Star Trek Voyager is the property of Paramount Pictures.

MERMAID

PART TWO

Three Years Later

Chakotay watched as Kathryn picked at the meal he had made them. She had barely eaten a thing. She was pale and quiet too. Something was wrong. He put down his folk and questioned.

"What is it, Kathryn? What's wrong?"

Kathryn looked up at him and gave a weak smile. "Am I that transparent?"

"Only to me."

He reached across the table and took her hand in his. "Tell me what's wrong."

Kathryn squeezed his hand. "Nothing's wrong," she said gently. "Not in that way. I just ... I just received a message today from Dr Arlington. She wanted to see me. I went to see her during a free period this afternoon and she told me that at last there may be a way of treating my condition. In fact, there is a way..."

Chakotay felt a but. "But?"

Tears welled in her eyes. "There may be complications ... perhaps fatal ones..."

"I see," Chakotay replied.

"But the doctor says there's a sixty percent chance I'll come through it okay." She paused with the next words. "I want to have it. I want to take that chance for us."

Chakotay gripped her hand tighter. "No, Kathryn. No way..."

"It may be our only chance, Chakotay..."

"I don't care," he answered. "This isn't worth risking your life..."

A tear ran down Kathryn's cheek and she stood up. "How can you say that, Chakotay? How can you say that being able to make love with you isn't worth the risk?"

Chakotay stood up as she did. "We do make love, Kathryn. We make wonderful love together..."

"But not properly... not like other couples..."

Chakotay gripped her shoulders now. "And how do we know what other couples do? How do you define "properly"? And I'm willing to bet that not half the couples in the Federation have a relationship as wonderful as ours. I won't let you risk your life for this, Kathryn. It's absolutely out of the question!"

"But it's my life, Chakotay..."

"And if you die?" A tear ran down his cheek now. "Please, Kathryn. Please don't do this."

Kathryn was about to argue her case, but the desperate pain in Chakotay's eyes silenced her.

"We won't mention it again," she said softly.

Chakotay smiled as relief consumed him and then he drew her close.

Chakotay wiped his brow as he took a moments rest from clearing the shed. It was amazing how much junk had gathered there over the years, and now there was so much junk that it was impossible to find anything. As he took a moments rest, the back door of the house opened and Phoebe appeared. Chakotay stepped out of the shed, anxiety consuming him. Phoebe looked pale, not herself, and he knew instinctively that something was wrong.

"We've been trying to reach you," Phoebe said, hurrying over to him. "Kathryn's in intensive care at St. Bernard's Hospital."

Frightened tears welled in Chakotay's eyes. "Intensive care?" It couldn't be possible. Kathryn was supposed to be on a three day Starfleet exploration mission.

"She... She went ahead with the operation, Chakotay," she said nervously. "She told me everything last week ... about her condition... and told me she had scheduled an operation for today. I tried to talk her out of it, but she was insistent. She said it was something she had to do, something she wanted to do, and asked me to go with her." A tear ran down Phoebe's cheek. "There were complications. Kathryn's in a coma."

Blood drained out of Chakotay's face and without a word he left his sister-in-law and went into the house to request immediate transportation to the hospital.

Nothing but whiteness and wires surrounded Kathryn as she lay unconscious on a sterile hospital bed. A kind nurse put a gentle hand on Chakotay's shoulder as he stood in the doorway and gazed at her.

"The doctor will be with you as soon as she can."

Chakotay nodded blindly and, as the nurse left, made his way over to the bed. He sat on the chair provided and a tear ran down his cheek as he gazed at Kathryn's unconscious body. Trembling, he reached for her hand and held it in his.

"Why, Kathryn?" he whispered. "Why did you have to do this?"

The door opened and a young dark haired doctor came in.

Chakotay looked up at her. "She will be alright, won't she, doctor?"

The woman hesitated with her reply. "She's fighting, Chakotay. And as long as she keeps fighting, there's every hope. But I can't deny that her condition is very serious."

"And what is her condition exactly?"

The woman walked over to the bed. "Because of the nature of the operation, and the nature of your wife's original injuries, she suffered a number of complications during surgery, including a severe hemorrhage. We lost her for a few minutes, but were able to revive her. Soon afterwards, she slipped into a coma."

Chakotay turned back to Kathryn and gazed at her tearfully. He still couldn't believe she had done this, couldn't believe she had risked her life like this...

"But we've managed to stabilize her condition," the doctor added. "And there's every chance she'll make a full recovery."

Chakotay kissed Kathryn's hand. She would recover. She had to recover.

Three days later

Chakotay was falling asleep when a soft murmur put his senses on red alert. He looked up at Kathryn and saw her move beneath him. He was about to summon the doctor, when the door opened and the doctor came in.

"She's regaining consciousness," he said, getting to his feet.

The doctor smiled at him. "So I believe," she said, gesturing to a gadget on her coat that evidently alerted her to any notable changes in a patient's condition. "That means she's going to pull through."

Chakotay smiled through tears as relief consumed every part of him, and then sat again.

As he did so, Kathryn's eyes fluttered open. They were hazy a moment and then seemed to focus. The doctor looked down at her and smiled. "Welcome back, Kathryn."

She examined Kathryn briefly and then stepped away. "You'll be feeling a big groggy for a while, but other than that you're going to be just fine."

Kathryn's mouth moved and then she whispered. "The operation..."

"The operation was a success, but there were complications with the surgery. You've been in a coma for three days."

It was a long moment before Kathryn answered and then she said only one word... "Chakotay..."

Chakotay took her hand in his and squeezed it. "I'm here, Kathryn."

Kathryn turned in the direction of his voice and looked into his eyes as best as she could. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "Had to try... I..."

"It's alright," Chakotay said, not wanting her to distress herself. "Everything's going to be alright now..."

Kathryn closed her eyes and Chakotay saw a soft smile grace her lips as a tear ran down her cheek. "Yes," she whispered, "was a success ... really will be alright, everything alright..."

Her voice trailed as she drifted into unconsciousness. Chakotay looked up at the doctor in concern, but she smiled at him reassuringly. "I've put her to sleep. It's best to keep her sedated. Otherwise she'll be in a lot of pain."

A Week Later

Leaning on Chakotay's arm, Kathryn slowly made her way into their house. She looked happily around the living room as she entered. It was good to be home. Chakotay helped her to the couch, ensured she was comfortable, and then went to replicate her a cup of coffee.

"It sure is good to be home," Kathryn said, looking around the room again.

Chakotay didn't answer. And when he brought over her coffee, his eyes avoided hers as they had avoided her eyes for days. It was almost as though he didn't want to be near her.

"You're angry with me, aren't you?"

Chakotay looked up at his wife now and tears welled in his eyes. "I'm too angry for words, Kathryn. I'm too angry and I'm too hurt. I can't believe you did this. I really can't..."

"For us," Kathryn answered. "I did it for us..."

"No," Chakotay replied tearfully. "I told you quite clearly how I felt about it."

"I thought it was worth the risk," she continued. "And it was. I'm going to be alright and we can have a proper relationship."

"We had a proper relationship," Chakotay cried. "Why was it so hard for you to accept that! Is sex so important that you had to risk your life? You almost died, Kathryn. You almost died!"

Kathryn tearfully put down her coffee on the table before her. "I did it for us, Chakotay," she said again. "For us."

"And you shouldn't have, Kathryn. You should never have done it..."

"But it was a success, Chakotay... Doesn't that mean everything?"

"No, Kathryn, it doesn't. What means everything is the way we feel for each other. You shouldn't have risked your life, and you shouldn't have done it behind my back!"

"I'm sorry," Kathryn said fighting the tears. "I just didn't want you to worry..."

"And what do you call your sister coming round and telling me you're in a coma because of the operation, when I thought you were away on a Starfleet exploration mission?"

Kathryn lowered her eyes in shame. "That wasn't supposed to happen."

Chakotay put his hand to his brow, trying to fight the anger inside. "Just tell me why, Kathryn. Just tell me why this was so important to you that you had to risk your life for it..."

Kathryn looked up at him now. "If you can't understand, Chakotay. I can't explain it to you."

Chakotay turned away from her at that and wandered over to the window. "I understand, Kathryn. I do understand in the way that you mean." He then turned back to her. "I just can't understand why you would put your life on the line for this. Yes, I would like to make love with you in that particular way, but at the expense of risking your life? No, Kathryn. No way." A tear ran down his cheek. "I thought you knew how much I loved you. I thought you knew that I would always love you. Didn't I tell you enough times? Didn't I show you?"

"Always," Kathryn answered tearfully. "And I've only ever felt love and safety with you. And the more I felt it, the more I was afraid of losing it. I was so scared that you would leave me for someone else..."

"That would never have happened," Chakotay replied. "I only ever wanted you, Kathryn. Just you."

"I know I was wrong to deceive you, Chakotay. And I'm sorry. I'm truly sorry. But it's alright now. Everything is alright." She extended her hand to him. "Just hold me, Chakotay. Please just hold me."

"I can't, Kathryn," he replied tearfully. "I'm still so angry. I'm so damned angry. And I think you should go and stay with your mother while you recuperate, or have her come and stay here."

Kathryn swallowed, totally taken aback by this. "But, Chakotay..."

"I'm just too angry to be around you right now, Kathryn," he said, struggling to hold back the tears. "I'm sorry."

With that, he left the room. All Kathryn could do was bury her head in her hands and weep.

Three Days Later

An autumn sun set over a pretty Indiana field. Kathryn watched it from a chair in the room she had occupied as a child, and gazed at the distant trees silhouetted against a crimson sky. Suddenly the door opened and Kathryn turned away from the window to see who was there. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw it was Chakotay. She got to her feet.

"Chakotay..."

They looked into each others eyes for a moment and then Chakotay slowly bridged the gap between them.

"I've just come to tell you that I'm going to be away for a few weeks. I've accepted a place on an archaeological expedition to Forlan, a planet in the Vorilko system."

Tears welled in Kathryn's eyes and disappointment overwhelmed her. She hoped he was here to make things up with her. "I see."

"I'm leaving first thing tomorrow."

Kathryn lowered her eyes and it was a moment before she could speak. "Don't you love me anymore?"

"Of course I still love you," Chakotay answered tearfully. "This wouldn't hurt if I didn't love you..."

Kathryn looked up at him again and the torture in his eyes knifed her heart, as did the lack of warmth she saw there. He had never been so distant with her. Not even in the Delta Quadrant.

"I did it for us, Chakotay," she said again. "I did it for you..."

"I know that," he answered. "And that's part of what makes it hurts ... that you felt you had too..."

A tear ran down her cheek. "I was so scared of losing you, Chakotay. I love you so much..."

He stepped closer. "Then can you understand something of how I feel? The thought of losing you drives me crazy, Kathryn. And the thought of you deliberately risking your life without need ... it makes me so angry. And if that isn't enough, it makes me angry that, no matter how well intentioned, you thought it was for my benefit."

"I'm sorry," Kathryn said tearfully. "I never wanted to hurt you. I thought I was doing the right thing..." She lay her hand on his arm. "Don't go, Chakotay. Please don't leave..."

"I have to," he answered. "I need to make peace with this in my own way."

"Please, Chakotay... We can work this out together..."

He shook his head. "I'm too angry, Kathryn. And neither of us needs the tension right now. Certainly not you. It's better this way."

"But..."

"I'll see you in a few weeks."

At that he turned to leave. Kathryn called after him, but the only sound that answered her was the sound of the door closing behind him.

Kathryn lay in her bed and clutched her covers tight to her chest as she wept painfully. Her sobs wracked her body, but nothing relieved the agony in her heart.

Suddenly a gentle hand stroked her hair. "Don't cry, honey."

It was her mother.

Kathryn turned in the direction of the voice and found her mother sitting on the bed.

"I've lost him, Mom," she wept. "I've lost him and I can't bear it."

Her mother climbed onto the large bed and gathered her daughter in her arms. "You can do better than him, honey. Much better. He was never good enough for you. Never deserved you."

Kathryn drew away from her mother at that. "How can you say that, Mom? How can you say that after all this time?"

"With good reason. What kind of a man deserts his wife when she's recovering from a serious operation?"

"You don't understand," Kathryn answered. "There's so much you don't know. You see Chakotay as an ex-Maquis and that's it. You've never once taken into consideration the circumstances that led to him joining the Maquis. You've never once tried to accept him for who he is..."

"Leopards never change their spots, honey, and a man of violence will never be anything else..."

"A man of violence? Chakotay is the kindest, most gentle, most loving man I have ever known."

Gretchen brushed a loose strand of hair away from Kathryn's face. "I don't doubt that he's a good lover," she said kindly. "But a relationship needs to be more than just the physical."

Kathryn withdrew further from her mother. "You know nothing, Mom. You really know nothing."

"I know you, Katie," she said gently.

"No you don't," Kathryn answered, her tone sharper than she intended. "There's so much about me that you don't know. You may think that sex is all Chakotay ever wanted from me, but you're so wrong. The truth is I was never able to have sex, not the way you're thinking."

Her mother frowned. "I don't understand."

"Because of injuries I received in the crash that killed Daddy and Justin. The aliens that found me and treated me didn't know enough about human reproduction to treat my injuries properly and I was left unable to have children or sexual intercourse." A tear ran down her cheek. "I thought no man would ever want me, Mom. But Chakotay did. And I was so scared. For years I held back from him because I didn't know how to tell him. But when I did tell him, he took me in his arms and told me that he loved me, that he would always love me. So don't tell me what kind of a man you think Chakotay is, or what kind of a relationship you think we have, because you haven't a clue."

Gretchen tearfully drew her daughter close again. "I'm so sorry, Katie. I'm so sorry. Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"Because I didn't want to worry you," Kathryn said, nestling close again, "didn't want anyone to know. If no one knew, it didn't have to be real."

Gretchen kissed her hair. "I would have come with you to see other doctors. There had to have been something they could do..."

"I saw all the doctors I could see, Mom. There was nothing they could do. Nothing until now." She drew away from her mother again. "That's what this operation was really about ... not a rare tumor," which is what Phoebe had told their mother following the complications. "The doctors had found a way of helping me. Only it carried a lot of risks. Chakotay didn't want me to have the surgery, didn't want me to risk my life, but I went and had the operation anyway without telling him. That's why he's so angry with me."

Gretchen stroked Kathryn's hair. "And he's right, honey. You shouldn't have risked your life."

"I was so scared of losing him, Mom. And that's why he's hurt... that I didn't trust enough in his love for me." Another tear ran down her cheek. "But I've lost him anyway. And I can't bear it, Mom. I can't bear it."

"Just give him time, Katie," her mother said. "He clearly loves you very much and I'm so sorry I misjudged him. I should have trusted your judgment. But give him time, honey. Give him time."

"What if time's not enough?"

"It will be," she answered. "I promise."

A Month Later

The air was icy cold and the sky black. Kathryn felt the chill in her fingers even through the thick thermal gloves she was wearing. As she walked down the narrow path that led to her house, snow crunched beneath her feet, and her breath left her body in puffs of smoke. When she reached the door, she stood before it for a few moments, summoning the strength to enter her key code and go inside. It was so hard to enter the home she and Chakotay had shared knowing he wouldn't be there. She hadn't heard from him since he had left and had no way of communicating with him. She missed him profoundly and had cried herself to sleep every single night since he had gone.

Warm air greeted her as she stepped inside, but the silence was deafening. Usually, she would hear Chakotay move around in the kitchen, preparing their meal, or would hear soft music play as he relaxed on their couch. Kathryn took off her hat, gloves, and coat and cast them to the couch. As she did so, the door chime sounded. Kathryn returned to the door and peeped into the security monitor. She saw that it was Angela Fields from Children's Services.

"I'm sorry to trouble you so late in the evening, Admiral," she said.

"Not at all," Kathryn replied, "Come in."

The woman stepped inside, glad to be out of the cold. Kathryn closed the door behind her and gestured to the sitting area just a little behind them.

"My husband is away on an archaeological expedition at the moment," Kathryn said, "which means there's only me, I'm afraid."

"That's quite alright," the woman smiled.

Kathryn gestured to the couch. "Please, take a seat."

The woman sat.

"Is there anything I can get you? A tea, coffee?"

"No, thank you."

Kathryn sat in a chair opposite her and questioned again. "Are you here about our application to adopt a child?" She and Chakotay had registered to adopt a child as soon as they had married, but had been told it could be up to five years before they were given a child.

"Yes and no," Angela replied. "But it is to do with a child." She paused. "We recently had a little girl put into our care, a five year old Native American called Star. Her parents were killed in a devastating fire two months ago, and she herself was badly injured. She's recovered well, and is now ready to be discharged from hospital, but has no home to go to. Her parents were part of a multi-race commune that did not interact with the modern world. They took care of themselves, educated their own children, and provided for all their own needs. We thus had no medical records for either of them or for Star. In an attempt to try and locate any of the child's living relatives, a Federation wide DNA comparison searchwas carried out." She paused again. "It turns out that the child is biologically your husband's great niece."

Kathryn stared at her, completely stunned.

"Most members of the commune were killed in the fire, but we questioned a couple of the survivors. It seems that Star's mother was brought to the commune as a child by a woman from your husband's native planet. The woman had once been a member of the commune and all she told the members was that the girl had been orphaned as a result of Cardassian attacks on her homeworld, and had no one to take care of her. Alabor, a survivor of the fire, told us that the girl was very traumatized when she first arrived, and all she could tell them was her name, Levira."

Tears welled in Kathryn's eyes. "My husband did have a niece called Levira. She was ten years old when the Cardassians attacked. He thought she was dead."

"We were unable to trace any other living relatives for Star, except of course Chakotay's sister. As you and Chakotay are waiting to adopt a child, we thought we would ask you first if you would like to give her a home."

"Of course," Kathryn said, not even having to think about it. "Of course we'll give her a home."

The woman smiled. "That's wonderful." She then paused. "Star will, however, need a lot of love and patience. She's lost everyone close to her and the commune was all she has ever known. It will take her time to adjust to our way of life."

"I understand," Kathryn answered. "And she'll have all the love and patience she needs. I promise you that."

Angela smiled. "I'm sure she will. As I said, she's ready to be discharged from hospital any time, but I think it would be good for you to meet her first. She might not be ready to come and live with you straight away. She's very quiet, hardly says a word to anyone. From what we can tell, it's because of everything that has happened to her rather than because of abuse or neglect. She knows what has happened to her mother and father, and to the commune, and she must be feeling very alone and afraid, as though she doesn't belong. I think that once she's in a secure environment and feels part of a family again, she'll start opening up.

Kathryn's heart went out to the child. She knew all too well the pain of grief, and couldn't imagine not only having to cope with that as a child, but having to deal with it all alone, without anyone's love and comfort.

"When can I meet her?"

"As soon as you like. Right now if you wish."

Kathryn watched through a small round window in a silver door as Star sat on a blue carpet in her hospital room and played alone with a yellow teddy bear. She was such a pretty child, with dark hair and dark skin, and was dressed in a beautiful white and yellow dress. Already Kathryn felt a deep stirring of love within her heart.

Angela opened the door and gestured for Kathryn to go inside. Kathryn did and Angela followed. As soon as they entered the room, Star stopped playing and hugged her teddy bear to her chest as she looked up at her visitors. Her eyes were black and the resemblance to Chakotay was striking.

Angela smiled warmly at the child.

"I have someone very special for you to meet, Star," she said kindly. "Your great aunt, Kathryn Janeway."

Star's eyes moved to Kathryn and she stared at her intensely. Kathryn smiled warmly. "I'm very pleased to meet you, Star." She walked slowly over to the child and then knelt beside her. "That's a very pretty teddy you have there. Does he have a name?"

Star didn't answer, just gazed at Kathryn.

"You also have an Uncle," Angela continued. "Chakotay. He's away at the moment, but you'll get to meet him when he returns home."

"He looks just like you," Kathryn smiled. "And you have the same pretty eyes."

At those words, a light shone in Star's eyes and she smiled softly.

"Your Aunt and Uncle would very much like you to go and live with them," Angela said. "Would you like that, sweetheart?"

Star turned to the woman and nodded.

Angela smiled. "But you don't have to go with her today, not if you don't want too. It's up to you when you're ready."

Star absorbed her words for a moment and then she stood up. She glanced up at Kathryn, and then went over to a tiny set of draws next to the bed. She opened a draw and pulled out a bright red bag. Kathryn turned to Angela and the woman winked at her, tears in her eyes. Kathryn then turned again to Star and watched as she picked up a white nightdress that was neatly folded on her bed and put it in her bag. She then put her beloved teddy in the bag and closed the zipper. When that was done, she picked up a pair of shiny red shoes and put them on, her little fingers working hard to buckle up the straps. She then picked up a white coat that was cast over a chair, put it on, and picked up her bag. She then walked over to Kathryn and stood before her, all ready to go.

"Well, looks like we're all set," Kathryn said, trying to hold back the tears. She then held out her hand to the child and Star eagerly reached for it.

Star didn't say a word as Kathryn took her home from the hospital. She just held Kathryn's hand tight with one hand and her bag with the other. As they materialized in Kathryn's garden, the child looked around curiously and then up at the house.

"This is where your Uncle and I live," Kathryn said with a smile. "And this is to be your home too."

Star smiled and Kathryn affectionately put her hand to the child's cheek.

"Come on. Let's go inside and warm ourselves with a hot chocolate. Would you like that?"

Star nodded and eagerly made her way to the door. Kathryn unlocked the door and the lights came on as they ventured inside. Star wandered into the living room and looked in awe around the room. She had never seen such a beautiful house and such riches.

"This is the living room," Kathryn said. "This is the main room in the house. I'll show you the rest of the house, and where you are to sleep, later." If she had known the child was to come, she would have prepared the second largest bedroom in the house that she and Chakotay were keeping especially for a child, but as it was, Star would have to have the guest room, at least for the moment.

"Let's take off our coats and make ourselves comfortable," Kathryn said, unbuttoning her own coat.

Star copied, removed her coat, and then held it with her bag in her arms.

Kathryn took the child's coat and went to open a cupboard under the stairs.

"This is where we keep our coats," she said, noticing for the first time that the hooks were much too high for a child to reach. "I'll put up a hook just for you tomorrow."

Kathryn then went over to the couch and sat down. "When I come home," she smiled, "I always take off my shoes and put on my slippers." She removed her shoes and reached for two fluffy white slippers that lay under a coffee table.

Star watched as she put them on and then looked at her own red shoes, almost in dismay.

"We'll have to replicate some slippers for you too, sweetheart," Kathryn said. "What color would you like?"

Star stared at her blankly, clearly not having understood her, and Kathryn realized she was going to have to try another approach. She gestured to the couch. "Sit down, honey, and take off your shoes. Then I can see what size they are."

Star did as she was told and sat beside her great aunt on the couch. Kathryn watched as the child carefully removed her shiny shoes and then handed one to her.

Kathryn studied them. "They're very pretty shoes," she admired. "Is red your favorite color?"

Star nodded.

"Then we'll replicate you some red slippers to match your shoes."

Kathryn peeped into the shoe, noted the size, and then put it on the floor beside the other before going over to the replicator.

"A pair of red, fluffy, little girl's slippers, size 12."

Instantly, a pair of fluffy red slippers materialized. Kathryn turned to her great niece and found her staring at the replicator, mouth open. Kathryn tried not to laugh. She could imagine that to a child who had never seen a replicator before, it seemed like magic.

"This is a very special machine," Kathryn said. "It can make almost anything that you want." She held out her hand to the child. "Come here and give it a try."

Star got up and joined Kathryn at the replicator. Kathryn put her hand on the child's thin shoulder. "Tell the replicator what you would like."

Star hesitated and looked up at Kathryn for reassurance. Kathryn gave it to her with a gentle nod. "Give it a try."

Star took a deep breath and then spoke for the first time. "Fudge cubes."

The replicator answered, startling the child.

"Specify quantity."

Kathryn couldn't help chuckle now. "It's alright, sweetheart. The replicator just wants to know how much fudge you would like. Tell her whether you would like a bag or a box.

Star cautiously addressed the replicator once more. "Bag," she said quietly.

"Small or large."

Star looked up at Kathryn again for reassurance and once again found it.

"Small," she answered.

"Specify flavor of fudge."

A small smile graced Star's face. She was clearly quite amused now. "Orange," she smiled. "Orange fudge."

Instantly a small bag of orange flavored fudge materialized. Star stared at the fudge, the look on her face wonderful to behold.

"Pick it up, sweetheart," Kathryn urged. "It's all yours."

Star didn't need to be told twice and picked up the fudge. Her little fingers opened the bag and she peered inside.

"Go ahead," Kathryn said. "Try one."

Star reached into the bag and gazed in awe as she pulled out a piece of fudge. She then slipped it into her mouth and her eyes widened in delight as she tasted delicious creamy orange fudge.

Kathryn smiled. "Good?"

Star nodded. She then reached into the bag, picked out another sweet, and held it out to to her aunt. Kathryn took it without hesitation and popped it into her mouth.

"Delicious," she smiled. "And food reminds that me that I need to have some dinner. Have you had dinner yet, honey?"

Star shook her head.

"Then how about you and I eat together. What would you like?"

No answer.

Kathryn tried to rack her brains for a dish that Star would be familiar with. She thought of some of Chakotay's recipes. Perhaps she would be familiar with them.

"Rimuve?"

Star's eyes lit up at the familiar name and she nodded.

Kathryn smiled. "Your uncle and I have it all the time. It's one of my favorites."

In the corner of her eye, Kathryn saw a picture of Chakotay resting on a shelf. She went over to the shelf and picked it up.

"This is a picture of your uncle, Chakotay."

She handed the picture to Star and saw tears well in the little girl's eyes as she looked at Chakotay's face. She touched the tattoo on his forehead, clearly a marking she was familiar with.

"He'll be so happy to meet you when he gets home."

A tear ran down Star's cheek and Kathryn knelt before her. She took the picture from the child and put it down on a nearby coffee table.

"You miss your Mommy and your Daddy very much, don't you?"

Star nodded and another tear ran down her cheek.

Kathryn put her hands on the child's shoulders. "And it's right that you should miss them, right for you to cry. But you don't have to be afraid, honey. You have a home here with us, and your Uncle and I are you going to love you and take care of you and be here for you always. Understand?"

Star nodded and then wrapped her arms around Kathryn's neck.

Kathryn gladly returned her embrace and held the precious child tight.

It was a long time before Star drew away, and when she did so, she went over to her bag and pulled out her beloved teddy bear.

"Nemo," she said softly. "His name is Nemo."

Kathryn smiled and tried to swallow the lump in her throat. "That's a lovely name."

A Week Later

Star was seated on Kathryn's lap as they watched the cartoon Sleeping Beauty together. It was a cold night and a strong wind blew outside. Kathryn cherished the feel of the child in her arms and was amazed at how much she had come to love the little girl already. She had taken a week off work to help Star settle in, and had taken the child to all the local sites, as well as introduced her to her mother and sister. She had intended to move Star into the bigger bedroom, but the child had settled so well into the guestroom, that she didn't want to unsettle her again by moving her around. They had chosen clothes and toys to replicate together and she had been teaching Star all about twenty fourth century technology. Star had been a little reserved for a day or two, but had soon started to open up. Gretchen had casually referred to Kathryn as "Aunt Katie", and from that moment on, Aunt Katie she had become in the child's mind.

Suddenly, the front door opened and Chakotay came in. He was wearing a thick black coat, knee high boots, and a black hat on his head. Star drew slightly away from Kathryn as she saw him and looked up at him. Kathryn felt the child tremble a little and caressed her arm reassuringly. Chakotay was looking at the child curiously too and it was a moment before his eyes met Kathryn's. When they did, Kathryn saw a myriad emotions in them, but most importantly, the warmth and the love that had always been there until recently.

"This is your great niece," Kathryn said emotionally. "Star."

The child smiled at him tentatively, but Chakotay's eyes wandered back to Kathryn's and questioned further.

"Star's come to live with us," Kathryn said nervously, not really knowing if there was an "us" anymore, but hoping with all her heart that there would be. "I'll explain everything later."

Chakotay's eyes returned to the child and he took off his hat, crouched to her level, one knee on the floor, and smiled warmly. "I'm very pleased to meet you, Star."

Star smiled happily now and gazed at him with a longing he couldn't read in her eyes. There was a familiarity about the child too that he found rather unsettling. She looked so much like his family.

As Star gazed at him, tears welled in her eyes and she climbed from Kathryn's lap and wrapped her arms around Chakotay's neck. He had looked a lot like her mother in the photograph, but in real life, he looked even more so. He was her uncle, her family, and her mother had always told her that families belonged to each other and would always love each other. As her uncle's arms closed around her, Star lay her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, letting herself melt into the warmth of his embrace.

Kathryn wiped away a tear and saw Chakotay's eyes fill too. The trust and love of a child was such a beautiful thing and she couldn't imagine how anyone could ever abuse it.

At last, Star drew away from Chakotay and stood before him. "Would you like to see Nemo, Uncle?"

"Nemo's her teddy bear," Kathryn said.

Chakotay nodded. "I would love to see Nemo."

Star smiled. "I'll go and get him."

Her little feet hurried up the stairs and when she was beyond hearing shot, Chakotay turned to Kathryn. "What's going on?"

Kathryn stood up and put a kind hand on his shoulder. "As I said, Chakotay, she's your great niece. Levira's daughter."

Tears welled in his eyes. "But how...?"

"Levira survived the attack on your homeworld. She was brought by a neighbor to a commune here on Earth, and there she remained until..." Kathryn hesitated. "Until she was killed in a fire that destroyed the commune and took the lives of most of its members. Star survived, but has no one to take care of her, no home. Angela Fields came to see me last week and asked me if we would be willing to give her a home. I said of course we would." She paused. "I sent a letter to your sister, telling her everything, and she wrote back saying she was very happy with us having Star. Her own children keep her very busy and she feels we can give the child more of the attention she needs than she could." Tears welled in her eyes and she gazed deep into Chakotay's. "I want us to be a family, Chakotay. I want that more than anything." A tear ran down her cheek. "I'm so sorry for what I did ... for the way I did it. I'm so sorry. "

Chakotay gently drew her against him and held her close. "I'm sorry too, Kathryn. I should have been more understanding ... I just ... I just love you so much..."

"I love you too," she said, holding him tight. "And you've always been understanding, always been amazing. And I've missed you so very much."

Chakotay kissed her hair as his tear fell into it. "And I've missed you, Kathryn. I hated every moment of every night I was away from you and never want to be away from you so long again."

They held each other close, both savoring the embrace of the other. It was only the sound of footsteps on the stairs that forced them apart. They turned around and saw Star walking down the stairs, one hand holding the banister, and the other her precious teddy bear. As she reached the bottom, she smiled at Chakotay and hurried over to him, holding out the cuddly toy. "This is Nemo."

Chakotay took the teddy's hand in his and shook it. "Pleased to meet you, Nemo."

Star laughed and Kathryn put her hand on Chakotay's arm. "I'll go and make us all some supper. Real, not replicated, and you two... you three," she added teasingly, "can get better acquainted."

Chakotay smiled and, as his wife left the room, began to take off his coat. Star studied her great uncle's boots, a "they will never do" look on her face.

"You're going to need some slippers, Uncle," she said seriously. "Me and Aunt Katie both have them. She has a machine that makes them. It makes everything. Even orange fudge."

Chakotay glanced in amusement in Kathryn's direction just in time to see her turn around to face him.

"Star's been discovering the wonders of the replicator," Kathryn smiled.

"I see," Chakotay replied, a twinkle of amusement in his eye.

Star ventured over to the replicator. "What size shoe are you, Uncle?"

"Ten", Chakotay replied.

Star frowned. "How can your feet be smaller than mine? I'm size twelve."

Chakotay laughed. "There are different sizes for children and adults, sweetheart. I'm a man's size ten and you're a little girl's size twelve."

"I see," she smiled, and then turned again to the replicator. "One pair of fluffy blue slippers a man's size ten."

Instantly, fluffy blue slippers materialized as requested. Kathryn tried hard not to laugh. They were so not Chakotay's style.

Star carried the slippers over to Chakotay and proudly handed them to him.

"There you are, Uncle. Now you'll be the same as Aunt Katie and me."

Chakotay took the slippers and glanced at Kathryn, his eyes twinkling, and the love she saw in them took her breath away. "A matching family," he smiled.

Kathryn smiled in return and wiped away a tear from her cheek. They had been through some rough seas over the past few weeks, but they had come through them, just as they always had in the past, and as she hoped they always would do in the future.

Chakotay then turned back to the little girl before him, and Kathryn completed her journey to the kitchen.

THE END