Disclaimer: TPTB own everything (except *and I say this proudly* Shannon-
oh and the dog! Gasps. which I've forgotten to write about. the poor thing)
Author's Note: Sorry it took so long, my internet stopped working and you
can only imagine how long it took those guys to come around and fix it.
It's been a long time, I hope it's still good.
"Kathryn," she heard a voice call, "Kathryn, wake up."
Kathryn opened her eyes and was met by the bright lights of sickbay and the blue of Shannon's gown, "How is she?" she asked Chakotay, although she didn't know it was him, she was starring at her daughter. Her daughter's sunken face and purple lips, "What happened, my baby, is she alright?" she asked, though not as urgently as she should have. Her mind was still half asleep.
"Tell me!" she said again, fully awake.
If not for the seriousness of the situation, Chakotay would have laughed, "She's fine, her body's just fighting and it needs certain resources."
Kathryn nodded, she could accept that, "How long was I asleep?"
"Not as long as you should have been."
They heard a soft chuckle, "Really Mum, you should rest," Shannon gasped.
"Shhhh," Kathryn quickly silenced her daughter, "You should too."
"Not much point is there, I'm going to be resting for a long, long time."
Kathryn looked away, knowing the tears would not come, there were none left.
"Oh come on Mum," said Shannon softly, "Do you want my last minutes with you to be full of despair?"
"Last hours actually," corrected the Doctor, interrupting the moment, "Shannon is stronger than I thought. However I'm afraid to inform the young Ms. Janeway that she has missed the concert with Ensign Kim."
"Oh man," muttered Shannon, "I was hoping to stun you with my skills."
"Captain Janeway, Commander Chakotay and the Doctor to Holodeck One."
"Guess you have to join the celebrations," muttered Shannon softly.
"I'll be back." started Kathryn.
"As soon as I can," finished the Doctor, "This is absurd, calling me away when I need to be watching my patient."
"At least someone still cares," she joked as B'Elanna walked in. "Hey Doc," she smiled, "I heard you were needed in the holodeck, so I thought I'd keep and eye on your patient."
Only Chakotay saw her wink at the Captain, who shot her a confused look. In return B'Elanna shot her a dazzling smile. One Chakotay knew she only used when she way trying to put someone off the scent.
"I.. I mean we, Harry, Tom and I, we checked that this was safe," he heard her whisper.
He shrugged, B'Elanna wouldn't kill Shannon. Besides it's not like there was anything they could do to her to kill her when she couldn't walk or get anywhere. He trusted that she has more sense. He hoped she had more sense, or she'd be spending the rest of the trip home, in the brig.
They reached the holodeck moment before familiar blue transporter lights appeared in a quite corner of the holodeck. At first they were oblivious to it, but Tom and Harry ushered them there.
"What is going on?" demanded the Doctor, when he saw his patient there.
"What were you thinking?" demanded Janeway, as Chakotay asked B'Elanna the same thing. In the meantime, the Doctor was scanning Shannon.
"I'm fine," muttered Shannon, "I fee better. Maybe it's the change of surroundings. Can I go and mingle? Do you have hoverchairs or something?"
"Shannon Janeway, you're sick. You should be resting," said Kathryn, studying her daughter.
"Actually Captain, Lieutenant Torres has just cured your daughter."
"What?" almost everyone there, with the exception of Harry, who was to stunned to talk, muttered.
"It appears," said the Doctor calmly, though was evident he was trying not to jump up and down with joy, "That all the bacteria got stuck in the filters of the transporters."
"But if the transporters managed to get rid of them now, why didn't they get rid of the bacteria before they affected Shannon. She must have used the transporters at least once, I mean we did beam Shannon and her ship on board Voyager," said B'Elanna, thought she was grinning from ear to ear.
Kathryn merely studied Shannon as the doctor explained that at that time he hadn't known about the virus and therefore it wasn't stated in the ships filters that that bacteria was a potential threat. Now the computer knew.
Shannon wasn't listening, she was watching the colour return to her hands, slowly but surely, "I can walk," she exclaimed, as she hopped off the bio bed.
"Sha-," started Kathryn, "Shannon!" She exclaimed when her daughter collapsed.
"Guess I'm not as strong as I should be huh?" asked Shannon, when they had beamed back to sickbay.
"Of course you aren't," huffed the Doctor, "And they say she's smart."
Shannon opened her mouth as if to retort, but her mother stopped her with another warning, "Shannon!"
"Mum, do you realise how many times you've admonished me by saying my name today. You really must come up with something new."
Kathryn sighed, as she slumped down in a chair.
"Captain, I could always provide you with books on how to raise a teenager," stated the Doctor as he entered something at his console.
"I believe I'm doing just fine, other than the excessive use of her name," muttered Kathryn.
"Being a mother must be pretty tiring," said B'Elanna a little wistful. A little.
"A lot tiring would be correct," laughed Samantha Wildman walking in. "I'm here to take over for the Doctor so he can go to the party. Seven of Nine is waiting for him so he can teach her how to dance."
"Hey, how could you make plans and watch me at the same time?" asked Shannon.
"I made plans once you were better," he said, before walking out.
"Bye to you to," said Shannon sitting up, "He's gone, how about we have our own party," she said, I'm sure I can walk now."
And despite the protests of everyone else, she proved to be a wonder.
"Heard you," said Tom, who hadn't beamed up to sickbay with everyone else, "I brought the food."
"That must have cost you lots of rations," said Harry, awed at all the junk food Tom was holding.
"Hey, it's better than having to use them on coffins," he said.
"Ugh, death, that was really scary."
"But my baby seemed so brave," said Kathryn, hugging Shannon. She had finally really realised her daughter was going to live.
"Geroff Mum, you're the Captain, and I have an image to keep. Besides what will my friends think," but she hugged her mother all the same.
"They're adults, and you're not going to be friends with Tom Paris!"
"Aw," smiled Tom, "Come on Captain, we can all be one happy family," he grabbed B'Elanna and Shannon into a group hug.
"Alright, but I demand that she be home by ten o'clock. And not too much of that television. I don't want a couch potato for a daughter," she said as they walked to the Parises for their party.
"That's alright, I'll take her Formula One driving, it was really popular in the 21st century. It's like having a little sister to play with."
The night drew on and Shannon got tired gradually. Slowly, she pulled away to the window, while everyone was talking. Grown up talk, she called it. It was extremely boring.
"Penny for your thoughts," said a voice.
She looked up to see Chakotay. She had hardly gotten to know him while she'd been here. Still, she felt as though she knew him pretty well.
"I was thinking," she stated the obvious; "I don't think I'll ever fit in anywhere."
"Nonsense," said Chakotay, but he let her continue.
"Back home I had no friends. Here people are nicer to me, but there's no one my age."
"No one likes you Shannon, they love you. B'Elanna treats you like a sister or a daughter, I can't decide which and Tom and Harry do to, but they'd rather die than admit it. Your mother, she wasn't very nice at first, but now, well you know about now."
"But what about you?" asked Shannon, as she tilted her head sideways slightly, reminding him of her mother. "You hardly talk to me."
"I was consoling your mother, she was upset about not talking and being with you, she was. afraid and I was being there for her. I would have liked to be your," he hesitated, "Friend, but I didn't know if you would like that."
"I wouldn't have minded," admitted Shannon, "I like knowing people."
"Well then Shannon, how about a game of hoverball tomorrow. Holodeck one, 1900 hours."
"Oh, you don't know who you're messing with," grinned Shannon.
"And bring your dog."
"My dog," repeated Shannon, "Where is she?"
"You're mother's quarters. I heard her howling when I went to change. Don't worry, I get her and everything."
"Good, she can wait then, because between you and me, I'll a little tired."
Chakotay nodded, but pointed it out to Kathryn, quietly when Shannon wasn't looking.
That night, as Shannon snuggled between her mother's sheets, while her mother bid Chakotay a good night, she hugged her dog, "I think," she whispered, unaware that her mother had just walked into the room, "I think we've found our home."
To be continued..
Author's Note: You really didn't think I'd let her die, did you? Would have been unexpected though, but then she wouldn't have been able to bring them together. Besides, I kind of like her.
"Kathryn," she heard a voice call, "Kathryn, wake up."
Kathryn opened her eyes and was met by the bright lights of sickbay and the blue of Shannon's gown, "How is she?" she asked Chakotay, although she didn't know it was him, she was starring at her daughter. Her daughter's sunken face and purple lips, "What happened, my baby, is she alright?" she asked, though not as urgently as she should have. Her mind was still half asleep.
"Tell me!" she said again, fully awake.
If not for the seriousness of the situation, Chakotay would have laughed, "She's fine, her body's just fighting and it needs certain resources."
Kathryn nodded, she could accept that, "How long was I asleep?"
"Not as long as you should have been."
They heard a soft chuckle, "Really Mum, you should rest," Shannon gasped.
"Shhhh," Kathryn quickly silenced her daughter, "You should too."
"Not much point is there, I'm going to be resting for a long, long time."
Kathryn looked away, knowing the tears would not come, there were none left.
"Oh come on Mum," said Shannon softly, "Do you want my last minutes with you to be full of despair?"
"Last hours actually," corrected the Doctor, interrupting the moment, "Shannon is stronger than I thought. However I'm afraid to inform the young Ms. Janeway that she has missed the concert with Ensign Kim."
"Oh man," muttered Shannon, "I was hoping to stun you with my skills."
"Captain Janeway, Commander Chakotay and the Doctor to Holodeck One."
"Guess you have to join the celebrations," muttered Shannon softly.
"I'll be back." started Kathryn.
"As soon as I can," finished the Doctor, "This is absurd, calling me away when I need to be watching my patient."
"At least someone still cares," she joked as B'Elanna walked in. "Hey Doc," she smiled, "I heard you were needed in the holodeck, so I thought I'd keep and eye on your patient."
Only Chakotay saw her wink at the Captain, who shot her a confused look. In return B'Elanna shot her a dazzling smile. One Chakotay knew she only used when she way trying to put someone off the scent.
"I.. I mean we, Harry, Tom and I, we checked that this was safe," he heard her whisper.
He shrugged, B'Elanna wouldn't kill Shannon. Besides it's not like there was anything they could do to her to kill her when she couldn't walk or get anywhere. He trusted that she has more sense. He hoped she had more sense, or she'd be spending the rest of the trip home, in the brig.
They reached the holodeck moment before familiar blue transporter lights appeared in a quite corner of the holodeck. At first they were oblivious to it, but Tom and Harry ushered them there.
"What is going on?" demanded the Doctor, when he saw his patient there.
"What were you thinking?" demanded Janeway, as Chakotay asked B'Elanna the same thing. In the meantime, the Doctor was scanning Shannon.
"I'm fine," muttered Shannon, "I fee better. Maybe it's the change of surroundings. Can I go and mingle? Do you have hoverchairs or something?"
"Shannon Janeway, you're sick. You should be resting," said Kathryn, studying her daughter.
"Actually Captain, Lieutenant Torres has just cured your daughter."
"What?" almost everyone there, with the exception of Harry, who was to stunned to talk, muttered.
"It appears," said the Doctor calmly, though was evident he was trying not to jump up and down with joy, "That all the bacteria got stuck in the filters of the transporters."
"But if the transporters managed to get rid of them now, why didn't they get rid of the bacteria before they affected Shannon. She must have used the transporters at least once, I mean we did beam Shannon and her ship on board Voyager," said B'Elanna, thought she was grinning from ear to ear.
Kathryn merely studied Shannon as the doctor explained that at that time he hadn't known about the virus and therefore it wasn't stated in the ships filters that that bacteria was a potential threat. Now the computer knew.
Shannon wasn't listening, she was watching the colour return to her hands, slowly but surely, "I can walk," she exclaimed, as she hopped off the bio bed.
"Sha-," started Kathryn, "Shannon!" She exclaimed when her daughter collapsed.
"Guess I'm not as strong as I should be huh?" asked Shannon, when they had beamed back to sickbay.
"Of course you aren't," huffed the Doctor, "And they say she's smart."
Shannon opened her mouth as if to retort, but her mother stopped her with another warning, "Shannon!"
"Mum, do you realise how many times you've admonished me by saying my name today. You really must come up with something new."
Kathryn sighed, as she slumped down in a chair.
"Captain, I could always provide you with books on how to raise a teenager," stated the Doctor as he entered something at his console.
"I believe I'm doing just fine, other than the excessive use of her name," muttered Kathryn.
"Being a mother must be pretty tiring," said B'Elanna a little wistful. A little.
"A lot tiring would be correct," laughed Samantha Wildman walking in. "I'm here to take over for the Doctor so he can go to the party. Seven of Nine is waiting for him so he can teach her how to dance."
"Hey, how could you make plans and watch me at the same time?" asked Shannon.
"I made plans once you were better," he said, before walking out.
"Bye to you to," said Shannon sitting up, "He's gone, how about we have our own party," she said, I'm sure I can walk now."
And despite the protests of everyone else, she proved to be a wonder.
"Heard you," said Tom, who hadn't beamed up to sickbay with everyone else, "I brought the food."
"That must have cost you lots of rations," said Harry, awed at all the junk food Tom was holding.
"Hey, it's better than having to use them on coffins," he said.
"Ugh, death, that was really scary."
"But my baby seemed so brave," said Kathryn, hugging Shannon. She had finally really realised her daughter was going to live.
"Geroff Mum, you're the Captain, and I have an image to keep. Besides what will my friends think," but she hugged her mother all the same.
"They're adults, and you're not going to be friends with Tom Paris!"
"Aw," smiled Tom, "Come on Captain, we can all be one happy family," he grabbed B'Elanna and Shannon into a group hug.
"Alright, but I demand that she be home by ten o'clock. And not too much of that television. I don't want a couch potato for a daughter," she said as they walked to the Parises for their party.
"That's alright, I'll take her Formula One driving, it was really popular in the 21st century. It's like having a little sister to play with."
The night drew on and Shannon got tired gradually. Slowly, she pulled away to the window, while everyone was talking. Grown up talk, she called it. It was extremely boring.
"Penny for your thoughts," said a voice.
She looked up to see Chakotay. She had hardly gotten to know him while she'd been here. Still, she felt as though she knew him pretty well.
"I was thinking," she stated the obvious; "I don't think I'll ever fit in anywhere."
"Nonsense," said Chakotay, but he let her continue.
"Back home I had no friends. Here people are nicer to me, but there's no one my age."
"No one likes you Shannon, they love you. B'Elanna treats you like a sister or a daughter, I can't decide which and Tom and Harry do to, but they'd rather die than admit it. Your mother, she wasn't very nice at first, but now, well you know about now."
"But what about you?" asked Shannon, as she tilted her head sideways slightly, reminding him of her mother. "You hardly talk to me."
"I was consoling your mother, she was upset about not talking and being with you, she was. afraid and I was being there for her. I would have liked to be your," he hesitated, "Friend, but I didn't know if you would like that."
"I wouldn't have minded," admitted Shannon, "I like knowing people."
"Well then Shannon, how about a game of hoverball tomorrow. Holodeck one, 1900 hours."
"Oh, you don't know who you're messing with," grinned Shannon.
"And bring your dog."
"My dog," repeated Shannon, "Where is she?"
"You're mother's quarters. I heard her howling when I went to change. Don't worry, I get her and everything."
"Good, she can wait then, because between you and me, I'll a little tired."
Chakotay nodded, but pointed it out to Kathryn, quietly when Shannon wasn't looking.
That night, as Shannon snuggled between her mother's sheets, while her mother bid Chakotay a good night, she hugged her dog, "I think," she whispered, unaware that her mother had just walked into the room, "I think we've found our home."
To be continued..
Author's Note: You really didn't think I'd let her die, did you? Would have been unexpected though, but then she wouldn't have been able to bring them together. Besides, I kind of like her.
