Disclaimer: No matter how much we kick, scream, cry or throw temper tantrums, Voyager still belongs to Paramount, as do all the characters, except for the ones I invented, whom you will meet later. In other words, Paramount is too lazy to make a movie, so l think it is out duty as fans to play with them, manipulate them and speculate what should happen after Endgame.
The Offical Mission Chapter 5 - Coming Home
The six week journey returning to the Delta Quadrant at maximum slipstream was uneventful, in the standards of the original Voyager crewmembers. For the new staff, they saw the bypassing of nebula after nebula, encounters with semi-hostile aliens and debilitating asteroid fields as exciting, even part of a normal mission, one they had been briefed on or participated in prior to their assignments on the new Voyager.
Luckliy, Kathryn Janeway was handling her first pregnancy extremely well, considering heavily pregnant women were not supposed to be commanding starships or participating in deep-space diplomatic assignments. So far, she had avoided serious injury, confinement to Sickbay or quarters and arguements with senior staff members over her condition.
This particular day in the outskirts of the Delta Quadrant was not unusual to the days the original crew had dealt with for seven consecutive years.
Captain Kathryn Janeway, six and a half months pregnant, strode on to her Bridge with a purposeful gait.
"Captain on the Bridge!" called a very familiar voice. Lieutenant Commander Tom Paris stood up from the command chair in the centre of the room.
Kathryn smiled warmly at everyone, first at the man in charge of the Bridge during her absence, then at each individual person staffing the stations around her. "As you were," she said, before stepping out of her ready room, and heading towards her surrogate son, the man she had adopted into her family long before she married or he had a child. "Report, Mr Paris."
"Ma'am, we're due to cross the border into the Delta Quadrant within the hour. I was just about to call the senior staff to the Bridge for the Alpha shift." Seeing the warm look on his CO's face, Tom quickly changed his mind. "But, I think you can do the honours. You have the Bridge."
Stepping down from the Captain's chair to the First Officer's, Paris admired the older woman's form and grace. Being pregnant had been hard on her, as it was hard on B'Elanna both times round. Fortunately, his half-Klingon wife was handling her unborn child with grace and expertise, much easier than she had with Miral.
Tom's thoughts were interrupted by Kathryn's strong feminine voice calling over the comm system. "All senior officers, please report to the Bridge."
The Alpha shift just beginning, Janeway watched as each member if her senior staff, apart from her pilot, arrived at their stations to begin the bustling morning.
As soon as Counsellor Peters took her seat, being the last one to arrive, Janeway stood up to address the assembled people.
"Everyone, today marks a very important milestone in our personal history, the day we return to the place we have felt the most at home, where many romances developed and some children were even born, if not concieved." Kathryn looked at Tom and B'Elanna, giving the stern impression about Miral, thier oldest daughter. Everyone laughed at their expense, thus lightening the heavy atmosphere encompassing them.
"Our return to the Delta Quadrant, the past the outskirts of Federation space, gives us an opportunity to bring new races into our wide Federation family, chances fr more first contact situations for all, and reunitements with old friends, not to mention the many enemies we accumulated over seven years. The Delta Quadrant was our home, so to all the new crew, if you would consider it yours too, it is something no one will ever forget."
A round of applause followed the captain's speech, a sign of true appreciation and admiration of their commanding officer.
Kathryn shared a look with Chakotay, then turned to share a look with the counsellor. Receiving a shrug in return, Kathryn obviously couldn't count on her counsellor for support in family matters.
"Sir, we are crossing over into the Delta Quadrant now," Lieutenant Marman called from tactical, directly behind her.
Paris, Torres and Kim shared a groan and felt sorry for the new security chief. Even they knew Kathryn hated that particular protocol.
"Mr Marman, do you know exactly how much I hate being called 'sir'?" Janeway turned to look at the newest addition to her family. "Had you have done that more than once if you served with me in the Delta Quadrant for seven years, Tom and B'Elanna would no longer be the main recipients of death glares and payback."
Grimacing, Scott finally understood. "Yes, Ma'am. Sorry Ma'am," he said. "We have just entered the Delta Quadrant, en route to the Talaxian mining colony."
A collective cheer echoed throughout the Bridge, and most likely throughout the rest of the ship, too.
"Settle down, settle down," Kathryn laughed, a huge smile on her face. "Everyone, return to your stations, we'll be in comm range of Neelix and Dexa in a matter of hours. Until then, Alpha shift has just started, so I suggest we settle down for duty. I'm sure Annika will wake us up at 0200 when we can talk to our Talaxian friend."
"I'm sure the moment we come into range of the Talaxian mining colony, everyone on the ship in line to talk to Neelix will be woken, though I haven't chosen my way of mass awakenings yet."
"Whatever you do, don't call for a red alert!" Harry called, unknowingly giving her the ammunition to wake the staff.
"Oh, I'm sure she will, Harry. That's why she loves you so much," B'Elanna shot back, hanging off her husband's strong form for support.
"That's enough children," Chakotay jested. "How about we return to duty, and argue about comm time with Neelix after we yell at Annika for waking us up in the middle of the night."
"Yes, Daddy," Tom answered in a child-like voice, before quickly kissing his wife and promptly plomping his behind in the pilot's chair.
"OK, everyone, return to your stations and get back to work. I'm sure Mr Paris and Mr Kim are eager for their shift to finish so they can plan our homecoming slash welcome Neelix party," the evil grin on the CO's face gave Tom and Harry something other than their women to think about for after their shift.
"Full holodeck use, Kathryn?" Harry asked.
"Of course, but on one condition. The theme is formal. Very formal, but ranks at the door."
"Not a problem," Harry and Tom said in unison, before turning back to their respective stations and continuing their work.
"You have no idea what you just got yourself into," Chakotay whispered to his wife.
"Of that I am sure," she whispered back, the mischievious grin still plastered on her face.
0200 arrived all too quickly for Kathryn. Being pregnant almost drove her to the point of becoming an insomniac, something drugs could not cure, even if she wanted them. At the time Annika Hansen set off her fake Red Alert, Janeway had just entered REM sleep. Disturbing a pregnant woman from sleep is usually not something someone would like to do, but when you are ex-Borg, even the captain's enraged state can't scare you at 2 in the morning.
Trudging sleepily onto the Bridge, a large hot chocolate in her hand, Janeway proceeded to her command chair, attempting to wipe the look of intense fatigue off her face.
"Report," she barked tiredly, unsuccessfully trying to conceal a large yawn.
"Captain, we have established contact with the Talaxian mining colony, and Neelix is waiting to speak to you," came the slightly emotional voice of Ensign Annika Hansen, alias Seven of Nine, from the Ops station in front of her. Obviously Harry hadn't yet managed to drag his tired arse to the Bridge.
"Computer, stand down Red Alert," Kathryn called into thin air, desperately wanting the klaxons to stop buzzing. As soon as they did, she made another call, "All senior officers report to the Bridge."
As the turbolift doors opened behind her and the remaining senior officers stepped onto the Bridge, most of them still yawning or rubbing sleep out of their eyes, Kathryn turned to Ensign Hansen at Ops.
"Annika, hail New Talax, it's time to talk to our old friend."
"Lieutenant Wildman, please wake your daughter and report to the Bridge," Commander Chakotay called over the comm link, knowing the child would like to see her godfather.
Just before the comm link opened, Kathryn turned to look at her party coordinators, a sleepy grin on her face. "Tom, Harry, you do know that party is expected to be underway by 1800 hours on Wednesday night, right?"
The pair looked at eachother. "What? It's Monday morning!" Paris said, his voice slightly raised.
The comm link to the Talaxian colony opened at that moment, preventing the two men from saying any more on the subject.
"Greetings, Captain Janeway and Voyager!" Neelix called from his side of the link.
"NEELIX!" Everyone screamed, but no one as loud as Naomi Wildman, who had just stepped onto the Bridge with her mother.
