"I just can't wait until this is all over with," Tasha moaned. "I'm as big as an elephant!"

Kestra and Deanna both laughed. "We've been there too," Kestra assured her. "Just be patient. It'll all be over with very soon."

"Not soon enough for me," Tasha mumbled.

Just then, Reg Barclay walked by on his way to the drink machine.

"Hi, Reg," Deanna greeted him.

"Hi!" Reg walked over, his eyes fixed on Tasha's abdomen. "Wow, looks like you're almost there," he commented.

"I'd better be, because if I get any bigger, I think I'm going to explode," Tasha told him. "The baby's kicking right now. Want to feel it?" She took Reg's hand and placed it on her swollen belly. A moment later all four of them saw Tasha's clothing ripple.

"Wow!" Reg said. "Your little one is strong!"

"Don't I know it." Tasha rolled her eyes, and the other two women laughed again.

Later that day, the Enterprise received an unexpected visitor. Kestra saw to her surprise that it was Soren. Kestra had met her on her previous visit but hadn't gotten to know her as well as Will and Deanna had.

"I've escaped from J'naii," Soren told Kestra. "I decided that I just can't live as an androgynous person anymore. I know that I'm really a woman on the inside, and that isn't going to change. There's no use in trying to hide it anymore."

"But what if they catch you?"

"I faked my own death. I put a mannequin with my identification papers in a shuttlecraft with a timed explosive and sent it up. It blew into pieces and while everyone was distracted, I slipped away in a different shuttlecraft. I guess they'll eventually realize that it was a mannequin in the shuttlecraft that blew up, but I'm hoping that by that time I'll be so far away that they'll never find me."

"Well, I sure hope that your ruse was successful," Kestra told her. "You're welcome to stay in our quarters for awhile."

"I don't want to be any bother. I'll sleep on the sofa," Soren offered.

"Nonsense. Deirdre has twin beds in her room for when a friend sleeps over."

Later, Reg and Data were playing chess in Ten Forward when Data was called away unexpectedly before the game was finished.

"I'll take his place," Soren offered. Reg looked grateful.

"You play very well," he complemented her when the game was over. "You almost beat me."

Soren smiled. "Thank you. Next time, I will."

"We'll see about that." Reg grinned. "So, how do you like life aboard the Enterprise so far?"

"Everyone is so kind, and most importantly of all, they accept me the way I am," Soren replied.

"I'm really glad you got away from J'naii," Reg told her. "I don't think I could ever see you as an androgynous person. To me you're as much a woman as any woman, and a very lovely one at that."

"Why, thank you." Soren blushed.

"Would you like to go for a walk on the holodeck with me? I have a lovely program that simulates a moonlit walk on the beach."

"That sounds like fun!" Soren exclaimed.

The next day, Soren joined Kestra, Deanna, and Tasha for lunch. She glanced curiously at Tasha's swollen belly but was too polite to say anything about it.

"The reason my belly is so large is that there's a baby in it," Tasha explained. Soren's eyes went wide with shock.

"This is the way humans give birth," Tasha continued. "The male plants a reproductive cell inside the woman's body. His cell combines with the woman's reproductive cell to form a zygote, which is nearly microscopic in size. In a special organ in the woman's body called the womb, the zygote grows in size to become first an embryo, then a fetus. When the baby is developed enough to live outside the woman's body, her body expels it. The whole process takes about nine months. I've been pregnant for about that long now, so my baby is due to be born any day now."

"And how does the baby get out?"

"There's a special opening between my legs that I will push the baby out through."

"And how will you know when it's time for the baby to come out?"

"I'll start having contractions. Those are muscle tightenings in my womb that let me know that it's getting ready to push the baby out."

"Can I watch?"

Tasha laughed. "Giving birth is usually a very private matter. But I promise you, you'll get to see the baby just as soon as it's born."

Just then, Tasha's clothing rippled again. "Would you like to feel the baby move?" she asked Soren. She placed Soren's hand on her belly. Soren's face lit up in wonder as she felt Tasha's baby's movements.

Later that evening, Data came to Kestra's quarters. "Tasha's in labor," he told her. Kestra, who had promised to be present for the delivery, immediately accompanied Data and Tasha to sickbay.

Beverly examined Tasha and said that the baby wouldn't be born for a few more hours. She put an IV in Tasha's arm and hooked her up to a fetal monitor. Tasha lay on her side on a biobed, napping between contractions and doing breathing exercises during them.

"I'll bet you'd be pacing back and forth right now if you had emotions," Kestra told Data.

"In certain situations it does seem advantageous not to have emotions," Data replied.

"Oh, when is this ever gonna be finally over with? It's been going on forever," Tasha moaned during a particularly painful contraction.

"Is there anything you require?" Data asked her.

"Please, just hold my hand," Tasha panted. Data did. Since he had superior strength combined with an inability to feel physical pain, Tasha could squeeze his hand as tightly as she wanted without fear of hurting him.

Several hours later, Beverly told Tasha that it was time for her to start pushing the baby out.

Tasha was disappointed when the baby didn't emerge with the first few pushes.

"I can't go on," she complained.

"Oh, yes, you can. You're doing just fine," Beverly told her.

Tasha gave one more mighty push.

"Wow, Tasha, the baby's head is out!" Kestra exclaimed.

"Intriguing," Data commented.

With another push, the entire baby slid out.

"It's a girl!" Beverly exclaimed. Data cut the baby's umbilical cord, and Beverly cleaned her up and handed her to Tasha.

"Her name is Zoe Grace Yar," Tasha announced. "Data and I chose the name 'Zoe' because it means 'life'."

Zoe was a beautiful baby, with dark hair and dark blue eyes. After Tasha held her, Data held her for awhile, and then it was Tasha's turn.

The next morning, Reg and Soren came to visit. Reg's face glowed with pride as he held baby Zoe.

"She's the most beautiful baby I've ever seen," he declared.

"We couldn't have done it without you," Tasha said gratefully.

"What do you mean?" asked Soren.

"Since Data's an android, he isn't capable of producing reproductive cells," Tasha explained. "Reg provided the reproductive cell that helped conceive Zoe."

"How'd you do that?" Soren asked Reg.

Reg grinned and blushed deeply. "I'll explain it all later, in private," he told her.

"That's so amazing, Reg, that you played a part in the creation of this beautiful little girl," Soren said.

"I know. I'm prouder of that than I am of anything else I've ever done."

"I've often wondered what it would be like to be a parent," said Soren.

"Data is Zoe's legal father, but he and Tasha promised me that I could remain an active part of her life."

For just a moment, there was a faraway look in Soren's eyes, and then she seemed to snap back to reality.

"What am I even thinking about? Of course my main priority right now should be getting settled into my new life and figuring out where to go from here."

"There'll be plenty of time for other priorities later," Reg assured her. "In the meantime, I'm more than willing to help you in any way I can."