Kathryn Janeway felt like a whale, a beached whale. The sooner this baby was out the better, she still had at least a whole moth to go and for her it was getting beyond interesting. Pacing up and down the aisle she rubbed her forehead and her lower back. The pain was getting to her and her protruding belly was simply getting in the way of everything she was trying to do, that afternoon was no exception.

"Kathryn" B'Elanna whispered "we can do this another day."

Kathryn turned to face her friend who was dressed in the most elegant red satin night gown, Kathryn's eyes nearly welled up when she saw her friend, and she had never seen the younger woman look so elegant before. "That's the one" Kathryn smiled softly.

"It takes a bit of getting used to" growled the half Klingon rearranging her shoulder strap "what about you? That nice green one in the maternity section?"

"B'Elanna" Kathryn spat in reply "it looks like a tent"

"Oh come on Kathryn it wasn't that bad!" B'Elanna insisted though she didn't really believe herself.

"Why can't I just wear my admirals maternity uniform it looks fine" Kathryn asked feeling annoyed with the whole situation.

"You know why Kathryn" B'Elanna told her as she called over the curtain behind which she was changing back into her casual clothes.

"It's a stupid order anyway" Kathryn spat back as she began to pace again "it's a Starfleet event so why can't I wear my uniform?"

"Because Voyager has achieved more than any other ship." B'Elanna told her drawing the curtain back to look at her friend. "Starfleet want to recognise our work as her crew."

"Voyager won't recognise me out of uniform" groaned Kathryn leaning back and once more rubbing her lower back with her abdomen protruding before her.

B'Elanna looked at her old friend who for many years in the delta quadrant she had seen as a mother, folded her arms and asked her "Voyager won't recognise you without your uniform?"

"B'Elanna the seven years I spent with Voyager I was always the captain, I am not going to board her to decommission her dressed in some frumpy tent." Kathryn snapped Turing to let her blue eyes meet with her friends "Voyager has the right to an official Starfleet decommissioning."

"Come on Kathryn" B'Elanna laughed "The rest of Voyager's senior staff will be in formal dress, do you really think you want to show up on Chakotay's arm with him in a tuxedo and you in your Starfleet uniform"

"no of course not B'Elanna" Kathryn sighed "but that's just it, if any of Voyager's staff are to be in formal wear then all of voyagers staff should."

B'Elanna smiled and shook her head saying "we don't make the rules admiral"

Kathryn's mouth broke into a smile as she steered her heavily pregnant body towards the paying desk in the old style clothing store saying "come on; let's get you that dress I need to sit down before I explode."

B'Elanna followed her lead without saying a word. After the two women had acquired the dress for B'Elanna they made their way to a little café on the street corner overlooking the Eiffel tower. Almost sinking into her seat Kathryn rubbed her head and groaned "I could kill for a coffee right now"

"I don't think so" came a laugh from a man with a dimpled smile who came to join them at the table with a young quarter Klingon girl on his knee. Kathryn issued him with her death glare which caused him to merely tug on his ear awkwardly before glancing at the shopping bag and asking "so ladies a fruitful trip?"

"For B'Elanna" Kathryn sighed shifting awkwardly in her chair.

Chakotay's smile faulted as he watched Kathryn closely, he had been watching her closely these past weeks and he knew she was feeling a lot more discomfort than she was letting on. Resting his hand subtly on her knee to show his support he smiled at B'Elanna and asked "so do I get to see?"

"Not yet" B'Elanna smiled giving her dear friend a sideways glance as he held her daughter on his knee so comfortably. "Tom's got to wait for the big day so have you, I am so not a dress person." She smiled.

"What was that B'Elanna?" Kathryn scowled "I thought you said it was best we dressed in these ridiculous dresses."

"I Admiral am not the one who was insisting I would just wear my uniform to the occasion." B'Elanna retorted handing her daughter a piece of the cookie the waitress had just brought her.

Chakotay couldn't resist laughing until he looked at Kathryn and realised she had made such a suggestion as a serious one; quickly he wiped the smile from his face and told her softly "Kathryn, you can't go to a formal occasion in uniform."

"Why not? It's an Starfleet occasion and besides I can't get anything descent with this thing stuck of the front of me."

"That's your child you're talking about" B'Elanna chipped in but quickly shut up and paid attention to Mirral when Kathryn gave her the most feared death glare.

"Surely the have maternity dresses?" Chakotay innocently asked taking Kathryn's hand and rubbing her knuckles with his thumb.

"I look like I am dressed in a tent in them" she hissed tucking into her chocolate brownies.

Chakotay stole a glance at B'Elanna who confirmed with a nod. Thinking in silence for a minute Chakotay hung his head before turning back to Kathryn and saying "Perhaps we can get something tailor made for you? That way we know it will fit right and look elegant."

Kathryn's blue eyes met his leaning in she cupped his copper brown face with her pale hand and whispered in tat deep husky voice he loved "thanks."

B'Elanna who was smirking at her two older friends asked "so what do you two have planned for the rest of the day?"

"well" Chakotay whispered with a sideways glance at to Kathryn as she sank back into her seat and closed her eyes "I think my darling fiancé needs a rest and I am under orders to finish painting the nursery back at home."

"Tom keeps promising me he'll take those old baby things of Mirral's round, if he hasn't done it by tomorrow I'll do it myself."

"thanks." Smiled Kathryn as she opened one eye to look at the half Klingon. "And thanks for a nice day, we should do it again sometime but right now I need a rest" as she half pushed half shuffled herself up she ruffled Mirral's hair.

As Chakotay handed the child back to her mother he too stood next the Kathryn offering a steady hand to support her. B'Elanna looked up and smiled at them, they made a happy little family "thanks for looking after Mirral" smiled B'Elanna at Chakotay "now you two run along before she collapse"

Kathryn groaned and said to B'Elanna "if I was ever too hard on you while you were pregnant on Voyager do forgive me."