First off I just want to say that the stupidest type-o award goes to me Cameron Girl... for misspelling Chakotay's name in the last part of chapter 2. :)

Second I just wanted to tell you all who have read and reviewed this so far, thank you for your support and all the positive feedback I've gotten. It's actually made me want to continue writing this story. You guys actually like it!

Third... guess what I don't own the characters but the plot belongs to me.




His Spirit Rekindled



"Tom, what has got you in such a state, do you realize how late its. Does B'elanna know you're here." Chakotay watched Tom walk restlessly around the living room. It was almost as if he couldn't stay still, it seemed as if he was anxious to get something done.

"B'elanna insisted that I come. I mean I probably would've come anyways but... as soon as I told her first thought was to get the information to you as soon as possible. Of course we have to do somethine immediately. We'll probobably want to tell some of the others. Harry is still probably at Mars. His ship is getting a refit after all. Tuvok might be a little harder, he had something to worry about on Vulcan or so he said at the memorial service. Everyone else should be notified, from Voyager I mean. I don't know how my father can help, but I'll ask him what he's willing to do." Tom now seemed to be rambling, it was more as if he was talking to himself than to Chakotay.

"Tom," Chakotay finally said firmly, "Are you going to explain yourself or am I going to have to order it out of you?"

Tom looked at Chakotay and stopped in midpace. "I'm sorry, I'm still in shock from this news myself." Tom sat down on the couch and put his head in his hands, he waited a moment trying to think about how to tell Chakotay what he knew. "I don't even begin to know where to begin."

Chakotay took a seat on the chair across from Tom. "Well, I always find that starting from the beginning does help."

Tom looked up, his blue eyes were sparkling as they always were when he was up to something. "You do have a point Captain. Now I do suppose the beginning would be a good place to start." And with that he started in on his story.

"It started when we had dinner early yesterday evening with my parents. They were excited to see us and there five year old grand daughter. It has been awhile since we had found time to spend with them. And sadly as it may seem, the..." He paused for a moment he didn't know exactly how to express himself just yet. "untimely, er... death of... um... Admiral Janeway has given us an excuse to um... spend some time with my mother and father. We originally decided were were going to spend two weeks at their house, but now I think our plans may change."

Chakotay became suddenly still at Tom's short speech. He knew Tom didn't mean to sound disrespectful, but what he had said still stung him deeply. He needed not another reminder that his wife, his family, was dead. He, without meaning to, snapped at Tom. "Please get to the point Tom, I am tired. I need my rest."

Tom went on without noticing Chakotay's reaction. "Anyways, The Admiral," He said referring to his father, "Did something very strange, he brought up Starfleet, right in the middle of dinner. He vary rarely did anything like that, he strictly kept work at work. But there we were right in the middle of desert when..."




"You know Tom," Admiral Owen Paris sighed, "Some times I just don't understand how Starfleet runs things."

"What do you mean dad?" Said Tom taking a bite of his mothers homemade (not replicated) apple pie.

"Well, for instance, take their Top Secret documents. They go through this whole process where you have to have certain access codes and what not and only certain people can see certain parts of certain documents. If you ask me sometimes it's just a big waste of time." He held his hands up when B'Elanna was about to say something. "Yes, yes I know, it's all in the name of security but..." At this next part he looked pointedly at Tom as if there was some hidden meaning in his words. "It seems all for nought because these people with top security access codes, namely Admirals, could you know, accidently leave these Top Secret documents out on their desks at home where anyone can look at them. It blows my mind that things like that could even happen, even after all the security precautions."

Tom looked up from his pie. "Is this becoming a problem in Starfleet Dad?"

With a twinkle in that admirals eye he responded, "Oh no, it's just something I've been thinking about. I just had the mind to voice it right now."

With that the family went back to their casual discussion of Miral and how fast she seemed to be growing up. It wasn't until later that night when B'Elanna, who had seemed to put two and two together that the Admiral might be hinting at something with his strange talk of top secret documents.

B'Elanna was getting ready for bed as Tom sat reading some adventure novel on a PADD. "You know Tom, that was a pretty interesting topic your father brought up at dinner tonight."

Not looking up from his novel. "Yeah, I don't know why but the whole thing seemed to upset him. If you ask me it is kind of a strange thing to be angry about. I don't even know where he came up with such a thing."

B'Elanna rolled her eyes as she sat down in bed next to him, picking up her own PADD (A klingon romance novel.), "Honestly flyboy, I think your head has become thicker in your old age. Couldn't you tell that your father was trying to tell you something?"

This got his attention and he looked up from what he was reading, "Oh and just what is it that you think he was trying to tell me?"

"To go downstairs and look on his desk for some top secret document."

"Why would he do that? It's not like I have any particular interest in any of the top secret business Starfleet might have."

"Well your father thinks that you might."

Tom looked at his wife. "Fine, would you like me to go down there and look to see if he haphazardly left any secret documents on his desk."

"Yes I would, and don't pretend to look all innocent Tom, I know you better than that. Now that I've put this in your head, you're kind of interested in what secret your father might want to share with you."

Tom stood up and was putting on his bathrobe and tried to lie to his wife. "No, I'm not interested. I don't think my father was giving me a secret message to go rummaging around in his office, I just want to prove you wrong."

But in truth, in his mind B'Elanna had a point. His father never brought up anything, even off handedly that wasn't important. His father must have used his little speech at dinner as a screen. He wanted Tom to know some Starfleet secret, but he was odviously under orders to keep it quiet. But he couldn't help it if his son Tom had 'accidently' found the certain files that were supposed to be kept under wraps. His father was subtly telling him to go look on his desk, so that maybe he could find something that might interest him.

Tom slowly made his way to his fathers office. He mad certain to keep quiet. He didn't want to answer any questions. It would prove to be rather embarassing if his father was not sending him a message to go rummaging around in his office. When he made it to the office he made a beeline for the desk. He could tell that here were several PADDs arranged on the desk. He quickly started to make his way through them. Mostly they were meaningless science reports from different parts of the quadrant. And then he found the one his father wanted him to find. He quickly looked around the room to see if anyone happened to be watching him, then looked back down at the PADD.

He began to read, what appeared to be personal notes from another admiral to his father.

'Title: Admiral Janeway

It went on to give the various star dates that different entries had been recorded.

Admiral Paris,

Admiral Janeway has promptly arrived on the USS Milwaukee and her and the crew are now ready to start their mission. They have been ordered to investigate an anomally on the the edge of the Delta Quadrant. The suspected origin of this yet unknown anomally is Borg. Which might come somewhat as a shock seeing as the Borg have been very quiet in the past five years. It seems that they have recovered the loose of one of their Transwarp hubs. Admiral Janeway had willingly accepted this mission and was definitly our first and best choice as she has had many dealings with the Borg. However we have yet to assertain if this is indeed Borg related. At persent we think it best to keep this mission top secret until we have more information.

Sincerely.

Admiral Johanson


Admiral Paris,

It now seems that our fears have not been in vain. The USS Milwaukee has failed to report at their schedualed time. We fear that it has been lost. We are now attempting to send out more ships in order to investigate what might have happened the the Milwaukee. But our hopes are fading. I fear we may have lost a very fine Admiral. I know that you were always close to the Admiral and her family, and I know this is hard but would you be willing to tell Captain Chakotay that his wife has gone missing. I feel it would be easier on him if a friend had told him instead of someone he barely knew.

Admiral Johanson


Admiral Paris,

It has now been three weeks since we lost the Milwaukee. The ships we sent to the sector where she disappeared could find no trace of lost ship or of the strange anomally that was mentioned before. However close to the area there have been Borg sightings and other evidence that the Borg may once again be active in our quadrant. I know you know most of this but I can't help repeating it, all of this is to remain confidential. If the press got hold of anything the quadrant would be in an uproar. Starfleet has now decided to call off the search for Admiral Janeway and the crew of the Milwaukee. We feel, and I know you will agree that she as well as the Milwaukee have been assimilated. Therefore she is lost to us and must be considered dead. I know that this is hard news to bare, my deepest sympathies.

Admiral Johanson.'

Tom read the last letter with great care. They had no proof that Janeway was dead and they only thought she was assimilated. There was no hard proof of either. It was a long shot but his former captain could be alive. Even if she had been assimilated and was now a borg drone there was still hope for her. They had brought Seven back to humanity. Plus he could think of some other instances where people were saved from the Borg, Captain Jean-Luc Picard namely. All they had to do was find her. And even then he know how silly that sounded, but it was still a thought he couldn't let go of.

He quickly jumped up and ran to the bedroom his wife and him were sharing. He burst through the door. "They have no proof that she's dead... they only think that she's been assimilated by the Borg. There is still a chance that she's alive!"

B'Elanna looked at him with confusion in her eyes. "Who, Admiral Janeway?"

Tom nodded his head vigoriously. "I know it sounds crazy but I thik my father wanted me to find this so maybe I could go to Chakotay and maybe then we could start to look for her."

"Tom, do you know how rediculous that sounds? Hunting for one woman among millions of borg? That almost seems impossible."

"Almost impossible... but not completely so. There is a small chance and I think and I know Chakotay would grasp at it if it meant that his Kathryn would still be alive."

"Why do you think he would go looking for a needle in a haystack?" B'Elanna knew that answer but he wanted to hear him say it.

"If it was you who was gone, I would."

"Then you must go to him tonight, tell him all you learned. Then let me know right away his decision. He's not in this alone, I'm sure a lot of other people are going to want to help as well. I think we'll have a lot of work to do before the night is over."

And that is wear Tom ended his story. He looked at Chakotay to see his reaction. Chakotay was just staring at Tom and in those few minutes Chakotay's eyes became bright again. There was a chance that his love was still alive, in danger but alive. He would not let her suffer anymore than she had to, he would come to her rescue again. And with that his spirit was once again rekindled.


To be Continued:



Okay... so this chapter isn't that strong, but I wanted the story to get underway. And of course Janeway is alive...I couldn't keep my favorite captain dead for long. Don't worry I'll have more romantic memories from Chakotay and Janeway in the next chapter and soon we'll get to see the rest of the old crew. Ooo and by the way... just because the Borg were mentioned... doesn't mean that there is going to be Borg.... :) don't be too harsh with the reviews... like I said this chapter is just to get the story underway.