And Her Hair All Done Up In Curls

Chapter 1
An Unexpected Guest

Rating G: so far

Summery: Kathryn is being plagued by a series of nightmares. What could they be about?

Disclaimer: All is owned by paramount, unless never mentioned one the show. I have just decided that I could take the voyager crew (Kathryn and Chakotay) where paramount would never have. I am not making any money, just doing it 'cuse I wanna.
Four weeks earlier

The sound of birds singing danced through the air. A river rushed in the background. Kathryn sat perched on a large rock reading. Voyager had found a small-uninhabited M Class planet, and Kathryn decided that the crew could use a little R and R. The planet was rich in wildlife, flora and fauna. It also had a large resource of minerals; in which voyager was in desperate need of.

Kathryn ordered that away teams start collecting foodstuffs as well as the minerals. She promised her crew that every one would have a chance to go down to the surface for some R and R. She herself wanted to but decided that the crew came first. She put Chakotay in charge of the shift rotations, with direct orders not to put her on the schedule. She knew that he wouldn't listen.

She now sat enjoying the sunshine and fresh air. She was happy that he did not listen to her. It had been a long time since she had had a chance to go down to the surface of a planet for more then just work. A sound caught her attention; it was a faint whimpering coming from under a bush. She slowly got up, her curiosity overwhelming her. She slowly pulled back the smaller edge of the bush to reveal, a tiny baby! Kathryn gasped. She immediately drew her tricorder out of her pocket, She scanned the area for any other life forms, there were non, however she picked up the lingering signs of a transporter beam. She hit her combadge immediately, "Janeway to voyager, are you detecting any ships other then our shuttles in the area?"

"No, Captain," Tom's voice radiated through the cool planets air. "Why?"

"It appears that an infant has be transported to the surface."

"A baby?" Came Tom's shocked voice.

"Yes," Kathryn scanned the infant once again. "And it appears to be only a few days old." Kathryn regarded the small alien. It was adorable, soft blue eyes, curly carrot hair, with a small ridge emanating from her for head running the length of her petite nose. A brown object caught Kathryn's eye, it lay just left of the newborn. Kathryn picked up the object, it was a small data padd, and it had foreign writing on it. "It looks like who ever beamed the baby down here has left us a note."

"Captain?" Tom questioned

"Tom have transporter room one lock on to my combadge and my life signs, and beam us directly to sickbay." Kathryn removed her combadge and placed it on the infant's blanket, she scooped up the little bundle into her arms gently, making comforting sounds to her surprise guest. Kathryn felt the familiar tingle and rush of disorientation of transport. She was then in sickbay. At the sound of the transporter beam the doctor came out of his office.

The doctor stated "Captain?" at the sight of Kathryn holding the baby. He walked over to her with his tricorder, and a questioning look.

Noting the doctor's question Kathryn remarked "She was beamed down next to me, on the planet. There was this padd laying next to her. She doesn't appear to be in to good of shape, and from my scans she seems to be only days old."

The doctor motioned for Kathryn to place the infant on the bio bed next to her. She set the quivering bundle on the center of the bio bed. The doctor proceeded to scan her. Kathryn then removed her combadge from the blanket and summoned B'Elanna to come to sickbay. When B'Elanna entered sickbay she was taken aback. "Captain?" she looked at her commanding officer. Kathryn restated what she had told the doctor just moments before but added, "I need you to see if you can decipher this," she handed her the padd."

"All right Captain, I'll get a team working on it right away."

"Thank you B'Elanna," Kathryn smiled. Before B'Elanna walked out of sickbay, she smiled and tickled the little one under the chin, B'Elanna was rewarded when the baby wiggled her arms and tucked her chin. The doctor smiled as B'Elanna left to discover the infant's origins. "Doctor?" Kathryn asked

"Yes"

"What would possess any one to give up something so beautiful?" Kathryn regarded the bundle, intently. She was beautiful; one of the most beautiful infants she had ever seen except for maybe, the thought went as quickly as it came, because of the memories that she did not want to relive. Kathryn gently stroked the baby's cheek; she smiled when the infant turned her head in the direction of her finger. Before Kathryn could remove her hand the baby opened her mouth and enclosed her fingers. Both the doctor and Kathryn laughed. "I guess she's hungry." Kathryn stated.

"I'll replicate an appropriate supplement for her, and captain the answer to your question is I don't know." Kathryn nodded to the doctor as he disappeared into his office, only to reappear moments later with a bottle. "Captain, if you would do the honors." He held up the bottle to her, she took it then gently picked up the baby. She sat her-self on the bio-bed with her back to the door. She placed the nipple of the bottle to the baby's mouth. The doctor continued his scans of her as Kathryn fed her. He smiled, it seemed that taking care of children came naturally to his captain, all though she had never had any.

Chakotay walked on the bridge in a very good mood. He had just come from the mess hall after having lunch with Harry. It had been a while since he had had a chance to spend any time with his young friend. Chakotay took his seat and asked if the captain had returned to the ship yet. Tom informed him that she had beamed directly to sickbay but forgot to disclose the information as to why. Chakotay jumped up and headed off to sickbay, leaving Tom in charge of the bridge. Why hadn't he been told that Kathryn was in sickbay? As the first officer he should have been the first to know. Chakotay hurried down the corridor as soon as the turbo lift stopped. He was in sickbay just seconds later.

When Chakotay walked in he could see Kathryn turned away from the door, the doctor intently scanning her. Chakotay's heart jumped into his throat. He quickly moved over to her "Kathryn what hap..." his words were cut short when he noticed that the doctor was not scanning her but an infant in which Kathryn was feeding. He did a double take "where" was the only word he could muster. Once again Kathryn explained how she ended up with the baby.

"You know Chakotay, I should probably make a ship wide announcement, that's the forth time I have had to explain it."

Chakotay smirked; he could tell that she was joking around with him. The crooked smile that she wore gave her away; he knew that she was most likely enjoying the story telling. "So do we know where she came from?" he inquired.

"No, but B'Elanna is working on translating the padd that was next to her." Kathryn looked down at the child; the bottle that she held was nearly empty. After a few more swallows the baby finished it. No sooner did the contents of the bottle vanish did a wail radiate throughout sickbay. Kathryn set the bottle down on the bio-bed next to her, she lifted the screaming child up and pressed her to her shoulder, gently stroking and patting her back. A small burp emanated from the baby. Kathryn returned her to her original position where, now contented she fell asleep.

The doctor completed his scans then vanished into his office once more leaving Kathryn holding the now sleeping child, and Chakotay watching her closely. Chakotay chuckled a little, at the picture before him.

"What is it," Kathryn whispered, trying not to wake the newborn.

"It's nothing, just child care really agrees with you." Chakotay stated inadvertently striking a nerve. Kathryn's face-hardened and fell. She quickly turned her head down toward the baby so Chakotay could not see the emotions cross her face. Unfortunately she turned to late "Kathryn what is it?" Chakotay asked, He was now concerned and wondering what could have made her mood change so quickly. He snaked his arm around her back in a protective manner.

Kathryn shrugged it off, "Nothing's wrong Chakotay," She glanced up at him and smiled weekly, but her eyes betrayed her. Chakotay was going to push her a little more to find out what was bothering her but the doctor came out of his office. He informed the captain that the baby was healthy, despite the fact that she was dehydrated and mal-nourished, Kathryn smiled knowing that the baby wasn't ill now all they needed to know was where she came from, and what they were going to do with her. After a few more minuets of holding the child the doctor brought out an incubator. Kathryn placed the baby into it. She eyed Chakotay keenly before stating evenly not showing the mixed emotions that came with their unexpected guest to him, "We need to figure out what were going to do with her, and she'll need a name."

"Yeah, we will, someone will have to take care of her."

"Tomorrow, I'll can a staff meeting will figure out what to do with her then." She looked toward the incubator; she had already started to fall in love with the small child. She glanced toward Chakotay who seemed to mirror her own thoughts toward the baby. The chime then sounded and brought the command team back to their senses.

"B'Elanna to Captain Janeway,"

"Yes, B'Elanna,"

"I have translated the data padd and you'd better get down here."

She shoot a glance toward Chakotay. "I'm on my way B'Elanna," she stated before turning and leaving sickbay on her way toward Engineering. Chakotay stole on last look at the little red headed baby before fowling Kathryn out the door.