Kathryn sat down in her rocking chair with a contented sigh. Dean Martin played low over the phonograph, and the flames from the fireplace licked heat into the room, warming her skin. She hummed along with the music as she worked on the borders of the baby blankets she had finished several weeks ago. Now that she knew they were having a boy and a girl, Kathryn was even more eager to make some things for them, including adding pink edging to one blanket and blue to the other. She knew it would be impossible to make everything the babies would need in time, and some things would have to be replicated, but she enjoyed using her nearly forgotten knitting skills for some of the smaller things.

Chakotay had gone outside right after breakfast, as he did most mornings, to visit with the Phreezah. The Phreezah had been around for a few weeks now, and Chakotay said that he liked to move about their camp, making sure they didn't need any help building their igloo homes or with anything else...but Kathryn knew better. She knew the archaeologist in him was fascinated by this new species just as the scientist in her craved more information about them. Chakotay spent hours every day chatting with the different members of the population, learning about their history, their customs, and their lives. Kathryn had done the same, though most of her visits were with Oona, who was quickly becoming a close friend. Now though, all she craved was peace and quiet and solitude.

Kathryn had been in low spirits over the last few days. With Christmas approaching, she was feeling a bit more homesick than usual. She tried to keep her emotions in check around Chakotay, but this time of year now was hard, where it used to be very special. Christmas had always been spent with family...even on Voyager. Being in the Delta quadrant, she had over 150 family members to celebrate with. Her first Christmas on Voyager had been hard, but knowing she was on her way home made it tolerable...even enjoyable to spend the holiday season with her crew. She was absolutely looking forward to spending this Christmas with Chakotay, but the season was turning out to be a bit more bittersweet than she'd expected. She knew Chakotay noticed her mood fluctuations, but he thankfully left it alone.

Kathryn's peaceful, quiet morning was soon interrupted when the front door opened, and Chakotay came inside, followed by Oona. They both had soft smiles playing on their lips, and Chakotay's eyes gleamed as though he were up to something, but he remained silent. His smile grew when his eyes landed on Kathryn in her rocking chair. The domesticity of the scene before him never failed to warm his heart. Even all these months later, seeing Captain Janeway become permanently Kathryn, the expectant mother, was a wonder to him, and he enjoyed every little moment.

Kathryn set down her knitting and stood up slowly, "Good morning, Oona."

"Kathryn," came the small woman's sing-song voice, "Would you like to go for a walk? The snow has stopped, and the sun is out. I'd like to show you some of my favorite places in this area, and I want to hear more about your time in space."

Kathryn sighed inwardly. She really didn't feel like trudging through the snow and cold. She hadn't slept well that night and was really looking forward to a quiet day inside, but the expectant look on Oona's face crumbled her resolve. Chakotay grinned knowingly at her.

"Of course. Give me a few minutes to change clothes and put this away. I'll be out shortly." Oona's smile widened as she nodded, bidding Chakotay goodbye and going back out into the cold. Once they were alone, Kathryn let out the sigh she'd hidden from her friend. Chakotay eyed her with concern.

"What's wrong, Kathryn?" She tossed the blanket back into the basket that Chakotay had fashioned for her. She moved into his arms, humming softly as his warmth enveloped her.

"Nothing, I just don't really feel like taking a walk. I didn't get much sleep last night, and was just looking forward to relaxing and working on some things for the babies." She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, "But how can I say no to her? Did you see that expectant look on her face? Oona reminds me of Kes so much; always happy, and full of expectations for the best in everything and everyone."

Chakotay chuckled at the memory of the young Ocampan. "She is like Kes, isn't she?" He gave her a squeeze before backing out of her embrace, "How about you just make it a short walk then. I'm sure the fresh air will feel wonderful, and you know Oona will do most of the talking." They both laughed, knowing how much Oona liked to talk about the 'thoughts' she'd seen in both of their minds over the last few weeks.

"Why don't you come with us?" Kathryn asked as she moved over to the bureau, pulling on a warmer sweater before taking her jacket off the hook near the door. "I'm sure Oona wouldn't mind." She pinned her comm badge on the outside of the fabric of her coat, pulling her knit hat down over her ears.

Chakotay grinned but shook his head. "No, you two go ahead. I have a few things to work on here, but I'll have lunch ready when you get back."

"Alright, but it had better be a big lunch. I'm already hungry." She gave him that lopsided grin and pressed a kiss to his lips before heading outside to meet Oona.

Kathryn's chagrin quickly dissipated as she and Oona walked towards the meadow and over past the stand of almond trees. The fresh air was invigorating and did wake her up, and visiting with Oona was lovely as always. Kathryn told Oona about Kes and their likeness. Oona spoke of her life on New Earth with the Phreezah, and Kathryn showed Oona the path that she and Chakotay had found, and how nervous they had been about what might have made it. Oona explained that that was the path that led to the deep caves that the Phreezah occupied during the summer. Their conversation slowly turned from New Earth to the old one.

"You must miss your home very much," Oona spoke bluntly, and Kathryn felt emotion burn in her eyes. She had been talking of Starfleet and her academy days, carefully avoiding the subject of her sister, mother, or father. The word 'home' brought all of that to the surface.

"Yes, I do, very much," it came out on a whisper, and Oona could tell that she'd hit a nerve.

"I'm sorry, Kathryn. My curiosity always gets the best of me, and I don't think before I speak." The stopped walking at the edge of the treeline, and Kathryn leaned against one of the large maple trees there, wiping a tear from her eye.

"No, it's fine. I just try not to think of my family, and of home, because it does hurt, knowing that I'll never see them again." She could see her mother's warm blue eyes and her sister's smile, and though it did hurt to know she'd only ever see them again in her mind's eye, she smiled now as she remembered her family. "But I do enjoy thinking about them." She pressed her hand into her stomach, feeling her baby girl doing somersaults, "I wish my babies could meet the rest of their family. They have a grandmother and two aunts that they'll never know. Not to mention the entire crew of Voyager." She frowned, but then smiled at the thought of her crew, getting closer and closer to home with each passing day.

"I can tell you miss your crew. They are also like family, yes?"

"Yes, most definitely. Making them leave us behind is the hardest order I've ever had to give. Not a day goes by that I don't think of at least one of them. But knowing that they are on their way home and will see their families again...that makes it worth it." Kathryn smiled at Oona, the small woman glad that she hadn't upset her friend. "Well," Kathryn wiped one last tear from her eye, "We should probably be getting back. These babies are going to stage a mutiny if I don't feed them soon."

"Oh," Oona looked suddenly concerned, "Have we been gone an hour yet?"

Kathryn gave her friend a puzzled look, "I have no idea. Probably. Why do you ask?" Oona smiled up at Kathryn.

"Chakotay told me I had to keep you out of the house for at least an hour."

Kathryn's jaw dropped, "He asked you to take me for a walk? Chakotay wanted me out of the house? Why?"

Oona opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again, trepidation flashing in her lavender eyes, "I'm not sure...and I don't think I was supposed to say anything." She grinned guiltily at Kathryn, "Maybe we could walk back slowly? Oh Kathryn, please don't tell him I mentioned it."

"Don't worry, Oona, I won't give you away. I could tell earlier that Chakotay was up to something, and I'm going to find out what...but yes, we can walk back slowly."

Without a watch or any indication of the passage of time, the two of them strolled through the snow. Kathryn continued chatting about this and that with Oona, hoping an hour had passed since they'd left. Guessing that it had probably been longer than that, Kathryn bid Oona farewell when they reached a group of Phreezah at the edge of the meadow. She made the rest of the short walk on her own. Nothing seemed amiss outside the cabin, but she wasn't sure if she should knock or not. Remembering that she wasn't supposed to know anything about what Chakotay was up to, she decided to just enter.

Chakotay was one step ahead of her, though, and just as she was approaching the front door, he came around the side of the house. "Hey you," his smile was wide, and he pressed his lips to hers in a kiss a bit more ardent than she was expecting. Just as the butterflies began to flutter low in her belly, however, he pulled back. "I have a surprise for you." His grin told her he was quite satisfied with himself, but he looked expectant, hoping that she liked whatever he had in store. "Close your eyes."

She gave a huff of mock frustration but closed her eyes with a smile, allowing Chakotay to put his hand over them for good measure. He led her slowly towards the door, pausing to push it open with his other hand before leading her inside.

The heat of the fire in the hearth warmed her cheeks instantly, and she couldn't help but smile as he turned her towards the fireplace. "Okay, keep your eyes closed." Chakotay moved his hand to push the door shut. She heard him moving and felt him come to stand beside her. "Okay, open them."

Kathryn took a second, pulling a slow breath in through her nose before opening her eyes. "Oh," it came out as a gasp at the sight before her.

Chakotay had moved her rocking chair a bit away from the hearth...to make room for the Christmas tree that now stood near the far wall. A fully decorated Christmas tree.

Kathryn's jaw dropped as she moved closer to inspect all of the work that he'd done. All of the metallic pieces of her broken traps were hung around the tree, casting flickering reflections of firelight against the floor, ceiling, and walls. There were nearly two dozen wooden, hand-carved ornaments, and he'd even replicated a string of silvery twinkling lights to wrap through the pine boughs, and a silver star for the top. Any little shiny or reflective bit or bob he could find was now an ornament on the tree. She felt fresh tears form and slip down her cheeks as she took in the sight before her.

"How did you...when…" she marveled at their Christmas tree, pressing her finger gently against a multi-pointed star that he'd carved.

"I've been working on bits and pieces here and there. I cut down the tree yesterday, and Odar and Ono helped me decorate it once I had it in the house. They were fascinated with the idea of Christmas and were all too happy to help." Chakotay looked expectantly at Kathryn, "I'm sorry there aren't many real ornaments. I will keep working on whittling more until we have enough to replace the broken traps and things. I just thought they looked nice, reflecting the light," he was rambling now, slightly nervous that she didn't like the tree or its decorations. "Do you like it?"

She turned to face him, unable to keep the beaming smile from her lips as she melted into his embrace, "Like it? It's beautiful." Her words were broken by the sob she tried to keep contained.

"I know you have been feeling down lately, and I know you can't be with your family and friends this holiday, so I wanted to make our first Christmas together something special for you."

Kathryn laughed through her tears, "You never cease to amaze me. This is perfect." She moved slowly around the tree, admiring everything he'd created and all the effort he'd put in.

"Well, it's not quite Christmas yet, but if you turn around, I have an early present for you." Kathryn turned to face their bed, and her mouth fell open once again.

On the floor by the foot of the bed were two wooden cradles. Both were built with rockers so the babies could easily be lulled to sleep without disturbing them. The bodies of the cradles were similar to miniature sleighs; they both had a high back and sides that would keep the babies safe for many months until they outgrew them. The wood was a dark honey color, different than the pine logs he'd used for the cabin. They were identical in nearly every way, except for the etchings he'd done along the sidewalls of both beds. Some of them she recognized from his other artwork or her Voyager stone, but some she'd never seen him use before.

"Chakotay," she whispered.

"Well, technically, they aren't for you, but the babies will be here before we know it, and they'll have to have somewhere to sleep besides in our arms. These are symbols of protection, love, and family on both sides, and if you want, I can add more personalized symbols once we get to know their personalities."

Kathryn knelt before one of the small beds, rocking it gently with her hand as she imagined a sleeping baby resting comfortably inside. The rockers were incredibly smooth, and she knew Chakotay had made every effort to make them as comfortable as they were beautiful. "I don't know what to say. They're wonderful." She stood up slowly, "You're wonderful." Chakotay grinned, sliding his thumb across Kathryn's cheek.

"I'm glad you like them. I was going to put them under the tree, but they are a bit too tall. I can store them until we actually need them, but I figured you'd like to have them done now; at least be able to know that we'll be as ready for the babies as we can be."

"What would I do without you?" She beamed at him, lifting her mouth up in offering. He gladly obliged, pressing a chaste kiss to her lips and then to her forehead.

"You'd have to cook for yourself. Come on, lunch is waiting for us."

"You did all this and made lunch?" She quirked an eyebrow.

"I made you a promise, didn't I?"

=/\=

"I am going to take the shuttlecraft out and about this afternoon," Chakotay spoke as he cleared away their dishes. "Odar asked me about the shuttle when he was in here helping me earlier, and I told him what it was, and what it can do. None of the Phreezah have ever flown before, or seen any other parts of the planet. They were pretty keen on the idea."

Kathryn thought about that as she got up from the table to replicate some more yarn for the baby blankets, "Are you sure that's a good idea? Do you want me to come with you?"

Chakotay shook his head, "No," he spoke gently, "I mean if you really want to, you can, but I thought this way you could have the house to yourself for the rest of the afternoon and evening. Put on some Christmas music, work on your knitting, take a nap...whatever you want to do."

"Alright, I'm sure they will enjoy going on a flight. Just promise you'll be careful, and not fly too far or at too high of an altitude."

Chakotay nodded, pulling on his jacket and boots, "I promise. I'll fly even lower than we did before, and I won't take them any farther than the waterfall. I'm sure they would all enjoy seeing that." Kathryn smiled, knowing that would most definitely be the case.

"Good. Well, have fun, and I'll see you whenever you get back." Chakotay kissed her forehead before heading outside to see which of the Phreezah wanted to go for a shuttle ride. Kathryn stood in the open doorway and watched as several of their neighbors looked excitedly at Chakotay as he described taking them on a flight. Before long, he had nearly ten of them following him, and what appeared to be more that wanted to. It looked as though he were explaining that he couldn't take them all at once, but that he would make more than one flight so that everyone who wanted a chance to go up would have one. Chakotay, as if knowing Kathryn was watching, turned and waved at her before heading out of sight to where the shuttlecraft sat tucked under the trees.

=/\=

Chakotay was gone nearly five hours before finally coming back into the house, looking tired but pleased with himself. He hung his coat up next to Kathryn's and toed off his boots. "Eight flights and they all want to go again." He grinned at Kathryn as he came to kneel before her in her rocking chair, pressing a kiss to her lips and another to her stomach. "I told them I'd take them again tomorrow." He laughed out a sigh. "They had fun. I even let Oona and Ono operate some of the controls."

Kathryn chuckled as she pictured it, "I can only imagine how much Oona loved that. I'm sure I'll hear all about it later this evening." Chakotay grinned but shook his head.

"Nope, I told them that we were both exhausted and going to have an early dinner and go to bed." He stood up and pulled off his sweater; now that he was inside and near the fire that Kathryn had kept stoked all day, he no longer needed it.

"Oh, I knew there was a reason I loved you." She chuckled gently, so glad that they would be alone for the rest of the day, "I feel bad for not wanting Oona and the rest of them around all the time, especially when it's fascinating getting to know them. I just really enjoy the peace and quiet when it's just you and me."

"It's understandable. Even on earth, you wouldn't want your neighbors around all day, every day." Kathryn nodded in agreement. Chakotay turned to add another log to the fire when he stopped short, "Kathryn, when did…" he paused, looking at the four stockings that hung from the mantle.

"I've been working on them for a while, but I had quite a bit of time to myself today to finish them and put them up." She came to stand next to Chakotay.

They were all hung in a row; the first one a deep hunter green, one of Chakotay's favorite colors, a fierce blue stocking that reminded him of Kathryn's eyes, and two smaller grey stockings, one trimmed in purple and the other in light green. "These are wonderful, Kathryn. It really is feeling like Christmas in here."

"I know I've been a bit down lately, but I too want our first Christmas together to be special, one filled with happy memories, not sadness." Chakotay pulled her into an embrace, pressing a gentle kiss into her hair, allowing her scent to engulf him.

"Our first Christmas together will be filled with happiness, but it probably will be bittersweet as well. All we can do is lean on each other and know, deep down, that we are right where we are meant to be, and so are our family and friends." Kathryn felt tears brim in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Nodding, she pressed a kiss to Chakotay's jaw.

"You're right, as always." She took his hand, pulling him towards the kitchen, "Come one, let's get something to eat, and then we can discuss that very nice idea you had of going to bed early," she arched an eyebrow wickedly at him, "Unless you really are too tired…"

Chakotay's dimples played into his cheeks, thoughts of what Kathryn had planned causing his heart to quicken, "For you...I'm never too tired."

=/\=

So I have a question for all of you. Would you rather have more updates of shorter chapters, or longer chapters and maybe fewer updates? Or do you not care either way? Please let me know if you have an opinion. Thanks! Also, a thanks to Taylor for looking this over for me...appreciated as always!