Disclaimer: See chapter one. As usual I do not own these characters, I just play with them now and again.
The Search
The Voyagers swarmed through Starfleet Admiralty having been called upon by their former Captain, Kathryn Janeway from Fleet Admirals office, thus they were all given full security rights according to their ranks and given specific areas to search according to their former duties abroad Voyager. They went searching every room they came across within their designated areas, discovering a lot more than they were expecting. As noted by Ensigns Jenkins and Harper.
"Oh sorry, Sir!" Jenkins said having opened the door to find a male and female in a rather compromising position, within the large plush office. She and Harper quickly explained their presence with deadpan faces and then beat a hasty retreat.
"Well I suppose it tells us they're human like the rest of us," noted Harper grinning.
"With or without the uniform?!" Jenkins quipped. The pair laughed heartily as they moved on to the next office down the corridor they'd been given. They entered the next one a little more cautiously, but both the ante-room and main office were empty.
"Better check the consoles as ordered," Jenkins said, moving across to the main desk. Using her tricorder she scanned the computer interface. The last two empty offices had not been very promising, but this one was different. "Well that's a turn up for the books," she commented, drawing Harper to her side from where she'd been checking the Aide's desk.
"What have you found?" she asked joining her. "Interesting," exchanging a look with her, as Jenkins downloaded the information and sent it to Voyager's main archive.
#Download complete and stored. Tricorder information erased# the computer informed them.
"Right next one," Jenkins said, pocketing her tricorder. The pair left the office as they'd found it, including the open active interface console, with the file headed, 'SID'.
=/\=
Ensigns Molina and Michael Parsons were searching a different section of Admiralty one that was suited to their former roles on Voyager that of security; each had with them a member of the Fleet Admiral's security staff, so their presence went unchallenged for the most part. That worried their Admiralty partners, thus they made note of which sections challenged them and which didn't, as the foursome worked each of the mostly underground areas of Admiralty security and operations area.
At an inter-junction of three corridors they paused to get their bearings.
"Do you know what is down there?" Molina asked his partner, pointing to the one on their right.
"Negative," the Vulcan responded.
"Any reason we cannot look?" Parsons enquired, his tricorder checking the semi-dark quiet corridor. The human male of the pair just shrugged his shoulders; thus the four quietly and cautiously stepped forward. Suddenly a door opened down near the end of the corridor and a sound assaulted their eardrums, making the two from Voyager smile.
"I think we've found the Klingon lungs!" Molina said quietly amused, and tried his comm.-badge. "Nothing," getting no sound from the device.
"Dampening field," whispered Parsons, watching the person at the open door stare at them.
"I suggest we back away," said the Vulcan. "Apologies, Sir. Just showing our new recruits the area." They all moved away back to the inter-junction so they were out of sight of the high ranking male.
=/\=Admiral Nechayev=/\= the Vulcan male called via his comm.-badge. "We've discovered them, Sir."
=/\=Understood=/\=
The sound of the crying child could still be heard as they waited for Fleet Admiral Nechayev to join them.
=/\=
Paris household was a hive of activity as the crew that were not of the right rank for security clearance for Admiralty, were in residence, awaiting the outcome of the Search and keeping Torres occupied with catering for them all as host. Tom and Owen kept in touch with USS Enterprise via the still jury rigged comm.-system and had been surprised to learn that even they had not been able to contact Nechayev directly, but had to go through Hayes instead.
"Someone appears to have covered all their bases," Tom said using a 20th century baseball term.
"So it would seem," his father agreed.
"Except for the fact that they transported Miral as well."
"Well it will serve them right!" snapped B'Elanna bringing in some refreshments.
"You mean their eardrums!" Julia Paris said with a grin, having been on the receiving end of Miral's very vocal lungs at full capacity; giving her daughter-in-law a big smile. The younger woman's smile broadened from a sour one to a full blown gleeful grin.
=/\=Paris the Klingon lungs have been discovered=/\= reported Picard.
"Her protector?" Owen questioned in return.
"Not known. Yet," he added, quietly.
As they couldn't be sure if anyone was listening in to their communiques they'd resorted to part coded messages rather than full details, sentences and names. Tom moved to his wife's side and put his arm around her, his actions saying what his words may not have done to calm and comfort her; as he knew this waiting game was playing havoc with her temper and sense of justice. She was an action woman, wanting to get out there and search herself or more accurately tear the place apart with her bare hands, he thought to himself. So he whispered something in her ear that made her smile, accepting his closeness and love. His parents shared a glance with each other realising that this pair were right for each other and very much in love together. They'd both thought at first, when they'd met B'Elanna Torres that she wasn't suitable for their son, but this young man was not the boy who'd left Starfleet in disgrace, joined the Maquis, got caught, sentenced and then lost on Voyager all that time ago; this was a Paris through and through, and they were proud of him - their Son and new Daughter.
Activity at the main door brought their attention to that area, expressions hopeful, but it was only Ensigns Jenkins and Harper having completed their search area. The pair like the rest of the crew, were in their Voyager styled uniforms as it'd been decided to recreate their time in the Delta Quadrant for the next day's Prixin party, to talk about the Journey. Harry Kim joined his friends in the Admiral's study, his still youthful face open with his worry, although it was obvious that he was trying valiantly to hide it. Paris and Torres grinned at him relaxing the tension in their own bodies.
The sound of the outer door chime had them all tensing up again.
"Counsellor Troi!" exclaimed Jenkins, who'd answered the door.
"Is there somewhere quiet we could go?" the woman asked gently, into the hush that had settled on the Voyagers at the sight of her companion and his charge. Julia motioned her into the study and quietly shut the door. All were shocked at the sight of the clearly shaken tattooed male, who still cradled Miral - a very silent baby Miral, in his arms. B'Elanna was going to come and take her daughter, but the Betazoid just shook her head, helping her charge to the sofa and sat down beside him.
"Bottle?" she asked, looking up at the two young males standing together. Tom explained to Harry where to find it. Kim nodded and left the room. They noted that Chakotay's little finger was in Miral's mouth and she was sucking on it, which appeared to have a calming effect on the shaken male, whilst Deanna just quietly talked to him, his head bowed over Miral, his whole frame shaking. When Harry returned with the warmed bottle, Torres took it from him and sat the other side of her friend and held it out to him.
"Chakotay?" she questioned softly, upset at seeing him like this. There had only been one other time that she could recall with any clarity when he'd been this rattled; when he looked up at her, a question in those dark wary eyes; she felt a jolt of concern at seeing it again now in those dark orbs, it gave her pause, wondering at its cause. But right now there were more pressing needs to be dealt with. "Miral's feed," she said gently, holding the bottle a little higher, so it was in his sight. Gently he pulled his finger out of her mouth, an action that had the little girl frowning grumpily, opening her mouth as if to start exercising her lungs again, so he quickly took the bottle and placed it into her mouth. Everyone breathed relieved when she started to suck on it. B'Elanna found herself gently rubbing his back in comforting circles, trying to ease the tremors that shook his semi hunched body. Slowly he relaxed watching Miral feed hungrily from the bottle, and the gentle actions of both the females either side of him.
The clatter of the comm.-system startled them all, rousing Owen to answer the call.
"Paris," he said, breathing deep to centre himself.
=/\=Picard. Counsellor Troi has orders from Admiral Nechayev, to stay as long as required.=/\= The silent pause was very telling. "Riker and I will join you at Prixin soon." =/\=Picard out=/\=
=/\=
NB: from Author. Two chapters in one week, looks like I'm on the roll!
