Pathfinder

"Kathryn..." Chakotay whispered before he woke up out of his nightmares. For a moment he lay in the dark of his bed and let his tears run down his cheeks and into the cushions as he looked up at the ceiling. He then heard some crying from the other small room and stood up.

"don't worry little dear" he said lifting the small child into his arms. "daddy is here. Daddy's got you". He stroked the cheek of his daughter and smiled. Hera was his only string to life at the moment. And Voyager...

Voyager. He let the ships name run through his head and looked around. Ever since he had moved in here he hadn't changed a thing. He wanted to keep the spirit of Voyager's Captain in this room. To keep her strenght here. To keep Kathryn here.

Hera began to fuzz and he went to the replicator and ordered a bottle of milk for his daughter. Today she would turn one. Chakotay sighed as he watched her small frame. She was too small and had a lot of problems. Which ment that she would always stay with Neelix when he was on the bridge and with him when he was not.

"drink up little Hera" he whispered as she began to fuzz and didn't want to take the bottle. She was hungry. She was always hungry but would not take the bottle. She couldn't crawl or do anything. She never smiled. Sometimes Chakotay wished she had died with her mother.

Seven. The thought of Hera's mother pained him. she had died when Voyager had been attacked a year ago and with great effort of the Doc he had saved Hera from death too. But not without conceuences. Hera was too young and to small when she had been born and it had lead to different strange effects. Chakotay knew he would lose one thees days.

"you need a mother" he whispered and that brought his thoughts back to Kathryn. He had said those words that day in an instinct to let her know. To make it right what he had said in the months before. She had responded. She loved him. and now she was gone. Seven was gone and Kathryn was gone...

He placed Hera in her crib and wiped away his tears. Why had he ever given up on Kathryn. It had been so wrong. Why had he given up? Because you thought she didn't love you anymore' his thoughts made clear to him. he sat down and sobbed. "Kathryn, where are you? Are you still on that planet?"

Many times he had conciderred turning the whole ship around and go get her and the children. Many parents thought the same way but they all knew that they couldn't. They had traveled through a lot of dangerous space and that planet was one of the most dangerous ones of them all.

The planet had belonged to a violent race that called themself Sistro. They had attacked Voyager with no warning as they had jumped beside them out of nowhere. Cloaks. They had been using cloacks. The first attack was so terrible. They had lost 12 people and under them was Seven. Chakotay wanted Kathryn up with him that very minute. It was just scary that she was not there.

When they had gone suddenly he knew they had only minutes before they would come back. When Kathryn told him to go he had heard Harry gasp and Tom had stiffened completely. Both there two children were down on the planet. And Tom's wife was too. But they had to go. It had been hell for weeks. Trying to shake off the Sistro and when they finely had they all hadn't even got time to mourn over there losses because Voyager was deeply damaged.

After three months they finely had gotten too quiet space and that was the time where everything became to much for all of them. Parents cried openly for days and everyone missed there captain. Tom began to have nightmares about terrible deaths of his wife and children and he was taken off duty for a month.

Now finely. They began to settle. If you call it settle. The spirit was out of Voyager. And the babies that were born now reminded them off the ones they lost. A year ago they had 50 children on Voyager. Now it were 35. but Chakotay would bring them back to earth. Like Kathryn had wanted. Like Admiral Janeway had wanted.

"Kathryn... I miss you. Will you ever come back to us? Oh Kathryn" he sighed and leaned his head against the window. He heard Hero began to fuzz again and picked her up. "Captain to sickbay"

"yes Captain. Another problem?" the Doctor asked concerned. "I think so. She is not eating again and she feels very warm" Chakotay answered. One thees days he would hear from the Doc it was not worth it. what would he do than.

"it's unfortunaly that she is becoming sick on her Birthday. Come to me Captain. I will see what I can do".

"where are you Kathryn? Do you think about me?" he whispered in the darkness before he left his quarters.

***

The children were in bed. Kathryn was sitting near the fire and stared into the flames as she waited for Belanna to return. she spotted movement near her and looked to her right to see Miral standing next to her. "I can't sleep. I had a dream about daddy" she said and Kathryn drew her into her arms. "sit with me sweet angel".

"where's mommy?" she asked grabbing Kathryn's hand and looking up for an answer. "she went to see if there is any way off this planet" her auntie answered. "I miss daddy" she said with a soft voice and Kathryn hugged her closely. "I know sweet angel. I know"

after a few minutes Miral went back into her tent and Kathryn watched the darkness. Belanna should be back by now. Where was she? Kathryn slowly began to worry over the next hours and finely she stood up and woke Naomi. "keep an eye on things for me. I will be back as soon as possible".

Naomi nodded but grasped Kathryn's hand before she could dissapear in the darkness. "be careful Auntie Kathryn" she said and Kathryn smiled. "be a brave girl".

She walked into the darkness of the forrest and searched with her tricorder for klingon lifesigns. Slowly she made her way closer to the big city they knew was close. Finely she picked up a klingon lifesign and sighed in relievement. She took a few runs into the direction of the lifesigns and gasped. She had come on a graveyard of some kind. Looking around she spotted Belanna tied down to one of the stones.

"oh my god... Belanna what happened?" she asked and Belanna looked up. "Go away Kathryn. The Sistro. They... go away!"

"I am not leaving without you" Kathryn said sternly and began to untie Belanna. "what did they do to you?" she asked alarmed when she saw the bruises on Belanna's sides and face.

"they hit me senseless when they discovered me on a ship. Kathryn. The ship is close. It is strong and you have to take it. don't mind about me. I keep you all up. Go and take the ship. Bring the children home" she pleaded but Kathryn felt anger build inside of her and looked at Belanna as a Captain. "Lt. Last time I checked I was the Captain giving orders. I am NOT leaving you behind".

She lifted Belanna to her feat and let the wounded woman lean on her shoulder. "now you are going to tell me where I can find this ship and I will take you there. No more saying that I have to leave you behind. I won't do it".

"yes Ma'am" she said and Kathryn smiled at her. "that's right".

Belanna send her through the graveyard and than through a part of the city. It slowly became light and they both knew the children would waken soon and if they discovered they were alone without them... Naomi would be in for a difficult job. "go right here" Belanna told Kathryn as she still leaned.

She didn't let on to it but Kathryn knew Belanna had broken some ribs and in the way she held one hand she also had broken her hand. Anger was with her all through the trip but she knew how to keep it all down. She was a Captain. She was trained for it.

When they rounded the corner Kathryn gasped as she looked at a small but efficient ship. It was not beautiful but from the lines of it she knew it was fast. "wauw Belanna. This is good work" she whispered and Belanna smiled. "it's one of there newest models. It has a slipstream drive but that is not tested yet. And... it is build for 30 people. You can opperate it on your own if necesarry and it has all the medical stuff you would want. It also has a big computer with the history of the Sistro".

"you found the jackpot. Do you know how to fly this thing?"

"well, I am not Tom but I am a goog engeneer and I figured it out. I managed to put our voicecodes in the ship so we can go when we want". Belanna was smiling at Kathryn who grinned back. "what the hell are we waiting for. Let's go home".

They boarded the vesel and started it. the humming made Kathryn think of Voyager and she tried despertly to blink her tears away. "we are going to our ship" she whispered.

***

"I'm sorry Chakotay" Doc said and Chakotay sighed and stroked Hera's cheek.

"I knew it would come one day. She is to fragile. I knew that" he softly said and felt the hand of Doc on his shoulder. "I just wish..." his voice left him and he turned around to see Tom standing near the Doctor's office. Chakotay moved to him and the two man hugged each other. Knowing the loss they both had to endure.

Doc looked down at the small child. "you helped him Hera. Now it's time to rest at ease" he said and closed the chamber. She was just to weak to survive. And it was better to keep her from anymore suffering. She had been here long enough. And she had suffered long enough. She would join her mother.

Chakotay looked at the Doc and nodded. He left with his friend and went to the Mess Hall where Neelix was cooking. It was deep in the night and he was crying silently. He had loved Hera and it was hard to say goodbye to someone so young. When Chakotay and Tom came in he smiled and pointed at Harry who was sitting on a couch looking through the fewport.

The three man joined him and they looked at each other for a long time without saying anything. "it's again another blow" Tom finely said breaking the silence. Harry nodded and looked to the stars again. "yes... it is. Tal and I are still having difficulty with Vera. It's hard to have one child instead of three".

They knew what he ment. Tom thought about Belanna. About maybe his now born son. Neeliz about Naomi and Samantha. Chakotay thought surprisingly not about his just lost child or Seven. His thoughts were with Kathryn again. He would never stop thinking about her. He would never be able to.

"how is moral Neelix?" Harry asked and Neelix smiled at the young Lt. "getting better. Icheb is very good in making parties. And it seems that everyone is settling down and finely accepting they won't come back. Still. Carey doesn't want to be acnolaged as chief Engeneer. He is just the Lt. In charge of Engeneering".

Tom nodded. He could understand Carey's decision and rather appreciated the man more for it. Icheb had taken over astromatics and learned a lot. Tuvok... who was going crazy slowly was unvit for duty and so Neelix took care of him next to his busy scedual. He had come back soon after he had left. Not being able to settle down. His new family with him. there were now four Talaxians on board. Neelix had become the proud father of a son.

So with Tuvok off duty Paris had taken the task as commander onto him. Harry had been promoted to Lt. And Ayala had taken Tuvok's place on the bridge. Tuvok had personally given him the job. Most of the female on board joked about the fact that only man were in high ranking but it was not interly true. Mariah Henley was right under Carey and Tal had overcome her fear to fail and tought Icheb just a little more about everything. It was good to see that most of the woman had taken over the carring there Captain Janeway had once done.

Chakotay sighed. "I am going to my bed. Or at least take a trip to his animal guide. Strangly so he had been having a visitor over the last couple of times. And he wanted to talk to it again.

So when he left the other man he went to his quarters and sat down with his medican bundle. "akoochimoya. We are far from the bones of our people. But perhaps there is a soul that can help a lost man"... he drifted away and closed his eyes.

When he opened them he smiled. He was once again near a lake and found that his animal guide was waiting for him. "I missed you sister" he said and rubbed her fur. The wolf looked up at him. "come with me. You are confused" she said and Chakotay followed his guide.

"What are you confused about" she asked as they walked. He sighed. "I don't feel sadness that I lost my daughter. Not in the way I think I should feel".

"she was ill and you knew she would die. But also brother. She was not ready to be born yet. And you weren't ready for her. The death of her mother proved that".

he looked to the lake. "she wasn't suppose to live" he said softly. "but she did live and she helped you overcome a greater loss" the wolf said and he smiled. "yes she did".

They sat down on a small beach and Chakotay noticed the visitor. "hello again" he said gently and the salamander came closer. "you still did not accept the loss" it said sadly. Nodding Chakotay threw a stone into the water. "I don't want to let her go. How do you know so much about her?"

"I seek a place where I can be save. I can be save with your guide" the salamander said. "so I come to you too. You are her and she is you. I am save with you two".

"that's sweet. But I am still confused" Chakotay said and Wolf lay down beside him. "you are hurt and you feel alone?" she asked but also stated. "yes" he answered.

"what do you want to happen?" the Salamander asked.

"I want the one I love back in my life" chakotay said softly. Wolf licked his hand. "you mean your wife?" she asked and he shook his head. "no... I don't think I really loved her. I punished the one I loved with her. Which is something I should never have done. I want Kathryn back in my life. But she will never come to me again".

The Salamander seemed to laugh. "never say never" he said and chakotay smiled. "I have my hopes up. But a year is so long. I know it's time to move past it... but I just can't".

"than don't. Take your time. And if you want to hope, that's alright. Sometimes hope makes you stronger than you were. What would she want you to do?" Wolf asked gently.

"to bring this crew to earth" he said softly. Salamander nodded. "so what are you going to do?" he asked. Chakotay looked up at the sun and smiled. "bring them home. Thanks sister. Thanks Kathryn". His breath stopped and he looked down at the salamander. "you are her animal guide"

he smiled but didn't say anything. Just climbed into the fur of Wolf. "I am who I am" he said.

Chakotay opened his eyes and found himself back in his quarters. He had been talking to Kathryn's animal guide. She was alive. He knew it now. "Oh I wish I could tell you how sorry I am for what I did" he said into the darkness.

***

"Where are they!"

"I want Auntie Kathy!"

"Where is mom!"

"What is happening!"

"I want mommy..."

Naomi stood before all the children and tried to calm them down. Even her mother came out of her bed and was outside now. It wasn't good and Naomi was afraid. "we don't know. Please calm down sweethearts".

She heard a ship flying over and looked up. It had stopped. They had found them. Samantha looked up too and panicked. "GO INSIDE THE TENTS!" she screamed and all the children screamed and run into there ‘save' heavens. Samantha hold Damian to her as she watched Naomi go to the now landed ship. She carried a weapon.

"Don't come out! we are armed and dangerous" she said but as the back of the ship opened she felt fear almost take over and gribbed the weapon more thigtly.

Suddenly she saw someone come out of the ship and lowered the weapon slightly. "auntie Kathy?" she asked in disbelieve and the woman smiled.

"yes Naomi. We are going away from this planet. Come on"

the children had been watching from there tents and suddenly leaped out. Miral held bobby as she run to her mother and hugged her. Kathryn took over Hope from Eleanor and hugged the children. "come on. Take everything with you. We are going to Voyager".

Helping Samantha, Belanna and Kathryn went to get everything from the meddow into the ship. They were amazed about the power it had and the cloak build in it. They would be able to travel around unseen. Kathryn knew she had broken a rule of Starfleet but she didn't even care. These children needed there parents. And she was going to bring them back. Whatever it would cost.

They helped the children inside the ship. Kathryn brought Samantha to the sickbay and began to scan her with the Sistro's technoligy. She found a virus deep inside Samantha's body and tried to treat it. "this is going to be difficult. I am not the EMH" she said and Samantha smiled at that. "even when he has a bad side manner. I missed him. I miss everyone".

"Me too"

"Chakotay too?" Samantha deared to ask and she saw that Kathryn grew silent as she worked on a vaccin. She didn't answer the question. When she looked up from the workstation and saw that Sam was staring at her she smiled guilty. "him most of all" she whispered.

Belanna entered sickbay to take over from Kathryn and told her that almost every child had been settled. Naomi despertly wanted to stay on the bridge so when Kathryn sat down behind the big station where she could manage everything she ordered Naomi into the Captains seat and hold Hope for her as she started the ship and put it into space.

"some children came onto the bridge to say goodbye to the place they had stayed for a year. There were rules on this ship and Kathryn had made them very clear when she put them all in quarters. They were free to walk around but Engeneering was off limits as were all the stations and the middle of the bridge had been surrounded by a fence so the smallest children could stay close with the adults all the time.

Kira and Kara came close to the station to see what there aunt Kathy was doing. Kathryn activated the cloak and called to sickbay. "how is Sam Belanna?" she asked. "she is doing very good. I will keep her in staces for two days. I am going to Engeneering now to watch everything. I will have a eye on Sam all the time. Cloak is activated?"

"yes. Now. I want to try the slipstream drive and get away from this planet as soon as possible and as far as possible. I am reading some of the tactics of this ship and the weapons are terribly strong. If they find us with another ship like this they could blow us into a thousand peaces. Besides we have to keep shields and weapon on all the time".

"I agree. I am on my way".

"this is Auntie Kathryn to all the children. Please come to the bridge".

Kathryn Janeway looked at the children that came through the doors and decided they needed food. So she went to one of the big boxes where they had stored the replicator and activated it into the ships system before she began to replicate the food for the children. She ordered Eleanor, Nickless and Naomi to fed the small children and took Hope herself.

"Torres to Janeway".

"go ahead".

"everything looks fine. I am ready to start" she reported and Kathryn smiled. "if you give me a minute I will finish feeding Hope and let's hope that she gave me enough hope for this to work".

"she will" Belanna said laughing. "Miral. See that Bobby has enough to eat". She heard giggling. "yes mom I will".

Kathryn gave Hope back to Naomi and sat down at the station again before she began to tap in all the codes and orders. "I am ready to give it a try" she said and felt fear build inside her. What if it didn't work? What if the ship would explode. She bit her lip for a second and quickly dismissed it. it would be alright. She had to believe that.

"alright... activate it" Belanna said and Kathryn hit the button. A terrible rumbling went through the ship and for a moment she thought that the ship would go into fire but then she watched the screen and saw that they were indeed in a slipstream. "we did it!" she called and heared Belanna cheer. The children weren't really aware of what had happened but Naomi was bouncing in her chair with Hope.

"Voyager... Chakotay... we are coming home".

***

Four months. Is it so hard to find a ship? After a month we were thrown out of the slipstream and had to do it on our own. Voyager is nowhere in side and I am beginning to think we made a mistake to leave that planet. I feel so guilty...

We came into a battle two months ago and everything went wrong. We finely got the cloak activated again but not before we had injuries. Sam took care of most of them but we lost two children. How could I lose two children. How can it be possible?

I locked myself up inside my room and tried everything to keep away from Belanna and the others. I lost two children and it was my fault. I should have been more carefull with the ship. How will I ever face Megan Delany and tell her her son died. Or how could I ever face ensign Yosa... it's my fault...

I miss him. chakotay would be able to tell me what to do. But he is there. Leading Voyager home with a wife and a child. How can I ever face any of them. I lost two children. Oh how could this be possible... stop the pain please. Please stop the pain of guilt.

Kathryn cried as she looked down at the PADD. Everything she wanted was to bring those children back to life and die herself. She promised herself to bring those children back to Voyager. And now she lost them. How could she ever live with herself.

The door burst open and she turned around to see Belanna. "No! You are going to listen to me Kathryn. It wasn't your fault! How can you even shut yourself out?! those children need you and frankly I need you too! I don't know how to run this ship alone! And Sam needs to take care of those children. Come out of it!"

"I killed them"

"NO you didn't! Those aliens killed them" Belanna yelled at her and Kathryn stood quickly. "they don't need me" she said and Belanna screamed in frustration. "Kathryn! WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE!" she yelled. She grasped Kathryns arm and dragged the woman with her to the Bridge where all the children were drawing a picture.

Kathryn looked at it and raised her brow as she looked at Belanna. "Idea of Sam. Let them draw a picture to come to terms with what happened. They all draw pictures about us. How they love us. They don't blame you Kathryn. They love you".

Kathryn slowly nodded and turned to Belanna with tears in her eyes. "I am sorry" she whispered and Belanna hugged her. "Chakotay told me he used something like those words on you before. Now can we get on with this trip?"

"yes. I think so" Kathryn said and Belanna knew it would take time to get Kathryn to her old self again. But it was a beginning. She had seen her withdraw before and this time she knew how to handle it.

***

Chakotay sat in the Captains chair and looked at the screen. He was far in thought and looked at the stars. a year and a half. He hadn't given hope up. In his vision quests he would be accompanied by Salamander and his own guide and would feel so save. But the last vision had worried him. Wolf had warned him not to jump to any conclusion and not to hurt anyone he loved.

What did it mean? Chakotay wasn't sure what to make of it. what had his animal guide seen for him. and he had been carefull for a full month. It didn't help and slowly he began to dismiss it. he had not hurt anyone he loved on Voyager and he had not jumped to conclusions when someone told him things. Maybe his sister had been wrong.

"Captain" Tom said from the con. "I am getting strange readings here".

"I am getting them too" confirmed Harry. He quickly began to scan for what kind of readings they were. "it seems like a cloak to me" Harry said and Chakotay stood up. "on screen" he ordered and they saw some space but nothing more. "I don't see anything" he said and Harry changed something in the sensors. Suddenly they saw the shape of the ship.

"is that what I think it is?" Chakotay asked slowly, fear building inside his body. Ayala looked down at his sensors and tried to make some sense out of the readings. Chakotay watched him and saw out of the corner of his eyes Tom had turned around too. Finely Ayala looked up. "it's a Sistro-Warship. Fully armed and weapons are online and charged. It's heading our way".

"Red Alert!" Chakotay demanded sitting down in his chair. "Damn it. did it follow us all the way to here? Why in Earths name didn't we pick that up on sensors earlier. It could have been following us for like all the time. Charge weapons. Efasive manouvres! Let's deal with this. Chakotay to shipwide. Seems that the Sistro have followed us. Brace yourself and keep the children secure".

"there is comes. It isn't firering yet" Ayala said.

"good. Maybe it forgot who we are. What are our changes?"

"they are powerfull"

"fire at there weapons" Chakotay ordered. He wanted revence. And he would get it today. Ayala fired and they saw the cloak dissapear. Tom gasped. The ship was heavingly armed and the beam didn't seem to bother a lot. "there shields are down to 80%" Ayala told them.

"fire until you hit there weapons" Chakotay said gritting his teeth together. ‘You took my love away from me. ‘You took 20 children away from us. You took my best friends away from me! You Sistro will pay for that' he thought and hold his chair.

"they are hailing us" Harry said.

"ignore it and keep firering" Chakotay said. Tom smirked. "they will pay" he muttered as he made some manouvres with Voyager.

They saw that the ship was targeting them and shoot. Tom just made a manouvre which made them in direct line of the beam. "SHIT!" Tom shouted. "Shields down to 20%" Ayala reported.

Chakotay felt furious as he stood. "I want them out of my sight, target the bridge and fire".

Ayala did as told. They saw fire as a resolt. Chakotay smiled. Harry looked at his Captain. He had been bottling so much anger inside him. this helped him and to be very honest. It helped Harry too. Tal and he had been grieving the loss of there children so much that it felt right to blow this ship into space.

He looked down at his station. "they are again trying to hail us" he said scarcasticly. Tom growled. Chakotay shook his head. "they really want to talk to us don't they. Well it's to late for appoligises. But maybe they can explain some things to us. Open a channel to there bridge. If there is anyone there".

They heard fire and screams. Far away they heard a child cry and Chakotay looked at Tom. "they have children with them? Are they crazy?"

"AUNTIE!" the scream tore through the bridge and all the men felt there blood cringe. That was a young child. Chakotay looked uneasy. "can you scan that bridge and confirm it's a child?" he asked but Harry shook his head. "there shields are very strong. I can't get any readings from it. not how many crew there is or what is happening".

"shut the chan..." Chakotay began but suddenly there was another voice which made his blood run cold and made his eyes open wide. There had been the sound of a door opening. "GRACE! GET OUT OF HERE!"

Tom spinned around and looked at Chakotay with deep shocked eyes. This couldn't be true... could it?

"Auntie..." they heard the child sobb and than the small voice dissapeared. Harry was stunned and deeply shocked. He looked down at his station. There shot had dissabled vision. But the audio was very clear. They couldn't believe there ears.

"the ship lowered it shields" Ayala said. Harry began to scan and gasped. "Chakotay! I am reading human lifesigns!"

"Voyager?!" they heard a female voice ask. "Voyager?! TOM! CHAKOTAY! GET US THE HELL OUT OF HERE!" the voice of Belanna Torres screamed and Tom began to sobb. He couldn't believe he was hearing his wife.

"Harry get them out! transport everyone from that bridge! Directly to sickbay! And than transport the others!"

They heard a scream. This time it was of pain and Chakotay knew that voice... and he knew for sure that the scream would never leave him alone anymore. It would always be in his mind. He would always hear it.

"I have everyone in sickbay" Harry said. "that ship is about to explode" Ayala said

"Tom get us away from here! And fast!" Chakotay ordered. He was shaking on his feet. The only thing he wanted to do is go down to sickbay and be sure that his mind was not tricking him. Tom moved them behind a moon and stopped moving Voyager. They looked at each other and all jumped away from there stations.

"Golwat you have the bridge!" Chakotay called quickly as the rest moved to the turbolift. "Sickbay!" he called and they looked at each other despertly. They run down the corridor and entered sickbay to stop dead in there tracks. Children were crying and hanging over each other. Looking around Chakotay saw that some of them had severe burns. Tom jumped into action and walked between the children.

"DADDY!" a little girl leaped to her feet and launched herself in Tom's arms. He dropped down on the floor and looked into the beautiful face of Miral. "Oh my god. Miral. My little girl... oh Miral" he began to cry and hold Miral very close.

A small girl who held a boy close to her ran with him to Harry. "daddy!" she cried and Harry dropped himself to his knees to hug her closely to his chest. Mike Ayala looked around gasping at the side of all the children and saw a small baby on a biobed. He moved to the little girl and picked it up. "Shanich" he sobbed.

Chakotay saw the Doctor work fiercly and called for Tom. The man stood up and places Miral on the ground before going to the Doc. "they are in danger Tom. Focus with me please".

Tom saw his wife and sobbed once before indeed as the Doctor had ordered him focussing. Samantha was sitting as she was holding children close to her and saw Chakotay. "Chakotay!" she called and he went to her and hugged her close. "oh Sam. We thought that. I am so sorry. Oh Naomi..."

Ayala was keeping his senses and began to call for parents. Soon Mariah Henley came storming inside with Jenny and Megan Delany. Followed by Joe Carey and other parents. They all cried as they hugged there long lost children. Tal came in with Vera and went straight to Harry and her children. Megan looked around for Paul but couldn't find him. she sobbed deeply as she heard Sam tell her that Paul had died.

Chakotay still stood numb just inside Sickbay. Tom had moved to the other children and was treating them while there EMH was still working fiercly on two bodies. Chakotay couldn't even take one step. Tom held Bobby all the time as he tented the other children. The parents were so happy. They were so gratefull to have there children back.

Chakotay saw Megan Delany sit aside. She was crying and he finely could make a move. He sat down next to her and wrapped his arms around her waiting until her husband would come. He knew he should say something to the crew but he couldn't. He had hurt these children. By taking action before thinking. He cried as he realised what his sister had meant. And where was Kathryn. His eyes searched for her but he couldn't see her anywhere. Was she... she couldn't be...

Megan's husband arrived and took over. slowly Chakotay stood and looked at the families who were reunited and felt himself empty. He saw the Doc move now to also the children. Tom had done a good job. In another 20 minutes of chaos the last children were finely heald and with there parents. Chakotay looked at the Doctor who looked back.

He nodded and hit his combadge. "Chakotay to shipwide. We have some long lost people back. I relieve all there parents and more details tomorrow. End red alert". He turned to the families. "if it is alright with the Doc. You can go home and have a few days off". They smiled at him and hugged there children.

One by one Families left Sickbay and went home. Finely together again.

Tom stayed with Chakotay as he held his children until everyone was gone. Samantha had come to hug Chakotay again and stayed too. Naomi and Damian had gone with there father to ment the time they had spend without each other. The Doc cam to them and sighed. "Belanna will be alright. She is a little burned from the inside but I am counting on a full recovery. My other two patients weren't that lucky. I say that we are very lucky we didn't lose the baby" he looked at Samantha with that who nodded. "will she be alright?" she asked and Doc nodded. "Captain Janeway really protected her" he said and she nodded. "will Kath... the Captain be alright?" she asked not carring if Chakotay should ask these questions.

"she is still in danger. But I think she will survive. I suggest you go to your family Sam" he said and she nodded, hugged the Doc and left after placing a hand briefly on Chakotay's arm. Tom moved to his wife with his children and smiled down at her. "hey sweetheart" he said and she smiled. "hey helmboy. I missed you".

"oh Bel. I missed you too" he said and she softly cried. "how is Kathryn?" she asked and Tom looked over at the other bed. "not good. But she will be alright. Bobby is so beautiful".

"take them home Tom. Let me rest please" she said and he kissed her deeply before leaving after Miral said goodbye.

Finely Chakotay deared to come closer and saw Kathryn laying on a biobed with a medical crib next to her where a baby lay in. "oh god Kathryn" he sobbed as realasation hit him. "oh it's my fault. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions. Oh Kathryn". He looked at the baby and was amazed by her dark skin.

"Chakotay" Belanna said and he moved over to her and took her hand. "hey little Sister" he said and she smiled. "it's good to see you again" she said and he nodded with tear filled eyes. "oh Belanna. I am so sorry. I just began to shoot". she silenced him quickly. "don't worry. The children are alright. But Chakotay... why did you shoot at us?"

"because you were in a Sistro vessal. You remember the day we had to leave you behind? That was because the Sistro attacked us. We spenned weeks getting rid of them and when you appeared in that cloak with weapons at the ready we just wanted to take revence. We never thought that... you could be inside..." he sobbed and she squeezed his hand.

"you should go" she said and he looked at her with confusion. "Seven must be waiting with your child" she said and he didn't miss the bitter tone in her voice. He sighed. "Belanna... Seven died that day and 6 months ago my daughter died aswell. There is nobody waiting for me" he said and she heard that he didn't mourn. "they died? And you don't mind?" she asked and he shrugged.

"it just wasn't ment to be. And I realised that too late. Everyone knew that when Seven died and it was clear that Hera was weak I longed for someone else. Someone I hurt so much that she ran away. That I lost her... or so I thought". He looked down at Belanna. "I couldn't let go off Kathryn. I love her Belanna. And I hurt her so much. Oh how could I just shoot you... I almost killed you".

Belanna pulled him down and carefully hugged him. "I am so happy you say that. Oh Chakotay".

He smiled down at her. "you knew what I said the day we left you behind?" she nodded. "I thought she answered me" he said softly and Belanna sobbed. "she did. Oh Chakotay she loves you. I know she does. She really does and she will forgive you. I believe that".

He smiled down and heard the baby cry. Doc came out to see to her and smiled down at the baby. "Belanna" Chakotay asked and she looked at him. "who is that baby? I don't recognize it".

"that's Hope. She is Kathryn's". She saw Chakotay's shocked face. "but I thought" he began. "don't worry. It's human" Belanna said and she saw his confusion. "she is Kathryn's most important lifeline. She is the one thing that tied her to the one she loved".

She waited until she saw it hit home. "she's mine?" Chakotay asked and Belanna nodded. He walked over to the Doc and looked at him for reasurrence. "she is your daughter Captain" he said and he felt his eyes once again fill with tears. "I have a daughter and I am not the Captain anymore".

Doc smiled. "of course Commander. I have to warn you. I won't be able to heal all her firescars. They are just to deep. She will have them on her tights and back. And some on her belly. The rest I will be able to remove".

"thank you. She will be alright will she?" Chakotay asked. Despertly wanting a good answer. "if it is in my power? Certainly Chakotay. Certainly".