Mocking Bird Can't Sing

Chapter Two: An Interesting Proposition

Summary: Nearly three years after a surprised visitor came into Kathryn's life, the little girl is growing up, but things aren't quite right. Is this typical for a child of her species, or is there more than meets the eye?

Author's note: Well for all those that have read "And Her Hair all Done Up In Curls" FINALLY another story staring that beloved little girl. For those of you that haven't read it, I'd suggest doing so, but you don't have too. It'd just give you a much broader understanding of where this child came from.

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A couple days later, Voyager was in orbit of the Navarian home world. They'd been gracious enough to invite the crew of the Voyager to their home. The Navarian woman, Keytar, had taken a liking to the captain. She'd requested that she, the commander, and Sidra join her with her family in her home for a meal. Kathryn was a bit unsure, it would be the first time Sidra had ever left voyager, and here lately with the way her 'moods' had been she wasn't sure if would be a good idea. But Keytar had insisted. It was the least she could do for the hospitality the Captain had shown her.

After much persuading Kathryn agreed. Now she was trying to figure out what she should wear, put Sidra in and what he should bring with her for her daughter. Kathryn finally settled on a light purple dress that fell just above her knee, it was nothing fancy a simple sun dress, she also decided on a pink sundress for Sidra, she was told that the climate was warm and didn't what the girl to get over heated. She looked up when she saw Chakotay come into the room. She smiled, "you look nice." He was wearing brown slacks and a white cotton T it was loose and cut just low enough to see a bit of his chest.

Kathryn's heart skipped a beat; he was freshly shaven and looked very handsome. She loved it when he was in civilian clothes. "You're not looking half bad yourself" he smiled and stepped closer to her. He pulled her in to him for a kiss; it was soft and caring with just as much passion as they usually had.

Taking a deep breath and talking into his chest she spoke, "You know, you'd better stop, we don't have time for that." She had her eyes closed. He let her go, but ran his hand down her arm to hers.

"Who says we have to go?" he grinned.

She opened her eyes and playfully hit him, "you know I promised and we have to go." She then pulled her hand out of his and made her way into their living area. Sidra was sitting on the ground playing with her block, she'd set all of the red ones end to end, the blue ones were stacked precisely, and the yellow ones were well she was still figuring out what she was going to do with those.

Kathryn went to lift the girl up, accidently knocking over the blue stack. At this Sidra became very alarmed, tears wailed up in her eyes. Kathryn was about half way into a standing position she was forced to put the little girl back down. The girl had flailed around so much that her dead weight in the half bent position was more then she could handle.

Kathryn sighed, "I'm sorry I didn't mean to honey" the little girl just ignored her and grabbed the blocks. She began placing them back on top of each other. Kathryn attempted to help only to have her hand pushed away. "Sidra we can put it back together when we get home." Kathryn said, trying to pick the child up again. She flattened herself to the floor, making it difficult for her mother to get a grip on her.

She looked up at Chakotay lost for what to do next. Chakotay attempted to intervene only to be kicked at. "Sidra come on, we have to get going" he stated, this time managing to get a grip on her. He picked her up making sure that she couldn't bite him, he wasn't falling for that again.

Kathryn stood; the tantrums were getting worse and worse. "Sidra you need to calm down, Mommy's sorry, but we have to get going." Chakotay held her as she kept trying to get down; they quickly exited their quarters hoping that not seeing the destroyed stack would help to appease her. Leaving the room didn't seem to help much Sidra cried all the way to the transporter room.

The group stopped just outside of the transporter room. Kathryn looked at Chakotay, "I can't take her down there like this." She motioned for him to hand the girl to her.

"It's just a tantrum if you give in she's going to learn she can get away with it." He stated, Sidra had long stopped kicking, she was just sobbing.

"Do you not think that I don't know that, but look at her?" The little girl was crying quietly her head buried into her mother's chest.

Chakotay sighed the girl did look pitiful. "I know, but I think she'll be fine. After all she's calmed down this much." He didn't want to give into the child's fit.

She gave in, "alright, but if she gets too out of control we're coming back up." she shot Chakotay a look before entering the transporter room.

He simply stated, "I agree" before the group got onto the transporter pad.

Within moments they were on the planet's surface. Kathryn looked around it was beautiful a very tropical feel. Keytar came out of a very nice looking house offering her greetings. "Welcome Captain, Commander." She paused and looked at the girl; she'd stopped crying though it was obvious that she had been. "Hello, Sidra" the woman said. All the girl did was hide her head.

Kathryn apologized, "Sorry we had a bit of a tantrum before we came, it's also the first time she's been off ship since well we found her."

"That's fine, come inside my family is anxious to meet you." Keytar led them into her home, it was well decorated, large palm like fronds framed the entry hall, and many of the decorations inside were that of a tropical or native motif.

Once they were inside, Kathryn placed the girl on the ground. She felt her grab onto her leg, and move slightly behind it. Keytar then made her introductions, "My husband Tygean, my son Kaydin, and Nerall my daughter."

Kathryn offered her hand out, "Hello, I'm Kathryn, and this is Chakotay, and my daughter Sidra." She motioned to both of them in turn.

The man took it, "it's nice to meet you, Keytar has spoken of you"

Kathryn smiled. "It's nice to meet you too."

Keytar then asked, "If you will follow me, the meal is ready."

Chakotay took the lead as Kathryn reached her hand down to take the girls, the going for the last two was slow, Sidra didn't really want to move, she didn't cry but drug her feet making it clear that she didn't want to be there. After a few feet Kathryn just lifted the girl and carried her.

They were shown to their seats after reaching the dining hall of the house. Chakotay took his seat, and Kathryn placed Sidra between the two of them then took her own seat. The meal was passed out and then Tygean spoke, "it is customary for us to say a blessing before we eat."

Kathryn nodded, "of course."

Sidra was hungry and attempted to reach for something during the blessing. Kathryn prevented her from doing so which only upset her, she began to fuss some. Tygean stopped, as she tried to calm her down, explaining that they weren't supposed to eat before the blessing. Tygean then chimed in, "it's alright if the child wishes something, she may have it."

Looking at him she asked, "Are you sure?"

He nodded, "children aren't expected to understand at that age, when they are older they are to wait, but she's young."

Kathryn nodded, and handed her what appeared to be a roll. Sidra quitted down and the blessing continued. After the blessing the rest of the family and the guests were allowed to eat. Thankfully things went smoothly, the group talked about education with the children, voyager, their journey and what not. After the meal was over Keytar had an idea. "Why don't the kids go out to the back to play, that way we can talk?"

Kathryn looked at Chakotay to see if he thought it was a good idea or not. The boy was older she'd have to say about as mature as a fifteen year old, and the girl was probably around eight or so. He nodded and she said "sure." Nerall was excited by this; she liked playing with other children. She excused herself from her seat and came over to Sidra.

"Would you like to see my playhouse?" she asked. The young girl looked at her mother, and Kathryn nodded, and then reluctantly she got down off of her chair. And flowed the other girl out back, she kept looking back to Kathryn for reassurance. The older boy followed after them.

Kathryn was still worried it was the first time she'd let her daughter go with people she only knew a little let alone on a planet where she could potentially escape. She was having almost as much trouble letting her go as Sidra had going.

Catching sight of her distress Keytar stated, "Our yard is fully enclosed, the only way out of it is through the house. This made Kathryn feel a bit better.

"Thanks" she smiled.

"You're welcome." She cleared the table then came back with drinks, and motioned for them to follow her into the living area, there was a window to the yard the children were playing in, this made Kathryn feel even better being she could keep an eye on her. Chakotay joined her on a couch, as the others took what appeared to be their normal seats.

The four then started talking, on a bit more the education, after a while their conversation moved to the Commander and Captain's relationship.

"So are you two married?" Keytar asked.

Kathryn wasn't quite sure how to answer the question. "Well we…" she paused and Chakotay finished the answer for her.

"We are by my culture, we had a ceremony, spiritually we are, but in the eyes of our government we aren't 'officially' married, Kathryn is the only one that can legally marry anyone on our ship." He stated.

"How interesting that your government and culture are so different," Tygean stated.

"Well we have so many cultures in the federation that they wrote up some guidelines. The criteria are such that only a spiritual leader or a captain or justices of peace are allowed to marry and have it be seen as such a union. For Chakotay by his culture standards as long as the ceremony has taken place then we are bonded, but Starfleet doesn't count a holographic medicine man as a legal union, even though we are bonded in sprit." She was surprised that she was telling them all of this.

"That's interesting" he stated, "so you are married by his culture's standards but not your own, does that bother you?" Tygean asked.

Keytar rolled her eyes, "Ty" she stated, "I think you've asked enough questions" she knew from her time she'd spent on voyager that things like this usually weren't talked about, at least that was the impression she'd gotten.

Smiling Kathryn stated, "Actually it's quite alright, I would like to be officially married, but it seems that that will have to wait until we make it home, for now I know that we are bonded and that is what really matters." She took Chakotay's hand.

"You said that all you needed was a spiritual leader or someone that was officially recognized with having the power to legally bond someone in marriage, would it count if another species were the one to preform the ceremony?"

Kathryn paused for a moment; she'd never in her life considered that she could be married by another culture, "I guess if it was a legal binding marriage under the laws of the species then they would have to accept it." She looked at Chakotay and then back to Tygean who'd brought up the idea.

He smiled, "if you'd like I could marry you" he then stated.

Kathryn just blankly starred at him. Keytar then spoke up, "he's ordained in our church, he's one of our spiritual leaders." She supplied the missing information.

They were both lost for words, "I, I don't know what to say, that's a generous offer" Kathryn stated, she hadn't even thought that this was how the day was going to go.

"I know it's a lot to think about, voyager will be in orbit for a while, why don't you take some time to think upon it." Tygean then said.

Chakotay spoke next, "I think that's a good idea, once again thank you very much for your offer."

"Certainly" The other man smiled the subject then changed not wanting the other couple to feel uncomfortable.

It was becoming late, and the children came back inside, Sidra looked as if she was getting tired but she also seemed to have been enjoying herself. Sidra climbed into her mother's lap and laid her head on her chest. Noting at how tired she was she then looked at her wonderful hosts, and in a quiet voice she spoke, "I think we should be getting going, I'm sure it's way past her bed time."

They nodded and walked them out to where they were transported in, reminding them to let them know what they wanted to do soon. Kathryn nodded and the group of them returned to the Voyager, they had a lot to talk about.