The BLTS Archive - Messiah
by Sforzie (Sforziesforzichu@yahoo.com) or (shelly@camcomp.com)

---

Okay, this is a good summary of the beginning of "The Q and the
Grey", with parts deleted and changed where needed.  Many thanks to
James Wright who wrote the original review.  He already said I could
use it.  Thanks Jim!  Read this summary before going on to the real
story.  This is just will help you not be confused.  Okay?  Okay.
Enjoy!  And some of this is silly, not my doing, but it's okay. Yeah.
By the way, standard disclaimer, Paramount owns this all, but guess
what, I'm playing.

---

Space...the peep show of the universe.  In the silent vacuum of
infinity, a star went supernova.  Less than ten billion kilometers
away, the  crew of the Starship Voyager  applauded enthusiastically.
It was a banner  event.  Only two other Starship crews had witnessed
supernovae live, and none  as close as Voyager.

Janeway wanted to get right to work, but Chakotay noticed her rubbing
her neck and falling asleep in mid-sentence, and ordered her to bed.
She  left the bridge in the able and manly hands of her first officer
(who  didn't offer her a neck rub this time).

Janeway returned to her quarters.  But they sure didn't look like her
quarters.  They looked like the Motel 6 Honeymoon Suite.  Soft Muzak,
red roses, lit candles surrounded a bed of red satin sheets with two
heart-shaped pillows, dimmed lights, windows unshaded to reveal the
stars, ten-credit champagne, the telltale scent of Brut.

"Janeway to bridge, intruder alert!" she called into her  commbadge.

"There's no need to call room service, Kathy.  I've already ordered."
A familiar figure stepped from the shadow of the anteroom.

"Oh, Q!" she whispered hoarsely.  She buried her face in her hands.
She repeated the Intruder Alert order.

"I've taken the proverbial phone off the hook.  After all...we don't
want any interruptions."  They stood on opposite sides of the bed.  He
had  on his best puppy-dog face.

"What are you doing here?"

Q raised a toast.  "To us."

"There is no us, Q," Janeway snarled.

"The night is young, and the sheets are satin," he purred.

"I want you out, but first get rid of this bed."

"I have no intention of getting between those Starfleet-issue sheets.
They give me a terrible rash." He pouted the response.

"Since you won't be getting in the bed, I wouldn't worry about  it."

"Oh, Kathy, don't be such a prude!  Admit it! It has been a  while..."

"And it's going to be a while longer.  Now get out!"

"So tense!  Why don't you slip into something more comfortable."
There was a  flash of light, and Janeway's Starfleet uniform was
replaced by  her pink satin nightgown.  Janeway looked down at herself
in a mixture of shock and disgust.

"If you think that this puerile attempt at seduction is going to work,
you're even more self-deluded than I thought!"  She turned her back on
him.  He grabbed her arm and pulled her into an off-balance Tango dip.

She looked up at him, he down to her, their eyes locking in mortal
combat.

"Oh, I see; you think I'm interested in some tawdry one-night stand.
That's because I haven't told you why I'm here yet!  Of all the
females of all the species in all the galaxies...I have chosen you to
be the mother of my child."

Her mouth dropped open in shock.

She had to scramble out from underneath his omnipotent pawing.
"Augh!" she said in disgust as she headed for the other room. Q
lounged on the foot of the bed, kicking his heels lazily.  "I know
that you're probably asking yourself, 'Why would a brilliant,
handsome, dashingly omnipotent being like Q want to mate with a
scrawny little bipedal specimen like me?"

"Let me guess!  No one else in the universe will have you!" Janeway
called from the other room.  Q sprang from the bed in mock outrage,
and rushed to the doorway where his twue wuv awaits.

"Nonsense!  I could have chosen a Klingon Targ!  A Romulan empress! A
Cyrillian microbe!"

Janeway appeared wearing a Q-proof bathrobe.  "Really?  I beat out a
single-celled organism?  How flattering!"  She tried to get past him,
but he blocked the doorway with his arm.

"It's an overwhelming honor isn't it?" He said, missing (or ignoring)
the sarcasm.  	"I can't get you out of my mind," he rasped.  "You're
confident, passionate, beautiful..."

"And totally uninterested." She snuck under his arm and escaped into
her room.  He pursued.

"Kathy, you can't leave!  My cosmic clock...is ticking.  Besides...you
have no idea what you're missing!  Foreplay with a Q can last for
decades."

"Sorry, but I'm busy for the next 60 or 70 years!" she said, ducking
away from his advances yet again.

"Oh, I see, this is one of those silly human rituals!  You're playing
hard to get!"

"As far as you're concerned, Q, I'm impossible to get."

His face lit up.  "Goody!  A challenge!  This is going to be fun!"  He
snapped his fingers, and the captain's quarters returned to their
previous monastic condition.

Janeway ensured that all was as it was supposed to be, and then hailed
the bridge.  She told Chakotay of Q's visit, sparing details, and told
the crew to be on their guard for anything unusual. Chakotay asked
what his purpose was, concerned.  "Let's just say he had a personal
request," Janeway said coyly.  "I have a feeling he'll be back."

The next morning, Janeway sat at her desk in her ready room, poring
over reports, and yawning her way through her sixth pot of coffee.
Chakotay rang, bearing the data from yesterday's supernova.  She took
it without even looking at him.  He didn't leave immediately, and she
broke out of whatever she had been thinking about.

"Is there something else?" she muttered distractedly.  He asked for
details of Q's visit, knowing he wa's being nosy, but unable to
resist.  "He wants to mate with me," she finally said, and Chakotay
seethed. "Of course it's out of the question," she added; she figured
Q has some hidden agenda he hasn't bothered to reveal yet.  She sensed
Chakotay's reaction, stood and placed a hand on his arm.  "Oh,
Chakotay..." she said, peering intently into his eyes, her hand still
welded to his arm.

"I know I don't have any right to feel this way, but this bothers the
hell out of me," he said.

"I do believe you're jealous," Q remarked, for once appearing
silently.  "Why didn't you tell me there was another man?" he
demanded.  Janeway  and Chakotay looked at him, caught in the intimate
moment.

"Because there isn't," Janeway responded, as she and Chakotay broke
contact.  Chakotay fell on the ground in a puddle of rejection. "I'm
just not interested in you."   Chakotay managed to add, "any
questions?"

Q insulted Chakotay, and asked what she could possibly see in the big
oaf.  "Is it the tattoo?  Because MINE'S BIGGER!"  He turned his face,
the left half of which was now completely covered in elaborately
detailed facial art, intended to emulate but surpass Chakotay's own.
(How...wilderness of him.)

Janeway considered him.  "Not big enough," she sniffed, then exited
for the bridge with the upper hand.  Chakotay stayed a moment longer,
as  if to say something (tattoo envy?) But eventually followed the
captain,  leaving Q with ink on his face, thinking furiously.

*Chakotay called from the bridge. Janeway said she was on her way,
and told Q and Miss Q (who happened to be bothering her at the time)
to take their squabbled off her ship.

Janeway enters the bridge, followed by the two Q's.  Chakotay told the
Captain that there were two more supernovae building up, far nearer to
their position than before.  Too close, in fact, to warp away from.
Janeway ordered Paris to get them out of there at maximum impulse, but
they knew it was too late to avoid some serious stellar debris.

Janeway advanced on Q.  "One supernova every century is about average.
We've experienced three in as many days.  I suspect you have something
to do with it."  Suzie Q piped in from her vantage point at the edge
of the bridge, posing like the Venus de Continuum (with arms).

"She may be a member of an intellectually challenged species, but
she's right.  Your irresponsible behavior is continuing to have cosmic
consequences."  Janeway asked if it was true.

"Not exactly."

He frowned as he regarded Suzie Q.  "Will you stop overreacting?
Always nagging; you can see why I left her."  The shockwaves from the
supernovae were coming in.  Janeway demanded that Q do something.  He
snapped his fingers, and he and Janeway disappeared.

"That two-timing toad!" Suzie Q shouted, then snapped her own fingers
and disappeared. Okay, in this version, she's gone for GOOD!  Okay.

Voyager was rocked, tossed, folded, spindled and mutilated in the wake
of exploding suns.  Janeway found herself in hoop skirts and her hair
up,  in an elegant sitting room.  Q entered wearing the uniform of a
Union general.  "You're in the Continuum now," he said.  The current
image is far more expressive of the Continuum at the moment.  He, the
dashing Northern officer, seeking the hand of the testy Southern belle
in war-torn Georgia (yah, hadda keep that bit, my home state), despite
her hatred for "Yankee interlopers."

Janeway was concerned about her ship and crew.  Q said that the first
officer--Chuckles, was it?--surely could handle the situation for now.

He was still bantering, but his mood seemed more somber, though subtly
so at first.  "This is beyond your ship.  It's even beyond you and me.
This is about the future of the Continuum itself."  He poured  himself
a mint julep.

Janeway ran at him--not an easy task in full Southern Belle regalia.
She demanded to know what's going on.

"I'll do better than that...I'll show you."  He opened the shutters
to reveal the horizon of night.  Bonfires and gunfire lit it with a
surreal glow. "The Continuum is burning," he said, all trace of irony
gone.  "The Q  are in the middle of a civil war."

Janeway's mouth stayed shut, but her silent expression belied her
third shock of the episode. As Janeway stared out the window, Q
reminded her of Quinn, the Q philosopher who sought asylum and
committed suicide.

"Do you recall what I said would happen?"  Janeway remembered; a
disruption in the Continuum, dire consequences.  "I'd say a civil war
is pretty dire."

Q himself had led the charge for greater freedom in the Continuum,
more of what Quinn had argued for, causing the forced for the status
quo to seek to squash them permanently.  The battle spread throughout
the Continuum, and even spread into the galaxy--the Supernovae are
"galactic crossfire."  Q also thought that the Civil War could be a
good thing--it could pave the way for a greater Q society.

Janeway argued that the American Civil War was fought before her
people had learned to resolve their arguments peacefully.  Q wanted
her to help him transform the Q.

"By mating with you?"

"I know; brilliant, isn't it?"  Janeway still didn't see how it will
accomplish things, but Q  explained.  By combining the omnipotence of
the Q with the civilized DNA of  humanity, he believed they could
produce a better breed of Q--bred for peace,  and wider understanding,
and capable of leading the Continuum to a new and greater age.

Janeway was still confused, but the passions of Q's argument did seem
to be making her think about his arguments.  She had her questions,
but for now she listened as Q suggested their fruitful union would
give rise to a new Messiah of Q, a Q of peace and intellect and
enlightened immortality. (That was the important line, go read it
again.)

The window exploded.

They ducked.

Q ended up on top of her.  He  asked her what she thought.  A bullet
(or whatever in the Continuum was represented by a bullet) ricocheted
around the room, and Q collapsed, a bloody wound in his right forearm.
Q and Janeway were equally shocked at the sight of the blood.

The room continued to erupt in hot leaden death. Aboard Voyager,
electric death sparked from panels and access hatches.  Crewmen lay
unconscious or worse. But the cast members whose names we know are
okay, and they were quickly up and barking status and damage reports.
Warp was down, and they were 16 billion kilometers away from where
they were before.  Chakotay wanted answers, but few were to be had.
They were forced to wait.

Q continued to bleed.

"I didn't think you were capable of bleeding," Janeway said.

"They're merely a representation of what is actually happening," he
said.  "You'd be surprised at the ingenuity of an immortal being bent
on destroying another."

The Q outside the house ordered his surrender.

Q limped, bleeding, to the window, and swore never to surrender and
fired back.  He told Janeway to grab a rifle from the wall and join
in.  "If their weapons can make me bleed, imagine what they'll do to
you."

The room exploded; Q was hurled to the ground, unconscious.

Janeway rushed to his side and helped him out of the room.

Night fell.  "Shenandoah" played on a lone harmonica (among the Union
soldiers?  Feh!)  Janeway brought a cloth with hot water to the supine
Q, who was more hurt than originally believed.  She pointed out that
she encountered some of Q's faction as they were fleeing the
homestead.  "It doesn't look like you're on the winning side."

"And now it's time to end all this," she told him.

"I knew you'd come around," he said, his voice hopeful.

"I've been thinking about what you said," she added. "That creating a
new Q will bring about an era of peace.  But I can't mate with you Q,
I won't," she said.

But why?"

This is where the train stops, folks.  Time to get on and read the
first part of "Messiah".  It starts where this left off.

---

This story takes place in what should be considered an alternate time
line or alternate universe.  Its a different version to the ending of
"The Q and the Grey".  If you haven't seen the episode, you might be a
bit confused, but the story really has little to do with that episode.
There's not much in the way of spoilers in this, so don't worry your
pretty little heads too greatly.

I've  gotten a good response from the folks who have read it thus far,
so I am  posting it.  After all, I did write this story just for you
folks.  It couldn't be used anywhere else.  Some people who have asked
what I'm working on just don't understand the things one will do for
the entertainment of their community.  Like lighting their butts on
fire and running around screaming "The Tribbles are coming the
Tribbles are coming!".  Yes, I'd do that.  This isn't quite along
those lines, but, oh well, you get the point....

And another thing.  There is quite a bit of sap in this story, so
bring your gloves.  The pages might start sticking together in places.
I may not really enjoy reading it in every story, but somehow it
always ends up in mine. :)

All comments and stuff are welcome, really.  I'd like to know what my
community thinks... even if you hated it, this time, I want to know.
I guess this can be considered my first short novel.

DISCLAIMER: PARAMOUNT IS GOD!  THEY OWN EVERYTHING TO STAR TREK EXCEPT
FOR THE COOL STUFF THAT I ADD.  This story and the twisting it
involves are MINE.

And so here it is (drumroll please, thanks Doug) .. the much long
awaited story that has taken me months to write and fret over
(kinda)... the new ending you've all been waiting for to "The Q and
the Grey"....it feels so good to be posting this.... <Insert trumpet
fanfare, explosions, and flying kittens>

---

"Q, you just have to understand," sighed Janeway.  Q was pouting.  The
look wasn't becoming on him.

"Well, I don't," he said.

"Q, I could never, ever mate with you, because... because I don't love
you," she sat next to him on the ground.

"Why not?"

"Do really want a list?" Janeway lied, "look, Q you are an okay guy
but..."

"Don't patronize a dying Q," Q cried," just make it quick."

"Q, you are not going to die," Janeway said.

"Wanna make a bet?  I think the fact that I left half my blood in that
mansion says something about the chances of me living," Q was still
pouting.

"Q..."

"Listen Kathy, tell me," Q turned slightly to look at Janeway, "if you
don't love me, than who do you love?"  Janeway bit her lip.  "And
don't say that overgrown Indian of yours."

Janeway scowled, "Q, there is nothing wrong with-"

"Don't say it, don't say it!" Q cried, "I can't stand to lie here and
have my heart broken."

"What heart?"

"Well, aren't you just nice?"

"Nobody ever said I was."

"You dragged me out of that mansion.  I'd say that was pretty nice," Q
sighed, "one of the nicer things anyone's ever done for me.  Saving my
life."

"Considering you've rarely had the problem of having you life
threatened," Janeway smirked.

"Why do you love him more than me?  What's he have that I don't?  I
could list you several things that I have that he doesn't."  Janeway
frowned at Q again, thinking.

"Chakotay is... more than just 'that overgrown Indian' of mine," she
said, "he's a friend."

"Aren't I?"

"Not really," Janeway paused, "Chakotay is caring-"

"Aren't I?"

"And sensitive to others needs-"

"Aren't I?"

"If you were," said Janeway, "I wouldn't be stuck here with you right
now."

"Well if you had just mated with me, we'd neither be in this
predicament!" cried Q.

Janeway continued, "Chakotay loves me."  Q paused at Janeway's
bluntness.

"What makes you say that?" he asked.

"He told me so," Janeway looked uncomfortably down at  her hands, "he
has another thing you don't."

"What's that?" "My respect."

"I don't have your respect?"

"Most of the time, no," Janeway looked over at him.

"Well, isn't that just dandy?" sighed Q, "no wonder you were playing
impossible to get."

"You said you liked a challenge," Janeway smiled at Q.

"Yes, I did."

"Will you please send me back?" Janeway asked.  Q stared silently at
Janeway.

"I'm not sure if I can."

"Why?"

"I'm just not.  I feel as if I've lost my last reason to keep
fighting," he looked at Janeway.  She stared levelly at him.

"Q, please?"

Q sighed, "alright, fine, as you wish."  Q weakly waved his arm.

Janeway leaned back with a sigh.  Q had thankfully restored her bed to
its original coverings.  She lay there for several minutes, before
realizing she wasn't alone.  Sitting up, Janeway found Q sitting at
the foot of her bed.  His shoulder was still bleeding.

"Well Kathy," his voice completely subdued, almost a whisper, "you got
your wish."

"Q, I know you'll find another solution," Janeway said

softly.  Q looked at her quietly.  A small smile pricked his face.

"You may be right Kathy."  Then, in a flash, he was gone.

"Chakotay to Janeway," the break between Q's leave and the chirp of
the intercom was so short, that it made her wonder.

"Janeway here."

"I, um, have that report you wanted..." he sounded unsure of  himself.

"Which report?"

"The one on the forward phaser array," Chakotay said, more secure.

"Oh, yes," Janeway frowned, "well, um, bring it to my quarters.  It's
an important report.  I think."

"Right, Chakotay out."  The line ended.

"What the hell?" mumbled Janeway.  "If that ain't the most damn
awkward conversation I've had with the Commander..."

"Congratulations Captain," said the Doctor, "I don't know how you did
it, but you did."

"What?" Janeway peered at the Doctor.  She swung her feet, which
didn't reach the floor as she sat on the biobed in Sickbay, "I
discovered another way to get sick from Neelix's food?"  The Doctor
mimicked her smirk.

"No," he said, "despite all the boosters and such, you've still found
a way to get yourself pregnant."

"What!?" Janeway nearly fell off the biobed.  As it was, she did lose
her balance and had to hop off.  She gripped the holographic doctor's
uniform front, pulling him down to face level.

"I think you heard me," sighed the Doctor.  Janeway released her grip,
and slid to the floor.  She buried her face in her hands, moaning
something that sounded to the Doctor like "going to kill coo".  The
Doctor picked her up, and redeposited her on the biobed.  Janeway
looked at him.

The night two weeks ago was not lost on her mind.  It had happened
shortly after that strange conversation with Chakotay.  It had been
him, hadn't it?  She really hoped so.  Janeway had already come to the
decision that she would kill Q, somehow, if it hadn't been Chakotay in
bed with her.  It certainly had felt like him in bed with her...

"Um, Doctor, is it too early yet to tell who the father is?"  Janeway
asked weakly.

"I would assume that you would be able to remember," sighed the
Doctor, "but yes, I can."  He ran a tricorder over Janeway's belly,
"yes, it  is Commander Chakotay's baby, Captain."  Janeway was afraid
he would make some strange rude comment, but he just smiled
congratulations at her.

"Okay," said Janeway.  Seeing the upset look on Janeway's face, the
Doctor added another suggestion.

"You can terminate the baby if you wish," he noted.  Janeway shook her
head.

"No," she said softly, "um, I need to think a little about that."  The
Doctor nodded.


"Think about it, yeah, right," Janeway sighed, flopping onto her bed.
She rubbed her nose.

"Janeway to Chakotay," she called quietly, tapping her commbadge.

"Yes?"

"Come down here please."

"I'm on my way." After closing the link, Janeway sighed again.  She
sat up, fumbling with the zipper of her jacket.

"This is *not* my idea of fun," she mumbled, wriggling out of the
confining black cloth.  Her boots followed with a thunk, and Janeway
stalked off, looking for something else to wear.

Chakotay had a feeling that he was in trouble the moment he walked
into Janeway's darkened quarters.  She was sitting, back to him,
staring out the porthole into space.

"Kathryn?" he said quietly, coming up behind her.  She didn't move,
chin still propped up on the knees of the dark blue pantsuit she wore.
Chakotay placed a careful hand on her shoulder.  He felt the muscles
tighten at his touch, and removed his hand. With a sigh, Janeway's
feet hit the floor, as she stood.  It was a  quick, graceful movement,
yet Chakotay noted a flicker of pain in her expression.

She remained with her back to him for another moment, then turned
slowly. Janeway looked up at Chakotay, features set in a determined
line.   The confusion of a moment before was gone.

"Chakotay, we need to talk," Janeway's voice sounded slightly
strained.  Chakotay nodded silently, and Janeway led him over to the
couch.  He sat, then she did, trying to distance herself from him.
Chakotay scooted over a little bit.  Janeway put her face in her
hands.

"Kathryn, what's wrong?" asked Chakotay.  Janeway looked up, unshed
tears in glistening in her eyes.  She took a shaky breath, then let it
out slowly.

"Chakotay, um," Chakotay couldn't remember seeing Janeway so
distressed before, "um, you remember that night two weeks ago?"

"Yes," Chakotay said slowly, trying not to grin at the memory.

"Well, um..." Janeway took Chakotay's hand, threading her fingers with
his, then closing them in a fist.  She looked up into Chakotay's eyes.
"Chakotay, I'm pregnant."

Chakotay swallowed.  He said nothing.  He didn't know what to  say.

"Chakotay, I don't know what to do," Janeway said softly.  She broke
the gaze to look down at their intertwined hands.

"Kathryn," Chakotay said.  She looked up again, "I... I'm not quite
sure what to think.  But, I know that I love you."

Janeway bit her lip, a small tear spilling over.

"You do?" she asked hoarsely.  Chakotay smiled.

"Yes," he promised.  A small smile crept onto Janeway's lips.
Chakotay bowed his head to kiss her.  Janeway sighed when he broke the
kiss.

"It still doesn't solve the problem of what to do about this baby,"
she said.  The lost, confused look in her eyes had returned. "Kathryn,
what do you what to do?" he asked carefully.

"I..." she took another shaky breath, pulling her hand free.

Kathryn clasped her hands over her stomach, "I don't know.  I haven't
really thought much about it."

"Then why did you call me in here if you didn't know what *your*
opinion on this was?" Chakotay asked.

"I needed to know," Janeway cried quietly, "I needed to know your
opinion on this.  Whether you wanted this or not."

"What makes you think that I wouldn't want this?" Chakotay asked.
Janeway sighed again, looked up into his open face.

"Chakotay, I love you, but-," Janeway stopped.

"What?  What did you think?"

"After what happened with Seska, I wasn't sure that this would be
something that you'd want." Chakotay's laugh was short and bitter,
almost a snort.

"Kathryn, Seska was... Seska was..." his voice trailed off.
Chakotay's brow furrowed as he tried to find the right words,  "Seska
was a mistake.  I never felt as close to Seska as feel towards you.
This is totally different."

"Is it?" Janeway asked.

"Yes," said Chakotay, "it is."

"But you loved her."

"I thought at the time, that I did love her," said Chakotay,  "but now
I know differently."

"Someday you'll realize the same thing about me," Janeway whispered,
looking down.  Chakotay sighed feeling like he was losing an important
battle.

"Kathryn, please," he pleaded, "you have to understand.  I don't love
anyone else in the galaxy.  But I *do* love you.  I don't think I love
you.  I *know* I do."  She looked up at him, and  smiled.  Her hand
lifted, tracing Chakotay's jawline, yet never quite touching the skin.
Chakotay smiled back.

"I get off duty in an hour," he said, "you want to meet me in the mess
hall for dinner?"  Her fingers ghosted over the lines of his tattoo.
She nodded, raising herself slightly.

"Sounds good to me," she said.  Their kiss was broken only by Tuvok's
hail from the Bridge.

---

Janeway sat herself down carefully.  This earned her a small smile
from Kes.

"So how do you feel?" Kes asked.

"I've been better," Janeway moaned, fingers spread over her stomach.

"Ah, good morning Captain," said the Doctor, a bit too loudly.
Janeway flinched.

"What's so good about it?" Janeway was bitter and still a tad pale.

"Morning sickness again?" the Doctor queried.

"I'm afraid so," sighed Kes.

"More like morning, noon and night sickness," retorted  Janeway, "I
really don't think I can look at Neelix's cooking again."

"It *was* yellow," admitted Kes, half-smiling.

"How much longer is this supposed to last?" asked Janeway, "I haven't
held anything down in two weeks."

"Not much longer," said the Doctor, "but you're right, you've lost
three pounds when you should have gained six.  I'm going to have to
give you a nutrient supplement along with something to calm your
nerves."  The Doctor filled a hypospray.

"You do look a little pale," Kes noted.  The Doctor lifted the
hypospray to Janeway's neck.

"I suggest you take a few days off," he said, "your nausea should pass
in a week or two, I want you to stay off duty until then."  Janeway
sighed tiredly.

"Really Doctor, is it necessary?"  The Doctor scowled.

"You are over stressing yourself Captain," he said, "you're hurting
yourself more than you realize by attending duty on the Bridge."
Janeway scowled back at him.

"Doctor, I need to be on the Bridge," she protested, "I'm no good to
the ship in my quarters."

"You say you're needed on the Bridge, but I have  confidence that the
crew can run the ship without you."

"Doctor, can you two make some sort of arrangement?" Kes said, "you
two are going to be standing here arguing forever if you don't."  The
Doctor looked thoughtful.

"Alright," he spoke after a minute, "Captain Janeway, you can attend
your bridge duty for two hours every other day."

"Every day," Janeway shot back.

"One hour every day," the Doctor said.

"Fine."

"So Captain," smiled Kes, helping her off the biobed, "shall I have
Neelix send something less yellow to your quarters?"

"I have to go back to the bridge," Janeway protested.

"Ah, ah Captain, you've already been on duty for three hours today,"
the Doctor stopped her, laying a hand on her arm.  Janeway snapped her
fingers.

"Darn, I was hoping you wouldn't notice," she said.  Then, a hopeful
look, "can I go down to the Bridge to tell the  Commander?"

"Captain, do I have to escort you down to your quarters to make sure
you get there?" the Doctor was scowling again.

"No," Janeway sighed, "I'll go to my quarters."

"Good," the Doctor saw the upset look on Janeway's face.   He followed
her to the doors, adding, "Captain, I know you don't like this, but
you still have six months to go.  Do you really want to risk harming
your baby by driving yourself  to exhaustion?"  Janeway stopped,
turning slowly to face the Doctor.

"No," she said, her voice low.  Then she turned again, leaving
Sickbay.

---

A few days later, Chakotay entered the Captain's quarters.  He was
just finally getting past the feeling of being like a teenager
sneaking around, and was starting to feel comfortable entering
Janeway's quarters.  The rooms were darkened, but light spilled into
the living room, throwing shadows on the bed.  Chakotay could hear
humming from the bathroom.

"Kathryn?  Are you there?" Chakotay crossed the sitting room.

"Mm, Chakotay?  Is that you?" Janeway's sleepy voice larked out from
the bathroom.

"What are you doing?" he asked with a soft laugh.  He heard her moving
in the tub.

"Just trying to relax," she said.  Chakotay leaned in the bathroom
door, a wolfish grin on his face.  Janeway lay in the tub, covered up
to her shoulders in murky grey water.

"Why is the water grey?" asked Chakotay, sitting on the floor next to
the tub.  Janeway shrugged, sending ripples through the water.

"Something Doc gave me," she told him, "it's supposed to help me
reduce stress."  Janeway wiggled her toes.

"Does it work?" Chakotay asked.  She shrugged again.

"Yes." Then, an afterthought, "it has the smell of lavender."  Janeway
closed her eyes and leaned her head on the wall.

"Lavender?"

"Mm..." Janeway hummed to herself again.  Chakotay ran a hand through
her wet hair.

"You're going wrinkle up like a prune," he laughed, "how long have you
been in there?"

"I dunno," Janeway said, "considering he fact the water is still
warm... not long."  She pulled Chakotay's hand from her hair.  "So
what did I miss on the Bridge today?"

"Not much," Chakotay admitted, "just another dull day in the Delta
Quadrant."

"I'm going to go crazy," Janeway sighed, "I just lie around all day,
doing nothing, waiting for an excuse to leave my quarters."

"I envy you," Chakotay laughed, "I wish I could do nothing all day,
and not get thrown in the brig for it."

"You think you do," Janeway nearly whined, "until it happens and
you're under orders not to do *anything*."

"I can't believe the doctor took you off duty completely for two
weeks."

"Just because I fainted in the mess hall," Janeway sighed.  Chakotay
chuckled.

"The look on Neelix's face was priceless," he said, smothering a
laugh.  Janeway smiled, her eyes opening.

"I think he's afraid to talk to me now," she smirked, "I went in there
for lunch and he completely avoided me.  Kes had to serve me."

"And you're complaining?" Chakotay laughed.

"He thinks it's his fault that I fainted," Janeway idly played  with
the end of her hair.  Chakotay's expression sobered.

"You really should have been more careful," he said, "the doctor
warned you..."

"I know, I know," Janeway sniffed, "he warned me that I was at the
risk of over-stressing myself, and my body would give up before me
mind did."

"He knew what he was talking about."  Janeway rolled her eyes.
Chakotay patted her hand.  "Are you hungry?"

"I guess," Janeway sighed airily.

"Do you want to go to Sandrine's for dinner?" Chakotay asked.  As of
recently, Neelix had begun bringing dinners down to Sandrine's.  The
holoprogram for the bar was almost always running in Holodeck one.
Either that program of Neelix's resort program.  Sandrine's played
during the night hours.

"Sounds like a good idea to me," Janeway sat up, "why don't you go
change out of your uniform, and I'll get dressed."

"Alright," said Chakotay, standing up.

"I'll meet you down there in half an hour."

The floor was cold under Janeway's feet, as she stepped out of the
tub.  After toweling off, she pulled her robe over her shoulders.
Janeway went out into the living room, picking her clothes up off the
bed.  She dressed, then went out into the other room to find her
shoes.  Janeway stopped, when she saw who was sitting in there.

"How long have you been sitting there?" Janeway demanded, trying to
keep her rising anger out of her voice.

"Not long," said Q, a dumb smile on his face.

"What do you want?" Janeway asked, a hand rising to her forehead.  She
was dizzy again.

"You should sit down."  Janeway sat on the couch across from Q,
glaring at him.

"So?" She crossed her arms defensively.

"There is something you need to know."

"About what?" her eyes narrowed.

"About your baby."  Janeway resisted the urge to stand, her head was
still swimming slightly.

"What about my baby?" Janeway's voice was rough and dangerously low.
Q stood, then paused, apparently gathering his  thoughts.

"The Doctor told you it was Commander Chakotay's baby, didn't he?"

"Yes," Janeway's eyes narrowed more, "it is, isn't it?"

"Yes," said Q, "and no."  She couldn't help it.  Janeway jumped to her
feet, her stomach lurching a few seconds behind.

"What to you mean 'and no'?"  Q held up his hands defensively, trying
to keep her away.

"I, um, well," Q frowned, "it's a bit difficult to explain."  Janeway
lurched forward again, grabbing Q by the collar.

"You better start explaining," she growled.

"Okay, I'm explaining!" cried Q.  Janeway let go.  Q stumbled a few
steps away.  Janeway still stood, fists clenched at her sides, her
breath coming in short snorts.

"Kathy, sit please," Q said, a slightly worried expression on his
face.  Janeway sat down again on the couch.

"Tell me something," Janeway said, a fist tapping the arm of the
couch, "it was Chakotay, right?"

"Yes," said Q, "but it's a bit technical."

"Technical."

"Yes."  At Janeway's snort he added, "but I'll do my best to explain.
You see, the child you carry has three parents."

"Excuse me?  Three?" Janeway mocked a bit.

"Yes, let me explain," said Q quickly, "do you remember our
conversation, almost four months ago?"

"When we were at your troops' camps?  Yes, I remember," Janeway look
slightly suspicious.

"I don't know if you recall, but you told me that you knew I would
find another solution to my problem."

"I said that after you had returned me to Voyager," Janeway corrected.

"Whenever.  The fact is that you said it.  Well, I found a  way."

"Were you responsible for me getting pregnant?" Janeway asked.

"No," Q smiled thinly, "that was all your own doing.  But.. I had a
feeling that this might happen, so..."

"What?" Janeway asked.  Q looked uncomfortable.

"I took the liberty of changing the genetic code in Commander
Chakotay's reproductive organs," Q mumbled.

"You what?!"

"Don't worry!" Q cried, "it's not permanent, I set the new codes to
degrade in another week."

"I can't believe you did this."

"It was the only way..."

"So I'm having your child?"

"No!" cried Q, "that's just the thing.  I altered Chakotay's
reproductive genetic structure to contain Q genotypes.  It's more my
child than his, but it is still his too."  Janeway's fury was barely
kept.

"How dare you-"

"Please listen!" shouted Q, "you would have never willing carried my
child.  I found a way, and I took it."

"God damn it Q, you are such a self centered pig!" Janeway was on her
feet again.  This time her stomach rebelled, and she fell to her
knees, doubled over.  Q was instantly at her side.

"Kathryn! are you alright?" the worry in his voice was obvious.

"I'm fine Q, really," Janeway tried to shake him off.  She took a few
slow deep breaths, then shakily sat up.  She looked at him, nausea and
pain still in her expression.  "Q, didn't you consider the
consequences of you actions?"  Q helped Janeway back to the couch.  He
held on to her hand.

"Yes Kathryn, I did.  That is why I had to do this," Q explained, "I
was considering what would happen to the universe if I did not find a
way  to bring peace to the Continuum.  You have to understand."
Janeway's free hand pressed against her forehead.

"But did you consider how it would affect Chakotay and I's
relationship?" she wondered, "I'm not sure this is going to work Q.
I'm not sure I want to have this baby."

"Kathy, you have to."

"Do I?"

"Think of all the lives out there that may be lost if the war in the
Continuum continues," Q said. "When you became pregnant with this
child, the war stopped.  But it will only be pause in the destruction
of the universe if you terminate now.  I'm not talking of just the
loss of Q lives, but of the lives of possibly every species in the
universe."

Janeway took a shuddering breath.  "I need to talk to Chakotay about
this first."  She look up at Q, "should I tell him or you?"

"You were on your way to meet him for dinner in the holodeck, weren't
you?" Q asked, "I'll tag along, and I'll tell him."

"You'll tell him?" Janeway looked dubious.

"Yes," said Q, "I'll be able to control him if he doesn't take it too
well."

"Well... okay."

"Just get a table for three," Q said.  Then, with a wave of his hand,
Q was gone, leaving behind an emotionally broken woman.

---

Janeway walked carefully into Sandrine's.  Chakotay was waiting for
her at a table in the back.

"Sorry I'm late," she said, sitting down, "but I'm afraid we're going
to have a visitor with us for dinner."

"Who?" Chakotay was a bit suspicious.

"Q," said Janeway.  Chakotay sighed.

"Chakotay, I know he's not usually a very welcome dinner guest, but he
needs to talk to you about  something."

Chakotay just grunted.  There was a flash, and Q stood solemnly next
to the table.

"Commander, may I have a moment of your time?" Q asked.  Chakotay
helplessly agreed.  There was one flash, in which they disappeared,
leaving Janeway alone at the table, and a second flash a few seconds
later which redeposited Chakotay and Q.  Chakotay wore an odd
expression, but Q looked pleased.  He leaned over to Janeway and spoke
into her ear.

"I think it went pretty well," he whispered, "but you need to talk
with him.  When you've decided on what you're going to do, just call
me."  Then he was gone again.  Janeway turned to Chakotay.  His mixed
expression was gone, replaced by one of mild confusion.

"Chakotay-"

"Kathryn-"  They both sighed.

"Chakotay, I'm sorry," Janeway rushed.

"It's okay, I think," Chakotay said, "Q did a pretty thorough
explanation of what he did.  I'm just not sure what to think of it
yet."  He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Chakotay I-" "How do you feel?" Chakotay asked.

"Fine, why?" Kathryn was briefly confused.

"Q said you weren't feeling well earlier."

Janeway gave a weak laugh. "It was just nausea again."  "Are you
sure?"

"Yes," said Janeway, "I was just a little worked up, that's all."
Chakotay gave a wry grin.

"Just a little pissed off?" He laughed. "Q said you were practically
attacking him."

"Like you didn't," Janeway grumbled.

"Okay, I'll admit, I did lose control for a bit," said Chakotay, "but
my actions didn't affect my health."  Janeway  snorted.

"With Q they could have."  She waved the holographic waiter over.  He
appeared with two dinner trays.

"Good evening Captain, Commander," the waiter greeted them, "Mr.
Neelix has finally perfected his macaroni and cheese."  The waiter
grinned, setting the trays down.

"This looks edible," thought out Janeway, "thank you."  The
holocharacter nodded and went off to do something else.

"Macaroni and cheese?  Interesting."

Janeway sampled, nodding her approval.  "Tastes right," she decided.
A thought entered her mind, and she chuckled wistfully to herself.

"What?"

"I remember the other Q, Quinn, back when he first appeared on the
ship," said Janeway, "he took me to the mess hall, and set a table
with Welsh Rabbit for dinner."

"Welsh Rabbit?"

"It's like a grilled cheese sandwich," Janeway grinned, "poor Neelix,
he had no idea what a rabbit was, and he didn't know Welsh Rabbit had
nothing to do with rabbits."  Chakotay was grinning now too.

"Now he knows how we feel when he comes up with some weird new
recipe."

"Like tempi fried golkah with neb sauce," Janeway pretended to
shudder.

"Or his wonderful nakantu berries with maraktua sauce," Chakotay stuck
his tongue out.

"I like that one."

"That's only because you're pregnant,"

"Which brings us back to the matters at hand," Janeway said.  Chakotay
sighed.  "What are we going to do Chakotay?"

"I don't know," Chakotay shook his head, "Q's just made this so
difficult."

"Do you want me to terminate the baby?"

"That's just it," Chakotay said, "it's my baby too.  I don't know if I
can just sit by and let you kill our child."  Janeway frowned.

"But it's not really our child anymore-"

"How can you say that?" barked Chakotay.

"He'll just be a political toy for the Continuum!" Janeway hissed
back.  She looked around quickly, hoping they weren't attracting too
much attention.  "Chakotay, I know you don't think this right.  I'm
not sure I do either.  But do you think it is fair for me as the
mother of this child to not be able to ever know it?  From what I
gathered from Q, he's going to take our child as soon as it is born.
I don't know if I can face that."  Chakotay was looking down at his
plate, a slightly guilty look on his face.

"I'm sorry," he said softly.

"I'm not mad at you," Janeway said, "so, should I have the baby?"

"Yes," Chakotay said, "you have the baby, let Q take it, tell him to
keep out of our lives so we can pretend this never happened."  Janeway
searched his expression, not sure if he was being sarcastic.

"Pretend this relationship never happened," she was surprised at her
mildly bitter tone.  Chakotay gave an exasperated sigh.  He grabbed
Janeway's free hand.

"Kathryn, I didn't say that," he defended, "we had a relationship
before you got pregnant.  I loved you a long time before you got
pregnant.  I don't want to throw what we have away."  Janeway wondered
if he would be embarrassed about this rather emotional outburst later.
She smiled.

"That means a lot to me, you know," her voice was soft, "so should we
inform Q now?"  Chakotay grinned.

"Nah," he said, "I was hoping maybe we could have a night to
ourselves."  Chakotay wound his arm around Janeway's waist.  She
motioned to  Chakotay's plate with her fork.  Even thought neither had
noticed, she had been eating during their whole argument.

"Are you going to eat all that?  I'm starving."  Chakotay covered his
plate with his hands.

"Mine," Chakotay grinned, "call the waiter for more."  The holo-waiter
zapped into existence next to them.

"You called?"

"Another serving of the mac'n cheese for the Captain," Chakotay
ordered.

"Coming right up."

"You know," said Janeway, "I never imagined Neelix being capable of
making an Alpha Quadrant food that actually tasted like an Alpha
Quadrant food."

"You have to give him credit, he tries."  Janeway shrugged,  and
resumed devouring her dinner, "you really are hungry, aren't you?"

"You bet."

"Must be the pregnancy," said Chakotay.

"That, and I haven't eaten since last night." Chakotay sighed again.

"Kathryn..."

"Nag, nag," quirked Janeway, "I do try to eat Chakotay, and I did eat
lunch.  Most of it stayed down."  A frown ghosted her face as she
jabbed a loose noodle.

"How's your stomach?" Chakotay asked.

"Didn't you already ask me that?" Janeway laughed.

"Yes," he said, "but you never gave me a straight answer."

"Mm, really?  I thought I said I was fine," Janeway tapped her plate
with her fork.

"But I know you're not."

Kathryn snorted. "Please, you are such a nag."

"So you will admit you're still nauseous," Chakotay grinned  coyly.

"Frequently," Janeway admitted, "but not right now."

"You wouldn't be pigging out if you were," noted Chakotay.  Janeway
laughed.

"I have to eat more because I'll lose most of it later."

"Why don't you see the Doctor about this?" asked  Chakotay.

"I did.  He gave me a suppressant, but it's not working."

"Maybe you should get something stronger."

Janeway sighed.  "He's already given me the strongest stuff that can
give me, within regulations."

"Regulations?"

"By Starfleet regulations there is a limit to what he  can give a
pregnant human female for nausea."

"Even if it makes you more enjoyable to be around?"

"Mm hmm."

"But there is stronger stuff?"

"Yeah there's some stronger stuff for the non-human crew." She noted
Chakotay's expression, "Don't even think about it."  Chakotay gave her
an innocent smile.

"Think about what?"

Janeway rolled her eyes.  "That's part of the reason why the Doctor
took me off duty, I think.  I have such a weak stomach right now.  And
doing practically anything makes me queasy."

"You do look a bit green," Chakotay laughed.

"I try to control it."  She finished her dinner, and leaned  back.

"So what are you plans for tonight?" asked Chakotay, pushing his empty
plate away.

"I dunno," said Janeway, leaning her elbows on the table, "I don't
think I'm going to be able to sleep knowing that I have to talk to Q
tomorrow."

"I'm sure we're going to be able to help you forget," Chakotay
grinned.  He nodded over toward the pool table.

"I wonder how much Tom's ego will be damaged when he gets his butt
beat by a pregnant woman," grinned Janeway.

"He'll probably crawl under a rock, never to be seen again," laughed
Chakotay.  Janeway slapped her palms on the table, sitting up.

"We could only be so lucky," she sighed.

"Could be lucky about what?" Paris came up behind Janeway.  Chakotay
snorted, trying not to laugh.

"Um," Janeway turned in her seat to look up at Paris," we could only
be so lucky that you'd be so gracious as to invite me to play pool."
She swallowed, forcing an uncomfortable smile.

"It must be your lucky day." Paris offered her a hand.  He was one of
the few people who knew of Janeway's pregnancy, and had promised not
to  tell a soul until the Captain and Commander were ready to tell the
crew.  As  far as Janeway could tell he had kept his promise.

"So you had Neelix's macaroni and cheese?" said Paris.

"Yep," Janeway took a cue, "it was pretty good."

"Better than his nakantu berries with maraktua sauce?" Paris laughed.

"I liked that one!" cried Janeway, "but the macaroni and cheese is
better."

"You know, I never realized how much I like Terran cuisine until I had
to eat the food out here," said Paris.

"I know," Janeway leaned on the cue while Paris took his shot.  She
heard Chakotay get up from the table.  "Take coffee, for instance.  No
harm meant towards Neelix, but..."

"I know," laughed Paris, "there's always something missing."

"Like the coffee," said Chakotay, leaning on the pool table.

"Sometimes..." Janeway bent to take her shot, "sometimes even the
replicators make it to leave something desired.  I don't think there
is a real substitute for coffee beans."  Chakotay leaned over toward
Janeway.

"Maybe next time you talk to Q..." he whispered into her ear.  She
could feel his grin.

"Don't remind me," Janeway groaned, "I thought we were going to avoid
that subject for tonight."

"Just a thought," Chakotay whispered, "but he probably could find you
a few coffee plants."

"Yeah, and then the Doctor would ban me from that too," Janeway
sighed.

"Poor girl," Chakotay laughed, "you live such a deprived life."

"I know," sighed Janeway, "I can't go on the bridge, I can't do this,
I can't do that.  I'm surprised the Doctor hasn't come in yet to tell
me to go back to bed."

"Isn't there something as too much sleep?" asked Chakotay.

"In the Doctor's mind, no,"  said Janeway, "and anyway, I don't really
get much sleeping done.  It's  lie down, feel sick, throw up, lie
down, feel sick, throw up...'"

"Let me guess," said Paris, "the next thing you do is lie down  again,
and begin to feel sick."

"No," Janeway took a shot, "usually after two or three rounds of that
either the Doctor or Chakotay comes in to check on me, and they make
me eat something."

"That's not true," said Chakotay.

"Wanna make a bet?" Janeway snorted, "then," she rapped the table with
her cue, "*then* I go lie down and the cycle starts over."

"But I guess you're feeling much more frisky tonight, huh?" Paris
grinned cockily.

"You'd be a bit energetic too if you'd been locked up in your quarters
for a week," Janeway said.

"You know, you should still be in bed," Chakotay said.  Janeway drew
her face nose to nose with Chakotay.

"Nag," she said, and the tip of her pool cue grazed the tip of
Chakotay's nose.  She gave him a flirting smile, and with a flourish
she sashayed around to the other side of the table.

"You two are so cute it's sickening," said Paris.

Chakotay's smiled twisted, "watch it Paris or we'll stick you with
diaper duty."

"Now there's a real threat coming from a real man," came  Janeway's
dry comment.

"Ooh, now I've been upgraded to a real man."

"What were you before?" laughed Paris.

"Before he was just my studly First Officer."

Paris watched with mild amusement as Chakotay circled the table, and
he and Janeway held an animate whispered conversation.  Janeway
giggled,  as she cast glance at Paris.  Tom pretended to ignore the,
as he took his shot.  When he rose, Chakotay and Janeway were silent,
staring at each other, noses nearly touching.  Paris cleared him
throat, as if to remind them of where they were.  Janeway jumped,
blushing slightly.

"My shot? Yes," Janeway glared briefly at Paris, before moving to take
her shot.  Paris rubbed his face to hide the snicker he felt springing
up.

After the game ended, Janeway and Chakotay drifted back over to the
bar.  They chatted quietly with Harry Kim and his female interest,
though neither would admit to it, B'Elanna Torres.  Kim had looped his
arm around Torres's waist, and she hadn't seemed to notice.  As it
grew late, they excused themselves, and wandered aimlessly through the
corridors.  Janeway ran a hand over Chakotay's shoulder.  He chuckled
to himself.

"What's so funny?" asked Janeway.  Chakotay waved his free arm at the
empty hall.

"I was just thinking about how empty the ship feels this late in the
day."

"I don't see the humor in that," said Janeway, "the halls being empty
just mean that everyone is doing something.  Like work."

"I pity the night shift."

"I still don't see the humor," Janeway squeezed Chakotay's  arm.

"It just must be one of your hormone things," Chakotay grinned.
Janeway sighed, then yawned.

"Getting tired?" he asked.  Janeway shrugged.

"Better that than nauseous," she laughed.  They stepped  into a
turbolift.

"Senior deck," Chakotay said.  The computer chirped and the lift
started with a jolt.  Janeway smiled.

"Sending me to bed, are you?" she laughed.  Chakotay grinned.

"You're lucky that's all I'm doing," he said, "you're lucky that you
have a halfway decent excuse..."

"Ooh, is that a challenge or a threat?" she grinned.

"I haven't decided yet," Chakotay said as the doors to the  lift
opened.

---

The next morning, Janeway slapped the alarm on the clock off.  She
moaned, and reburied her head under the pillow.  She felt Chakotay
move next to her in the bed, his arm still wrapped possessively around
her waste.  The alarm was still unfamiliar to her ears, as she wasn't
used to sleeping in Chakotay's quarters, let alone waking up in them.
"Time to wake up," Chakotay said, sounding a bit hoarse.  Janeway
snorted from underneath the pillow. "No, I don't have to go anywhere,
you do," she objected, "I have every right to stay here until
midmorning."  Even so, she rolled over, freeing herself. "True, but if
you plan on sleeping all day, I'm going to have to drag  you down the
hall to your quarters," Chakotay sat up. "My quarters, your quarters,
what's the difference?" Janeway shrugged, sitting up also. "You do
have to get up eventually," Chakotay said, "and...." From his tone of
voice, Janeway could tell what he was getting to. "I know," Janeway
sighed, "talking to Q is not top on my list of  things to do today,"
Janeway got out of the bed, still wearing her civilian clothes from
last night, for lack of better nightclothes.  Chakotay, who slept in
the nude, pulled the bed sheet around him as he thunked his way into
the bathroom. When he returned from the sonic shower, Janeway was
sitting on the  couch. She had apparently went to her quarters and
changed.  Her head lolled  on her shoulder, eyes closed.  Chakotay
chuckled as he went to search for  a clean uniform.  Janeway woke from
her brief nap and was rubbing her  eyes when Chakotay came back into
the sitting room a few minutes later. "How do you feel?" Chakotay
asked.   She yawned, "surprisingly good." "No morning sickness?"
Chakotay asked.  Janeway rubbed her stomach. "No morning sickness,"
she realized, "in fact, I feel better than I've felt in months."
"That's good," said Chakotay.  Janeway let him pull her up onto her
wobbly feet. "Though I get a little straight knee at the prospect of
talking to Q," she admitted.  "Now, if I didn't know better, I'd say
you should be in a hurry to get to the bridge."  She laughed as he
pulled her body to his. "I have just enough time to kiss you good
morning,"  Chakotay kissed  her. Janeway lay a hand on Chakotay's arm.
"Now, I think you should be there when I talk to Q," she said, "as
back up." "Back up?" Chakotay rubbed her back before unwrapping
himself. "In case I faint or something," Janeway grinned, "and you're
a very imposing character." "Unfortunately, I'm not imposing enough to
weasel my way out of explaining to Tuvok why I was late this morning."
"You don't mind if I... escort you to the Bridge, do you?"  Janeway
said as she followed Chakotay to the door. "I have a feeling I don't
get much of a choice," Chakotay keyed the  door behind them, "you'll
just have to hope Doc isn't roaming the halls  again."

Janeway linked her arm with his, "we're going to have to do something
about that too.  I mean he-," she stopped.

"Are you okay?" Chakotay stopped too.  The perplexed look that had
appeared on Janeway's face slowly cleared.  She smiled.

"I'm fine," she said, "just a bit- flustered."

"Uh huh."

"Where was I?" Janeway gathered her thoughts.

"You were ranting," Chakotay grinned.

"Ah, yes, ranting," Janeway smiled.  They started moving again,
"someone needs to talk to the Doctor about privacy protocols."

"You mean someone needs to tell him that it's not polite to peek into
people's quarters," Chakotay was still grinning.

"I was going through your reports the other day from boredom, and I
saw six complaints that had to deal with the Doctor," Janeway
chuckled, "usually there's only one or two."  She shook her head as
they boarded the turbolift.

"You know, you're not supposed to go past here," Chakotay chided,
"Bridge."  The lift started.

"Do you know how long it's been since I've been on the bridge?"
Janeway whined playfully.

"How long?" Chakotay asked, though he knew.

"Six days," Janeway said.

"Six days?  My gods! How horrible!  This has to stop!" Chakotay said
with light sarcasm.  Janeway hit his arm.

"Not funny."  Then, a thoughtful looks, "can I at least take a  peek?"

"I don't think that could hurt," decided Chakotay.  The lift stopped,
and the doors opened onto the Bridge.  "But you can't leave the lift."
"Yes sir," Janeway was sarcastic.  She leaned out of the lift.
Chakotay exited, and Janeway held the door open.  Paris, down at the
helm,  turned in time to see her.  Janeway caught his grin and nodded
at him before releasing the turbolift door to shut.

---

"How are you feeling this morning Captain?" the Doctor greeted her as
she went into Sickbay.  He was giving a brunette Lieutenant from
Engineering an injection.

"Pretty good," Janeway admitted to him.

"You're done Mr. Castle," the Doctor said.  The young man hopped off
the bed.  Janeway nodded to him as he passed by.

"Pretty good, hmm?" the Doctor put his instruments away.  He motioned
to the bed.  "Have a seat."

"Good morning Captain," Kes called as she came out of the  office.

"Good morning Kes," Janeway said, sitting up on the biobed.


"Kes, could you put it in the record that Lt. Castle had his check up
today?" the Doctor fiddled with the readouts on the medical tricorder.

"Right away."  The Doctor turned back to Janeway.

"So Captain, how long have you been feeling 'pretty good'?"  "Since I
woke up."

"No headaches, side aches, backaches, stomachaches or anything else of
the sort?" "Surprisingly, no, nothing."

"Good," said the Doctor, "I told you the nausea wouldn't last too much
longer.  I can't say the same about the other aches though, those
usually just get worse."

"Great," Janeway said sarcastically, "as long as I can eat without
worrying about what it will look like in a few hours..."

"You're still off duty for the next ten days," the Doctor said.
Janeway sighed.  "After that you can more than likely return to duty
for about  the next four months, unless other problems arise.  I'll
see after four  months whether or not you are still fit for duty."
Janeway nodded.

"Sounds pretty good to me Doc," Janeway relented, "how does everything
look?"

"Good," reported the Doctor, "scans are showing normal cell
reproduction levels, normal blood pressure levels, everything looks
good."  Janeway cringed internally when she realized that she would
eventually have to tell the Doctor about the child's parentage.  But
not now.  There was not a big hurry.  Still almost six months.

"I recommend that you resume normal eating habits tomorrow, after we
make sure that it's safe to be eating again."

"Determine 'normal' Doctor," Janeway quipped.  The Doctor smirked at
the comment.

"You do a have a point," he said, "nevertheless, I assume you
understand what I mean."

"Of course, Doctor," Janeway slapped the side of the biobed lightly,
"so am I free to go?"

"Yes," said the Doctor, "come back tomorrow sometime and I'll do a
follow up on your morning sickness.

"Thank you Doctor," Janeway made the short jump down off the bed.

---

"Ah, good to see you this fine morning, Captain!" Neelix was overly
bright as he handed a tray to a blond lieutenant from the Science
department.  Janeway watched her cross the room to sit at a table with
Lt. Castle and several other woman.

"Good morning Neelix," Janeway leaned on the counter, nodded back to
the table.

"Mr. Castle seems to be very popular," she noted.  Neelix chuckled,
rounding the counter.

"Well, it depends how look at it," he said, "can I get you anything
this morning?"

"Actually, I'm not very hungry, but Commander Chakotay missed
breakfast today," Janeway told him, "could you get something for him?"
Neelix nodded, going back around the counter, and continued back into
the kitchen to find a cover for a dish.  He nodded back over to the
table as he ladled something into a dish.

"Lt. Castle and his table mates have known each other since they were
in the Academy," called Neelix.

"But isn't crewman Bathas a former Maquis?" Janeway watched the four
women take turns bopping Lt. Castle over the head.  A fifth woman,
leaving her seat from the next table with Paris, moved to join the
others.

"Mm, yes I think so," said Neelix.  He set the breakfast dish onto the
counter top, "and so is Lt. Castle, I believe.  Those six are the
noisiest bunch we get in the mornings.  But they never cause trouble."
Neelix chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Janeway asked.

"It just occurred to me that Lt. Castle has a hormone level close to
that of Tom Paris," Neelix remarked, grinning.  Janeway laughed,
picking up  the dish.

"Have a nice day Neelix."

---

Janeway rested the dish carefully on one knee as she slapped her
commbadge.  She repositioned the dish.

"Janeway to Chakotay," she paused before reaching the  turbolift.

"Chakotay here," he said over the link.

"Are you busy?"

"No, I'm just reading some reports in my office."

"Do you mind if I bring you some breakfast?" Janeway smiled at
Chakotay's chuckle.

"I did miss breakfast this morning, didn't I?" he said, "sure, you can
bring it up."

A few minutes later, Janeway set the dish on Chakotay's desk, and
flopped onto the couch.  It was one of those rare ones that wasn't
either  bolted down to the floor or built into the wall.  Recently it
had been  relocated closer to the desk.

"Any idea what this is?" Chakotay asked.

"Not at all," sniffed Janeway, "and I didn't take the chance of
sampling it either.  I was too busy talking to Neelix to think about
asking."   She grinned as Chakotay sampled the strange looking purple
liquid.  He flinched slightly at the taste.

"Not bad," he reported, "very purplish.  A bit tart.  I hope Neelix
isn't trying to put the crew on a liquid diet."  Chakotay set the
spoon down  to pick up the roll that also rested on the dish.

"If its better than what he feed us on the solid side, I wouldn't be
complaining," Janeway sat up a little.

"Did you drop by Sickbay?" Chakotay asked, braving the purple frontier
again.

"Yes, and he said everything looks good." Her gaze shifted
uncomfortably for a moment.

"When do you plan to tell him?" Chakotay asked.

"Tell who?" Janeway looked at him.

"The Doctor," he said.  Janeway shrugged.

"Eventually," she sighed.  Chakotay tapped his spoon on the edge of
the dish.

"Where do you want to meet Q at?" he asked.

"I'd rather be someplace where I don't feel quite as vulnerable,"
Janeway said, "I would prefer to be in my ready room."

"Don't you think the Doc won't like that?" Chakotay smiled.  Janeway
sat up, crossing her arms.

"Personally I think this had went past the Doctor's responsibility."
Chakotay set the cover back on the dish.

"True," said Chakotay, "there's not much he can do in this." The
commbadge on Chakotay's chest gave a chirp.

"Tuvok to Commander Chakotay," Tuvok's voice came over the line.
Janeway patted Chakotay's hand, rising.

"I'll being going," she said, picking up the breakfast dish.  Chakotay
nodded, slapping his commbadge.

"Yes, Tuvok?" he watched Janeway move with a tired grace, slipping
silently out of Chakotay's officer.

"You're needed on the Bridge."

---

Janeway returned the breakfast dish to the mess hall.  As she walked
down the corridor to the turbolift, she had the odd sensation of being
followed.  She stopped, turning slowly.  Other than Ensign Smith and
Lt. Thomas leaving the mess hall, the corridor was empty.  Janeway
slowly continued down the hall, and the feeling passed.

She keyed the door to her quarters, and entered the darkened sitting
room.  Still feeling a bit paranoid, Janeway stood stock still,
listening. She strained to hear anything.  For some odd reason, fear
coursed  through her like bad coffee.

So when a hand clamped over her mouth, and around her waist, she
nearly passed out.  Janeway didn't squirm, she was too tense.

"Jeez, Kathy, you're as tense a rabbit," Q's voice rasped into her
ear.  Janeway felt the blood drain out of her face.  She swallowed,
her  breath snorting onto Q's cool hand.  She growled something into
Q's hand.

"What was that?" he pulled his hand away, placing his arm across her
shoulders.

"What are you doing here?" Janeway hissed.

Q pulled her closer to him.

"I'm here for your answer," Q murmured into her hair.  It was just as
Janeway had not wanted it.  Q was at a definite advantage, and she
hated the feeling of powerlessness.  Janeway chose her one option, and
remained silent.  Q sighed, and released his grip on her.  She stepped
away, crossing her arms over her chest.  She did not turn to face Q.
He sighed again, and came around to look at her face.  Janeway had set
her jaw, and stared down the sides of her nose to the floor.

"Kathy..."

"Don't call me that," Janeway snapped involuntarily, her head jerking
up, glaring at him.  Her arms uncrossed, pulled straight, her hands
balled into tight fists at her sides.  It was a pitiful stance when
compared to Q's loose ever present arrogance.  But it was a force not
to be reckoned with, any mortal could tell that.  However, Q was
different.  Although he was being as serious as immortally possible,
the arrogance was still there, causing the disgust Janeway felt
churning in her stomach.  Q sighed, seemed unsure as to what to do
with his hands.  Janeway raised a hand to activate her commbadge, but
Q grabbed it.

"No, don't," Q said, "this has to be your decision, not his."
Janeway's eyes narrowed.

"First of all," her voice was a low rasp, "you have little right to
say who I can discuss this with.  Second of all, as his father,
Chakotay  needs to be included in this decision."

Q looked quietly at her, "what else?"

"Thirdly," Janeway said, pulling her hand free to reball the fist,
"Chakotay and I have discussed this, and *we* came to a decision."

"Then you don't really need him here."  Janeway sighed in
frustration.

"I would rather have him here, he needs to be included in this."  Q
gave her a dull look. "Fine," he crossed his arms and turned his head
away, "I assume you'd like to reschedule this little meeting?  So you
can include Commander Chuckles in it?" Q ignored the scowl from
Janeway.

"Yes, I would prefer to have this discussion later," she said,
"*Chakotay* and I had planned on talking to you about this during
lunch."

"Very well," Q looked back at her from the corner of his eye, "does
1300 hrs sound good to you?"  Janeway nodded silently.  Q was gone in
a  flash, and Janeway settled tiredly onto the couch, before somehow
falling  asleep.


---

Chakotay and Janeway sat in her ready room, eating their lunches.  It
was nearly 1300 hrs, and Janeway picked nervously at her food.  She
had  just finished telling Chakotay about her visit from Q earlier in
the day.   They both were quiet now, Chakotay mulling over Q's brash
behavior.   Finally he set his bowl down, and leaned back in his
chair.  Janeway continued to quietly eat her lunch, now glancing over
a report she had found.

"Have you thought about what you're going to say to Q?" Chakotay
asked.  Janeway looked up.

"Yes, and I've tried to arrange my thoughts.  I think I'm going to be
as straightforward about this as possible."

"I know you're not looking forward to doing this."

"Damn right," said Janeway, setting the PADD down, "I don't think I've
been this nervous in 20 years."

"When?" Chakotay asked.

"My first interview with Tom's father," she smiled softly to herself,
"but that was better than this, definitely.  I 'm dreading this, I'm
not sure why, but I am."  Chakotay took her hand and  squeezed it.  He
let it go as the alarm on the chronometer chimed.  Q arrived in a
flash of blue light.  His hands were laced behind his back, a somber
expression on his face.  Or at least, somber for a Q, a touch of humor
still glinted in his eyes.  Chakotay could feel Janeway tense next to
him.  He put a hand on her arm.  She swallowed hard, and stood slowly.
There was an uncomfortable silence.

Q cleared his throat, "so, have you come to your decision,  Kathryn?"

"Yes Q, yes I have," Janeway motioned toward the extra chair in the
room, and returned to her own seat.

"And?"

"I have decided that I will carry this child."  Q smiled.

"That's wonderful," he saw Janeway's pursed lips.  "There's a catch,
isn't there?"

"There's always a catch, Q," said Janeway, "I've learned that  from
you."

"Well, what's the catch?"  Q leaned forward.

"After I have the baby, I want you to take it to the Continuum, and
raise it.  Yourself.  And, I want you to leave Chakotay and I alone,
to stay  out of our lives from then on."

"I see," said Q, "you... don't want any connection to the child, is
that it?"

"Basically, yes," sighed Janeway, "Q you've made this very difficult
for me.  But, you'll be getting what you want."

"And what about you?  Won't people be a bit suspicious if one day
you're pregnant, the next day you have your baby, and the next it's
gone?"  Q asked her.  Chakotay finally spoke up.

"That's why we've come up with a plan."  Q raised an eyebrow.

"A plan, eh?  This could be interesting."

---

The months passed.  Five, in total.  Janeway, now relieved of duty
again, was in the mess hall kitchen.  She peered into a simmering pot.
Neelix came back in from the other room.

"Ah, Captain!  Seeing what's for lunch?" he rummaged through a
cabinet.

"Checking to see if it's safe for pregnant women to eat," Janeway
murmured.  Plural because she wasn't the only woman with child these
days. "I've made something special for you and Ensign Pandelin."

"What about Torres?"  Janeway asked, put the cover back on the pot.
Neelix shook his head.

"I'm afraid she's still too nauseous to eat, last I heard," he  said.

Janeway chuckled, going to the next pot.  "I know how she  feels."

"Yes, it was such a relief when you started eating again," Neelix
burbled, "Ensign Wildman was saying the other day that it will be so
wonderful with all these babies coming along, little Rosie will have
some other children to play with."  Janeway's back was turned, so
Neelix didn't see the frown that crossed her face.

"Yes, Neelix, it will be nice," came the strained reply after she
found her voice.

"Four new little babies, my, my," remarked Neelix, "and poor B'Elanna,
having to carry twins."

"I think she's up to the challenge."

"I just hope Harry's up to the challenge of dealing with a pregnant
B'Elanna," Neelix chuckled.

"So, what *is* for lunch?" Janeway asked, wincing under the bitter
odor from one pan.

Not that, Captain, it was to simmer for another five hours, that's for
dinner," Neelix said.  After seeing her look of distaste, he added,
"don't worry, once its simmered it won't be so bitter."

"I hope so," Janeway said under her breath.

"For you and Pandelin, and Torres if she feels like it, I tried out a
new recipe that I thought turned out good.  I wanted you three to have
first try."

New recipe?"  Janeway said doubtfully.

"Yes, its a version of nakantu berries with maraktua sauce," Neelix
seemed overly proud of his creation, "I pureed it, and mixed it with
some of the extra fowl from last night, and voila, we have sweet and
sour plakuna."  Janeway took what he said at face value.

"Sounds good."

"Oh it is," Neelix opened another pot and spooned something lumpy and
grey green into a bowl.

"I'll take some down to Pandelin, she's finish up some systems checks
in Engineering," offered Janeway.

"That's a good idea," said Neelix, "I'll put some for her to  go."

"Make some up for Torres and me too," said Janeway, "I think I'll
bring her some down too, see if she's hungry."

"I'm surprised she's supervising the systems check in her condition,"
Neelix searched for a few more bowls.

"It's her job," Janeway shrugged, "and anyhow, its her typical way,
too sick to eat but not enough to not work."  Neelix chuckled again,
fitting the covers on the bowls.  Lunch delivery had become a habit
for  Janeway, as she was off duty, but still wanted to roam the ship.
She set the  bowls and their utensils into a satchel.

"Thanks, Neelix," Janeway called as she left the kitchen.

"Enjoy your lunch," Neelix called after her.

---

"Mm, I smell something halfway edible," Ensign Pandelin's head popped
out from under an access panel.  Her dark brown hair was dappled with
blue goo.

"I'm sure just about anything smells good compared to Engineering
right now." Janeway pulled a chair next to Pandelin's, and opened the
satchel.  Pandelin wiped her hands off.

"We had a leak in one of the bioneural gel packs," she explained,
pulling herself up into her chair.  She sniffed at the bowl Janeway
handed  her.  "What is this stuff?"

"Sweet and sour plakuna," Janeway said, finding a fork.

"Tastes okay," Pandelin took a careful taste.

"Have you seen Torres?" Janeway asked.

"Um, yeah, she's up on the next level working the conduits."

"The conduits?"

"Yeah, when the gel pack ruptured, we traced the problem back to a
conduit infrastructure failure," Pandelin motioned with her fork,
"its pretty messy up there."  Janeway was standing again.

"I'm going to go see how she's doing," she said.  Janeway took the
lift to the next level.

---

"I need a shower," complained Torres, "there is only one thing in the
world that I want right now, and that is a shower."  B'Elanna Torres
was covered in thick green goo that oozed from a conduit that she sat
next to.

"I agree," smiled Janeway, sitting on a clean patch of floor a few
feet away, "you look like a swamp monster."

"I hate cooling gel for one reason, and this is it," Torres ran a hand
through her hair, could you pass me that towel?"  Janeway tossed a
towel from several that were piled on a console.

"Thank you," Torres took the towel, "so you said brought  lunch?"

"Yep," Janeway watched Torres attempt to clean herself and the side of
the conduit off.

"Is it edible?  I'm curious to see what challenges my stomach is
willing to face after surviving in this goo all morning," Torres
tossed the  towel in disgust.

"I think so, Pandelin tried some and it hasn't killed her yet,"
Janeway smirked.

"Where is it?" Torres asked.

"In the bottom level, over where Pandelin in working," Janeway said.
She shifted, "um, could you help me up?"  Torres pulled Janeway to her
feet.

"Do you wanna take the lift down?" Torres asked.

"Yes, thanks, I afraid I'm not cut out for climbing right now,"
Janeway smiled in apology.

"Don't be sorry," said Torres with a laugh, "I'm going to be getting a
lot of usage out of the lift in a few months."

"Mr. Neelix told me you're still nauseous at lunch time," grinned
Janeway, "now why do I get the feeling..."

"Actually, I get over it pretty fast, I've just been using that excuse
to avoid having to eat some of Neelix's more..."

"Colorful creations?" Janeway suggested.

"Exactly," said Torres, "I walked in there a few days ago, and
whatever it was, it was neon blue and red.  A bit much even for me."

"Thank the gods for replicators, eh?"

"My thoughts exactly."  They stepped onto the lift. "Engineering level
two."

"You know, the men would probably call us weak for using the lift to
get everywhere."  The lift stopped, and they got off.

"I'll show them weak," Torres snorted, pointing at Pandelin, who had
finished eating and was taking a nap.  She noted the empty bowl,
"whatever Neelix whipped up must be good, Stacey's got to be one of
the most finicky eaters on this ship."  Janeway hoisted the satchel
off the floor and sat down, while Torres found a seat.

"Have you given any thought to a name?" Torres asked as she  sat down.

"A name?"

"For the baby."

"Actually, Chakotay and I haven't given it a lot of thought," Janeway
admitted.

"That's odd," Torres took her bowl, "I would have thought Chakotay
would be thinking about it a lot."

"I'm sure that he has thought about it," Janeway sighed, "its just
that we haven't discussed it together much."

"I see." Torres nodded.  Janeway wasn't quite sure whether Torres
talking about the baby or the lunch bowl she was peering into.  Torres
looked  up, clearing her throat. "So, the Doctor said the baby is a
boy?"

"Yep," said Janeway, smiling softly, "did you find out what sex the
twins are?" A rueful smile twisted B'Elanna's features.

"Girls," she reported.  Janeway chuckled.

"How did Harry take the news?"

"About me being pregnant or about the twins, or about them being
girls?" Torres laughed loudly, Janeway joining in. Pandelin snorted
from where  her head rested on a computer panel.  Still sniffling a
giggle, Torres answered all three questions.  "Well, he took
everything pretty well.  After he got over the initial shock he was
really excited.  He made some silly quip about becoming a father twice
at one time, and when I told him they were girls, he said that he
hoped the looked like me."  They were laughing again.

"Men can say such silly things," Janeway sighed.

"Especially when it comes to children," said Torres.  Janeway  grew
quiet.

"Are you okay?"  Janeway flinched, looking up, then at her hand that
tightly clutched the arm of the chair.  She let go, shaking her head.
"No, I'm fine."  Torres sighed in relief.

"Good, for a moment there I thought you were having a contraction or
something," she said.  Janeway was still shaking her head.

"No, but you're right, I have to be careful this close to my due
date," she agreed quietly.  Janeway looked at a nearby chronometer, "I
need  to be going, I'm supposed to be meeting Chakotay in a few
minutes."

"I'll take the dishes back for you if you're in a hurry,"  Torres
offered.

Janeway stood up stiffly, "Yes, thank you."

---

In the turbolift heading for the senior decks, Janeway leaned against
the round wall of the lift.  She groaned, nearly bent over, hand
clenching  the railing on the wall.  The pain was horrible now.
Torres's guess  hadn't been that far off.  She moved to sit on the
floor, leaning against the wall.  Her face creased with pain as she
activated her commbadge.

"Janeway to Chakotay..." she rasped.

"Kathryn?  Are you all right?" Chakotay was almost off the bridge.
Over the link he heard Janeway moan.  He pivoted quickly.

"Tuvok, locate the Captain."

"She is in turbolift three, headed for the senior deck," Tuvok
reported.

"Get the Doctor up there," Chakotay said, nearly running off  the
Bridge.

Kathryn was crumpled on the floor of the turbolift, panting.  Chakotay
was two steps behind the Doctor.

"Her water's broke, she's going into labor," the Doctor said.
Chakotay lifted her off the floor as the Doctor called for an
emergency  transport.

He set her on the biobed, where Kes was waiting in Sickbay.

"I really hate you right now," groaned Janeway, a few minutes later.
She was bathed in sweat, panting, her eyes half closed.

"How long until the next contraction?" asked Chakotay.  The Doctor
checked.

"A little over a minute," he said.  Janeway moaned again, "okay make
that less that a minute."

Chakotay's commbadge chirped, "Tuvok to the Commander, you are needed
on the bridge."

"Is this urgent Tuvok?" Chakotay asked.  The ship shook  lightly.

"Yes, Commander, it is."  Chakotay looked from the Captain to the
doors as the ship shook again.  He quickly squeezed Janeway's hand.

"I'll be back as soon as possible," he said to her.

"Uh huh-" her response was cut off by another moan.

"I'm on my way Tuvok." Chakotay started for the doors.

---

The ship shook again as Chakotay entered the Bridge.

"What's the problem?" he barked.

"We have come into contact with an odd spacial entity," Tuvok
reported, motioning toward the viewscreen which was filled.  A
swirling blue maelstrom filled the screen.

"Hail it," Chakotay ordered.

"Sir?" Kim's confused response.

"I said hail the damn thing."

"Aye sir," said Kim, "hailing on all frequencies."  A perplexed look
crossed his face, "sir I'm reading that the entity is receiving our
hail, but its not responding."  Chakotay nodded.

"Prepare to send a message."

"Ready."  Chakotay turned.

"This is Commander Chakotay of the Federation Starship Voyager, please
stop your attacks on this ship.  I repeat stop your attacks on this
ship," he waved for Kim to end transmission, "did they get that?"

"Yes," affirmed Kim, "they heard it."

"Sir, the entity appears to be withdrawing," announced  Tuvok.

"I'll be in Sickbay," Chakotay started for the door, "I want a report
on that entity by tomorrow morning."

"Aye sir."

---

A few hours later, Janeway was resting in Sickbay, while the Doctor
ran tests on the baby.  Chakotay hovered about, looking around a bit
nervously.

"Commander, would you like someplace to sit?" Kes asked.

"Um, sure," Chakotay said.  Kes led him over to a chair.

"You look tired, maybe you should get some rest too?" Kes  looked at
him.

"Maybe," Chakotay grinned wryly, "how's the baby look?"

"He looks good," said Kes, "even though he's a few days early,
everything..." she drifted off as a strange shrieking filled the room.
The ship began to shake, and a console on the other side of Sickbay
exploded.  The ship bucked underneath their feet, and everyone was
thrown. A scream was the last thing Chakotay heard before his body
slammed to  the floor.

---

The red alert siren woke Chakotay.  He groggily lifted his head.  His
shoulder hurt.  Kes was unconscious nearby, and the Doctor stood in
the middle of Sickbay, stiff as could be.  He stood carefully.

"Computer, reinitialize the medical program," Chakotay said.  The
Doctor blinked several times.

"What happened?" he asked, looking around.  Chakotay was placing Kes
on a biobed.  Chakotay ignored the Doctor, turning to look for
Janeway, who  had disappeared.

He found her in the Doctor's officer, knees tucked up as best she
could manage, leaning against the wall.  She was crying, her breath
coming  in short gasps.  He sat down next to her when he realized she
wasn't  acting, and Chakotay pulled Janeway into his arms.

"Why did it have to be this way?" she sobbed into his chest, her own
chest heaving.  He didn't what to say, so he whispered quiet
assurances, and stroked her hair softly.

"You knew this was going to happen," Chakotay said after she  had
quieted.

"But I didn't expect to feel this way about it," Janeway lifted her
face from Chakotay's soaked uniform front.

"Oh, good, you found her," The Doctor appeared at the doorway,
"Captain, your baby..."

"I know," Janeway said, "I know he's gone."  The Doctor nodded
somberly.

"I'm afraid so."  He helped them to their feet.  "I'm not sure what
happened."  The Doctor led Janeway back to a biobed.

"Bridge to Commander Chakotay," Tuvok's voice came over Chakotay's
commbadge, "we are having a few problems."

"What the hell just happened?" Chakotay asked, helping Janeway lie
back on the bed.

"The spacial entity we encountered earlier returned, and continued its
attack on us.  At one point, our aft shields failed, and the ship was
hit with a focused energy beam.  Several power relays were blown out.
We detected an explosion in Sickbay.  Is everyone alright?"

"Well, yes, but the Captain's baby disappeared," Chakotay  said.

"When did this occur?"

"Shortly after the power relay blew."

"I am truly sorry," Tuvok said, "give my condolences to the  Captain."

"She heard you."  Janeway lay on the biobed, her eyes closed, but he
knew she wasn't asleep.  "Where is the spacial entity now?"

"It had disappeared completely from our sensors," Tuvok confirmed.
Chakotay sighed.

"Am I needed on the bridge right now?"

"No Commander," Tuvok almost sounded pitying.

"I'll be here in Sickbay."

"Yes, sir."

---

A while later, Kathryn woke.  She was briefly confused, before
realizing that she was in her quarters.  The bed creaked as someone
sat down on  it, then Chakotay leaned over her.  He smiled down grimly
at her.

"How do you feel?" he asked softly.

"I hurt," Kathryn said.  Chakotay nodded.

"The Doctor said the painkillers should be wearing off soon."  He was
holding a hypospray.

Kathryn sat up a bit, "I don't see why I should still hurt."

"You shouldn't, but apparently you got a little bumped up when..."
Chakotay looked down at the hypospray.

"I see," Kathryn rubbed her wrist, "Q wasn't supposed to be so rough
on me."  Chakotay shrugged.

"I know, but, Q is Q," he said, "I suppose he wanted to put on  a
show."

"Pig," Kathryn grumbled to herself.  She fell back onto the bed, "I
knew I shouldn't have expected this to be easy."  Chakotay help up the
hypospray.

"May I?"

"Go ahead," Kathryn nodded. "Does the crew know yet?" She flinched a
bit at the sting of the spray.

"I don't think so," Chakotay said, "at least not about Q's
involvement.  I'm sure that it won't be long until the crew knows that
he's gone though."

"Chakotay, we never even got a chance to name our own son!" Janeway
cried, her voice cracking, "its not fair."

"I know."  Janeway sighed, her eyes beginning to close.

Janeway's command voice slipped through her groggy haze.  "Chakotay,
what was in that hypospray?" she asked.  Chakotay grinned wryly.

"A little of this, a little of that."

"A painkiller and a sedative."

"Damn," Janeway swore, her eyes closing.  Chakotay waited quietly
until her breathing slowed and evened out, then went down to the
bridge.

---


Janeway was reluctant to show her face to the crew two days later in
the mess hall.  She doubted she could face listening to pity from 140
people.  Janeway  knew that eventually she would either break down
into tears  or burst out laughing and admit that... Admit what?  She
wondered to  herself. The whole thing was so difficult to even think
about, let alone  explain.

So, she ended up sitting in the mess hall, at her regular table, back
to the crowd.  After about fifteen minutes, Janeway felt a slight
pressure on her shoulder.

"May I sit with you?" Torres asked.  Janeway nodded, and Torres sat
down carefully, across the table.

"Did you get enough food?" Janeway asked.

"I'm hungry," Torres said with a shrug, "so, how are you this
morning?" "Good," Janeway stared down at her plate.

"Is it okay to be talking about this?"  Torres asked, shifting
uncomfortably.  Janeway looked up, giving a reassuring smile.

"Of course," she said.  "You're really the first person not to barge
their way into the subject.  What do you want to talk about?"  Torres
bit her lip.

"I feel a bit ashamed of myself for making accusations like this," she
said after a moment, "but I was checking sensors and going back over
the logs.... and I noticed a few strange readings.  They were
identical to the energy readings the occurred when Q took you off the
ship some time last year."  Torres looked down ashamedly for a moment.
When she looked again, Janeway had paled noticeably.

"B'Elanna..."

"I didn't tell anyone," Torres said quickly, "I didn't want to start a
bad rumor mill."  Janeway nodded, swallowing.

"Torres, this isn't something to be discussed in the mess hall." "I
understand."

"Meet me in my ready room at 1500 hrs," Janeway instructed.

---

Kathryn Janeway paced her ready room like a caged animal.  She  had
only a few minutes until Torres was supposed to arrive.  She wasn't
sure just what to say.  Mainly because she knew B'Elanna would tell
Harry, and he would have it pried out of him by Tom.  Paris would tell
someone else and it would spread like wildfire around the ship.  She
would have to cut the rumor mill off at its source.

The door chimed, and Janeway summoned Torres to enter.  Her chief
engineer seemed even more nervous than Janeway currently felt.
Janeway leaned on the edge of her desk.  Torres sat in the chair that
was offered.

"So Torres, how are you?" Janeway asked.  Torres released the breathe
she had been holding in.

"Pretty good."  Janeway decided to get to the point.

"So, B'Elanna, you want to know what Q had to do with all  this."

"More or less," Torres said cautiously.  She felt like she was
stepping into a dark lion's den.

"Well..." Janeway tried to find the best place to begin.  "Do you
remember last year when we saw those supernovas, and the Q's appeared
on the ship?"

"Yes.."

"Well, do you remember when I was taken to the continuum?"

"Yes."

"Well, after I was returned to Voyager, that night..." Janeway
stopped.

"That was Q's baby?" Torres said, nearly rising out of her  seat.

"No, B'Elanna, it wasn't," Janeway assured her.

"It was Chakotay's?"

"Yes, Chakotay was the father," Janeway reassured, "but Q..."

"What did he do?" Torres asked, her voice nearly a whisper.

"Q... altered... Chakotay's reproductive genetic structure."

"Huh?" Torres looked confused, "how?"

Janeway shrugged, "he's Q, he just... did."

"And you still kept the baby?"

"Yes," Janeway said, "no matter what Q did to it, it was still our
child."

"I see, I guess," Torres nodded slightly, "but.. why?"

"Q wanted to mate with me," Janeway explained, "but I refused.  But I
also told him that I knew he would find another way to end the war in
the continuum."

"And he found one."  Janeway nodded.

"It actually was a difficult decision to make," she admitted, "I
didn't know quite what to do.  Finally, Chakotay and I decided that I
would  have the child, but we wouldn't keep it.  After the child was
born, Q would take it to be raised in the Continuum."

"You disowned it."

"No," Janeway objected, "I still wanted my son.  But it was the best
thing to do.  We were also faced with explaining everything to the
crew."

"So you found a way around that," Torres said thoughtfully.  Janeway
nodded slowly.

"We did.".  Then she stood, and took a hesitant step toward Torres.
"B'Elanna, its important that you not tell anyone about this."

"I have to tell Harry, he knows about the energy readings."

"I figured that would be the case," Janeway said.  "You can tell him,
but no one else.  The same goes for Harry.  And since I know Tom will
pry  it out of him, tell Harry to tell Paris that if he feels the urge
to talk  to someone about this, that he can come to me."  Torres
nodded.

"I'll tell him that," she promised.

"Anything else?" Torres shook her head.  "Alright then, you're free to
go."  Torres rose from her seat.  As she reached the door, she paused.

"Captain?" Torres said, "may I ask you something?"

"Go ahead."

"Do you love Chakotay?"

"Yes Torres," Janeway said after a moment, "Yes, I do."  Torres nodded
slowly again, then turned and went through the parted doors.

Janeway sighed, and went around her desk, collapsing into her chair.
She rubbed the back of her neck.  She wasn't officially on duty again
until tomorrow morning, but she was no longer banned from the Bridge.
The  door chimed again, and before Janeway could answer, Chakotay
entered.

Janeway  gave him a hazy smiled.  She rounded the desk and let herself
be embraced by Chakotay.

After a moment he said, "so, are you feeling ready to return  to
duty?"

"I think so," she said.

"So I see you told Torres about Q?" he asked.

"Yes," Janeway disentangled herself, "you know Chakotay, B'Elanna
asked me something that struck me as a bit odd for her to be asking."

"What did she ask?" Chakotay wondered.  Janeway paused,  staring at
him.

"She asked me if I love you," Janeway said softly.


"What did you tell her?"

"I told her yes," Janeway smiled up at him.  Chakotay returned  her
grin.  It was always good to be reassured of these things.

"Well, that's good, because I have another question for you."

"What's that?"

"Will you marry me?"

---

Janeway slapped her alarm clock into silence.  She shoved the sleeping
form next to her.

"Come on, wake up, it's your turn this morning," Janeway said.

"Oh, who came up with this stupid idea anyway?" Chakotay growled into
the pillow.

"I think you did," Janeway was already standing, and pulling  her robe
on.

"Why did you let me talk you into it?  I hate having to take the
shower first," Chakotay sat up, rubbing his neck.

"Well, I'll replicate breakfast while you're in the shower," Janeway
said, "if you used the sonic shower it wouldn't take so long."
Chakotay grunted and went off to take a shower.  She heard the water
running a few minutes later and smiled to herself.  She made sure
Chakotay had a uniform to change into, then went to replicate
breakfast.

"Janeway6," she told the replicator, then retrieved the plate.  She
set it on the table and returned to the replicator.

"Oh, breakfast?  Kathy you really shouldn't have," an arrogant voice
said, startling Janeway.  It took her a moment to regain her
composure.  She turned slowly to find that Q wasn't alone.  Another
man, not quite as tall as Q, but who equally exuded the same annoying
energy as him, stood cross-armed next to Q.

"Q," Janeway held back a sigh, "what do you want?"

"Nothing actually."  The other man spoke.

"I didn't expect her to be this bitter," he said.

"Excuse me?" Janeway's hands automatically went to her hips in her
defiant how-dare-you-you-little-pig stance.

"Um, Kathy," Q moved to stand between them, "I would like you to meet
Sage.  Sage, meet Kathryn Janeway."

"Nice to meet you," Sage sounded a bit condescending.

"I'm sure," Janeway said, "Q, might I ask again as to why you  are
here?"

"Why, to introduce you to your son, of course!" Q said, a bit too
cheery. Janeway didn't flinch, as if she had been expecting this.  Her
eyes darted to Sage.

"Interesting name," she smiled a bit, her arms falling from  her
sides.

"Short for Sagittarius," Sage added.  Janeway heard the water in the
bathroom shut off, and raised a hand.   "If you'll excuse me for a
minute."  Q and Sage looked at one another, then nodded.  Janeway
quickly ran to the bathroom, and nearly pulled the door shut.  She
pressed her back against the door and keyed the lock, even though it
matter little.

"What's wrong?" Chakotay asked, a bit surprised.  Janeway had the
frantic look of a deer caught in the headlights.  She swallowed a few
times  and her breathing slowed.  Janeway closed her eyes and leaned
her head in  the door. "He's here," she said softly.  Chakotay was
confused as to what would  get his wife so worked up.

"Who?  Who's here?" he asked.  He wiggled into his uniform  bottom.

"Our son," she whispered.

"What?!" Chakotay nearly yelled.

"He's here," Janeway repeated, "Q brought him.  And Chakotay, he's...
old." "Old?"

"Well, not old, but he's not a little one year old baby like he should
be," she said, "I mean, he looks like a teenager or something."
Chakotay shook his head as he pulled his jacket on.

"Let me guess," he said, "he wants to meet me."

"I'm not sure he knows you're here."

"Well, I rather you not be out there with them alone again."

"Don't you trust me?" Janeway half smiled.

"I don't trust them," Chakotay said as he keyed the lock.  The door
opened, and Janeway, somewhat timidly, led Chakotay out into the
sitting room.  As they went, Chakotay leaned over and whispered into
Janeway's ear.

"How can you be so sure that it is our son?" he asked.  Janeway shook
her head.

"I'm not."

Q and Sage turned as the couple entered the sitting room.

"Who's he?" Sage scowled suspiciously.

"This," Janeway made a somewhat protective motion in Chakotay's
direction, "is my husband, Chakotay."  Sage looked thoughtful for a
moment, then nodded.  Q said something quietly to Sage, who's eyes
widened as he glanced at Chakotay.  Then he nodded again.

"I knew that," Sage said, "I just didn't recognize him."  Q sighed and
shook his head.  Sage look from one half father to another and then to
his mother.  He smiled.

"Do I have any other siblings?" Sage asked.

"No," Chakotay squeaked.  Sage smiled again, a bit sillily, at his
half father's discomfort.

"It has only been a year," Janeway said.

"Oh, yes, I forgot, different time lines," Sage chuckled.

"How old are you, Sage?" Janeway asked.

"22," Sage replied.

"It's just a bit confusing," Q apologized, "you see, while you've
progressed one year on this time line, I've been lugging this kid
around for twenty-two years."

"I didn't realize," Janeway said.  Her emotions were mixed, torn
between suspicion and elation, even thought she had before said she
never  wanted to see Q or her son again.  Q was obviously trying to
lighten a tense situation.  It was beginning to work, she supposed.

"Well, Kathryn, um," Q turned to Sage, "could you excuse us?  Come
back in a minute."

"Sure thing," Sage snapped his fingers.  In a flash, he was gone.
Janeway blinked in surprise.  Q turned back to them.

"Kathryn, Chakotay, um, well, I know you said you did want Sage in
your life," Q said, a bit uncomfortable, "but I need a break.  I've
been  toting him around for 22 years, and even though he's still
important to our society..."

"You want us to keep him for a while," Janeway said.

"A year."

"A *year*?" Janeway lost her cool, "are you crazy?"

"Kathryn, if you two don't want to do this, you don't have to," Q
said, "but he seemed to want to know more about human lifestyles, for
some reason.  I don't know why."

Janeway looked at Chakotay.  He nodded slightly, then made a cutting
motion.

"Okay," Janeway said, "but for half a year."

"A year."

"Nine months."

"Fine," Q snapped his fingers, and a PADD appeared in his hand.  A
slightly frantic look appeared on his face, "you need to read this.
There are things, though a bit unsettling, that you *need* to know."
He pressed the PADD into's Janeway's hands.

"I'll read it."

"You might hide this for safety," Q said, "he won't be happy if he
finds it."  Janeway nodded, and tucked the PADD into her robe.

What was she getting into? she wondered.

---

"So, Sage."  She slid the PADD Q had given her under a pile of clothes
in her drawer.  She had used the excuse of changing to hide the PADD.
Her hand went over the surface of her dressing table next, and
collected  her pips, before turning to her son.  It was a bit
difficult to think of  Sage as that, he was really just a stranger,
claiming to be her son.  She needed some sort of proof.  Maybe she
could lure him down to Sickbay, and find a way to do some sort of
genetic scan.  She wanted to trust him, her aching heart told her to,
so she would have to for the time being.

"Do you eat?" Janeway asked.

"Yes, of course."

"Well, your popping in caused me to miss my breakfast," Janeway pinned
on her commbadge.  Chakotay had eaten the breakfast she had
replicated.   "And I'm late for duty.  But, if you're hungry, I can
take you down to the  mess hall."

"I can make my own food."

"I'm sure you can," Janeway said, "but maybe you'd like to try some
real home cooking.  Neelix's food is very... interesting."

"So I've heard," Sage smiled.  "Alright, you win.  Maybe I need to be
mothered a little.  By the way, what do you want me to call you?"

"Mother, or mom will do, but when I'm on duty, I am the  Captain."

"Alright," Sage followed Janeway to the door, "what should I call
Chakotay?"

"Well, he's your father, more rightfully so than Q, though Q  is too."

"I know about that."  He probably knew that she didn't want him
either.  So why was he still so strainingly nice?  She'd have to find
out l ater. "I suppose you can call him whatever feels best, but call
him  Commander when he's on duty."

"You don't," Sage smirked.  Janeway sighed, what had Q been teaching
him all these years?  How to push his mother's buttons was probably
high  on the list.  She suddenly, for a brief moment, felt very old.

"That's true," she said, "but I'm the Captain, and I can call him
whatever I want."

"Even 'Mr. Studly First Officer'?" Sage asked, grinning.  Janeway
wondered who he had heard that from.

"Yes, even that."  Sage looked thoughtful.  For someone who had been
raised by a race of omniscient beings, he sure had a lot of questions.

"When did you get married?" He was like an over inquisitive  child.

"Six months ago," Janeway said, "how old were you six months ago?"
There was a hint of mockery in her voice, but Sage missed it.

"Nine," he said, "I think six months ago I was visiting a colony in
the Alpha Quadrant."  They stepped onto a turbolift.

"Mess hall," Janeway instructed, "what were you doing in the Alpha
Quadrant?  I would have thought Q would have taken you someplace more
interesting."

"Well, the Alpha Quadrant does have its interesting points, few as
they may be," Sage said dryly, "but father said something about
learning  about the people I was related to.  Ancient humans were very
strange."

"I suppose," Janeway said.  She had met some.

"And then I had to read four months of Vulcan poetry."

"A bit too dry for you?" Janeway smiled at Sage's grimace.

"Simple words are complex within their simplicity," Sage said, "and
Vulcans take the cake."

"I have to agree."

"I found human literature a bit too light," Sage commented, "too much
dialog."

"I always thought that the words make the story," Janeway  said.

"They do, but not when they're coming out of some air head's mouth."
The turbolift stopped, and Janeway led the rest of the way down the
hall.   "So where is Daddy-O right now?"

"Daddy-O?  I assume you mean Chakotay," said Janeway.

"Yep," Sage eyed Neelix as they entered the mess hall.

"He's on duty, like I should be," Janeway noticed a few curious gazes
from people sitting at the tables.  "He's trying to find you some
quarters."  Sage nodded.

"Ah, good morning Captain," Neelix burbled, "oh, have we a new
crewmember?"

"Um, yes," Janeway heard Paris snicker across the room.  "Neelix, this
is Sage.  Sage, this is Neelix, our chief morale officer and
ambassador."

"I wish people would notify me when we get new crewmembers," the
Doctor's head appeared from behind a counter.

"Well, he hasn't been here long," Janeway said.  The Doctor stood,
shaking his head.

"Well, bring him and his records down as soon as you can," the Doctor
ordered, "I'll be back in Sickbay as soon as I finish checking the
health guidelines here."

"We'll do that Doctor," Janeway said.  She and Sage took trays and she
led him to her regular table.

As she passed his table, Janeway set a hand on Paris's  shoulder.

"Shouldn't you be on duty, Mr. Paris?" Janeway asked.  He gave her a
look that said "shouldn't you?".

"I got the morning off."  Janeway just grunted, then sat down.

"So who was he?" asked Sage.

"Tom Paris, our pilot," said Janeway.  She forked her Triolein eggs.
"Why did Q name you Sagittarius?"

"I'm not sure," Sage admitted, "I guess he just like the  name."

"I assumed he'd just give you a letter and be done with it," sighed
Janeway, "I'm sorry he didn't even bother asking what we wanted your
name to be.  We're your parents too."

"He probably didn't ask because he knew that you didn't know," Sage
said. "You don't like my name?"

"I didn't say that."

"I know," Sage said, "just being bitter again."

"I can't help it," Janeway tried to defend herself.

"He never mentioned being bitter," Sage said lightly, "stubborn,
headstrong, smart, gracious, witty, faithful, loving, beautiful,
compassionate, he said you were all of those things.  But never
bitter."

"How much did Q talk about me?"  Janeway asked.

"Too much," sighed Sage," at least every other day he'd say something.
Kathy this, mother that, he'd drive me crazy telling about how you
helped that other Q.  Somehow he seemed to know more about you than
even Daddy-O does."

"I wish you wouldn't call him that," sighed Janeway.

"Sometimes he could come up with a reference of you nearly everywhere
we went, even at places where you've never been.  Sometimes it almost
seemed like you were there."  A bit of sadness flickered across Sage's
face.

"I'm sorry, Sage," Janeway said, "I'm sorry that I made Q take you,
but... at the time, I wasn't..."

"You weren't thinking, I know."

"So what have you been doing lately in the Continuum?"

"I've become something of a mascot," Sage said, "I have to go to all
the meetings and stuff."  Janeway heard the slight tentative edge to
his voice, and knew he wasn't telling the whole truth.  She'd have to
make it a point to read the PADD Q had given her.  She had the
distinct feeling that she was being lured into a trap.

Janeway set her fork down on her plate, "well, I need to get to the
bridge."

Sage nodded. "Um, where should I go?"  Janeway looked  thoughtful.

"You can go down to Sickbay," she said, "tell the Doctor that you
don't have any available records, and that I'll explain it to him
later.  If  he feel the need to give you a physical, just let him.  Do
you know how  to get to Sickbay?"  Sage nodded.

"I should be able to keep myself occupied for a while."

"Just don't damage anything," Janeway said.  Sage grinned, and with a
snap he was gone.  Janeway sighed, and leaned back.

---

"So Chakotay, have you found a room for our 'guest'?" Janeway asked as
she called him into her ready room.

"Yep, two decks below ours," Chakotay said, "what's that?" He motioned
to the report in her hand.

"I'm trying to write a report to explain the situation with Sage,"
Janeway explained.

"Have you had a chance to look at the report Q gave you?"  Chakotay
asked.

"No," Janeway sighed, "I've been too busy.  But I'm beginning to have
my doubts about Sage."

"Do you think its really him?" Chakotay asked.

"Yes, I'm pretty sure it is him, but, something makes me a bit unsure
about him."  She frowned.  "I'm finding it difficult to buy his
honesty."  She shrugged, "I need to read that report."

"Tonight?"

"Yeah," a smiled ghosted her face, "have you heard from the Doctor
recently?"

"A while ago," Chakotay said, "he said something about being the last
to hear about anything and not getting his records."

"As soon as I finish this I'm going to have to go down there," Janeway
said.

---

"So, Doc," Janeway called as she entered Sickbay, "how's Sage checking
out?"

"He seems to be healthy," the Doctor was holding Sage's wrist.

"I better be," Sage said, "you've run nearly every test in the book on
me."

"I'm making up a record for him, but I need his complete name," the
Doctor said, "and I need to show you something, Captain."  He led her
over into his office, and called up something on the screen.

"I was running genotype scans, and noticed that his blood carried
three genetic variables instead of two.  And there's an enzyme
imbalance.  I can't explain it, except that it seems Sage has three
parents."

"Have you determined who they are?" Janeway asked.

"Not as yet," the Doctor said.  Janeway gave him the PADD with her
report.

"You need to read this."

The Doctor nodded.  "And about his full name, do you know it?"
Janeway paused before answering.

"His name is Sagittarius Janeway."  The Doctor's eyes widened, and
looked out the window into the main room, where Sage sat fiddling with
a  medical tricorder.

"He's your... son?"

"I think the genetic scans will show that," Janeway said.

"But, he should only be a year old," the Doctor protested, "and the
father..."

"Chakotay is the father, but..." she motioned to the PADD again, "just
read the report.  It'll explain everything."  The Doctor sighed.

"As you wish, Captain," he said.  Janeway nodded slightly.  Now if
only *she* could fully understand everything as well.

---

Janeway yawned, and rubbed her eyes.  Her mind swam through the
massive amount of information that she had put upon herself to read.
This was  too much, she decided, setting the PADD down.  She could
hear Chakotay  stir in the next room.  The chronometer on her desk
read 02:07, she had been reading for five hours.  Her stomach turned
as she thought again.

It was incredible.  It was awful.  It was just plain terrible  what
Sage was doing.  At least, according to Q.  Was that why he had
brought  Sage to Voyager?  To try to keep him out of the Continuum?
If Q was half the  Q she knew he was, he would know that dumping his
son with his mother wouldn't keep Sage out of the Continuum.  Out of
influence.

When Sage was born, the war in the Continuum ended.  It literally fell
apart.  Q admitted that he wasn't quite sure why.  Sage had somehow
given the leaders of the warring groups a reason to stop fighting.
True to what he had said before, Q had dragged Sage around the
universe for the first 17 years of his life.  There was peace.

But then things began to change.  The view of Sage in the Continuum
changed from simply seeing him as a "mascot for  peace" to pure
adoration. Hell, they were worshiping him.  These near gods were
treating Sage  like he *was* a god.  They followed his every order,
wrote songs and  stories and poetry about him, they even prayed to
him.  The members of the Continuum somehow were being brainwashed.
And Sage accepted this.  He encouraged it, in fact.  Sage was their
Messiah, he was their God.  And they believed it.  Sage gave great
speeches and commentaries about the greatness of the Continuum.  In
five short years, a mere nanosecond in the everlasting Q existence,
Sage had become the idol of thousands of all powerful immortal being.
And he wasn't even one of them.  He was all they spoke about.  They
did everything he wanted done, even wiped out whole civilizations
under one of Sage's whims.  Janeway felt she had every right in the
universe and all its dimensions to hate Sage.

But she had to love him

Because he was her son.

---

She need to talk to Sage.  Making sure Chakotay was still asleep, she
asked the computer of his whereabouts.

"Computer, locate Sagittarius Janeway," she put the PADD in a  drawer.

"Sagittarius Janeway is not onboard," the computer replied.  Janeway
sighed.

"See?  I told you he can't be trusted," Q appeared in front of  her.

"Q," Janeway said, "where'd he go?"

"To another of his meetings, I suppose," Q said, "Sage has  the
uncanny ability to make himself impossible to track.  I'm not quite
sure where  he is.  I suppose he is at the Hall."

"The Hall?" Janeway echoed.

"A row of stars in the Chinnesa Galaxy-"

"Chinnesa Galaxy?"

"Its very, very far away from the Milky Way Galaxy," Q said, "its
probably not even visible as a star from here.  But that's not the
point.  The Hall is where all the Q go to hear Sage speak."

"Will he come back?" Janeway asked.

"I suppose so," said Q, "he thinks you're asleep right now, and will
pop back in some time before morning.  He doesn't want you to get
suspicious."

"Why doesn't he just return to the same point in time as when he
left?" Janeway asked.

Q shrugged.  "That's one of the few things he can't do."

"Because he's not fully Q?"

"Yes.  He can move to anywhere in the universe during the continuing
time line.  But he can't move around in or out of time," Q said.

"But couldn't he get another Q to take him?"

"Yes, it's certainly possible," Q said, "but he won't, you'll see."
And at that, he was gone.  Janeway sighed, and went to bed.

---

The next morning, Sage was sitting placidly on Janeway's desk, holding
a picture.

"Who's he?" asked Sage, pointing to the picture.

"You know who he is," Janeway sighed tiredly, going over to a monitor
on the wall.  She keyed it and the Doctor appeared on the monitor.

"Are you busy Doctor?" Janeway asked.

"No, I'm just finishing up my subroutine check," the Doctor  said.

"Do you think you spare the time to see me this morning?"

"Of course," the Doctor said, "at what time?"

"About an hour from now.".

"All right."  She turned the monitor off.

"Are you alright?"  Sage asked, concern creasing his delicate
features.

"I'm fine," Janeway turned to go back into the bedroom.  Sage frowned
watching her go.  He heard Chakotay mumble something, but didn't
bother listening.

---

"I'm pregnant," Janeway said, staring at the Doctor.

"Yes, that's right."

"I'm pregnant, again," Janeway said, "great, I've spawned another holy
terror."  She laid back on the biobed.  Chakotay sighed.

"I've determined that there are only two genetic factors present," the
Doctor reported.

"That's good."  The doors to Sickbay opened, and Sage silently
entered.  He took in the various expression of the people in the room,
and  smiled.

"You're pregnant?" It was a statement, not a question.

"Yes," Janeway said quietly from the bed.  Sage nodded, then quickly
turned on his heel and left Sickbay.

"He took that well," Chakotay said.

"I'm not sure he did," Janeway frowned.

---

"I feel like I'm running a day care center," Paris complained.

"Oh, mi little bon bon, don't worry, I am here to help," Sandrine
cooed, carrying Stacey Pandelin's baby.  The hologram grinned at
Paris.  Five other babies at various ages were also in the holodeck.
Nicky Pandelin was 7 months old, and Shelby and Samantha Kim were both
five months old.  Mike Troja and Susie Pjo were two and three months
old.  Little Rosie was nearly two years old.  And several more were on
the way.

Getting pregnant seemed the thing to be doing among the women on the
ship, Paris thought wryly.  "How did I get stuck doing this?"

"Ah, you didn't get stuck," Ensign Smith crooned, "you volunteered,
'cause you're such a nice guy."

"And you're starting to scare me," Bathas said, "didn't you forget,
Paris isn't nice."  The two women giggled.

"Oh great, now you're trying to deface me," Paris said, "I can't even
get a good start with the babies."

"Oh please Tom," Amy said, "you know they like you."

"Is drool a sign of that?" Paris asked, "if it is, than Shelby really
likes me."  The baby burbled at him.

"Well, would you rather be doing this or playing pool?" Sandrine
asked.  Paris looked down at the baby in his arms, his best friends'
daughter,  and smiled.

"I don't know," he said, "but I think I've found an easy way to meet
women."

"Silly man, zey will not be women for many years," Sandrine set Nicky
back in his crib, "when zey are older, maybe they will be smarter too,
and keep away from dirty old men."

"I know," Paris grinned, "but it's a start."

"Well, if the captain has a daughter, you better not hit on her,"
Bathas noted.

"Do you think I lack all decency?" Paris let Sandrine take  Shelby.

"I wouldn't put it past you."

"You people are too cruel," Paris said, "luckily, I have to meet
Chakotay in Engineering to help with systems checks."  Paris scurried
out of  the holodeck before the women could make any more smart-aleck
remarks.

---

"Yeah, we're going to have to stop at the Kinmeko system soon, to get
more nutrients for the cooling system," Chakotay sighed a few hours
later, wiping the green gel off his fingers.  Torres was swearing
quietly.

"We just fixed these things four months ago," she was nearly whining,
"and two months before that, and six before that."  She sighed.  "We
need to find a better source of the gel nutrients, these keep
degrading too quickly."

"I'm on my way to the Bridge, I'll tell the Captain," Paris said.
Chakotay nodded.  Torres was checking the relays again.

"For some reason the degradation of the cooling gel is causing the
conduits around the cooling area to loose integrity in the intra
structure," Torres said, "it happened last year, and its been a
recurring problem since then.  The cooling gel needs to be completely
replaced, but we don't have enough to do that."

"What will happen if its not replaced?" Paris asked.

"Well, the problem will keep occurring," Torres mumbled, "and
eventually we'll have to end up replacing the conduits next to it, and
the panels next to the conduits.  Not to mention that the cooling gel
makes a mess whenever there's a leak."

"I see," Paris said, "and you think we'll be able to find what we need
in the Kinmeko system?"

"I guess," Chakotay said.  Paris stood.

"Well, if I stay, I'll be late, so I'm off," he said, and took
B'Elanna's report with him.

---

Sage fell into step next to Paris as he walked down the corridor.
"Hey, um, Tom."

"Yes?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, go ahead," Paris said.  He was a bit curious about Sage, but
Janeway had remained pretty closed lipped about him.

"Have you ever been jealous?"

"Jealous?  Yeah, sure," Paris said.

"I mean really jealous, enough to want to kill someone."   Paris
paused for a moment in midstep. "Um, well, yeah, once."

"What did you do about it?" Sage wondered.

"I... I talked with the guy, and we worked things out," Paris  said.

"What if you can't talk to him?" Sage asked.

"Well," Paris thought, "I suppose I'd stop and take the time to think
about it."

"Would you kill the person?"  Paris wondered if this was a trick
question.

"Only if I wasn't thinking clearly, or being an idiot."

Sage nodded. 	"Thanks." He turned away.

"Sage?"

He stopped.  "Yeah?"

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Sage said.  Paris gave a reluctant nod, then
continued to the Bridge.

---

The shuttle craft was slowly moving away from Kinmeka Prime, when the
alarms went off.

"What's wrong?" asked Janeway.  Sage was looking out the  window.

"I'm not sure," Paris said.  Then, "I'm picking up a Kinmekan ship.
Its weapons are powered."

"Hail them," Janeway said.  The ensign next to Paris nodded.

"Channel open," she announced.

"Captain, their weapons are locked on us," Paris whispered.

"This is Captain Janeway to the Kinmekan ship, would you pleased tell
us why you have your weapons locked on us?"  Janeway leaned over a
console.

"There's no response," the ensign said.  The shuttle shook.

"They've opened fire," Paris said needlessly.

"Return fire!"

"Returning fi-" the ensign was cut off by a loud shrieking, and the
main console exploded.  The shuttle craft shook violently to port,
then stilled.

---

"Commander!  A Kinmekan ship is opening fire on the shuttlecraft!"
Ensign Kim's voice cut the quiet of the bridge, "the shuttle's main
systems just went off line, I think a power line ruptured."

"What about-"

"Life signs are minimal."

"Beam them to Sickbay," Chakotay ordered, "and get the shuttlecraft
in.  Get us out of here as soon as we've got the shuttle.  I'll be in
Sickbay."

---

"Doctor, report!" Chakotay entered Sickbay.

"The Captain and Lt. Paris suffered minor burns, and a few other
injuries," the Doctor said, "Ensign Killontha suffered more severe
burns, but we've stabilized her."  The Doctor look a bit flustered.
"But Mr. Sage..."

The Doctor nodded over to Sage.  The young man was completely without
injuries, and sat staring sullenly at the floor.

Chakotay nodded.  "What about the Captain?"

"Well, she had burns on her arms and face," the Doctor lead Chakotay
over to the biobed, where Janeway lay, her lids hooded.

"Don't feel too good," she said as they approached.

"That's with reason," the Doctor said.  Janeway sat up, coughing hard.
She wiped at her mouth, her hand smearing with blood.

The Doctor frowned. 	"In addition to the burns, you've also got
some minor internal bleeding."

"Minor?" Chakotay said.

"I'm already working on it."  Janeway coughed again.  The Doctor ran
his medical tricorder over Janeway's midsection.  His frowned
deepened.

"What's wrong?" Janeway asked, wiping the blood from her mouth  again.

"Captain, your baby..." the Doctor hesitated.

"What about it?" Janeway nearly whispered.

"Its not showing any life signs," the Doctor said.  Janeway  paled.

"How did this happen?" Chakotay asked hoarsely.

"I'm not sure, it should be fine," the Doctor objected.  Janeway lay
back on the biobed.

"This can't be happening," she moaned quietly, "not again."

"Is there anything you can do?" Chakotay asked.  The Doctor shook his
head.

"I'm afraid not."  Chakotay sighed, holding Janeway's trembling hand.
Her skin was dry and hot, from the burns she had sustained earlier.

Something wasn't right about this.

---

Janeway was silent, withdrawn, on the Bridge two days later.  She
glared sullenly at the back of Paris's chair.  Paris was nervous under
the  gaze.  The captain had lost her baby, and the whole crew knew it.
And it was partially Paris's fault that they knew.  His hand still
hurt a little from where it had been burned.

The silence on the Bridge was horrible.  Janeway sat silently, and
Chakotay was in Engineering.  And no one else was talking.  Paris cast
a short glance over his shoulder.  He couldn't tell whether she was
angry or just that sad.

Finally the silence broke.  "Sickbay to Captain Janeway."  	She
sighed.  "Yes Doctor, what is it?"

"I have something down here that I think you need to see," the Doctor
said.  Janeway sighed again.

"Alright, I'll be down in a minute."

"Doctor out."

"Mr. Paris, you have the Bridge, I'll be down in Sickbay," Janeway
rose from her chair.

"Aye, Captain."

---

"What have you found, Doctor?" Janeway asked.

"I was going over the scans I did of you from the other day," the
Doctor said.  He brought up an image on a monitor.  It showed what
looked  like a dimpled worm.

"What is it?"

"This was your baby, magnified several hundred times," the Doctor told
her, "I found something that I had missed in the original scans,
mainly because I was looking for it."  He pointed to a small string
coming off the 'worm'.

"What is it?" Janeway repeated the earlier question.

"The umbilical cord," the Doctor enlarged the image further, "it
appears that somehow the umbilical cord was severed, resulting in
death."   Janeway stared at him like he had grown a second head.

"The strange thing is that in order for something like this to happen,
there had to be a great deal of tissue damage in the surrounding
area," the Doctor said, "but there is no other damage there.  It
appears as if this was intentional."

"Intentional?" Janeway said to herself, "that doesn't make any sense.
How..."

"I don't know," the Doctor said, "the baby was fine when I checked you
before you left.  The only other people who had come into contact with
you since then were Lt. Tuvok, Lt. Paris, Lt. Torres, Commander
Chakotay, Ensign Killontha and-"

"Sage."  Janeway realized that she didn't know where he was.  "I have
to go, Doctor."

"But-"

"I'll be back soon," Janeway was already heading for the door.

---

When Janeway entered her quarters, she found who she had been looking
for.

"You," she growled, "this is all your fault."

"My fault?" Q appeared to be hurt, "what do you mean?"

"Sage.  He, he, he killed my baby!" Janeway barely controlled herself.
"And you, what's your part in this?"

"My part?" Q said, "I'm not sure what you mean.  I had nothing to do
with what he did.  Whatever he did."  Janeway swallowed.  "But I'm
afraid  we have more pressing matters to tend to.  We have to go."

"Go?  Go where?" her questions vanished with Q's snap of his fingers.

---

The materialized in a poorly lit room, behind a curtain.

"Q, where are we?" Janeway whispered.

"The Hall," Q said.

"What-" Janeway began to question, but Q set a finger to her  lips.

"Shh," he said, "you're not supposed to be here.  Neither am I
really."

"Then why am I here?" Janeway wondered.

"You need to hear what your son is saying," Q whispered, "just listen
for a minute."  Janeway finally relented, and nodded.  They sat on the
cold floor, and strained to hear.

"The Discreation has begun," Sage's voice echoed and boomed oddly, "we
have started in point one and are working our way across the universe.
I believe everyone has their orders.  Right now the Centa Squad has
destroyed the systems in sector A1 and A2.  The Eastern Hijor Galaxy
should be completely destroyed in five weeks, due to problems being
found. We're going to continue on this linear plan simply for
organization's sake.  I want the nine other squads to continue their
starts at sectors B3, B5, C6, D2, E1, E5, E7, F3, and H9, as were
planned."

Janeway turned and gaped at Q, who was still listening intently, but
cocked his head in a 'I'm sorry about this' gesture when he noted her
look.  Janeway went back to listening.

"... reach the pre-arranged convergence coordinates, here in sector
I1, in approximately eight linear years.  Unfortunately some unforeseen
problems have come up, and we're going to have to do this the old way,
star system at a time.  We'll leave this sector alone, so we'll have a
meeting place.  From here in I1 we'll work on the other half of the
universe, squads starting at sectors I2, J1, K1, K5, L1, L3, M1, M3,
M8, and N3."  Sage droned on like he was giving any military orders,
not orders on destroying the universe.  "I hope you all are
remembering this, I'm not going to repeat it for the fourth time."  Q
was dragging Janeway to her feet, towards the edge of the curtain.
She was putting up a slight struggle, not really wanting to go out
there.  "Any questions?"

Someone apparently asked something, because Sage chuckled and
continued talking, "sector N19?  No, Q, dear, the destruction of that
sector is  my privilege.  Yes, I know you all want to help in
torturing those stupid Vulcans, and Romulans, and Cards's, and
Terrans-" he nearly spit the term, "-and other folks, but I want to be
the one who gets to.  Sorry dear.  But you get the Andromeda's, don't
you?  Then don't complain."  There was mild laughter at this.  Janeway
frowned at Q as they reached the edge of the curtain.  She realized
that 'Sector N19' was the Milky Way Galaxy, or at least the Alpha and
Beta Quadrants.  She shivered slightly.  He wanted the joy of doing in
her people.

"Now, just stay behind me," whispered Q as they emerged from the
curtain. Janeway nodded, following Q carefully.  They stepped into a
room full  of tables arranged like the spokes of a wheel.  In the
center of the room  a lone figure stood on a elaborate platform.  It
was Sage.

Sage looked out over the crowd.  A smiled crossed his face as he
spotted someone.

"Ah, and I see my father has joined us this fine evening," Sage said.
Far at the end of the hall, Q cocked his head.  From the stage,
Janeway was as yet invisible.

"Yes, I have," Q said.

"Why I don't know," Sage nearly growled, "you're not exactly one of my
followers."

"True," Q raised a brow, "but I brought along someone to hear your
little speech."

"Speech?  I was giving orders, which probably you shouldn't have
heard," Sage sneered, "probably going to go run off and warn your
pitiful  little friends."

It took a strong will to ignore this, Q simply shook his head, "I told
you, I brought someone along with me."

"Who?" Sage seemed strangely curious.

Q stepped aside, to reveal Janeway, who was standing with her arms
crossed, scowling.  The murmuring of the crowd increased; could they
smell the mortal blood in her veins?

The surprised expression on Sage's face only lasted a second, and then
he smiled.

"And you brought mother along, I see," Sage said, "how pleasant."  The
look he said her said 'would you mind leaving.'

"Yes, she expressed her concern about your whereabouts," Q gave his
son a smile that belied his intelligence.

"Its good to see you Mother," Sage ignored Janeway's posture that
clearly the feeling wasn't mutual and that she was pissed off.

"Would you care to say something to the Assembly before I send them
off to destroy your little mortal universe?" Sage asked.  Janeway
clearly didn't want to, but Q whispered something into her ear.  She
nodded.

They reappeared at the center of the room, standing next to Sage.
What looked like a microphone appeared in Sage's hand.  But instead of
handing it to Janeway, it landed with a crack against the back of her
skull,  and she crumpled to the floor.  His eyes angrily blazing, Q
took them  away.

---

"Ow, I wish you really hadn't let him do that," Janeway  complained.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know that he

"Might I ask what you were doing?"

"Just attending a military meeting that was giving orders to destroy
the universe," Janeway said as the Doctor tended to the knot on base
of  her skull.

"I was unaware that meetings involved such violence," the Doctor,
apparently unfazed by this remark.

"It wasn't your regular meeting," Q was sighing.

"My own son," Janeway sniffed.

"He didn't even have a reason, I don't think," Q said.  Janeway took a
shuddering breath.

"Q," she said suddenly, "where's Chakotay?"

"On his way here," Q said after a minute.  Janeway released her
breath.  " I know, you're afraid Sage will go after Chakotay."

"I don't feel very safe right now," Janeway told him.

"Don't worry about it too much."

The Doctor looked at them as he came back over.  "I'm afraid your
little get together will have to continue later," he said, "if you had
been  hit any harder, serious damage and possible death might have
occurred."

"I think that was the goal," Janeway mumbled.

"You're going to have to take a little nap while I work on the tissue
back there."  Janeway raised a skeptical brow.  "Don't worry, its
alright, I just have to relieve the swelling there."  After a sigh,
Janeway nodded.

"Q, when he gets here, tell Chakotay what happened," Janeway said as
the Doctor instructed her to lay down on the biobed, and he pressed a
hypospray to her neck.  Janeway's lid grew heavily, and she fell
asleep.

---

"I still can't believe that you took her into that kind of danger,"
Chakotay said.  Q remained quiet.

Chakotay looked at Q, who was almost mournfully gazing at Kathryn, and
noted something that bothered him slightly.  Q's look was also one
that Chakotay normally only saw when he was standing behind Kathryn at
the dressing table in the morning, and happened to look at them
together in the mirror.

"You love her, don't you?" Chakotay asked.  Q looked ashamedly at
Chakotay, and then sighed.

"Yes, Chakotay, I do."  Chakotay wasn't sure just how he felt about
this. "But don't worry, Chakotay, I'd never try to take you from her.
I respect her too much to do that."  Q glanced back at Kathryn.  "One
of the things about forbidden love... you have to know when to hold
yourself back."  Q's face twisted into a wry smile.  "Am I right?"

Chakotay didn't say anything, but looked thoughtfully at Q.

"Chakotay, she loves you," Q said, "she loves you more than she will
ever even tolerate me, I suppose.  I know now that... that it would be
pointless to try and prove otherwise.  I have loved very few people in
my life, and she is one of them.  But I always try to keep a
respectful distance."  Q's face had a strange open honest look to it.
"I know she will never love me, and I'll be lucky if she ever likes
me.  I only wish she would consider me a friend."

"I think she does," Chakotay said, "you're one of our few allies at
the moment."

Q shook his head, "allies are not necessarily friends, you should know
that.  She trusts me, she tolerates me, she even is nice to me when
I'm around.  But, I'm not what she considers a friend."  Q's
expression clouded a bit.

"If you love her so much, then why did you take her there?"

"It was for her own good, I thought.  She needed to know what was
really going on.  I didn't realize that this would happen.  I know I
should  have brought you along too, but I really didn't need to put
both of you at risk.  And, I brought her because she is stronger than
you."  Q sighed, shaking his head.  "I'll just be going."  Q was gone
before Chakotay could say anything, not that there was anything to
say.

---

Q was going through a period of depression that no immortal being
should have to go through.  He sat in his human form, knees drawn up
to his chest.  Q was on a cliff, watching the waves of an alien ocean
crash below him.  Q sighed, looking at the painful purple gash that
kept him from doing what was right.

When Q had come to Janeway wanting a child, he hadn't intended it to
be like this.  In his mind, Q had envisioned the birth of peace for
the universe.  But somehow a bad seed had seen sown.  Sage was
unstable, and his actions were led by the bitterness under which he
was been spawned.  Two of his three parents did not love him, and Q
was beginning to question his own feelings toward his son.  And what Q
was truly concerned about what Kathryn's safety.  He wasn't sure what
Sage would do, and it bothered him.  The slight feeling of
helplessness made him feel, well, helpless.  Q weren't supposed to
feel that way.

Q had known something was wrong with Sage from the start, but hadn't
admitted it to himself.  Self pride kept him from seeing that
everything he had sought was turning out wrong.  As a young child,
Sage had been short tempered, rude, and a bit obnoxious.  Q hadn't
seen this as something strange, because those were qualities that the
Q seemed to have in abundance.  It was a social norm.  Q had done his
best to be a good parent for Sage, that was true.  But it seemed to Q
that something had been left out.  He knew the answer was sitting just
on the horizon.  He felt almost as if he could simply swim out there
to find it.

Q launched himself from the cliff side, and landed with barely a
splash in the churning waves below.  His human form melted away as he
moved through the water.  He spotted a large school of pink, shiny
fish, and Q's mind shifted back to the Continuum.

The Q were like those fish.  A churning faceless army following only
one leader.  They would kill everyone on Voyager if Sage so wished it.
So  Q did fear for Kathryn's safety.  Even at this very moment, while
he  calmly moved underwater, he was concerned and afraid.  She was out
to destroy  the universe, something Q felt that he nor anyone else had
the right to  do.  Q wasn't even sure why Sage held this goal.

Q broke the surface of the water, a faceless mass of energy.  He
drifted upward for sometime, too busy thinking to really be looking
where he  was going.

---

Q went throughout the universe for some time, going back and forth,
yet still in the linear plane.  Looking, for something, anything that
would help them in this situation.  He finally did find something,
written  on a primitive scroll in a far off galaxy.  It was a
prophecy, and the  words excited Q.  He hurried back to the place
where he was desperately  needed.

Q discovered that Kathryn had disappeared off Voyager.  Chakotay was
quite upset about this.  Q went off in search for Kathryn, hoping that
he wouldn't be too late.

Q materialized on a murky planet somewhere in the Gamma Quadrant.  Q
wondered, if Sage was here, why he had went such a short distance.
The sky was grey and the land on all sides was choked by fog.  Q could
barely see.  It was quiet and still on all sides, except... Q strained
to hear.  He felt his way down a pebbled path.

There again.  A soft cry.  A gasp.  Then a noise like a chicken
scratching.  Q took a few more careful steps forward.  This was
proving a point, he thought wryly, that the Q were not all knowing.
He didn't know what lay ahead of him.  There was a moaning noise, and
Q saw a hand swimming in front of him.  It was pale, white.  Then it
disappeared.  A few moments later, a comparatively dark face emerged
through the milky fog.

The fog suddenly thinned a little.  Q tensed as he stared at Sage.  Q
noticed a form dangling from Sage's left hand.  Q took a few hesitant
steps forward.  The fog wound around his ankles, dropping lower.  Q's
vision cleared, and he saw what Sage held.  A small cry escaped his
lips.

Kathryn's feet dangled above the ground.  Sage's hand twisted as he
clutched her neck, her chin nearly resting in his palm.  He held her
like a wine glass, except where on would have held the glass
carefully, Sage clenched Kathryn's neck tightly.  Kathryn's breath
came in small, choked, gurgling gasps.  Sage had apparently already
done some amount of damage in her neck, because a thin line of blood
trickled from the corner of her mouth.

"Sage," Q said lowly.  Sage said nothing, glaring silently at his
half-father.

"You would kill your own mother?"

"Yes."

"But... why?"

"I want immortality."

"That's understandable."

"And there are three things keeping me from what I want."

"What?"

Sage half closed his eyes, as if thinking back.

"I paid a visit to Connela," he said, "you know her, yes?  Delightful
Q, if I must say.  One of the few to take a name."

"Your point?"

"She is something of a know-all.  More than me at least," Sage sighed
a bit, "she told me that in almost every aspect I am immortal.  But
there are people who can kill me.  Connela said 'those who give you
life may take it away'."  Sage scowled at Q, and shook the limp body
in his hand.  "You, father, and mother.  You three are the only things
in the universe that can kill me."

"So you're going to kill us."  Though seemingly impossible, Q had seen
Sage's power and knew that his own life was at risk.

Sage nodded, "starting with mother."

"Sage, we'd never think of killing you," Q protested.

"I can never be sure," Sage stared at the face in his hand.

"But she loves-"

"She hasn't loved me since I killed her second child," Sage spat, his
eyes narrowed.

"She did always blame you for that."

"She had good reason," Sage said, "so did Daddy-O."

"No wonder Chakotay has never liked you."

"I know," Sage said grimly.

"Sage, just please, let her go, don't kill her," Q pleaded.  He
noticed Kathryn's eyes open slowly.

"Why-" he was cut off by his own cry of pain.  Kathryn's dangling foot
had connected with Sage's chest.  She fell to the misty ground.  Q
took the opportunity, and snapped his fingers.

They appeared in the Sickbay on Voyager.  The Doctor appeared.

"What happened?" he asked.  Q helped him lift her onto the  biobed.

"Sage happened."

The Doctor did his version of sighing, and began to look over her.  "I
though I just finished fixing Sage inflicted wounds a few weeks ago,"
he grumbled.  "She has a mild concussion, a broken wrist, and an
internal rupture of the jugular."

"Is that bad?" Q wasn't well versed on human medicine.

"Very," the Doctor rushed about, trying to stop the bleeding.
"There's blood in her lungs, and she's not breathing.  That's very
bad.  Where  is Kes when I need her?"  The Doctor set something over
Janeway's nose.

"I'm going to get Chakotay," Q said.  "If Sage-"

"I'm not letting the Captain go anywhere," the Doctor said as he
quickly set Janeway's wrist.

"Good."

---

"Chakotay, we have something of a problem," Q appeared in the First
Officer's office.  Chakotay looked up, surprised.  Usually Q went to
Janeway with his problems first...

"What?"

"It's Sage, he's come after us."

"What do you mean?"

"Sage wants to kill us," Q said.  "He thinks that the best way to
achieve his goal is to kill us.  We're not safe.  I'm not sure how
long we  have until he comes after us again.  But right now it might
not matter  because your wife, Kathy dearest, is dying in Sickbay."
Chakotay had never  seen Q so concerned about time before.

"Get me there *now*."

They appeared in Sickbay almost as soon as Chakotay had given the
order.  The Doctor was bent over Janeway's still form.  She was
breathing now  at least; they could hear her soft wheezing.  They
could also hear the  whine of the internal tissue regenerator.
Chakotay moved to the other side  of the biobed.

Janeway looked oddly serene, despite the fact that her neck was red
and swollen and half her face was obscured by blood.  Kes had arrived
also, and was preparing something on the other side of the room.

"Blood pressure is improving," the Doctor reported, "its up to 90/50
and improving steadily."  He turned off the regenerator.  Kes came
over.

"Here," she set something in Chakotay's hand that looked like a
miniature gel pack, "hold this on her neck for a few minutes.  It
should help  reduce the swelling."  The Doctor pressed a hypospray to
Janeway' neck.  The  area below where Chakotay held the pack moved as
Janeway moaned.

"Please be still Captain," the Doctor instructed.  For once she
obeyed, and remained still.  "Good, blood pressure is stable at
102/60.  I've relieved the pressure in your brain, and right now all
that need tending is your wrist."  Janeway winced as she swallowed.
"Captain please try to refrain from talking or swallowing for a few
minutes, until I've had a chance to completely mend the wound."

"The wound?" Chakotay asked.  The Doctor moved Janeway' hand slightly,
causing a silent wince from her.  Janeway's face remained creased in
pain.

"Its almost as if she were stabbed in the throat, but there was no
entry wound- no damage to the dermal area.  It was if it were cut to
allow  blood to flow into the lungs," the Doctor moved Janeway's hand
again.  "The direction of the cut skin suggests stabbing from the
outside, not from the inside."

"Then why aren't you working on that right now?"

"Because its no longer priority," the Doctor told him, "the wound has
been sealed, but the tissue is still sensitive.  Right now her wrist
needs to be set so I can mend the bones."

"Don't argue with the Doctor," Q sighed.  Chakotay scowled back at
him.  Kes was slightly amused by the whole scene.

"Alright Commander, you can take off the coolant now," she took the
pack from him.

"But what about the blood that was in her lungs?" Chakotay  asked.

"We siphoned the excess fluid out," Kes said, "the body will flush out
the remainder naturally."  Janeway sighed, a slight wheezing sound, as
Kes wiped the blood off her face.

"What about the concussion?" Q asked quietly.

"It was an aggravation of her previous wound to the back of her head.
There was no permanent damage, just a lingering headache," the Doctor
said, a mender in his hand.

"How long until she can talk?" Chakotay asked.  Janeway's look said 'I
can talk right now', but she remained quiet.

"Once I finish up and give her a pain suppressant, she should be able
to talk," the Doctor said, "though I don't know if all these people
crowded around her is doing any good."  His comment went ignored.
There was  quiet for a moment, except for the whine of the regenerator
again.  Finally,  he put the unit away, and went to get another
hypospray.

"The damage wasn't dangerously close to you vocal cords, Captain, but
you should be careful about who you yell at for the next few days."

"Alright Doctor," Janeway said softly.

"I'd like you to stay for a little while longer while I run a few more
tests to make sure there are no other problems I might have missed,"
the Doctor allowed Janeway to sit up.

"Sure, I'm not in a hurry."

"Do you mind if we stay to asked a few questions?" Chakotay asked. "As
long as you don't get in my way."

Janeway rubbed the sore area of her wrist.  "Can I have something to
drink?"

"Yes, you can have water, but no coffee other hot beverages or acidic
drinks like orange juice for at least a week."  Janeway sighed.  Kes
brought a glass of water over.  The Doctor added, "you may also get a
stomach ache, we weren't able to remove all the blood from your
stomach."  Janeway sipped the water.

"So, Kathy," Q was still bent on calling her that, despite past
arguments, "just what exactly happened?"

"I'm not sure," Janeway admitted, "I was eating lunch in my ready
room.  I don't remember much after that.  I think-" she gingerly
touched the  back of her head, "I think Sage hit me over the head.
And I remember... I remember waking up, but I couldn't breathe, and I
wasn't touching the ground, or anything else for that matter."

"When Sage was carrying you," Q supplied.

"I remember you, Q," Janeway smiled softly, drinking again, "you were
begging for my life."  Her expression sobered.

"You saved yourself," Q tried to hide his slight embarrassment about
the begging, "by kicking him.  He exerts some sort of force, that I
couldn't save you while he had a hold of you.  Though I think you
broke your  wrist when you landed on it."  Janeway gave a wry smile.

"Well, thank you either way."  Janeway looked at Q again.  "What did
Sage say to you?"

"He wants to be immortal," Q told them, "and the only way for his life
to truly not be at risk is if you, I and Chakotay are dead."

"You mean that we're the only people who can kill him?" Janeway asked.
"And so he is going to kill us all so that he won't have to worry
about dying?"

"That's what I said," Q nodded, "he was trying to kill you."

"I realize that," Janeway said thoughtfully, "but I wonder what made
him stop."

"Probably my interference slowed him down," Q frowned, "but if I
hadn't arrived you'd likely be dead now."  Q moved to stand next to
Chakotay.  The Doctor came by again.

"Hold out you hand," he instructed, and ran a tricorder over her palm.
"Good."  He went back over to the lab.  Janeway swallowed, reaching
for the glass again.

"Where is Sage now?" she asked.

"I'm not sure," Q admitted.

"Don't let him back on this ship."

"We'll try not to let him," Chakotay said, as the Doctor came  by
again.

"I'm not sure how safe the crew is," Janeway said, "I mean, we don't
know what Sage is going to do!"

"Don't get too worked up," Chakotay's hand rested on her back.

"I'm trying not to," Janeway said truthfully.

"We know, but-" Q was cut off by Kes.

"I'm sorry for interrupting, but the Doctor needs to speak with you,"
Kes waved at the office.

"What?" Janeway asked as she entered the office.

"We have some news for you Captain," the Doctor looked at a PADD.
"But considering the recent turn events have taken, I'm not sure
whether  its good or bad."

"Well," Janeway looked from the hologram to the Ocampa and back, "tell
me."

"Well, Captain, you're pregnant."

"Again?" Janeway whispered, looking for a seat because she was
suddenly lightheaded.  "No.  I, I can't be."

"If you do not wish-" Janeway cut the Doctor off with a shake of her
head.

"No.  I mean-" she sighed, "I'm not sure what I mean.  But how, how
can this happen?  How could have I gotten pregnant three times in the
past  two years, and..."

"And the other women on the ship have not?  I know honestly know," the
Doctor said, "its another problem we're facing.  I'm running out of
the proper minerals for the boosters.  Soon I will have to make a
standard booster that will be unable to differ for the variance in
genetic structure."  Janeway nodded slowly.

"I need to tell Chakotay," and as an afterthought, "and Q."  Janeway
looked up sharply at the Doctor and Kes.  "You can't tell anyone, not
a single soul, about this.  No one.  Not Neelix or Tuvok or Torres or
anyone.  I can't risk Sage finding out."  Both Kes and the Doctor
nodded.

"We won't tell anyone, I promise."

"Thank you," Janeway turned to the door.

---

"What's wrong?" Chakotay was quick to ask as she approached  the pair.

"Wrong?  Nothing really," Janeway guiltily clasped her hands in front
of her.

"Don't try that one with me Kathy, I can tell," Q said, crossing his
arms.

"I need to talk to you in private."  They quickly appeared in
Janeway's quarters.

"Go ahead."

"I'm pregnant.  Again," Janeway announced.  Chakotay's mouth opened
and shut a few times, and then he broke out in a grin.  Q's expression
softened, though he still appeared concerned.

"This isn't happening at a good time," he said.

"There may never be another time," Janeway was thoughtful.  Q looked
at her, the prophecy ringing in his ears.

*The seed of protection, in she it lies.*

Q blinked, focusing again.

"We're going to have to keep this from Sage," Chakotay said, "if its
possible."

"Oh, it is, though not indefinitely" Q said, "we just can't tell
anyone about this.  Maintain the highest level of security as
possible."

"I agree," Janeway remarked, "the fewer people that know, the less of
a chance of Sage finding out, and well... you know what will happen if
he finds out."

"We just have to hope that we have nine months before Sage comes after
us again," Chakotay commented.

"Its not a matter of if Sage finds out, its when," Janeway said, "I
think that its inevitable that he finds out.  We just have to make
sure that  he doesn't know long enough for me to have this child
and..."  And then  what? she wondered.  What comes after she has this
child?

"I don't know what happens next," Q said, "I suppose maybe it would be
safest living with-"

"-another family," Janeway nodded, "out of the spotlight, out of view,
unsuspicious.  Not bearing any reason for Sage to wonder."  Q nodded.

"My thoughts exactly."

"But, who?" Chakotay asked.  Janeway looked from Q to  Chakotay.

"I'm not sure..."

---

Q was sitting on the cliff once again, the prophecy in his hands.  He
read the words aloud for what seemed like the thousandth time,
pondering their meaning.

*When the time of peace finds an end Only the strongest of hearts can
hope to mend. The numbers 3, 2, 4, then 1 Are the only way to beat
this son. There is a woman whose being is true And windows pained in
cobalt blue. The seed of protection, in she it lies To save all time
with sightless eyes. To the ends of all with in it stands, She holds
his promise in her hands.*

The main portion of it didn't make much sense to him yet.  The time of
peace finding an end had happened, but who was the strong heart?  The
numbers were confusing too.  The son was Sage, and Q suspected line 5
and 6 dealt with Kathy.

Q's thoughts slowly drifted downward, spiraling in a small circle to
the ocean below.  A seabird screeched overhead.  Q looked up.  It was
a warning, he knew.  A few seconds after he left, a team of patrollers
from the Continuum materialized.

---

Q had come to a decision.  It was a highly controversial one, he knew,
but so were many of the things that were happening nowadays.

It was early morning when Q materialized in Janeway and Chakotay's
quarters.  He moved over to the bed, where Chakotay had stolen most of
the covers.  Janeway was nude from the waist up, but Q paid little
attention.  He set a careful hand on her wrist.  Her eyes opened
sleepily, and then she jerked awake when she saw his face.

"Hurry up and get dressed," Q said softly, "I'm going to do you a
favor." "What?" her voice was cold from the usual suspicions and thick
from sleep.

"Just hurry up," Q said quietly, "I'll be back in a few minutes."

---

There was a flash, and the nearly smirking form of Q appeared on the
Operations command deck in the currently Federation space station
known as Deep Space Nine.  Benjamin Sisko was on his feet almost as
quickly as Q appeared.

"Q," he said.  "What are you doing here?"

"Don't be so rude," Q was brisk, "I haven't time to deal with  it."

"That's a new tune," Sisko said drily.

"Perhaps it is," Q said, "but its not the point."

"Then what is?" Sisko asked, "you didn't bring good news the last time
you were here."

"Then it is a new song," Q sighed, "I've come to tell you that a very
important ship will be arriving soon, carrying some very important
people. I hope you will be ready."  Sisko looked to Dax.  She
shrugged,  equally confused.

"Just what ship, Q?"

"You will see in due time," Q promised, "just be ready for some
unexpected visitors.  Don't plan anything, I'm just telling you be
expecting someone."

"Who Q?" Sisko demanded.  But Q was already hurriedly shaking his
head, and disappearing in a flash of blue.

---

"Well Q?" Janeway was in uniform, standing on the bridge.  Janeway had
managed to wake up Chakotay and bring him along too.  Most of the
senior bridge staff was already assembled for their morning shift.  Q
stood, a bit nervously, on the command level, facing Janeway and
Chakotay.

"Captain, you have my upmost respect.  And as captain I know that you
are concerned about the safety of your crew after this...  unfortunate
turn of events." Q turned slightly, to look at the viewscreen. "I
don't want  you to feel responsible if something happens to them.  So,
Kathryn, I am sending you all home."  There were a few whispers on the
Bridge.  Paris turned in his seat.

"But, why...?" Janeway's mouth hung open a bit.

"I know that you didn't want my aid in this," Q said, "but I  felt
that in this case that by sending you home, your crew will be sager,
and  you will be able to tend to yourself for once.  And you shouldn't
have too many problems with the Maquis."

"Q-" "Please, Kathy, don't make this difficult.  Just accept it,
please."  Janeway felt the eyes of everyone on the bridge on her.

"Thank you, Q," she said after another moment.  More excited
whispering.  Q stepped up to her, and whispered into her ear.

"I'll being seeing you and Chakotay once you get settled," Q told her,
"and don't be surprised that things have changed a bit."  Janeway
nodded, her eyes watering as she stared at the viewscreen.  Q
vanished.  The image on the screen seemed to change a bit.  Both Paris
and Kim spoke at  once.

"Captain!" Janeway blinked.

"Ensign?" she acknowledged Kim first.

"I'm picking up something on long range scanner," Kim's voice nearly
breaking under the excitement, "it's Deep Space Nine."

"Captain, we're being hailed," Paris spoke up.

"From the Station?"

"Yes."

"Open the line," Janeway did bother hiding her grin.  She was only
slightly confused the image on the screen.  A man wearing a
grey-topped uniform smiled back at her.

"Captain Janeway, this certainly a surprise," the voice of Captain
Sisko sounded in the bridge.

"A good one, I hope?" Janeway smiled.

"Very good," Sisko said, "Captain you had us worried.  You've been
gone for nearly four years."

"I know, and it would have been a lot longer, but-"

"Q, I know," Sisko nodded, "he told us to be expecting someone
important."

"Well, Captain, would it be a hassle for Voyager to dock at Deep Space
Nine?"

"Not at all.  We'll send you instructions for docking."

"Thank you Captain."

"And Captain?"

"Yes?" Janeway turned back to the screen.

"Welcome home."

---

"Starfleet is requesting a full report on the Maquis prisoners you're
carrying," Sisko said.  In her seat, holding a mug of coffee, Janeway
looked up.

"Prisoners?" she said questioningly.  Sisko sighed.

"I know you consider them members of your crew," he was apologetic,
"but Starfleet is a bit suspicious and reluctant to accept that."

"That's understandable, they haven't changed at all." Janeway sighed.
"But Captain-"

"Ben."

"Ben, Captain, whatever," Janeway set her mug down, too close to
throwing it.  "What about my Maquis crew members?  What's going to
happen to them?"

"I don't know," Sisko admitted, "I don't think that they will be
jailed." He noticed that Janeway's clenched jaw only relaxed slightly.
"I know you're worried about Commander Chakotay."

"He's my husband, I should be worried," Janeway said, "but its not
just him I'm worried about.  I'm concerned about everyone formerly
Maquis.  They're afraid to come off the ship because they think
they'll be arrested as soon as they do.  We've become family, and I
have to look out for my family just like you do."

"I understand," Sisko said, "but I noticed Chakotay came onto the
station."

"I made him." Janeway smiled to herself.  She reached for her mug once
again.  "When do they want the report?"

"At your convenience."

"Within the week?"

"Yeah.  I've been looking at some of your logs," Sisko changed the
subject, "you guys certainly were busy out there, weren't you?"

"We had to be if we wanted to live," Janeway stared down into  the
cup.

"How long have you and Chakotay been married?"

"Almost seven months."

"No kids?"

"Not yet," Janeway answered.  The Doctor had left her pregnancy out
the records, by her request, along with the information about Sage.
In  fact, he had set it in his own program so that if anyone other
than he or  she tried to access it, the information would be deleted
completely.  Even Chakotay couldn't get to it, unless he asked the
Doctor to.  "Someday maybe.  We tried once, but there were problems."
Sisko nodded  quietly.

"Um, listen, Ben, if you'll excuse me, there are some things I still
need to get done on board Voyager," Janeway said.

"Of course," Sisko said.  Janeway rose from her seat.  	Instead of
going straight to the ship, she detoured and ended up on the
Promenade.  She felt out of place among the Bajoran uniforms, and the
strange Starfleet greys.  Here and there she could spot members of her
crew, the familiar red, yellow and green-blue shoulders.  For some
reason her crew had been reluctant to abandon their duty fatigues for
civilian clothes.

Janeway ended up at Quark's, sitting at the bar in the same place
Harry Kim had several years before.  She resisted the urge to grab the
squirmy bartender by the collar.  She waited until Quark moved off
before  relaxing with her drink.  Janeway was only sitting for ten
minutes before she sensed someone behind her.

"Kathryn?" Janeway's blood cooled and she stiffened at the voice.  She
squeezed her eyes shut, wishing this weren't happening.  She really
didn't want to talk to him.  Janeway was about to turn and face him,
when Quark returned.

"You're Mrs. Chakotay, aren't you?"

"Um, yeah," Janeway was relieved to see the Ferengi for once.

"Well, your husband, or some weirdo sent you a message," Quark eyed
the confused man behind her.

"Do you have someplace I could take it?" Janeway asked.  	Quark
nodded.  "Follow me."  He started off to the other end of the bar.
Janeway  quickly followed.

---

"Hello Kathy," Q grinned at her.  Janeway sighed with relief.

"Q," she said, "very funny."

Q shrugged.  "Just saving you from your ex-boyfriend."

"Well, thank you," Janeway smiled, "I didn't really feel like dealing
with Mark."

"I know.  I was thinking about turning him into a targ." Q smirked.
"Having fun?"

"Depends what you call fun," Janeway remarked.

"Oh, missing Commander Chuckles, are we?" Q grinned.  "Listen, if you
need me, I'll be around."

"Don't cause too much trouble," Janeway smiled again.

"I wouldn't dream of it." Q's grin broadened, and the screen went
blank.  Janeway sighed and decided it was time for her to be getting
back to  the ship.  She avoided Mark on her way out and made a hasty
retreat.

---

Janeway reached for her coffee cup, which hadn't been empty since
their return.  Chakotay had estimated that Janeway had drunk thrice
her  weight in coffee in their four days home.  He said it wasn't safe
for the  baby, so she had cut back to one cup an hour.  Janeway had
spent the past  two days reading and writing reports, and arguing with
Starfleet about the Maquis.  Chakotay had stayed out of her way,
claiming that he was afraid of women who had drunk as much coffee as
Janeway had.

She noted the appearance of Q out of the corner of her eye, and
continued to down her coffee.  Her attentions remained on the computer
monitor.

"Hello Q," Janeway's hand trembled a bit as she set down the  mug.

"Good morning," he said cheerfully.

"Evening," Janeway quickly corrected.

"Whatever," Q said, "you're a bit jittery aren't you?"

"Coffee," Janeway explained.

Q nodded.  "You mortals and your addictive substances."

"I'm not addicted," Janeway objected.  Q humphed.  "I'm  dependant."

"What's the difference?" Q sat on the edge of her desk.

She sighed.  "Not much, I suppose."

"What are you reading?" Q squinted down at the monitor.   "More
reports?  Dull."

"If you'd like to read them for me, go right ahead," Janeway rubbed
her nose.

"Please, I'm sure I can find something else to do," Q said  airily.

"I'm still worried about the Maquis, Q," Janeway looked up at him.  "I
know you said not to, but, something's nagging."

"I know, I told you that you wouldn't have too many problems." Q
picked up her coffee mug. "And you shouldn't, but there will be some
hurdles.  You'll have to muddle your way through, like you always do."

"How do you know all that?" Janeway wondered.  Q gave her a mysterious
smile, he really didn't know, and set the coffee mug back down, which
was now full again.  Janeway looked down at the mug, and cast a
curious look up at Q.  Then she started laughing.

"What's so funny?" Q asked.

"You're so weird," Janeway laughed uncontrollably, clutching her
coffee mug.  Q sighed, and patted Janeway on the shoulder.

"I'll be going now Kathy, please find your sanity sometime."

---

Janeway was still chuckling to herself when Chakotay entered  her
office.

"Should I come back at another time?" he asked.  Janeway pushed the
coffee mug away, shaking her head. "No, I'm alright," Janeway sighed,
"its just that-" she looked at the  mug and held back a snicker.  She
stood, slapping a palm on her desk.   "Care to join me on the Bridge?"

"Where you go I shall follow," Chakotay made a semi-dramatic bow.
This got Janeway laughing again.

---

"Don't worry, a laugh is good for the health," the Doctor was standing
on the bridge.

"Tell that to the Vulcans."

"Doctor, what are you doing down here?" Janeway asked.

"I'd ask much the same for you," the Doctor smirked, "I haven't much
else to do here anymore, so I'm wandering."

"Don't get yourself into too much trouble," Janeway smiled.  "How many
people are currently on board?"

"Twenty three," the Doctor replied.

Janeway shook her head.  "Chakotay, do you have the current status
reports on the crew?"

"That's what I came to give you when I interrupted you laugh session,"
Chakotay held out the PADD he had been holding.  Janeway quickly
thumbed her way through.

"Hmm, forty-three crew members have been dismissed at their requests
for family time," Janeway smiled, "why is Tom Paris being detain?"

"Got into an argument, the security chief's holding him until he calms
down," Chakotay reported.  Janeway nodded.

"Seventy two crewmembers are currently on Deep Space Nine," she noted
to herself, "but only three are former Maquis.  Why is that,
Chakotay?"

"They're still worried," he said.

"I'm still a bit surprised that none of them tried to get back with
the Maquis," Janeway admitted.  Chakotay shrugged at this.

"I suppose they like it better on this side of the law," he noted.
Janeway sighed.

"Captain, you're being hailed from the station," an ensign, the only
crewman on the bridge, reported.

"On screen," Janeway turned to greet Sisko.

"Captain, if I might trouble you, I need to talk to you about some of
these reports."

"I'm on my way," Janeway sighed as the link was cut.  "Chakotay, you
have the ship."

---

"And so this is all of the logs from the Engineering department?"
Sisko asked, paging through something on a monitor.

"Yes," Janeway said, "I know there aren't a lot but I think they're
thorough."

"Yes, they are," Sisko looked thoughtfully at something, "are you sure
none of this was fabricated?"

"Fabricated?"

"You know, made up," Sisko shook his head, "I have to look at
everything before it is sent off to Starfleet Command.  They're going
to think  I'm crazy from letting this pass."

"Excuse me, but just what exactly are you talking about?" Janeway
frowned at Sisko.

"The things you let your engineers do are totally unacceptable, and
not following proper Starfleet regulations."

"They were often necessary," Janeway snapped, "we couldn't do
everything by the book because we never would have made it."

"I can understand that some things were because you had a former
Maquis as your chief engineer, but she had some Starfleet training,"
Sisko argued, "but the alterations made were totally in ignorance of
Starfleet protocol."

"We didn't have much of a choice, we followed regulations, but when
they let us down and were going to let us die, we had to play by our
own  rules. It was no walk in the park out there, we had to fight to
live,"  Janeway's voice lowered angrily, "I'd think you would have
some small inkling of what it feels like to face the dangers of the
unknown.  I've read about the problems that sprung up in the Gamma
Quadrant."

Sisko sighed.  "Yes, Captain Janeway, we did have problems for a
while, but that was different."

"Was it?  I know you weren't always following regulations, Starfleet
or otherwise," Janeway clenched the side of her chair.

"Are you willing to take responsibility for all breaches of protocol
that occurred on your ship from 2371 to 2375?"

"Yes."

Sisko's brows rose in surprise.  "Many other captains in your
situation would have through away their honor and blamed everything on
someone else."

"Well, I'm not going to do that," Janeway said stiffly.

"I realize that."

Janeway's commbadge chirped.

"Kim to Captain Janeway," Kim's urgent voice came over the  link.

"This the Captain, what's the problem Harry?" Janeway was standing
now, her back turned to Sisko.

"It's the Maquis."

"What about them?" Janeway was beginning to inch toward the  door.

"I think you should get down here," Kim said.

"I'm on my way," Janeway didn't wait to excuse herself from Sisko's
office.

---

"What's going on?" Janeway barked as she stormed onto the Bridge.
Ensign Kim looked up, a frantic look in his eyes.

"Captain, Starfleet, B'Elanna-" Kim couldn't complete a  sentence.

"Harry, calm down," Janeway grabbed the frantic man's shoulders, "now,
tell me what happened."  Kim took a shaky breath.

"Starfleet Commander issued the arrests of all former Maquis that were
crewmen on board Voyager," Kim said quietly.  Janeway swore under her
breath, dropping her arms.

"What about-"

"They took everyone," Kim broke in, "Chakotay, B'Elanna, Bathas, every
single Maquis.  They're all being held on Deep Space Nine."

"I hope they know enough to behave," Janeway said under her breath.
"The meeting I had with Sisko.  He must have known.  Starfleet knew
I'd put  up a fight if I was onboard, so they made sure I wasn't
before moving  in."  She pounded an angry fist on a console.

"B'Elanna put up a fight," Kim smiled to himself, "they nearly had to
knock her out.  It brought back memories.  Chakotay made her quit
though." Janeway sighed.  "They're in the holding cell on the security
level."

"Then that's where I'm going to be for a while," Janeway started off
again.  She passed a few other distraught crewmembers on her way off
the ship.

---

"You knew about this, didn't you?" Janeway hissed angrily.  Sisko gave
her a guilty look.  Janeway sighed, rubbing her brow.

"I want to talk-"

"I'm afraid you can't talk to any of them right now."

"Why not?" Janeway glared through the window that showed the inside of
the holding room.  B'Elanna was pacing.

"No one can talk to them during the interrogations," Sisko said, "not
even me."

"Interrogations?"

"They're being questioned, that's all."  Janeway snorted.  "There's
nothing you can do about it right now."  Janeway sighed, rubbing her
brow again.

"I'm... I'm going back to my ship," she said after a few minutes, "I
want to know the minute that I am allowed to speak with them."

"I'll make sure you are notified," Sisko said.  Janeway gave him a
curt nod, then quickly left.  She went out onto Promenade, and settled
on taking a walk to cool down, instead of unleashing her anger on some
unsuspecting crewman.  She really felt like doing the latter, but
didn't want to end up in a holding cell with Tom Paris.

Janeway walked down an empty corridor, relishing the quiet, the brief
pause from chaos.  Janeway sighed, and rounded a corner, but there
slowed when she heard heavy footsteps behind her.  A tall blond man
passed.  Janeway relaxed as he disappeared down the hall.  Janeway
continued down the hall, idly reading the names on doors.   One
opened, and a man stepped out.

And Janeway froze.  She backpedaled, taking a few steps down the hall.
She looked around for a place to go, while mind screamed
unintelligibly inside her head.  The man turned, and smiled briefly as
he noticed Janeway standing there.  The smile faded into a scowl when
he realized that Janeway was backing away.

"Hello Kathryn," he said.  Janeway swallowed. "What's wrong?  Aren't
you glad to see me?  I've really been looking forward to seeing you."

"Um... Mark, please," Janeway came up against the wall.

"Kathryn, how are you?" Mark had come too close for comfort.  Janeway
felt the inane fear from earlier building up again.

"Mark, please, just back off," Janeway tried to keep her voice from
shaking.

"You aren't happy to see the man you love?"

"Mark, I don't love you!" Janeway cried.  Mark stopped, as if slapped,
and scowled again.

"How can you possibly expect me to believe that?" he asked  stiffly.

"Mark, I'm married, I've moved on, you should too," Janeway paced her
words.  Mark took another few steps forward, shaking his head.

"No."  The single word made Janeway's blood run cold.  Her scream
never got a chance to start as Mark clamped a hand over her mouth and
pressed something to her neck.

---

"Computer, locate the Captain," Ensign Kim ordered.

"Captain Janeway is not on board."

"Is something wrong?" the recently released Tom Paris asked.  Kim
shook his head.

"No, I just need her to see the systems report," Kim snapped his
fingers. "That's right, she's on the station talking to the security
officers."

"I didn't see her," Paris said.

"She's probably on the Promenade," Kim shrugged.  "I'll just give her
these when she gets back."

---

Janeway lifted her head slowly, choking back her groan.  She rubbed
the sore spot on her neck where Mark had pressed the hypospray a
little  too hard.  He had roughly grabbed her, and dragged her to his
temporary quarters.  He was refusing to let her leave unless she
admitted that she didn't really love the Commander, and that she
wasn't *really* married to him.  Thank the gods he didn't know she was
pregnant.  Her body's current hormones seemed to be affecting her
actions.  All she could think of was that Chakotay was in danger and
she was too.  She kept seeing the brief image of him in the Federation
holding cell on DS9.

Janeway clung to her image of Chakotay like a lifeline, resisting the
urge to cry.  She had once used Mark to keep herself away from
Chakotay, but now it was the other way around.  Long ago she had used
her image of Mark as an excuse to keep herself from realizing, to deny
herself her true feelings about Chakotay.  She knew that she no longer
loved Mark, no longer wanted him.  Chakotay was her husband, they were
deeply involved with the fate of the future, no matter how corny it
sounded.  Mark had never been that and never would be.  Unfortunately
he was unwilling to accept this, he had waited for four years for her
return, and now he wasn't letting her go.  She wondered what had went
on in his mind in those four years.

Chakotay was in jail, and there was nothing he could do to help her at
the moment.  Swallowing, Janeway looked up at Mark.  She scowled at
him, at the danger he posed.  For the moment, her only hope was Q.
She was almost as afraid now as she had been when Sage first tried to
kill her, and she had awaken, hanging from his hands.  Janeway had the
strange impression that somehow Mark was responsible for Chakotay
being imprisoned.  Just another delusion from her worried mind, she
knew, but it still troubled her.    Janeway hated Mark now, almost as
much as she had once hated Q, almost as much as she despised her son.

As Mark slowly approached again, a twinge of panic leapt through
Janeway's vision.  She shut her eyes for a moment.  He was closer when
she reopened her eyes.  But Janeway's thoughts were clearer than
before.  She couldn't let Mark touch her; she would lose herself if
she did let him.  When Mark was only a few meters away, Janeway stood.
Caught him off guard.  He tensed, as if expecting an attack.  Janeway
had one last option that had come to her moment of clarity.  The
implant the Doctor had placed in her arm.  Her commbadge was gone now,
so she couldn't be beamed elsewhere that way, but the Doctor had
insisted that a small tracking chip be placed in her elbow.

Janeway stared, unflinchingly, at Mark as she spoke.  "Computer,
direct beam out to the bridge of Voyager."  There was only a slight
delay, and then the transporter caught her.

Arriving on the Bridge, Janeway shook with rage and confusion.

"Tuvok, I want to know full status on all Maquis crewmembers."  She
found another commbadge laying suspiciously on her commander chair.
Tuvok nodded slightly as her gaze queried him.

"All Maquis crew have been released in the past five hours, with the
exceptions of Commander Chakotay, Lieutenant Torres and Castle,
Ensigns Mill, Neowan, and Thayer, and crewmen Bathas, Pho, and Troja."
Tuvok reported.

"The only ones who are married to or involved with Starfleet crew,"
Janeway said coldly.  "What about the children?"

"As yet, none with Maquis parents have been detained." Janeway sighed.
Almost every child from Voyager had a Maquis parent.

"I want those people released as soon as possible," she glared at the
image of the docking ring on the viewscreen.  Tuvok nodded.

"They are being held for further interrogation," he said, "I believe,
according to several of the crew that their reasons for becoming
involved with Starfleet crew are being questioned.  Mainly with the
Commander."  A low, almost B'Elanna-like growl escaped from Janeway's
throat.

"I want to go down there, *now*," she started for the doors.  Tuvok
nodded again, knowing that she would explain everything to him later.

"Do you wish to be accompanied?" he asked.  Janeway shook her  head.

"This is *my* fight," she exited into the turbolift.


---

"Captain Janeway, I assume you're here to see your husband," Odo said
as the rather distraught woman entered the security chief's office.

"Yes, but I'd also like to file a complaint against someone you have
here on the station." Janeway glanced at a chronometer, noting that it
had  been over a day since Chakotay and the others had originally been
detained.

"I see," Odo sat up a little, "just what is the problem?"

"Several hours ago I was attacked and nearly dragged to the quarters
of a Mark Johnson," Janeway leaned on the desk with both palms.

"How do you know who the man was?" Odo asked.  Janeway took a slow
breath.

"We were once involved."

"I see," Odo said again, "would you care to elaborate?"

"Yes, I would," Janeway nearly snapped at him, "before ending up in
the Delta Quadrant, I was seeing Mark Johnson.  But I got past my
feelings  for him.  I quit missing him after awhile.  I married
Commander Chakotay.   I was attacked by Mark while I was taking a
walk, trying to calm down-"

"After you stormed out of the Security Area, I know."

"Yes," glared Janeway. "He took me to his quarters.  He *refused* to
let me leave unless I admitted that I didn't really love Chakotay and
that  I *wasn't* married to him."

"Did you do this?"

"No, of course not," Janeway said, flustered, "I love my  husband."

"They may I ask how you escaped?" Odo asked.  She knew he was thinking
that she fought her way out.

"I have an implant in my elbow," Janeway told him.  "The records show
it. It was placed in there for security reasons.  I told the computer
to  beam me directly to Voyager, using the chip as a replacement for
my communicator, which had been removed and deactivated." .

"Alright," Odo nodded. "I'll speak with Mr. Johnson, and hold him if
necessary.  Would you care to be shown to the interrogation room?" "I
know my way there."

"I only asked with your safety in mind."

"It's not too far," Janeway said, "and my guard isn't down now."  Odo
nodded again.

"I'll tell them to be expecting you."

"Thank you," Janeway left, and quickly made her way to the room where
the rest of her crew was being held.

---

"I didn't have any ulterior motive!" Chakotay said, "I don't know why
you would think I did."  The interrogators sighed again.  One
whispered to another.  The other nodded.

"Alright, Mr. Chakotay, you may go sit down," the first interrogator
said, "Ms. Torres-Kim?" B'Elanna rose quietly, though her anger was
clearly visible.

"This is stupid," were the first words out of her mouth.

"Ms. Torres-Kim, please refrain from speaking unless you are asked
to."  Torres shut her mouth, still glowering.

"Alright," the other interrogator said, "Ms. Torres-Kim, could you
please, tell how you came to be involved with your husband."  For a
moment Torres looked resigned.

"When I first became Chief Engineer of Voyager, I had trouble getting
along with people," Torres told them, "but Harry, he became my friend,
and that helped me become a better person I think.  We worked together
a lot because of our jobs, and after a while I realized that I was
falling in love with him."

"You 'realized'?"

"Yes," Torres controlled herself, "and, well, the rest is a  bit
private."

"I've never known the Klingons to be closed mouth about-"

Torres cut off the second interrogator.  "I'm *half* Klingon."

"Miss Torres-Kim-"

"I know, I'm quiet," B'Elanna crossed her arms.

"You may sit, Ms. Torres-Kim."  Huffing slightly, B'Elanna returned to
her seat.  The admirals looked up when the door opened and admitted
another person into the room.

"Captain Janeway," the first Admiral-interrogator rose to greet her,
"This is something of a surprise."

"Is it?"

"Yes, I suppose."  The interrogator said, "well, Captain?  Do you have
anything to add to this?  Would you care to explain your reasons for
becoming involved with a Maquis?"  Janeway had heard the whole brief
argument over the intercom in the next room before entering.  She
didn't think that she should have to explain her feelings.

"I can't believe this," she was bit hoarse, "I can't believe that
you'd honestly believe that I would marry Chakotay just to secure his
safety upon his return to the Alpha Quadrant."  She thought of Mark,
then looked to Chakotay and added, "I could never marry someone I
didn't love."

"And if you think that we had time to prepare for our return, you're
even more wrong," Janeway continued. "If you think that we had time to
prepare for this... harassment, you are severely mistaken."

"Captain, you are out of line," the first interrogator said.

"Am I?" Janeway said, her voice raising in pitch. "If I am out of line
for trying to protect my husband, than you're even more foolish than I
had thought.  You have release all the other Maquis crewmembers,
except for these nine people.  And you're reason for that?  You think
that they had some sort of ulterior motive for falling in love with
Starfleet officers in my crew.  You have to understand that out there
we were no long Maquis and Starfleet.  We were a family, and we had to
protect ourselves.  I know these people better than you probably ever
will, and I know that they had no hidden agendas, or reasons to have
any."

"Captain, that outburst was uncalled for."

"I must add to what Captain Janeway said," Sisko spoke up, "there is
no other obvious reason for the relationships that developed on that
ship.  If you're holding these people, then you should be holding
every  couple that was on that ship, no matter if they're Starfleet or
former  Maquis."

"There are families that have formed on Voyager," Janeway said,
"despite the fact that Voyager wasn't intended to be a family ship, we
had no choice but prepare for the future.  We didn't know how long we
were going to be out there."  Janeway looked at Chakotay again, whose
face seemed to reveal no emotions, but she had learned to read his
face better than the average person.  He was proud of her.  So was
Torres, who was hiding an evil grin.

"Captain, under normal circumstances you would be equally reprimanded
for that behavior," the interrogator said, "but these aren't regular
circumstances, I realize that."

After that, the Admiral left to deliberate for a few minutes.  Janeway
noted Kim and Torres speaking in hushed tones.  Their daughters slept
at their feet.  Odo was speaking with Chakotay.  Janeway moved to
another spot and leaned against the wall.  The Admirals didn't take
long, and returned after a few minutes.

"As I said before, these are not regular circumstances.  If they were,
all Maquis would be tried as criminals.  But these Maquis have shown
themselves to be better than just criminals.  So, it has decided that
all Maquis crewmembers that served on Voyager  will be pardoned, no
matter who they are."

Janeway fought with a grin. "Thank you Admiral."  The others in the
room, the other Starfleet who were waiting to hear the fates of their
loved ones, were less controlled.  She waited for the couples to
depart before moving to Chakotay, who was waiting for her.  He met her
with a kiss, ignoring the other two admirals in the room.

"That was a good speech," he whispered into her ear.  Janeway smiled.
"Odo told me about what happened with Mark.  I'm sorry."

"Don't be."  Janeway frowned slightly.  "It's not your fault."  She
patted Chakotay's arm.  "Come on, you're needed on board the ship."

"Is that so Captain?" Chakotay grinned at her as they turned their
backs to the admirals and left the room.

"You'd better believe it," Janeway said, lowering her voice to a
whisper. Chakotay laughed.  They met Harry, B'Elanna, each carrying a
daughter, just outside the door.

"Thank you Captain," B'Elanna said, "I'm not sure how much longer we
would have been  there if you hadn't arrived."

"Don't mention it," Janeway said, "here, give me Shelby."  B'Elanna
was impressed that she could tell the difference, and handed her the
baby.  Only a brief thought that in a few months she would be holding
her own child entered Janeway's mind as they made their way back to
Voyager.

---

"Ah, good morning Kathy, you're looking positively glowing this
morning." Q came in loudly, as usual.  Janeway nodded at him from her
desk,  sipping a cup of coffee.  He had appeared late in the morning
in Janeway and Chakotay's temporary quarters on DS9.  Janeway stood,
stretching.

"So, have you thought anything of what we spoke about?" Q asked.
Janeway sighed, rubbing her back.  At four months, she was beginning
to show.

"I don't know Q."  She went over to a deposit bin to get rid of her
coffee, "I mean, no matter where we go, Sage is eventually going to
find us."

"But the longer we can stave him off, the better, you know  that."

"Seclusion..." Janeway murmured. "Q, no matter where go, eventually we
will be found out.  You know that as well as I do that he won't give
up."

"I suppose."

"Which makes me wonder," Janeway said. "Q, why hasn't Sage really
tried to kill us again?"

"Because what you said is true," Q said, "you cannot hide from him
forever.  But right now, he's too busy destroying the rest of the
universe to worry about something he can do whenever."

"That makes me feel better," Janeway was sarcastic.

"It should."

Janeway looked around thoughtfully.  "Maybe we should be going about
this in another way." She spoke after a few minutes. "Its not the most
desirable course of action for me, but, for her safety, I would be
willing to give the baby up."

"Kathy-"

"I've talked to Chakotay about this," Janeway held up a silencing
hand, "and he agrees.  Kim and Torres seem like the most obvious
choice for adoptive parents.  We haven't spoken to them about it yet,
but..."

"Under their care the child would be safer," Q nodded, "I see  you
point."

"And Chakotay and I wouldn't have to go into complete hiding," Janeway
said. "But until the child is born..."

"Yes, it probably would be wiser for me to be someplace where I
wouldn't be noticed," Janeway smiled to herself as she looked out a
viewport in  the direction of the wormhole.

"You should probably file for some sort of long vacation," Q said.
"At least Chakotay doesn't have to..."

"Don't start," warned Janeway, "I know they haven't accepted him back
into Starfleet yet.  But at least he's being allowed to do work around
the station."

"At least they haven't kicked him off."

Janeway sighed.  "The universe is just such a dangerous place, isn't
it Q?"

"In most places, Kathy, it is," Q said, "I'm sorry to say that for now
its not getting any safer."  Janeway sighed again, rubbing her face.

"Sometimes I don't see why someone doesn't just go and kill him," she
murmured.

"The idea is simple, but the action is difficult."

"What do you mean?"

"He has lookouts everywhere.  He'd be warned as soon as one of us
showed up." Q sighed.

"So going after him wouldn't be logical, would it?"

"I'm afraid not." Q laid a hand on her arm.  Janeway turned.

"I'll talk with Chakotay more tonight," she said after a moment.  Q
looked as if he were going to say something, but instead he pulled her
into an awkward half-hug.

"Do what best for the kid okay?" he whispered into her hair, before
leaving.

After he was gone, Janeway sighed, still caught a bit off guard.  She
gave her head a tired shake and moved over to her desk, and called up
a communications screen.

"Computer, what is the current residence of Lieutenants Harry and
B'Elanna Kim?" she asked, propping her feet up.

"Lieutenants Harry and B'Elanna Kim are currently stationed at
Starfleet Command on Earth."

"Earth, eh?" Janeway thought for a moment.  It would be mid-day there,
not much time difference.

She contacted them, dialing in their communications code.  There was a
pause of about two minutes, and then the image of a room filled the
screen.  Janeway turned her head curiously.  The room appeared to be
empty.  Then a small hand appeared.  It moved as if waving, and
Janeway fought back laughter as another figure appeared.

"Samantha!  Good lord I'm going to have to tie you up!"  B'Elanna
Torres-Kim scooped up the baby and moved off screen.  She returned a
few minutes later.

"Oh, Captain, I'm sorry about that," B'Elanna apologized, "I'm not
sure how she got out again."  B'Elanna sat down, searching for
something offscreen.

"The kids keeping you busy?"  Janeway asked.

"Like you wouldn't believe." Torres sighed. "It's impossible to even
get dressed with them awake."  There was a rustling noise and B'Elanna
stood briefly to pull on her grey-topped uniform jacket.  Then she sat
again.

"Did I catch you at a bad time?" Janeway sat up more.

"No, I'm just waiting for Harry to get home," B'Elanna sighed, "it's
his afternoon to take care of Samantha and Shelby.  I have to work in
a  hour, and I really don't feel like dragging them along again.  They
cause  more accidents than the boss knows."

"What do you do now?"

"Can't tell, its classified."  She look off screen, and then laughed.
"Well, its about time.  Come over here, Harry."  B'Elanna made waving
motions, and Harry Kim, holding a handful of PADDs, appeared next to
her on the screen.

"Oh, hi Captain," he said, "hold on a sec, just let me dump these
PADDs." He kissed B'Elanna hello, and disappeared off screen.

"So Captain," Harry said, "what do we owe to your call?"

"How's the weather there?" Janeway asked, ignoring the  question.

"Nice.  Sunny, warm," B'Elanna said, "why?"

"Just curious."

"How's Chakotay?"

"Good," Janeway remarked.  Harry sat next to B'Elanna.

"So Captain," Harry said, "what are you and Chakotay up to  lately?"

"Not much.  I was wondering if you guys were busy next week."

"Next week?  No, nothing more than regular work," B'Elanna looked
thoughtful.

"Well, Chakotay and I were thinking of coming to Earth for a few days.
We were wondering if you would mind us stopping by."  Janeway stood
for a moment and got another mug of coffee.

"Well, sure, maybe you can watch the twins for us," Harry smiled.
Janeway chuckled.

"So where is Chakotay?" B'Elanna asked.

"I think he's helping systems checks on one of the runabouts," Janeway
said, "he should be back soon."  Harry darted offscreen to answer the
cries of one of the twins.

"Well, I have to be going," sighed B'Elanna, "but you can talk to
Harry if you want.  Just let us know when you and Chakotay are coming
over  and we'll be ready."

"Alright B'Elanna, I'll let you go," Janeway said.  After Torres
nodded, Janeway cut the link.

"Was that something I should know about?"

"No, Q, not really," Janeway sighed.  "Back so soon?"

"The world is dull," Q smirked.  "I thought I'd keep you  company."

"How sweet," Janeway said into her coffee mug, "here to protect me?"
"Mm, if your big strong Indian isn't here, than who will keep you
safe?" "Gee, I don't know, you're so strong and protective and all,"
Janeway said sarcastically.

"Oh such biting wit."  At Janeway's snort he added, "at least you're
not Klingon or your wit wouldn't be the only thing that was biting."

"Please, I'll never bite you if I can help it."  Janeway stood, still
clutching her coffee.

"Is that thing glued to your hand?" Q frowned  and took the coffee
from her, "I swear, every time I'm here, you're drinking coffee."

"Noticing a pattern?"

"It's not good for you, you know," Q looked thoughtfully into  the
mug.

"Would you rather I drink something stronger?"

With a sigh Q handed back the mug.

"Have it your way," Q said.  "So, you were talking to the  Kim's?"

"Yes." "About the baby, I assume?"

"No, not yet," Janeway sighed, "its not exactly something I feel safe
talking about over comm channels."

"True," Q nodded.  "So what did you talk about?"

"What do you think?" Janeway downed the last of her coffee, and paced
over to a window.

"Mm, I'm seeing you... and Chakotay... at a park... in San
Francisco... holding one, no, two babies." Q held his hand to his
forehead like a fortune teller.

"Close," Janeway chuckled, "I think Chakotay and I are going to take a
vacation to Earth and visit Harry and B'Elanna for awhile."

"Sounds like good travel plans," Q commented.

"We'll ask them about the baby when... when we get settled," Janeway
searched the dark stretch of space for something.   Q assumed she was
looking for the runabout Chakotay was on.

"Have you and Chakotay been thinking about a name?" Q asked, his tone
softening a bit.

"Occasionally," Janeway leaned on the window sill.  "There are just so
many to choose from.  And then we have to deal with the problem with
the last name.  If they technically adopt her than she'll just have
the last name Kim."

"Well, do you plan to keep in touch with her?"

"To a point, yes.  I think she'll need to know just who she really is.
So I think Chakotay and I will establish some sort of relationship,"
Janeway said, thinking.

"But it still will have to involve some amount of secrecy, of course,"
Q noted.

"Of course," lied Janeway.  "I'm trying to talk Chakotay into a less
*unusual* name."

Q chuckled.  "What, did he want something like 'Runs with  Beavers'?"

"No," Janeway said, "but it was nearly that strange."

"Kathy?" Q changed the subject.  "Where do you want to go to  hide?"

"I don't know," Janeway sighed, "but I was thinking that maybe the
best place to hide would be the most obvious."

"In what way?"

"Well, Sage would never look for us if we were on Earth," Janeway
thought.  "Are you sure?"

"It would seem more logical if we went to some far off galaxy or
something, because Sage wouldn't think to look there," Janeway said,
"but he would think to look in the backwoods first, because he would
think we'd be trying really hard to hide and going someplace unusual."
"I'm confused," Q confessed.

"I know its a bit off," Janeway said, "but think about it.  It would
be stupid to hide here or on Earth, because it would be easy too find
us there.  So why bother looking there?"

"Good point.  But if you need a place to hide, where?"

"I don't know, where ever Sage would really never think to go, some
place he doesn't know exists."

"I think I know of a few spots," Q decided.  Janeway sighed, and
shifted her weight.  Q pointed to a spot in the distance where a faint
light glimmered.

"There's his runabout," he said quietly.

"It's about time," Janeway mumbled, "we're supposed to be meeting for
lunch." "Do you mind if I join you?" Q queried.

Janeway smirked, "do you want an honest answer?"  They both laughed.
"No, I really don't mind, as long as you're paying."

"Ooh, goody, do I get to chose where we eat?"

"I don't know if that's wise, considering that you don't eat," Janeway
laughed, as she went into her room to change.

---

"Good morning B'Elanna," Janeway smiled as they hugged their hellos.
It was nearly a week later.

"Oh my God, Captain, you're pregnant," hissed B'Elanna.

"Not so loud," laughed Chakotay, "she's not supposed to know."

"Really?  Pregnant?  Gee, I didn't notice."

"But why haven't you-?" Janeway shushed B'Elanna.

"Shh, its a secret," she smiled.

B'Elanna nodded.  "Well, would you like to come in, no sense in
standing out here all day."  They entered the Kim's house.  For its
location  the rooms were fairly large and open.

"Harry's trying to get the twins to sleep," B'Elanna  explained.

"Sleep?  We thought we might get to see them again."

"Well, I'm sure you'll have plenty of time later," B'Elanna said, "I
hope, at least."

"We're not in a big hurry."

"That's good," B'Elanna smiled, "well, I made up the bed in the spare
room if you'd like to sleep there."

"Fine with me," Chakotay said.

"I'll go tell Harry you're here while you go put your stuff up,"
B'Elanna declared, and disappeared down a hall.

"Okay, but which way is that?" Janeway and Chakotay went off to figure
out just where their room was. ---

"So," Harry said as they sat at dinner that night, "B'Ela told me that
you guys needed to discuss something with us."

"Yes, that's right," Janeway moved Shelby back to her high chair.
"It's about my being pregnant."  B'Elanna shifted and leaned forward.

"I was wondering when you were going to talk more about that."
Janeway suppressed the frown she felt tugging on her lips.

"Well, do you remember Sage?"

"Yes, your son."  Both knew that much about him.

"Well, he isn't good news for the baby." 	 "How so?"

"We're afraid that if Sage finds out about her, then he may try to
kill her."

"He's done it before," Chakotay whispered.

"What?" Chakotay shook his head.

"But... what does it have to do with us?" asked B'Elanna.

"Chakotay and I think that the best way to keep our daughter safe is
for her not to stay with us," Janeway stated. "We would want you two
to be  the ones to take care of her."  Both B'Elanna and Harry were
quiet,  surprised looks on their faces.

As if changing the subject, B'Elanna spoke, "has the baby  moved yet?"

"No, I don't think so." Janeway shook her head.

Harry whispered something to B'Elanna.  "If you'd excuse us," he said
out loud, nearly pulling B'Elanna into the kitchen.

"I guess they're off to make their decision," sighed Chakotay.
Janeway chuckled.

"Three daughters will be a handful," she said, eyeing Shelby and
Samantha, who were strangely quiet.

"You think they can handle it?"

	"Yes." 	 "So you think they'll accept?"

"I think so.  I hope so."

"Any second thoughts?"

"No."  Chakotay looked at her thoughtfully.  "What is it,  Chakotay?"

"Just wondering."

"About?"

"What will become of us," Chakotay sighed.

"Try not to," Janeway's voice was soft.

"How?  How can you sit there and not wonder?"

"I have other things to worry about," she said, "like right now, I
have to take care of myself and our baby.  Someday we will have to
face the end.  But not today."

Chakotay nodded quietly.  It was still in the room until they heard
laughter from the kitchen.  This caused giggles from the twins, as if
they knew what their parents were talking about in the next room.

A few more minutes passed, and then B'Elanna and Harry emerged from
the kitchen.  B'Elanna nervously cleared her throat.

"Well?"

"We accept," B'Elanna said, "I suppose it would be something of an
honor. But there is one condition."

"What's that?"

"That you promise to visit."

---

"Oh, she's adorable," B'Elanna cooed at the baby she cradled  in her
arms.

"Have you thought of a name?" Harry asked.  Kathryn sighed, looking
down at her daughter.

"Grace."  B'Elanna smiled.

"That's a pretty name," she said, "but why Grace?"

"I don't know, maybe for good luck," Janeway smiled.  B'Elanna
nodded.

"Grace Chakotay Kim," Chakotay said, coming up behind the  group.

"So it's official?" Harry asked.

"Yep, got the papers right here," Chakotay held up a PADD, "you now
officially have three daughters." "I wanna see, I wanna see," Shelby
tugged B'Elanna's pant leg, "Aun' Kathy, I wanna see the baby."  With
a low chuckle, Janeway took Grace from her new mother, and sat down
next to Samantha and Shelby.  The nearly year and a half old twins
breath in young awe as they gently touched Grace's face.  The two
month old complained in her sleep, squirming.  The twins giggled.

"All right," B'Elanna spoke in an authoritative voice she had picked
up from Janeway, "your sister needs some sleep."

"Okay," Samantha this time, "Aunt Kathy, how much longer are you gonna
be here?"

"A few more days, why?"

"'Cause Uncle Chakotay promised that you'd take us to the fish place."
Samantha looked up at her.

"He did, did he?"

"Yeah."

"Alright, sometime this week we'll go to the aquarium."

"Okay." Shelby and Samantha ran off to the back of the house.

"The aquarium, Chakotay?" Janeway had a raised brow, and emphasized
Samantha's unintentional lisp.

"Aw, they were being so cute at the time, how could I deny  them?"

"You're such a sucker for pretty women."

"How do think I got stuck with you?" Chakotay grinned.

"You two are sickening," Torres took Grace again.  B'Elanna looked at
the baby, who had woken, and frowned.

"Kathryn, come look at this," she said.

"What?" Janeway came around to B'Elanna's shoulder.

"Look at Grace's eyes."  She moved her hand across the baby's face,
but the dark blue eyes didn't move.  A strange strangled noise came
from Janeway's throat.

"Why didn't we notice?" she whispered.

Grace was blind.

---

"Uck, I am too old to be doing this," Kathryn Janeway sighed.

"You should retire already," Chakotay said.

"I'm not that old," Janeway stuck her tongue out at him, "I've got at
least another fifty years."  She swatted angrily at her greying hair.

"You can't even do your own hair." Chakotay laughed, coming up behind
where she sat at the dressing table.

"I can," she defended herself. "I'm just nervous."

"Uh huh," Chakotay took the brush from her, and ran it through  her
hair.

"I always get nervous on the first day of new classes," Janeway
sighed.  She was a Science instructor at the Academy.

"How many years now?"

"Fourteen, Chakotay." Janeway sighed again.

"Fresh meat."

"Huh?"

"New classes, fresh meat."

"Mm, yeah.  Cadets," Janeway shook her head, making a face, "was I
ever one of them?"

"I dunno," Chakotay smiled, "it's hard to remember.  I think  so."

"Chakotay, why did I become an instructor at the Academy?"

"Let me think," Chakotay twisted her hair around his fingers.  "Was it
that you thought 'Admiral Kathryn Janeway-Chakotay, Starfleet Science
Professor' had a nice ring to it?"

"No, I don't think it was that.  It might have been  *your* reason for
supporting me though."

"Hmm, I dunno why then?"

"I beginning to think that it was to get away from you." Janeway
laughed, pulling her hair free and taking her brush back.

"Ha, ha, very funny." Chakotay wandered back into the bedroom.
"Speaking of funny, isn't it someone's birthday next month?"

"Don't remind me," groaned Janeway.

"The big 6-0," Chakotay grinned, "and I'm going to get back at you for
last year."

"So I threw a party."

"More like a riot." 	 "Behave yourself, Chakotay." Janeway laughed.

"Really, Kathryn, was the conga line necessary?"

"I didn't start it," Janeway called, "Tom did."

"Who invited him?"

"I didn't, but Harry and B'Elanna probably told him."

"At least it was synthehol," Chakotay said.  Janeway laughed.

"It was so nice to see the girls though," she said thoughtfully.  She
looked at a chronometer, "crud, I'm going to be late if I don't go
now."  She stood quickly, clasping her hair up.  She kissed Chakotay
good-bye, collecting PADDs as she went.  "I think it was more fun
being a captain, I didn't have to grade papers."

---

Janeway sighed, collapsing into her chair during the lunch break.  She
called up a picture, one that had been taken at Chakotay's birthday
party the year before.  She smiled, it had been more like a crew
family reunion. There was Tom Paris and his wife Dolora.  Tuvok and
his family, and Neelix.  Her eyes paused on the Kim's, sighing when
she looked at their four daughters.  Shelby, Samantha, Grace, and
Alana.  And barely visible- he was nearly standing completely behind
her- was Q.  He had his hand on her arm.  Either that or Chakotay had
three hands.

Still smiling, Janeway shut the monitor off.  She noted that Q had
appeared.  He always seemed to popping in to bug her.

"Hello Q. To what do I owe this visit?"

"Why didn't you tell me that Grace was blind?" Q asked, his tone
almost accusing.

"I thought you knew."

"I didn't."

"Is it important?" Janeway tilted her head curiously.

"I think it may be."

"What?"

"I've had 17 years to think about this."

"What?  What are you talking about?"

But Q was already gone.

---

He wished he had a wall to hit his corporeal head against.  Why hadn't
he seen that before?  Last year, when he had seen her, he didn't see
the connection.

*To save all time with sightless eyes* Grace was blind. *To save all
time with sightless eyes* Well, duh.  Q made a frustrated sound.
*Windows pained in cobalt blue* Kathryn had blue eyes.  Grace's had
been, but had shed their darkness  to become a silvery grey.

Q thought about the words of the prophecy again, for what seemed like
the millionth time.

*When the time of peace finds an end*  That was now. *Only the
strongest of hearts can hope to mend.* He supposed that was them. *The
numbers 3, 2, 4, then 1*  A puzzle. *Are the only way to beat this
son.* A bit too self explanatory. *There is a woman who's being is
true And windows pained in cobalt blue. The seed of protection, in she
it lies* Kathryn. *To save all time with sightless eyes.* Grace. *To
the ends of all with in it stands, She holds his promise in her
hands.*

This was where Q always got stuck.  Who had promised what?  Had he
said something, promised Kathryn or Grace something that had somehow
slipped his mind?  It didn't seem possible, but maybe...

---

"It was so strange," Janeway said, shaking her head.

"What was?" asked Chakotay.  Janeway sighed.

"Q."

"He usually is a bit odd," Chakotay smiled.

"No," Janeway grunted in frustration, "it was different.  He just came
in, asked me why no one had told him that Grace was blind, and then
left."

"That was all?" Janeway nodded.

"Yes, it just puzzles me, I mean, he acted like it was unduly
important somehow."

"Maybe to him it is." Chakotay changed the subject.  "How are the
classes so far?"

"Pretty good," Janeway decided, "a few flunks from last year."

"I know you'll straighten them out."

Behind her an electronic chime sound, and Janeway sighed.  "Well,
lunch is over.  I'm afraid I need to go."

"Alright, see you tonight," Chakotay said, "and don't scare any of
your new students."

"They must think I'm as bad as Admiral Paris was," Janeway grinned,
"bye, Chakotay, have a nice day."

"You too."

Janeway thumbed the edge of the monitor, and stood after it went dark.
She groaned a bit as she stretched, and reached for her jacket.
Students, second yearlies this time, no fresh cadets, were beginning
to fill the classroom.  Janeway attempted to put on her stern captain
face, but failed, chuckling as she downed the last of her coffee.  She
greeted a few people as she left her office, and re-entered the real
world.

---

The real world, however, was not a friendly place, with Sage running
free and wreaking havoc on the universe.  And what havoc it was; Sage
had  every minion he could find destroying everything that they could
find.   Already the universe's total population was down by 3/5 from
20 years before.  There was a resisting force somewhere that was
keeping the Q from quickly completing their mission.  And quickly
being within the linear time line of 2375.  Sage was bound by mortal
limits and the fact that to destroy his parents before he was born
would be his own undoing.

---

A pair of high heeled shoes clacked their way noisily down a marbled
hallway.  A jacket, wallet, and hair clasp made their way to the
floor.  A door squeaked slightly as it opened.

"Black coffee, hot," a low voice ordered and the whir of a replicator
could be heard.  The woman lifted the mug to her lips and took a
careful sip.  Then her eyes widened, and there was a startled choking
cough.  The mug smashed to the floor, and the clattering footsteps
started hurriedly again.

---

Chakotay pressed the door shut behind him, and walked down the main
hall. He could tell Kathryn was home, she had left her usual trail of
things in the hall.  Warm sunlight pooled on the floor through the
window perpendicular to the door to the kitchen.  The door was already
open, jammed by something.  A closer look revealed the heel of a show
stuck between the wall and the door.  Chakotay's eyes drifted across
the floor, and he saw the shattered pieces of a coffee mug lying in a
puddle.  The coffee was still warm on the floor.

"Kathryn?" Chakotay's trembling voice called out.  He carefully made
his way over the shards of glass, and into the dining room.

"Kathryn?" he turned his head. "No-" Chakotay sunk to his knees, next
to Kathryn's still body.  He felt on her neck, which was unusually
soft,  and found a very faint, fluttering pulse.  Chakotay whimpered;
it didn't  even look like her anymore.  Her face was covered in blood,
which poured  from her nose and mouth.  Her right cheek was crushed
inward, and Kathryn's eyes hung blankly half closed, one pupil dilated
and the other not.  Chakotay's hands gingerly felt their way over the
soft spots, and deeper void areas.  Her shoulder blades were crushed.
Kathryn's left ankle was swollen from when she had tripped and twisted
her ankle in the fatal fall. It seemed as if her whole torso were
crushed.

Suddenly, the two bright bloody lips moved, and Kathryn's  chest
heaved.

"Chakotay..."

"Kathryn?  Shh, just hold still, I'm going to get the medic.."

"No," Kathryn croaked weakly.

"What happened?" Chakotay asked, his cheeks felt hot from the unshed
tears in his eyes.

"Sage..."  It was all Kathryn needed to say.  Chakotay  swallowed.

"Why won't you let me get you help?" Chakotay whispered.  He loved
her, but couldn't go against her wishes.

"There's no point.." At Chakotay's shaking head she continued.
"Chakotay, maybe it's just... my time.."

"No, please Kathryn," Chakotay said, trembling even more.  Kathryn's
hand moved, and Chakotay clasped it between his own.

"I bear no regrets on my soul... because you are here... and I love
you.."

"I love you too; but please, Kathryn-"

"No.  Chakotay... I'm just tired... of fighting."  And she truly was.
The sudden strange defeat of the strongest person he had ever known
broke Chakotay.  His tears made strange marble swirls on the pooled
blood that lay on the floor.  Janeway coughed, and since he already
knew she was lost, Chakotay pulled Janeway's broken form into his
arms.  She whimpered slightly, but then quieted.

"Just rest, Kathryn," he whispered into her hair, still soft.  It was
as soft as it had been when he first met her over twenty years before,
and he wished it would always be that way.  He prayed silently that
she would wait for him.

"I love you Chakotay," she said again, her voice barely  registering.

"I love you Kathryn."  And they said no more.  All that needed had
been.

He held her until she was gone.

---

Only someone's strangled cry at the first notice of this ghastly scene
broke Chakotay from his silent mourning.  Kathryn's  still body had
quickly grown cold.  He set her down, her mopped hair fanning around
her.  Her left cheek was pinched slightly, in a faint smile that had
been ever present in life.  Chakotay looked silently up at Q.

"Chakotay... what happened?"

"I... I don't know.  She said Sage..." Chakotay looked numbly down at
the still form again.  Q uttered something too low to hear, and then
with  a distraught sigh sat down opposite of Chakotay.

"Isn't there anything you can do?"

Q shook his head. "No."  His brow furrowed.  "I can't even leave this
time frame."

"What do you mean?"

"For the past eighteen years, I have been trapped in this linear
plane, because of Sage." Q raised his hand, and revealed a purple scar
on his palm.  "See that line?  Somehow, this scar is restricting my
movement to just place to place.  It's horrible.  There are so many
things I could have prevented."

"Oh." Chakotay downcasted further.  Then he looked up, a rabbitish
look on his face.  "He's going to come back, for me, isn't he?"

Q said nothing, but cast a guilty look down at Kathryn.  He picked up
Kathryn's hand, turning the pale underside up, as if hoping to see a
matching scar.

"All I ever wanted was her respect," Q said softly, "but, I don't know
if I ever got it."  His voice cracked.

"If Sage kills me, and then you, then what?" Chakotay asked  softly.

Q shook his head.  "I don't know."  Gone was the arrogance, the show
that he had put on when around them, all that seemed left in Q was
sorrowed regret.

"Q, I want you to do something for me."

"What?"  Chakotay stumbled to his feet.

'I'm going to write a letter... do you know where Grace is?"

"Yes, of course.  I always do.  I made a promise, didn't I?"

"Yeah." Chakotay picked up a blank datapad and a stylus, "I want you
to take this to her."

"But she's blind, she can't-"

"I know, but it really doesn't matter." Chakotay dropped the pen and
pressed the PADD into Q's hands.  "Please, for Kathryn, if no one
else."

"For us all."

"Thank you." Chakotay shook Q's hand, an odd parting gesture.  "Good
luck."

"I have a feeling that I'll need it."

Chakotay turned away.  Behind him, there was a flash, and a nearly
immediate following flash.  The first swept away Q, and the second
deposited the holy terror himself.  Chakotay felt a coldness on his
shoulder, barely a hand, but didn't have to time panic or struggle as
his neck began to hurt and the room grew dark.  Chakotay slumped dead
to the floor, perpendicular to his wife.  With a snap, Sage was gone.

Q had left just in time.

---

Grace Mari Janeway-Chakotay Torres-Kim, and all of her name extensions
sat on a couch in her family's living room.  She sat with her back to
the glass windows that overlooked the yard- not because she was
bothered by them, but because she didn't know they were there.  She
sat with her eyes closed, sitting cross-legged, not doing anything in
particular.  She felt the slight shifting of the air- she sensed him-
before he ever made a sound.

"Who's there?" her soft voice called out.

"It's just me," Q said.  Grace relaxed a bit.  She had always been
like both of her mothers that way, usually a bit too tense.

"Oh, just you."  She sounded as if trying to reassure herself.  Q came
up to the couch, grabbed Grace by the wrist and lifted her to her
feet.

"Oh." Grace giggled.  "What today, Uncle Q?"

"Grace, this is important."  As soon as Grace heard the seriousness in
Q's voice, the smile fell off her face.

"What then?" Grace found Q's face with her free hand.  "My parent?" It
was more a statement than a question.

"Yes, they're dead-"

"My real parents?"

"Yes, Kathryn and Chakotay are dead," Q said softly.  A horrified look
crossed Grace's face.

"How?"

"Do you remember what I told you about Sage?" Q asked.

"Mostly, yes," Grace said.  "He killed them?"

"Yes.  Now, Grace, you are not safe.  You need to go-" Q stopped.  He
set the just-remember PADD into Grace's hand.  "From your father," Q
added.  He looked thoughtfully at her, something rattling in the back
of his  mind. Q snapped his fingers and a phaser appeared in his
hands.  He pressed this into Grace's other hand.

"Here, you might need this."

"But I-"

"Just hold onto it."

"Alright."

"Now Grace, I want you to go upstairs and wait until-" until when?  Q
wondered.  But Grace nodded.

"I understand," she said softly.  Grace made her careful way to the
stairwell, and nimbly disappeared.

Q sighed, and then paced a bit.  After a few moments he raised his
hand to go, but suddenly there was someone behind him.  The person-
Sage- grabbed Q's hand and bent it backwards.  He heard a strange
breaking sound, and then felt pain in his broken wrist.  Pain- this
was definitely not a good thing.

"Hello *Daddy*," Sage snarled through clenched teeth.  Q fought to
remove Sage's hand from his neck.

"Sage- what the hell do you think you're doing?" he gasped.

"Time to secure my future," hissed Sage.

"Why'd you wait so long?"

"There was no hurry, was there?" Q tried not to yelp as Sage pulled
his arms back past the breaking point.  Damn these corporeal bodies, Q
thought.  He was losing feeling in his back.  And there was a strange
warmth coming from across his shoulders.  It was a sickly sweet smell
that he had just gotten away from.  Blood?  No, he couldn't be...

Q found himself screaming in pain as he struck the wall Sage had
thrown him at.  No, this wasn't possible, it couldn't be happening...
Q hurt  too much to move, and lay motionless on the floor.  Sage gave
a little victorious smirk.  There was a long moment of silence.

And then... a soft clicking sound.  Q opened his eyes and looked in
the direction of the staircase.  Was it as empty as it seemed?  No,
she couldn't be...

Grace's heeled clicked eerily on the hard floor of the staircase, as
she slowly descended, step by step.  She held the phaser levelly in
front  of her, fingers laying lightly on the trigger.  She had
apparently  figured that much out.  Q wondered if the safety was on.

Then, in a sudden moment of annoying clarity, the prophecy returned to
his mind for the final time.  The words suddenly seemed explained,
their meaning clear to him.

*3, 2, 4, then 1.  Are the only way to beat this son.*

3, 2, 4, and 1, Q thought, trying not to laugh out loud.  It had
started with three: Kathryn, Chakotay, and himself.  Then two...
Kathryn and Chakotay.  When they had Grace, that made four.  And now,
the only one left was Grace... but she couldn't kill Sage, could she?
The last line- promise in her hands- Q now remembered what he had said
to Chakotay before leaving him to die.  He had promised to keep an eye
out on Grace, and to keep her safe.  Now she was holding the phaser,
her only way to defend herself.  Q smiled weakly, forcing himself to a
half-sitting position.

"Shoot him," Q whispered, thought he doubt either heard him.  Sage's
eyes darted from Q to Grace.  Grace wasn't turned completely facing
Sage;  she wasn't sure where he was.

"Who are you?" snarled Sage.  A mistake.  Grace turned her  head.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" A strange smile warped her pristine
features.  She reached the floor, and turned.  Q's arm gave out he
collapsed back onto the floor, still grinning despite the pain.  Sage
looked slightly upset.  Grace was standing, eyes focused blindly on
him, and phaser pointed directly at Sage's chest.  Q didn't know if
Sage realized that Grace was blind, but to him it was now obvious
because her eyes were angled a little too low to be trying to stare
Sage in the eye.  She was also visibly straining to hear everything
Sage did, and to sense the movement of air around her.  Sage moved a
bit to the left, and Grace cocked her head like a bird, listening.  Q
saw the flash of realization in Sage's eyes.  The game was nearly
over.  Sage took a few steps forward, but stopped before reaching
Grace.  He was a few meters away, and at a different angle than
before.

"You can't see me, can you?" Sage asked lowly.  Grace said nothing,
her face still turned away.  But her cheek flinched as she tried to
locate Sage.

Finally Grace turned, her face set in a stern expression that would
have made her mother proud.  She leveled the phaser, pointing directly
at  Sage again.  Sage had a curious smirk on his face again, but did
not move.

"Burn in hell, Sage," Q laughed deliriously.

"Screw you, old man."  Grace snorted, and Sage's attention returned to
her, and repeated his earlier question.  "Who are you?"

The letter given to Grace by Chakotay had bore only two words.  The
first was Love.  Grace unknowingly spoke the other one now.

"The Savior," Grace nearly whispered.  She closed her sightless eyes,
and fired.

Sage was taken completely off guard, by both Grace's words and her
accuracy.  Q closed his eyes and was glad Grace was blind as Sage fell
to the floor.

Grace had shot him squarely in the gut, a fatal wound even for Sage.
But only, *only* if executed by the right person.  And by some strange
fate, Connela's words had held a loophole, and the prophecy had been
true.   Sage writhed on the floor for a moment, and then lay still.

Neither Grace nor Q moved for several minutes.  Q wasn't sure he
wanted to; his back and arms still hurt.  Finally it was Grace who
moved.   The phaser clattered to the floor, and she made her way
carefully over to  Q.  She ran a hand down the wall until she found
him, and frowned.

"You're hurt," she felt the unevenness of his arm.

"I'll be fine," Q said, "nothing time won't heal."  Grace took his
hand, the left one, and spread the fingers, opening his palm.

"The line is gone," Q whispered.  Grace didn't question him, just
nodded. She looked sadly at him, even though she didn't realize she
was.  Q thought for a moment.

"Grace?"

"Yes?"

"What would make you happy right now?"  Grace stared curiously at a
spot behind Q's left shoulder.

"I wish my parents were happy," she said after a moment.  Grace took a
shuddering breath, "I wish this had all never happened.  I know that
they didn't have very happy lives after Sage was born.  There was
always a fear..." Grace shook her head, "I wish Sage had never been
born."

"But Grace," Q was barely protesting, "if Sage was never born...
neither would have you."

"I know."

"That's suicide."

"No," Grace shook her head slightly, "but I know the  consequences."

"Grace, I can't let-"

"Q!  I think... I've fulfilled my purpose in life." Grace objected
loudly.  "Maybe all I was put in the galaxy to do was to kill my own
brother.  But now I've done it, and so what's left?  What was *their*
reason to exist?  I don't think they had a chance to fulfill *their*
destinies."

"Maybe.  But you'll have never existed."

"Maybe I shouldn't have.  Maybe I won't, and no one will know of me or
what I did to help.  But maybe that's how it should be.  And perhaps,
someday, somewhere someone will remember me.  And that's enough, isn't
it?"  Q looked at Grace, whose eyes were wide and her expression
honest.  Q swallowed, and then after a moment, nodded.

"I will remember you, Grace."  With those words he agreed to her plan,
as strange as it was.  Grace smiled, and after finding his shoulders,
hugged him hard.

"Thank you."

Q snapped his fingers.

And Grace never was.

---

"There is something you need to know."

"About what?" her eyes narrowed.

"About your baby."  Janeway resisted the urge to stand, her head was
still swimming slightly.

"What about my baby?" Janeway's voice was rough and dangerously low.
Q stood, then paused, apparently in thought.  Then there was a brief
flash, and Janeway thought her vision had doubled.  Q stood flustered,
glaring at another Q, himself, who was talking rapidly.  Q sighed,
nodding.

"What is this, Q?" Janeway asked suspiciously.  They both turned and
looked at her.  The first frowned, the second smiled.

"Alright," the first Q said, and vanished.

"Where'd he go?"

"Right here," Q tapped his forehead.

"What is this all about?"

Q resisted the urge to tell her the truth.  "You can't have that
baby."

"What?  Why not?"

"I can't explain..." Q shook his head and stepped up to her.  He
pressed a hand against her temple.  Images of people dying, planets
exploding, stars going supernova... with a startled gasp Janeway
jerked backwards.  Anger creased her brow.  She opened her mouth
several times but said nothing, just glared.

"What will happen if... if you have that child..." Q frowned
unhappily.  He swallowed, shaking his head.  "I can't explain it, it
wouldn't be right.  I'm sorry, but I just... I've had to live through
it already."  His voice had dropped to an almost inaudible whisper.
Janeway noticed the slight offset of Q's shoulders.  For some reason,
she felt she had to believe him.  There was something unchecked in his
eyes, the strange distance of a memory.  And he was scared.

"Alright."

"What?" Q seemed surprised.

"I said... I'll terminate the baby." Janeway looked at him hesitantly.
"If its so important to you."

"Not just me," whispered Q, "but all of the universe."  Janeway cocked
her head thoughtfully, for a moment, looking at him through half
closed eyes.

"I hope I'm doing the right thing to trust you," she finally  said.

"You always were before."  Janeway did not respond to his cryptic
remark, but waited until Q said his adieus and departed.  Then she
exited her quarters, and started down the long hall that led to
Sickbay.

---

Soft, tinkling laughter.  A sound that may have never existed before
this moment.  Lips met lips, met hand, met face, met soft new skin.
Kathryn Janeway laughed again as the tiny baby in her arms squealed
and  wiggled again.  Much of the senior staff was assembled around the
bed in  Sickbay; everyone wanted to get a look at the Captain's
daughter.  Paris had already determined that she was the spitting
image of her mother.  The captain's husband was present, of course, he
couldn't get enough of the sight of his daughter.   Chakotay had one
hand rested in the small of Janeway's back, and the other helping her
support the baby.  Janeway smiled and kissed the baby's forehead.  She
whispered onto the baby's skin, unknowingly repeating the name that
have saved them all once upon a time.

---

When the time of peace finds an end
Only the strongest of hearts can hope to mend.
The numbers 3, 2, 4, then 1
Are the only way to beat this son.
There is a woman who's being is true
And windows pained in cobalt blue.
The seed of protection, in she it lies
To save all time with sightless eyes.
To the ends of all with in it stands,
She holds his promise in her hands
And with the musical morning that followed
One life began, another swallowed.
The final gift one could give
So and some die, while others live.
A broken heart that never knew
Of life in peace, and of sight true.
With her gift she gives her life
Lovingly, to end her parent's strife.
But with her blessing, another chance
To live a life, and grace the dance.

---

The End