An old Earth nursery rhyme, Jack and Jill, played in the background of the large children's playroom-cum-nursery on the Starship Voyager. The many babies, whether newborns, toddlers or infants, all stopped wailing when not only one voice started singing the song, but when many voices joined in and all sung the song repetitively.
Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water. Jack fell down and broke his crown and Jill came tumbling after...
Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water. Don't know what they did up there but came down with a daughter...
On and on went the many voices singing the many variations of the classic nursery rhyme. The nursery attendant on duty watched the parents and crew members all join in to calm down the children, as this noise their tiny lungs produced affected everyone on the ship. If the kids were crying, no work was completed. Having been on their journey home for over 15 years, the crew started to pair off not long after Miral Paris was born, a permanent nursery attendant, commonly known as a permanent babysitter, was needed to cope with the amount of children being produced from the ships couples.
The doctor walked in to the nursery to check on the pregnant mothers, and stopped when he heard the music the staff were producing. Debating whether or not he should join in, he was saved by a voice, one instantly recognisable, call out to him.
"Doc!" Tom Paris was standing close to the doorway to the playroom where his own daughter was playing, "Come to check up on my kids, huh?"
"Not on your life, Mr Paris," the Doctor replied sarcastically. "You of all people should know there are many mothers pregnant on this ship, now it's become generational. And I know you haven't forgotten your own wife is due to give birth soon." It was a common known fact that B'Elanna Torres was pregnant with her and Tom's third child, a son. Miral and Amanda were looking forward to having another sibling to play with, as were their parents looking forward to having a new child.
"I don't need checking on, Doctor. I'm perfectly fine." B'Elanna Torres piped up, her arms full, holding 18 month old Amanda on top of her swollen belly. "Seven and I are doing great. I don't know about the Captain though, she looks like she's going to drop her load any day now."
"What an accurate statement, Lieutenant, everyone knows I am due in a few days."
Everyone turned as the Captain walked into the room, her husband, also the First Officer, walked in behind her, his arms around their daughter, Taya.
"What was that song I heard you guys singing?" she asked her senior officers, the only ones left standing in the nursery in front of her and Chakotay.
"It's an ancient Earth nursery rhyme named Jack and Jill," Tom said, moving to stand next to his wife. "The kids seem to like it, the wailing has stopped."
"Don't count your chickens before they've hatched, Tom, or they'll start crying again."
"Anyway, the alpha shift is over, so how come you guys haven't taken the kids home yet?"
Kathryn Janeway was just about to drop off her own daughter to get some work done, and was wondering why there was still so many children in the room.
"Well, B'Elanna and I were just taking Miral and Andy home, when everyone else started crying, so we called the alpha shift in here to help us calm them down. Ensign Grey over there looked as if she was going to run soon as they started screaming."
"Logical move, Mr Paris," the Captain said, sarcastically. "Remind me to tell Tuvok next time I see him and maybe he'll start giving you lessons in logic."
"Ha ha, very funny, Captain. But, if you'll excuse us, I would like to spend some time with my wife and daughters before our son is born. See you next shift." And with that, Tom, B'Elanna, Miral and Amanda left the nursery for their quarters.
Kathryn knew she would soon be the mother of two, so before the new baby was born, she had to get some work done, because, after all, Chakotay couldn't be expected to do everything, could he?
With that thought, she felt a kick against her stomach, then realised what it meant. She looked around the slowly emptying room for her husband and the Chief Medical Officer. Spying them halfway across the room, she started to walk towards them, but stopped three steps towards them, doubling over in pain. Kathryn knew she would soon become a mother again.
Chakotay saw Kathryn bend over double in pain through the corner of his eye, and alerted the Doctor.
"Doctor, I think Kathryn's going into labour!' His alarmed tone of voice made the CMO turn around from the child he was scanning to look at the Commander, hearing anxiousness also in his voice.
The pair rushed over to the Captain, while at the same time asking for a site-to-site transport to Sickbay.
Moments later, the trio rematerialised in Sickbay. As soon as was allowed, the Doctor moved Captain Janeway onto the surgical biobed, and called for Tom Paris to report to Sickbay immediately.
A scream came from the biobed Kathryn was lying on, and the Doctor rushed back to her bedside with a medical tricorder. His scans confirmed his suspicions, she was indeed in labour, but with twins!
Just as Tom Paris ran into the room, Kathryn let out another scream and Chakotay rushed to her side. It was a pity there were no other doctors on board.
"Doctor! Captain! What's happening?"
"What do you think, Tom? That my belly just swelled up on its own? No you moron, I'm having my baby!"
"Actually, Captain, Commander, you are having twins!" the Doctor announced excitedly.
"Well, could you POSSIBLY GET THEM OUT OF ME AND SOON!" She screamed, and it was just as well there were no children in Sickbay, as her screams were loud enough to wake any sleeping child.
Several hours later, Kathryn Janeway and Chakotay were holding a child each. Kathryn was holding her first son, Edward Justin Janeway, Chakotay holding his second daughter, Hazel Gretchen Janeway. The Doctor and Chief Conn Officer stood in the Doctor's office, Tom exhausted from assisting with the extremely long labour.
"Computer, locate Taya Janeway," Tom asked the ship's 'mind'.
"Taya Janeway is in the nursery."
"Computer, locate Lieutenant Torres," the Doctor asked this time.
"Lieutenant Torres is in her quarters."
"Paris to Torres," Tom said into his comm badge.
"Torres here. What's wrong, Tom?" came his wife's voice over the comm link.
"B'Elanna, can you go to the nursery and bring Taya to Sickbay. Bring Miral and Andy if you have to."
"Tom, what's going on? Why do you need Taya in Sickbay? Where;s Kathryn and Chakotay?"
"Lieutenant, I suggest you stop asking questions an bring the youngster to Sickbay, please," the Doctor butted in on the conversation.
"Understood, be right there. Torres out."
Taya Elizabeth Janeway ran into Sickbay, Miral Paris running behind her. B'Elanna followed the two children into the room, her younger daughter in her arms.
"Tom, Doctor, what's going on. I... oh, now I see," B'Elanna's eyes widened as she took in the scene before her. The command crew, husband and wife, Captain and Commander, sitting on a biobed, holding a baby each.
"Twins, Edward Justin and Hazel Gretchen Janeway." Tom whispered to his wife, now holding their 18 month old daughter. "Maybe we should leave them alone in here with their children."
The Doctor and Chief Engineer nodded in agreement, and quietly left Sickbay, Miral in tow.
"Chakotay, aren't they beautiful?" was the last thing they heard, just before the Sickbay doors closed behind them.
Seven of Nine watched over her son, James Harry Kim, playing with Miral and Taya in the nursery's playroom, her hand covering her 5-month-pregnant abdomen. It was hard to believe she and Harry had married only 6 years ago, and James was now 5. It was also hard to believe Miral was almost 8 years old, and Taya almost 4. How the years had flown since her marriage, the command team's marriage and the marriage of other couples. And the birth of the many children had been challenging, as the nursery was fast becoming more and more popular, filled with more and more children each year.
Seven turned as the doors from the corridor opened, revealing Kathryn Janeway and Chakotay, and the two newest members of Voyager's crew. Edward and Hazel were the talk of the ship. The most common question circling was how the Captain managed to conceal the fact she was having twins for so long. Seven of Nine herself wondered why she saw the need to keep the twins secret.
"Seven, what are you doing in here, watching the kids like that? You know that's what Ensign Grey is here to do, so why don't you let the children enjoy playing with each other and come join us for a cup of coffee, after we put the twins in their cribs." Kathryn Janeway looked exhausted from lack of sleep and a long birth, Seven evaluated. The twins were only two days old, and Kathryn and Chakotay had had very little sleep since that event.
"Captain, I would be delighted to join you and Commander Chakotay."
"Seven, it's Kathryn off duty, and Chakotay too. How about you ask Harry, Tom and B'Elanna to join us. We'll meet in the Mess Hall in 20 minutes."
"Yes, Cap.. ah, Kathryn. I'll alert the others and meet you there in 20 minutes."
Oh, what a week it had been, thought Kathryn, as she and Chakotay placed Edward and Hazel in their cribs, tucked them in, smiled at each other, and left the room hand-in-hand.
The End
This is my first published fan fic, please be nice when you read and review, it would be well appreciated.