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Switched

Chapter 16

5 Days Later

"This is a real snazzy apartment you and Chakotay have here," Tom said to Kathryn as she replicated a bottle of milk for Miral. "Balcony, jacuzzi, state of the art kitchen, luxury lounge...and only one bedroom."

B'Elanna's eyes flew from Miral's crying face to Tom's amused one. "Tom!"

"Something you're not telling us, Captain?"

"Tom," B'Elanna beseeched. "Mind your business!"

Kathryn made her way over to them with the newly replicated bottle. "You heard your Mrs," she smiled. "Mind your business."

"Oh come on, Captain," Tom whined. "We're old friends. Are you and Chakotay shacked up or is this just an extremely comfortable couch?"

B'Elanna whacked his arm now. "Tom! I'm warning you!"

Kathryn placed the bottle down on a coffee table and then sat on a small sofa. "Let's just say," she answered. "Neither Chakotay or I can vouch for the comfortableness of the couch."

Tom grinned liked a cat who'd got the cream. "I knew it! Sly old dog. I knew his thing with Seven was just a mid-life crisis."

"I hope your reference to dog appertains to Chakotay," Kathryn teased.

A hugely embarrassed B'Elanna blushed crimson but Tom laughed. "Who else? Just wait till I see him!"

"Well, you won't be seeing him today," B'Elanna said, picking up the bottle and getting to her feet. "Or any day until I've had words with you. Honestly, Captain. You'd think he's the one in diapers."

"Oh there's no need to leave," Kathryn said, also standing. "I'm not offended. Not in the least..."

"Maybe not, but I am...by him. Thanks for the bottle, Captain. We'll feed her in the park." She glared at Tom. "Little boys can play there."

Suddenly the door opened and Chakotay came in with the Doctor.

"Tom, B'Elanna," the Doctor observed. "I didn't think you'd be here."

"We were just leaving," B'Elanna told him.

"Nice to see you too, Doc," Tom said with touch of sarcasm.

Miral was crying at the top of her voice and Chakotay looked at her. "Someone's unhappy," he commented.

B'Elanna held up the bottle. "Someone's hungry."

"Then sit down and feed her," Chakotay urged. "Don't leave on our account."

"We weren't," B'Elanna replied. "We're leaving on Tom's."

"In the dog-house, Lieutenant?" the Doctor asked.

Tom grinned at Chakotay. "Apparently so. Or maybe we should say love-shack. And what a dog, a real...ouch!"

The ouch came courtesy of a kick in the shin from B'Elanna. "As soon as our house is fixed up," the half-Klingon said to Kathryn, "you and Chakotay must come over for dinner. I'll have Tom disciplined by then."

Kathryn smiled. "I look forward to it."

"And me?" the Doctor asked. "Do I get an invite? I know I can't eat, but I'm full of conversation."

"Don't I know it," B'Elanna answered. "Count yourself in." She then turned to Tom. "Now let's get going before I divorce you for juvenile behavior."

Tom saluted her. "As you say Ma'am."

"Good bye, Chakotay," B'Elanna said. "Doctor."

They said goodbye in return and B'Elanna carried Miral into the corridor.

"Get out while you can," Tom teased to Chakotay. "Or you'll be on a leash before you know it."

Chakotay smiled, dimples showing. "Thanks for the advice."

Tom and B'Elanna then left and the door closed behind them.

"I was just on my way to see you," the Doctor said to Kathryn, "when I bumped into Chakotay in the foyer. I wanted to tell you in person that I have received all the test results."

Kathryn lowered her eyes. "I see." She slowly sat down again and gestured to the couch. "Please...take a seat."

The Doctor sat on the couch and Chakotay sat next to Kathryn.

"I didn't think we'd be able to get in touch with Lacey Brenton," the Doctor said, "as she's in space, but her ship returned to communication range a couple of weeks ago and she's been informed of the mix-up. Both she and Cayla have fully co-operated and their doctor has just sent me the results. He's a terrific fellow. Not only is he very sympathetic to the rights of holograms but he's a huge fan of my holo-novel. I just know that he and I will..."

"Please," Kathryn interrupted, "spare me the personality profile. Just get on with the results"

"Of course, Captain," the Doctor sobered. "I apologize."

"Cayla Brenton we already know is my identical twin," Kathryn stated. "But is Lacey Brenton my mother's real daughter?"

"Yes she is," the Doctor answered.

Kathryn was quiet as she absorbed this, then she spoke. "I'm glad. I mean...it has to mean no more babies were mixed up."

"They weren't," the Doctor confirmed. "Everyone born that night has been informed and tested and only you and Lacey went home with the wrong parents. Bloomington Birthing Center has no idea how the switch happened. A confidential investigation is under way, but as all this happened a long time ago, it's unlikely we'll ever know what exactly happened." He paused. "When she returns from space, which won't be for another four months, Lacey Brenton would very much like to meet your mother and sister. That is if they want to meet her."

"They will," Kathryn replied. "My mother's slowly coming to terms with it all. She hasn't said she doesn't want to meet Lacey and neither has Phoebe. I think it will be good for them to do so." She paused. "I hope it will be good for them to do so."

"Even though you and the Commander have done your own, may I say hasty homework, regarding Cayla," the Doctor went on, "I must still give you the result officially. You and she are identical twins."

"Does she want to meet me?"

"Yes she does. The question is, after what she did to the Commander, do you want to meet her?"

"I do," Kathryn answered. "What I'll say to her, how I'll feel about her, I don't know. But I do want to meet her. I need to meet her. I need to know what she's like."

"Then I'll send your contact details to her doctor and he will pass them on." The Doctor opened his med-bag, pulled out a Padd, and fiddled with it. "This is the latest picture to be added to her medial profile. If I didn't know she was your twin, I'd swear it was you on a bad day."

Kathryn took the Padd and studied the picture. The face looking back at her did indeed look like the face she saw in the mirror every day, except it was topped by cropped blonde hair and there was a ring through the nose.

"Have you learnt anything more about her?" Chakotay asked. "Like what line of work she's in?"

"Nothing," the Doctor answered.

"I'd like to see a picture of Lacey," Kathryn said. "Do you have one?"

"I do," the Doctor replied. He took back the Padd, selected the picture, and then gave the Padd back to Kathryn. "Here"

Kathryn looked at the picture and tears filled her eyes. The attractive woman before her with flame-red hair and large blue eyes was the spitting image of her father.

Chakotay saw Kathryn's pain and put his hand on her shoulder. "Are you ok?"

Kathryn nodded. "She's just...she looks so like my father." A tear ran down her cheek. "Goldenbird he used to call me. His goldenbird. But I wasn't his. All those years he loved the wrong child. This is his goldenbird." With a trembling hand she wiped away her tear and then handed the Padd back to the Doctor. "Thank you, Doctor. It was very good of you to come." She then got to her feet. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have things to do."

"Of course," the Doctor said sadly.

Without another word, Kathryn went through to the bedroom and the door shut behind her.

"As a hologram," the Doctor said to Chakotay, "I can only imagine how difficult this must be for the Captain. I'm glad that you're here, supporting her."

"So am I. I only wish I'd been there in the early days."

"And you would have been had Seven not played with your mind. But that fiasco is best forgotten. You're here now, that's what matters." He put the Padd down on the table. "I'll leave this here. I brought it for the Captain. As well as the pictures it contains the official test results."

"Thank you," Chakotay said. " Is there anything more we need to do officially?"

"Nothing. We've done all we can. Hopefully the investigation will be over in a few weeks and the case will be closed." He paused. "I know how much the Captain's analytical brain likes answers, but I really doubt we'll get an answer as to how the switch happened. My guess is a foolish young nurse, too busy thinking of everything but her job, put the wrong armbands on the wrong babies when they arrived in special care. The Captain, Cayla and Lacey were all there because of their small weight and a nurse with her head in the clouds could easily have mixed up two tiny red-haired babies. But then it could have been the work of our nemesis Q for all we know. Try to get the Captain to accept we might never know."

"I think she already does," Chakotay told him.

A beep suddenly sounded and the Doctor's med-badge flashed. "That's me wanted," he said. "Medical Emergency. Good day, Commander." He then touched his badge and almost instantly dematerialized.

When he'd gone, Chakotay followed Kathryn into the bedroom and found her sitting on the bed. She was looking at something glittery between her fingers and there was a haunting pain in her eyes.

"What do you have there?" Chakotay asked, going over to her.

"A bracelet my father gave me for my twenty-fifth birthday," she said. "It reads: To my goldenbird, may you always soar." A tear ran down her cheek. "But his real goldenbird, he'll never even know."

"You'll always be his goldenbird, Kathryn. If he was here now, he'd tell you that."

"I'd like to think so," she said quietly. "Because even though I know he's not my real father, knowing that doesn't change how I feel about him. Nothing ever could." She held out the bracelet and held up her wrist. "Could you...? I'd like to wear it for a while."

Chakotay took the bracelet and carefully fastened it around her arm.

"I know we were going to go skiiing this afternoon," Kathryn said, "but do you mind if we pass? I'd like to go to Bloomington...tell my mother and Phoebe the results."

"Not at all," Chakotay replied. "Would you like me to come with you?"

"No," Kathryn answered, "thankyou. I'll be ok. The worst is over. The results they're just...they're just confirmation of what we already knew." She paused. "I just hope for my mother's sake Lacey is nothing like Cayla."

END OF CHAPTER 16