Unlike the other Voyager parents four senior officers could not be off duty for a long maternity leave. Figuring out how to work as a family became a top priority. For the first few weeks the couples alternated a few days off each. Then they began to spend time in different combinations. Seven felt this would make the children feel secure with all of their parents.

Each of the foursome was fascinated with the way that the others adjusted to parenthood. Of course Seven downloaded everything there was to know about child rearing. She was frustrated by conflicting information, but soon learned to take the information and go with her instincts. In her interactions with the children she was affectionate and loving. Kathryn was amused with Tom and B'Elanna's shock at Seven's nurturing ways.

The tender side of Tom had always been recognizable simmering just bellow the surface. His gentleness was no surprise to anyone but himself. He was always the first to laugh at a funny face and the one who blew on bellies to make the funny faces happen. He was sometimes frustrated by Seven's need for a firm schedule yet he agreed that it made things easier for all concerned. Kathryn and B'Elanna were amazed and even a little jealous at the way their spouses worked in concert in the care of their children. Tom and Seven were always the first to know what was wrong and how to fix it.

B'Elanna was amazing at organizing the physical aspects of the family. She constantly found new ways to provide for their comfort and safety. All of the families on Voyager benefited from the child proof com-badges and inventive toys that the engineer developed to keep her foursome out of trouble. B'Elanna's fierce attitude towards life was channeled in to physical play. She frequently caused the little ones to laugh as they were chasing her around the quarters on all fours.

While the eight of them were not all living together they were close enough to feel it. Kathryn was the diplomat that kept the batlith and nano-pobes where they belonged. To the children she was the kisser of boo boos and her legs were the ones they wrapped around when something scared them. As the children started to speak they broke her heart. The others were Daddy, Momma and Momma B. Kathryn however was Captain Jaynay eventually shortened to Captain. The children followed along with everyone else. No one called for Momma Kate over the Com. Captain Janeway was called for and she always answered.

Just getting off from a gamma shift rotation Captain Janeway was bone weary. She was too tired to contemplate a bath no matter how much it would have helped her sore muscles. So she opted for a hydro shower 'Why do I ever visit engineering?' she thought to herself. After a recent "battle" with a previously unheard of anomaly the Captain decided to see how repairs were going. Before she knew it she had a tool kit and was crawling through Jefferies tubes. "I bet Jean Luc never had to do this." That of course caused a somber reminder that Captain Jean Luc Picard was fighting something much worse then plasma shooting special rifts.

As she was drying off Kathryn heard a large bang and then the wail of several upset children. Having just left B'Elanna and Seven in engineering she knew Tom was on his own. Maybe she was just too tired or just to panicked to think straight but it didn't occur to her that she was running in to the nursery completely nude.

She rushed in to the children's room and immediately swept Scott up from the floor. He had a big red welt on his forehead and was yelling at the top of his lungs. Tom rushed in at the same time picking up Hop. Harold Owen Paris Janeway was living up to his nick name Hop. The child was always in motion. He was first to walk, climb, run and fall. He also is an escape artist. Containing him was a constant problem.

Janeway murmured to Scott as she jiggled him gently in his arms and kissed the welt on his head. "What happened baby." At eleven months Scott was pulling him self up in his crib and crawling like a fiend. The girls had taken their first few tentative steps and Hop was running around all of them. As she comforted her son she looked around the room. The front of Scott's crib lay on the floor broken.

Tom spoke up. "Based on the room's appearance I would guess this little man," he paused to give Hop a kiss on the head. "Climbed out and tried to assist Scotty in joining him."

The girls were standing in their cribs crying loudly. Whether it was

in sympathy for their injured brother or anger at the rude awakening was up for question. Scott snuggled in to his mothers neck and began to quiet down. The girls sat down in their cribs and began to play with their plush targs and Hop struggled to get down.

Tom put Hop down and started picking up the pieces of the broken crib. "Maybe we should just move them to toddler beds. They are starting to escape anyway. If Hop is teaching them to climb out it may be less dangerous to just give them the freedom." He looked over at Kathryn for agreement and promptly forgot what he was saying. In the periphery of his mind he had realized she had come in undressed. Now receiving the image full force set him aback.

"Umm Captain would you like me to take him so you can..well.."

Kathryn looked down remembering what she was doing when she heard the cry. She smiled and shook her head amused by his embarrassment. "That's ok Tom. He can come with me while you settle the rest."

Tom didn't look away in time to miss the Captain's lovely backside as she and Scott left him. Tom sat down on the floor with Hop. He replayed the view in his mind. Kathryn's body did not have a spare ounce of fat. While she was clearly well toned and muscular she was also petite and lovely. Her skin was smooth and her curves were perfect. He knew he would never be able to look at her in quite the same way again.

The Captain was on the bridge for about five minutes when she approached her pilot. "Mr. Paris" Her voice coming unexpectedly behind him caused Tom to practically jump out of his skin.

"Yes Captain." He replied without turning around.

"Please join me." The Captain started towards her ready room expecting him to follow.

"Aye Captain."

As is her custom Janeway went directly to her replicator. "Coffee Black, Would you like anything Tom."

"No ma'am"

She indicated that this was to be a casual conversation by waving for him to follow her up to the couch. "Tom we need to talk. Over the last three weeks things between us have become extremely difficult. It is so uncomfortable on the bridge that Chakotay felt the need to bring it up with me this morning. You seem uptight whenever I am around and are barely able to look me in the eye."

Tom looked up focusing somewhere behind Janeway's right ear. "I don't know what you mean."

"Come on Tom." she said in an impatient voice. "You keep your back turned to me on the bridge and you must know the grain of the conference table by heart. What is going on?"

Tom shrugged. "There is nothing going on Captain I am doing my job."

"I know you are Tom. But it hasn't been the same lately. I believe this all started the day Scott fell out of his crib."

Tom's gaze moved back to the floor.

Janeway's voice became very frustrated. "Really Tom we are adults raising children together. I can't believe that you aren't mature enough to deal with one unfortunate encounter."

Tom did not look up.

"Look at me damn it. This is unreal. You are our medic! You have had to put me back together far too many times to be bothered by a little nudity."

In a quite voice he said. "It's not the same." Janeway waited hoping he would continue. He didn't.

"You are going to have to figure this out Tom. What if it is Seven next time? Would we have another whole set of problems when that happens? I said when not if, Tom, because it will. We are practically living together and these things happen. How are you going to deal with this?"

Tom's voice was low. "It wont be a problem with Seven, Captain." He got up and started to move towards the door.

"You are not dismissed Lt. Paris. I know that we are in that fuzzy space where personal meets professional. But we need to finish this. I understand you may be feeling uncomfortable." She waved him back to the couch and with a big sigh he complied. "Tom you need to tell me what is wrong here. No matter what this is we have to work it out." She put her finger under his chin and brought his eyes up to hers. "I promise you complete confidentiality."

Tom closed his eyes and shook his head as if to clear it. "Permission to speak freely ma'am?"

"Please," was Janeway's heartfelt reply.

Tom started to speak slowly. "When you go on an away mission the crew tells me to fire up the welding equipment. Everyone knows when you come home a bone knitter wont do the trick for your steal enhanced skeleton" He finally brought his eyes up to meet hers. "Sometimes a smarmy ambassador or negotiator gives you the eye. We can see what they want and it isn't always hearts and flowers" Tom paused trying to find the words to continue. "We don't worry. You can always handle them."

Janeway did not respond to anything Tom said. She knew that if she spoke it would spoil the moment and she would never get him to finish.

"We were all so proud of how you tricked Kayshak. No one spent any time concerned that he would hurt you or worried that you were alone with him. We all know your metal bones are covered with leather skin that is to thick for a knife to get through."

Tom took a deep breath and continued. "It is true that I have put you back together many times. Knitting a limb, repairing an organ all part of the job. It's just I never really think about all of the pieces. I only focus on the ones I am fixing. Seeing you holding Scott suddenly made all of the pieces came together." Tom's eyes bore in to Kathryn's as if begging her to understand. "When I glanced up and saw you holding our son. You looked so beautiful. It was like looking at an ancient icon of the Madonna. It scared me, it scares me."

"Tom" Kathryn started.

"No" He held up his hand to quiet her. "I need to finish." He looked at her pleadingly. "We can't loose you. If we are going to get home it has to be you in the chair. Chakotay is a fine man. This ship is full of fine officers but they can't do what you do, lead like you lead." Tom took a shuddering breath. "The thought of you in danger makes me feel like we will spend the rest of our lives in the Delta Quadrant. I worry that our family will loose you, our children will loose you. We don't take care of you, we need to take better care of you."

Tom looked down at his hands waiting for a reply.

Kathryn's voice was low and dangerous as she replied. "Let me get this straight. You saw me undressed and for the first time, after knowing me your whole life, you realized that I am a woman. And now that you have discovered that I am a woman you have decided I am to fragile to do my job."

She stared at Tom with ice in her eyes. "If I were a man you would feel better."

Tom's jumped to his feet. "No you don't understand. Its not that you are a woman rather then a man. Its that you are a woman rather then superhuman. Your skin is not leather. Your bones are not steal. You're a human you could actually die." He sat back down in with his head in his hands and repeated in a low voice. "You could die."

Kathryn rested her head back on the couch with her eyes closed. She searched her mind for a way to reach out to Tom. She smiled as she thought of the 20th century comic books that the lieutenant had left as reading material in sick bay. She sat up and put her hand on Tom's shoulder. She waited for him to look her in the eye.

"I was afraid the problem would be lustful thoughts after seeing my superior feminine form." She arched her eyebrow and looked at him with a self depreciating smile. "Now I think that would be easier to deal with then this."

Tom grinned and the stress that had practically been choking him began to dissipate.

"So basically" she said acerbically, "you saw my Clark Kent and gave up on my Superman."

Tom's face clearly showed surprise at the analogy. He didn't know she had read his comics.

Janeway kept a gentile smile on her face as she continued "I think you have forgotten some important facts. Clark Kent isn't pretending to be Superman. Superman is pretending to be Clark Kent. Peter Parker is Spiderman. When he puts his suit on he is protecting his identity the power is there either way" She reached up to her neck and began to fiddle with her pips.

"Listen very carefully Lt Paris because I am only going to say this once." She leaned in conspiratorially and whispered in his ear. "Captain Janeway has super powers."

Then in spite of the silliness of her words Janeway made eye contact with Tom as if she was describing a battle plan against the Borg. "Sometimes I get to take off my spidey suit and be Kathryn but that doesn't change the facts. I am a thick skinned, skeleton enhanced Star Fleet Captain. You have no need to protect me."

As she continued speaking Janeway stood up and indicated that Tom should also. "Nothing could stop me from being in the big chair when we fly over San Francisco and buzz headquarters. I may go disguised as Kathryn but I will dance at our children's weddings." She held Tom's hand for just a moment. After giving it a quick squeeze she let go and said, "Dismissed Lt Paris."

Tom left the ready room feeling much lighter then when he went in. He would never be able to explain how such a fanciful response was able to calm his fears. As he entered the bridge all heads turned towards him. When the door closed and it was clear the Captain was not coming out Harry looked over at Tom, "Well?" he asked.

Tom grinned. "My God" he said. The woman is a Super Hero!"

Harry looked at him rather disgustedly. "Well, Dahh" he said shaking his head.

Chakotay laughed as he responded, "Of course she is."

Tuvok looked over and said dryly. "Lt Paris you have known the Captain longer then anyone on Voyager. I am surprised that you are just figuring that out."