A/N: You all know the legal mumbo jumbo. I own nothing except the Janeway children. The rest are property of Paramount.
It was 2383 and 5 year old Taya Molly Janeway was running through the house at 0700 in the morning. She opened the door to her parents' bedroom and jumped on the bed, waking her sleeping mother.
"Mommy, wake up mommy, it's my birthday." Taya said. Kathryn Janeway sleepily turned to her daughter.
"Alright, I'll get up in a minute. You go and find your prettiest clothes and I'll get your daddy and brother up." Janeway said.
"Yeah!" Taya squealed. She bounced off the bed and ran off. Janeway went to lie back down when she was pulled into her husband's arms. She turned to face him and kissed him.
"Morning." She said. Chakotay nuzzled her neck.
"Was that our little munchkin reminding us it's her birthday?" Chakotay asked.
"For the millionth time this week." Janeway asked.
"Can you blame her? She's 5, that's a very excitable age." Chakotay said. He tangled his fingers with hers. Her wedding ring glinted in the sun pouring in through the window.
"5 years Chakotay, can you believe we've been married for 5 years?" Janeway said.
"5 wonderful years." Chakotay said.
"And many more to come." Janeway said. She rolled over to kiss him when they were interrupted by another little voice.
"Want a cuddle, mommy." 2 year old Jason Thomas said. They laughed as Janeway rolled over to pick up her little boy. She brought him in the middle.
"Of course you can have a cuddle." Janeway said. The little boy hugged his mother tight and then moved to his father.
"I'm hungry." Jason said. Then he got off the bed. Janeway and Chakotay sat up.
"I'm guessing that's our cue to get up." Chakotay said.
"Whatever gave you that idea?" Janeway laughed. She quickly kissed him before getting up and looking for her children. Chakotay shook his head as he watched his family leave the bedroom and decided it was time for him to follow. He found Taya rifling through her wardrobe trying to find something to wear and Janeway in Jason's bedroom finding him some clothes. He decided to help Taya.
"Help me daddy, I can't decide what to wear." Taya said.
"Alright, I'll help." Chakotay said. He went into his daughter's room.
An hour later and the family were all up and dressed and eating breakfast from the replicator. After they had finished, the kids had gone off to play while Janeway and Chakotay were clearing away the dishes. The computer suddenly rose up and beeped at them. The screen said incoming transmission.
"Who could that be?" Janeway said. She activated the computer and her former chief engineer, B'Elanna Torres-Paris came on the screen. "B'Elanna, what an unexpected surprise."
"I sort of had a feeling you'd be awake, how are you?" B'Elanna asked.
"We're really good, thank you. How are Tom and Miral?" Janeway said.
"See for yourself." B'Elanna said. She moved aside to let her former commanding officers and now her friends witness the scene unfolding behind her. They saw 6 year old Miral Paris run screaming in the background being pursued by her father, Voyager's former pilot, Tom Paris.
"Miral, give daddy the PADD. Come on sweetie I need it." Tom said.
"No!" Miral yelled. Laughing, she bolted.
"B'Elanna, can't you do something?" Tom said.
"I can't I'm talking." B'Elanna said.
"Who are you…Captain, hi." Tom said, sheepishly looking at the screen.
"You don't work for me anymore, Tom, so stop calling me Captain." Janeway said.
"Sorry, old habits die hard. If you'll excuse me, I have some design specs for the engines of the new class of starship being built to get out of the hands of a 6 year old girl." Tom said before darting off.
"Is it always like that?" Chakotay said.
"Pretty much. I was just calling to confirm today. What time do you want us there?" B'Elanna said.
"Oh 1600, if you can make it." Janeway said.
"Are you kidding? Miral has not stopped talking about this for weeks. She keeps asking 'when is Taya's birthday? Is it her party yet? There would be hell to pay if she couldn't go." B'Elanna said.
"I wonder where she gets that temper from." Chakotay mocked.
"Very funny. How are the kids?" B'Elanna asked. Just then, Taya and Jason came in.
"Who are you talking to?" Taya asked. Then she saw the screen. "Aunt B'Elanna!"
"Hi Taya, Happy Birthday. How old are you?" B'Elanna said.
"I'm 5. Almost as old as Miral. Are you coming to my party?" Taya asked.
"Yes I am. Uncle Tom and I will be bringing Miral later." B'Elanna said.
"Yeah!" Taya squealed as she bounded off.
"Was Miral that excitable?" Janeway said.
"She still is. And I see Jason is getting bigger, how old is he now?" B'Elanna asked.
"He's 2 years old and already showing signs of the terrible twos." Janeway said.
"I'm sure it's not that bad." B'Elanna said.
"We're not kidding. He's as bad as Taya when she's in one of her moods." Chakotay said.
"It's a phase, they all go through it." B'Elanna said. "Well, I'm going to have to go to mediate between my husband and my daughter and then get some things sorted before I come later."
"Well, thank you for calling and we'll see you when you got here." Janeway said.
"Looking forward to it. Torres out." B'Elanna said. Then the communication ended.
"Well, we had better get ready for the party." Janeway said.
"Aye Aye, Captain." Chakotay said. She playfully hit him in the chest.
A few hours later, everything was set up for the party and the children were playing outside. Janeway and Chakotay were sitting watching them. She was resting against him while he had his arms around her.
"This is perfect. Just the kind of life I've wanted. Away from Starfleet, aliens and battles, not having to worry about anyone but my family." Janeway said.
"And yet, when I first met you, you never struck me as the type to settle down to the traditional life. I always thought you'd remain in Starfleet right to the end." Chakotay said, stroking her hair.
"For a while, I thought that too. But then you changed everything. When we got together, it gave my life a new sense of purpose, someone to live for other than myself. And then when I became pregnant with Taya I still went on like I was still a Captain. I was hit with a harsh reality when I lost her twin. I realised that I didn't want to be the kind of parent to her that my father was to me. It was time for me to settle down." Janeway said.
"I love you." Chakotay said.
"I love you too." She said, turning to kiss him. They then turned to see the children playing nicely. They then heard the computer receiving a transmission.
"I'll get that." Chakotay said, getting up. Janeway sat up and watched her children. Suddenly, 2 figures materialised next to the children. Janeway shot up when she saw them, but not before the figures grabbed the children.
"Mommy!" Taya cried.
"NO!" Janeway shouted. She tried to run towards them, but she was shot in the shoulder. She cried out as the blast hit her and threw her to the ground. The children were crying. Then the figures vanished with the children. Chakotay ran out when he heard the commotion.
"Kathryn!" He called as he saw her on the ground. He ran to her; saw her injured shoulder and the distress on her face. "What happened? Where are the children?"
"They took them. They took them." Janeway sobbed.
"Who took them?" Chakotay asked, obviously concerned that someone had shot his wife and took his children. She looked into his eyes.
"The Borg."