you get assigned to waste extraction."

"Sorry. Tom, we're getting a communication from Betazed. It's Altor Xerx of Malani Control."

"Put him through to the ready room. Paris out."

Tom walked over to the desk and sat down. When he turned on the viewer, a stocky man with brown hair and brown eyes appeared on the screen. His hair had streaks of gray running through it. He appeared jumpy and unable to sit still for very long. Tom greeted him, wondering what was going on.

"I'm Commander Tom Paris, conn officer and second officer of the starship Voyager."

"I'm Altor Xerx, head of the shuttlecraft facility Malani Control. I need to ask you if you have had any communication with your shuttlecraft Sacajawea."

B'Elanna gasped and whispered to Tom over the viewer, sounding very worried. "Isn't that the shuttle Chakotay and Kathryn used to go to Betazed?"

"It sure is. Mister Xerx, we haven't heard from them. What's wrong?"

"How soon can you get here, Commander Paris?"

"At maximum warp, six hours. What's wrong?"

"We think the shuttle carrying your Captain and Commander has crashed somewhere in the Jalara Jungle. We have search teams out looking for them, but so far, they haven't found anything."

"What?" B'Elanna said, gasping. She turned the viewer towards her. "I'm Commander Paris, Voyager's chief engineer. Mister Xerx, you better include a doctor with every search team."

"I don't understand."

"Captain Janeway is pregnant. Very pregnant."

"How soon until she is expected to deliver?"

"Three and a half weeks."

"All right. I'll inform the search teams and have the medical facility on standby,"

"We'll be there soon. Paris out."

Tom and B'Elanna raced out of the ready room and took their stations on the bridge. As he sat down in the center chair, Tom glanced at Lieutenant Beythart at the conn.

"Lieutenant, set a course for Betazed and engage at maximum warp."

Kathryn groaned as she found herself draped over a console in the Sacajawea. She opened her eyes and put her hand against her forehead. It came back coated with blood. Kathryn looked around the shuttle for a moment, disoriented. She hadn't been here alone. Chakotay was supposed to be with her on this trip, their last time alone together before the birth of their children.

Chakotay! My God! Where are you? Kathryn thought as she walked back towards the shuttle beds. When she finished turning around, Kathryn found Chakotay lying on the floor between the shuttle beds. This must have been how he found me so long ago, she thought as she rushed over to his side.

"Chakotay!"

Kathryn grabbed the medkit from the side of the shuttle and dropped to her knees as she scanned him with a tricorder. She shouted and dropped it as she found that he didn't have a heartbeat and wasn't breathing. He was for all intents and purposes dead.

"No! Chakotay, don't you die on me!"

Kathryn breathed into Chakotay's mouth as forcefully as she could twice before pumping on his chest as hard as she could. After a minute, she injected him with the contents of a hypospray. A second later, Chakotay began to cough and he spoke her name. Kathryn began to cry, thinking that she hadn't heard a more beautiful sound.

"Kathryn... are you all right? What happened?"

"Our shuttle crashed. We're somewhere in the Jalara Jungle on Betazed. I'm fine."

"The hell you are." Chakotay said as he sat up, wincing from the pain of broken ribs as he scanned Kathryn. "How did you get that gash on your head?"

"I had a fight with the console. The console won. Ow! Watch where you point that thing!"

"Sorry." Chakotay said as he ran a regenerator over the gash and scanned her with the tricorder. "You have a broken rib and a concussion, but you're going to be fine. The babies are fine too."

"Good. Maybe we should get out of here, Chakotay. Can you walk?"

"Yes. Let's go."

Kathryn gasped as Chakotay began to walk ahead of her. He turned around to find a pool of water forming between her legs. He raced over to her side as she doubled over in pain.

"Chakotay, I think I'm going into labor. My water just broke!"

Three Hours Later

As Voyager arrived in orbit of Betazed, Tom Paris, Harry Kim and the Doctor beamed down to Malani Control. Altor Xerx walked up to them and shook their hands before going to the shuttlebay.

"Mister Paris, good of you to come so quickly. One of our search teams found a nacelle that belonged to the Sacajawea. We're going to take a look now."

"How long until we get there?"

"Four hours and twenty minutes. You don't beam down into the jungle alone unless absolutely necessary. If the animals don't get you, the mud pits do."

"Understood. We have our doctor with us in case Captain Janeway has gone into labor."

"Good. We equipped our shuttle with a small medical facility in case that eventuality comes to pass. May I suggest we get moving?"

"Good idea." Tom said as they headed for the medical shuttle.

On the shuttle...

Kathryn was on her side on the shuttle bed, gasping from another contraction. Chakotay scanned her with a tricorder while wiping her sweat-dampened hair away from her brow. He was worried. It had been ten hours since the crash and eight since Kathryn had gone into labor. She was fully dilated and delivery appeared to be imminent. As the contraction crested and abated, Chakotay wiped a cool cloth across Kathryn's forehead. The environmental controls were still functioning, but both of them were drenched with sweat.

Kathryn gasped as she felt a strong pain in her abdomen. It was stronger than all the others and she began to cry out.

"Chakotay! Oh, God! I think... I think it's... time!"

After Chakotay scanned her with the tricorder, he shook his head and spoke.

"You could say that again. You're fully dilated and effaced. On the next one, push as hard as you can. Ready... NOW! Push, Kathryn, push!"

"I AM PUSHING! NOW SHUT UP!" Kathryn shouted as she squeezed her eyes shut and pushed with all of her might. Chakotay urged her on as time seemed to stop. After what seemed like an eternity, Chakotay could see the head of their first child. He gently guided the head out as Kathryn breathed through the next couple of contractions.

"All right, Kathryn. One more push and that's it."

"I can't. I don't have it in me."

"You should have thought of that when you ripped my clothes off by Lake George."

"Shut up, you overgrown... OH! Chakotay!"'

"Push! Come on. One more!"

Kathryn bore down with everything she had left in her and the cries of a baby filled the wreckage of the Sacajawea.. Chakotay gasped as he cleaned the baby up.

"Kathryn, it's a girl!"

"Is she all right?"

"Are you kidding? She's beautiful!"

As Chakotay put the baby down, he heard Kathryn gasp in pain. He made sure his daughter was safe when he looked to see the other baby's head. Their second child was about to make an entrance into the world. Kathryn gasped in pain as she bore down with all her remaining strength. Kathryn screamed as another baby fell into Chakotay's hands. Chakotay's eyes began to mist over as their second baby's cries joined their first.

"Kathryn! It's another girl!"

Kathryn talked as Chakotay began to clean up his new daughter.

"Is she all right?"

"Yes. She's just as healthy and loud as her sister."

"Can I see them?"

"Here they are."

Chakotay handed Kathryn one of the babies and took the other in his arms as he saw to her immediate needs. Kathryn sat against Chakotay after he joined her on the shuttle bed. Her hair was dripping and she looked exhausted, but she was smiling and crying at the same time, much like the man who held one of their children in his arms.

"Kathryn? Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. Look at them! They have your nose!"

"And your temper, Kath!"

Kathryn gently slapped him as they laughed, leaning their foreheads against each other as they laughed and got to know their daughters for the first time. As the girls waved their arms and legs in the air to the delight of their parents, a beep sounded on the communications console. They ignored it until they heard a very familiar voice.

"Paris to Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay. Come in."

"Chakotay to Paris. What are you doing in our neck of the woods?" Chakotay laughed as Kathryn glared at him.

B’Elanna Paris’ voice answered. "Saving your sorry butt again, it looks like. How many shuttlecraft does this make now, Chakotay? You’ll be lucky if I ever let you near another one." Her tone changed and she sounded worried. "Are you okay? What about the Captain?"

"She’s fine." Chakotay was cut off as the baby girl in his arms let out a wail. "We’re all fine."

There was a moment of silence on the other end. "We’re all fine?" Tom questioned.

Kathryn smiled gently at her husband. "I guess congratulations are in order, Tom. It seems our daughters didn’t want to miss all the fun."

They both winced as Tom whooped loudly. "All right!" A chorus of congratulations rang out, before Tom restored order. "We’ll be landing in about 7 minutes. The Doctor is a bit anxious to see how his patients are doing."

"Understood, Tom." Chakotay closed the channel as he kissed Kathryn on the forehead. "I guess our vacation is over."

Kathryn smiled at him, before returning to the sleeping infant in her arms. "They are perfect." Then, looking back at him she frowned. "What are we going to name them?"

Chakotay gently stroked the dark hair on the infant in his arms. "Well, we decided on Phoebe if we had a daughter. And this one sure sounds like Phoebe." He grinned as she continued to wail in his arms.

Kathryn laughed breathlessly. "I agree with you there." She winced as a sharp pain tore through her rib cage.

"Kath? What’s wrong?" Chakotay’s attention immediately focused on her. Pulling out the tricorder, he juggled Phoebe gently so that he could scan her mother.

"It’s nothing, just that broken rib. I guess going into labor with one isn’t a good idea." Kathryn adjusted her position carefully, trying not to wake their daughter in her arms. "What about Cayla for this little one?"

Chakotay frowned. "I like it, but what made you choose that name?"

Kathryn looked up at him as tears filled her eyes. "I was thinking of Caylem."

Tilting his head, Chakotay mouthed the name, trying to remember its importance. "Caylem? Wait a minute, wasn’t he..." Nodding, Kathryn smiled brilliantly at him. "Kathryn, when did that memory return?"

"It must have been when I hit my head during the crash. It was a bit fuzzy at first, but between the accident and delivering these two, my memory cleared." She looked at him meaningfully. "I remember everything."

Chakotay’s face clouded. "Our fight, Tuvok..."

"Everything, Chakotay." Her expression saddened before she looked him in the eyes. "I love you. And I’m just sorry we missed so much time together."

"I love you too, Kathryn." Chakotay touched her softly on the cheek, before he leaned over and kissed her. "You and our daughters mean the world to me."

Kathryn opened her mouth to speak, when a sudden knocking on the shuttle door took them both by surprise. Chakotay sighed, before getting to his feet and placing Phoebe into her mother’s arms. Then turning towards the rear of the shuttle, he made his way across a pile of debris.

"Who’s there?" He called out as he neared the door, grinning back at Kathryn. He heard B’Elanna call out something indistinguishable as the door opened.

"Chakotay!" B’Elanna stepped up to hug him. He returned the hug, then stood aside to let the Doctor gain entrance to the shuttle.

"Commander." The Doctor scanned him cursorily, then made his way to the exhausted woman lying on the bunk. "Captain Janeway, how are you feeling? And what about these two?" He began to take scans of the infants.

"I’m fine, Doctor. Just a little sore." Kathryn shifted to allow Phoebe to start nursing. "I would like to introduce our daughters, Phoebe and Cayla."

The EMH allowed a small smile to cross his face. "They look healthy, Captain, unlike yourself." He finished his scan before snapping the tricorder shut. "You have a mild concussion and a broken rib. The Commander has a mild laceration above the right eye and some intracranial bruising." He grinned sardonically at his audience. "Might I say that you two make quite a pair."

Chakotay sighed as Tom, B’Elanna and Xerx began laughing. Tom slapped him on the shoulder playfully before moving to stand behind Janeway.

"Captain, may I..." His voice trailed off as he gazed at her hopefully.

Kathryn nodded, then gently handed Cayla to him. Tom held the baby awkwardly at first, then began to rock her in his arms. Turning to B’Elanna, he smiled crookedly. "Are you ready to be a mommy yet, Be?"

B’Elanna eyed him and the baby with trepidation. "Um, I hadn’t thought about it much." She hesitated, before inspiration hit and she turned to Chakotay. "I think we had better get your stuff transferred over to the other shuttle so we can get out of here before dark fall."

Tom snorted at the change in topic, before he nodded. "You’re right. We don’t want to be here when the animals decide to investigate." He returned Cayla to her mother, before starting to gather up Kathryn and Chakotay’s belongings. He moved to exit the shuttle, stopping only to mutter "Chicken!" in B’Elanna’s ear. She growled at him, then moved to lock down the remaining nacelle’s subspace field generator.

Chakotay moved next to his wife and retrieved Phoebe, who had finally fallen asleep. He wrapped her up warmly in a blanket provided by the Doctor before handing her to Xerx. Repeating his actions with Cayla, he then handed her to the Doctor. The two men picked their way out of the shuttle, holding their precious burdens.

Kathryn looked up at her husband, smiling sleepily. "Let’s go home, Chakotay." She wrapped her arms around his neck as he carefully lifted her into his arms and nestled her against his chest.

"Yes, Kathryn. Home to Voyager." Chakotay dropped a kiss on her head, then exited the shuttlecraft with his wife in his arms.

Two Days Later

One crib with pink bedding and pictures of balloons was on each side of the room. A small, precious baby girl with dark coloring and honey brown hair lay in the crib on the left. She was sleeping peacefully as the starlight shined on her from the viewport. The other crib was empty. A girl who was the exact duplicate of her sister was in a woman's arms. She was also quiet as she sucked on a bottle, gurgling with contentment as Kathryn sung her a lullaby. Kathryn kissed her little button nose as she looked into her stormy, blue-gray eyes that looked so much like her own.

Chakotay came into their quarters and called out for Kathryn. Phoebe, Kes and B'Elanna were standing beside him. He called out again when he looked in their bedroom and found it empty.

"Kath? Honey, are you in here?"

"I'm in the nursery."

Chakotay appeared at the door and gazed at the sight that greeted him, transfixed. As starlight poured in from the viewport, it shined down on Cayla, who was sleeping in her crib in pink pajamas. The light made her look like a precious angel. Phoebe was in her mother's arms sucking on a bottle, looking like she didn't have a care in the world. When the starlight shone on her and Kathryn, it gave them an ethereal quality that made Chakotay's heart so full that he was speechless. B'Elanna coughed and got Kathryn's attention.

"You up for visitors or are we going to have to stand out here all night?"

"I'm sorry. Come on in. Just be quiet. Cayla's still sleeping."

All four of them tiptoed into the nursery and grabbed a couple of adjoining chairs that were against the wall, in back of Phoebe's and Cayla's cribs. Phoebe sat down in the chair next to Kathryn and looked at the baby in her arms. Phoebe stared up at her sister with a big grin on her face, thinking that her sister never looked so happy in her life as she touched her namesake's forehead. At the same time, Phoebe looked at Kathryn.

"Kath, they're beautiful."

"Thanks. We're just having dinner now."

"I can see that. Did you name them yet?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. The quiet one is Cayla Ann Janeway."

Phoebe looked at the crib and tenderly touched the baby's forehead through the open spaces before sitting back down next to her sister.

"And this one?"

"That's the surprise. Phoebe, I'd like you to meet Chakotay's and my firstborn daughter, Phoebe Elizabeth Janeway. Would you like to hold her?"

Phoebe looked shocked after Kathryn gently placed the now sleeping girl in her arms. When she looked up at Kathryn, tears were coming down her face. Kathryn smiled as Chakotay sat next to her and kissed her on the lips.

"Kathryn? You named her after me?"

"You don't mind, do you?"

"Mind? I'm honored. I don't want to sound ungrateful, but can I ask why?"

Chakotay looked at Kathryn before answering the question.

"You brought Kathryn kicking and screaming into life again when your father and Justin were killed. When we came back and Kathryn was nearly killed by that gravitic mine, you helped her get better. When Kath lost her memory of the previous few years, you helped her see how much she still loved me. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't be together. Kathryn and I decided when we found out she was pregnant that if we had a daughter, we'd name her after you."

He looked at Kathryn, who smiled and nodded as a tear came down her face. Chakotay wiped it away as he took Phoebe into his arms and placed her into her crib. By that point, Cayla had begun to fuss and he picked her up before sitting back down next to Kathryn. Chakotay took the other bottle from the chair beside Kathryn and began to feed her. Phoebe hugged Kathryn and watched as Chakotay fed Cayla, a look of absolute peace and contentment on his face.

Kes and B'Elanna moved in closer as they watched the newfound family. Kes looked at Kathryn and looked a bit puzzled.

"Kes, is everything all right?"

"Of course, Kathryn. I was just wondering where you got the name Cayla."

"From Caylem."

B'Elanna looked up, startled, barely able to speak. "Caylem? Wait a second. Wasn't he on the planet with the Mokra?"

"Yes. He's the man who saved me from the Mokra and lost his own life in the process because he believed I was his daughter."

Phoebe looked at her sister, shock appearing on her face for the second time that night. "Mokra? That happened in... Kath?"

"Yes, I got my memory back."

"Tell me about Cayla's namesake, won't you?"

Chakotay smiled and snuggled closer to his wife, continuing to feed Cayla as she told them the story of a time he could have sworn she'd never remember again. After Phoebe, Kes, and B'Elanna left, Chakotay went back into the nursery to find that Kathryn had fallen asleep in the rocking chair. He lifted her into his arms and carried her over to the bed. Kathryn snuggled next to him as Chakotay pulled her closer to his chest.

"I love you, my angry warrior."

"Not anymore. This warrior has found more peace than he ever thought possible. I love you too."

Both of them sighed as sleep overtook them.