Title: We Belong to the Thunder
Author: Megan Faye
Rated: PG-13
Series: We Belong
Disclaimer: The usual
"We belong to the light, we belong to the thunder. We belong to the sound of the words we're both falling under." Pat Benetar, 'We Belong.'
Kate opened her eyes and reached over to find a lamp. Then it hit her, she wasn't on Earth. Well, not her Earth. It was the 24th century, not 2001. Kate called for lights, yawned and got out of bed. She looked at the chronometer. In less than an hour, she would have to be at Starfleet Headquarters to meet her parents and board Voyager.
After 30 years (in Kate's terms) of being lost, her parents were going back into space. Of course they would swear they were only lost for 5 years. After the first trip around the sun that unmade the last 25 years, Kate's parents didn't know her, anything about their marriage, nothing. Kate had Tom help her build a holoprogram of their old house in Florida, complete with her father's Harley. It was going to be Kate's gift at their engagement party once they got into space.
Voyager had been refit, repaired, and was in Spacedock, waiting for Kathryn, Tom, Chakotay, Harry, and B'Elanna. The senior staff were getting their orders and meeting Kate, Janie, Tommy and Naomi at the transport.
"Naomi, time to get up," Kate called into the guest room. Sam had left Naomi with Kate overnight so she wouldn't have to hang around Starfleet HQ all morning. Naomi stepped out of the bathroom, brushing her hair.
"I'm already up and ready to leave," Naomi said, grinning. "You overslept. We have to leave in 30 minutes. I'd hurry if I were you."
"Maybe it's a sign of weakness when I don't know what to say. Maybe I just wouldn't know what to do with my strength anyway."
1983
"Chet," Kathryn called into the master bedroom. "Gretchen's fever won't go down. Get the holoemitter and bring the doctor online."
"Kat, there are hospitals in this era."
"I'm not leaving her in 20th century care," Kathryn said as she rocked her 4 month old baby girl gently as the baby cried weakly. Chakotay started digging in the closet for his pack. "Shhhh, its all right, Gretchen. Papa will make it better." Gretchen stopped crying and closed her eyes. "Chakotay, hurry," Kathryn pleaded. Chakotay pulled out the emitter and tapped on it.
"Please state the nature of the medical emergency." Chakotay thrust a medical kit into his hands and pushed him towards the nursery. "Captain Janeway," he said, greeting her. Kathryn gently set Gretchen on the diaper changer and turned on the overhead light as Chakotay closed the curtains. The doctor scanned the baby and prepared a hypospray.
"Will she be all right?" Kathryn whispered.
"Of course, Captain. She's just got leukemia. A simple hypospray and she'll be fine in a matter of hours. Had you left it to doctors in this century, she'd probably have died within a month. Is the reunion coming anytime soon?" He prepared another hypospray and injected the baby.
"Yes, in about a month. We'll download the latest fashion, music, and news for you," Chakotay said, running his hand over the baby's head.
"Captain, if its all right, I'd like to stay active for a few weeks. Just until the reunion is over." Kathryn lifted the infant into her arms.
"Of course, but you'll have to choose a name. We can't introduce you as "The Doctor," to our neighbors," she said, as she sat in the rocking chair and started to feed Gretchen.
"Oh great, the name game again. I couldn't pick a name on Voyager! What makes you think I-"
"How about we introduce you as my brother, Michael Keirnan?" Kathryn asked. The doctor smiled and scanned Gretchen as she ate.
"Have we become a habit, do we distort the facts?"
2376
Kathryn sat in her ready room as she had so many times before. It had been easy to avoid Chakotay on Earth because she was always busy at HQ, and he was usual with Kate. Kathryn felt so angry. She was a captain, not a mother, and certainly not Chakotay's wife.
Kate had asked if they were going to get married again, and she couldn't crush the child's family like that, but Kathryn wasn't in love with Chakotay.
"Come," she called after the third time the chime rang. Chakotay stepped in. "What can I do for you, Commander?"
"Kate wanted you to join her for lunch, but you wouldn't answer your comm badge."
"I didn't hear it."
"Um, that's because you left in your quarters. Kathryn, please tell me why you want nothing to do with me?" Kathryn looked up at him, with an angry look in her eyes.
"I never wanted a child, or a husband, and now I've got an 18 year old daughter, and her father chasing after me like a puppy. I'm a Captain, not a common house wife. I wish we'd never have landed on Earth in 1976. I don't know why I let myself have that life, but it was a different me."
"You better believe it was a different you, Captain. We have a beautiful, happy daughter, who thinks we're going to get married, not because she wants her parents together, but because YOU told her we would. Look at this!" he placed a photo album on her desk and opened it. The first page was at their wedding. "Look how happy we are!" He flipped a few pages to a picture of Kathryn in the hospital with Kate when she was born. "We love that baby, you can see it!" A few more pages of first steps, first birthday, first day of school, and a family photo. "We are a family Kathryn! How can you turn away from that?"
"Very easily because it didn't happen Chakotay. We never experienced that. If we were so happy, why did we go back in time? Why did we allow Voyager to warp around the sun and unmake 25 years?"
"If we were so unhappy, why did we make sure Kate was on board and would remember for us?"
"Now there's no looking forward, now there's no turning back."
1985
Chakotay held tight to his daughter as ran out to the car where Kathryn was waiting. Gretchen buried her head in his neck as the rain poured down. It was dark outside, and very cold.
"Kat, drive!" he shouted as he got in the back seat. As she pulled away, he buckled the two year old into her seat. She held tight to her bear. "Its okay, sweet heart. Papa's here," he said, trying to keep her calm.
"Can you explain why we are kidnapping our own child?"
"One of the neighbors saw you bring the doctor online last night after Kate broke her arm and thought she was in danger. They called social services while we were at work. We're definitely moving. We're going to have to go by Janeway. Littlefeild is too....." Kathryn nodded.
"I'll make up the papers tomorrow. You should have the doctor alter your face to hide the tattoo. Its too distinctive. We'll have to stop by the house."
"Cops'll be waiting. I've got all of the 24th century technology in the trunk."
"Diapers?"
"Yes, diapers and clothes for Gretchen for a week. We're going to have to alter the two of you as well," he said, digging the holoemitter out of his pocket. He tapped the doctor into existence.
"Please state the nature of the medical emergency."
"Doc, we need your help." Chakotay handed him a dermal regenerator. "I need to hide the tattoo, and look less Indian. Perhaps lighten the skin tone, blue eyes, brown hair." The doctor nodded and started the procedure.
"Where are we?"
"Headed back to Florida. We're on the run, Doctor. They saw us bring you online, and took Gretchen. We're changing our names. Instead of Kat Littlefeild, I'll be going back to Kathryn Janeway. He's going back to Chet Janeway. I suppose we'll have to change the baby's name as well."
"I rather liked Gretchen Kathleen. Every family should have two Kates."
"Doctor, you're a genius. We'll call her Kate. Chakotay, explain it to her." He nodded as the doctor began to alter the blonde hair to brown, brown eyes to blue, and the dark skin a few shades lighter.
"I'd get her different clothing as well, Captain. Same with the both of you. Pull over and let the commander drive. I need to alter your appearance." Kathryn nodded and stopped the car at a K-Mart. "Commander, you and Kate are done. Take her in, change her diaper, get her different clothing. Same goes for you. Captain Janeway will be ready momentarily." Chakotay nodded and took Kate in.
Close your eyes and try to sleep now, close your eyes and try to dream. Clear your mind and do your best to try and wash the palette clean.
2376
Kate looked at her mother, as if she were trying to read her. "Mom?" Kathryn didn't look up from her lunch. "Mom?" Kate repeated. Still, no answer. "Captain?"
"Hmm? Did you say something?"
"Yeah, I asked if you loved Papa." Kathryn just stared at her and went back to eating.
"We can't begin to know it, how much we really care. I hear your voice inside me. I see your face everywhere, still you say......."
Kathryn stood outside Chakotay's quarters debating on whether or not to ring his door chime. After a few minutes, she touched the panel next to the door.
"Come," Chakotay called from the couch. Kathryn stepped in. "Kathryn, what are you doing here?" he asked, voice dry, yet full of hope.
"I wanted to get you opinion on the new refit. Do you think that family quarters are large enough? Too large?"
"Depends on the family I guess."
"What is the family were two bridge officers, with one child, about 19, and one more to come later on?" Chakotay stood and looked deep into her eyes.
"Harry, Tommy and Janie will be fine." He turned to leave.
"Chakotay, I wasn't talking about Harry. I was talking about us. I'd like to give us a try. Kate told me how we had the doctor alter us so we could stay together when she was 2. She showed me pictures of the two of us dancing on the beach at sunset, of you and her painting her room lavender because she was tired of pink, of me and her playing the piano together, painting a mural on her wall, her tenth birthday at an ice skating rink, the reunion in Florida with her, Sam and Naomi on the beach. She's had a lifetime with us that we don't remember.
"I feel like I owe it to you, her, even to myself to let myself fall in-love. If we weren't in-love, how could we raise such a wonderful young woman? I want..."
"Kathryn," he said, taking her into his arms. "Always know I love you."
"We belong to the light, we belong to the thunder. We belong to the sound of the words we've both fallen under. Whatever we deny or embrace for worse or for better. We belong, we belong, we belong together."
2383
"Mom," Kate called into her mother's quarters. "Sorry I'm late. Jamie was fussy as hell this morning. Tommy's on duty already, and I'm sure Dad is tired of the 'big chair' so you better go." Kate dropped a diaper bag next to the couch.
"Give Grandma a kiss good-bye, Jamie!" Kathryn kissed the month old baby and turned towards the crib. "Give Mommy a kiss too, Chet," she said, kissing the 4 month old boy as he slept. "Y'know, when you were his age-"
"I know, I had leukemia, you brought Uncle Mike online, he gave me a hypospray. You're late for duty!" Kate kissed her mom's cheek and pushed her out the door. Kathryn was about to object, but the door swished shut before she had the chance. "Well, Jamie, I guess its just me and you until Sleeping Beauty Uncle Chet comes out of his coma." Kate put Jamie in the crib next to her uncle and plopped down on the couch. She pulled out the photo album and started putting new pictures in. The last picture she put in before the Time Trip was of her and Laney in Idaho. She put in the picture of her meeting her mother in the transporter room, then of her and Chakotay in Florida where their house was, next was her, Tommy, and Kate's parents on the holodeck after the double wedding. Of course there was a few of Kate and Kathryn pregnant together, with Chakotay and Tommy rubbing their wives feet. Then came the pictures of Chet and Kathryn. The last picture in the book was of Chakotay, arms around Kathryn, who held Chet, and Tommy, Kate and Jamie doing the same.
Kate closed the book and checked on her brother and daughter. Bother were awake. Chet looked up at his older sister and flashed a toothless grin. "Chet, you've got quite the interesting family here. Not many kids can say they have a sister who was born 400 years before them. You know what? I'm going to tell you a story. 1976. The crew of the USS Voyager had just beamed down to Earth......"
