Disclaimer: I only wish Voyager was mine, but Paramount owns them and it is our duty to speculate what they don't see fit to reveal in the series, and are too lazy to make a movie. If only they would see it our way...
Banned From Coffee Chapter 11 - Can I Please Have Coffee?
Kathryn Janeway was five months pregnant by the time Q paid a visit to Voyager, yet again bringing his son, Quentin. It was a time when the Captain wished to everyone and everything that she could drink coffee. And the crew wished along with her that the Doctor would allow her atleast one cup a day during Q's terrible visit. But, being so stubborn, the Doctor would not even let Kathryn a cup of decaffienated heaven.
The day of Q's visit started out bad enough as it was. Kathryn and Chakotay rose late in from their night's sleep, forgetting to tell the computer to set the alarm. Then, the sonic shower decided to hate them, blowing out the sonic converter, making the whole deck's hair stand on end, and wake up Miral Paris, two cabins down. After that, the main turbolift shaft and transproters were down for maintenace, and every other lift was backed up on the lower decks, so the pregnant Captain and her vampire-like husband, both suffering from a lack of sleep, had to 'hoof it' to the Bridge through the Jeffries tubes. Not the best way to start a new day in the Delta Quadrant.
When the command pair finally reached the bridge, half an hour late, they had to visit the Captain's private bathroom off the ready room to freshen up and take showers.
As Kathryn and Chakotay entered the Bridge together a total of 2 hours and 15 minutes late, they received a round of applause from the entire senior crew, all of which were standing around their command chairs.
"Thankyou everyone, I know we are late , but I think I can place some blame on B'Elanna for that," she threw a level 8 death glare at her Chief Engineer, her daughter in her arms laughing at the faces her father was making behind Kathryn's back. "Oh, and Tom, I like the way the transporters have been fixed on time," she stared at her chief helmsman, giving him a level 10 death glare.
The crew laughed at eachother's expense, glad to know the Captain was not bottling up her emotions.
"So, Doctor, Seven, B'Elanna, why are you on the Bridge?" Chakotay asked the officers who weren't usually stationed at the command centre of the ship.
"Well, Captain, Commander," Seven started, almost squirming where she was standing. "We thought we would throw you a baby shower, right here, right now, just for the senior staff and on-duty Bridge crew." A cheeky grin on her face told her 'mother' it was all her idea.
Before she could answer, two bright flashes of light appeared before them, revealing Q and his son, Quentin. Kathryn's first reaction was to call for a Yellow Alert. Q's first reaction was the good old question "So, Kathy, you won't have a baby with me but you'll have a baby with Chuckles?"
This was the beginning of a really bad day, a day Kathryn wished she could have just one small cup of coffee to see her through the hell Q would submit them to. If only.
The moment Q had dissapeared from the Bridge in a blinding flash of light, Quentin, his son, stepped forward to greet his aunt and the crew. "Aunt Kathy, it's so good to see you again. How is the baby doing?" Quentin was always the eager young man, polite but intrusive.
"Quentin," she addressed her god-Q. "I'm fine, it's good to see you and the baby is doing fine too. But, may I ask what prompted this visit to my ship?" She looked the younger omnipotent directly in his eyes, seeking the answer she knew was hiding there. "Where have you caused trouble this time?"
"I can answer that!"
Another flash of light brought the female Q, Quentin's mother, to the Bridge of the starship Voyager, her hands on her hips and her face puckered in an unpleasant way. Kathryn looked from one Q to the other, a glare demanding answers from the both of them.
Kathryn and Chakotay were sitting in the briefing room at their customary places near the head of the obling table. The two Q's were standing around the table, always moving, trying to explain their predicament to the severely hormonal and coffee-deprived captain.
"So, Quentin here, as he is preferred to be called now, has expressed his interest to become human, or serve for a time on your starship as one of the crew, like he did before. Under your constant supervision, of course, he would like to..." the elder Q was interrupted by his son, the child who brought peace to the Q Continuum.
"Aunt Kathy, I would like to study on a starship as a human, without my powers," he said, directing his attention to the ships commanding officer. Chakotay chuckled at the strange request, thinking back to the last time the younger Q had been a mortal on Voyager.
"Well, Quentin," she said, her hand locked with Chakotay's. "I'm sure I could ask the department heads for their permission, if you want to work with them. I'm sure we can shape you into a Starfleet officer, giving you the room to grow, the expertise in a wide range of subjects. You could study everyhting from..." Kathryn was interrupted by the sudden shudder of the ship, and Chakotay's strong arms went to support his wife and child before she fell.
Captain Janeway corrected her stance and shook off her husband's steady grip and touched her comm badge. "Janeway to the Bridge," she called, "Report!"
"Captain," Lieutenant Commander Tuvok was currently commanding the Bridge in it's Captains absence. "Captain, the Alomen-ar have appeared again in front of the ship, this time it appears First Marne Ashwaith has brought reinforcements. He is attempting to hail us. How would you like to proceed?"
"I'll take the call on the Bridge. Janeway Out." As she closed the comm link, Kathryn looked at the officer and Q's in front of her. "All right everyone, I'll talk to department heads and see what can be done. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some battling to do with some very annoying aliens, unless you can send them to a point of no return..." she was hinting for a little help from the omnipotents.
"Sorry, Madam Captain," Q said with his usual tongue-in-cheek humour. "But this is one thing I can't help you with."
Kathryn gave the father of her god-Q one last death glare before exiting onto the Bridge with her first officer.
"First Marne Ashwaith, how may we have this pleasure today?" she asked, with a hint of Q's tongue-in-cheek humour, just to annoy the serious alien.
"Captain Janeway, it is my understanding you are 20 of your weeks pregnant, are you not?" the leader of the alien race asked the ship's Captain.
"Yes, I am. What has my pregnancy got to do with your visit today?" The Captain was feigning politeness, anyone who knew her could tell that.
"Well, Captain," he started, frustration and anger starting to show in his alien voice. "It is not my custom to communicate with women on an equal basis, let alone a pregnant woman. For your ship to stay intact and and for your crew and unborn child to survive, I demand you stand down from duty and have someone else continue negotiations." he received a level 10 death glare, the Captain was not used to being demanded to be relieved of duty by strangers. "Captain, for the sake of your child, I demand you stand down."
Before the Captain, or anyone else, could respond, the alien severed communication with Voyager.
"Senior staff, meeting in my ready room in 10 minutes," she said, before rising to walk, as confidently and quickly as her pregnant body would allow her, to head towards her ready room. "Commander, you have the Bridge."
"Aye, Captain," was the last thing she heard before the doors closed behind her, enclosing her in the one place she could hide for that moment.
She had a feeling today was getting worse by the minute, and she couldn't have any coffee to soothe her nerves. Kathryn almost started crying, her body was so stressed and deprived of coffee.
