Disclaimer: I own nothing except the ridiculousness of my muse and her silly ideas.

Author's Note: This is unbeta'd so all mistakes are, as always, my own.

Sickbay is quiet when they finally make their way to deck five. Kathryn's not entirely sure she can remember what they ate in the Mess Hall but she does know that there was coffee; she's fairly certain Chakotay made her actually eat something but the details are lost in the haze of her anticipation. Stopping just inside Sickbay's doors, her eyes are drawn to the small incubator that the Doctor's hovering over. Her breath catches in her throat and it's only Chakotay's gentle hand on her back that gets her moving again.

"Ah, there you are. I was just about to call you both down here," the Doctor says, his smug smile soothing Kathryn's unspoken fears. "The infant came through the procedure exceptionally well and I don't expect there to be any hiccups in her recovery. I have one more scan to do and then you may take her home."

Kathryn hears Chakotay reply but his words are indistinct as she moves closer to the child. Her eyes are glued to the tiny face that's so peaceful in sedation, the rosebud mouth that moves as though suckling. Tears blur Kathryn's vision and, blinking to clear her sight, she ignores everything outside of the child that's suddenly taken over her heart. Her hand trembles as she reaches out and traces the soft curve of Mollie's cheek, memorizing the feel of it with an eager mind. She's unexpectedly become a mother and the maternal urges are surprising in their intensity; she's never considered having children before, especially not in the Delta Quadrant, but now she's not sure why she was ever scared of this.

"Kathryn?"

Chakotay's voice is soft and she looks up, startled. He's moved to stand behind her and, looking around, she sees that the Doctor's relocated to his office to give them privacy. Looking up at the man beside her, Kathryn manages a watery smile.

"She's beautiful," she whispers, "and she's okay. I didn't realize I was so worried about her until I saw her again and realized that she's fine."

"Yes, she is. The Doctor said we'll need to watch for any complications, not that he's expecting any, but that after tonight she'll get a clean bill of health."

Kathryn beams up at him, her hand reaching out for his to ground her turbulent emotions. Chakotay returns her smile and presses a kiss to her temple before turning to look at the little girl in the biobed. Resting her head on his shoulder, Kathryn stares at the child too, grateful that she's going to be okay. A thought comes to her and she looks up at Chakotay, smiling softly.

"We don't have anything ready for her," she says and then chuckles. "Not that it'll be a problem, what with the replicator available."

"I'll authorize a medical supplement of rations," the Doctor says, coming out of his office. "She'll need formula and diapers, clothing, bedding - normal childcare items."

"Thank you, Doctor, for everything," Chakotay replies and Kathryn nods, smiling over at the EMH.

"Yes, thank you. Do you need her name for the records?"

"That would be helpful," the hologram says, crossing over to a console and then looking up expectantly.

"Her name is Mollie Hope Janeway." Kathryn's heart leaps at the finality of the statement and the surge of emotion that accompanies it.. "And you can enter into her personnel file that the Commander and I are her parents."

"Very good," the Doctor says happily. "I suspected that would be the case. I know she'll be in good hands with you two."

The walk to their quarters takes longer than normal since nearly every crewmember they pass stops to admire Voyager's little passenger. Kathryn's irrationally proud of the fact that her crew takes this latest surprise in stride; no one seems the least bit surprised that the command team is taking on the responsibility for Mollie. Chakotay's already slipped into the role of a proud new father, grinning brightly and accepting the compliments on the little girl's perfection.

"Captain, Commander! I heard you were causing traffic jams in the corridors with a baby but I didn't believe it until now," Tom says as he comes around the corner and smiles at the group of ensigns from Engineering who can't get enough of Mollie's features. Kathryn laughs and shakes her head, reaching out to nudge her pilot playfully.

"You know us, Mister Paris - always ready to provide distractions for our crew," she teases, her manner far more relaxed than it would've been even three days ago. Tom's eyebrows rise at her taunt but he says nothing of her new attitude, choosing to examine the baby once the ensigns head off toward their duty shift.

"She's beautiful,," he says. "You'll have to watch every guy on this ship once she's old enough to talk; she'll have them wrapped around her finger, just like her mother."

Kathryn blushes, Chakotay guffaws, and Tom smirks, clearly enjoying this new side of his captain. With another smile at the child, he leaves the command team to continue their journey home. After another three stops to let the crew admire their child, they finally reach their destination and Kathryn heaves a relieved sigh when the doors slide shut behind them. Chakotay just laughs and shakes his head, moving to the couch. They sit and admire Mollie, cataloging every aspect of the sleeping baby.

Kathryn leans against Chakotay's side and runs her finger over Mollie's hand; it's so tiny, just like the rest of her, and Kathryn's in awe of the infant's perfection. She's fairly certain she'll never get tired of watching the baby sleep, though she can't wait to see the little girl awake and alert.

"No regrets?" Chakotay asks and Kathryn shakes her head immediately, her eyes still on Mollie.

"Not a one," she replies, resting her head against Chakotay's shoulder again. Her lips quirk up into a crooked smile as she watches Mollie sleep. "She's so perfect. Even better, she's ours."