After Kathryn left Chakotay went and sat down in the kitchen. He knew that Kathryn was only snipping at him the way she was due to the hormones of pregnancy, because any other time she would have calmly told him how she felt but as he tried to see the situation from her perspective, the more he thought about it, the worse he felt.

He had been treating Kathryn as though she were an invalid. Of course his intentions were sincere, but he had failed to realize just how smothering his actions had been. Even before the Phreezah left he had been trying to do all he could to make Kathryn comfortable and her life easier, completely forgetting, or at least not remembering what an independent person Kathryn Janeway was, pregnant or not.

He'd forgotten that her being pregnant wasn't a debilitation; it was simply a state of being, and though it may debilitate her in some ways, she was completely capable of figuring her way through it. She was an extraordinary woman, capable of extraordinary things. He'd witnessed it again and again over the years he'd known her…

...and he had been treating her like a needy child.

He understood completely now why she needed some time to herself. As much as he wanted to go to her now and explain his level of understanding, he remained seated at the table. Picking up a PADD he'd been reading over breakfast, he began, once again, to read over the information he'd downloaded from Voyager on labor and delivery; detailed step by step descriptions of the processes of labor, and how to deliver a baby, step by step.

He'd read this particular information at least five times already, but he planned on reading it again and again until he had it completely memorized. It wouldn't do to have PADDs scattered about the bed while Kathryn was trying to deliver their children. She had just hit week thirty two, and though she wanted to carry the babies as close to forty weeks as possible, he knew twins could be born much sooner...as soon as now, so he wanted to be ready.

He'd learned the process for when Kathryn would go into labor, symptoms of false labor, back labor, how the babies should be positioned, and every other little detail. Though he did wish they had the EMH here, he thanked the spirits that they had two working medical tricorders, a dermal regenerator, and several pain relieving hyposprays. Though Kathryn was adamant that she wanted no pain medication during the process, he would still have everything ready for her...just in case.

They had both prepared a list over the last few weeks of everything they would want and need when the time came. Chakotay had all of the supplies he thought he'd need, and had replicated several receiving blankets. Although he didn't always feel like it, they were as ready as they possibly could be.

And now he'd gone and mucked it up by smothering her with attention that she did not want. He knew though, that she would forgive him, and when she came back from her walk they would talk about it, and everything would be alright. She just needed some time to herself to work through her own feelings on everything.

The part of her admission that had left a pain in his heart was her wishing that her mother was there. He wished more than anything that the Janeway matriarch could be part of this process. He knew how close Kathryn was to her mother, and it pained him to know that Gretchen Janeway would never know that she was about to be a grandmother twice over. She would never meet their little family and see them grow up. She'd never get to see her daughter become a mother.

He often thought of Sekaya, knowing that she would only be a part of his life as a memory from here on out, but he had made his peace with it. His relationship with his sister was very different from the relationship Kathryn had with her family. He and Sekaya were close, naturally, but they had grown up in a world where loved ones could be lost at a moment's notice, and often were. It had taught them early on to always carry the thought in the back of your mind that anything might happen. Even before he joined the Maquis...probably when he joined Starfleet, he had always pictured what his life might look like without his mother, his father or sister. He knew that was part of the risk, and after being hurtled into the Delta quadrant nearly two years ago, he'd realized that his future would be one in which his sister would no longer be a part.

He'd never been able to wrap his mind around a future without Kathryn. From the moment he'd met her, he'd known their futures would be twined in some way, from that first day onwards. Of course he had no idea it would turn out quite like this, but he had no regrets. The closer he'd gotten to Kathryn, the more he depended on her, and the more he ached for a long and happy future with her.

With a sigh, hoping that she'd be back soon, he got up and began preparing lunch for the two of them. Kathryn hadn't really had any cravings during her pregnancy, just aversions to specific foods and drinks...namely coffee. But in the last few weeks she'd been very interested in chicken salad, so he replicated some for her, along with potato chips and fresh bread. Once he'd made her a sandwich, he placed it along with a bowl of fruit and a large glass of lemonade on the table. He made a veggie sandwich for himself and then headed outside. He had collected a lot of branches that had fallen after their last big snow storm, and figured he could work to stack and organize that while Kathryn was gone; and be better able to keep an eye out for her when she came back.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed, but it had to have been over an hour. He tried not to worry, but he also knew that she'd said she'd be back soon. He chewed on the inside of his lip as he continued to work, glancing with increased frequency towards the woods where he'd known she would go.

After another ten or fifteen minutes he decided to go and look for her, hoping against hope that she wouldn't be mad for his meddling.

There was no sign of her near the river, so he continued on to where the trees began to grow closer together as the forest grew dense farther inland.

"Kathryn?" He called, not too loudly, since he didn't want to startle her.

"Chakotay!" He heard her call, farther in the woods where the terrain rose uphill. He moved off in that direction, and as the path turned and she came into view, he exploded into a sprint.

She lay on her back, her ankle hooked in the 'v' of a tree, perhaps two feet off the ground. It was bent at an angle that made him want to be sick, and her face was pale. He was at her side in an instant, "Kathryn, talk to me. What hurts? Are you alright?" He checked her for any bleeding, cautiously laying a hand on her stomach, sighing when he felt movement.

She groaned, taking his hand, "I lost my balance and fell," her brow was furrowed and she was sweating, "I thought I heard the primate, and I spun to look for him, and I fell. I'm positive my ankle is broken, but I think the babies are okay."

Chakotay nodded, sliding his arms behind her shoulders and under her knees, lifting her gently. Even with the weight of both babies, he easily picked her up, careful to dislodge her ankle. She hissed in pain as it came free and blood rushed to it. She remained quiet, pressing her forehead into his neck as he moved them quickly back towards the house.

"If you say 'I told you so' I'll bust you down to crewman," she finally spoke softly, eliciting a quiet chuckle from Chakotay. He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze as they emerged from the trees. Kathryn sighed as the cabin came into view. "I'm sorry I snapped at you earlier."

"Kathryn, you don't have anything to apologize for. It was my fault, but we don't have to talk about it now. Let's get you inside and fixed up, alright? I love you so much." He turned and pressed a kiss into her hair.

His voice was a soothing balm and although her ankle was screaming at her, she could feel her heart rate normalizing and her adrenaline waning, leaving a heavy fatigue in its place.

He pushed the door open with his foot and turned carefully to enter the house sideways to avoid bumping Kathryn's ankle. He moved to the bed and set her down gently. She felt pressure in her back from the weight of the babies on it for so long, but knew that until her ankle was mended, she'd have to deal with the added discomfort.

Chakotay worked quickly and efficiently, using the osteogenic stimulator, carefully mending her fractured bones back together. Once the device beeped, indicating the task was complete, Chakotay moved to the replicator, asking for an elastic bandage and clips. He wrapped her ankle tightly, securing the band before stacking several pillows to lay her ankle on. It was still quite swollen, but time and keeping it elevated would help the dermal regenerator in its work.

Kathryn sighed as she sank into the pillows and blankets of the bed, relief flooding through her body as Chakotay pressed a pain relieving hypospray to her neck. She was about to argue that she'd rather save it, since they had limited cartridges, but as the pain washed away, she didn't have it in her to complain.

Chakotay scanned her with the tricorder, relieved when it determined that both babies were still healthy and uninjured; it had been very lucky that she'd fallen on her back. "Do you think you can sit up? I can give you a backrub."

Kathryn sighed, pushing herself up, "I'm okay now." She looked up at him, feeling tears of frustration and relief threaten to spill over. Chakotay saw her bottom lip quiver and knew she was lost. Kneeling beside her on the bed, he pulled her into his arms, sighing himself at the feel of her arms wrapping around him.

"Shhh, it's okay. You're okay. The babies are okay." he rocked her gently, his movements limited by their position and the way they were seated. "It's okay, Kathryn."

She cried quietly into his shirt, taking great comfort in the fact that he was there for her, like he always was. He was there for her because she needed him. This whole process of being stranded here and being pregnant was humbling, making Kathryn realize that she couldn't do everything she wanted to, when she wanted to. Taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly, chuckling as the last bit of air escaped. "Thank you."

Chakotay pulled her tighter, "I love you Kathryn. I'm sorry that I made you feel like you can't do things."

"But that's just it," she sniffled, pulling back to see his face, "I can't do everything. Right now I can't even stand up without your help. I was resentful of that fact and I took it out on you." She pressed her palm against his cheek, "I'm sorry for that, and I wouldn't be able to do this without you. I do know that, and as much as I hate some of it, I accept it."

Chakotay leaned in to press his forehead against hers, "I know how much you hate not being able to do things when and how you want to, even if it's tying your shoes or standing up when you want to." He rested his hand gently on her stomach, "But before you know it the babies will be here, and it will all be worth it. And I promise that I won't hover so much, if you promise to ask for help when you need it."

"Aye, aye Commander."

=/\=

Once the majority of her pain was gone, Chakotay brought out a tray with their lunch and he sat in bed with her while they ate. Kathryn still felt pressure in her back, but it wasn't unbearable, so she denied another hypospray when Chakotay offered it. She was sure her tailbone would be sore for a few days. She had fallen hard. Just knowing the babies were alright was consolation enough and she could deal with a little discomfort.

Chakotay kept to his word, and over the next few days, he allowed her to struggle to do things on her own, though he did make her a walking stick of sorts that would help her push or pull herself into a standing position from wherever she happened to be sitting. He was always near, in case she needed help, but as hard as it was for him, he waited for her to ask for help.

Over the next week, Kathryn spent the majority of her time in bed or her rocking chair. The ache in her back didn't go away, but was greatly lessened by the twice and sometimes thrice daily back massages that Chakotay insisted upon.

Sleeping was a little easier, though she woke up more than she would have cared to to change positions, it was easier for her to fall back asleep. If her fidgeting woke Chakotay during the night, he never said anything, and she was grateful for that. She had a feeling that he'd slept through it, because his concerned nature would have caused him to ask her about it, and she hoped at least one of them was getting solid sleep before the babies came.

And so their lives went on for another week. The weather turned a bit warmer, and on a few occasions they opened the windows to let the spring breeze into the house. Chakotay brought his wood working inside so he could be available if Kathryn needed him, but she mostly stayed in bed working on her knitting or reading.

Part of her felt lazy, but the pain in her lower back hadn't subsided, and for the last few mornings she had felt crampy and listless. Scans with the medical tricorder said everything was fine, so she carried on, knowing that she could put up with a few more weeks in bed if it meant the babies would be born healthy.