Chapter One

Janeway House 1930 hours

Kathryn was waiting in the living room for the arrival of Erin Hansen. She knew that the other woman would be on time and she wasn't disappointed when the doorbell chimed her arrival. As the lady of the house while her mother and sister were in Indiana, Kathryn answered the door and let their guests in.

Erin Hansen walked into Admiral Edward Janeway's living room holding her daughter's hand. She was still a bit intimidated when she stopped to think about how far her friend had come since their days at the Academy. Erin Hansen had befriended Edward Janeway during her first year at the Academy. Edward was in his third year and every girl at the Academy was after him. However, Edward was already taken by a young civilian named Gretchen that no one really knew a lot about. Erin had simply been content to be his friend. Rumors soon flew about the two of them and all the time they'd spent together but they paid them no mind. Edward had made sure his fiancé, Gretchen, knew the truth and that was all that mattered.

It wasn't until her second year that she met the man she was destined to marry. But throughout everything they'd been through and all the years that had passed, Erin and Edward had remained very good friends. Which was why, when this mission had come up that required her and her husband to both be away, she'd turned to her dearest friend for a solution. Knowing that there was no way that one of them could stay behind, she'd hoped Edward could still help somehow.

And now here she was, set to meet the girl whom Edward deemed responsible enough to trust with Erin's most valuable treasure, her daughter Annika. The young girl who had opened the door for her had introduced herself as Edward's elder daughter, Kathryn. Edward hadn't told Erin anything about the girl who he'd chosen to introduce her to so she had no way of knowing it was Kathryn herself.

Edward was waiting in the living room to greet his old friend. "Erin, I am so glad you could make it." Edward walked over and hugged his old friend, truly glad to see her.

Erin returned the hug and smiled, "Edward, thanks for having me."

"And this must be Annika right?" Edward turned toward the small child, knowing this was his friend's little miracle child. Two unexplainable miscarriages had preceded young Annika's arrival.

"Yes this is Annika. Honey say hello to Admiral Janeway."

The little girl smiled shyly before her bright blue eyes drifted to the quiet girl standing in the doorway. Annika looked at her and when their eyes met, she smiled brightly. The older girl smiled in return at the little girl. She was truly taken by the big blue eyes that looked back at her.

Kathryn would never be able to explain why but, that evening when she met Erin and Annika Hansen, something inside of her had changed.

By the end of the evening, Erin had agreed that Kathryn was the best choice to baby-sit Annika. Kathryn had truly been on her best behavior and had charmed her father's friend and, in a move that baffled even Erin, she'd gotten Annika to slide out of her shell and play around.

Annika, Erin explained, had spent the first three years of her life on a starship and the year since they'd been back on Earth isolated from other kids her age. Annika's higher than average IQ and the fact that she'd not been around any children her own age had led the girl to be very withdrawn, shy and quiet. The fact that, within only 30 minutes, Kathryn had gotten the young girl to laugh, play and be...well just a kid was an impressive feat indeed.