Disclaimer: Voyager belongs to Paramount, as we are the
minions who write the fanfiction, which hurts no one at all…
Note: This story takes place…oh,
say before Captain's table, but directly after Kathryn Janeway was found on Zingara
by Voyager. You know…before she gets to tell her story. ;)
Family
By Manda (Mizuno Ami)
The Doctor had ordered bed rest – claiming that my
injuries and ordeal had visably weakened me in both the emotional and physical
senses- and, surprising him, I had accepted those orders, retreating to my
cabin without further comment.
But happenings such as those were not to be so simply
sloughed off as if they had never occurred.
I was clear on that, knowing and expecting to hear from one or many of
the crew within the next few hours. Examining my skin grafts, fingers
tenatively combing through the oddly comforting shortness of my hair- only
hours prior had I been wishing so desperately for a haircut, and clean
clothing…now having both, I sat in pajama pants and shirt of yielding navy
silk, and found that there was
something…missing, somehow. Something unfair about jumping into luxury from
poverty and hardship…and abandoning my crew…
We've elected you captain of Voyager.
Those fine people. Wonderful, clever, allowing me out of a Pledge
without really having to- turning their peculiar way of command into something
useful and helpful as a new world was developing beneath them. I'd helped in building a world, or starting
to, and they'd simply let me go…despite the light kick- despite my rash actions
which very well could have cost them their lives. A captain could have no better crew than that. Not with that
degree of selflessness and honor.
Chakotay to Captain Janeway.
Ah-ha. Chakotay would have to be the first.
"Janeway here." I ached, for one moment, to hear 'Kay', to respond with
'Kay' rather than never again hear it on the lips of my crew…or my best friend.
To feel his acceptance at my decision which had almost lost me, permanently, to
another ship. There was no way to
convey to him the confidence I had, the knowledge that from what I had seen,
our ship could survive without me. That like it or not, I was
expendable.
"Captain, could you meet me in my quarters? There's
something I think you need to see."
Mystery swathed his words, piquing my curiousity in the slighest
manner. When they'd found me, no one had been happier than he- yet now I heard
nothing of that elation and assumed that he wanted to talk.- which was
likely an idea born of the Doctor, who knew I was more than apt to open up to a
close friend.
I changed into uniform, heading down the corridor with
the confidence that I knew what he would say, could hypothesize what he wanted
to say, entering the cabin to darkness, light, and a rousing 'Welcome home!'
And it really was home, missing rocking chairs
by the fireplace and an irish setter at my feet- but surrounding me with
family…and I had no other wish for home than that.
"Is this what you wanted to show me, Commander?" I
cornered him, later, smiling coyly at his raised eyebrow and pleased
expression.
"Yes, Captain."
"Well, then…it's nothing I haven't seen before." I
murmured, eyes taking in the crowd of senior officers with one sweep before my
smile settled into one of contentment. "I see family…and all that's new to me
is the realization that I've always seen them, but I've never truly let
it set in."
My family.
-Fin-
