Set Down Your Glass
The song is by Snow Patrol from the Hundred Million Suns album. I suggest you listen to it when you get to the prompt. The song is so beautiful; I had it in my head all through my economics tute and lecture. This story took me a record 2 hours to write. Please enjoy.
Disclaimer: I don't own Voyager, Snow Patrol, the usual.
This story takes place after Renaissance Man but before Endgame, technically in the timeline the Admiral came from. Everything else is pretty self explanatory.
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Kathryn sat in the mess hall, watching the warped stars pass by, her thoughts elsewhere.
They had been in the Delta Quadrant for seven long years, and at their current course and speed, would still be so for another 30 plus years.
She sighed heavily. B'Elanna was already two weeks past her due date, and every false alarm set the crew even more on edge. It saddened Kathryn deeply; two of her most problematic, stubborn crewmembers were married with a child on the way, and she could only ever be happy as 'Aunt Kathy'. The rest of the crew were welcome to pair off… except for her. As captain, she needed to be there for everyone; the needs of the many, as Tuvok would say.
Kathryn sighed again. These thoughts of loneliness were keeping her up at night; her bed was cold, empty; just like her heart, she had once been accused.
She sipped the coffee in her hands; it was warm enough to still taste good, but not hot enough to burn.
She didn't move her eyes from the stars, their constant sight calmed her.
xxxXXXxxx
Chakotay stood in the galley, just watching the figure in the corner. He had come in search for some of Chell's leftovers almost an hour ago now, but hadn't moved once he saw who was sitting in the corner lounges. He knew what she was thinking about; hell, half the crew would know what she was thinking about if they were standing where he was.
Chakotay wouldn't give up the past seven years for anything. Sure, some parts he would change, especially the days he and Kathryn spent marooned on New Earth, but their chance meeting, her original mission, changed his life for the better.
The figure in the corner moved, and Chakotay stepped back into the shadows as to not be seen.
It was a shame Neelix wasn't with them any more; he could have come in handy then, but Chakotay was glad the Talaxian was now happy with his own people.
He would just have to recruit the next most qualified person… Naomi Wildman.
xxxXXXxxx
Everyone hated the night shift on the bridge.
Everyone except Harry Kim, that was.
Ever since he was given command of the Gamma shift, what Tom referred to as the graveyard shift, Harry started learning more. The captain still ran Alpha shift, albeit from her ready room with Chakotay on the bridge; Tuvok took Beta shift, and he, Harry Kim, commanded Gamma shift. It was the best 8 hours of his day, except for the days he spent 12 hours in engineering first, like today.
Harry kept staring straight ahead, but he let his mind wander. B'Elanna was two weeks overdue, hence the double shift; and Tom was spending more and more time trying to keep her out of engineering than at the conn. It left harry overworked and lonely. The loneliness wasn't helping him sleep either. Seven long years in the Delta Quadrant had made him almost forget about Libby; as Tom would rattle off: the Borg, the wrong twin, a dead woman, the list went on and on.
But at the end of a long day, Harry was still sleeping alone in a cold, empty bed.
He knew how the captain felt; everyone close to her knew she was lonely.
They all knew all she wants is love.
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"Tom," B'Elanna sat up in bed. Her husband mumbled something incoherently. "Tom!"
He rolled over and looked at her. "It's time?"
B'Elanna grabbed her stomach and nodded, pursing her lips in pain. Tom smiled. He grabbed their comm. badges and helped her off the bed and into a gown.
"Paris to sickbay; it's time."
"Remain calm, Mr Paris. Can she walk?"
Tom looked to his wife. The look of intense pain on her face told him something important. "Better call for a transport, Doc."
The couple arrived in sickbay moments later, and B'Elanna screamed. He grabbed her hand and led her to the surgical biobed.
After months of pregnancy and weeks of waiting, she was finally on her way. He hadn't been lonely in years now, but it made up for the many throwaway women he went through before Voyager.
Voyager saved his sanity.
Kathryn Janeway saved his life.
"Tom Paris! You're never touching me again!"
He smiled. This was the start of the rest of his life.
xxxXXXxxx
Naomi heard the call around 0400. B'Elanna had finally gone into labour and her mother was needed in sickbay. She was to report to Commander Chakotay in the mess hall so she wasn't unsupervised.
The commander was waiting for her in the hallway when she arrived at the mess hall. The corridors were still barely illuminated; the ship's 'day' didn't start until 0600.
He explained what he wanted her to do and handed her a padd. Naomi smiled; even she knew how the captain felt, and she was five!
Naomi walked into the mess hall and pressed the play button on the padd. (Here is where you should start listening to the song)
The sound of music echoed throughout the room, and the captain looked up at her.
Unbeknownst to Naomi, Chakotay walking in behind her and Kathryn caught his eye. She went to speak but he shook his head; they couldn't have the conversation with a child in the room.
Naomi placed the padd on the table and started to dance, the stars the only light to guide her.
When the music stopped she walked out of the mess hall and headed towards the bridge like Chakotay told her to. She was glad he was finally making a move. The captain deserved to be happy just like everyone else.
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"That was beautiful," Kathryn breathed once Naomi had left. "What was it?"
Chakotay shrugged. "Just a 21st century pop rock song from my personal database. It reminded me of you."
Kathryn smiled. "You didn't have to…"
"Yes, I did," he cut her off. "You deserve to be happy, just like everyone else, Kathryn. Let me make you happy."
They stared into each others eyes, not once breaking the gaze, for what felt like hours.
"Play it again," she whispered.
He pressed the button and offered his hand. "Dance with me."
The song was playing for a third time when an internal hail interrupted the pair.
"Paris to Janeway."
An infant's cry was heard over the line. Kathryn looked up at Chakotay and smiled.
"There's someone we'd like you to meet."
xxxXXXxxx
Three days later Kathryn sat on the couch in her quarters, once again staring at the stars.
"Are you coming back to bed?"
She turned towards her bedroom, smiling when she saw Chakotay leaning on the door frame. The stars had brought them back together, for the first time since New Earth.
And finally, she wasn't lonely.