A/n: Wow, I'm really flattered by the great response this fic has garnered so far! Thanks everyone, please review again! :D Also thanks to everyone who read and reviewed my other Voyager Christmas fic, "Mistletoe Matchmaking."
"Wow, it's a great turnout." Chakotay commented, impressed as he looked around the school hall which had been converted into a makeshift theatre for the occasion. It was packed, not only with excited, eclectically costumed children and their families but also with miniature Christmas trees at the end of each row of seats and dangling strings of rainbow coloured fairy hanging just above many adult heads.
"Yeah, they've gone all out." B'Elanna agreed distractedly as Miral tugged her insistently towards the other end of the hall, muttering about being late, and Olly snuffled about his snowman suit being itchy. "Alright Miral, I know you need to get backstage but let me catch my breath first." She told her daughter in sharp exasperation before bending down to her son to wipe his fussy tears, "I'm sure they'll be able to loosen the costume so it doesn't itch, Olly…" She soothed the toddler before shooting her friends an apologetic glance, "Will you all be okay to find your seats? I need help to get these two ready…" She scanned the group for her husband, "Where's Tom? He was supposed to be bringing in the other costumes…"
"One of the bags ripped, Harry is helping him to carry them in." Elka explained as she joined them.
"Oh great…" B'Elanna muttered sarcastically, causing her old comrade Chakotay to smile at her.
"Relax B'Elanna, everything is fine. You go and deal with the kids and we'll send Tom to you when he comes." He reassured her kindly.
B'Elanna smiled wearily and pushed her children forward. "Say thank you to everyone for coming to your pageant."
Miral and Olly beamed well practised grins up at the group of familiar adults. "Thank you!" They announced in unison, earning affectionate chuckles from their friends before Miral's face fell. "Where's the Doctor? He promised he'd come to see me!" she said in a hurt tone.
"I am certain he is on his way." Seven soothed her hurriedly, "He is programmed to be punctual."
Miral peered up at Seven's serious face doubtfully, "Really?"
"There he is now!" The Admiral exclaimed, pointing the hologram out to Miral as he rushed over. "He would never miss his only goddaughter's stage debut now would he?" she reminded the child with a warm smile as the Doctor reached them and scooped Miral up.
"Sorry about that." The Doctor apologised as he let the little girl wrap her arms around his neck. "There are only so many things a hologram can control, and how many emergency admissions I get in any given night isn't one of them."
"We're still waiting for Tom and Harry to come back with the costumes anyway Doctor, and I don't see Tuvok and his family yet." Chakotay told him while smiling at Miral, "Miral just wanted her godfather here to wish her luck."
The Doctor beamed, he really did have a close relationship with the Paris' eldest, despite the fact that the former crew of Voyager was inevitably more disparate now that they'd all settled in various areas of Earth and the Alpha Quadrant. "I'm sure you and Olly will do wonderfully Miral, we'll all be clapping really hard!" He assured the girl affectionately, with smiles of agreement from his friends, as he handed her back to B'Elanna.
"Right, you've seen them all, let's get the two of you backstage." B'Elanna ordered firmly as she began to usher her children backstage to where they could all hear teachers struggling to corral children into their places for the start of the show. "I'll see you all later!" she told her old friends quickly before rushing away out of sight.
"She's got a hectic evening ahead." Chakotay remarked with a chuckle as he wrapped a protective arm around Seven, who had shrunk instinctively into his side as an influx of audience members began to crush around them. "Ready to sit down?" I'm sure Tom, B'Elanna and Harry will be able to find us."
"Yes, please." Seven acquiesced quietly, grateful for his attentiveness. He knew her well enough to recognise the discomfort she was experiencing from standing too long, a dull ache had long since spread up from her feet to her lower back. They had just reached their assigned seating aisle when Seven felt a light tap on her shoulder and turned to see Tuvok at her side. "Tuvok! It is a pleasure to see you." She greeted him, her delight genuine. She hadn't seen Voyager's former chief of security since the five year reunion six months ago, just after he'd been promoted to Captain of the U.S.S Spock, and the day when she and Chakotay had first announced the news of her pregnancy.
"Likewise Seven, it has been too long." Tuvok replied, allowing a hint of his real, almost fatherly, affection for the freed drone to seep into his usual unflappable tone as he took in her much changed appearance. "I presume your pregnancy is progressing well?"
"The Doctor is satisfied." Seven answered with a relieved nod.
"It's not been easy Tuvok, but we're on the end straits now." Chakotay confided as he warmly took the Vulcan's outstretched hand. "It really is great to see you."
"I could not agree more Chakotay. The U.S.S Spock is docked at Utopia Planetia undergoing repairs so I am on leave for two months, I decided to spend the majority of my leave on Earth."
"Two months? That means you'll get to meet the babies straight away then." Chakotay said, pleased.
"I doubt Seven will be able to take it for two more months Chakotay!" Tom joked as he appeared behind them, carrying a large bag and with Harry in tow. "If I were still a betting man I'd say you could end up with a Christmas delivery!" He laughed good-naturedly as a panic stricken expressions crossed the faces of both parents-to-be, "Don't worry, you're both ready, I know it." He assured them more seriously before addressing Tuvok with a grin, "Hey Tuvok, B'Elanna will be happy to see you! Is that new Chief Engineer of yours still giving you trouble?"
Tuvok was prevented from replying by an announcement over the loudspeaker, "The audience are now requested to take their seats. The show will be starting in five minutes."
Tom hurriedly gathered up all the bags, smiling apologetically at his friends, "I'd better get these to the kids, everyone is invited to our house afterwards by the way."
Greetings were exchanged and seats found before the curtain rose to a wave of applause. Miral was only in one scene in the first half. This role, as a Terrelian winter sprite, had the least complex outfit, but Miral made up for that in pure exuberance. Supposed to represent winter, she waved her icicle wand with abandon and sang her song almost flawlessly, despite her fellow winter sprite knocking down a stage light as she reached the final chorus, but it was the end of the scene where she came into her own. A group of children representing spring were supposed to chase the winter sprites away, but Miral cheekily ran circles around her pursuers, only retreating when her teacher appeared from the wings of the stage to wave her off in exasperation, earning chortles of laughter from the crowd as the curtain descended for the interval.
"Are you okay Seven?" Naomi asked in concern as she squeezed past the people filing out of their seats to get snacks to reach her friend and sit down beside her.
Seven smiled at her weakly as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "I am fine Naomi, the twins are kicking me a little too hard, that's all."
Naomi grinned, "They must be enjoying the show then!" she concluded before sighing slightly, "Neelix would love this."
"I'm sure that he would." Seven agreed softly. She knew it was hard for Naomi to be separated from her godfather, using the same relay Voyager had once used to contact Starfleet meant that Neelix could only communicate with his former crewmates for minutes at a time. "How is Neelix? I haven't been able to contact him this month."
"He's really happy." Naomi began, "Alexia really enjoyed her third birthday party and they've finished moving house…" She smiled to herself at the thought of Neelix's daughter, whose middle name was Naomi after herself, but was stopped from continuing by the slow rise of the curtain. "Oh it's starting again! I'd better get back to Mom and Dad. Will you and Chakotay be coming back to Tom and B'Elanna's later?"
"We plan to." Seven confirmed with a quick glance at her husband, who nodded.
"I'll see you later then!" Naomi replied happily as she hurried back to her seat just as the show began again.
The scene opened in what was presumably supposed to be a stable, considering the scraps of straw on the floor and the groups of pre-school children dressed up as a variety of animals, including Olly, who looked adorable in his donkey suit, despite the fact that the hood of the costume where the ears were pinned kept falling down and that he continually waved frantically at his dad in the audience. Two of Miral's classmates stood centre stage around a cradle, looking like deer in headlights, while three boys with foil crowns on their heads stood to the left and three others stood to the right gripping sheppard crooks that stood taller than they themselves did. Finally the troop angels, led by an upbeat Miral, stood at the front. "A star, the brightest in the sky, guided…" Miral paused, shoving her halo up as it slid down to her nose mid speech, "…the three Wise Men and the three sheppards to the stable…" Another pause as the halo slipped again. This time Miral lost her patience and threw it on the ground before finishing her line, "…where their new King had been born." Everyone laughed and "awwwed" before the next part of the story, about the three gifts, was told by the next angel, although Seven for one couldn't quite understand why mirth and frankincense would be useful to care for a baby.
When the children finished that story and left the stage, the headteacher, a Bolian called Mrs Taria, come on alone. "I want to thank everyone who has attended our show this year, it's been great fun for the children and staff. We just have one more scene to perform, the children's favourite by far, "Santa's Workshop", give all our elves and snowmen a big cheer!"
The snowmen and elves came out two by two, a bossy Miral, in green tunic and red tights, pulling her snowman brother forward by the hand as they lined up to start singing. Seven was just wondering how children possibly got the idea that reindeers had red noses when Chakotay touched her arm for attention, "Where did Tom go?" he whispered to her as the kids burst into an encore of "Jingle Bells".
Seven frowned as she scanned the room but couldn't find the pilot even with the help of her enhanced vision. "I don't know. Perhaps he is waiting behind the scenes for the children?"
"Maybe…" Chakotay began to reply but was interrupted by a sudden collective gasp from the stage as a "ho, ho, ho" was laughed out by a gruff voice.
The audience watched the children stare in shock at "Santa Claus", but Seven and Chakotay were shocked for an entirely different reason. "It's Tom!" Seven gasped out, "Won't Miral recognise him?" she wondered worriedly as she glanced sceptically at the false beard and loose fitting hat that to her eyes at least, barely disguised Tom Paris' familiar youthful face.
Chakotay chuckled as Miral was the first to be placed on Tom's knee."Don't worry, Tom's the best showman I've ever met, he'll pull it off." Seven smiled in agreement as she watched the little girl's star-struck face. Miral was still blissfully unknowing as she hopped off the red suited knee, clutching her small gift for dear life.
A/n: I hope you're all happy to hear that there's one more chapter to go! PLEASE REVIEW! :D