To The Journey

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

Chapter Fifty-One: The Reunion

The normally quiet docking port was one step shy of a madhouse when Picard, Data, and Tasha materialized on the transporter pad. Tasha opened her mouth to ask a question, but before she could get the words out, Picard just smiled and waved at both her and the android to go ahead. He hadn't expected his chief of security to accompany him on any of his formal duties; he had brought her along because he remembered how devastated she'd been when the ship had gone missing and he knew there were people on the ship that she'd want to see and to introduce to her husband.

Tasha made a quick visual scan of the docking port. As soon as she determined that niether of the people she most wanted to see were there, she grabbed Data's hand and pulled him up through the open hatch.

She stopped once they got inside, looking around uncertainly. Data stopped beside her. "Might I suggest using the computer's locator?"

"That's not the problem," she replied softly. "I can't decide who I want to see first. I've missed them both so much, and there's so much I want to say to both of them."

Data nodded understandingly but said nothing, giving his wife a chance to think.

"Tom," she said finally. "I haven't gotten a chance to meet his wife yet." Although she and Tom had both planned to bring their respective spouses to their next communication via the MIDAS array, Tom's next turn with the array hadn't come around yet. "Computer, locate Lieutenant Paris."

"Lieutenant Paris is in Sickbay."

"Sickbay?" Immediate worry filled her. "What's he doing there?"

"Please restate the question."

"Never mind," she snapped.

"You should not assume the worst," Data said gently. "There are numerous reasons for a person to go to sickbay."

"He was on the bridge five minutes ago. Sickbay," she added to the turbolift they'd just stepped into, which quickly began to rush off in that direction. "What could happen in five minutes to put him in Sickbay besides a disaster?"

Before Data could answer, the turbolift doors swung open and Tasha raced the last few yards to Sickbay, running through the door as it swung open, only to nearly crash into the Doctor. "Sorry," she apologized breathlessly.

"That's all right." He smiled, clearly recognizing her. "Lieutenant Paris," he called over his shoulder, "there's someone here to see you."

"Who is -?" a familiar voice began, but the words were cut off abruptly as he stepped into view and saw who was standing next to the holographic doctor.

She smiled, resisting the impulse to burst into tears. "Hi."

He closed the distance between them in a few strides, pulling his cousin into his arms. "Oh, God, it's good to see you."

"You too," she whispered into his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"Okay?" he repeated. "I'm so much more than okay. This is the best day of my life."

She could see the tears that shimmered in his eyes and the tracks on his cheeks, but the smile that was splitting his face in two told her that they were tears of joy. "Welcome home."

"It's good to be here," he replied, "but that's not exactly what I meant - not entirely, anyway. Come here, there's someone I want you to meet. Two someones, actually." He pulled her towards the back of the Sickbay, behind the Doctor's office. "B'Elanna, this is my cousin Tasha. Tasha, my wife."

"It's good to finally meet you," Tasha said warmly. "Tom's told me a lot about you."

"He talks a lot about you too. If I didn't know you were related I might be jealous."

B'Elanna's smile was genuine, but she sounded exhausted. Tasha was about to ask if she was okay when Tom spoke again. "And this is Miral."

She turned to see Tom cradling a tiny bundle in his arms. All of a sudden everything made sense: Tom's presence in Sickbay, his tears and the assertion that this was the best day of his life, B'Elanna's exhaustion. "Tom, she's beautiful."

Miral waved a hand from out of the blankets as her father beamed at her. "She's perfect," he agreed.

"It's been ten minutes, and she's got her daddy wrapped around her finger already," B'Elanna commented.

Tasha looked back at her cousin and best friend, who was at that moment bouncing his baby daughter in his arms with an impossibly wide grin, and she had to agree. But before she could say as much out loud, the door opened to admit a young Asian man, a teenage boy from a species she couldn't identify, and a man she recognized after a few moments as Chakotay, the Maquis captain she'd met after a shuttle crash a few months before Voyager's disappearance. Come to think of it, she vaguely remembered B'Elanna having been with him. Most of her attention during that incident had been focused on Tuvok.

Chakotay and the teenager approached B'Elanna, while the third man made a beeline for Tom, giving him a quick hug from the side so as not to disturb the baby. "Congratulations, Tom," he said, grinning.

"Hey, Starfleet," B'Elanna groaned from her bed. "I had something to do with it too, you know."

"No one's disputing that, that's for sure," Chakotay agreed. "How are you feeling?"

"I hurt," she admitted, "but it's worth it."

"The captain says she'll stop by as soon as she can," he told them. "She's tied up with Command for the moment."

The door swung open again, this time to admit a blonde Ensign in science blue and a young girl with sharp ridges on her forehead. "I hope we're not overwhelming you," she said quickly. "Naomi wanted to see the baby."

"Not at all," Tom replied. "I seem to recall a certain baby on Voyager attracting an awful lot of attention, oh, about five years ago." He grinned at the little girl, who smiled back. "Sorry, Tasha. It's about to turn into a zoo in here. I promise we'll catch up later, okay? I still owe you lunch."

"You bet you do." She embraced Tom gently, careful not to squish Miral between them. "But this is a big day for you. Bask in your glory for awhile, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am," he replied, laughing.

"Come on, Data," she said as four more people walked into Sickbay. "Let's give these people a chance to see the baby. We've still got someone to find."

xxxxxxxxx

A familiar figure just ahead in the hallway caught Tasha's eye. "Asil!"

The Vulcan stopped and turned, only for Tasha to immediately envelop her in a hug, which she returned in her normal reserved but not cold manner. "I suppose," she said after a few moments, "that it would make little difference if I reminded you that it is not I who has been gone for the past seven years."

"Not a bit," Tasha agreed, finally breaking the embrace. "But speaking of the person who's been gone for the past seven years -"

"His quarters are just ahead. I am familiar with the design of this class of starship," she added at Tasha's surprised look. "As he is Second Officer, his quarters should be - here." She stopped in front of a door.

If Tasha had been there alone, she might have hovered at the door for a few moments, excitement warring with nerves, before pressing the button. But Asil would never do such a thing. As soon as a glance at the name on the door confirmed that they were in the right place, she simply reached out and pressed the button.

"Enter." The voice that replied to the door chime nearly brought Tasha's heart crashing to a halt, and as the door slid open, she was frozen in her tracks. But then she felt two hands on her back, one larger than the other, each urging her forward into the room. Asil followed close on her shoulder, Data hanging back once he was certain he'd given his wife enough impetus to move.

And then she was standing in front of him, staring into his eyes. The same eyes, by all practical measures, that Asil had, and yet not the same at all. He looked over her and Asil, and even though no real emotion showed on his face, there was a warmth there that Tasha knew meant he was happy to see them.

"Father," Asil said softly. Tasha was still beyond words.

"My daughters," he replied, his tone almost reverent.

That was all it took for Tasha to begin crying again. "Thank you," she whispered, hoping that those two words could convey the depth of her gratitude and all that she was grateful for.

He nodded slowly, the gesture conveying that he did, in fact, understand. "You are very welcome."

And then Tasha decided she didn't care about what a Vulcan would do in her position. Tuvok had always respected her as an individual, including her human ways. She did exactly what she wanted to do; she stepped forward and threw her arms around him. "Thank you," she repeated. "Thank you for everything."

xxxxxxxxx

"Data?"

It was strange enough that she was out here in the corridor looking for him. She still didn't know what had caused him to leave the gathering in Voyager's mess hall. All she knew was that one moment she'd been talking to Samantha Wildman, the Ensign who had brought her young daughter into Sickbay to see the new Paris baby, while Data exchanged animated words with the EMH. But when she'd glanced over a minute later, the android was gone, and the holographic doctor told her he had suddenly stopped talking in the middle of a sentence and then just turned and walked away.

Something's wrong, her instincts were practically screaming at her. Even with his emotion chip, Data was still the person he'd always been. Running out of an event without even a word of explanation was incredibly out of character.

"Here," a quiet voice responded, and she turned to see Data sitting in a maintenance alcove, curled up in a position that only increased her concern.

She knelt down next to him. "Data, what's wrong?"

He reached for her, leaning his head against her chest, and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "Seven of Nine," he whispered. "I knew who she was, but I had not been prepared for her appearance."

"Oh, Data." She tightened her embrace. She understood him perfectly - a woman with both Borg features and a definitively female appearance could easily be to him what a male Cardassian had been to her for so long. "It's okay. You're safe now."

She held him in silence for several minutes, letting him regain his sense of safety and equilibrium. When he slowly sat up, lifting his head from her shoulder, she knew he was okay. But she also knew that he wouldn't want to be anywhere near that mess hall tonight.

She stood slowly, offering him a hand she knew he didn't need, because it just felt right in that moment to extend the suggestion of help. "Come on. Let's go back to the Enterprise."

And he took the hand they both knew he didn't need, not really using the grip to get himself to his feet, but holding onto it all the same. "These people are special to you. I will go. You should stay."

"I don't want to leave you alone."

"It will be all right," he insisted, leaning forward to kiss her. "I am all right. I know how long you have waited for this." He gently nudged her in the direction of the mess hall. "Go back. Enjoy it. I will wait for you in our quarters."

xxxxxxxxx

"Lieutenant Commander Yar?"

She looked over her shoulder to the source of the voice. "Seven of Nine," she acknowledged.

"I wish to pose a question, Commander, if I may."

"We're off duty, call me Tasha. What's your question?"

"It regards your husband."

Instantly, Tasha's guard was up. It wasn't that she blamed Seven for Data's reaction; she understood that it wasn't Seven's fault that she happened to have stepped into the same room as Data while resembling the woman who had caused him so much pain. But she knew from Tom's letters that tact was an art the former Borg drone was still learning, and she might well have put it together that Data had walked out of the room the moment she'd come in. She would never even consider answering an invasive question about her husband's trauma, but her guard was raised just at the possibility that one might be forthcoming.

"How long have you been married?"

Tasha relaxed a little. That's a good sign. "A little less than three years. Our wedding was a few days after the Doctor paid his little visit to the Alpha Quadrant."

"And you are happy?"

That was a little more personal, but it wasn't a question Tasha minded answering. "Yes. Absolutely. Why do you ask?"

Seven stared out the window for a long moment before she began to speak. "Since Captain Janeway liberated me from the Borg, I have been attempting to regain my humanity. As part of that, I have begun to engage in romantic relationships."

"Okay," Tasha replied, her tone encouraging the other woman to elaborate.

"I am involved with someone now. A member of my crew. He seemed a logical choice, considering all of the factors involved."

Tasha couldn't help a small laugh. "That's your first mistake. Relationships aren't logical. Not even among Vulcans," she added, thinking of what little she knew about Tuvok and T'Pel, "and certainly not for humans."

"Perhaps," she admitted. "But it is irrelevant now. It has always been clear to me that he desired -" she stopped herself. "No, that is unfair. He cares a great deal for someone else, someone who until now was unavailable to him."

"I'm sorry," she said, thinking now of Geordi and his love for Leah, Leah whose loyalty to her husband had forced her to leave Geordi heartbroken when she discovered he was still alive. "I know that's never easy."

"Perhaps it will not be so difficult," Seven replied evenly. "As you suggested, the initiation of our relationship was based on logic, not emotion. Therefore, my emotions will not be affected as greatly by the termination of the relationship."

"Don't sell yourself short," Tasha said gently. "It doesn't matter if it's clear as crystal that the relationship was never meant to be. It's probably still going to hurt, and if it does, it's best you let yourself feel it. Otherwise you'll carry that with you into whatever your next relationship will be.

She nodded slightly. "I will take that under advisement. But my question to you relates more to the possibility of a future relationship, such as you have suggested."

"Okay, let's have it, then."

"There is someone else on my crew who may be a romantic possibility for me. I have been aware for some time of his interest in me, and he is a friend, someone I care a great deal about."

"It's the Doctor, isn't it?" Tasha couldn't help but smile at Seven's startled expression. "Why else would you be talking to me instead of someone you know? And why else would you have started out asking me about Data?"

Seven nodded now, smiling for a moment before becoming serious again. "I had thought that I should be dating humans if my intent was to become more human. But I see you with him, and you say you are happy, and your marriage appears nearly perfect from an outside perspective. And it makes me consider whether my initial conclusion was wrong."

Tasha thought for a long moment before responding. "Well, I can tell you it's not always going to be easy. And not because of the Doctor himself but because of other people and their prejudices. There will always be people who won't accept the idea that your relationship is completely normal, who will say things about your feelings for him that hurt. I know I've certainly heard my fair share of that about Data."

"They will say that it is because I was Borg, that that is the reason I would choose a hologram over a flesh-and-blood person."

"It's entirely possible. But if you really love each other, it won't matter to you what other people think. Data and I know the truth. The people who really care about us know the truth. Why should we let what anyone else thinks affect our relationship? And it's the same way when it comes to your humanity. Sure, there will be people who think that you're diminishing your humanity by dating a hologram. It doesn't mean it would be true. It's like I said before. Part of human relationships is following your emotions - certainly more so than dating only humans is. Just look at Tom and B'Elanna. I know it's not exactly the same, but he's human. She's not. And from what I've seen and heard, they have a relationship that half this crew envies."

"At least half," Seven agreed. "So you think that I should pursue this?"

"Not right away."

"But -"

"Based on what you're telling me, you're planning to end things with your current boyfriend tonight, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"You need to give it a little time. Trust me." Tasha cringed a little internally to think of how soon after the end of her relationship with Geordi it had been when she'd first seduced Data and how awkward it had made things between them for months afterward. If I'd died that day on Vagra II, I would've died without ever resolving what happened between us. "You don't want to jump from one relationship right into the next. You certainly don't need a relationship to make you human, and that's a bad reason to start one. End your current relationship tonight like you were planning to, and then take some time to think about how you feel. And once you've had a chance to think about it, if you still think that being with him is what you want, then you go to him and you tell him that, and you see what happens."

Seven nodded slowly. "I will. Thank you. And Tasha?"

"Yes?"

"I am aware that your husband is unsettled by my presence. I am also aware that it is not my place to ask why. But would you tell him that I am sorry for causing him discomfort?"

Look at that. Looks like she's picking up the art of tact after all. "I will."

Okay, well...wow. I was getting some writer's block on this chapter so I decided to put it aside for a week or two to think over where I wanted it to go, and the next thing I knew it had been six months. I am sincerely sorry.

Big news from the past six months is that I got to meet several actors from the show at a convention in June, including Tim Russ and Denise Crosby (did not actually get to see them together; that would've really been something considering what I've done with their characters as a writer). If any of my readers are debating going to a convention, I highly recommend it. They are awesome.

So the whole thing with Seven and the Doctor - in case you couldn't tell (from my Voyager oneshot Rewind the Years if nothing else) I am a huge Janeway/Chakotay shipper, which is a borderline canon pairing anyway, and I'd like to think that once the rank thing wasn't an issue they'd be able to give a relationship a try. But I do like Seven as a character, even if I don't like her with Chakotay, so I would want her to end up happy with someone else, and the Doctor seems like an obvious choice since their friendship and his feelings for her are both canon, and that's another pairing I like.

Please review!