Disclaimer: If I owned the characters, we wouldn't need to be writing these fics. Author's Note: I've kinda had this idea in my head for a long long time. It's about time I wrote it down. Hope you like it!!!

MESSAGE FROM HOME

~For Kathryn Janeway~

'Captain, we're picking up a distress signal,' said Harry Kim, breaking the calm and peaceful atmosphere of the bridge.
"ETA?" asked the Commander, shooting a confused look at the captain, before turning to the Ops Officer.
"Two hours," said Harry, "At current warp speed."
"Captain," said Tuvok, the Vulcan, "The ship's signature is Starfleet."
"Tom," said the Captain, standing up in unison with her first officer, "Set a course, maximum warp."
"Aye Captain," said the helmsman, before adjusting the controls on his console.
The tension in the air for the next half-an-hour was so thick on the bridge; you could practically slice it with a knife.
"Captain," said Harry, once again breaking the silence. He hated to be the one to always do that, "We've got visual."
"On screen," said Kathryn, eager to see this other 'Fleet ship. The last time she'd seen a Starfleet ship in the Delta Quadrant had been the Equinox. She shuddered to think of what had happened then, she really hoped things would be different this time.
"I've seen this ship before Captain," said Tom Paris, breaking into her thoughts.
Slowly, Kathryn Janeway looked up at the screen, she gasped and her hand grabbed Chakotay's next to her. The gesture didn't go unnoticed, but the bridge crew were too fascinated by the presence of this other ship to pay any attention. Only the Vulcan raised an eyebrow in return.
"Kathryn?" asked Chakotay, concern etched in his voice.
"Report," she barked more harshly then she intended, ignoring him completely.
"Some thing seems to have gone wrong with the ship, it hasn't been in very good condition." started Harry.
"What Ensign Kim is trying to say," stated the Vulcan, "Is that the ship is malfunctioning and releasing dangerous fumes into the shuttle. Slowly killing its inhabitant."
"How many people are on board?" asked Chakotay, Kathryn looked too stunned to say anything.
"One life sign, but it is very week."
Chakotay felt Kathryn's finger dig deeper into his skin, "Beam her to sickbay," she muttered softly. Her voice was barely audible, "Then tractor the shuttle into the cargo bay. Tom," she ordered, "Fix it."
"I know where I've seen it before," said Lieutenant Paris, "It's yours," he said to Captain Janeway. "I've seen it before."
Kathryn ignored him, "Chakotay," she said acknowledging him to follow her, "Tuvok, you have the bridge. I'll be in sickbay."
With that she straightened up and walked out of the bridge, Chakotay at her side. as usual.

"Kathryn?" asked Chakotay "Is something wrong?"
"That's my ship Chakotay. I fine tuned it, personalized it, but only taught one person how to use it," she paused, "Other than myself of course."
"You own a ship?" asked Chakotay.
"Owned," corrected Kathryn, "In my will I wrote that it should be handed to that other person when I die."
"But your not dead, the people back home know that."
Kathryn shrugged; she had thought the same thing.
"Who was that person?" he asked as the walked down the hall towards sickbay.
The door slid open, to reveal an anxious EMH working over a patient on a bio bed, "Ah Captain," he said looking up momentarily, "I've been expecting you."
"You know?" asked Kathryn.
Chakotay groaned inwardly, he wondered what secret Kathryn was keeping from him. It had taken him ages to find out about how her father and Justin had died, but he had helped her get over that.
"Know what Captain?" asked the hologram, "I just assumed you'd be arriving as you always do once we get a patient."
"Understood," Janeway cut him off, "How is she?" she asked, taking two big steps to the bio bed.
"Her condition is stable, but there had been extensive lung damage. I've given her a pain killer, she should wake up soon, after she's a little stronger, I will repair the damage."
"Can't you do it now?" asked Chakotay, not looking at the patient.
The Doctor shook his head, "No, there is other damage that needs to be repaired first," he said, "I have administered some medicine so her condition will not get worse."
Chakotay nodded, before turning to the small figure on the bio bed. He gasped; he had seen the blue eyes and the auburn hair in his captain before.
"Your daughter?" he asked Kathryn.
"No," interrupted the doctor, "Her niece."
Kathryn nodded, as she brushed away a stray hair from the girl's face.
"Mama?" asked the girl opening her eyes.
"Yes baby," said Kathryn leaning over the bio bed.
"I made it," sighed the girl, before falling back on the bed and into oblivion once more.
"I don't understand?" said Chakotay looking from Captain to child, "You're her aunt, but her mother. Who? What? How?"

"Chakotay," said Kathryn slowly, gesturing to a chair for him to sit down on.
"Yes," said Chakotay, a little too eagerly. As much as he didn't like to show it, he wanted to know who that girl in sickbay was and why she was there and why she called his Captain, who was her aunt, mother.
"My sister Phoebe is what one would describe." Kathryn paused, "A wild thing. She had many boyfriends, and let's just say she had this special one and that they weren't too careful and Shannon was a result of that accident. Phoebe, of course was much too young to want to take responsibility. Mum wanted to send the child to an orphanage, but I dunno Chakotay, I just loved her from the moment I saw her and I adopted her. Mark and I He wanted to have our own children, he never liked her and she him, but they got along for my sake, but she was the reason we never got married, I didn't want her to be unhappy. I felt it wasn't right. I brought her up," she paused again, searching for the right words to say what she wanted to say, "She knew of course who her real mother was, but she never harboured any angry feeling towards Phoebe, I never really understood why. Mum always said it was because she'd rather have me as a mother. Personally I agree. Phoebe treated her as an aunt should and everything was fine, until I left for the badlands. I was supposed to see her again Chakotay. and I don't know why she's here. Only she can tell that story."
"That's why you've been so withdrawn?" he asked, though it didn't make sense.
Kathryn nodded, "I just kept thinking of her and how much I'd miss out on. I felt guilty for leaving her behind in a dangerous world. with Mark." She shuddered, "He didn't even mention her in the letter he wrote to me. I was so worried."
"But Kathryn," asked Chakotay, "Why didn't you tell anyone about her?"
"It hurt so much Chakotay. I didn't even have a picture of her. I wanted to bring one, but I needed to look at it while I sleep and I woke up late and forgot to pack it. I didn't talk about her because I didn't want the crew to think I had a weakness. I needed to be strong for them, but also not talking about her seemed to help keep her closer to my heart."
Chakotay studied her, all curled up on a chair, quite unlike the Kathryn Janeway he knew who was always so brave and demanding. He knew she wasn't finished.
"Kes was so much like her," said Kathryn, "Sometimes I was angry at Kes for being that way, but otherwise I loved her because of it. Seven too, there was something about her, but after a while I realised I had just imagined it, but that didn't mean I stopped looking after her and teaching her, I just did it less."
Chakotay knew she was done now, "I don't know what to say Kathryn," he said.
But that didn't matter. Kathryn's combadge chirped, "Doctor to the Captain."
"Is something wrong?" asked Kathryn, bolting upright.
"Nothing Captain, but I thought you might like to speak with Shannon before she I perform the operation on her lungs."
"We'll be right there."
Chakotay didn't stop to think why she had included him in her sentence. In fact, he never stopped to think when something involved Kathryn Janeway.

"Hey baby," said Kathryn striding into sickbay, much to the surprise of Tom who was on duty. "I was talking to my daughter," said Kathryn motioning to Shannon who was drinking a glass of orange juice.
"Oh. I thought she was your niece."
"Daughter," said Kathryn firmly, "Explain," she ordered Chakotay as she walked to the main bio bed.
"Shannon," she said.
"Mum," grinned Shannon happily, throwing her arms around her mother, "I missed you so much."
"Me too baby, me too," she said pulling out a pendent from under her Starfleet turtleneck, "Never took it off, unless it was."
".A Bath," finished Shannon, pulling out one of her own. The two pieces fit together perfectly.
Suddenly, her body racked with sobs, "They said you were dead. I thought, I couldn't live and Mark, he tried to be nice, but it always seemed to be he was positively mean. I lived with Grandma, but she wasn't you."
"I know baby, I know."
Tom Paris watched in amusement. Chakotay, who was now walking to join the Captain, had told him the whole story. He had never seen the captain call anyone baby before. He had certainly never imagined it either.
"This is Chakotay," said Kathryn gesturing to the big man who had joined her.
Shannon brushed away a tear, "Hallo," she said, "You're the first officer. I'm Shannon, her daughter," she said nodding to Kathryn.
"I know," grinned Shannon, "So is it true you guys are together?" she asked.
"Where have you heard that?" asked Kathryn, though she was blushing.
"They've made holonovels back home."
"What?" asked Kathryn, stunned.
"Just kidding," grinned Shannon, flashing the same crooked grin as her mother.
"Did you see that?" Tom asked the Doctor. "The same smile."
"You must be Tom Paris," Shannon said loudly to him, "And the Doctor! I like you!"
"Hi," grinned Tom back.
"How do you know so much about Voyager?"
"Well," said Shannon, "When you got lost, they talked, but not very much, as to not ruin Starfleet's very good name. Then, when you were found. alive. there were so many reports, but they didn't tell the truth about you, so I figured they weren't telling the truth about a whole lot of other people, so I broke into Starfleet's files and I got all the information on your crew. I know them better than you do. I know why you, er... Commander joined the Maquis and how Tom's a good guy now and B'Elanna and how the doctor exceeded his original programming and how Harry wants to be promoted, but hasn't."
But Kathryn wasn't listening to all this, "You broke into Starfleet's records. Shannon!" she admonished, "I told you not to do that."
"You CAN break into their files, I never managed to do that," said Tom awed.
"I'm an Ensign," Shannon said proudly, watching her mother, "The youngest in Starfleet history. I'm only thirteen."
Chakotay stared at the girl, she was truly Kathryn Janeway's daughter.
"I don't even want to know how," said Kathryn.
"You see," said Shannon happily, but before she could finish her sentence, she started coughing violently.
"The hypospray I administered is wearing off," said the Doctor, pushing Chakotay away from the bio bed, so he could get to Shannon.
"I'll tell you everything later," said Shannon, happily once more, "How I got here," said Shannon, letting the doctor administer a sedative, "Why I came." she said drowsily and then, she was asleep.

To be continued. I hope (If you like it) How and why Shannon Janeway came to the Delta Quadrant and her adventures along the way. She met the Borg!!!!!!!! And why she's an ensign!!!! OH and let's say if there are things you'd like to know. just ask. I write for your amusement.

Author's Note: I know that there were no records of Shannon or of Phoebe being pregnant, but hey. in the world of fiction..anything's possible.