Recapture the Dream

Kathryn

Genre: Light

Rated: G

janeway82@subspacemail.com

6-22-00

Continuing chapter from "The Gift of Love"

The evening after the wedding Janeway and Chakotay, now husband and wife, are getting prepared to search for Haley Nicole.

"Are you nervous about finding your daughter Kathryn?"

Janeway sighs and sits down in the shuttle seat next to Chakotay.

"It was nice to find out that she is residing on the planet we are going to for our honeymoon."

"But three thousand people reside on this planet it could take days maybe even months to find her."

Chakotay places his hand on her hand.  She looks up at him and smiles.

"WE will find your daughter Kathryn, she's down there somewhere and we will find her so mother and daughter can reunite this time don't let your fingers slip right through her."

Janeway nods but tries to hold back some tears.

"Honey are you alright?"

Tears are falling freely now.

"I'm just afraid how she will react, she knows she was adopted but she thought, I'm guessing, that I was a teen mother or something but I was 20 when I got pregnant with her and 21 a few days before I had her.  So I was not as young as she may think."

"But you are still considered young when you had her."

"But not a teenager."

"She may be looking for you as well.  This could be what she wants as well as her mother."

"Maybe, lets get some sleep we can put the shuttle on autopilot.  By this time tomorrow we will be on Namid celebrating our honeymoon."

"And finding Haley Nicole and reuniting with her."

"IF we find her Chakotay, if we find her."

"We will, now lets go."

Janeway nods she has a lot on her mind none of which is making love to her husband on her wedding night.  Chakotay can sense that and feels that this time may not have been a good idea.  All he has on his mind is how to show his wife how much he loves her.

The next morning Chakotay is up before his wife.  He has finished making breakfast and is ready to wake up Janeway.  Inside the room Janeway is still asleep her silk robe lies at the bottom of their bed.  To Chakotay she seemed like and innocent child, asleep in her bed.

"Honey, its time to get up, we'll be on Namid in an hour."

"It's too early, Chakotay we are supposed to be on our honeymoon which means VACATION!"

"We will we just need to eat."

"It's too early." Janeway whines like a child.

"Its 0900 hours come on."

He pulls off her covers.  In response Chakotay gets a sailing pillow in his face.

"Alright, fine, I'll get up now leave me alone."

"If you aren't out here in five minutes I'm going to drag you by the hair."

A little less than five minutes later Janeway is out she had threw on her robe and still rubbing her tired eyes.

"Four minutes 32 seconds, another 28 seconds and I would have pulled your hair."

"I made it didn't I?"

Chakotay laughs, and takes his seat after Janeway does.

"I suppose so, besides maybe one day I'll get to pull you out of bed by the hair."

"I don't think so, so what's for breakfast Chakotay?"

"The traditional breakfast eggs, bacon, and toast."

"MMMM, sounds traditionally delicious."

"Very."

An hour later Chakotay and Janeway have beamed down the inhabits of this planet are first class humanoid, like humans from earth.  They have slender bodies and tanned skin.

"Are you ready to search for your daughter?"

Nervous she simply just nods her head.

"Well, we better start looking.  Their first place would be an agency."

Janeway nods

"We better do it now, because in a minute I might chicken out."

Chakotay laughs,

"Come on wife lets go."

"Okay, just as long as you stay with me."

In the agency Janeway and Chakotay are served on."

"Hello, how can I help you sir?"

"A while ago my wife Kathryn Janeway gave up her daughter, is there by any chance we could find her?"

"It would be nice to see how she turned out."

"I'll see what I can do.  I will be back in a minute."

Janeway lets out a long sigh, it can't be always this easy.  Chakotay takes her into his arms.  Several minutes later the social worker comes out with a file.

"Here it is, but I need your social security number as well as your husbands and identification."

"We understand."

After a few minutes Janeway and Chakotay are in their rented cottage and getting prepared to go through the files.

"Are you ready to see what Haley has been up too?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

"Okay here goes."

Both open their files Janeway has her hospital file and Chakotay her school files.

"Do you want to go first?"

Chakotay asks.

"Sure."

Looking down the file in his hand he smiles

"Well, well, well, what have we here?"

"What!"

"Your daughter is an exceptional student she graduated school at 16 and went straight on to Starfleet Academy that summer.  She's graduated valedictorian in both school and the Academy.  She majored in, oh my, astrophysics, a science.  She's a lot like her mother."

"That's my girl; I was great in science as well as mathematics.  Justin was good in everything!  But I never thought that Haley would enjoy science like I do."

Chakotay snickers

"Guess she got some of her mothers good genes."

"What is her rank Chakotay?"

"She's a Lieutenant, and she serves on the U.S.S. Pasteur."

"Is she on a mission?"

"Nope, she just got back."

"What about her medical records?"

Janeway opens her file

"Here is the birth certificate."

"Oh, that's nice to see."

"Haley Nicole Janeway, daughter of Kathryn Janeway and Justin (?), born May the 27th, at 0801 o'clock AM, 6 pounds 15 ounces, 18 inches long."

"I can't believe she was so small."

Janeway burst out a laugh.

"By the time I was five months pregnant I looked like I was ready to have her then.  And boy did it hurt to have her I went all natural, what was I thinking."

"But she was only 6 pounds normal babies weigh about 7 and a half pounds to 8 pounds.  So 6 pounds is small."

Janeway nods

"She had several ear infections and respiratory infections.  At 2 she got her tonsils taken out.  At 9 she had a rare strep infection and at 12 and a half she went to the doctor for cramps."

"She must get the cramps you do honey."

At 16 she broke her left leg similar to me."

"And here it says she's married to Joshua Benton and they have a son."

"I'm a grandmother! EEK!"

"His name is Wesley Keith he's a few months old."

"Is there an address?"

"Yes, lets go find her."

A few days later they find the house it's big.  Chakotay knocks and a young woman answers.  She looks a lot like Kathryn.

"Hello, can I help you?"

Janeway steps up to her daughter.

"Are you Haley Nicole Benton?"

The young woman slightly confused answers hesitantly.  And wonders why the woman looks a lot like her.

"Ye...yes, who are you?"

Janeway clears her throat ever so slightly.

"This is my husband Chakotay."

"And you are?"

"My name is Kathryn Janeway.  I'm your...your mother."

A few hours later they are in the kitchen drinking coffee.  The Janeway addiction trait was passed on to Haley.

"So why did you give me up for adoption?"

"That's quite a story and I'm sure Kathryn's going to tell you the details."

"My adoptive parents told me that you and my father were together for a long time."

"I knew your father when we were both very young.  But we only started dating when we were 17."

"He wasn't there when you were born, I thought you got divorced because of me."

"Your father and I weren't married, we were engaged but..."

"But what who is my father where is he now?"

"Um your father isn't here."

"Well then, where is he?"

"Um, Haley, your father passed away 8 months before you were born."

"How?"

"It was a difficult time for your mother.  She still has difficulty."

"If you don't want to tell me you don't have to."

"No its okay she deserves to know about her father."

"I'm here for you if you need me."

"I know, your father passed away along with your grandfather, my father, 22 years ago.  They both drown under icebergs while on a mission.  I was with them, it is my fault.  I left them to get help on a broken leg.  By the time I got back they were dead."

"But it wasn't your fault."

"I know, but I still believe it."

"And about me, what happened."

"I found out I was pregnant with you two weeks after his death.  I was very young but I wanted you more than anything."

"But you gave me up for adoption two days after I was born."

"I went into a depression after your father and my father died.  I wanted this baby and was getting better but after you were born I went into a depression again.  It wasn't you, it was me, I knew I couldn't look at you and not think of Justin."

"So I wasn't a planned pregnancy."

"Not exactly don't get me wrong we really wanted a family just not as soon."

"But you found me, and look, we are alike I look like you."

"Yes, I did and am proud of what you have become."

A month later Chakotay and Janeway return to VOYAGER.  She has asked "B'Elanna to come to her quarters.

"Did you find her?"

"Yes, I did."

B'Elanna smiles.

"Do you have a photo?"

Janeway nods and shows her the photo of Haley, Joshua and Wesley.

"Isn't she beautiful?"

"Oh, yes, and I see her Janeway traits are quite present as well as your grandson, he's precious."

"In a day I gained a son-in-law, and a grandson life is perfect."

"She will write you?"

"Yes, she promised."