Chakotay walked into the bedroom to see suitcases and their prospective contents spread throughout the room, again. He then saw his wife methodically packing one sitting on their bed, a deep frown of concentration set on her features. With a sigh he tried to push his point once more, "Seven, we've had this conversation, it doesn't matter if we forget a few things, they do have working replicators on Bajor you know."

Seven pointedly ignored his comment as she ran her finger down her much revised list. "I have five towels here…one for each of us, though it would probably be sensible to pack some extra and I think Max is growing out of most of his clothes…" Despite managing to maintain much of her cool Borg outer demeanour, to Chakotay's practiced ears she sounded fretful, even mildly frazzled and he took matters into his own hands, he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, leaning his chin lightly on her shoulder.

"So…" He murmured into her ear. "…how many times have you unpacked and repacked now?"

"Three." She muttered defensively, smirking with sheepish self-deprecation as Chakotay chuckled into her hair. "I wish to be thorough…"

"I know, but we'll only be away for two weeks…"

"Ten days of which will be in transit, mostly on a transport less than a quarter of the size of Voyager; we need to take a great deal to entertain the children…"

"Maybe they'll be so fascinated by their first space flight that they'll just stare out at the stars." Chakotay said jokingly.

Seven laughed, "Our children?" She questioned rhetorically with raised eyebrows as she turned in his arms to face him.

"Yes!" He laughed, jokingly indignant. "Our placid, angelically behaved children…"

Seven brought her hands up to his face lovingly. "How can you be such an optimist?" she asked with soft affection.

"Look around you and see what I have…" He murmured as he leaned in for a kiss which turned out not to be as prolonged as either desired, a large thump in the neighbouring room interrupting them. "What was that?" Chakotay asked worriedly but Seven was already halfway out of the room.

Seven walked into Michael and Aylen's room, for the time being the elder brother and sister still shared, Max taking up the much smaller, and final bedroom. She found Michael sitting whimpering on the floor next to his new bed, "Mama…I'm…hurted!" He wailed tearfully at the sight of her.

Seven knelt down beside him and pulled him into a gentle hug, "You're okay baby…" she soothed quietly while assessing the scene. Aylen, guilt making her hasty, was scrambling off the bed and onto the floor while the eleven month old Max sat cheerily in the centre, surrounded by pillows, face flushed with excitement. Seven lifted Michael out of her lap and back onto his feet, giving all three toddlers a stern look. "This is what happens when you jump on the beds, someone gets injured! You know your Papa and I have told you not to…Who's idea was it?"

Michael and Aylen's self preservation instincts kicked in at the same time. "Max!" They both exclaimed in unison, Aylen even pointing an accusatory finger.

Seven of course knew it was an activity happily done by all three and led the two eldest to "time out", as Chakotay called this punishment, before returning to her youngest still happily stationed on the bed. "Off the bed please Max." she ordered.

"No!" Max retorted mischievously, liking the sound of his relatively newly learned voice. His mother responded by lifting him off by the arms but as soon as she partly set him on the floor his little legs attempted a getaway beginning to tantrum when Seven stopped him, "Mama! No! Ump, ump!"

Chakotay finally intervened, holding him still but looking at all three of them. "No. That's enough jumping for today."

Lunch was suggested after the fallout from this had faded and as Chakotay watched the kids eating, now flawlessly behaved, he commented to Seven, "Do you think the terrible twos are rubbing off on Max or something?"

Seven smiled tiredly, "No, not particularly. I think we've just forgotten what the twins were like at that age."

Chakotay nodded, "You were right, pack extra entertainment."

The next day the family were waiting at the terminal for their transport to Bajor alongside all five suitcases and the three members of the Paris family and Admiral Janeway, all of whom were also attending Icheb's wedding. Making conversation, Janeway asked, "Are Harry and his family not coming?"

"Yes but he, Debbie and Laura are still on his ship, which will dock at Deep Space Nine the day before the ceremony." Seven replied in a muted tone but the Admiral didn't pick up on it and continued.

"And he still intends to go with the Gamma Quadrant taskforce?" she asked.

Chakotay pursed his lips, not particularly wanting to remind Seven of Icheb's forthcoming departure when they were meeting for such a happy occasion. "Yes, Icheb and Naira are on his ship in fact, the U.S.S Armstrong."

The Admiral sensed tension in the group and blushed, "I hope he doesn't feel the duty to go on my account, little Laura is still so young…"

Tom came gallantly to her rescue, "Don't say that Admiral, he has plenty of his own reasons, he'll never get a captaincy if he doesn't take chances…"

B'Elanna's face darkened, this was obviously a disputed topic between her and her husband. "He's not even been an XO for two years yet, there are more important things than promotion…"

The Admiral sighed, "I should have promoted him further on Voyager, an Ensign for seven years…"

No one could think of an adequate reply to that statement and Tom cleared his throat, sighing in relief when he saw that the transport had arrived. "The ship's finally here! We're on our way to seeing Icheb become a married man."

Seven was organising the children for bed in the transport's minuscule quarters, tuning out their excited chatter as she found their bedclothes and set them out. Suddenly the doorbell rang and Michael helpfully bellowed, "Mama, door!"

"I know baby but its night time, hush or you'll wake people up." She told him before turning to the door. "Enter." To her surprise B'Elanna and Miral walked in, "Hello, Chakotay is away getting food from the Mess Hall, our replicator isn't functioning but he'll be back soon…"

B'Elanna smiled, though to Seven's eyes somewhat weakly, her eyes shadowed. "Oh don't worry, Miral just wanted to say goodnight to her travelling companions…" She looked fondly down at her daughter, "…didn't you sweetie?"

Seven smiled warmly down at the child, "Of course you may Miral. Aylen, Michael, Max! Come and wish Miral goodnight."

All three quickly appeared but Aylen walked huffily over to her mother, holding out a pair of lilac pyjamas. "Mama, I don't like these. I want my pink princess ones!" She whined.

Seven tiredly pressed her hand momentarily to her forehead in exasperation; travel certainly didn't do much for patience that was for sure. "Aylen, what's wrong with those?"

Aylen pursed her lips stubbornly. "I don't want them."

"Your pink pair is at the bottom of the case, you cannot have them." Said Seven firmly but Aylen overtired from the busy day wouldn't take the refusal and began to cry.

"What about keeping your pink princess pyjamas for just before Icheb's wedding and then you can feel special?" B'Elanna suggested kindly to the tearful two and a half year old.

Aylen looked up at her, "Good idea!" She exclaimed, the option seeming to please her so much that she abandoned the argument and went to play with Miral and her brothers.

Seven breathed a barely audible sigh of relief. "Thank you B'Elanna." The half Klingon nodded, her gaze on the group of happy children, her eyes sad and far away. "Is something wrong?" Seven asked carefully.

B'Elanna lifted her head and rubbed her face, "No, not really…" She paused heavily, "It's just… been a bad week that's all…"

Seven frowned, sensing something else and wondering whether to inquire. Since arriving back in the Alpha Quadrant their relationship had relaxed considerably Seven's marriage to Chakotay and motherhood had bound them together, add in a more tolerant attitude to each other's flaws and they were now considered friends but she wasn't sure how far to push it. "Is it something I can assist you with?"

"No, no…" Her face crumpled for a moment, her throat moving in a gulp. "I…I had a miscarriage four days ago…"

Seven gasped, sorrow and sympathy taking away the power of speech for several minutes. "I…don't know what to say, sorry…does not seem adequate in this situation."

B'Elanna sniffed, "No…it doesn't does it? But it's what most people say, even Tom…" She swallowed again, "We'd been trying for a year, wanted to give Miral a brother or sister…"

"Icheb would understand if you went home…" Seven began but B'Elanna stopped her.

"Why should I take it out on him? It's my…"

"It's not your fault! I know that it feels like that when pregnancies become…difficult but it's not in any way. Miral wants for nothing, she only needs the love you and Tom already give her…"

"I know." Said B'Elanna heavily before glancing at the former drone. "You…won't tell anyone will you?"

Seven shook her head. "No, you have my word."

B'Elanna sighed and headed for the door. "Come on Miral." An oblivious Miral left her friends and followed her mother. The whole encounter lasted only a few minutes but it would stay in Seven's memory for much longer.

Later that night Seven was in bed with Chakotay…and all her children. The couple found themselves in this predicament because their quarters hadn't been equipped with the fold out beds and the cot they had requested and so it was five to a bed. Seven was wide awake, Chakotay had been dozing until a dreaming Michael had kicked him in the gut, looking at his wife he joked in a whisper, "Remind me never to leave home again!" She didn't react. "What's up?" he asked gently.

Seven sighed and pulled Aylen into a hug, smiling gratefully as the sickly sweet smell of kids shampoo hit her nostrils. Looking at her husband and her children she replied, "Nothing my love, we're all together." She pressed her cheek into his shoulder and he gave her a kiss before they joined their children in sleep.

A/n: This chapter gets me to over 100,000 words! Thanks for the support and please review! I have a new C/7 story called "Consequences" please read it too.