This is the last chapter of this story. Thank you all for the reviews, but more particularly to Snorty 1, RandyTVfan30, Mjherren and Penguinfantoo for their support and reviews. I couldn't have done it without you guys. You were encouraging every step of the way. Thank you so much.

Chapter 17

Months later, Chakotay, in the middle of a sentence, jumped out of his chair and walked to the turbolift. He was already half way there by the time he said to Tuvok.

"The baby… it's coming. Tuvok, take the Bridge. I'm going to sickbay." Hitting his commbadge. "Medical emergency transport, locate Captain…" The turbo lift door closed and the bridge crew could not hear the rest of his sentence.

Tom and Harry looked at one another trying to explain what had just happened the same way they had tried, without success, to explain all the other occasions when the Command team had been in perfect sync in their actions. A very short moment later the com line activated.

"Sick bay to Bridge"

"Go ahead Doctor"

"Tuvok, where's the Commander. The Captain just transported… she's in labour".

"The Commander is on his way Doctor"

"Never mind he just came in. Sickbay out"

Harry looked at Tom. This was spooky.

Soon after their wedding, they had noticed a few occurrences between the Commander and the Captain during which there was something they could only describe as a telepathic link.

How she would turn around a fraction of a second before the turbolift would open and allow the Commander on the bridge. How he would be halfway to her ready room when she would call him to it. These were not conscious gesture; just a matter of fact attitude they had both developed. He would free her chair and move to his, right before she would come on the bridge without putting a thought to it… it was just natural to them.

When the commander crashed on a planet and the rescue mission had resolved, against all odds, in a matter of a few hours, the rumour had gone rampant through the ship. They were given an inane explanation of a premonitory dream and nobody had really believed it. The other member of the away team and the crew present on the bridge talked how the Captain would retire to her ready room and come back a few minutes later with vital information and what it seems to be a map to their location. It couldn't be a fluke of a dream. Something was up and to the crew, if the command team didn't want to talk about it, they would just go with it. That was the consensus reached by the whole crew.

Their Captain was no ordinary woman and the love between her and the Commander wasn't just a regular garden variety kind of love. They had waited years to be together and nothing, no words from anyone in their family would change that. The crew was truly curious about all this but were so protective of the private life of the couple that nothing was ever mentioned in front of them. They just accepted the behaviour as something coming out of the strength of their love for one another.

But they weren't fooled and a few days after the rumour had gone wild, the crew started making notes how the couple seem to always know where the other one was in a room, even a crowded one. One evening, during the showing of one of Tom's movie, the Commander had been late and came in after the lights were out. Without hesitation, he had gone directly to the Captain… as if he knew exactly where she was.

Another time, the Captain had turned as white as snow and looked like she was about to throw up. She had mumbled words to herself but Harry was close enough to hear her say. "I hate boxing."

Mentioning it to his friends during lunch, B'Elanna had told him that Chakotay had gone 10 rounds that morning and had gone down with a right hook to the jaw.

Every incidence of that type was collected and compared by the crew, it kept them entertained and… envious. Each one of them hoped to find a mate they would share that kind of all-encompassing love with.

Tom had spoken briefly to Harry about the bond. He had not divulged any details but mentioned that they married the day before their weeding, in a ceremony of his faith. He described how beautiful it was and how it was supposed to bring them closer. But he never thought it could be that strong a bond.

Maybe I should look into this faith and see if I and B'Elanna could… The thought distracting to Tom.

"Mr. Paris, it seems that you are 0.00093 off our course, is there a reason for such a change." He heard the Vulcan say, sounding as if they were going in the opposite direction to the Alpha Quadrant.

"My apology Commander… Course corrected Sir." Damn Vulcan exactitude... or was it.

If I didn't know better he would think Tuvok is nervous. Nah... a nervous Vulcan... impossible.

"Thank you Mr. Paris."

In sickbay, the CMO was getting ready for the new crew member. Chakotay was by Kathryn's side, her hand in his.

"You can squeeze harder, Kathryn, if it makes you feel better." Chakotay was visibly nervous and felt totally helpless.

"Chakotay, it's okay, I'm fine. The pain is not that bad right now" Chakotay turned around to the Doctor.

"Don't look at me" said the Doctor. "I didn't give her any drugs… she on her own painkiller. I don't know. She should at least be grunting by now".

"Would you prefer if I'd scream?" Kathryn's replied

"No, thank you Captain. I only enjoy a higher pitch in your voice when I talk to you about new exercise regiment or the value of a balance diet." The doctor retorted as he was going back and forth around the biobed sighing at the fact that he had to go around Chakotay, who wasn't even aware of the doctor.

Chakotay looked into her eyes. He felt the pain. Returning to the holodeck, to his father's teaching, Chakotay had concentrated on a few rituals that had to do with pregnancy and childbirth. One of them was a technique for childbearing. He could make some of his energy travel the link in her direction. He could give her a bit of his energy to bring their son into the world.

"Chakotay, I kind of feel him. I can feel the baby. "

He looked into her eyes tenderly. "It's expected my love. He's using a lot of energy to be born. He's inside of you… he touches you and you touch him in ways that I will never know or feel. That's your bond."

The Doctor interrupted. "Such a lovely story Commander. But your child seems to want to be born, let's not make him use that energy in vain. Shall we?"

7 hours later an exhausted Captain was getting very tired of her doctor telling her it was going along nicely.

"Doctor, zap him out, hit me unconscious, I can't take it anymore."

"Yes you can, Captain. Everything is going along nicely… You're the one who insisted on natural childbirth."

"Right… as if I knew… Arrrggghhh. Doctor… I can't…"

"It won't be long Captain, it's going along nice…"

"I swear to god, say it one more time and I'll pull the few hairs you have left… one by one… Say it one more time and… and… Oh God…"

The contraction was excruciatingly painful.

"Next time we meet the Borg… Ahhh… I'll tell them assimilation is a kid's play compare to childbearing labour." Kathryn was clenching her teeth, eyes closed, trying to deal with the pain. "Doctor it really hurts… I'm so tired."

Kathryn's hairs were glued to her forehead mixing with her sweat. Chakotay was overwhelmed with seeing her suffer like that. He was exhausted himself trying to give her all the energy he had in him. He felt her pain and yet he knew he felt only an impression of the pain she felt.

"You're so courageous Kathryn. I'm so proud of you. I love you, Kathryn. So very much."

"Oh… Chakotay… I can't… I'm too tired to go on. Let's do this another time, after I've rested." Tears where running down her face. She looked so tired, so fragile to him.

"Kathryn, you've suffered enough, let the Doctor give you something for the pain."'

"No… I don't want to. I want to give birth naturally. I want to experience giving birth to him, I don't want the drug to dull the feeling I get from him."

"Captain… he's coming!" Their attention went back to the Doctor, as it should be in any medical emergency in the Doctor's book.

"Now Captain, if you don't mind with the next contraction, please push as hard as you can."

As the doctor said those words it started hitting her. The contraction was a strong one. Even with Chakotay's help the pain was excrutiatingly strong.

From the end of the biobed, she heard the doctor's voice coming. "Come on Captain, be a good girl and PUSH!"

"I'll give you a good girl! You overbearing… you egomaniac… You'll pay for this, I swear you'll pay. I AM NOT A GIRL. GOOD OR OTHERWISE." Her eyes shut she was pushing her mightiest. The first contraction had not even diminished that a second one was hitting her.

"Push, Captain, PUSH." The Doctor was chanting at her... loudly.

She snapped at him raising her voice to match his. "What do you think I'm doing… dumb ass."

"I'm crushed Captain. Commander get in her face and keep her pushing, at least she won't call YOU an ass."

The contractions were so quick and strong. "Doctor use the transporter, give me drugs, render me unconscious, but do something! THAT'S AN ORDER".

"Sorry Captain. The few minutes the drugs would need to take effect, your son would be born. He's that close."

Chakotay grabbed her hand. "Kathryn, sweetheart, just one more, my love, just one push. You're wonderful Kathryn. One more… for me…"

"You don't play fair… it's… AAAHHHH."

At the end of the biobed, the Doctor's head lifted saying… "Captain… Push, as hard as you can… PUSH… PUSH…. PUSH… Commander come here."

Chakotay moved to the end of the bed, waiting to welcome his son.

The Doctor talked again. "I can see the top of his head Captain."

"Yes I can see him." Chakotay's voice was filled with a feeling of incredibility.

"I see his head Kathryn… full of hair. Kathryn I see him."

He saw the head coming out, then a set of perfect little shoulder. It was a miracle. Tears were falling down the big man's face. The baby was already screaming at the top of his lungs, voicing his discontentment at being pulled from a very warm and comfortable place. Chakotay caught him and placed him on Kathryn breasts, noticing the tears on her face before he cut the cord the Doctor had clamped. Chakotay and Kathryn were lovingly looking at their son.

Kathryn was the first to speak. "He's so perfect. 10 toes, 10 fingers. He has the color of your eyes. Isn't he beautiful."

"The most beautiful baby ever born" was his answer as he looked at his wife, his eyes showing how proud of her he was.

After parents and child slept for a few hours, Chakotay went back to their quarters to shower and get changed before going back to Sickbay. Coming in, he saw Kathryn nursing their son. It was the most beautiful picture and he knew that image would be part of his line of memories, kept for generations, as the most previous of his life. His wife and his son… he had a family, his line would live on, but most of all, he had all of his love given and returned. It made the gift in his pocket seem like a trinket.

He approached the biobed and received Kathryn's dazzling smile.

"Come my love. Your son has been looking for you." She raised her eyes from the baby's face. "I'm not kidding, each man that have come in the room, he's studied and ignore as it wasn't you. Even the doctor can't comprehend it."

Chakotay smiled with pride and bend over to kiss his son's forehead. The look he received was one of recognition.

"Because he's a genius… and also, meeting in our vision quests, he has a faint feeling of recognition to my energy."

Looking into her eyes, he pulled a box from his pocket. "For you my love, a token of my gratitude for the son you gave me."

"Chakotay, you shouldn't have… you spoil me." She opened the box and gasps.

"Oh… Chakotay" Tears were sparkling in her eyes.

"All shades of blue, all shades of you. I had some pieces of the rock left and I thought I'd made it into a pendant to thank you. But it seems so inappropriate now."

Chakotay leaned over to whisper to his son: "You are the greatest gift I could ever receive and I love you already with all that I am."

Kathryn was moved by her husband's words and the gift she still held in her hand.

"Oh, thank you, love. I'll cherish it for as long as I live, it's beautiful… so, so beautiful, and to think you made it… it's really beautiful."

He went to the top of the biobed and as she lean forward a little, he close the clip on her neck and returned to look at the result. The pendant shone against her creamy skin, sparkling in an array of shades of blue.

"As I said this is to thank you for our son. He's beautiful."

Kathryn's motherly pride rang in her voice. "Of course he is… he looks just like you."

He smiled at her at the same time offering his finger to the baby who firmly grabbed it and kept it.

"We'll have to try for a girl that looks just like you." He said with glittering eyes. "You are more beautiful every day."

Kathryn cupped his cheek with her hand, love shining in her eyes, with a spark of mischievousness.

"And I'll get hearings to go with the pendant… Careful honey, I might get pregnant every year just to add to my collection of jewellery." And with a thoughtful look she asked: "How much of that stone do you have left?"

His laughter rang in sickbay; the comeback line was so much like his wife. She was his life and images of her would pepper the line of his memories until the end of time.

Days later, they were back to New Earth. The whole family was there. Voyager was in orbit and the crew was assembled on the holodek, on New Earth. Under a tree, on a small hill looking over the river, Chakotay was holding his baby in his arms.

It was a sunny day and the gentle breeze created a soft music from the leaves on the trees. Everyone was smiling. Only Kathryn and Chakotay had been on New Earth, but the crew now felt the importance it had to them because of the effort that was involved in creating such an elaborate program. The place was beautiful and peaceful.

B'Elanna walked up to Chakotay inviting Kathryn to stand by her husband and son. Standing, the fierce Klingon asked them.

"Who are the parents to this child."

Kathryn and Chakotay answered in one voice: "We are."

"What will you bestow on this child."

Chakotay held the baby, a look of adoration in his eyes. He was first to make his pledge.

"Shao Wani, my soul, my heart, my line and my life. I give you my blood, my spirit and my being. I bestow onto you my love and the love of my ancestors. With them, I will raise you with the courage of the warrior, the wisdom of the elders and the knowledge of my tribe. I will pass onto you the strength of my beliefs and the freedom to make them yours. I will walk by your side on the path of life, and allow you to choose the road to follow, trusting in your choices. I will support you and always trust in your love. As the blood we share, I promise to share my heart. I pledge my life to you."

All eyes were on the baby with tears in them. They had wished for years to see their Captain and Commander together… happy. This was the day that made it almost worth it to have been thrown 70 thousands light years from their homeplanet.

Kathryn gently took the baby in her arms, giving him the most beautiful smile they had seen adorned her face.

"Shao Wani, I will nurture you, protect you and raise you, trying to bequeath to you the gift I received from my parents; the sense of honour, of integrity and loyalty. I will teach you the pride of fighting for your beliefs. I will chase away the monsters, comfort you when you're hurt and I will listen and hold your hand without judgment when life makes you doubt yourself. I will devote my energy and my work to taking you, with this crew, to Earth, to meet your grandmother and witness the creation of your bond with her and…" a tear fell from her eyes going down a cheek. She didn't bother to wipe it as it was a tear of joy, one to revere not end. "I so wish to make a home with you and your father." Kathryn stopped again because of the tightness in her throat, after a moment she found her voice again. "The blood in my veins, the beating of my hearts, I pledge them to you."

B'Elanna went to Kathryn to take the baby from her. She was thankful for those much needed few seconds as had to find her own voice. She looked down at the little boy… her godson. He was beautiful and reminded her so much of the man she considered her older brother. Their bond would get stronger for the child she was holding was the best part of her best friend.

"What is this child to be called." B'Elanna asked putting a gentle hand on the baby's forehead.

Chakotay went to B'Elanna to place his hand over hers. "In my tribe he will be known as Kamitak, the greatest leader of our tribe. He lead us away from Earth to live in peace and in the ways of our people."

Kathryn joined them and added her hand to theirs. "In my tribe, as his grand-father before him, he will be known as Edward, in ancient time a tribe leader, a great warrior and a builder of history."

Kathryn and Chakotay pulled away, allowing B'Elanna to lightly dip a feather into one of the bowl set on a small table by her side. With the stained tip she draw a very small representation of Chakotay's marking, on the baby's forehead.

"Spirits, please bless this child to grow strong in spirit and in body. Keep him under your guidance; grant him the love you belay on all your children". May the Spirits protect you along the path of life. I wish you love, family, friends and the line of the memories to make."

B'Elanna lifted the baby for his to be seen by all and addressed the group standing in front of her.

"Today, this new soul joins the line of memories of his ancestors and his tribe. Kamitak Edward Janeway, you are now part of the line, as you are in your parent's spirit a memory they will cherish and add to the line.

Kaina, pitawami pikana mesani waki shaou. The line is sacred, the line is the universe and the line is the gift of memories.

The end…

This had been a truly wonderful experience. I was so dissatisfied with how the serie treated Kathryn and Chakotay. I needed to tell this story that was within me. I'm done for now. Writing a chapter a day while keeping a full time job was exhausting.

However that being said, I just started writing a few months back and I'm far from done. There are more where this story came from. Just look out and every once in a while you might get something to add to this story of mine.

I hope to receive lots of reviews with this last chapter. Tell me where you would like the story to go, what you want to read from what I have written. Tell me if you enjoyed it or not, what you liked, what you didn't like so much. Just tell me something. I just need to know how you feel about this story. I write to create emotion, whether it's a smile, a laugh or a teary eye. It's the fuel that makes my finger drive the key board. So please.

I will keep each and every one of your reviews as a part of my personal line of memories.