EPILOGUE
2404
Admiral Kathryn Janeway sat at her desk and manually acknowledged the incoming transmission as quickly as she could. Her hair was silver now and was swept back elegantly from her face in a short, but flattering, style. The monitor before her lit up, and Miral Paris appeared on the screen. The young women looked remarkably like her mother. She had the same coloring, the same eyes, and had distinct Klingon forehead ridges. She had her mother's spirit too and fierce determination.
"I'm sorry to pull you out of class, Admiral."
Kathryn made no reply to that. Her mind was on other matters. "Did you see it?"
"Yes, ma'am," Miral replied, a little surprised at the Admiral's abruptness.
"And?"
"It works."
Kathryn's hope rose, but there were further questions to be asked. "Korath has agreed to the exchange?"
Miral hesitated with her answer. "Yes."
"But...?"
"He's insisting on handing it over to you personally."
Kathryn looked away from the screen briefly, frustration consuming her. "I'll be there as soon as I can." Her eyes then smiled. "Good work, Ensign Paris."
A cave illuminated by torches was not what Kathryn was expecting when she finally arrived at Korath's house two days later. But he was a Klingon, and they liked things primal. She looked around, looking for Miral. As she did so, the young ensign appeared, dressed in her Starfleet uniform, and was accompanied by two Klingon males.
"Welcome to the House of Korath, Admiral," she smiled.
"I love what he's done with the place," Kathryn teased.
One of the Klingon's spoke, his tone angry. Miral retaliated, and he and his companion backed away into the passage way behind them, where they waited.
"What was that about?" Kathryn asked, Korath's security having disabled her translator.
"He says your demeanor was disrespectful."
"I hope you told him I didn't mean to be rude."
"I told him if he didn't show you more respect, I would break his arm."
Kathryn laughed softly. "You are your mother's daughter."
"Korath is waiting. We should go in."
Kathryn shook her head. "Sorry, but this is where we part ways."
Miral flinched. "Excuse me?"
"You're dismissed, Ensign."
"But, Admiral, I really think..."
"I can take care of myself," Kathryn said firmly.
"With all due respect, I've been working on this for six months, and..."
"And you've done an exemplary job," Kathryn answered. "But it'sover. Understood?"
Miral lowered her eyes, defeated. "Yes, ma'am."
Kathryn reached out and put her hand on the young girl's arm. "I happen to know your parents are anxious to spend some time with you. Take a few days leave. Go and see them."
Miral gave a dismayed nod. Kathryn made her way to the passage beyond, and the two Klingon's escorted her to Korath.
Korath was busy working on a piece of technology when Kathryn was shown into his chamber. Korath barely gave her a glance as she entered the room. All he did was hold up the device he was working on.
"A Cardassian disrupter," he said calmly. "I've modified it to emit a nadion pulse."
"Impressive," Kathryn replied. "But that's not what I've come for."
Korath turned to her now. "No. You've come for something far more dangerous."
Kathryn took a few steps towards him. "Where is it?"
"Somewhere safe," he replied, his attention once again focussed on the device before him.
Kathryn bridged the remaining gap between them. "I went to a great deal of trouble to get you your seat on the High Council. Now give me what you promised."
Korath made no response. Instead, he walked over to a large wall monitor and pulled up scans of Kathryn's shuttle. "I've scanned your shuttle. It appears that you've made some..." He turned to her momentarily, his eyes gleaming. "Interesting modifications." He paused, looking again at the scans "Your shields generator is of particular interest."
"It's not for sale," Kathryn said firmly.
He turned back to her, annoyed. "Then what you want isn't available either!"
As he walked away from her, Kathryn turned towards him.
"We had an agreement."
Korath smirked and then addressed his subordinates. "Show the admiral out."
Kathryn was about to argue, but then thought better of it. There had to be another way to get what she wanted. Without another word, she left.
Two hours later, Kathryn was back in Korath's chamber.
"I've reconsidered your offer," she said after an unfriendly Klingon informed Korath of her return.
"I thought you might," Korath answered, his tone hostile.
"I'll give you the shield emitter, but not until I've inspected the device you're offering...to make sure it's genuine."
The Klingon angrily stepped towards her. "You question my honor?".
Kathryn stepped closer, unthreatened, and fixed her eyes on his. "If you were honorable, you wouldn't have changed the terms of our agreement." She paused. "Show it to me, or I'm leaving."
At this, Korath relented. He gestured to his subordinate to do as she asked, and the Klingon went over to a console. Seconds later, an impressive looking piece of technology materialized in an alcove. Kathryn went over to it and began scanning it with her tricorder. It was indeed a temporal deflector. She then turned to Korath.
"This'll do just fine."
Then, as quick as lightening, she stuck a commbadge onto the device and activated transportation.
Korath cried out. "Stop her..."
But it was too late. Both Kathryn and the temporal deflector were gone.
As soon as Kathryn materialized in her shuttle, she removed the commbadge from the device and addressed the computer.
"Computer, deploy armor."
She then made her way to the helm.
"Lay in a course for these coordinates."
A Klingon ship fired at the shuttle, but had no effect against the armor.
A hail sounded, and Kathryn sighed before reluctantly acknowledging it. An enraged Korath appeared on the screen
"What do you want?" Kathryn said impatiently.
"You'll pay for your deceit, ghuy'cha!" he cried. "And the House of Korath won't rest until you've drowned in your own blood!"
"I'd love to stay and chat," Kathryn said sarcastically, "but I'm on a tight schedule." With that, she terminated the connection. "Computer, warp six."
She knew the Klingons might chase her for a while, but she could handle them, and there was no way they would pursue her to Earth.
It was night when Kathryn arrived home in Bloomington two days later, and was raining hard. After transporting the deflector into the safety of her house, Kathryn transported herself, and materialized in the transporter room of Griffy Manor. The house had been her home for over a quarter of a century, and had always been a happy home, a welcoming home, a house filled with laughter and love. But now a great sadness occupied it, so heavy that it weighed on anyone who entered.
Kathryn left the transporter room and made her way to the living room, where she had transported the deflector.
As the doors opened, lights automatically came on, and a familiar squawky voice greeted her.
"Welcome home. Welcome home."
Roger. Kathryn turned to the large red alien parrot. "Good to see you too, old boy."
The parrot had been found badly injured on a planet during a family exploration vacation five years earlier. When they found his injuries meant he would never fly again, they had kept him as a pet.
Kathryn looked around the room and saw that the temporal deflector was exactly where it should be. Now that she was on safe ground, she went over to the device and began to inspect it more thoroughly, part out of curiosity, part out of triumph. It had taken her months of hard work to acquire it, not to mention some shady dealings. But now it was hers. All hers.
A shadow fell over the deflector and Kathryn turned around. Stevie was standing in the doorway, dressed casually in black trousers and a black sweater, and was looking at the deflector. He was a grown man of 26 now and looked a lot like Chakotay. He had the same build, the same chocolate brown eyes, the same gorgeous dimples when he smiled, and wore the marking of his people above his left eye.
"Is that it?"
Kathryn nodded.
"It's smaller than I thought it would be," he said, stepping closer so he could study the device more thoroughly. Like his parents, he also had an interest in science, although his passion was the biological sciences and he was heavily involved in research into hearing loss.
"Good things come in small packages," Kathryn smiled. She then fell serious. "Has Silvie arrived yet?"
"About an hour ago. She's been..."
Just as he spoke, Silvie entered the room, dressed in blue jeans and a white sweater. She had grown into a tall, handsome, young woman, and wore her long black hair loose over her shoulders. Like her brother she had the marking of her people over her left eye and had inherited her father's dark looks.
"I thought I heard voices," she said affectionately.
Kathryn smiled at her daughter and opened her arms to her. "Silvie, I'm glad you're here..."
Silvia embraced her mother briefly and then turned her attention to the deflector. "Looks impressive. Is it working?"
"Yes. But I'd like you to take a look at it. You're a better engineer than me."
"I'll do it right away. We're not going to get any second chances. We have to be sure it can get us there and back."
"And it will," Kathryn replied. "I'm certain of it." She turned to Stevie. "Where's your father and Marianne?"
"Dad's with Mattie," he replied. "I don't know where Annie is. In her room, I think."
"Tell her I'm home and I'll be in to see her soon."
Stevie smiled. "On my way..."
He then left the room, leaving Kathryn and her daughter alone.
Kathryn put her hand on Silvie's shoulder and looked at the deflector. "I'll leave you two to get better acquainted and go see your father."
"Alright," Silvie replied.
Kathryn squeezed her daughter's shoulder. "I really appreciate all you and Stevie have done over the past few months. I know it hasn't been easy. And I appreciate all you're prepared to risk..."
Silvie put her hand over her mother's. "As you always say, Mom, all for one, and one for all."
Chakotay stood at a window in Mattie's bedroom and looked out. The garden was bathed in a soft light and he watched as rain fell onto the lawn. Memories played out before him, memories of better days, happy days. He could see Silvie and Stevie hobble in diapers, could see their unsteady steps turn into confident strides as they grew from infancy to childhood. At eleven years old, two more toddlers joined them in the garden, one with ginger hair and the other with hair as white as snow. He could see an aged Petal lie lazily in the summer heat while he cooked a family barbecue, and could see Kathryn help her little ginger haired daughter to set up a new telescope.
"One day I'll be a captain too, Mommy," he heard the child say. "And I'll take my crew to the Delta Quadrant just like you did..."
Chakotay turned away from the window, away from the memory of a happy past to the brutal reality of the present. In a bed before him, that little girl he had loved so much lay in a coma the doctors said she would never wake up from. She was only seventeen years old and it was heartbreaking to see her lie so still, so silent, and to know that only technology was keeping her alive.
Chakotay went to sit in a chair beside the bed and took her hand in his. For over eight months he had sat with her like this every night, willing her to wake up, but knowing it would take a miracle. The doctors said she couldn't hear him, but he had talked to her anyway. He would talk to her about everything and anything, would read to her, sing to her, and every night before leaving would kiss her and tell her that he loved her. He had loved her from the first time he had held her in his arms as a baby, even before. In the six months she and her sister had been growing in an artificial womb, he and Kathryn had visited them almost every day and talked to them. It had never mattered to him that he wasn't their biological father. In every other way he was their father, and no father could love his daughters more. Marianne Louise and Martha Marie they had named them, Martha after Kathryn's beloved aunt who had died when Silvie and Stevie were three years old. But they had soon become Annie and Mattie for short.
There had been a lot of heartache in Chakotay's life, a lot of grief, and he had thought there was no new type of pain to experience. But he had been wrong. When the doctors told him and Kathryn that Mattie would probably never wake up, he knew then there was more; the agony of losing a child. The doctors advised allowing her to die a natural, dignified, death, but Kathryn had resisted. She wasn't prepared to give up on her daughter just yet. She had a plan in mind, one she was sure would work. Chakotay had tried to reason with her, get her to accept the situation, but she had worked everything out to the last detail that he too had been persuaded it would work...
Suddenly, the door opened and Kathryn came in. At the sight of his wife, Chakotay got to his feet.
"Kathryn..." He was glad to see her. He was starting to worry...
"I got it," she said as the door closed behind her. "It's ours..."
"And it works?"
She nodded. Then she closed the gap between them, linked her arm with her husband's, and gazed at her precious daughter.
"We'll get her back, Chakotay."
The door opened again and Stevie came in.
"It's Marianne," he said, anxiety in his voice. "I went to tell her you were home, but all I found in her room was this note."
Kathryn grabbed the note from him anxiously and read the letter aloud.
"Dear Dad, Stevie and Silvie, I'm so sorry for all the pain and trouble I've caused. It's my fault that Mattie was hurt and my fault that Mom will die trying to get the temporal deflector. I know you'll never forgive me and I will never forgive myself. I wish I had been hurt instead, you don't know how much I wish it was me. But I'm not asking you to forgive me, I just want you to forget me. I will never be a part of your life again and I'm so sorry I ever had to be. Goodbye forever. Marianne."
Before Kathryn could speak, Chakotay was already making his way to the door. "I'll try and locate her lifesign on sensors. I saw her just under an hour ago, she can't have gone far..."
He disappeared into the hallway and Kathryn and Stevie followed him. They hurried downstairs, and Kathryn grabbed her coat as they passed the cloaking area. When they reached the transporter room, Chakotay quickly began searching for Marianne's lifesign. Within seconds, he found it.
"She's by the lake," he said, "about 2 miles from here. I'll transport her home."
"No," Kathryn said, putting on her coat, "she might resent that. I'll go to her and bring her home when she's ready."
She grabbed a private communicator, pinned it to her coat, and went to stand on the transporter pad. "I'll tell you when to beam us back."
Chakotay activated transportation and watched as his wife dematerialized.
When she rematerialized, Kathryn found herself standing at the edge of Lake Griffy. It was raining and blowing and Kathryn could hardly see in the darkness around her. Then she saw Marianne. She was standing at the water's edge, the strong wind blowing her white blonde hair...
"Marianne..." Kathryn cried.
The young girl turned around at the sound of her mother's voice, and as Kathryn closed the gap between them, she saw that Marianne was dressed in nothing but black pajamas. There were tears on her cheeks and she was shivering violently.
Kathryn scooped her daughter in her arms and held her close. "Marianne, my darling..."
Marianne did nothing, said nothing, just wept painfully.
Kathryn drew slightly away from her. "Let's get you home." She hit the communicator on her chest. "Kathryn to Chakotay. Beam us up."
In seconds, they dematerialized.
Only Chakotay was waiting for them when they rematerialized, and both relief and pain consumed him when he saw Marianne; relief that she had been found safe and sound, but pain at her anguish. In the warmth and safety of their home, Kathryn drew her daughter close again and held her wet and shivering body against hers.
"It's alright," she said, "everything's going to be alright. Those things that you wrote, they're not true. We all love you so very very much. How can you think for a moment that our lives would be better without you?" She kissed Marianne's wet hair. "Never think that darling, never..."
"That's right," Chakotay said kindly. "We all love you, all of us. Never think otherwise."
Marianne just wept painfully and Kathryn glanced up at Chakotay. "I'd imagine Roger's driving Silvie to distraction. Perhaps you'd like to take him into the study for a while?"
Chakotay understood that was his cue to leave and quietly made his way to the living room.
Kathryn drew away from Marianne and swept the girl's fair hair away from her tearful face. "Let's get you changed and into bed."
Marianne made no protest, and Kathryn guided her out of the room and into the elevator.
Twenty minutes later, Marianne was tucked up in bed and Kathryn put an extra blanket over her to make sure she was warm enough. Marianne was still shivering and was deathly pale. Kathryn gently put a hypospray to her daughter's thin neck which contained anti-hypothermia medicine. She then sat on the edge of the bed and stroked Marianne's hair. Since they had returned, her daughter had said nothing. All she had done is cry. There were no tears now, but there was a haunting emptiness in her eyes and she stared vacantly ahead.
"It's not your fault what happened to Mattie," Kathryn said gently. "It was an accident. You mustn't blame yourself."
Tears once again filled Marianne's eyes and she spoke, her words barely more than a whisper. "I made her climb the rocks."
"Annie, my darling," Kathryn replied, "you know as well as I do that no one could ever make Mattie do what she didn't want to do."
A tear ran down Marianne's cheek. "She said it was too dangerous, said we shouldn't go. But I wouldn't listen, continued to climb anyway. She climbed after me, begging me to come down, and that's when she..." She couldn't say the words. She just closed her eyes and wept painfully.
"Oh, Annie," Kathryn whispered. "That doesn't make it your fault. It was an accident. You didn't mean for her to fall. You thought it was safe..."
"But I should have listened... Shouldn't have gone on..."
Kathryn continued to stroke her daughter's hair. "We've all done things, darling, that we've later regretted. None of us knows what the future holds. You couldn't have known what was going to happen. It's easy to look back and see mistakes. It's impossible to see them when you're making them..."
Marianne's tears ebbed a little and she looked at her mother. "You don't blame me?"
"Of course not. It was an accident." She brushed her fingers against Marianne's tears. "I love you, very much."
"I love you too," Marianne whispered. "And I thought we'd lost you... Didn't think you were coming back..."
"What made you think that?"
"Because you said you'd be home by this afternoon...you weren't. I thought we'd lost you too and it would all be my fault..."
"Things didn't go quite to plan," Kathryn explained. "It took longer than I thought. But I got it. I got the deflector."
A light filled Marianne's tortured eyes. "Then we've really got a chance of getting Mattie back?"
Kathryn nodded and took her daughter's hand in hers. "And we will. I just know we will."
Mariannesmiled now and squeezed her mother's hand.
Chakotay gazed vacantly into a mug of hot chocolate as he sat in an armchair before a simulated fire place in the study.
"Roger bored, Roger bored."
Chakotay put down his drink and went over to the demanding little parrot. "Roger, bored" was his way of telling them that he wanted to be let out of his cage for a while.
"Roger bored. Roger bored."
"I heard you the first time," Chakotay smiled. He opened the cage and put Roger onto the brown carpeted floor. The bird liked to be put on the floor so he could roam around. He was extremely nosey and curious.
As Chakotay was closing the cage, a picture on top of the fireplace of nine year olds Silvie and Stevie holding a baby Marianne and Mattie, caught his attention. He went over to it and picked it up. Silvie was holding Marianne and Stevie was holding Mattie. The smile on Silvie's face was wonderful to behold. She had been so happy to have two little sisters and had almost made herself ill with excitement the day they were to come home. There were other pictures on the fireplace too and Chakotay found himself looking at these. There was a picture of his mother and Rennay, a picture of Sekaya and her family, a picture of Kathryn's parents, a picture of her aunt Martha, and a picture of Phoebe and her husband. Chakotay's mother was dead now, as was Kathryn's father, but her mother was still alive and still very active for a woman of her years. There was a picture of Harry and Arlei's two sons, Zimion and Kristofer, a picture of Naomi and her daughter, Sabrina, a picture of Seven and her betazoid husband, Captain Mikal Darlet, a picture of Tom, B'Elanna and baby Miral, a picture of Roxa, and a picture of Vixi as a little girl.
Chakotay put down the picture in his hands and picked up the one of Vixi. For almost ten years Roxa and Vixi had lived with them and, in so many ways, Vixi had been like a daughter to him. He had missed her so much when Roxa had re-married and moved to Sweden with her new husband. Vixi had joined Starfleet for a while, but then had left to pursue a career as an artist. She was married now and was expecting her first child in a few weeks time.
The study door suddenly opened and Kathryn came in.
Chakotay put down the picture and turned to her. "How is she?"
"Better," Kathryn said quietly.
Chakotay bridged the gap between them and put his hand on his wife's shoulder. "She'll be alright. Now we know she's feeling guilty over the accident, we can help her."
Kathryn nodded. Then she looked down sadly. "I've been so preoccupied with getting the deflector over the past few months that I've been totally oblivious to her pain. I should have been there for her... helped her..."
"If you've been blind to her pain, then so have I," Chakotay replied. "But sometimes we only see what someone wants us to see. You know how deep Annie is. It's always hard to know how she really feels about things." He smiled wanly. "She takes after her mother."
Kathryn looked up at him. "I feel as though I've let her down." She paused. "I've always wanted to be a good mother, Chakotay..."
"And you have been," Chakotay said sincerely. "You've been a wonderful mother." He gently put his hand to her cheek. "Never doubt that. And you've never let anyone down. Certainly not Silvie, Stevie, Annie or Mattie. They couldn't ask for a better mother. You've always been there for them, always."
Kathryn smiled softly as a tear ran down her cheek, and Chakotay gathered her close. Kathryn wrapped her arms around him, and they held each other tight.
A ray of silver sunlight seeped in through a window and fell on Mattie as she lay so still in her bed. Kathryn sat at her bedside, her daughter's hand in hers, while Silvie, Stevie and Marianne stood around the bed. Chakotay kissed Mattie's forehead tenderly and then turned to the technology beside her that was keeping her body alive. With a trembling finger, he depressed a red button. A computerized voice spoke:
"Life support will terminate in 60 seconds. To reactivate life support, press the flashing green button. I repeat. Life support will terminate in 60 seconds. To reactivate life support, press the flashing green button. No further warning will be given."
Chakotay then sat at the opposite side of Mattie to Kathryn, and took her other hand in his. Nothing could be heard in the room except Marianne's soft weeping and the steady pumping of oxygen into Mattie's lungs.
Every second that they waited seemed to be an eternity...yet only an instant... Then the rhythmic sound of life support stopped and Mattie's body stilled as death claimed her.
Tears flooded Kathryn's eyes, but she suppressed them. She wouldn't grieve. Mattie wasn't dead, she was just sleeping...just like she herself had only really been sleeping all those years ago when death had claimed her in Engineering. Just as Elissia had healed her, so too would it heal her daughter...
Steeling herself with that thought, she put a hypospray to Mattie's neck and injected her with a solution that would prevent her body from decomposing.
TWO DAYS LATER
Kathryn sat at the helm of a dormer ship she had obtained for her mission, while Chakotay and Silvia monitored the surrounding space. Stevie and Marianne knew very little about how to fly a ship, so were mainly keeping to the residential part of the vessel with Roger.
"We're finally all clear," Chakotay said. "There are no ships or inhabited planets in the vicinity."
"But we are very close to two black holes," Silvia added. "Their gravimetron field may interfere with the temporal rift we generate." She worked her console. "According to my calculations, if we generate a rift here, it will only hold for approximately 5.7 minutes."
Her mother questioned. "How long will it take for us to reach it at maximum warp?"
"Between two to three minutes, depending on where and how it exactly forms..."
"Then it will hold for more than adequate time. And the less time it holds for, the better." She activated the comm system. "Mom to Stevie and Annie. We're about to generate the rift. Make your way to the helm." She then turned to Silvia. "Bring the deflector online."
Silvia did as she was told and activated the device. Seconds later, a pulsating blue rift appeared before them, cutting across space and time like a jagged wound.
"Amazing," Silvia said in awe. "I've never seen anything like it..."
As she spoke, Stevie and Marianne appeared. Stevie was carrying Roger in his cage, and the bird spoke when he saw everyone.
"Hello all. Hello all."
As Stevie secured the cage in a compartment, Marianne wandered over to the helm, gazing at the wonder before her. "Is that the rift?"
"That's it," Kathryn said. "Our gateway to the past." She paused. "Now, you and Stevie sit down. We might experience some turbulence on our way through."
Stevie sat on a vacant chair, and Marianne sat behind her mother.
"Silvia, bring the cloak online."
The cloak was activated.
The temporal rift grew larger and larger until suddenly they were almost upon it...
"Entering in 10," Kathryn said, "9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2..."
The ship shook a little as it entered the rift and colors swirled on the screen before them. Marianne clutched the side of her chair and closed her eyes....
Then all was still.
Marianne opened her eyes and saw nothing but black space and stars on the screen before her.
Kathryn spoke. "Our location?"
Chakotay answered. "0.03 light years from Elissia."
"Stardate?"
"55380.4. Time is 14:00 hours.
"Right where we wanted to be," she said, relief evident in her voice. She turned to Silvia. "Status of deflector."
"Undamaged."
She then addressed Chakotay. "Position of Voyager?"
"As we would expect, leaving the planet. At this precise moment, she's 0.58 light years away."
"Then looks like we're all set," Kathryn said with a smile. She then got to her feet. "Silvia, take us into orbit of the planet. The rest of us, let's get changed and ready to go. We should be in orbit within half an hour."
A fierce wind almost knocked Kathryn down when she materialized on the barren mountain of Elissia. Marianne clutched her tight and Kathryn wrapped her arm around her daughter as they made their way into the dark cave to light a couple of torches.
Chakotay and Stevie materialized, and Stevie fixed a light rucksack over his shoulders as he waited for Silvia to transport Mattie. As Chakotay looked around, memories of the day he had carried Kathryn's lifeless body through the winding tunnels of Elissia flooded back to him...
The blue light of the transporter beam glowed before them and Mattie materialized on a stretcher. Kathryn had dressed her in warm clothes and had plaited her long ginger hair to stop it blowing in the wind. Stevie took the rear of the stretcher and Chakotay took the front, his back to his daughter.
Inside the cave, sheltered from the raging wind, Kathryn lit a torch for Marianne and then one for herself. Just as she finished lighting it, Chakotay and Stevie entered with Mattie. Kathryn got up and put her hand on Marianne's shoulder.
"I'll go in front, you follow behind us all."
Marianne nodded and Kathryn squeezed her shoulder before walking further into the cave. Chakotay and Stevie followed her, and Marianne followed them into the underground labyrinth.
Even though she was warmly dressed, Marianne was cold as they walked through the dark and narrow tunnels. She thought the tunnels would never end, but then she heard a roar of water in the distance.
"We're almost there," Kathryn said. "Just around this corner..."
They turned the corner, walking into light, and then suddenly where blinded...
Kathryn raised her hand to her brow to protect her eyes from the glare until they grew accustomed to the brightness. As they focussed, she saw a figure of a person kneeling on hands and knees by the water's edge, exhausted and breathless.
"There's someone else here," she said anxiously, hoping the person was too far away to hear. "We're going to have to come back. We can't risk contaminating..."
But it was too late. The figure at the water's edge looked in her direction. "Captain?"
Kathryn's whole being froze at the sound of a once familiar voice. "Kes?"
The old Ocampan struggled to her feet and leant against a jagged rock for support.
Forgetting everything about timeline contamination, Kathryn handed her torch to Marianne, and hurried over to her. "Kes. It's really you. What are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same question," Kes replied, "but I already know the answer just by looking at you. You're a Captain from the future, an older Captain. You've come back in time to heal someone..."
The Ocampan was clearly struggling for breath and Kathryn put her hand on her shoulder. "You need to sit. Come..."
"No," Kes argued. "I'm just exhausted. I'll be alright in a moment. It always exhausts me."
"What does?" Kathryn asked.
"Healing people."
"Healing people?" Kathryn glanced at the pool of water and light and then back at Kes as an astonishing realization hit her. "You're Elissia..."
"That's right," Kes answered. "I brought you back from the dead and I healed Chakotay's leg."
Kathryn was a moment in answering as she tried to absorb this. "But how?"
"My powers. For a while now I've had the ability to heal people. I don't know how, but there are so many things about my powers I don't understand. I tried to hide them on Ocampa and find out more about our ancient abilities, but documents were too vague. And those that did mention our abilities, didn't mention them in a positive way. I don't think my people lost the powers because they didn't use them. I think they didn't use them because they were destructive and all consuming."
"But how did you know of this place...know Chakotay would bring me here? I don't understand."
"I wanted to return to Voyager," Kes explained. "I wanted to see you all again before I died. For so long I had been lost and confused and was so angry. I had forgotten who I was. I needed to find her again. And when I did, I just wanted to be on Voyager, just wanted to be with the people I had loved, in the place I had been happiest."
Tears welled in Kathryn's eyes at those words.
"The closer I get to death," Kes continued, "the weaker my powers grow. A few weeks ago, I would have been able to send Voyager home, but now I wouldn't have the strength to send the ship more than a few light years. I used up too much strength crossing the galaxy to find Voyager. But when I caught up with Voyager and penetrated her with my mind, I saw that all was not well. You were dead and there was talk of a place called Elissia. I found this planet before the crew did, and searched the mountains with my mind. While there was a tunnel and a cavern in this one, there was no healing water, no light. There may have been once, but there wasn't now. So I knew I had to create them."
Kathryn looked up and around. "Is all this...is it a projection of your mind?"
"No," Kes replied. "After I left Voyager, I came into contact with many species and acquired lots of different technology. Amongst them I had a device that would disable all alien technology within a specified distance. I used it to disable all your technology, except bio-technology, within the mountain. I knew that without use of your technology, you'd never be able to detect me. I then used holo-technology to create the illusion of water and light. But everything wasn't ready when the Commander and a companion came exploring. I had to block up the tunnel to delay them. When it seemed everyone was going to abandon the quest, I sent telepathic messages to Tuvok." She paused. "I healed you, the Commander, an alien woman and a young male who was once a drone. I also healed Seven of Nine and changed her back again. When I healed her, I extracted her implants and kept them, so all I had to do was put them back. Everyone else I left as they were. Healing takes up so much strength."
Kathryn gazed at Kes sadly. "Why go to all this trouble? Why not just declare yourself and your intentions on Voyager?"
"Because I didn't think I would be trusted," Kes replied. "You were dead and Neelix was gone. I thought it was easier this way..."
"Oh Kes..." Kathryn whispered.
Kes looked at the small crowd behind her former Captain. "Who have you brought here to heal?"
Kathryn turned around and looked at her family. Chakotay and Stevie had put the stretcher onto the floor and were holding a torch each. "My daughter," she said sadly. "She was fatally injured in an accident eight months ago."
Kes left the rock and slowly walked over to where the dead teenager lay. She stood over the girl and smiled. "She looks so much like you, Captain. What's her name?"
"Martha Marie," Kathryn answered. "But we all call her Mattie."
Kes looked away from Mattie to those standing around her. She smiled at Chakotay. "It's good to see you again, Commander."
"You too," Chakotay replied, tears in his eyes.
"And this must be your son," Kes said, looking at Stevie. "There's such a resemblance."
"Yes," Chakotay answered. "This is our son, Silvesta Kolopak." He gestured to Marianne. "And our daughter, Marianne Louise."
Kes smiled. "I'm pleased to meet you both." She then turned to her former captain. "You have a very handsome family, Captain."
Kathryn was gazing at her daughter, so much pain in her eyes. Kes bridged the gap between them and put a trembling hand on Kathryn's arm. "I will heal her, Captain."
Kathryn turned to her. "But you're so weak..."
"I can do it. I know I can..."
She stretched her arms out over the dead girl's body and closed her eyes.
Not a sound could be heard as everyone watched in suspense.
Kes's hands began to shake as they generated an invisible force and sweat appeared on her forehead as she concentrated with all her might...
Then she cried out and fell to the ground, gasping for breath.
Kathryn knelt beside her daughter and stared at her hopelessly, trying not to give in to the feeling of utter and complete grief that was consuming her... Mattie lay so still. So still and deathly pale...
Then the young girl's lips began to turn pink and color seeped through her face...
Kathryn watched, her heart racing from anticipation and elation as Mattie's eyes fluttered opened and looked into her's.
"Mom?"
Kathryn tearfully reached for her daughter's hands. "Mattie... My darling, Mattie..."
Mattie sat up slowly and looked around at the familiar faces looking back at her. "What happened?"
"You slipped on the rocks," Chakotay explained, his eyes moist. "You were badly injured."
Marianne knelt beside her sister. "It was all my fault, Mattie," she wept. "I'm so sorry..."
Mattie drew her close. "Don't cry, sis. It's okay..."
As the two sisters held each other, Kathryn turned from her daughters to look at Kes. The Ocampan was lying on the ground, her eyes closed, her breathing heavy.
"Kes," Kathryn said in concern. She closed the gap between them and raised Kes into her arms.
Kes turned her head to look at the sparkling water and dazzling light of Elissa. She looked up towards the roof of the cavern and concentrated all her strength...
Suddenly, all went dark as the light and the water disappeared and there was a deafening crash as holo-technology broke into pieces as it hit the ground.
"The disabling device," Kes said breathlessly. "It's concealed behind a rock over there...high above the ground...don't have the strength to move the rock.... But it will fail...without power replenishment it will only last a few weeks..."
"Understood," Kathryn said gently.
"But my ship," Kes whispered, "in orbit...cloaked...frequency 45689...must destroy...Promise me..."
Kathryn took Kes's hand in hers and squeezed it. "I promise..."
Kes was very weak now and Kathryn stroked her aged brow, tears in her eyes.
"Years on Voyager were...best of my life... So sorry I left you..."
"So am I," Kathryn said tearfully. "We all missed you so much..."
"Remember who I was....
"I've never forgotten," Kathryn said, a tear running down her cheek. "I never will."
Kes smiled softly and then stilled as the last breath left her body.
Kathryn gazed at the dear Ocampan for a long time, and then kissed her forehead tenderly before turning to her family.
"Chakotay, Stevie, put Kes on the stretcher. We're taking her home with us."
Chakotay questioned. "The temporal prime directive..."
"We'll cremate her on the ship, no one will ever know..."
Chakotay and Stevie gave their torch to Marianne and Mattie, and then gently raised Kes from Kathryn's arms and carried her over to the stretcher.
Kathryn watched as they carefully laid Kes down, and then got to her feet. "We'll need to clear away this debris..."
"I'll do it," Stevie said. He went over to his rucksack, opened it, and pulled out a black device that lit up as he activated it. When he pressed a button, a long thick silver tube extended from the base. At the bottom of the tube, small black panels opened like the petals of a flower. Stevie went over to the scattered debris and it all slowly vanished into vapor as he held the device over it.
At last, they were all ready to leave. Marianne led the way, holding a torch, and Mattie walked beside her. Chakotay and Stevie followed them, carrying Kes on the stretcher, and Kathryn followed behind, holding the other torch.
Before leaving the cavern forever, Kathryn turned to look at it one last time. All was dark now, silent, just as it would be in a few weeks time when her younger self, Chakotay and Tom, would bring baby Stevie here in the hope of healing. After so many years, she finally knew the secret of Elissia, and it was one she would never have imagined.
THREE DAYS LATER
Doctor Magnus Photon stared in disbelief when he saw Martha Janeway sitting up in bed in blue pajamas.
"Good morning, Doctor," the young girl smiled.
The Doctor turned to Kathryn. "How is this possible?"
"I was hoping you would tell me," Kathryn replied. "When I came to check on her this morning, she was sleeping soundly and life support had deactivated itself."
Kathryn hated to deceive the Doctor, but she couldn't risk the truth being discovered. As sincere and well intentioned as the Doctor was, he was a terrible liar.
The Doctor pulled out his medical tricorder and began to scan his patient thoroughly. "Incredible," he said, "Absolutely incredible...And vital signs are stable...all areas of the brain are active and neural pathways are intact...It's as though she was never injured..." He turned to his former captain. "I can't explain it, Admiral. It's miraculous..."
Kathryn smiled, her eyes moist as she gazed at her beloved daughter. "Yes," she said softly. "I do believe it is."
"What I can't believe," Mattie said, "is that I've been unconscious for over eight months. It seems only a few hours since Marianne and I were on the rocks..."
"An activity I hope you won't be repeating without safety harnesses," the Doctor said firmly.
"I think we can be sure of that," Kathryn smiled.
As though needing confirmation that what he was experiencing was real, the Doctor began to scan Mattie again. "Incredible," he said. "Unless it's the work of our old friend Q, I can't explain such a recovery..."
"Well," Kathryn said, "Q or no Q, I'm just so thankful to have my Martha Marie back."
Mattie smiled warmly at her mother at that, and the Doctor finally put away his tricorder.
"I'll second that," he smiled. "Welcome back, Miss Janeway."
Griffy lake sparkled silver in the bright autumn sun. Kathryn stood with Chakotay at the water's edge, a beautiful diamond urn in her hands that glittered the colors of the rainbow. Carefully, she opened the lid and let Kes's ashes fall into the soft blowing wind.
"Goodbye, Kes," she whispered. "And thank you."
Then she turned to Chakotay, linked her arm with his, and they slowly walked home together.
A WEEK LATER
Smartly dressed in a fawn suit and black t-shirt, Chakotay fastened a gold watch to his wrist as he waited for Kathryn to emerge from the bathroom. Just as he was finishing closing the strap, the doors opened and Kathryn appeared. She was dressed in an elegant gown of black velvet that had pretty lace sleeves and a low neck and a cluster of diamonds sparkled at her throat.
"You look stunning," Chakotay said, gazing at her. She may have aged by over a quarter of a century, but she looked as beautiful to him as she ever had or could.
"Thank you," Kathryn smiled. "You look mighty handsome yourself."
Chakotay smiled and bridged the gap between them. "So, are you going to tell me where we're going now?"
"No," Kathryn replied warmly. "I've told you, mister, it's a surprise." She made her way to the door. "Come on. The sooner we leave, the sooner we get there."
After saying goodbye to Marianne and Mattie, Kathryn and Chakotay went straight to the transporter room. Kathryn manually set up transportation, and then joined Chakotay on the pad.
"Computer," she said, "initialize transportation."
Seconds later, they both dematerialized.
When they rematerialized, Chakotay looked around in astonishment. They were standing before a crackling fire in what looked like the same holographic log cabin that had always occupied a special place in both their hearts. Everything was the same as he remembered, even the replicator that looked so out of place in this idyllic setting. Snow was falling outside a window and beneath it was a beautifully decorated pine table with two lighted candles and what appeared to be sealed dishes of hot food.
"Remember this place?" Kathryn said, gazing at her husband.
"Always," Chakotay said. "But how...where?"
"On Voyager Junior," Kathryn smiled. "I pulled some strings. The museum is "officially" closed for the weekend to do some necessary repairs. We have the ship all to ourselves..."
Happy tears welled in Chakotay's eyes as he looked around. "Everything is the same as I remember... How did you recreate all this? The program was lost when we destroyed Voyager..."
"By memory," Kathryn replied. "Every detail of this place is engraved in my heart."
Chakotay turned to her and looked into her eyes. "In mine too..."
Kathryn took his hands in hers. "It's been a terrible few months and I wanted to make your birthday this year extra special."
Chakotay squeezed her hands. "Thank you. This is indeed very special..."
Kathryn put her hand to his cheek. "No, thank you. Thank you for supporting me over the past few months, for always being there, for all the love you give." Her voice fell to a whisper. "Thank you for being you."
Chakotay gently took her hand in his and kissed it tenderly. "Thank you for loving me, Kathryn. Thank you for giving me the best years of my life..."
Kathryn gazed deep into his eyes and a tear ran down her cheek. "I love you so much..."
"I love you too," Chakotay replied.
Kathryn smiled, and Chakotay gently lowered his lips to hers in a tender kiss.
As they drew apart, Kathryn slipped her arms around his neck. "I've made us a traditional Swiss meal..."
Chakotay gathered her close. "What is that exactly?" he teased.
Kathryn smiled at the memory. "Cheese fondue with vegetables, meat, or bread. Various Swiss cheeses are blended to make the fondue and...."
Her words faded as Chakotay kissed her again. The kiss deepened as Kathryn responded and they kissed with rising passion...
At last they drew away and their eyes met once more.
"But we can always put dinner on hold and check out the bedroom," Kathryn said, her eyes sparkling.
Chakotay smiled, her passion mirrored in his eyes. "Sounds good to me."
Kathryn then raised her lips to his and they surrendered to another kiss.
THE END