Chapter Four

All was quiet on Voyager's bridge as they approached Deep Space Nine. It all seemed surreal.

Kathryn noted, staring the emblazoned numeral four, that they were docking at the very same upper docking pylon they had departed from ten years ago. She wondered if it was a coincidence.

After B'Elanna was beamed off Musha-maru, Kathryn headed toward the airlock, followed closely by her officers. A small group had already taken position at the doors. She wondered why they didn't head off, until they lined up on either side of the corridor; as she approached, they saluted her. As she went by, the salutes turned into applause. Kathryn could feel tears coming to her eyes. She promised she would get them home, and that's exactly what she did.

Chakotay said, "You should be the first off. You earned it."

The captain was approached by a tall Bajoran woman, whom she recognized as Kira Nerys. Captain Picard was standing next to her. As Kathryn stepped over the threshold from Voyager and onto Deep Space Nine, Kira stepped forward and immediately hugged the prodigal captain. "Captain Kathryn Janeway, I am greatly honored to welcome you and your crew home," the colonel said. "I'd be honored if you'd join me in my office for some coffee, and you could tell me about your journey."

The captain laughed. "Thank you, Colonel. Though the latter may take a while." she replied, winking. Then the word "coffee" registered. "Coffee? Unreplicated coffee? Columbian blend? Forgive me, I've been living off a replicator for the past ten years."

Nerys returned the laugh. "Unreplicated it is, Kathryn."

Jean-Luc also embraced Kathryn. "Welcome home, Captain. I'm most eager to hear about your journey as well." He looked to Kira. "You won't mind if I stick to tea, would you?"

A few minutes later, Kathryn lifted the steaming cup of coffee, savoring its aroma. She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. "I've been waiting for this moment...for ten years." She took a sip. "Ahhhhh..." she exhaled. "Now that's the stuff." She sighed again, and put down her teacup. "Coffee—the finest organic suspension ever devised." She winked at her companions. "I beat the Borg with it. Several times over."

Nerys laughed. "You poor woman. I would imagine after ten years you would want to wean yourself off."

"I thought about it, but I couldn't stop thinking about unreplicated coffee. I estimate that... oh, about 74% of my coffee intake for the past ten years was replicated black coffee."

The three commanding officers were sitting in Nerys' office. So many calls were coming in from Starfleet Command for the two Starfleet captains now that the word was beginning to get around, the colonel had suggested that they just sit in her office. She promised to give her as much coffee as she wanted as long as she told him as much as she could about Voyager's journey in between Starfleet communiques.

"Is that all? Well, I'm afraid that after we're through, you'll be back to your original level." They laughed as they started a night of comparing stories.

Seven however, remained aboard Musha-maru. She wasn't quite ready to disembark. A crowded space station... she believed putting it off would be beneficial. "Allucia... what is it like to be around so many individuals?" she asked, being the only one on the cabbit ship. She didn't respond. "Allucia?" Seven said again. "Lusha. Can you hear me?"

She was answered by lights flickering, and a small holo-screen popped up. Seven... help... The screen flickered off, and all of the crystals with Musha-ohki's face on it went dark and clattered to the floor.

Seven tapped her combadge. "Seven to Janeway. Can you please send Musha-maru's engineering crew over immediately? She is experiencing difficulty."

"Of course Seven. They'll be aboard in minutes."

A moment later, a transporter whine was heard. Seven turned around, expecting to see the team appear. However, it was a human she had never seen before. "Hi. I'm Chief O'Brien," the human said. "Your crew is on the way... you must be Seven of Nine."

"That is correct," Seven stated.

"What can I help you with?" Miles asked.

Seven thought for a moment. "You have no familiarity with our mission. This ship is a crewmember. She is malfunctioning, but you could monitor this console while I attend to her."

Miles face-faulted. "C-crewmember? How is that possible? You're kidding, right?" he said and nodded, still not understanding and turned to the console Seven was standing at. It was in Standard but not in LCARS format, so he did his best to keep tabs on the... crewmember's condition.

Seven leveled her unemotional gaze on him. "I am Borg. I do not 'kid.'"

The Doctor beamed aboard a few minutes later. "Can you please direct me to Seven of Nine?" he asked Miles.

"Yes, of course Doctor..."

"Just plain Doctor is fine. I am Voyager's EMH."

"EMH? This ship has holo-emitters?" This was getting confusing for the former transporter chief. If he hadn't been so flabbergasted by what Seven of Nine had told him, he would have remembered that the original creator of the emergency medical hologram had visited Deep Space Nine many years ago in an attempt to immortalize his friend Julian.

"Yes and no. I have something called a mobile emitter; I do not need this ship's holo-emitters." The bald hologram said, turning his left arm to reveal the emitter. "A small piece of 29th century technology."

"T-twenty-ninth century?"

"It's a long story. Now, Seven?"

"O-o-of course. She said she was going to check the redundant power backup relays."

"Thank you." The Doctor walked off.

A few minutes after that, another team beamed aboard, led by Sue Nicoletti, and they immediately started disassembling equipment. As she started to order crew about, Miles approached her. "Are you Voyager's chief engineer?" he asked.

Not skipping a beat, Sue replied. "No—she's on the station giving birth—Vorik! How many times do I have to tell you to deactivate a power source before removing it?!" The woman ran off.

Miles began blinking. A lot. A ship who was a crew member, a hologram that was free to go anywhere it pleased, and the chief engineer giving birth on the station. And he thought Deep Space Nine was weird.

Not just Musha's crew, but every engineering officer from Voyager worked for seven hours straight removing equipment. Seven beamed directly to DS9's Ops to give them instructions on how to beam the cabbit aboard, and directly to the infirmary.

The Doctor met DS9's doctor, Julian Bashir, in their Infirmary, and quickly briefed him. Julian was quite taken aback at first by the appearance of the Doctor; the last time he had seen that face, Robert Zimmerman was trying to make a hologram out of him.

Musha-ohki shimmered into being on a biobed, in a private surgical room in the rear of the infirmary. The Doctor did the hot water routine, covering the lieutenant with a thermal blanket. Julian watched in wide-eyed amazement as the animal morphed into an unconscious young humanoid woman.

His eyes widened in concern as he scanned her with a tricorder. "Just as I expected...she has internal bleeding and some clean breaks and fractures in bones due to the equipment that was installed on her technological form." He looked to Julian. "Set up a stasis field, we have to do surgery."

The flesh and blood doctor quickly did as he was told, but couldn't quell his curiosity. "Is she human?" he asked as they worked.

The hologram answered him as he prepped his tools. "She is. But she picked up what she refers to as a 'curse' a few years back on a planet we spent several months at. It's science beyond our level of technology. I couldn't find anything in the water other than hydrogen and oxygen. Whatever was in that water mutated her DNA to the point where the temperature will trigger the change in forms."

"And the creature she becomes?"

"While I work on the internal bleeding, you work on her bones." Julian nodded his understanding and set to work while the Doctor focused on her inner organs. "The creature is called a 'cabbit' by the locals on this planet. Looks like a rabbit and sounds like a cat. Many of the planets inhabitants have them as pets, and the military also utilizes them for the planet's defense. Allucia here didn't realize she had the capability, and didn't even think about what she could do until a few months ago."

"And she just offered to put herself at risk to get everyone home?"

The hologram smiled. "It's what she does. I think she enjoys it sometimes." Julian could only shake his head.

Around the corner from the surgical suite, Tom Paris was playing midwife to one, B'Elanna Paris. "Tom," B'Elanna said, huffing through gritted teeth, "This. Is. All. Your. Fault."

Tom grinned back at his wife. "I love you too, Bella." he said, grinning. They had pretty much had the same conversation when his wife was in labor with Miral. He dodged her foot as she tried to kick him in the head.

Allucia opened her eyes, then immediately shut them. "Too bright..." she hoarsely whispered. Upon hearing herself whisper, her eyes popped back open. She tried to sit up, but her entire body felt like one giant muscle cramp. She gasped in a mixture of shock and pain and managed to lift her arms slightly. No fur and opposable thumbs and there weren't people moving around inside her. She was in human form again! That meant...

She heard footsteps. "Nice to have you among the living again," the hologram said. He helped her sit up.

The lieutenant coughed. "Doc... where am I?"

"You are on Deep Space Nine."

"Deep Space Nine?"

"Where Voyager originally disembarked from, ten years ago."

Allucia's eyes widened. "We're in the Alpha Quadrant? Wow... it worked."

The Doc narrowed his eyes. "It would have worked even better if certain spaceships wouldn't falsify readings and endanger themselves for the sake of getting home."

Allucia returned the glare. "I wasn't about to make a pit stop while in transwarp."

The Doctor shook his head. "In any case, I'm confining you to the Infirmary until you're well enough to leave."

"But I feel fine!" the young woman told the twin EMH's she was seeing.

"No buts, you were in surgery for several hours before you regained consciousness. Stay put, I need to tend to B'Elanna."

She shot a dirty look to the Doctor's back, and got out of bed, wrapping the blanket around herself to remain decent. Though dizzy and a little sore, she slowly walked out into the main part of the infirmary. "Hey... what's a girl gotta do to get some water around here?"

"Didn't your Doctor just tell you to stay put?"

Allucia turned around. A tall man with dark hair stood behind her, arms crossed. "Yeah... so? I've been giving him a hard time for almost six years, and I'm not about to stop. Otherwise he'd think something was wrong with me. Who are you?"

"I'm Julian Bashir, Deep Space's Nine's CMO. And you, my dear, are the talk of the station."

"That's nice. I'm thirsty."

"Oh, of course. Excuse me." Frowning, he crossed the room and got some water out of the replicator for her. She kind of reminds me of Jack and the other genetically modified humans that were here during the Dominion War...

"Thank you," Allucia said.

"You're welcome." Julian watched in shock as his patient downed the pint of water in less than ten seconds. "Thirsty?"

"Famished. First thing I've gotten in my stomach in about five months. Can I go now?"

"Absolutely not."

"Why?"

"You've just come out of surgery and you're too weak. You shouldn't even be walking around."

"Am not. I regained consciousness five minutes ago, now that I'm walking, I'm fine. But... I'm hungry! And I'm, uh, claustrophobic in Sickbays."

"If you'll wait a moment, I'll get you some food from the replicator."

Allucia crossed her arms and leaned against a bulkhead. "Okay." she said, with other intentions in mind.

Bashir turned his back to get her something to eat. Allucia took the opportunity to sneak around behind him, but a firm grip on her arm by the Doctor stopped her. "What part of 'stay in bed' don't you understand?"

"Hey! Oh, hi Doc. I feel fine."

"Nice of you to make that diagnosis," Julian said, "but while I'm Chief Medical Officer of this station, you'll have to do with my decision, and I say you're not ready to leave yet."

"But..." Her aura began to glow. "I ain't staying."

"We can bring you some food, but you have to stay here." She didn't just start glowing, did she? How...

She turned to the EMH. "Doc, you know I gotta eat. I'm hungry!"

"I believe we said we'd get you some food to eat here."

"But I'm so sick of replicator food! I'd rather eat the replicator itself!" Which, oddly enough, wasn't far from the truth. She wished she knew why technology looked so tempting when she was a cabbit.

Julian took a deep, calming breath. "Let's get you back to bed." He started pulling her back to her bed, but she tore her arm free.

"Doc! Can ya come in here!" Tom called.

The Doctor shot a glance at Allucia, and went into the adjacent ward. "But I don't wanna stay here," she whined.

"We wouldn't be taking too long if we had to keep you from escaping," Julian said. He refused to turn his back on her again.

"Well," Allucia began, "can I at least change? I can't be traipsing around in this sheet, you know."

Julian cocked his head. "I don't see why not." He gestured to the replicator.

Allucia looked confused. "I don't need to put in an authorization or anything?"

Bashir chuckled. "No. Why would you have to do that?"

"Being in the middle of the Delta Quadrant, replicator use was rationed. Do you have any idea how much of Neelix's food I had to eat when I ran out of rations? But then again, you don't know Neelix." Julian shrugged, Allucia turned back to the replicator. "Computer, one uniform, command colors, size eight, provisional full lieutenant rank, and one pair of boots, ladies Earth size ten." The requested items appeared, and she removed them from the replicator. "Hey! This isn't my uniform!" She thought for a moment. "Of course, we have the outdated uniforms... when my brother visited Voyager, he had this uniform." she said, thinking out loud due to her fatigue and hunger.

Julian frowned. "Your... brother? With a current uniform..." He was getting confused. From what the Doctor had told him, Allucia had come through a wormhole to Voyager... how could she have a brother with a current issue uniform? Perhaps she was feeling a little delirious...

The pilot suppressed a snicker. Confusion was emanating off of him in waves. This is just too much fun... "Excuse me," she said, retreating to the room she had awakened in.

"What would you like to eat?" Julian asked.

"Uhhhh... you're really making me eat out of the replicator!?" she called from the next room. "I thought there were restaurants here! I haven't had real food from Earth in six years!" Allucia called back.

"There are... would you like me to get anything from of them?" The more he spoke with her, the more he thought of the other enhanced humans, and couldn't help but wonder about this charmingly obnoxious lieutenant. She was definitely borderline with her socialization skills and perseveration on eating. She obviously had something going on over other humans, being as young as she was and a full provisional lieutenant. He wondered what her gift was and was hoping he could get to know her better.

"Hold on," she said, feigning to be busy. She peeked her head out of the room; he was still facing the replicator. She began to tip toe out behind him, keeping her eyes on him. She was half-levitating.

Bashir looked up. "Hey!" When he spotted her, she lost focus and touched back down to the floor. So she did what was left for her... she bolted for the exit, keeping an eye on Bashir.

WHAM! She felt like she hit a brick wall. Allucia bounced backwards and landed squarely on her rump. "Owww..." she said, rubbing her backside.

"Ummm... Squirt, don't you think you should do what the doctors ask for a change?"

Allucia's face lit up. She looked at the brick wall... a brick wall with glowing blue eyes, smiling down at her. The captain immediately found himself on the receiving end of a Lusha-style glomp, which would have knocked any other human to the floor and possibly broken bones. "Apollo!"

This gave Julian a chance to catch up. "Admiral... err..." he corrected himself, seeing the rank on his collar, "Captain. I'm glad you were able to intercept my patient." There's a bratty lieutenant... hanging off of Captain Racer? It was too much for his genetically enhanced brain to understand.

Apollo shook his head, making tsking sounds as he hugged his little sister. "Still in Sickbay. And still giving the docs a hard time. I guess old habits don't die hard."

Allucia disengaged herself from her big brother. She grinned. "You bet."

"Pardon me... but I'm just a bit lost," Julian said. "Captain Racer...you know her?"

Apollo grinned. "Of course I know her. I grew up with the squirt. Julian, this is my little sister, Allucia Banks." he replied, resting his palm on the top of his sister's head affectionately. Allucia elbowed her brother for the "squirt" comment, then smirked at Julian.

Julian was speechless. Though that didn't stop his brain from trying to work everything out. And found that he couldn't. At least not for the moment. There was so much he wanted to know…

The moment was interrupted by shrill crying from the other room. Bashir led Allucia and Apollo into the other room. There, Tom was just placing a child in B'Elanna's arms while the EMH tended to the rest of her. Tom looked up, tears in his eyes. "It's a boy," he said, his voice unsteady. Allucia brought her hands to her face, tears coming to her own eyes. She tried to think of something to say, but couldn't.

Tom motioned Allucia over, who was hesitant at first. "What's his name?" Allucia asked.

"Owen Eugene Paris... Junior." Tom said, not taking his eyes off of B'Elanna. She merely smiled exhaustedly at him.

"I'll... I'll leave you three alone," Allucia said, looking back and forth between the two, and left the room. She sighed. Apollo followed suit. "Hard to believe those two have another baby," she said. "I was kind of hoping they'd have another girl. He can't even say no to Miral, she's got him so wrapped around her little chubby finger."

"You would know all about that, wouldn't you?" Apollo quipped.

Allucia thought back to her own father, before she and her mother left Montana for New York. It was true enough, to a point, as stern a military man as their father was. "Yeah, as long as I caught him in a good mood."

They were about to approach Julian about letting Allucia leave the Infirmary when Chakotay came in holding Miral's hand. The little girl appeared to have four fingers in her mouth, the exception being her thumb, and her palm was facing out. Allucia was about to reflexively pull the hand out of her mouth when Chakotay stopped her. "Don't," he said. "She just woke up, and between that and her incoming molars, she is definitely the grumpiest of Voyager's entire crew right now."

"I hope she doesn't chew her hand off," Allucia said, her eyes widening.

"I'm sure she'll be fine. Now if you'll excuse me, I hear that she has a new baby brother to meet." Nodding amiably to the Apollo and Allucia, Chakotay made his way into the room where the rest of the Paris family was waiting.

Apollo crossed his arms and grinned evilly, and looked at his younger sister. "You know, Mom told me once that I said I had a lizard for a sister the first time I went to see you two in the hospital after you were born."

Allucia returned the smirk. "I'm not surprised. You weren't even two yet and probably too dumb to tell a lizard from a baby anyway." She lost the smirk as soon as she saw the expression change on her brother's face. "Wait, no—!"