My Lifeline Pairing J/C By: AW Rating: MA
Disclaimer: I don't own them, they belong to Paramount, but the story no matter how twisted is mine.
Part 10
It had been two weeks. Two weeks of wading through the wreckage of 'Voyager'. Kathryn had found Billy, and Celes was forever grateful. B'Elanna worried, about Kathryn, about Chakotay and mostly about Tom. They had heard nothing from the Delta Flyer and Kathryn was sure they were gone forever but in the advent that they weren't, B'Elanna and Kathryn had created a sensor net over their settlement from parts left over from Voyager.
Chakotay was in a coma, the doctor did not look hopeful; he had been in bad shape when they had found him. Broken bones, a minor brain hemorrhage, enough to make him fall into a coma.
Kathryn cried many a night, hoping against hopes that both Chakotay and Tom would be okay.
B'Elanna comforted her, and the days she missed Tom the most, Kathryn returned the favor.
Celes was getting big, noting the fact that Bajoran pregnancies were shorter than human ones; she seemed bigger than Kathryn, though by human terms she was only about four months along.
[0400 hours, three days later]
Kathryn awoke to the sound of crashing and blasts that sounded very much like phaser and torpedo fire. She ran out of the house she now shared with B'Elanna and saw the Delta Flyer hit their sensor net and force field and crash what looked like five kilometers from their new city.
Kathryn worried; B'Elanna fretted.
The city was in a saddened yet hopeful state.
"Kathryn, what if Tom's alive, we have to go and find him!"
Kathryn patted B'Elanna on the shoulder, "We'll go as soon as daylight hits, but I don't want you going with the rescue party. You're too close to your time."
"Oh come on Kathryn, if I was you and that was Chakotay in that crash you wouldn't be held behind. It wouldn't happen."
Kathryn summoned the doctor, "Janeway to the doctor."
"Doctor here."
"Did you see that, I think it was the Delta Flyer."
The doctor was in the control center along with Jenaro, and Sampson, a couple of the engineering staff that had made it through Voyager's crash. They were in the newly built control center, monitoring everything that was going on. "I think you're right Captain, it has a Starfleet signature."
"Doctor, get Wildman, and any other medical staff that you can find and make up a landing party. We have to find out what happened."
"Yes Ma'am."
Janeway tapped her commbadge, "I'm going with them Doctor."
The doctor stuttered, "I...uh...don't think that's such a good idea Captain."
"Just because I'm pregnant does not make me an invalid, and I am still the Captain, whether we're ground bound or not."
The Doctor sighed, "Captain...I really don't think this is such a good idea."
"I didn't ask for your opinion doctor, but thanks for your input."
The doctor grabbed the Captain by the arm. "Captain, I must insist -"
"Doctor, your concern has been noted, but I must insist that I am going to be part of that away team."
The doctor sighed and stared at Kathryn, he had hoped that it wouldn't get to this point. "Doctor to Lieutenant Torres; please report to the control center, the captain is being...'unreasonable'."
B'Elanna got going, and made her way to the control center: "Okay doc, what's the problem?"
The doctor sighed, "She seems to think that she's going on that mission to find out what happened to the Delta Flyer."
B'Elanna scoffed, "Oh yeah right Kathryn, I can't go but you're going. I don't think so. You're pregnant too."
Janeway attempted a death glare, but given her current condition, it wasn't very convincing. "I'm going."
"No you're not, and if Chakotay was awake I'm sure he'd agree with me."
Kathryn bowed her head in imminent defeat. "Fine, but I want to know the moment anything is discovered."
B'Elanna nodded her approval and showed the away team the best way to get out of the settlement. "Okay team, you're on your way. Make sure you wear your commbadges and message us the minute you have any news about Tom or the dissidents."
Neelix nodded and waved the team through. "We'll do our best B'Elanna."
B'Elanna clutched his arm, "I know you will Neelix, thank you."
Neelix smiled, "Anything for the Voyager crew."
B'Elanna smiled, Janeway looked forlorn, she was not used to being confined to the ship, or the planet as it was. Janeway sighed and made a move towards their house B'Elanna in tow.
Kathryn turned to the wall and let the tears fall, "I can't do this B'Elanna. I can't keep losing people, I need to help them."
B'Elanna stared as Kathryn approached hysterics. "I lost the father of my child, I can't let you lose yours."
B'Elanna approached Kathryn and embraced her, trying to comfort the broken woman. "Hey, Chakotay's not gone, and Tom is too stubborn to die."
Kathryn let a tiny laugh escape her, "Yeah, and I think that Chakotay's head is too hard to let something as trivial as a coma beat him."
They both laughed, "You know when I met you B'Elanna, I never thought we'd end up being such close friends," She paused. "And when I met the angry man that later became my first officer, I never pictured falling in love with him and bearing his child."
B'Elanna laughed, "When I first met Tom, he was brash, he was obnoxious; I never pictured myself falling in love with him either."
"Well, here's to stubborn men. Let's hope we get them both back."
B'Elanna nodded, "They'll come back, like you said... they're both too stubborn to die."
[0600 Crash site of the Delta Flyer]
Tom looked around, he stared at the bits of the previously together ship hitting what looked to him like a forcefield. He stared at the shambles of his life and hoped that the Voyager crew, especially his wife and their Captain were okay. He still had no idea where they had gone, just that they weren't aboard the ship when it crashed.
Jor walked up to Tom, and backhanded him across the face. "What the hell were you thinking?"
"Hey I got us down alive didn't I?"
Jor spit at him, "Flyboy, we saved you because we thought you'd be an asset, I guess you never know with Tom Paris do you?"
"I guess coming from you that's as close as I'm going to get to a compliment."
Jor brought her hand back and once again smacked him in the face, this time Tom felt the blood rushing down his face and knew she had broken his nose. Henley walked out from behind a closed door, "Enough Jor, we need him to be able to talk to get the technology we need to fix this stupid ship."
Tom was insulted at the insinuation, "Hey, watch what you say about my girl."
Jor rolled her eyes. "Come on Tom, get over it, 'she's' mine now."
Henley walked up to him, Baytart in tow, "Okay we've got this ship fixed enough to attack your little settlement Tom, let's go...you're going to be the one flying this mission."
Tom jaw dropped open, "You think I'm going to fire on my wife, and my best friends because you say so?"
"Well it's really up to you Tom. If you want to lose 'your' life I'm sure that B'Elanna won't mind raising your baby girl by herself."
"You wouldn't dare."
"Wouldn't I? We're Maquis, we've gotten this far, I don't think we're going to stop now. You know I think that Seska had the right idea, at least the Kazon were willing to fight and die for their cause."
Tom sighed, "You can't be serious. You'd rather be with Seska then with Captain Janeway?"
"Captain Janeway is a Captain without a ship now might I add. It seems she'd rather be bare foot and pregnant with Chakotay trailing behind her then be a true Captain."
Tom stood up to stand face to face with Baytart. "That woman got us farther than you or I could have done by ourselves." He drew in a deep breath, "Just because she wants to have a life and a family outside of command does not make her any less of a leader."
"A woman who wants those things, shouldn't be in control, shouldn't be a leader."
Tom let his fists fly. He knew he was no match for Baytart, but he would not let them deface Kathryn Janeway and her principles in that way. "You guys have no right to talk about her like this."
Henley walked up to the ensuing argument, "Okay enough, tie him up and get him out of the way. We accomplished our goal, without him at the helm: they didn't get away."
Baytart held his eye, which would no doubt turn black come morning and nodded. "True, but tie him up and put him in the cargo hold, I don't want to deal with him right now."
[0600 Voyager settlement]
"Have you heard anything from the team B'Elanna?"
She smiled at Kathryn, "Not yet, and neither have you. If I'm not worried you shouldn't be."
The doctor rushed out of the make-shift medical facility, "Captain! Chakotay has cycled out of the coma-state he was in."
Kathryn looked at B'Elanna tears in her eyes, "Is he awake yet?"
"Not yet, but I'm guessing he'll wake up on his own in the next four hours. Everything seems to be fine with the Commander."
She grinned, "It's been almost a month, won't he be surprised when he sees the both of us?"
"Yes his wife and his best friend, in all our pregnant glory." Kathryn nodded, "Oh thank goodness he's going to be okay, and I'm sure Tom will be too."
B'Elanna nodded, "I'm sure he will be like we said before, they're both too stubborn to die."
They both laughed and hugged. "Maybe life will be okay after all."
[0630 Delta Flyer]
Henley looked around her at the simple crew she had amassed. "Is everyone ready?"
Jor spoke from the helm, "Well we have shields and weapons back online, and we have impulse engines. We can get to the settlement and take out the shields, and then we can get our people out. Janeway will have a surprise coming her way."
Baytart looked at her; "Alright let's get going then."
The Delta Flyer took off, and the Maquis thought they were finally going to get what they deserved.
[0635 Cargo Hold of Delta Flyer]
Tom had the rope on his arms gnawed off and was working on the rope around his feet. He spoke to himself, "Well Doc, I hope that the crash of Voyager wasn't as bad as it looked."
He logged into the command console at the back of the Flyer and began his 'sabotage'.
[0645 Traya]
Janeway looked up and saw the Delta Flyer careen overhead. "B'Elanna, what the hell is going on?"
B'Elanna began the scans, "Shields up Captain, let's hope that our protection is as good as we hoped." The ground shook and Janeway felt phaser fire hit the shields.
"We can do this B'Elanna, and I hope your husband is working, we set up those command controls to dismantle anything that got in our way, they should work on the Delta Flyer too."
B'Elanna nodded, "And if I know Tom, he's working on it right now."
[0645 Delta Flyer]
Henley moved to the control panel close to the helm of the Delta Flyer. "What the hell is going on? We're losing control of the ship."
Jor stared at the command codes being inputted, "It's coming from the back of the Delta Flyer."
"Tom."
Baytart attempted to open the back door towards the cargo hold and was halted by a forcefield going up and the door lock being implemented. He was thrown back and lay unconscious by Jor's feet. "Henley, we're losing altitude."
"Hang on!"
[0700 Voyager settlement]
The doctor looked over his readings and watched as Chakotay's eyes fluttered open. "Welcome back Commander."
Chakotay blinked twice, "Kathryn -"
"Kathryn is fine, although there is a little more of her then when you last saw her."
"Is she okay? The baby?"
The doctor cut him off, "Your family is fine Chakotay." The doctor heard the klaxons going on and tapped his commbadge. "Captain, what's going on?"
He heard a yell over the comm. line, "Oh my god -"
And then there was static, and then there was nothing.
END PART 10
TBC IN PART 11