Little Katie Janeway
Belanna kept hearing a strange noise. It wasn't coming from the warp core or any of the machinery. The noises they made were something she recognized immediately. This was coming from….she walked around the room trying to pin point the noise. Ah! The Jefferies tubes, but what can it be? I haven't sent anyone in there to do any work. It should be nice and quite in there.
Opening the hatch, she crawled in. She stopped for a moment trying to pinpoint which direction to take. Finally, she decided the noise was coming from somewhere down on the left and around the curb. She began to crawl toward the noise.
Suddenly, she felt something wet on her hands and the knees of her uniform. Holding her hand up to her nose she smelled the sticky mess. . She couldn't quite place the odor, so she did what any good engineer would do. She licked her finger. ICE CREAM!
What the heck is ice cream doing in the Jefferies tubes? The crew knows not to eat in the tubes. There are big signs every fifty feet or so saying the fact: NO eating in the tubes!
Rounding the curve in the tubes, she saw the culprit. She had to laugh in spite of herself! There sat little Katie Janeway holding two chocolate ice cream cones which were melting very fast. Katie was licking as fast as she could, one cone then the other. She simply could not keep up with the heat of the Jefferies tubes making them melt fast. As she licked the ice cream, she was kicking the wall of the Jefferies tube with her foot.
Katie had chocolate not only all over her face and hands, but it was in her hair and all over her clothes.
"Katie, what are you doing?"
Katie gave her a look that said what do you think I'm doing? "Eaten ice cream Auntie Be. Want some? I share?" She held out one of the soggy cones to Belanna.
"No, I'm really not hungry." Then she hit her comm badge, "Torres to Janeway."
"Janeway here!"
"Can you come down to Jefferies tube 31 section 14 hatch 18 as soon as possible?"
"Is there a problem?"
"Uh yes, you could say that. Just come down. Open the hatch and crawl to the left around the curve."
"I'm on my way."
Kathryn was worried. What had gone wrong now? None of the indicators had noted anything unusual. But, they could be wrong. All the way down to engineering, Kathryn thought about what could be wrong. She knew all too well that some little thing wrong could suddenly become a big situation.
Climbing into the Jefferies tube, she turned left and began to crawl. Rounding the curb she saw Belanna sitting there looking at something just ahead of her. Before she could say anything she felt something sticky on her hands and on the knees of her uniform.
Suddenly, she saw what or actually who Belanna was staring at. There sat Chakotay's four year old daughter eating ice cream. (When Katie was doing something wrong, Kathryn would always say that she was Chakotay's daughter)
"Katie Janeway, what do you think your doing?"
"Eaten ice cream with Tommy."
Kathryn and Belanna gave each other strange looks. "Tommy?"
"Un huh, see " she licked the ice cream in her right hand and said, "Katie" then she licked the ice cream in her left hand and said, "Tommy" Then she looked at both women like they had a problem that they couldn't see Tommy.
"Tommy likes chocolate ice cream just like me."
"Well, you and Tommy need to get out of the Jefferies tubes now. You know you're not allowed in them. And, you're not suppose to leave the mess hall without someone taking you. Nor are you suppose to have two ice creams."
"Me know!"
"Then why did you do it?"
"Cause"
"Cause, why?"
"Cause me wanted to."
"Come with me now."
As she turned, Katie and Belanna followed. Once out of the Jefferies tubes, Belanna said, "I'll have someone clean up the mess here. You've got the bigger job." She was trying not to laugh, but Katie looked so darn cute with ice cream everywhere, even in her ear. Kathryn took what was left of both cones and dumped them in the trash.
"Thank you, Belanna. I'm going to kill whoever is suppose to be watching her, which I think might be 'you-know-who'!"
"Yep, and he's probably off somewhere telling someone an Indian warrior story." They both laughed at that. They loved his stories, but they always made comments about them.
"Walk beside me, Katie. We're going to our quarters."
"Why?"
"You need a bath and clean clothes."
"Why?"
"Because you're sticky and dirty."
Katie stuck out her bottom lip, "Me no dirty."
"Well sticky then."
"We need a kitty."
"A kitty? Why?"
"Kitty could lick it off. That's be neat. Like this." She grabbed for Kathryn's hand and began licking it.
"Enough Katie. You're in big enough trouble as it is."
Katie got quite. All of a sudden she sobbed.
Kathryn stopped walking and stooped down. "There's nothing to cry about."
" You gonna shoot me out of airlock too?"
"What?"
"Naomi said that when people no good round here, they getted shot out air lock." At first, Kathryn couldn't connect with what Katie was saying. Then it dawned on her. When one of the crew was killed, they would have a service then shoot their remains out into space. Recently Ensign Jameson fell off a cliff while on shore leave and died. They had shot him into space per his request in his will.
"We would never do that to you, sweetheart."
"Oh, 'kay"
Along the route, they passed several crewmen who just smiled and shook their heads. After passing the two Janeways, they would laugh. Katie was in trouble again! She always seemed to be getting in trouble. But, at the same time, she was good for the crew. At least once a week, if not more, a new Katie Janeway story would make the rounds. The crew absolutely adored her.
Kathryn hit her comm badge, "Janeway to Chakotay"
"Chakotay here""
"Can you come to our quarters, please?"
"Of course, on my way. Uh Kathryn, are you wanting to see the big man?"
"No, Chakotay. Just get your butt to our quarters now?"
As Chakotay headed to their quarters, he wondered what he had done now.
He arrived just after Kathryn and Katie. They were still standing in the living area. As soon as the door shut, she pointed to Katie. All of a sudden he remembered that he was suppose to be taking care of Katie. And, from the looks of her, she had gotten into something she shouldn't have again.
"Did you forget someone, Chakotay? Some one short with red hair, blue eyes and dimples?"
"She was right beside me in the mess hall. I was talking to Dalby, Gerron and Edwards. She must have slipped away."
"Yes, she must have! Let me run water in the bath tub and you can undress her." She headed into the bathroom.
Chakotay stood looking at Katie, "Come on, let's get you undressed. We're going to have to be nice to mommy for awhile, Katie. She's pretty upset."
"You fault. You no watch me! Bad daddy!"
Finally she was in the tub. After a quick bath, she was dressed in shorts and a tank top. Kathryn put her in her bed for a nap. Kissing her on the forehead, Kathryn said, "I'll be back later. Daddy will look after you."
"'Kay mommy. I be good for daddy."
"I hope so."
As soon as Kathryn got back in the living room, she began talking to Chakotay, Katie got out of bed and was listening at the door. "She's just a baby, Chakotay! She could have been hurt. Or, what if she had wandered way back in the tubes where it's very dark and gotten scared?"
"I'm sorry, Kathryn. I'll try to be more careful."
"The problem with you, Chakotay, is that you don't think with your brain, you think with your big man! And until you start using your brain, you're big man's getting any!" turning she stomped out of their quarters. "Damn, I think I'm in big trouble!" Chakotay said aloud to no one in particular.
That evening, the three of them walked into the mess hall together. Everyone there had heard the story of Katie and the ice cream cones. But, when she walked in, she looked like a little angel. She was a beautiful little girl. They all knew that someday she'd be a beautiful woman like her mother.
After Katie finished eating, her mom let her go talk to Belanna, Tom, Mike, Harry and Susan Nicoletti while Kathryn and Chakotay were in deep conversation about the next shore leave.
"Hi Katie," Tom said.
"Hi everybody!"
After a round of hellos, Belanna pulled up a chair for Katie.
"Sit here, Katie."
Susan said, "I heard you got in trouble today."
Katie said, "Just little. Mommy more mad at Daddy. Her say he needs use his brain instead of his big man! Her say he no get none till he starts using brain. Be, what's he not gonna get?" All five were laughing so hard that Susan almost fell off her chair and Harry was choking on the pieces of broccoli he had in his mouth.
Finally Belanna managed to say, "Ice cream, Katie. No more ice cream!" She could barely get it out. Then turning, she along with everyone else at the table stared at the command team.
Kathryn looked up, "They're staring at us, Chakotay. No telling what Katie is telling them. God, I hope she didn't hear our conversation after she went down for her nap!"
"Nah, I don't think she did, besides she wouldn't know what we were talking about anyway."
"She's so adorable, especially when she sleeps. But, she gets in more trouble than any child I've ever heard about."
"Must take after her mom."
"I will have you know that I was the perfect child."
"When we get home, I plan on asking your mom and Phoebe about that. Wonder what they'll say."
"I'll pay them to lie."
Finally, they got up to go. They walked over to the table where the others were still sitting with Katie.
"Katie, its time to go, sweetheart." Kathryn helped her out of her chair. They said their goodnights to all, then started out.
Tom called Chakotay back, "Hey Chakotay, come here a minute."
"What do you want, Paris."
"Heard a rumor. Heard your big man isn't going to get any use for awhile."
Chakotay turned red and walked away.
"I think you're going to be in big trouble on the bridge tomorrow, Tom."
"It might be fun, Mike."
The next morning, the ship was attacked. Three ships uncloaked right in front of them. Voyager fought hard and took down two of them right away. The third ship kept it up for most of the day before it finally exploded right in front of them, sending shock waves throughout Voyager. It took days before all the repairs were completed. Thankfully no one was hurt badly, just a few scrapes here and there.
Once all repairs were completed, there was a party on the holodeck. Everyone dressed up for it. Katie was excited as she'd be allowed to go with Naomi, even though she would only get to stay a couple of hours.
Kathryn dressed her really cute. Then she dressed herself. When they came out of the bedroom, Chakotay stared at the two of them. They looked great. Katie had on a white dress trimmed in blue. She looked like an angel. But, Kathryn looked downright ravishing. She had on a strapless dress in blue. It was tight and showed off very nice curves as well as a tiny waist and flat stomach. It had a slit up the side. Her hair was down and in light curls around her face. She wore a simple locket around her neck.
As they entered the holodeck, all eyes were on them. They looked like the perfect, elegant family. Katie spotted Naomi right away and ran over to her. They both were so excited. Tom had set up a small table for them to sit at. It was near the table assigned to the senior staff. Sam was with Harry that night which made it nice.
The girls got to order kiddie cocktails. They pretended they were all grown up. Several of the men asked them to dance, but Katie's favorite dance partner was her daddy. She loved him and mommy so much. She felt bad for Naomi because Naomi had never seen her daddy, only pictures.
They had a wonderful time, but all too soon it was time for Katie to go to bed. Her parents had let her stay up an hour later as it was. She was nearly falling asleep, but didn't want to give up the battle.
"Kathryn, you stay here and enjoy yourself. I'll take Katie and put her in bed. I'm tired anyway."
"Are you sure, Chakotay?"
"I'm sure."
"I'll stay just a little longer. Wait for me in bed." She kissed him on the lips. Naomi and Katie saw them kiss.
They looked at each other and both said, "Yuck" at the same time.
Chakotay picked up Katie and carried her to their quarters. She was nearly asleep by the time they got there. He undressed her and put a nightgown on her. Finally she got in bed.
"Story, Daddy, please."
He began telling her a story, but didn't get very far when he saw she was sound asleep. He kissed her cheek and turned out the light. Going in the other bedroom, he took off his tux, but he left on his tee shirt and boxers. He knew that soon after Kathryn returned, he'd have them off as well.
He went into the living area and got some tea. Sitting down at the computer, he began looking up plans to build a doll house for Katie. In two months she'd have a birthday.
He had just found the doll house he wanted to build and got the info he needed, when Kathryn returned. She looked radiant still. He stood up and went to her and took her in his arms. He carried her to the bedroom, where he quickly undressed her. They spent the next three hours making love. Finally, they both fell asleep exhausted.
The next day on the bridge, everyone except Tuvok looked tired. Chakotay whispered to Kathryn, "We better not run into any ships wanting to shoot at us. Everyone here is way to tired to fight back!"
"I know I am. You wore me out, Chakotay. It hurts just to put my legs together. '
"Ah poor baby. Last night, if I recall correctly, you were begging for it, Kathryn."
She smiled, "And, you certainly was up to it, Chakotay!"
Two months later, the command team was sitting on the bridge, Neelix entered holding on to Katie. The command team didn't hear them enter the bridge. All of a sudden, they heard, "Captain, Commander, you need to control your child!"
They had never heard Neelix raise his voice. They looked at each other in shock.
"What has she done now, Neelix?" Kathryn asked.
"I think we need to talk privately about this."
"Fine, my ready room Tuvok you have the bridge, Chakotay your with me."
The four of them entered the ready room. Kathryn had them sit in the chairs by the couch. She and Chakotay sat on the couch.
"What is it Neelix?"
"I was cleaning out the store room. I set all the boxes of leola root on the conveyor that takes the garbage to the recycler." Turning and staring at Katie, he continued, "I only left it for a minute. But, someone here, came and pushed the on button. All, not just part, of the Leola root is gone.!"
"All of it, Neelix? No more sitting around anywhere?"
"No, no more sitting around. We need to find a planet with leola root so I can harvest more. You know how much the crew loves it!"
Chakotay was trying to keep from laughing, Kathryn hit him with her elbow. Problem was she was trying not to laugh as well.
"I caught Katie coming out of there."
"Katie, did you push the button to start the conveyor?"
"Yes"
"Why?"
"Because the button said PUSH on it, so I pushed! The green light came on real purty like. But the boxes started moven and I couldn't find an OFF button. So, I came to tell Neelix."
"And, exactly why weren't you in the nursery, where you're suppose to be?"
"I skipped school!"
"You skipped school?"
"Yep, I know everything anyway. And, Daddy read me a story last night bout a little boy who skipped school. I don't want to go to school anymore. I want a job."
"What kind of a job?"
"I want your job so you can stay home and have a baby."
"Neelix has to get back to the mess hall. What do you say to him?"
Katie went over to stand in front of Neelix, She gave him her best lop sided grin, "I'm sorry, Neelix. Didn't mean to do it, it just happened."
Neelix, who could never stay angry at her or Naomi, bent down, "I'll find some more Leola root, hopefully. And, I'm not angry with you any more, Katie. Just be careful when your around the food in the mess hall."
He soon left.
"Chakotay, I'll take her to lunch and then back to the nursery. I'm not finished talking to her yet."
At lunch, Kathryn and Katie had a long talk. Kathryn was at her wits end with Katie. If it wasn't one thing, it was another. But, secretly, she was glad if Katie had to destroy something, it was the entire supply of leola root.
Tom, Harry, Belanna, Mike and Susan sat at their usual table. Tom was telling them that Neelix had brought Katie to the bridge, and he was very upset with her. They all knew that Katie was suppose to be in the nursery.
"Wonder what she did this time," Mike said aloud.
"Whatever it was Neelix certainly wasn't happy."
Looking up they saw the Captain entering the mess hall with Katie. The Captain got in line and Katie went over to the table where they usually sat.
Seeing the five sitting at their table, she went over to them, "I'm in trouble big, big time!"
"What did you do now?" Be inquired.
"I skipped school. I came here and went in the store room. There were a lot of boxes on the belt. I pushed the button that said PUSH and the boxes moved and went in this thing and disappeared forever. Neelix is very upset. He said it was his entire store of leola root. There is no more." She put her hands up and said, "All gone! No more! Poof! Gone!"
"Tom said in a low voice, "The Captain ought to give her a medal!'
"Here she comes now. Better go sit down, Katie. You have to get on your mom's good side." Belanna told her.
Katie when over by their table and waited until Kathryn sat down.
"Mommy, which is your good side?"
"What?"
"Which is your good side?"
"I don't understand what you're talking about, Katie."
"I told them what happened, and Aunt Be said I should get on your good side, but I don't know which side it is."
Kathryn couldn't help herself. She laughed.
"Katie, right now, Neelix has a lot of supplies, but not always. Sometimes we have to rely on the leola root. When we get to a planet that has some, you are going to transport down with me and Neelix. We will help him gather more. What you did is wrong. Do you understand?"
"Yes, mommy. And, I help Neelix. I love Neelix."
"I know you do, baby!"
As Kathryn and Katie were talking at the one table, the group of five were talking about Katie at their table.
"If it weren't for Katie, this ship would be very boring."
"That it would be, Susan, that it would be. Remember the time, the Captain allowed her on the bridge as a birthday treat and she got her head stuck between the command chair and the floor. We had to take the chair apart to get her out," laughed Paris.
"Or the time, she got in sick bay and had all the bottles and small medical equipment in the floor. It took the Captain and the EMH hours to sort it out," said Mike
Belanna had to add her memory of Katie, "I remember when she climbed on the high shelf in the command quarters and the shelf pulled lose from the wall. She fell down along with the shelf. The shelf hit a lower shelf that was full of wine bottles that some official on a planet have given Chakotay. Several broke, and the wine was pouring all over Katie and everything else."
"I remember than one! The Captain was upset with Chakotay because he was standing there crying over the loss of his wine bottles and poor Katie was getting soaked with the wine."
"I didn't hear that part, Tom! That is funny!" Mike was laughing just thinking about what it all looked like. "There certainly is never a dull moment with Katie."
"Yes and we all love her. She and Naomi makes this crew a very happy crew!"
Voyager continued on it's way to the Alpha Quadrant. They were in a peaceful area. The command team hoped it would last. They had even found an M Class planet where they could trade for supplies as well as take shore leave.
The command team took Katie and Naomi to the surface one day. There was a children's museum that they enjoyed very much. Later they had lunch at a very nice outdoor café. Then they went to a park. It was later afternoon before they returned to the ship. The girls were very tired.
Kathryn put Katie to bed early. Chakotay was walking the ship. Kathryn decided to take a hot bath, just soak in the tub for awhile. Kathryn had been in the tub for almost a half hour when Chakotay returned. He came into the bathroom and kissed her.
"Did our Princess get to sleep alright? They both were pretty wound up."
"She was almost asleep before her head hit the pillow. They had a great day. It felt good being on solid ground for awhile."
"I'm going to go kiss Katie good night and then head for bed. See you there later." he winked at her.
"Dirty old man!" she laughed.
He left the room and returned moments later. "Kathryn, Katie's gone!"
"What? No way." She hurried out of the tub and put her robe on. "Did you try her…never mind. She's in her pj's. She doesn't have her comm badge on. Ask the computer."
"I did. She's not on the ship!"
"She couldn't have left the ship. Who's on transporter duty anyway?"
"Ensign Sanders. I'll contact him to check for any unauthorized transports."
Ensign Sanders assured them that there wasn't any unauthorized transports or even any authorized transports to the surface in the last six hours.
Kathryn contacted Tuvok who was on duty. He notified his security team to look for her. Somehow she was somewhere where the sensors wasn't picking her up.
Hours later over half the ship's crew was looking for her but hadn't found her. Kathryn and Chakotay was both frantic. Kathryn was ready to cry. Actually ever once in awhile a stray tear made its way down her cheek.
They had sectioned out the ship and different groups were searching their assigned areas. But, no one was finding anything.
"She has to be on this ship somewhere. Where do sensors not reach?" Chakotay was saying.
All of a sudden it hit Kathryn, "The Goldenbird!"
"What?"
The Goldenbird, off of deck 15. There are no sensors there. It's the way the ship was build for the Captain's protection."
"What is the Goldenbird?"
"My shuttle. I never use it. It's an escape shuttle if aliens were to take over the ship. Not that I'd leave my crew, but it's still there. Let's go!"
They entered the turbo lift and headed down to deck 15. Once they got there Chakotay and Tuvok followed Kathryn. She went to a panel and hit a spot near it. The panel moved. The Kathryn pressed the hatch to the Goldenbird. It immediately opened. The two men followed her in.
There was Katie sitting at the controls, sleeping. Chakotay went over to her and picked her up. Katie woke up and looked at Chakotay, "Hi Daddy! Me have fun! Me drive shuttle!"
Tuvok called off the search. As they rode the turbo lift back to their quarters, Kathryn explained that one day, she had brought Katie down to see the Goldenbird. It had been several months back. She didn't realize that Katie could find her way back down there and get into the shuttle. She asked Tuvok to have someone put a lock on the hatch as soon as possible.
When they got back to their quarters, Chakotay tucked Katie back in bed, kissing her good night. He then went to the replicator and replicated coffee and tea. While he did this, Kathryn went in to kiss Katie good night.
When she came out, she went over to the couch where he was sitting. Sitting beside him, she reached for the coffee.
"Kathryn, it scares me to think of what Katie might do next. What if we had two kids! I can only imagine what two could get into!"
"Well, Chakotay, in seven months, there will be another one, another girl!"
He stared at her, "Another girl? It's wonderful." He took her in his arms and kissed her. "Another girl! You're determined to kill me, aren't you?"
"You'll look back on all this twenty years from now, and you'll laugh about it!"
He kissed her again. "Do you think the next time after this, we could have a boy? They have to be easier!"
The End
