Chapter Six
Xena you awake?Xena could hear and see Tom clearly as Hercules told him what she had said.
I am now, what is it now? Are you having trouble with the coils?
No, Tom wants to talk to B'Elanna.
She's asleep like I was like you two should be. What does he want?
"Tell her to ask B'Elanna if we're still on for coffee before her shift starts." Xena sighed as she opened her eyes and yawned. She turned to look at B'Elanna in the dark and shook her awake.
"Tom leave me alone," B'Elanna growled making Xena chuckle and startle her awake.
"How did you know it was Tom?" Xena asked.
"What do you mean Tom's not here," B'Elanna said yawning. "What's wrong?"
"Our husbands that's what, Tom couldn't get a hold of you on the commbadge so they decided to wake me. Anyway he wants to know if you're still on for coffee before your shift."
"No, we're on for breakfast with our daughter, I'm going to get my badge."
"Don't worry about it, it's on the table beside you." B'Elanna didn't even turn to look assured that it was there. Xena closed her eyes for a minute. "Tom says okay, he'll be there for breakfast." After that Xena became silent as they both drifted off to sleep. It had only been ten minutes when someone knocked on the door. Xena groaned, but got out of bed before everyone else awoke. She opened the door.
"What can I do for you?" Xena asked and than her eyes went wide when she realized it was the Captain.
"I'm sorry am I interrupting something?" Kathryn asked. She was also dressed for bed. It was still late and most were in bed and no one would see her out of uniform except Xena and B'Elanna if she woke up.
"Just my dreams," Xena answered truthfully.
"I thought you didn't sleep."
"Well there's a difference between having too and wanting too." Kathryn nodded.
"Can we talk?"
"Yeah, sure I'll join you in your room." Xena grabbed her silk robe and tied it around herself before following Kathryn to her quarters. Xena had never been inside and looked around the space that so elegantly described her Captain.
"Coffee?" Kathryn asked.
"No, you drink that this late you'll never get to sleep." Kathryn nodded as she sat down. "So what's on your mind Captain."
"Call me Kathryn in private." Xena nodded. "You have a lifetime of wisdom now, answer me this. Did I make the right decision stranding this crew in the Delta Quadrant, I mean answer me this without saying yes just because you found Hercules and broke the curse." Xena was silent knowing that in the worst of times for Voyager the Captain often displayed more guilt and regret than usual leaving her unsure of her actions.
"Your guilt and regret over your decision is strong when it should be weak," Xena told her. "But I am not the fates. When I think about all the love I see between people and their children I think this would have never happened if we weren't stranded here. True some of the relationships will probably dissolve once we return to earth because the person may feel they settled and in reality everyone has because there aren't billions of other people to choose from. However it is my belief you made the right decision because if you hadn't than I am positive it would not have benefited any one in the end."
"But did I make the right decision."
"Look Captain in situations like the one you were put in, there is no right or wrong in clearly defined black and white. Everything happens for a reason. We got stranded in the Delta Quadrant, but look we got twenty-fourth century technology, learned about the borg and freed thousands of drones including Annika who I thought was lost and Icheb along with Evan and the other three children. We found Hercules who I thought was gone and now my children are going to live. B'Elanna learned to control her temper and love, now she's got Miral. And let's face it the chances were slimmer of Tom and B'Elanna ever getting together if we weren't here what with her being in the Maki and with him in prison. You have so many reasons to be thankful now that you have no reason to regret the decision."
"You really believe that." Xena nodded.
"But I sense now that's not what's really bothering you." Xena was standing now as she pace slightly watching Kathryn.
"I want a child," She blurted out.
"So have one," Xena replied.
"I can't just have one, I want a family with a husband and yet I'm the only one not paired." Xena nodded. "When my fiancé told me he had moved on I was devastated and I lost all hope of ever having a child."
"But your biological clock is ticking and you want to experience motherhood before our journey ends assuming we take forever." Kathryn nodded.
"I can't just have a baby."
"Sure you can, every woman on the ship would understand and we would not think less of you. The men would not think less of you either. At best they'll think you didn't want to be the only one with out a child."
"I don't want to be the only woman without a child."
"Okay than tell the doctor to do it artificially or you know Harry's still single, the Delaney sisters found other interests."
"He's an Ensign I couldn't possibly without showing him favor."
"And Hercules is a crewman and I'm a Lieutenant, so what. What goes on behind closed quarter doors has nothing to do with what goes on, on the bridge. Or at least that will be so after you've gotten pass the first three dates or so and there's usually a period of sex before it stops bubbling over the top all the time and you gain control."
"Yes, but I am Captain and practically all powerful. He'll have an inferiority complex and people will talk if I ever promote him."
"People always talk when a woman is in charge, I guarantee there's talk now about all of us. No one really expects us to stay celibate, I'm sure one of the first questions will be what species did we sleep with. Now unless you want to mate with Neelix, I think getting to know Harry is a whole lot better and worth it. Besides that Tuvok has a wife and he's not straying from her."
"Okay so even if I did ask Harry, what's to say he even likes me I'm his Captain."
"Exactly you're his Captain. Every man will fantasize about a beautiful intelligent woman who is a higher rank than he actually taking interest in him. No matter that he has the potential to have an inferiority complex it's his fantasy. If he can't deal too bad."
"I'll have to give Harry some thought." Xena nodded. "He won't break protocol you know."
"I bet you he will."
"No, he won't."
"Would you care to actually wager that?"
"All right, I'll wager my holodeck privileges for a month in addition to yours."
"And if I lose you can have mine." They shook on it. "And you have to actually go after him Kathryn. No asking and than he says no initially out of shock and disbelief and trust me I'll know."
"Oh fine, but I wouldn't even know where to begin now."
"Well you could work with him in a jefferies tube or something where you'd be alone. Or you could be a Captain and ask him out."
"You're right ask him out." Kathryn looked extremely nervous now.
"Get some sleep Captain you'll want to be pleasant on your first date not cranky." She nodded.
"But wait Ensign Kim is also very much younger than me."
"All the more fun I say, if I wasn't already blessed with love, I would go for the younger oh wait technically that one guy was younger." Kathryn laughed as Xena had hoped. "Count your blessings it's lucky for you Harry Kim does not lack the maturity that we older women tend to find is absent." She nodded. Xena held out her hand and a teacup appeared. "Here, this will help you sleep."
"Thank you," she said accepting it gratefully. She sipped it and her eyes lit up. "Chocolate?" Xena smiled and nodded.
"Goodnight Captain." She left out as Kathryn took another sip before calling out to stop her. Sighing she sat down contemplating Harry Kim and before she knew it Harry was pushed out of mind as she focused on the taste of her drink. It had been so long since she had, had chocolate. Kathryn relaxed and once she had finished to her dismay she went to bed and fell asleep.
"Harry come here," Xena told him. He looked up from his place near Chakotay as they worked. She waved him over. She pretended to be discussing something else with him. "So have you seen the Captain today?" He shook his head.
"Why?" Harry asked.
"Well she's going to ask you out." Xena covered his mouth quickly before he yelled. Once he had calmed himself after initial reaction he indicated that she could move his hand.
"And why would she do that, she's the Captain, she can't possibly be interested in me of all people, I'm an Ensign I'm younger than her. I mean my God what the hell people will talk."
"Harry listen to me, you're over reacting, I say go for it, you two shouldn't be alone when you have a chance to be together. Besides you're one of the most mature and responsible people I know. You're also very smart and she's smart so you click there. Look all I'm saying is give it a chance you'll be surprised at what can happen when you give it a chance. Just remember never mix business with pleasure because you're going to be in the Delta Quadrant a long time. Now go back over to Chakotay and continue work and don't say a word to anyone. If you do you're going to be very sorry and highly disappointed." He nodded and went back over to Chakotay.
"What was that all about?" Chakotay asked.
"Oh we were just thinking about composing a new symphony for all the children and writing up a curriculum for teaching music."
"Yes, that'll be good for Ella to learn some music. I'm sure the doctor will insist on teaching singing, but of course we'll have to get him to adjust or our children will be bored." They laughed.
"God its so weird being the only one without a child," Harry commented.
"The Captain doesn't have a child," Chakotay pointed out. He knew from the Captain herself what she planned to do before she tried artificially to get pregnant. Harry's body tensed, but Chakotay wasn't looking at him so he didn't say anything.
"Yeah, but she's the Captain."
"Who is a woman, can you imagine being the only woman without a child, it must be devastating."
"Yeah, I suppose that would make a woman sad." Chakotay nodded.
"She spends more time with Miral and Eleanor than their own mothers and is actually creating Naomi's position as Captain's assistant early to compensate. She won't admit it, but she is." Harry was saved from answering as Naomi walked in to deliver two pads to Chakotay and Harry.
"Instructions from Seven I mean Annika," Naomi said before heading over with a third pad to Xena.
"Xena I've reviewed everything and taken the test you provided for me on the holodeck to test my knowledge of the borg language." Xena took the pad and looked it over it also held the results of her test.
"Very good you'll be ready for the job in no time and remember even after you get the job you'll never be in a position where you no longer need to learn." She nodded. Xena pressed some buttons. "Now based on your test results you're now ready for phase two of the borg language." She nodded and took the pad. "I will create a test for you tonight that you may take when you are ready."
"Thank you Xena, is there anything else?"
"Yes, I will drop the pads off in your quarters once I am done here." Naomi smiled and nodded. Naomi skipped out to begin phase two only stopping to talk to her mother and tell her she was already on phase two.
"Good for you Naomi, you'll be the best assistant ever between Xena and Seven."
"Annika mommy." Samantha Wildman nodded before Naomi rushed off.
"Captain," Harry greeted stiffly when he entered her ready room. All day people were quietly commenting to him about the Captain being lonely and what not or they were like Xena told him straight out he should date her and see how things worked out so they would not be lonely. To say the least the idea didn't bother anybody. Harry personally thought he had a better chance with Samantha Wildman than he did with the Captain, but like Tuvok she had no intention of breaking her husbands trust no matter how far away she was and the odds of her returning home.
"Harry I was thinking that perhaps you and I could go out tonight." They were both surprised how easily she asked. She stared at him for a long moment fearing rejection from the only single male on voyager she was willing to date. That said a lot about her if he refused.
"Look Captain to be honest with you, I think of you as my mother I mean mentor," Harry quickly corrected, but Kathryn had already heard him. "I'm just not interested in you that way, but if you want to have kids that's perfectly fine."
"Get out of my ready room right now." Harry caught the anger in her voice and left very quickly.
"What did you do?" Xena asked seeing that there were no smiles and Kathryn didn't see him to her ready room door. Chakotay was also standing next to her with B'Elanna and Tom. Tuvok was curiously looking on from his position as well.
"I told her that I think of her as a mother to me, but I meant to say mentor and that I didn't see her that way. Than I said if she wanted to have kids I was willing to do that." B'Elanna hit him in the head. "Ow what?"
"Ensign Kim one would say that you're very illogical when it comes to women or stupid." They all nodded in agreement with Tuvok.
"You never tell a woman who's interested in you that you think of them as your mother," Tom told him.
"Harry I gave you more credit than that," Chakotay told him.
"I don't understand what is so wrong with what I said.
"Harry you just told your Captain that you think she's way too old and possibly even disgusted by her because of her age," B'Elanna told her.
"But than you went and contradicted that last bit by adding you wouldn't mind fucking her on a regular basis because in reality she's not your mother," Xena added. Harry groaned.
"Oh no, I have to go fix this."
"No you go back in their you're history. You guys talk sense into him. We'll placate the Captain." They pushed the button and she let them in.
"This is your fought you know," Kathryn told Xena.
"Captain, Harry didn't mean what he said. I mean sure he's not interested, but he didn't mean to call you an old hag, because you're perfectly young with all your beauty in tact."
"You two don't know what old is, we age differently."
"Still I was mortal once too and I was your age. You look as radiant and beautiful as I did."
"You were thirty?" Kathryn asked turning around.
"Yes, I just say I'm twenty-eight and look eighteen to be honest, but my maturity makes me look older. As does yours, your body isn't aging your mind is as you gain experience, often times the experience is so bad and stressful it begins to show on our bodies. You'll see that after everything you've faced in the Delta Quadrant stress on earth will be like a prick on the finger, you'll hardly notice it after the initial shock except when it comes to death or children."
"Xena's right you know, I don't look a day over twenty except when I'm under stress and I am over twenty. Samantha Wildman, doesn't look a day over twenty-five personally."
"And yet I look ninety years old to Harry Kim."
"That's not true, his mother is at least fifty...sixty-one," Xena said.
"Like that's any better," Kathryn said putting her head down on her desk.
"Yes, it is because you do not look seventy-five. In fact not a day over thirty in the entire time I've known you."
"Are you telling me for the pass five years I've looked thirty?"
"No, no of course you looked younger, but we're just saying you haven't aged pass twenty-nine at best and thirty at most," B'Elanna told her. There was a knock.
"Enter," Kathryn said. Harry entered followed by Chakotay and Tom.
"Captain I just wanted to say that you do not look that old to me I just panicked. I am very sorry and if you would let me make it up to you by dinner in Italy I would be honored to be your date." Kathryn just stared at him. "Oh and I didn't mean..." Chakotay stopped him by elbowing him.
"Do you accept Captain?" Chakotay asked. Xena and B'Elanna nodded to her when she looked at him.
"Fine."
"Yes!"
"Thank you Captain, you'll love it." He left out quickly followed by the others.
"I'm stupid," Kathryn told herself.
"All right now let's create Harry and the Captain the perfect date," Xena told B'Elanna. Chakotay had given them time off for this specific reason.
"All right let's see the Captain is really into Leonardo Da Vinci so how about Venice for the setting."
"So are we thinking 16th, 21st, or modern day Venice at night?" Xena asked.
"You know I was thinking as you were talking and how about we start off with a tour of the Vatican after it was finished."
"Great idea than they move on to the Chianti wine region of Tuscany I was thinking of taking Hercules there and than we I mean they can have dinner in Florence. And than lastly they can take a romantic gondola ride in Venice at night with all the lights."
"Perfect end to a perfect evening." They nodded.
"B'Elanna you're a genius."
"No, no you're a genius," B'Elanna told her as they saved the program before leaving after actually creating the program, which didn't take much so they retrieved their daughters and ran a flounder program.
"I shouldn't be doing this, I feel stupid," Kathryn told them.
"Stop being a baby Kathryn, I'm sure Harry has created an excellent date for you two to go on."
"You should show a little ankle captain," Xena teased. She of course didn't get it not as well versed in twenty-first century humor about the early 20th century as her and B'Elanna as they chuckled.
"Why is that funny?" Kathryn asked. Xena explained.
"Well its just these days women are more modest and barely show any skin and well in the early 20th century women couldn't even show their wrists, and even before that except in the twenties you know showing a little ankle was sexy."
"Oh right I get it." Kathryn was too nervous to laugh.
"Calm down."
"This is stupid, I can't go out with Harry, he thinks of me as a mother."
"Well its up to you to make him look at you like the beautiful thirty year old woman you are."
"I'm forty-one not thirty."
"Wow your old," B'Elanna commented. Xena hit her lightly.
" Oh stop it Kathryn Harry is a grown man age is of little relevance now. He may as well be forty-five himself."
"Forty-one," Kathryn corrected.
"Right well we'll just stick to you being thirty and now he can't talk because you're only two years older."
"Oh he'll never believe that."
"Oh Kathryn live in the century you were born in, this isn't the twentieth century nobody will look down on you believe me." They had to make her open the door for Harry, who escorted her to the holodecks trying their best to ignore people and not run now that they were in the other's company.
"Do you really think this is going to work out?" Chakotay asked Xena as they sat in the mess hall enjoying fine wine.
"To be honest no, he's young when we get back too many people will talk and it will end. She's going to find someone more her age and you know their child or children is going to be blessed with two parents who leaned on each other in lonely times."
"I don't know what if hard feelings arise."
"No, Harry and the Captain will talk about their relationship. Or at least she'll bring it up. At best they'll part on good terms with joint custody of any children. Or if they're both lucky they'll actually fall in love and we can all be super happy for them," B'Elanna told them. Everyone nodded in thought before they went off to their duties or to bed.
"What do you have for us doctor?" Kathryn asked as Seven of Nine, Xena, and Hercules entered. B'Elanna was with Xena when the doctor called them and came along.
"Well using Seven's Nano probes I let them run wild simply see if they were in fact capable of assimilating Q flesh."
"And?" Xena asked.
"Well I was happy to find that the nano probes had absolutely no effect on your tissue or blood. Your children also cannot be assimilated."
"That's great."
"Yes, and I've managed to create a defense for the rest of us, it'll last up to two years."
"Glad to hear that." He gave everyone the vaccination except Xena and Hercules.
"Doctor do you have enough for the whole crew."
"I will in a few days if Lieutenant Tudor and Crewman Tudor might give me two pints of blood."
"You mean we'll have to keep giving blood and probably even more to help the entire human race."
"No, no the four pints of blood can be easily duplicated with modern technology so that this could be the first and last time you give blood, however I'm not sure if it'll be as effective that part of my experiment I have not yet completed.
"Well let us know what you find out doctor. Possibly even work on a solution for this being a one time vaccination." He nodded. Xena and Hercules gave their blood.
"Harry and I have talked and dated, we're having children when this is all over."
"Good for you." Xena didn't say anything as she drank her wine.
"What's wrong Xena, I thought you'd be excited this was your idea."
"Oh don't mind her mood, she's happy for you, but its been months..."
"Months?" Xena asked looking at her.
"Oh my bad sorry, thousands of years since she's had sex and now that Hercules is back its ten times harder."
"I'm more horny than Tom before he met B'Elanna."
"Oh that's bad because he was pretty horny."
"No, I take that back, I'm more horny than you and Tom at the very beginning of your relationship."
"Oh damn," Kathryn said. "You've got it bad."
"Yes and the worse part is if we go ahead and have sex now that is exactly when Ares will strike, I just know it, I have that kind of luck. If I get any hotter the fire within will be a raging wild fire that no amount of cold water or adrenaline could put out."
"Oh okay why don't you two separate."
"Hercules and I have already switched spots, Miral and Eleanor are definitely pleased about it," B'Elanna told her. "And no one is allowed to kiss in front of them until they do it, because thinking about sex when they can easily share thoughts is bad." Kathryn shook her head.
"You must be suffering."
"You don't even know." They were surprised when the lights flickered before going off. "The ships come to a complete stop."
"Captain to Bridge what's going on?" They got no response.
"The comm link is off."
"B'Elanna and I will get to engineering." Kathryn nodded. They had to use the jefferies tube finding the turbo lift off.
"We're sitting ducks we have to hurry," Xena told B'Elanna.
"Where are the girls?" B'Elanna asked.
"In the mess hall playing a group game of Kadis-kot with Seven of Nine, Naomi, Evan, Icheb, Leonardo, and Gabriella is there."
"Tell Seven to get to astrometrics and to take Eleanor, and Leonardo should get to the bridge so we can have contact."
"Good thinking, but Leonardo can't navigate the jefferies tubes alone."
"Tom was in the mess hall last time I checked is he still there?"
"Yes actually, he can take Lenoardo." Xena was silent and managed to relay the messages. They were entering the jefferies tubes outside of the mess hall on Deck two just as they were entering Deck four. They finally reached engineering.
"The warp core is offline," B'Elanna told Xena as she relayed the message to Leonardo and Eleanor.
"The captain wants to know what's keeping life support and environmental controls on."
"I don't know, nothing is on, the stupid console isn't even working."
"Nothing is working there either." Hercules entered engineering through a jefferies tube.
"Its Ares I know it, he's doing this."
"No really." Suddenly a screen came on. On every available screen they could all watch Borg appearing.
"I'll get to sickbay and help distribute the vaccination." B'Elanna nodded as she ordered people around trying to get things back online especially their weapons and shields. Xena concentrated and disappeared. She reappeared in Sickbay making the doctor jump along with a patient.
"Lieutenant what's going on?" He asked.
"We're not quite sure, its lucky you were on your mobile emitter. But the borg are coming our way, everything is offline, most likely Ares is keeping the life support and environmental controls on." He nodded. "Please tell me the vaccination is ready."
"Yes, of course, I've got enough for the whole crew and the children." Kathryn entered through a jefferies tube.
"Vaccinations doctor quickly."
"I was just giving them to Lieutenant Tudor." They put on two black vests full of vials. The doctor also had his own vest. He injected the patient and gave him a phaser. They left. Xena transported to the bridge. Everyone jumped.
"Sorry, anyway the doctor has created a long term solution to assimilation." They all let her inject them while watching the screen. Xena kissed Leonardo before disappearing. Next she went to the mess hall. The doctor was covering the lowest decks, the captain in the middle and Xena from the top.
"Lieutenant, what's wrong?" Neelix asked.
"Borg, Ares has stopped us, right now everyone needs to get injected so that they cannot be assimilated if the Borg boards, we have more of a fighting chance even if we can't get everything working again." They nodded and let her do it, though she had a little trouble with Miral. She moved to Deck three, than four before she was back in sickbay. She helped Kathryn on Deck six until she ran out. They had to go back to help the doctor to cover everyone.
"Did you tell everyone to get to their positions and for all the children to get to the mess hall?" Kathryn asked. Xena shook her head, but disappeared.
"Okay we're good," Xena said appearing again. "Every child except Eleanor and Miral are in the Mess hall." Xena went back to sickbay after Kathryn went back to the bridge.
"Its like everything is frozen, I mean nothing is working except the tricorders and a hyperspanner. "
"Let's start with the engines than."
"Leonardo tell your mother to call a meeting with the senior staff," Kathryn ordered. Leonardo nodded his head and closed his eyes.
