The next morning, the senior officers had their weekly staff meeting. Captain Janeway asked the questions in her standard method, but she was slightly distracted by what she was going to say at the end of the meeting.

"B'Elanna, how are things going in engineering?"

"Well, we're making progress on the engine upgrades. Ensign Vorik thinks that they'll be ready by tomorrow."

"Very well. Doctor, how is sickbay going?"

"No major incidents to report. A few headaches, two bruises, some strained ligaments, and one case of acute nausea." Captain Janeway did not like his pointed look as he said the word nausea.

"Thank you. Tuvok, what is happening with security?"

"This has been a quiet week. There have been no breaches of security. I am, however, going to implement additional training for my staff, just in case."

"Ok. Chakotay, do you have anything to report about the crew?"

"No, Captain. Everything is going very well. Everyone has been on time for their duty shifts, and there have been no reported conflicts among the crew members. We're just one big, happy family here." Chakotay smirked when he said that. Normally, Captain Janeway found his smirks endearing, but for some reason, today, she found it annoying.

"Does anybody have anything else to add before the meeting closes?"

Everyone looked around the room, and they started to shift in their chairs as if they were ready to leave. Captain Janeway said, "Before we adjourn, I have something that I would like to bring up."

"As some of you may have noticed, I've been a bit testy the last few weeks. The doctor mentioned that he treated one case of acute nausea this week. The nausea was actually morning sickness. I just found out yesterday that I'm two months pregnant."

Everyone in the room, except for Tuvok and the Doctor, inhaled in surprise. She continued, "I'm sure some of you are wondering who the father is. I have decided to keep that information confidential for now. The Doctor has assured me that this is a routine pregnancy, and that it should proceed without complications. I will continue my duties for as long as I am able, at which time, I will take maternity leave to recover."

There was a long pause as everyone took in the information. Before anyone had a chance to say anything more, Janeway said, "You are all dismissed."

They got up to leave, but Commander Chakotay lingered behind. Kathryn was dreading this moment. She knew that he had feelings for her, and the knowledge that she had chosen another would be painful for him. He began to speak. "Capt...Kathryn. You can tell me. Who's the father?"

"I'm sorry, Chakotay. I know this must be hard for you. It's better if you don't know."

"I think it's better if I do. As your first officer, I'm responsible for keeping up on interpersonal relationships among the crew. I need to know of potential areas of conflict, and how they affect people's duties. You really should tell me."

Janeway stiffened, slightly irritated that he was pressing the matter. She looked at him with her icy stare that she reserves for when she means business. "Have you heard of any conflict arising out of my 'interpersonal relationship' with another member of the crew? If it hasn't created any conflict, it is outside the scope of your duties. I don't want to discuss this any further. Is that clear, Commander?"

"Yes, Captain." Chakotay slunk out of the room, not sure what to think. He was a little jealous, but he didn't like not knowing who to be jealous of.

Meanwhile, on the bridge, speculation was abounding. Tom Paris and Harry Kim were talking about all the possibilities. Harry elbowed Tom and said, "So...I know you and the captain had some baby lizards once..."

"I've tried to forget about that," Tom replied. "Don't look at me, I'm not the father. You know B'Elanna and I are dating. She would have my head if I even thought about it. I bet Chakotay is the father. He's been swooning over Captain Janeway ever since he came on board."

Tom looked at Tuvok and said, "You've known her longer than anyone else on board. What do you think, Tuvok?"

Tuvok was taken off guard by the question. He doubted that anyone suspected him, and he wanted to keep it that way. He didn't care if people knew, but Kathryn wanted to wait to tell the crew, and he respected her wishes. He chose his words carefully, and responded, "I think...that the captain has made clear her desire to keep the identity of the father a secret. I also think that it is unprofessional for senior officers to be gossiping and speculating about the captain's personal life while on duty. Stop this conversation immediately."

"Yeesh, Tuvok, lighten up! We're just having a little harmless fun," Paris replied.

Tuvok raised his eyebrow, and gave a look that said that he would pull rank if he had to. Tom and Harry dropped the subject.