by Dakota

"Well, it looks like you three have turned a fantasy into a possibility." Kathryn Janeway smiled as she commended the long weeks of work and the results achieved by Tom, B'Elanna and Harry. If the test flight is successful, the pilot will go down in history with names like Orville Wright, Neil Armstrong, and Zefram Cochrane as one of the Pioneers of Flight in the history of mankind.

"I like the way that sounds," Paris said, smiling.

"I thought you would," Kathryn replied. "But you're not going. Chakotay is."

"Captain?"

"I'm sorry, Tom. I can't allow you to go. The doctor reported a slight enzymatic imbalance in your last physical that could kill you."

"Captain, with all due respect, I think I've earned the right to make the test flight."

"You're in Starfleet, Tom. Your only 'right' is to follow my orders. I won't allow it. I want the pilot alive and well when this is over."

"No offense to the Commander, but I'm a better pilot."

"This isn't a test of the pilot, it's a test of the new propulsion system. Chakotay is more than qualified for this assignment." Kathryn's voice softened as she saw him let go of his dream. "I'm sorry, Tom"

Kathryn gave Tom a moment then turned to the rest of the senior staff. "If there are no more questions, dismissed."

"Cochrane here, Captain." Chakotay's voice sounded confident in response to the hail.

"Status?"

"Transwarp drive is on line and ready to go."

"Whenever you're ready then, Commander. Good luck."

"Aye, Captain. Thank you. I'll be back before you know I'm gone."

Kathryn watched the screen as the Cochrane jumped to warp, then listened as Tuvok reported its status. "Warp 8. Warp 9. Warp 9.8. Warp 10. The Cochrane has disappeared from our sensors, Captain."

Kathryn waited nervously as the minutes ticked by. Suddenly, the Cochrane dropped out of warp and came to a halt just off the port bow.

"Voyager to Cochrane." Kathryn wasn’t going to wait for Chakotay to initiate a link but there was no response. "Status!"

"One life sign on the Cochrane but it's weak, Captain." Harry reported from ops.

"Beam him to sickbay then tractor the Cochrane into the shuttle bay." Kathryn stood and turned to Tuvok. "You have the bridge, Lieutenant. I'll be in sickbay."

"Aye, Captain."

Kathryn entered sickbay and headed immediately to the biobed where the doctor was examining Chakotay. "How is he, Doctor?"

"I think he is simply sleeping, Captain. You should be able to wake him."

Kathryn touched Chakotay's shoulder. "Chakotay. Wake up, Chakotay."

"Kathryn?" Chakotay roused and seemed disoriented at first. "Did I make it back?"

"Yes, you're back on Voyager. Are you all right?"

Chakotay sat up slowly. "Yes, I think so." His head seemed to clear and his eyes focused first on the floor then on Kathryn's face. "It was amazing. I seemed to everywhere and nowhere, all at the same time. I saw stars being born and then dying. I was in galaxies so far away that we can't even detect them, yet I never left Voyager. Words are so inadequate to describe what I experienced."

"How did you get back?"

"I knew you were getting concerned about me so I just took the engines off line. I don’t remember anything after that until I woke up in here."

"Maybe all you had to do was think about being next to Voyager when you shut down the drive."

B'Elanna entered sickbay looking for the captain. "The shuttle's logs confirm he achieved Warp 10, Captain." She turned to Chakotay. "Congratulations, Old Man!"

Chakotay grinned at B'Elanna. "Thanks, Torres. You, Tom and Harry deserve most of the credit. I just drove the shuttle. You three did all the work."

"Congratulations, Commander." Kathryn added to her acclamation. "When we get back to Earth, we'll add your name to the record books."

"Thank you, Captain." Chakotay accepted her statement graciously. "I'd like to make another run tomorrow to test that theory about where I drop out of warp. If I…"

"Sorry to disturb this mutual praise and planning party, but my patient needs to rest and I have a few more tests to complete. If you really need him, you may return for him in two hours." The doctor was taking back control of his sickbay with his usual acerbic wit and charm.

Chakotay walked into the briefing room. "I thought you two were going to come get me."

"Has it been two hours already?" Kathryn was genuinely surprised. "You seem to have escaped from the doctor on your own."

"Easy for you to say. You didn't have to endure the doctor's tests." Chakotay smiled at Kathryn as he moved to look over her shoulder. "What have you learned?"

"Well, for starters, you completely filled the shuttle's data banks. You mapped the entire sector almost down to the particle density per cubic centimeter. There's no telling what you might have accomplished if you'd had more data storage available." Kathryn pointed to the screen they had been studying.

"This really could get us home," B'Elanna was eager to contribute. "Everything worked just the way it was supposed to work. Once we have confirmation on how to determine where a ship comes out of warp, we'll be able to start adapting the transwarp drive to Voyager. Can you imagine? We could be home in less than a year instead of nearly seventy."

"It could do more than just get us home. It could change the very nature of our existence." Kathryn expanded B'Elanna's statement. "Here, sit down and let us point out the highlights to you."

Kathryn retrieved fresh coffee from the replicator then rejoined B'Elanna with Chakotay between them. B'Elanna quickly called up some files and started point out the significance of the information in them as Chakotay sipped his coffee. Kathryn noticed him react to the coffee and wondered if she had forgotten to request enough sugar for him. Before she could ask him about it, Chakotay was bent double clutching his abdomen groaning.

"Janeway to transporter room. Medical emergency. Beam Commander Chakotay to sickbay immediately."

"I can't, Captain. His pattern keeps changing." The voice of the transporter operator came over the com system.

 Kathryn quickly summoned help from the bridge for assistance. Ayala appeared and helped Chakotay to his feet. Kathryn and B'Elanna followed them to sickbay.

"What seems to be the problem?" inquired the doctor.

"He was drinking a cup of coffee." B'Elanna volunteered the information as the doctor started his scans of Chakotay.

"Too much coffee is bad for everyone." The doctor stared briefly at Kathryn as his tricorder processed its readings. The doctor turned his attention to his patient and the results of his scans. "Oh, my. It seems that he's having an allergic reaction."

"What? He's been drinking coffee since he came on board. I don’t understand." Kathryn was quick to question the conclusion.

"Not to the coffee, to the water." The doctor began working to counter the reaction. As he worked, Chakotay's breathing became labored then turned to gasps. "Now he's reacting to the air in the room. I need to isolate him. Please step back by my office, Captain."

As soon as Kathryn and B'Elanna were far enough from the biobed, the doctor activated a force field and started adjusting the atmosphere inside. He quickly determined the correct mixture and Chakotay's breathing returned to normal. The doctor barely had time to gloat before Chakotay had another reaction.

"He's mutating at an incredible rate. I'm not sure I can keep up with the changes." The doctor struggled to treat Chakotay but his expression and comments were not encouraging.

"I'm going to die, aren't I?" Chakotay seemed resigned.

"I'm doing my best, Commander."

"I know, Doc." Chakotay's eyes met Kathryn's across the room where she watched. He leaned back and closed his eyes. His breathing slowed and eventually stopped.

The doctor turned to Kathryn with real regret in his manner. "I'm sorry, Captain. There were just too many changes for me to treat."

The captain turned and left sickbay without a word.

Later that night, as he was studying all the readings from Chakotay's mutation, the doctor heard someone moving around in sickbay.

"Who's there?" He looked through the window of his office around sickbay. There was no one present and the sound did not repeat so he turned back to his work.

A low gasping sound as if someone had been holding his breath echoed through the room. The doctor jerked his head up determined to catch the culprit but no one was in sight.

"Computer, has anyone entered sickbay in the last thirty minutes?"

"Negative."

The doctor was not convinced. He left his office and began inspecting each corner of the room. He was nearly ready to end his search when he heard the gasping sound again. He moved toward it. There was nothing there that could account for the noise… except. Carefully he lifted the corner of the blanket covering Chakotay's body then jerked it back down.

"Sickbay to the captain."

"Janeway here." Kathryn had been half asleep on her couch and was not please with the interruption.

"Could you come to sickbay, please?" The doctor cut off the captain's question before she could ask it. "There's something here I think you should see."

"It had better be good, Doctor."

"I'll let you judge for yourself, Captain. Sickbay out."

Kathryn stalked through the corridors toward sickbay. She was tired and had just lost her first officer and best friend. She knew the doctor would be reviewing everything related to Chakotay's death but she wondered what was so urgent that it couldn't wait until her shift started in a few hours. The doors parted for her and she entered sickbay expecting to find the doctor in his office. She was surprised to see him standing by a biobed.

"What is it, Doctor?"

"It appears that my report on Commander Chakotay's death was slightly premature."

"What?" Kathryn's heart skipped a beat. "I was standing next to him when he died."

"He did, Captain, according to all my instruments and those same instruments are now telling me he's alive."

"How do you explain this?"

"I can't. I was working in my office when I heard something so I investigated. What I heard was the commander.

"What's happening to me?" Chakotay demanded information. Kathryn stepped closer to the biobed and Chakotay's eyes darted around the room as they spoke. He seemed disoriented and more than a little confused.

"I'm not sure, Commander. Please remain where you are for a few minutes." The doctor quickly retrieved a tricorder and started scanning Chakotay. He double-checked the results without making any comments.

At that point, Chakotay's patience seemed to run out. "Let me up." He struggled to sit up with the assistance of the doctor and Kathryn.

"He's back to normal?" Kathryn was reluctant to get her hopes up.

The doctor proved Kathryn's caution to be well founded. "I wouldn't go that far. It seems he has developed a second heart."

Chakotay reacted to the doctor's words by running his hand through his hair. Huge handfuls came out. "What's happening to me?" He asked desperately.

"That's what I'm trying to find out, Commander. Right now all I can say for certain is that you are changing both physiologically and psychologically."

"Tell me what's going on. Tell me what's going on!"

"I don't know yet, Commander."

"You're lying to me. Did she put you up to this?" Chakotay gestured angrily toward the captain. "She never really trusted me, did she?"

"Calm down, Commander." The doctor tried to soothe his patient. "You're just making things worse."

Chakotay turned to Kathryn and pleaded desperately. "Why can't you trust me? I've done everything you've asked. Why did you do this to me?"

Kathryn stepped closer. "I didn't plan this. We had no idea that this would happen. Remember?"

"I remember eating dinner with you. You acted like my friend. Are you my friend?" Chakotay looked and sounded like a small child fearing rejection. "Did I do something bad? Is that why you don't love me? I didn't mean to do anything bad."

"No. No, you didn't do anything bad. Why don't you try to sleep now?" Kathryn nodded to the doctor. "Why don't you try to sleep now?"

A few seconds later the hiss of a hypospray allowed Chakotay to sleep. Kathryn studied him more closely. The physical changes were more pronounced. His skin texture was changing and his features were blurring.

"Can you help him, Doctor?"

I'm not sure. There are a few possibilities but I need to investigate them more thoroughly before I will know for certain. I'll call you when I have more information."

"Sickbay to the captain."

"Janeway here. What is it, Doctor?"

"I may have found a way to treat Commander Chakotay. Can you come down to sickbay?"

"I'll be there in a few minutes. Janeway out."

Kathryn exited the turbolift and headed for sickbay. The guards at the door were Tuvok's idea but she had agreed that they were a necessary precaution. Kathryn entered sickbay and moved immediately to Chakotay's side. He was awake but calm at the moment. The doctor was running another scan and seemed satisfied with the results.

"All right, Doctor. Tell me what you've learned." Kathryn wasted no time getting to the point.

"I have a possible solution. In effect, Commander Chakotay has two sets of DNA. The dominant DNA has been altered and is responsible for the changes. I believe exposing Chakotay to antiprotons from the warp nacelles will destroy the mutant DNA in his body. At that point, his unaltered DNA will become dominant allowing his body to return to normal."

"How soon can you treat him?"

"I've already discussed this with Lieutenant Torres and we've made the necessary changes to our equipment. I can begin treatment immediately. The entire process will take approximately thirty minutes."

"Very well. Proceed. Let me know when you've finished." Kathryn turned to Chakotay. "I'll be back soon."

After the door closed behind the captain Chakotay became slightly restless. The doctor was focused on his instruments rather than his patient. Chakotay was on his feet and halfway to the door before the doctor could react. The security guards were on the floor before they realized Chakotay had come through the door. Chakotay grabbed a phaser then looked in both directions and saw the captain standing and staring his way. He ran towards her. She slapped her combadge. "Janeway to Security. Deck 5…"

Chakotay grabbed Kathryn's hand away from her combadge and slammed her against the wall. He grabbed her before she could crumple to the ground and dragged her down the corridor toward the turbolift. Security found Chakotay's combadge in the corridor and the captain's in a turbolift only seconds before the Cochrane made an unauthorized launch and went to warp 10.

"Pursuit course, warp 9."

"Aye, Sir." Tom acknowledged Tuvok's order. "Lieutenant Tuvok?"

"What is it, Lieutenant Paris?"

"We can't catch them."

"I am well aware of that. However it is possible they will come out of warp close enough for us to recover the captain and commander."

"Yes, Sir." Tom kept his tone level. Even he knew that it was not logical to blindly chase a ship that could be anywhere.

"Lieutenant, I've detected the shuttle." Harry's voice rang out across the bridge more than three weeks later with words they had nearly given up ever hearing. "It's on the fourth planet of a system approximately one-half light year from our current position."

"Adjust our course for the planet, Mr. Paris, warp eight. Establish standard orbit when we arrive. Mr. Kim, as soon as we're within range, begin scanning for the captain and commander." Tuvok issued his orders.

"Aye, Sir." Tom and Harry spoke in unison as they executed their orders.

Hours later Harry spoke. "It's no use, Lieutenant. They are just not near the shuttle or anywhere else on that planet. There are no human life signs down there."

"Contact the doctor and ask for the most recent readings from Commander Chakotay. Perhaps we can locate him using that information."

Harry worked quickly. "I might have something. I'm reading something that could be them about two hundred meters from the Cochrane."

"Transfer those coordinates to transporter room one. Mr. Kim, you're with me. Mr. Paris, you have the bridge. Have a security detail meet us in transporter room one."

"Aye, Sir."

Harry Kim and Julia Weiss from life sciences materialized with two security guards in what reminded them of a marshy jungle. It was nearly dark and there was no moon. About ten meters from where they stood were two creatures. Harry had his tricorder out and scanned them.

"They're the source of the readings, Lieutenant. They both have traces of human DNA in them." A puzzled frown appeared on Harry's face. He turned slightly to his right and checked another set of readings. "There are three more of the creatures in those shadows."

Julia took her own readings. "You are correct, Ensign. The three other creatures are immature but also contain human DNA."

Harry moved closer to the three smaller creatures. One of the larger creatures immediately moved between them. When Harry didn't back up, both creatures advanced on him. The security guards didn't hesitate; they stunned the larger creatures.

They moved closer to the creatures for a better look. "Looks like we found the captain and commander, Lieutenant. But what are those other creatures?"

"Apparently their offspring, Ensign. There is no other explanation."

Harry slapped his combadge. "Kim to Voyager. Lock onto the five creatures and beam them to sickbay." The creatures sparkled out of sight. "Four to beam up."

Tuvok was waiting for them in the transporter room. "Lock onto the shuttle and beam it into the main shuttle bay. I'll be in sickbay if you need me, Mr. Kim."

Tuvok entered sickbay to find that the doctor had placed the larger creatures on biobeds and the smaller ones in a large tank where they seemed content for the moment.

"Ahh, Mr. Tuvok. Despite their appearance, I believe my treatment will still be successful in restoring the captain and commander. I just need your permission to proceed."

"Do so, Doctor."

"What about the three smaller ones?"

"I believe we should consult the captain and commander before we proceed to treat them."

"As you wish. I'll keep you informed."

"I'll be on the bridge." Tuvok turned and left the doctor to his work.

Chakotay woke and sat up in sickbay. The doctor was by his side immediately. "Lie down, Commander. You need to take it easy for a while yet."

"What happened? All I remember is getting back on the shuttle with Kathryn." Chakotay paused then tried to sit up again. "Kathryn! Where is she? Is she all right?"

"Relax, Commander. The captain is fine. She's sleeping right over there." The doctor's words calmed Chakotay and he allowed the doctor to push him back down and finish his scans. "Now you may sit up – slowly."

Chakotay sat up more slowly and glanced around the room. "What happened?"

"Well, to make a long story short, you kidnapped the captain and took her with you in the shuttle to an uninhabited planet. It took us three weeks but we finally managed to find you and bring you back to Voyager. Your trip at Warp 10 caused the captain to mutate in much the same way you did on Voyager but the mutation continued for both of you. Once we located the shuttle, it was only a matter of time before we found you and the captain. You had both mutated into creatures that looked like a cross between a lizard and a fish. Fortunately, my original theory about treatment was sound and I was able to reverse the process. You are both completely restored to your original forms. All you need to do is to rest a few days while your bodies recover."

Chakotay nodded then became aware of the sound of water slapping against a wall. "What's that noise?" He looked around to find its source. On the other side of the biobed where Kathryn lay, he saw what looked like a large turtle tank.

"Ahh, I see you've noticed the other creatures we found."

Chakotay stood and walked across the room. In the tank were three creatures that fit the description the doctor had just given. "What are these?"

"Those, Commander, are smaller versions of what you and the captain had become."

"Why are they here? Why didn't you leave them on the planet?"

"It wasn't that simple. You see they are literally smaller versions of you and the captain – right down to their DNA. They are your offspring. We considered returning them to the planet until we realized that you were mammals. They would have died had we left them behind." The doctor paused to give Chakotay time to consider all this information. "There is an additional problem. They won't survive indefinitely on Voyager in their present form. They are already starting to weaken."

Some part of Chakotay's mind was actually absorbing what the doctor was saying. "In their present form? What does that mean?"

"It means that because they have completely human DNA just as you and the captain did in that form, that I can treat them and bring them to human form."

Chakotay looked at the doctor with a completely blank expression. Then he turned and looked at the woman sleeping on the biobed. "You mean you can turn them into human babies?"

"Not just any human babies, Commander, your babies. That's why the captain is taking longer to recover. She had given birth only a few hours before we found you."

"You'll forgive me, Doctor, but I'm having a little trouble believing all this."

"I quite understand, Commander. Giving birth and being restored to her original form have completely drained the captain so I am reluctant to wake her. Therefore, I need you to make a decision. As I said, the creatures are already weakening and my treatment will be a strain on them. If they are to survive, I need to begin work as soon as possible."

"Isn't there any other way?"

"The only other options are to let them die slowly on Voyager or to send them back to the planet to starve." The doctor waited a minute to offer his last options. "We could simply beam them into space or euthanize them here in sickbay."

"No!" Chakotay was certain about the last two options. He looked again at Kathryn hoping she would understand his decision. "Begin treatment, Doctor. If you are successful, I will assume complete responsibility for the babies and explain it to the captain."

"As you wish, Commander. Now I think you should lie back down so I can get started. I'll let you know when I've finished treatment."

Chakotay lay down wondering how he was going to explain his decision to Kathryn.

"Wake up, Commander. I'd like to introduce you to the latest additions to our crew."

Chakotay stood and followed the doctor to an alcove where a biobed had been converted to a crib. In the crib were three babies, all sleeping soundly and all with dark hair. One of the babies stirred drawing Chakotay's attention. "Which one is the oldest?"

"Well, there is no way to know their birth order, but the two boys were the ones I treated first. The one moving is your youngest." The doctor pushed Chakotay toward one of the chairs near the crib then turned to pick up the girl. "Here, get to know your daughter. She's probably hungry."

Carefully Chakotay took the baby and settled her in his arms. The doctor put a bottle in Chakotay's hand. The baby was indeed hungry and was soon sucking on the bottle but after a few minutes was sleeping soundly.

"Doctor!" Chakotay's voice was panicked. "She fell asleep but only finished half the bottle."

The doctor turned away from checking the two boys and scanned the girl in Chakotay's arms. "Relax, Commander. Remember how tired you were? Well, she's even more tired and she's a newborn. Just let her sleep for now. She'll wake up when she's hungry again.

"I have a few things to check including the captain. If the boys wake up, there are bottles for them next to the crib." The doctor started to leave then turned back. "You might use the time you spend with them to think about names. I'll need that for their medical records."

Chakotay stared at the baby in his arms and touched a finger to her hand. She had his dark hair but something in her expression reminded Chakotay of Kathryn. "Hey, you look just like your mother." The whispered words barely carried to the tiny girl.

Chakotay shook his head knowing that was silly since he had no idea how Kathryn had looked as an infant. But in that moment, he knew her name was Katie. He smiled down on his daughter as she slept, still not quite believing she was his.

Chakotay looked toward the biobed where Kathryn was still sleeping wondering how she was going to take the news. A movement in the crib caught his eye and he knew one of the boys was waking up. Carefully he stood and put his daughter next to the still sleeping baby and picked up the one who was restless. Grabbing another bottle, he returned to his chair to feed the now alert baby. Like his sister, he ate hungrily and was soon asleep.

Chakotay didn't have time to study this sleeping son before the third baby awoke. Chakotay stood to switch babies again and was just sitting down to feed his third child when Tuvok walked into sickbay and headed toward the crib.

"Congratulations, Commander."

"Thank you, Tuvok. It doesn't seem quite real yet."

"I understand." Tuvok spend a few moments dutifully studying the sleeping babies before getting to the point of his visit. "Commander, I've kept the ship in orbit until you and the captain had decided what to do with your offspring in the event you wanted to leave them on the planet. Since that is clearly no longer an option, I'd like permission to resume our original course."

"Of course, Tuvok. Just keep me informed of any major problems. It's going to be a few days before I get a routine established with the babies."

"Do you intend to raise them alone?"

Chakotay sighed. "I don't know yet, Tuvok. I still have to discuss it with the captain. She is their mother, after all. I hope I won't be raising them alone, but if that's what she wants, I'll manage."

"I am confident you will, Commander." Tuvok turned his attention back to the crib. "Which is your daughter?"

"The one on the left."

Tuvok studied the baby. "She is a beautiful baby."

"Thank you, Tuvok. I agree completely."

Tuvok straightened and turned to face Chakotay. "I must return to the bridge. I have been absent long enough."

Tuvok turned and left sickbay leaving Chakotay to contemplate all the decisions he and Kathryn would be making in the next day or two. He stood and placed his second son back in the crib and picked up his daughter again. He was enthralled by her. He settled into the chair and leaned back talking softly to her and telling her all the wondrous things she would experience as she grew up. He drifted off to sleep and didn't wake when the doctor carefully took the baby and put her with her brothers.

Kathryn woke slowly resenting the glare of the light in the ceiling of sickbay. The doctor was by her side before she had time to do more than sit up.

"What happened? Why am I in sickbay?"

"What's the last thing you remember?" The doctor asked his questions while he completed scans of the captain.

"I remember leaving sickbay and heading toward the turbolift. I turned and saw the guards down and Chakotay in the corridor running towards me. I think he grabbed me and knocked me into a wall. Is he all right?"

"He's fine, Captain." The doctor glanced over the captain's shoulder where Chakotay slept next to the crib. "Come into my office, Captain. You'll be more comfortable on a chair and we'll have more privacy. I have a few things to tell you."

Kathryn sat alone in the doctor's office while he checked on the babies. She was trying to make sense of everything the doctor had told her. None of it seemed real which was hardly surprising since she could remember nothing. She would have called the doctor a liar if there hadn't been three newborn babies across sickbay with her DNA.

What had Chakotay been thinking when he told the doctor to treat the creatures? She sighed and admitted that she was glad he had made the decision. She also knew that ultimately she would have made the same one if it had been up to her but she might have waited until it was too late to save their lives.

Kathryn leaned her head on her hands. She had always planned to have children – one day. She just hadn't gotten around to it yet. She most definitely would not have chosen to start a family this far from home when she was responsible for a ship and crew for possibly the next seventy years.

Kathryn looked through the window toward the crib. She could see Chakotay sleeping near it. She wanted to go see the babies, just to know they were real but something held her back. At first she wasn't sure what, then she realized she was afraid.

Afraid? She was afraid to look at three newborn babies? She had nothing to fear from them. They offered no threat… or did they? Kathryn shook her head slowly as if denying her fear. But the babies weren't what she feared. She feared what they represented, what they would demand of her, not as captain but as a person – and as a parent.

As a captain, Kathryn needed to see the babies and then walk away. As a mother, she needed to see the babies and never walk away. She didn't know whether she was more afraid that she couldn’t walk away or that she could. Slowly she stood and made her way across sickbay.

Chakotay woke feeling stiff. He stretched and sat up straighter. For a moment, he was disoriented and then the memories came back and he smiled. He looked toward the crib and saw Kathryn standing next to it watching the babies sleep. He stood and walked over to stand close to her. "You make beautiful babies, Kathryn."

"They are beautiful, but I don’t remember any of it."

"I don't remember it either, but they're ours." Chakotay kept his voice low hoping the babies would not wake up. But the boys both stirred at the same time. "Uh oh. Looks like we woke them. Here, you take one and I'll take the other. With a little luck Katie will sleep a bit longer."

Kathryn looked panicked as Chakotay handed a baby to her before picking up a second one. "Katie?"

"Go sit down over there." Chakotay grabbed two bottles in one hand and moved toward the chairs. "They don't eat much yet but the doctor says that's normal for them."

In a few minutes, both babies were settled and eating. Chakotay thought Kathryn's face looked like he felt – awed disbelief. When the boys had finished eating and fallen asleep, Chakotay set the bottles on the table next to his chair and took the one that Kathryn has used. Chakotay spent almost as much time watching Kathryn's face as he did the baby he held.

"You never answered my question." Kathryn's voice was slightly accusing.

"What question?"

"Who's Katie?"

"Our daughter. She's still sleeping."

Kathryn glanced toward the crib. "Not for much longer. I think she's waking up."

Chakotay stood and handed Kathryn the baby he held. "Here, he's asleep. I'll get Katie and feed her."

A minute later Kathryn was holding two babies and watching Chakotay while the third baby ate. Chakotay watched the baby aware that Kathryn was watching him. When he felt her attention turn to the baby, he spoke. "She's beautiful, isn't she?"

"They're all beautiful. Do you have names for the boys yet?"

"No, I hadn't planned on naming Katie without talking to you but she just reminded me of you so much for a few minutes that I knew that had to be her name." Chakotay met Kathryn's eyes. She smiled gently back at him then nodded before turning her attention to the boys.

"They look like you." Kathryn's voice was soft.

"They all have dark hair but other than that they don't look like any of the children in my family including me."

"So you think they look like me?"

"I already told you I thought they were beautiful." Chakotay smiled as Kathryn flushed. "Now, what about names?"

Kathryn looked at Chakotay. "We have more than just names to discuss, don't we?"

Chakotay nodded glad that Kathryn had brought up the subject. It might be too soon for them to make any long-term decisions but they did need at least to start thinking about the changes three babies would make on the ship and for them personally. He stood and carefully put Katie back in the crib then turned to take one of the boys from Kathryn. She brought the third baby to the crib and placed him next to his sister. She stroked the head of each baby in turn.

"Do we know which is the oldest?"

"The doctor might. I know Katie is the youngest. The doctor has bracelets on them. What does that one say?" Chakotay indicated the bracelet on the baby closer to Kathryn while he reached for the one on the baby nearer him. "This one says B."

"This is A. I guess this little guy is the big brother."

Chakotay glanced at the chronometer. "It's about the middle of Beta shift so the mess hall should be empty. Want to go there to talk?"

"Sounds good if we can get the doctor to let us leave."

"Only one way to find out." Chakotay turned and crossed to the doctor's office. "Are we free to leave, Doctor?"

The doctor looked up from his screen. "What did you have in mind?"

"The captain and I thought we'd go to the mess hall and discuss recent events."

"Get something to eat while you're there and I'll consider it."

"Fine by me." Chakotay turned to Kathryn who had followed him across the room. "Captain?"

"Maybe some soup." Kathryn agreed but said soup like it was something nauseating.

"No coffee tonight, Captain." The doctor was clearly pleased with his restriction. "It's your choice. No coffee in the mess hall or no coffee in sickbay."

"When you put it like that, no coffee in the mess hall sounds good." Kathryn yielded.

"I thought you'd see it my way." The doctor sounded as smug as he looked. "When you return, I'll examine you. If everything is satisfactory, I'll release you to your quarters."

"How long will you be keeping the babies in sickbay?" Chakotay asked.

"At a minimum, another twenty-four hours. Depending on their progress, it could be as long as seventy-two hours."

"We'll be in the mess hall if you need us." Chakotay turned and headed for the exit. When the door opened, he stepped to the side and allowed Kathryn to exit ahead of him. They made their way silently to the mess hall. As they entered, Chakotay watched Kathryn eyeing the replicator.

"I'd think twice about that, Kathryn. The doctor will know if you have coffee and it's all the excuse he would need to keep you in sickbay longer."

Kathryn sighed. "I know. Think vegetable soup would satisfy him?"

"I think so." Chakotay smiled. "Why don't you get us that from the replicator while I see what I can find to go with it in the kitchen."

"All right."

In a few minutes, they sat down at their usual table with soup, bread and fruit that might have been intended for Alpha shift's breakfast. Having found nothing that look tempting to drink, Chakotay had also gotten hot herbal tea from the replicator for them both.

They ate silently for a few minutes then Kathryn broke the comfortable silence. "I didn't realize I was hungry. This actually tastes good."

"Well, from what the doctor said about our stay on that planet, we didn't eat for about two weeks." Chakotay stood. "Want some more soup?"

Kathryn nodded and handed him her bowl. When Chakotay returned he knew it was time to talk.  "We have a lot to talk about. Where should we start?"

"Let's do the easy part first. We can decide about the practical changes."

"Do you have anything specific in mind?"

"The babies are going to need a place to stay when we're on duty and someone to take care of them. We can't leave them in sickbay every day." 

"Well, whoever watches them could watch them in my quarters." Chakotay intentionally ignored Kathryn's use of 'we'. There was time enough for that discussion later.

"That's fine for the short term but sooner or later you'll be sleeping when they're awake. There is no way you can change a young child's sleep patterns the way we expect the crew to change theirs."

"Sounds to me like you've thought about this quite a bit."

Kathryn smiled ruefully. "It's about the only part of the entire situation that I have thought about. Eventually we're going to need a classroom for them and for Sam Wildman's baby. We may as well just designate an area for children now and adapt it to their needs as they grow."

"I suppose you have the area all picked out?" Chakotay teased Kathryn happy she was showing some enthusiasm about the situation.

"Well, Voyager is designed to house at least fifty more crew than we have on board so it makes sense to use empty quarters. It will mean relocating some people, but there are three dormitory quarters near sickbay that could be converted to a nursery and later adapted for classrooms."

Chakotay nodded. He knew which quarters Kathryn meant. "I'll get B'Elanna to put someone on drawing up plans for the modifications. I'll start working on the changes to housing for the people in those quarters. I guess the next question is who is going to be in there with the babies?"

"Well, I don't think we can rely on volunteers. They're cute and they may belong to the commanding officers of the ship, but I have a feeling that would only work for a few weeks." Kathryn smiled. "That means we need to assign child care as someone's regular duties. Are there any among the crew who might be interested in making that a permanent assignment?"

"I can think of a few possibilities. I'll ask around and make my recommendations for your approval. How many people do you want on this assignment? I think a minimum of three, don't you?"

"I agree. While we're doing that, why don't we get a couple people trained to assist the doctor? I know we have Tom down there but he's a bridge officer and more likely to be needed on the bridge if we have many injured. Try for six and let them all train with the doctor. In fact, make the child care part of the medical department and let the doctor deal with the details once you have the people assigned."

"He might not appreciate the gesture."

"Tough. I'm the captain." Kathryn chuckled. "And make sure he brings his complaints to you, not me."

"I'll make sure he understands that." Chakotay looked around. "I wish I'd thought to bring a padd."

"Don't worry about it. You'll remember enough to get started. We'll probably be making changes anyway."

"That takes care of the practical concerns for the next week or two." Chakotay waited until Kathryn looked up. "What are we going to do?"

"I don't know. I just don't know." Kathryn's sounded tired, almost defeated. She rubbed her forehead with one hand then looked back at Chakotay. "I want to thank you though."

"Thank me?"

"For making the decision to save their lives. I'd probably have argued to leave them on the planet. You made the right decision. Thank you for not letting me even suggest doing anything else." Kathryn smiled again. "And that's the last decision of that magnitude dealing with those children that you make without consulting me. Understood?"

"I’m glad you feel that way. Now what shall we discuss first?"

"Names. You named Katie so I think I should get to suggest some names for the boys. Do you feel strongly about naming them after family members?"

"No. What I would like to do is follow my people's tradition of no surnames though."

"I hadn't even thought about that. My family tends to name the males after family members. I've always found it rather confusing but I think I'd like the boys to have names from our families. Would it be all right if they have two names?" Chakotay nodded. "How about Kyle Edward and Kevin Kolopak?"

"That's a mouthful for a baby. How about Kevin Patrick instead?"

"Patrick?"

"That was the name my grandfather used when dealing with the Federation and a lot of his friends picked it up as a nickname for him." Chakotay thought Kathryn looked a bit skeptical. "Really, Kathryn. He'd be honored."

Kathryn smiled. "All right." She sipped at her tea but said nothing more.

"Time for the tough ones, Kathryn. What are we going to do?" Chakotay was gentle but firm.

"I guess we do what's best for the babies. I just wish I knew what that was."

"Well, first we make sure they are warm, dry and fed. We've already done that and made arrangements to provide it as they grow. I don't think we'll have any problem loving them, do you?"

Kathryn shook her head.

"So far so good." Chakotay asked the question he knew would be hardest to answer. "Where will they call 'home'?"

"What do you want me to say? I barely feel like I'm their mother but I love them already. I know you must feel the same. They deserve a mother and a father."

"They have a mother and a father."

"I didn't mean it quite like that."

Chakotay nodded in understanding. "Look, Kathryn. I'm prepared to take the lead in the day-to-day care of all three babies. I have room for their cribs."

"What do you expect from me?"

"I expect you to love them. Whatever you do beyond that is entirely your decision."

Kathryn was quiet and Chakotay knew he had not actually answered her unspoken question.

"Look, Kathryn. I'm not going to try to convince you that the five of us should live in the same quarters like most families. We're not most families." Chakotay paused then plunged forward. "But I'm not saying I wouldn't like to investigate a more intimate relationship with you because I would."

Chakotay reached across the table to lift Kathryn's chin so he could see her eyes. "I think I fell in love with you the first time I beamed onto the bridge. I value our friendship. As the senior officers on this ship, I think we make a fine team. Now we have to be a team for our children and I think we'll do that even better. If you ever decide you want to make it a personal team as well, all you have to do is tell me."

"Thank you." Kathryn eyes never left Chakotay's face. "I'm engaged, or I was, and even suggesting something more intimate with someone else makes me feel like I'm breaking my promise to him. I know it's time to let go of that part of my life. At least I've learned that much today. As for anything else, I just don't know."

"This isn't something you have to decide right now. If you ever do decide you want to change our relationship, I want it to be because you want it for yourself, not for the babies." Chakotay picked up his cup and sipped his tea to give Kathryn a minute to relax before continuing. "You ready to talk about the babies now?" Kathryn nodded. "I told the doctor I'd take full responsibility for the babies and I meant it. If you aren't able to spend time with them, I'll accept that but I don't want you to ever feel like I don't want you involved with them because I do. Let's start with the premise that they live with me and you tell me how involved you want to be?"

"I'd like them to know me so I guess for now that means I should be around when you're feeding them."

"We could take turns on going down to the nursery when we're on duty. You could join us in my quarters for breakfast and dinner when your schedule permits."

"You wouldn't mind the constant intrusion?"

"You're never an intrusion and with three of them, I'm sure I'll always appreciate the help. In fact, I can always call you to come help for the 02:00 feeding." Chakotay smiled as he added the last comment to make sure Kathryn knew he was teasing.

Kathryn smiled but then became thoughtful. "You know, I think I'd like that, too."

Chakotay nodded and smile. "All right. If you're sure, I'll call you when I first hear one of them wake up. But promise me if it gets to be too much for you that you'll tell me. I don't want you to feel obligated."

"That's just it, I do feel obligated – to the babies, not to you." Chakotay started to say something but Kathryn silenced him with a motion of her hand. "I want to do this, too. I know they're my children but I don't feel like their mother."

"That's hardly surprising. You don't remember their conception or their birth. Neither of us had time to get used to the idea of being parents. It's going to take us a while to feel like their parents. I already love them for their own sakes. Everything else will come in time."

"You make it sound so easy." Kathryn's voice conveyed her doubts about what Chakotay had said.

"Not really. I'm just taking things one day at a time, one step at a time. I don't have all the answers but as long as we're working together, we'll find them."  Chakotay stood. "Ready to go back to sickbay?"

"I'm never ready to go to sickbay." Kathryn's frown gave way to a smile. "But this time it's worth it."

They cleared the table and made their way back to sickbay. As they entered, the doctor looked up from checking the infants. "Ahh, how nice of you to return – after I've changed all their diapers."

Kathryn and Chakotay both ignored the doctor's comment as they joined him by the crib.

"We've decided on names for them." Kathryn's tone made it clear she was in no mood for the doctor's sarcastic wit.

"Very well. Please step into my office."  Kathryn and Chakotay dutifully followed the doctor.

"What name did you decide for your daughter?"

"Katie." Chakotay spoke up. The doctor looked at the captain who nodded her agreement.

"A very pretty name – Katie Janeway."

"No, just Katie." Kathryn spoke before Chakotay could. "We're following the custom of Chakotay's people."

"I see." The doctor's tone sounded slightly critical as he entered the information in Katie's medical file. "Now about the boys."

"Kyle Edward and Kevin Patrick." Kathryn provided the information with a touch of irritation in her expression.

"Which one is Kyle?"

Kathryn and Chakotay looked at each other not sure how to answer the question. Finally Chakotay spoke. "Why don't you go get Kyle, Kathryn?"

"How…?"

Chakotay cut off Kathryn's question. "You'll know."

Chakotay's calm assurance was enough to get Kathryn to the crib. She looked at the babies and picked up one. As she shifted the baby to her shoulder, she realized Chakotay had followed her.

"I told you you'd know which one he was."

Over the next few weeks, Kathryn and Chakotay settled into a comfortable routine. They both quickly realized that she needed easy access to his quarters the first morning she joined him for breakfast and the chime woke one of the babies who quickly woke the other two.

Once that had been resolved, Kathryn arrived in the morning to find a hot cup of coffee waiting for her on Chakotay's table and Chakotay in a chair feeding Katie while the boys slept. Kathryn would gather up one of the boys, usually Kevin and let him start eating. When Katie finished, Chakotay would reluctantly return her to her crib and wake Kyle who had proved himself to be the sleeper of the trio. Once Kevin had finished, Kathryn would take Kyle and Chakotay would prepare their breakfast.

Then came the challenging part of the morning – carrying three babies to sickbay. They could manage but seldom had to go more than a few meters down the corridor before someone came along and insisted on carrying one of the babies. Months later they would find out that Neelix had kept a schedule in the messhall for people to sign up for the privilege.

B'Elanna's engineering team had plans ready within twenty-four hours for approval. Once the plans were approved and the former inhabitants had relocated, she had to order people off the project in their off-duty time because there were simply too many trying to work in a limited area. In only ten days, the area was ready for its small occupants.

During those ten days, Chakotay found six people who were interested in working either with children or in sickbay on a long-term basis. When the doctor learned that he was being put in charge of the group, he protested and whined loudly. Unfortunately, he picked a day to do it when Chakotay had been up three times the night before with a fussy baby. He was told to either accept it or Tom would be in charge of the group and the doctor would have absolutely no input to scheduling or personnel issues and would have to work through Tom exclusively. The doctor meekly returned to his office but later was overheard mumbling by about half the crew about blackmail.

The doctor and his new staff spent the day caring for the infants. While they slept, the doctor supervised the trainees. The first problem the little group had to deal with was the number of visitors who just happened to drop in to see how the babies were doing. Finally the doctor was forced to set official visiting hours.

Although they never asked anyone directly, Kathryn and Chakotay knew that the babies were welcome by the crew. The people who just happened to be going their way when they needed another set of arms to carry the babies and the volunteers to work on the nursery told them more than a few words would have. Some afternoons they felt like they were guilty of depriving someone when they picked up the babies to take them home.

The babies were usually content for about half an hour after they got home giving Kathryn and Chakotay time to change. The nursery staff had quickly noticed that the babies were less fussy when there was background music and Chakotay was not reluctant to use that knowledge. He got in the habit of starting music as soon as they got home. Kathryn tried to get them interested in her favorite classical pieces but the babies seemed to prefer light jazz giving Chakotay no end of amusement.

Kathryn usually managed to claim Katie while Chakotay was talking to Kevin and Kyle. Once fed, the babies were generally happy to stare at the ceiling until they fell asleep again. They could hear their parents' voices across the room as they ate dinner and dealt with any unfinished ship's business. For the first week or so, there was always enough to keep them going until the babies woke again and demanded attention. The first night they finished everything before the babies woke up, Kathryn seemed reluctant to leave.

"You don't need to stay, Kathryn. They'll sleep for another hour or so."

"I don't want to make you do all the work."

"They're no work when they're sleeping. You could probably use the break and I need to be able to deal with them on my own. You're not always going to be able to spend so much time over here." Chakotay hated urging Kathryn to leave but he wanted her to know that he knew she was there only because of the babies. "Look, come back in an hour or so if you really want to, but in the meantime, please read a book or go see what's going on at Sandrine's."

Chakotay missed Kathryn as soon as the door closed behind her. He wasn't worried about the babies getting used to her presence and later missing her when her duties kept her away. He knew that as long as one of them was around and their routine maintained, the babies would be fine. He wasn't so sure about himself.

After a few weeks, Kathryn and Chakotay both admitted they each needed a few hours away from the babies each week. At least once a week, they would take the babies back to the nursery for a few hours while they spent time with the rest of the crew or on the holodeck. Chakotay encouraged Kathryn to play velocity at least once a week with B'Elanna. He also got in the habit of spending a few hours in Sandrine's and let the crew know that if they needed to talk, they could come join him. A few people took advantage of his presence but he usually was dragged into a pool game or became part of a crowd just sitting and talking. His never-ending supply of baby stories soon made him the target of teasing and jokes. He took the teasing with a smile and wasn't afraid to give as good as he got when he had the opportunity.

One night his eye caught Kathryn's just after she entered Sandrine's but before anyone else had noticed her presence. The group was clearly enjoying themselves teasing Chakotay about being a proud papa. Something in her eyes told him she was upset in some way. She turned and left before he could call her to join them. Chakotay knew that he left a group of confused people behind, but he made some excuse and followed her.

Chakotay knew where she would go. He found her staring at the sleeping children in the nursery. The crewman on duty was working at the computer and smiled as Chakotay crossed the room to join Kathryn.

"I never get enough of watching them either." Chakotay spoke softly but Kathryn didn't turn to look at him. Chakotay looked at the side of her face and could see they were bright with unshed tears. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"There really isn't anything to talk about."

"I think there is." Chakotay touched Kathryn's shoulder. "Come on, they'll be fine for another hour. Let's go some place where we can talk."

Kathryn followed Chakotay for a few minutes before she asked. "Where are we going?"

"I thought maybe your quarters. You seldom get to spend any time there lately."

Kathryn chuckled softly. "That's certainly true."

They entered her quarters and sat down. "Now tell me what isn't really anything."

"I was jealous of you, ridiculous as that sounds."

"Jealous?" Chakotay was completely unprepared for that comment. "Why?"

"You seemed so happy with your life. You were the proud father being teased by his friends. For a minute I felt so alone, so left out of everything." Kathryn looked at Chakotay. "I said it was ridiculous."

"I am happy with my life and I am a proud father. As for the teasing, that crowd would tease me about breathing if they thought it would get a laugh." Chakotay was trying to figure out what the problem was but was having trouble. "Was it because they were teasing about the babies?"

"Maybe, I'm not sure."

"When was the last time you told someone about something one of the babies did?"

Kathryn was silent. At first Chakotay thought she was having trouble coming up with the answer. Then he realized she had no answer.

"Besides me, who do you tell about the babies?"

"The staff in the nursery and the doctor."

"Next time you're in Sandrine's and someone says hello or asks how you are, tell them about Kyle always sleeping or Katie liking jazz music. Let them know you thought it was funny when Kyle spit up on your uniform."

"That wasn't funny."

"Sure it was. You and I were laughing about an hour later."

"No one seems interested and you tell the stories so much better."

"They're not listening to the stories; they're listening to me. If I weren't talking about the babies, I'd be complaining about B'Elanna beating me at velocity. As for the laughing and teasing, that's how they are off duty." Chakotay paused to think about how to word his next comment. "Would you be comfortable with them teasing you like that?"

"No, I wouldn't." Kathryn shook her head slowly. "I'm not as comfortable with the crew as you are. I just felt so left out. I knew that if I walked over and joined the group, the laughter would stop and the people would drift away."

"And they were talking about your children."

Kathryn nodded. "Yes."

"Kathryn, if you had joined the group and contributed a story or teased me about something, the laughter might have been more subdued but it would have continued. Sure a few might have drifted away but they would have done that anyway.

"They know you're not as comfortable with them as you are with the senior staff. Until you let them know that you don't mind the jokes, they are going to be more subdued when you're around. There's room around the table for you if you want to be there."

"I wouldn't know what to say." Kathryn seemed unconvinced.

"You trust me?" Chakotay asked.

"I do with my ship and my life but I'm not so sure about my dignity."

Chakotay chuckled and stood up. "There are a lot of people who would appreciate your sense of humor. Where's your padd with all the pictures of the kids?"

"On my desk."

Chakotay quickly retrieved the padd, then returned and pulled Kathryn to her feet. "Come on. For the next hour, you are going to show off baby pictures in Sandrine's."

"I can't just walk up to someone and start showing them pictures."

"I'll get you your first victim. After that, all you have to do is talk about the pictures." Chakotay could feel Kathryn tensing up to dig her feet in both physically and mentally. "You said you trusted me with your life. Well, this is your life. Now come on. I'll promise I'll leave your dignity alone."

Kathryn smiled. "That is not very reassuring."

"It wasn't supposed to be. It was to make you smile." Chakotay held out his hand. "Coming?"

Kathryn ignored his hand but took the padd and headed for the door. An hour later, she looked up in surprise when Chakotay told her he was leaving to pick up the triplets. He urged her to stay and finish the pictures of the babies' first week. Surprisingly she did.

Chakotay had just finished putting Katie down for the night when Kathryn entered his quarters smiling. Without a word, she picked up Kevin and got his bottle leaving Chakotay to deal with Kyle. They settled on the couch in a now familiar routine. Kathryn broke the silence.

"You were right." Her tone should have sounded slightly accusing but it was more surprised.

"I'm right about a lot of things if you'd just give me a chance." Chakotay wished he could take back the words before he had closed his mouth. He had promised himself he would not push her. Kathryn's response surprised him.

"I'll think about it."

When the babies were three months old, Chakotay's conscience finally forced him to start scheduling himself for double shifts several times a week. They had been relying too much on Tuvok and a few other officers. They all deserved a break. When Kathryn protested that she was equally capable of standing double shifts, Chakotay resisted but eventually they compromised. Kathryn would split Beta shift with Tuvok twice a week.

The change in their schedules prompted another discussion. They would both be on duty during Alpha shift and off Gamma shift so their routine during those hours could remain unchanged. Beta shift proved to be more difficult to work out. The easy solution was for the person who was off duty to spend the evening with the babies.

"Look, Kathryn, I'd love to have a quiet evening with just the babies as much as you would but we both need to get some down time."

"But I like to spend quiet evenings on my own."

"Then leave the babies for a few hours in the nursery and find a quiet corner to read a book or whatever." Chakotay was searching for words to make her understand. "You're the captain; I'm the first officer. We have to keep our lives balanced for the sake of the entire ship. If we don't, we'll lose our edge and start making mistakes."

"You're on duty three evenings. Can I have one of those evenings with just me and the babies?"

"If you spend the other two doing something else, yes. Maybe one evening whipping Tom's butt at pool and the other letting B'Elanna run you ragged at velocity?"

"Do I have to play pool all the time?"

"No." Chakotay could see Kathryn was nearly ready to agree. "It's only for an hour or two anyway. You'll still have a few hours alone with the babies before I get off duty."

"All right."

Kathryn managed to get the last word – indirectly. Chakotay had taken his own advice and taken the babies to the nursery the first evening Kathryn was on Beta shift while he spent some time in Sandrine's. Although a little surprised that Kathryn had come looking for him when she got off duty, he was glad she had returned to her quarters. He arrived at the nursery to find she had picked them up nearly an hour earlier.

Chakotay found all four in his quarters, the babies sleeping peacefully in their cribs. One look at Kathryn's face told him the peace had not been easily achieved. He walked behind the couch and started massaging her shoulders. "Kevin get the other two going again?"

"Yes." Kathryn leaned her head forward and sighed. "Oh, that feels so good."

Chakotay could feel Kathryn relax even as the tension eased from her muscles. After a minute or two he slowly stopped and withdrew his hands.

"Don't stop."

"You're going to fall asleep in a minute. Why don't you go get some sleep?"

"I missed them today. I don't want to leave them yet."

"I'm tired, too. We could both use the rest. It won't be that long before they're awake and demanding to be fed."

Chakotay walked to the front of the couch and pulled Kathryn to her feet. "Be a good mommy and sleep while you can. I'll see you in a couple of hours when they get hungry."

All right." Kathryn managed to smile before she left.

Chakotay turned and went into his bedroom. He toed his shoes off and kicked them into his closet before dropping down on the bed. All he could think about was how good it had felt to touch Kathryn. He was asleep in moments.

An angry wail pierced the air and brought Chakotay fully awake. Katie was definitely demanding attention. He struggled stiffly to his feet and hurried to her crib hoping to get her silenced before she woke both boys. He was just in time. Kevin was definitely starting to wake up and even sleepy Kyle was twitching in his sleep.

Chakotay carried Katie to the replicator and ordered her bottle. She was just about out of patience when he popped it into her mouth. Her face relaxed immediately and she closed her eyes in contentment. He was just sitting down on the couch when Kathryn came in. Chakotay nodded toward the boys. "Get Kevin. He's almost awake. I think we have a little time yet before Kyle starts complaining."

Kathryn gathered up Kevin and got his bottle from the replicator before joining Chakotay on the couch. Chakotay watched Kathryn and Kevin for a while before returning his attention to Katie.

"You know what's funny?"

"No, what?" Chakotay had no idea what Kathryn could be talking about.

"I have never had any problem telling them apart. Most of the crew can't tell Katie from the boys and no one else can tell the boys apart."

"It's hardly surprising that they all have trouble with the boys since they're identical twins but it's never surprised me that you could tell them apart, remember?"

"How did you know that?"

"You're their mother."

Katie had finished eating and Chakotay could hear Kyle starting to get restless so he stood and carried Katie back to her crib. He rejoined Kathryn on the couch and they settled into a comfortable silence. Kevin finished eating and fell asleep in Kathryn's arms. Only when Kyle had finished and Chakotay moved to return him to his crib did Kathryn follow with Kevin.

Chakotay was surprised when Kathryn returned to the couch instead of leaving for her own quarters. Chakotay accepted her decision even though he was still tired. He headed for the replicator. "Herbal tea?"

"Thanks, yes." Kathryn sipped her tea as Chakotay sat down. "About what you said earlier. Well, I don't feel like their mother."

"That could be because you don't remember giving birth. Most women have months of anticipation to get used to the idea. For all practical purposes, you fell asleep one day and woke up the next a mother. At least you were spared being nine months pregnant with triplets."

Kathryn set her cup on the table and leaned her head on Chakotay's arm and whispered. "I'm sorry I missed that."

"Me, too."

They were both awakened by an angry wail as Katie let them know she was hungry again. Kathryn sat up disoriented. Chakotay was accustomed to such rude awakenings and was on his feet and halfway to the replicator before Kathryn stood up. She moved directly to Katie's crib. Chakotay handed her Katie's bottle and picked up Kevin before returning to the couch.

They were both silent while the babies ate. At first, Chakotay thought Kathryn might be upset by their conversation earlier or falling asleep on his couch but he soon realized she was just in a thoughtful mood. He understood completely because the short conversation had given him a lot to think about, too. When the three babies were once again asleep in their cribs, Kathryn and Chakotay stood and watched them for a few minutes. As she turned to leave, Kathryn touched Chakotay's arm. "Thank you."

The next night Chakotay entered his quarters after his double shift to find Kathryn asleep on his couch. The whoosh of the door woke her. She sat up sleepily.

"Hi." Kathryn blushed. "I seem to be making a habit of falling sleep on your couch."

"Feel free to use the bed." Chakotay spoke before he thought but Kathryn took the offer as intended.

"I might just do that. Did you eat?"

"No."

"Neelix had something new tonight that wasn't too bad so I brought you some home. It's in the stasis unit."

Kathryn joined Chakotay at the table while he ate.

"You missed Katie falling asleep in her bath tonight."

"It was bound to happen sooner or later. She really loves to soak in the water." Chakotay smiled. "Wonder where she gets that?"

"Well, she noticed as soon as I took her out." Kathryn's voice was rueful. "It was fifteen minutes before I got her calmed down enough to put back in her crib."

"The boys do anything notable?"

"No, thank goodness. Kyle was calm as ever even though I know he hates it. He just gets this scrunched up look on his face the entire time he's in the water."

"Did Kevin do his normal wiggle worm impression?"

"Of course. We'll have to get Tom to do a holoprogram with a pool for him when he's older."

Chakotay finished and cleared his dishes. "How long ago did you feed them?"

"About an hour." Kathryn stood by the table fidgeting. "Can we talk?"

Chakotay paused. Kathryn knew he had just come off a double shift and was on Alpha shift in the morning so she wouldn’t be suggesting they talk if it weren't important.

"Sure. Want something to drink?"

"No." Kathryn sat down on the couch and waited for Chakotay to get some tea and join her before continuing. She seemed a bit nervous. "I think we should discuss how to adapt your quarters to house three children."

"This works for now. There's no hurry." Chakotay gestured toward the cribs behind them.

"I think you'll need two rooms for them – one for the boys and one for Katie." Kathryn ignored his comment. I pulled up the schematics for this deck and it just seems to me that it would take a lot of work to expand your quarters beyond your bedroom."

"That's the only direction they can be expanded."

"No, it's not."

"Kathryn, what exactly are you saying? Your quarters adjoin mine on the other side. Or are you suggesting I move to quarters in another section of the ship?"

"I wasn’t suggesting you move. The easiest way to expand is to knock out part of the wall between our quarters and split off part of your living area for a second bedroom. Katie could have your room and the boys could have the other one."

"That sounds fine for the kids but where would I sleep." Chakotay wasn't about to jump to any conclusions.

"I've been thinking about a lot of things in the last few months. Last night finally showed me that I'm ready to make a few changes. For one thing, I hate leaving the children at night. Every time I leave them here with you, I feel like I'm turning my back on them. I'm tired of that. I want them with me. I want to live with them not just spend my time with them."

"You want them to live with you?" Chakotay paled as he tried to imagine his life without the children.

"Let me finish." Kathryn sighed before continuing. "I've always valued my privacy. I've found my quarters to be my refuge at times, a place where I could be alone. But I was never lonely until recently.

"To answer your question, I do want the children to live with me, or rather I want us all to live together. Last night when Katie woke us up was the first time I felt like we were parents. We're an incomplete circle. We love the children. They love you and me." Kathryn's voice faded.

"I love you." Chakotay whispered the words.

"You love me." Kathryn whispered the words and seemed to draw courage from saying them. "I want to try to close the circle because I think I'm falling in love with the father of my children."

"I'm more than willing, Kathryn, but you're going to have to tell me exactly how you want to do this."

"Well, I really do want to connect our quarters as soon as possible by putting a wide door in the wall. That's enough for now. Even if things don't work out, it will still be easier for all of us. Later we can divide this room into a bedroom for the boys and an office for us. Katie could have your room. If we end up just being friends, the office would be Katie's room and we could put your desk next to mine."

"You still haven't told me how you want us to proceed."

"I was hoping you'd have some suggestions for that."

"I take it you don't want to rush too fast into this?" Kathryn nodded in response to Chakotay's question. "All right. Let's start with a good night kiss and go from there. Does that sound ok?"

Chakotay didn't wait for an answer. He gently pulled Kathryn into his arms and kissed her, slowly exploring her mouth with his own. When he ended the kiss, Kathryn pulled his head back for another kiss, this one slightly more intense. Kathryn's face was flushed when she finally drew back. She pulled back slightly and picked up Chakotay's tea nervously.

"Was that rushing things?"

"No, not at all. I just didn't quite expect it to be so…." Kathryn voice trailed off.

"Me neither." Chakotay smiled and stood. "It's late, Kathryn. I'd see you home and kiss you good night at your door, but I don't want to leave the children. Will you settle for a goodnight kiss at my door?"

"I know it's asking a lot, but could I sleep here until the wall has a door?" Kathryn seemed to realize how her question sounded and blushed. "On the couch, I mean."

Chakotay smiled. "No. You can sleep in my bed and I'll take the couch. Let me get a pillow and blankets then you can go get some sleep."

When Chakotay returned with a pillow and blanket, Kathryn stepped close to him. "I still need my good night kiss."

Chakotay kissed her briefly and then held her away from him.

"That's it?" Kathryn was clearly disappointed.

"There's a limit to my control. If I kiss you again, we'll both be in my bed and neither of us will be sleeping."

"And if I said that sounded like a good idea?"

"I'd tell you to repeat the offer another night."

A few weeks later, Kathryn and Chakotay stepped onto the turbolift at the end of their shift. It had only taken one day for B'Elanna's crew to put an opening in the common wall between their quarters. Since then they had settled into a comfortable routine.

"Deck 3." Kathryn gave their destination. Chakotay jerked his head to look at her.

"What about the children?"

"They're spending the evening with the nursery staff." Kathryn smiled at him as they exited the lift and made their way to his quarters. As soon as they cleared the door, she stepped into his arms and gazed into his eyes. "I'm repeating that offer. As much as I love our children, tonight is for just the two of us."
 

There's a sequel: Course Adjustment