Beginnings and Ends
by GeoGirl
Rated PG (just to be on the safe side)
Paramount owns them all. I just wanted a more satisfying ending.
Notes: This is AU and are my thoughts on how Endgame could have ended. For scene in the hallway between the Admiral and the Captain, I have quoted the dialog from the actual episode. No infringement is intended. I just couldn't have written it better.
The Captain is staring at the viewscreen, watching the showdown between herself and her nemesis. And I, as always, am watching her. Waiting to see if this might be her breaking point. Seeing her older self being assimilated, dying, ending. But she won't let herself fully comprehend the vision just now; there is too much to do before she will deal with the reality of it all.
We see the Queen lying on the floor of the Borg ship, writhing and shouting threats. Cursing the Admiral, the Captain and even the Universe. Admiral Janeway's eyes flit between the vision of the Queen, weak and helpless, and the vision of Voyager, on the Borg viewscreen, hitching a ride through the transwarp conduits compliments of the Borg.
We lose the link to her; but the Admiral is smiling. I can feel it.
Just as I feel the Captain looking out to our future, it's beginning, and looking back to the past, it's end. And all the while hoping the sacrifice of her future self is worthwhile.
"It's what she wanted and she felt that the price was hers to pay," I state softly. The Captain shoots a glance my way, her eyes a whirlwind of emotions.
"Steady as she goes, Mr. Paris." She checks in with Tom, knowing confidently he is doing his job. This small thing helps refocus her thoughts on the present tasks. It's one of her little tricks that I've come to appreciate all these years. How she has the ability to step out of an emotional situation that she'd rather avoid and return to saving us all.
"Vorik, how are things holding up in engineering?" She asks through the com system. Knowing that things are hectic down there, but if there were problems, she would have heard about them by now.
As the conduit collapses behind us and the Borg sphere closes on to Voyager, I see the gears working in her head. No doubt coming up with some brilliant plan to save us. She always can surprise me with the most innovative, harebrained, risky and unique ways to save us. Over and over again.
Then, she barks out, "Course correction, Mr. Paris" and sends him the coordinates. He looks back with a quick glance, just to verify the order. Janeway gives him a slight nod, a small smile and he believes her.
****
The tinkling of a knife hitting a champagne glass got the attention of all of the crew assembled in the Mess Hall.
"Well, everyone, I would like you all to meet the newest member of the Voyager family, Miral Kathryn Paris." Tom proudly lifted up his daughter so that all could see. He was positively beaming, as was B'Elanna. The Doctor was hovering around his two patients, tricorder permanently in his hand. As Tom turned Miral around to the deafening applause, she let out a wail that would have made any Klingon warrior proud. Miral was drowning out the applause and causing the first set of worry lines on her mother's face. B'Elanna roughly grabbed at Tom's arm until he safely planted the baby back into her protective embrace. The crowd moved forward with good wishes and congratulations as Tom was swept away to the side by Kathryn. I am proudly cooing over the baby and B'Elanna, but always with one eye on Kathryn, looking out for her. However, this time, Seven is by my side and watching me watch the Captain.
"I hope that you approve of her name, Captain. B'Elanna and I felt that it would only be fitting that our daughter be named after the head of our family here on Voyager. After all, we wouldn't have even know each other if it wasn't for you and Starfleet. We just couldn't see naming her Miral Starfleet Paris, could you?" He chuckled with a twinkle in his eye.
"I am more than honored Tom. I really don't know what to say. Have you introduced your father to his granddaughter yet?"
Tom looked at her sheepishly. "No, I wanted to introduce her to my other family first. I have only recently introduced Father to his daughter-in-law, let alone his granddaughter. You know him better than I, Captain. How do you think he'll react?"
"Give him a chance Tom. It's not everyday he gets a son back, but also gets a daughter-in-law and granddaughter. Both of whom could probably out-stubborn him in a nanosecond. They'll have him twisted around their little fingers in no time. Just you wait and see."
"I hope your right, Captain. But if I must say so, if it doesn't happen, I will not let him affect my life negatively again. It will be his loss. I have more family here on Voyager than I had ever hoped." Janeway put a hand on his arm and gave it a gentle squeeze.
Tom eventually came back to B'Elanna and Miral putting his arms around both of them. Yes, he would be fine. He and B'Elanna were so good for each other that if Admiral Paris did not realize what he might be missing, they would be ok.
Seven and I made our excuses and discreetly left the party together.
****
"Janeway to Chakotay."
"Yes, Captain"
"Could you join me in my Ready Room."
"Certainly," I replied. "Tuvok, you have the Bridge." I turned and made my way to the Captain's Ready Room. I had an idea on what we were going to discuss. Our return to Starfleet and the possible ramifications for all of us. Now that we're back in the Alpha Quadrant, we have no choice but to discuss this. Starfleet will have us in its grasp in a few short days. Knowing Kathryn as I do, she has already developed a plan to every possible scenario.
As I entered her room, she is not sitting at her desk as I had imagined, but standing and staring out her viewport. This pose indicated that she had been deep in thought and had been this way for a while. She straightened slightly as I walked in and turned to face me.
"Can I get you something to drink? Now that we're back in the Alpha Quadrant, I suppose we don't have to be so worried about rations." She gave a small chuckle, very unconvincingly. She crossed over and ordered herself a coffee, hot and black.
"Tea, thank you" I replied. Soon a cup of hot tea was placed in my hands as we both settled on her couch, the stars streaming behind us.
"So, Chakotay, what is the mood of the crew?"
"Jubilation, apprehension, relief, fear. All of the above and more. The former Maquis and the Equinox crew are wondering what's to become of them? How is Starfleet going to deal with them? Will they be able to see their families? What else do you expect them to be feeling?" I gave a small shrug of the shoulders, as if for emphasis.
"I guessed as much." She sets her cup down and leans back as if trying to get comfortable for the long explanation. "We haven't given a response to Starfleet concerning their inquiry on the 'Maquis situation' as we were requested. From what little information I've received thus far from the Admiral concerning the 'Maquis situation', there really isn't one any more. The war with the Dominion almost eradicated the Maquis, as you already know. Sympathies for and against the former Maquis run about equal in the information that I've read. As for the former Equinox crew, I haven't received many favorable responses to the discrete inquiries I've made. But I've said this before and I will state it again, I will not allow any of my crew to be persecuted in any way, now that we've returned. As you told me a long time ago, you are not alone. And I'm making that same promise to the entire crew. I will not let any member of my crew down."
"Captain." I said incredulously. Was I becoming the voice of logic here? "Those that still feel the remaining members of the Maquis need to be punished or made an example of may not be so easily influenced. They may also be in the higher echelons of the Federation or Starfleet. You will undoubtedly have some kind of pull at first, being the returning hero. That kind of influence will only go so far and so high. Being married to Admiral Paris' son may help B'Elanna, but the others aren't so well protected, no matter what you say. And the Equinox crew is ready to face charges; they've known that some kind of disciplinary action will be taken against them, including prison time. They are realistic about their situation. I hope that your crusade to save any of us won't harm you or your career in the long run."
"Chakotay, let me be rightly understood, I will not and I repeat will not let any one of my crew be persecuted in any way. That means Maquis, those from the Equinox, the Doctor and Seven. I will be recommending that diplomatic relations be set up with the Talaxian colony, with Neelix as the Ambassador. And I intend to notify the Klingon Council of the colony of Klingons we left behind and offer to assist them in initiating communications with them." She rose quickly and began to pace about the Ready Room.
"Well, you sound like your going to be quite busy when we get back, Kathryn. What about you? Do you think that Starfleet won't be going through the logs and records with a fine-toothed comb to seen what kind of Captain you've been? There are a few times that they could interpret as questionable interpretation on Starfleet protocols and even the Prime Directive. Do you think that you will be above reproach in all of our seven years?"
"Oh, Chakotay, don't you think that I haven't thought of that? I think about that quite a bit, in fact. I wonder how others will interpret my actions. But I can't really focus on myself now, there's still too much to do and still too many to protect. I believe it was the Doctor who once called me a mother bear defending her cubs. I guess we'll see how true that analogy really is."
With a wave of her hand, the topic is closed for now.
"Enough of work. Will you join me for dinner tonight, or do you have plans?" I hesitated a fraction too long and her eyebrow raised.
"Dinner would be lovely, as long as you're buying. We can go over recommendations for the crew files while we at it. We have at least one unfinished evaluation to complete." The corners of my mouth were beginning to turn up. Harry's promotion was at the top of the pile when we last looked at the evaluations.
"Ah yes, Mr. Kim. Lucky for him I feel that I will be in a good mood." She smiled that half smile of hers that I love. "You bring the wine and I'll replicate something tasty."
Knowing Kathryn's luck with the replicators, I gave a small chuckle as I backed out of the room quickly. I must remember to let Seven know that I must cancel our dinner plans. Ships business, of course.