AN: Ooookay, just so you know, we've not disappeared off the face of this planet, we just had a…delay…in the form of Sunrise taking entirely too long to write this chapter all by herself. That's right, this was a solo work by Sunrise. She wrote it without me, Beloved, having any actual input, so it's quite different from the rest of the story…read at your own risk! We'll post chapter 8 soon. It's been done for quite awhile, as have a number of other future chapters (i.e. 8-19)…it just took FOREVER for her to finish! Well, happy reading!
THINGS GONE AWRY IN THE UNIVERSE—PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE
Chapter 7 – Telling Ian
Sara had talked with Kathryn and B'Elanna and they came up with a plan on how to tell Ian that she was pregnant with twins. Kathryn had sent Ian to Engineering with a cleaning crew. Their job was to clean everything—including all the plasma conduits. Why he got this job was beyond him—any ensign or crewman could've handled it. Kathryn was the Captain—and his boss—and he didn't want to get Sara upset. She had been more moody than usual lately, and he liked to have all of his limbs intact, and preferably still attached to his body. While Ian was on his "mission," all three women were putting the nursery together. When they were finished, the room was painted half blue and half pink, and contained two cribs, a pair of changing tables, matching dressers, a double bathtub, and everything else two infants could or would ever need. As they had done for their Captain, the crew had donated a number of replicator rations to the project—all right under the noses of Chakotay, Tom, and Ian. Once the nursery was done, Sara went down to sickbay to get the data chip that contained two holograms, one of each twin at approximately two weeks of age. One would be in each bassinet, set to look perfectly life-like. Meanwhile, B'Elanna went to Engineering to delay Ian by making him re-clean the conduits so he wouldn't return before Sara could finish setting things up. After Sara contacted B'Elanna through the PADD system, she dismissed the now exhausted—a fully terrified—cleaning crew from her command. When Ian returned home, he found dinner for two and Sara smirking over a steaming cup of coffee. The two ate dinner in an awkward silence. After dinner, Sara told Ian that she had something to show him.
She led him to the darkened room, ordered the lights up to fifty percent, took him to the bassinets, and said "Congratulations, Daddy."
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Ian walked slowly onto the bridge, shock etched into his features.
Hiding a grin, Chakotay turned in his chair to face him. "Welcome to my world."