Lover's Concerto
Concerto: A musical work usually composed in three parts or movements
The bridge crew stood staring at the big blue marble that was still quite far away. They had dropped to impulse speed per Admiral Paris' orders. Kathryn could feel the excitement throughout the ship. As soon as she had made the announcement that not only had they made it safely out of the wormhole they had found a couple of days ago, but they were in the Alpha Quadrant - not too far from Earth and home. Tonight they would celebrate in holodeck one.
Standing, Kathryn walked into her ready room. Already her terminal was blinking with calls. She had contacted Starfleet the day they found the worm hole. Starfleet was delighted they would soon be back. After years of war with the Dominion, Starfleet needed some positive press, and the return of Voyager would do just that.
She was soon in contact with Admiral Paris. He had worked out a plan with the other admirals. It was decided that since there was no more Marquis except those on Voyager, they would not be punished. And, as far as the Equinox was concerned, those from that ship were only following orders like good Starfleeters should. Those who wanted to stay in Starfleet could stay and retain their rank although some promotions would be given. Also, the crew would be given back pay for seven years as well as a three month leave from Starfleet.
Kathryn was happy with their decision, and made the announcement over the comm. She was sure all would be pleased. She intended to stay in Starfleet, and Admiral Paris hinted that she would be made an Admiral. She had asked for a desk job. Sailing the skies no longer interested her. She wanted her feet firmly on the ground - the ground on Earth.
Soon she left the Ready Room and headed for her quarters. She wanted to take a nice warm bath and relax before getting dressed for the evening. She had already decided what she wanted to wear. And, with rations no longer scarce, she intended to replicate something new.
Later, she looked at her figure in her full length mirror. She thought she looked pretty good for an old lady. She knew she could never compete with the younger crew, but that was ok. She liked being her age.
Her mind suddenly turned to Seven. She had heard the rumor the past couple of weeks that Chakotay and Seven were together. There was a lot of snickers about it from the crew. Belanna was furious over it and had quit talking to him.
Several weeks ago, she and Chakotay had ended up in bed. The sex with him had been the best she had ever had. It was mind blowing. Later, when she told him it couldn't happen again as long as they were in the Delta Quadrant, he stomped out of her quarters and had barely spoken to her since. She just hoped that he was happy with Seven. At least she had had that one night. The memories of it would last a long time. She regretted telling him that they couldn't continue. If only they had know they were mere weeks away from the Alpha Quadrant.
She finished dressing and left her quarters. Along the way, she got several wolf whistles from passing crewmen. She let it go where once she would have reprimanded them. Finally she reached the holodeck doors. As she stepped in, all heads turned toward her. She had on a white long dress just slightly full. One shoulder was completely bare and the other had just a thin strap. She looked like a goddess. She noticed more than one admiring look, even a few among some of the women.
She walked over to where Tom and Belanna were standing. Tom handed her a drink.
"The real stuff tonight, Captain. So be careful. And, by the way WOW! You look great. Chakotay will be creaming his pants when he sees you!" Belanna elbowed him, but Kathryn only laughed.
"I doubt that, Tom. He'll be with the bell of the ball!"
"Some how I doubt that, Captain" He nodded toward the door. "They've just walked in."
Kathryn didn't want to turn around, but Tom and Belanna both were rolling their eyes. She moved just a bit so that she could see.
"Oh, my God!" She tried not to laugh. Seven stood holding on to Chakotay for dear life. She wore a short dress that came just above the knee. It was bright orange with large green ferns imprinted on it. She wore 5" spike heels. When they began walking toward the bar, she could hardly walk in them. Chakotay had to hold her up.
Suddenly, someone was tapping Kathryn on the shoulder. Looking around she saw that it was Mort Herren. She gave him a big smile.
"Captain, may I have this dance?" She nodded and he whisked her out onto the dance floor. She was actually surprised that Mort was such a good dancer. They had gotten to know each other a lot better as she made frequent trips down to deck 15 just to talk with him. He was very knowledgeable. She enjoyed their conversations.
"Well, we'll be home in three days. Are you going to ask her?"
"Yes, but I'm a little nervous."
"Don't be. She'll say yes. Jenny's crazy about you. I see it in her eyes and the way she touches you."
"If she does say yes, will you marry us?"
"Of course. You know I'd never turn you down. You deserve happiness, and so does Jenny. Are you two going to stay in Starfleet?"
"No. I want to teach advanced astrophysics at one of the universities, if I can get hired. I'm hoping for Columbia University in New York City. That's where Jenny and Megan are from. It's the best school in New York, so I don't know if I'll get in. But, I'm sure going to try."
"You'll get in. I'm sure." She grinned at him.
When they finished their dance, Kathryn walked back over to where Tom and Belanna were now sitting. As she set down, Tom nudged her. "He's been staring at you since you and Mort began dancing."
"Too bad. He has his own woman!"
She took a couple of sips of her drink. They sat there talking for a few minutes, but then Mike Ayala was at her side asking for a dance.
As he swung her on the dance floor, she grinned. Another great dancer! She had danced with him many times in the last seven years, and he seemed to just get better and better.
"Thank you, Captain, for getting us home. It's been a pleasure!"
"I want to thank you as well. You had the terrible job of protecting me on all of our away missions. I know that I often gave you a hard time."
"That's ok. Had I not done my job, I would have had to answer to the big man over there. And, I certainly didn't want to get into it with him."
She spent several hours dancing with numerous people but mainly Mike. He was such fun to be around. He kept her laughing. Every once in awhile, she'd look up to see Chakotay staring at her. She tried to ignore him.
Finally, she decided that she needed to get back to her quarters. She still had a couple of reports that she wanted to read. Mike walked her back. It had been a great night.
The next couple of days passed swiftly. The crew was in good spirits, except for Chakotay, who seemed to constantly be growling. Kathryn simply ignored him. When ever he had free time, he seemed to have Seven attached to his arm. Kathryn wondered how he stood it. She wanted to tell Seven how lucky she was to have him, but Seven was very intent in keeping away from Kathryn. Kathryn would often catch Seven glaring at her. She felt bad, but there was nothing she could do.
Starfleet had invited all of the families to headquarters. Voyager would be landing on the grounds. Gretchen Janeway and Chakotay's sister, Sayaka stood waiting for Voyager. Someone had announced that it would be landing in five minutes. They were both so excited. It had been so long, but over the years, they had never given up hope.
Suddenly, they spotted Voyager almost overhead. It descended slowly with it's landing struts out and it's narcels pulled in. Soon, the engines were shut down and the ramp was put down for their exit. Everyone waited breathlessly.
First off was Sam and Naomi. Kathryn insisted on it. She didn't want Naomi trampled. Then the rest of the crew came down in groups of 5 or 6. Most were met by their families. Finally all that was left was the senior staff. Soon they appeared at the top of the stairs.
Gretchen and Sakaya were in shock. Kathryn's messages to Gretchen were filled with talk of Chakotay while Sakays's messages from Chakotay were filled with talk of Kathryn. But, at the top of the ramp stood Kathryn standing next to Tuvok. And, hanging onto Chakotay for dear life was Seven. Sayaka turned to Gretchen, "A Borg! He could be with Kathryn, and he's with a Borg?" Disappointment shown on both their faces.
They watched as Naomi suddenly ran back up the ramp and threw herself into Kathryn's arms. Kathryn picked her up and held her close, talking quietly to her. "it's ok, Naomi. Daddy was here waiting for you. He loves you! And, you'll still see most of us as your mom and dad will be staying here on earth with you. I'll be working at Starfleet in the same building as your dad. You can visit me often!" She kissed the girl on the cheek and put her down. Holding hands they walked down the ramp with the rest of the senior staff' Kathryn walked into the waiting arms of her mother.
A week after she performed the wedding of Mort and Jenny, Kathryn and Gretchen sat on the patio talking. "Mom, I'd like to have a cook out and ask the Paris family, Mike, the EMH and Harry over. They have been so good to me."
Gretchen reached over and patted Kathryn's hand gently "Of course, Kathryn. Any time you want someone over just say so. It's your home as well."
The following Saturday, they all came. Everything was going well. Kathryn stood up to go get more ice, when all off a sudden she fainted. The EMH hurried over to her. Gretchen hurried into the house to get Kathryn's tricorder and the medkit. The EMH ran the tricorder over her. He couldn't believe the readings.
She came to and the EMH helped her up. "Well Kathryn the only thing wrong with you is that you haven't been resting enough. Now that you're pregnant you need more rest!"
"Pregnant?" Gretchen looked at her in astonishment. "How? Who? When?"
"Mother, I'm sure you remember how! As far as who and when, it's Chakotay's baby and when was the week before Seven attached herself to him. As you know, I've never been regular, so I wasn't sure."
"So Chakotay doesn't know!"
"No, and now he's left our solar system. We've no clue where they've gone. Other than the fact they left, we know nothing more."
"Maybe they'll have their own kids," piped up Harry.
"Seven can't have kids. She has no female organs."
"That's sad," Belanna said, "He always wanted kids. I'm still angry with him. He blew his chance with you for that blond bimbo!"
Gretchen had to add her two cents, "He has a child. Tall and blond. She might be over twenty-one but she's still a kid." They all agreed on that.
A few days later Kathryn sat at her desk at Starfleet. She was enjoying the work she was doing there. And, it was nice coming home at night to a real home cooked meal. Her mom was trying to fatten her up. As she was reading the last report for the day, her terminal beeped. It was an incoming call from Mike.
"Hi, Mike. How's everything?" She could tell he was excited about something.
"Kathryn, I've heard from Mary. Her and the boys were in the Bandela system on the planet Demere. As you know, she's an archeologist. They've been there since Voyager was declared missing. That's why I couldn't get in touch with them. Anyway, she ran into Chakotay there. He told her that we had arrived back and that I'm fine. They're on their way here to stay. She and the boys want me! I thought I'd been abandon. Can you imagine, I'm going to be a father again? I can hardly wait to see them. Jake will be 15 but the other two are 9 and 8. I'll bring them out to see you once we get settled. They should be here next week."
Mike couldn't stop grinning. Kathryn was thrilled for him. "Please let me know when you want to come out. You're all very welcome anytime. And, you know the others would like to meet them as well."
Kathryn was excited to get home to tell Gretchen the news. Gretchen loved the crew and especially Mike. She called Mike, Tom, Belanna, Harry and the EMH "the fabulous five".
Two weeks later the group again met at the Janeway house. Rachel and the boys fit right in with the others. Kathryn found Mary to be a wonderful person - very thoughtful and kind.
"I didn't run out on Mike. We thought he was dead. I hoped he was alive and would come back to us. But, I must admit, as time went on, I began to lose hope. I had no idea that Kathryn Janeway was the best Captain in the world. Kathryn, Mike has told me a lot about you since I've been back. He thinks the world of you! Thank you! Thank you for bringing him and the rest home! May you always be blessed."
"And, thank you. You have a wonderful man there. Hang tight to him."
"On Demere we didn't get much news. But, one day, a new group of archeologists arrived. I recognized one immediately. A former Marquis, who I knew had been on Voyager."
Kathryn knew immediately who she was talking about. There was only one Marquis who had been aboard that had a love for archeology.
"How is he? Did you talk to him?"
Chakotay is fine. He fit right in. Right away, he told me Mike was alive and back on Earth. He also told me that Mike had hoped I'd be there with the boys waiting as he still loved me so much. Right then, I made the decision to get us on the nearest transport back home. Chakotay actually helped make the arrangements. Had it not been for him, we'd still probably be trying to get transport."
Belanna couldn't keep still any longer. "Mary, Chakotay didn't have some blond Borg bimbo with him, did he?"
"No, he was alone. No one ever mentioned a Borg bimbo." She raised an eyebrow as she said this.
"Long story. Men who reach a certain age sometimes thinks having a young, blond on their arm makes them young again. They sometimes don't realize what an idiot it makes them look!"
Just then Tom interrupted, "The steaks are ready, ladies. And, Gretchen and the EMH has all of the rest of the food on the table. So, chow time!"
Before bed time, Kathryn spoke with Naomi over the terminal, "How's the Captain's Assistant doing? Did you have fun at your grandparents? I've missed you."
"I had a great time. But, I'm not a Captain's Assistant any more."
"You're not?"
Naomi grinned and her whole face lit up, "No, I've been promoted. I'm now an Admiral's Assistant! And, the Admiral promised me lunch when I got back. Well, Admiral, as you can see, I'm back!"
Kathryn laughed, "Ok Naomi I'll talk with your mom. Maybe in two days. She and I will discuss it."
They talked awhile longer. As they started to terminate the call Naomi said, "I love you, Admiral!"
"I love you too, Naomi. You have my heart! See you in two days if it's ok with mommy."
True to her word, in two days, Kathryn found herself sitting across from Naomi at an outdoor café.
They had burgers and fries. Naomi had discovered them soon after arriving home.
"How is your burger, Naomi?"
"Good, but…well it's not near as good as Neelix's Leola root stew. It was great!" She was thoughtful for a minute before she said, softly, "I miss him and his great cooking. No one here cooks like that!"
"That's very true, Naomi. No one here cooks like Neelix!" To herself she added "thank god!".
"Captain…I mean Admiral I heard mommy say the baby in your stomach is the Commanders. But, he went away with Seven. Who's going to be the baby's daddy? My daddy was on earth, but on Voyager I had a lot of daddys and mommys too!"
"Well, Naomi, my baby will have a lot of daddys as well. And, maybe someday, the Commander will come back."
"He's not a Commander any more. I hope he doesn't come back with Seven. She was kind of scary. I was afraid she'd turn me into a Borg. I don't think I'd like being a Borg. I like being just the way I am!"
"And, I like you just the way you are as well! I love you, Naomi!"
"I love you too, Admiral!"
"Ok, how about some ice cream?"
"I thought you'd never ask!" They laughed together.
As Kathryn walked back to her office, she began to wonder if Chakotay would ever come back. She missed him, but she was also still angry with him. She wasn't sure, but deep down she might still be in love with him. She tried to erase those thoughts from her mind. He'd never want her. He might want the baby, but not her.
Several weeks later, Kathryn went on maternity leave. It was getting harder and harder for her to move around. She was bored at home. So she took up painting again. The old tree she use to climb as a child was by the river. It made a beautiful picture in her mind and would make a beautiful painting. She spent several hours there painting the landscape that she wanted to hang in her room.
"Old tree, I wish I could climb you now, but as you can see, I can't do that. One of these days I'll climb you again! I miss telling you my secrets." Sudden thoughts of Chakotay flooded her mind: him in the ready room, the mess hall, on the bridge, on the holodeck. Suddenly tears stung her eyes,. She put her hand on the tree, "Don't tell anyone, but I miss him! I still love him! If only….."
Turning she walked slowly back to the house. When she got there, her mom told her that a Captain Babcock had called for her. He wanted her to call him back right away. When she did, he told her that he was in charge of cleaning out Voyager's storages areas. They had come across some interesting items. One was a beautifully hand carved cradle and the other was a homemade bathtub. Did she know if anyone would want them or should he recycle them? Immediately, she gave him instructions to transport them to her house.
She'd put the cradle in the baby's room and the bathtub in one of the spare rooms for now. Later she would decide what to do with it. Within the hour the items were transported to exactly where she wanted them, at least for the time being.
A few days later, Gretchen took off to spend the day with Opal Paris. They had been friends for many, many years. Opal was making lunch for them as she was babysitting Mirial. Gretchen enjoyed spending time with the two of them. She could talk to Opal about anything. Opal had been there for her when Phoebe was killed in an accident. She got Gretchen through it. And, of course, Mirial was an absolute delight. Gretchen was looking forward to the birth of her grandchild. She hoped that the baby would be as healthy as Mirial. She worried about Kathryn so much. She hoped Kathryn would get through having this child safely.
While Gretchen was away, Harry was visiting with Kathryn. They were sitting at the kitchen table where they were discussing job opportunities for Harry. Although he had been promoted, Harry was still unsure about staying in Starfleet. He was looking elsewhere. They were making a list of places for him to check out. Every once in awhile, Kathryn would stand and stretch a bit with a grimace on her face.
"Are you okay, Kathryn? Can I get you anything?"
"No, I don't think so. I've been uncomfortable for days, but today has been especially annoying" Seeing the look on Harry's face, "I'll be fine Harry. Don't worry."
About an hour later, Kathryn stood with a strange look on her face. Looking down, she realized her water had broken. Kim saw the wetness on her pants.
"Kathryn, what?"
"It's ok Harry. My water broke, but there's still plenty of time." Suddenly she felt sharp pains. "Oh, ah, maybe you should call the EMH and have him transport here. I don't think this baby is going to wait much longer." She gritted her teeth as another contraction hit her.
Harry jumped up, knocking over the chair, and ran to the study where the terminal sat on the desk. He was gone quite some time. When he came back, he had a strange look on his face, "Kathryn, there's a problem. Transporters are down. Lt. Newal, who's in charge of the transporter system, said they'd be up in a couple of hours . I left messages for the EMH and the rest of the group. They'll be here once the transporters are up."
"I don't think we have a couple of hours!"
Harry's face turned white, "What do you mean? You can't have this baby without the doc! I don't know what to do. Sit down and keep your legs crossed. That should work."
"I don't think so Harry. I need you to help me to deliver this baby."
"Me….I….I…..don't know anything about it. I've never done it before."
"Well, there's always a first time for everything. I need you to help me to the couch in the study. I'll never make it to a bed upstairs. OK? Take my arm and help me."
He took her arm and started pulling her to the other room.
"Slow down, Harry. I can't move as fast as you!"
He slowed down and finally got her to the couch.
"First, you need to help me get my pants off.""Pants off? I…I… but you're like my mom. I can't….I just can't!"
"Yes, you can Harry. You have to. They need to be off for the baby to come out."
"I think I'm going to faint."
"Harry, don't you dare faint on me. You understand that?" She said in her best Captain's voice that he remembered so well.
"Yes, maam. I mean ah I mean yes"
"That's better. Now help me."
Closing his eyes, he leaned over and helped her remove her pants and panties. He blushed even more when his hand touched her pubic hair. He helped her to lay down and placed a pillow behind her head. Just as he did that another contraction began. She squeezed his hand as hard as she could. He let out a yelp.
"It's ok, Kathryn. Broken fingers can be fixed."
He sat on the floor next to her and continued holding her hand. Finally, she spoke, "Go open that bag that is packed by the front door. Take out a blanket. Then go into the kitchen and get a sharp knife."
He turned more pale if it was possible, "A knife? You want me to cut the baby out. Won't that hurt?"
"No, Harry. We need it to cut the cord."
"Oh, sure. I knew that. Was just checking to make sure you knew it as well!"
Kathryn let out another loud moan as another contraction hit. "This baby is coming way faster than I thought it would."
After several more contractions hit, Kathryn opened her legs as wide as she could, "I need you, Harry, to get between my legs and let me know when you see the head." As he hesitated, she screamed, "Harry, now! Get down there!"
He jumped and moved to where she needed him. But, he closed his eyes. "You can't see the baby's head with your eyes closed."
"Oh…I forgot….I think I'm going to faint."
"You're not going to faint. So, get a backbone and stick your head between my legs and look for this baby. You are going to have to guide it out. Ok?"
"Yes, I think I can do it.""Don't think, just do it!"
As he looked he saw the baby's head coming out. Suddenly, he knew what he had to do. Running was not an option. She'd kill him when she caught him. Gently he guided the baby out.
"Yuck…there's junk all over it, but I think it's a girl. I don't see a thingy."
He handed her the baby. Just as he was about to cut the cord, they heard the whine of the transporter. In just a few seconds, the EMH was by their side. He immediate took over, cut the cord and took care of the afterbirth. Soon after Belanna and Tom arrived.
Belanna looked at Kathryn, "What a beautiful baby. And, by the way, why is Harry laying on the floor?"
"Oh…he just delivered the baby and passed out! That's our Harry!"
Chakotay was tired. Each day he'd worked his way into exhaustion. It was the only way he could sleep. He was miserable. For years, he had tried meditating and contacting his spirit guide without luck. It had been over six years since he had been able to do it. Thinking back he knew it had stopped when he started dating Seven. But, she was long gone. She only stayed with him three months. She had lied to him. She had told him she was pregnant, so he had married her as soon as he could. He didn't know that she didn't have female organs. Had he known that, he would never have considered staying with her. He never loved her. His heart for many years had belonged to Kathryn Janeway. He had loved her so much. Loved her? No., that wasn't it. He still loved her. He imagined she had long ago moved on. Probably married maybe even with a baby. When he closed his eyes, he saw her clearly that last time on the holodeck. She was a vision of loveliness. His heart constricted whenever he thought of her. He wanted to see her again - at least once more. Maybe just a glimpse. He needed closure. He decided to return to earth and look for her. He wouldn't have to talk to her, just one last look. That's all he asked for.
After he made his decision, he felt a peace that he hadn't felt in a long time. Suddenly, he decided to try again to make a vision quest. Maybe, just maybe, it would work this time. He got out his medicine bundle and sitting on the floor, he spread the contents out.
This time it worked right way. He soon found himself in a forest, one that he knew so well. It was the one on Dorvan where he and his friends had played for many years. He heard noise and began walking toward it completely unafraid. After awhile he rounded a curve and there before him sat a man on a fallen log with his back to Chakotay.
Without turning around, the man spoke, "You are troubled, my son. Come sit."
Chakotay walked around the log and sit next to his father. In front of them was this small pool. There was no movement in the pool.
"Talk to me Chakotay. Tell me what is in your heart."
"I messed up father. I walked away from Voyager with another. I left Kathryn behind. I broke her heart. All I can think about is her. But, I'm afraid to go to her. She's probably moved on and wouldn't want me. Besides I hurt her too much."
"Yes, you hurt her very much. She told me so. But, she told me other things. You need to follow your heart, Chakotay. You, too, deserve happiness."
"I wonder if Kathryn is happy."
"Yes, she is. She comes here often and we speak. She sometimes brings someone with her. Someone who you should meet."
"A man? I don't blame her, but I don't think I want to meet him."
"Not a man, Chakotay. Look in the pool and you will see what I'm talking about." He pointed to the pool.
Chakotay looked toward the pool. At first it was very calm, then suddenly it began to change. It was becoming clearer and clearer. Soon he was able to see trees and the back of a house. He heard laughter. Right away, he recognized Kathryn's voice. She came into view. His heart skipped a beat. She looked more beautiful than ever. She had a tan, her hair was long again, and she had put on some weight. He was intrigued at the site of this woman. But, soon he heard another sound, a shriek from a child. As the picture cleared more and widened, he saw that Kathryn was pushing a small child in a swing. They both seemed happy.
"So, she's married and has a child. I should be happy for her. She looks so happy there."
"She's not married, Chakotay. Take a closer look at the child."
The child came closer into view. She had dark hair like his had been before all the gray, dark brown eyes, long lashes and her skin was darker like his. He gasp as he realized the child looked just like him.
"She…she….she's mine!"
"Yes, Chakotay, Taya is yours. You walked off the ship thinking you had a woman pregnant, and you did. Just not the woman you thought."
"I've made such a mess of things."
"There's still time to make amends, son. You know what you have to do."
"Yes, I know. And, father, thank you. I love you."
"I love you too, son. Now, do what is right. Go where your heart leads you."
As the scene faded away, Chakotay opened his eyes. "A child! I have a child! No, that's not quite right. We have a child. I need to go find them. I just hope she'll have me or at least let me be a small part of Taya's life."
A month later, Chakotay arrived on Earth. Looking around, he noticed it hadn't really changed much. First he got a hotel room and then went to a café for dinner. He would find Kathryn tomorrow.
The next morning he woke early. He showered and carefully dressed. He was nervous, more than he'd ever been in his life. He hoped that she would understand. He hoped that she still cared enough like his father had said.
He transported to the middle of a small town in Indiana. He had found out that she lived about a mile from the town. He wanted to walk the rest of the way.
Soon he was in front of the house admiring the beautiful lawn. Someone had taken very good care of it. The flowers were beautiful. He noticed off to one side was several peace rose bushes. He smiled as he saw them. They were always Kathryn's favorite flower
Going up to the door, he rang the bell but no one answered. He thought he heard laughter coming from around the side of the house, so he followed the sound. Coming up to the back of the house he stopped suddenly.
There was Kathryn and Taya working in a small garden. Kathryn was picking tomatoes and Taya was gently putting them in a basket. Looking closer he realized they were Talaxian tomatoes.
Taya was the first to see him. She put down the tomato she was holding and ran to him. Stopping just before she ran into his legs, she looked up, "Me know you. You Angry Warrior!"
Chakotay knelt down, "The angry warrior is angry no more. He's hoping he has found his peace."
As he said this, Kathryn walked toward them , hearing what he said.
"Chakotay…Oh Chakotay. I've missed you."
She fell into his arms. He hugged her tightly and then kissed her.
"I was afraid you wouldn't want me."
"I never stopped wanting….never stopped loving you."
He bent down and picked up Taya. Holding her in his arms, he felt complete.
"I love you both." He kissed both of them on their cheeks.
Turning they walked into the house together.
Epilogue: Five years later: Tenth anniversary of the return of Voyager
"Are you ready up there? It's time to go." Chakotay called from the bottom of the stairs.
Soon, Taya came bounding down the stairs and into her daddy's arms. At ten, she was still his little girl. He loved her more every day.
Hearing a slight noise at the top of the stairs, he looked up to see Kathryn standing with the baby in her arms. She looked even more beautiful than the first time he had seen her seventeen years ago. She started down the stairs. When she reached him, he kissed her.
"Yuck, " Taya said.
"Da..da" Paka said.
Kathryn looked into his eyes. She saw the love he had for his family…..the love she had seen so often in his eyes on Voyager.