Epilogue
It was late, almost 2330 but the sounds of the Janeway clan arriving home from the Tenth Annual Voyager Reunion sounded much akin to an interstellar battle and the admiral shot her husband a wary and exhausted look.
"Shouldn't they be so tired that they literally fall into bed and sleep well until 1000 tomorrow?" She wondered, her voice almost pleading and causing visible chuckles to erupt from his chest and radiate through his body. She playfully slapped his shoulder and then leaned up planting a sweet kiss on his lips.
"Kathryn, those two could run circles around us at 0300 after having been awake for twenty-four hours already." He informed her, wrapping her in his arms, admiring just how lovely she looked even after six hours in her gorgeous forest green gown. "They are as stubborn as both their parents and cursed with their mother's insomnia. I'd say we were a glutton for punishment." Just then they heard a slam from upstairs and Chakotay ceased her interference by pulling her back to collide with his mouth and he began a slow, purposeful exploration of her mouth and neck.
The expedition was cut short by a very annoyed, high pitched throat clearing followed by a whiny, "Daaaaaaaaddy!" Kathryn's proximity to his lips stifled the groan that emerged as Mia's feet could be heard clomping down the steps. "You know," she began in a voice that she often used when nine wasn't quite how old she thought she wanted to sound. "You and Mommy have a room. You could use it every now and then instead of doing that all over the place." Her parents eyes grew wide as saucers as they looked at each other, deciding with a look which one of them wanted to handle their daughter's outright disrespect. Kathryn turned, crossed her arms and leaned down to look her daughter right in the eye.
"Well, you have a room too, so how about whenever I want to kiss your daddy, I'll just send you to it?" Mia's jaw dropped in shock and defiance and Kathryn laced the child's arm through hers, leading her to the couch. Chakotay decided to leave the girls to their reprimanding and ran upstairs to check on Kole. He found him sitting in his bedroom on the arm of a chair, peering through the toy telescope his Grandma Gretchen had bought him for Christmas. The 7 year old was still in his tux, though the bow-tie that mirrored his fathers, was draped around his neck untied. Around the body of the telescope, Chakotay could see a deep pensive expression plastered on the boys golden face.
"Whatcha thinking about, son?" He began and took a seat in the chair, pulling Kole onto his lap. Sometimes he felt like he was looking into a mirror whenever he looked at Kole. The boy had been an unexpected surprise, but such a blessing and the spitting image of Chakotay. The only difference was the deep blue eyes that he got from Kathryn. He ran a hand through the boy's soft jet-black hair and pulled his head to his shoulder.
"When did you know you wanted to join Starfleet, Dad?" Chakotay sighed. Where Mia could be their brilliant but free-spirited and mildly overdramatic child, Kole was the thinker—he was so much like Kathryn, always trying his hardest at everything and thinking things through from every angle. Kathryn had always told him that the desire and drive to join Starfleet was in her blood—he'd never believed her until they had Kole.
"From a very young age, I was just a little bit older than you. My father tried to teach me the ways of our tribe but I would spend hours at night just staring up at the stars, wishing I would be among them." He turned Kole to face him and cupped the boys chin. "Is that what you think you want to do?" An obvious sparkle lit the boy's eyes and the corners of his mouth turned up in his mother's famous smile.
"It's all I ever think about, Dad. I hear about Voyager everywhere and I've even done some of Uncle Tom's holoprograms. And tonight, hearing Admiral Paris, you, Mom, Uncle Harry and Uncle Tuvok all standing up there and talking about how much you miss it, and all the cool things you did. I want to do what you guys did." Chakotay was fighting tearing up at the passion he could feel in his son's speech. "I want to meet new races, and spread peace. I want to discover a new solar system and go farther than the Delta Quadrant." Then suddenly there was silence and the boy was staring at his hands. "There are lots of bad things that can happen to people in Starfleet. Like Grandpa Edward and when Mommy was pregnant with Mia. You'll let me join if I really want to, right? Can you stop me from being in Starfleet?"
"You know, when I was younger I had those exact same fears. My father didn't want me to join Starfleet, he wanted me to stay on Dorvan and grow in the ways of our people. I didn't handle it as well as you are, I lied to my dad and I lied to Starfleet. I joined before I even told my dad and then I told him my sponsor was a man because I knew that if he knew it was a woman he would forbid it. And I had to tell Starfleet I was a little older than I was so I didn't need my dad's permission because I knew I would never get it. But I knew I needed to be out there. It doesn't excuse how I went about getting what I wanted, but I belonged in space—in Starfleet. Eventually I made my peace with the decision I made, and with my father, though he had already passed on." He shifted Kole on his lap so the boy was sitting on his knees facing him, still unable to believe that downstairs his oldest was being scolded for her immaturity and lack of tack while their youngest was having a philosophical and moral discussion with him. "I never want you to feel like you have to do something behind mine or your mother's backs. We're going to support your decision no matter what you choose—we just want you to be happy. Your mother and I have had a pretty good idea for a while that you belonged in Starfleet. Who knows, you could be the next Admiral Janeway." He laughed when Kole's eyes lit up. "Besides, you've only got seven more years to the early admittance exams. If you work really hard you could shatter some of your mother's Academy records."
Downstairs the conversation was of a completely different nature. Kathryn sat Mia down next to her, her arm draped over the girls shoulders, taking deep breaths because the conversation she was about to have had seemed to repeat itself numerous times that week. Mia, their baby who was born with a mind of her own and who used to be so openly and outwardly affectionate had come to find any outward sign of affection distasteful, her parents in turn finding her attitude towards it all disrespectful and downright annoying. No matter which of them had drawn the short straw and no matter what clever anecdote they used she didn't seem to understand so tonight, Kathryn opted for a heart-to-heart.
"You remember how your Dad and I first met?" Aware that a lecture was probably coming, Mia rolled her eyes, but nodded.
"Of course I do. You were sent to capture his ship and you ended up in the Delta Quadrant." Kathryn nodded.
"Do you know how long we've known each other?" She watched the girls brain work, doing the math in her head.
"Seventeen years. That's a long time, Mommy. That's just older than me and Kole combined."
"It is. What if I told you that the display you just saw back by the front door we'd only been able to do for the last ten of seventeen years?" Suddenly curious Mia arched a Janeway eyebrow at her mother. "It wasn't because we didn't love each other. It wasn't because we didn't want to. It was because we couldn't. We spent seven years on Voyager in love with each other and before we got home we'd only kissed once on the ship and it was in my quarters." Kathryn thought for a minute. "You love to sing, right? What if I told you you weren't allowed to, not even in the privacy of your bedroom. Once you were able you'd sing all the time, everywhere because you knew how much you missed it." Mia dawned with understanding.
"I couldn't go a day without singing. How could you go seven years without kissing Daddy?" Kathryn ran her hands along the girls cheek, tilting her chin up to meet brown eyes with blue.
"We had to because getting our ship home had to be more important that what we wanted. No, we didn't really hug, we didn't kiss. Your Daddy never held me like I sometimes needed him to, but we both knew how much we loved each other and we fought everyday to get back to the Alpha Quadrant so we could be together. I don't want to have to remind you of this again and I don't want to hear your snide comments whenever I give Daddy a hug or a kiss. Besides, I hope someday you meet a man you love enough to marry and act just as crazy with." The pair sat in silence for a couple of minutes. "Mia, you and your brother are the culmination of the greatest love story I've ever known and I feel lucky that I got to be a part of it. Someday I hope you'll be proud of where you came from, and who your parents are even if the path you choose is the opposite of ours." She kissed the top of the girls head and they both leaned back into the cushions. "You know we love you just about as much as we love each other, right?"
"I know, Mom." She hung her head in resignation. "I'm sorry I've been a pain, I guess I always felt like you guys are a little too public, none of my friend's parents act like that." She paused and contemplated an idea forming in her head. "But isn't it bad that they don't? I mean, you and Daddy wear your love for the whole world to see, you never hide it. If you had to for seven years, I guess you're kind of making up for lost time."
"Mia, everyone expresses emotion in their own way. I'm a very physical person and not just with your dad. When I was on Voyager, your Uncle Tom used to count how many times I'd touch someone's cheek or shoulder or grab someone's hand. Your father is like that to a lesser degree, but it's just who we are. Not everyone is like that, and you don't have to be like that either if you don't want to." She squeezed her daughter tight, running a hand along the dark auburn tresses that cascaded down to the middle of her back. "But that doesn't mean I'll stop doing that. Or hugging and kissing you." Mia bounced onto her knees facing her mother and took Kathryn's curled hair in her hands, rubbing it between her fingers on either side.
"Mommy, I never want you to stop hugging or kissing me but especially, never stop playing with my hair." She threw her arms around Kathryn's neck, settling herself in her lap and placing a moderately sloppy kiss to her cheek. Kathryn smiled at the one-eighty and smoothed her hands through Mia's hair as requested.
"How about we got upstairs, I'll get your pajamas out while you go apologize to Daddy then he'll come in and tell you and Kole a story before bed." She gave her daughter one last squeeze then set her back on the ground where she tore up the stairs at record speed. Kathryn laughed and slowly started after her, gazing around at their house and feeling a profound sense of home. They'd lived there nine and a half years and each year it felt more and more like it was made for them. They'd held Voyager gatherings there, birthday parties for the kids—Kole was even born there in the middle of a blizzard.
The wooden walls were plastered all over with pictures of their budding families—the one they grew into and the one they never expected to have. There was a wall of updated Voyager pictures, Tom & B'Elanna with Miral, Greg and Joe; Harry & Libby with Tommy and Joy; Tuvok & T'Pel in a reunion photo with a family that alone could probably have run Voyager. Annika and Axum had flourished in cybernetics and had begun working with some of the other Unimatrix Zero drones that had resurfaced. They'd married, but had no children. Sam and Gres welcomed little Zanthan just two months after Mia showed up and Naomi was a brilliant and doting big sister. Another picture, and one of Kathryn's favorites was of Icheb the day he made Ensign. Annika was on one side of him, stoic and ever the proud "parent" while a gorgeous and ever precocious Naomi was on the opposite side, her arm slid around his waist while she subtly eyed him with his mischievous grin. They even had a picture of Neelix, Dexa, Brax and their newest member, Alixia, named for his sister. Their Voyager family wasn't often together, but this house had become a common meeting ground and all the crew knew they were welcome whenever they were planet side.
Over the years Mia's room had remained the pale pink they'd loved but after much persistence she'd convinced them to allow her to add a mural over it, she was very similar to Phoebe in that regard. Phoebe had actually assisted her with some of it. Kole's room had started out as a light sky blue but had quickly been changed to a dark blue and Phoebe had painted an entire solar system, moons, stars, planets, wormholes, nebulas—she'd even included the badlands. Both Kathryn and Chakotay told her she should have drawn a displacement wave. Every facet of the house echoed some part of who they all were. Kathryn laughed as she climbed the stairs and though back to what had seemed an uneventful day about five years ago.
"Chakotay, have you seen my PADD on the Romulan senate?" She called from her office. He could hear PADDs flying all over the place as she activated them and then tossed them into a growing pile on the floor and he chuckled as he walked inside.
"Are you sure you didn't leave it at Headquarters, or in your briefcase?" He rubbed his chin, still shaking his head at the sight before him. She had now pulled out a drawer and was rifling through the very back. He grew puzzled as she stopped to read one particular PADD, wondering if she'd finally found it and also how it had managed to hide so thoroughly. "Is that it?" Her eyes had grown wide and she'd collapsed back in the seat, shooting him a look of incredulity.
"What year did Q drop his son off on Voyager?" She asked point blank, no hesitation or pretense.
"2377? 76? Somewhere around there. Why?" He came a couple steps closer and she offered him the PADD while she stared out the window and off into the distance like her mind was trying to comprehend some universal secret. "What does Junior have to do with the Romulan Senate?" He asked before scrolling down what appeared to be the details on the deed to their house. And there, plain as day, under architecture it listed: Continuum Construction. "But that can't be."
"Do you remember when we were on New Earth, you mentioned blues & greens in pin stripes—our bedroom. When we found out we were pregnant, pale pink with a bay window. And he would have known about Kole—his is the only room save for our bathroom that has a skylight. The wood, the land—remember Julia said it was originally only 3 acres but the other two were added later." She stood up, wrapping her arms around herself and walked the room with a misty look in her eyes. Chakotay was speechless. In his first few run ins with Q he'd not been very impressed—sure he had infinite powers, but he was an arrogant self-righteous misogynist. Not to mention when he tried to get Kathryn to mate with him and nearly got her killed in the continuum. The idea that the man could be so unselfish and generous was almost too much to fathom.
"Oh, don't strain yourself, Chuckles. It's all right there." Came a voice from the desk. He sat on the edge, arms crossed over his red and black captain's uniform. Kathryn took a hesitant step towards the omnipotent being, placing a tentative hand on his forearm.
"Did you really do all this for us?" She asked quietly, almost reverently. "I mean we knew when we moved in it felt like it was built with us in mind, but we had no idea…"
"Kathy, Kathy—you gave me so much. Your dream house seemed a small price to pay for assisting me with my son. He's become quite the strapping young Q you know?" He asked with a tinge of pride, one that Kathryn had never seen before and she smiled, nodding.
"Yes, I know. Surely you know he stops in from time to time. To check in or to see Mia and Kole." She smiled radiantly at the immortal man. "You've done wonders with him—he's an incredible young man." Q scoffed, but she could see a hint of glee shining behind his eyes.
"Of course he is. With the smartest parents in the continuum and a godmother that's the brightest to come out of Starfleet Academy—what more could the tike ask for?" The man was full of mirth and puffed up arrogance, but it still warmed Kathryn's heart while Chakotay stood back enjoying the exchange. She leaned next to him on the desk and almost flirtatiously brought her eyes up to search for his.
"You haven't been around very much—but I suppose it would be self-deprecating spending time with we minor bi-pedaled humans." Q snapped his finger and Kathryn was shifted onto his lap, her head dipped in his hand while he grinned mischievously just inches from her mouth.
"Why Kathy, you've missed me!" Her first instinct was to pull back and shove him off her but she couldn't contain her laughter. Instead she placed a careful kiss to his cheek, using his shoulders to allow her the momentum to swing herself around and off his lap, retreating backward until she collided with Chakotay's solid form, his arms coming around her waist.
"It's easy to miss you when our lives aren't being turned upside down." She smiled widely at him. "Thank you for our house, you really outdid yourself." He looked taken aback, appalled.
"Outdid myself? I'd hardly call rearranging some rooms being outdone." He was genuinely offended and his demeanor took on that of a five year old. "How about a third little Janeway running around, ooh, maybe twins! Then you can say I outdid myself. You humans really have no concept of immortality." He waived an annoyed hand and both Kathryn and Chakotay lifted theirs in objection.
"No!" They shouted in unison.
"We're more than happy with the two we have, but I'm sure we'd appreciate your company on occasion instead." Chakotay assured him and without further discussion Q vanished with a wink in a flash of light.
Q had come around occasionally, not as often as his son, and sometimes it was more trouble than it was worth. Part of Kathryn feared the house becoming less of a home knowing where it'd come from, but they both had felt honored at being the recipients of Q's one and only recorded act of goodwill. With each birthday, each Christmas, each family gathering memories abounded and the house just became more theirs. Kathryn wondered as she walked the hallway towards Mia's room how many weddings would take place there and how many of hers and Chakotay's descendents would live, laugh and love between its walls. She quietly came to a halt in the doorway to Kole's room. Both children had already gotten ready for bed and conned their father into a story. A single tear came to her eye as she listened to the story end.
"…and in that way the warrior came to know the true meaning of peace." She watched the disgusted face Kole made upon hearing the story and tried not to laugh out loud.
"Dad, you've told us that story so many times I think I could recite it myself!" The young boy exclaimed, slapping a hand down on his bed. Mia, however sat on the bed with misty eyes and then crawled over and into Chakotay's unsuspecting lap.
"Shut up, Kole. It's a perfect story and Daddy can tell it as many times as he wants to." She kissed his cheek and laid her head down on his shoulder. "I'll listen anytime you tell yours and Mommy's love story." Kathryn wiped the tears that had started to fall away with her fingertips and she walked in to join them. She leaned toward Chakotay with a wistful smile and pulled Mia into her arms. They both kissed Kole and told him goodnight, still carrying a much too big little girl to her bedroom. She laid her down on her bed and they both sat on either side of her, each holding her hand in theirs. "What would have happened if you had been able to kiss on Voyager?" Both parents were caught completely unawares at that question and looked sheepishly at each other.
"Sweetie, love isn't just about kissing and physical contact." Chakotay began, his speech halted by uncertainty, unsure how to explain the complexities of their love with a command relationship and all the responsibilities they faced on a daily basis. "Our lives happened exactly as they should have. If we hadn't been in the Delta Quadrant we could have been in a relationship, but I would probably have been in jail because of my time with the Maquis and we never would gotten to know each other the way we did." He put an arm around both his girls and sighed, laying his head back on the headboard. "Those were the most challenging and best seven years of my life. I can't say I would change them for anything. Besides," he reached over and tickled Mia. "If we'd been together on the ship, you probably wouldn't be here, and then my life would be infinitely duller—I couldn't live with that."
"It's time to get some sleep, and hopefully let your parents sleep in tomorrow as well," Kathryn interjected, pulling the blankets up and over Mia. "I love you," she whispered as she kissed her cheek. Chakotay followed suit and they both left the room, standing in each other's arms on the outside of the door. "Best seven years of your life, huh?" She joked, kissing his chin. He brought both hands up to cup her face and placed a heated kiss on her lips.
"The best," he whispered against the skin of her cheek. "It's where my life began." He pressed his lips against hers to distract her as he lifted her up into his arms, carrying her to their bedroom at the end of the hall and collapsing on their bed in a fit of passion.
=/\=
The End
Finally finished, though I still I may someday tweak this epilogue, but I'm satisfied. Plus now I get to pay attention to another few stories that have been plaguing my mind throughout this story. Thanks to everyone who reviewed and who stuck with me to the end, I'm so glad you all enjoyed it.
