Don't Laugh At Me

Chapter One: Growing Up

Synopses: This is a bit of a what-if story. What if Kathryn's childhood wasn't like the one in Mosaic, what if her teenage years were different much different and she'd been keeping a secret from her crew and Chakotay? And, though a strange sequence of events she is forced to tell the truth?

Disclaimer: Paramount owns Star Trek Voyager and the characters. The story idea is mine however, no profit is coming from this and no infringement is intended. This is for fun only.

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2351: Janeway Household

"Momma, when is Daddy going to be getting home?" Aqua eyes stared of from a canopy of auburn hair.

"I'm not sure Kat, why do you ask?" a tall slender brunet woman replied to the girl as she pulled herself up off the ground.

"No, reason really, I was just wondering that's all." A smile graced the girl's young features.

"Yes, always curious, that is a quality you have, it's a good one dear but you ought to be careful, it can get you into trouble sometimes." The woman stated while lifting up a basket.

Young Kathryn followed suite and picked one up as well. "I know, Momma." The girl laughed slightly.

Her mother stopped and looked her in the eyes, she brushed some of the wild auburn locks away from her face, "I know you do."

The two smiled to each other before they passed though the large door of their manner. As the pair entered the house a girl of eleven skipped up to them.

"I beat you home." She smiled her grey eyes sparkling. Brown curls framed the child's face.

The older girl laughed slightly and knelt down to the level of the child. Aqua eyes met grey, and she said, "No you didn't Pheeb, Momma and I were out back working in the garden. She motioned to the basket she held. "I was home twenty minutes ago."

The young girl frowned, "I thought I'd won today, how'd you get home so fast?" she was curious and her head tilted to the right slightly.

"Well, my school let out early today that's how." She stood and started towards the kitchen but her mom took the basket from her.

Phoebe took in her sisters words and then asked, "How come, Kat?"

"It was an early day that's all," Kathryn responded and looked towards her mother who'd reappeared from behind the doors to the kitchen.

"Oh," the child stated as if she understood then turned to face their mother as well. "Momma, can I have a brownie?" she asked hopefully.

Gretchen smiled and shook her head, "No Phoebe not before dinner, you know that." She walked back into the kitchen and before the door closed she called out, "Besides, you wouldn't want to spoil your appetite for spaghetti would you?" she raised her voice some towards the end to ensure she was still able to be heard behind the closed door.

Phoebe's face lit up at the revelation of spaghetti, "Kat, we're goanna have spaghetti for dinner." Her voice was an excited whisper.

Smiling the older girl said, "I know I heard." She sent a wink to the child, "who do you think talked Momma into it?"

Phoebe giggled as her sister started to head towards her bedroom. The child realizing that she was leaving called out, "Kat?"

Kathryn sighed and turned back around, "Yes Pheeb?"

The brown-haired child looked down then back up, "can you play with me? I want to play dolls, and I got no one to play with." She set her face into a masterful puppy pout; her impish features accenting the pitiful look.

Kathryn was a bit annoyed, Phoebe always wanted to play dolls, or be the center of attention; it was fun when they were younger, but she was a teenager now and was too old to be playing dolls like a child. "It's 'I have no one to play with,' and I can't I have homework to do."

"Please play with me." The child pleaded as tears started to pool in her eyes, she'd asked her sister to play with her the previous day and she had told her no then, and now she was telling her no again. Phoebe loved her sister and wanted to spend all the time she could with her. She looked up to her and wanted to be just like her. "You told me no yesterday."

Kathryn sighed, "Phoebe, I have to do my homework."

"You always got homework, and you never spend time with me anymore, why Kat!" Tears were falling down her cheeks, and her words were coming out choppy.

The fact she was crying just annoyed Kathryn more, "Well Phoebe, I'm in high school and high-schoolers have a lot of homework, and they don't have time to play dolls with their littler sisters." Her words were harsher then she'd intended but she was too irritated to really care.

At the sound of her words Phoebe's crying became more intense, "I hate high school, it too my sister from me, I never want to go there it's a horrible place cause it makes people change." She screamed as she ran into her room and slammed the door loudly.

Upon hearing the commotion Gretchen came out of the kitchen, "Kathryn, what's going on? Why was Phoebe screaming like that?" Her gentle voice asked as she approached the teen.

"She's just mad because I told her I had to do my homework and I couldn't play dolls with her. She's acting spoiled again." Kathryn simply supplied.

Gretchen fought the urge to roll her eyes, "Kathryn, don't say that about your sister. She isn't acting spoiled she's acting eleven. I'll go and talk to her about why you can't play dolls right now. She's just not used to you being busy all the time. You are growing up, she just doesn't understand." Gretchen placed her hand on the girls shoulder and looked her over for a moment. She then smiled, "I've got an idea."

"What's that Momma?" she asked looking into her mother's eyes.

"Well you're too old for dolls, so why don't you find something that the two of you could do together?" she raised her eyebrows some, letting her know it was really more than just a suggestion. "Something that is more appropriate, not too young for you, and not too old for her?"

The girl offered a half hearted smile she didn't really like the idea, "I'll think about it Momma, but right now I need to do my homework, I told Phoebe that I was going to do it, and I don't want to lie to her.

Gretchen nodded and smiled, "Alright sweetie, I'll go and explain why you can't play dolls."

"Thank you Momma," with that she turned and made her way to her bedroom. Gretchen watched as she vanished behind the door and then went to explain growing up to Phoebe.

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Author's Note: Alright like one of my other stories I have started to revise this one, the content of it is still the same, I'm just updating it a bit to provide better descriptions and correct some errors that were in the original. Please hang in there as I do this. I promise that I will have the whole story back up soon.

Also I'm sorry that I have been absent for a while and haven't been updating my other stories, life has been a little crazy. My grandfather just over month ago had to have a triple bi pass surgery and an aortic heart valve replacement, and I have been staying at my Aunts House and haven't had much time until now to work on anything. I decided to rework this so that I can finish it though. I hope that you've enjoyed this story and I hope that you continue to read it.

Thank you very much

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