Disclaimer: All Voyager and Deep Space Nine characters are the property of Paramount. No copyright infringement is intended. Most of the dialogue between Janeway, Admiral Paris and Barclay in one passage comes directly from "Pathfinder".

Author’s note: This story attempts to follow canon closely except for a large gap encompassing all episodes from "One" (mentioned in the story as a breakpoint) to "The Disease", picking up at the spatially untethered "Dark Frontier, Part One". (Note also that "Pathfinder" also occurs earlier than in canon.) There are a few tweaks here and there however. With that caveat, enjoy…

Author's Note 2: I also drew a pic to go along with this story, "On The Couch".  There is another link to that pic in the section it accompanies.

by AerisM2000 -- rated NC-17

Kathryn Janeway held the watch in her hands caressing its smooth case, a partially filled cup of coffee in front of her, the events of the past two days weighing heavy on her mind. Chakotay had given her the watch for her birthday yesterday, while the main computer processor was still at large. She had been reluctant to accept the gift, aware of the problems facing a starship missing a major component, but had impulsively (and at the last moment) accepted the gift.

She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she almost didn’t hear the chime. Almost. She snapped out of her trance enough to mumble tiredly, "Come," and admitted the tall frame of her first officer, who was holding a padd.

"The latest report on the core reinstallation," Chakotay handed her the relevant padd.

"Thank you, Chakotay," she replied in a flat voice. As Chakotay turned to leave, she continued, "By the way, I never thanked you for the watch yesterday," not turning to face him.

He turned back to her desk, and, upon seeing the cup, said, "Kathryn, you’ve let a cup of coffee grow cold and you are speaking in monotone. This isn’t like you. Is something wrong?"

Leaving her desk for the comfort of her couch, she sighed. "We nearly lost our way home today, Chakotay. This was the third time our crew has faced that possibility and the fourth time we ourselves have, not to mention all the times another crew has tried to shoot us out of space. We lost eight opportunities to end or shorten our journey and were only able to actively shorten our journey once. I’ve come to realize that it is possible we may never reach Federation space…" Kathryn trailed off as Chakotay tried to suppress a giggle.

"What’s so funny?" she glared as Chakotay joined her on the couch.

"You said ‘Federation space’, Kathryn, not ‘home’. Are you coming to think of Voyager as home and not Earth?"

She remained silent for a while before speaking again. "I guess I am. Chakotay, I recently got a marriage request from Lieutenant Lawson and Crewman Gallagher, I swore I heard Naomi Wildman over the comlink last time I contacted Ayala regarding his security logs, and just the other day I heard a rumor that Harry outright asked Megan Delaney out on a date. Did you know he planned to propose to his girlfriend when we returned to Deep Space Nine? Even our crewmembers that were in committed relationships are beginning to pair off. They’re making a home here, Chakotay. I can’t make my own hell anymore. I haven’t even dreamed of Mark since that alien induced hallucinations in all of us." She pulled Chakotay close to her in an intimate hug.

They remained that way for several minutes, just holding one another, before Kathryn broke the silence.

"Chakotay, what am I to do now?"

He didn’t answer her with words but pulled her closer still, almost as if he was trying to pull her within him. And in that moment of closeness, the final barrier crumbled within Kathryn and she raised her lips to his in a searing kiss.

The kiss awakened feelings in Kathryn, feelings kept hidden since the Caretaker only with a new, and yet not-so-new, target. Kathryn leaned into Chakotay, so far that she pushed him down on the couch, only breaking lip contact a few moments later in order to catch her breath.

"Kathryn," Chakotay finally managed to get out, "Maybe we should take this to the bedroom…"

Kathryn needed little additional motivation to get up from the couch, lead Chakotay to the bedroom, both officers dropping and removing the other’s clothing the entire trip.

Once in the bedroom, Chakotay laid Kathryn on the bed. He began methodically paying attention to all of the secret places starting at her neck. He kissed downward, moving to her breast, lavishing enough attention then that Kathryn felt she would explode if he stayed there any longer.

Still he slowly traveled further down, kissing her navel, then later nuzzling her thighs before finally spreading her legs and burying his face in her folds. Kathryn drew her legs up opening herself completely to him. The current of pure pleasure brought on by Chakotay’s skillful stimulation quickly exploded into an iridescent climax, causing Kathryn to arch off the bed and her foot to strafe against Chakotay’s hip.

When Kathryn finally came down from the intensive high, she struggled to sit up, and said. "Chakotay that must have been the fastest orgasm I’ve ever had. How did you do that?"

"Old secret, Kathryn. No, lay back down, this night isn’t over yet," Chakotay chided, gently pushing her back on the bed and kneeling in front of her.

"But Chakotay, I want to give you some of what you gave me. I did scratch you with my toenail after all," running her fingers over the angry red mark her right foot had left.

"Don’t worry about that, Kathryn. Not tonight. This is for you," with those words he climbed over her and lowered his body to meet hers. As Kathryn drew her legs up to intertwined around Chakotay, he slowly entered her, gently pushing in then partially out, until Kathryn could feel him fully within her.

Chakotay picked his body up to stroke further, but Kathryn stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "No," she breathed. "Let me enjoy this for a little while."

She had always considered this part -- simply lying with her partner in an intimate embrace -- her favorite part of lovemaking. This time, however, it was coupled with an almost instinctive knowledge of the other’s love that she had not had with Mark. Simply holding Chakotay, touching him in that most intimate of ways, her legs across his backside, her arms across his shoulders, and her lips pressed against his in a tender kiss was perfect.

A few moments passed like that, Chakotay buried inside of Kathryn and Kathryn caressing and kissing Chakotay, before Kathryn wiggled her bottom to let Chakotay know she was ready to continue. Chakotay took the hint and began to move in and out, taking care to keep Kathryn’s most intimate area stimulated.

Kathryn began to feel the rise again, fortunately slowly enough to fully enjoy the ascent to climax. She could feel Chakotay moving with in her, faster and faster until a searing warmth in her lower region told her that Chakotay had come, allowing her only enough time to ball her hands into fists and explode once again in euphoric release.

Chakotay came down first but only had enough energy to roll to Kathryn’s side, gather her up in his arms for a quick hug and fall asleep. While Kathryn under normal circumstances (meaning "normal" on Voyager), would have gotten up to read one last report, the tension released by her and Chakotay’s coupling combined with the draining effect of two orgasms in rapid succession lulled her to sleep just like Chakotay.

--;--@

Early the next morning Kathryn awoke to find Chakotay no longer by her side. After engaging in her usual early morning routine, she went to her replicator only to find Chakotay sitting on her couch, fully dressed.

"Kathryn, we need to talk about this. About us," he said.

"Chakotay, don’t pull away," Kathryn moaned. The thought of going back to her and Chakotay’s previous friends-only relationship was not an appealing thought. Not when combined with the words she herself had used nearly two years prior.

"I’m not pulling away completely, Kathryn. I just want this relationship to be more than just jumping into bed at the first opportunity."

"What are you asking me to do?"

"I’m asking you to allow me to court you in the traditional sense. I want dates, dinners, the whole works. Kathryn, you should know that it’s more meaningful to show one’s love in more than just the bedroom."

"You love me, Chakotay?"

"Yes, Kathryn, I love you."

"And I love you too, Chakotay. I was so afraid that you were going to pull away like you did that time before Kes went into the premature elogium."

"You have nothing to be afraid of on that front. Dinner tomorrow night, my quarters, 1930 hours? My treat and my rations."

"It’s a date!"

--;--@

"Kim to Janeway"

"Go ahead, Ensign. What have you discovered?"

"I have located the Doctor’s backup module…"

"Yes?" With the Doctor currently in the Alpha Quadrant and possibly trapped there, finding that module had taken on a sense of urgency. Kathryn, for one, was not looking forward to the prospect of having Tom Paris as her CMO on a long-term basis. The pilot had been particularly insufferable during the past five weeks, ever since Kathryn and Chakotay’s romantic involvement had become public, the day after it had first started.

"It’s been encrypted using some kind of Borg algorithm. I think he enlisted Seven in furthering his program."

"Well, get down to Astrometrics and decrypt that program. Both of you. Janeway out." Stifling a yawn, Kathryn stood and turned toward her ready room. "I’ll be in the Ready Room if anyone needs me. Chakotay, you have the bridge."

She fled the bridge for the privacy of her ready room, unwilling to let the crew see her break down, only marginally aware of footsteps following her.

Once inside, Kathryn sat at her desk, and upon seeing that her first officer had followed her into her private office instead of taking the conn, said, "Chakotay, I don’t know how much more I can take of this. It seems like every little setback has me on edge lately; I nearly snapped at Harry just now. My morning coffee doesn’t taste like it should any more. I feel bloated and achy, and yesterday I actually fell asleep at my desk."

"Kathryn, I may not be a medical expert, but this sounds like you should go down to Sickbay and get this checked out."

She groaned for a moment, weighing the pros and cons of both options, and finally said, "You’re right. I’d better get down to sickbay and see if Tom can give me something for this. You have the bridge, Commander. Again. And keep it this time."

--;--@

Upon her arrival at Sickbay, Kathryn was greeted with "Oh, Captain, nice seeing you here. Where’s Chakotay?"

"The commander needs to stay on the bridge, Lieutenant. This is not a social call."

"Yes, ma’am. What can I do for you?" The pilot-turned-medic’s manner turned serious.

"Lately I’ve felt as thought I’ve been in a constant case of PMS – bloating, backache, irritability, that sort of thing. And I haven’t been able to drink any coffee because it tastes intolerably bitter when I do," she said, climbing up on the biobed as she spoke.

"Get up here and I’ll scan you. You know, I don’t recall the last time either you or Chakotay came in here to get your inoculations…"

"Lieutenant." She was in no mood for Tom’s sense of humor.

"Sorry, Captain. I’ll just complete these scans so I’ll know best how to treat you." Tom’s tricorder beeped in the vicinity of Kathryn’s abdomen, causing Tom to repeat the scan to confirm his finding. "Captain, according to these readings, you are approximately five weeks pregnant."

"I’m…"

"Don’t shoot me, Captain, I’m only the messenger," Tom flinched under the Captain’s icy glare.

"If word of this gets out before I tell Chakotay…"

"With all due respect, Captain, it’s not as if you and Chakotay have made any secret of your relationship…" said Tom, attempting to save face with Kathryn

"Lieutenant, I gave you an order. Keep it quiet."

"Yes, ma’am."

"It’s not crunch time, Lieutenant. Not yet."

As she left Sickbay, Tom could have sworn he heard Kathryn mutter, "I should have known I was in my fertile phase when I could come in ten minutes."

--;--@

That evening found Kathryn and Chakotay over a late dinner in the mess hall.

"No chili, Kathryn?"

"After the day I’ve had, I don’t think I can handle Rodeo Red’s Red Hot Rootin’ Tootin’ Chili."

"Kathryn? Does this have anything to do with what Lieutenant Paris told you in sickbay this afternoon?"

She sighed, "Yes, it does. Chakotay, I’m pregnant."

Chakotay smiled. "This is cause for congratulations."

"If I had found out even a week earlier, I’d probably be jumping for joy. I do want a child – this child. I know that raising a child here on Voyager will not be easy, especially given the responsibilities of our positions. But that was a challenge I am willing to accept," Kathryn continued. "Now, however, we may have managed to establish communications with Starfleet thanks to Seven and the Doctor and I cannot in any conscience keep our relationship or my condition a secret.

"I feel I have to inform Starfleet, Chakotay. From what information I have, they have not come to terms with the Maquis situation yet."

"Just so you’ll know, whatever happens, I’ll be on your side." Chakotay finished, caressing Kathryn’s hands over the table.

--;--@

A few days later, after retrieving the Doctor from the Prometheus and allowing rudimentary communication with Starfleet, letters and other personal messages arrived from the Alpha Quadrant. Some of the letters bore good news, some bore bad news, and some bore really bad news, like Chakotay’s letter detailing the massacre of the Maquis at Athos IV. Kathryn’s letter fell on the line between "good" and "bad". In it Mark had commented on occasional events at home like the birth of Molly’s puppies, on his recent marriage to one of his co-workers ("At least I can tell him good-bye without too much guilt," Kathryn thought) and had offered congratulations from both him and the Janeway family on her new relationship and her impending parenthood.

However, in all the commotion, no one was able to retrieve more than a mysterious encrypted message from Starfleet Headquarters before hostilities with the Hirogen forced Voyager to destroy the relay station that they had used and subsequently disabling the entire relay network.

Such apparent lack of official response hung heavily on Kathryn as she and Chakotay returned from the impromptu party Neelix had thrown to boost crew morale.

"I don’t know if I can do this, Chakotay. I could handle this situation when Starfleet was a lot more than a comlink away, but now… I’m consorting with a known criminal, one who is supposed to be my prisoner. I’m carrying his child, too. And on top of that, I still have no idea what Starfleet said about that," Kathryn sighed, placing a hand protectively over her abdomen. "For all I know…"

"And for all we know there may be pardons for all of us in that message," Chakotay interrupted. "Kathryn, that message is an unknown factor and should be mentally filed away until the time that Seven manages to decrypt it. Besides, we’re out of contact with Starfleet again. My offer from earlier does still stand if you need it, though. I’ll support you whatever you decide. If you need some space or even need to break this off entirely, I’ll understand. I won’t like it, but I’ll understand. I was taught that it wasn’t right to keep up a relationship with someone who is uncomfortable with the idea."

"I can’t break this off, Chakotay. I love you too much for that. But you’re right about one thing; I do need some space to think this over right now. One thing is certain, Chakotay, we’ll get through this – together."

--;--@

"On the Couch"

"This has been far too long a day, Chakotay. I spent six hours flat on my back in Sickbay just so the Doctor could ensure that out child didn’t suffer any lasting damage from the nebula radiation and repairing the damage that did occur. Six hours, Chakotay. I’ve got knots on top of knots on top of knots."

"Kathryn," Chakotay said from her couch. Come over her and let me get some of the knots out. Don’t look at me like that, Kathryn. You know you need this."

Kathryn softened her glare long enough to sit by Chakotay on the couch, allowing him easy access to her back. After a few minutes of Chakotay massaging her back in silence, Kathryn spoke up.

"We’ve added another year to our journey because of us, Chakotay. Another year because the Doctor couldn’t ensure the safety of Junior here in stasis. OOHH, Chakotay, that’s where it’s hurting the most."

"A year the crew is willing to take for our child, Kathryn. Besides, I’ve had three reports of other pregnancies among the crew. It’s not just your child, Kathryn. It’s all of us. Would you ask those crew to sacrifice their children too even if you would for only one year?"

The shock of Chakotay’s announcement took a few minutes to wear off. "I guess not, Chakotay. But it still feels like I condemned us to a longer journey. Not to mention that Seven still has not managed to decrypt that message from Starfleet…"

Concerned about the terror he saw in Kathryn’s eyes, Chakotay replied in a comforting tone, "We are still sixty-six years from home, Kathryn, possibly longer. Is it right to sacrifice the present based on what may or may not be on a message that may or may never be decrypted?" They had relived this argument many times over the past few months. "Seven has been working on it for nearly five months now and has not made measurable progress. This worry – and the worry about extending our journey – isn’t doing our baby any good."

"Chakotay…"

He continued, caressing Kathryn’s shoulder as he did so. "Besides, there have been a number of good things that have happened since we became lovers. Remember that alien who ran off because she saw me feeling our little one’s first movements?"

Kathryn blushed as she indeed remembered that time fondly.

"If I hadn’t been touching you two there, no telling what might have happened – she probably would have tried to convince me that she and I were lovers or something. The way she looked at me was creepy to say the least."

"Or when Neelix found out about us for the first time and pulled out all the stops for a celebratory dinner? I swore he threw out every piece of leola root on the ship in order to make something good." Kathryn smiled. "Sorry. I feel as if my moods haven’t been stable for months."

"That’s simply part of being pregnant, Kathryn. The ever-changing moods, shifting from happy to irritated to…"

"Get over here Chakotay, I’m having another change of mood," Kathryn interrupted in order to pull him to her and kiss him passionately.

Chakotay was familiar with this behavior and returned the kiss with equal vigor. Kathryn and him had kissed many times but had never made love since that first time, though both had wished for more on various occasions, both wondering if this would be the night that things would change.

Kathryn moved her hand to the opening on Chakotay’s uniform jacket, opening it, and was in the process of removing it when her combadge sounded.

"Neelix to Janeway."

"Come in Neelix," the frustration evident in her voice from having yet another intimate moment interrupted.

"Captain, Commander, I have just finished a special dinner in the mess hall for anyone who wishes to come in and just talk. Lieutenant Torres gave me authorization to replicate a traditional feast for an old North American holiday called ‘Thanksgiving’."

"Thank you Neelix, we’ll be right there."

"Wonderful! Neelix out."

Chakotay sighed. The Talaxian chef had interrupted more than his share of moments between him and Kathryn. "I guess this means that I’m going to have to take a rain check on playtime again? Granted, the crew probably need this party even if that security guy on station Deep Space Nine you told me about once would say that it was six weeks late."

"Chakotay, I need to keep tabs on the crew’s morale myself. This dinner would be a good way to do that," Kathryn replied. "Besides, I haven’t eaten in the messhall in over a month now. But please, do not remind me any more about Lieutenant Commander Michael Eddington."

One of the nicer things about being pregnant, Kathryn thought, is that I don’t have to face Neelix’s food if I don’t want to thanks to the extra rations.

"With pleasure, Kathryn. Let’s give the crew something to really gossip about."

--;--@

"Doctor, you said I wasn’t due for another week!" Kathryn gritted her teeth against another contraction.

"Captain, I have told you before that the due date is merely an approximation. My scans show…"

"Enough with your scans, Doctor, get this out of me NOW!" Kathryn growled.

Chakotay inwardly groaned. He had known that Kathryn in labor was not going to be a pleasant experience given her insistence on not using pain medication, but the sight of her in pain and enraged was almost unbearable. He was glad, however, that she was having an easier time of it than that one woman he had seen in labor on Trebus.

Hours passed, with Kathryn alternately (and loudly) blaming him, the Doctor, and even the Caretaker that had thrown all of them into this quadrant for her current predicament before the Doctor declared her ready to push.

Thank the Spirits, Chakotay thought, that she had not yet threatened either him or the Doctor with acts of violence directed at their genitals. She had made threats of demotion, deprogramming or banishment, but no threats of emasculation.

"Okay, Captain, you are now fully dilated and effaced. You are now ready to push. Computer," the Doctor ordered, "create a pair of labor grips." A pair of controller-like handles shimmered into existence on either side of the biobed.

"Labor grips? Doctor, I don’t think I need…" Kathryn cried out as another contraction hit her.

"Captain, your normal grip strength is sufficient to cause fractures in the bones of most humanoid hands. Add to that you are charged with adrenaline and effort and the potential for serious injury to the Commander’s hands is quite high. I would rather not have to treat him for an injury that can so easily be avoided via the appropriate use of labor grips. It’s bad enough treating him for his boxing injuries."

"Besides, wouldn’t you rather have me here with you for our child’s first moments in this universe than having my hands under the Doctor’s osteogenic stimulator?" Chakotay added. "Please, Kathryn, use the grips. I’ll still be right here with you, right by your side." He kissed her forehead as he spoke.

Kathryn shot both men a glare before maneuvering herself (a difficult task even with her strength given her bulky body) to the grips just in time for another contraction.

It took over an hour ("First births always take longer," the Doctor had said some time ago when Kathryn voiced her concerns over her lengthy labor) before the Doctor finally announced, "Okay, Captain, Commander, I can see the head. This next contraction is going to be the one. When you feel it push as hard as you can."

Kathryn nodded tiredly, "Okay, Doctor… let’s see what… Chakotay and I have been… cooking up these… past nine months," panting the entire time she spoke. She and Chakotay had decided to wait until the baby’s birth to find out whether they would have a boy or a girl.

"Okay, Captain, here it comes. PUSH!"

She pushed against the grips with all her might as the final contraction hit, pushing until the Doctor announced, "It’s time to stop pushing, Captain. Your baby boy is here. Commander, do you wish to cut his cord?" Kathryn looked up enough to see the Doctor holding a rather messy baby boy with unruly dark hair and rather long fingernails.

"Doctor, I would be honored," Chakotay left Kathryn’s side to accept the Doctor’s offer while the Doctor barked out other post-birth orders.

"Ensign," the Doctor called to Samantha Wildman, on duty in Sickbay because she was the only one of the three crewmembers that was training as a medic who had pregnancy and childbirth experience, "clean, score and weigh him. I’ll handle the post-birth delivery and regeneration treatments."

After cutting his son’s cord, Chakotay retreated to the Doctor’s office for updates on the current passage negotiations that Tom was supervising. The updates did not take long and soon Chakotay was back at his lover’s side informing her of the present situation.

"Good news, Kathryn," he said. "Tom has successfully negotiated safe passage through this territory. We should have few to no problems or emergences for the next few months. If you wish to take more than a few weeks of maternity leave, you can." The issue of leave time – when to start and how much – had come up quite often during the last month of Kathryn’s pregnancy, the latter only resolving itself when Kathryn had went into labor on the bridge.

"That would be nice, Chakotay, I just don’t know what I’m going to feel like doing after the first few weeks," Kathryn answered. She had been afraid that she would feel compelled to go back on duty before she was really ready. She likely would have made further comments on that matter except that Wildman had finished with the baby and handed him to Kathryn.

"Here you go, Captain, Commander. 3.2 kilos, 56 centimeters long, and all scores normal. Basically, a healthy baby boy," she said. "I also took the liberty of cutting his fingernails so that he wouldn’t scratch himself."

Chakotay looked at the little boy for some time, rubbing his hand over his dark hair, caressing his golden cheek, and watching as he opened his indeterminately dark eyes and closed them again. When he finally spoke again, he could only come up with, "Well, for once, my people have failed me. I can’t think of an appropriate name for this little one."

Kathryn, aware that Chakotay had mainly thought of girls’ names (she suspected that Chakotay had really wanted a girl despite his comments to the contrary) had, fortunately, come up with an answer. "The name I liked best for a boy was Kieran Edward. He looks like you, Chakotay, all dark, so it fits him well. And ever since that alien impersonated my father that time, I’ve wanted to honor him by naming a child after him. I think he would have been proud of us, Chakotay."

Chakotay mulled over Kathryn’s choice for a while before saying, "I like it, Kathryn. Welcome to Voyager, Kieran Edward Janeway. Now, Kathryn, we need to discuss our living arrangements again. I’d rather not be toting Kieran between our quarters if I didn’t have to and I think you would rather not too."

"I’ve already thought about that, Chakotay, and I’ve decided that the best thing we could do is have you move in with me. I’ve had the plans for the expansion of my quarters ready for some time but didn’t have the personnel ready for the upgrade. That is, if you agree to this," Kathryn answered.

"Thank you, Kathryn, I agree. It would be easiest on us all if we did it this way. I have an announcement to make regarding Kieran, Kathryn, I’ll be back shortly."

As Chakotay left to announce Kieran’s birth to the crew, Kathryn looked down into her son’s face once again and whispered two words to him:

"Welcome aboard."

--;--@

"How’s our little boy doing? Is he ready to come to Mama? Yes he is," Kathryn cooed to her six month old son, watching him playing on a blanket spread out on the floor of their quarters.

"He seems to be doing fine. The Doctor says he’s doing well for his age." Chakotay said, watching Kathryn and Kieran interacting.

"He’s grown a lot since he was born. I can’t imagine anymore how small he was when he was born looking at him now."

Kieran chose that moment to pick himself up off his stomach and crawl toward Kathryn.

"Chakotay, he’s crawling! Get the holoimager, I want some pictures." Kathryn ordered.

"Kathryn, I thought we agreed to leave command at the door of our quarters," Chakotay replied, but retrieved the holoimager anyway and snapped a few images.

"Seven to Janeway," Kathryn’s combadge interrupted the family moment.

"Janeway here. What is it, Seven? Chakotay and I are rather busy here"

"Captain, I have important news. I must disclose it tonight."

I am in the middle of playing with my six month old son, Seven. He just crawled for the first time a few minutes ago and Chakotay is holo-imager happy. Couldn’t this wait until tomorrow? Kathryn thought irritably.

"Captain, I await your arrival at Astrometrics," the voice continued its intrusion into Kathryn’s thoughts.

"On my way, Seven. Janeway out," Kathryn snapped. Turning toward Chakotay, she continued in a much calmer voice, "Well, Chakotay, I guess Seven is a little too impatient to wait until tomorrow. We’re just going to have to pack Kieran up and take him to the nursery just so we can see what Seven has come up with," gesturing toward the boy who was in the process of crawling toward the couch. "Grab the nursery bag, Chakotay, we’ve got some answers to find."

After dropping Kieran off at the shipboard nursery, Kathryn and Chakotay arrived at Astrometrics to find Seven standing at the main console.

"Captain, Commander, I have successfully decrypted that message Starfleet sent over the relay network," she announced in her usual monotone. One of the data nodes contained language algorithms from Species 116 that enabled me to break the code."

"I’m glad to see we got more out of Operation Fort Knox than just thirty-six years off our journey! Play it, Seven. Even if it is over a year old, there may be some important information in that message." Kathryn replied.

Seven entered a few commands into the console, causing Admiral Hayes’s face to fill the entire main screen.

"Seven, I don’t think that we need to see it on the main screen," Chakotay said. "This is not a red alert emergency."

A few additional commands to the computer piped the message to one of the auxiliary Astrometrics screens. Kathryn and Chakotay went to the side screen to view the message.

The first part of the message was rather mundane and not unexpected. Hayes had expressed faith in Captain Janeway’s leadership and her ability to get her people home, expressed regret that Starfleet and the Federation could not offer any direct assistance to get Voyager home sooner, and relayed that little information on the Delta Quadrant they had, mostly out-of-date Borg intelligence. It seemed that the message was about to end with Kathryn and Chakotay’s most pressing question unanswered when the image on the screen announced, "We now have some breaking news to report."

"This is it, Chakotay. Here is where it either comes together or falls apart," Kathryn said as Chakotay supportively put his arm around Kathryn’s shoulder.

"Three days ago," (meaning three days ago at the time the message was recorded, Kathryn thought) "the discovery of old logs recorded by the late Admiral Edward Janeway did much to confirm our long standing suspicions that the Cardassian Union had long been engaging in a practice of manipulating our intelligence findings in order to present themselves in a more favorable light. These flawed reports had become the basis of our entire Cardassian policy – the treaty, the DMZ, everything. We would not have settled for that treaty had we known the full extent of Cardassian atrocities.

In light of such findings, and given the current state of relations with the Cardassian Union, we cannot in good conscience continue to persecute convicted or suspected Maquis resistance members. All convicted Maquis will be pardoned at the earliest opportunity and all charges against Maquis members of the crew of USS Voyager are dropped. All field commissions will be honored and all former Maquis will be invited to join Starfleet at an appropriate rank pending review of subsequent service records and entrance examination results. And any officials discovered to be or have been cooperating with the Obsidian Order will be tried and imprisoned."

Chakotay was shocked at the report. He had long hoped that Starfleet would see the truth about the Cardassian leadership, but to hear it in the flesh was still startling. When he regained his wits, he turned to Kathryn and said, "Did you hear that, Kathryn? We’re free!"

"He’s not through yet, Chakotay. Let him finish. Though it is heartening to see that Daddy was the one to make them understand, even seventeen years after his death," Kathryn replied. "Seven, continue the playback."

"And this specifically for Captain Janeway. We at Starfleet Headquarters wish to congratulate you on your recent relationship with Commander Chakotay and your impending parenthood, even though one of the old hard-liners wanted to, in his words, ‘reprimand that captain for consorting with a common criminal’. It’s bound to be a long and lonely journey otherwise. You have chosen well, Captain. Have a long and happy life, Captain, Commander, and child. Hayes out."

"That’s the end of the message," Seven said.

"Thank you, Seven, for playing it. But in the future, you are not to contact either the Captain or myself after 2030 hours for anything short of a red alert emergency. We really need this time with our son, Seven," Chakotay chided.

"I will comply," Seven replied as the senior officers left Astrometrics.

--;--@

The trip back from Astrometrics and the nursery was subdued due to Kathryn’s uncharacteristic silence.

"What’s wrong Kathryn," Chakotay said as he put Kieran down on the blanket.

"I feel so let down, all that worrying about something that turned out to be nothing… I should be happy about this but now I just feel guilty I let this hang over our heads so long. It’s an anticlimax, Chakotay."

"That’s the trouble with fear. It often amplifies far beyond what the situation warrants. I had told you from the beginning that it was possible, though unlikely, that Starfleet would come to their senses regarding us. You’ll feel better about it soon, trust me"

"What do we do now, Chakotay? We don’t have to worry about Starfleet anymore. We only have to worry about us."

"We take the final step, Kathryn. We’ve dated, we’ve kissed, and we’ve even made love ever since that night we made Kieran. All we have left to do now is get married."

"Married?"

"Yes, Kathryn. I know we can’t get married on the ship, but I promise, the next real opportunity we get, we will get married."

"At the next opportunity. I’m holding you to that, Chakotay. Remember the last time I got engaged? Three weeks before the wedding I was thrown to the other side of the galaxy. I’d rather not have to deal with that kind of situation again."

"I’ll try to remember that."

"Oh and Chakotay?"

"Yes, Kathryn?"

"I think Kieran over there is trying to get in trouble again," she pointed toward the boy, who had crawled off the blanket and was heading toward the couple’s bedroom. "I think it’s time he got to bed. It’s your turn tonight, Chakotay. The crewman on duty at the nursery said that Kieran had been fed and changed while we were in Astrometrics, so his belly is full and his diaper is empty. He should sleep for quite a while."

Chakotay retrieved the boy from the bedroom and placed him in his crib, then headed for the bathroom to get himself ready for bed. As the bathroom door closed behind Chakotay, Kathryn moved over to their son’s crib.

"Rest well, my little dark one. Soon we will be a real family," she said as she tucked him in for the night.

--;--@

"Captain, we’re getting a hail!" Harry announced. The discovery of another micro-wormhole had presented the possibility of renewing communications with Starfleet Headquarters.

"Source?"

"It’s from Starfleet!"

"On screen."

The faces of Admiral Owen Paris and Lieutenant Reginald Barclay filled the screen.

"Captain, this is Lieutenant Reginald Barclay at Starfleet Command," the latter spoke first.

"It's good to hear your voice, Lieutenant. We've been waiting a long time for this moment." The Captain was the first of Voyager’s bridge crew to speak

"The feeling is mutual. We have a few minutes before the micro-wormhole collapses so whatever needs to be done, do it now."

"Understood. We're transmitting our ship's logs, crew reports and navigational records to you now." She wanted to get this part done as quickly as possible.

"Acknowledged, and we're sending you data on some new hypersubspace technology. We're hoping eventually to use it to keep in regular contact and we're including some recommended modifications for your comm system."

"We'll implement them as soon as possible."

B’Elanna and Seven are going to have a field day with that, Kathryn thought.

Barclay turned toward the other person on screen, "There's someone else here who would also like to say something."

"This is Admiral Paris," the admiral began.

"Hello, sir." The sight of her old mentor simultaneously relieved and scared her.

"How are your people holding up?"

"Very well. They're an exemplary crew, your son included."

"Tell him, tell him I miss him and I'm proud of him." Owen looked as if he was about to cry.

Kathryn, noticing her pilot’s reaction to his father’s announcement, said, "He heard you, Admiral." One less thing hanging over her head.

"Captain, the wormhole is starting to collapse," Harry called from ops.

"Admiral, Commander Chakotay and I have one more request to make before this communication is terminated." Kathryn spoke.

"Name it."

--;--@

"That has to have been one of the most intense days of my life. We finally reestablish some contact with the Federation; get married over a comlink, and to top it all off, our little one turned one year old – where is he, anyway?"

"Tom and B’Elanna took him for the next couple of nights so we could have at least something of a honeymoon. I think they may be hoping to get a little experience in child care for when they get married and have children."

"Honeymoon? After Kieran’s birthday party, I don’t know if I have the energy to… oh, all right, stop that, Chakotay," as her new husband began kissing her neck.

He left the living area as a glint of metal caught Kathryn’s eye from her desk. She picked up the watch, reflecting back on that fateful day nearly two years ago, having come to realize since then that Chakotay had given her more than just a replicated pocketwatch.

He gave me friendship. He gave me love. And most importantly, he gave me himself, she thought to herself.

"Kathryn, are you going to play with that all night or are you going to join me here?" Chakotay’s voice carried from the bedroom and interrupted her thoughts.

"I’m coming, Chakotay," she answered, returning the watch to the desk. With one last look toward the desk, Kathryn joined Chakotay to celebrate their wedding night – together.

The End

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