By Pari106
http://www.pari106.homestead.com/index2.html
Disclaimer: Everyone and everything belongs to Paramount – so don't sue me for trying to take credit for
the fruits of their labor. Constructive criticism is always welcome at [email protected]
Code: J/P
Summary: Response to JuPiter Station Narrative Challenge #50. Janeway and Paris wake up on the alien
planet in "Threshold", human once again…and pregnant! (How? Don't worry about *how*, the interesting
part is what happens next.)
Twist of Fate
The first thing Kathryn Janeway noticed, upon waking, was that she was lying on the ground. Not on the
padded floor of a ship's turbolift or on the cold, hard deck of a shuttlecraft, but on the soft, springy
vegetation that sprung forth from the soil of a planet. She lay there on her side, breathing in the damp,
slightly musty scents of a swamp, regaining consciousness. The second thing she noticed was that there
was a lot more of her lying there than there should have been.
"What…"
With a little yelp, Kathryn pulled herself into an awkward sitting position, looking down at her naked and
muddy body. Her very pregnant body.
"That's impossible," she whispered, placing one hand upon her now very rounded belly. In response,
something within her kicked, and she felt the movement as a tiny flutter against her hand and within her
womb. She quickly began to panic.
"What…what the…"
Kathryn began scooting backwards in the swamp's undergrowth, looking around her at the tall trees above
her, the alien sky visible just beyond. She had no idea where she was or how she'd gotten there…no idea
why her stomach protruded as though she were with child.
She wasn't even aware of her companion until she heard him moan, then, turning, she saw Tom Paris lying
nearby.
"Tom?"
Paris slowly opened his eyes, squinting at the light that filtered through the foliage above. It took him a
moment to gain his bearings and sit up – to realize that he was on an alien planet, naked. And then he
turned and saw an equally naked – equally wide-eyed – Kathryn Janeway huddled nearby.
"Captain!"
Tom rushed to Janeway's side just as she fainted, taking her into his arms. His mind raced to make sense
of the situation. He was naked…Captain Janeway was naked…she was… Tom's eyes suddenly fixed on
Kathryn's large stomach.
The last thing Kathryn heard, before unconsciousness took her, was Tom's strangled exclamation.
"Oh my God!"
It took Tom a surprisingly short amount of time to locate their shuttlecraft; longer to gently move his
captain from where she lay into the sterile environment of the shuttle's cabin. Apparently, after they'd
landed, neither of them had walked…slithered?…whatever, very far. Tom found the shuttle, retrieved a
blanket, and then began the tedious task of moving his commanding officer. Kathryn was petite and not at
all too heavy to lift – not even with the extra-added weight of her offspring. But they were both still slick
with mud and, even after he'd wrapped her in a blanket, it had been difficult to get a good grasp on her.
And he was trying very hard not to apply any pressure on her…on the…
Tom felt as though he were biting back tears as he finally carried Kathryn's body into the shuttle, lying her
down on a cot in the back. He forced himself not to fixate on her pregnant belly any longer.
And then he lost himself in menial tasks – scrubbing both Kathryn and himself clean of the swamp's soil,
searching for appropriate clothing for them both (this turned out to be a useless effort. Apparently they had
ripped out of their uniforms when they began to evolve, and there were no replacements on board.) He
settled on blankets for them both, then found a medical tricorder. He scanned himself first, discovering that
– apparently – the Doctor's theory for curing his "condition" hadn't been necessary. Tom had "devolved"
back to his original self all on his own; the captain, too. Then Tom scanned Kathryn.
At first, he was able to block out the truth of what he saw, of what the state of her body implied. But,
eventually, Tom knew he would have to face Kathryn's condition; that he would have to wave that
tricorder over her body and confirm what he already feared. His hands shook as he did so.
And then the results of his scan were there on the tricorder's screen for Tom to see. Kathryn Janeway was
pregnant – was due to give birth any day now, in fact. And she was pregnant with not one human
child…but three. Triplets. His triplets.
Tom felt a wave of countless emotions overcome him all at once: pain, shock, fear, sorrow, excitement, and
awe. The tricorder fell from his hands and onto the shuttle's floor with a clang as Tom fell backwards, no
longer possessing the strength even to kneel at Janeway's side.
Kathryn Janeway was pregnant…with his children. He'd gotten her pregnant. He'd impregnated *Kathryn
Janeway*. The thought ran through Tom's mind over and over again. He'd abducted her from the ship,
forced her onto a shuttle and…
Suddenly Tom was very sick. He erupted from the blanket he'd been cowering under and was out of the
shuttle in a movement, doubling over a nearby bush as his body was wracked again and again with nausea.
Christ! What was wrong with him? He'd been nothing before Kathryn Janeway, less than nothing. He
would have died in prison or in some damned bar fight if she hadn't saved him, trusted him, believed in
him. And how did he repay her for giving him his life back? By becoming delusional under the influence
of Warp 10 and raping her on some god-forsaken alien planet in the middle of the Delta Quadrant.
Tom didn't know how long he remained in that position, vomiting until his body was exhausted and aching.
He barely even realized it when Kathryn suddenly came up from behind him, easing him back into the
shuttle.
It wasn't, in fact, until Janeway had pulled his body against hers, offering the warmth of the blanket draped
around her own shoulders that Tom reacted to her nearness.
"Captain…I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry…"
Tom didn't know if he sobbed then – it certainly felt as though he were sobbing. He couldn't feel any tears
streaking down his face, however. But then, he couldn't feel much of anything at the moment.
Kathryn merely shushed him, brushing blonde locks of hair away from his face as she rocked him in a
soothing embrace. She was behaving like a mother comforting her child – a fact that was lost on neither of
them.
"It's okay, Tom," she was whispering. "It's alright."
Neither of them showed the slightest sign of discomfort at being pressed together in such an intimate
fashion, no clothing between them. Dazed by the shocking turn of events that had brought them to where
they rested, Tom and Kathryn shifted until they were lying in each other's arms and fell asleep.
When they awoke, no words were said. Tom was the first to rise, running to find the emergency rations
each shuttle was equipped with. When he returned, once again bundled in his own separate blanket,
Kathryn smiled, thinking it was strange that the young man would feel hungry now, after having suffered
such an intense attack of nausea just a short time before. Especially if he was hungry for the emergency
rations – they gave a meaning to the word 'unappetizing' that even Neelix hadn't yet managed to top.
When he'd broken the wrapper on one, however, Kathryn's smile disappeared as she realized she was
suddenly starving. Apparently 'they' – she and her children – were hungrier than she thought. Tom gave
the first bar to the captain, setting a couple more aside for her, as well, before opening his own. And his
somber demeanor suddenly disturbed Kathryn. Tom chewed his food in silence, his face a neutral mask
she knew had been self-erected. His shoulders were slumped and he wouldn't even meet her eyes.
"Tom?"
"Aye, captain?" His response wasn't much more than a whisper.
"I know our situation is somewhat…unusual. But that doesn't mean you need to behave as though your
dog has just died."
Tom looked up, startled, and Janeway had to smile again. She'd always prided herself on being able to
fluster the normally unflappable pilot. His resulting passionate outburst, however, had her frowning.
"Captain, how can you….How can you say that after what I've done?"
"What you've…"
Tom would have been on his feet if his shoulders hadn't been so heavily leaden with guilt and despair, and
Kathryn became speechless when she saw the surprising depths of anguish in his attractive blue eyes.
"I acted terribly on the ship," he began. Even now he could hardly remember all of his actions after having
passed out in the mess hall, but what he did remember wasn't good. "I attacked you in a turbolift, stole a
shuttle. I…"
Tom shifted uncomfortably, looking away again.
"You?" Janeway prompted, but he didn't speak.
"Listen, Tom. I know you feel very badly about your actions, but you shouldn't feel so guilty. You
weren't yourself – you were under the effects of transwarp flight. Anyone would have reacted just as bad."
Tom shook his head in negation, but Kathryn took his hand in hers, firm. "Anyone, Tom. You're not
responsible for your actions, you shouldn't beat yourself up over them. If anything, you should feel proud
to have accomplished what you did and survived. You took a tremendous risk on behalf of the ship and the
crew, and we very nearly lost you because of it."
Tom's shaking became more emphatic and he tore his hand away from hers. "No! Don't you see? I am
responsible! I'm responsible for…"
"For?"
Again, Tom's words faded into his silence, but his brief glance in her direction betrayed his thoughts.
Kathryn put a hand to her stomach.
"For getting me pregnant," she answered for him, and Tom slowly nodded.
"I'm sorry, Captain. I'm so, so sorry. I don't know how I could have done what I've done, and I know
there's no way I can atone for…" Tom looked practically on the verge of tears. "I understand that punitive
actions will have to be taken. If you want me confined to the brig, that's fine. In fact, you can leave me
here if you think it's best."
Kathryn laughed, but her eyes were serious. "Now you're just being silly."
"How can you not be angry about this?" he suddenly demanded. "How can you sit there and not hate me?"
"Tom…"
"I took advantage of you. Christ, I took advantage of the bravest, kindest woman I've ever known. How
can you not despise me for that?"
Kathryn was slightly taken aback by the strong emotion backing Tom's words. Especially when he spoke
of her bravery and kindness. Tom had never told her what he thought of her, though she'd imagined he felt
grateful for the chance she'd given him to build a life aboard her ship. His words weren't poetry (and,
coming from a Paris, she wouldn't have trusted them if they were); they were simple, but the tone of his
voice, the look in his eyes made them touching.
"Tom…"
Despite the warmth Tom's words gave her, however, Kathryn knew she couldn't allow him to go on like
this, stewing in self-recrimination and loathing.
"Lieutenant!" she called again, and this time with the authority to get Tom's attention. "You are to cease
this behavior immediately. There will be no punitive action taken, understood? I'm the captain and I've
decided that due to extenuating circumstances, you're actions do not warrant confinement or any other type
of legal recourse. End of discussion."
Tom was still shaky, still looking miserable, but this time, when Kathryn took his hand, he didn't flinch
away. And she imbued her voice with all the soothing compassion that she could muster, trying to take the
edge off of her firm command.
"What happened, happened, Tom. Crucifying yourself won't change that. Besides," Kathryn continued,
with a look that was pure evil. "Who's to say I didn't take advantage of you?"
That was the first time she actually caused Tom's despair to slip. Utter shock replaced guilty anguish with
a rapidity that made the captain laugh.
"What? Would that be so unusual? It's common for the female in a number of species to be the one to
initiate mating procedures."
Mating procedures. Tom swallowed.
"I…I don't think…"
"And why not?" she challenged. Tom couldn't answer right away, but his totally flustered expression
made her want to sigh and just hug him.
"I don't think you'd do that," he responded, lamely, and Janeway raised an eyebrow.
"Under normal circumstances, no. Are you saying that you would?"
That got him, and Janeway's grin was a mile wide. He was blushing. She'd caused Tom Paris, the master
of all things shady aboard her ship, to blush.
"Well, no, I…I mean, not that you aren't…that I don't…oh God."
The captain laughed and patted her pilot on the back.
"It's okay, Lieutenant. Now stop this nonsense and finish eating. We need to see if we can get the
shuttle's…" And then she stopped, her mouth opening and closing with a little gasp.
"Captain? Captain, what's wrong?" Tom watched Janeway as both her hands flew to her belly and then he
whirled, going for the medical tricorder. But he didn't leave – Kathryn stopped him.
"No! No, wait." She hesitated a moment longer before a slow smile started to creep onto her face, and
Tom felt the fear her outcry had caused to slip away.
"Captain…"
She had the oddest expression on her face, as if she'd retreated within herself. She looked so…well, she
just looked beautiful. Tom had always considered his captain attractive, but he'd never allowed himself to
contemplate her beauty. Now he couldn't help it. He'd never seen a smile like that in all his life.
"Wait, Tom. Feel this." Kathryn suddenly grabbed Tom's hand and placed it against her swollen
abdomen.
"Captain, what are you…"
And then he felt it. A kick. A baby's kick.
"Your child is trying to say hello," she told him. And for the second time that day, Tom Paris felt like
crying.
Tom knelt there by Captain Janeway, frozen still, a look of utter amazement on his face, as one of the
children they'd miraculously created kicked a steady beat against the hand Kathryn had placed on her
stomach.
"You can feel it here, too," she told him, moving his hand to the other side of her belly where, indeed, he
could feel the same motion. "That's two so far. Their brother or sister must be sleeping."
Tom swallowed. Brother or sister. The concept was still unbelievable to him.
Janeway was so caught up in the wonder of feeling her children move that she didn't feel Tom's eyes on
her right away. When she did, however, she met his intense gaze, and stilled, suddenly realizing that she
hadn't stopped to consider what this part of their situation might mean for Tom. She had no idea how the
thought of parenthood sat with him. Of course, she'd only just realized she was pregnant this morning.
She hadn't known where the thought of parenthood sat with her, either, until she'd felt the babies kick
again and knew she couldn't not love her own children. Of course, it might not be the same with their
father.
"I'm sorry, Tom. I didn't consider your feelings on this. Naturally, if you don't want responsibility for the
children…"
"No!" Tom answered quickly, covering Kathryn's hand with one of his own. His immediate and emphatic
response surprised her and comforted her automatically.
Tom grinned, sheepish. "I mean…I know you and I didn't plan this. Obviously."
Kathryn chuckled. "I'll admit, I've considered having children. But I never thought I'd be having them
with you."
But then Tom's expression became serious. "You're the captain, Captain. And these are your children…"
"Our children," she stated firmly, and Tom grinned.
"I want very much to be a part of their lives." He looked down at the mound that was Kathryn's stomach
hidden beneath her blanket. Then he shook his head. "I just can't believe it. This is happening so fast."
"You have no idea," she told him, dryly. It was hard to believe that only yesterday the thought of having
children, raising them on her ship, would have been preposterous.
"Perhaps," she told him, "this all would have been harder to take if I'd awakened earlier in the pregnancy –
or even after it. But, things being as they are, I can't help but accept the babies. They're a part of me
now." She rubbed her belly. "I don't suppose there's anything I can do now but accept them."
There was silence as Tom and Kathryn contemplated the decision they'd just made. There would be a lot
to take care of when they got back to the ship – living arrangements, etc. Kathryn wondered what they'd
tell the senior staff. How would the crew take the idea of she and Tom raising these children together?
How would Chakotay take it? She, as the ship's captain, had put a romantic life in the category of 'not for
you' long ago, but what about Tom? How would the children effect his social life? Life on a starship
would be difficult, at best, for a growing child; even more so when that child's parents weren't together.
And if those parents – or at least one of them – was involved with someone else, what effect would that
have?
As for Tom, he pondered on the strange twist his fate had taken. He was a father now – of Captain Kathryn
Janeway's baby. What would his father think of that? Tom thought about Owen Paris, then; about the
things he had done as Tom's father, both good and bad. He hadn't been exaggerating when he'd told
Kathryn how much he wanted to be in their children's lives. In recent years, he hadn't put much stock in
the possibility of his ever settling down and becoming a father, but he'd always known that if he did have a
child then he would love it more than anything in the world. He would learn from his father's actions, both
good and bad, to give his children the parent they needed.
Tom glanced sideways.
"Are they still…"
"Kicking?"
Tom nodded. Janeway smiled, and nodded back.
"Can I..."
Kathryn pulled his hand back to where it had rested before, one of their children
answering for her with a swift, sharp jab that made Kathryn giggle. Tom laughed, too.
And so, sitting there, together, Tom and Kathryn basked in the glow of new parenthood and watched the
alien sun above them slowly set. Their first day as a family had come and passed.
http://www.pari106.homestead.com/index2.html
Disclaimer: Everyone and everything belongs to Paramount – so don't sue me for trying to take credit for
the fruits of their labor. Constructive criticism is always welcome at [email protected]
Code: J/P
Summary: Response to JuPiter Station Narrative Challenge #50. Janeway and Paris wake up on the alien
planet in "Threshold", human once again…and pregnant! (How? Don't worry about *how*, the interesting
part is what happens next.)
Twist of Fate
The first thing Kathryn Janeway noticed, upon waking, was that she was lying on the ground. Not on the
padded floor of a ship's turbolift or on the cold, hard deck of a shuttlecraft, but on the soft, springy
vegetation that sprung forth from the soil of a planet. She lay there on her side, breathing in the damp,
slightly musty scents of a swamp, regaining consciousness. The second thing she noticed was that there
was a lot more of her lying there than there should have been.
"What…"
With a little yelp, Kathryn pulled herself into an awkward sitting position, looking down at her naked and
muddy body. Her very pregnant body.
"That's impossible," she whispered, placing one hand upon her now very rounded belly. In response,
something within her kicked, and she felt the movement as a tiny flutter against her hand and within her
womb. She quickly began to panic.
"What…what the…"
Kathryn began scooting backwards in the swamp's undergrowth, looking around her at the tall trees above
her, the alien sky visible just beyond. She had no idea where she was or how she'd gotten there…no idea
why her stomach protruded as though she were with child.
She wasn't even aware of her companion until she heard him moan, then, turning, she saw Tom Paris lying
nearby.
"Tom?"
Paris slowly opened his eyes, squinting at the light that filtered through the foliage above. It took him a
moment to gain his bearings and sit up – to realize that he was on an alien planet, naked. And then he
turned and saw an equally naked – equally wide-eyed – Kathryn Janeway huddled nearby.
"Captain!"
Tom rushed to Janeway's side just as she fainted, taking her into his arms. His mind raced to make sense
of the situation. He was naked…Captain Janeway was naked…she was… Tom's eyes suddenly fixed on
Kathryn's large stomach.
The last thing Kathryn heard, before unconsciousness took her, was Tom's strangled exclamation.
"Oh my God!"
It took Tom a surprisingly short amount of time to locate their shuttlecraft; longer to gently move his
captain from where she lay into the sterile environment of the shuttle's cabin. Apparently, after they'd
landed, neither of them had walked…slithered?…whatever, very far. Tom found the shuttle, retrieved a
blanket, and then began the tedious task of moving his commanding officer. Kathryn was petite and not at
all too heavy to lift – not even with the extra-added weight of her offspring. But they were both still slick
with mud and, even after he'd wrapped her in a blanket, it had been difficult to get a good grasp on her.
And he was trying very hard not to apply any pressure on her…on the…
Tom felt as though he were biting back tears as he finally carried Kathryn's body into the shuttle, lying her
down on a cot in the back. He forced himself not to fixate on her pregnant belly any longer.
And then he lost himself in menial tasks – scrubbing both Kathryn and himself clean of the swamp's soil,
searching for appropriate clothing for them both (this turned out to be a useless effort. Apparently they had
ripped out of their uniforms when they began to evolve, and there were no replacements on board.) He
settled on blankets for them both, then found a medical tricorder. He scanned himself first, discovering that
– apparently – the Doctor's theory for curing his "condition" hadn't been necessary. Tom had "devolved"
back to his original self all on his own; the captain, too. Then Tom scanned Kathryn.
At first, he was able to block out the truth of what he saw, of what the state of her body implied. But,
eventually, Tom knew he would have to face Kathryn's condition; that he would have to wave that
tricorder over her body and confirm what he already feared. His hands shook as he did so.
And then the results of his scan were there on the tricorder's screen for Tom to see. Kathryn Janeway was
pregnant – was due to give birth any day now, in fact. And she was pregnant with not one human
child…but three. Triplets. His triplets.
Tom felt a wave of countless emotions overcome him all at once: pain, shock, fear, sorrow, excitement, and
awe. The tricorder fell from his hands and onto the shuttle's floor with a clang as Tom fell backwards, no
longer possessing the strength even to kneel at Janeway's side.
Kathryn Janeway was pregnant…with his children. He'd gotten her pregnant. He'd impregnated *Kathryn
Janeway*. The thought ran through Tom's mind over and over again. He'd abducted her from the ship,
forced her onto a shuttle and…
Suddenly Tom was very sick. He erupted from the blanket he'd been cowering under and was out of the
shuttle in a movement, doubling over a nearby bush as his body was wracked again and again with nausea.
Christ! What was wrong with him? He'd been nothing before Kathryn Janeway, less than nothing. He
would have died in prison or in some damned bar fight if she hadn't saved him, trusted him, believed in
him. And how did he repay her for giving him his life back? By becoming delusional under the influence
of Warp 10 and raping her on some god-forsaken alien planet in the middle of the Delta Quadrant.
Tom didn't know how long he remained in that position, vomiting until his body was exhausted and aching.
He barely even realized it when Kathryn suddenly came up from behind him, easing him back into the
shuttle.
It wasn't, in fact, until Janeway had pulled his body against hers, offering the warmth of the blanket draped
around her own shoulders that Tom reacted to her nearness.
"Captain…I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry…"
Tom didn't know if he sobbed then – it certainly felt as though he were sobbing. He couldn't feel any tears
streaking down his face, however. But then, he couldn't feel much of anything at the moment.
Kathryn merely shushed him, brushing blonde locks of hair away from his face as she rocked him in a
soothing embrace. She was behaving like a mother comforting her child – a fact that was lost on neither of
them.
"It's okay, Tom," she was whispering. "It's alright."
Neither of them showed the slightest sign of discomfort at being pressed together in such an intimate
fashion, no clothing between them. Dazed by the shocking turn of events that had brought them to where
they rested, Tom and Kathryn shifted until they were lying in each other's arms and fell asleep.
When they awoke, no words were said. Tom was the first to rise, running to find the emergency rations
each shuttle was equipped with. When he returned, once again bundled in his own separate blanket,
Kathryn smiled, thinking it was strange that the young man would feel hungry now, after having suffered
such an intense attack of nausea just a short time before. Especially if he was hungry for the emergency
rations – they gave a meaning to the word 'unappetizing' that even Neelix hadn't yet managed to top.
When he'd broken the wrapper on one, however, Kathryn's smile disappeared as she realized she was
suddenly starving. Apparently 'they' – she and her children – were hungrier than she thought. Tom gave
the first bar to the captain, setting a couple more aside for her, as well, before opening his own. And his
somber demeanor suddenly disturbed Kathryn. Tom chewed his food in silence, his face a neutral mask
she knew had been self-erected. His shoulders were slumped and he wouldn't even meet her eyes.
"Tom?"
"Aye, captain?" His response wasn't much more than a whisper.
"I know our situation is somewhat…unusual. But that doesn't mean you need to behave as though your
dog has just died."
Tom looked up, startled, and Janeway had to smile again. She'd always prided herself on being able to
fluster the normally unflappable pilot. His resulting passionate outburst, however, had her frowning.
"Captain, how can you….How can you say that after what I've done?"
"What you've…"
Tom would have been on his feet if his shoulders hadn't been so heavily leaden with guilt and despair, and
Kathryn became speechless when she saw the surprising depths of anguish in his attractive blue eyes.
"I acted terribly on the ship," he began. Even now he could hardly remember all of his actions after having
passed out in the mess hall, but what he did remember wasn't good. "I attacked you in a turbolift, stole a
shuttle. I…"
Tom shifted uncomfortably, looking away again.
"You?" Janeway prompted, but he didn't speak.
"Listen, Tom. I know you feel very badly about your actions, but you shouldn't feel so guilty. You
weren't yourself – you were under the effects of transwarp flight. Anyone would have reacted just as bad."
Tom shook his head in negation, but Kathryn took his hand in hers, firm. "Anyone, Tom. You're not
responsible for your actions, you shouldn't beat yourself up over them. If anything, you should feel proud
to have accomplished what you did and survived. You took a tremendous risk on behalf of the ship and the
crew, and we very nearly lost you because of it."
Tom's shaking became more emphatic and he tore his hand away from hers. "No! Don't you see? I am
responsible! I'm responsible for…"
"For?"
Again, Tom's words faded into his silence, but his brief glance in her direction betrayed his thoughts.
Kathryn put a hand to her stomach.
"For getting me pregnant," she answered for him, and Tom slowly nodded.
"I'm sorry, Captain. I'm so, so sorry. I don't know how I could have done what I've done, and I know
there's no way I can atone for…" Tom looked practically on the verge of tears. "I understand that punitive
actions will have to be taken. If you want me confined to the brig, that's fine. In fact, you can leave me
here if you think it's best."
Kathryn laughed, but her eyes were serious. "Now you're just being silly."
"How can you not be angry about this?" he suddenly demanded. "How can you sit there and not hate me?"
"Tom…"
"I took advantage of you. Christ, I took advantage of the bravest, kindest woman I've ever known. How
can you not despise me for that?"
Kathryn was slightly taken aback by the strong emotion backing Tom's words. Especially when he spoke
of her bravery and kindness. Tom had never told her what he thought of her, though she'd imagined he felt
grateful for the chance she'd given him to build a life aboard her ship. His words weren't poetry (and,
coming from a Paris, she wouldn't have trusted them if they were); they were simple, but the tone of his
voice, the look in his eyes made them touching.
"Tom…"
Despite the warmth Tom's words gave her, however, Kathryn knew she couldn't allow him to go on like
this, stewing in self-recrimination and loathing.
"Lieutenant!" she called again, and this time with the authority to get Tom's attention. "You are to cease
this behavior immediately. There will be no punitive action taken, understood? I'm the captain and I've
decided that due to extenuating circumstances, you're actions do not warrant confinement or any other type
of legal recourse. End of discussion."
Tom was still shaky, still looking miserable, but this time, when Kathryn took his hand, he didn't flinch
away. And she imbued her voice with all the soothing compassion that she could muster, trying to take the
edge off of her firm command.
"What happened, happened, Tom. Crucifying yourself won't change that. Besides," Kathryn continued,
with a look that was pure evil. "Who's to say I didn't take advantage of you?"
That was the first time she actually caused Tom's despair to slip. Utter shock replaced guilty anguish with
a rapidity that made the captain laugh.
"What? Would that be so unusual? It's common for the female in a number of species to be the one to
initiate mating procedures."
Mating procedures. Tom swallowed.
"I…I don't think…"
"And why not?" she challenged. Tom couldn't answer right away, but his totally flustered expression
made her want to sigh and just hug him.
"I don't think you'd do that," he responded, lamely, and Janeway raised an eyebrow.
"Under normal circumstances, no. Are you saying that you would?"
That got him, and Janeway's grin was a mile wide. He was blushing. She'd caused Tom Paris, the master
of all things shady aboard her ship, to blush.
"Well, no, I…I mean, not that you aren't…that I don't…oh God."
The captain laughed and patted her pilot on the back.
"It's okay, Lieutenant. Now stop this nonsense and finish eating. We need to see if we can get the
shuttle's…" And then she stopped, her mouth opening and closing with a little gasp.
"Captain? Captain, what's wrong?" Tom watched Janeway as both her hands flew to her belly and then he
whirled, going for the medical tricorder. But he didn't leave – Kathryn stopped him.
"No! No, wait." She hesitated a moment longer before a slow smile started to creep onto her face, and
Tom felt the fear her outcry had caused to slip away.
"Captain…"
She had the oddest expression on her face, as if she'd retreated within herself. She looked so…well, she
just looked beautiful. Tom had always considered his captain attractive, but he'd never allowed himself to
contemplate her beauty. Now he couldn't help it. He'd never seen a smile like that in all his life.
"Wait, Tom. Feel this." Kathryn suddenly grabbed Tom's hand and placed it against her swollen
abdomen.
"Captain, what are you…"
And then he felt it. A kick. A baby's kick.
"Your child is trying to say hello," she told him. And for the second time that day, Tom Paris felt like
crying.
Tom knelt there by Captain Janeway, frozen still, a look of utter amazement on his face, as one of the
children they'd miraculously created kicked a steady beat against the hand Kathryn had placed on her
stomach.
"You can feel it here, too," she told him, moving his hand to the other side of her belly where, indeed, he
could feel the same motion. "That's two so far. Their brother or sister must be sleeping."
Tom swallowed. Brother or sister. The concept was still unbelievable to him.
Janeway was so caught up in the wonder of feeling her children move that she didn't feel Tom's eyes on
her right away. When she did, however, she met his intense gaze, and stilled, suddenly realizing that she
hadn't stopped to consider what this part of their situation might mean for Tom. She had no idea how the
thought of parenthood sat with him. Of course, she'd only just realized she was pregnant this morning.
She hadn't known where the thought of parenthood sat with her, either, until she'd felt the babies kick
again and knew she couldn't not love her own children. Of course, it might not be the same with their
father.
"I'm sorry, Tom. I didn't consider your feelings on this. Naturally, if you don't want responsibility for the
children…"
"No!" Tom answered quickly, covering Kathryn's hand with one of his own. His immediate and emphatic
response surprised her and comforted her automatically.
Tom grinned, sheepish. "I mean…I know you and I didn't plan this. Obviously."
Kathryn chuckled. "I'll admit, I've considered having children. But I never thought I'd be having them
with you."
But then Tom's expression became serious. "You're the captain, Captain. And these are your children…"
"Our children," she stated firmly, and Tom grinned.
"I want very much to be a part of their lives." He looked down at the mound that was Kathryn's stomach
hidden beneath her blanket. Then he shook his head. "I just can't believe it. This is happening so fast."
"You have no idea," she told him, dryly. It was hard to believe that only yesterday the thought of having
children, raising them on her ship, would have been preposterous.
"Perhaps," she told him, "this all would have been harder to take if I'd awakened earlier in the pregnancy –
or even after it. But, things being as they are, I can't help but accept the babies. They're a part of me
now." She rubbed her belly. "I don't suppose there's anything I can do now but accept them."
There was silence as Tom and Kathryn contemplated the decision they'd just made. There would be a lot
to take care of when they got back to the ship – living arrangements, etc. Kathryn wondered what they'd
tell the senior staff. How would the crew take the idea of she and Tom raising these children together?
How would Chakotay take it? She, as the ship's captain, had put a romantic life in the category of 'not for
you' long ago, but what about Tom? How would the children effect his social life? Life on a starship
would be difficult, at best, for a growing child; even more so when that child's parents weren't together.
And if those parents – or at least one of them – was involved with someone else, what effect would that
have?
As for Tom, he pondered on the strange twist his fate had taken. He was a father now – of Captain Kathryn
Janeway's baby. What would his father think of that? Tom thought about Owen Paris, then; about the
things he had done as Tom's father, both good and bad. He hadn't been exaggerating when he'd told
Kathryn how much he wanted to be in their children's lives. In recent years, he hadn't put much stock in
the possibility of his ever settling down and becoming a father, but he'd always known that if he did have a
child then he would love it more than anything in the world. He would learn from his father's actions, both
good and bad, to give his children the parent they needed.
Tom glanced sideways.
"Are they still…"
"Kicking?"
Tom nodded. Janeway smiled, and nodded back.
"Can I..."
Kathryn pulled his hand back to where it had rested before, one of their children
answering for her with a swift, sharp jab that made Kathryn giggle. Tom laughed, too.
And so, sitting there, together, Tom and Kathryn basked in the glow of new parenthood and watched the
alien sun above them slowly set. Their first day as a family had come and passed.