To The Journey

Disclaimer: If you recognize it, it's not mine. This is an AU story.

Chapter Forty-Nine: From the Delta Quadrant

Tasha began to cry as soon as she saw the man on the screen, and she could tell he was choking up too. "Hey," he said lightly. "Long time no see."

"Yeah." She smiled through her tears. "How're you doing?"

"I'm good. No, really." He smiled. "It sucks being stuck out here, but at the same time I sometimes think that's the best thing that ever happened to me."

"You should've seen my face when I saw in your last letter that you're married now."

"Probably similar to the look on my face when I saw that first letter you sent me, the one that told me you were married. But actually, there's more."

"More?" Tasha repeated numbly. "What more can there be?"

Tom's smile almost split his face in half. "B'Elanna's pregnant. In less than five months, I'm going to be a dad."

Tasha grinned too now. "Tom, that's amazing! Congratulations!"

"I'm over the moon about it - well, whatever moon is in the area, that is," he added with a chuckle. "Got my pick of them out here."

"Do you know what you're having?"

He nodded. "A girl. B'Elanna wanted to be surprised at first, but the doctor accidentally let something slip that suggested - anyway, he projected a picture of our baby for us in Sickbay, how she's going to look after she's born, and she's the most beautiful little girl. If she stays on the track she's on now, she's gonna look just like her mom."

"It is incredible," Tasha said softly.

"Tasha, I'm sorry," he said suddenly, "I didn't mean -"

"No, Tom, don't," she interrupted. "It was incredible. It's hard to remember sometimes because of what happened to her, but I do remember what it was like to be pregnant and to hold my baby for the first time. Incredible doesn't begin to describe it."

"One minute," said a voice from offscreen.

"Thanks, Seven." He turned back to Tasha. "Next time we chat, bring Data along, won't you? I want to meet him."

"I'll bring Data if you bring B'Elanna."

"Deal."

"Thirty seconds."

"I love you," she whispered, bringing her fingers up to almost touch the screen.

He mirrored her action, and they stood as they had in the Bradbury's brig seven years earlier. "I love you too."

They stared into each other's eyes as the connection filled with static and then cut out completely.

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Tasha just barely saw Geordi coming in time to step out of his way. "Whoa, there. Where are you going?"

He stopped and turned, still looking rushed. "I don't know."

"You don't know where you're going?"

"Well, if you're going to make it sound ridiculous -" He broke off, sighing and burying his face in his hands. "I'm not headed anywhere. I've just been pacing the decks for the last hour, trying to get my head back on."

"What's wrong?"

He looked up, drawing a steadying breath. "Leah."

"What? Is she okay?"

"Physically, she's fine." He swallowed. "It's her husband. He was killed yesterday."

"Oh, God."

"Yeah, that's an understatement. Anyway, just like last time, she called me." He ran his hand over his face. "I gave her a shoulder, I think I said all the right things. But I just don't know what to do. I know it's not her fault, but I've been on this rollercoaster ride once before and ended up with nothing but a broken heart."

"I know," she replied, and she gently hugged him. "I think it's great how much you're willing to do for Leah, but you need to take care of you too."

"I want this," he replied into her shoulder. "I want to be with her, I want to have what we had. But I've healed, to a point, from our last breakup. I don't think I could deal with going through that all over again."

She hugged him tighter. "I can't tell you what to do, Geordi. Only you know that. But Data and I will be here for you no matter what."

"Tell me one thing, Tasha. If you were in my shoes, what would you do?"

"If I were in your shoes? I'd give her some time to grieve, and then I'd tell her what you just told me. Preferably in person."

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"Geordi! Geordi!"

The engineer hadn't even gotten through the front door before six-year-old Joey jumped on him. His nine-year-old brother wasn't far behind, throwing his arms around Geordi's waist. It had only been a month since their father's death, but they showed no signs of being burdened by it. Not that Geordi was entirely surprised. Joey had never known his father at all, and George had been only three, barely old enough to remember the man. He was sure they missed their father, but they weren't grieving as they might have if they'd actually grown up with him around.

"Hey, you two," Geordi replied, hugging them both back. "Where's your mom?"

"Upstairs," Joey informed him.

"She's probably crying," George chimed in."She's been crying a lot."

"Will you play with us?" Joey asked eagerly.

Geordi laughed despite himself. "Later, okay? I promise." Then he gently set the younger boy down and headed up the stairs.

Leah was sitting in her room, in a chair by the window. She looked over when the door opened. "Geordi?"

"Yeah, I'm here." He opened his arms to her, and she ran to him.

"I'm really glad you're here," she whispered. Then, as George had predicted, she started to cry.

Geordi held her silently as she sobbed.

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"I know we need to talk," Leah began softly.

Geordi only nodded. He's spent the past fifteen minutes trying to broach the subject.

"Feels like deja vu all over again, doesn't it?"

He smiled, but he knew it looked forced. "Yeah, kind of."

"Don't think I don't know that I hurt you, that I wasn't fair to you. I couldn't be fair to everyone, and you got the short end of the stick. I did love you, Geordi - I still do. I told you all of this when I found out he wasn't - " she choked, then composed herself and continued. "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize."

"Yes, I do," she contradicted. "I know how much you love me. I gave you your heart's desire and then I snatched it back."

"It's not your fault, Leah," he countered. "This whole situation is a mess."

"Tell me about it." She let out what sounded like an attempt at a laugh. "I appreciate you being here for me. But if you don't want to stick around, I don't blame you."

"You still love me?" He knew she'd just said it, but he felt like he had to confirm it anyway.

"Yes."

"Then I'm willing to try this again."

I'm sorry this took so long, especially for a short chapter, but short or not I had no idea what I wanted to do with it.

This chapter references the Voyager episodes Lineage and Friendship One.

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