Seven stood up, straightening her aching back as she emptied the contents of the vacuum. The sound she had been dreading echoed through the house, the twins crying in unison. Leaving what she was doing she entered the living room to find them whimpering in their playpen. "Babies, I'm here, I was only gone five minutes…" she told them in a tone which revealed her exasperation rather than being in any way soothing. They both gazed up at her, looking thoroughly unconvinced. Sighing she lifted them both out and sat on the floor beside them, pulling them close. "We're all tired today aren't we?" she said softly as Aylen huddled into her side and Michael put his thumb in his mouth. She already knew that if she left them to do necessary household tasks one or both of them would howl and she would need to carry them around with her in a very inefficient manner and her arms were already strained and struggling. She glanced down at them again, for the moment they looked contented and peaceful, but they'd been fussy and clingy all day no matter how many times she fed them or put them down for a nap they remained unsettled. It's your own fault, the logical voice in her brain reminded her, last night their schedule was put off and now they're as overtired and grumpy as their mother.
Seven smiled slightly to herself, the impromptu party for Chakotay's birthday last night had been fun but everyone had over stimulated the twins and after everyone had gone both she and Chakotay had been up half the night with them and since the party had been held here at home she'd spent the day clearing up the mess. At least Chakotay had appeared to enjoy it although he had said to her later he'd hardly seen her. She knew how he felt, since Chakotay had gone back to work three weeks ago it seemed as if they barely interacted with each other and she admitted to herself that she was missing him. The doorbell jerked her out of these rather melancholy thoughts and without thinking she rose to answer it, disturbing the twins who immediately started up a chorus of complaint. "Okay, okay, we'll all go to see who it is." She told them reassuringly as she picked them up. After a couple of minutes moving their weight around to free a hand to open the door she found Irene standing in the threshold. "Aunt Irene!" Seven exclaimed in surprise.
"Hello Annika dear. How are you?"
Seven stepped aside to allow her in. "Fine." She responded, but was unable to keep the tired sigh from her voice which Irene picked up on.
"Been a bit trying?" she asked sympathetically. Seven nodded her head slightly shamefacedly, after all nothing drastic had happened. "We all have days like that dear. Do you want me to take one of them?" Seven gratefully handed over Michael and shifted Aylen to a different position but Michael didn't like this new arrangement and grasped for Seven with a whine. Irene was surprised at the change in her normally easy going great-nephew. "What's wrong today Michael? Look what I've brought you!" She pulled out a soft ball which squeaked and he immediately giggled, forgetting his grumpiness.
"They've both been clingy today, won't let me out of their sight." Seven said by way of explanation as she led Irene to the living room and sat down.
"And let me guess, you have a lot you wanted to do today." Said Irene knowingly, tickling Aylen's face.
"Yes, well I had to clean up after Chakotay's birthday party last night…"
"You organised a party?"
"No…some former crewmates appeared spontaneously with cake and decorations."
"Was it fun?"
"Yes…" Seven said slightly cagily but Irene frowned at her and she was honest. "I was looking forward to a quiet night with him."
"You're lonely now that he's back at work?"
"No…not really, I have Michael and Aylen…"
Irene laughed. "That's not the same Annika, lovely darlings though the twins are."
Seven smiled at the compliment to the twins. "You're correct of course. Sometimes I feel that Chakotay and I are…"
"Like two ships crossing paths at night?" Irene questioned sympathetically.
Seven was puzzled by the analogy but after some thought decided it was apt. "Yes. Through no fault of his!" She clarified anxiously, not wanting her aunt to think that Chakotay was in any way purposely neglecting her. "We just haven't fully adapted yet."
"That's the thing about life, you've just adapted to something and something else you're unprepared for happens."
"Quite." Said Seven, although she secretly hoped this wasn't true. Aylen began to cry and Seven lifted her up. "I'm sorry Aunt Irene, I have to feed them and I haven't offered you anything…"
"Come now, I can use a replicator can't I? You just concern yourself with what your children need." With that Irene disappeared into the kitchen and Seven settled down to feed the babies.
Aylen and Michael were both asleep side by side on the couch by the time Irene reappeared with tea and biscuits. Setting down her load she said to Seven, "It's your anniversary soon isn't it?"
Seven swallowed the bit of biscuit she was chewing before answering. "In ten days, why?"
"I think I'm free for babysitting duty then, you and Chakotay could go out on a date."
"A date? But we're married; such things are no longer expected."
Irene couldn't stop herself from laughing, "Just because you're married doesn't mean you're banned from romance for the rest of your life!"
Seven was still struggling to understand. "No…but..."
Seeing that her comment hadn't got through to her niece, Irene tried a new tact. "Okay let's not call it a date; let's call it an anniversary dinner. An evening of alone time for you and Chakotay. The twins are almost five months old now, soon enough you'll be weaning them and going back to work and then they'll be teething, take the chance while you can."
"I would have to ask him…"
"Do that and call me." Said Irene, already confident of Chakotay's answer.
"Thank you Aunt Irene."
"No problem dear."
Her opportunity to ask Chakotay came later that night, after he was home and they had put the twins to bed. "How was your day?" Seven asked him as he sat down beside her on the couch.
"Good, good. Probably quite interesting too if I hadn't slept through most of it. Parker asked what I'd been drinking and I said nothing it's just baby hangover. How about you?"
"I spent most of the day cleaning and dealing with two overtired babies."
"Doesn't sound too promising."
"No it wasn't." She said with a wry smile as she turned to face him more fully. "It is our anniversary in ten days; do you want to go out?"
Chakotay stared at her, dumbstruck. "Yes…of course I do but what about a babysitter?" Seven had always refused to hire a babysitter and he was unsure of the reason for her sudden change of heart.
"My Aunt Irene said she'd come over."
"Really? You're all right with that?"
"Yes. Where do you want to go?"
Chakotay relaxed, wrapping his arms round her waist and kissing her. "Since it's your idea love, you should pick the place."
Seven blushed. "Technically it was Aunt Irene's idea."
"She's not going." He teased softly.
"I am not familiar with many restaurants here, perhaps we could go to the hotel where we got engaged and had our wedding reception."
"I think I know the place. That would be perfect." Seven beamed at him and he kissed her again.
The night of the 7th of April 2379 came quicker than they expected, Seven despite her plans to the contrary was still feeding the babies and putting them down to sleep when she heard Irene's arrival downstairs. "I'm sorry, I'm still settling them and then I have to get ready!" she shouted down.
"Don't worry!" Chakotay called back from the foot of the stairwell.
Seven allowed herself time to have a cuddle with each sleeping child before putting them in their cots and going hurriedly to her room to make herself presentable. After a nice relaxing hot shower she began the task of choosing a dress, she wasn't sure if any would suit her present dimensions. Her hands found a knee length silvery blue dress with a square neckline that she knew had once been one of Chakotay's favourites. Apprehensively she pulled on and looked at herself in the mirror, pleasantly surprised that it fitted and was still flattering, though perhaps not as loose as it once had been, obviously her natural silhouette was beginning to reassert itself after months of being hidden by baby weight. After drying her hair, leaving it hanging loose and putting on her pearl and aquamarine necklace and bracelet set she descended the stairs to where Chakotay and Irene stood waiting. Pleasure made a blush diffuse her cheeks as she registered Chakotay's reaction and she immediately went to him. "You look great." He whispered in her ear with a squeeze of waist before amplifying his voice as he said, "Ready to go?"
"Yes…" Seven started before reconsidering and turning to Irene. "I just fed them and they fell asleep. They shouldn't need fed again before I come back but if they do I prepared some bottles and put them in the refrigerator…"
Irene touched her arm gently. "Chakotay already told me all that dear. You just have fun and don't worry."
"Thank you."
"Yeah thanks Irene, we'll see you later." Said Chakotay warmly, carefully guiding Seven out the door before she thought of anything else to worry over, but as he started the car he saw Seven watching the house with an unreadable look on her face and reached over to squeeze her hand. "They'll be fine."
She flashed him an affectionate if wobbly smile. "I know."
Soon enough they were sitting in the restaurant of the hotel in which their reception had been held exactly one year earlier, gazing out of the window to the darkened starlit streets of Flagstaff below. They ordered their meal but conversation remained on work and children, the very subjects they'd wanted to leave behind at home. As their starters arrived Chakotay remembered a piece of news he had yet to tell Seven. "You know that Harry got his promotion?"
"To Commander? When did he get it?" Seven exclaimed, happy for her friend.
"He just got it in today; he called me at work, Commander to former Commander. We've not to tell anyone else yet though because it's not official yet."
"He certainly deserves the recognition. Wait, does this disrupt his wedding plans?"
"Yeah, it's been moved back to October."
"How did Deborah take that?"
"Well apparently. Harry said she always wanted a fall wedding. We've to keep the 6th of October free."
"He has chosen the right woman." Said Seven with a smile, knowing that most women would never have moved their wedding back three months. She looked over at him, "What is your assessment of our first year of marriage?"
He took her hand. "Wonderful, fast paced…" Seven laughed. "…but wonderful."
"I concur." She murmured softly as she rubbed the back of his hand thoughtfully.
Chakotay looked around the room. "This place always reminds me of our engagement."
Seven was intrigued. "Why? We got engaged on the roof terrace."
"I know, but when we ate dinner here I had the ring in my pocket and I was considering my options when some guy proposed and you were embarrassed, I've never been so relieved and mortified at the same time…"
"You've never told me that! I thought your only aborted attempt was at the Grand Canyon."
"There too. I had to abort my mission several times."
"I'm glad you were finally successful."
"Me too, even more than I was then."
The rest of the evening passed in an even better fashion than either of them had anticipated and they left feeling more refreshed and happy than they had in weeks. Irene met the beaming flushed faces of the couple, giggling together as they came in the door, looking to Irene's experienced eyes like a pair of love struck teenagers. "Hi, the babies are asleep in the nursery. I'll be going home now. Did you have fun?" She asked even though their happy faces made the answer obvious.
"Yes we did." Said Chakotay, his arm tight round Seven's waist.
"Thank you Aunt Irene." Said Seven happily.
"How about we do this again next month? I just love spending time with my great-niece and nephew." Irene smiled at them knowingly.
Seven exchanged glances with Chakotay who nodded eagerly. "We would appreciate that Aunt Irene."
"Great! Goodnight then." She called as she went out then door.
"Goodnight!" said Chakotay and Seven in unison before smiling at each other as the door shut and going upstairs to the nursery.
Seven leaned over the side of the cot to see that Michael was as soundly asleep as his sister was and smiling as she looked at him, peaceful in dreamland. "It looks like we're going to get some more undisturbed time." Said Chakotay as he came up to her, holding her close as he looked over at his for now angelic son and daughter. "Two other good things to come out of our wedding hmm?"
"Yes." Said Seven as she looped her arms around his neck. "I am at the moment am nostalgic for our wedding night…" she whispered suggestively in his ear.
"Oh really?" His strong arms lifted her of the floor. "I'm always nostalgic for that sweetheart." He murmured huskily. She kissed him deeply and he carried her out of the nursery, closing the door behind him.
A/n: Please review, I hope you liked it!
If anyone has any suggestions for Aylen and Michael's first words tell me! I'm slightly stuck for ideas even though it's a couple of chapters ahead. Thanks!