Summary: Sam and
Naomi Wildman bring Icheb into their family as they wait for Starfleet
Command to decide their futures.
Waiting
Copyright September 2001
by Mary S.
Naomi Wildman stood in the middle
of the quarters she had shared all her life with her mother, Samantha.
They weren't just quarters but home – the only one she had ever known.
All this talk of 'getting home', she thought. It had been a recurring theme
for as long as she could remember, a constant goal never to be forgotten
or pushed aside, the ultimate answer to all their troubles. "When we get
home…." her mother would say wistfully, and go on to talk of something
or someone that meant very little to Naomi. Once or twice she'd had to
remind her mom that she was home. Voyager was not only her birthplace
but where she wanted to be. The only people who seemed to have the slightest
inkling of how she felt were Seven of Nine and Icheb. Two ex-Borg drones
now trying to regain their individuality. At least she didn't have that
problem on top of everything else.
And now, here they were – suddenly
in orbit around a blue and green planet, which looked, in Naomi's opinion
anyway, just like a lot of other planets she had seen in her short life.
Everyone was running around excited and disorganized saying wasn't it wonderful
to be home! No one seemed to remember that it wasn't her home. She
surveyed the piles on the floor – all their possessions, sorted into what
they were keeping and what they would recycle. Several large storage containers
were stacked along one wall. She was supposed to be packing her things,
but she just couldn't bring herself to start. Somehow, she felt that if
she did, she would be abandoning her whole life – all that she'd ever known
and done.
She sighed heavily and stared
out the viewport, wishing Neelix was still with them. She missed him desperately,
although she was glad he had made a new life with his own people. He had
always found a way to make her feel better when she was upset about something.
She tried to think what he might say to her now, but her brain couldn't
get past the misery that she felt right down to her toes.
She heard the door hiss open.
"Naomi," called her mother.
"How are you getting on….?" Samantha's voice trailed off as she came into
the room and saw the piles just as she had left them an hour before. She
stared at her daughter.
"Sweetheart, we have to get
this done! We're supposed to be moving in three hours and you haven't even
started! Come on! We can't be late!"
Samantha lifted down a container
as she spoke and began to fill it from one of the piles – her clothes as
it happened. Naomi picked her way to her side reluctantly.
"Mom, do we really have to go?
I mean, couldn't we stay here for just another day or so?"
Samantha stared at her in shock.
"Naomi! No, we can't! Starfleet has ordered all personnel off the ship
by 1500 hours today, and it's already 1100. Besides, I can't wait to actually
set foot on Earth! It's been so long!" She was grinning in anticipation.
"So many times, I wondered if we'd ever see home again – and here we are!
As if we popped out of a bottle!" She finished the first container, tagged
it, and pulled down the next.
"Mom," said Naomi softly, trying
not to whine. "I…..don't want to go."
"Sweetheart, we have to. Besides,
you'll like it, really you will. And you know what? I forgot to tell you
in all the excitement. Icheb is coming with us!"
"He is?!"
"Yes. I've just come from a
meeting with Captain Janeway. She asked me if I would look after him for
a while until his admission to the Academy is sorted out. We came home
so fast, you see, that we caught Starfleet quite by surprise. They haven't
had time to notify any of the families yet, or to decide when Icheb can
be admitted."
"You mean my father isn't here?"
"No, darling, he's not. But
I'm sure he will be soon."
"Where is he?"
"I don't know exactly. I was
told he's on some sort of diplomatic mission, but that was all I could
get from Command. They're very busy." Sam's voice held a wistful note,
and she looked away, trying to hold back sudden tears. She had been upset,
if not entirely surprised, to learn that her husband, Greskrendtregk, was
not on Earth.
Voyager's sudden, spectacular
return to Earth had caught officialdom quite off guard, and these first
few days, the bureaucrats were scrambling to get all the paperwork completed
to allow the crew to disembark. The ship to be put in drydock, families
notified, housing organized – the list went on and on. As well, command
decisions had to be made, and made fast, about the various fates of the
Maquis, the former Borg drones, and the holographic doctor. The captain
was doing her best to help Starfleet Command sort
through the complicated relationships that had formed, so that disruption
of the crew could be kept to a minimum. Maquis and Starfleet – forced together
in desperation, now inseparably intertwined, a hologram who had far exceeded
his programming, attaining sentience in the process, two ex-drones both
well on their way to achieving their individuality, to the point where
one was involved in a serious romance with the former Maquis captain.
Then there was poor Icheb, whose
feelings had been badly hurt when Seven unceremoniously brushed him aside
in her almost indecent haste to unite with Chakotay. And buried deep down,
where she could pretend to ignore them, were Janeway's own unresolved feelings
about her first officer.
Samantha had seen a look of
misery flash across the captain's face, just for the merest second, when
the latter mentioned that she didn't know what to do about Icheb, now that
he and Seven had apparently come to a parting of the ways. But it had been
enough for Sam to know that the captain was hurting a lot more than she
would ever admit. On impulse, and in an effort to help in any way she could,
she had volunteered to take Icheb with her until his future could be decided.
Janeway had thanked her gratefully.
Naomi's voice broke into her
thoughts. "I'm glad Icheb is coming with us. Then it won't be quite so
lonely." She picked up her old, ragged Flotter and popped him into the
container, feeling a little happier. "Maybe if we can get finished here,
we can help him pack. Okay, Mom?"
"Sure. Actually, that reminds
me. I better talk to the doctor, find out just what he needs….."
Three hours later, the Wildmans
and Icheb stood on the transporter platform. Somewhat surprisingly, Seven
was there to see them off. The farewell was more than a little strained
and Samantha wasted no time in requesting transport. She knew Icheb was
upset enough as it was, no thanks to Seven, and didn't want him to suffer
anymore than he already had. Naomi, unhappy to be leaving Voyager for good,
wasn't any better. Best to get both her charges into their new quarters,
where they would have lots of distractions. Suddenly, she couldn't wait
to get off the ship.
=^= =^= =^=
=^= =^= =^=
Over two weeks passed with nothing
beyond vague, meaningless words of reassurance from various staff at Starfleet
Command. Try as she might, Sam could not get any fresh news either on her
husband's whereabouts or when they might expect to see him. The situation
on other fronts was no better. There had been no further word from the
Academy regarding Icheb – for the moment he was in limbo. As well, she
had no idea if she could expect leave and for how long. Personnel were
being particularly obtuse, and Samantha, normally a gentle, mild-mannered
woman, was becoming quite annoyed.
Finally the call she had been
hoping for came from the Federation Diplomatic Office. Greskrendtregk was
presently located on the other side of the quadrant, assisting 'fleet diplomats
in delicate negotiations with a strategically–placed neutral planet. Talks
were at a critical point. His presence was regarded as essential for the
team's success. In short, no matter how urgent the reason, he couldn't
leave for several weeks at the very least. Sam tried to be philosophical
– after all, she explained to Naomi, he had waited for them for seven years.
Surely, another month or two wouldn't kill them. Naomi, nervous about meeting
her father, was both impatient and relieved at the same time.
A day later, an aide to Admiral
Muir contacted Sam to inform her that a Board of Review would be examining
the ship's logs and interrogating the crew about their experiences in the
Delta Quadrant. She was scheduled to testify the following Monday at 0900
and could expect to be questioned for two to three weeks, possibly longer.
She was to bring with her all her official logs, as well as such personal
ones as were relevant to ship's operations, plus copies of her reports.
Sam spent the intervening days
ensuring that all her logs and records were couched in official Starfleet
prose, and were as detailed and up-to-date as possible. While she was occupied,
Naomi and Icheb were left pretty much to their own devices. Trying to find
some way to keep themselves occupied, Icheb suggested they resume her lessons.
Although at first Naomi scorned the idea as boring, he was quick to point
out that they could include exploring their surroundings, under the heading
of geography, as part of her curriculum. Suddenly, she was much more enthusiastic,
and with Sam's cautious approval, the two set off.
Each morning they headed out
after breakfast to spend the day discovering a different part of San Francisco
and the surrounding area. They made an unusual pair, even in that cosmopolitan
city. Although Naomi was big for a six-year-old, she looked quite diminutive
next to tall, thin Icheb. Her sprightly manner was a complete contrast
to his grave, slightly pedantic air. More than one passerby stopped to
watch the child with waist-length red hair chattering away to the solemn
young man beside her, at times grasping his hand to tug him along at a
faster pace.
They climbed up one side and
down the other of Russian Hill, meandered along the preserved area of the
Embarcadero and Fisherman's Wharf, and took a tour out to Alcatraz. Another
day, they walked across the Golden Gate Bridge and back, and on still another,
they boarded the local hoverbus for the coast, in order to stroll along
the beach and admire the long rolling waves which had crossed the Pacific
Ocean unbroken by any land. By the end of a week, both were feeling quite
at home in the Bay Area and were missing Voyager far less than they would
have believed possible.
Sam, meanwhile, was spending
hour after hour at the end of a boardroom table facing a whole flock of
admirals. She was doing her best to answer all their questions, but some
of them were just downright silly. As the days wore on, she tried to keep
her voice calm and even, but she knew that once or twice, her irritation
had slipped through. There were a lot of questions about Neelix and the
role he had played on the ship and, in particular, in her life. Then there
were the ones about the captain and commander – did she know if they had
indulged in a personal relationship? The admiral asking that one got a
very hard stare and a dignified "no, I do not" in reply. As if realizing
they were pushing her close to insubordination, they backed off and asked
no more about her commanding officers.
By the end of each day, she
was exhausted and able only to eat a bit of dinner and collapse into bed.
Knowing that Naomi and Icheb were keeping each other well entertained was
a great relief to her. More than ever, she blessed the impulse that had
made her take him under her wing. He was repaying her casual kindness a
hundred times over.
Then, finally, it was over.
The board announced that it had no more questions at the present time,
although she was advised to keep herself available in San Francisco. Sam
stood at attention, nodding her head obediently. She missed half of what
the admiral was saying. All she wanted at that point was to get out of
there – the sooner the better.
She strolled out into the sunshine
and looked around, able for the first time to just enjoy being home. On
impulse, she tapped her commbadge.
"Wildman to Naomi Wildman."
"Naomi here. Hi Mom! Are you
finished?"
"I am indeed. Where are you?"
"We're back on Fisherman's Wharf,
at pier 39, watching the sea lions."
"Don't move. I'll be there as
quickly as I can. Wildman out."
Naomi and Icheb were quite content
to sit on the pier, watching both the animals and all the different forms
of sentient life strolling by. Even with their large experience of different
species, they were fascinated by the tremendous variety of forms in which
Federation citizens came. They spent a considerable amount of time trying
to guess the name and home planet of each one. Some, like Deltans or Andorians,
were easy. Some, such as Bajorans and Bolians, they already knew.. But
there were so many others, like those green ones over there for example,
about which they had no idea. Sam found them swinging their legs over the
edge of the pier as they debated the possible origin of their latest subject
of scrutiny – what looked like a mobile rock.
"Hi Mom," shouted Naomi. "Over
here!"
As she came up to them, they
both scrambled to their feet.
"Ens….Sa….Samantha," stuttered
Icheb, still uncomfortable using her given name, although she had told
him several times that she wanted him to. "Do you know the name of that
species over there? The one that looks like a moving stone."
Sam turned around to see where
he was pointing, then began to smile. "That's a Horta, Icheb. A very old
race, even for the Alpha Quadrant. They come from Janus VI, and are renowned
for their mining ability. They can eat and digest solid rock. Every fifty
thousand years, they all die except for one. That one looks after the eggs,
caring for them until they hatch, and start the cycle again. You're lucky
to see one. They don't often leave their homeworld. Travel is not easy
for them."
Both young people stared in
awe. Naomi asked the next question. "Are there many more races as strange
as that one?"
"Who knows? 'Strange' is a relative
term, isn't it? I mean, to them, we're the ones who are strange. If you
mean – 'different from us', then yes, there probably are. The Alpha Quadrant
teems with life, all kinds of it."
"More than the Delta Quadrant?"
asked Icheb quickly.
"In some ways, yes, but we didn't
see all the Delta Quadrant, after all. It's hard to make a true comparison."
The boy nodded thoughtfully.
Sam glanced at him, curious.
"Don't you remember from the Collective? Seven could always tell us whether
or not the Borg had ever encountered a species."
"Not since I removed my cortical
node," he replied. "It allowed me to retain all the knowledge I gained
as a Borg. Without it, that knowledge is gradually disappearing."
Sam stopped dead in her tracks.
"Icheb! How do you know?!"
"It's very simple. I can no
longer name all the species which the Borg have assimilated, something
I should be able to do easily. As easily as you can recite the alphabet."
Naomi was intrigued. "Does this
mean that you can't learn anymore because you'll forget it all?"
"No, not at all. I can learn
just as I always have. What it does mean is that the knowledge I acquired
while in the Collective is now disappearing. I do not know how to stop
it."
Remembering Seven's periodic
guilt trips, Sam rather thought this wasn't necessarily a bad thing, and
said as much. "It may be just as well, you know. You can avoid a tremendous
amount of self-recrimination."
"Yes, no doubt you are correct."
He didn't sound too sure.
At that moment, they chanced
upon an ice cream stand, and the discussion was put aside while they each
armed themselves with a large cone. They continued to meander along the
walkway, the conversation wandering into other channels. Finally, at the
foot of Market Street, they found the public transporter and in no time,
were whisked back to their quarters. Sam came to the conclusion that she
had just spent the best two hours since returning to the Alpha Quadrant,
and resolved to do it more often.
As soon as they walked in the
door, Icheb was at the console, but the message light remained irritatingly
dark. Still nothing from the Academy. Although he tried not to show it,
he was starting to get very worried.
=^= =^= =^=
=^= =^= =^=
Another two weeks passed with
no word from either Headquarters or the Academy. Samantha was starting
to wonder if she should enrol Naomi in a regular school. But the uncertainty
of their situation mitigated against it. The girl had been abruptly torn
from the only home she had ever known. Sam didn't want to take the chance
of having to uproot her again. She decided that teaching her at home would
be just as effective and a lot easier, emotionally. Besides, she found
herself thoroughly enjoying her company. On the ship, Sam had always been
on duty for a good portion of each day. So often, she had missed the little
moments, the small accomplishments, of her daughter's life. She felt now
as if she were making up for a lot of lost time.
Naomi and Icheb took Sam on
several tours of the Bay Area, covering their favourite spots. While she
enjoyed the unaccustomed freedom, she was beginning to experience an ominous
feeling of dread, that something dire was about to happen. It took a while
before she realized that for seven years, she had never been able to totally
relax, that in the back of her mind, she knew she always had to be at yellow
alert. She would never have believed how difficult it could be to completely
shut down her 'alarm system', for lack of a better term. She actually discussed
it one evening with Icheb, after Naomi had gone to bed.
"I feel almost silly, you know,"
she began. "I mean, we're perfectly safe here. And yet, I just have this
feeling."
Icheb tilted his head to one
side, analyzing her remark and what his response should be. Sometimes,
Sam could swear she saw the nanoprobes spinning.
"I believe you are experiencing
an autonomic response. After such a long time, your body cannot instantly
make the transition from a state of constant awareness to one of complete
rest. It will take time."
"I realize all that. But it's
been – how long? Over eleven weeks. I should be settled in by now."
"You were in the Delta Quadrant
for seven years, Samantha," he reminded her firmly. "I believe you are
trying too hard to adapt to life here now. Perhaps, if you could be more
patient….."
She sighed. "I guess so. And
it doesn't help that we're existing in a sort of limbo right now, not knowing
what's going to happen. Without even a husband."
"Do you miss him?" Icheb was
curious.
"Just as much as I have for
seven years. In some ways, perhaps, even more, because I had assumed he'd
be here waiting for us. This delay doesn't help."
"I'm sure he is making every
effort to get back as quickly as he can."
"I know he is. And at least
we can communicate now and then – more than once a month, anyway. But it's
not the same as having him here. And I know Naomi is anxious about him.
It's hard on her, wondering what her father is like, hoping he'll like
her, not knowing." She smiled gently and caressed Icheb's hair. "I could
not have managed these last weeks without your help. Whatever the future
holds for us, I want you always to be a part of this family. I've grown
much too fond of you to say goodbye for good."
A very rare smile flitted across
his features. "Thank you, Samantha. I….feel ….the same. Separating from
Voyager and everyone there has been much easier for me than I believed
it would be, thanks to you and Naomi. If your husband agrees, I would like
to remain 'part of the family'."
"He will, don't worry about
that. He's a very kind, giving person." Rather like Commander Chakotay,
she had been about to add, but stopped herself in time. Not a good place
to go right now, she reminded herself. She rose to her feet. "I'm tired.
See you in the morning. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Samantha."
Ten days later, they finally
received a message from Starfleet Command, but it wasn't what either of
them wished to hear. The review board wished to question Icheb about his
experiences, both as a Borg and afterwards, on Voyager. The admiral's aide,
who visited them to make the request in person, was careful to point out
that, as a civilian, Icheb could refuse to say anything, but the board
was anxious to hear his testimony. Would he be agreeable?
He looked to Sam for guidance,
but she just shrugged her shoulders. She couldn't advise him – it had to
be his decision alone. He stared unseeingly for a minute or two, then nodded
his head. The aide thanked him, adding that he could expect to be called
in two days time.
After the man had left, Icheb
turned to Sam for guidance. What would they want to know? Where would he
be questioned – in someone's office, in a courtroom? What would he need
to prepare? He was as nervous as she had ever seen him.
"Icheb," she finally broke into
the barrage of questions. "They won't eat you, I promise!"
"I know, but they could decide
I cannot be admitted to the Academy. Perhaps that is why I haven't heard
anything."
"It's possible, I suppose, although
one should not affect the other. I think that, more likely, the Admissions
office at the Academy is still trying to work through your rather unorthodox
education. It's hard for them, you know. They've never had a former drone
apply before. I honestly think they're not quite sure what to do. Give
them time."
He took a deep breath, obviously
forcing himself to relax. "You're right, of course. I should not let my
fears colour my perception of reality."
"That's it. Now, let's go out
for a while and find some ice cream. I think we all need it."
She retrieved Naomi, who had
been trying to remain quiet despite her own questions and concerns, and
they all headed out to spend a day down on Fisherman's Wharf – a spot which
they had mutually decided was their favourite.
Two days later, at 0900, Icheb
presented himself in front of the Board of Review. He held himself well
in check, determined to show no outward sign of nervousness. His calm demeanour
and grave air made him seem much older than he actually was, a fact that
was brought home to the board when the first admiral began to question
him in depth about his relationship to Seven of Nine.
"Mr. Icheb," began the man in
a cold voice. "I would like you to explain, in full detail, your connection
with the other drones on board the ship. Were you relaying orders from
the Collective to Seven of Nine? Did you plan to assimilate the crew? What
about the drones who were brought on board with you? What happened to them?
Where are they now? Are you still part of the Collective at this time?
Can you hear their thoughts?"
Icheb sat silent under the torrent,
stunned not only by the number of questions, but the man's obviously hostile
attitude. He didn't know that this particular admiral had lost his only
son and daughter-in-law at the Battle of Wolf 359. Even though years had
passed since that massacre, and the admiral had honestly believed he had
overcome his feelings of hatred and revenge, the actual sight of a drone,
even an ex-drone, served to revive his revulsion. It was all he could do
to remain in the same room.
Admiral Muir, aware of the circumstances
and chastising himself for allowing the man to sit on the panel, leaned
forward to reassure the young man. "Icheb, if you could answer the questions,
please. Take your time."
The latter pulled himself together.
"Yes, Admiral." He began the tale – of how he had been sent by his own
family to infect the Borg with a deadly pathogen, his eventual rescue by
Voyager with four others from the infected cube, how he had been reunited
with his parents only to have them send him back to the Borg as soon as
Voyager was gone. For over an hour, he continued the story. How the ship's
crew had rescued him a second time, how Seven, in particular, had acted
as his mentor, teaching him how to regain his individuality as she had
regained hers. And how he had repaid her by donating his cortical node
when hers had failed beyond repair, thereby saving her life. By the time
he finished, the entire board was sitting perfectly still, mesmerized by
his astonishing narrative.
Admiral Muir was the first to
recover in the silence that followed. "I….I honestly don't know what to
say. Young man, I have seen some amazing things in my life, heard about
even more, but your experiences leave me stupefied! Quite stupefied!" He
paused to draw breath. "I'm sure there are more questions to be asked,"
there was a general nodding of heads, "but I think we can get to those
later. For now, you're free to leave, but I would like to see you back
here tomorrow morning. Agreed?"
"Yes, sir," replied Icheb, relieved
to be allowed to go so soon. "I'll be here."
"Excellent. The board is now
in recess."
Everyone rose, chatter breaking
out as they began to move towards the exit. Icheb hesitated, unsure just
what he should do next. To his surprise, the first admiral, whose name
he'd learned was Perkins, came toward him with a warm smile on his face.
"I would like to apologize for
being so rude to you earlier on. I….it's a long story. I hope you can forgive
me."
Icheb was genuinely surprised.
"Yes, sir, of course."
"Are you busy now, or would
you care to join me for lunch? I'd like very much to hear more about your
people. The Brunali, is that correct?"
"Yes, it is. Thank you, I would
like that."
"Excellent. Come this way."
The two headed out the door,
as Muir watched, relieved. Like everyone else, he had been far more moved
by Icheb's story than he had let on. Aware of his hopes, he resolved to
light a fire under the Admissions office of the Academy. They would be
completely insane to let such a promising candidate get away.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
While Icheb was testifying before
the board, Samantha decided now was a good time to fulfil a promise she
had made to an old friend. Along with Neelix, Joe Carey had been one of
her closest friends on the ship. His death had hit her hard, especially
in light of their return to the Alpha Quadrant so soon afterwards.
Several years earlier, right
after the altercation with the Hirogen when she and Naomi had come very
close to dying, she and Joe had promised each other that in the event of
the death of one of them, the survivor would visit the other's widowed
spouse.
She remembered the evening well.
They had enjoyed a quiet dinner, as they often did, and Joe had read to
Naomi until the child finally fell asleep. Neelix had popped in for a while
and the three had chatted about several random topics, staying away from
discussing the terrible abuses they had suffered. After he had left, Joe
and Samantha had fallen silent, each lost in thought, trying to come to
terms with all that had happened. It was then that Joe had voiced his idea.
She never knew what prompted it, although she could guess. It made sense,
and she had agreed at once.
As the years passed, and it
seemed more and more sure that Voyager would return to the Alpha Quadrant,
their promise had been put aside, not forgotten precisely, but not likely
to be needed.
And then, suddenly, he was gone.
No goodbyes, no last words for his family – just gone in a burst of phaser-fire.
Sam recalled all too well the
first paralyzing horror she had felt when she heard the news. She kept
thinking there must have been a mistake, that it couldn't have been Joe,
not after all this time. Only when she actually saw his body in sickbay
was she able to accept that it was true. Joe wouldn't make it home. And
she had a promise to honour.
After considerable effort, Sam
located Sarah Carey and her sons, Hunter and Joey, in an older part of
Los Angeles. At first, she was hard-pressed to recognize her. The woman
on the screen bore little resemblance to the laughing figure in Joe's holoimage.
That person had been full of life and joy, her pride in her handsome family
evident. This sad, bitter creature staring at her couldn't be the same
person, could she?
She repeated her question. "Are
you Sarah Carey, Joe's widow?"
The woman nodded, unsmiling.
"Yes," she replied shortly. "Who are you?"
Sam took a deep breath – this
wasn't going to be easy. "My name is Samantha Wildman. I served with Joe
on Voyager. He and I were friends, good friends. I was hoping I might be
able to visit you."
She tried to sound friendly,
but the other woman wasn't giving an inch.
"Why?"
"It was something Joe asked
me to do, if anything ever happened to him. I promised him I would try
to find you. He made the same promise to me, to contact my husband if I
didn't get home."
Sam saw Sarah relax slightly
at the mention of 'husband'. She went on. "When would be a good time for
me to come and see you?"
"Well…..I guess tomorrow would
be okay. It's my day off."
"Good. I'll come by in the morning."
She signed off, wondering what
on earth she was getting into. It struck her that something here did not
add up. Well, whatever it was, she would find out soon enough.
With Naomi in tow, Sam set off
via public transport for Los Angeles shortly after breakfast. She hadn't
planned to bring the child, but had decided that perhaps Naomi could help
break the ice, maybe make conversation a little easier. She also had with
her several holoimages taken over the years on the ship. Possibly Joe's
family would like to have them.
Finding Sarah's place took some
time as they worked their way through a rundown, seedy neighbourhood. Sam
hung onto Naomi's hand tightly as they walked down yet another street littered
with bits of trash, and with several dubious looking characters propped
up in doorways, watching them pass. Finally they came to a four-story apartment
building in need of a coat of paint, and with a few weeds near the door
masquerading as a garden.
They climbed up two flights
of stairs, then down a dimly lit hall to number 304. The door opened before
she could ring the chime. "Ms. Wildman?" asked the woman standing there.
"Yes. I'm Samantha Wildman,
and this is my daughter, Naomi."
"I'm Sarah Carey. Please come
in."
Sam was relieved to find Sarah
somewhat more cordial than the day before. 'Perhaps I caught her by surprise
yesterday', she thought. 'That would explain it. It doesn't look as though
she's had an easy time.'
They followed Sarah into the
living area and sat down. A bouncing puppy tried to climb up on their laps,
before his mistress retrieved him and shut him away in another room. "Sorry,"
she apologized. "He isn't very well trained as yet."
Sam smiled and began. "Thank
you for seeing us. Naomi and I were very fond of Joe. He was a good friend
to both of us. We wanted to meet you, maybe tell you something about his
life on the ship, if you'd like. He talked about you and the boys so much,
I feel as though I know you."
Sarah sat forward stiffly. "I….I'm
sorry, I find this difficult. You see, you and Naomi are the first ones
from the ship to come and visit me."
Samantha was shocked. "You mean
nobody else has come?! Not one?! But – that seems very surprising! I would
have thought Captain Janeway would have been in touch….." Her voice trailed
off at the look of anger transforming Sarah's face.
"Don't speak that woman's name
to me! It's all her fault!"
"I'm sorry, I don't understand."
Sam was very puzzled, but tried to keep her voice calm. Beside her, she
could feel Naomi tense at the fury in Sarah's voice. She put a hand on
her arm, stilling her.
"Surely I don't have to explain
it to you! That woman was responsible for getting you all stuck out there
in the first place! And then, she got my Joe killed!"
"No, that isn't true. I don't
know where you've heard that, but it's not. Granted, it was her decision
to destroy the Caretaker's Array which led to our exile in the Delta Quadrant,
but she was – is – the captain. It was her decision to make. We never questioned
her on that, none of us. Well, almost none of us," amended Sam, remembering
rumblings among the Maquis.
She continued, "And as for the
mission when Joe died? He volunteered to replace Lieutenant Torres. She
was well along in her pregnancy, and the doctor was concerned about her
leading an away mission. Joe said he would go, that it had been too long
since he'd been off the ship anyway, and he wanted a change of scene. I'm
not sure the captain even knew until afterwards that he was on the away
team. Please don't blame her. She felt dreadful, you know. At the funeral
service, she was in tears. I wondered if Commander Chakotay would have
to take over. And the captain is a tough woman, you know. She never cries."
Sarah looked doubtful, but let
the argument go. "Tell me about Joe. How he lived, what he did in his spare
time, what he was like." She bit her lip, fighting back tears, then straightened
her spine. "I have so little of him from the last years of his life. It's
like….being married to a stranger, almost!"
Before Sam could move, Naomi
was at Sarah's side, one hand on her knee. She peered earnestly up into
her face. "You know what I remember best about Joe, Mrs. Carey? Every time
I saw him, he would smile at me. He had such a nice smile, didn't he?"
Sarah stared down at the little
girl in surprise. "Yes, he did," she replied softly. "Did you know him
well?"
"Oh yes, he would often come
and play with me, read me stories – that was his favourite, or just talk
to me about Hunter and Joey. He missed them a lot, you know."
Sam interjected gently. "Joe
often said that being with Naomi made the separation from his own children
a little easier to bear. He would bring her little presents sometimes,
things he'd made when he was off-duty. You remember that beautiful toy
shuttle, Naomi? He spent hours building it for her – said he felt closer
to his boys while he was making it. And when Naomi was still very small,
he would babysit for me every Thursday night so I could have a break, go
out with some of the other crew. He said I shouldn't be expected to spend
all my down time with the baby. He was so kind that way. Sometimes, I wouldn't
even go out, we'd just have dinner and talk instead. He was a very easy
person to talk to."
Sarah nodded wistfully. Now,
Sam could see traces of the woman she had known from Joe's holoimage. She
reached into her bag. "I brought some holoimages from when we were on the
ship. I thought you might like to have them."
The other reached for them eagerly.
"Ohh, these are wonderful! Thank you."
Sam cleared her throat, not
sure if she should broach the topic on her mind, and yet, she figured Joe
would want her to.
"Sarah, I get the feeling that
your life has been pretty hard while we were gone. Harder than it should
have been. Is that right?"
"Perhaps, I don't know." She
sighed heavily. "A little over a year after Voyager disappeared, Starfleet
suspended the search for her and declared her officially lost. I couldn't
accept that. I couldn't believe that she wasn't out there somewhere, crashed
on a planet maybe, her crew stranded, whatever. If we had known anything,
no matter how awful, maybe I could have dealt with it better. But the uncertainty,
the not knowing – Samantha, you have no idea how that can eat at your soul!
So I kept the search going, using up all the credits I had, and borrowed
more, until finally even I had to stop. We'd never had a lot, but we were
comfortable. Now? Well, we're managing, but credits are tight, you know.
All of Joe's back pay went towards repaying a debt, but it wasn't enough.
I still owe quite a bit." She fell silent for a moment, as if debating
whether to go on, but clearly the need to finally unburden herself to another
adult won out over her reserve.
"I guess, in hindsight, I was
a little foolish. You see, I borrowed a lot, over a hundred thousand credits,
from some rather unscrupulous individuals. When I was late with one repayment….."
she paused. "Well, let's just say they weren't very nice. I know most people
would have given up, but – Samantha! He was my husband, the father of my
boys! I couldn't just abandon him, could I!"
Sam was appalled. "Sarah! That's
dreadful! Hasn't Starfleet helped you at all?!"
"No. They didn't seem very interested.
Told me if I kept searching, it was on my own time and credits. They wouldn't
take any responsibility for it."
"That's outrageous!" Sam was
quite indignant. "Does anyone else know about this?"
"No."
Sam sat lost in thought. "There
must be someone who could do something. Let me think about it." She looked
at her hopefully. "Would you let me tell the captain?"
But Sarah's face closed down.
"No, I don't want her knowing, feeling sorry for me, for us."
"Sarah, she wouldn't, really.
I know she'd want to….." She stopped at the look on the other's face. "All
right, I won't contact her if you would rather I didn't."
"Thank you."
"We have to go now, but I'd
like to see you again. We're sort of at loose ends at the moment, waiting
until my husband can come back."
"I'd like that, yes." Sarah
smiled shyly.
"Good. How about next week?"
She and Naomi rose as she spoke.
"I'll be here."
They reached the door, and Sam
turned. On impulse, she hugged Sarah gently. "Don't worry. Everything will
be all right."
"Thank you, Samantha. And Naomi,
thank you, too. I wasn't sure I wanted to meet you, but I'm so glad I have.
I feel a lot better now."
They waved goodbye, then picked
their way carefully through rubbish-strewn streets back to the transport
station. Both breathed a big sigh of relief once they returned to San Francisco.
As they walked back to their
quarters, Naomi began to talk. "Mom, Mrs. Carey doesn't seem to like the
captain, does she?"
"No, she doesn't. I think she's
wrong, but there isn't too much I can do beyond telling her. I hope, in
time, she'll come to see that."
"She sure doesn't look like
her holoimage, does she?"
"No, and that's sad. She's had
a hard time since we were lost, you know."
"Yeah, she looks a lot older
than I thought she would."
"I think, if we can help her
out, that maybe she'll start to feel better again. And she'll look more
the way she did when we left."
"I hope so." Naomi was distracted
by a welcome sight. "Look! There's Icheb! Come on." She dashed forward,
anxious to hear all about her friend's day and to tell him about hers.
Samantha sighed gratefully. Despite all the ups and downs of their life
in the Delta Quadrant, she was beginning to think she had had an easier
time of it than Sarah Carey.
=^= =^= =^=
=^= =^= =^=
Another seven weeks passed –
much too slowly for Sam, although Naomi was enjoying having her mother's
undivided attention. It had been over five months now since they had returned,
and still her poor husband was stuck way out near the Neutral Zone, or
somewhere anyway. She wasn't even sure where anymore.
Ye gods! How much longer could
these negotiations take, anyway? If these people had been in the Delta
Quadrant, they would have been either assimilated, or blown into a thousand
pieces long ago! Voyager had never had the luxury of prolonged discussions.
It had always been either agree to terms as expediently as possible, or
take off at maximum warp because the alien of the moment was making every
attempt to blow them out of the sector.
Sam was trying very hard to
remember that they were no longer in the Delta Quadrant and that she would
have to reaccustom herself to the Federation way of doing things. But her
patience was wearing thin.
Finally, Icheb finished his
testimony and was dismissed with the proviso that he keep himself available
in case the board wished to question him further. That evening, Sam suggested
they celebrate with a nice dinner at a nearby restaurant. All three had
a most pleasant meal, although Icheb was somewhat stumped by spaghetti
– he asked several times just why Naomi would wish to eat something that
was so messy and difficult to handle.
Naomi, trying rather unsuccessfully
to stop pasta sauce from dripping down her chin, declared it was fun –
and wasn't that reason enough. Icheb shook his head, but refrained from
further argument.
They returned to their quarters
to find a message from Starfleet Command. All three groaned, sure that
it was from the review board with more questions. But they were to be surprised.
An unknown lieutenant addressed them in a pre-recorded message.
"Ensign Samantha Wildman, Naomi
Wildman, Icheb. My name is Lieutenant Anderson, aide to Admiral Cogley,
head of the Institute of Starfleet History at New Stanford University.
As you may have heard, the USS Voyager is to be retired with full honours.
However, in light of its extraordinary journey, the ship will not be scrapped
but will instead be rededicated as a living museum, one in which visitors
can participate in interactive tours of the ship as well as some of the
events which you experienced. To this end, we are asking each member of
the crew to make available to us every scrap of data that he or she is
able to locate. Official logs, reports, personal logs if possible, particular
memories – whatever you can do. We want to make this as detailed and accurate
a representation as possible of what life was like for those seven years
in the Delta Quadrant. We want everyone to know just what an amazing group
of people you are. Starfleet believes that, in this way, we can best honour
all your achievements.
"I will act as the liaison between
the crew and the Institute. If you have any questions, please contact me.
I am looking forward to getting to know all of you individually. Thank
you for your time. Anderson out."
Sam, Naomi and Icheb sat and
stared at each other in stunned silence. It had never occurred to any of
them that the ship might be decommissioned and certainly not that it would
be turned into a museum, living or anything else.
"Mom?" Naomi was the first to
find her voice. "Do we have to tell them everything? I mean like the time
I set the forest on fire in Flotter's program? Or when Neelix got sick
and thought he was in a war and I was hurt? Remember? When we found that
memorial thing? Or how scared I was when you were trapped in that asteroid?
Do we have to tell them all that?" She didn't sound too happy.
"Well, I guess so. That's what
this Lieutenant Anderson says, doesn't he?"
"Ye…yes."
"Don't you want to talk about
those times?"
"No. I only want to talk about
the good times. About playing with Seven and Icheb and Mezoti, and when
the captain let me be her assistant, and stuff like that."
Sam looked at her daughter carefully.
She seemed rather uncomfortable. "Naomi, for most of our journey, you were
the only child on the ship. And I think most people would really like to
know about what you did and how you felt, in the bad times as well as the
good. You were in a very unusual position. Children especially will want
to be able to experience life on Voyager the way you did. They'll want
to know what it was like, growing up as the only child, not having any
friends to play with, all those things. They're going to ask how you felt.
Did you like it? Were you ever scared? Did you have to go to school? All
sorts of things. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
Naomi nodded slowly. "Yeah,
I guess so."
Icheb leaned forward. "I'll
help you, Naomi. After all, we did lots of things together after the others
left. And maybe you could help me, too. I'm not very good at – telling
a story, making it interesting for people. Perhaps you could write it so
it sounds more exciting."
She grinned at him, suddenly
much more enthusiastic. "Sure, I can do that." She turned to her mother.
"When do we start?"
Sam smiled at her eagerness.
"No time like the present. Here, let's each get a PADD. Maybe if we start
with one event and see how each of us remembers it."
"Okay. Which one?"
"How about the Antarean race
when Tom and B'Elanna nearly blew up the second Delta Flyer?"
They continued long into the
night, way past Naomi's bedtime, as one topic led to another. Finally Samantha
happened to catch a glimpse of her chronometer.
"Good heavens, look at what
time it is! Naomi, off to bed at once!"
"But Mom….!"
"No buts! It's my bedtime,
for goodness' sake! Now, off you go, miss. We'll have lots of time to work
on this. We don't have to finish tomorrow, you know."
Icheb rose as well. "Come on,
Naomi. Goodnight, Samantha. See you tomorrow."
"Goodnight, Icheb," called Sam,
gathering up the PADDs. "Sleep well."
=^= =^= =^=
=^= =^= =^=
Another eight weeks went by.
The three had fallen into a routine now. Half the day, usually the mornings,
would be spent on Naomi's lessons. Sometimes, these would take the form
of field trips to one place or another, in which case they might be gone
all day. Samantha and Icheb took turns accompanying Naomi on these outings,
although occasionally, if the trip was to somewhere really significant,
they would both go. On those days when she stayed behind, Sam worked on
her notes and logs, writing official reports on the various projects in
which she had been involved.
By the same token, Icheb spent
all his spare time preparing as if he had been accepted at the Academy.
He was currently involved in a detailed study of the history of the Federation
and all the various worlds and races with which it was comprised.
If their afternoons were free,
they would go off on an expedition somewhere for fun. Once a week, Sam
and Naomi would go to visit Sarah Carey and her sons. Sam had tried unsuccessfully
to get Sarah to bring the boys to San Francisco, but she seemed reluctant
and Sam hadn't pushed the issue.
Evenings were often spent working
on the museum project. All three were amazed by how much their memories
varied when recalling the same incident. PADD after PADD was filled with
their recollections, supplemented by portions of their personal logs. Inevitably,
Seven's name came up often – she had been so close to both Naomi and Icheb.
At first, he seemed to withdraw from the conversation when she was mentioned,
but later, Sam noticed that he seemed much more comfortable talking about
her. 'Thank goodness', she thought. 'He's getting past her.'
And then their lives changed
again. They had all been to Paris that day to tour the great art museum
at the Louvre, and had just come in the door, laughing over Icheb's run-in
with a French waiter at a sidewalk café, when Naomi spotted the
message light on the console flashing.
"Mom," she called. "There's
a message. Shall I open it?"
"Sure," replied Sam from the
bedroom. "I'll be right out."
The girl activated the terminal
to see an admiral's stern face filling the screen. "This is a message for
Icheb formerly of the starship Voyager. I am Admiral Paxton, head of Starfleet
Academy." The man paused for a moment.
"Icheb!" shrieked Naomi. "Come
quick! It's the Academy!"
Icheb scurried out of his room
faster than Naomi had ever seen him move before.
The admiral continued. "I am
pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into the Academy as a
first-year cadet. You will begin your studies in two weeks at the start
of the next term. Report to the Admissions office as soon as possible for
a list of your course requirements, and for your room assignment. Welcome
to the Academy, Cadet. Paxton out."
Sam had come into the room at
Naomi's cry. Now she turned to the boy and hugged him. "Icheb! This is
wonderful news! I'm so pleased for you!"
Naomi jumped up and down excitedly.
"This is great! You can tell me all about it so I'll know what it's like
when I'm old enough to go!"
Icheb stood silently with an
enormous grin covering his face from ear to ear. Suddenly, as if he couldn't
control himself, he grabbed Naomi and swung her around in glee. "It's true!
I'm going to be in Starfleet!"
The others laughed as he set
Naomi back on her feet. Sam had an idea. "Let's have a party – to celebrate!
All your closest friends from the ship! Would you like that?"
"Yes, indeed I would."
Naomi chimed in. "That's a wonderful
idea, Mom! We've hardly seen anyone!"
"I know, dear. It's been so
difficult, with a quarter of our crew imprisoned, the rest scattered who
knows where, and all of us under orders to minimize contact with each other.
But we're past that now, thank goodness." She reached for a PADD. "All
right. To business. We'll start by making a list of who we want to come….."
=^= =^= =^=
=^= =^= =^=
The following morning, Naomi
and Icheb sat working on the latest set of quantum physics problems he
had devised for her, while Sam went about contacting their shipmates. 'Might
as well start with the captain', she thought, composing a short message
to be routed through the Personnel office at Headquarters, and promptly
got a shock when the computer politely informed her that Captain Janeway
had become Admiral Janeway. Her exclamation of surprise caught Naomi's
and Icheb's attention and they quickly moved behind her to see what had
prompted her bemused expression.
Naomi was the first to recover.
"Hey, Mom, that's great! Do you think I can get promoted to Admiral's Assistant?"
Sam chuckled. "I guess you'll
have to ask her, honey. That's a pretty high-ranking position, you know."
Icheb frowned. "Now that we
are on Earth, wouldn't the cap- admiral already have an assistant, possibly
several?"
Naomi looked worried. "You mean
she might not need me anymore? But…" her voice trailed off uncertainly
as once more the realities of their return crashed over her. She turned
away but not before Sam caught the glint of tears.
"Honey," began Sam, "maybe the
admiral does have lots of assistants here on Earth, but she might be willing
to make a special place for you. Don't jump to conclusions until you've
had a chance to talk to her. The captain, uh admiral – this is going to
be hard to get used to – has always had a soft spot for you. Give her a
chance, okay?"
The child nodded, her face clearing,
before turning back to the puzzle of quantum physics.
Sam worked her way down the
list – the Parises, and the baby of course, Commander Chakotay – question
mark, Crewman Tal Celes if she hadn't gone back to Bajor, the doctor –
another question mark. Then there were the Careys. She really wasn't sure
how well they would fit in, simply because inevitably the talk would turn
to the Delta Quadrant. On the other hand, they might enjoy listening to
the personal reminiscences. Well, she would have to think about that. Let's
see, who else? Oh yes, Gerron, mustn't forget him.
That particular friendship had
caught Sam by surprise, she remembered. Icheb and Gerron – on the surface,
it had seemed that the two could have nothing in common. However, when
she'd thought about it, she realized that both were quiet, unassuming individuals
who much preferred to listen to Bajoran fugues or play chess than indulge
in vigorous games or noisy parties.
While she organized her notes,
in the back of her mind, she pondered what to do about Seven
There was no doubt Icheb had
been closest of all to her, but Seven's treatment of him in those last
days before they all were separated had been almost cruel. In her apparent
hurry to take off with Chakotay, she had brushed him aside, as if he were
the merest acquaintance. Sam had gotten to know him pretty well, and she
knew that he had been badly hurt, a lot more than he had let on. No, she
thought, she didn't want Seven around upsetting him again. Which would
mean that she wouldn't be inviting Chakotay either. Oh well, better to
have a smaller guest list than risk more hurt feelings.
Her console beeped with an incoming
message. She activated it to see Admiral Janeway's smiling face.
"Sam! How nice to hear from
you! How are you?"
"I'm well, thank you, Admiral."
Sam grinned at her. "We're all very pleased to hear of your promotion.
Congratulations!"
"Thanks, Sam. That's very kind
of you. Now, how's my assistant? Is she enjoying getting to know her dad?
How does she like Earth?"
"She's fine, and she likes Earth
very well. Unfortunately, my husband hasn't been able to come back yet."
"Not yet?! Good lord, Sam, it's
been seven months! What on earth is he doing?!"
"I wish I knew. The Diplomatic
section is very vague about his activities – they just keep saying he's
involved in delicate negotiations and can't leave. It's getting very frustrating,
as you can imagine."
"I'm sure it is. Would you like
me to see if I can do anything?"
"Certainly, if you wish, Admiral.
I'd be grateful for any help. But that isn't why I called. Icheb has been
accepted into the Academy and I'm having a little party for him next week
to celebrate. We're hoping you can come."
"Oh, that's wonderful! He must
be very pleased! Yes, I'll be there, you can count on it. Can I speak to
him? I'll get Chakotay – he'll want to congratulate him, too."
"The Commander is with you??!"
Sam squeaked, utterly astonished.
"Yes," grinned Janeway almost
smugly. "He and I – well, we found our way to each other, Sam. And I'm
very happy. I know he is, too."
Sam stared at her, then shook
her head, a smile breaking across her face. "That's great, Admiral, just
great! I am really, really happy to hear that! Please tell him that I hope
he will come, too. I'll fetch Icheb."
While the latter was exchanging
greetings and congratulations with the admiral and commander, Sam went
to fill in Naomi on the latest news. Quantum physics was pushed aside as
they speculated about what could have possibly happened with Seven.
"You know what, Mom? Maybe they
just couldn't find much to do together, away from the ship, I mean. Do
you think that was it?"
"Could be, honey. I guess we'll
never know."
"I hope she's all right," murmured
Naomi. "She's still my friend. Even though she was mean to Icheb, I don't
think she meant to be. Do you think we'll ever see her again?"
"I don't know, maybe."
"I hope so."
They were interrupted by Icheb,
who came in to say that the admiral needed to know the day and time of
the party.
Sam was kept busy the rest of
the morning talking to various members of the crew. The only one who refused
was Sarah Carey, who stated bluntly that she just couldn't feel comfortable
yet around Voyager's crew. She hoped Sam would understand. The latter had
nodded her head and promised to see her the following week as they had
scheduled.
By lunchtime, plans for the
party were finalized and Sam was able to spend a pleasant afternoon with
Naomi and Icheb, enjoying a stroll through Golden Gate Park.
=^= =^= =^=
=^= =^= =^=
By the evening of the appointed
day, Naomi was nearly bouncing off the walls with anticipation. Sam called
her several times to come and help with various preparations, but the child
was too excited to concentrate on how to set out the assorted hors d'oeuvres
and delicacies which Sam had replicated.
"Naomi!" she finally shouted
in exasperation. "They're not going to get here any faster because you
have your nose glued to the window!"
"I know, Mom, it's just I want
to see them so badly!"
Sam shook her head in defeat.
"You've missed them a lot, haven't you?"
"Yes, I …..Mom! They're here!"
She flew to the door, yanking it open, and tore out to throw her arms around
Kathryn Janeway in a big hug.
"Captain! Oops! – I mean Admiral!
I'm so glad to see you!" Naomi was ecstatic, her face one big grin from
ear to ear.
Kathryn held onto her for another
minute. "I'm very glad to see you, too. I've missed you so much, all of
you. And you know, while it's just us, I think I'd prefer it if you called
me captain. I'd feel a lot more comfortable."
Naomi's smile got even wider.
"Okay. And can I still be your assistant, even if you really are an admiral
now?"
Kathryn hugged her again. "You
bet you can, sweetheart. I don't know how I've managed without you."
Naomi laughed with relief as
Chakotay called from behind. "Hey! Don't I get a hug, too?"
She was a little uncertain how
to react. The last time she had seen him, he had had eyes only for Seven.
Now, here he was with the captain. He read her expression easily and held
out his hand.
"Please? I know I didn't say
goodbye to you properly, but it's still me and I've missed you." He gave
her his special smile, the one she was quite unable to resist. She took
his hand and let him swing her up into his arms, hugging him tightly around
the neck and whispering into his ear how glad she was to see him with the
captain. He whispered back that he was glad, too.
Meanwhile, Kathryn had stepped
forward to greet Sam and Icheb affectionately, her joy and pride in his
accomplishment evident in her sparkling eyes and delighted smile. Sam was
struck by how much more relaxed and warm her captain had become. When Kathryn
turned to reach for Chakotay's hand, leading him forward, Sam knew why.
This woman had found her way home in more ways than one.
Before they could all step inside,
Tom and B'Elanna Paris, laden with baby and bags, trooped up to the door.
More hugs and exclamations were exchanged as everyone slowly made their
way inside. Tal Celes, with Harry Kim in tow, was the next to arrive, again
to everyone's surprise. 'Very few had seen the potential for that romance'
ran through Sam's head as she bustled about getting her guests settled.
And just a few moments later, Gerron appeared, looking much happier and
more relaxed now that the 'Maquis business' was finally settled. With the
doctor's arrival shortly after, their numbers were complete.
The room bubbled with talk and
laughter as everyone tried to tell everyone else about all the changes
in their lives since they had gotten home. Naomi was in her element, darting
about trying to hear all the conversations at once. 'She's really missed
them', thought Sam sadly. 'I hadn't realized how hard it's been for her.
Icheb, too, look at him – more excited and animated than I've ever seen
him.'
She felt a presence at her elbow
and looked up to find Chakotay smiling down at her. "You look pensive,
Sam."
"I was just thinking." She nodded
toward Naomi and Icheb. "Those two look happier than I've seen them since
we landed. I keep forgetting that Voyager was their home."
"It was home to all of us for
a long time." He sighed slightly.
"Commander?" she ventured softly.
"How is Seven? I think they both would like to know, Naomi anyway."
"As far as I know, she's fine."
He bit his lip, looking down for a moment. "It wasn't going to work, Sam.
In hindsight, it's obvious. I guess, those last days on the ship, I wasn't
seeing very clearly. And then, well, it's a long story that I won't bore
you with. Suffice to say, that I was able to put all the past aside and
find Kathryn again. And we're very happy."
She smiled gently. "I'm very
glad for you both. I think you were always meant to be together, you know.
That's what the crew used to say. We understood all the reasons why you
couldn't be, in the Delta Quadrant, but I can't imagine anyone not being
delighted now."
"Thanks, Sam, that means a lot."
His attention was caught just
then by a shout of laughter from B'Elanna, and he said no more.
Shortly after, Kathryn got up,
following Sam into the kitchen. "Sam, I wanted to tell you. I talked to
Starfleet, then worked my way through several back doors into the Diplomatic
Office. I don't know for sure, but I think your husband is going to be
free pretty soon. I told them that in this day and age, there really is
no reason for him to be tied down out there for so long. I have a feeling
there are some power politics being played behind the scenes, but of course,
no one will admit anything. Anyway, once I explained who I was and just
why I was so interested in his whereabouts, the tune changed quite dramatically.
I'm very hopeful that you'll be seeing him shortly."
Sam was ecstatic, her face wreathed
in smiles. "Admiral, that's the best news I've had in – I don't know how
long! Thank you so much! I couldn't get any answers at all beyond vague
platitudes and pats on the head. Do you think it's safe to tell Naomi?
She's been quite anxious and all this waiting hasn't helped the situation."
"Hmm," the admiral was hesitant,
"maybe not just yet. I wouldn't want to get her hopes up too high in case
something else goes wrong."
"Then I won't."
Just then, they were called
back into the main room by Tom Paris, who announced that he wished to propose
a toast, several in fact. However, before he could begin, the doctor neatly
cut him off.
"Fellow crewmembers," interposed
their favourite hologram, rising to his feet "before Mr. Paris gets started,
I wanted to say a few words to honour our captain."
Tom sat back, prepared for a
lengthy speech, but to his and everyone else's surprise, the usually longwinded
doctor kept his remarks short and to the point.
"I imagine by now that everyone
here is aware of the captain's promotion. But, as this is the first time
we've been together since that happy occasion, on behalf of the entire
crew, I would like to offer our sincere congratulations. To Admiral Kathryn
Janeway, the best captain any ship could ever have."
"Hear, hear!" echoed from different
parts of the room, as everyone rose to their feet.
Kathryn smiled and thanked them,
then called on Tom to continue with what he had been about to say. He nodded
to her and remained standing as the others sat down.
"Raise your glasses, folks.
First, I want to congratulate Icheb on his admission to the Academy – and
remind him not to spend all his time with his nose in his books. There's
more to life than quantum mechanics."
"And you should know," came
irreverently from B'Elanna.
"Thanks, dear. You're a never-ending
pillar of support," retorted Paris, before going on. "Next, to our captain,
pardon me – Admiral – and commander who have finally settled
my betting pool. Too late for me to cash in, mind you, but there you are."
"Who won, just out of curiosity?"
asked Harry.
"Now that's the funny thing.
It was Kes."
"You're kidding! Really?"
"Yeah. Of course, she was telepathic.
Guess she knew something the rest of us didn't."
"Dear Kes," reminisced Kathryn.
"I still miss her."
"I think we all do," replied
Chakotay softly.
"Three more, then someone else
can have a turn. To my best friend Harry and the new love of his life,
Celes. B'Elanna and I are so very pleased that you have found each other."
"Hear, hear," was heard again
throughout the room, as the pair tried unsuccessfully not to blush.
Tom continued. "To those members
of our crew who are now finally free to go on with their lives without
having to look over their shoulders. I give you – the Maquis."
The three from the Liberty all
looked a little surprised at that one – Chakotay wondered if Paris was
rather putting Kathryn on the spot, but she seemed comfortable enough,
raising her glass without hesitation. He decided he was overreacting.
"And finally, the most important
of all. Please raise your glasses to our ship and her crew. The best that
ever was or ever will be. To Voyager."
They all rose and repeated his
words. "To Voyager!"
As everyone settled back in
their seats, Kathryn rose to her feet.
"Tom, that was very well done.
Thank you. I have a toast as well. To this family, our Voyager family.
We have shared so much together and forged ties that will never be broken.
Icheb, remember this when you are at the Academy. You have a family to
support you – all of us. And we will be there whenever you need us. To
our family."
Again, they all stood. "Our
family."
As they sat once more, Icheb
remained standing. He looked around at each face, remembering how he had
first encountered them, how they had taken him in and made him part of
their whole. And then he smiled, a very rare Icheb smile.
"Thank you for all your good
wishes. These last weeks, Samantha, Naomi and I have been writing down
all our memories for the museum project. And doing that has made me realize,
again, how very special all of you are to me. I know I will be representing
not only the Delta Quadrant at the Academy, but Voyager as well." He paused,
then took a deep breath and straightened to his full height. "I promise
you all that I will do my very best to uphold the honour of our ship and
her crew."
"We know you will," replied
the admiral.
=^= =^= =^=
=^= =^= =^=
Two weeks later, a gray, soggy
day found Naomi standing at the window, staring out at the rain pouring
down in torrents. The wind was gusting hard, at times blowing the rain
almost horizontally. The scene matched her mood. Icheb would be leaving
the following day for the Academy, and even though, he would be back at
the end of term, that was a whole four months away. Might as well be forever,
as far as she was concerned.
Samantha came in to fetch a
PADD and noticed her miserable expression. She came over and put her arm
around her shoulders. "Don't be sad, honey. He'll be back before you know
it."
Naomi sighed. "Yeah, I know.
It's just…..I was thinking, Mom. About how everyone's gone – first Neelix,
then all the crew, now Icheb. It kind of feels like we're the only ones
left." She looked up at Sam. "You know what I mean?"
Sam hugged her. "Yes, honey,
I feel that way, too. But it will get better, I promise." She sighed and
looked out at the drenched landscape. "It's so hard, this waiting. Sometimes,
I think we've been waiting forever." She tried to force a laugh, but it
came out as more of a sob.
Naomi didn't answer – there
really wasn't anything she could say. After a moment, Sam turned away to
retrieve her PADD. The child continued to stand at the window, watching
raindrops chase each other down the pane, and trying to swallow the lump
in her throat.
Idly, she noticed a figure scurrying
down the street and caught a glimpse of his face as he looked up, apparently
trying to get his bearings. 'He looks Ktarean', she thought, pressing her
nose against the window to see better, but the man had disappeared.
'I wonder. No, couldn't be.
Mom would have heard something. It was probably just someone running down
the street, trying not to get wet.' She went back to watching the raindrops
just as the door chime sounded. She heard Sam go to the door and a second
later, her exclamation of joy and disbelief.
As she turned, Sam came into
the room, her face alive, leading the same man Naomi had seen in the street.
She recognized his coat, and he was Ktarean. Sam called her forward, tears
starting to run down her face, barely able to speak.
"Naomi, this is your father."
Greskrendtregk stared at her,
his face awestruck with wonder. "You are my daughter, my little girl?"
Naomi nodded solemnly, feeling
a bit nervous. He fell to his knees, holding out his hands. She glanced
up at Sam, who inclined her head. Slowly the child moved to stand in front
of him.
"You're my father?" Her tone
made it a question.
"Yes," he whispered, tears sliding
down his cheeks now as well. "Yes, I am." He didn't move, letting her get
used to him.
She looked him over carefully
from head to toe, then broke into a huge smile. "That's good. I've wondered
what it would be like to have a father. I think I'll like having you."
She took his hands, then stepped
close and put her arms around his neck, brushing her cheek against his.
He hugged her back gently, afraid of frightening her, then looked up at
his wife.
"Samantha, she is beautiful,
just as I knew she would be." He stood, holding Naomi's hand and put his
other arm around Sam to hug her. "After so long, I have my family."
A small sound caught Sam's attention
and she turned to see Icheb standing in the doorway, looking somewhat uncomfortable.
She held out her hand, drawing him to her side.
"Greskrendtregk, this is Icheb,
whom I told you about, from the Delta Quadrant." Now came the bit she hadn't
mentioned to him in any of her communications. "He's part of our family,
too."
Greskrendtregk didn't bat an
eye, letting go of Naomi to shake Icheb's hand. "I am delighted to meet
you. And to know that not only do I have a beautiful daughter, but a handsome
son as well. Come, let's sit down, I have so much to tell you, and I'm
sure you have even more to tell me."
He hugged them all again, as
they settled down to catch up on the last seven years and all that had
happened to them.
=^= =^= =^=
=^= =^= =^=
That evening, after Naomi had
fallen asleep exhausted from the day, and Icheb had gone to finish his
packing, husband and wife sat curled up together on the couch, each holding
a cup of tea.
"I am so lucky to have you back,"
whispered Greskrendtregk. "All those years – first when I thought I'd lost
you, then when they told us you were alive but so far away you might as
well be dead. And now, here you are. Oh Samantha, I have missed you! From
now on, I'm going to treasure each and every moment I have with you."
She buried her head in his neck,
trying not to cry again. She shouldn't have any tears left. "When times
were bad, and they often were, I hung onto my memories of you. I'd tell
Naomi over and over, about you, about our life together. Greski, I couldn't
have survived if I hadn't had her! And I came so close to not having her.
She is a miracle."
"Indeed she is," he answered,
having heard the story of the day of Naomi's birth.
They remained sitting there,
huddled together, relishing the joy of hopes fulfilled.
Finally, Sam chuckled softly.
"What?" he asked.
"I'm just remembering how Neelix
always insisted every story has to have a happy ending. And you know what?
Ours does."
