Graphic by Cassatt
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Paramount, the order of the words belongs to us.
Rated R
Feedback? Please. Cassatt and Shayenne
For the need-to-know summary of what has gone before, click here.
Tom wiped the top of the bar with slow, circular, methodical movements. The activity was soothing. He always enjoyed this time of the day - the peaceful hours between the lunch stragglers and the after-work revelers. The light glinted off the gold on his finger. He wondered, again, if he should have taken the man's offer of the week before. That amount of money for his ring would have come in handy right about now, with days yet until his next pay voucher was due. He whistled to himself and moved his cloth further along toward the end of his task.
~ *~ *~
Tuvok left the infirmary, deliberately plastering a smile on his face. Though Dr. Kadan kept insisting that his troubles stemmed from the syndrome, something still didn't feel quite right. He walked by the woman who was most bothersome to him. All he knew was her name - Kathryn. She appeared to be quite happy and content, yet each time Tuvok walked by her to his post in the Central Power Facility, her smile didn't look appropriate to him. That was the only term he could think of. Appropriate. Seeing her beaming her days away just wasn't - appropriate.
~ *~ *~
B'Elanna walked home at the end of the day's shift, amidst hundreds of other people. Work had gone well, all in all. She was still having difficulty figuring out what was wrong with the power delivery monitor that was her responsibility. Problem solving had never been her strong suit, and she was frustrated by the lack of response to her request for repair assistance from her supervisor. She knew the facility was short-handed, but the monitor would never be fixed if they left it up to her. That was embarrassingly clear to her.
~ *~ *~
Martis lugged the bag, which contained her meager possessions, up the stairs. Her belly was very definitely getting more and more in the way. At the top she rested and rubbed her hand over the tight, hard surface surrounding her baby. The door on her right opened, and Kathryn smiled broadly, welcoming her. Martis sighed in relief. It was wonderful of Kathryn to let her come and stay in her apartment, away from the taunts and sneers of the people in the building where she'd been living. Just like the people at work, and in the streets. Each night she told the child she carried that it wasn't his fault, and prayed his life would be a good one. Kathryn reassured her that would be true, and Martis believed her.
~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~
"Commander, the ship is not at the proper coordinates," Harry called out from his station in the Delta Flyer.
"What do you mean, it's not there," Chakotay responded, turning quickly in the pilot's seat. His heart began to thud. They'd received no subspace communication from Voyager indicating a change in rendezvous point.
Harry's fingers were doing their usual smooth dance across his console. After ten seconds, he lifted his head. "It's just not there. I can't locate it even with an increase in scanning range."
Chakotay shifted the Flyer to low warp, arriving at the coordinates quickly. They started their search from that point. Conversation came to a halt, words used only for shuttle's business, each man unwilling to express his fears.
By the time Chakotay, Harry and Neelix found Voyager in the nebula, and beamed onto the bridge, they were emotionally and physically strung out. They'd been gone for weeks and very, very ready to be home. Yet, home was a relative term. The scans had indicated the crew was not on board, but they hadn't let themselves think the worst. Perhaps there had merely been something wrong with the Flyer's instruments. However, seeing the silent, smoky interior of the command center dashed that hope.
Chakotay never, in his lifetime, imagined he'd be so glad to see the Doctor. When he and the others heard what had happened, once again, his heart began to thud mercilessly against his ribs. Tom. Martis. Noah. Oh, Spirits, the baby. His need for them overwhelmed him, and guilt immediately followed. He was now the captain of this ship - and the entire crew was his responsibility. Still, his heart ached for his family. He looked at Harry and Neelix and his heart ached even more intensely. They were deeply shaken. He pulled himself to his full height and put his mind to the task at hand.
*~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~
The dimly lit apartment was small and sparsely furnished, and the smell of burnt roast, acrid and harsh, hung in the air. On the narrow bed, two lovers ran slow and careful hands over each other's skin, pushing loose clothing aside, intent on their explorations.
Kathryn thought hazily that it had never been like this. She had only known Jaffen for a short while, and in that time he had insinuated himself gently into her heart, so that now it felt like he'd always been there. His alien skin was slightly rough, firmer than a human lover's, although when she tried to think back to her last bedmate she found she couldn't picture his face. So long ago, it must have been, so long without knowing the rhythm of lovemaking.
Jaffen pushed aside her top, burrowing his face into the curve of neck and shoulder, his mouth moving gently over her skin. Impatiently, she shucked the buttons of her top, needing to feel his mouth on her breasts, wanting to see his reaction to her body. He took the unspoken hint, closing his lips over her nipple, as his fingers moved down her flesh, down under the waistband of her pants.
Her own exploring fingers mapped the contours of his chest, feathered over his hips, and closed around his rigid member, feeling for the small differences as she went.
Jaffen's breathing quickened, loud and erratic in the quiet apartment. "Kathryn," he whispered, "let me..."
"Yes," she breathed, not knowing exactly what he was asking, but the thrum in her blood wouldn't wait any longer. "Yes." She pulled off the rest of her clothes, waiting as he shed his, then pulled him over onto his side, facing her. Their breath mingled, jagged pants, moist in the small space. She draped a leg over his hip, opening herself to his careful fingers.
"Yes..." The shudders started to build, rippling against the pressure of his hand. Kathryn panted into his face, her eyes closing in spite of herself. She wanted to watch him wanting her, but the relentless build up wouldn't slow.
Jaffen pushed into her with careful movements, and she cried out at the moment of joining, a sharp, high gasp of joy.
"Kathryn? Love?" His voice was worried; maybe, he thought, he had hurt her.
She tried to shake her head, no, she was fine, she was more than fine, but those fingers were back, moving on her sex, even as he started the back and forth rocking she had missed so much. Her climax came fast, clenching hard around him, tightening her thighs around his legs, the whisper of his name on her lips.
He slid to his own climax just after hers, his dear face falling forward to bury itself in her hair. The spreading wetness mingled on their bodies, the sticky closeness of satiation, oh, how she had missed this. He gathered her close, holding her to his chest, kissing her softly, and they lay there for long minutes, their bodies washed in the ever-present dim glow from the power plant outside.
This was it, Kathryn thought. The missing thing in her life, although its absence had passed mostly unnoticed until now. She had come to Quarra for a new life, a better start, but she hadn't figured this in her plans. A romance. A man, someone to hold her, to love her.
"Find a man who will cherish you, Kathryn." Unbidden, her mother's words insinuated themselves into her head. Her mother on Earth, far away. She had been told she had been in stasis for most of the journey, so she was a bit hazy about how far away Earth actually was. She would probably never see her mother again.
Her mother would like Jaffen. Turning, she snuggled herself closer to him, pillowing her head on his chest, their limbs tangling damply together.
As sleep claimed her, she thought vaguely that her young friend, Martis, would also like him. She would introduce them tomorrow.
~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~
In sick bay, along with the surgical enhancements to Chakotay's face to change his forehead and hide his tattoo, he and Neelix had the sub-dermal transponders inserted. Since the Quarren officials had denied his requests to see and speak with Kathryn, much less retrieve the crew, they were going undercover. He had a new name - Amal Kotay. They had a new ship - Neelix's. They had a destination - Quarra, where they'd present themselves as two men looking for work. Then they'd do their best to find the crew, and above all, find the captain and B'Elanna. Harry would need the Chief Engineer's help to get Voyager back into working order.
He hopped off the biobed and looked to Harry at the console. "Well - do they work?"
"Yes, sir," Harry said in a grim voice. He raised his eyes. "The open comm link appears to be fine - we'll just have to cross our fingers about their ability to transport through the shield grid."
Chakotay smiled slightly and approached the console. "Cross our fingers?"
Harry's mouth pinched. "I apologize, Commander. That's not exactly in the regs."
He walked around to Harry's side and placed a very unreg-like hand on the back of the young man's neck. "Harry, it's okay. We'll do whatever we have to to get him back. I promise. I'd miss that man far too much to do any less. All right?"
"All right," Harry answered quietly. "Would praying be acceptable?" A small smile appeared.
"It's fully expected." He faced Neelix and the Doctor. "Harry is in charge, Doctor, but I hereby place you second in command. Neelix? Let's go." He clapped his friend on the shoulder and joined Neelix near the door.
"Commander," the Doctor called. They turned. "Good luck - to you both."
They nodded and headed for the shuttle bay.
In the turbolift, Neelix met his eyes. Chakotay hadn't seen this version of the Talaxian since he'd first met him. "Chakotay - if they've hurt her, or the baby, or Naomi - you'd better call for Harry to beam me off the planet, or I'll kill them."
All he could do was nod in complete and total agreement. He would do the same.
~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~
Chakotay walked into the main coupling room of the Central Power Facility, pleased that their ruse had worked so well. That was the only thing he was pleased about however, after meeting his coworkers - two people he'd assigned to shift rotations on a monthly basis for the prior six and a half years. His eyes darted around the cavernous room and finally landed on the person he was searching for. Casually, he walked up to her, noting the ever-present smile. "Kathryn," he hissed.
She looked at him blankly. "Yes? Do I know you?"
His heart sank. "It's me - Chakotay." He tried anyway, hoping his name might register. Unfortunately, it didn't, and he had to make up some excuse to be talking to her. Telling her she'd been pointed out as someone who could orient him to the facility, he tried to stare into her as they chatted. He was becoming disgustedly impressed with the Quarren mind-wiping, for there was nothing behind her eyes. She recommended a tavern in the city, where most of her friends socialized. He could only hope that her friends were his friends, too. He tried not to think about Tom, and the ache in his chest, as he twisted the ring on his left hand.
~ *~ *~
Chakotay walked into the drinking establishment, rendezvousing with Neelix, needing to see who else was there, too. He sat on a stool next to his crew mate and leaned in close so as not be overheard. Thirsty, he was disappointed to see no one tending right then.
"I got a job in the primary fusion chamber in the power facility," he said. "I work next to Tal and Mulcahey." He huffed.
"Let me guess," Neelix responded, "they love their jobs and can't imagine anything better than working on Quarra."
"You got it. Also spoke with the captain - she should be coming here tonight. Have you seen B'Elanna yet?"
"No. But I have seen Tom."
Chakotay's heart leapt. "Where," he said quickly.
"Here. He's the bartender - he says he hates flying - makes him physically sick." Chakotay looked around the room. Neelix touched his arm. "He's in the back."
His eyes darted to the doorway behind the bar. "Physically sick?" he muttered almost to himself, "well, I guess that's one way to keep him on the ground." He willed his husband to come through the door. Just walk through it and flash those baby blues in his direction - even if Tom didn't recognize him, Chakotay didn't care.
The door opened and in walked the love of his life, carrying a tray of glasses. Tom ignored the people sitting at his bar, unloading the tray, humming to himself. With a knock in his solar plexus, Chakotay knew the tune as one Tom usually serenaded them with in the shower. He slid off the stool and moved to Tom's end. The man turned just as he arrived. Baby blues did, indeed, flash, directly into his. There was a suspended moment, when Chakotay was actually certain Tom realized who he was. Then something changed, and Chakotay shook himself out of the reverie, the belief that heart would always know heart. It was clear to him that from the visceral need to hold the man he loved, he was just being a romantic. That man did not recognize him.
Tom approached, never losing the eye lock, and came within half a meter of him, leaning against his side of the long counter, just as Chakotay was doing. "Hey," said Tom in a low voice, "can I get you anything?"
His stomach clenched, hearing something else he knew. Tom's seductive tone, the one he was only supposed to use behind the closed doors of their quarters. Was he doing this routinely? Seducing strange men? His blood boiled and he took a deep breath to tamp down his anger. How far would Tom take this? "What have you got in mind," he answered in his own deep rumble.
Tom's eyes glittered as a slow smile appeared. "I think there might be something in the back that would interest you," he purred.
"I think I'd like that," he said, deliberately loosening his tight jaw. Some privacy was just what he needed. It wouldn't do to hit the man he loved in front of an audience.
Tom was already through the door when Chakotay came around the bar, stopping momentarily when a familiar voice rang out in the room. He turned to see Tuvok, sitting at one of the tables, telling a loud and raucous joke. If he hadn't been so furious, he'd have laughed, too, just to see the stoic Vulcan with such a wide smile. He watched Neelix approach the table, then followed Tom.
Before he had the opportunity to give his husband a small piece of his mind, Tom grabbed him by the shoulders and pressed him against the wall. Those blue eyes he adored locked with his, and again, he could have sworn there was some spark there. Then Tom took his mouth in a hard, hot kiss and he couldn't stop himself from responding. It had been weeks since he'd tasted him, and for a minute he forgot reality. Giving as good as he was getting. Devouring as he was being devoured.
Tom pulled back suddenly, breathing heavily. "You," he said, grinding his hips into Chakotay's, "are so hot. What's your name?"
An icy hand gripped Chakotay's heart and gave a twist. In a moment of pure rage, he forgot the mission entirely. "Harry," he growled loudly, "lock onto my signal and beam two to sick bay. Now." The back room of the bar vanished.
~ *~ *~
Tom had a moment of pure terror as a strange room appeared in front of his face. The tingling and vertigo were over, and just as he was feeling grateful for that, the man he'd been kissing wrenched away. Tom had barely realized his hands were still gripping his shoulders.
The stranger pointed at him with his left hand and the glint of gold could be seen. "YOU! Stay here and let the Doctor do his job!" Tom's eyes traveled from the hand to burning black irises. The man was furious with him. He was totally confused and getting angry himself.
"Hey!" he answered. "Where the hell am I? And why should I do what you say?!"
The man came close, and poked Tom in the chest this time. Tom glanced down and his heart stopped. The ring he saw was nearly identical to his own.
"Stay and keep your mouth shut!"
Tom didn't know exactly why, but he only nodded in response. After one last glare, the man backed off and turned to the other man.
"Doctor -- fix him," he ordered.
"Yes, Commander, I'll do my best," the other man answered.
Tom saw a gleam in his eye as he spoke, a gleam that made him very uncomfortable. Commander? The man, whose kisses had gone straight to Tom's head and groin, stomped out of the room.
"Well, Mr. Paris," the doctor said smoothly, "clearly your reputation is well founded. My, I should have taken lessons from you in the art of seduction." Now the sarcastic tone was obvious.
"What the hell are you talking about? And where am I? And who was that man?" He backed away from this doctor who was holding some sort of an instrument up to Tom's head.
The doctor followed him. "I'm talking about how well you managed to put the moves on - there was an open comm link and I got to hear the entire thing. Now, stop backing away..."
"An open what link? And you heard what happened between me and... and the commander?" He backed up again. Was the man with the ring someone powerful enough to kidnap him? Or worse, still, put him in prison? Panic was beginning to set in.
"Heard it all. Enlightening." He pointed that thing up to Tom's head again, making eye contact. "But just to relieve your mind, you only managed to seduce your own husband."
Tom's heart stopped again, then raced. "Husband?"
The doctor was working with another instrument, popping something into the bottom of it. Tom could barely focus on it. Husband? Why didn't he know him, if they were married? Then he felt a warm glow begin in his belly and spread outward. The man with the incredible eyes and amazing kisses was his? All his? He looked at his ring.
The cold prick in his neck shocked him. His brain registered the hiss and the smug look on the doctor's face just as blackness descended.
~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~
As much as he wanted to stay, Chakotay knew he had to get back to Quarra before anyone registered his precipitous departure. He would have to trust the doctor on this. At least the Doctor wouldn't rant and scream at Tom as he wanted to. The doctor didn't have a heart to be broken, however much he might wish otherwise. Right now, Chakotay envied him.
The bar had filled in his absence. The day shift was over, and people were coming in for some evening recreation. Knots of people were gathered at the small tables. Looking around, he spied Neelix, who had joined the group surrounding Tuvok. The Vulcan was telling another joke, his shoulders shaking with mirth as he reached the punchline.
Neelix shifted up the bench seat as he approached. "Amal!" he greeted him boisterously, "Come and meet my new friend, Mr. Tuvok of Vulcan."
"My new friend, Mr. Neelix!" Tuvok was studying the Talaxian, a quizzical expression on his face. "We have a lot in common," he announced solemnly to the table at large. "We understand each other."
Chakotay shifted, so that he could study the bar without it being obvious. Looking around, he spotted several Voyager crew -- Crewman Tal was chatting to a young alien man in a corner, Baytart was playing some sort of local variation of pool. For one fractured moment, he thought that the wide shoulders and dark skin over by the window belonged to Noah, but the man turned and his heart fell when he realized it wasn't. He had hoped that Noah might lead him to Martis.
The doors to the street swung open, and he tried to keep his expression neutral. It was B'Elanna, looking strangely unsure of herself. She hesitated in the doorway, looking around the bar as if she wasn't sure of her welcome, before moving over to join the group playing pool. He watched her, out of the corner of his eye, to see if she would acknowledge Baytart, but other than a nod to him, she didn't pay him any special attention. She seemed reserved, thought Chakotay, and he was instantly reminded of the painfully unsure young girl who had joined his crew on the Liberty so long ago.
"Chakotay?" The quizzical sound of his real name brought his attention back to the bar. Kathryn was standing in front of him, her hair loose and disarrayed around her face. Her posture was relaxed, her face happy and open. Studying her, he noticed the new softness in the lines of her face, the gentle aura of contentment that seemed to emanate from her.
"Yes." He noticed Neelix's wary look, and added for the benefit of those listening in, "Chakotay is a nickname. Most people call me by my real name -- Amal Kotay."
She wasn't paying attention to the details, he realized. "I'm glad you made it here, you're obviously settling in well. I came to see if you and your friends," her hand gestured, encompassing Neelix and Tuvok, " would like to join our party. It's a celebration."
Instantly he was on the alert. Kathryn's whole demeanor indicated this was no casual spur of the moment occasion. "What are we celebrating?" he asked.
Her eyes softened, her face taking on a look he knew only too well; he'd seen it on Martis in the past, he realized. The bone-deep happiness of a woman in love.
"I'm moving in with my boyfriend," she replied. She pointed to a corner table. "That's him over there. Come over, we'll buy you a drink."
In the corner, Chakotay could see a pleasant looking alien. The man was about his age, with a warm, open face. He was watching Kathryn with a smile.
"Thanks," he said. "Maybe later, I'm meeting one of my co-workers here, they are going to fill me in on some of the procedures for the plant."
"We'll be back at our apartment later." Swiftly Kathryn fished a small PADD out of her purse and jotted down something. "Here's the address; stop by if you can. Jaffen and I would love to see you. Maybe we can introduce you to some more of your co-workers." She grinned, a wide smile, pure Kathryn. "I didn't have far to move," she added. "I used to live in the apartment directly below Jaffen's."
"I'll try." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw B'Elanna move towards the door. "If you'll excuse me," he added, "I see the person I'm here to meet, right now."
Nudging Neelix, he stood, nodded to Kathryn, and started to drift towards B'Elanna. She hesitated at the door, moved out into the street. Chakotay and Neelix followed, taking care to stay in the shadows.
"Now's a good chance," Neelix whispered.
"Agreed," Chakotay murmured in return. "Just wait until she turns off the main street."
Their luck held. A block later, B'Elanna turned purposefully off the main street, away from the revealing pools of light. She had only taken several steps before Chakotay grabbed her arm.
"Don't fight us, B'Elanna," he said urgently. "We mean you no harm."
Her mouth opened, and Chakotay saw the scream start from her chest and rise up and out. Too late to stop her, the noise shattered the quiet of the side street.
"Neelix," he cried hoarsely.
Neelix grabbed B'Elanna in a bear hug, trying desperately to subdue her flailing arms.
"Harry, lock onto Neelix's signal and beam two directly to sickbay."
As they disappeared in the familiar blue shimmer, Chakotay heard running footsteps, and shouting.
"There he is! That's him!"
Without looking back, he took off at a run along the dark side street.
~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~
Tom watched the scene in front of him, now knowing three names and having faces to go along with them. Neelix, B'Elanna, and the Doctor. Though the Emergency Medical Hologram really should have found a better handle than 'the Doctor' in his opinion. Neelix was helping hold a flailing B'Elanna to the table, and just as Tom was about to jump up and help, the Doctor managed to knock her out with the injection.
Tom was still highly confused. He had names, and experiences, both on Quarra and before, all mixed up together in his mind. Nothing quite made sense. The Doctor told him he just needed to get the synapses firing in the proper order, then everything would settle into place. The name of his husband, he now knew - Chakotay. But something wasn't right about the man he'd kissed; his face didn't match up with fleeting visions of faces that he saw when he closed his eyes.
The door to sick bay opened and in walked another person whose face looked familiar. The synapses fired a few shots in a wrong direction, then finally settled on a name. Harry Kim. A flash. He was his best friend. He loved Harry. He felt a tug in his heart, and was surprised, and pleased by it.
Harry spoke quietly with Neelix and the Doctor before approaching Tom. The dark eyes looked at him warily.
"Hey, Har, how are you doin?" he asked quietly, almost afraid to say it.
The dark eyes filled momentarily, then shone, as Harry beamed. "Hey, Tom - you're back."
Tom jumped off the biobed and, on impulse, hugged the man, letting the smell of him fill his nostrils and bring more memories into proper alignment. They patted each other and separated. "I'm almost back - I'm still fairly confused," he admitted.
"No problem. I'm gonna take you to your quarters," replied Harry, leading them out of sick bay, "we think that might help. Maybe things will make more sense to you."
Tom's heart started to flutter. His quarters. "Sure. Okay." He allowed the lead, looking at the corridors as they walked. It was weird. Everything was familiar and completely new at the same time. "So, I understand I'm the pilot of this ship?"
Harry chuckled as they got into the turbolift. "Yeah, Tom, you're the pilot. You're the best damned pilot this ship has ever had ..."
~ *~ *~
Tom leaned back against the door of his cabin after it swooshed shut. Harry'd left him there, just like he said he would, and it was all Tom could do not to run out and follow him down the corridor. His heart was no longer just fluttering, it was now pounding against his ribs.
"Get a grip, Tom," he muttered. He tried to breathe. "This is your life. Don't worry - you'll remember. You remembered Harry, didn't you? And stop talking to yourself..."
He let his eyes roam slowly over the room, slowly this time, rather than darting wildly in near panic. His first impression was that yes, it looked familiar. It looked neat, and very definitely personalized. He closed his eyes. His marriage was about a year old, but... he and Chakotay had been living together for.... nearly six years. Those were the facts at his disposal, but that's still all he had.
Opening his eyes again, they lit on a pillow on the couch. He walked to it and picked it up. It was covered in a roughly woven fabric, in bold earth colors, stripes and geometric patterns.
"Tom - I replicated these months before you moved in here, so here they stay..." The voice he knew; the tone, however, was teasing and playful. He remembered being hit in the head with one of these fairly soon after the statement. The right face, however, was still out of his reach, and his throat constricted just enough to make him swallow.
The Doctor and Harry had told him there were images in the quarters, and personal logs on the console at the desk. He dropped the pillow and looked around. There were a few framed images on a wall, and at least one open doorway, through which he could just make out the edge of a bed. His bed. Their bed. He chose to go into the bedroom first, before approaching the wall. Maybe his own clothing would stir something, or his aftershave.
The bed wasn't made, but only one side had been slept in. Tom knew that the unmade bed was not usual for Chakotay. He was always meticulous about that. His stomach clutched. There was a uniform tossed on the chair and, again, Tom knew that wasn't usual either. His eyes drifted from that to an image on the ledge behind the bed. Centrally placed.
His heart still assaulting his ribcage, he sat on his side of the mattress and picked up the frame. It was of him, standing with Chakotay. "Oh, God," he choked out, and burst into tears. The synapses fired a cannonball directly into his gut, as memories started lining up. The wedding. Sun, ocean, flowers, promises, that gorgeous tattoo'd face looking at him with total, unconditional love. He turned blindly to Chakotay's pillow and grabbed it, putting it to his nose and inhaling deeply. His love for this man washed over him in one huge wave, and he collapsed on the bed, clutching the pillow, and cried. He couldn't think why and he didn't care. After a few minutes, he staggered upright. There was more, he knew it now - memories were coming rapidly and they included a girl. The Doctor had told him he had a daughter. He looked to the dresser and was there in two long strides. Picking up another frame, he saw him, and Chakotay, and a girl with short, blond hair. Martis. More memories came, but something wasn't right. He couldn't quite get a handle on what was wrong, and he started to panic. Maybe she was dead and they hadn't wanted to tell him.
He ran out into the living area, to the wall with the frames. He found the image that blew everything wide open. Martis, in a pale, blue dress, standing with Noah. The tall man was wearing a blue tunic. It was their wedding. His daughter. Her husband. Tears welled again as the overwhelming totality of his feelings for her hit. He looked at her face and, with a start, recognized her from Quarra. The baby. "Oh, sweet Spirits," he said, panic setting in again as he remembered more, and more.
He tapped his badge, hard. "Paris to sick bay!"
"Yes, Lieutenant," the Doctor responded calmly.
"Martis - the baby - when's her due date? Isn't it close?!"
"Yes, her estimated due date was yesterday, but you must remember, Lieutenant, that it's only an estimate. With Kes, we were off by nearly a week."
His heart stopped cold in his chest. Yesterday. He shut the comm link and went tearing out of their quarters, heading for Harry.
~ *~ *~
Harry was trying hard to concentrate on the task at hand, the repairs needed in the computer to assure the warp core controls would work properly. All he could think about was Greg. His stomach was in continual knots, and at times his fear would overtake him and he'd have to stop and consciously breathe, just to function. Tom said he didn't know any Greg Ayala on Quarra, and he'd worked in a popular bar, where other members of the crew hung out. So where the hell was Greg? And after hearing Tom's attempted seduction of Chakotay, Harry's mind had begun to play out all sorts of scenarios. What if Greg had found some new man? What if he'd hooked up with a woman for some reason? Which would be worse?
To add to his distress, when he'd first run a systems check, he'd looked to see if Pathfinder had tried to contact the ship. They'd been scheduled for a link a couple of weeks back. Sure enough, the communication had registered, and clearly the Doctor hadn't bothered to answer. He wouldn't have known how to, and Harry certainly didn't blame him for that. But how had their family dealt with the inevitable report that the ship had never responded? They must be sick with worry. Harry had expected to come home to news that he'd been waiting for. His mother had been due for a medical checkup, to see about her heart. Bernie's basketball tournament had finished - how had he played? Steve had been expecting some data from Voyager's astrometrics lab for his club, that was sitting on one of Harry's PADDs, in their quarters. He hated knowing he'd let the boy down.
The door to engineering opened and Harry looked up to see Tom running in.
"Harry - I need to get back down to Quarra." Tom's cheeks were flushed.
"What the hell happened to you? Are you okay?"
"I've got most everything sorted out. It's Martis - the baby's due any minute. I've got to find her and bring her back up here! Send me down there!"
Harry sighed loudly. "Can't do that, Tom. Commander's orders. You can't go back - he said it would be too noticeable, someone would know you're not you. Besides, you'd have to stay in the bar and work, you wouldn't be able to do anything for her. She'll be fine. Chakotay's found the captain. He's hiding, waiting for the authorities to get tired of looking for him. Then he's going back to the bar to try and get Captain Janeway alone."
A look of confusion crossed Tom's face.
"The open comm link, Tom, remember? I'm keeping close tabs on him. He's got to get someone down there to take care of that stupid shield grid or we'll never get anyone off Quarra."
Tom paced back and forth for a minute. "I can't do that, can I," he muttered.
"No. You don't know how to, and neither do we."
"Damn it. Then I'm staying here and listening. He's my husband," he spat out.
Harry's chest constricted. "I understand Tom, believe me. Stay if you want, but I could really use B'Elanna's help. How about you go see how she's doing - maybe you can speed things along for her? Besides, if we get this ship fixed, we're gonna need the best pilot we've got. Voyager needs you, too, Tom."
Tom wiped a hand across his eyes. "I'm sorry, Harry, about Greg. Really," he said gently. "I'll go talk to 'Lanna. Can you increase the volume of the open link for a moment?"
He was slightly confused, but he did it. The sound of breathing came through clearly.
Tom took a deep breath of his own. "Thanks, Har, I just needed to hear that." He turned and left engineering.
Harry lowered the volume once more and leaned on the console. He closed his eyes. I love you, Greg. Opening them again, he got back to work.
~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~
Chakotay peeked out from the side of the building one more time, listening for any footfalls anywhere nearby. Nothing. He whispered to Harry that he was heading out, and as quietly as he could, made his way through the streets to the bar.
It was even more crowded now, and he had to push his way to a back wall. Kathryn and her party were gone, as were Tuvok and Baytart. He pulled out the small PADD she'd given him and noted the address. There was a commotion at the doorway and he looked up just in time to see some people pointing him out to the authorities. Quickly, he skirted the wall, heading for the door behind the bar itself. He ran through it and out the back exit.
Running down the street, he heard the two men following him, yelling at him to stop. He turned a corner and kept going, seeing too late that it was a dead end. There was a railing on a low wall. He looked over the ledge, it was about a one story drop to another street. He stepped up and climbed over the railing.
"STOP NOW!"
He glanced over his shoulder and then looked down again, taking a deep breath. Jump and roll, Chakotay, just like the Maquis trained you, jump and roll... He heard a noise, then a sharp, burning pain jolted his shoulder. He jumped.
© Cassatt and Shayenne, July 2002 Please email me to post/distribute elsewhere.