In the Arms of Family
Story by Janet and Christina
Written by Janet, Christina, Cybermum, Diane, Julie,Mary, Penny, and Rocky
Compiled by Janet

::I can't imagine my niece saying anything inappropriate...or maybe I can.:: Irene shared a smile with Harry. They both knew Seven had often paid little attention to the human concept of propriety. ::In any case, I would like you to hear what she has to say, from you.::

Harry saw the entreaty in Irene's gaze, and her hands that were carefully folded in her lap tensed. Maybe she wanted company, someone to share this last letter from the niece she would probably never see again. After only a moment's hesitation, he brought up the text file on his dataPADD.

"Hello, Aunt Irene..." Harry began, then paused, surprised by Seven's casual address. From Irene's expression, he assumed Seven hadn't previously addressed her aunt so informally.

He continued, "I have asked Lieutenant Harry Kim to deliver this letter to you. Besides being a trustworthy officer, he is a friend, and I know he will see that you get it.

"I regret we will not have the opportunity to meet. I also regret in my earlier letters that I was hesitant to 'express myself.' That is an expression Axum defines as relaying not only the bare facts of one's existence, but also what one feels inside. I wish now I had relayed more than the bare facts, and shared myself with you as you attempted to share yourself with me. But I have only learned recently how much is inside me to express.

"Axum has taught me much. However, I could have acquired none of that knowledge without my years on Voyager, and the tutelage of Captain Janeway, Harry Kim, the EMH, Commander Tuvok, B'Elanna Torres and so many others. Even when I resisted or disparaged their advice, it changed me. They changed me.

"That is why I arrived at my decision to leave Voyager and join Axum with such difficulty. I viewed the Voyager crew as my family-or, when I still relied on my Borg thought processes, as my Collective. Yet I believe I always knew Voyager was not my final destination-the place where I fit best and was truly meant to be. Nor is the Alpha Quadrant. Such insight without a foundation in logic was uncomfortable to experience, but there came a point when I could no longer ignore it.

"I do not dismiss my genetic connection to you, nor to my uncle and cousins. You are family to me, as I still feel a bond of family with those on Voyager. But I have found that my truest 'family' is in the form of a single person.

"I never considered it reasonable that two individuals could form a fully inclusive unit within themselves, despite the fact that Lieutenants Paris and Torres manifested such an attitude, with little concern over their futures as long as they faced them together. Since reuniting with Axum, I understand.

"No doubt I am over-analyzing what humans simply, if vaguely, refer to as 'love.' I once believed that condition to be primarily physiological-a simple hormonal response. It is not so. Though I still have little understanding of its poetic substance, I know how it feels. With Axum, I am complete. Whether we agree or disagree, whether we are sanguine or experiencing a period of annoyance with each other, it does not matter. Even when I am performing an individual task that gives me great satisfaction, such as assisting the former Borg on our colony adjust to their new lives, that completeness is inside me, strengthening and supporting me.

"Our colony is growing daily, and more have recently joined us, seeking a safe haven. The former drones I assist are sometimes children, liberated from their existence as drones but inexperienced with any other existence, and fearful of their future. Axum believes that I am able to reach them with more success than most of the others here because I was a child when I was assimilated. When I was liberated I felt much as they do, though I was no longer biologically a child. My work with the children has brought me gratification, as well as an unexpected emotional response. I find I desire a child of my own, with Axum."

Harry paused, and shared a surprised look with Irene. He'd never imagined Seven wanting her own child, though she'd cared for Icheb, Mezoti and the twins as if they were her own. She'd claimed she was simply performing a duty, but Harry knew better than most that Seven had formed a strong emotional attachment to them.

At Irene's nod, Harry continued, "I do not know if that desire will be fulfilled. For the Borg, reproduction is a nonbiological process, and my Borg implants compromised my fertility. The EMH on Voyager offered to perform several procedures that would improve my likelihood of conception should I so desire, though I naively declined his offer at the time. On New Pojzan we have begun to combine the medical information we attained as Borg into one comprehensive body of knowledge, with the goal of creating a medical center staffed by those who are most proficient in the field. Once that is accomplished, perhaps my situation will improve.

"I do not wish you to feel pity for me as you hear this." Harry glanced at Irene, whose gaze held not pity but sympathy. "I do not know where the future leads, and any attempt to predict it is a fruitless endeavor. I do know, from the course of my own life, that anything is possible. I may have a child one day. When the galaxy is safer, and we are no longer required to safeguard our existence here, you and I may meet again. I would greatly welcome such a development. Then you can tell me about an image I sometimes recall, of wearing red mitts too large for my hands, and removing freshly-baked cookies from an antique oven."

Harry looked up. From Irene's reflective expression, it was clear Seven's memory meant something to her. "Before I left Voyager, Lieutenant Torres expressed the opinion that the datastream would one day become a permanent method of communication between the Alpha and Delta quadrants. When that is achieved, I hope you will continue to send me letters about your family and your life in the Alpha quadrant, and I will send you letters about my life here on New Pojzan.

"If that happens, there is one request I wish to make. Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct to Unimatrix One is an appellation I gladly disavow, though I cannot erase it from my life. My existence as Seven, recently of the starship Voyager, is of great value to me, but that is an existence now in the past. To Axum I am Annika, and to you I have always been Annika. If it is acceptable to you, I wish you to call me by my birth name."

Harry could see Irene would like nothing better. "In closing, Aunt Irene, I want you to know that I am content here. Salea-a Betazoid rescued from the Borg who has become a friend-insists with great firmness that I am 'happy.' Perhaps she is correct. My life here is fulfilling in every sense. I hope you will feel happiness for me, and experience the same in your life.

"Respectfully, your niece, Annika."

Irene remained silent as Harry shut off the dataPADD, her eyes moist, and her lips curved in a tremulous smile. It was several moments before she spoke, her voice steady. ::Thank you for reading it to me, Lieutenant Kim.::

"Harry."

Irene smiled. ::This means more to me than you will ever know, Harry.::

"You're welcome. I have one more item Seven wanted you to have." Harry held up a second dataPADD. "Her personal logs. She recorded quite a lot of them during her four years on Voyager."

Irene looked less surprised this time. ::I suppose she didn't need them to remember her time on Voyager, since she informed me she has a perfect eidetic memory.::

Harry grinned. "Yes, she certainly does. A few have forgotten that, to their dismay."

::I'll treasure them:: Irene said softly. ::Even if we never meet, they'll help me to know her again.::

"I think you've already started," Harry said. "By the way, Seven was right about the datastream. Starfleet plans to expand it, and refine it to reach specific locations within the Delta Quadrant. Very soon you may be able to exchange letters again-"

There was an shrill beep from the console, a beep that meant their subspace time was about to end. "Our time is up," Harry said, with true regret. "I'll send the letter and logs right away, but if you ever want to talk about Seven, I'm available. So is anyone else from Voyager. We'll be happy to answer any questions, or just talk about our experiences with her. The doctor-our EMH-asked me to extend that offer from him specifically, though I warn you he can talk indefinitely."

Irene laughed, a happy sound. ::If it's about Annika, I'll listen indefinitely. Thank you, Harry Kim, for everything.::

The transmission ended abruptly, and the screen went blank. Harry stared at it thoughtfully. He'd been surprised Seven had chosen him to deliver the letter to her aunt. Perhaps she'd thought he would be able to provide a sympathetic and human perspective. Whatever the reason, he was glad he'd had the opportunity. And glad to know that Seven was discovering her own happiness-

::U'Lanai to Kim.::

Harry hadn't expected to hear from the bridge again. "Kim here."

::I have a call for you from the station. I believe it's your mother.::

Harry managed not to groan out loud. For a second he envied Seven her peaceful colony life. But only for a second. His lips quirked as he wondered what his mother was up to now. "Put her through."

This time it was audio only, and his mother's voice filled his cabin.

::Harry, dear, I just wanted to check and make sure you got to your ship safely.::

"I did, Mom." He'd found his way back to Voyager from dozens of Delta Quadrant planets, even when he was occasionally less than sober, or bruised from a friendly altercation. But never mind mentioning *that*-

::That's good to hear.::

Harry almost missed her words, since there was a lot of background noise. As if she'd heard his thought, his mother said in a slightly louder voice, ::I'm on the Promenade, just outside 'Quark's Bar.'::

"You might not want to go in there, Mom. It can be a pretty rough place-"

::Nonsense. Well, perhaps it is a *bit* rowdy, but the proprietor is quite nice. He's a Ferengi, you know. I'm generally not fond of Ferengi, but Mister Quark has certain charm about him.::

Charm? Harry recalled the toothy Ferengi proprietor who'd nearly fleeced him until Tom Paris had come along. "Mom, you should be careful-"

::Did you know Mister Quark owns part of a diamond mine in the Corvalis asteroid belt? Diamonds are of little interest to Ferengi, but he knew they are considered quite valuable on Earth, so he's offered to sell me his shares for a very reasonable price. In fact I'm meeting him in just a few minutes to-::

"Mom!" Harry groaned for real this time. "Don't do anything until I get there!"

::Harry, I'm sure you have important things to do before dinner- ::

"Mom, just..." Harry sighed. "Wait for me, okay? I'll be there in five minutes."

::If you insist, dear, I'll stay right here.::

Harry closed the link, then jumped up and grabbed his uniform jacket from his bed. It was draped over his clarinet-his prized Clausen-Wang clarinet he'd never been able to replicate quite accurately. His mother had brought it all the way here, for him.

He touched the polished wood, and he knew that later tonight, after this long, exciting, but exhausting day was over, he'd play it for the first time in eight years, his fingers caressing the familiar surfaces, and all the tension in his body would melt away into the soothing music.

Harry smiled and stroked the clarinet one more time, then rushed out to save his mother.

The comm officer on the USS Halcyon was very young; Samantha Wildman thought that he was probably just on his first Starfleet posting. Nevertheless, he was the epitome of professionalism as he said, "Lieutenant Greskrendtregk is off-duty, ma'am. I'm rerouting your call to his quarters."

"Thank you, Ensign," Sam replied. She shot a quick glance at her daughter, whose eyes were shining in anticipation. Naomi reached over and squeezed her hand.

"Isn't this exciting, Mom?"

"It certainly is. Your father will be so happy to know that we're finally home." Home. The word echoed in her mind. Deep Space Nine certainly did have connotations of home to her. This was where she and Gres had been stationed together, where they'd fallen in love and decided to get married. This was also where she had transferred to Voyager for what was supposed to be a three week mission, leaving her husband behind.

Her musing was interrupted by the abrupt shift of the image on the screen. Her eyes took in the familiar cranial ridges on the center of his forehead, the almost feline eyes glowing with love as he looked at her.

::Samantha, Naomi!:: His voice was deep and warm. ::It's so good to see the two of you!::

"Yes, it's really us, Dad!" Naomi exclaimed. "We're here, I mean back in the Alpha Quadrant." At his calm nod, she said, "You don't seem very surprised to see us."

::That's because my captain contacted me a while ago and told me that Voyager was docked at Deep Space Nine,:: her father said, laughing. ::Believe me, my reaction when I heard the news was exactly what you'd expect. You could have knocked me over with a kiva feather. As soon as I recovered, I came back to my quarters to wait for your call.::

Naomi sighed in relief. "So we didn't wake you up-I was a little worried when they told us you were off duty."

::And even if I was sleeping, this is certainly worth getting up for.:: He hadn't taken his eyes off either of them for even an instant. ::How are you doing?::

"We're fine. The ship needs some repairs, but all of us are OK." Naomi turned to Sam, a bit concerned. "Mom, why aren't you saying anything?"

Sam dabbed at the corners of her eyes with a tissue. "Sorry, I'm just feeling a little overwhelmed. Gres, I'm so happy to see you."

::So am I.::

Naomi glanced from one parent to the other. "Well, these calls have a time-limit, so I'm going to go and let Mom have the rest of the time for herself. Dad, when can we expect to see you? Are you coming to the station?"

Gres shook his head. ::It's easier for me to get to Earth. Captain Samuels has been very accommodating. Our ship is due to rendezvous with the Hood in 18 hours, for the sole purpose of transferring me and one other officer. The Hood in turn will take me as far as the Ramot system, where I'll be picked up by the Cygnus. *That* ship will take me the rest of the way to Earth. ::

"Sounds pretty complicated to me," Naomi said, wrinkling her nose. "I hope you make all your connections."

::Don't worry about it, Naomi. I wouldn't miss your homecoming if I had to walk all the way myself! ::

Naomi smiled. "Well, I'll leave you two alone now. Can't wait to see you, Dad!"

::Same here, Naomi.:: As soon as the door closed behind her, Gres said, ::She's grown up so much. She's not a little girl anymore. ::

"Not by any stretch of the imagination, even if chronologically she's only about seven years old," Sam agreed. "You can thank those Ktarian genes of yours for that."

Gres smiled at her lovingly. ::And I can thank her mother for doing such a wonderful job of raising her. ::

"She is pretty great, isn't she?" Sam deftly turned the compliment around, but inwardly she was quite pleased.

::She looks a lot like you, Samantha.::

"And I always saw so much of you in her...having her made our separation a little easier to bear, because I felt like I carried a part of you with me, through Naomi." The tears which had been threatening brimmed over. "Oh, Gres..."

He leaned forward, as if he wished he could reach right through the screen to her. ::Shh...it's all right, Samantha. It's been a long haul, but it's almost over. The Spirits willing, we'll be together soon. ::

"I know." She smiled tremulously. "I don't know why I'm being so emotional now."

::Don't apologize,:: he said. ::The way you feel so deeply is one of the things I love about you. That and your strength. I'm so proud of you for everything you've accomplished. A lesser woman would never have done so well.::

"Knowing you would still be there waiting for me made it a lot easier," she said softly.

::Even if it wasn't the custom of my people to mate for life, I'd still be here,:: he said emphatically. ::I waited a long time before I chose, made very sure that I had found the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I would never let you go so easily.::

A sudden beep made her jump. He reacted instantly. ::The time for the call is up, isn't it?::

She nodded regretfully. "I'm afraid so. There are so many people waiting to contact their families, and the subspace broadband can only handle so much traffic at a time."

::I'll try and contact you again while I'm en route to Earth. Should I call you through the station, or on Voyager?::

She considered a moment. "Probably the ship. As soon as repairs are completed, we should be on our way."

::All right. I'll call you from the Hood, or at the latest when I reach the Ramot system. I love you, Samantha.::

"I love you, too, Gres."

His smile was the last thing she saw before his image faded and was replaced with the official Federation seal. She took a deep breath, then went into the small bathroom to make herself presentable before heading out of her quarters.

Crewman Darren Pierce nervously shuffled his feet as he waited outside the public comm booth. He wasn't sure if he wanted the booth's current occupant to hurry up already, or to take as much time as she wanted. But within a few moments the door opened and a smiling Trish Gallagher came out.

"All yours, Pierce," she said over her shoulder.

"Thanks," he said, his mouth suddenly dry, though he didn't know why he felt so anxious. It wasn't like this was the first time he'd spoken to his parents, after all. But somehow, just the fact that he knew he'd be seeing them soon made his heart beat just a little faster. He stepped into the booth, closed the door firmly behind him and punched in a familiar code. After a long pause the image of a young girl, barely into her teens, appeared on the screen.

Before he had a chance to say anything, she burst out, ::Darren! Where are you?" Without giving him a chance to respond, she called out, "Mama! Pick up the 'comm-it's Darren!::

"Hey, Peanut, how are you doing?" Darren grinned at the girl who'd been little more than a toddler the last time he'd been home. "I mean, Sami."

She wrinkled her nose in distaste. ::My name is *Samantha*,:: she informed him in her best grown up voice. ::Sami is a little girl's name.:: Her demeanor left no doubt that the nickname by which he'd called her was beneath the dignity of a response.

"Sorry," he said, amused and at the same time a little saddened by the evidence of how much she'd changed, all seemingly in the last year. He was saved from anything further by the arrival of his mother. "Hello, Mama."

::Oh, Darren, how wonderful to see you!:: the older woman exclaimed. ::Your father's not home now-he'll be so mad to have missed your call. Where are you?::

"I'm at Deep Space Nine," Darren answered. "You know, the Starfleet post right near Bajor."

His mother nodded. ::When did you get in?::

"A little over a day ago," he said. At the frown forming on his mother's face, he quickly added, "Sorry, Mama, this is the first chance I've had to call. Our arrival was a little on the 'dramatic side', if you know what I mean."

::Well, you can tell me about all that another time. What I'm more interested in is hearing about *you*-how's your head, honey?::

"My head?" he asked in surprise. "What about it?"

::You sustained a serious head injury fighting the Borg,:: she said, apparently incredulous that he didn't know what she was talking about. ::You were in a coma for days, nearly died! Don't tell me that's slipped your mind!::

"Oh, Mama," he said with some exasperation. "That was more than a year ago. I'm perfectly fine now."

::I wouldn't be so sure about that,:: she said, somewhat distractedly. ::Old injuries have a way of causing problems when you least expect them. Remember your ankle? And your arm? You always were accident prone as a child.::

::Papa says you weren't accident-prone, just liked to get into fights with anyone who looked at you sideways,:: Sami put in. ::And that joining Starfleet was probably a 'good outlet for your aggression,':: she recited carefully.

Darren groaned. This call wasn't quite going the way he'd expected.

::Now then, honey, when can we expect to see you?:: his mother asked quickly, perhaps seeing his distress.

He gave her a grateful look. "I'm not too sure, Mama. The ship is undergoing some repairs. That last exit from slipstream, and uh, a few other things, banged us up pretty badly. But I'm sure we'll get the official OK from Starfleet to head for Earth as soon as we're space-worthy."

His mother beamed. ::That's good. Darren honey, we've missed you so much, you have no idea.::

He smiled. "I've missed you, too, Mama." He glanced at his little sister, who was waiting expectantly. "All of you."

::We can't wait to see you,:: his mother went on. ::Just give me a couple hours notice and I'll have a welcome home feast ready the likes of which will make you never want to set foot in space again!::

"Well, I don't know about that," he said teasingly. "But it will be great to have some of your homecooking again."

::In the meantime, honey, I want you to promise me that you aren't going to do anything foolish, that you'll try to keep out of trouble-::

"Oh, Mama, we're in the Alpha Quadrant!" he said in exasperation. "At a Starfleet space station! What could possibly happen-"

::Now you just promise me, Darren, that you'll be careful and won't do anything dangerous that might aggravate your injury-::

Darren had the strongest urge to bang his head against the nearest wall, but he didn't even want to think about what his mother's reaction would be. Hastily, he said, "Look, Mama, it's been really great talking to you, but there's a whole line of people waiting to use this comm booth. And I've only got a few more minutes till I'm due to start my shift."

::Well, if you have to go, I guess I understand,:: she said, though clearly she hadn't said everything to him that she wanted.

"Give my regards to Papa. Love you," Darren said quickly, and signed off. He leaned against the darkened screen for a moment and exhaled deeply. Then hastily straightening his uniform, he exited the booth.

"All yours, Harper," he said to the next person waiting in line.