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Hearts Astray

Chapter 7

A MONTH LATER

In the kitchenette of her new apartment in Florida, Kathryn helped her eight year old redhaired niece, Amy, decorate a chocolate cake they'd just baked. After everything that had happened lately, Kathryn needed a fresh start, so she'd moved out of her apartment in San Francisco and into this one on the Emerald Coast. It was spacious, elegant, and from all the windows was a glorious view of the Gulf of Mexico. Kathryn was now divorced, the proceedings having gone as planned, and Brett was serving a three month sentence for assault.

"Do you think," Amy asked as she carefully placed candy stars on the cake's chocolate icing, "that when people eat our cake they'll notice that it's burnt inside?"

"I'm sure they won't," Kathryn replied. "They'll just think it's crispy."

"I hope they don't. And I don't think they will because it looks lovely, doesn't it?"

"Very lovely," Kathryn smiled. "You've done a wonderful job."

Amy put on the last star and then cheered. "Yay! It's finished!"

"Bravo," Kathryn said. "Well done!"

Suddenly, the apartment's main door opened and Seven came in with Chakotay. They were staying with Kathryn for a few days and had just spent the morning swimming.

"Oh, hello," Amy said when she saw them. "You're Annika and Chakotay, aren't you? I recognize you from FBC and Aunt Katie's pictures. I'm Amy Jackson, Aunt Katie's niece. Phoebe, her sister, is my mother and my father is Richard Jackson."

Chakotay smiled. "I'm pleased to meet you, Amy."

"So am I," Seven added.

"I'm pleased to meet you both too," Amy smiled. " I'm staying over tonight. Mommy and Daddy have gone to Boston. Mommy has an exhibition there. She's an artist. But don't worry, I won't be needing your room. I'm sleeping with Aunt Katie. Her bed is big enough for two people, not like mine which is just big enough for me, so it's definitely big enough for one people and a little girl."

Kathryn left the kitchen area and walked over to Chakotay and Seven. "How was your swim?"

"Fantastic," Chakotay said. "Surreal. There were so many times on Voyager that I thought I'd never have the chance to fulfill my dream of swimming in these waters again, but now I have and I can't put into words the feeling."

"I know what you mean," Kathryn replied. "I felt the same way when I saw the moon, watched the sun set, saw it rise. Some feelings are beyond words."

Amy proudly pointed to the chocolate cake. "Look, Chakotay and Annika. Look at what we made!"

"Wow," Chakotay smiled. "That's some cake. Is it chocolate?"

"It is," Amy answered. "With vanilla cream, chocolate icing, and candy stars. Do you want a piece?"

"I'd love one," he smiled.

Amy looked at Seven. "Annika?"

"Yes," she replied. "Thank you."

Kathryn pointed at the dining table. "Then sit yourselves down and I'll cut us all a slice."

Chakotay and Seven went to sit down and Amy went with them.

"We worked really hard on it," she said, climbing onto a seat. "Really hard. We made it from a recipe, not a replicator, and mixed it and cooked it ourselves."

"I'm impressed," Chakotay said.

Kathryn brought the cake over with a knife and lay them down on the table. "Would you all like a drink?"

"Oh yes," Amy cried. "We must have a drink. Then it will be like we're in a cafe! I'll have a lemonade. A pink one."

"I'll have an apple juice," Seven said.

"And I a blueberry," Chakotay added.

"Then one pink lemonade, apple juice and blueberry juice coming up," Kathryn smiled. "But first let me get some plates...unless you all fancy eating your cake off the table!"

Amy laughed. "I so don't, Aunt Katie. Tango sat on it and Tango's dirty."

"Who's Tango?" Chakotay asked.

"My dog," Amy answered. "Granny has him. That was the deal. Granny got him and Aunt Katie got me. He's a real handful, you see, so Granny can't look after him and me together."

Kathryn returned to the table with plates and forks and ruffled her niece's curly hair. "Which definitely gave me the better bargain," she said.

Amy laughed and then watched as her aunt went over to the replicator. "What are you having to drink, Aunt Katie?"

"Lemon tea," she answered.

Chakotay raised an eyebrow. "Not coffee?"

"I don't drink it anymore," she said. "I've gone off it."

Ever since her miscarriage, she couldn't bear the smell of coffee. It was the taste in her mouth, the smell in the air, when she lost her baby, and the aroma would forever remind her of that terrible moment.

"Aunt Katie's taking me to the beach this afternoon," Amy said. "We're going to build sandcastles."

"Sounds like fun," Seven replied.

"Oh it is. I love making sandcastles as much as I love making snowmen. What are you doing this afternoon?"

Chakoyay answered. "We're going on a boat ride down the coast."

"Oh lovely. I've been on one and it's amazing. Have a great time."

"I'm sure we will," he smiled.

Kathryn brought their drinks over on a tray and Amy clapped. "Yay! Our drinks! Now sit down, Aunt Katie, and cut the cake! I can't wait to try it!"

"I'm sitting," Kathryn said. She then picked up the knife. "And I'm cutting."

Carefully, she cut out four slices and put them on plates.

"If the cake tastes hard," Amy said as Chakotay put a piece into his mouth, "it's because it's crispy, not burnt."

"I see," Chakotay smiled. He then looked warmly at Kathryn. "Some things never change."

"When it comes to me and cooking," Kathryn replied. "Never."

Amy watched as Chakotay chewed his piece and eagerly awaited his verdict.

"Delicious," he said. "Not hard at all."

"Really?" Kathryn asked.

"Well," he teased. "I have strong teeth."

Kathryn laughed and then sampled a piece herself. To her surprise, it was good.

"You're right," she said. "It is delicious. Well done us, Amy!"

The child laughed and then turned to Seven. "Do you like it, Annika?"

"I do," she smiled.

Having had everyone's approval, Amy began to eat her own slice, getting cream and chocolate all over face and fingers.

"Use the fork, honey," Kathryn said. "You're making a right mess of yourself."

"I always do when I eat cake," she answered. "But that's ok, Aunt Katie, it's only cream and will wash off."

"Prevention is better than cure. Go to the bathroom, wash yourself up, and then come back and eat like a lady."

"Oh, but..."

"No, buts. Be gone."

Amy sighed. "Ok. I'm going."

With that, she got up and went into the bathroom.

"You must forgive her bad manners," Kathryn said. "What can I say? My sister raised her."

Chakotay laughed. "She's a great child. And she looks a lot like you."

"She does," Kathryn replied. "Everyone says so."

"I'm glad Voyager is home," Seven said, "and you have the chance to be a part of her life."

"Me too. I'm glad we all have a chance to be a part of our families lives again. Children grow so fast and the time we lose is lost forever."

Amy returned now and hurried over to the table. "I'm all clean," she said. "Not a spot on me!"

"That's not quite true," Kathryn smiled, pointing to a spot on her cheek that had not been washed away in the child's haste to clean herself, "there's one right there."

Amy rubbed the spot hard. "Is it gone now?"

"Yes," Kathryn said, kissing her cheek. "It's gone."

Amy smiled, climbed back into her chair, and began to eat what was left of her cake with her fork. As she did, she studied Seven. "You don't look much like you do in pictures," she said. "Why is that, Annika?"

"Because I have had my facial implants removed and concealed," Seven told her. "I look fully human now."

"What was it like being a borg? Was it horrible?"

"No. When a person is assimilated they forget who they were."

"Did it hurt when they assimilated you?"

"I can't remember. I was very young when it happened. Younger than you."

"Did you go to school in the borg?"

"No," Seven smiled. "When I was assimilated I learnt everything that I needed to know."

"That must be one good thing about being a borg then," Amy said, "no school, because I hate having homework. But I'd rather go to school than be a borg. I hope I'm never assimilated."

"With Kathryn Janeway as your aunt," Seven replied, "that is highly unlikely."

"What are your plans for tomorrow?" Kathryn asked, changing the subject. "Anything interesting?"

"We're going to Miami for the day," Chakotay told her. "We want to see the sites and check out the new Arts Gallery."

"Oh, it's wonderful," Kathryn said. "I went there with Phoebe last weekend and we spent hours going through it all."

As the grown-ups talked about the Art Gallery, Amy picked up her pink kiddie tricorder, which she'd left on the table earlier, and began to play with it. The Art Gallery was of no interest to her and neither was the cake now that they'd all eaten a piece. First she played a game, but when she was bored of that, she moved on to other things. This was when she made a discovery that perplexed her.

"Aunt Katie," she said, "what does this mean?"

Kathryn turned to her niece. "What, darling?"

"It says on my tricorder that there are six people in this room. But how can that be when there's only four?"

"You're probably reading it wrong, honey."

"I'm not. It definitely says there are six people in this room."

Chakotay spoke. "Let's check that on my tricorder. Can you get it, Amy? It's beside my bed or somewhere in our room."

"Ok," she said. "I'll go get it."

The child hurried to get it and the bedroom door closed behind her.

"We didn't want to tell you," Seven said uncomfortably to Kathryn, "not at the moment, because we didn't want to rub salt in a wound, but I'm pregnant."

The words hurt, just as they knew they would, but Kathryn put a brave face on. "I see," she said. "Congratulations."

"I'm only two weeks," Seven went on, "and wouldn't know myself yet except that I was told during a routine medical." She paused. "As I'm sure you can calculate from the math, I'm having twins."

Kathryn said nothing, just stared vacantly at her hands. She was happy for them, very happy, but it was indeed rubbing salt in a wound that was still very raw.

"I'm sorry for the timing," Chakotay said. "It couldn't be worse. But I want you to know we didn't plan this."

Kathryn looked up at him. "Don't apologize. Don't ever feel you have to apologize for the existence of your children. I'm happy for you, I truly am. I just..." Tears filled her eyes. "I'm just raw right now. But I don't, not for a second, want to cast a cloud over this very special time for you both. Enjoy it. You deserve to."

"We just wish that you were enjoying it with us," Seven said. "What happened to you is so unfair. Now that I'm pregnant, I'm going to try and be the best mother that I can be, but the truth is I'm not ready. I've only just got to know myself and I had so many plans for my life. You were ready and it should have been your turn."

"The best laid plans always go astray," Kathryn replied. "We just have to trust that somehow, someway, what happens to us is meant to be. That might be more of a philosophical way of looking at things than a scientific, but I think there's a place for both in our world. My ex-fiance, Mark, he was a philosopher and he always said that we're a stitch in a sweater. We have our place, our style, and though we're only one in myriads, without us the whole would fall apart." She paused. "I suppose what I'm trying to say is that what happens to us happens for a reason. We have to trust that that reason is for our good. Or, if not for our good, then for the greater good. But you're going to be a wonderful mother, Annika. I know that you are."

"Thank you," she said.

"What are you having? Girls, boys, both?"

"Boys," she answered. "Identical twin boys."

Boys. Baby boys. Pain filled Kathryn's heart as she thought of her own baby boy, but she masked that pain with a smile. "That's wonderful. Truly wonderful."

"This has obviously changed our plans," Chakotay said. "We're no longer going on the dig in four months time."

"I would think not. You'll need to get yourselves a house and set up home."

"It's actually all sorted," Seven declared. "My aunt's having our new apartment and we're having her house. It's getting too big for her now she's getting older so it makes sense to swap. We're hoping to make the exchange next weekend."

"I see," Kathryn replied.

"We didn't tell you," Chakotay said, "because it would be more salt on the wound."

Kathryn reached out with both her hands and took one of theirs in each. "What happened to me was devastating, and I'm still living with the loss every day, but just because I'm grieving for my baby, doesn't mean you can't joy in yours. I want you to celebrate. And I want you to celebrate without guilt. Promise me you will. Promise me you'll have a housewarming party and do all the things you would have done had this not happened to me."

"We'd be unworthy friends," Chakotay replied, "if we weren't sensitive to your loss. How can we have a party when you're grieving?"

"Because I want you too. Please. Have a housewarming party."

"Who would we invite?" Seven asked. "My aunt is my only family and Chakotay has little family on Earth."

"Our Voyager family," Kathryn replied. "Please, don't miss out on this rite of passage because of me."

"Ok," Chakotay said, squeezing her hand. "We'll have a housewarming party."

"We will," Seven added. "If it means that much to you."

"It does," Kathryn answered. "Because you both mean a lot to me."

Amy returned now, her little face red and bothered. "I can't find your tricorder, Chakotay. I've looked everywhere and everywhere!"

"It's ok, darling," Kathryn said, breaking away from them and turning to her niece. "We've sorted it all out. There are six lifesigns because there are six of us here. Annika's pregnant with twins."

Amy's face lit up. "Really? With baby twins?"

"Really," Seven smiled.

"Oh that's awesome. Awesome! Are they boys or girls?"

"Boys," Seven answered.

"Will they look the same? Eva and Emmy, who are girls in my class, are twins and they look exactly the same. I can't tell the difference between them sometimes!"

"They will look the same," Seven said. "They're identical."

"Oh, that is so cool. I can't wait to see them. When will they be born?"

Kathryn answered. "Not for a long time yet, honey. They're very tiny right now so have a lot of growing to do before they're ready for the world. But I'm sure Annika and Chakotay want to keep this happy news to themselves for the moment, so will you be a good girl and not tell anyone?"

"I will," Amy said. "I won't tell anyone."

Kathryn kissed her hair. "That's my girl." She then got to her feet. "Now, let's get ourselves into shorts. We've got a beach to get to and castles to build!"

"We so have," Amy laughed.

Kathryn turned back to Chakotay and Seven. "Congratulations again. And get started on arranging that party!"

"We will," Seven smiled. "We promise."

Kathryn smiled back and then went with Amy into the bedroom.

END OF CHAPTER SEVEN