Disclaimer: 'Soap Opera-ish' as it may sound characters still belong to TPTB. Author's Note: I believe I have some explaining to do. Well, Shannon, isn't technically an Ensign, but she still is in a way, you'll find out more about that. She's supposed to be really smart too, but you'll find out more about that later as well. I know it's definitely not logical; I got the idea from a dream, though it wasn't about Trek. Dreams are never logical, but what the heck!!!! Thanks for the reviews!!!!! PS: Er, you wanted to know how Shannon knew about J/C, that's in the next chapter as well.

MESSAGES FROM HOME

~Who? What? Where? When? ~

"Mum," muttered Shannon as she stirred.
"Yes," said Kathryn Janeway, she had been sitting nervously next to Shannon's bio bed in between her duty shifts. There had been some complications and Shannon had been in a coma fore three days. Kathryn Janeway was only too glad that she was alive, but no way was she going to jump up and down in front of Tom and the Doctor.
"What happened.? Asked Shannon, "So tired," she muttered.
This was when the doctor butted in, "Captain as much as I believe the two of you would like to catch up, Miss. Janeway needs her rest."
"Do I have to say here?" asked Shannon, saying the last word in disgust, "As if I haven't seen enough of this place in the past two days."
"Five days," corrected Kathryn, "You were in a coma."
If Shannon felt anything about hearing that she had been in a coma, she didn't show it.
"Can I go explore the ship, I'm not tired anymore."
"Liar," muttered the Doctor, "But you will be able to. go back to uh. the Captain's Quarters?" he asked Kathryn with a raised eyebrow.
She nodded, "She IS my daughter," she reminded him as he beamed them to her quarters.
"Chakotay!" said Shannon gleefully, when she saw him, "Hello."
Chakotay grinned. Kathryn glared at him, trying to resist the dimples, "What are you doing here?" she asked.
"An old Maquis trick," said Chakotay.
"No it isn't," muttered Shannon.
"What?" asked Chakotay.
"I can do it too, you know," said Shannon, walking out of the room, with him in tail and Kathryn Janeway just behind them. "You see," said Shannon, "I've just come in, I don't know the code," she bent down and keyed in something.
"That's not my code," said Kathryn, as she watched Shannon's fingers work swiftly over the console. As she said that, the doors flew open.
"Shannon!" asked Kathryn shocked, "Where did you learn that?"
Shannon grinned. "Don't do that again," said Kathryn, "I'm changing the code. You two are trouble," she said pointing her finger at the both of them.
"I'm hungry," said Shannon, changing the subject.
Together the threesome walked in. To a stranger, they would look like an uncommonly happy family, but the Voyager crew knew better.
As Shannon ate, she asked questions about Voyager, about their adventure and normal boring lives. When she was done, Kathryn decided it was time her questions were answered.
"Well, you see," started Shannon slowly, as if she was wondering where to start, "You guys got lost. correct?"
Chakotay nodded.
"I was devastated, Mum was the only person who really loved me, other than Grandma, even the kids at school knew. my er. my background. I lived with Mark, but he never really cared, didn't give me latinum and sometimes, well, most of the time, he forgot to send me to school, so I had to walk nearly twenty blocks to the transport site."
"But you didn't go to school when I was around," said Kathryn.
"That's because you taught me at home," explained Shannon, "Grandma decided it would be best if I went. So, anyway, Grandma found out Mark was so mean and decided to look after me herself. She really didn't have the time, what with the knitting club and... and."
"Phoebe's twin sons," finished Kathryn.
"Yeah," said Shannon, "Um. they were young and needed more attention," she sounded as if she were reciting it by heart, "Then news came the you were still alive. I wanted to send you a letter, but Grandma said since only one person could send letters to one person on board, she'd let Mark explain his new situation. I get kind of upset. It wasn't fair, but maybe it was, you have to remember, I didn't like Mark much. That's when I made up this plan."
"What plan?" asked Chakotay.
"To come here," said Shannon nervously, watching both her mother and Chakotay. There was something there, between them; she vowed to pursue it later.
"How?" asked Kathryn.
"Why?" said Chakotay at the same time.
Shannon decided to go with his question, "I felt left out at home, besides life on Voyager sounded pretty comfy. To me! Mum could teach me again, because really school work was easy. I thought life here sounded adventurous. I live for adventure. So, I broke into Starfleet records, memorized everything. Okay, maybe not EVERYTHING. Took the shuttle, which was technically mine because when everyone thought you were dead, it was given to me, no one took it back when you were found, but of course, no thirteen year old could pilot a shuttle out of federation space by herself. When I was trying to find out how to go past that barrier, Admiral Paris found out that I had broken into Starfleet files. I guessed he was bound to, because I went in under his name."
"Shannon!" said Kathryn, wondering what the Admiral thought of her now.
"Well, something good happened or you wouldn't be here," said Chakotay.
"Uhhuh," nodded Shannon, "He wanted to know what I was planning to do. At first he didn't agree."
"Who would?" agreed Chakotay.
"But when I told him why, about my bad life here, he reluctantly agreed. Actually, he didn't, but more on that in a minute. He gave me some technology to send to you, I hope it's still in one piece. He also made me sit for a Starfleet Academy entrance exam. Which," said Shannon, watching her mother, "I passed with flying colours. He gave me some books and asked me to come back in a week. I did and he made me sit for the Ensign's exam, well sort of, because of course, there isn't one, but he sort of took everything from everywhere and made it an exam. He told me if I didn't pass I couldn't go. In a way he didn't expect me to pass, I think, but I did, with flying colours as well."
Kathryn grinned. "We'll celebrate later," she said, "I just what to hear the story."
"Your mother's a sucker for stories?"
"Sucker?" asked Shannon and Kathryn together.
"Twentieth Century slang must have picked it up from Tom."
"Ah," said Kathryn, before urging Shannon to go on.
"After that he gave me a Starfleet certificate, you know to prove to you I'm an Ensign, but really, it's not recorded in Starfleet files. They'd be hopping mad if they knew. Er... after that, the Admiral helped me get past the borders, he went back and I went forward."
"Alone?"
"Alone," nodded Shannon. "Met some people, very few, they were all very friendly, comparing my luck to yours, only one or two hostile ones, wanting to kidnap me and take the technology."
"Shannon," said Kathryn, "I can't believe you did all that," it seemed that she had finally realised the danger of Shannon's task, "I didn't bring you up so you could go gallivanting around the galaxy."
"But mum, I'm in one piece."
"What if you had died?" asked Kathryn, "No one would have known. I thought you would have more sense. If you had to come, and I don't see why you had to, you could have brought someone along."
"I brought Molly," said Shannon happily, "She's.. in the ship."
"What!" exclaimed Chakotay, "Chakotay to Torres, there's a dog in the ship, have you found it?" he asked her. She has been assigned to take part the ship and interrogate its new technology into their own systems.
"Yes Commander, it's in perfect health. Had food and everything, I'm beaming it to you now."
"I thought there was only one life sign on board?" asked Kathryn.
"I have to hide her signal because I discovered most species here don't like dogs. Especially the Ballah."
"What did they do to you?" asked Kathryn, "Did they hurt you?"
"No, the head's wife was really nice about it, but I had to leave the next day, they did give me all the dilithium I wanted though, nice people."
"You went down to planets by yourself."
"I only had to stop for dilithium once," said Shannon. "Then found a wormhole, which would lead right into your path. All I had to do after that was wait. but after three weeks, you didn't show up and this ship came. It demanded to know what I was doing, so I explained, they attacked, told me I was violating their space, I managed to chase them away, but not after they did lots of damage. I was trapped under a fallen beam and Molly couldn't get me out."
As she said the dog's name, it appeared, "Woof," she cried and ran to Shannon. "She's not the real Molly, she's one of the puppies, but I told her all about you," said Shannon as the dog licked the Captain's face and Chakotay's in turn. "I don't know if it's because she knows who you are or if it's because she's extremely friendly."
"Oh, let me finished," said Shannon, "Then you guys came along and here I am."
"Quite and adventure Shannon, or should I say Ensign," said Chakotay.

"What do I call you?" asked Shannon, "Uncle Chak? Chakotay? Chucky? Chuckles?"
"Chakotay will do," said Chakotay, "I take it you met Q."
"Yeah, he likes to bug me a lot, but I've learnt to ignore him, once I figure he wouldn't get me here the easy way."
"Why do I get the feeling we're going to be seeing more of him?" asked Kathryn, she could already feel a headache coming on.
Chakotay got up to go, "Do you want me to ask Seven to scan this area of space?"
Kathryn nodded, "Read my mind. See who lives here and if they'll let us pass. Call a senior staff meeting, there's someone they have to meet."
Chakotay nodded. "I'll see Seven and then you at the meeting in half- an-hour?"
Kathryn nodded.
"Seven's the Borg, isn't she? Can I come with you?"
Chakotay and Kathryn shared a glance, Kathryn nodded, "Make it quick."
Shannon got up quickly, "Oh man, I'm still wearing." she said looking at the sickbay robe, but before she could finished her sentence, she was lying in a heap on the floor, "Guess I shouldn't move to fast," she grinned.
"We'd better get you changed," said Kathryn, "You can meet Seven later. The room's there. I'm coming," she said as she watched Shannon dash off, "I thought you said you shouldn't move too fast," she called. "Excuse me," she grinned at Chakotay before dashing after her daughter.
Chakotay shook his head and left the captain's quarters. The last thing he heard before the doors shut was, "But mum, that makes me look so fat!"
He grinned. The next few weeks weren't going to be uneventful.

To be continued..

Author's Note: Have I explained enough, but you probably want to know why she's so smart.. Well find out in the next Chapter. If there's something I haven't explained to well. pray tell, or if I got some of my fact wrong, I'm only too willing to correct and rewrite. Hope you like it. Please review.