A/N: Thanks to everyone reading and reviewing! Bit of a shorter chapter here, but I'll upload a longer one later on :)

Tom paced his quarters. Again and again. He'd already thrown a few things. He wasn't sure what. But his anger was useless and he knew it.

The door to Amelia's room was in front of him. A couple of her toys were scattered on the floor. The model Voyager he'd been building for her to play with lay unfinished in a corner. Everywhere was her. Everywhere was a painful memory.

Tom turned and left his quarters feeling like he was about to be sick. He walked down the corridors outside. Left, right. Another right. He had no idea where he was going. Amelia wasn't anywhere on board. It didn't matter where he ended up.

In one empty corridor he finally ran out of steam. His legs gave way beneath him and he huddled against a bulkhead, unable to move any further. He was no longer crying, he seemed unable to now. Everything was just so empty now.

All he had left was his pain. His pain and his anger.

Stop footsteps met his ears. He did not look up, but instead continued staring straight ahead. Someone crouched down beside him and took his hand, squeezing it gently. It took a long time before Tom was able to recognise who it was, and even longer before he could turn to look at her.

"She's gone, B'Elanna," he said, looking up at her, desperately wanting her to tell him he was wrong, that he'd been mistaken.

"We'll get her back, Tom," B'Elanna said. Her face did not show any despair or uncertainty. It was confident. But how could that be? Tom knew there was little chance.

"How?" He clenched his jaw. "The captain, she won't even consider—"

He stopped, too angry to go on. He slapped one hand against the floor, almost welcoming the stinging sensation on his palm. B'Elanna made no move to stop him.

"I admit, I haven't always agreed with Janeway's decisions," B'Elanna said, coming to sit in front of him. "But in this, I think she's right."

Tom stared at her in horror. "You think—"

"Yes, and so do you, deep down," B'Elanna urged, eyes fixed on his. "Giving in might be your first instinct, but could you really live with it? Would you ever be able to look at her again, knowing that you let millions die for her sake? What kind of burden is that to put on her as she grows up?"

Tom tried to look away, hating the creeping doubts entering his heart. The Prime Directive. He knew how important it was; no one could have graduated Starfleet Academy without learning how dangerous it was to violate. He believed in it. He always had, hadn't he? But it had never seemed so hard to follow before now.

"I don't think I could've lived with it if we'd abandoned the Ocampa to get back to the Alpha quadrant," he admitted reluctantly. "If we'd let them die at the hands of the Kazon for our sakes. I guess this is like that, but ten times worse. A million times worse. This … this is my child."

His breath came in short, sharp gasps. "I can't lose her, B'Elanna," he said. "This was my fault. I took her to that planet. I'm a damn field medic, I should have known to check and double check her immune system could handle it. I mean, we've had tons of practice by now!"

"Don't be an idiot, Tom." B'Elanna's voice was harsh. "Blaming yourself is pointless. Those bastards took her and are holding her hostage. They're the ones to blame. What you did was an accident. You couldn't have known."

An accident. He'd heard that before. He'd given that excuse before. It had never helped him.

"Tom, this isn't like you." B'Elanna reached out to place her hands on his face, her eyes swimming. "You don't give up like this. You don't react like this. Chakotay actually had to stop you from grabbing the captain!"

Tom closed his eyes. Had he done that? It all seemed so hazy now. Nothing seemed real.

"She was acting like … like …"

"Like what?" B'Elanna demanded, raising an eyebrow. "Like a captain? What else could she do? And you saw it too, I know you did. You saw how much pain she was in. The two of you can't be at odds over this. You have to work together."

"I know!" A sob escaped his throat. "I know what I have to do. But I'm scared, B'Elanna. She's the best thing that's ever happened to me, my greatest accomplishment, the one thing I never screwed up. Till now. If I lose her, I lose the best part of myself."

He hung his head, pressing his palms to his forehead. "I've always messed everything up. That incident on Caldik Prime was my fault, and three people died. That was an accident too. But it sure as hell never made me feel any better about it."

"The difference is, Tom, that you can do something about this," B'Elanna said, rubbing his arms. "You were cast out of Starfleet and made to feel like you could never accomplish anything again, but Janeway gave you a chance to prove yourself, and you became one of the best officers on this ship. You felt overwhelmed at the thought of being a parent, but Janeway gave you a chance and you've become an excellent father. You're in pain right now, but Janeway is giving us all a chance to get her back and you've got to take it. Just like you've always done. Cause I know you're not gonna let your own self-loathing ruin your chance to save your daughter. That's not who you are."

Tom breathed heavily for a few moments, B'Elanna's words slowly sinking their way through his confused mass of thoughts. He wanted to believe them. God, he wanted to. His father had always said he ruined any opportunity he was given. He'd proven him right on several occasions. But sometimes, just sometimes, he had been able to prove him wrong. Could this be one of those times?

Tom slowly raised his head and looked at B'Elanna. The Klingon in her stood out; her eyes burned with determination, her expression as hard as stone. She was a warrior. She was going to fight for his child.

And so was he.

Slowly, Tom pushed himself to his feet. B'Elanna followed him.

"We're gonna find a way," he said. "We're going to get her back."

"Yes, we are." B'Elanna lifted her chin. "And those bastards on the surface are gonna regret the day they ever heard the name Voyager."

Tom nodded, never loving her more than he did at that moment.

"Then let's go to the others. We're gonna need a plan."