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Author's Chapter Notes:

   They belong to Paramount, yadda, yadda.

  I was reading Ragpant's "A Good Year for Beets," when my muse came up with this rather angsty twist on the story.

Kathryn was snapping beans on the porch when the vid phone chirped. For a moment, she considered letting it go ... it was Sunday, for heaven's sake. Then again, it might be one of the boys ...

The young officer on the screen was apologetic.

"Admiral Janeway, I'm Lt. Filla from Federation Security. I'm sorry to disturb you."

"What can I do for you, Lieutenant?" she asked as she wiped her hands on a towel.

"We've received a communication from Pictora Minor's security office. They arrested a group of mercenaries ... one of them is claiming to be a Federation citizen. He also claims to be your husband."

Kathryn glanced out the back door. Bryan was still picking beans in the garden.

She raised an eyebrow. "I don't think so, Lieutenant. My husband is right outside. Is this person claiming to be a Starfleet admiral?"

The young officer half grinned. "Well, not that. He has several identities, the Pics say. He insists his true name is Chakotay, but our records show that person was declared dead."

The towel fell from her hand, and she drew in a breath. "Yes, Lieutenant, Chakotay was my first husband. And he was declared dead thirteen years ago."

Filla nodded deferentially. "I understand. I apologize, but given the circumstances ... would you be willing to look at the image that they sent us. Just to verify?"

Kathryn nodded as a long-forgotten dread began to collect in her stomach. ....

It took all her willpower not to gasp. The man in the image was weathered, emaciated, his long gray hair nearly covering his face. But she recognized a corner of his tattoo, and her heart knew.

It had been 20 years since he had left, telling her he was going to fight for some obscure planet's independence. Just a few weeks, he said.

She was shocked. Their sons were just babies .. their youngest barely a month old. She argued against it, things got ugly ....

In the end, she'd realized her words were useless. She no longer brought him peace, it seemed.

Weeks went by, then a year. Then two, then four. Her searches turned up nothing. To the boys, their father was just an old picture.

In the fifth year, she met Bryan. Another admiral. He'd lost his family in the Dominion War. He made her laugh. More importantly, he'd made her feel again, easing the loneliness that had returned to cloak her. He taught the boys to play ball, helped with homework. They soon began to call him Dad.

Bryan wanted to marry her, to adopt the boys. But she wasn't free: Chakotay may be dead, or not. But until she knew, they were all in limbo.

So she started another search. Again, there was nothing. No sign that he was killed or captured. But no sign that he was alive, either.

In the seventh year, she took the findings to the Federation Court and had him declared dead. She married Bryan a few weeks later.

She studied the photo as she mulled the irony. Twenty years gone, his sons grown into men .. and now ...

She should be angry. She should feel pity, maybe regret, she thought.

But to her surprise, she felt nothing...

The image flashed off, and Lt. Filla's face returned. "Do you know him, Admiral?"

She straightened. "No, Lieutenant, I don't."

-fin–

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