What if?
By Assilem
Rating: PG-PG13
Summery: What if Janeway didn't have a choice on carrying Q's child...and Q didn't know.
Author's Note: I have decided to start rewriting this, as my style has greatly changed, and I wanted to update.
Episode: The Q and the Grey
Taking a breath, The Doctor double-checked his tricorder. The results, not something he was expecting, but he knew that medicine never lied, and that the woman sitting before him would not take the news well.
"Are you saything that I'm pregnant Doctor?" Kathryn Janeway, Captain of the Federation Starship Voyager asked as she peered into the eyes of the holographic doctor. Her posture stiff, and she reached an arm out to take the tricorder. Her brows frowned as she read the readings.
"Yes Captain, I am," The Doctor replied, taking the tricorder back into his hands, and scanned her once again. "There is no doubt Captain, you are pregnant."
Taking a large breath in, Kathryn sighed as she rubbed her forehead, and looked at The Doctor: "I can assure you Doctor, there is no way I am pregnant."
"As of matter of fact Captain, you are. And I think I can explain it. From my scans and knowledge, it seems the infamous Q was at it again," The Doctor replied as Kathryn looked at him.
"Come again Doctor?"
"Well Captain, it seems that Q has found a way to father a child without the mother knowing…I think…I don't know how, but I can assure you Captain, that indeed you are pregnant."
"Doctor, if this is some kind of practical joke," The Captain threatened, attempting to stare the hologram down.
"I can assure you Captain, this is no joke. I only wish it was," he replied. "But as you can see, we can isolate the child's DNA sequence, half of it is yours, the other half, well, it matches the DNA from the database, one that Dr. Beverly Crusher added during her time on the Enterprise. Belonging to Q."
"Q?" Kathryn asked staring at the results. Her mind began to race, even more so than it was when the thought of a possible pregnancy crossed her mind. Standing straight, Katheryn resumed her normal demenour, turned towards the hologram, and said: "Thank you Doctor."
"Ah Captain. I should let you know because Q and human DNA has never been mixed before, I have no way of detecting, or even estimating progress of fetal development."
"Understood Doctor," Kathryn said before she walked out of sickbay, the Doctor watching her. Taking a breath, Kathryn moved towards the turbo lift. She needed to be alone, somewhere to figure things out, to make a plan. The options were already weighing on her mind, as all the possibilities. Should she keep the child, what would that entail? Did the Continuum already know? This whole situation was not what she imagined it to be at all… Taking a deep breath she walked into the turbo lift. "Bridge," she commanded, holding her posture. She had to of course tell her crew, but how was she expected to do that? Stand up in front of those under her, and announce her unplanned, unexpected, unwanted pregnancy?
As the doors opened, she was greeted by the familiar faces of her senior staff, at their posts. "Good morning Captain," Chakotay greeted with a smile. Upon noticing the sterness on his face, he stood up in anticipation.
"Senior Staff Meeting at 15:00. No one be late," she announced loudly, before turning towards the room to the left. "I'll be in my ready room until then."
"Yes Captain," Chakotay said, resuming his seat, as the senior staff all watched as their Captain sealed herself away.
"I wonder what that was about?" Tom asked to no one in particular, as he swirled back facing helm.
"Maybe the Captain ahs found us a way home?" Harry suggested happily and hopefully, although everyone knew it was far from it.
"I doubt it Harry," Chakotay replied. "Now get back to work, all of you," he ordered in a playful tone.
Kathryn walked into her ready room and sat down at her desk. She sighed and looked around her ready room, her eyes catching a glimpse at the picture that sat on her desk. Reaching over she picked it up and sighed. The world as she knew it just changed and she wasn't sure if it was for the better or worse.
There was the option of terminating the pregnancy. Which did not really appeal to her, but was logical. She was the Captain of a starship, lost in the Delta Quadrant. There was no way she could be the best mother possible. The mother she once thought she'd be. But on the other hand, this could be her only chance to be a mother.
What kind of child would she bare? One that was half Q could mean a troublesome endeavor. What powers would the child posses? Would it have all the powers of a Q, would she be able to harness something she herself barely understood?
Would she be a good mother? Like her own? Would the child be okay without a father in its life? Why her?
And what was she going to do?
-v-v-v-v-v-v-
At 15:00, emerging from her ready room, Kathryn walked across the bridge, and into the Briefing room to see her senior staff all in their ordinary places waiting for her. "Thank you all for coming," she smiled looking upon her senior staff.
"Its our pleasure," Tom piped up from his seat, flashing a smile.
Kathryn smiled to herself and took her seat at the head of the long table. She had spent the past several hours coming up with how she was going to do this. How something so personal would become something that affected the entire ship. Taking a breath, she looked at her colleagues, and began to speak: "It seems that Q has been playing games again."
"What this time?" Chakotay asked as everyone groaned in response.
Continuing with her courage to expel this knowledge of her situation, she continued: "It seems that Q has found a way of impregnating someone without their knowledge and without physically…"
"Wait are you saying that Q got someone pregnant?" Tom asked cutting his superior off, looking wide-eyed at her.
"Yes Mr. Paris," Kathryn replied before she took another breath. "It seems that Q, being himself, has chosen me to perform this experiment on."
There, it was out. The people in this room now knew her greatest secret, and the expression on their faces was something she did not anticipate. Her stomach, tied in knots, her mouth getting dry, and her head spinning. The looks she was getting, made her aware that they too, were processing the information.
"Are you saying you're having Q's baby?" Tom asked raising an eyebrow asking the question everyone wanted to know the answer to.
"Yes Mr. Paris. Out of my own control and will I am," she explained softly. "Since this child is a hybrid, we have no idea when he/she will be born, or what powers the child will posses. It's a risk, I'm well aware of."
A moment of silence echoed throughout the room, as the officers continued to process.
"Captain," Tuvok finally spoke, turning his head towards his friend. "Is it logical to keep the fetus?"
"Tuvok we have no idea what will happen either way. We're explorers and scientists. We have no idea what kind of knowledge this child will posses," Kathryn explained looking at her best friend. "I expect your staff is to be told immediately and anyone who has been feeling different lately have them report tot he doctor. Who knows who else Q has impregnated…"
"Captain," Harry started tentatively.
"Yes Ensign?"
"Congratulations Ma'am," he finished, as the nods, and words of congratulations echoed from her staff.
Kathryn smiled and nodded her head. "Thank you. Dismissed." With nodded heads, the senior staff filed out of the room, everyone with the exception of Chakotay.
"Commander?"
"Kathryn are you sure you're okay with what Q did to you?"
"Actually Commander, I was thinking that this could be some sort of advantage or blessing. He or she might posses the knowledge that all Q's know and could help up reach the Alpha Quadrant faster. This is an opportunity as a Scientist I can't give up," Kathryn explained.
"True," he nodded "but as an expectant mother?"
Kathryn took a breath, stood up, facing her back towards Chakotay, and looked out the window into space. "I have no choice. This may not be the most ideal place to raise a child, nor the safest, but I believe and know for sure, here he or she will be loved and taken care of and given a life like no other."
-v-v-v-v-v-v-
Kathryn sat in her quarters as she read one of her favourite books when the chime took her attention towards the door. "Come in," she replied looking up as Tuvok walked in. "Tuvok?"
"Kathryn," Tuvok replied standing in the doorway, entering upon seeing the gesture of fingers. The door closed behind him, as his hands went to hold one another behind his back.
"What can I do for you?" she asked looking at her best friend.
Taking the initiative, Tuvok moved towards Kathryn, sitting down next to her on the couch. "As a Vulcan I am forced to think logically. I can not help but think that it is possible you are making a mistake."
Nodding her head, Kathryn set her book down beside her, licking her lips, she looked at the Vulcan. Taking his hands in her own.
"Tuvok you are my best friend. This may be an illogical decision, but Tuvok, I can not, not do this. You know this could be the chance we're looking for to go home, this is my chance at being a parent, bringing something precious to this crew."
"Indeed," Tuvok replied nodding his head. "I will be at your side."
"Thank you Tuvok," she smiled squeezing his hands.
"Always Kathryn," he replied.
