They still aren't mine. I still make no money. I write for my own amusement and the amusement of others. Please enjoy, read, and review. If anyone has any suggestions I'd be happy to hear them. Thanks.

No one was quite sure where Chakotay went after that night. Kathryn tried to send him another video message but she never received a response. She went to his Starfleet temporary housing, Ayala accompanied her as he always did, but Chakotay wasn't there, or if he was he didn't answer. Debriefings were not all held together and while she saw a few of the crew during those weeks it wasn't that surprising not to run into him there. On the day that she and the senior officers were briefed together Chakotay was notably absent. She asked Admiral Paris about it.

"I show that he's already been debriefed and sent out on an assignment." Admiral Paris scanned his computer for more information.

"On assignment? I thought we were all getting a six month leave with an option to extend for a year." This wasn't what Kathryn expected.

"That's strange I can't access his assignment. Maybe there's some kind of glitch in the system. If I get any news I can share you can be sure I will pass it along to you." Owen promised.

Kathryn anxiously waited for him in vain at the Voyager homecoming ball. He also missed the media engagements and interviews, the various public appearances set up for Starfleet PR. Chakotay even skipped the 'mandatory' psychological appointments. Several weeks later Admiral Paris called Kathryn to tell her that there wasn't any information he could give her. She noticed he never said there wasn't any information, just that there wasn't any he could share. What he could do, he said, was forward any messages for him to a comm address where Chakotay would be able to retrieve them if and when his assignment allowed.

VVVVV

Kathryn confided in her sister about what had transpired with Chakotay. The relationship between sisters grew stronger than it had ever been, with them sharing late night talking session in Kathryn's room that often included ice cream chocolate and coffee. In the beginning these sessions had a lot of sadness and a bit of laughter, but before long Phoebe's efforts ensured that there was much more laughter and happy tears than sad ones.

During the time Mike Ayala spent his time guarding Kathryn and both spent time getting to know Mirna. Mirna had deep dark eyes Mike was drawn to. She was confident and capable in her work but somewhat reserved when it came to personal matters. Kathryn and Phoebe worked at drawing her out and befriending her. Phoebe accepted Mirna as David's sister and the three women often spent time together.

One day Gretchen cornered Ayala in the kitchen. "Michael, what is going on? I was told that you and my daughter were in a relationship. When you arrive you treat each other like acquaintances, then when it seems you two are becoming closer you start showing an interest in David's coworker Mirna. You want to explain this to me?"

Mike looked around nervously, he had to come up with a good answer that Kathryn would be willing to go along with. "Well, Mrs. Janeway, uh… well. Ok, it's like this. I have no family left to speak of and consequently had no home to go to. Kathryn was going to be assigned a security officer, you know, because of the intense media and all, and since I was security…" The look on Gretchen's face told him she wasn't buying it. "Really, Gretchen I'm here for her protection, but it wasn't something that anyone wanted to become common knowledge. I really have no family to reunite with and I served as Kathryn's personal security sometimes on Voyager. You know how she hates to be hovered over and watched. She would have hated having a stranger." All of what Mike said was true and he hoped Gretchen would be satisfied.

"Ok, I just don't see why you two had to lie to us.We're her family." Gretchen scolded.

"Oh it wasn't our idea. You were given the cover story even before we knew there was a cover story to give." He explained.

"So you and Katie have never…?"

"No. Absolutely not." Mike stated adamantly.

"I didn't think so." She responded thoughtfully. "It seems to me that dedication from Mr. Chakotay really hurt her. I can only assume that he's the reason my Katie has been so sad."

Ayala wisely chose to keep from commenting and he excused himself as he was due to join Kathryn for a walk.

Kathryn remained in constant contact with several of her crew. She would visit Tom and B'Elanna, once a week for the first few months. Tom left covert ops opting for a less dangerous position that would allow plenty of time with his wife and new daughter. Before too long, however, Kathryn's visits became comm calls and by the time her birthday rolled around it had been weeks since anyone had seen her in person.

In May Gretchen, Phoebe, and Charles were preparing to host a party for Kathryn's birthday. It was going to be a grand event. They were inviting the crew and their families. There would even be games and prizes. Gretchen and Phoebe had made it a point to ask Owen to deliver an invitation to Commander Chakotay. Gretchen had long since come to the conclusion that Kathryn was in love with the Commander, and the New Year's Eve incident proved that he was in love with Kathryn as well.

Party guests began arriving early in the day as Gretchen had a lovely lunch planned before the festivities. The guests were greeted by an obviously pregnant Kathryn Janeway. Most tried to disguise their shock, as during her comm calls she never allowed them to see her growing belly. However when the Paris' showed up Tom quirked up an eyebrow and said. "Congratulations, Captain, I see you've kept yourself busy. The Alpha Quadrant has done you some good." He wore a wicked smile on his face that was quickly replaced by a grimace when B'Elanna elbowed him in the ribs.

"Happy birthday, Captain, and congratulations." B'Elanna hugged Kathryn as she spoke.

"Hey what's the Doctor doing here I heard he was at Starfleet Medical Research." Tom asked with surprise after spotting the Doctor.

"No he isn't; but a copy of him is." Kathryn grinned. "It seems his mobile emitter was misplaced when Voyager was being unloaded. So you haven't seen it, or the doctor, understood Mr. Paris?"

"You busted him out of Starfleet Medical?!" Tom asked incredulously.

"No, he never made it there. I may have to give him back at some point."

"And I'm the one with the bad boy reputation." Tom joked.

Ayala was checking the security imagers and weapons detectors throughout the property when he met Mirna on the porch. "Hi." She smiled at him. They had begun dating and their relationship was really starting to take off.

"Hi, you're a little early."

"I wanted to check the scattering field, and… I wanted a few moments alone with you before things get too out of control." She smiled at him and moved forward to embrace him.

As Ayala leaned in to kiss her he became aware of a ground car coming to a stop on the road in front of the Janeway home.

Chakotay, had taken a month of the leave due to him after completing one mission. He had kept himself out of sight during the two weeks he'd been back. He decided he was ready to put the past behind him and accept the invitation to Kathryn's birthday party. He'd gone on a couple of dates with yet another blond and decided to take her to the party. He hadn't expected what he'd witnessed when he arrived. As he exited his hover car and moved to open his date's door he caught sight of Mike Ayala sharing an intimate but brief kiss with a dark-haired woman.

Ayala looked up to see Chakotay with a blond on his arm. He caught a look of surprise, then anger on Chakotay's face. Good thought Ayala, smiling to himself, he still cares enough to want to protect her. Ayala hurried off to the backyard to join Kathryn. For a moment, after Ayala had left, Chakotay thought that maybe Kathryn was a free woman now and he felt his heart fill briefly with hope, but he remembered his affair with Seven, not to mention the new blonde on his arm, and he had to quash that hope.

The former senior officers and their dates sat at the table with Kathryn, Mike, Phoebe, and David for lunch. Chakotay sat as far away as he could; he believed the occupants of that table had not yet seen him. He didn't realize that Ayala was well aware of all his movements. He would have to go say hello at some point, but he didn't have to sit with them. Mike Ayala was sitting comfortably beside Kathryn, occasionally touching her or standing protectively beside her, or bringing her drinks and catering to her. He seemed to dote on her and Chakotay felt his anger bubble inside him. He didn't like the thought that Mike was cheating on Kathryn. It wasn't his business anymore, it really never had been, he kept telling himself. He still felt like punching Mike.

At the table the former crewmates exchanged small talk and shared what they were doing with their leave and what their plans were once it was over. Harry had started dating Libby again, and he spent a lot of time catching up with her and his parents. Tuvok was well again and was back on Vulcan writing his memoirs, and spending time with his grandchildren after having retired. Seven was living with her aunt and learning more about her family but would be going to Jupiter Station to fill a scientific research and development slot. Tom was rebuilding his relationship with Owen and would be working on shuttle design and testing; B'Elanna was getting to know her in-laws and would be working on research, design and shuttle building. B'Elanna would be Tom's boss. Tom and B'Elanna were staying with Admiral Paris. The Doctor, disguised as a bajoran monk, was visiting opera houses and museums, but he was technically staying with Kathryn, as was Mike.

It was B'Elanna who finally addressed the elephant in the room, or the backyard as it was. "So Captain, how far along are you?"

Kathryn smiled and answered, "Going on six months or so." She purposely kept it a little vague.

"Actually," the doctor chimed in, "She is six months and one week." Kathryn, who had stopped deleting information from his memory once she began showing, grimaced at his words. Never had she been more relieved that she had decided not to return the Doctor's deleted memories.

"Thank you, Doctor." Kathryn answered sounding somewhat irritated.

"So, this child was conceived aboard, Voyager. Voyager arrived in the Alpha Quadrant only five months ago." Concluded Seven.

The senior staff looked back and forth between Ayala and the Captain and suddenly began to feel very uncomfortable. Had they been having an affair onboard Voyager? How was it that nobody knew?

"She is forward isn't she? Why does it matter to you where conception occurred?" Phoebe remarked. Knowing how much Chakotay's relationship with Seven had hurt Kathryn Phoebe's protective side came up full force. She felt a good amount of animosity toward Seven and she made no attempt to hide it. Kathryn shot her a look that asked for silence.

"No Seven, I assure you that my children were not conceived aboard Voyager." Kathryn was undeniably more irritated now.

"Children? There's more than one in there?" Came B'Elanna's reaction.

Tom chuckled, "The Captain doesn't know how to do anything halfway, remember?"

"We were clearly still in the Delta quadrant at that time, so that means your children must have been conceived while on Voyager or if it was while you were away from the ship then conception would have occurred on shore leave or during an away mission. I do not recall you taking shore leave, or participating in an away mission, with Mister Ayala during that time, yet he is the one you are cohabitating with." Seven stated coldly. "Has he accepted another man's child as his own?"

"Wow! The girl has no filter. Why are you concerned with the paternity? What do you care?" Phoebe growled and Seven glared back.

"No, I guess we didn't take any shore leave that overlapped at that time." Kathryn spoke in a tone that everyone at the table understood to mean that the matter was closed; everyone but Seven.

"They are not Mister Ayala's children." Seven concluded. "You were close with the Commander… but they cannot be Commander Chakotay's children. They must be the result of a liaison with an alien. The Talaxian colony we passed around that time, perhaps?" Tom spit out a mouthful of water and choked and sputtered while a stunned B'Elanna absent mindedly patted his back. Did she really accuse the Captain of having an affair with a Talaxian?

"Good God! Is she like this with everyone, or does she especially dislike you, Sis?" Phoebe couldn't believe Kathryn would put up with this.

Kathryn placed a hand on Phoebe's arm to quiet her, but Seven had riled Kathryn's feathers and Kathryn let jealousy dictate her response. "What makes you think that my children cannot be Commander Chakotay's?" She challenged Seven, staring at her through narrowed eyes. The statement brought wide eyed amazement from the others at the table.

"Yes! Go Captain and Commander. Damn, it took you two long enough!" Tom commented gleefully but was ignored in favor of the drama unfolding.

It was Seven's turn to feel uncomfortable, she wasn't supposed to let anyone know about her relationship with Chakotay, even though she suspected that Kathryn had found out. Chakotay had been clear about keeping it a secret, but now Seven needed to explain how she came to that conclusion. "I… When I first decided to pursue the Commander, I knew then that I wanted to… progress my dating skills with him; with the real Chakotay not just the hologram I had programed of him." At this point, Chakotay, who had finally decided to say hello and wish Kathryn a happy birthday, walked up unseen by Seven, but in clear view of Mike, Kathryn, Phoebe, and David. Seven continued speaking. "I knew that he did not take contraceptive boosters due to his spiritual beliefs. If he were to engage in a romantic liaison which produced a child I would no longer have the opportunity to… develop my relationship skills with him. As he had not yet noticed my attempts to acquire his romantic intentions I gave him a six month contraceptive booster without his knowledge, to give myself more time to attempt to… convince him to help me gain experience in dating. I thought it entirely likely that another woman on the ship would try to fulfill his wish of having a child in order to secure a position as the alpha male's mate. I also felt it was illogical for him to refuse the boosters based on spiritual beliefs which have no basis in reality."

The table went completely silent as every occupant gaped at her. Even Phoebe and Tom were shocked into silence. It took a few minutes for Kathryn to break the stunned silence. She quietly hissed, "What you did is a crime. You had no right to medicate him against his wishes. You could be charged for that." Kathryn was so angry she could slap Seven. She had to take a breath and count to ten inwardly to calm herself. Chakotay stood behind Seven too stunned to speak. She was talking about him. She, Seven, had medicated him without his knowledge or consent! And if that wasn't shock enough Kathryn looked pregnant! Not only had he been violated by Seven, by way of hologram and unwanted medication, but Kathryn and Mike were starting a family and he was jealous.

"I understand now that it was wrong. At the time I did not. You are upset, Captain. I am sorry if I have caused you distress, especially if you believed the Commander was the one who impregnated you, as he clearly was not. You should look to others with whom you had intimate relations." Seven abruptly stood and turned to find herself face to face with Chakotay.

"You did what to me Seven?" Chakotay demanded.

Seven startled a bit at the sight of Chakotay but quickly regained her composure. "I am sorry for what I did; however, it is illogical for you to be angry as you would not have become aware of my actions if we hadn't been discussing why you could not have impregnated the captain while we were in the Delta quadrant; it is unclear who did. The fetus is six months one week in gestation. Now if you'll excuse me I think I should go." Kathryn's anger flared even higher. Seven wasn't as naïve as she made herself out to be and the Captain was sure that she had purposely and vindictively told Chakotay that Kathryn became pregnant before their return and purposely told him that the father was unknown.

Chakotay watched Seven go. As the shock began to wear off he turned back to Kathryn. "I guess congratulations are in order for you and Lieutenant Ayala." He had heard and understood what Seven had said, but he chose to assume the child was Ayala's as he was the one living with Kathryn and he could never think of Kathryn as a… no. But then again she had refused his love citing protocol and the need for parameters, and it seemed those things didn't matter as she was with someone else.

Kathryn looked stunned for a moment. Upon recovering she quickly introduced herself to Chakotay's date. Nancy. She hated her name, her blond hair, her pointy nose, her wide set green eyes, her big forehead and everything else she saw of the woman. Kathryn wasn't the only one; Gretchen eyed Chakotay and his date from inside, obscured from view by the screen door. She thought, How dare he flaunt a blonde tramp, here in Kathryn's home, when my Katie is obviously pregnant with his children? Kathryn hadn't told her mother whose children they were but, when Gretchen questioned her about her love for Chakotay and his being the father, Kathryn had not denied it.

Kathryn Janeway donned her Captain's mask and smiled politely. The rest of the table followed suit and greeted the blonde. As he turned to walk away Phoebe nudged Kathryn, she wanted Kathryn to go after Chakotay.

"Now's not a good time Pheebs. I'll see if I can ask him to have coffee with me, but I can't run after him right now. " She tried to work her way to him, while working the crowd, in order to try to make plans to join him for coffee sometime in the week. When she finally did he grabbed his date by the waist and pulled her close saying, "I'm sorry but we're busy all week." A short time later he left the party still upset and jealous.

Kathryn ran the program she'd written specifically for this purpose. Once the memory chip was in everything would be recorded onto the memory chip and nothing would be saved on Voyager's computer and she would delete the Doctor's memory.That way he would have the relevant memories if and only if the chip was in place.

"Computer, activate EMH."

"Please state the nature of the medical emergency."

"Doctor I need you to confirm something for me.Will you scan me please?"

The Doctor grabbed his tricorder and began scanning. "You came to me willingly.This is a first." Then after a few moments he continued. "I see.You are pregnant, Captain.Thatiswhat you wished for me to confirm, is it not?"

"Yes, Doctor, it is. How can this be? I was on contraceptive boosters; you updated them before you left us on the planet." She queried, trying to understand why this was happening to her.

"Did you use any medications while on the planet, anything at all?" He pressed.

"No, I don't think so.Oh no!" She exclaimed suddenly remembering. " I had a small cut on my ankle that I didn't treat for a couple of days.Chakotay saw it and said it looked like it had a minor infection.He gave me something for it, an antibiotic, and healed the cut with the dermal regenerator.It was so minor it just slipped my mind completely."

"Well, it's not so minor now. You know certain antibiotics counteract birth control boosters."He stated as he read her scans.

"I didn't even think about it at the time. I suppose you're right, it isn't minor anymore.I can't have a baby out here." Kathryn said sadly.

"We can go over your options, Captain."

"I think I know my options. Am I too late to have the embryo preserved for implantation at a later date?"This was the only solution she could see at the moment.

"You are almost five weeks along.You are right at the deadline, a few more days and I wouldn't be willing to attempt the procedure." She nodded her understanding.

"Just one thing, with all the issues we've had in this quadrant, I have to ask; can the storage unit have its own power cell so that even if we have to go to back up power the embryo will still be preserved?" She was hopeful that someday she could give this child a life better than she could offer it in the delta quadrant.

"Yes, of course, it would have its own independent power; the power cells last for up to ten years.At which time we can replace it with a new power cell." He smiled smugly and continued. "Once I start the procedure you'll feel a little pain, but it shouldn't be too bad.The amount of tissue I'll be removing is still smaller than a jellybean.You need to understand that before you can resume this pregnancy you will need to be given a hormone treatment approximately 24 hours before making the transfer back to your body, the treatment will encourage implantation.I have to be honest with you, Captain, there is no guarantee that re-implantation will work.This is a big decision. I encourage you to discuss it with the Commander.Shall I ask him to come to sickbay?"

"No Doctor.Just do it.I know what Commander Chakotay's opinion will be, and I've already made my decision.I won't change my mind and he won't agree.No good will come of telling him at this point.I only hope he forgives me when I'm ready to go forward with it.I'll have to tell him then." Kathryn knew that telling him now would not only ruin their personal relationship, but their professional one as well; she couldn't have that, she depended on Chakotay too much.

"I have to tell you that I disagree; I think he should be informed."

"I said, NO, Doctor!" Kathryn snapped.

Properly chastised the doctor relented. "Very well, I'll begin the procedure."