His eyes were heavy; barely opened. All he was able to see was the color white, objects slowly came into focus around him. He heard noises coming from the other side of the room. It took his ears more than a minute to recognize that the sounds he was hearing were coming from his wife. Her petrified scream was what finally brought him to full consciousness.

"Get away! Get away from me!" She screamed, her arms moving spastically in hysterical motions.

It took Tom all of two seconds to be at her side, stepping in front of her to shield and protect her from whoever was in the room. She clung to him, and he could feel her shaking.

"Who the hell are you and where have you taken us," he attempted to put on a strong and intimidating front, but the quiver in his voice gave his fear away.

The doctor was more than unamused. Without a word, he hit his commbadge.

"Sickbay to Commander Chakotay. The patients are awake," he said.

"I'll be right there, just let me contact B'Elanna," Chakotay replied.

The doctor shifted his attention back to the two figures cowering near the edge of the biobed.

"Mr. Paris, I assure you that I mean you no harm. Same goes for the captain, now would you please.."

"How do you know my name?…captain? What captain," Tom asked in utter confusion.

For once in his existence, the doctor had been at a loss for words. He expected hysterics, anticipated them being wound up and disoriented, but he did not expect memory loss.

Initial scans hadn't even picked up any damage or alteration to the hippocampus nor any other area of the limbic system related to memory. He needed more tests and more time, but without sedation, neither would be willing.

Slowly he walked up to Tom.

"Mr. Paris, I'll explain everything if you'd just follow me,"

"Not until you tell me exactly what's going on. I'm not leaving my wife,"

The doctor had to contain his shock and keep his jaw from dropping.

"Al..alright, you don't have to leave her for long, just come with…" before he finished and before Paris had the chance to react, the doctor sprung at him. Grabbing a hypo containing a sedative the doctor quickly injected it into Tom's neck. Kathryn screamed and pushed the doctor back. She knelt to the ground as his body went limp, and checked him over for a pulse. Breathing a little easier as she found one, she lost control and began to cry. She carefully placed his head on the ground and stood to face the doctor who was quite taken aback by the whole scene.

"What did you give him?" She shouted at him.

Without answering her, he injected her neck with another hypospray.

"A mild sedative, same as I'm giving you." He said calmly.

With the hiss of the hypo, came the hiss of the doors opening. Chakotay witnessed Kathryn's knees buckle and rushed to take her from the doctor's arms. B'Elanna ran to Tom's side and helped the doctor move him to the nearest biobed.

Chakotay looked at Kathryn, laying her down comfortably.

Her eyes were glazing over and rolling back. He looked at her with such affection. Something in her told her that she knew this man, that she was safe with him, but she had no idea why. She couldn't help but bring her hand up to trace the tattoo above his brow. It was such a familiar act, one that she hadn't the time to analyze before unwillingly slipping into the blackness.

"Complete memory loss?" B'Elanna asked. She hadn't paid much attention to the doctor's full explanation, but that part drew her attention.

"Well, it seems that they remember bits and pieces of who they are. They know their own names, they know small details about their family, but nothing of their time on Voyager. They don't even think they're from this century," the doctor explained.

Chakotay took a deep breath. It was better than his initial thought that she completely disregarded their love for one another and started a life with someone else. This was less of a choice, she didn't remember him.

"How did these…aliens achieve this? Is there any permanent damage?" Chakotay asked.

"That is another interesting thing. I wasn't able to see any damage or changes to their brains. Everything is intact. However they achieved this, it must have a complex process. Hopefully, it was a process that I will be able to reverse with time and research,"

"What do we do until then? We can't keep them under sedation for an unknown amount of time," B'Elanna pointed out.

"We have two options. We can attempt to wake them and calmly explain the situation, but if they continue to display violent outbreaks or place anyone or themselves in more danger that leaves option two," said the doctor.

"What exactly is option two," Chakotay asked nervously.

"We can place them both in stasis indefinitely until I can find a way to bring their memories back," he replied.

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," B'Elanna said.

"Other than their memories, how are they…health wise?" Chakotay asked.

"Both the Captain and Lieutenant are in perfect health. Scans showed no signs of any mistreatment, malnourishment, or anything that we could attribute to being held in captivity for such a long duration,"

"And….the baby?" Chakotay asked, remembering that large roadblock that now stood between him being with the woman he loved.

"The Captain's pregnancy is perfectly healthy. I only performed a basic scan, but I plan to complete more extensive testing soon. I'll be able to tell the gender, genetic makeup, and how far along she is exactly from the date of conception. Unfortunately, I won't be able to share the results of those tests without the Captain's clear consent," the doctor continued.

"Understood," Chakotay said.

"Can we…try and talk to them? Maybe seeing us or walking around the ship might jog their memory," B'Elanna suggested.

"It is possible. We can try in the morning. I'd rather not risk another episode like the one earlier," the doctor replied.

"Okay," she nodded.

"I know that this is going to be difficult no matter what happens, but statistically speaking…they've come back from far worse," the doctor said in an attempt to be comforting.

The night was filled with tossing and turning. No matter how much he tried, Chakotay couldn't turn off his mind. Thoughts of a future, having to watch the love of his life find happiness with another man would be hell, but worst of all why did it have to be Tom Paris? This was a man who had lost his respect and became an enemy. The past few years he had seen a change in Tom, a change that earned his trust and friendship, but now what? That friendship will most likely be long gone. Kathryn will marry Tom, bare his children, grow old with him. The life Chakotay had envisioned with Kathryn no longer existed.

Then again, she could choose him. Carrying a mans child did not equal love after all. Then came the thought about how he would feel being with Kathryn and helping to raise a child that wasn't his. Those thoughts quickly dissipated, he knew that if Kathryn wanted to be with him, he would have no choice but to say yes. She held his heart, nothing else mattered.

A small voice, barely noticeable begged to ask whether there was a chance that the child could be his. He didn't listen to it, he knew there was no chance. She had been on boosters when they were last together. It was a lovely thought though. A beautiful child, part of him and part of Kathryn. He imagined a little boy with brown hair and brown eyes, the perfect image of his father, with the intelligence and humor of his mother. Maybe a little girl instead, Kathryn's auburn hair and his brown eyes, the girl would have her mothers smile and her fathers soft, calming personality, but oh would she be stubborn. His smile faded, these were just dreams. He needed to focus on reality, hopefully, a reality where he can be with his love.

The next morning, he decided to stop by sickbay before his shift. Upon entering, his ears were greeted with the sound of the doctor singing a sweet aria, therefore not realizing someone had come in.

Chakotay stood and awkwardly cleared his throat. The doctor quickly turned around and put down the medical instruments he had been cleaning.

"Oh…Commander, I hadn't heard you come in,"

"I gathered as much," Chakotay said.

"Well, you will be happy to know that I think I've figured out a way to reverse the memory loss. I haven't deactivated myself since you left yesterday, I spent hours analyzing their brain chemistry, chemical and hormonal imbalances, scrutinizing every scan to detect any sort of damage. I finally found that whatever was used was most definitely a chemical compound. I've injects both patients with something that should help bring their memories back. It won't be all at once, but it should work," he said proudly.

"That's fantastic. I should go tell B'Elanna,"

"No need, she's been by mister Paris's bedside for almost two hours," the doctor said, pointing to the corner of the room where Tom was located.

He nodded and walked behind the curtain where Tom was located. The scene he found made his heart ache. She looked at him with such sadness and love in her eyes. Her hand slowly brushed his hair away.

"Did you hear the good news?"

"Yeah…I heard," she replied glumly.

"Why don't you sound happy?"

"I am happy. I'm happy that he's going to be ok. It's just….when they get their memories back there's every chance that…. That they'll choose to be with each other over us….that he'll choose her over me,"

"I have the same fear. All night I was up thinking about what's going to happen. No matter what, I've decided to be there for Kathryn. I want to see her happy, and I think that she'll find that happiness with me. If she decides otherwise, I'll respect that,"

"You'd just standby?….you'd give up?"

"If that's what she wants then yes. I'm not going to stand in her way. I'm going to hold on to hope that when she remembers me…when she remembers what we had together, nothing else can compare,"

"I have the same hope, but you saw what I saw. The way they looked at each other, the way they kissed. They were happy; and now, she's…she's giving him the chance to be a father, what he's always wanted. I was hesitant, I never imagined myself as a wife, much less a mother, but for him…I would have done it all,"

"You speak as if it's all in the past. For three months we thought they were dead. Now they've come back to us against all odds they are still here and as long as that is true, so is the love you shared with Tom, and the love I shared with Kathryn,"

"You're right. I should give him more credit, give our relationship more credit,"

"I'll be back, I'm going to go sit with Kathryn for a while,"

She nodded and directed her attention back to her love, still sleeping soundly.

Chakotay walked to the other side of the room. There she was. His love, his life, his everything. Her hair was longer and she wasn't as thin. That was in no way a bad thing. He was always telling her she needed to eat more. He looked at her stomach. It wasn't large, but it was rounded and stuck out slightly. One could easily tell that it was due to pregnancy, but it was also easy to see she wasn't very far along. He placed his hand gently upon her stomach.

She felt him, his hands gentle and loving. Her first thought was that it was Tom, but this was different, less daring. This was a loving touch that was hesitant to be there at all, and that was not Tom. Her eyes fluttered open, focusing on the man in front of her. A perfect stranger, but not one to cause alarm. She couldn't explain how she knew, only that there was the feeling that with this man, she would never be in danger.

"Kathryn?" He asked gently, taking her hand.

She slowly sat up, keeping her eyes locked on his. Lifting her hand, she cupped his cheek. She searched and searched in her mind for something, anything that would tell her how she knew him, why she felt so safe in his company. All she could find in the depths of her mind was a single word, perhaps a name.

"Chakotay," And that was it, that had to have been his name. His eyes lit up and tears spilled over.

"Kathryn… do you remember me?" He asked.

"Not everything, I just know that I know you, I know that I'm ok…with you here,"

He tried to hold back, to calm the urge to take her in his arms and kiss her like he's dreamt of kissing her for the past three months. Eventually, the temptation was far too great. He brushed her hair from her face and brought his lips to hers. He could sense her hesitation, but that quickly went away as soon as lips met and eyes closed.

Images flashed in her mind. This wasn't the first time she had kissed him. Somewhere called New Earth had been the location of their first kiss. He told her a story….an angry warrior longing for peace. She was his peace. She fought her desire to be with him, but eventually, she gave in. He loved her so much, and she loved him more than anything. Many months later it happened again on a ship, her ship…Voyager. She was the captain, he was her first officer. Tom…he was only a friend, her pilot. They were all lost in the Delta quadrant….because of a decision she had made. She remembered. Not everything, but it was coming back.

She pulled away from him with a gasp.

"I'm sorry…I shouldn't have," he started.

"No, no it's ok. I …I remember…I remember you….us…I remember us," she said slowly.

His smile grew big and bright and he looked at her as if she were the only thing that ever gave his life meaning. He wrapped her in his arms and placed kisses in her hair, breathing her in, thanking the spirits for bringing her back to him.

"I love you," he said.

"I love you too," she cried, knowing deep in her soul that it was the truth.

He pulled back and kissed her once more. They were so lost in one another that they hadn't heard the commotion coming from the other side of the room.

"Tom! Stop! Please just lay back down, let me explain!" B'Elanna yelled.

"I said get away!" He yelled.

There was a clatter as he tossed a tray over and ran to find his wife. All came to a stop when he pulled back the curtain which his wife was behind to find her in a passionate embrace with another man. Anger, sadness, betrayal, and fear were just a few of the emotions which raced through him.

"Kathryn?" His voice cracked.

She immediately pulled away in shock. She didn't know what to say.

"Tom, I…" was all she could manage to get out before the doctor came over with another hypo, injecting it into Tom's neck. The doctor and B'Elanna managed to catch him before he hit the ground and moved him back over to the biobed.

Once Tom was safely back on the biobed, the doctor made his way over to Kathryn and Chakotay.

She was crying, resting her head in his shoulder as he soothed her.

"Commander?" He called hesitantly.

"Sorry doctor, we were just…"

"It's quite alright, but I should check on my patient,"

"Of course," he said, squeezing her hand before moving over to let the doctor look at her.

"It's good to see you, doctor," she said with a sad smile.

"And you too…captain. I see your memory is coming back, thankfully my serum is doing its job,"

"I suppose so. Bits and pieces are coming to me, but everything is making much more sense,"

"Excellent,"

"Why isn't it working for Tom?" she asked.

"Every time he wakes, he becomes fixated on finding you. He's too hysterical to try and make any sense of anything,"

She paused.

"When…can I go back to my quarters,"

"I'd like to run a few more tests, brief you on the findings of my initial testing, and discuss your inevitable return to duty. It's will be a few hours, but perhaps the commander would be willing to escort you back to your quarters once his shift is finished,"

"Of course. Speaking of my shift, I have to get going. I'll see you later," he said.

"Goodbye," she said with a slight smile.

He walked out the door, looking back once more as to capture the image of her. Her hands drifted towards her stomach, remembering quickly about the life that resided there.

"So, captain I'd like to discuss.."

"My baby…is my baby ok?" She asked quickly.

"That's exactly what I was going to discuss with you. Your baby is just fine. I can show you the heartbeat if you'd like,"

"Yes, I'd like that very much,"

After he set up the equipment, he pressed a few buttons and then it started. A fast heartbeat rang in her ears and brought tears to her eyes.

"And here is your baby,"

He pulled up a scan of her child moving inside of her. It was no larger than an apple, but it was her baby and it was incredible.

She was speechless.

"I can tell you the gender if you'd like," he offered.

"She's a girl," she whispered.

"uhh…yes actually. How did you…"

"I didn't, Tom…he always said it was a girl,"

"Ahh, yes. That is another thing I'd like to talk to you about, the paternity of your daughter,"

"Paternity? What do you mean?"

"As I was running tests, I noticed that the date of conception occurred before you went missing,"

"So my daughter…it isn't Tom's…it's Chakotay's?"

"Yes, it would appear so,"

"Does he know?"

"No, doctor-patient confidentiality prohibited me from divulging that information,"

"Good…I mean, I want to be the one to tell him,"

"I thought as much," he said.

He paused and admired how taken aback she was with the image of her child.

"I think that I'm the first in saying this, but congratulations. That goes both for you and the Commander," he said, turning off the machines.

"Thank you," she said absent-mindedly as her head began to spin with everything that had occurred.

"May I.. may I see Tom?"

"Of course, I'll give you a few minutes while I prepare to run some more neural scans,"

She walked over and saw B'Elanna still sitting there, her eyes filled with tears. She looked up with disdain and hurt in her eyes.

"Why?" B'Elanna whispered.

"What?" Kathryn asked.

"Why do you remember, and he doesn't. He looked at me like a stranger, like someone who was going to hurt him. I tried to calm him down…."

"I don't know B'Elanna, I don't know,"

"It isn't fair," tears ran down her cheeks.

"No…it isn't," Kathryn said.

"Do you love him?" B'Elanna whispered.

"What?"

"Do. You. Love. Him?" The anger was blatant in her voice.

"Y..yes…yes, I love him," she admitted.

"Do you want to be with him?" B'Elanna asked, unsure if she even wanted to hear the answer.

"I don't know… I don't know what I want. This all happened so suddenly, I need time to think,"

"You do that," B'Elanna said bitterly.

She got up and walked away without another word.