Thumbelina

Chapter One: Birthdays

Summary: The sequel to One Child; So Small, It has been five years since the birth of Kathryn and Chakotay's unique set of twins. How are they coping with the uniqueness of their little girl?

-=/\=-

The sound of children screaming with joy intermixed with the sounds of birds chirping. "Wait for me." The voice of a young boy rang out.

"Hurry up" the voice of an older girl yelled back. "We're going to miss it, Flotter says that the castle is about to appear."

Rounding the edge of a large purple bush the group of children stopped. The wind changed directions and the clouds began to change shape. There in front of them was a large castle. The older blonde haired girl starred up at it her blue eyes taking in the sites. Suddenly the castle and forest vanished, and was replaced by the hologrid. Naomi spun around quickly to see her mom, "Awe Mom, we were just getting to the good part."

"I know, but its dinner time, and we have to go to the mess hall." Samantha Wildman stated to the girl.

Mezoti looked up at the mother of Naomi; "would our presence be missed?" she asked hoping to continue the story.

"Yes, your presence would very much be missed, now come on all of you." She stood and waited as the children passed her she mentally took a head count. Azan, Mezoti, Rebi, Naomi, Pall, Miral, Abigail and she looked around and behind her she saw the last one. "Come on you" she said as she lifted her up. She giggled as she was placed on the woman's hip.

Sam followed behind the group of children as they entered the turbo lift. They reached their destination and all of them filed out. The group meandered their way to the mess hall the children talking amongst themselves. Inside the mess hall the older children paused, they smiled at the site before them. The room was decorated with balloons and streamers, and a large banner said 'Happy Birthday, Pall, and Aideen.'

Naomi motioned to take the girl out of her mother's arms; she placed the child on her hip. She was only around four years older than her, but she fit very comfortably on her hip. Naomi looked into her bright green eyes, "Happy Birthday" she said to her.

Aideen looked at her, her large eyes sparkling. "Thank you" she said in a very high pitched tone. She than spotted Kathryn, "MOMMY!" she called out, rotating her body and spreading her arms out so that she could be picked up.

"Hey there baby" she said as she took the tiny girl from Naomi. She tuned and knelt down to get a hug from her Son, "Happy Birthday you two" she said. "How old are you now?" she looked back and forth between the two, it was Pall that spoke.

"Five!" he said with great exuberance.

"Five years old, you're kidding" she stood as Chakotay came over, he took the hand of their son as Kathryn made their way to the table that had been set up for the birthday girl and boy. Pall clambered up onto a chair, and Kathryn set Aideen in a high chair so that she could reach the table. The other children filed in around the table as well. Neelix brought out all of the kids favorites; of course Pizza was on the list. The party went wonderfully. By the end of the night Kathryn looked around to see piles of wrapping paper and more toys than she knew what to do with. She looked over at Chakotay, he was sitting on the couch with both children, Pall was lying with his head in Chakotay's lap, and Aideen was curled up on one of his legs fast asleep. The rest of the families had left already the children all becoming sleepy.

Kathryn placed her hand on her swollen belly, she than looked over at Chakotay. She moved over and carefully lifted up her tiny little girl. She was extremely light, and though the doctor had forbidden her form lifting up Pall, he was perfectly fine with her lifting Aideen because she was under the ten pound weight limit he'd given her. "I think it's time that we get them home, Neelix is going to gather everything together and have it brought to our quarters first thing in the morning."

Chakotay carefully moved his legs and then lifted the little boy. They were both quiet so as to not wake up the children. He couldn't believe that it'd been five years already since they'd come into their lives. It was quite the birth, in a cave on an alien after Kathryn had been hit by a bomb, fourteen weeks early. He owed a debt of gratitude to Tom for saving all three of their lives.

-=/\=-

Once inside their quarters Chakotay placed Pall down into his bed, and Kathryn placed Aideen. They pulled the blankets over each child, and in turn gave each one a kiss. After the twins were safely tucked into bed they made their way to their own bedroom. Kathryn was exhausted and had been on her feet way too long. She momentarily debated about even changing out of her uniform, she decided too, figuring at least the cotton nightgown would be more comfortable. She lay down and watched Chakotay get ready for bed. "I can't believe they're five years old already."

"I know, it seems like only yesterday we were brand new parents." He pulled his pajama bottoms up and climbed into bed next to her.

"They just grow up too fast, I wish they'd stop." She laughed slightly.

"I think all parents say that." He leaned in close to her and gave her a soft sensual kiss.

She smiled back at him and closed her eyes, "Good night."

"Good night, computer lights" he allowed her to snuggle into his arms and she was soon fast asleep. He watched her in the dim light of the room until he too drifted off.

-=/\=-

Kathryn sighed as the computer alerted that it was time for her to get up. She moved and placed her legs over the edge of the bed. She looked behind her, he was already gone. She laughed and stood. Her first stop would be the lavatory, than out to see what everyone was up too.

Upon emerging from the lavatory she caught a wonderful smell. She could also hear whispering and the clinging of dishes. She made her way out into the main living area and propped herself on the door way, "smells delicious."

Pall trotted up to her, "We're helping Daddy." He looked back at Chakotay.

"You are, you are such a wonderful child, whatever did we do to deserve you." She rubbed his head messing up his hair.

"Mommy" he said ducking away and returning to Chakotay's side. Their daughter sat on the counter holding a measuring cup, she sat next to a large mixing bowl, almost as big as she was; it contained an off white powder of some kind.

"Now" she asked looking up at Chakotay.

Chakotay nodded, "Now" he watched as she carefully poured the water that was in the cup into the bowl. After she was done he began to stir it.

"So what are we having?" Kathryn asked moving over to where all the action was. She was very curious.

"Pancakes" Aideen replied, her voice was very high pitched, a trade mark of her size.

"Sounds wonderful" She picked the girl up off the counter and placed her on the ground. "I think that we should get down off of there before daddy lights the burner." Aideen now on the grown ran over to the couch and pulled herself up onto it. Pall wasn't too far behind her.

She was going to suggest that they help her to set the table when she'd noticed that it had already been done. She looked back at Chakotay, "you know, you are way too good to me."

He only grinned as he spooned the first bit of his mixture into a pan, soon they were all finished and everyone had been called to the table. "O their things from the party last night have already been dropped off; Neelix was kind enough to have them presorted. I put them away already."

"Wonderful, O I won't be home for dinner tonight, I promised B'Elanna that I'd help her go over a few things, she wants to try and make a few modifications to the warp core; I told her I'd give her my opinion." She filled him in.

"Alright, I guess it's just us tonight then." He winked at the kids.

She caught the wink, "now no spoiling them, I don't want to hear about them eating a bunch of sweets for dinner when I get back." She sent him a look, both of the kids just grinned.

"I would never do such a thing" he feigned.

"Really" her expression said that she didn't believe him one bit. She finished her meal and excused herself form the table, Chakotay had already gotten himself dressed as well as both of the kids; she was the only one that still needed to get ready.

She emerged about ten minutes later looking fresh and ready to go. "Alright, I'll see you on the bridge when you get there." She gave Chakotay a quick kiss and made sure to say goodbye Pall and Aideen before she left.

Once Kathryn was gone helped Aideen down out of her highchair, and took Pall by the hand, Pall reached out and took his sister's hand into his and the three of them made their way to the science lab for the start of their lessons. They would move throughout the ship to different places for their studies, Seven had come up with the idea. It exposed them to more of their surroundings and allowed the children to interact with more of the crew then they would if there were to only be in one area. Since the children ranged from the age of three up to fourteen and they were quite spread out, the classes were all taught at the same time. The difference was the work that each child did was based on their own abilities, that had been Neelix's idea.

Chakotay stopped outside the doors to the science lab, "alright you two be good, got it? If I get a bad report we're not going to do dissert tonight."

Both of them nodded and gave Chakotay a hug before disappearing behind the doors. Once the children were safely dropped off for their school day he made his way to the bridge. At first it had been traumatic for both of them when they graduated from the nursery, it wasn't so much traumatic that they weren't being with their parents all day because well they'd been doing that all their lives, but they just weren't used to the idea of having to go from one place to the other. Though after about two weeks of crying fits they had finally grown used to it and now looked forward to their schooling, and getting to play with their friends.

-=/\=-

Kathryn smiled as Chakotay entered the bridge. "Good morning" she greeted him.

"Good morning" he said back, and nodded to the other crewmembers on the bridge. He took his seat and pulled out a data padd to read. There wasn't much else to do; they were in so far what seemed like a rather quiet and peaceful region of space.

Kathryn too was catching up on some reading. Though she was having a hard time concentrating on it, it seemed that her darling child had decided that it'd be rather difficult. Kicking and moving around so much that she almost hurt. After several minutes of trying to read, and being unable to Kathryn sighed quietly putting her head back on her chair. She closed her eyes and placed her hand on her stomach. She grimaced slightly.

Tom had looked back at her, "captain, are you okay?" he asked.

She looked at him and smiled, "yes I'm fine, just it doesn't want to settle down." She looked down at her round belly and patted it.

Tom couldn't help but make a joke, "I'm sure it's just as feisty as its mom."

Kathryn rolled her eyes, "watch it Paris" she warned in a joking tone.

"Aye Captain" he grinned as he turned his attention back to the con.

She let out a deep breath, and fixated to try to read again. No dice, she closed her eye as she felt something like a cramp. She decided that maybe moving around would make her feel better. "I'll be in my ready room." She stated as she started walking towards it.

This late in her pregnancy she had become used to the occasional cramp or pain from the baby moving. This one was just as energetic as Pall had been. She didn't know how energetic Aideen had been due to her size. She walked back and forth in her ready room. She did feel better the cramp had subsided, and the baby seemed to have settled down. Hopefully it had decided that a nap was a good idea. She took a seat on her couch, now that the baby had settled down. Once again she attempted to read, she was about halfway through the second paragraph of B'Elanna's engineering report when she felt another cramp; this one took her breath away slightly.

Her eyes grew wide as she realized that she was quiet possibly in the beginning stages of labor. She decided to call the doctor, "Janeway to sickbay."

"Sickbay here, what can I do for you captain." The EMH's voice rang throughout the room.

"Doctor, I think that I might be stating to have contractions." She stated.

The smile in the man's voice could be heard through the comm. "How strong and far apart are they?" he asked.

"They're not too strong; at first I thought it was a cramp from the baby moving, I think they were about thirty minutes apart." She let him know about how long it'd been.

"Good, do you have a medkit in your ready room?" he asked.

"Yes I do." She stated.

"Good, I want you to take out the bio-monitor and place it on yourself. You're in the beginning stages; since your other babies didn't make it to term you may have a slow labor. I'd say it's best to come down here when the contracts start to come around eight to ten minutes apart." He figured that if she was going to have a slow labor she most certainly wouldn't want to spend that entire time in there with him.

She did what the Doctor asked; she placed the bio-monitor on her neck. "The monitor is in place doctor."

"Very good, I'm getting the readings now, both of you are doing wonderful." He was very happy that they were. "Captain it might be a good idea to walk around, it will help with the cramps and help progress labor."

"Alright Doctor, thank you, I'll come down when it's time" she cut the link. She was now very excited. Tossing the data padd she'd been reading onto her coffee table she made her way out to the bridge.

-=/\=-

The bridge crew looked up when they heard the ready room doors open. "You weren't gone long, Captain." Tom stated.

"Well, I felt that I needed to come out here and let everyone know what I just found out." She had placed her hands on the railing.

"And what exactly would that be?" Tom couldn't help but smile, she was obviously in a very good mood.

"Well, here hopefully very soon we'll have another crewmember. She'd already moved away from the railing and down to Chakotay. She'd taken his hands.

"You mean you're?" He didn't quite know how to put it.

"Beginning stages" she smiled back.

Harry smiled, "that's wonderful Captain, but shouldn't you go to sickbay?"

She smiled again, "Actually the Doctor thinks that I'll have a long labor, he doesn't want me to come in until the contractions are closer together."

Tom looked at her, "I thought the second time around went much faster?"

"It usually does, but since the other ones were born under some rather unusual circumstance, he thinks that this will take a while." She was more than happy to share this knowledge, her personal life didn't usually get discussed by her with everyone, but hey she was having a baby, it's not like they didn't already know what that was all about.

Chakotay had stood already, "so what are you supposed to do in the mean time? And how far apart are they?" he was looking her straight in the eyes, "He suggested that I walk around, and the last one was a half hour apart." He couldn't help but smile. He was overwhelmed, this time he was going to actually be there for the birth. "I'm going to go down to engineering and talk with her now, since well I know that we're not going to be able to tonight."

"I'll come with you" Chakotay stated.

She tilted her head to the side, "I'll be fine, I'll call you when it's time, it could be hours and hours before the baby is actually ready to come out. I'm sure you don't want to shadow me that long."

He laughed she had a point, "if there' any change."

"I'll call immediately." She finished for him.

She then turned and walked into the lift. She blew him a kiss once she was sure he was the only one that could see her.

Chakotay looked around the room, everyone with the exception of Tuvok were grinning from ear to ear. Even in labor that woman was a force to be reckoned with. Tom grinned at Chakotay, "I guess all we do now I wait."

"That's right, hopefully not too long" Chakotay smirked and sat back into his chair.