"Seven catch them!" Seven turned from where she was washing dishes only to see Aylen moving remarkably fast on her small legs across the kitchen floor, Michael in hot pursuit and Chakotay following them, red faced and short of breath.
"I thought they were falling asleep!" she exclaimed as she joined her husband in the dreaded task of corralling a competitive pair of twins who had just discovered that running was more fun than walking and they'd only been doing that for less than two months.
"I thought so too, but they've had a second wind." Muttered Chakotay in exasperation as his arms just missed a giggling Michael. Seven had better luck, scooping Aylen up as she headed for a collision with the coffee table.
The phone began to ring loudly. "I'll answer that, you get Michael." Seven said. Chakotay sighed but nodded in agreement. Seven held Aylen securely on her lap as she sat by the phone, not wanting to add more difficulty to Chakotay's already unenviable task. Allowing Aylen to press the answer button as she liked to do, she was surprised when Harry Kim's face appeared on the monitor. "Good Evening Harry."
"Hi Seven, how are you? I was just calling to check that you got your invitation to the wedding."
"I am well. We received your invitation two months ago. I have made full arrangements for the trip to Boston." Harry felt relieved and Seven could see it on his face. "Is something wrong?"
"No! It's just Debbie's been nagging me to check if everyone's organised. Her family has been throwing up a stink about the arrangements."
"Why? It is in three weeks, there cannot be much left to complete."
Harry laughed. "You'd be surprised! Not everyone is as efficient as you Seven."
"I have discovered that to my chagrin." She replied drily, shifting in her seat to accommodate a wriggling Aylen.
Harry smiled at the little girl. "Hi Aylen, are you bored sitting there?" Aylen stared wide eyed at the screen and Harry's smile widened at getting her attention. "Did your Mama get you a pretty dress for the wedding?"
"Yes I did, you'll see it if she doesn't outgrow it by October 6th." Seven said warmly, appreciating his warmth with Aylen.
"They'll be almost one by then won't they?"
"Eleven months and one day." Seven answered precisely.
"I can't wait to see all of you, it feels like ages." Seven nodded in agreement. "Is Chakotay there?"
Seven listened for moment only to hear Michael cheery hyperactive laughter which told her Chakotay had yet to settle him. "He is…occupied at the moment. Do you require him to call you back?"
"No, not at all. We can talk again. I have to go Seven, I'll see you at the wedding?"
"Yes of course. Goodnight."
"Goodnight Seven. Bye Aylen." He was rewarded by a wide grin from the baby, now quiet and calm.
Meanwhile Michael had tired himself out and was sitting in the hallway when Chakotay, almost as tired himself, picked him up gently. "Come on son, time for bed."
Michael, despite drooping eyelids, still had some fight left in him as he wriggled. "No!" he said suddenly.
Chakotay almost dropped him such was his surprise for Michael had never spoken before. "What?"
Obligingly Michael repeated himself. "No."
Chakotay felt a wide smile begin to form. "You're talking!" This time he got no response from Michael but he ran through to where Seven was sitting with a drowsy Aylen. "Seven, Michael spoke!" he told her ecstatically.
Seven looked slightly sceptically at their decidedly sleepy looking son but gave Chakotay the benefit of the doubt. "Really? What did he say?"
"No. He said no." Said Chakotay unable to contain his enthusiasm as he brought Michael over to her.
Seven smiled at the child fondly, it did seem to suit his stubborn nature that his first word would be no. "What did you say to Papa baby?" He just yawned in reply. "You're tired. It's time for bed."
The mention of bed as in the first instance seemed to trigger him. "No…" he mumbled.
Seven felt her own smile grow to match Chakotay's and she tickled Michael gently. "Stubborn child." She said affectionately.
Michael's eyes now took on a mischievous glint. "No!" he exclaimed.
"Yes." Seven and Chakotay both told him in almost exact unison before starting to laugh at themselves. Aylen lifted her arms up with a whine at her brother getting all the attention and Seven picked her up and headed towards the stairs, Chakotay following. "I hope Aylen says something which lends itself to obedience rather always shouting "No!" at us." Seven said with a hint of humour in her tone as she tucked Aylen in.
"They're our kids, don't hold your breath!" Chakotay joked.
Aylen's first word didn't come until almost a full week after her brother's, who by that time had already learned "Mama", "Papa" and most important as one in a pair of twins, "mine", which he quickly developed a habit of reprimanding his sister with.
Seven was watching them as she cleaned the kitchen playing companionably with a set of coloured bricks when the doorbell rang. Sure that her thorough child-proofing had made it safe to leave them for a minute she walked through the house to the front door. "Kotay residence?" asked the delivery man politely as he extended the package and the pad for the signature.
"Yes." Seven replied hurriedly as she heard a wail echo from inside the house. Signing quickly she left the package on the table and ran anxiously to the source of the noise. What she saw stopped her in her tracks for a moment.
"Mikkal! Mikkal!" Aylen shouted in red faced frustration, struggling to climb over the stair gate. Seven immediately pulled her off, only to see Michael halfway up the staircase.
"Michael no!" cried Seven in fear, scrambling over the gate herself and scooping him up. As she reached a whimpering Aylen at the bottom, she sank down on the floor beside them, breathing hard after the fright they'd given her. Arranging them in front of her she said firmly, "That is wrong. Do not go upstairs." Michael went closer to his sister but she moved away from him, obviously still annoyed at being left behind in their joint adventure.
"Aywen…" he whined, to Seven's by now amused ears sounding remorseful.
"Mikkal." Stated Aylen slightly grumpily but allowed him to sit next to her again.
Seven began to smile at their interactions, lifting Aylen onto her lap. "So your first word is "Michael" then? Your Papa's going to be disappointed, I think he wanted you to say "Papa" first."
"Papa?" Aylen and Michael said in unison, picking up on the only interesting thing in her sentence.
"Yes, Papa will be home soon." She told them indulgently, as she stood up and brushed herself off. "But for now Mama's got to replicate a new stair gate."
"So when do you want to leave for Boston tomorrow? I managed to get the day off." Chakotay asked Seven as he cleared the table after their evening meal.
"Well if that's the case perhaps late afternoon so we can put the twins down the hotel so that they're refreshed for the wedding the next day…"
"Dwink!" Aylen suddenly called from her highchair.
"Yesh!" said Michael in agreement as Seven went to make their cups of juice.
Chakotay looked over at them. "What's the magic word?"
"Pwease." Both of them replied, used to their parents' tactics.
As Seven handed them their cups she was met by "Tank you" from both of them.
Seven smiled in encouragement. "Correct. Well done."
"Cowwect." Seven flushed at them both repeating such a Borg sounding word, her eyes immediately going to Chakotay who was practically doubled over with laughter.
"Don't encourage them to say such things!" she said hotly.
He looked up and saw that Seven was genuinely upset. " Seven, it was cute…"
"It's not cute!" she shot back.
"Come here." Reluctantly she approached him and he put his arms round her waist. "Listen, I promise you it won't do them any harm…"
"I don't want them to sound like me, they're not Borg…"
"Neither are you, and they never will be, God willing…" He kissed her as she leaned on him heavily. "There's worse people they could sound like than the mother who loves them and whom their father loves deeply…" Seven stopped him by kissing him tenderly and sinking further into his hold. At that moment the doorbell rang. As Seven pulled back slightly Chakotay's grip tightened. "Just ignore it…" he told her huskily, but it kept going and Seven stepped back.
"I'll send them away." She reassured him before turning and walking to the front of the house, opening the door to a shock. "Admiral…"
A/n: I was going to keep going but my hands are sore and I want to update! I hope it's okay and doesn't overdo the cutesiness to the point of sickening (It is cute right?). Please review!