The Daughter and The Daughter
Part of The Mother and The Captain Series
A/N: Welcome!
This is Story Five in the series "The Mother and The Captain". This is a slow burn hurt/comfort mentor series about Captain Janeway and her adult daughter from another timeline, Gretchen Janeway. I wanted to do a "realistic" take (it's still sci-fi) on working through trauma: overcoming grief, mental illness, and emotionally abusive parenting.
In my story's future (which was deleted when Gretchen went back in time to Voyager Season 5) Janeway never lost her morality as Captain, however being a mother on the long, increasingly hopeless journey brought out the fear, depression, and anger she had been trying to hide since Voyager got lost in the Delta Quadrant. Her daughter Gretchen was greatly wounded by this, internalizing her mother's harshest words and demeanor as the truth about herself.
Gretchen has spent her entire life on Voyager, in a sense in her mother's shadow, even when she was long deceased. As of the end of story 4 she is finally trying to find her own identity and heal. Kathryn, for her part, suspects her daughter is also quite depressed and is trying very hard to strike a balance between letting Gretchen finally make her own decisions and trying to see she doesn't self-destruct.
It's hard being a mother, especially when you're also Captain of a starship trying to make it home. Kathryn is committed to making sure she doesn't repeat her mistakes, no matter how hard it is to live up to the demands of both roles.
Summary of First Four Stories for New or Returning Readers
In Voyager Season 5, Captain Janeway is suspicious and overwhelmed by the sudden appearance of a grown daughter, child of herself and Chakotay, from a failed Voyager many years in the future. 24-year-old Gretchen Janeway, who takes the alias Gretchen Kincaid, returns the Captain's feelings of suspicion, as she remembers her tough relationship with her long deceased mother. Despite this, Gretchen risks everything to prevent her mother's future murder by Equinox crew member Marla Gilmore. Gretchen hopes with her mother, the legendary Captain alive, Voyager will be able to make it back to Earth safely.
In Gretchen's timeline, Voyager was destroyed after years of wandering The Rift. With Captain Janeway already dead years before, Voyager's first generation was unable to solve the mystery and escape this hellish area of space. Instead they contracted a deadly plague and perished, leaving their children to survive alone. At 17 Gretchen became Captain to the dwindled crew, aged 22 to 12, including her best friend Thomas Paris, and his sisters Mary and L'Naal. Seven years later disaster hit Voyager again, leaving only Thomas and Gretchen alive. Thomas Paris resolved to change the timeline and was genius enough to work out a plan to do so. Gretchen braced herself to return to the past with Thomas, but at the last minute Thomas revealed that he was unable to return with her, and was killed as their Voyager was destroyed and erased from time.
After successfully preventing her mother's murder, Kathryn and Gretchen struggle with and challenge each other but make progress on the way home, finally arriving in the Beta Quadrant. They survive a mutiny by the Equinox crew, a plot by the Borg Queen, and a terrible and haunting journey to The Rift.
As her mission draws out and Voyager gets closer to Earth, Gretchen is haunted by the loss of her crew, the murder of her mother when she was a child, and the hateful inner voice her mother's emotional abuse left her with. During an alliance with the K'Terrans, the traitorous alien Shimai uses this inner voice against Gretchen, hijacking her mind to have her attack the Captain. Janeway manages to survive this attack on her life, but Gretchen is thrown into a coma. Upon waking up Gretchen ultimately realizes that she wants to break free of her mother's negative influence on her mind, which may mean leaving Voyager forever.
As Voyager arrives on the edge of Klingon territory, Captain Janeway is haunted by the idea that she will be parted permanently from the daughter she has grown to love. However, the Captain's work is never done, and Kathryn pushes those feelings aside to focus on an exciting day in Voyager's history: the end of the alliance with the all-female K'Terran aliens, and the return of the male half of her crew from stasis.
The Daughter and The Daughter
1 Month After The Mother and The Mother
Voyager was kidnapped by the Caretaker 6.5 years ago. Gretchen has been on this timeline's Voyager for just over a year and a half.
Only through great force of will had Captain Janeway managed to keep herself in her Ready Room desk chair, looking at reports. She had only managed it because she knew she would be in the way in Sickbay, and because she would only be worried if she were there, not able to distract herself in the slightest from what was going on.
Still, it was impossible not to think of it.
"Captain," came the Doctor's urgent voice from her combadge, "It's working."
She was suddenly moving, the corridors a blur, before she walked through Sickbay's doors. There was the Doctor, and standing beside two empty pods, were a dark blonde head, and a jet black one. She was hugging them before she even felt her body move.
Despite her captaincy she was almost giggling in joy.
"Well," said Tom Paris' easy drawl, a familiar sound she had not heard for the better part of a year, "If we knew we were going to get a welcome like this we would've left a long time ago."
"How long were we out Captain?" asked Harry in concern, "It just feels like yesterday to us…I feel…." said the young man, rubbing the back of his head, "Like I overslept my shift."
"It's been nine months," said the Captain, still smiling widely, "We started on waking you the minute the K'Terrans left."
"Nine months?" said Tom and Harry together, both in shock.
"It was only supposed to be four….or six at the most….," said Harry in dismay, "That's twice what we were hoping."
"It's a long story Harry," said Kathryn, as the Doctor started to scan the men again, "And I think I'll let the crew fill you in, we're going to have to tell it many times today."
"I imagine," said Harry, "Where are we?"
"Klingon territory," said Kathryn, "Just the edge of it."
"Oh I'm sure B'Elanna is overjoyed," said Tom sardonically, "Where is she anyway?"
"At the party," said Kathryn, still beaming, "I guess you two gentleman have the honor of being our first guests. We worked hard on all the preparations, a big hoopla to welcome back all our male crew members after their long sleep."
"I ended the stasis for all of the senior staff at the same time," explained the Doctor brusquely, "You woke up first because you're younger. You can either wait for them or go on, your vitals are good," he said turning away from both of them and toward the other three open pods.
"Don't you want to keep us awhile Doc?" asked Tom sarcastically, "Nine months with you and we just get kicked out within minutes?"
"I have 70 other patients to wake," said the Doctor haughtily, "And I assure you your vital signs are excellent. If however, you want to spend more time cluttering up Sickbay, be my guest."
"You can go back to your Quarters if you really don't want to go to the party Tom," said Kathryn, smiling in amusement.
"Me, miss a party?" said Tom, smiling wryly and winking, walking towards the door, Harry following behind.
"After three months short of a year, Voyager would like to welcome back Tom Paris and Harry Kim!" boomed a loud female voice.
Glowing confetti exploded out a cannon on each side of the door as Tom and Harry entered the darkened Mess Hall. There was loud clapping and the two men were swarmed by handshakes, hugs, and a few kisses. It was sensory overload as everyone talked at once and a loud beating music droned in the background.
Tom continued to look for B'Elanna, but could not get away for long minutes. Finally as the cannons exploded again behind them, he spotted her standing away from the crowd, next, surprisingly to Gretchen.
"He's approaching," came what sounded like Gretchen's voice, but the context made no sense and Tom shrugged it off in the noisy room.
"Hi ladies," said Tom, smiling with joy as he took in B'Elanna's sour face and Gretchen's stiff one, "You can throw yourselves at me now."
"Not on your life Paris," hissed B'Elanna.
Tom hugged Gretchen and greeted her, patting her back, "Glad to see you're safe Gretch."
He turned back to his stubborn girlfriend and rolled his eyes, "Come on," he said, holding his arms open, "Don't I even get a hug after months and months away?"
I really hope she didn't move on.
He glanced at Gretchen for a sign and found the younger woman's face pained.
Gretchen lifted her fingers to her eyes and then pointed at B'Elanna.
What does that mean?
He looked closely, at B'Elanna's face in the dimly lit room. Her eyes were not quite focusing on his, suddenly it clicked.
She can't see.
She's blind.
Tom felt his heart clench and fall into his stomach. He stared at B'Elanna for a long moment in sorrow, looking at Gretchen briefly, who nodded in confirmation.
B'Elanna did not react openly. B'Elanna could not see him.
However, the woman's posture was stiff and defensive. He watched B'Elanna intently, understanding after a moment, purposefully relaxing his body and voice, leaving the grief, pity, and fear out of his tone. B'Elanna didn't need it from him.
"Well, if you don't want to hug me, how about a dance?" said Tom in his most charming tone, putting his hand out, just grazing it on B'Elanna's arm so she'd know where it was.
"Well I…" said B'Elanna, for a moment in indecision, "Well, alright," said the prickly Klingon hybrid, catching his hand and letting Tom lead her into his arms on the dance floor.
Kathryn had watched, smiling enormously as Tom and Harry had left Sickbay. After a brief moment of nervousness, her Vulcan Security Officer was the next to stir. She just kept herself from sobbing as Tuvok woke up, and she did hug him, throwing her arms around him even before he could lift himself out of the pod.
I'm not alone anymore, thought Kathryn, feeling her eyes water unprofessionally as the Vulcan went to stand, briefly touching her back as he did so. We're back to being a team.
"Well I…..where am I?" sputtered Neelix's voice behind them.
"You're on Voyager, Mr. Neelix," said the Doctor's haughty tones, "You're just a bit confused, it's been a long sleep."
"Is there a problem Doctor?" said Kathryn in concern as Neelix stared owlishly at Sickbay.
"I don't think so Captain," said the Doctor, holding up his scanner, "Mr. Neelix is Talaxian, and this technology was made for Alpha Quadrant species, but I believe it's just taking him longer to wake up."
"Do you remember me Neelix?" said Kathryn kindly, coming closer, "I'm Captain Kathryn Janeway," she said, putting out her hand.
"Captain….?," said Neelix for a moment in confusion, "Captain Janeway….Voyager…..stasis…..months….Naomi!" said the Talaxian springing up suddenly and running out the door.
"Mr. Neelix. Mr. Neelix!" yelled the Doctor after him.
"Let him go, if you can," said Kathryn, throat clenching as her eyes watered again, "It'll do Naomi good to see him like that. She needs it after all these months, to know that she's loved."
"Alright Captain," said the Doctor, looking exacerbated, "I'll have the computer monitor him."
As if on cue, they both stared at the last member of the senior staff, who was still silent in his pod.
The Doctor brought up his scanner and softly answered her unspoken question, "It just takes longer with some people," said the Doctor, holding her gaze, "As best I can tell there are no problems. He'll be back soon, Captain."
Kathryn wrung her hands, and bit her lip briefly, turning her back to stand as Captain, as the Doctor went to wake up another group.