In the hallway outside the most advanced surgical theatre available to the doctors of Starfleet medical an admiral paced. The red headed woman was fiercely determined to wear a grove in the carpet she was marching upon. Nearby was a blonde woman in civilian clothing. While she gave of the outward appearance of calm inside she was fretting just as much as the diminutive admiral. The fact that she was sitting down was testament to that truth, in fact she was sitting down to cause herself discomfort in the faint hope it would get her mind of her fears. From time to time they would stare into each other's eyes, the worry evident in the tears starting to well up, as the hours grew longer. They said nothing to each other during that time, what could they say that they hadn't already.
It was late into the night when the nearby doorway opened with a soft hiss. Stand there was their family doctor a smile upon in his face. In his holographic arms was a small bundle that was starting to squirm. Relief flooded the features of both women. The infant began to cry and the doctor passed the baby into the waiting hands of the red haired admiral. Immediately the tiny girl settled and went to sleep.
"She knows who her mothers are," the U.S.S Voyager's former emergency medical hologram remarked.
"Were there any complications we need to know about?" Seven asked trying not to be distracted by the amusing coo's Admiral Kathryn Janeway was uttering to their adopted child.
"No," the doctor replied. "Thanks to the assistance of Doctors Bashir and Crusher and the assistance of the Starfleet core of engineers everything went according to plan."
"Then I will allow you to extend our thanks to them," Seven stated.
"Of course," the doctor continued. "I will be contacting you about a follow up appointment sometime in the near future, we can not be to careful considering the number of implants the little one still has, other than that she's free to go home with the two of you tonight. I mean this morning,"
Indeed the first rays of sunlight were changing the colour of the sky.
"You hear that," Admiral Janeway cooed. "You get to come home with your mommies."
"Have you decided on a name yet?" the doctor asked his friends.
"Actually the little one has had a name for awhile now," Seven explained. "Kathryn has just been afraid to use it in case something took our baby away from us."
"But now I can use it without worrying," the former star ship captain said still cooing at the child. "Yes I can little Marika Wilkarah Hansen-Janeway, that's your name, yes it is."
"Our little Marika," Seven said as she snaked a hand around the admiral's waist and pulled her partner and daughter close.
"Smile!" the doctor exclaimed seemingly to have pulled his old holocamera from nowhere. There was a brief flash and then the image appeared on the miniature view screen some one had installed on it during Voyager's finally months in the delta quadrant. It was a wonderful picture of the new family; indeed the doctor had never seen Kathryn or Seven with such looks of contentment.
"Thank you for bring this up from my office Naomi," He said looking down at the young half human.
"You're welcome Doc," she replied.
"Naomi Wildman it is pleasant to see you again," Seven said. The young girl ran up to Seven and gave her a hug. As Naomi stopped squeezing so tight an exasperated Samantha Wildman came walking down the hallway.
"Hello Samantha," the Admiral said.
"I'm sorry we're disturbing you like this," Naomi's mother apologised. "But I was talking to Tal Celes who had heard from Alaya, who had heard from Quizzlink, who had heard from Nozwa who had initially heard it from Lang. Naomi insisted we ask permission to come on the next transport from deep space nine."
"Damn small galaxy," Kathryn remarked. Seven shot her a look that suggested the admiral should refrain from using language like that in front of their child.
"I convinced Doctor Bashir that I had important Admiral's assistant duties I needed to complete so we were able to come with him on the runabout," Naomi explained. "With that in mind I've already put in a request to use the MIDAS array to contact Ambassador Neelix as well as Mezoti and the twins to share the good news."
"Thank you Naomi," The admiral said. "But I think we have an even more important job for you."
"Indeed we do Kathryn," Seven said as she knelt down so she was looking the girl in the eyes. "We wish for you to be Marika's godmother Naomi Wildman."
"Really?"
Both women nodded.
"I accept," The young girl replied. "But I tell you now the going rate for babysitting is two slips of gold pressed latnium a night."
"She spends too much time on Deep space nine's promenade," Samantha lamented.
Time passed and little Marika grew quickly. It wasn't long before she was walking and talking. Seven often found herself having to use her cybernetic enhanced reflexes to keep her daughter out of mischief. With that in mind Seven had put young Marika down on the platform in front on the smaller astrometrics display she had built into her and Kathryn's shared home office. That way she could keep an eye on her while she compiled some more data for a lecture she was giving at the Vulcan science institute in a few days. Seven had to stop though when she saw her daughter pointing at one of the holographic stars.
"Twinkle, Twinkle," Little Marika said.
"Do you want me to sing you the twinkle star song?" Seven asked.
"Please mama," the toddler said as she nodded her head up and down enthusiastically.
"Very well," Seven said. "But I might not remember the words you'll have to remind me."
The young girl giggled.
"Silly mama, twinkle star song goes, Twinkle Twinkle little star," Marika said.
"How I wonder what you are," Seven continued in her wonderful singing voice.
"Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky," they sang together.
"Twinkle, Twinkle little star how I wonder hat you are," Interjected a third voice from the door.
"Mommy's home," Marika squealed as she rushed over to be picked up by the older woman.
"How was your day Kathryn?" Seven asked giving her life partner a kiss on the cheek and enveloping both her love and their daughter in a hug.
"Frustrating Annika," she admitted using the name that only Seven's aunt could also get away with. "It's surprising how many Ferengi claim to own the areas we're trying to send long term mission to, maybe I should request a position at the academy."
"I know what will cheer you up," Seven said. "I believe we should take Marika to the park."
"Yay," Marika shouted.
"And then we'll stop for ice cream on the way back," Admiral Janeway said thinking of how happy it made her to help Marika use the playground equipment and how amusing it was to see Seven get down on her hands and knees to help their daughter make sand castles.
"Strawberry ice cream!" Marika yelled.
"I will have strawberry as well Kathryn."
A few more years passed and little Marika was just a few weeks away from starting her formal schooling. It had been difficult to know when would be appropriate because the only information they had about her species had been from Seven's memories of her time with the collective but after much research it appeared that Marika was developing at roughly the same rate as a human child. With that in mind Seven and Kathryn had been spending one afternoon a week for the past six months playing in the forest of forever of the Flotter holoprogram with their daughter. Not this afternoon though, this afternoon was special. Marika's godmother Naomi Wildman had been on earth visiting her human grandparents, so she had been roped into baby-sit while the Admiral and the former borg love of her life went to have dinner at one of the fancier restaurants on the shores of lake Armstrong up on Luna.
"Once upon a time in the forest of forever," the standard computer voice began.
"Much better then the new voices they're putting in the program these days," Naomi remarked. "Honestly makes me feel old."
"You're only," Marika tried to remember. "Twelve, that's not very old."
"I suppose not," Naomi sighed.
Flotter's puddle rippled and the blue elemental appeared.
"Why hello Marika," Flotter said. "Who's your friend?"
"This is Naomi," Marika explained.
"Hey Flotter long time no see," Naomi quipped.
"Naomi Wildman," he said. "Well it has been awhile, not since you and Mezoti built that rocket ship so you could see if the stars here are the same as where you're from."
"I hope Trevis still isn't upset," Naomi stated remembering how he had flown about the cabin because he wasn't strapped in.
"Ah who cares about him," Flotter said.
"Are you and Trevis fighting?" Marika asked.
"He called me squishy," he explained. "So I called him a thick plank waiting to happen."
Naomi was trying not to laugh at the water elementals immature antics.
"Good," Marika said which shocked her godmother. "Miral called me a walking computer relay because of my borg parts so I called her a stupid head with a stupid forehead."
"Good," Flotter replied.
"I can't believe you two," Naomi said. "Their your friends didn't you think that saying those things might hurt their feelings."
"They started it," both elemental and girl replied.
"Well I'm going to find Trevis and ask him why he called you that," Naomi said as she turned and walked towards the other elementals grove. "I don't feel like having an adventure with two meanies like you guys."
"I'm not a meanie," Marika said as she rushed to catch up. "Miral's the big meanie around here."
As they walked Naomi pretended not to notice Flotter following behind, every time she looked back he hid behind something. She also pretended not to hear the conversation he and Marika had about Naomi being the biggest meanie. Eventually they reached the grove and there was the wood elemental standing perfectly still. It was Marika that got the first word in.
"Why'd you call Flotter squishy you big meanie?!" she yelled.
"I didn't do that," Trevis said.
"So what actually happened?" Naomi asked calmly.
"I said I wished I was squishy just like he was," Trevis replied. "I don't know about you but I wouldn't want to hug some one with a bark as bad as mine."
"Huh?" Marika sighed out.
"No one would replicate a doll of me," Trevis lamented.
"That's not true Trevis," Flotter said to his fellow holographic character. "I mean if I had a doll of you I know all the scary monsters would be to cowardly to do anything to me in my sleep."
"I've always thought your bark was quite handsome Trevis," Naomi interjected.
"I'm sorry I said those mean things to you Trevis," Flotter apologised. "It's just that water can be more than just squishy, so I get annoyed when people don't acknowledge water can be hard like ice or just wisps of water vapour on the breeze."
"Then let me apologise," Trevis replied. "As I didn't know it was a sensitive issue for you."
"Are you two going to be friends again?" Naomi asked.
"Yeah," both elementals replied.
Naomi felt her younger charge tugging at her shirtsleeves.
"Um," Marika began. "I think I better call Miral."
"Okay."
"Sorry guys," Marika said to the two elementals. "I have something important to do, but I'll be back later. Computer save and end program."
The forest of forever faded to nothing and was replaced by the usual blank room with the yellow grid.
"You know I can't believe the Admiral managed to get this built here," Naomi said as the climbed the stairs from the basement.
"Actually it was Mama's idea," Marika said as she made her way over to one o the houses many work terminals. "Mommy was just able to pull a few strings, what ever that means."
She tapped a few buttons and soon had placed a call through to the residence of Voyager's former helmsman and chief engineer. B'Elanna was the one who answered. Naomi noted she had let her hair go back to its normal wavy Klingon nature in the few months since she last visited.
"Hello Marika," she greeted. "Do you want to speak to Miral?"
"Yes please," Marika said. "Although I don't think she'd want to."
B'Elanna just ignored that and moved over so that her daughter could see the screen.
"I'm sorry," Marika blurted out. "Your ridges aren't stupid."
"I'm sorry to," the slightly older girl said. "I didn't realise you might not think your cybernetic parts are as cool as I do."
"You called me a walking computer relay," Marika replied.
"Well I think computer relays are cool," Miral said.
"Okay," Marika replied. "I'm just sensitive about them, they're not as pretty as Mama's."
"They're very pretty," Miral insisted. "Would you like to come over tomorrow?"
"Yes but I'll have to ask Mama and Mommy first," Marika explained.
"Talk to you later then Rika!" Miral exclaimed happily
"Later Ral!" Marika replied happy to be on good terms with her friend again.
"So you want to go back to the forest of forever or have some food first?" Naomi asked.
"Food please," Marika answered.
"How about some Gagh?"
"No yuck."
"Leola root stew?"
"Na ha I've heard the stories."
"Pizza?"
"Yes."
"Replicators never get leola root stew right anyway," Naomi lamented as they went to the kitchen.
Several years passed again. Kathryn and Seven managed to be there for every school play, every piece of frustrating homework and every lazy day doing nothing but reading in the living room. In fact the one thing Kathryn missed had caused the only real major fight between the two women that Marika would recall later in life. Eventually Seven had forgiven her beloved after all it was over seeing the evacuation of a planet that had kept her from Marika's quarter final of the junior velocity tournament. It was a short time after that that Marika decided she wanted to know more about her origins. In fact during her first holiday during her first high school year she asked her parents when they we're touring the new Voyager exhibit before it opened. The fact that it was actually within the famous star ship itself helped with the authenticity.
"I believe we should request that cargo bay two be modified," Seven stated to her partner and child.
"How so Seven?" Kathryn asked.
"It seems some how lacking without Naomi Wildman's puzzles or Padds with Icheb's research scattered around," Seven stated. "Perhaps I should replicate some of Mezoti and the twins things to make it feel…"
Seven was at a loss for words.
"More historically accurate," the admiral quipped.
"Mom, Mama you found me at the same time as Icheb and the others right?" the young teenager asked.
"Yes Marika," Kathryn told their daughter. "If I remember it was a certain seven year olds favourite story."
"But why didn't you adopt me right then?" she asked her parents. "Why didn't you raise me on Voyager?"
"We must visit sick bay," Seven said as she turned. Both her partner and daughter had to jog to keep up with her long strides. A short turbo lift ride later they entered sickbay. Within was several displays on diseases and cures discovered in the delta quadrant, the food stuffs encountered that where not safe for humanoid consumption, one on the nutritional value on leola root and the doctor's desk had a few items the hologram had picked up on their travels, as well as a complete collection of pictures he took on his few solo away missions.
Seven led her family to the door in the labs. While the door itself was marked restricted it still responded to her old access codes. Within were the few parts of the stasis pod that were not required when Marika was transferred to Starfleet medical.
"When we first found you," Seven began. "All the doctor could do was stabilize you, we had to quickly free you from a borg maturation chamber and beam you here, when more and more systems aboard that cube began to fail."
"The doctor was able to stabilize your condition," Kathryn continued. "Except you wouldn't stop crying until I held you."
"Unfortunately after a few days one of your implants started to fail," Seven explained. "The Doctor lacked the proper facilities to perform the required surgery on an infant," Seven said. "We didn't have the resources to build a maturation chamber, I had foolishly vaporized the components of the one your elder brother was born in."
Kathryn embraced Seven know that it was often difficult for the younger woman to speak of such times and continued the explanation for her.
"We did however have plenty of stasis equipment," the former captain didn't go into the details of why knowing that was also a harrowing experience for her Annika. "Your Mama managed to adapt a pod for you."
"You were here for the rest of our journey," Seven said. "Many times we almost had the means to hold you in our arms again, but the galaxy is sometimes a cruel place."
"I fell kind of safe here," Marika mused.
"Seven had already broached the subject of becoming more than friends by then," Kathryn explained. "But I…"
"Your mother had a long standing policy of keeping the crew at a distance," Seven explained for her love. "Even your uncle Chakotay."
"But he and mom are so close," Marika had often pondered that if it wasn't for her Mama Chakotay might have pursued his former captain romantically. It came, as a surprise that it was the former borg drone was the one that had the brief romantic liaison with the man. Seven had told her daughter it was punishment directed towards her life partner for an indiscretion committed while they were both brain washed on some distant delta quadrant world.
"Captain shouldn't fraternize with the crew especially in the way Seven wanted," the Admiral explained. "I explained this to her and I thought she accepted it."
"One good thing about the borg is they know how to adapt," Seven said. "I adapted my tactics and eventual wore her down, I even convinced Kathryn to open up on a few nights we both found ourself in here fretting over you."
"After every conversation I felt better," the former captain admitted. "I felt less guilty about stranding the crew in the first place, all the other decisions I second guessed myself on."
"It was after on of those conversations I managed to convince Kathryn to be your co-parent with me," Seven explained.
"To this day we celebrate that date as our anniversary," Kathryn added. "Even if we didn't actually get together till a much later date."
"So those are the reasons we didn't start raising you straight away," Seven said. "We were also fearful something would happen to you if we did bring you out of stasis."
"I was terrified," Kathryn admitted. "So terrified I used to just call you crew member Hansen-Janeway even though we always had a name for you."
"Where did you get my name from anyway?" Marika asked.
Seven started to speak but was interrupted.
"I believe my old ready room would be the appropriate place to tell the story," the former captain of the vessel said. "I believe they've put that racket thing on display as a cultural artifact up there."
Seven merely nodded as she followed the love of her life to the turbo lift urging their daughter to follow.
"What the heck is it?" Marika asked as she pondered the contraption.
"It's used in some kind of sport like ritual," Kathryn explained to their daughter. "Don't ask me to explain it after a incident involving Mr. Kim and Mr. Paris I looked into it and no one had any true idea about it."
"We had docked at a station in a friendlier area of space than we were used to," Seven said. "Your Mom had the brilliant idea of opening up the ship for a cultural exchange."
"We had a lot of visitors and received a lot of gifts from the various people who were onboard that station in some kind of official capacity," Kathryn said. "While I was dealing with all that I didn't realise three of our visitors were here specifically to see Seven of Nine tertiary adjunct of unimatrix zero."
"Who were they?" Marika asked.
"Three of the bravest people I have ever known," Seven said. "Three people I wronged terribly."
"Do you want me to continue for you Annika?" Kathryn asked.
"No," Seven said wiping a tear from her eye. "I need to tell this to Marika myself."
"What's wrong Mama?" their daughter asked distressed to see the strong women who raised her in a state of emotional turmoil.
"I did such a terrible thing to them," Seven sucked in a deep breath and then continued. "I was actually freed from the collective for a brief period by pure chance."
"But I thought Mom rescued you?"
"Indeed she did," Seven said. "But I and three other members found ourselves suddenly set free after our sphere crashed, at first the essential survival programs asserted themselves and we gathered the resources we needed. Both to survive and to make our location known for rescue or salvage by other ships in the collective. However as we were consuming bio-matter for energy the warmth and flickering of the fire triggered long suppressed memories. Slowly our personalties and identities from before assimilation began to reassert themselves. The other three were all assimilated as adults, they were willing to face anything in the hope to live free perhaps even see their friends, families and home worlds again. I was a taken by the borg as a child and I was terrified. When the others split up in order to avoid reassimilation that alien jungle was dark scary full of monsters. I was terrified and I made the choice I shall forever regret. I enforced a new collective. I assimilated those people not because of the weight of the collectives will but because I was afraid of being alone. I made the conscious choice to assimilate three individuals."
"Mama?" Marika gasped terrified at this thing her parent was freely admitting to doing.
"Thankfully my second separation from the collective delivered me to Voyager where most if not all of the crew members helped me become the individual I am now," Seven said wistful. "As for the other survivors of that crash, well my indiscretion caused a neural link between the three of them, they used it to plan their escape, and they succeed in their attempt."
"But?" Marika asked.
"They were still linked to each other," Seven explained. "Thus they sought me out. Eventually we found away to separate them. Finally alone they went their separate ways. One of them decided to spend her final days aboard Voyager. She was a Bajoran named Marika Wilkarah."
"So I am named for her?"
"Yes," Seven said. "She never forgave me for what I did but had the decency to understand…"
As Seven trailed off Kathryn wrapped her arms around her and let her cry into her shoulder.
"I remember about a month before she passed away," Kathryn said. "That Marika had run into Seven just outside the mess hall. Many of the crew had stopped afraid of a confrontation. Instead she asked Seven how her astrometrics work was going, encouraged her to go to the latest soiree Neelix was planning. When I bumped into the woman the next day I found out she was glad that Seven was able to have a full life."
"She was a strong individual," Seven said. "That is why when I was thinking of baby names I thought of her."
"I of course collapsed like a house of cards when I saw how much your Mama's heart was set on it," Kathryn said as she stroked her daughter's hair.
"Okay," Marika said. "But what about the other things, what species am I? Was my home world assimilated? Or does it still exist? Do I have any blood relatives?"
"I'm sorry Marika," Seven sighed. "All we have is a borg species designation number and an area of space you are most likely to come from."
"I had hoped when this day came I would have found out more to tell you," Kathryn lamented. "But I've never been able to get a slipstream ship to that area of space, never had some one call back on Midas array transmission and Neelix and Mezoti just don't get ravellers to their space ports from there.
"Never doubt that we love you Marika Wilkarah Hansen-Janeway," Seven stated. "You are our beloved daughter and nothing will ever change that."
"That's right," Kathryn agreed.
"Of course I won't you're the best Mothers I girl could hope to get," Marika said hugging both her parents tightly. "And the old Voyager crew are the greatest aunts and uncles, Icheb is an awesome cousin like figure, so are Mezoti and twins even though I've never met them in person, Naomi was a brilliant choice as godmother and I'm sure from what ever hero's afterlife he chose One is looking down at us with love."
"We promise one day we will find out about your origins Marika," Seven stated
"So what do you want to see now Rika?" Kathryn asked using the nick name that had become common to use since Miral had first started calling her that so long ago.
"Umm Astrometrics and the captain's quarters."
"What about my quarters?" Seven asked.
"But I thought…" Marika said confused.
"To me it was merely a place to store more personal items," Seven said as they all got up. "I spent little time there unless the twins were being overly boisterous or Naomi and Mezoti were insistent on doing my hair during a sleepover."
"Of course sometimes it was the other way around," the former captain said in a serious manner with no trace of sarcasm.
Many more years passed. Including one fretful year when Marika joined her friend Miral serving on one of Wildman Shipping and Adventure's small cargo ships whilst on her long break from school. Thankfully Seven had been studying stellar phenomena from a starbase on their route so she was able to check up on them every so often. Of course through out her later teenage life Marika would constantly complain about her famous parents scaring off any potential relationship prospects, be they male, female or otherwise. Eventually Marika attended Starfleet Academy. Upon graduating she did so with degrees in anthropology as well as astronomy and the rank of lieutenant junior grade. She soon found herself on a dedicated science vessel the USS Kruszelnicki.
Marika sighed to herself. Her quarter's definitely needed a personal touch. She had just set down the wonderful picture of her mothers relaxing on Grandma Janeway's porch and stargazing when her door chimed.
"Come," she said expecting the executive officer or the head of her particular section of science personal.
She was shocked but quickly snapped the required salute when Admiral Kathryn Janeway stepped into the room.
"At ease ensign," she said. "I was off duty as soon as I hit this deck."
Marika contemplated her mom's features. Her hair had finally begun to grey but her eyes were as sharp as ever.
"You didn't pull rank just to see me off?" Marika asked.
"Of course not," her mom replied. "I only do that on your Mama's birthday, your birthday and anytime I need to welcome a new member of the voyager clan."
Marika thought it amusing that any child born to a former voyager crewmember immediately gained a large extended family.
"So why are you here Mom?"
"Trade negotiations with the Tholians regarding the use of our trade routes to the delta quadrant," the admiral explained. "This ship happened to be going by the relevant star base."
"I wish I could have be assigned to one of those ships setting out to the delta quadrant," Marika lamented. "At least I have some interesting nebula to look forward to and one or two civilizations on the cusp of being warp capable."
"I know dear but our expeditions aren't slated to go near your home planet for another six years."
"At least uncle Neelix finally found it."
"You know your Mama was right, the science blues suit you," Kathryn said admiring how well the uniform suited her daughter.
"Thanks but sometimes I think I made the wrong choice in careers," Marika admitted. "I mean you and mama, the rest of the voyager crew did so much exploration in difficult circumstances. Hell the wealth of information in Voyagers data banks was enough to invigorate Starfleet after the dominion war made others weary. Then there's Grandma and Grandpa Hansen, they may have been wrong to rush of unprepared and without back up but their borg data, well if Mama said it was worth it I believe her. And then there's Naomi."
"Don't sell yourself short Marika," Kathryn told her daughter. "Soon all the Academy science texts will have your name in them."
"Thanks Mom," Marika said as she embraced her parent for a hug.
"Seven and I have always been proud of you," Kathryn said not releasing her daughter from the embrace. "Oh how I'm going to enjoy telling a special some one about when your Mama taught you twinkle twinkle little star and how you thought she'd be upset because you couldn't get it quite right."
"Not this again," Marika said.
"Well your Mama wants grand children," Kathryn said. "And your grandmother wants great grand children."
"Where is Mama anyway?" Marika asked knowing Seven had insisted on accompanying the admiral since an incident on one of the Badlands' disputed planets. Given Admiral Janeway's previous experience in that region her worry was justified.
"At the Vulcan science institute," the Admiral said. "She's been noting some strange variances in suns within the Romulan Star Empire."
Marika nodded know that the readings needed to be verified before approaching the Romulans with them.
"I better getting going I asked the XO to give me twenty minutes and they're almost up," Kathryn said as she walked to the door.
It swished open and they stepped into the hall. The admiral turned to her daughter.
"Good luck with your posting Lieutenant Hansen-Janeway," she said.
"Thank you Admiral Janeway," she said.
"Remember to call once a week," The admiral said as she walked away probably in search of coffee. "You know your mothers worry about you."