Disclaimer: They can take everything from us, but they can never take J/C! ( Author's Note: Yeah, I never really liked the Powerpuff Girls too, but they were the only superheroes I could think of at that time.

MESSAGES FROM HOME

~The Disease~

"Sorry Chakotay," said Shannon as she fled down the hall.
"Hey Shannon," he yelled, as she paused to look back.
"Yeah!" she gave him a lopsided grin.
"Join us for breakfast," he gestured to Kathryn.
Shannon looked at her mother for a moment. Still weren't talking. Personally, Shannon felt exactly as she did on Earth, except maybe this time it was a little better, there were the Parises and other friendly crewmen.
"No thanks," she muttered hurriedly, "I have to be on the Holodeck. I brought my own program from Earth," she said, holding up a chip.
"Bye Chakotay," she said as she turned and ran off.
"No running in the halls," muttered Kathryn under her breath.
"What?" asked Chakotay, as they continued their walk to the Mess Hall.
"Nothing," she said quietly.
"Kathryn," said Chakotay, "What's wrong?"
"Shannon," she said quietly. There were some things she couldn't tell Chakotay, like how she felt about him, but she knew he would probably be able to help her with this, even if she didn't want to be helped.
"I noticed you haven't been spending much time together lately," he said, "Is something wrong?"
"No," said Kathryn quickly, "Nothing's wrong. I've just been busy." Maybe some other time she would tell Chakotay, bit not today.
"Hi B'Elanna, Tom," said Kathryn as they sat down at the table with them.
"Hey," said Tom, B'Elanna looked up and nodded, but she avoided Kathryn's eyes completely. Kathryn knew what was wrong, but she pretended she didn't know. It was time she gave Shannon a new life, a better one.
"What are you reading?" she asked B'Elanna.
"A story, written by Shannon," said B'Elanna simply, "If you ever have tome you should read it."
"Oh," said Kathryn, she looked back at her food. She knew what B'Elanna was trying to say.
"I've got to go," said Tom, "Harry wants help setting up the Holodeck for tonight," he said.
"For what?" asked Kathryn.
"The concert his band is performing."
"Oh," said Kathryn, she'd forgotten, "What's the setting?"
"The desert," said Tom.
"Need a hand? I grew up in the desert."
Tom nodded, "We could use all the help we can get."
The boys walked off together, breakfast forgotten.
"How could you do such a thing to your own daughter? She holds you up on a pedestal, but all you can do is shut her out. I know you're afraid of the crew and how you might forget about them and your precious Starfleet responsibilities," B'Elanna paused for a breath, "Well, you know what, she's here anyway and I know. we both know," B'Elanna's voice softened, "That you love her and even if you acknowledge the love or not, it's going to influence your decisions anyway. You've been doing the same thing with Chakotay, Kathryn," B'Elanna's voice rose again, "But really, I hate you for it! I really hate you for it," she finished in a sharp whisper.
Kathryn watched silently, as B'Elanna picked up her tray and marched out of the Mess Hall. Moments later Kathryn did the same. The stares of her crew were unnerving.
She sighed as she went back to her quarters. She had half an hour before she had to be on the bridge. Half an hour to think, she sighed as she sunk in the uncomfortable Starfleet sofa. B'Elanna was right, she was right about everything. About Shannon about Chakotay, she had to face them. Chakotay could wait, but Shannon. She had to talk to Shannon.
"Computer, locate Shannon Janeway."
"Shannon Janeway has just left Holodeck One."
Kathryn sighed, maybe at Harry's concert, everyone would be there. That way, Shannon couldn't yell back her reply.
Before she knew it, it was time for Alpha Shift to replace the Delta Shift," she sighed as she made her way to the bridge. As the doors opened, she heard Tuvok say that someone shouldn't be at the bridge. She saw he was talking to the person at Harry's station. Shannon.
"What are you doing here?" demanded Kathryn.
"Just picking up some sheet music, mum," she said. "I'm going."
"On the bridge, you'll call me Captain."
Kathryn saw her own anger mirrored in Shannon's eyes. "Oh, I don't have to call you Captain," she said, clutching the papers Harry had just handed her, "I'm not a crewman. Naomi's underage and she's Crewman Wildman. I'm no one; the computer knows me as Shannon Janeway. I don't have to call you Captain if I don't want to."
"Shannon Janeway," said Tuvok, "That is not a."
"I can handle it Tuvok. Shannon, in my ready room now!"
"You can't order me about.. Captain," said Shannon, as she marched for the turbo lift. Suddenly, she clutched her head. With a faint, "Oh," she fell to the floor.
"Shannon!" yelled Kathryn, running to her daughter, but Chakotay reached first.
"Medical Emergency," he said as he tapped his comm badge.
When the three of them materialized in sickbay, the doctor was on it in a matter of seconds, "I was just about to contact you about this," he said.
"About what?" asked Kathryn, holding her daughter's hand.
"She has a virus, she must have picked it up from a species she met, it's a bacteria and it's attracted to calcium, feeds on it. It's eating her up. slowly. Once her bones are gone, there'll be nothing left and it'll feed on her cells as well."
"Can you stop them?" asked B'Elanna.
Kathryn shot her a look, when had SHE come.
"I have injected more calcium into her body, for the next three hours, the bacteria will keep feeding on that."
"Can't you just keep on injecting it into her blood stream?"
The Doctor shook his head. "No the calcium is synthetic. Soon, the bacteria will be able to tell the difference between the real calcium and the synthetic one. She can have at least another three shots before it starts."
Kathryn glanced at her daughter. She had seen stuff like that happen to her crew all the time. Even Chakotay. At those times, it was hard for her to take it. But now, seeing Shannon there. Her own daughter. Kathryn couldn't bear it. She broke down sobbing.
"I give her twenty hours the most."
"Can't you find a cure?" asked B'Elanna.
"I'm working on it. maybe. I'll need time."
"Can you wake her up?" asked Kathryn and B'Elanna at the same time.
"Yes, hold on."
As the hypopray hissed, Shannon opened her eyes, "You go first," said Kathryn.
"Hey Kid," said B'Elanna, ruffling Shannon's hair.
"What happened?" asked Shannon.
"Long story," said Chakotay, "The Doctor will explain it later."
"Will I get better?" asked Shannon.
"Yes," said B'Elanna, "The Doctor's going to find a cure."
"Will I be able to play at the concert tonight?"
"Maybe," said B'Elanna, "If the Doc works his magic."
"I hope he does."
"So do I," grinned B'Elanna. "Want me to bring the TV here so you can watch Everybody Loves Raymond reruns?"
"Yeah," grinned Shannon. "I think Deborah is the best. I like the way she yells at Ray all the time. so maybe it's Ray I like. I'm not sure."
B'Elanna glanced at Kathryn who was watching them, her face green with envy. (I've never seen KJ jealous, but there's a first for everything)

"There's someone who wants to see you," said B'Elanna softly.
Shannon turned to look at her mother, before quickly turning away, "Maybe later. I'm tired. I'll take a nap."
"Shannon," cut in Chakotay.
Shannon turned to him and shot him her death glare.

"I think you should too," said B'Elanna, she bent down and whispered something in Shannon's ear.
"Oh alright," said Shannon, "I'll talk to her."
Kathryn stared at her daughter. She was clearly stunned at the connection between B'Elanna and her daughter. What had B'Elanna whispered to Shannon? Was it something about her? She made a mental note before walking to the bio bed. "Will you excuse us?" she asked B'Elanna, maybe a little too harshly.
B'Elanna shot one last look at Shannon before Chakotay dragged her out, "Don't hurt her," whispered B'Elanna as she walked past, "Or I'll wring your neck."
Normally, Kathryn would have sent B'Elanna to the brig for that, but right now, she was more interested in Shannon.
"Listen, Shannon," started Kathryn, "I know. I know. that."
Shannon looked away, "First could you at least tell me what's wrong with me?" she asked.
Kathryn quickly explained Shannon's condition, leaving out the part about dying, but Shannon was quick to read the look in her mother's eyes. "How long?" she asked softly.
"Fifteen hours," said Kathryn.
"Oh," murmured Shannon, "Well, I could have died out there," he said nodding towards a wall, obviously, she meant out there in space.
"No!" snapped Kathryn, "The Doctor's working on a cure."
"In fifteen hours, I doubt it."
"Listen Shannon, there's something I want to say," Kathryn started again, after a moments silence, "I'm sorry for the way I treated you. I realise it was wrong and that. that. Oh," she almost yelled, "I was afraid."
"Afraid... of me?" asked Shannon.
"No, afraid that if you came to live with me. that I. well. that."
"Your love for me would influence your decisions and might prevent you from saving your crew at times."
Kathryn gaped at her daughter, mouth open, okay. maybe not quite, but she was shocked anyway, "How do you know all that?"
"It's happened before," muttered Shannon. Of course, it was typical of her mother to forget.
Kathryn sighed, it was true. When Shannon was eight, she had smuggled on board a ship Kathryn had been stationed on, wanting to be close with her mother. They went on an away mission where Kathryn was left in charge. Shannon had smuggled herself on board the shuttle as well. When Kathryn had found out, she had ignored her daughter. She was angry and afraid of what might happen to Shannon. Suddenly, when one of here colleagues had beamed down on the planet, the Cardassians had opened fire. Unbeknown to her, Shannon had beamed down as well, deciding it was time she ran away from her mother. Kathryn had only found out when she had searched the surface to beam her crewman up, but picked up Shannon's life signs instead. As all power had been diverted to the weapon's array, she could only chose to save on person and she chose Shannon. Fortunately, the mother ship showed up and beamed the other crewman on board. No one had found out about Shannon, they thought that there was no power in the transporters, but 'till this day thoughts that something like that might happen again haunted her dreams.
"I'm really sorry," said Kathryn softly.
"Are you telling me this because I'm dying?" asked Shannon.
Kathryn studied her daughter, she wasn't afraid of death she realised. Then in occurred to her that out there, alone in the Delta Quadrant, her daughter had faced death everywhere.
"No, I'm telling you this because I want you to know I love you and if you survive I want you to move back into my quarters and we can live a normal life."
Shannon looked away, "Though that may not happen. If I do survive, I expect my own room."
Kathryn nodded, "Aye."
Shannon laughed, but her laughed turned into coughs, "Doctor," called Kathryn.
"It's alright," said the Doc, I'm monitoring her condition, just a normal coughing fit. "I'm glad to see you've patched things up," he said.
"I brought the TV," said B'Elanna wheeling in the television set.
"Thank you," said Shannon.
"Yes, thank you," agreed Kathryn, though B'Elanna knew it was for a different purpose.
"Now you two are friends again, make sure you don't forget Ol' Aunt 'Lanna."
"Oh I'll bother you so much, you'll wish I'd forget you," grinned Shannon.
"Trust me, I won't," said B'Elanna, leaning in as Shannon hugged her.

As they pulled apart, they saw a bright flash of light and the moment was ruined.
"What was that?" asked Shannon.
"I took a picture. it was such a moment," grinned the Doctor.
Shannon sighed, as she slumped onto the bed, "Have you found a sure yet?" she asked.
Kathryn and B'Elanna looked at t he doctor expectantly. "No," said the Doctor, "Not yet."
"Tuvok to Captain Janeway, you've been absent on the bridge for a long while. Is there a problem Captain?
"No, I'll be right there." She turned back to Shannon, "I'm the Captain and I still get bossed around. none to subtly by a Vulcan. Sometimes I think Tuvok should be the Captain."
"I don't," said B'Elanna, "I'm sorry Shannon, but I think I should get back to engineering as well."
"You'll be here before I die won't you?" Shannon asked them.
"You won't die," said Kathryn firmly.
B'Elanna nodded in agreement, "No dying on this ship. well, at least today."
Shannon forced a smile, but in her head, she was already writing her will.

To be continued..

Author's Note: Maybe it's a little drab. I'll try working on that.