Chapter Fifteen
Sharp cries pierced the night. No, it wasn't night, it was early morning, and it was almost time to get up. A few more minutes was all that was necessary after such a rough night full of interruptions, but clearly that wasn't going to happen. Despite the fact that it just felt like everyone went to sleep a few hours earlier, it was time to get up.
Groaning, B'Elanna rolled over and announced sleepily, "Tom, it's your turn" before pulling the blankets up around her shoulders to ward off the cool air. After a few seconds of continuous crying, it dawned on her: Tom was still gone, which explained her extreme exhaustion. She'd been pulling double duty as both mom and dad for the past week, along with working her regular shifts in engineering. Thankfully, Tom was supposed to return today and put an end to her non-stop work. B'Elanna thought about all the things she was going to make him do when he got back tonight as she climbed out of bed and padded over to Miral's crib at the end of the bed. As soon as the infant saw her mother, she stopped crying. It was hard for B'Elanna to be frustrated with her daughter when she saw her pudgy face and big eyes; there was no way she could ever stay mad at her. "Did you just want to be held?" B'Elanna cooed as she picked Miral up. The child instantly nuzzled her mother's shirt and smiled slightly. "Alright then, I still have half an hour of sleep. As long as you don't tell your father, you can sleep in bed with me." It appeared to be the only way B'Elanna was going to get any decent sleep. She laid Miral down on Tom's side of the bed and crawled in next to her. Almost instantly, both of them were fast asleep once again. This wasn't the first time she'd let Miral sleep in bed with her over the past week, she just hoped it wouldn't become a habit, as Tom would not approve.
No sooner had B'Elanna laid down and closed her eyes did her alarm go off, instantly waking up both her and Miral. Miral began to wail and pump her tiny fists and feet in the air in protest to the noisy intrusion that disrupted her precious sleep. B'Elanna shared the sentiment about being woken up, but she knew she had to get her day started.
"Oh, so it's okay if you wake me up, but not the other way around?" she teased as she scooped up the child and gently rocked her back and forth and she paced through the quarters. On her way to the bathroom, she scooped up the baby carrier Samantha had so graciously given her shortly after Miral's birth and carried it to the bathroom. She set up the device on the floor where she could see it from the sonic shower. All of this was starting to become routine to her; she was starting to get used to getting ready for her duty shift while simultaneously looking after Miral completely on her own. Usually she and Tom passed her back and forth, allowing them each a few minutes of uninterrupted time, but she didn't have that luxury, not until his return tomorrow that is. "Computer, turn on sonic shower." Vibrations pulsed through the shower stall. Satisfied, B'Elanna pulled off her pajamas and tossed them to the floor. Wide-eyed, Miral watched her mother. Unable to resist, B'Elanna tickled her fat stomach, causing her to smile. "Your daddy's going to be back today," she cooed as she climbed into the shower. "And he's going to be taking care of you every night for the next week to make up for leaving me." It was obvious that Miral had no idea what her mother was saying, but the soothing lilt of her voice entertained her long enough for B'Elanna to take a shower.
Talking to Miral was strangely comforting to B'Elanna as well. She knew there was no way her daughter could possibly understand her, but it gave her a sense of companionship with Tom being gone for this long. Talking to Miral also helped her from losing her mind from all the sleep deprivation. Usually at night they took turns getting up to take care of the child, but for the past week, everything was on B'Elanna. She was barely running on enough sleep to function, which made completing her work in engineering difficult. When Tom got back today, he would be taking over all parental duties, at least for a day or two while B'Elanna got everything together and caught up on her sleep. As she stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel firmly around her, she realized that she had it easy; she knew Tom would be back today to help with Miral. Samantha, on the other hand, was raising Naomi alone and had no idea when she'd see her husband again for a break. Of course, the entire crew was here to help whenever she needed, and Samantha didn't have the same pressure and responsibilities as B'Elanna as the chief engineer, but she wasn't going to compare the two situations. Samantha was raising her daughter, alone, and had done so for several years now. She was the one who got up every single time in the middle of the night to take care of Naomi's needs. She was the one responsible for her education, entertainment and wellbeing, along with her regular Starfleet duties. B'Elanna, on the other hand, only had to do this for a week before Tom returned to help her. As B'Elanna picked up Miral to nurse her, she realized just how lucky she was. Perhaps she wouldn't make Tom take care of all the parenting duties for the next few days while she caught up on sleep...just most of them.
With her precious coffee in hand, Kathryn sat at her desk in her ready room and started filtering through the stack of PADDS scattered across her desk. With Chakotay gone for the past week, she had picked up a lot of his duties, along with her own. That included taking care of personnel issues, making the duty rosters and other tasks she hadn't had to worry about for several years. All of it made her appreciate Chakotay and his work that much more; over the years, she'd forgotten just how much he does for Voyager. At this point in their relationship and journey home, she didn't even need to ask him to do much, he automatically knew what was expected of him and even tended to have it done before Kathryn even knew it needed to be done herself. It made the process of running the ship significantly smoother. On the other hand, it made the time Chakotay spent away from the bridge that much more difficult for Kathryn as she adapted to not having him by her side. She even missed their morning conversations, a chance for them to talk about anything and everything, after over seven years together, there were no secrets between them. She would be glad to have him back at the end of the day. Tomorrow, they would get back to their old routine.
Kathryn's thoughts about Chakotay's temporary departure from Voyager were interrupted by her door chirping. Unaware that she had been daydreaming, she jumped slightly, taking a moment to quickly compose herself and go back to reading over the report on her PADD.
Without glancing up from the work spread out in front of her, she called, "Come in." The door slid open, revealing Tuvok. The Vulcan had done an amazing job at stepping up and filling in for Chakotay while he was gone, not that Kathryn would expect anything less from him. Kathryn felt bad asking more from him though, he already did so much on Voyager and never once asked for anything in return.
"Captain," Tuvok greeted formally with a curt nod.
"Good morning, Mr. Tuvok," Kathryn greeted with feigned enthusiasm and perkiness. While he may not display emotions himself, Tuvok could instantly tell that something was bothering her.
"Is this a bad time?" he asked.
"No, not at all," Kathryn assured as she got up to pour herself another cup of coffee. "What can I do for you?" Just the smell of fresh coffee was enough to start waking her up.
"We will be at the rendezvous point in approximately four hours." She nodded.
"Very good. Have we heard from the away team yet?"
"There has been no communication with the away team or the shuttle craft, but it is possible that we are still out of communication range with them." Kathryn shook her head.
"I don't like it. Have operations check on that and keep me posted. We should be close enough to start communicating with the shuttle soon."
"Aye, Captain."
Tuvok turned to leave, but Kathryn called after him, "And Mr. Tuvok?" Confused, Tuvok turned around. He had been under the impression that he was dismissed.
"Yes, Captain?"
"Thank you for all your help this past week. The ship wouldn't have run nearly as smoothly without you."
"It is always my pleasure to help you, Captain." With that being said, Tuvok turned to leave, the doors closing behind him, leaving Kathryn alone to shift through the PADDS that littered her desk. She wanted to get through the backlog of work as quickly as possible so Chakotay wouldn't have to do all of it along with his regular duties as First Officer.
After two hours of pouring over PADDS, reports and duty rosters, Kathryn felt like her head was going to explode; she could only stare at a screen for so long before going crazy. There was still work that needed to be done, but it could wait. Right now, she desperately needed a break. It had been far too long since she had been on the bridge, and she wanted to check on everything. While she trusted Tuvok to run everything smoothly, she wanted to be there herself. She would have to bounce between her ready room and bridge all day to get everything done, but she would find a way to make it happen, just like she always did.
The bridge felt empty with Tom, Harry and Chakotay gone, like part of the bridge had been taken with them on the away mission. The crewmen who took their places all were good at their jobs, but there was something about having the three of them there that was comforting and familiar; the way Tom joked around, the way Chakotay always had a deep, insightful story to share, and Harry's unceasing optimism at every little prospect of getting back to the Alpha Quadrant. All of them were characteristics she had taken for granted over the years. Kathryn entered the bridge and took a seat at her chair. Even her chair felt lonely without Chakotay by her side.
"Status update," she ordered.
"We'll rendezvous with the away team in approximately two hours," the crewman at the con announced.
"Mr. Tuvok, any word from the away team?"
"They are still too far away to communicate with. We should hear from them within the next hour and a half."
"Excellent. I want to be informed the minute we hear from them. A week is far too long without any communication." Kathryn leaned over in her chair to the console mounted between her chair and Chakotay's chair. She carefully analyzed the information on it, checking the status of her ship. It was second nature to her. Whenever there was downtime on the bridge, she liked to randomly check the status of various systems, just in case. It allowed her to nip any potential problems in the bud and be more aware of what was going on around her. As far as she could tell, the ship was running smoothly, and they were right on schedule to intercept the away team. Once they did, they would set a course for the Alpha Quadrant once again.
The more B'Elanna stared at the report in her hands, the less it made sense to her. She had been trying to read the same sentence for the past five minutes, but the words simply blurred together incoherently. She tried reading it again, this time muttering each word under her breath as she read in the hopes that it would help. It didn't. She started again.
"Lieutenant?" B'Elanna had been so caught up in her attempts that she didn't hear anyone approach her. Her head shot up.
"Huh? What? Yeah?" she stammered. Vorik stood directly in front of her with his usual serious, almost deadpan expression.
"I just asked you if you were alright," he repeated. B'Elanna ran her hand over her face.
"Yeah, never better," she snapped sarcastically as she tried to walk away. Unfortunately for her, Vorik trailed after her. He knew her better than that.
"Are you sure?" he pressed.
"Vorik, I'm exhausted, I'm stressed, and I'm trying to get some work done. If you continue to pester me like this, I'll rip out your spine and beat you over the head with it." While everyone on Voyager knew that B'Elanna never followed through on her threats of extreme violence, it was always a sign to everyone around her to give her some space.
"Aye, Sir," Vorik said before going back to work. Finally alone once again, B'Elanna attempted to read over the report she still clenched tightly in her hand. She needed to find a way to focus on her work, as she still had a long shift ahead of her.
Voyager dropped out of warp and slowed to a gradual stop. They had arrived at the rendezvous point right on time, but there was no sign of the away team on the view screen. Confused, Kathryn turned to Tuvok for some answers. Chakotay was always prompt when it came to meeting up after an away mission.
Kathryn didn't need to ask what was going on for Tuvok to announce, "Sensors are not picking up any signs of the shuttle."
"Maybe they came early and left to investigate something nearby. Are there any signs of a warp trail?" Kathryn asked. It was the only explanation she could think of, there was no reason for the away team not to be here.
"Negative, Captain. There is no sign of them anywhere." Kathryn sighed while she tried to think of what to do.
"Well, we're not going to go anywhere," she concluded. "We're right on time, and they could be running a little bit late. We'll wait here for them. I want you to scan all frequencies for any communication from the away team. They could have put out a message that we missed to explain why they aren't here. In the meantime, I want to run a diagnostic on the problem with the environmental controls on deck six and the glitch in the Doctor's programming. Now's a good as time as any to get some routine maintenance done. I want a status report in one hour."
"Aye, Captain." As Kathryn got to her feet to retreat to her ready room to attempt to get more work done, the bridge scurried with life. Everyone jumped up to complete the tasks assigned to them. Kathryn lingered on the bridge for a few extra moments and looked at the view screen. All that she could see was stars in every direction. There weren't any planets or systems anywhere near here. If something had happened to the away team while they waited for Voyager to arrive, there wouldn't be anyone to help them.
The pile of reports on Kathryn's desk slowly began to shrink as she worked her way through them. When she decided to become a captain, she didn't realize how much paperwork would be involved in it. She thought she would just need to be a strong leader and able to make tough decisions under pressure. Now, she knew much better. She had to deal with the personal issues of her crew, wade through massive amounts of reports and paperwork on a daily basis and keep up the morale of the ship during tough times, no matter how she was feeling herself. She always had to put on a strong face and make it look like she knew what she was doing, even if she had no idea. She also had to be able to compartmentalize. While she was concerned about the status of the away team, she had to focus on the reports in front of her. She figured there had to be some sort of logical reason for the away team's delay. It was a pretty long trip for them to make, even if it was in the Delta Flyer, and they could have been delayed with their relief efforts, or at least that's what Kathryn told herself to help her focus on the task in front of her. Right now, there wasn't anything she could do about the away team's absence, but there was something she could do about the work in front of her, so that was what she needed to put all her energy into.
One hour on the dot after she gave her orders, Kathryn returned to the bridge. The moment she stepped out onto the bridge, she could instantly tell that the news wasn't good. There was an aura that surrounded all the crewmen that spoke volumes.
"What's the status of the away team?" she barked.
"There are no signs of the away team on any sensors," Tuvok replied. "And there are no replies on any communication frequencies."
"Well keep scanning. I want to stay here overnight and wait for them." Kathryn took a seat on her seat and crossed her legs. While she'd never admit it to her crew, she was starting to get a little worried. She knew that the away team was only a little late, but it was still unsettling, especially given the fact that this was incredibly unlike Chakotay. He would never make her worry like this, it went against everything he believed in as her First Officer. "I want hourly updates on the situation until we rendezvous with the away team." There was a round of "Aye, Captain"s and "Aye, Sir"s that circulated around the bridge as everyone started their latest set of directions. There had to be a logical explanation for the absence of the away team, although no one could figure out what that explanation could be.
In Engineering, B'Elanna paced along the warp core. She could feel her muscles tense with frustration and exasperation. Tom, Chakotay and the rest of the away team were supposed to be back seven hours ago, and there was still no sign of them and not a single word from them. She clenched her fists and furrowed her brow as she attempted to calm herself down, but nothing worked. She hit her comm badge.
In her frustration, she hit herself harder than she intended, but she ignored the pain and barked, "B'Elanna to the Captain." There was a pause as the message was transmitted over the communication system to Kathryn.
"Yes B'Elanna?" Even over the comm system, B'Elanna could tell that the Captain was starting to feel frustrated with their current situation. It was subtle, but the Lieutenant was familiar enough with the Captain and her usual mannerisms to hear it in her voice, it was tenser, more curt than usual.
"Any news on the away team?" There was a sense of desperation in B'Elanna's voice. She'd expected to be reunited with her husband hours ago and needed to make sure he was alright; he had a knack for getting himself into trouble, even on the simplest of away missions.
"No, B'Elanna," Kathryn sighed. "As soon as I find out something, you'll be the first one to know."
"Okay, thank you, Captain. Torres out." The comm line went dead. B'Elanna felt bad for calling the Captain for the third time since the away team didn't show up. She knew she was stressed, but she was feeling just as much pressure herself. This was her husband she was waiting for. It was hard enough being out of communication with him for the past week, and now she had no idea what was going on or why he wasn't back yet, which caused her stress level to increase exponentially.
No sooner did Kathryn get off the comm system with B'Elanna, did the door to her ready room beeped. Sighing, she tossed the PADD in her hand to the side. Apparently fate was against her getting any work done today.
"Come in," she called. The door slid open, revealing Icheb. The door closed behind him, allowing them to speak in privacy.
"Icheb." Kathryn had to admit that she wasn't entirely surprised to see the young man in her ready room. She figured it was really only a matter of time until he showed up; she was surprised that it took him this long. "Let me guess, you're worried about the away team." Icheb looked slightly uncomfortable.
"I don't want to be disrespectful," he admitted. "But it's not like Seven to be this late." Kathryn got to her feet and wrapped a supporting arm around Icheb's shoulder and guided him over to the couch along the far wall of the large room.
"I know," she agreed. "But this was a very unique mission." They took a seat next to each other. "We knew we would be out of contact with the away team for the duration of their mission."
"Yes, but long range sensors aren't picking up the shuttle." Icheb immediately closed his mouth and mentally reprimanded himself. He was talking to the Captain right now, and he needed to remember to treat her with the utmost respect and honor her decisions, even if he disagreed with them.
"That could mean that they haven't left the planet yet. Remember, the atmosphere was full of interference." All Kathryn had to do was look at Icheb to know that he wasn't convinced. She could see it in his eyes. Not only was Seven his mentor, but she was like a mother to him. She guided him through life and made sure he was always on track and completing his studies appropriately. It was understandable that he was concerned about her wellbeing.
"Something just doesn't feel right." Kathryn gave his knee a reassuring pat.
"I promise you, I am weighing every option and thinking of the best solution to our problem. For the next day or so, however, we're going to wait here for the away team to show up."
"Okay, Captain." Icheb didn't sound any more reassured as he got to his feet. Kathryn followed his lead and stood up as well. Icheb walked towards the door; he had to return to astrometrics. With Seven gone, he was the one picking up most of the slack in the astrometrics lab. He hoped that when she returned, Seven would be proud of him, although it was difficult to tell with her, she was always so serious.
"Icheb?" He stopped and turned around. "I promise you, Seven's perfectly fine." For some reason, that reassurance was all Icheb needed to feel better. The faintest hint of a smile tugged at the corner of his lips, and his shoulders visibly relaxed as he exited the ready room to return to his duties.
Kathryn had no way of knowing Seven's current condition, or the welfare of the rest of the away team for that matter. She knew that Seven was in safe hands. Chakotay would do anything to keep her safe, and Tom was equally protective of anyone on the crew; not that there would be any issue. She had sent them on an easy away mission, one of the easiest they'd encountered in months. All of them had been on far more dangerous missions a hundred times over; they could handle a few days providing relief to a planet in distress. There was some sort of logical, harmless reason as to why the away team was late. Tomorrow they'd be back on Voyager, and Chakotay would regale her with tales about what had happened during the mission during their weekly dinner, and it would be like had ever happened.
The second B'Elanna got back to her quarters, she scooped Miral up in her arms and cradled the small child against her chest. Miral grabbed at the front of her mother's uniform and nuzzled her breast hungrily. The crewman who was helping by watching the infant, nodded in B':Elanna's direction as she headed out the door to her own quarters for the night. B'Elanna barely acknowledged her, she was more focused on tending to her daughter and perhaps getting some rest, although the latter seemed highly unlikely.
"I know, I know, just give me a minute." Carefully holding Miral against her with one hand, B'Elanna contorted her body to pull off her tunic and grey undershirt, revealing the tank top underneath. Miral began to whine in protest. B'Elanna gently bounced her up and down as she sat down on the couch and adjusted herself accordingly. Finally seeing the object of her desire, Miral latched on and suckled greedily. B'Elanna gently ran her thumb across the infant's smooth cheek. "Well, little girl, it looks like it's going to be you and me for another night," she sighed as she made herself comfortable on the couch with her feet kicked up casually on the coffee table.
No sooner had B'Elanna made herself comfortable did the doorbell ring. Knowing she couldn't answer the door while nursing Miral, she gently unlatched her daughter from her breast. Miral immediately screwed up her small face and opened her mouth, letting out a loud, powerful wail in protest. B'Elanna did her best to comfort the child as she adjusted her shirt to cover herself. Miral refused to be consoled. Now that she'd gotten a taste of her dinner, she craved more. Unfortunately, she would have to wait.
"Come in," B'Elanna sighed over the cries without getting up. She was too tired to move. The door opened, revealing Kathryn. "Captain." B'Elanna started to scramble to her feet.
"At ease," Kathryn said with a small chuckle as she held up her hand. Despite the fact that the shift was over for the day, the Captain was still in her uniform, not that she really wore anything else. "I came to see how you're doing." Miral continued to wail, making it difficult to carry on a conversation.
"I'm exhausted, my husband was supposed to be back today and is M.I.A., and my daughter is constantly crying," B'Elanna snapped as she continued to bounce Miral in her arms in an attempt to calm her down. It didn't work. "But otherwise I'm fine. Thanks for asking." Kathryn took a seat across from B'Elanna, indicating that she intended to stay for a while. "Listen, Captain, I'm glad you're stopping by, but I need to feed Miral."
"Oh! Do you want me to come back?" She thought about the offer for a few seconds but ultimately decided against it. If the Captain was here after a long and arduous shift, then she must have an important reason. It wasn't every day that the Captain showed up in her private quarters.
"No, just hand me that blanket." Kathryn found a pink receiving blanket flung over the back of her chair and handed it to B'Elanna who expertly draped it over her shoulder before adjusting herself. The task was made much difficult by the fact that Miral continued to scream in hungry protest. As B'Elanna focused on Miral, Kathryn had a chance to glance around the quarters. With the exception of Chakotay and Tuvok, very rarely did she ever venture into her crew's quarters; she had to maintain some sort of boundary between herself and her crew. While she had been in the Paris family's quarters several times, she was still astounded by the change that they had undergone since Miral's birth. When Voyager's journey first started, Tom's quarters were littered with dirty plates, clothes and random personal effects. The flat surfaces weren't covered with dirty dishes and partially eaten food anymore but instead holophotos of the small family and various baby paraphernalia. It was a drastic change that signified the end of Tom's wild bachelor days, only to be replaced by days full of changing diapers and crawling around on the floor with his daughter. Now, toys and other baby items covered the floor. Kathryn knew that B'Elanna usually kept the quarters clean, with Miral's toys in their designated buckets that lined the wall, the clothes neatly folded and put away and everything in its correct spot. While the quarters were far from a mess, but they weren't in the condition they were normally in. It spoke volumes as to how B'Elanna was really handing the week long separation from Tom.
Miral's screams were replaced with gulping and small mews of contentment as she latched on to B'Elanna's breast. As soon as the crying stopped, B'Elanna was able to visibly relax, at least a little bit. Up close, Kathryn could see large bags under the engineer's eyes, and she seemed to have lost some color in her cheeks.
"B'Elanna," she said gently. "How are you really doing?" The question caught B'Elanna off guard. She'd already told the Captain that she was fine, why would she need to repeat the question?
"I already told you how I am," B'Elanna snapped. "I'm making it work without Tom until they finally decide to show up...whenever that is." There was resentment and frustration in her voice, which was understandable given the current situation.
Never one to beat around the bush, Kathryn stated, "I know you're stressed about the away team, and I wanted to let you know that you're not the only one." Confusion flashed across B'Elanna's face. It sounded to her like the Captain as openly admitting that she was worried about the away team as well. "Icheb came to me and said he's worried about them too."
"So what are we going to do about it?" B'Elanna's voice came out testier than she originally intended. While she had a strong relationship with Kathryn, she had to remember that she was still her Captain and had to respect her accordingly. Kathryn seemed unfazed by her attitude. At this point she knew it was her normal method of communication, especially when she's upset.
"We're going to hold our location until tomorrow, and if nothing comes up on our sensors, then we're going to turn back and return to the planet."
"So how long until the away team is back?" Kathryn didn't need to answer. The look in her eyes spoke volumes.
"I don't know," she admitted. "I wish I could tell you, because there's nothing I want more than to have all of my crew back on this starship." Letting out a sigh, B'Elanna pinched the bridge of her nose and slouched back against the back of the couch.
"Great," she muttered. "Look, Captain, can I speak freely?"
"Of course." Kathryn always encouraged open communication with her crew. How else was she supposed to know what they were thinking? Any Captain who didn't listen to his or her crew's opinions was a fool.
"I don't know why we didn't stay in orbit around the planet while the away team went down, especially if we can't communicate with them. How do we know everything's alright?"
"B'Elanna, we had a very important meeting with the Ylaz people to get dilithium, and you know that. Do you doubt the away team's ability on this mission?" Had then been able to, Kathryn would have kept Voyager in orbit around the planet without a second thought, but their energy supply had been getting low, so they had to leave them behind. She hadn't been overly worried, she had sent four of her best people on that mission, which was why she was worried now.
"No," B'Elanna spluttered. "I just have this feeling, deep down inside, that something is wrong. I can't explain it." She sighed with frustration. "I must sound ridiculous. Of course they're fine. What am I thinking?" Kathryn put a reassuring hand on her knee.
"You're exhausted and worried about Tom." Her voice shifted from that of a Captain to that of a maternal figure. "It's understandable. You've been working long shifts and then coming back to Miral to take care of her all night. It's enough to make anyone feel exhausted and a bit paranoid. What can I do to help you relax a little?"
"There's nothing you can do," B'Elanna snapped. Miral began to whine underneath the receiving blanket, prompting her mother to pull her out and hold her against her shoulder while gently bouncing her up and down in an attempt to stop the crying. It didn't work. Miral continued to cry. Suddenly, an idea dawned on Kathryn. It wasn't much, but it might give B'Elanna the break she so obviously needed.
"Let me take Miral for the night," she offered. B'Elanna did a double take as she continued to bounce Miral up and down until her crying receded to whimpers for attention.
"Excuse me?" She was so sleep deprived that she wasn't sure she heard the Captain correctly. It was an absolutely ludicrous suggestion.
"I'll take Miral for the night. You obviously need a break, and I'm offering you one." B'Elanna looked skeptical. It was an incredibly gracious offer, but she had no idea if this would really help.
"You're offering to take my kid for the night." The more B'Elanna repeated the suggestion, the more ridiculous it sounded to Kathryn, but she wouldn't rescind her offer. "No offense, Captain, but do you know how to take care of a baby?"
"Of course I do," Kathryn assured. "When I was a teenager, I babysat all the time, my parents thought that it would teach me responsibility. I almost never had a free weekend, I was always working. It may have been a while, but it's all instinct." B'Elanna still looked hesitant. It seemed almost too good to be true. This wasn't a normal offer from a captain, but, then again, Kathryn Janeway was hardly a normal captain. It was typical for her to go out of her way to ensure the comfort and safety of her crew.
"You do realize that she wake up every hour or two, right?"
"I don't get much sleep anyway," Kathryn said with a laugh. "You, however, look like you're about to fall over from exhaustion." She leaned forward eagerly. "'Lanna, what good will you be to your daughter if you're too tired to function?" B'Elanna knew she couldn't argue with that logic. She was at her wit's end right now, and it would most likely get worse before it got better.
"Fine," she relented with a disgruntled sigh. "But only for tonight. The last thing I need is for the crew to think that I can't take care of my daughter by myself."
"I can assure you, nobody will think that." Kathryn stretched out her arms and plucked Miral out of her mother's arms. "Now, why don't you pack Miral's bag while I get started with my new job?" B'Elanna's gaze lingered on her daughter for a few seconds before she pushed herself to her feet and started flitting around her quarters while trying to anticipate what her daughter would need during her overnight with the Captain.
While B'Elanna packed Miral's bag, Kathryn rocked the infant back and forth in her arms. She tapped Miral playfully up on the nose, who looked up at her with her large, brown eyes. She had her mother's eyes, along with her mother's temperament. With any hope, she would also adopt some of Tom's easy going personality as she got older; one could only hope. If not, Tom was definitely going to be in for a long and difficult life trying to navigate two fiery, Klingon women living in such close quarters.
Bag in hand, B'Elanna appeared in front of Kathryn. At her feet sat Miral's baby carrier, which would have to serve as her crib for the night as well, as she couldn't exactly send the entire crib down to the Captain's quarters with her. One night in her carrier wouldn't kill her, she fell asleep in it on a daily basis anyway. B'Elanna still looked uneasy about the arrangement, but she was also desperate for a few hours of uninterrupted sleep. Careful of the infant in her arms, Kathryn got to her feet. B'Elanna lightly trailed her fingers over her daughter's feathersoft tufts of hair.
"Now, if she starts to cry, she likes to be bounced up and down," she explained. "And sometimes she wakes up in the middle of the night just to be held. If that's the case, she'll usually fall asleep after about ten or fifteen minutes. I packed about half a dozen bottles-"
"I'm only taking her overnight, B'Elanna," Kathryn said with a laugh.
"I don't want her to get hungry. There's also diapers and some of her favorite toys, and an extra blanket. If she's too much to handle, you can always bring her back to me. You don't need to keep her all night, just a few hours."
"I assure you, B'Elanna, if I can handle this crew, then I can handle your daughter for the night." She gave B'Elanna's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "I want you to focus on you right now. Get some sleep. Tom will be back in a day or two." B'Elanna continued to stroke Miral's hair and planted a loving kiss on her forehead.
"Be good for the Captain, sweetheart, and don't scare her off," she cooed tenderly. "We could use all the babysitters we can get on Voyager." Unable to resist, she kissed her forehead once again. Kathryn didn't say anything. She understood that this was incredibly difficult for B'Elanna. As exhausted as the engineer was, this was also the first time since Miral's birth that she was going to be away from her overnight. It would be stressful for any mother, but the situation was exacerbated by the fact that Tom was still gone. Realizing that she better let the Captain leave, B'Elanna took a step back and wrapped her arms around her waist anxiously. Kathryn swung the bag over her shoulder. It felt like B'Elanna packed enough to last a few weeks, not one night. She held the infant in one arm and the baby carrier in her free hand.
As Kathryn walked down the corridor to her quarters, she got strange glances from every crew member she passed. She ignored their confused looks; she was captain of this starship, she didn't have to explain herself to anyone. If she wanted to take care of a crewman's child for the night, then she could do so without explaining herself to anyone; this was her choice. In the academy, she was taught to distance herself from her crew, but over the years, she's found that that is the least effective way of running Voyager, given the nature of its current situation. Her crew needed to know that they could come to her and that she would be willing to do anything necessary to help support them, even go so far as to play babysitter for the night.
The second Kathryn entered her quarters, Miral began to whimper. The doors automatically slid closed behind the duo. Awkwardly bouncing Miral as she walked across her quarter, Kathryn deposited the bag and baby carrier on the nearest chair.
"I know, you're in a strange place," Kathryn cooed. "I promise, I'm not as scary as the crew may say." Miral nuzzled the Captain's breast, causing her to laugh. "Sorry to disappoint you, but you're not going to find anything you want there." She carefully maneuvered Miral so she was resting comfortably against her shoulder. Miral whimpered in protest as she was moved. "We'll have fun tonight. Well, as much fun as a three month old can have." The whimpering immediately stopped. "There you go," Kathryn said with a smile. "Let's get you settled." As gently as possible, she lowered Miral down into her carrier.
Kathryn had forgotten how much stuff babies have. B'Elanna had been incredibly thorough in packing for Miral's little sleepover. She unpacked the bottles, carefully lining them up on the table, ready at a moment's notice in case Miral decided she was hungry again. She then grabbed a blanket out of the bag and carefully tucked it around Miral. Hopefully the familiar scent would keep her calm as she drifted off to sleep. Satisfied that Miral was properly settled for the time being, Kathryn retreated to her bedroom where she shed her outer uniform tunic and longsleeved undershirt, revealing a tank top. She put the dirty uniform in the closet and returned to the main room, where she found Miral dozing peacefully. She smiled at the infant before picking up her PADD and attempting to get some work done.
Tuvok walked briskly down the corridor towards his own quarters. As he passed by the Captain's quarters, however, he slowed to a stop when he heard crying. He instinctively pulled out his phaser and stopped to investigate. For a split second, he debated if he should barge into the Captain's quarters unannounced or ring the doorbell. Ultimately, he decided to ring the bell, just to err on the side of caution, as it didn't sound like the Captain making the noise.
"Come in." The Captain sounded fine as the crying continued. Tuvok entered the Captain's quarters and immediately stopped short. Kathryn paced the length of her quarters while trying to feed Miral a bottle. "I know, it's not the same as what you're used to, but it's all I've got right now." The infant continued to wail in defiant protest. Kathryn glanced up and looked almost relieved when she saw Tuvok. "Mr. Tuvok, what can I do for you?" she inquired over the noise.
"I heard crying and wanted to see if you were injured."
"I'm fine," Kathryn assured. "As soon as I get Miral to stop crying."
"Is there something wrong with Lieutenant Torres that has rendered her unable to tend to Miral?" She continued to bounce the infant in her arms and pat her soothingly on the behind.
"No, she's just exhausted, and I'm giving her a break for the night. Unfortunately, I don't think Miral thinks I'm a very good substitute for her mother." Kathryn tried again to feed Miral her bottle, but the child turned her head and continued to cry. Fat tears rolled down her cheek, which was bright red with exertion from all her crying. She pumped her legs against Kathryn's arm as if trying to push her away. It was no wonder B'Elanna was so exhausted, this child had definitely inherited her mother's feisty, stubborn personality.
"Children form a bond with their parents almost instantly. It would be difficult for such a young infant to understand why it is not her mother or father taking care of her."
"No kidding," Kathryn commented dryly.
"Let me assist you." Without waiting for her to agree, Tuvok took Miral and the bottle out of Kathryn's arms and expertly cradled the infant against him. Almost instantly, her crying slowed down a little. With the expertise only a seasoned father would have, he held the bottle to her quivering lips. Miral immediately latched onto the bottom and began gulping hungrily. With an amused smirk across her face, Kathryn crossed her arms and shook her head in disbelief. Confused, Tuvok looked up at her. "Is something, wrong, Captain?"
"No," she assured. "Sometimes I forget that you're a father," she admitted candidly. This was a side of Tuvok she'd never seen before, despite all their years working together. He was always the picture of formality and professionalism, and here he was, feeding Miral as if it was no big deal.
Once Miral was fed and burped, Tuvok returned her to the carrier. Try as she might, her eyes simply couldn't stay open. Her small mouth opened to form an "o" as she snored softly and dozed comfortably. With the crying finally over, Kathryn crossed the room to her replicator.
"Coffee, black," she ordered. Mindful of the fact that Miral was fast asleep, she kept her voice low. It was strange to be mindful of that, she was used to living alone and not having to worry about any noise she made. Once the steaming mug appeared, Kathryn plucked it up and took a long drink as she turned around to face Tuvok. "What's the status on the away team?" she asked. She figured that since she had him here, she might as well get a status update.
"There is still no sign of the away team. We have continued to scan all channels on a rotating basis, but those scans have revealed nothing as well." He made sure to keep his voice low as well.
"So they haven't left the planet yet."
"That would be the logical conclusion." Kathryn pinched the bridge of her nose and tried to think why the away team still hadn't left the planet yet. Nothing immediately came to mind.
"We'll hold our location until 1600 hours then set a course for the planet. On our way, we'll continue to scan on all frequencies for any sign of the away team."
"Aye, Captain." Kathryn glanced over at Miral's sleeping form. She made a silent promise to the infant to find her father and bring him back as quickly and safely as possible. If only she could figure out what was going on that was causing the usually punctual away team to be so delayed.
Author's Note: I hope you liked chapter 15. Make sure to leave a review and check out my other Chakotay/Seven fic: Adjustment Period.