Title: Kes's World
Author: Singing Violin
Series: Star Trek: Voyager
Rating: T
Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. Please don't sue.
Summary: Admiral Janeway and Captain Chakotay embark upon a mission to bring Ocampa into the Federation. A sequel to "Kes is Dead."
Author's note: Thank you to Aunt Kathy and Hestia for helping me with this and encouraging me to write it. Also thank you to every single person who read and reviewed KID, especially those who begged for a sequel. I'm sorry you had to wait so long, and hopefully this won't take too long from beginning to completion, but I make no promises.

Chakotay's eyes regarded his wife with tender concern. He spoke aloud. "Are you ready?"

She nodded, but he knew otherwise through the bond. He could feel the tears pricking at the edges of her eyes and silently reached out to mentally comfort her. It's okay to be nervous. I'll help you through this. He reached out and took her hand in his, squeezing gently. I'm here. Take your time. She squeezed back, accepting his offering gratefully.

Together, they approached the maturation chamber, and as the child came into view, she recoiled.

It's okay, Chakotay repeated silently. I understand.

Kathryn swallowed and then took a deep, calming breath. She reached out and flipped the switch.

As the door opened and the fluid drained, the baby stirred. Tentatively, Kathryn reached out to touch it. Chakotay kept a tight hold on her other hand, feeling her unease.

"Disconnect the umbilical," ordered the EMH, who had been watching from slightly behind the newlywed couple.

As she severed the tube connected to his belly button, his limbs flailed. She looked, momentarily, towards her husband, and he nodded at her approvingly. Go ahead. Hold him. He let go of her hand, but maintained the mental touch, so that she would not feel abandoned.

She reached into the chamber and pulled him out, and as she took him into her arms, the doctor stepped forward and disconnected the remaining tubes.

When the baby opened his mouth and let out his first wail, so too did tears spill from her eyes, and Chakotay snaked an arm around her shoulders, cuddling her to him as his own eyes echoed hers.

"He's beautiful," she breathed.

He smiled, looking down with pride at the child in her arms. "I know." Just like his mother.

Carefully, Kathryn sat down in the rocking chair and cradled her child, savoring this moment, sharing her joy with the other who had helped create that small life. Human life, Chakotay reminded her. He is human. He is ours.

Finally, she looked up at Chakotay, and then at the doctor. "Can I nurse him?"

The EMH gave her a slightly alarmed look, and as she responded in kind, her former first officer placed a hand upon her shoulder. "Kathryn," he cautioned, even as the image of her holding the child to her breast floated unbidden from her mind to his.

"I…" she stammered uneasily. "I always imagined I'd nurse my child. I want him to have the best." But I've already deprived him of that, her mind interrupted.

Chakotay eyed her sternly. No guilt. You've done your best.

"Have I?" she spoke aloud, and now the EMH looked confused, realizing he had missed part of the conversation.

He decided to address her previous query. "With hormone therapy, I believe it is possible for you to lactate. But because of his age and his implants, he doesn't strictly need breast milk, and may not want to latch."

I want to try, Chakotay heard her think.

He eyed the hologram then. "Can we have a moment alone, please?"

While it was possible for them to converse in front of the EMH without the hologram overhearing, it still seemed rude, and honestly, the doctor was a distraction.

Kathryn continued rocking the baby, who had fallen asleep, as Chakotay knelt in front of her and placed his hand upon her knee. She couldn't take her eyes off of the miracle she was holding, and he couldn't take his eyes off of her.

"It would be inconvenient," he pointed out aloud. "We're about to go on a deep space mission. We need you to be available at any moment. Babies need to be fed on demand."

She sighed. "But this is no ordinary baby. You heard the doctor. He doesn't need the breast milk. If I need to be on the bridge, he'll survive. Or I'll feed him there. Inconvenience is not a good excuse to deny my child the best possible nutrition." I have to try.

I've never been able to say no to you. "All right," Chakotay conceded. He tried to stop the next thought, but it came anyway: but it won't work.

In response to that, she looked up again and gave him an angry glare. Defeatist.

Just then, a stream of hot liquid shot up from Kathryn's lap and drenched Chakotay's shirt.

For a moment, Chakotay was stunned, but then both began to giggle.

"I suppose we should put a…" Kathryn started.

"…diaper on him." They finished in unison.

"But now I've got to get cleaned up," Chakotay assessed, standing up and looking around for the nearest washroom.

"Can you get me that diaper first, though?" Kathryn interjected. "And maybe a onesie?"

He smiled at her urgency. "Of course." Quickly, he grabbed a tricorder and scanned it over the baby to get its measurements, then replicated the appropriately-sized items and handed them to her.

You're not going to help?

"Oh, sorry," he apologized. "I, uh, I'm not sure what to do."

"You never babysat Miral?" Kathryn asked incredulously.

"I…" His voice trailed off. I was with Seven then. The thought inspired a rash of emotions from both of them simultaneously: guilt, shame, sadness, anger. It's in the past; let's move on.

"Here," Kathryn spoke up, hoping to clear the air. "Why don't you take the child, and…"

As she lifted the baby towards him, he looked uncomfortably down at his shirt. "Wait," he said, pausing for a moment to come up with a quick solution, as he knew that rising from the rocking chair with a baby in her arms would be a bit awkward. "Let me…"

With that, he took his shirt off over his head and discarded it on the floor. Then he held out his arms to receive the precious bundle.

Kathryn rose, still holding the diaper, and looked around for a suitable flat surface on which to lay the child while wrapping him. "There," she said, pointing to a table nearby.

Quickly, she set down the onesie and unfolded the diaper, laying it flat, then held out her arms to once again receive the child. As the baby was passed back to her, Chakotay's hands brushed against her arms and she shivered slightly at the contact. Not now. Later. Neither knew exactly whose thoughts those were.

"Watch," she instructed him as she began to carefully wrap him up.

Unfortunately, he began to squirm and twist, not wanting the material confinement he had never before experienced. Kathryn couldn't get the diaper around him straight, and she sighed with frustration.

Chakotay stepped in and attempted to hold his son still, and as he struggled, called for the doctor. "We could use some help over here."

The EMH burst through the door, looking alarmed. "Is there a problem? Is the baby ill?"

"No, we just…" Chakotay started.

"He's wiggly," explained Kathryn, still trying to tame him enough to fasten the diaper.

The doctor sighed. "Is that all? Here, watch carefully."

With that, he pushed both parents away and with lightning speed, diapered the baby perfectly, dressed him in the simple outfit, and handed him back to Kathryn. "Did you get that?"

No, but we'll figure it out. Eventually. At that thought, Kathryn giggled slightly, and again the doctor looked bemused at having missed out on part of the conversation.

His unease was not lost on the captain. We're going to have to deal with this, so as not to make the crew uneasy.

Later, his wife replied. We'll figure it out later.

Before or after we figure out the diapers? he asked silently, making her giggle yet again.

The doctor eyed them grumpily. "Is there anything else I can help you with?"

The two adult humans shared a knowing look before Kathryn spoke up. "I'd like that hormone hypo, so I can lactate," she requested.

"I see," the doctor acknowledged. Then, he peered at Chakotay, looking him up and down. "Did you want the hypo too?"

Chakotay gulped. "What?"

"I assume you want to participate in breast feeding, given that you have already uncovered your breasts. I must warn you, it may take some time: even for Kathryn, it could take up to two days, so in the meantime, if he gets fussy, you'll need to use formula…that is, if you want to sleep."

Coughing as the mother of his child suppressed guffaws, Chakotay held up a hand. "Thank you, but I will leave the breast feeding duties to Kathryn. I took off my shirt because it had pee on it, and hadn't bothered to replicate another one, and don't have a spare with me."

"Ah, hence the urgent call for help with diapering." He softened a bit then, realizing that his former commanding officers were, at the moment, just another set of new parents, and quickly accessed the part of his program that would give the appropriate advice. "Baby boys are a particular hazard. You might want to get a bag of supplies ready to take with you wherever you go. Spare clothes for you and the child, burp cloths, diapers, wipes…"

"I understand," interrupted Kathryn. Although she realized the doctor's advice was useful, she wasn't ready to process it all quite yet. "So, formula until my milk comes in, and then I can nurse him?"

The doctor frowned. "If all goes well, yes. However, he should be old enough to have solid foods as well as breast milk or formula," the doctor continued, "but because he has not ingested anything yet due to his unique situation, I suggest holding off on that at least for a few days, if not a few weeks, especially if you hope to have a successful nursing relationship."

"Got it," Kathryn answered solemnly, unconsciously rocking the child as he drifted off in her arms.

You look so natural. I love you so much.

Kathryn looked up at her husband then with wide eyes. I love you too. And him.