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PROVIDENCE

CHAPTER 12

"Okie, dokie!" Q cried to the air. "I'm on my way! Keep the flames at bay!" He then turned to Kathryn. "Sorry, dorry, Kathy, got to fly! Lady Wrath is nigh!"

"Oh, but you can't leave now!" Kathryn protested. "You haven't finished..."

"I'll be back, toodle doodle!"

With that, he snapped his fingers and disappeared.

"Q!" Kathryn cried. "Be back when?"

But Q gave no answer.

"Oh, how just like him," Kathryn exclaimed, "to leave us high and dry!"

"How indeed," The Doctor agreed, "but I suppose being left high and dry is better than being left low and wet."

Kathryn glared at him. "If that's meant to be funny, Doctor, it isn't."

"Funny? I wasn't trying to be funny. I was merely trying to be positive. Because look at things this way. An hour ago we had no idea how Chakotay came to father your child. Now we have an idea. The baby was conceived in an out-of-time experience."

"Q did not say that! Hell, he didn't even mention the baby at all!"

"But it's obvious, Admiral. You and Chakotay had intimate relations before you left his ship and the baby was the result."

"No way."

"Why not?"

"Because I wouldn't be so unprofessional. I would never sleep with him, no matter how much I wanted to, while we were in that situation."

"In your right mind, maybe, but perhaps you both had too much to drink or..."

"No," Kathryn interrupted, raising her hand. "There's more to this than meets the eye, or perhaps I should say the ears. Besides, even if we were intimate and I got pregnant as a result, the dates don't tally. I was on Chakotay's ship in 2369. I was pregnant in 2371."

"Hmmm," The Doctor said, considering, "that's true."

"The truth of the matter is...if the truth of the matter is what Q is telling us...there could still be a million reasons why Chakotay is the father. From a million reasons, I'm not going to pick one or two and speculate. A story half done is a truth half spun. No, I'm going to do something productive. I'm going to see Chakotay."

"See Chakotay? But he's on Trebus!"

"Actually, he left there a week ago. He's now on Quinton Prime."

"Quinton Prime? But that's only a few hours away. What's he doing there?"

"Exploring ancient ruins. Then he's heading to Solis Prime to study the ruins there."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "Studying ruins? Is that the Commander's new job now?"

"No," Kathryn answered. "He's just taking time out to visit places of interest to him. And why not? He deserves to."

"Did I say he doesn't? I just find it odd, that's all. He's never struck me as an archaeologist. But then, we all know he's a dark horse."

At the way he said those words, Kathryn knew The Doctor was still miffed with Chakotay. Miffed over Seven.

"You know his feelings for Seven, and hers for him, weren't voluntary," she said.

"According to Doctor Preswick. But I don't believe it. There's no way Seven's implants, and the redundant neural transceiver in Chakotay's brain, bonded them."

"Then how do you explain the disappearance of those feelings, on both sides, once Chakotay's transceiver was removed?"

"I don't need to explain it. Romantic feelings come and go. You know that. Everyone knows that."

"But not so quickly and absolutely."

"Quickly and absolutely? It was neither. Seven suffered separation anxiety and Chakotay ran away to Trebus to 'get his head together'."

"Chakotay did not run away. He left to visit his sister. His sister that he hasn't seen in seven years. He also felt the time away would help him come to terms with what had happened and to rediscover himself. Both he and Seven needed that readjustment time."

"Come to terms with what had happened? Rediscover himself? Being with Seven was hardly torture!"

"No. But the neural transceiver made him lose a part of himself, violated his individuality and independence, and made him feel the way we all do after mind control. He needed time to find himself again, to heal. But he's fine now, as is Seven."

The Doctor turned away and fiddled with a device. "Well, all I can say is that I'm glad for your sake. Because a person coming to terms with mind control doesn't need to be told they've fathered a child in an out-of-time experience they remember nothing about!"

"Who's to say he doesn't remember? Maybe he does. I know for a fact he's had at least one out-of-time experience that only he remembers."

"He has? Why only him?"

"I don't know. He won't tell me."

The Doctor put down the device and picked up an instrument. "As I said, a dark horse."

Kathryn closed the gap between them. "What happened wasn't Chakotay's fault, Doctor. You must accept that. He has no romantic interest in Seven."

The Doctor lowered the instrument and slowly turned to her. "That's not the point, Admiral. She has interest in him."

At this, Kathryn kindly put her hand on his holographic shoulder. "That's not true, Doctor. Her interest in him was purely mechanical. One neural transceiver attracted to another like a magnet. You're just having trouble believing it because you feel that you, and not Doctor Preswick, should have diagnosed that."

For a long moment The Doctor was silent, then he spoke. "You're right," he conceded. "That is how I feel. When we got home, you asked me if their mutual transceivers could in any way be responsible for their sudden attraction to each other, and I categorically told you no. In fact, I went as far as saying it was impossible. And you accepted that. You accepted it because you trusted me. But then, a week later, Doctor Preswick discovers that the implants are responsible after all. If I accept that, if I accept Doctor Preswick's diagnosis, then I have to accept that I not only failed Seven and Chakotay but you aswell."

"You've never failed us, Doctor. You've always done your best for Seven and none of us would be alive today if it wasn't for you. We're all extremely grateful and very proud of you. What happened with Chakotay and Seven was unfortunate, that's all. It's not your fault, it's not their fault, and we all have to move on. You have to move on." She smiled. "Maybe the dancer you're going bird watching with will help you."

"Maybe," The Doctor agreed. "And I really am glad, Admiral, for your sake and the baby's, that Chakotay's not in love with Seven. You and he had feelings for each other once. Maybe you can again."

Kathryn tensed. "Feelings for each other? What makes you think that?"

"It was obvious to everyone. At least, to everyone who knew you both. That's why...that's why I'm certain your baby was naturally conceived."

"Well," Kathryn said, drawing away, "I guess Q will tell. But I'm not going to wait around for him. It could be weeks or months before he shows up again."

"Weeks or months? He can't leave us in suspense that long!"

"He can and he might. So, in the meantime, I'm going to see Chakotay and tell him what I know. If I leave tonight, I'll be there tomorrow."

"Tonight? But what if Q comes back in an hour or two?"

"He'll know where to find me."

"That's not what I mean! If you're in space, and I'm here, I'll miss the end of the story!"

"I'll fill you in, Doctor."

"But..."

"Better to be left high and dry than low and wet!" She smiled and returned her hand to his shoulder. "I'll say goodnight and goodbye and be on my way."

"But..."

"See you when I get back."

Then, without further ado, she hit her commbadge, requested a beam out, and in seconds was gone.

END OF CHAPTER 12