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CHRISTMAS ANGEL

CHAPTER 2

CHRISTMAS EVE, 2373

Alone in her quarters, Kathryn stood before a window and gazed out at the stars flying by at warp speed. With every star that passed, Voyager was a little closer to home, but still thousands of light years away. This was Voyager's third Christmas in the delta quadrant, and on this night every year, she knew that all those onboard who celebrated felt the distance more than ever. So did she. Rarely did she let herself cry, crying never achieved anything, but when she thought of her family so far away on this special night, thought of the crew so far away from theirs, she couldn't help it. It had been almost three years since she'd seen her mother, her sister, and Aunt Martha, and a part of her wondered if she'd ever see them again. Right now there was a Christmas Eve Party being held in the mess hall, a party that almost everyone was going to, regardless of whether they celebrated Christmas or not, but she didn't know if she could muster the strength to go. Not this time, not this year. While the party would lift the spirits of her crew, for her she feared it would do the opposite. It would remind her of what she had taken from them by destroying the array. Last year, and the year before, she had attended the party with all her usual enthusiasm, and had encouragingly told the crew that maybe they'd be home by next Christmas. But another year had passed and they were still not home. Would they ever be? Or would they all spend the rest of their lives on this ship?

Suddenly, a green light flashed in the corner of her eye and Kathryn instinctively turned towards it. As she did, she saw a beautifully decorated Christmas tree, in what had been a bare corner, and beside the Christmas tree, in a shimmering white dress with silver wings, was a gorgeous little girl with dark hair and dark eyes. Cupped in her hands was a glittering green bauble and, when their eyes met, the child smiled.

"Merry Christmas."

For a moment, Kathryn just stared at the child, then she hit her commbadge.

"Janeway to the bridge, intruder alert."

There was no response from the bridge, communication had evidently been disabled, but the little girl before her stepped forward.

"Oh, I'm no intruder, Mommy. I'm Angelica, your little girl in the future. I'm here to cheer you up. Q sent me."

Kathryn raised an eyebrow. "Q?"

"I thought he was Santa Claus at first, because he was wearing a red suit and had a beard, but he wasn't, he was Q. I'm glad, though, because even though Santa can do magic, he can't send me to the past to cheer my mommy up." She held out the bauble. "This is for you, Mommy."

Kathryn took the bauble and studied it. As she did, Q's face appeared on the shiny surface, as though he was inside the bauble looking out, and he pulled faces. Then he was gone.

"That's Q, alright," Kathryn said, looking again at the child. "But are you...are you really my little girl?"

"Of course I am," Angelica answered. "Don't you feel that I am? Because I feel like you're my mommy, even though you're not yet my mommy."

Tears filled Kathryn's eyes. Could this beautiful little girl really be hers in the future? Did the future really promise such joy? With every day that passed, a little more of her hope for the family she had always longed for died.

"And I'm here to tell you not to be sad, Mommy. You will get your crew home."

A tear ran down Kathryn's cheek. "I will?"

"Of course you will. So don't be sad, Mommy. I don't like to see you sad."

"Can you...can you tell me when we'll get home?"

Angelica shook her head. "That's not allowed. But I can tell you it will be before you have me."

The child then saw a plate of star-shaped mince pies on a table and she went over to them. "Oh, are these mince pies for eating?"

"They are," Kathryn answered.

"Can I have one, Mommy? Please?"

Kathryn could only nod.

"Oh, thank you, Mommy!" Angelica then picked one up and took a bite. "Oh, this is the nicest mince pie ever! Nicer even than Aunt Martha's! Who made it? Was it Neelix?"

"Yes," Kathryn replied. "With a little help from Naomi."

"Then she helps him better than I help you, Mommy, because our mince pies always burn. They did this morning and we had to recycle them all. Daddy was laughing, Grandma Gretchen too, but I cried and cried because we'd worked so hard at them."

Still not quite believing that this child was her's from the future, but not quite disbelieving it either, Kathryn probed for more information. "Who is your daddy?"

With crumbs around her mouth, Angelica answered. "Can't you tell, Mommy? Everyone says I look like him. Aunt Martha says it's a good thing I'm a girl or everyone would think I'm his clone."

Kathryn's heart skipped a beat. With her dark hair, brown eyes, and cute dimples, she certainly reminded her of a certain First Officer. But could it be true? Was such happiness waiting for them in the future?

"We live in a big house by Lake George," Angelica went on, "and we have dog called Bessie. We had a cat called Scout but he died of old age. You and daddy got married when you got home, because you couldn't be his girlfriend while you were his captain, and..." but before she finished her sentence, the child clapped her hand to her mouth in panic. "Oh, I'm not supposed to tell you details about the future. Pretend you didn't hear that, Mommy!"

Suddenly, the door chime played.

"And now it's time for me to go," Angelica said. "See you in the future, Mommy. And remember, don't be sad. You will get home. Goodbye, Mommy. I love you!"

The child smiled, a beautiful smile that lit up the room, and then she disappeared.

For a while, Kathryn gazed at where she'd stood, wondering if the little girl had ever really been there, but the sparkling Christmas tree in the corner, and the bauble in her hand, was testimony that she had. Kathryn looked again at the bauble and, faintly etched all over it, were the letters KCA entwined. They were barely noticeable, and yet so clear. Tenderly, Kathryn touched the bauble as another tear, this time a happy one, ran down her cheek. The little girl had been real, she would believe that, had really been her daughter from the future, her's and Chakotay's. Just like the angels in the Christmas story had brought a message of hope, so too had this little girl in an angel's costume. And there could be no greater message, no greater promise: Voyager would get home.

The door chime played again, bringing Kathryn out of her thoughts, and she called out.

"Just a moment!"

Quickly, she put down the bauble, wiped away her drying tears, and then wrapped herself in a blue robe. Then she called out again.

"Come in!"

The door slid open and Chakotay came in.

"Hi," he said. "Is everything ok?"

"Fine," she smiled, feeling for the first time, in a long time, that things really were.

"Really? I know you've been feeling down for the past couple of days. Christmas is a time when...when thoughts are more than ever at home."

"You're right," she admitted, "I have been feeling down. But I'm not anymore. Truly."

Chakotay could see the truth of that in her eyes and he smiled.

"I'm glad to hear it. It's not like you to be late to a party. I was worried you weren't feeling up to it." He gestured to the Christmas tree. "But I see you've been busy."

Kathryn glanced at the tree and then back at her First Officer. "Yes," she smiled. "And you know what they say, time flies when you're having fun!"

Chakotay smiled back and they gazed at each other warmly.

"I'll be ready in ten minutes," Kathryn then said, "if you care to wait."

"I do," he said. His eyes then sparkled. "Providing I can have one of those mince pies you have over there."

Kathryn smiled. "Help yourself."

Then, with a bounce in her step, she went into her bedroom.

END OF CHAPTER 2