Stardate: 56941.1
(December 10, 2379)
Phoebe sat in Kathryn's office nibbling on some crackers while she waited for Kathryn and Chakotay. They were going to have lunch together, but Kathryn had an appointment with the Doctor first.
She looked around the office. Kathryn kept it pretty spic and span. On her bookcase sat her copy of Dante's Inferno. Phoebe was surprised Kathryn didn't keep it at home under lock and key. Then again, knowing Kaya, she still would've found a way to get her doodling little fingers on it. This was the safest place for the book, considering Kaya seemed to have her aunt's artistic streak.
She looked at some photos on Kathryn's desk. Her favorite was the one of her and Kathryn on either side of Kaya kissing her cheeks when Kaya was a year old. The look on Kaya's face had been priceless. It was hard to tell whether she was just happy or taking a dump. Chakotay had been laughing hysterically when the photo was taken. Until Phoebe had suggested he check Kaya's diaper. Fortunately, no diaper change was necessary.
"Hi, Phoebe," Kathryn said as she entered. Phoebe hugged her and Chakotay as he came in.
Kathryn looked at the plate of crackers, "You didn't start without us did you?"
"Me?" Phoebe said innocently, "Of course not. Those were just appetizers."
Chakotay moved to the replicator, "Well, I don't know about you girls, but I'm hungry for some vegetable briyani. Or maybe mushroom soup."
"Haddock for me, please," Phoebe said.
"I hate to say it," Kathryn started, "but I'm craving some leola root beef stew."
Chakotay shuddered, "Ugh, the horror. The only good thing about it is the beef." The meals appeared, and Chakotay handed Phoebe her plate.
"That's saying a lot coming from a vegetarian," she commented.
He handed Kathryn her bowl, and then looked at Phoebe, "Hey, I can adapt. But when it comes down to leola root or beef, I'll take beef every time."
Phoebe chuckled, "Your disgust almost makes me want to try it." She sniffed, "But then I get a whiff of it and I'm reminded why I don't really want to."
Chakotay laughed, "May you never get cravings for it, Phoebe. Kathryn craves it twice as much now as she did for Kaya."
Kathryn chimed in, "It's true. I woke Neelix up a few times to make it for me when I was pregnant with Kaya. Now he just keeps a batch in stasis for me."
"Wow," Phoebe laughed, "that's bad." Kathryn nodded.
"How'd the appointment go?" Phoebe asked.
"It went well," Kathryn replied, "the Doctor gave me the same old spiel about not having coffee, and then pulled Chakotay aside to tell him to make sure I'm not drinking coffee."
Chakotay chuckled, "I keep telling him the closest she gets is an occasional bowl of coffee ice cream. I think he thinks I'm being coerced."
Phoebe stifled a laugh, "Is that it?"
"Aside from his mistrust in my self control, everything is going great," Kathryn said.
Phoebe looked at them. They had to be pulling her leg, why did they have to have such good poker faces?
"Really?"
"Mm-hmm."
"Oh, come on!" Phoebe whined, "You guys said you were going to find out."
"We didn't say we didn't," Chakotay commented.
"So?"
"It's nothing you won't find out in five months," Kathryn teased.
"Kathryn! Cut it out! Am I getting nieces or nephews this time around?"
"Okay, okay, baby A is a girl," Kathryn said.
"And B?"
"A boy, thank heavens," Chakotay said, "I don't know if I could've handled five Janeway women."
Phoebe laughed, "Mom'll be happy. She was rooting for a boy. She said she has to have at least one of each. When are you guys going to tell Kaya?"
Kathryn looked at Chakotay. "Actually," he started, "we still have to tell her she's going to be a big sister."
Phoebe gaped, "Kathryn, you're showing as it is. How have you managed not to tell her?"
"We were going to tell her a few weeks ago. But we got called for a last minute meeting at HQ. Our normal babysitter wasn't available, fortunately Mark and Carla were."
"I honestly never, ever thought I'd be calling my wife's ex to babysit," Chakotay remarked, "but lo and behold, that's what happened. Anyway, the meeting was a couple hours long, by the time we got home with Kaya, Mark had commed us to tell us that Kevin had woken up with the chicken pox."
"Oh, no."
"Yep, and of course, by the next morning, Kaya had it too. So I've been staying with Mom the last three weeks."
"What'd you tell Kaya?"
"I told her Kathryn had to go help out on the farm for a few weeks and they wouldn't be able to take care of her while she was sick and the farm at the same time."
"And I have, I've been helping mom. As much as she'll let me."
Phoebe looked at her, "She's got you in the den doing pretty much nothing."
"Yeah, I think I've read Dante probably twenty times in the last three weeks."
Phoebe winced.
"Yeah, it's been a long three weeks."
"No kidding," Chakotay said. "Kaya was convinced that if anyone could make her feel better, it was Grandma. I had to explain that chicken pox is one of those things you have to let go away by itself, and even Grandma can't help that. Broke her little heart. She's been asking when Mama is coming home since."
"Stop right there, mister! I miss my pumpkin enough as it, you keep talking like that and I'll start crying and go home before it's even time to."
"Okay, well, when you do tell her, record it for me," Phoebe asked.
"Oh, definitely," Kathryn said, "we were planning on it anyway."
LATER THAT DAY
"Was dinner good, sweetie?" Kathryn asked.
"Yes, Mama! I love maconi and cheese!"
Kaya had been happy all evening since Chakotay came home with Kathryn. She had launched herself at Kathryn's legs squealing, "Mama! You home! You home!"
"Can we have dessert now?"
"Not just yet. Daddy and I have something to tell you first."
"Daddy's not leaving now, is he?"
"No, honey, no one is leaving. What Daddy and I are going to tell you is a good thing. Come on, he's waiting for us in the living room."
"There's my girls!" Chakotay smiled, "Come get up on my lap, Ky Ky."
Kathryn sat next to Chakotay as Kaya wiggled her way up into Chakotay's lap. "Okay, Kaya," Kathryn began, "I have a question for you. Have you noticed that mama's tummy has started to get bigger?"
"I wasn't gonna say anything. Daddy said you not supposed to."
Kathryn nodded, "Uh-huh, but Daddy and I want to tell why mama's tummy is getting big."
Kaya looked at them.
"You're going to be a big sister, Kaya," Chakotay said, "your brother and sister are in mama's tummy. That's why mama's tummy is getting big."
She looked at them with big eyes, "I have a brother and sister in mama's tummy? What are they doing in there?"
"They're growing. When they're finished we'll be able to hold them, and you can teach them color."
"I can? I can't wait!"
Chakotay and Kathryn smiled, "Why don't you show Daddy how you'll teach them? Mama has to go to the bathroom. Again."
"Okay!" Kaya leapt from Chakotay's lap and found her favorite coloring book and a box of crayons. She motioned for Chakotay to come sit next to her on the floor. Chakotay had forgotten about the video recording and sat there watching Kaya color a butterfly for a few minutes.
Kaya stopped and looked up at him, "Daddy, you said brother and sister are in mama's tummy. How'd they get there?"
Chakotay's face went blank and he blinked. Wasn't this conversation supposed to happen fifteen years down the line?
"Daddy?"
He blinked again, "Kathryn!"
Kathryn came out of the bathroom, "What is it?"
"Kaya wants to know how her brother and sister got in your tummy."
"Oh, well, Kaya sometimes when mommies and daddies love each other, they go kiss for while, and when they're done, the mommy has a baby. But the baby has to grow in her tummy for a while first."
"Oh, but you and Daddy kiss a lot, and you only have me."
"That's because babies don't happen every time a mommy and daddy kiss," Chakotay said. 'Thankfully,' he thought to himself.
"Is that all, Kaya?" Kathryn asked. The little girl nodded, "Good! Let's go get dessert. Grandma sent some caramel brownies, and we have vanilla ice cream to go with it."
A huge smile broke across Kaya's face and she bolted to the kitchen.
Chakotay tugged on his ear, "I thought that conversation wasn't supposed to happen for another fifteen years."
Kathryn laughed, "Oh, honey, just be glad we're not explaining lizard babies."
"Good point."
She stopped him, "Oh, honey, did you stop the holocamera?"
Phoebe watched the video and laughed hysterically as Chakotay quickly stopped the recording.
She thanked Kathryn the next day for sending the video in its entirety.