Disclaimer: Paramount owns all things Trek… pity though.
A/N: Hah! How quick was that, eh? Anyway I was just rereading the last chapters… for continuity errors (just in case I don't get mixed up with all the different fics that I'm reading/writing) and I realised there are so many mistakes I've never noticed with previous rereads – I really ought to start doing something about them… or at least rereading them v. v. v. slowly – LoL… Anyway, hope you like this one – keep the comments coming… ty.
Believe in Me
…Communication…
"How?" Kathryn seemed oblivious to Chakotay's instructions, immediately hundreds of thoughts bombarded her, her relief that she no longer had to be careful around him, as though she could once more openly love him, but panic as well, she had concealed her identity not just to fool Starfleet, by revealing herself to him, she could place him in danger as well.
"Who's in that room with you, Chakotay?" Her voice was raised, surely even Chakotay knew the repercussions if either one of them were found out.
In the next room, Taya's rose to the next level.
"Get the baby, Kathryn," Chakotay's voice was equally gruff, though not with anger, but with emotion.
Without a word, Kathryn moved to the nursery, Taya immediately seemed to still as she entered the room. As Kathryn picked her up, she felt instant regret at having left her child for so long. She cradled Taya closely to her and the baby voice her need by burying her head in her mother's chest.
She ran the dermal regenerator over her face one more quickly; she wanted Chakotay's first live view of her daughter to be in her arms, not in the arms of a stranger.
As Kathryn sat back down at the console, she heard Chakotay's sharp intake of breath. He leaned forward, as though attempting to reach through the screen and instinctively Kathryn's free arm reached out to touch his face. At her gesture, he laid her hand over hers, attempting to mimic the gesture they had made as a promise in New Earth.
"Oh, Chakotay…" Kathryn's voice broke with a sob and Chakotay noticed the contrast between confident Kelly Frasier and the slouched mother who was Kathryn Janeway. Kelly Frasier was as much a façade as the Captain's Mask. "When will we be a family again?" She asked. Once more, the difference between solicitor and mother was evident, for weeks now, Miss. K Frasier had promised a dejected Chakotay, that when Starfleet released Chakotay's files and evidence, there would be more hope and that things would work out, yet now it was she who sought comfort.
He didn't answer – he couldn't. For years he had dreamed that having a family with the woman before him was impossible, yet now things hadn't changed, although there they were before him – reunited…. Almost.
Taya drew away from Kathryn and he thought that the sight before him was more picturesque than the two moons rising over Dorvan Prime and as, if not more priceless than the Mona Lisa itself.
Kathryn adjusted her nighty as she lifted the child to face the screen. Taya gurgled, she recognized the man from the pictures her mother often showed her. "Say hello to Daddy."
Chakotay registered the now grinning child. Although her eyes were a piercing blue and her hair a vivid red, Taya's tanned skin and prominent facial features were very much like his own – she was exactly what he imagined their children would look like, those lonely nights on Voyager, a merging of fiery Kathryn Janeway and contrary Chakotay.
"She's beautiful, Kathryn."
Kathryn looked up at Chakotay, and if it hadn't been evident before, it was now – Kathryn Janeway had evolved from mother of the crew and ship, to a proper nurturer with maternal instinct. If she had looked upon the Voyagers with pride, the look she gave Chakotay at his remark rivalled any other achievement she had praised before. "She is, isn't she? B'Elanna says she looked just like you… with slight reminders that I am her mother. I think her hair looks even better on her than it does on me – though it will fade a little." She looked up at Chakotay, worried that he might think she was rambling, but he seemed captivated by her small comment.
"And oh, Chakotay, you should see her, she's already attempting to pilot the small Delta Flyer Tom gave her last week… well we'd lost the first one he gave her… and what's the most amazing thing is – you can tell her things, complex things and I know she doesn't understand, but she just sits there, so attentive that you believe she must known the secrets of the world. And do you know what the best part is, Chakotay – she's dependant on me – on you and me… if we never were a family before Chakotay, this is it – our own little world, with just the three of us."
Chakotay felt his eyes water. It would be months, if not years before he could hold Taya and yet, he couldn't help sharing in Kathryn's pride and happiness.
"Oh, Chakotay – I'm so sorry."
"No Kathryn – you need to tell me, it's the only way I can ever know," and yet he couldn't help feeling a pang of jealousy… did he really deserve to be in prison?
Taya stifled a yawn and buried her face in her mother's neck before giving a small cry. Kathryn bounced her gently, still watching the emotion's flicker across Chakotay's face – anger, love, jealousy, hatred, joy… loss, understanding and there it was – hope.
She knew she had to draw his mind away from Taya… "How did you find out."
It seemed to have worked, something akin to humour flickered across Chakotay's face. "Kelly Frasier, Kathryn you couldn't have made it more obvious."
Kathryn laughed softly, so as not to awake the sleeping infant. Admittedly, she had intended to keep it a secret from him, but had also felt that giving him a few clues wouldn't go amiss either… just in case.
"You couldn't have figured it out just from that," she said, still chuckling, "I mean just because they were similar to Kellin and Riley Frasier's names, doesn't mean it couldn't have been a coincidence – what was it, Chakotay?"
Chakotay blushed, "Well, firstly – well and finally… it was the briefcase and the ring."
"What ring?" Kathryn was only too aware; Chakotay had accompanied her to her mother's house when Gretchen had presented Kathryn with her father's briefcase as a post-promotion/pre-engagement present, though Kathryn hadn't known about the engagement until later that night.
"Your wedding ring, Kathryn – you never took it off."
Kathryn looked aghast, "You've got to be kidding Chakotay. Anyone could identify me through that ring? When did I wear it?"
"Only once… when you came to visit yesterday."
Kathryn leaned back in her chair. Thank goodness! The guards had waved her through the preliminary scans yesterday as they had been expecting a high ranking dangerous criminal. Though how dangerous, Kathryn hardly knew, since Chakotay had been given the same rank.
"Chakotay – no one can know…"
"I know, Kathryn."
"I'm going to fight to get you out Chakotay. Taya needs her father."
Chakotay gave her a sideways grin, "And Kathryn needs her husband."
Kathryn raised an eyebrow, "Don't get to presumptuous. Who says I'll take you back – I read somewhere, you were having an affair with one of the inmates."
"Kathryn…" Chakotay warned. His voice dropped a couple of tones into seriousness, "I can see the stress Kathryn… lack of sleep… have you been eating?"
"I have, B'Elanna and Tom have been taking good care of me, don't you worry."
"Tom? 'Lanna?"
"I'm living here, with them, Chakotay."
"But the number you gave me… I thought I was establishing a connection with a Starfleet apartment."
"Tuvok's having the signal rerouted… he changes the frequencies daily – to be safe. I'm only tired, because of this little one here…"
"I should be there to help…" Chakotay's gaze drew back to a sleeping Taya. "She's so small Kathryn… are you sure you're safe."
"I am… and you are helping Chakotay. I believe you Chakotay… I'm getting you out of there," and suddenly there was the mischievous gleam in her eye, "Perhaps Kelly Frasier can arrange a little visit. I know you're not allowed visitors Chakotay, but between us – one arrogant solicitor and one high-powered, slightly stubborn, grumpy Admiral – we might be able to pull something off. God only knows, I've been dying to lay one on you for ages… I can't remember how I exercised so much self-control on Voyager."
"That's because you didn't know what you were missing out on."
Kathryn smiled… and then it occurred to her, "Do you know what day it is?"
"I thought you'd forgotten," Chakotay echoed her words from long ago.
"And here I thought you knew I could never forget," she teased lightly. "We've never missed an anniversary, you and I… be there Borg or Hirogen, warp core breeches… or plain old arguments."
"Oh, don't belittle yourself Kathryn; those plain old arguments were the highlight of the trip."
"I love you, Chako…" an incoming beep interrupted her, "Hold on a second, I'm getting an incoming message."
Chakotay's screen flickered for a while before it faded to a revolving Starfleet insignia, with the words 'transmission paused' running across the screen. If Kathryn didn't hurry he'd have to go soon – he only had so much time before the warden would pick up the transmission. He gave Dr. Martin a wary look, the Doctor held up five fingers to signal how many minutes he had left.
"Hurry, Kathryn," he whispered silently.
We must be physic, he thought as her face loaded on the screen, "Chakotay," she said – there was a change of tone in her voice, an underlying urgency and secret excitement, "Chakotay, they've released the evidence…"
To be continued….
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