BLENDED VOICESBy TB
Phoebe stood at the front of the crowd of people gathered in the main banquet room of the reception hall at Starfleet Headquarters. "I am so nervous Lance." She says, turning to the sandy blonde-haired man standing just behind her.
"It's going to be fine. The moment you see her, you'll forget all about your feelings." He gives her a gentle smile as he places his hands lightly on her waist.
"I know." She faces the front again, eagerly peering towards a closed door to her left. "How much longer are they going to make us wait mom?"
"As long as they feel it is necessary Phoebe. I am just as eager to see Kathryn as you are."
"Probably even more so" Mark adds with a humorous smile on his face while standing to the right of Gretchen Janeway. She shoots him a look but it quickly fades. Everyone's attention is brought to a small stage directly in front of them when Admiral Owen Paris and Lieutenant Barkley approach the podium.
Phoebe knows she should be listening to what Owen should be saying but she can't concentrate knowing that her sister is only a few hundred feet away from her, behind a closed door. Finally the words she has waited so long to hear were said. "It is with my deepest honour and personal gratification that I present to you one of the most bravest and impressive Captains I have ever had the honour of knowing. Ladies and Gentleman, colleagues and friends without further ado here she is: Captain Kathryn Janeway!"
The applause in the room is deafening as the doors open and a woman of 5 feet 4 inches tall enters the room, her head held high, shoulders perfectly straight, face of no emotion aside from a twinkle in her eye. Her hair is a lot shorter now, a basic bob ending at her jawline. Simple yet still very attractive. Phoebe can't help but tear up at the sight of the woman she hasn't seen in over 7 years. Without thinking she reaches out to her right and grabs her mother's hand. Gretchen squeezes her daughter's hand back, tears filling her eyes and trickling down her cheeks. She can tell as composed as Gretchen is trying to be, she is trembling.
Kathryn gives a nod to her mentor, then takes Lieutenant Barkley's hand in hers and covers it, a silent look passing between the two of them. "Captain….welcome home." Admiral Paris says to her, a smile as big as Jupiter on his face. It is only at this time that Kathryn lets her mask slide a bit and she returns the smile, her eyes twinkling with many unshed tears. "Thank you Admiral" she answers with all professionalism, not letting her emotions enter her words at all.
"Dismissed." Being the widow of a Starfleet Admiral herself Gretchen knew that one word was her cue. Letting go of Phoebe's hand, she rushed forward, making sure she was the first one to get access to the now famous Captain.
"Oh my dear Kathryn" Gretchen gushes as she envelops her oldest child in a bone crushing hug. Knowing her actions would be understood, Kathryn returns the gesture, tears silently flowing down her cheeks too. After a minute, Kathryn breaks off the embrace and rushes over to her only sister. "Phoebe, oh Phoebe. I missed you so much."
"I missed you too sis." They continue hugging for another minute or so when a gentle voice speaks.
"Kath." She breaks off the hug and looks to the older gentleman standing beside her mother. "Would it be too inappropriate for me to have a hug too?"
Kathryn never expected the swell of emotion that surged through her heart at the moment she really saw him. Just because they had both moved on with their lives (him more than her technically speaking) she still felt love for the man. Shaking her head from side to side she couldn't stop the tears from filling her eyes once again. "No Mark, it isn't. Not at all." Her words felt strangled in her tight throat. Stepping over to him she holds her arms open and he pulls her into his. She momentarily clings to him tightly, remembering everything she missed about him. Blinking her eyes, she feels tears spill over and start trickling down her cheeks.
"Welcome home Kath. I knew you'd do it" he whispers in her ear.
"I never gave up on you Mark. I'm glad you came today though."
"I couldn't not Kath. You still hold a special place in my heart. You always have and you always will."
A few days later Starfleet threw a giant homecoming party for the entire Voyager crew. The room was packed with people mingling around and Kathryn was kept busy with everyone wanting to a moment of her time. Earlier in the evening she was wonderfully surprised to hear her sister perform a musical piece as part of the live entertainment. She always knew her sister had artistic talent but never realized that singing was one of them. "Captain! Captain." Kathryn turned to see The Doctor heading straight for her as fast as his holographic legs would carry him. Holding up her hand, palm towards him she calmly tells him, "calm down Doctor. What is it?"
"The woman that sang. The blonde. Have you talked to her yet?"
Kathryn looks towards the stage and points to a woman standing near it talking to another gentleman. "Her?"
"Yes her. I need you to introduce us. I must speak with her."
Kathryn is still cautious. Phoebe may be her sister but they haven't been around each other in 7 years. "I haven't had a chance. You're really serious about this aren't you?"
"Very Captain."
"Very well then. I'll see what I can do" she tells them with a sigh. She makes her way to the front of the room where Phoebe is mingling with the small crowd surrounding her. Noticing Kathryn approaching Phoebe's smile grew even wider. She excused herself from the crowd around her and turned her attention to the Captain and the balding man following behind. "Phoebe, there is someone who has been pestering me all night to be introduced to you."
"Me?"
"Oddly, yes. I asked him why and he informed me that he is very interested in your artistic abilities."
"My artistic abilities?" Phoebe cocks an eyebrow at Kathryn as she watches the man standing just behind the Captain. "He greatly admired your singing. He considers himself a music aficionado himself. Just come on" Kathryn orders, taking hold of her sister's arm and turning around, nearly bumping into the EMH. Phoebe is standing in front of a middle aged, balding man wearing an outdated Starfleet Uniform in the science/medical blue-green colour across the top of its shoulders. She noticed a metal object attached to his left arm and was curious about it. "Here she is Doctor, my sister Phoebe Janeway."
"Actually my last name is Kinsley now. I'm married remember."
"Sorry. Phoebe, meet Voyager's Emergency Medical Hologram."
"Emergency Medical Hologram?" Phoebe couldn't believe her ears. This had to be some silly joke. Holograms cannot exist beyond the limits of Holographic areas.
Kathryn can immediately sense the Doctor's reaction to Phoebe's comment without even looking at him. "He has something called a portable Mobile Emitter which he can use to get around anywhere he desires." Kathryn quickly explains before The Doctor can respond.
"It's an invention created in the 29th Century that we acquired a few years ago" the EMH adds.
"You created an invention?"
"I didn't create it. Mr. Starling created it."
"Who's Mr. Starling?"
Kathryn gives the Doctor a disapproving glare. "Doctor…temporal Prime Directive. Remember?"
"Who's Mr. Starling?" Phoebe repeats more forceful looking directly at her sister with the same intense look Kathryn uses when probing people for answers.
"Never mind Phoebe, it doesn't matter. It's someone we met during one of our untimely excursions through space, now if you will excuse me I see I am being summoned." Kathryn gives her sister a small hug then walks off, leaving Phoebe and the EMH to continue talking.
"So…you insisted to meet me?" Phoebe asks once they are alone.
"I had to Mrs. Kinsley."
"Why?"
"The moment I heard your voice, so pure and simple, attacking each note with pure emotional gusto, I just had to get to know you. You know what music is. How it should be performed. My colleagues on Voyager never truly got to admire it the way I feel you do."
"You're a hologram. What do you know about feelings?"
"My program matrix is a highly evolved one. My emotional subroutines are very flexible and have also evolved over time."
"Sorry, I didn't mean for it to come out the way it did."
"I still can't get over how an Emergency Medical Hologram can appreciate music so much."
"Why is that?"
"The Mark 1 was decommissioned a few months after Voyager was lost in the Badlands. They were all decompiled, re-written, or sent to work in mining colonies."
"I am aware of that. My program, however, wasn't always turned off when not needed. I was allowed to expand my subroutines. Encouraged to fit in with the rest of the crew. Music helped me do that. I was really hoping, actually, that we could keep in touch and explore more about our recreational enjoyments."
"Aren't you going to be busy at Starfleet Medical?"
"I would anticipate so. I will have moments when I will not be needed. I plan on fully continuing to enjoy the recreational enjoyments I have now. My music, visiting with friends, and holo-photography."
Over the next couple hours Phoebe and the EMH continued to talk and exchange stories. Kathryn kept looking over every so often and each time she did, she saw them talking. "Would you look at that?"
"What?" Chakotay asked, looking around.
"My sister and the Doctor. They've been together for hours now. I never thought they would hit it off so well."
"Are you jealous?" Kathryn looks up at Chakotay and pulls up one corner of her mouth in what the crew have dubbed the 'Janeway grin'.
"No. It's just….not something I expected to happen."
"Could I have everyone's attention please?" Admiral Paris's voice comes over the Public Address sound system loud and clear, above the constant din of multiple conversations going on all at one time. "Could I have everyone's attention!" He waits until the noise level drops and eyes are turned to him. "We are very lucky to have a special musical guest with us tonight. We heard her earlier tonight perform a song for us and I don't think I'm the only one who was impressed." There is a round of polite applaud before he continues on. "On that note, I think it would be terrific if we heard some more music from her. Ladies and Gentleman, Phoebe Kinsley!"
Phoebe steps onto the stage again with a smile. "Thank you Admiral. I hope everyone is having a good time. Before I continue I want to say that I couldn't be more proud of my sister and her entire crew that worked so hard and diligently to bring themselves back to us. Anyone who knows Kathryn Janeway would know that the moment the news became public that USS Voyager survived their fateful trip into the Badlands, we knew that the starship would make it back to Earth. We are just very thankful it happened in a reasonable timeline." The crowd applauded and Kathryn felt herself blush slightly at being put as the center of attention again.
"That's enough about her now though. Who's ready to hear more music?" The crowd is enthusiastic and she smiles. "Okay then. I would like to invite a special guest to join me on this next song. Doctor?"
"Doctor?" Kathryn and varied members of her crew simultaneously echo Phoebe in surprise.
"Thank you Phoebe." He climbs up onto the stage and takes his place beside Phoebe.
"This next song is one I like to sing a lot when I am having a not so great day. It's called 'The Prayer'." She gives a nod to the person controlling the audio station and the music begins to play.
PHOEBE:
"I pray you'll be our eyes, and watch us where we go.
And help us to be wise in times when we don't know.
Let this be our prayer, when we lose our way.
Lead us to a place, guide us with your grace
To a place where we'll be safe.
EMH: (Phoebe repeat)
La luce che tu dai (I pray we'll find your light,)
Nel cuore restera (And hold it in our hearts)
A ricordarci che (When stars go out each night,)
L'eterna stella sei.
Nella mia preghiera (Let this be our prayer)
Quanta fede c'e. (When shadows fill our day)
EMH:
Lead us to a place
Phoebe:
Guide us with your grace
Together:
Give us faith so we'll be safe.
Sogniamo un mondo senza piu violenza,
Un mondo di giustizia e di speranza.
Ognuno dia una mano al suo vicino,
Simbolo di pace...di fraternita.
EMH: (Phoebe repeat)
La forza che ci dai (We ask that life be kind)
E desiderio te (And watch us from above.)
Ognuno trovi amor (We hope each soul will find)
Intorno e dentro se. (Another soul to love.)
Together:
Let this be our prayer,
Phoebe:
Let this be our prayer,
EMH: (Phoebe repeat)
Just like every child. (Just like every child.)
Together:
Needs to find a place, guide us with your grace
Give us faith so we'll be safe
E la fede che hai acceso in noi
Sento che ci salverai..."
When the song is over, there are few dry eyes in the silent room. Kathryn is the first one to break the silence by clapping her hands together in applause while she makes her way towards the front of the room where the makeshift stage is. Pride and approval is visible on her giant smiling face as tears sparkle in her bright blue eyes. Being the role model that she is, the others in the room follow her lead and applaud also. "Thank you" Phoebe and the Doctor state honestly. After leaving the stage Phoebe hugs the EMH again. "You know Doctor; I can see this becoming a regular occurrence for us in our spare time."
"You mean that?"
She nods as she is joined by her husband. "I do. Get in contact with me when your schedule allows."
"I will Mrs. Kinsley."
"Phoebe, please." Slipping her arm through her husband's, Phoebe leaves the EMH and mingles with the rest of the guests.