Chapter Four: Truth

- =/\= -

After eating the fruit Kathryn did feel better, though more tired than she thought she was. She decided that under the circumstances a little nap couldn't hurt. She'd already finished reading the reports that she needed to read.

She curled up on the couch and was soon fast asleep.

- =/\= -

After a few hours and no sign of her, Chakotay decided that he would go and check up on her. Despite the fact that the doctor had paid her a visit already, she still hadn't come out. He stood and pulled out a report that he hadn't given to her yet. He always kept one, just so that he could go and see her.

He rang the chime, but there was no answer. He looked puzzled for a moment, but to make things seem fine to the rest of the crew, he walked in regardless. He stepped through the threshold and saw her lying on the couch. Now he knew that there was something more. She never took naps, not even during down times.

He walked quietly up to her and knelt down by the couch. "Kathryn" he whispered. He spyed the empty bowl at her desk, 'good she at least ate something.' He turned his attention back to her as she shifted some.

Opening her eyes she saw Chakotay, "hi," her voice was husky from being asleep. She smiled slightly but then realized where she was and exactly what she was doing. She at up quickly, she became slightly dizzy, the stuff the doctor had given her didn't completely block out the morning sickness. She ignored it and placed her legs on the floor, "Chakotay," she was a bit flustered.

"You alright?" he asked for the millionth time it seemed that morning.

"Yes" she smiled, "I'm perfectly fine." She wasn't lying this time; she knew that she wasn't sick. She just wasn't sure how she would get out of this without telling him the truth.

He tilted his head and looked into her eyes, "Kathryn," his voice was gentle, "what's going on? You've been acting strange all morning."

She bit her lip, then looked back toward him, "well you see…" she paused, she was now scared, how would he react, what if he didn't want the babies, he didn't know if she could handle it if he didn't want them, did she really want him knowing s soon, she'd jut found out herself only hours ago. And like her it sure wasn't something he'd be expecting.

"Kathryn?" He was gravely serious.

She took a deep breath, not looking him in the eyes. "I'm fine, honest there is nothing wrong with me, you can even confirm that with the Doctor if you'd like. You know as well as I do that he was just here." She was trying to avoid telling him.

He sighed, "There's something you're not telling me. I know you too well, and I know there is something going on. You can't hide that from me." He reached up and took her shoulders into to his hands; he searched her face for an answer.

Giving in he confessed, "You're right, there is something." She looked down at her hands, "the Doctor… as much as I wanted you to believe, didn't come down here on his own, I called him. She paused and looked up only to see confusion and worry cross his face. She continued, "When I came into the ready room I was really sick, I tried to wait it out, but after an hour I still felt just as ill. I got sick several times and decided that I should call the Doctor and get checked out. I didn't want to worry you or the crew." She looked very serious, nervous, and unsure all at the same time. He could also tell that she wasn't trying to hide anything from him.

He nodded, wanting her to say more.

"I thought it was just space sickness, but it isn't." she was biting her lower lip again.

He was worried and confused, "why did you tell me you were fine? You're not fine if you're getting sick." he moved his hand to her chin making her look him in the eyes, "Kathryn what is it that you're not telling me?"

"Well being sick is just part of it, and there isn't anything wrong" she was insistent, "it's perfectly natural, in fact if I wasn't getting sick then we'd have to worry." She was being cryptic, forgetting how she felt when the Doctor had done the same thing to her.

"Kathryn" he was frustrated, "you're not making an sense, getting sick isn't natural." He lifted his hand up to touch her forehead to see if she was running a fever, what she was saying seemed to be nascence. "I mean, you only get sick if you've got a virus, or have space sickn…" he stopped and looked at her blankly for a moment, he blinked several times his mouth wide open, "wait, you're?" His entire face lit up.

She nodded, and whispered, "yes"

"you mean we're, going, to have a…" he was lost for words, and very excited.

She was trying not to cry, with a sniffle she nodded and said, "Yes, we're having babies"

He repeated her in awe "we're having ba" he stopped more shock and surprise crossing his face, "did you just say, babies?" he could hardly breath.

She wiped the tears from her eyes and nodded, "yea, twins"

He was completely speechless, the only thing he could think to do was to lift her up off the couch and pull her into his lap, kissing her over and over again. She laughed at all the attention she was getting. He then found his words, "Kathryn" another kiss, "you are" another kiss, "the most wonderful woman," another kiss, "in the world!" He then stopped and took her fance into his hands, "how far along?"

She laughed, "five weeks" she was so excited, especially at how excited he was.

He looked at her and said "Wow, I mean" he let out a breath, "wow"

Laughing at him she repeated him, "yeah, wow"

"You're pregnant, I didn't think that…" he was cut off by her.

"Neither did I, trust me" she was having a very hard time not smiling. She figured that she could just smile all that she wanted. The fun part now would be trying to keep from telling the crew right away, and with Tom being on the bridge, that wasn't going to be easy.

Chakotay must have been on the same wave length, "how long do you think we should wait before we tell the crew?" he asked.

"I'm not sure, at least until we know everything's going alright." she looked into his eyes again. "The Doctor wants me in for a full exam," she stated.

He nodded, "I agree, now there's no guarantee that they're not going to guess, I mean I don't think I can stop smiling.

"I don't think I can either" she confessed, "Maybe we should stay in here a while longer? At least until we can top smiling so much."

He nodded and laughed capturing her lips once more.

- =/\= -

Another two hours passed by and Tom looked toward the ready room. He typed to on his consol to harry, "what do you think they're doing in there? They've been in there for hours."

"I don't know, but I think you should stop prying so much; she's going to catch on." Harry typed back.

Tom was going to say something else when the doors opened and Chakotay walked out, he resumed his seat and was acting the best he could as if nothing had changed. "Status" he asked, a bit of his joyful mood creeping into his voices. It didn't go unnoticed by the crew but dared not say anything out loud.

It was reported that everything was the same. Tom wrote one last comment to Harry "See I was right."

Harry just rolled his eyes and resumed his work, not wanting to give into Tom's fantasies.