Once Upon A Time.....
Title: Once Upon a Time
Author: Megan Faye
Rated: PG
Disclaimer: Paramount owns trek.
The little pod was scanned. Janeway sat nervously in her chair, knowing
something was not right with the life pod. It looked too.....familier.
"Report!" Kathryn Janeway called as another phaser blast rocked the ship.
"Three life forms , one is all human, the other two are three quarters
human, one quarter........Klingon." The color drained from Tom Paris's face
as he listened to the report.
"Drop sheilds lon enough to transport them directly to sick bay, and the
pod to shuttle bay 2. Then get us the hell out of here!"
"Sheilds down." There was a second long pause. "Transport complete, and
the pod is in shuttle bay two. Sheilds are up."
"Mr. Paris," she said. "Take us to the nearest solar system."
"Already on it, Captain."
"I'll go down to sickbay and meet them, and give you a full report."
Chakotay touched her hand gently. She couldn't help but smile at his touch.
She nodded and he was gone.
Chakotay boarded the turbolift and called out the command. He thought
about Kathryn every waking moment. She had finally began dating her right
before Tom and B'Elanna's daughter, Layla, was born. It was barely six
months ago that they'd started seeing eachother and Chakotay wanted so badly
to marry her, but didn't want to ask unil the time was right. He kept the
ring he bought on shore leave 5 systems ago, and planned on asking
her....soon, hopefully.
The turbo lift stopped and Chakotay stepped off. Moments later, the swish
of the doors in sickbay startled the doctor.
"Hello, Commander. Come to meet the new visitors?"
"Yes, Doctor. What can you tell me about this one?" Chakotay asked,
looking over the unconcious Human/Klingon girl. She reminded him of Layla.
"Not as much as I can tell you about the other girl, which I'm sure you'd
be more interested in." The doctor lead him to the small private room where
the girl lay, awake, but in a daze.
"She's in a star fleet uniform."
"She's a full Lt. and probably a pilot." Chakotay moved to see her face.
"Oh my Gods!" The girl turned towards his voice. The doctor looked on,
calmly.
"Papa?" she asked, looking at Chakotay. Tears spilled down her face.
"Chakotay to Janeway, you'd better get down here. Bring Tom."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The klingon girl opened her eyes to see Tom Paris looking down at her. On
the other side was B'Elanna Torres. The doctor had scanned the two, and done
a boianalysis. The human/ klingon girl *was* Layla Paris-Torres the boy, her
brother Tommy, and the other introduced herself as Lindsey Janeway. The
Doctor scanned her and found she was, in fact, the daughter of Chakotay and
Kathryn Janeway, but anyone who saw her *knew* she was Kathryn's daughter.
Tom made a comment about her being a clone, but B'Elanna slapped him on the
back of the head softly to hush him. Everything had been explained to Layla
about where and *when* they were. Lindsey had to be sedated as she was very
upset at seeing Chakotay. Janeway had her beamed to her quarters for
privocy.
"Dad? Where is Tommy?"
"He's still out." B'Elanna offered, as she glanced over at the 17 year
old boy on the next biobed.
"Layla," Tom said softly. "Can you tell us what happened without breaking
the prime directive?"
"Yeah. Lindsey and I were goofing off in an escape pod and Tommy
accidently it a button when he tossed a water balloon at me and we were
launched. We were close the the annomily and got sucked in. Lindsey tried to
get us out, Dad, but even you couldn't have gotten us out."
"Are you saying that she's a better pilot?" Tom joked.
"Well, you trained her.....or you will....or whatever," Layla closed he
eyes. "Mom, I trust I've been born already....."
"How did you know?"
"Your hair." B'Elanna smiled.
"So, how old are you, Layla?" Tom never thought he would be asking his
own daughter's age.
"I'll be 20 on my next birthday.
"Really?"
"So, Layla, do you want to meet yourself?" LAyla giggled softly at her
father's joke.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lindsey sat up and looked around the room. Chakotay was on the bridge and
Kathryn had taken Lindsey back to her quarters.
"Mom?" Kathryn moved next to her bed and sat with the 16 year old.
"What's going on?"
"Shh....lie still. The doctor had to sedate you." Kathryn explained what
the annomily was, and how it has shifted them 20 years into the past. "Its
only2376. Layla and Tommy are with their parents right now."
"She could babysit herself." Kathryn laughed at her daughter's joke.
"Lindsey, why wre you so upset in sickbay?"
"Papa was there, and I haven't seen him since I was 5 years old."
"Why not?"
"He was killed." Those three words hung in Kathryn's head like a noose.
"Can I see him Mom? Please?"
"All right." Janeway went to her comm badge to call the commander down
from the bridge when his duty was over.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"When can I meet myself?"
"Your...mother....is feeding you right now, so I'd avoid our quarters,
because you aren't on a bottle yet." Tommy and Layla looked at eachother.
"Gross," the two said in unison. Tom chuckled at his kids. The two were
obviously close. Tommy, unlike Layla, looked human, only a bit darker than
his father. He had the same bue eyes.
"So,you should be done eating in about~"
"Torres to Paris," squaked from his com badge.
"Now," Tom said, smiling. "Paris here."
"Am I done eating, Mom?" Layla asked.
"Yeah. Its safe." Layla lead the way back to the Paris-Torres quarters.
B'Elanna greeted them each with a smile. Layla peeped into the crib, looking
at the baby that lay kicking and staring at the little star ship mobile.
Layla touched the mobile in memory of the toy. Each ship, she's seen so many
times, as it had been on her bed until she was 3 and Tommy was expected. Then
it was there until Tommy was nearly 4. Seven years of the same toy and it
still amazed her.
"So, this is me at 5 and a half months old." Layla said, taking her
infant self into her arms.
"Dad, you remember seeing Austin Powers 2 before you left Star Fleet
Academy, right?" Tommy asked, eyes spparkling with anticipation on whether or
not his sister would pick up on the joke.
"Umm, Yeah." Tom's eyes gleamed at the memory of the movie.
"I shall call her...Mini Me," Layla said, mimicking the movie. Tom,
Tommy and 19 year old Layla cracked up laughing, while B'Elanna looked on in
confussion. "Computer, access Earth arcives 1999 movie databases- Austin
Powers 2, the Spy who Shagged Me. Display on LoveMeParis 2," Layla called
out. The TV came on and Layla went to the replicator. "Got enough credits for
popcorn and cola?"
"Pizza too!" Tom nodded
"Only if its pepperoni with extra sauce."
"Tom, you have corrupted out children."
"Mom, you are the one who insisted that we learn Earth culture, and see
one moive every night of my life, and once a week, if we saved up enough
rations, you'd let me and Tommy have pizza and cola."
"Okay, okay. I give. I see you are happy kids." Layla smiled and laughed.
"I have had the best time the last 20 years. Every day is such an
adventure in the Delta quadrent. The only time I remember not being happy
was when I was about 7 or 8." Layla frowned at the memory. "I didn't think
we'd ever get out of that black cloud that fell over the ship." Tommy's eyes
were downcast.
"Layla," Tom asked, "Tell me what happened?"
"Prime Directive, Dad."
"Don't tell me how it happen, just tell me what happened." Tom begged.
Something dark had fallen over the kids' faces.
"Chakotay was killed. I don't think anyone took it a hard as Lindsey."
Tommy wiped a tear from his cheek.
"Dad, they stopped living. Tommy was the only one Lindsey would speak to
for a long time.
"No wonder Lindsey started screaming when Chakotay was in sickbay."
"WHAT!?" Tommy shrieked. "Where is she? She needs me." Tommy got up to go
find her, but Tom pulled him back. "DAD, SHE NEEDS ME!"
"Tommy, she's with her mother and they'll take care of it." Tommy sat and
explained to his father exactly why he needed to be with Lindsey.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chakotay sat on the edge of Kathryn's bed where Lindsey slept restlessly.
She screamed and shot up.
"Shhh, Its okay, Bumble Bee, it was just a dream." He brushed the hair
from her face. She looked at him with wild fearful eyes. When she realized
her father was really there, Lindsey flung herself into his arms and sobbed
quietly. "Lindsey, sweetie, its okay. I'm here. Papa's here."
"Papa, I-" Lindsey nestled herself further into her father's arms. "I
missed you so much...growing up."
"Well, until we find a way to get you back to your own timeframe, we'll
have to spend time together." Chakotay smiled and winked at her. He took her
hands in his. They were small like her mother's. "What's this?" Chakotay
asked, feeling the ring on her finger.
"Oh, Papa, Mom, Tommy asked me to marry him before we went on our
shipwide water balloon tournament."
"Married!? How old *are* you?" Kathryn shreiked.
"I'm almost 18. Mom, you gave him your engagment ring that Papa got on
Psylar 7." Lindsey thought about him. "Will I get to see him?"
"We're all meeting for dinner at 1900 hours. Do you want to get something
to eat? Seven is in the mess hall this morning."
"Thank you Gods! One more night of Tom Paris pulling KP and I'd end up in
sick-bay."
"What about Neelix?"
"His cooking is getting as good as Annika's." Chakotay laughed. Lindsey
was still snuggled in his arms. "Papa? Can me and Tommy get married here? I
want you to be at my wedding. We *were* going to wait until he made officer,
but I really want you there." Chakotay smiled and held her.
"We'll talk about it at lunch. Why don't you go and get cleaned up. I
need to talk to your father." Kathryn had been staring at him since the
second Lindsey mentioned where he'd aquired the engagment ring. Lindsey stood
and straightened her uniform out.
"Don't be too hard on him, Mom." Lindsey didn't chatch the glance her
mother shot her. When the doors to the dressing area and bathroom closed,
Kathryn took Chakotay by the scruff of his uniform, and pulled him down eye
level to her.
"Psylar 7 was 3 months ago."
"I know." She held him tighter, maintaining a stern look.
"So when were you planning on showing me this ring and proposing?"
Finally she let a hint of a smile sneak in before she kissed him. He wrapped
his arms around her and lifted her off the ground. Chakotay let her down as
the doorchime sounded.
"Come!" Kathryn hollered. Tommy Paris-Torres entered. "Hi, Tommy?"
"Hey Captain," Tommy said, quietly. "Chakotay, its good to see you." He
was somewhat nervous. "Last time we spoke, you were taking me and Lindsey to
Naomi because you were called to the bridge."
"Well, its good to meet you, Tommy." Chakotay shook the young man's
hand. "You really take after your father." Tommy chuckled.
"Is Lindsey around? My parents are sort of ready to shoot me out a
shuttle bay."
"I take it you just told then about the engagment?" Chakotay asked.
"Yeah," Tommy sighed. "Dad is the one who told me I should propose if it
felt right. It *really* does."
"You and my daughter...haven't..."
"Chakotay!" Kathryn yelped.
"Don't worry! We haven't! I swear!" Lindsey made her entrence, running to
Tommy. "Hi," was all he could get out.
"Hey, you," Lindsey said, but it was muffled by his shoulder and neck.
"Missed you." He backed away to look at her. "You okay?"
"Yeah."
"Liar." He held her in silence for a few minutes. "My parents are on
their way to the mess hall with *both* Laylas." Lindsey laughed as did her
parents.
"Let me guess, you and Layla and your dad made some Austin Powers joke.
Mini Me?" Tommy nodded, and kissed her forehead. "Mom, Papa, can we make it
Lunch with the Paris-Torres Clan instead of dinner?"
"Sure, let's go."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I don't *care*! You are too young!" B'Elanna, Tom, Tommy, Layla, Baby
Layla, Chakotay, Kathryn, and Lindsey were seated around a table.
"Gods Mom! You were all for it in our time! So was Kathryn! She gave me
her engagment ring that Chakotay gave her." Tommy stated calmly. "Besides,
you won't *be* my mother for another 3 years. Hell, Dad, you said I should!"
"Tomas Eugene Paris!"
"What!?" Tommy and Tom said in unison.
"Tommy, I think she meant me."
"Thank GODS!" Tommy stood, and reached for Lindsey's hand. "Hon, would
you care to join me on the holodeck for a little while at the beach?"
"Sure. I'll be back in an hour, Papa." She leaned down and kissed her
father, and then her mother, each on the cheek, and both bewildered.
"Layla, do you want to come?"
"No, I'm going to catch up with Harry." Layla said with a mischeivious
grin as Harry passed by the table. He smiled at the group.
"You realize you two aren't dating yet." Harry was directly behind Tom,
who, of course, was next to B'Elanna. She reached around, grabbed Harry by
the coller and pulled him down. She slowly shook her head 'No' as his
cheerful smile turned into an intimidated grin.
"Thank you, Tommy." Layla stared directly at him. Tommy gave a weak smile
before he and Lindsey left. Layla went and sat with Harry and started
talking. After a second Layla and Harry left too. "Mom, we're going to the
holodeck with Tommy and Lindsey."
"Oh my gods." B'Elanna rested her head in her hands.
"Chakotay, what do you think of my son and your daughter being
married."
"Tom, it doesn't matter what we think. We *are* their parents, but only
one of them has been born. We don't know how we raised them. All we know is
how much they love eachother. Layla and Tommy adore eachother. Usually
brothers and sisters fight all the time. They obviously love the two of you.
Look at Layla. B'Elanna, you were terrified she's have a Klingon temper and
grow up feeling bad because she is different from everyone else. She looks
like she is a very well-accepted delightful woman. She certainly takes
after her father with the sense of humor. And Tommy? He is as sensetive and
caring as you."
"They are our kids, but at the same time, they aren't?" Tom asked.
"Exactly."
"I never had a daughter before, and this just feels so......"
"Natural?" Chakotay dropped.
"No. Strange is the word I'm looking for. All of a sudden, I hear 'Mom'
come from her lips and I have to stop a minute and think if she's calling
me."
"How about your 5 month old daughter being held by her future self and
saying "I shall call her...Mini Me." Tom, Kathyn and Chakotay laughed.
"Thanks B'Elanna. We needed that." B'Elanna still hadn't got the joke,
and rolled her eyes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harry held Layla's hand as they walked down the secluded beach with Tommy
and Lindsey, who walked ahead a few meters. The to couples each engrossed in
their conversations failed to notice the four pairs of eyes that watched them
from a place out of sight.
"Layla, when did I go from babysitting you to dating you?" Layla laughed
as she turned to Harry. "What's funny? Come on!"
"Well, I always had a crush on you, and you stopped babysitting me when I
was 3 and Tommy was born. Mom was given a few months off to be the ship's
day care for me, Tommy and Lindsey. Naomi helped out a lot, and I didn't see
you for a while."
"You're evading the question."
"Six months ago, you walked into the holodeck, and I had fallen asleep
at the beach, and you sat next to me and played with my hair. You thought I
was still asleep, so you thought it was better if you left. When you
stood, I said, "Harry, don't go." So you stayed."
"That sounds really sweet....other than the fact that you are twenty and
I'd be around 45....46 years old."
"It makes little difference, Harry, Love." Layla wrapped her arms around
him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tommy stood almost a head talled than Lindsey. He loved to reach down and
kiss the top of her head. Something about the smell of her firey aubern hair
always made his heart burst with joy. Seein her mother now, he sees how alike
they are.
"He's so....different than I thought he would be."
"He's your father, you knew him once, remember?" Tommy asked. "What did
you expect him to be like?"
"Mom always said how he would concentrate really hard and get the same
look on his face as I would, and that I'm quiet and reserved like he was at
times. He seems to be like a big teddy bear. He laughed all through lunch and
did you see him tickling Mom under the table?" In the hidden observtion
room, Kathryn swatted Chakotay's shoulder. "I love our time, but I don't want
to go home."
"Lindsey, do you realize how much we've altered the time line? The second
we get back, our parents will have out heads, if these parents don't have
them first!"
"Oh, Tommy, relax. Its not that bad."
"Layla is dating Harry. While *our* time thinks its all good, look at
this time! Our parents flipped out at lunch."
"I know. I just want to stay with Papa. I know we'll break the prime
directive, but if I would have just gone to Naomi's when he said to go, he'd
have been out of the turbo lift and he'd be alive. 30 seconds and he'd have
lived. Maybe if he'd have had HoloDoc talk me there, he would have had enough
time to get to the bridge in time and he would have been all right." The four
parents listened in horror as Chakotay's death was explained. "On my 5th
birthday, my Papa died and its my fault, Tommy." Lindsey started to cry
again. Tommy held he close.
"It not your fault. You know you can't tell them. It would break the
prime directive. We both know that. We're both Star Fleet."
"What *is* it with Pilots and Engineers?" Layla asked as she and Harry
wlked by.
"Layla, howe much of that did Harry hear."
"Um...we were sort of busy," Harry blushed.
"Harry, before you leave, I'd wipe Layla's lipstick off. He mother
*will* have your head." B'Elanna's jaw was set and eyes were narrowed. Tom
moved to the other side of the observation lounge.
"So, are you all in Star Fleet?"
"Sort of. I'm a pilot," Lindsey offered. "Tommy is learning
enginerring."
"And I'm in medical," Layla said, as she intertwined her fingers with
his. "And you are mine." The four laughed. The other four frowned on the
children.
"Why is Lindsey the only one in uniform?"
"I had just gotten off duty when the tournament started, and didn't have
time to change. We're all Star Fleet. I'm red, he's yellow, and she's
blue." Harry smiled.
"Well, I have to be on the bridge. Bye Layla. I'll see you at 0800
tomorrow for breakfast." Harry kissed her again and called for Exit. As the
doors swished closed behind Harry, he noticed B'Elanna waiting for him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So, Mr. Kim, care to tell me the details of the black eye, broken nose
and cracked rib?"
"Two words. B'Elanna Torres."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I didn't *attack* him, Layla."
"Oh? What do you call someone jumping on someone else and beating him to
the ground?"
"I call it something any mother would do for her 19 year old who is with
a 46 year old man."
"I *can* think for myself." Layla got up to leave.
"And *where* do you think you are going?"
"To find Dad. At least he isn't an uptight over protective parent. I
can't *WAIT* until Tommy is born and you let the leash loose on me." Layla
stormed out.
"Don't look at me. I didn't choose to be born," Tommy said innocently.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lindsey and Chakotay were inseperable. She was allowed to comme to the
brigde and observe, as her mother was the Captain, and her father, first
officer. After his shift was over, Chakotay wnt over the annomily with
Lindsey, Seven and Tommy.
"We've found a safe way to get you through. We're going to send a probe
through and contact the other Voyager and send them some of our findings to
transport you over."
"Can we talk to out parents first? You know....from a safe distance and
explain what happened from here." Chakotay laughed and shook his head.
"Tommy, I know your parents. This is the most up tight I've eve seen
them. They are just worried that you three are making mistakes. Where it
would be bad in our time, in your time, it would be a great thing. Coming
back in time has severly altered your time line. Once you get back, you'll
notice." The last thing he said was directd more towards Lindsey.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"This is Captain Kathryn Janeway of the USS Voyager."
"Hello, Captain." The image on the screen was of an old Kathryn. Her hair
was gray and there was no sparkle left in her eyes. Lindsey stepped forward.
"Hi Mom."
"Oh, thank Gods you're all right Lindsey. Are the others with you?"
"Layla is with Tom and B'Elanna, and 5 month old Layla. Tommy is in
Astometrics with Seven workig out our little probe trip home." Chakotay
entered the bridge from the turbolift.
"Chakotay?" the older Kathryn whispered. "Lindsey, is it....?"
"Yeah. Its Papa." Chakotay stood behind Lindsey and placed a hand on her
shoulder. "We've spent the last week getting to know echother."
"She's one helluva kid, Kathryn. Tommy and Layla will be up here in a
moment with B'Elanna and.....Little Layla." Older Kathryn called Older
B'Elanna to the bridge. Both B'Elanna's entered the bridge at the same time.
Tommy and Laylas stood next to Younger B'Elanna.
"Tommy! Layla!" B'Elanna cried with tears in her eyes. "Cpatian? Me?
CHAKOTAY!? Okay, What the hell~"
"The annomiy is another worm hole 20 years into the past. Relax Hon," Tom
said just before he was swatted over the back of the head. "Don't worry
Tommy, you'll get used to it when you and Lindsey get married."
"Chakotay, would you concider coming back with them, just for her
wedding? It would......mean so much to both of us." Kathryn asked, eyes
brimming with tears.
"We may only have one shot at the transport, but I'll be at her
wedding."
"Lindsey, Tommy, Layla, did you break the prime directive?"
"No Captain."
"Kathryn, once we transport them, you'll understand."
"Harry?" Younger B'Elanna called to older Harry. "I'm sorry I broke your
nose.....and cracked your rib.......and gave you a black eye."
"What are you talking about?"
"You'll find out." Harry ducked further into his station."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The transport was complete. In the transporter room where the three
materialized stood Kathryn Janeway, B'Elanna Torres, Tom Paris, and Harry
Kim. When the three stepped off the pad, reality crashed around them. Time
had frozen and a new reality built itself in a matter of seconds. Now in the
room stood Kathryn, Tom, B'Elanna, Harry....and Chakotay. In Harry's arms was
a small infant in a blue blanket.
"Darling, we missed you so much. Hank hasn't been able to sleep without
his Mommy." Layla took her husband and son in her arms. She remembered both
realities clearly.
"Papa!?" Lindsey allowed herself to cry as she landed safely in his arms.
"Do you remember Papa?"
"Yes, Bumble Bee. I remember. I remember everything that happened when
you visited. I remember."
"Papa, can we hail the other Voyager and tell them goodbye?"
"No, we can't let them know anything more. Your brother and sister are
waiting for you and Tommy to take them to the holodeck like you promised
last week."
"Okay, Papa," Lindsey hugged her parents and took her fiance's hand as
they walked down the corridor to rescue the 8 year old Charlie and 6 year old
Becky from Naomi Wildmen's babysitting.
C'est Fini