AN: I don't own star trek voyager or any of the characters. But it is fun to borrow them and make them do what you want them to do. Thanks again to theJesser for her beta-ing skills. All errors are mine! Please read and review!
Harry stood motionless at the front door of his parent's home. He came there today to have an important discussion with his parents; a discussion he never actually thought would happen – one he secretly wished he'd never have to have.
He closed his eyes as memories flashed through his mind. Whenever he was hurting, or in need of comfort, his mother was always there for him. From the time he was small, she would place both of her hands to his face and pull him to her – placing a kiss upon his forehead. His pain, sadness, or irritation would always vanish immediately. In fact, her remedy worked so well, he remembered how he'd giggle and squint his eyes closed as he felt joy grow from deep within him.
"Mommy, you always make me feel better, even when I don't want to." Harry remembered saying on multiple occasions.
Then, almost as a tradition, he and his mom would say in unison, "Let's have some ice cream." The two would go into the kitchen and share a large bowl of chocolate ice cream.
Many times he had dreamt of his mom and dad, and their ability to comfort him when he became upset. Harry loved his dad immensely, but he was definitely a momma's boy, and she always held a special place in his heart. The dreams about his family came more frequently while he was in the delta quadrant. It had been the most intense and frightening seven years of his life. He had done a considerable amount of growing up during that time, but there were moments when he had longed for his mother's comforting embrace.
Harry often found himself looking to Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay as his substitute parents. Before coming to his parent's home this night, he sought their advice. Much to his surprise, they had taken up an apartment together in San Francisco. He had always felt they made a great team aboard Voyager, and now it seemed they made a good team on Earth. They appeared to be very happy and at peace with all that had transpired the past several years. He hoped he'd one day feel that same peace.
Both Chakotay and the Captain, urged Harry to talk with his parents, tell them what he felt he needed to, and not to worry – his parents would still love him just the same. That was what Harry worried about the most. He couldn't bare the idea that his mom and dad might not love him anymore.
Harry reached for the door chime. His finger was shaking so badly, he put his hand back down and clenched his fist. His heart was racing uncontrollably and he felt flushed and sweaty.
"Come on you big baby." Harry chastised himself. "You can't find the courage to talk to girls, now you can't even talk to your own parents." His muttering stopped when he realized the time had come to put an end to this chapter of his life. He hoped it would have a happy ending.
He took two slow deep and calming breaths before he again reached for the door chime. Managing to push the button, he quickly dropped his hand back to his side and took another quick breath. His heart was pounding, panic rose within him. He fought hard against the urgent need to run away. There was still time to escape.
"I can't do this." He whispered aloud.
Harry turned to leave, only to hear the front door open behind him.
"Harry?" His mother's voice was full of concern.
Harry turned slowly and saw his parents standing in the doorway. They were both in their night clothes and he realized it was quite late in the evening. They had probably been in bed – asleep.
"Harry, what's wrong?" His father asked.
"Come inside, baby. Its chilly out here." His mom reached for him with one hand, as she held her robe tightly around her to stave off the chill in the air.
Harry walked into the house and sat down on the couch in the living room. He looked around the home and couldn't avoid all the memories that flooded him.
The ceramic bowl on the mantel above the fireplace – he had made that in the fifth grade. The coffee table next to the large bay window, had a deep scrape across the top, where he had thrown his clarinet in frustration after not getting first chair in the high school band. Everything in his parent's home reminded him of his childhood.
Upon his return from the Delta Quadrant nearly a month ago, his mother had shown him all the things she had kept that reminded her of him. His mom and dad had been unable to part with any of his things while he had been away – his room was exactly how it had been before he had left to go to the academy and it hadn't changed while he was away in the Delta Quadrant.
This was going to be the hardest thing he had ever done. He stared down species 8472, fought hard against the Hirogen hunters, and even faced down the Borg, but those situations were nothing like this. How was he going to tell his parents, and how are they going to react to the news? He couldn't imagine his life without them in it, and yet, he knew it was a strong possibility he would find himself alone – again.
"Harry, what's wrong? Did something happen?" His mother asked. "You're not going away again so soon are you?" Her voice was shaking and her normally cheerful face, was pinched together from stress. Harry could clearly see the worry lines, and knew he had caused many of them.
"No, Mom, nothing like that. It's just that…I have something to…um…" Harry couldn't find the right words.
"What is it son?" Harry's dad reached over and held onto his wife's hand. The two loving parents tried to find comfort in each other, much as they had during the seven years their son had been missing.
Harry couldn't sit any longer. He needed to run away. He needed to scream or cry or something – anything to get this out of him.
"A lot has happened to me while I was in the Delta Quadrant." Harry paused while his parents nodded, showing they were listening. "I have…changed. I'm…I'm not the son that left here seven years ago." His heart was pounding so hard in his chest, he worried it would jump right out of his mouth.
"We know that son, your experiences have changed you." His father replied, not fully understanding what his son was trying to tell him.
"No, dad, its not just that. I'm literally not the same person who left here seven years ago."
"I don't understand." His mother's eyes were wide with worry – fear.
"Something happened to me while I was gone. I…I…died." Harry couldn't believe he had actually said it, but there was no taking it back.
His mother gasped and her hands immediately covered her mouth, disbelief and sadness washed over her face. Harry couldn't bare the sight of his mother's pain - he looked away.
"You died? But you're here…standing in front of us?" His father asked.
Harry saw his father's face turn from shock to tired sorrow. The lines on his face deepened before Harry's eyes. His mother's posture hunched, he could see her life's energy seeping from her.
"I'm a duplicate." Harry shook his head as tears welled in his eyes. "Our entire ship was duplicated in an anomaly. No one knew it had happened. Later, the real…the original me was sucked out of an air lock and died." His tears flowed freely down his cheeks. "Some how, my duplicate self, managed to make it to the original Voyager and I continued toward home. Home to you."
Harry cupped his hands to his face and he cried into them. His breaths came quick and choppy, as he tried to stifle his release of emotion, but he couldn't stop it.
"To me, you are MY parents. I have all the memories, all the same DNA. I'm still me, its just that…that I'm not the one you raised." Harry couldn't look at his beloved parents any longer. He didn't want to see their pain, the pain he knew they felt – he felt it too.
Harry turned to walk away. He wasn't sure what else to say or do. But before he could take the first step to leave, he felt someone grab a hold of the back of his shirt. He turned, and found his mother standing there – pain filled her worry worn face.
She took a step forward and placed both hands on his face, pulled him into her, and kissed his forehead. Harry's felt his eyes automatically squint closed, and he giggled sadly.
"Let's go have some ice cream." Harry and his mother said in unison. Harry opened his eyes and looked upon his mother's face. Their special connection was still there, he could feel it, and he now saw that she felt it too.
"You are MY son. YOU ARE! Don't you ever forget that. I will always love you." She reached out for him again and the two shared a tight embrace – his father joined in almost immediately.
The three Kims walked quietly into the kitchen and shared a large bowl of chocolate ice cream. Harry could finally enjoy being home.
THE END
END NOTE: please review: this is my first non J/C story. So not sure if it worked or not. Please let me know what you think. Thank you!