#Chakotay: He has four kids Lieutenant.

[bumblingbabooshka]

I think Tom would have a major preoccupation with the fact that Tuvok has only had sex with his wife. Like, Tuvok lets this fact slip and Tom can't let it go for some reason. Even though everyone he brings it up to is like "?? And? What do you want me to say about that? Who cares?" Tom for some reason is still like:

He can't even verbalize why

[songbookff]

Valentine's j/7 ❤

I’m making this an established janeway/seven. Set whenever you want it to be. Also it turned out a waaaayyy longer than I thought...so I also posted it on A03. Thank you, anon. If you want me to gift you the fic on A03, just message me your username. Or if you want to stay anon, that’s fine too. 

In the early morning, Captain Janeway entered her office and went straight for her replicator. Coffee was calling. She gave the computer her normal order, but to her surprise, when her coffee appeared, so did a single red rose. 

Tentatively, she reached out to touch the vibrantly colored rose. Attached to the green stem was a note. It was odd, to see the cardstock, although replicated and the small ribbon that secured it in place. In printed script, it read: “Roses are red...” 

Kathryn pulled the rose up to her face, knowing that the scent was replicated, but reveling in it all the same. She turned away and made it halfway to her desk before she remembered that her coffee was still sitting in the replicator. Even a red rose couldn’t completely distract her from her morning cup of survival. 

Rose in one hand, coffee in the other, she slipped into her chair behind her desk, only to find a small bouquet of purplish-blue flowers. A blue ribbon tied the stems together and another note attached. This one read, “Violets are blue...” 

She set down the rose and her coffee (after a quick sip of course) and picked up the bundle. These felt different than the replicated rose. Katheryn’s eyes widened when she realized these were from Voyager’s own botanical gardens. They were real violets, not generated by the computer. They felt much more delicate than the rose and she could see the tiny imperfections of being grown rather than created. They were truly beautiful. 

After replicating a small vase with water to set them in, Kathryn tried to start her day. However, there was the faintest smile on her face and she was convinced her coffee tasted better this morning. Finally, she pulled up her data padd to review the reports from the night shift. When the padd turned on, a single message appeared, marked urgent. 

Odd. Usually urgent messages were reported by the computer so that she didn’t miss any when she was sleeping or off duty. She pressed open and the text read: “...I would like to spend dinner in the holodeck just with you.” 

This time, Kathryn didn’t attempt to suppress the smile. Whatever Seven was up to, she had gone out of her way to surprise her this morning. The poem sounded familiar now. It was an old Earth romantic ballad of sorts: “Roses are red, violets, are blue...” usually followed by a rhyming ending that expressed love and adoration. It was clever, really. 

And very unlike Seven of Nine. This of course, only intrigued Kathryn more. 

However, she did have a ship to run. So she pulled up the reports and began reading, trying not to let the beautiful flowers on her desk distract her. It seemed everything had been quiet the night before, so the reports were short. A blown fuse on deck three had been the only excitement of the night and had been resolved within a half hour. 

The door chimed after an hour, and she rose for her morning meeting with Chakotay. He entered the office was a pleasant smile, hands tucked behind his back. “Good morning, Captain.” 

“It has been...” admitted Kathryn with a smile. She couldn’t help but noticed he had a mischievous look in his eyes. “Chakotay, what’s going on?” 

“Can’t slip anything past you,” he chuckled. “Nothing new to report, although B’elanna claims to have come up with an idea to maximize our warp capacity by another percentage. I’ll be sure to have someone double check her math before she begins any experimentation. Although, Tom has volunteered to do the preliminary fight tests on the shuttle. So she can’t think it’s that dangerous.” 

“Just make sure Harry is there to monitor,” replied Kathryn with a smirk. 

“Will do. Also, I have been asked to make a delivery.” From behind his back, Chakotay produced a red box that had been formed in the shape of a geometric heart. He was grinning from ear to ear now, obviously in on whatever Seven was planning by the looks of the box he was holding out to her. 

Curiously, she took the box, surprised a little by the weight of it. Under Chakotay’s excited gaze, she opened it to find an assortment of tiny chocolates also shaped as hearts. They appeared to be different flavors and if she could guess, different fillings as well. 

“What is going on?” she repeated, astonished at the chocolates. 

Chakotay laughed and shrugged, innocently proclaiming, “I’m just they delivery guy. But I do have strict instructions that you are to try one before we get out on the bridge.” 

Chocolate wasn’t something she normally indulged in, especially not for breakfast, but the warm feeling in the pit of her stomach, knowing somehow this was all Seven’s design, forced her to comply. She picked a dark brown piece with a red swirl design and popped it into her mouth. 

“Well?” asked Chakotay, eyebrow raised in anticipation. 

“Dark chocolate with cherry. Absolutely delicious,” declared Kathryn. Then she let out a chuckle at the ridiculousness of the situation. She set the chocolates on the desk next to the rose and the vase she had put the violets in. 

Together, they exited her ready room to start the morning on the bridge. Her crew was bustling as usual. To be honest it had been a dull week, but after all the excitement they had recently, Kathryn was glad for the down time. There was maintenance to be done and the crew were rotating on new shifts to get some down time. So for the next hour, Kathryn read reports in the Captain’s chair, tuning out the business of the bridge. 

That is until Harry Kim was at her elbow. He cleared his throat and hesitated, “Captain...” 

“What can I do for you, Ensign?” asked Kathryn. Noticing the nervous expression on his face, she added, “What did Lieutenant Paris do now?” 

“I’m right here!” came the exasperated call from the helm. Tom whirled around in his seat, throwing his hands in the air. The tension broke and Harry managed a short laugh. 

“As you were,” ordered Kathryn. Tom turned back to his helm, but not before giving Harry a wink. 

“Captain, I need to borrow your badge...and your pips...”

“Excuse me?” 

“Just for a few minutes,” he hastily said. “I just need to upgrade the badge!” 

“And my pips?” Kathryn raised an eyebrow. Harry stood firm under her gaze and reached out his open palm. 

Chakotay leaned over in his chair and whispered, “Don’t interrogate the poor kid. Just give him what he asked for...” 

It suddenly dawned on Kathryn that this was another part of Seven’s elaborate plan. Of course, she had no idea what in the world Harry would do with her badge or rank, but wordlessly she plucked the badge from her chest and allowed Chakotay to help her unpin the four pips from her collar. 

Eagerly, Harry hustled away without another word. Amused glances were being exchanged between her bridge crew and she swore she saw Tuvok give Harry a nod of approval as he left the bridge. Kathryn spend the next half hour wondering what in the stars everyone was up to when Harry returned, velvet box in hand. 

Wordlessly, he handed it to her before scurrying back to his post at Ops. Chakotay was staring at the blur of stars on the viewscreen now, purposely giving her a moment of privacy. Kathryn opened the box to reveal her comm badge and four shining pips staring back at her. She hadn’t seen them this polished since they were new, well before Voyager had entered the Delta Quadrant. 

It wasn’t that she didn’t take care of her hardware, but keeping them shining was the last thing on her mind during most of the journey. But here they were, good as new. The badge gleamed too, no residual fingerprints any more. She pinned it back on and nudged Chakotay to help her put the pips back on her collar. 

Harry cleared his throat from Ops and she turned in her chair to face him. With the slightest red in his cheeks he said, “I think you’ll find I took care of the problem you were having with your badge sticking.” 

“Very good, Ensign,” was all she could think to say. For the past two weeks, she had been complaining that her badge needed to be hit twice on occasion to connect to the computer. If they were in Starfleet space, the comm badges would be replaced regularly so this wouldn’t happen. 

The rest of the morning went on as normal, although now Kathryn was wondering what else could possibly happened. Lunchtime came and she made her way to the Mess Hall. There were a few crew members already enjoying lunch. However, she reached the replicators, a voice called out. 

“Captain! Your lunch is already ready for you.” Standing behind her was Icheb, proudly holding a tray. “Today the kitchen has prepared a vegetable and bean stew with a side of crusty bread.” 

Icheb, still learning about human cuisine seemed unsure of what he was saying, but a steaming bowl sat atop the tray and a slice of toasted french bread rested on a napkin next to it. The stew was reminiscent of one that she had grown up eating, although it was usually replicated if she remembered correctly. It was a favorite of her father. 

“Thank you, Icheb,” she said politely, taking the tray from him. He gave her a quick nod before turning on his heal to go back into the kitchen. Kathryn gave a small shake of her head in amusement. What a day this was turning out to be...

The stew was tasty, if a little heavy on beans and the bread was as crusty as Icheb had said. Still, it was a good lunch, one she had not been expecting. As she wiped up the last of the stew with her bread, Naomi Wildman slipped into the chair across from her. 

“Hello, Captain.” The girl had a broad smile on her face. 

“How are you, Naomi?” asked Kathryn, wondering what Seven could have put the child up to. 

“I have something for you,” replied Naomi with excitement. From her lap, hidden from Kathryn’s view, she produced a small stuffed bear. It was brown with a red bow around the neck and wasn’t much bigger than Naomi’s hands. She pushed it over for Kathryn to grab and then slipped off the chair and skipped out of the Mess Hall. 

The bear was soft and fit perfectly into Kathryn’s grasp. The little thing made her smile, right there in front of the other members of the crew in the Mess Hall. Most were grinning back at her and now Kathryn was certain that the entire ship was in on Seven’s escapade. 

She took the bear back to the bridge with her and said nothing when Chakotay tried to cover a laugh at the sight of it sitting on the arm of her chair. She had no idea what had possessed Seven, or rather Naomi, to give it to her, but she enjoyed the little stuff thing. It was silly, but sweet. 

Two hours later, Tuvok called her attention, “Captain. I believe it is time to report to your quarters.” 

“I’m on shift for another three hours, Tuvok.” 

“I will escort you to your quarters.” The answer was firm and when she looked behind her, he had left his post and was waiting by the turbolift doors. 

Everyone on the bridge seemed to be determined to stare at their consoles and not look directly at her. Well, she had played along all morning, why stop now? With a sigh, she pushed herself out of the Captain’s seat and walked towards the exit. 

“Forgetting something?” asked Chakotay, holding up the little bear. He was failing miserably at keeping his face neutral.

“You have the bridge, Commander.” 

“Yes, sir.” 

Kathryn retrieved the bear with a roll of her eyes and then allowed Tuvok to escort her back to her quarters. “Tuvok, will you please tell me what is going on?”

“I have been sworn to the strictest of confidences.” He continued to look straight ahead. 

“I know Seven is behind all of this...but it’s interfering with my job now.” 

He didn’t answer until the reached her door and then he slowly turned and spoke, “I would never place you or this ship in any precarious situation. I assure you that this is in your best interest and should a situation arrive that would need your direct attention, I will be the first to summon you.” 

“Thank you, Tuvok.” He held up the Vulcan salute and then left her to enter her quarters. 

When the doors whooshed open, she could hear soothing music playing. The lights were dimmed and there was a large porcelain bathtub where her coffee table used to be. And Neelix was standing behind it, grinning from ear to ear. 

“Captain! Welcome to Neelix’s home spa treatment!” he greeted her with a grand motion of his arms.

“How...?” Kathryn glanced back at her closed door and then back at Neelix. 

“We were worried you may not have appreciated the intrusion. But I promise that I haven’t been in any of your personal belongings. I brought all my own things. Your table was the only thing removed.” He winked at her and then, like the showman he was, waved his hands dramatically and began by lifting a small bowl from the small table he had arranged next to the bath tub.“Today I have for you the most luxurious and moisturizing face cream that will leave you glowing and relieved.” 

Placing the bowl back down he reached for a bottle and wine glass also sitting on the table. Pouring the red liquid into in the glass, he said, “A top of the line red wine that comes from Earth, the French region, I believe. It is dry with a hint of blackberries and oak.” 

“And here,” he pulled a leather bound book from seemingly thin air, “Is your entertainment for the evening. A romance novel circa the twentieth century, for your enjoyment.” 

“All of this in what is called a ‘bathtub’.” Neelix motioned towards the tub with a sweep of his hand. “I made some adjustments to make it more comfortable. I have no idea how humans could stand sitting for long period of times with that shape. Seven wanted everything to be as historically accurate as possible, so we’ll just have to keep that secret to ourselves. The water will remain the most comfortable of temperatures for the human body and it has bubbles that give off the scent of lavender.” 

“Thank you?” Kathryn eyed the bathtub wearily and then back to Neelix. 

He had produced a plum colored robe and walked towards her. The silk was soft on her hands when she grasped the it. “I will leave you know. Just let the computer know if you need anything. Your next guest will be arriving at eighteen hundred hours to help you get ready for your dinner on the holosuite. The computer will give you a fifteen minute warning.” 

Neelix left with a wink and a smile, leaving Kathryn alone with the robe and bathtub. Self care like this wasn’t something she indulged in anymore. It made her a little uncomfortable at first, as she stripped off her uniform and put on the robe. 

A sip of wine helped relax her senses and she liberally applied Neelix’s face cream to her face. She figured that even if Neelix had somehow given her something that she was allergic to, the Doctor would be able to set it right. Once the face mask had been applied, she slipped off the robe and climbed into the tub. 

As she lowered her body into the perfectly warmed water, she found the modifications that Neelix had been talking about. Instead of the rounded bottom of the tub, she found a soft, almost cushiony chair, waiting for her to rest on. She sunk back against the porcelain with a sigh. 

After another sip of wine, she reached for the book. She hadn’t read it before, but it looked like something she would enjoy. It as written in the twentieth century, but appeared to take place in the eighteenth. Soon, she was entranced in the story, with nothing but the soothing music, warm water, and delicious wine to fill her mind. 

The computer chimed some time later, altering her that she needed to get out of the tub. There was a towel hanging from the edge of the tub that she used to dry off and then put the silky robe back on. The door chimed and she said enter without even asking who it was. 

To her surprise, B’Elanna burst through the door, a black garment bag slung over her shoulder. She took one look at Kathryn, frowned, and said, “What the hell do you have on your face?” 

Kathryn had completely forgotten about the face cream and hoped she wasn’t supposed to have removed it after a certain amount of time. “I’m not sure she admitted.” 

“Well, go wash it off while I get these out.” B’Elanna made a shooing motion while she walked over to Kathryn’s bed. Kathryn went into the bathroom to wash off the cream. To her relief, her face appeared to be fine. In fact, she felt light and refreshed. 

When she came back in, B’Elanna had laid two pieces of clothing on the bed. One was a dark green gown, with a lace pattern overlaid on the silken material on the chest. It was belted at the waist and floor length. The second was a light grey suit, with a silken green shirt beneath it that matched the dress. Both had obviously been tailored to her size. 

“I have no idea what Seven was thinking, putting me in charge of getting you dressed. So I got some opinions from the other women in the crew and we decided on these two. There is a bet going about whether you will pick the dress or the suit. I’m betting on the suit, so don’t let me down.” 

Both garments were beautiful, but B’Elanna was right, the suit was probably more her style. The dress was beautiful, but the thought of wearing it down to the holosuite for anyone to see made her uncomfortable. 

“I’ll wear the suit, but leave the dress.” Maybe later she could put it on just for Seven. 

B’Elanna clapped her hands together in triumph. “Alright, so Seven wanted this to be authentic, hence the real clothes, but I’m not a stylist. So I programmed the holodeck to do your hair and makeup when you enter. She’ll never know. And don’t worry, I am a firm believer that no one needs makeup, so it won’t be anything heavy.” 

If there was one person on this ship that Kathryn trusted wouldn’t overdo her hair or makeup, it was B’Elanna. “Thank you.”

“Alright, let’s get you into this thing. Wouldn’t want to keep the Borg waiting...” she grinned at her own joke and Kathryn rolled her eyes. It was a teasing that had been occurring since Kathryn and Seven had made their relationship public. 

The pants and shirt fit like a glove and B’Elanna helped her get the suit jacket on. B’Elanna stood back, admiring her work. “Huh. It does look good.” 

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” replied Kathryn sarcastically. “But seriously, thank you.” 

“Don’t mention it.” B’Elanna straightened her collar and added, “Seriously. Let’s never mention this again.” 

“Deal.” 

The two women left the Captain’s quarters and headed toward the holosuite. There weren’t too many crewmembers in the corridors. Kathryn wondered if they had been instructed to make themselves scarce or if everyone was just busy. Waiting by the holosuite was Tom Paris, bottle in hand, leaning against the bulkhead. 

Tom let out a whistle when Kathryn and B’Elanna approached him and his wife punched him in the shoulder for it. Kathryn only rolled her eyes. “Is that bottle for me?” 

“The finest champagne I could replicate. I did a little magic with the replicator to get around the safety features, that that there is the real deal. Harry and I tried a dozen just to make sure you got the best one. It’s authentic as you can get this far into the delta quadrant.” Tom handed her the bottle with a wink. Then he slung his arm around B’Elanna’s shoulder. “My fair lady, would you escort me back to our quarters. I seem to have lost my way.”

“How much did you drink, you idiot?” B’Elanna grabbed ahold of Tom and as they walked away, she called over her shoulder, “Have a good evening, Captain.” 

“Go get the girl!” shouted Tom, encouragingly. He let out a hoot that was quickly shushed by his wife. 

Bottle in hand, smile on her face, Kathryn entered the simulation. She walked into what appeared to be a countryside vineyard of old Earth. A single table for two was set on a stone patio that had fairy lights strung up in the air. A pair of candles lit the table on a white table cloth. Long stemmed champagne glasses were paired with white china plates. 

“Hello, Kathryn.” Seven of Nine walked out of the vineyard across from Kathryn. She was dressed in a beautiful, shimmering full length red dress. The neckline dipped to reveal just enough of her chest to make Kathryn blush. It was held up by slender straps and blonde hair was curled on her shoulders. The color was gorgeous and Kathryn was sure that her jaw dropped. 

“Seven...you look...” Kathryn gripped the neck of the champagne bottle tighter as she tried to find the right words. “You are beautiful.”  

“I am partial to the dress,” replied Seven, looking down at herself. “It is impractical, but I believe it has the desired effect.” 

“All of this is beautiful,” said Kathryn as she approached the table. “Today was been wonderful. Quite surprising, but wonderful.” 

“Your suit fits you well. I find that my attraction to you is heightened in that outfit.” Kathryn allowed herself to blush under Seven’s gaze. Seven motioned for her to take a seat. 

Suddenly, the Doctor, dressed in a tuxedo appeared out of thin air. “May I take that bottle from you, Captain?” 

“I...yes...” Kathryn handed it over, surprised by his appearance. He deftly popped the cork and poured out the two glasses as the women seated themselves. 

“Tonight, I will be serving a lobster linguine. We will begin with a light salad to prime the palate and then we will move to the main course. A decadent chocolate cheesecake will be served for dessert.” He gave them a smile and then snapped his fingers and the salads appeared on the plate in front of them. With another snap, he had disappeared. 

“Seven, what is all of this?” asked Kathryn. “Not that I don’t appreciate it, but I don’t understand.” 

“As you know, I have been studying Earth history to help reconnect with my humanity. I came across several holidays and traditions that have intrigued me. Some of them were based on religious or political movements of the time. I found one particularly of interest now that I am in a relationship with you. It is called ‘St. Valentine’s Day’. Have you heard of it?” 

A smile graced Kathryn’s face. “I have.” 

“I was confused by the history at first. There are conflicting thoughts on the origins of the holiday, but all seemed to be grim. However, it transformed into a day to celebrate lovers. When calendar dates were still being observed, it occurred annually on February fourteenth. I decided to make today Valentine’s Day for just the two of us.” Seven tilted her head to the side. “I thought it would be romantic.” 

“It is...” murmured Kathryn. She took another bite of salad. “I don’t know that much about the history of Valentine’s Day. I understood your poem this morning. I think it is a traditional Valentine.” 

“Yes. Roses and violets. Although, the name violets implies a purple color rather than blue, I did not correct it in order to continue the rhyme. I read that a dozen roses is a common gift, but a single red rose often implies more intimacy. Therefore, I provided a single red rose and a dozen violets.”  

“Chocolates are a traditional gift for lovers, even now. I can’t wait to eat the rest of them.” 

“I too am found of chocolates,” admitted Seven and Kathryn filed that information away for use at a later date. “Another traditional gift is jewelry. However, necklaces, bracelets, and rings are against the dress code. And you do not wear any off duty.” 

“So you had my pips and badge cleaned.” Her heartbeat quickened. Seven had thought all of this through. It really was romantic. Kathryn wasn’t sure she could love the woman more, but somehow, she still had the ability to surprise her. 

“Another common gift was stuffed animals. The Doctor explained that these are not taxidermized animals, but fluff stuffed fake figures. They are more commonly used by children for comfort. A ‘teddy bear’ is a traditional stuffed animal.” 

“It was cute,” laughed Kathryn and to her pleasure, she saw Seven’s eyes light up at her reaction. “The spa was nice, too.” 

“I am pleased that you enjoyed it.” Seven gave her a natural smile. Goodness, she was so beautiful, especially over candlelight. 

The Doctor cleared his throat to announce his return. He snapped his fingers and announced, “Dinner is served.” 

The salad plates disappeared and were replaced by a delicious looking pasta dish, topped with pieces of lobster. Breadsticks appeared in the middle of the table. Seven motioned to the food and explained, “Many references sourced traditional pasta from the Italian region of Earth was a common Valentine’s meal. Others reported that a home cooked meal that was nostalgic was also a good choice.” 

“So you made my father’s favorite stew.” 

Seven nodded. “You don’t have many favorites, but you talk about your family so often. I thought it would be the correct touch.” 

“It was perfect.” Kathryn reached across the table to take Seven’s hand in her own. “All of it was perfect.” 

“I believe the correct response would be that you are perfect. But I think that is incorrect. Everyone has flaws. It is in our nature.” Seven gave her hand a squeeze. “But I feel like you deserve to be treated with perfection, because I love you.” 

“I love you, too, Seven.” The candlelight twinkled in their eyes. 

“We should engage in eating this meal. My research says it will be pleasing to the palate,” added Seven with a tiny smirk. Kathryn laughed and picked up her fork to dig into the pasta. 

Seven was right, it was delicious. And so was the slice of cheesecake that they shared for dessert. When they were finished, the Doctor appeared again. “I hope you enjoyed your dinner tonight. If you will stand please, I will delete the table and leave you two ladies to enjoy the rest of your evening.” 

Both Kathryn and Seven rose to their feet. The Doctor snapped his fingers and the table disappeared. He gave them both a little bow and then snapped himself out of the simulation. Upon his departure, music starting playing. Soft, but with a dancing rhythm. Seven offered her hand and Kathryn accepted. 

The two began dancing, slowly turning on the stone patio together, beneath the moonlight and the tiny string of lights above them. Kathryn pulled Seven’s thin body tightly against her own. She dropped her face to press their cheeks together, breathing in the scent that was Seven. 

Kathryn loved being this close to Seven. They fit together so well. It was something that Kathryn had never experienced with anyone else. She loved the feel of Seven’s body against her own. 

“I am pleased that you are my Valentine,” whispered Seven in her ear. Kathryn smiled and pressed a kiss to Seven’s collarbone. 

Then she pulled back just enough to lock eyes with her lover. Gently, Kathryn raised her hand from Seven’s hip to cup her face. Then she firmly pressed their lips together. Beneath the moonlight, Kathryn kissed her Valentine. 

[summahsunlight]

This Way Became My Journey, CH.1

Word Count: 3535

Pairings: Janeway/Chakotay, Tom/OFC

Characters: Kathryn Janeway, Chakotay, Tom Paris, Sarah Barrett (OC), Harry Kim, B’Elanna Torres, Tuvok, Kes, Neelix, the Doctor

Against her better judgement, Kathryn Janeway has taken her children with her on the trip to the Badlands to track Chakotay and the Maquis rebels. But when the ship is thrown into the Delta Quadrant, Janeway is forced to join with the Maquis in order to survive the treacherous, unknown part of the galaxy.

Lowering her body with a heavy sigh, Captain Kathryn Janeway propped her feet up on the coffee table in the living room of her posh San Francisco apartment. It was quiet now, since her dog Molly had been sent to the kennel. She found that she missed that auburn ball of fur more than anything at that moment.

It had been a long day, securing everything before her next assignment. Between packing up some personal belongings and transporting back and forth to New Zealand, Kathryn found she was drained. This was her first deep space assignment in nearly two years. She had forgotten how much work went into the preparation for such an assignment not to mention the strings she had to pull to get a few extra things she believed she needed on this mission. Asking the Admiralty for a few favors was never an easy thing.

There was a knock on the door. For a moment she didn't respond, used to the chime of a starship. "Come in," she called out.

The large glass doors swung upon and she watched as Gabriel Dawson, a friend from her Academy days stepped down the marble steps towards her. "I thought you would be halfway to Deep Space Nine right now. Seeing you after you got that commission, I swore you were going to move in on Voyager immediately."

Kathryn laughed and gestured around her apartment. "I had a few things to clean up here first. Besides, I don't think Starfleet was quite ready for me to sit in that Captain's chair just yet."

Gabriel sat down on the sofa with her. "They're making the right decision. If anyone can track down the Maquis, it's Kathryn Janeway."

She chuckled. "Thanks for your vote in confidence in me; I'll note it in my log." Her face grew serious. "What brings you down here?"

"Just checking up on you," Gabriel said, his look matching hers. "This is your first deep space assignment since… the massacre at Ohniaka III."

The lighthearted mood that she had enjoyed was soon squelched at his mentioning of Ohniaka III. Images of the science station that had once been there flashed through her mind; images of its destruction as it was seen on the news vids, images of a long lost love.

Kathryn turned her blue eyes away from Gabriel. She tried not to think of his brother, Bryan Dawson, who had been a scientist at the outpost when it was attacked by the Borg. Thinking of Bryan brought such a strong urge to scream and cry that she very often found her self trying not to think about him. He had, after all, been her husband of four years when he had been killed along with all his colleagues. "I was holding up just fine until you said that."

"I'm sorry Kathryn," Gabriel said. "But you were my friend long before you were my sister in law. Can I help it if I still worry about you?"

She looked at him with sad eyes. Yes, it was true, he had been her friend; he had been the one to introduce Bryan and Kathryn a year or so after her father had died. Bryan had been a life savior, showing her that there was life after the loss of a loved one, but his death, at the hands of a ruthless enemy, had left a bitter taste in her mouth for so long. "I appreciate your checking up on me, but really I'm fine," Kathryn said, going to the food replicator to get a cup of coffee.

"Are you really? I spoke to your mother, she told me you had a hard time parting with the children," Gabriel replied, his eyes studying the back of her uniform. He saw her shoulders stiffen at the mentioning of her children. "I figured there would be some separation anxiety on their part, but yours Kathryn?"

She bit her lip before taking a sip of coffee. "It's my first time away from Ava for more than a week."

Gabriel pondered what she said for a moment. Kathryn had been devastated when his brother was killed. She had taken their son, Michael, on some trek across Earth, stopping in places like Paris, New York, the Bahamas. And then suddenly she cut the leave time that Starfleet had granted her short, dropped Michael off to her mother, and returned to the Billings. Unbeknownst to any of them at the time she had found out she was pregnant with Ava. Whether she was in denial or not, she refused to tell anyone, she had kept working, hard, to the point where it ended her up at Starfleet Medical with pregnancy complications. All her assignments after the baby's birth had been local, only assignments that stretched the span of a week. Being given command of her own ship, that had been something she had wanted for a long time, and he knew she had eagerly taken the Voyagercommission. "Ava will adjust. Children are resilient, Kathryn, much more than adults."

Kathryn looked at him. "I know. I'm afraid of her adjusting a little too much," the new Captain whispered. "Being given a command like this means I won't be going on short little missions; Voyager is a deep space vessel. How much am I going to get to see of her now that I have a highly advanced, deep space vessel in my command?"

"I thought you had talked to Admiral Patterson?" Gabriel questioned. "Didn't he approve of accommodations for the kids on the ship himself?"

"Yes, he single-handedly went to bat for me," Kathryn replied. "The Council wasn't too keen on my request, the building of the new rooms set back the launch date three weeks. But what else am I supposed to do? I'm a single parent with a job that takes me away far too often. I want to be able to see my children."

"You could get a post at Command," Gabriel said. "You'd make a great instructor at the Academy."

She smiled wistfully. "You know me Gabe; I'm not an office girl."

He returned the smile. "I know, I had to try, and I also know that Bryan didn't want you to give up your career to become a house wife. Why do you think he let you keep your name?"

"The name stayed because the clerk in Bloomington didn't know what she was doing," Kathryn replied her eyes narrowing a bit. "Instead of putting Janeway-Dawson as my new name, she put Dawson-Janeway as Bryan's." The memory played out in her mind. She had been so mad. And they had always meant to go back and fix it after they were married, however, Michael had been born, Wolf 359 had happened, and her assignment to the Billings. They never found the time to go back. We never found the time for a lot of things, Bryan, Kathryn thought sadly.

"How did New Zealand go?" Gabriel was asking her, trying to get her mind off of her late husband.

"It went," she said with a chuckle. "Tom Paris is as cocky and arrogant as his service record indicates. But, he's the only one in Starfleet who can help us track the Maquis."

"You're taking a big risk on him," Gabriel said. "He's a convicted traitor of the Federation."

"I've been told I'm taking a lot of risks on this assignment," Kathryn retorted.

"Lieutenant Barrett?"

"Yes, how did you know?"

"I was her council at her hearing, remember?" Gabriel said. He shook his head, remembering the burnt out, broken young woman who he had defended in a court martial for dereliction of duty. "Starfleet came down too hard on her, trying her like that. What she needed was the rehab not the brig time."

Kathryn set her cup down on the coffee table. "You got her that rehab time, Gabe. You opened the door for someone like me to take a risk on her. Besides, my father worked with hers. He was a good officer. I think Jason Barrett's daughter deserves a second chance, don't you?"

"You know I do, but she's only been out, what six months?"

"Yes, your point?"

"She could relapse."

Kathryn scoffed. "Not on my shift."

Good damn it Kathryn, why are you so stubborn! The Captain's personal computer was beeping, indicating an incoming message. She rose from the sofa and went to turn the console on. It was resting on a small end table towards the back of the living room. From his seat he could see an image of Gretchen Janeway appear, she looked hassled, in the background a baby was crying, it was Ava.

"Mom?" Kathryn asked concerned. She could hear her baby screaming in the background and it was breaking her heart that she couldn't be there to comfort the child.

"Katie," Gretchen breathed. "I think you need to meet me at the transporter station. Ava's got an ear infection."

"A what?"

"An ear infection. I can't get her to calm down, she's been screaming for you for hours, and no matter how much pain reliever I give her, it doesn't help. She needs to see her doctor, Katie," Gretchen replied. "We could be there in ten minutes, as long as you meet us at the station. I can't very well traipse through San Francisco with a screaming baby, now can I?"

Kathryn closed her eyes. She was due to leave in two hours for Deep Space Nine. There was no way she was going to get an appointment with the children's doctor now. Making a split second decision, that she was sure she would regret at some point later down the road, she told her mother to pack bags for the kids; they were coming with her on Voyager.

"Welcome aboard Voyager, Lieutenant Barrett."

Sarah Barrett noticed a middle aged man in command reds standing at the base of the transporter pad. Reaching back into her mind to place him from all the personnel files that she had shuffled through the past few days, she offered him her hand. "Commander Cavit, it's nice to meet you sir." God, I hope I'm right about who this is, she thought as the man took her hand and shook it.

"Likewise, Lieutenant," Cavit said to her, in a professional tone. He released her hand and gestured for her to follow. "Captain Janeway sends her regrets, but will not be able to meet with you until later. She is…busy tending to other things."

The tone of his voice suggested that he wasn't happy about what these other things were. "That's alright, sir. I can meet with her at her earliest convenience. Actually, Starfleet Command wanted me to meet with you as well, regarding our observer."

"Oh yes, him," Cavit scoffed, pressing a button to open the turbo lift's doors. The two officers stepped inside and she waited for him to say something more, but he didn't. He looked mutely ahead while the lift ascended. An awkward silence passed between them.

She decided to break the ice. "I know what the feelings are regarding Mister Paris. Starfleet command just wanted me to make sure that everyone on this ship is willing to put those feelings aside to get the job done."

Cavit glared at her. "Miss Barrett, I can assure you that this crew is not going to let their feelings for a convicted felon get in the way of their duties."

She cocked an eyebrow. "Are you?"

"Computer halt turbo lift," Cavit ordered. The lift came to a halt and he turned to fully face her. "I'm aware of your history Lieutenant. You have some nerve questioning me when it comes to duty."

Sarah knew when she had pushed too many buttons. "I'm sorry sir. You're right. If this crew is any reflection of Captain Janeway, she would insist that her crew treats Mister Paris with respect, there fore not allowing him to interfere with their duties."

He set his jaw and ordered the computer to resume. The lift started to move again and they rode the rest of the way to the deck where her office was stationed in tense silence. When they got to the office she noticed that he had been carrying a couple of PADDs in his hand. She was surprised when he handed them to her. "These are additions to the crew roster. I suggest that you look them over briefly and then report to the Bridge. We'll be leaving in a couple of hours."

Sarah scanned the PADDs and realized that the new additions to the roster were children, the Captain's children. "Kids? Starfleet is letting kids on this mission?" This wasn't a Galaxy class starship; there were no accommodations for children. Why would Starfleet ever let kids on this ship?

"Apparently Captain Janeway has a few supporters at Command. Apparently Admiral Patterson approved of it himself," Cavit replied. "Believe me, Counselor, I'm not any more thrilled than you are about this, but it's not my place to question Captain Janeway… on her parenting skills."

"I'm not questioning it either, but as far as I'm aware, Kathryn Janeway has never taken her kids on any mission with her," Sarah said, recalling information from the Captain's personnel file. "Why the sudden change of heart, sir?"

Cavit's reply was curt. "I don't know."

Sarah's eyes fell on the reports again, reading bits and pieces. The children's lives hadn't been easy to say the least, shuffled between their mother's apartment in San Francisco and their grandmother's home in Indiana. Before that even, the oldest, a boy, had lived with his father on some science station. Maybe Kathryn Janeway was tried of the shuffling or maybe it was just another commanding officer using their influence to get their family on board their ship. Sarah's father had done the same, when he was the Captain of the Alaska. Who said being of higher rank didn't have their perks?

She had hated every minute of living on that ship. Being told that Janeway's children would be making the trip brought back old memories of lying around crew quarters bored out of her mind as a child. "I don't suppose more kids are coming on board, sir? After all, someone else must want their children with them besides the Captain."

"Your displeasure of the situation will be duly noted in my log, Lieutenant," Cavit replied, ignoring her sarcastic tone, and turning about. "I'll see you on the Bridge."

Sarah disappeared inside of her office, dropping her travel bag. It landed on the floor with a thud. She dropped the PADDs Cavit had given her onto the glass desk and went to look out the window. Taking a deep calming breath she was glad that it had been Cavit to inform her of the children and not Janeway. She was certain the Captain would not have taken kindly to her…reactions. Maybe there was some circumstance that Kathryn Janeway was forced to take the children with her. Their grandmother was sick and she had no last minute child care, they were dropping the children off along the way to stay with family; she had let her temper get the best of her without knowing all the facts.

And besides this was only a three week trip. If they were staying on the ship the whole time the children could be sent back to their grandmother when they returned to Earth. Better to find out the whole story before jumping to conclusions Barrett, she chided her self. If she was lucky she'd get that whole story when she met with the Captain later.

Which reminded her, she had to catch up on Tom Paris'. Reaching for her bag, she pulled the zipper open. Inside where a few uniforms and what seemed like hundreds of thousands of PADDs, it however, did not take her long to find the one she was looking for. She had placed his on top.

Settling down onto the sofa, she scrolled through the report. Their observer certainly was an interesting read. His history was not that different from her own; child of an Admiral, attended the Academy and had been involved in a controversial incident. Here the history veered differently from her course. He had been ushered out of Starfleet, due to his cover up and joined the Maquis. She wondered briefly if she hadn't been so forth coming with her drug addiction if they would have ushered her out of Starfleet as well.

Tossing the PADD down she left that thought for another day and another time. She had to report to the Bridge and prove to Cavit and who ever else doubted her abilities, that she was capable. It was time to start all over again.

"Master Thomas, we weren't expecting you."

"Don't worry Nadia," Thomas Eugene Paris commented as he stepped into his parents' home for the first time in years. "I wasn't expecting me either. Is my father home?"

The hall was just as he remembered it; his mother hadn't changed it in years. An oil painting of the Paris' family still hung on the wall; his father dressed in a crisp, Starfleet uniform, his mother an elegant dress of red. Tom was eight at the time the portrait was made; he was wearing a dress suit, standing behind his sitting mother, a hand draped over her shoulder. His sisters were seated on the floor in front. Tom had spent countless hours staring at that portrait as a child, wondering how the painter had captured a happy family when really it was a suffocating atmosphere, at least for Tom. He could never live up to his father's expectations.

Nadia, their housekeeper for years, looked anxious. "No, no, he's at Command. He won't be home until late."

Tom shoved his hands into his pockets. He hadn't come to see his father anyways, he'd come to see his mother. After being cashiered out of Starfleet he'd cut ties with his mother and his sisters. He'd been ashamed of what he'd done but too proud to admit he was ashamed. "I actually came to see my mother. Is she here?"

"Oh yes, Miss Erin is home," Nadia replied, closing the front doors and ushering Tom into the drawing room, his mother's favorite place to entertain. "I'll go get her."

He was left alone the large drawing room, standing amongst his mother's treasured antique furniture. As a child he hadn't been allowed in this room because of all the valuables; his parents thought his rough and tumble ways would surely break something. Which, now that he thought about, would probably have come true if he'd been allowed in here. Now that he was in the room he realized it wasn't such an extraordinary room after all. In the mind of a nine year old, because it was off limits it was, but really it was a space filled with useless, delicate, old furniture and art.

Tom crossed his arms over his chest and his fingers impacted with the combadge that had been issued to him prior to catching his transport to Deep Space Nine. He wasn't used to wearing a Starfleet uniform, hell he never thought he'd been in one again. Captain Kathryn Janeway had insisted on the uniform and badge, yet she wouldn't let him fly the ship. Tom had to admit that Janeway was attractive in a sort of authoritative way.

"Thomas, what are you doing here? If your father knew you'd stopped by," Erin Paris said as she entered the room.

Tom turned to smile half-heartedly at his mother. "I won't be here long Mom."

"What are you doing in that uniform? Did they let you back into Starfleet?" Erin inquired, straightening his collar.

"I'm doing the Federation a favor. They need me to track down the Maquis."

"Oh, them," Erin huffed. "Haven't they caused you enough trouble?"

"Mom, I got myself into trouble."

"If your father hadn't pushed you in the first place—"

"Mom," Tom interrupted, "I didn't come here to listen to you blame Dad for my mistakes. I came here to tell you that once I get back from this mission I'm taking the first transport out of the Federation. There are plenty of independent traders out there that could use good pilots."

Erin looked horrified. "What about the rest of your sentence?"

"Captain Janeway promised she'd help me at my parole hearing at the end of the month. If I find Chakotay, I get the hell out of that prison," Tom snapped.

"Thomas, you can't be serious about this, leaving Earth, permanently?" Erin gasped.

"I am."

"But...that's ridiculous."

Tom felt drained and he'd only been there for fifteen minutes. "You know something, Mom, I don't know why I came," he breathed, turning about and leaving the room. He had a transport to catch. Swinging the front door open with a dramatic pull he turned slightly to face her. "Tell Dad I said hello and good-bye; I'll be in touch." And with that he slammed the door in her face and hurried down the driveway, making his way for the transport station. He didn't even look back once.

[voyagerafod]

Star Trek Voyager: A Fire of Devotion: Part 3 of 4: Sweeter Than Heaven: Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

    Everything was set up. The first ever Voyager Science Fair was ready to begin. Naomi and the four Borg children had their experiments ready to go, and Seven of Nine felt pride in all of them. The twins, whose species had finally been identified as Wysanti, worked together on theirs while Naomi, Mezoti, and Icheb each had their own. Samantha stood behind Naomi, while Seven went to the door to greet the Captain, Commander Chakotay, and Lieutenant Torres, who would get to be the first to see the experiments up close.

    “If we’re out here long enough,” Seven overheard B’Elanna say to Chakotay, “we may need a bigger space for the next one of these.”     “You know something I don’t, Lieutenant?” Chakotay said.     “I don’t think so. Frankly, it’s kind of surprising that Naomi’s the only child born aboard ship so far. But that won’t be true forever, I’m sure of it.”     “Let’s focus on the here and now,” Janeway said, chuckling at her officer’s idle gossip. Seven herself had to admit that she also wondered why none of Voyager’s other couples had chosen to procreate as yet. It was true that for at least one couple such a thing was genetically impossible without a series of treatments not available aboard ship, but for everyone else…

    “So, why potatoes?” Janeway’s question snapped Seven out of her thought process.

    “Their original suggestion,” Seven said of the twins, Rebi and Azan, “was to clone Naomi. I suggested they start with something smaller.”     The officers made their way to the next table, where Mezoti had set up a large translucent tank, filled with dark blue dirt, and a colony of bioluminescent insects.

    “Nicely done,” B’Elanna said. “My father said he used to have tanks like this when he was a kid. I don’t think any of his were quite this big either. Where’d you get the bugs?”

    “It’s a Terienian ant colony,” Mezoti said. “I infused the soil with a blue ion dye so it’d be easier to see the insects.”     “It’s beautiful too,” Janeway said. “The colors really compliment each other.”   

    “That was an unintended side-effect,” Mezoti said. “The drones produce a fluorescent enzyme that’s activated by the queen.”     “Drones and queens?” Janeway said, sounding somehow both concerned and amused at the same time. Seven noticed that Chakotay had covered his mouth, presumably to stifle a laugh.     “I thought we were trying to get these children away from the Borg,” Janeway said to Seven with a comically exaggerated frown. Seven decided that rolling her eyes would be an inappropriate reaction.

    “The project was her idea,” Seven said. “I didn’t want to discourage her individuality.”     “I like bugs,” Mezoti said with a shrug.     “Well done,” Janeway said. Next, the three officers moved over to Naomi’s table, where she had set up a globe.     “What have we got here?” Chakotay said.     “It’s Ktaris,” Naomi said.     “Your father’s planet?” B’Elanna said.     “I’ve been learning all about it,” Naomi said with a grin.     “I think she knows more about the planet than I do,” Samantha said, beaming with pride. “And I lived there for over a year.”     B’Elanna gave Seven of Nine a side glance. “That doesn’t bother you at all?”     This time Seven did roll her eyes. “If you mean am I bothered by the mere mention of someone Samantha was involved with before we even met, no.”

    “Show them the rest, honey,” Sam said to Naomi. Naomi pressed a button, and a holographic display enveloped the globe, complete with geographic details and simulated weather events.     “Naomi programmed the geophysical and atmospheric conditions,” Seven said.     “There’s quite a storm in those mountains,” Chakotay said, looking at one point on the globe.     “The Arpasian range is known for high winds and hail,” Naomi said.     “Also some amazing restaurants,” Samantha said, putting a hand on Seven’s shoulder. “When we get back to the Alpha Quadrant, you and I should hit one of the fancier places while Naomi gets to know her Dad.”     “Sounds good,” Seven said.

    “What’s this?” Janeway said, having already moved on to Icheb’s table. Seven stepped over to stand next to Icheb to explain the device.     “It’s a high-resolution gravimetric sensor array,” Icheb said.

    “Ambitious,” B’Elanna said.

    “It’ll augment our ability to scan for the neutrino flux associated with wormholes. It could help Voyager find a faster way home.”     “The engineering principles are sound,” Seven said, smiling.

    “I expected these projects to be interesting,” Janeway said to Icheb, looking noticeably impressed, “but this is truly exceptional.”

    “Thank you, Captain,” Icheb said. “I am very interested in astrophysics.”     “Well you’ve obviously got a knack for it,” Janeway said, patting Icheb on the arm. “Well done.” Janeway moved around Icheb to move next to Seven, the two of them moving towards the food table that Neelix had set up while B’Elanna started asking Icheb questions.     “How did you think of scanning for neutrino fluctuations?” she asked.     Icheb began to explain how he drew inspiration from reading about the Bajoran wormhole in Alpha Quadrant, but Seven didn’t hear the whole thing as Janeway started speaking to her.

    “He’s a remarkable young man,” Janeway said.     “He hopes to earn a permanent posting in Astrometrics one day,” Seven said.     Janeway sighed. “I’m afraid that won’t be possible.”

    “Captain,” Seven said, “the boy has a unique talent.”     “It’s not a question of merit,” Janeway said. “We’ve made contact with his parents, and I’ve set a course for their planet.”     Seven felt as though her heart had somehow sunk into her stomach. She looked over at Icheb, who was still talking animatedly with B’Elanna and Chakotay.

    “That… that is good news,” Seven said as a lump formed in her throat. Janeway got that look on her face that she would sometimes get when she obviously didn’t believe what a crew member was telling her, but before she could press the issue, Seven felt Sam’s arm go around her waist.     “Annie?” Sam said. “You okay?”     “I’ll leave you two alone,” Janeway said. “Seven, when you’re ready to talk, come by my ready room.”

    As soon as Janeway was out of earshot, Seven looked Samantha in the eyes and repeated to her what the Captain had said. Samantha nodded.     “Let’s talk somewhere more private,” Sam said, taking Seven’s hand.

---

    Seven hesitated to enter the cargo bay. Icheb would likely still be awake, despite being told to return to his alcove. He’d been missing needed regeneration time off and on all week while working on his project. Seven had indulged him for the most part, using only gentle verbal prodding as opposed to giving a direct order. He would likely be awake, but she hoped he wouldn’t be, that she could put off telling him the news until tomorrow morning.

    Samantha had been right though; returning Icheb to his parents was the right thing to do. Finding homes for all the Borg children was the right thing to do. Seven had to admit to herself that she was acting selfishly, although Samantha would not use the word. She wanted to take care of the children herself, and she had been prepared to make the case to the Captain to do so. This itself was not the key problem, however. The problem stemmed from the fact that she had failed to discuss this with Samantha. This failure of consideration on her part had led to their first real argument as a couple. It hadn’t been bitter, or loud, or anything of that nature, and after much discussion the issue had been for the most part resolved, but Seven still felt a great deal of guilt. Samantha had insisted she forgave Seven, and she had no cause to doubt the veracity of the forgiveness, but the guilt persisted regardless. She decided that she would find some way to make it up to Sam later.     For now though…

    Seven entered cargo bay 2, and as expected, Icheb was working at a console when he should’ve been in his alcove, the way the other Borg children were. Seven found that she was going to miss the boy’s stubbornness. She made an additional mental note to thank the Captain for providing her with the collected data they had on Icheb’s species. It wouldn’t make things easier, as she’d hoped, but as the human saying went, it’s the thought that counted.

    “Is your alcove malfunctioning?” Seven said in as lighthearted a tone as she could manage in order to convey that she knew it wasn’t.

    “I’m calculating neutrino trajectories,” Icheb said.     “It is past time for you to regenerate,” Seven said. “But first, I have some news for you.”

    “News?”

    “We have located your parents,” Seven said. “Voyager is due to arrive at their planet, your planet, tomorrow.”

    Icheb looked concerned. “Do I have to stay with them?”     “They’re your parents,” Seven said.     “I don’t remember them,” Icheb said.     “That is inaccurate,” Seven said. “When I found your name, when you first came aboard this ship, you told me that your name was your father’s second name.”

    Icheb did not respond.     “When my parents were assimilated,” Seven said, “I never saw them again. You’re fortunate to have this chance.”     “What about the others?”     “We have been unable to locate their families as yet,” Seven said.     “That’s not what I mean. What will happen to them if I leave? They depend on me.”     “Not exclusively,” Seven said. “They have a support structure here on Voyager. They will miss you, and the transition may be difficult, but they will adapt.”

    Icheb’s dismay at the situation was visible on his face. Seven decided to give him some time to process his thoughts.     “I’ll never see you again?” he asked.

    “I’ve been studying Brunali culture,” Seven said, handing the PADD that Janeway had given her to him. “It is very different from what you’ve become accustomed to on Voyager.”     “In what way?”     “They’re an agrarian society. Their technological resources are limited.”     “Are they capable of space travel?”     “Yes, but most of their vessels have been destroyed by the Borg.”

    “How will I continue my studies?” Icheb said, his voice getting louder and angrier.

    Seven took a deep breath. She wished she had the answer that she was sure he wanted, but she didn’t. “I don’t know.”

    Icheb swallowed hard, casually tossed the PADD onto a workbench and silently went to his alcove. Seven tried to get his attention, but he simply leaned back, his eyes closing as the regeneration cycle kicked in.

---

    Samantha Wildman was going to ask Seven how the conversation with Icheb about his parents went, but when she the look on her wife’s face when she entered their quarters, she stopped herself.     “Oh, honey,” Sam said, “I can tell that it didn’t go very well. Are you okay?”     “Your concern for me is unwarranted,” Seven said, “but not unwelcome. Thank you. I will be fine. It is Icheb I am worried about.” Seven told her about what had happened in the cargo bay.     “I had failed to account for the possibility that he had become as attached to Voyager as I had to him,” Seven said. “I suspected he would be conflicted at worst, not angry.”

    Seven sat down on the couch and put her head in her hands. Sam sat next to her and gingerly rubbed her back.     “We both knew this wasn’t going to be easy, Annie,” Sam said. “Is there anything you think we can do to make the transition easier?”     “Nothing that wouldn’t run up against the Prime Directive,” Seven said. “Anything we could replicate for Icheb to allow him to continue his pursuit of astrophysics despite the limitations of his homeworld could be argued to have a major impact on their society. I doubt that the Captain would approve.”

    “Can’t hurt to ask,” Sam said.     Seven sighed. “That’s certainly true.”

    The next few moments were filled with silence, Seven’s eyes closing as she drifted to sleep on the couch. She looked so peaceful there that Samantha decided not to try and move her over to their bed. She finished her tea, set the chronometer to wake them both up in the morning before they arrived at Icheb’s homeworld, and went to sleep.

---

    “I’m detecting scattered enclaves on the northern continent,” Harry Kim said from the ops station as Voyager flew closer to the Brunali homeworld. Seven was doing scans of her own from auxiliary tactical station. She did not have a bridge shift scheduled for today, but Captain Janeway had been kind enough to allow her to be here for this. “All with populations fewer than ten thousand.

    “Judging from the residual gamma radiation,” Tuvok said, “it appears they’ve suffered numerous Borg attacks over the past decade.”

    “That’s not surprising,” Seven said, looking at her own readout. “There’s a Borg transwarp conduit less than a light-year away.”     “Not exactly prime real estate,” Tom Paris said. “Gotta wonder why they didn’t pick the planet clean the first time through. Leaving behind survivors doesn’t seem like them.”     “Agreed,” Seven said. “More so since this behavior would pre-date when the degradation would’ve started.”

“Tuvok,” Captain Janeway said, “run continuous scans for Borg activity. Tom, put us into synchronous orbit.”     “Aye, Captain,” Tom said.     “Seven,” Janeway said, “you better get Icheb.”     Seven simply nodded. She was still unhappy about the situation, but she knew deep down that this was the right thing to do. It would be harder on Icheb than on her after all. The loss of access to technologies to help him in his desired field of study would likely be the largest hurdle to his adapting.

When she arrived in sickbay, where Icheb was for a last-minute checkup at the Doctor’s request, she had a feeling she was interrupting a conversation.

“It’s time to go,” she said. Icheb sighed. The Doctor put a hand on his shoulder.     “You’ll do fine,” he said. “Just remember what I said.”     “That my parents are likely as anxious as I am? Or that they can teach me things the Voyager crew cannot?” Icheb asked.     “Both,” the Doctor said.

Icheb didn’t say anything further. He silently followed Seven to the transporter room where Captain Janeway and Tuvok waited. The four of them beamed down to the planet, and Seven nearly winced at what she saw. On the horizon, she saw the ruins of what had been an apparently technologically advanced city. Below that in her field of vision, a vast, deep canyon, as if the ground, and whatever was on it, had been literally scooped up and away. It was a site she had seen before, from orbit, as a drone. These were the all too familiar signs of Borg activity. That the Brunali still existed as a species at all was astonishing.

A number of them were gathered near-by, some watching them as they beamed down. Janeway and Tuvok walked up to a couple, a male and a female.     “Hello,” the Captain said. “I’m Captain Janeway, this-     “Icheb,” the female said, smiling.     “You’ve...grown,” the male said, looking genuinely surprised at how tall his son was.     “He spent several months in a Borg maturation chamber,” Seven said to Icheb’s parents, who now looked at her with concern.

“This is Seven of Nine,” Janeway said.     “That’s a Borg designation, isn’t it?” Icheb’s mother said nervously. Janeway looked tense, but Seven spoke up first.     “Like your son, I was liberated from the collective,” she said.     “Seven has been instrumental in helping Icheb make his transition,” Janeway said.     “Then we’re very grateful to you,” Icheb’s father said. “I’m Leucon, this if Yifay.”     “A pleasure to meet you,” Seven said, even though she was wishing she was anywhere but here right now. She could see the other Brunali trying to look as though they weren’t staring at her.

“How are you?” Yifay asked Icheb.     “Fine,” Icheb said in a somewhat rude tone of voice.     Yifay stepped forward. “Do these hurt you?” she said, motioning towards the visible Borg implant on Icheb’s face.     “No,” Icheb said, flinching as though he were afraid that his mother was going to touch him.

Seven glanced at the Captain. The look on Janeway’s face suggested that she was thinking the same thing that Seven herself was; This is not going very well.

Yifay stepped back. Leucon smiled. “We’re very happy to have you back with us,” he said. Seven had a feeling that there was something insincere about the way he said that, but she dismissed it as an intrusive thought. She would not let herself do anything to make this more difficult on her or Icheb than it already was.

“Not just your mother and I,” Leucon motioned towards some other Brunali standing nearby, watching them all from behind a fruit cart. “The whole village is happy to have you home.”

Icheb looked at Seven of Nine and Tuvok. “I would like to return to Voyager now,” he said as casually as if he were telling them that he’d finished his lunch. His parents looked at each other, both seeming genuinely uncertain. She felt sympathy for them. She looked at Janeway, who seemed similarly unsure how to respond.     “Let’s all go to Voyager,” she said finally, stepping forward to look directly at Icheb’s parents. “I can see that there’s still work that needs to be done to make this transition less traumatic.”

---

    Captain Janeway and Seven of Nine sat quietly in the briefing room, waiting for Icheb’s parents to join them. Under Janeway’s suggestion, Tuvok was giving them a brief tour of the ship. It was more for her benefit than theirs, as she was uncertain how to handle this. Seven of Nine had been more sympathetic than she’d feared, but still proved of little help. A part of her was afraid that Seven might try to take advantage of this situation and try to keep Icheb aboard Voyager to raise as her own son.     “It was made clear to me in no uncertain terms,” Seven said when Janeway admitted this to her, “that doing so without consulting Samantha would be irresponsible, and potentially damaging to our relationship. Put simply Captain, she metaphorically knocked some sense into me.”     “Glad to hear,” Janeway said. “That she did it, and that you’re speaking metaphorically.”

    The door to the briefing room opened, and a security officer motioned for the two Brunali adults to enter.     “Thank you for coming,” Janeway said.

    “Where’s Icheb?” Leucon said.

    “I thought it might be better if we talked ourselves first,” Janeway said.     “What exactly is there to discuss?” Leucon said. Both he and Yifay looked confused and concerned, and Janeway could not fault them for that.

    “How to make this transition easier for your son,” she said, offering a sympathetic smile. “Please, sit down.”     Icheb’s parents did so. His mother spoke first.     “It won’t be easy for him to give up the luxuries of your ship,” she said.     “I do not doubt that plays some role in his apprehension,” Seven said. “Did the Captain inform you that we have other children rescued from the Borg on board?”     “She did not,” Leucon said. “Are they Brunali too?”     “No,” Seven said. Janeway didn’t interrupt. She thought she knew where Seven was going with this, and approved. “What they are however is significantly younger than him. They look up to him, and Icheb sees himself as responsible for their well-being. Among the first things he asked me after I informed him that we would be returning him to you was what would happen to them when he left.”     Both Leucon and Yifay smiled at that.     “So basically,” Leucon said, looking at Seven, “he feels like he’s abandoning his siblings? I can see how that would complicate matters.” He looked at Janeway. “You should’ve told us this, Captain.”     “You’re right,” Janeway said. “I should’ve considered that, but failed to do so.” Seven had not actually told her about everything Icheb had said when Seven had given him the news, but decided that his parents didn’t need to know that detail.

    “We could take the other children as well,” Leucon said. “Find homes for them on our world.”     “We can’t allow that,” Janeway said. “It’s not a bad idea and I intend no offense by rejecting the proposal, but we’re still searching for their parents as well, and haven’t exhausted all our avenues just yet.”

    “That’s fair,” Yifay said.

    “Your planet’s proximity to a Borg conduit is of some concern,” Seven said. “Have you considered relocating?”

    “Seven?” Janeway said firmly, worried that Seven was going down a path that would be counterproductive.     “It’s all right, Captain,” Leucon said. “It’s a reasonable question. This planet is our home. We will never leave it. We will defend it against the Borg or anyone else who threatens us.”     That almost sounded like he was threatening us, Janeway thought. If Seven picked up on that tone as well she gave no sign.     “I’m inclined to believe you,” Seven said. “To be honest, I am surprised that your people have survived this long, given the aforementioned conduit. I have this theory that I have been developing regarding the Collective. Perhaps if we compare-”     “We’re getting off topic here,” Janeway said. “This is about Icheb, remember?”     “My apologies, Captain,” Seven said.

    “Could we see our son now?” Yifay said     “Please be patient,” Janeway said. “If we rush the next encounter, it may not go any better than the last. Stay aboard Voyager for awhile. It’ll give Icheb a chance to get to know you in an environment that’s familiar to him. I’ll have Neelix, that’s the name of our chief morale officer, do everything he can to make you comfortable while you’re here.”     Yifay nodded and looked at Leucon, who nodded as well.     “Seven, why don’t you, Sam, and Naomi join Icheb’s parents for a meal in the mess hall?” Janeway said.

    “I’m sure they would be happy too,” Seven said,.     “I’m sorry,” Leucon said, “but who are Sam and Naomi?”     “My wife and her daughter,” Seven said matter-of-factly. Janeway winced. While it had been a long time since she or anyone she knew had encountered a culture that was hostile to the kind of relationship Seven and Samantha had, she wished she’d gone to the effort to find out how the Brunali would react.     “Your… wife?” Yifay said. “I don’t understand.”     Leucon touched Yifay’s hand.     “It’s probably a human thing,” he said. “It is not our place to judge.”     “Human sexuality probably shouldn’t be on the list of things we discuss at the table,” Janeway said. “Suffice it to say, I think it would help Icheb a great deal of good to see his biological and extended families getting along.”

    Yifay and Leucon looked at each other, communicating in that non-verbal way that couples often did, even without the aid of telepathy, and nodded.

---

    In Cargo Bay 2, Icheb worked at a console, trying to perfect his new sensor designs. His mind was unable to focus on the task at hand, but it was not due to any of the potential distractions in the cargo bay itself, such as Mezoti riding around on a device called a bicycle, and while Naomi Wildman played kadis-kot with the twins.

    Where did she even get the bicycle? Icheb thought. Did she replicate it, or did someone happen to have one aboard and is allowing her to use it?

    “Is your mother pretty?” Mizoti asked. It wasn’t her first question of the day, and just all the others Icheb chose not to respond. This failed to deter her however. “What are they like?”     Icheb finally caved and spoke up, though not to answer Mizoti’s questions. “I’m busy.”

    “If you leave,” Mizoti said, “who will help us with our science projects?”

    “My Mom can help,” Naomi said. “She’s a xenobiologist, but she knows a little about other stuff too.”

    Icheb glanced over his shoulder when he heard the door to the cargo bay open, and frowned when Seven of Nine walked in.     “Icheb, Naomi, I need you to come with me,” she said.     “Where?” Icheb said.     “To dinner with your parents,” Seven said to Icheb.     “Why am I going too?” Naomi asked.     “Your mother will be joining us,” Seven said. “The Captain hopes it will aid in the transition.”

    “Okay,” Naomi said. “Are his parents nice?”     “They seem to be,” Seven said.

    “I’m working,” Icheb said.     “You can continue your project after the meal,” Seven said.     “I don’t have anything to talk about with them,” Icheb said.

    “Not at the moment perhaps,” Seven said, “but there will be eight sentient beings in attendance. Conversation is all but inevitable.”     “Eight?” Icheb said.     “The Captain will be there, as will Mister Neelix. He is helping your mother prepare Brunali dishes for you.”

    “I’m not going,” Icheb said. Seven looked saddened. He just couldn’t understand why everyone on this ship was either trying to push him off or was acting like he was already gone. The Doctor had insisted to him that his parents could nurture him in ways that the crew of Voyager could not, but on this ship his education and medical needs were taken care of.

    “Please don’t make this more difficult than it already is, Icheb,” Seven said. It was as far as he could remember over the past several weeks the first time he had heard sadness in her voice since First had gotten himself killed. He wondered if maybe he’d read the situation wrong, and that Seven didn’t want him to leave any more than he wanted to leave. This complicated things.

    “C’mon Icheb,” Naomi said, taking his hand. “Let’s go.”

---

    When Seven entered the mess hall, she saw Yifay and Neelix coming out from the kitchen, each carrying a tray of food to a table where Leucon, Captain Janeway, and Samantha were already seated. Icheb, still looking uncomfortable, found a seat, keeping as far away from his parents as he could without sitting at another table entirely, and Naomi sat next to him and immediately introduced herself to Icheb’s parents.

    “Mister Neelix let me use his galley,” Yifay said, speaking to Icheb as Seven sat next to Samantha, “to prepare some poma. It was your favorite food when you were little.”     “I’m not hungry,” Icheb said. Seven felt Samantha gently squeeze her thigh under the table.     “You okay?” she whispered in Seven’s ear. Seven nodded and kept watching Icheb interact with his mother.

    “I am not little anymore,” Icheb said, looking at the plate of food, but not the way he would if he were hungry.     He doesn’t want to make eye contact, Seven thought. I can understand that, I suppose.

    “No,” Yifay said, looking sad. “No you’re not.”     “Your mother worked hard on that meal,” Leucon said, though not in an angry or accusatory tone. “Couldn’t you at least try it?” he added with a small smile.     Icheb looked at Seven and Sam.     “You do not require our permission,” Seven said.     “Go ahead,” Sam said.

    “It’s good,” Naomi said, some of the food already in her mouth.     “Sweetie,” Sam said, sighing, “what have I told you about talking with your mouth full?”     Seven chuckled despite herself. She felt bad about laughing at her step-daughter’s expense, but the release of tension that came with it was more than welcome.

    “I suppose,” Icheb said, barely suppressing a smile of his own. He took a bite, and almost as if against his will, his mouth upturned in a smile.     “I think he likes it,” Sam whispered to Seven.

    “Indeed,” Seven added, feeling somewhat relieved herself. Perhaps this transition would go smoothly after all. Then the only thing she would have to worry about would be missing Icheb, but with her family and shipmates here for her she suspected that would not take too long. It was then that she noticed that Samantha seemed to be looking at Icheb’s parents suspiciously, as she suspected they were hiding something. She hid it well when Leucon and Yifay were looking in her direction, but when their attention was on Icheb, and now Naomi as the latter regaled them with stories about Icheb trying to teach her astrophysics.     “Sammy?” Seven said quietly. “Is there something you want to tell me?”     “Later babe, later,” Sam said back.

    The meal continued into ship’s night. Eventually, Icheb and his parents got up to leave. Icheb would not be leaving right away, but he had agreed to accept a tour of the Brunali encampment where he would be living when he did. Naomi asked if she could go too. Sam seemed oddly reluctant, but when Icheb said he’d keep an eye on her to make sure she didn’t wander off, Sam agreed. Seven had a feeling this was not what her concern was.

    Once Naomi, Icheb, and his parents were gone, Sam did not wait for Seven to ask.     “Something is off about those two, I know it,” she said.     “Et tu, Samantha?” Janeway said, glowering at Seven. Seven shook her head.     “I had nothing to do with this, Captain,” she said. “In fact I found them to be quite personable.”     “I can’t put my finger on it, Captain,” Sam said, “but my Mom Radar is pinging like crazy right now.”

    “Are you sure this isn’t my fault somehow?” Seven said. “Perhaps your perception is being colored by my own reluctance to-”

    “Annie,” Sam said, gingerly pressing her finger to Seven’s lips, “you know me. I’m not prone to acting on impulse.”     Seven sighed and looked at Janeway. “She has a point, Captain. And unlike us she is a biological parent. Perhaps-”     “Fine,” Janeway said, rubbing her temples. “I’ll have Tuvok take another look at Icheb’s parents if it will make you feel better.”     “It would, Captain,” Sam said. “Thank you.”     “You know,” Janeway said, “I expected that Seven would be a problem tonight.”     “Hey,” Seven said.     “But not you, Sam.”     “Captain,” Samantha said, “how often have you managed to save this crew by acting on instinct rather than logic?”

    Janeway glowered at Samantha for several long uncomfortable seconds. “Touche, Ensign Wildman, touche.” With that, Janeway left the mess hall. Neelix simply shrugged and returned to his kitchen.

    “I think I’ll try to catch up with Icheb and Naomi,” Seven said. “Maybe I’ll see something down on the planet. Would you like to… why are you looking at me like that?”     “Honey, remember what’s happened to me the last several times I was planetside? Forget it. If I didn’t think Icheb would protect Naomi like she was his sister, I wouldn’t have let her go in the first place. If you’re there too, I know she’ll be safe. I will stay up here. On the ship. That isn’t a planet.”     Seven nodded. She had been putting off discussing Samantha’s fairly recent fear of planets since the Delta Flyer crash last year for fear that it would make her too uncomfortable, but she had a feeling that she could not do so for much longer. That would be a matter for another time though. Instead, she hugged Sam, and headed for the door, hoping she wouldn’t be too late to catch up to Icheb and his parents before they beamed down.

---

    In the Brunali settlement, Leucon walked with Icheb, showing him around, answering his questions. Seven looked around, watching other Brunali hard at work on various projects, Naomi at her side as they followed close behind Icheb and his father.

    “The Borg didn’t leave us much to work with,” Leucon said. “But we didn’t need much, just a little ingenuity. Everything you see, we built with our own hands. Our homes, cultivation bays…”     “What’s this?” Icheb said. Seven looked at the device he was pointing to. It’s apparent level of advancement stood out next to the relatively primitive greenhouse it was next to, but Seven had learned long ago that not all races developed technologies at the same pace and in the same directions as others did. Humans referred to such things as anachronisms, but she didn’t see it that way.

    “That is a genetic resequencer,” Leucon said. “We use it to alter the DNA of certain plants to conform with environmental conditions.”     “You built this as well?” Icheb said, sounding as impressed as Seven felt. She found herself admiring the Brunali people. Despite everything the Borg had put them through, they had found ways to survive and even thrive. Had they been a species in the Alpha Quadrant, the Federation would likely jump at the chance to admit them.

“We adapted parts from damaged vessels,” Leucon said. “Nothing’s been wasted.”

“Efficient,” Icheb said. Seven agreed with that as well. As much as she loved Samantha, a part of her desperately wanted Sam to be wrong. The knowledge Icheb retained from both the Borg and Starfleet would be valuable to these people. As much as she would miss him, she didn’t want to have to take him away from his homeworld.

“Efficiency is one attribute we share with the Borg,” Leucon said. “In our case, it’s a necessity.” Leucon and Icheb stepped out of the greenhouse, the former holding the door open for Seven and Naomi, who had to stop from bothering the locals with questions about the plants.

    “I know our settlement seems primitive compared to Voyager,” Leucon said. “But I promise you, that will change.”     “What about space travel?” Icheb said.     “Someday,” leucon said, “we’ll have ships that rival Voyager. But we need the dedication of young people like you to help us.”     Seven wondered if something like that had been what made Samantha so troubled. She had to admit that since coming down to the planet Leucon had at times sounded more like the cliche of a human politician running for office than a father, but Seven’s knowledge of the Brunali was limited. For all she knew, this was just how their fathers spoke to their children.

    While she was thinking, Icheb began talking with some boys who seemed about his age. They were talking about a local sport that apparently Icheb had been talented at before his assimilation. Seven was about to inquire about it when she felt Naomi tugging gently on her arm.     “Seven?”     “Yes?”     “Icheb won’t have to leave today, will he? Will we all get a chance to say goodbye?” Naomi had that look on her face that she often did when she was trying, and failing, not to show how upset she was.     “I’m sure we will,” Seven said.     “Excuse me,” Leucon said, Seven not realizing immediately he was addressing her. “I apologize for the interruption, but Icheb said he would like to spend the night down here, but we don’t have a regeneration unit installed for him yet. I was hoping you could help us.” Seven looked at Icheb, who simply nodded.     “Of course,” Seven said, thinking that perhaps this could be the opportunity she needed to learn what, if anything, had caused Samantha’s concerns. “We can return to Voyager right now. I will show you how to operate the device. Icheb, what was the name of that sport your peers over there said you played?”     “They called it pala. I do not remember how to play though,” Icheb said.     “Perhaps a session with the other Brunali children would refresh your memory,” Seven said.     “You want me to go play?” Icheb said, sounding surprised.     “Yes,” Seven said.     “Can I play too?” Naomi said.     “It’s perfectly safe,” Leucon said.     “I don’t doubt that,” Seven said. “However, if I left her here on the planet without adult supervision that would cause unnecessary tension with her mother.”     Leucon chuckled and nodded. “I understand that all too well.”     Naomi looked disappointed, but didn’t say anything as Seven called for the three of them to be beamed up. Once aboard, Seven took Leucon to cargo bay 2, asking Naomi to go and keep the other Borg children occupied so they would not be a distraction while the regeneration unit was prepared. This was only half true, however. Seven’s true intent was to ask Leucon some questions and for that she needed to be sure there was minimal chance for interruptions.

    “I’ve adapted this neural transceiver to interface with the portable regenerator,” Seven said, talking about a piece of technology on a nearby workbench. Work on such a device had begun earlier, when it became likely that Icheb would be leaving, so now was as good as time as any to complete it. “It currently only has enough power to complete one full cycle.”     “I think we can come up with a way of recharging it,” Leucon said, looking the device over.

    “How was he taken?” Seven asked.

    “Sorry?”     “I am curious as to how Icheb ended up assimilated. I apologize if I was too direct.”     Leucon sighed, he looked bothered by the question, but he answered anyway. “Since the Borg first attacked us, we’ve taken great pains to hide whatever new technology we develop.”     “So that passing cubes won’t be attracted to your planet,” Seven said. “A wise strategy.”

    “Unfortunately we haven’t always been successful. One morning, about four years ago, Icheb heard me talking about a new fertilization array we constructed in the lower field. He wanted to see it.”     I can believe that, Seven thought.     “I told him I’d take him the next day,” Leucon continued. “But he was impatient, the way boys can be. I never even realized he’d wandered off when the alarm sounded. It turns out the Borg were just as interested in our new technology as Icheb was. They took him. Assimilated everyone in the area.”

    “I see,” Seven said, saddened at the thought of so much life lost.     “If only I’d kept a closer eye on him,” Leucon said. Seven knew that feeling all too well; the desire to blame one’s self for actions beyond their control.     “Icheb has a mind of his own,” Seven said. “When he has made up his mind, it is difficult to dissuade him. That remained true even after he was assimilated.”

    “Still, it’s hard not to blame myself. Your parents must’ve felt the same way when they lost you.”     “My parents were with me when I was assimilated,” Seven said.     “I can’t imagine what that must’ve been like for them. Watching their daughter be assimilated, helpless to defend her?”     Seven nodded. She hadn’t intended initially to be this open with Icheb’s father, but despite Sam’s concerns, she did feel like she could trust him. She tried to see what it was that Sam had seen that made her concerned, but she just couldn’t.     “It is important that Icheb regenerate for six uninterrupted hours,” she said, helping Leucon load the portable regeneration device into a carrying case.     “Understood.”     “He may resist. He doesn’t like to waste time, and he sees sleeping as a waste of time.”     “I wasn’t so different when I was his age.”

---

    The next morning, Seven learned that Voyager would be leaving, and that Icheb had decided not to contest his being left behind with his parents. She had suspected as much, but it still stung somewhat.     She now stood in the transporter room, where Icheb would be arriving soon with his belongings to beam down after saying his goodbyes to the other Borg children and to Naomi. Captain Janeway stood next to her.     “You okay, Seven?”     “I am sad,” Seven admitted, “but less so than I expected.”     “And Sam?”     “Uncertain,” Seven said. “She seemed to take me at my word when I made it clear I found no cause to doubt Icheb’s parents, but I think she may still have doubts.”     “I think I can blame myself for that, at least in part,” Janeway said. “I do talk a lot about the value of instinct, and trusting one’s metaphorical gut. I guess she really took that to heart.”

    “If I knew what it was about them that triggered her feelings,” Seven said, “perhaps I could’ve done more to put her at ease.”     The door to the transporter room opened, and Icheb stepped in, a duffel bag over his shoulder. Seven picked up a smaller container that was between her and the Captain and handed it over to him.     “This contains a number of PADDs with astrophysical data as well as a high-resolution telescope,” she said. “It's a somewhat poor substitute for our astrometric sensors, but, it should be adequate to helping you continue your studies.”

    “I will use it every day,” Icheb said. “Thank you.”     Seven nodded.     “Goodbye, Icheb,” Janeway said. “And good luck.”     “Thank you, Captain. And to you as well. I hope you find a way home.”     Janeway turned and nodded at the transporter operator.     “Goodbye,” Seven said quietly as Icheb transported away.     Janeway put a hand on Seven’s shoulder and squeezed gently. “Tell you what. Why don’t you, Sam, and Naomi stop by quarters tonight for dinner?”     “I’ll consult with them at the first opportunity,” Seven said. She prepared to leave, to return to the astrometrics lab, but a thought occurred. “You never told me what, if anything, Mister Tuvok learned. How did that go?”     “It didn’t,” Janeway said. “He was unable to come up with an angle to approach it from. Still, I wouldn’t worry. If there were anything about them that could be of concern, it would take the entire encampment covering up for them to hide it from us. Children included.”     “I see,” Seven said. “Though I would remind you that Naomi proved capable of keeping a secret for months until letting it slip by accident at the age of 3.”     “She did? Oh, wait, now I remember. She told me about you and Sam having ‘grown up time.’ Luckily, you two were planning to go public with your relationship that day anyway. Quite fortuitous that.”     “There are days,” Seven said, “where one could make the case that this ship runs as much on fortuitousness as it does dilithium crystals.”

---

    Seven of Nine found herself awoken from her regeneration cycle early by a tired and upset looking Mezoti.     “I can’t regenerate,” Mezoti said. Seven sighed. If nothing else, her time spent co-parenting Naomi had prepared her for incidents like this.

    “You miss Icheb,” Seven said, not bothering to phrase it as a question.

    Mezoti nodded.     “So do I,” Seven said, “but we’ll adapt. Return to your alcove.”

    “If you find my parents, will I have to go with them?”     “We can discuss that if the time comes,” Seven said.     “I hope you don’t find them,” Mezoti said. This made Seven sad, but she also understood where it was coming from. As she’d said though, that was a topic for another time, so she repeated her request for Mezoti to return to her alcove.

    “Seven?”     “Yes?”

“What if the Borg try to assimilate Icheb again?”     “His people lack resources,” Seven said, hoping to put Mezoti’s concerns at ease. “The Borg have little reason to return to their planet.”

“What if Icheb’s on a ship?”     “Unlikely,” Seven said.

“He was on a ship last time,” Mezoti said before turning around to step into her alcove.     Seven of Nine felt her heart skip a beat. “You… you are mistaken. He was on the surface when he was assimilated,” she said, though already her inner monologue was telling her that Samantha had been right all along.

    “No. He wasn’t,” Mezoti said, matter of factly, not showing any sign of offense at being contradicted. “A class-one transport was detected in grid 649; one lifeform; species: Brunali,” she said in a Borg-like monotone before stepping into her alcove and starting her regeneration cycle. Seven was grateful for that, because it meant that Mezoti would not hear her swear as she made her way towards the exit.

---

    “Seven,” a very tired Janeway said as she entered astrometrics, a cup of fresh coffee in her hand, her eyelids heavy, and her hair still a mess, “if whatever it is you called me down here for isn’t the most important thing you’ve ever found, I doubt anyone but your wife would hold it against me if I threw you in the brig for twenty years.”

    “It is very important,” Seven said, still looking at the screen, filled with Borg data.     “I don’t read Borg, you’ll have to translate this for me.”     “This is tactical data from the cube where we found the children,” Seven said. “It says that Icheb was found alone on an unarmed transport vessel when the Borg took him.”     “And?” Janeway said, glaring at her, the time 0300 hours repeating in her mind over and over again; a time when she should’ve been asleep.     “Icheb’s father told me he had been assimilated on the planet’s surface.”     “Is it possible you misunderstood?” Janeway said.     “No. Leucon was very specific about the details.”     “That cube was disabled by a deadly pathogen,” Janeway said. “It suffered extensive damage. Isn’t it possible these records were corrupted?”

    “Perhaps,” Seven said, “but I found another inconsistency in Leucon’s story.”

    “Oh joy,” Janeway said, planning the talk she was going to have with Samantha about giving her wife ideas considering her recent history with making bold connections based on circumstantial evidence.     “He told me Icheb was assimilated four years ago,” Seven continued, unabated by Janeway’s sarcasm. “But further analysis indicates the Borg attacked three times in the past ten years. Nine years ago, six years ago, and again last year.”     Janeway looked at the data on the screen, and listened to Seven’s tone of voice; calm, collected, certain.     Goddammit, she thought. She has a point.     “All right,” she said aloud after taking a sip of her coffee, “Let’s assume your information is accurate. What does it prove?”     “That Icheb’s father was lying,” Seven said with an eyebrow raised.     “And why would he do that?”     “I’m not certain, but we have an obligation to find out.”     Janeway wanted to say that they didn’t, that Icheb’s parents had been through enough and that they shouldn’t be interrogating them. If it were just Seven of Nine, she probably would, but Samantha Wildman was not prone to flights of fancy and had never gone off on wild conspiracy theories after having an entire starship’s database worth of information dumped into her head, and she had been the first to suspect that Icheb’s parents were not what they’d appeared. And Seven’s evidence, while circumstantial, was not illogical.     “We’ll go back to the Brunali homeworld,” Janeway said. “I’m sure we can cook up some excuse. Say that Icheb forgot something, whatever, I’ll figure it out.”

---

    Icheb was not sure what the argument was about, but the sound of his parents verbally fighting awoke him from his regeneration cycle. As he stretched his limbs, he heard his father yell.     “Couldn’t we at least wait a few days?”     “What would that accomplish?” his mother said.     “He’s just getting settled,” Leucon said. Icheb immediately realized they were talking about him, but he wasn’t sure why.     “The longer we wait the harder it’ll be for everyone,” Yifay said, “you know that.”

    “Why do it at all? There’s nothing compelling us to go through with it.”

    “It’s what he was born for.”     “Hasn’t he been through enough?”     Icheb felt compelled to walk into the room where his parents right this moment and ask what they meant by all this, but something in him suggested he wait and try to learn more.

    “Why not give him a chance at an ordinary life?” Leucon said.

    “He’s not an ordinary child,” Yifay said.     “No, but he can help us in other ways,” Leucon said. Icheb could hear a hint of desperation in his father’s voice. “He’s bright, he’s hardworking, he-”

    “Leucon! His return was a gift. We can’t waste it.”     “I don’t want to lose him a second time.”     “To survive we all have to make sacrifices. You taught me that,” Yifay said. Icheb felt nervous. The Doctor had referred to this feeling as ‘butterflies in the stomach.’ Had they been literal, his stomach would be full to bursting with the insects. He had to confront them, had to know what was going on, had to know why his mother was talking about him this way.

    He walked into the room, and his parents feel silent.     “What do you mean by sacrifices, mother?” Icheb said.     “Icheb, you were supposed to be asleep, regenerating,” Yifay said, while Leucon simply went and sat in the corner, seeming to have trouble looking at them. “You know that you’re very important to us.”     “Yes,” Icheb said. “Though I am beginning to suspect it’s not for the reasons I was led to believe. What was it I was born for?”     A tear fell down Yifay’s face.     “Leucon?” she said, as she got up and opened a door on a nearby cabinet. “You better hold him.” She took out a device that resembled a hypospray. He tried to stand up but before he could his father was holding him into place.     “I don’t understand,” he yelled, trying to break free of Leucon’s grip as Yifay pressed the device against his neck. There was a brief stinging sensation, followed by blurred vision, and he felt very, very tired. The last thing he heard before slipping into unconsciousness was his mother speaking.     “Prepare for launch.”

---

    As soon as Voyager arrived over the Brunali homeworld, Captain Janeway told Harry Kim to hail Icheb’s parents.     “We didn’t expect to see you again, Captain,” Leucon said, sounding polite, but his body language conveying annoyance.

    Already Janeway’s instincts were kicking in. Her cover story went right out the metaphorical airlock and to what she figured would be Seven of Nine’s surprise went straight to the point.     “We’d like to ask you a few questions,” she said, “if you don’t mind.”     “Questions?” Yifay said, stepping into view, and sounded guarded, like she already expected an interrogation.

    “Regarding Icheb and the circumstances surrounding his assimilation,” Janeway said.     “We’ve already discussed that,” Leucon said, sounding angry.     “The story you told my astrometrics officer is inconsistent with our data,” Janeway said.     “We don’t owe you any explanations,” Yifay said. Any doubts Janeway had went away. They could easily have tried to argue that Seven was mistaken, or was acting on emotion, and they would’ve had a case even if they were wrong. But they weren’t even trying.

    “In that case,” Janeway said, standing up from the Captain’s chair, “I’d like to talk to Icheb.”

    “He’s not here,” Leucon said.     “Oh?” Then where is he?”Janeway said.     “That’s not your concern,” Yifay said. Janeway did not like this one bit.     “Scan for his bio-signs,” she said to Tuvok.     “He is not in the settlement,” Tuvok said after a few moments.     “Captain,” Harry said, “I’m detecting a small vessel. Distance, nine million kilometers. It’s heading for the coordinates of the transwarp conduit.”     Janeway heard Seven let out a small gasp at that, and she couldn’t blame her. She glared at the two Brunali on the viewscreen.     “He’s on that ship, isn’t he?” Janeway said.

    “According to these readings,” Chakotay said, “that ship is travelling at warp 9.8. That can’t be right.”     “It only looks that way,” Tom said. “It’s been designed to emit a false warp signature; strong enough to penetrate subspace.”     “They’re using it as bait to attract the Borg,” Seven said, somehow keeping her composure despite the horrific implications.     “He’s fighting for his people,” Yifay said with pride in her voice.     “Alone on an unarmed transport?” Janeway said. “How the hell does that work?”     “We don’t have particle weapons or powerful starships at our disposal,” Leucon said. “We’re forced to use the only resource we have.”     “Your children?” Seven said.     “No. Our genetic expertise,” Yifay said.     “Icheb’s not bait,” Janeway said. “He’s a weapon. The first cube that captured him was infected by a pathogen. Icheb was the carrier wasn’t he?”

    “Every time we try to rebuild,” Leucon said, “begin to make progress, the Borg come and take it away from us.”     “Tom,” Janeway said, “set a course for that transport vessel, full impulse.”

    “Yes ma’am,” Tom said.

    “You have no right to interfere,” Leucon yelled, pointing at the screen.     “We’re trying to save our civilization,” Yifay said.     “I’m not unsympathetic,” Janeway said, “but he’s a child. Couldn’t you have used someone else as a carrier? Did you even ask Icheb if he wanted this?”     Neither of Icheb’s parents responded, which was all the answer Janeway needed.     “Captain,” Leucon said at the end of the long silence. “A Borg ship will emerge from that conduit at any moment. Don’t endanger your crew. You’ll be destroyed.”     “Your concern is noted,” Janeway said, “but rings hollow coming from someone who uses unwilling children as biological weapons. As for your grand plan, it’s doomed to fail. Icheb’s pathogen only brought down one cube. And you aren’t the first species to try to use a virus to take down the Collective either. They only brought down one cube too. I don’t know exactly how many cubes the Borg have, but I’m willing to bet there are more of them than you have children.”

    “How dare-” Yifay began yelling.     “End transmission,” Janeway said. “Red alert. All hands to battlestations.”

    The ship quickly caught up to the transport. A quick scan revealed that Icheb was alive on board, but likely unconscious.

    “Transport him to sickbay,” Chakotay said,     “I can’t,” Harry said. “There’s some kind of interference.”     “Because of course there is,” Janeway said.

    “The interference appears to be coming from the conduit,” Tuvok said. “By my estimate, a Borg vessel will emerge in less than 40 seconds.”     “Harry, do what you can to break through that interference,” Janeway said.     “Working on it,” Harry said.

    “We still can’t establish a lock at this distance,” Seven said.     “Tom, get us closer to that ship,” Janeway said.     “30 seconds,” Tuvok said.     “Yes ma’am,” Tom said, sounding nervous. The image of the Brunali transport vessel grew larger on the viewscreen.     “A conduit is opening,” Tuvok said. “20 seconds.”

    “When that Borg ship comes through I’m gonna have a hell of a time getting away from it,” Tom said.     “One problem at a time,” Janeway said.     “I have a lock,” Harry said.

    “Grab him and get the shields back up,” Janeway said. Tuvok began counting down from ten. As he reached six Seven reported that Icheb had been beamed directly to sickbay.     “Get us out of here,” Janeway said, “maximum-” The ship shuddered violently, cutting off her order.     A Borg sphere was on screen now, its tractor beam having caught both the transport and Voyager, and pulling them both towards an open hatch.     “Target their tractor beam generator,” Janeway said.     “I cannot get a clean shot with the Brunali transport in our firing arc,” Tuvok said.     “The sphere is hailing us,” Harry said. “I assume I can ignore.”     “Good call,” Janeway said. “Tuvok, target the transport, then-”     “Wait,” Seven of Nine said, “I have an idea. Transport a timed photon torpedo to the Brunali vessel. Set it detonate as soon as it’s inside the sphere.”

    “That will occur in approximately 20 seconds,” Tuvok said. “However, Voyager will be inside less than 3 seconds later.”

    “Tom, full reverse thrusters,” Janeway said. “It might buy us a few more seconds.” If they don’t burn out from the strain first, she thought. “Do it.”

    Janeway heard Seven manipulate the console behind her. A second later Seven began counting down.     “Tom, go to warp on my mark,” Janeway said. “All hands, brace for impact.”     Seven’s countdown ended and the viewscreen lit up as an explosion engulfed the sphere's opening. The tractor beam abruptly shut and Voyager lurched free as the shock wave hit them, knocking everyone off their stations and causing sparks to fly from consoles.

"Now, Mister Paris!"

Voyager leapt to warp speed, narrowly avoiding an even larger shockwave and explosion.     “The sphere is heavily damaged,” Tuvok said. “They are not pursuing.”     Janeway sighed. That was too close for comfort. She wondered briefly if they would’ve even had a chance had the Borg been what they once were before the degradation that Seven had theorized, but decided that that was too unpleasant a thought to contemplate and pushed it aside.     “Tom, put us back on course to the Alpha Quadrant.”

---

    Seven of Nine and Samantha Wildman held hands as they watched the Doctor continue his scans of a still unconscious Icheb. Seven had told Samantha that she had been right all along, but as she’d expected Sam took no pleasure in it. Seven had learned long ago, and today had only reinforced the concept, that being correct was not always the preferred outcome.

    “Did his parents reinfect him?” Sam asked after Seven filled her in on what they’d learned from Icheb’s parents before the rescue.     “No,” the Doctor said. “They merely sedated him. He was genetically engineered. I don’t know how I missed it before, but Icheb was not infected with the pathogen, his body produces it. He’s been producing it since birth.”     “That’s a terrifying thought,” Sam said, echoing Seven’s thoughts almost word for word. “Bred to kill Borg. How are we going to tell him?”     “We can worry about that when he wakes up,” Seven said to Sam. To the Doctor she said, “Is he in any danger?”     “I can suppress the pathogen. He’ll be fine, physically. He’s going to need help coming to terms with what happened. I’m afraid I don’t know what the standard psychological treatment for finding out your parents only conceived you to be used as a weapon of war is.”     “We’ll do our best,” Sam said. “We have to. We’re his family now.”     “Sam?” Seven said. “Are you sure-”     “Yes, I am,” Samantha said. “I know what I said before, but…” Seven nodded, remembering the conversation they’d had the day of the Voyager science fair.     “Perhaps,” Seven said, “knowing that he has a sister now will help soften the blow.”

---

    The next morning, Icheb was in astrometrics. but not working on astronomical phenomena this time. He had his genome and that of an ordinary Brunali male on the viewscreen, comparing them, when Seven of Nine and Noah Lessing walked in.     “Hey kid,” Lessing said, nodding politely. Icheb nodded politely in return. He hadn’t spoken to any of the Equinox survivors before. He wondered if they ever felt as out of place as he did right now, though based on what he’d heard from other Voyager crew members one of the other survivors such as Gilmore or Sofin would be the better one to speak with as Lessing largely kept to himself when he wasn’t on duty.

    “I did not realize you had already been cleared to leave sickbay,” Seven said. “I would’ve come to get you.”     “I wanted to have some time alone,” Icheb said.     Seven looked at the screen. “I was unaware you had an interest in genetics as well as astrophysics.”     “I do not know,” Icheb said. He felt embarrassed about the truth, but he said it anyway. “My parents said I might have an aptitude for it as well.”     “I see,” Seven said. “What have you learned?” He showed her the differences between the genomes that he had uncovered in his research, pointing out the changes his parents made to his to cause his body to produce the pathogen.

    “It is... ingenious,” he said, his scientific curiosity clashing with and overpowering the shame and anger he felt towards his parents.     “It is barbaric,” Seven said.     “They were trying to defend themselves,” Icheb said. “Their way of life. I do not believe they would’ve done something so, barbaric as you say, if they weren’t desperate.”     “Kid,” Lessing said, “take it from someone who knows. There are some lines that should never be crossed. Even in self-defense. My former Captain did that once. I went along with it. In the end, it got a lot of my friends killed.”     “I do not believe the situations are analogous,” Icheb said.     “Perhaps not,” Seven said. “But ultimately the decision whether or not to forgive your parents is up to you, and you alone.”

    “Do you?” Icheb said. “Forgive them?” Seven sighed.     “No,” she said. “And I do not believe I will any time in the foreseeable future. But as I said, your forgiveness is yours to give or not. It’s your decision.”     “Then they have it,” Icheb said. “I have no desire to hold a grudge.”     Seven didn’t say anything. She looked at the screen and back at Icheb.     “Very well,” she said. “However, if you wish to continue your research, genetics or astrophysics, you will need to do it elsewhere. Mister Lessing and I have work to do.”

    Icheb thought about it for a moment.     “Perhaps I will program the game of pala into the holodeck,” he said.

[voyagerafod]

Star Trek Voyager: A Fire of Devotion: Part 2 of 4: Louder Than Bells: Chapter Four

Chapter Four:

    After a month of not being allowed to take the Delta Flyer out for a spin, the now Ensign Tom Paris had been happy when he finally got the chance again, going on a mission with Tuvok and Samantha Wildman. A few days in however, he suddenly found himself missing the safety of his cell in the brig.

    “We’ve got another ion storm coming in,” he said, checking his sensors. “Great. We still haven’t gotten ourselves patched up from the last one. No way we’re making it back to Voyager today.”

    “I am never leaving the ship again,” Samantha said. “I get stranded by the Kazon, Naomi gets sick, dipshit weapons dealer nearly blows Seven’s hand off; every time I step off Voyager something bad happens.”

    “That is not wholly accurate,” Tuvok said. “I can recall with little effort at least two occasions where you were off Voyager, and nothing that could be described as negative occurred.”     “Yeah, two,” Samantha said. “That doesn’t disprove my point. Leaving that ship is just bad luck.”     “To be fair Sam,” Paris said, “it’s not like every day on Voyager herself is sunshine and bunnies.” He checked his console one more time to make sure the Flyer was stationary as trying to move during an ion storm only made it more dangerous. “We’ve got several minutes before it hits, better contact Naomi, let her know you’ll be delayed so she won’t worry.”

---

    Naomi Wildman beamed with pride as she left the holodeck, having quickly and triumphantly solved the problem presented her in the current Flotter chapter on the holodeck she was on, and she was looking forward to sharing her accomplishments with her mom. She wasn’t going to have to wait too long though, because the reason she’d left the holodeck when she did was because Neelix had called to let her know that her mother was contacting from the Delta Flyer, and that Neelix had set up a visual communications link in her quarters.

    Once she got there, Neelix simply stood back while Naomi sat at the table and looked at the screen. She’d asked where Seven of Nine was, but Neelix said that Seven was being kept busy on the bridge. Naomi thought it was kind of weird that her mom’s girlfriend wouldn’t be here, but figured maybe they’d talk later, and talk about the kind of grown up stuff she didn’t like being in the room for.     “Hi Mom,” she said.     “Hey sweetie,” Samantha replied. Naomi wasted no time in detailing how she’d helped the Flotter character make peace with a character named Trevis, even though deep down she knew that her mom probably knew these characters already since she’d also played in those holonovels as a kid.     “I can show you how I did it tomorrow when you get back,” Naomi said, finally finished. Her mother sighed as the static on the channel got worse.     “I’m sorry, Naomi, the away mission is taking longer than planned. It may be a few more days.”     “Days?” Naomi said, frowning.

    “‘Fraid so. But don’t worry, I’ll be bringing back some beautiful sillenite crystals for you and for Seven. Now I know what time it is there, so I want you to get ready for bed while I talk to Neelix, okay?”     “All right,” Naomi said, sadly, getting up to do as her mother told her. ---

    Neelix could tell even through the static that Samantha Wildman was putting on a brave face. As soon as Naomi went to her room to change, Neelix sat down.     “Samantha?” he said. “What’s wrong?”     “We got hit by an ion storm,” she said. “We took a beating, but I imagine it would be worse if we were in a regular shuttle.”     “How bad?”     “We’re trying to make repairs, but there’s another storm on the way.” The static got worse. Neelix saw Samantha look down. It was probably just as bad on her end too. “I need to go. Say goodnight to Naomi for me.”     “Of course,” Neelix said. “Do you want me to say anything to Seven of Nine as well, or-”     “I’m sure the Captain’s already briefed her on the situation. But thanks. The signal’s getting worse, I have to go.”     The screen went black. Neelix sighed. For a moment he considered telling Naomi the truth about why her mother was delayed, but decided against it. Samantha hadn’t said anything, probably not wanting Naomi to worry unnecessarily.     I won’t tell her yet, he thought. I just need to figure out when. Or maybe I’ll get lucky and Samantha, Tom, and Tuvok will all be home before it even becomes an issue.

-o-

    Neelix, along with the rest of the senior staff still on-board listened quietly in the briefing room as the static-marred mayday message from Tuvok played for them, the sound cutting out just after his voice told them that they were looking for an emergency landing site for the Delta Flyer.     “That was the last transmission we got from them,” Chakotay said. “We haven’t heard anything since. We’ve tried hailing them but they aren’t responding.”     “If they’re looking for a place to land,” the Doctor said, “it must be pretty bad.”     “Exactly what I was thinking,” B’Elanna said. “Can we pick them up on long range sensors?”

    “We lost their energy signature when the second ion storm hit,” Harry Kim said. “But we’ve triangulated the coordinates of the distress call. They’ve entered a planetary system about 0.6 light years from here. That’s the good news. The bad is that another ion storm blocking our path. It’s a level five.”     “Hmm,” Janeway said. “We’ve been through worse than a Level 5. And since Edwin’s shield reinforcements are still in place, we should be able to ride it out just fine. We’re not going to let a little bad weather get in the way of our rescue mission. Dismissed.”     “What should I tell Naomi?” Neelix said, speaking up for the first time since the briefing started. “Or should I tell her anything for that matter?”     Chakotay shrugged. “If you don’t feel comfortable handling that Neelix, perhaps I could help.”     “That won’t be necessary Commander,” Neelix said. “I know she needs to be told, and it probably should come from me. Except for her mother and maybe Seven of Nine, I’m closer to her than anyone. I’m just worried about how she’ll handle it.”     “Understandable,” Janeway said. “Look, just keep her occupied for awhile while we handle the rescue mission. If things go sideways, it’ll be my job to deliver the bad news.”     “This reminds me,” B’Elanna said. “Has anyone told Seven yet?”     “She’s aware of the Flyer’s damage from the first ion storm,” Harry said. “But us in this room are the only ones with the latest information. I’m sure she’ll handle it fine though. This is the woman who was able to save us all from a killer nebula, while in the middle of a nervous breakdown no less,” he added, referring to last year’s month-long period where all but Seven and the Doctor had to sleep in stasis tubes.     “This is different though,” Janeway said.     “How so?” Neelix said, wondering where the captain was going with this.     “It’s a matter of scale,” she said. “The larger the number of people in danger, the easier it is to detach and focus on the task at hand. There’s a huge difference between a hundred and twenty plus, and three. And when one of those three is someone you’re emotionally attached to…”     “I would remind you that my boyfriend is one of the people in danger,” B’Elanna said. “And I don’t see anyone worrying about me not being able to focus.”     “I’ve known you longer, I know I don’t need to,” Janeway said. “We’ve all gone through something like this before. But for Seven this is still new, she’s never had to perform with these kinds of stakes before.”

    “With all due respect Captain,” Harry said, “I think you’re selling her short. I’m confident Seven of Nine won’t let her connection to Sam cloud her judgement, and we’ll probably need her skills on this mission.”     “I agree,” Neelix said.     “Same here,” the Doctor said. Janeway shrugged.     “You’re probably right,” she said. “Harry, let her know the situation. Neelix, keep Naomi occupied, like I said. Everyone else, let’s start putting a rescue plan together.”

---

    Seven of Nine was slightly confused. When Janeway summoned her to the bridge and updated her on the Delta Flyer’s situation, Seven began to feel a sense of panic, not unlike the one she’d had weeks before when Edwin was allowing himself to die in sickbay. She couldn’t quite understand why though. The concern for Samantha, of course was natural, and she imagined that B’Elanna Torres felt much the same way about Tom Paris, whose life was also in danger aboard the Flyer. During her time on the ship however, the entire ship had been in danger more times than should have been statistically probable. By extension, Sam was in danger then too. Seven just could not discern what made this different.

    Maybe it’s because I helped design the shuttle, she found herself thinking as she went over schematics on a PADD that Harry had handed her. If I’d been more involved perhaps it wouldn’t be so badly damaged.     “Has Naomi been informed?” she asked Lieutenant Kim.     “Neelix is going to handle that,” Harry said. “but not just yet. I can’t blame him for being reluctant, no one wants to be the bearer of bad news.”     “Perhaps that is for the best,” Seven said. “I would offer to tell her myself, but as Sam as pointed out to me more than once I still require improvement in the, to use her words, ‘tact department.’”

    Harry chuckled at that. Seven had not intended the statement to be amusing, but she decided to keep that to herself.

    “I should probably steer clear of Naomi for the remainder of the operation,” she said. “If I see her she will likely ask me about the status of her mother, and much like Sam I do not like deceiving her.”     “You’ve had to lie to her before?” Harry said.     “Yes,” she said. Harry looked for a moment like he might ask for further details on that, but he didn’t, for which Seven was grateful as she would not have given him any. None of the falsehoods were large ones, it was simply a matter of there being things that Sam felt it was in Naomi’s best interest that she not know about until she was an adult. Seven was skeptical, but chose to defer to Samantha on the matter.

    What will I do if she doesn’t come back? she thought. She tried to push the intrusive thought aside, but it kept nagging at her quietly in the back of her mind, so she instead tried to focus harder on the information on her PADD, working to put together a rescue mission.

---

    As Tom Paris pushed the thrusters on the Delta Flyer to their limits, Samantha kept her focus on the console screen, trying to find somewhere, anywhere, to land the ship. With warp drive and even impulse engines off-line though, she knew they were only delaying the inevitable and that the ion storm was going to hit them.

    “And to think that being demoted and having to spend a month in the brig would end up not being the worst thing to happen to me this year,” she heard Paris mutter.     “The storm is throwing off my readings,” she said, “but there is definitely a big rock nearby, I just can’t find it.” The ship shuddered.     “The wave front is accelerating,” Tuvok said. “Less than two minutes to impact.”     “Great, so I’ve only got about thirty seconds to land this thing,” Tom said. “Samantha, I hate to rush you-”     “Got it,” she said, “Finally. I read a class-M atmosphere, and a benamite mantle.” She quickly transferred the distance and coordinates to Tom’s console.     “Benamite? I want to land this shuttle, not bury it,” he said as he turned the shuttle towards the planet which would hopefully protect them from more ion storms.     “Well, we could always just try to surf the ion storm,” Samantha snarked, her patience starting to waver as the shuddering got worse.     “We’ve entered the upper atmosphere,” Tuvok said a few seconds later. Samantha continued her scans.     “Nothing but impact craters and volcanoes,” she said, “this is not a good landing place.”     “The storm is closing,” Tuvok said. “Shields are already at maximum.”     “It’s gonna have to do,” Tom said. “So long as we don’t land in a volcano we should be fine.”     “Starboard thrusters are down,” Tuvok said.     “Damn,” Tom said. “This is just not my day.”     “We’re going in too fast,” Samantha said, finally starting to panic.     “Hang on!” Tom yelled.

    The ship shook violently, there were loud clanging noises, Samantha felt her head hit something, and her vision became fuzzy. She didn’t remember being unconscious, but when she opened her eyes, she saw that she’d been moved from where she’d been sitting, and she was very, very sore.

    “Wha-what happened?” she said, touching a sore spot on her head, and seeing blood on the tips of her fingers.     Tom was scanning her with a medical tricorder. Samantha found herself glad that he had agreed to be trained as a field medic.     “We made it. -ish,” Tom said. “The Delta Flyer’s first real planetary landing wasn’t exactly an auspicious one. We’re three kilometers under the surface. At least our primary hull is still in one piece.”     “Wish I felt the same way,” Samantha said.     “You’ll be okay,” Tom said. “Minor fractures, a concussion, nothing I can’t handle.”     “You’re a better nurse than you are a liar, Ensign,” Samantha grunted and clutched her side, which was hurting worse now.     Tom closed the medical tricorder and sighed. “You have a punctured kidney,” he said. “You need surgery.”     Samantha nodded.     “I have transmitted another distress call,” Tuvok said. “So far, no response.”     “I’ve got to talk to Naomi,” Samantha said, feeling scared. “And Annie. My girls, they’ll be so worried about me.”

    “Conserve your strength, Ensign,” Tuvok said. “Mr. Paris and I have the situation under control.”

    “Sam, I’m going to give you a mild sedative and something for the pain, okay?” Tom said, holding up a hypospray. Samantha nodded. She felt a little woozy after Tom applied the hypospray, but she could still hear him and Tuvok as they discussed their situation. Were she not drugged, it might’ve made her panic more.     “Any chance we could abandon ship and walk out of here?” Tom said.     “Unlikely,” Tuvok said. “We’re far too deep underground, and the cavern behind us has filled up with fluorine gas.”     “Seriously?” Tom said, sounding incredulous. “Fluorine? How did it not all ignite when we crashed?”     “Unknown,” Tuvok admitted.     Samantha, not wanting to fall asleep, tried to remember everything she could about fluorine gas and had to agree with Tom. That type of gas was so reactive water would ignite it, and now there was a huge cave full of it right behind them.     Three ion storms in one day, a crash landing, and surrounded by a gas that can explode if you look at it wrong. Welcome to the worst day of my life, she thought.

    “Our best option,” she heard Tuvok say, “is to wait for Voyager.”

-o-

    Naomi kept thinking about how her mom hadn’t contacted her in awhile, how Seven of Nine seemed to be avoiding her, and how nervous Neelix seemed to be. Something was going on, and no one was telling her and it was making her mad enough that nothing the Doctor was telling her about botany was registering.

    The Doctor was saying something about organelles when Naomi finally just said what was on her mind.     “My Mom was supposed to call me today. Why hasn’t she?”     The Doctor paused for a moment.     “Well,” he said, “she’s probably just busy.” The Doctor was still smiling like he was when he was giving his lessons, but Naomi felt something was a little off with the smile, like it was there just to make her feel better. “Now let’s have a little look at the cell wall,” the Doctor said, tapping a button on the console screen in front of her.

    “Can we try to call her?” she said. The Doctor didn’t answer right away.     “Well,” he started to say but was interrupted when the door to sickbay opened. “Neelix, so happy to see you,” the Doctor said. Neelix seemed surprised at that.     “Um, okay,” Neelix said. “I was just coming by to pick up Naomi. We’re going to do another Flotter story on the holodeck today. I’m not too early am I?”     “I was just asking the Doctor if we could call Mom on the Delta Flyer,” Naomi said. Neelix sighed. He looked at the Doctor, who nodded and stepped into his office, leaving her and Neelix alone.     “I should have said something sooner,” Neelix said. Naomi suddenly felt very nervous. “The Delta Flyer got hit pretty bad by some ion storms and had to land on a planetoid to make repairs. We can’t talk to them right now because of the damage. I’m sure you’re scared right now, and it’s okay to be scared, but I want you to know that everyone is doing everything they can to make sure the Flyer and everyone on it comes home safe. Okay?”     Naomi didn’t say anything. She just sat there. She did feel a little scared, like Neelix said she would, but she was also mad. Mad at him for not telling her right away that her mom was in trouble, mad at her mother for not saying she was in trouble the last time she called, mad at ion storms…

She got out of her chair and just left sickbay. Neelix followed her, asking her if she was okay but she just ignored him. She wanted to go somewhere where she could feel safe, so she went to holodeck one and activated the Flotter program. When Neelix tried to follow her in she just yelled “No!” at him and asked the computer to seal the door. She walked as far as the nearest tree, which wasn’t very far since the simulation was of a forest, leaned against it, and cried.

---

Seven of Nine worked at her console in the astrometrics lab. She was concerned for Sam, but she wasn’t allowing her fear to cloud her judgement. If pressed, she would have to admit that she just didn’t know if she could emotionally handle losing her, but that was all the more reason not to be reckless. She imagined that being allowed to work on the rescue mission played a large part, if not the largest, in helping maintain her calm.

“Computer, switch to polythermal imaging and enhance resolution,” she said. As she said so she heard the door open behind her. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Neelix enter.     “Do you require assistance, Neelix?” she said.     “Maybe. I’m worried about Naomi,” Neelix said. He sighed, then added, “I messed up. I should’ve told her sooner, but I didn’t and I think waiting only made it worse.”     “How much did you tell her?” Seven said.     “Not much, just that the Flyer was in trouble and had to land. I didn’t tell her it crashed though.”     “I’ve found that Naomi is more clever and resilient than many on board Voyager give her credit for. She may well be angry that she wasn’t informed sooner about her mother’s situation, but I doubt that will hold for long. She will understand that you were only trying to protect her.”     “I could’ve done a better job of it, but thanks anyway Seven. Since she knows now, maybe you should talk to her before going down there to join the rescue team. She noticed how you weren’t saying much to her the past few days.”     “I will do that. Currently I am mapping the caverns around the crash site.” Seven stopped, and looked up from her console. “Do you have any experience mapping caverns, Neelix?”     “Not using technology like this, but I see where you’re going with that. Just tell me which buttons to push and I’ll keep the program going while you talk to Naomi.”     “Thank you,” Seven said. She gave Neelix a pat on the shoulder, a reassuring gesture that Samantha had done for her on numerous occasions. “If it is any consolation, the fact that you are willing to admit you were in error means you are unlikely to make a similar mistake in the future.”

“It doesn’t make me feel much better, Seven,” Neelix said. “but thanks for trying anyway. I suppose it’s a good thing I’m only a godparent and not a real parent.”     “That is not for me to say,” Seven said. As she started to leave, her comm badge chirped.     “Commander Chakotay to Seven of Nine.”     “Yes, Commander,” Seven said.     “Rescue Team Alpha needs that data,” Chakotay said, his voice suggesting urgency. Seven sighed. “I will meet you at the transporter site.” She closed the communication and turned to Neelix. “I don’t think I’m going to have time to talk to Naomi after all. Keep looking after her Neelix. She’ll need someone to talk to once the initial shock has worn off, if it hasn’t already.”

“Okay. And Seven? Bring them home.”     “I intend to.”

---

    “Ready, Tuvok?” Tom said.     “Ready,” Tuvok said. Samantha heard much of what was going on since the crash, but wasn’t sure what they were ready for. She had been drifting in and out of consciousness the whole time since they’d crashed, and the painkillers Tom was giving her were still working but they were also making it hard to focus.

    “Cross your fingers,” she heard Tom say. He reached into an open panel, touched something, and something on the panel up at the front where Tuvok was seated sparked.     “Damn,” Tom grunted.     “The magnetic relays have overloaded,” Tuvok said.     “We’d better find another way to polarize this hull, or Voyager’s sensors won’t be able to pick us up,” Tom said.     “Do not give up hope,” Tuvok said. “Probability of rescue is admittedly low, but it is not statistically impossible.”     “Comforting,” Tom said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.     “If we don’t make it,” Samantha said softly, “who’s going to look after Naomi?”     “The most likely outcome would be that Neelix and Seven of Nine would share that responsibility,” Tuvok said. “That is, of course, assuming we do not get rescued, which you should not rule out.”     Samantha scoffed, followed by a wince as the pain in her side flared up again.     “Our ship has Borg enhanced sensors and they still haven’t found us yet. If my honey’s tech can’t find us-”     “I’d hate to be the one who gives Seven the order to abandon the search,” Tom said under his breath, not realizing that Samantha could hear him.     “Shut up, Tom,” she said.     “Sorry,” he replied, looking embarrassed.     “You are concerned for your daughter, this is understandable,” Tuvok said. “I would remind you however that I am also a parent. My youngest child has been without her father for four years. Yet I am certain of her well-being. Your child will likewise survive and prosper, no matter what becomes of us.”     “He’s right,” Tom said, the first time she’d heard him say anything to or about Tuvok that wasn’t dripping with sarcasm since the crash. “There’s not a sentient on Voyager that wouldn’t take a phaser blast for that kid and you know it.”     Samantha felt tears well up, but not from the pain.

“Thank you,” she said.

---

    Seven of Nine walked around the cavern with her tricorder out, trying to learn everything she could about the cavern they were in. She, along with Chakotay, Joe Carey, and the rest of Rescue Team Alpha had found a piece of one of the Delta Flyer’s nacelles. While Chakotay informed the captain, Seven put together the data she collected. The cavern ahead of them had collapsed, but there was a hull signature behind the debris. She almost smiled, certain that not only had Sam and the others been found but they were likely alive, albeit trapped. Trapped however was preferable to dead under the majority of circumstances.

    Soon the other rescue teams were there, as were the phaser drills. She continued scanning as the drills operated, making sure that the activity didn’t cause another cave-in that would kill them as well. As progress was made, Seven was able to get more information in her tricorder about the cavern ahead of them, including the composition of the gas…     “Oh no,” she uttered before yelling at the team to stop the drills.     “What is it?” Carey asked. She handed him her tricorder.     “Fluorine gas,” she said. “If we pierce the final layer with a phaser it will ignite, destroying the cave, the Delta Flyer, and us with it.”     “Son of a bitch,” Carey said. “How did that even happen?”     “We could name this whole solar system after Murphy’s Law,” Chakotay said in exasperation. “We can’t just give up and leave them there, but long range sensors show yet another ion storm coming which would likely cause another cave in cutting off all hope.”     “Another ion storm?” Seven said, not even hiding the shock in her voice. Ion storms were not a rare thing in the galaxy, but for a single star system to have four of them, four of massive size, in less than an Earth standard week was so ridiculous that she felt like punching something, regardless of the fact that doing so would accomplish approximately nothing.     “Beaming through rock isn’t impossible,” Carey said. “It’s the amount that’s keeping us from getting our people out of there. Maybe if we keep drilling, but stop just before we reach where the gas is-”     “Except the transporter beam would likely ignite the gas as well,” Seven said.     “Possible,” Carey admitted. “But I don’t have any other ideas.”

    “Nor do I,” Seven admitted.     “Alright,” Chakotay said. “you two try to come up with a way to bleed that gas out of the cave without igniting it. But work fast. We’ve got a few hours at best before the Captain gives the order to abort the mission.”

-o-

    Inside the Delta Flyer, Tom Paris was recording a goodbye message for B’Elanna. Samantha didn’t want to eavesdrop, but it was difficult giving how she couldn’t move, and the ship, while larger on the inside that a standard shuttlecraft, just didn’t have enough room for there to be much in the way of private space. Tuvok was writing out his message to his family on a PADD. Sam wasn’t sure which way she was going to go with that just yet, or even if she should bother. Would anyone ever see or hear my last words anyway? she thought.

    “Warning. Life support has fallen to critical levels,” the computer said, cutting off Tom mid-sentence.     “Don’t mind the computer, she’s just jealous that I’m spending my last few moments talking to you. So long,” Tom said. As he hit the button to end recording, Samantha let out a bitter laugh.     “There are men who can’t say ‘I love you.’ And Tom Paris is their God-king,” she said.     “Do you really want to spend your final moments on the mortal coil being a smart ass, Sam?” Tom said, though there was no real anger to speak of in his voice, just resignation. She believed he didn’t really care how she spoke to him at the end, just that he was used to being the one to come back with a quip, so why stop now.

    “I’m sorry,” she said, and she meant it. She chalked up this uncharacteristic pettiness to the slowly fading sedatives and painkillers in her system. Tom had offered her more as there was still several doses worth in the Flyer’s medkit, but she refused. She did not want to be doped up when she made her own goodbye message, which she finally decided would be a visual one, like Tom’s. With Tom’s helping her up since she still couldn’t walk, she got into the chair and started the recording.     “Computer, encode message for delivery to Naomi Wildman, and Seven of Nine.”     “Acknowledged,” the computer said.     “Hi,” she said. “I know you’re both feeling very sad right now but I want you to listen to me very carefully, okay? First of all, I love you. Both of you. Naomi, I am so proud of you. How smart you are, how funny, how kind, how determined to learn new things. You are going to grow up to do extraordinary things. And you listen to Seven of Nine and to Neelix, they’ll be taking care of you now.

“Seven, Annika, I know that this will be harder on you than anyone. But don’t let it stop you from continuing to explore your humanity. Don’t be afraid to keep learning new things, about other organics and about yourself. Don’t use me as anchor. Mourn for however long you feel is right, but if another girl comes along who makes your heart beat faster the way I did, don’t pass on that chance.” Samantha stopped talking for a moment, wiping tears out of her eyes.     “Goodbye, Naomi. Goodbye, Annika Hansen. I love you both, so much.”     “Warning. Oxygen depletion in ten minutes,” the computer said just before Sam ended the recording.

Sam heard a sniff, and turned to see Tom Paris wiping his eyes.     “Okay, I want a do-over,” he said.

---

    Neelix walked onto the holodeck, the forest from the Flotter stories still smoldering from when the trees had been burned in the last chapter. From what he knew of the story there was at least one way, if not more, to restore it, but it appeared that Naomi had not done so yet. He considered for a moment that maybe she just hadn’t figured out how, but realized that far more likely was she wasn’t even trying. She was probably too upset about everything that was going on with her mother and the Delta Flyer.

    “Naomi?” he called out.     “Go away!” Trevis, a character from the holonovel yelled at him. The anthropomorphized tree looked as angry as his voice suggested he was, though if it was at him or at the fact that he was still partially smoldering he wasn’t sure.     “She doesn’t want to talk to you,” Trevis continued.     So he’s mad at me then, Neelix thought. Can’t say I blame him.

    “You lied,” another voice said. Neelix saw Flotter, a water elemental type character,  standing just behind and the to the right of Trevis.     “I thought you were vaporized,” Neelix said.     “Naomi re-liquified me. Now leave!”

    Neelix sighed. He didn’t have time for this, so he told the computer to delete the characters.     “Unable to comply,” the computer’s voice said. “Holodeck controls have been encoded.”     “Great, probably something Seven taught her,” Neelix said. “Look, Flotter, Trevis, I know I made a mistake. I should’ve told her sooner. That’s why I’m here to apologize, to try and make things right.”

    “I wonder if the liar can swim,” Flotter said.     “We could always hang him from one of my branches,” Trevis said.     Good gods who wrote this thing? Neelix thought. This is supposed to be for children.     “Naomi,” Neelix called out. “Please let me talk to you.”     “It’s okay,” he heard Naomi’s voice say. She stood from behind the fallen tree she’d been hiding behind.     “You be nice,” Trevis said.     “No more lying,” Flotter said, pointing a finger in Neelix’s face. Neelix walked around the two characters and went and sat next to Naomi.     “Is my mother dead?” she asked, not looking him the eye.     “We don’t know,” Neelix said. “The rescue operation is still going on.”     “What happened?”     “The Flyer was hit by an ion storm. They tried to land on the planet below us to do repairs, but crashed.”     “I saw debris. Fires. A crater.” Neelix noticed that Naomi still wasn’t looking at him when she talked, like she couldn’t bear to look at him after he’d kept her mother’s situation from her.     “But not the hull. Until we know for sure, I am not giving up on them being alive. Seven of Nine hasn’t, she’s down there helping with the rescue effort right now.”     “Do you really think they might find her?”     “Yes, I do. Your mother has Tom Paris and Tuvok with her, and they’ve survived worse than a shuttle crash before.”     “How do I know you’re telling me the truth this time?”     Neelix thought about it for moment.     “I never told you this before, but when I was younger, I lost my mother. My whole family. There was a war, and they died.”     “Who started it?” Naomi said, looking at him now.

    “It doesn’t really matter,” Neelix said, not wanting to admit that his people had been the aggressors. “Not anymore. Either way, it was still the worst thing that ever happened to me. I wanted to tell you the truth, but every time I came close, I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. I don’t know if I was protecting you, or myself. I let you down Naomi, and I am so sorry.”     “Why didn’t Seven tell me? She loves my mom, why didn’t she tell me?”     “Seven is still learning about what it’s like to be human,” Neelix said. “I don’t think she was ready for that kind of responsibility, having to be the one to tell a child that their parent was in danger. So she just stayed focus on the rescue effort. I think it helped her stay sane. Though I imagine she’s as scared as you are.”

    Naomi reached out and touched Neelix’s hand. Neelix was sure she was about to say she forgave him, but the ship suddenly shuddered.     “All hands to emergency stations,” Janeway's voice said over the comm. “The approaching ion storm has just upgraded to level eight.”     “Ion storm? What’s that?” Flotter said.

---

    “Level eight? What the hell is wrong with this star system?” Joe Carey shouted when the rescue team in the cavern received the call from the captain.     “No, no, no,” Seven muttered. Progress on the rescue had been slow, but they were so close, she just knew it, even though the data on her tricorder told her it was even odds at this point. For the first time since she’d heard about the Delta Flyer’s troubles several days ago, Seven of Nine crossed the line from fear for her girlfriend’s safety into full blown anxiety. Her hand shook, unwanted visions of Samantha being crushed by kilotons of rock filled her mind, and she was pretty sure she was about to cry.

    “Just a few more meters,” Chakotay told the captain over his comm badge.     “When that storm hits, your cavern is going to destabilize,” Janeway said. “You’ve got six minutes, make the most of it.”     “All right,” Chakotay said. “Keep going, we’ve almost cleared enough rock to be able to beam the whole shuttle out through the rock.”     “But we haven’t been able to clear the fluorine gas yet,” B’Elanna said.     “We’ll have to risk it,” Chakotay said. “It’s that or we lose them for good to another cave-in.”     “I swear, it’s like this system is cursed,” B’Elanna said.     “I was thinking the exact same thing,” Carey said.     “Focus,” Seven snapped at them. Rather than getting mad at her as they usually did when she was so curt, they did as she asked. She actually felt bad for having yelled at them, but this task was just too important. She made a mental note to apologize later, once Samantha was safe and sound.

---

    “Warning. Oxygen depletion in two minutes,” the computer said.     “You know, I think I’m just gonna turn that damn thing off. I don’t need a stopwatch running on my impending death,” Tom said.

    “In accepting the inevitable,” Tuvok said, “one finds peace.”     “Yeah, I suppose you’re right. I guess this isn’t how I figured it would all end.”     “Did you envision perhaps a more heroic death?”     “Yeah, why not? Why not go out like Captain Kirk, saving the Enterprise-B and a bunch of refugees from an anomaly? Or Captain Garrett, paving the way for peace with the Klingon Empire by going down fighting against the Romulans? I can think of worse ways to go.”     “Like bleeding out from your kidneys?” Samantha coughed out.     Tom was debating whether to not to reply to that, considering that he didn’t want to risk the last words Samantha Wildman ever heard would be sarcastic ones, when he heard a sound that it took him a second to recognize. When he did, he laughed.     “They did it,” he said after laughing. “They found us. Those are phaser noises, I’d recognize them anywhere!”

---

    Seven of Nine and the rest of the team was beamed aboard just seconds after the Delta Flyer had been beamed to the shuttle bay with the aid of pattern enhancers. Seven did not wait to be dismissed before just dropping her gear on the pad and running, heading for the shuttle bay. When she got there, she saw Ensign Brooks helping Tom Paris step down. He looked a little dizzy and clearly needed the ensign’s help staying upright, but appeared otherwise unharmed, Tuvok climbing out of the shuttle right behind him.     “Sam?” she said. Tom looked at her.     “We had to have her beamed directly to sickbay,” he said. “She needed surgery for internal bleeding. I’m sure the Doc-”     Seven didn’t wait for Tom to finish. She slapped her comm badge so hard it nearly fell off.     “Seven of Nine to Naomi Wildman, meet me outside sickbay,” she said, running again, and nearly knocking over several crewmen as she made her way to sickbay. When she got there, Naomi was already outside, and Neelix was with her. The latter leaning against the bulkhead while the former was pacing until she spotted Seven.     Without saying a word, Naomi ran to her, wrapping her arms around her.     “Is she…” Seven said, but couldn’t bring herself to finish the question.     “The Doctor told us to wait outside,” Naomi said, trying not to sob as she spoke. Seven couldn’t blame her. “Seven, it’s okay that you didn’t tell me Mom was in trouble. I know you were scared. I’m scared too.”     “I’m sorry,” Seven said. “I was so focused on bringing Sam home I didn’t think about what was happening to you.”     “I’m sure she’ll be fine,” Neelix said. “She was still conscious when they beamed her on board. That has to be a good sign, right?”     “I believe it is,” Seven said, though she had to admit she wasn’t one hundred percent sure of that. The three of them waited outside in the hall, moving to let people past them when they had to but mainly waiting quietly. When the quiet got to be too much for Seven, she started to ask Naomi about how her holonovels were going, when the door to sickbay opened. The Doctor stood there, smiling.     “Naomi, Seven, you can come in. Mr. Neelix should wait out here so as not to crowd her.”     “No problem,” Neelix said, smiling himself. Seven followed behind Naomi, who quickly ran into her mother’s arms. Seven moved more slowly, not wanting to interrupt the reunion. When Sam saw her, she reached out an arm and motioned for Seven to join them in a group hug, which she did gladly.     “Good to see you again, Annie,” Sam whispered in her easy.     “Likewise,” Seven said.     “I think it goes without saying,” Sam said, “that I am never getting in a shuttle ever again.”     Seven of Nine, for the first time in what had felt like an eternity, laughed.