Star Trek Voyager characters are the property of Paramount Pictures.

CHAPTER TWELVE

With a backpack over her shoulders, and only $10 in her pocket, Kathryn walked along Waterway Avenue looking for house number 4163. As the name suggested, the avenue was right on the coast, overlooking the pacific ocean, and was lined with grand houses on one side and a promenade on the other. Finding Edward Janeway's house number had not been difficult. All New Richmond residential telephone numbers were listed by surname in a directory, and she had found his phone and house number under the only Janeway entry. Kathryn wished the same method could be used to find Chakotay and the others, but as they had not been on this world long enough to be in any directory, she had to keep looking in person. She had carefully written down Edward Janeway's telephone number, just incase she needed it, but did not intend to call. She wanted to meet this man face to face, wanted to see with her own eyes whether he was her father or not.

At last, house number 4163 came into view. It was as grand as all the others on the street, with bay windows, a porch, and a balcony on the upper floor, and had a well-kept garden. The house was secured by black railings and a high double gate, but when Kathryn reached the gate, she was glad to find it was not computerized. As carefully as she could, she opened it, closed it after her, and then began to walk up a paved path to the porch. There was what resembled a late twenty-first century car in the driveway, indicating that someone was home, and the closer Kathryn got to the door, the more she trembled and the faster her heart beat. Could this Edward Janeway really be her father? Was it really possible? She still felt as though she was living in some kind of dreamworld and would wake up any moment. Even though she had tried to convince herself that this man could not possibly be her father, she longed so much for him to be so that the longing had become a physical ache.

When Kathryn finally reached the porch, it was a long time before she could find the strength to ring the doorbell. Once she rang it, once this Edward Janeway answered, if he was not her father, this dream she was living, this hope, would be gone. The only way she could bring herself to ring the bell was to close her eyes, take a deep breath, and push. As she waited for a response, she held her breath, hoping, praying, that the man who answered would be her father. But when the door creaked open, and Kathryn finally opened her eyes, it was not even a man she saw standing before her, but an elderly woman. She had gray hair tied up in a bun and was wearing a white lace cardigan over a floral skirt.

"How may I help you?" she asked, looking Kathryn up and down, the look on her face not altogether approving. Kathryn's denim jeans and jacket were a stark contrast to her classy outfit.

"I'd like to speak to Edward Janeway," Kathryn said, trying not to let her inner turmoil show.

"I'm afraid he's away," the woman informed her. "And he won't be back for another two weeks."

Kathryn's heart cracked at those words. The disappointment was crushing.

"May I be of any assistance?" the woman continued, "I'm his housekeeper."

"No," Kathryn said sadly. "I really need to..." Then it occurred to her that perhaps this woman could show her a picture of Edward Janeway. From a picture alone it would be possible to tell if this man was her father. No matter how much he had aged, no matter how much his appearance had changed, she would recognize him. "Yes," she corrected herself. "Do you have a photograph of him?"

The woman flinched, unsettled by the question. "Why do you ask?"

"Because I think he may be a relation," Kathryn said honestly. "A photograph will tell me."

"I'm sorry," the woman replied, clearly still disturbed by the request, "I have no photographs to show you. And, as far as I'm aware, Dr Janeway has no living relatives."

Dr Janeway? Her father had always been known by his Starfleet rank. But as there was no Starfleet on this world, and he had a doctorate in astrophysics, it was not inconceivable that he was using that title instead.

"It really would save me a lot of trouble," Kathryn argued. "Please, I'd be..."

"As I said," the woman interrupted, "I have no photographs. If you wish to meet Dr Janeway, I suggest you write to him and request an appointment. If he wants to meet you, he will arrange a time convenient to you both."

"I need to see him as soon as possible," Kathryn beseeched her. "I've come a long way and..."

Again the housekeeper interrupted her. "Which is all the more reason to make an appointment. Then you won't waste your time in this fashion. If you wish, I can take down your contact details and pass them to Dr Janeway when he returns."

"No," Kathryn answered, not wanting to risk her message being lost, accidentally or otherwise, "I'll write to him." It seemed she had no other choice.

"Very well," the woman replied, already closing the door. "Good day."

With that, the door shut.

Terribly disappointed and disheartened, Kathryn made her way back up the path. She had been so sure that she would find out today whether this Edward Janeway was her father, but now she had to wait another two weeks, maybe longer. It seemed a wait too long to bear. As soon as she had got back to her hotel room after seeing Warren Tighe, she had packed up and headed for the airport, wanting to get to New San Francisco as soon as possible. She had spent most of her remaining money on a three hour cab drive to the airport, and as there were no direct flights until Friday, she had had to endure several changes, sleeping no more than two hours in the past thirty. Now her effort seemed in vain. She may aswell have gone back to New L.A., rested, and got more money. But as she opened the tall iron gate, she tried to kick her despair. There was still a chance this man was her father, and as long as that chance existed, she had every reason to hope. Somehow, someway, she would get his attention, and if he was her father, no amount of effort could be too much.

As Kathryn closed the gate behind her, she looked around the neighborhood, taking in more detail than she had before, and noticed what looked like a cafe on the sea-front. She was hungry and thirsty, aswell as tired, and while she only had $10 to her name, it would be enough to buy a coffee and something to eat. Luckily she had bought a return bus ticket to the airport, and her New California to New Florida 'return via any route' airplane ticket would hopefully get her back to New L.A. The airport was very close to her apartment, so if she had no money for a bus by the time she got there, she would make the trip on foot.

The cafe seemed deserted when Kathryn arrived there, and for a moment she thought it was closed, but there was a sign saying open on the door. Relieved, she pushed open the door, which chimed as she did so, and stepped inside. The cafe was quaint and homely, with circular pine-wood tables topped with red and white checkered table cloths, and had several windows that overlooked the ocean. Apart from a man sitting in a corner reading a newspaper, and a young girl drinking what looked like a strawberry milkshake, the cafe was empty. Kathryn made her way over to a window table, took off her backpack, and sat down. There was a two page menu before her, so she picked it up and began to look through what was on offer. As she was doing so, a pretty woman with curly brown hair and green eyes approached her. "Good day, Ma'am," she smiled. "Welcome to Waterway Cafe."

"Good day," Kathryn smiled in return.

"Are you ready to order or would you like a few more minutes?"

A few more minutes to decide would have been good, but it was not a bad thing to be rushed. With so many appetizing snacks to choose from, she could be deciding all day.

"I'm ready," she replied. "I'll have a coffee, black, with a cheese and tomato toastie."

"Won't be long," the woman said, not bothering to write the order down as the cafe was so quiet. "Make yourself comfortable."

Kathryn had every intention of doing so, and reclined in her chair as the waitress left. It had been quite a trek down the avenue with her overburdened backpack, and she was glad to rest her weary limbs for a while before having to make the hike back. Outside the window, sea-birds flew in a blue sky, occasionally swooping down to the waves, and on the distant horizon was a small fishing-boat. Kathryn gazed at the picturesque scene, losing herself in the tranquillity, until the cafe door chimed as it opened and she instinctively turned to see who was there. She expected to see only a stranger, a stranger looking for a moment of restful succor just like her, but instead she saw a dearly familiar man. The man instantly recognized her too, and across the empty room their eyes locked.

The man was Chakotay.

END OF CHAPTER TWELVE.