DETACHED MEANT:
Jean-Luc: His Story
Chapter 53:
Baby Bouncing
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"Oh, my sweet one, my darling one, aren't you precious?" she cooed as she bounced Kolopak lightly up and down on her stomach. Her daughter seemed to react to this action with a corresponding kick to her womb wall, every time Kathryn rested Kol on top of her stomach.
Kathryn turned her head, and smiled over at Chakotay. "Oh, he is so wonderful, Chakotay. How I wish I could have visited him in the hospital but my bodyguards wouldn't let me."
Chakotay wisely did not comment about the Maquis crew who were devotedly keeping Kathryn Janeway safe. If they were not letting his former captain leave the safety of Picard House other than for doctor appointments, they must have had very good reasons to do so.
"Gretchen came every day," Chakotay countered. "I really appreciated her consideration. Your mother told me about every little thing that he did every day, including how he was improving. And she even set up a live baby cam link for me." Chakotay cautiously stood, and hesitantly walked over to where Kathryn was seated in an armchair on the patio. Her scarlet tunic was splayed over the bright lime green and aquamarine patterned padding. He carefully sat down on the matching, heavily padded lounge chair that was right next to hers, slowly stretching his legs out as muscles protested from being overused.
"My mother does have a few PhD's behind her name," Kathryn lightly remarked as she forced herself not to jump up and assist Chakotay. "Though my mother does not like technology, she was smart enough to ask B'Elanna to set up the live stream for you since my mother's affinity and expertise toward certain types of technology ranks right up there with my replicator culinary skills.
Chakotay laughed at this, since he found it difficult to imagine Gretchen Janeway being incompetent about anything.
He held out his arms, and Kathryn obliged by placing Kol in them. Long minutes passed as Kathryn watched Chakotay hold his son in his arms in what seemed to be a dream-like state for he had closed his eyes – or he was napping. For a while, she had thought that she would never see this miracle come to pass.
"Thank you, Kathryn," Chakotay finally whispered, as he gazed down at his son, in awe of the truth of his dream.
Kathryn brushed away a few tears as she silently acknowledged to herself that Kol should have been her baby, and not Annika's child. But they both had been so foolish. She forced herself to stifle her emotions.
"Thank me for what?" she lightly teased, forcing herself to act as normal as a woman soon to give birth could be.
Chakotay shifted his gaze upward to the woman he loved. He considered her to be more beautiful than ever. Wisps of sun-kissed hair floated about her face as a gentle breeze kept trying to disrupt the confines of her ponytail. He was finally free to gaze upon Kathryn whenever he wished to do so. He had been granted permission – and a second chance.
Then he realized that he had not answered her question. "Kathryn, for helping me with my recovery. Opening up your heart and home to me and to Kol. Thank you for your astonishing mother when she declared herself to be Kol's grandmother from the very first moment that she met my son. For Phoebe declaring herself to be Kol's aunt which means that my son will forever have at least one person about his own emotional age with which to play." He smiled at Kathryn, using to his advantage, his dimples. "My son has a family, now – a loving one."
"Always."
Chakotay flashed his dimples again.
"You obviously want something," Kathryn joked, even as she viscerally felt the impact of those dimples.
"If you still want me to be your husband, then yes, I do want to be your husband, Kathryn Janeway, in every way." He leaned forward, reaching for her hand, moving carefully in order to not disturb a sleeping baby. But the baby did not stop him from speaking. "Oh Kathryn, I have fantasized about being your husband. And I have dreamed about having you as my wife, my friend and my lover. For too many long years it was an impossible dream." He pressed a soft kiss against the palm of her hand. "And now, it is not." These words were casually said, but the intensity of his gaze as he raised his head to look at her, revealed the truth of his soul. He would forever be her angry warrior…
Kathryn froze. Chakotay's acceptance was actually unexpected. She had thought that he would have taken more time to think it over.
"You will?" she choked out as the impact of his words slammed into her psyche. And what it would mean to her heart.
"Yes, my love. I will be whatever kind of husband you want or need." The smile that he bestowed upon her was beautiful. "Jean-Luc and I talked things over last night, and worked some of the details out," Chakotay innocently mentioned.
Kathryn's eyes narrowed. "Jean-Luc knew about your willingness to marry me last night?"
"Yes. We had an interesting chat about things." His smile broadened. "In a way, I am almost as excited about the impending arrival of your daughter as Jean-Luc is."
"And he didn't tell me," she whispered to herself.
Chakotay failed to understand why Kathryn was perturbed.
"Is something wrong?"
She stood and came over to carefully hug him before she answered him. "No, my love, you did nothing wrong." She stilled. "My love. That's the very first time I have ever said that out loud to you." She laughed, as the impact of her words hit her heart. She giddily declared, "I can call you my love now, whenever I wish." And then she grinned down at him, her heart filling with happiness.
Carefully he pulled her down onto his lap, moving Kol aside onto his broad shoulder as he found a way to have his love and his son in his arms at the same time. For most of his life, he had never expected to hold his family in his arms. He was humbled by the reality as well as overjoyed.
And then they kissed. It was not an epic kiss. Each knew that those kinds of kisses were yet to come. Still, it was their first real kiss. And it was significant.
After a moment, Kathryn struggled to be free.
"So, we're officially engaged?" Chakotay asked trying to disguise his concern over Kathryn's sudden shift in mood."
"Affirmative," she laughed. "In a few weeks, we're going to be married," she readily agreed.
"After you give birth, we will have to make some plans."
"Chakotay, I think I can guarantee that between my Mother and Mildred, everything that could be planned, has been done. I think that just about all that is left to be done is for us to decide which layer of the wedding cake should have the praline pecan pie filling."
"What?" Chakotay was somewhat taken back by this pronouncement.
"I know that Jean-Luc did not tell Mildred about our three-way marriage plans, but somehow the lady knew, anyway. And of course, Mildred and Mother are cohorts in just about everything now when it comes to my life, Jean-Luc's life and your life. I am sure that they have taken every contingency into account. We will have little to do but accept whatever it is that they have planned for us." She shifted a little on his lap as she decided that she was not too uncomfortable there.
"I want to make my own decisions, Kathryn," Chakotay warned.
"I used to do that myself, once upon a time. But then I got pregnant." Kathryn smiled up at him. "Trust me, Chakotay, they have doubtless anticipated everything you might have wanted. I am sure that they have probably already arranged for Sekaya and her family to come from Dorvan to Earth in time for the wedding, too." Kathryn sighed. "There have been rumors that at one point, Mildred Krebs had been the head of Section 31. At first, I thought that people were joking about this. But then I sort of remembered some conversations that my Father had when I was a kid, hiding under his antique desk. I am sure that I heard the name 'Mildred' mentioned. Once you get to know the lady well, you will understand that even if she wasn't in command, Mildred most definitely is capable of being the head of Section 31." She snuggled against him, idly stroking a finger against the softness of Kol's cheek. "Jean-Luc has joked that Mildred is actually the power behind the throne when it comes to Admiral Wiley. I've come to realize that the Fleet Admiral consults with her a bit, so there is probably some truth to it."
Chakotay blinked. What had he gotten himself in to?
"You think that is possible?"
"Possible, yes. Certainly, Admiral Wiley listens to what Mrs. Krebs says."
Chakotay smiled as Kathryn shifted again, wiggling a bit in order to find a spot that wouldn't place any weight on Chakotay's recuperating injuries. "This position isn't working, is it?" He reluctantly lowered his arms from around Kathryn's shoulders.
She sighed in disappointment. "I think we should try this again, after my daughter makes her presence known to the world." She patted her tummy before she carefully stood, trying not to disturb the sleeping baby that Chakotay was still holding in his arms as well. Then she leaned over and lightly kissed Kol's forehead. With that, she segued into saying, "I still haven't heard from Annika, even though I asked Icheb to tell Annika that I wished to speak with her.
"We will deal with Annika when the time comes, Kathryn. The only reason that she will have any contact with us, is when she wishes to see the baby."
"I would like to repair my relationship with her. I don't want to lose her."
"You were friends before I came along," Chakotay admitted, speaking somewhat with regrets.
"In many ways, she was my protegee and my friend. I miss that. And I am hoping, that in time, she will forgive us enough so that she will long for the friendship that we once shared as well. Annika is part of the Voyager family, and if our relationship truly becomes contentious, it will upset the family."
"Besides, in some ways, she was too naïve to realize what she was doing." Kathryn didn't say a word over her fiancée's statement. "And yes, I should have known what I was doing. But obviously, I was not thinking."
Kathryn leaned over and kissed the top of Chakotay's head. "Neither was I." She bent around him some more in order to lightly kiss his lips. "However, I need to take a nap at this moment. And with your permission, when the Enterprise docks, I would like to arrange an appointment for couples counseling with Commander Deanna Troi-Riker, if she is available. For us, of course, because we do have a few matters that I think that we should discuss. And maybe, later on, together with Jean-Luc as well. Regardless of how gracious Jean-Luc seems to be, I am sure that there are some issues that need to be settled."
"On that, you are probably right." For Chakotay had sensed some disquiet in Jean-Luc's heart. "We all have issues that we should try to resolve before we get married."
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"So, the rumors are true," Mike Ayala softly spoke out loud as he sat down next to B'Elanna Torres who was working on a blown circuit in a console in the security office of Picard House.
"What?"
He jerked his head toward a security screen that displayed Admiral Janeway sitting on Captain Chakotay's lap by the pool.
'Oh, that. Yes." B'Elanna pushed a few more buttons before adding, "The only thing that surprises me about it is that Kathryn actually is doing the logical thing when it comes to Chakotay. Finally."
"Huh?"
"During all the time that we spent on Voyager can you ever recall Captain Janeway doing the rational thing in respect to her personal relationship with Chakotay? Watching them back then, was akin to being in the worst kind of Klingon soap opera holoprogram ever written, minus the violence of course – most of the time. And without hope of a happy ending." She waved her hand toward the security screen. "Well, now we have one, that the gods."
"I'm just happy for them," Mike countered. The he eyed B'Elanna with just a touch of incredulity. "And you and Tom knew about the admirals and Chakotay, and Tom didn't tell a single soul?" That Mike really found hard to believe.
"I am surprised and somewhat shocked that Tom held his tongue, too," B'Elanna agreed as she pushed herself away from the console. "I guess Tom didn't have a betting pool for a three-way marriage on his bookmaking list. Either that or Admiral Picard threatened him with a fate worse than death. And that threat was actually so effective that it worked on my husband." She brushed back a strand of hair off of her face. "I most definitely will have to discover what the blackmail threat was. Tom has been taking the upper hand too often lately. I need more leverage."
Mike Ayala wisely did not make a remark about the state of the Torres-Paris marriage. Though part of him did consider giving Tom a warning about B'Elanna's quest. "If there is one thing that I have learned about working at Picard House, is that one should never underestimate Admiral Jean-Luc Picard."
She stood and stretched. "I've finished the minor upgrades." She looked around the control room searching for any of the spying bugs and did not notice anything flying. Still, she knew that the odds were pretty good that she was being monitored. "And I cannot think of anything else to do around here. If this system still keeps on squeaking, tell Malcolm." B'Elanna brushed some dust off of her duty uniform. "I've got to get back to the UP. Tom was taking Miral for a ride in the Alpha Flyer, and I want to make sure that both of my babies made it back in one piece."
Ayala chuckled. "Boys and their toys…"
"Look who's talking," B'Elanna teased as she gathered up her tools and left the room.
Ayala's expression darkened as he watched B'Elanna leave. He knew that she was aware that the level of spying had increased dramatically over the past few days. His gut was telling him that whatever was happening, would be happening very soon. And he knew that B'Elanna sensed it as well.
And it looked as if the secret defense program upgrades that B'Elanna had just installed were safely in place, undetected. For B'Elanna had designed a system where these new dormant programs were not actually connected to the mainframe. They were sleeping, so to speak. And these defense programs would only be activated and then connected, when an alarm was sounded on a certain frequency inside the compound. Only then would they defend. And by the time their spy noticed these programs, Mike Ayala sincerely hoped that it would be too late for the enemy mastermind to do anything about it.
=/\= =/\= =/\=
"Continua?" Jean-Luc glared at his demi-god nemesis. "Q, I am not naming my daughter after the Continuum!"
"Oh, hold your horsies, Jeannie-Boy. I was just making a helpful suggestion. I didn't really think that you'd take my recommendation seriously," he glowered, floating about the library on his favorite small, Bokhara flying Oriental rug. He barely missed a sculpture or two as he swished by Jean-Luc's desk.
Jean-Lu audibly sighed. "Q, if you wish to have a conversation with me, please come down here. And put that rug away. The last thing I need is for Anna and Billy Bob to discover your carpet and then want to go flying on it."
"Jean-Luc, the twins already know how to use my flying carpets." He saw the steam building in Jean-Luc's expression and quickly added, "And I made sure that both of the twins know how to use the carpets properly – and safely."
"My children have been flying the carpets for a while?" Jean-Luc quietly asked, his calmness belying the wrath and fear that he was trying to control. "I thought that you were going to discuss doing such things with Anna and Billy Bob, with me before showing them to my children."
Q actually had an expression of contriteness on his face as he explained, "I sort of forgot. Anyway, we usually flew the rugs at LaBarre. Rene and Marie enjoyed them too. And most of the time it was in the barn, where there was plenty of hay to fall upon." He hoped that his words were calming Jean-Luc down.
"Would anyone care to explain what is going on here?" an over-enunciated, polite voice asked from the library doorway.
For once, Q was glad to be interrupted as he watched his favorite female human waddle toward them, dressed in a patterned plum colored caftan.
"You both were yelling so loudly that you woke me up. And I was asleep in my bedroom!" Kathryn Janeway tartly remarked. Then her stern expression softened, and she crossed over to Q who had just landed his burgundy colored carpet. "Hello, Q. It's been a while since we've seen you." And then she reached up to kiss his cheek and pat his chest. She noticed that he was wearing a formal Starfleet uniform of his own design, trying to outdo one of Winston Holt Wiley's dress uniforms today, for this white uniform was covered with gold tassels that quivered with every movement.
"I apologize for disturbing you, my dear," Jean-Luc quickly spoke with regret. "Q was trying to persuade me to pick one of the names that he prefers for our daughter."
Kathryn mentally groaned. Considering that she was going to have her baby on Monday, she knew that she and Jean-Luc should have already had a baby naming discussion. But somehow, they had not really seemed to get around to it.
"I've come up with some perfectly lovely names," Q explained.
"Continua?" Jean-Luc sarcastically mentioned.
"It never hurts to try to placate the Continuum," Q protested.
Kathryn shook her head. Then her curiosity got the better of her. "Do I really want to know what you did to the Continuum that you think that we have to placate them?"
Q sighed. "Your beautiful, bouncing baby girl, Kathryn, is unfortunately, not a Q."
If Kathryn had not just awakened from a nap, she would have been alert enough to have asked Q just exactly what her daughter was.
Jean-Luc breathed a deep sigh of relief. Maybe this time, he would have a child who did not begin life by becoming the definition of trouble.
"And you wished to name her Continua, because?" Kathryn just had to ask.
"Well, when Billy Bob and Anna visit the Continuum, and they might wish to bring their sister along, a name that the Continuum might find pleasing would certainly help in getting your daughter admitted into visiting the Continuum." Q hoped that Kathryn would not pick apart his explanation.
"Considering that the Continuum is a dilapidated station in the middle of nowhere, I am sure that the twins will wish to visit there and drag along their baby sister."
Her sarcasm was thick enough for even Q to notice.
Kathryn nodded, even as she waddled over to the fireplace and sat down on a big, Queen Anne style armchair. Then she looked over at her husband. "Did any of the names that Q suggest sound acceptable?"
Q jumped in before Jean-Luc could criticize. "I'd suggested Quintina."
"No," was Kathryn's instantaneous response.
"Qira," was Q's next suggestion.
Kathryn blinked. "That's not too awful." She waved her hand. "Continue."
"Qiarra?" Q hopefully mentioned.
"No."
"Quinoa?"
Kathryn chuckled at this one as she repeated herself. "No."
"Quentennia?" Q lowly murmured, trying to make this name sound melodious.
Kathryn laughed out loud, before stating, "No."
Q pouted.
And she knew it. "Surely," Kathryn cajoled, "you must have a few more names to amuse me?"
"Quinan?" He pronounced this name so that it rhymed with Jean-Luc's former barkeep.
Jean-Luc snorted as he almost dropped his mug of tea on his desk. And then a thought occurred to the man.
"Guinan?" Jean-Luc hinted to his bride. "Gretchen Guinan?"
Q hastily spoke up, knowing that if Jean-Luc named his daughter after Guinan, there could come a time in the near future, when he might come to hate that name. "No. Nonononono, no!" His voice got louder with each emphatic 'no'. The sound of his displeasure over this possible baby name bounced off of the paneled oak walls. "I cannot be a godfather to a baby bearing that name!" he loudly declared not realizing that he had just give Kathryn and Jean-Luc the perfect reason to name their daughter after a barkeep.
"I thought that you and Guinan had become friends," Jean-Luc suspiciously asked Q.
Q realized that he had over-reacted. "We've become friendlier," Q admitted, "but friends?" He warily eyed Jean-Luc. "You do realize that I was almost married to Guinan a couple of hundred years ago. And that the lady does tend to have an Rigellian elephantine memory when it comes to holding a grudge."
"Fascinating," Kathryn commented. "I did not know that fact." She pleasantly smiled at her Continuum friend. "And what did you do to cause Guinan to break off the engagement? Did you forget to mention Mrs. Q?"
"Something like that," Q mumbled, as he tried not to remember all of the dramatic, scary details of his former intimate relationship with Guinan and the fury of their break up.
"Odd that Guinan never mentioned your near-marriage to me," Jean-Luc mused, as he began to relax into his desk armchair. Though, privately, he did question Guinan's taste in potential husbands. And then he just had to add with a tinge of snarkiness, "I wonder if Guinan forgot about it."
Q sent Jean-Luc an intimidating glare, which of course had little effect on Jean-Luc. Then he waved his fingers in Kathryn's direction, before snapping them, and then disappeared, carpet and all.
Kathryn laughed as she tried to push herself out of the too-comfy armchair.
Jean-Luc quickly came to her aid. "I wonder what that was all about," he pondered, as he lifted his wife to her feet.
"Something tells me that Q and Guinan have some unfinished business," Kathryn observed. "Next time Guinan is in town, I will just have to indulge in my curiosity and ask her." She slyly glanced at her husband. "Somehow, I don't think that you have the brass to question her yourself about one of her former lovers." For Kathryn now suspected that Guinan was one of Jean-Luc's old lovers based on his reaction upon discovering that Q had been Guinan's lover.
Jean-Luc was about to protest this statement, but then thought better of it. So he kissed his wife instead.
On the other side of the library door, Gretchen grinned as she muttered to herself, "Gretchen Guinan Janeway Picard. Not a bad moniker. And then we can call my granddaughter by the nickname of 'Gigi'…"
TBC
