Seven and Chakotay walked into the hospital ward hand in hand, each carrying a carry cot. Chakotay paused for a moment to take in the bright Christmas decorations which littered the room; he couldn't believe it was Christmas Eve already and that finally the twins were leaving the hospital. He set down the carry cot he was holding next to the other on the floor and joined Seven to look at them.

Seven felt true happiness filter through her as she saw both her son and daughter lying there without any medical interference, wide awake and contented. She couldn't really believe it had taken seven weeks to get to this point but the agonising separation was coming to an end. Chakotay's broke through her train of thought. "A nurse is going to come talk with us, the Doctor's running late but he wants to check them before we go."

Seven barely had time to nod her head in understanding before said nurse appeared. "Hello, the Doctor will be here soon. I've to give you their schedules."

"Schedules?" asked Chakotay apprehensively.

"Oh yes, we have a routine established here. We advise parents of such premature babies to keep it up for at least the first few days." Replied the nurse confidently.

Seven accepted this without question and took the information pad from her to look at the schedule. "Thank you." She told the nurse politely, who smiled at the couple and left. Michael began to fuss and Seven glanced down at the schedule before carefully picking him up. "He's ready for a feed now; can you dress Aylen while I attend to him? I put some clothes in the bag."

Chakotay picked up the bag she pointed out and pulled out the more feminine set of miniscule clothes before looking over at a squirming Aylen. He'd never actually had to dress one of them before. Well, I'm going to have to get used to it, he thought with a nervous sigh as he lifted her up.

Several minutes later Seven looked up from where she was busy nursing Michael to see an only half dressed Aylen and a frazzled looking Chakotay. "What's wrong?" she asked in concern.

Chakotay looked up from where he was trying to fasten tiny buttons with a flush of embarrassment. "Nothing…she just won't stop moving…" Seven felt her eyebrows rise as her concern left her as soon as it had come and was replaced by amusement. Chakotay turned around and caught her expression, beginning to laugh at his own predicament. He peered down at Aylen as he held her delicate arms still. "Stop moving little one, your mother and brother are laughing at me." Aylen blinked her big blue eyes at him for a moment before quietening down somewhat, allowing Chakotay time to complete his task.

Seven finished with Michael and brought him over. After dressing him with much more ease than Chakotay had managed, she gave her husband an apologetic glance. "I probably should have fed them both first, when they're full and sleepy it's easier."

Chakotay gave her a small smile. "Lesson learned. We'll know for next time."

Seven gave his hand a light squeeze before Aylen's crying pulled her away, cuddling her close as she made her way back to back to the chair she murmured. "I know, I know, it's your turn. Papa did a good job of dressing you though didn't he?" The baby didn't respond but she was rewarded with a warm smile from Chakotay.

They were still waiting an hour later when both babies were fed and sound asleep. Chakotay was getting agitated, "Where is he? I want to get home before they wake up."

"Are you talking about me?" said the Doctor smoothly as he walked in.

"Yes, he was Doctor." Said Seven. The Doctor smirked at the comment as he pulled out his tricorder.

He gave both Aylen and Michael a through scan before speaking. "They're fine; I see no reason why they shouldn't be home for Christmas. If you have any problems feel free to bring them to see me."

"That's wonderful!" said Chakotay, the smile on his face so wide it looked ready to split.

"Thank you Doctor." Said Seven quietly, her voice heavy with unexpressed emotion. The Doctor gazed at her and pressed her hand in silent understanding.

"I'll just go and get the form for you both to sign." Said the Doctor, before quickly excusing himself.

Chakotay wrapped up Michael and Aylen each in their own monogrammed blanket the Admiral had made before clipping them into their carry cots. "Right let's…" He stopped midsentence when he saw that Seven was crying. He took her in his arms for a moment before asking, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing…I'm just happy this is all over…"

Chakotay glanced over at the babies as he stroked her hair. "Not over…beginning."

Seven rubbed her eyes and stepped out of his grasp with a smile. "You're correct of course."

The Doctor re-entered the room at that moment with the form which they hurriedly signed before going round to say thank you to the nurses and then they made their way home. The transport over to Flagstaff was uneventful and they began to walk to their parked car. "You take them and sit on that bench…" Chakotay pointed to a nearby bench, "…while I convert the carry cots into car seats." Seven obediently took both of them in her arms and sat down on the ice cold bench, the two sleeping babies snuggled into her coat.

After what seemed a long time Seven heard Chakotay's frustrated groan emanating from the car in as many minutes. She gave a tired sigh watching as her breath billowed in a cloud around her. She felt Michael shift against her, this was really taking too long she would need to feed them again soon and it was below freezing out here. "Chakotay please improve your speed." She called into the car.

He stepped out to reply. "I'm trying, but they won't fit in."

"Where are the instructions?"

He gave a laugh and tossed them over before disappearing back into the car. Seven frowned in concentration at the diagrams. They're incomprehensible! If she a former Borg drone couldn't interpret them then how was anyone else supposed to?

Just as this thought passed through her head Chakotay appeared again. "That's it I think."

"You think?" she replied with a sigh of exasperation as she buckled them both in and clambered in between the carry cots to sit down.

"Everything ready?" he asked as he started the engine.

"I believe so." Seven replied as she leaned forward to comfort Aylen who had woken at the movement. Stroking her small face she murmured soothingly, "It is not the smoothest method of transportation but you will adapt to it baby." Chakotay smiled at her use of Borg terms but said nothing as the baby quietened.

After a very slow and nervous drive home Chakotay pulled into their driveway to see that it was already full of cars. "Seven, did you invite anyone over to the house?"

Seven didn't look up from Michael who was beginning to whimper, hungry once again. "No, why?" she replied distractedly.

"Well…"

Seven only now looked out the window."What's happened?"

"I don't know. We'll have to go out and see." Said Chakotay cautiously as he got out of the car and helped Seven unload the twins. Seven led the way down the path to the door intending to open it but as she walked in she was greeted by the entire senior branch of the Voyager crew, her Aunt Irene and Icheb.

"What are you doing here?" she asked in confusion as Chakotay joined her loaded down by the weight of the two babies.

Tom beamed at them. "We thought you'd need some help and since you treated us last year…" It was only then that Seven registered the heavenly smell of cooking food wafting through from the kitchen, she had never felt so hungry.

"Whose idea was this?" asked Chakotay, laughing in surprise.

B'Elanna stepped forward. "Well mine originally but everyone helped."

The Doctor laughed, "Sorry I held you up at the hospital but we weren't ready for you to come back yet!"

"That was your reason?" asked Seven incredulously as they all walked into the living room to be met with a large and heavily decorated Christmas tree which made even her gasp in delight.

"Yeah, it's Michael and Aylen's first Christmas after all, it needs to be special." Said Harry.

"Speaking of Michael and Aylen can we see them?" asked Irene.

"Yes of course…" Seven paused as Michael's cries became louder and Aylen looked ready to join him.

Irene smiled, "its okay, go and feed them and then we'll talk." Seven nodded gratefully and quickly went upstairs with them for calmer surroundings.

Seven was just settling them back down after feeding and changing them when Chakotay came into the room. "How's it going?"

"Fine, they are happy again."

"Good." He sat down beside her, smiling widely. "They've all been planning this for days, cooking a huge spread and they're going to clean up before they leave."

Seven sighed in grateful relief. "I suppose we'd better go back down to them." Chakotay nodded in agreement and taking a baby each they walked downstairs where they were ambushed by requests to hold and play with the new arrivals.

Irene peered into Aylen's as she blinking drowsily up at her and yawned. "Oh Annika, she looks just like you did when you were this age…" She paused when she got no response from her usually attentive niece. "Annika dear?" She turned round to see Seven sound asleep on the couch with her head on Chakotay's shoulder, who wasn't much more alert than his wife.

Tom, who was at that moment holding Michael, spoke up above the din of conversation. "Chakotay will you let him get a tattoo like yours when he's older?"

Chakotay jumped slightly at the question which had jerked him from drowsiness. The vision of a needle going anywhere near the fragile skin of one of his little babies made him wince. "No…probably not…"

Seven, who had half woken at the sound of Chakotay's voice, mumbled, "What's wrong?"

Irene smiled at her softly. "Nothing dear, do both of you want to go for a nap before dinner?"

Seven forced herself to sit upright. "That would be rude…and what about the babies?"

B'Elanna, who had overheard the conversation intervened, "Take every chance to sleep you can get, we'll look after then down here. If we need you we'll wake you up if not we'll wake you up for dinner okay?"

Seven wavered but Chakotay didn't need anymore convincing and led her upstairs to their bedroom, where she went straight to her alcove and he sank onto the bed fully clothed.

Seven's eyelashes fluttered open as she heard shouts reverberate around the house that dinner was ready. She was surprised as her internal clock told her she'd been regenerating for two full hours. Stepping out of her alcove she tried to gently shake Chakotay awake but he just groaned and rolled over. "Chakotay?" she said softly, shaking him slightly harder, when she got no response she became irritated. "Chakotay! If you won't wake up now what's it going to be like when they're crying all night?"

"They're not crying…" he sleepily protested.

"I know but our meal is ready." She turned to the door, smirking as she heard him rush to get up after the mention of food.

They were met downstairs and led to their own dining table, laden with food almost to collapse, their friends cheerily crowded round it. Just as they were getting seated the unmistakable sound of two hungry babies crying in unison echoed round the house. Seven immediately rose to attend to them, waving Chakotay back into his seat when he tried to come with her. "No, you may eat I'll attend to them." She walked back into the living room where the cries were coming from to find Icheb at her side. "Aren't you going to eat?" she asked him as he carefully lifted Michael to distract him as Seven fed Aylen.

"Your aunt has been feeding me all day, she seems to believe I am malnourished."

Seven looked at him in confusion. "The Doctor would inform you if that was the case."

Icheb gave a shrug, "Humans do not seem to think that rationally." Seven nodded in agreement and they settled down to their respective tasks.

Seven did eventually get her full meal and everyone did eventually leave. After they were gone Chakotay gazed around the near spotless house. "They did a good job of cleaning up after themselves."

"They have proven themselves to be more efficient than I previously believed." Seven agreed thoughtfully.

"Will we go upstairs for the night now then?"

Seven shifted Aylen in her arms, "We can't avoid it for much longer."

A few hours later the inevitable cycle of feeding, changing and coaxing to sleep was well under way. Seven sat with her legs crossed and Chakotay lay on his stomach both gazing at the twins wide awake in their bassinets situated at the foot of the bed. Seven wrapped her Ventu blanket tighter around herself in an attempt to keep out the chills of exhaustion, starting to regret the decision to keep them in the bedroom rather than the nursery as their alert little sounds made rest impossible for her hyperactive brain. Chakotay leaned forward and stroked one with one hand and one with the other. "Come on, you've both been so good all day, go to sleep so that Mama and I can too."

Seven smiled wryly, "It is slightly ironic, though typical that they slept all day when they had people wanting to see them and now that they should sleep they're very awake."

"Maybe we're just more interesting." Aylen yawned and Chakotay laughed. "I shouldn't get my hopes up should I?"

"No." Seven replied bluntly as she shifted to check Michael for signs of sleep. "Look, he's smiling."

"Really?" said Chakotay in excitement, scrambling over to see. "Aww…"

"He's got dimples like you do."

"I don't have…"

"Yes you do. I can see them right now." She gave his smiling mouth a light kiss.

"Alright I do, but they're not as cute as Michael's."

"Almost." Seven said affectionately before Aylen's gurgle broke her train of thought. "Our talking roused her again."

"She was awake anyway, that yawn was a false alarm. She's laughing at us."

"She's laughing?"

"No, not literally. I can see it in those beautiful blue eyes of hers."

Seven looked at her daughter for a minute. "Her eyes may yet darken, that happens with babies."

"That won't happen with Aylen. She's like a baby version of you."

"Don't say that, they both look like both of us in different ways."

Chakotay nodded, knowing that she was right. He suddenly felt his stomach growl. "Do you want something to eat?"

"It's 0234 hours!" she reminded him.

"I know but…wait if it's 0234 hours that means its Christmas!" He bent his head over the bassinets, "Merry Christmas Aylen! Merry Christmas Michael!"

"Was that really necessary? They're even more awake now."

"It's their first Christmas though, by next year they'll want presents and we'll need to start explaining Santa…"

Seven looked at him, completely clueless. "Santa?"

Chakotay pulled her close and kissed her face. "I'll explain later."

Seven leaned into his chest, her gaze falling on her wedding and engagement rings. "I can't believe it's only been eighteen months and we're married with two children. We weren't even engaged at this point last year…"

Chakotay cleared his throat. "Actually I'd already bought your ring by this time last year…" Seven gave him a soft kiss but he pulled back and looked into her face. "Best decision I ever made." He assured her before deepening the kiss. The wail of one of the twins pulled them reluctantly apart. "Now these two on the other hand…" he said jokingly.

Seven hit him lightly on the arm before carefully picking up both of her children and kissing them, allowing Chakotay to kiss her again as she passed one of them over. As he felt Michael bury himself into his shoulder Chakotay said, more to Seven than to the baby, "Don't worry, I wouldn't change a thing."

Seven smiled warmly over Aylen's head as she rocked her. "I couldn't agree more."

A/n: Sorry for the day long delay, but this chapter is very long! Please review, I hope you like it!