Part 2

"Are you sure you can handle her?" Neelix’s concern was obvious in his voice.

Harry Kim just looked at him. "Yes. I am sure I can handle her. She isn’t the first baby I have taken care of. You don’t have to worry about her." He was walking around the living quarters with the baby in his arms, and Neelix following them around. He turned, and Neelix almost ran into them, "Neelix. The Captain assigned this watch to me. If you have a problem with me doing this, I suggest you discuss it with the Captain."

"Uh, no, Mr. Kim. I am sure you can do a good job." Neelix straightened out the blanket on the baby, "If you need me, just call, and I’ll be glad to come back and help." He patted her and turned toward the door, "Really, all you have to do is call, and I’ll transport right back here."

"Thank you, Neelix. I will but we will be fine." He saw Neelix head out the door, stop and turn back to them, opening his mouth to say something, but Harry spoke first, "I’ll call if we need you."

Neelix closed his mouth, nodded and reluctantly left.

Harry smiled, "He doesn’t think I can take care of you. But we know better, don’t we?" He walked around the room, bouncing her and looking around. This was the first time he had been in these quarters. He noticed how functional and ordered they were. Just like Seven, he thought. He looked into the bedroom at the headboard. He had heard about it and saw that the beauty of it had not been exaggerated. He allowed himself a moment of sad reflection and turned away.

"You are one lucky little girl, KB. You have the best mother. And your father’s a pretty good guy, too." He smiled down at the baby who seemed to be watching him closely. "Even if he is a hologram." He laughed and crossed to sit in the rocking chair.

"You know, I had a crush on your mother once." He sighed, "Don’t you dare tell anyone, but I guess I still do. The first time I worked with her, she hit me over the head and knocked me out." He grinned at the memory. "But it wasn’t her fault. She thought she had to go home, and I was in her way. It wasn’t long, though, before we learned to work together, and I got to know her. Your mother is a special person, KB. She is strong and beautiful and smart. I think you will grow up to be just like her." He laid the baby lengthwise in his lap. "You have her eyes. I’ll tell you a secret about your mother. If you ever want to know what she is thinking, look into her eyes. She will stand in front of you with no expression on her face, and her eyes will tell you everything.

"They told me she did not feel for me what I felt for her. But if she had, you would not be here." He picked her up and lifted her to his shoulder, "I guess that says there is always something good to come from something sad." He ran his hand over the baby’s diapers and thought he felt some dampness. He checked closer, "Oh, dear. I think we have to change some diapers." He took her into the bedroom and laid her in the crib. He looked at the shelf above the crib and found everything he needed, neatly arranged.

"Your mother certainly is efficient," he chuckled. He was pleased to find that the act of changing diapers was as easy as he remembered. "Just like riding a bike." He picked her up and held her close to him, smelling the power. He looked around the room and kissed her forehead. "In another life, KB, you might have been my child." He turned and walked back into the living area, settled back down into the rocker and sighed, "I think I would have enjoyed that."

* * *

Tom walked into the room to find Harry stretched on the couch with KB lying on his chest. They were both sleeping. Tom quietly moved around to grab the holo-imager the Doctor kept close by and took a couple of shots. Then, he leaned over and gently shook Harry’s arm. Harry’s eyes opened to see Tom with his finger to his lips, indicating he should be quiet. He glanced down at the sleeping baby and smiled at Tom.

"I guess we both dozed off."

"Yeah." Tom held up the holo-imager, "It made for a great shot."

"You didn’t! Seven will kill me if she sees that."

"I think Seven will love it." Tom stood up and went to sit in the chair. He was grinning at Harry, "You look like a natural there."

"You know, it feels good. Sort of makes me wish I had one of my own." Harry put his hand on the baby’s back and kissed the top of her head. "I think it’s neat having a baby on board." He yawned, "So, how is Seven?"

Tom frowned, "I don’t know, Harry. I was there earlier and both the Doctor and B’Elanna look worried. I don’t think things are going as well as they thought it would. I heard the Doctor say something about this possibly taking longer than they thought."

"You’re kidding." Harry was shocked. "Seven’s going to be okay, isn’t she?"

"I hope so," Tom looked at KB, a worried expression on his face, "but I don’t know for sure."

"What is the problem? Do you know?"

"Not really. All I know is her Borg implants are unstable, and they are having to make constant adjustments to the energy flow in the alcove."

"That doesn’t sound good."

"No, it doesn’t."

Harry was quiet for a moment, "Tom, what happens if they can’t stabilize her?"

Tom shook his head, "I don’t know. And I really don’t want to think about it. From what I understand, Seven can’t survive without the implants." Another heavy silence fell between them. Then, Tom spoke again, "Seven was upset enough with a week of regeneration. She’s really going to be upset if it lasts more than a week."

"Babies change a lot in a week."

"I know. KB seems to change everyday." Tom sat deep in thought. Suddenly, he lifted his hand and looked at the holo-imager he was holding. "Hey, Harry. I’ve got a great idea. Let’s put together a scrapbook of KB for Seven. That way, she’ll know what went on while she was regenerating."

"That’s a great idea. Neelix and Naomi will help. I think that’s wonderful."

"We’ll even weigh and measure her everyday." Tom chuckled, "That way, Seven will know KB didn’t starve while she was regenerating."

"Speaking of which, it is time for her bottle which is what she is going to want when she wakes up. I have to go to work so I am going to have to leave that job to you." Harry slowly got off the couch, trying not to wake KB. He handed her to Tom who cuddled her in his arms. Harry reached for the holo-imager and took a few shots of Tom and the baby. "I’ll tell Neelix about the scrapbook. Then, he’ll really drive us crazy!" Harry waved goodbye and left for work.

"So, little girl, it is just you and me." Tom sat back and watched the face of the sleeping baby. "I can’t get over how much you look like your daddy. You know, if he were here, he would be watching me like a hawk. He’d be so scared I would drop you or something. But you don’t have to worry about that. Your Uncle Tom would never drop you."

He moved from the chair to the rocker and settled himself in. "No, your Uncle Tom is going to take better care of you than that. Your daddy doesn’t have to worry about me taking care of you. I am going to be there for you whenever you need me. You can count on me.

Tom breathed deeply, "I’m going to tell you something but you can never repeat anything I say. I will swear I never said it!" He gave a wistful grin, "You have a great father. I have known him ever since he was activated, and I can honestly say, he is a good man. And he has become a good friend to me.

"He probably would not believe I said that. I am afraid I give your father a hard time. I can’t help myself. It is just so much fun. But I would never do anything to really hurt him. I promise you that, KB.

"I remember when your daddy fell in love with your mother. It was a long time before she realized she loved him." Tom rocked back and forth, eyes staring off at nothing, "He fell head over heals in love with your mother. I don’t think he ever thought she would return his love. I tried to get him to tell her but he wouldn’t. I thought he was wrong to do that but, looking back, I think it was the right thing for him to do. Your mother had to figure out she loved him on her own. You are one lucky little girl, KB. You are loved so much and you will always know that you were wanted. Your parents went through a lot to have you." He pulled the sleeping baby closer to him, continuing to rock her. He was thinking about Seven. He pressed his cheek to the top of the baby’s head and sighed.

* * *

Kathryn Janeway walked into the Cargo Bay, cup of coffee in hand. Her eyes were bleary and she was yawning. She walked to stand in front of the Borg alcove, looking up at Seven of Nine.

"It is the middle of the night, Captain." The voice was matter of fact.

She turned to look at the source of the voice, a small smile on her lips but sadness in her eyes. "I couldn’t sleep, Tuvok."

"You are worried."

She nodded.

He went back to watching the computer scans and making adjustments, "You have good reason."

That was not what she wanted to hear. She sighed and rubbed her forehead where a nagging headache was starting. She peered into a darkened corner of the Cargo Bay at the two cots, each with a sleeping figure. "How long have they been asleep?"

"Not long. Lieutenant Torres convinced the Doctor he had to rest his program, and I managed to convince her she also had to sleep. Neither gave up easily."

"Still not going well?"

He shook his head, his face puzzled. "I have to admit I find this situation frustrating." His hands moved across the computer console, "Nothing we do seems to work."

Janeway glanced at the sleeping figures again and walked over to Tuvok, lowering her voice to speak to him, "What is your evaluation of her situation?"

Tuvok looked decidedly uncomfortable. "I am uncertain what to think, Captain. I do not have a medical degree and feel unqualified to give a diagnosis of any kind."

"I realize that, Tuvok. But I need to hear from someone who can give me an unbiased evaluation. I need for you to be honest with me, Tuvok."

Her eyes drilled into his, and he found he could not maintain her gaze. He broke eye contact and looked at the Doctor and B’Elanna asleep on their cots and then at Seven of Nine in her alcove. Finally, he looked back at the Captain saying nothing.

She rubbed her forehead and groaned softly. Then, she turned and left the Cargo Bay.

* * *

Kathryn Janeway walked the corridors of Voyager. She walked until she found herself in front of the Doctor’s and Seven’s quarters. She stood for a long moment before she entered her override access codes and walked into the living area. Tom Paris was sleeping on the couch in the dimly lit room. She moved quietly past him and into the bedroom to stand at the crib. She looked down at the baby. She was surprised to see that KB was awake, her eyes seeming to look right at the Captain.

"Kathryn B’Elanna. What in the world are we going to do? You mother is not doing well at all right now, and if we cannot figure out what to do, I am afraid we are going to lose her. We have to come up with something. We cannot lose her. You need her too much. We need her too much." She looked away from the baby with tears in her eyes, the frustration starting to show on her face. She walked over to the bed to look out of the window, placing her hand on the headboard, unconsciously rubbing it. Suddenly, she stared at her hand on the headboard, a strange look coming over her face. She turned and bolted out of the living quarters.

She stopped in front of a door to another living quarter and asked the computer to announce her. Soon, a barely awake Harry Kim came to the door, pulling a robe around him. "Captain!" He was surprised to see she was really at his door. "What’s wrong. Am I needed?"

"Ensign, may I come in?"

"Of course, Captain." He stood aside and motioned her in. "Computer, lights on." She entered and he followed her. "Have a seat. Can I get you anything?"

Janeway smiled at Harry’s efforts. She knew she had awakened him out of a deep sleep. "Harry, I have something I need for you to do, but I need for you not to tell anyone what you are doing."

He looked at her, eyes blinking, obviously struggling to follow her. "Of course, Captain."

She went to the replicator and ordered both two coffees. She walked back to Harry and handed him one. "Sit down, Harry." He accepted the coffee and sat on the chair behind him. She sat down on the opposite chair and started, "You are probably going to think I am absolutely crazy, but I want to you put all of your efforts into trying to locate Kahkar Omarahn."

"What?"

"I know. It is a long shot, but I want you to try. Harry, Seven is not doing well. Tuvok says nothing they do seems to work. Her problems are beyond the Doctor’s ability to help her. Maybe Kahkar can. We need to try to contact him."

Harry didn’t know what to say. The chances of finding the Eutarian science ship after almost ten months were almost nil. The look in his Captain’s eyes told him she knew this already. He nodded, "I’ll do my best, Captain."

"I know you will, Harry." She got up to leave, "And don’t tell anyone what you are doing. I don’t want to give anyone false hopes. Keep me informed." She left.

False hopes. He closed his eyes tightly. Then he took a deep breath and got up. He had work to do.

* * *

The Captain walked onto the bridge. Chakotay glanced at her before turning his attention back to the control panel to his right. Then he jerked his head back in the direction of his Captain.

"I see we have a visitor on the bridge."

Janeway smiled at him. "I ran into a scheduling problem with babysitters." She had KB in a special carrier, strapped to the front of her body. KB was awake, eyes alert and looking around her, sucking on her hands. "It was quiet, so I didn’t think anyone would mind a visitor."

Chakotay grinned at her and leaned down to the baby, "Good morning, Kathryn B’Elanna. Welcome to the bridge." He stood up, brushing the hair back on her head, "She is a beautiful baby. How is her mother this morning?"

Janeway glanced around the bridge before lowering her voice to reply, "Not very good, I am afraid. The Doctor, B’Elanna and Tuvok were with her all night. She seems to be getting worse instead of better."

"Do they have any idea of what is happening."

"Not really. Although the Doctor has a theory."

When she did not continue, Chakotay asked, "Do you want to continue this discussion in your ready room?"

She nodded and walked off the bridge with Chakotay following. She walked up to the sofa in front of the viewing windows and stood, looking out at the expanse of space. "The Doctor thinks her body is rejecting her Borg implants."

"What?"

"He says he cannot tell for certain. The implants are giving off such erratic electrical signals they are interfering with his scans. But he thinks something about the pregnancy triggered a rejection episode."

"Can he do anything to stop it?"

"He’s trying, but he hasn’t been able to figure anything out so far.

Chakotay stepped up to stand next to the Captain. "What will happen to Seven if she rejects the implants? Can the Doctor do anything to replace them?"

"I don’t know. Right now, he is just trying to figure out how to stop the rejection. He thinks if they can do that, her body will stabilize, and she will recover." She signed, "Chakotay, I am as worried for the Doctor right now as I am Seven."

"It is one thing for a doctor to lose a patient. It is another thing when that patient is his wife and the mother of his child."

Janeway nodded. "He is thinking he should have seen this earlier. He is blaming himself for not recognizing what was happening and taking steps to stop it." She turned and walked to her desk and sat down, cuddling the child strapped to the front of her. The baby was still sucking on her hand, watching the Captain’s face intently. "You know, Chakotay, I have never been around many babies so I don’t know what to expect from her, but KB certainly does seem to be alert to be so young."

"I think she is a bit unusual. I have never known a baby to be so quiet and content." Chakotay sat in the chair across from the Captain’s desk. "Do you think the Doctor could have stopped this rejection?"

"I don’t know, Chakotay. There is still so much about Borg physiology that we don’t know about. Personally, I suspect not, but I don’t know that we will ever convince him of that."

She fell silent. Chakotay sat watching her as she watched the baby. Finally, he said, "I am scheduled to go off duty. Why don’t I take Kathryn B’Elanna?"

"You?"

"Don’t think I can handle her, Captain?" Chakotay’s eyes were laughing.

She looked at him, a smile appearing on her lips, "Not at all, Chakotay. Actually, I would imagine you can handle her just fine."

She rose and lifted KB from the carrier and handed her to Chakotay. She removed the carrier and handed it to him also. He nestled the baby into his arm, "I’ll take her back to her quarters. You can find me there until the next babysitter shows up." He turned to leave, "If you need me to come back to the bridge, just give me a call."

"Thank you." She looked at him for a moment, then called to him as he prepared to leave, "Commander." He looked at her expectantly. "You and KB make a pretty picture." And she caught the image on a holo-imager. "Another one for the scrapbook."

He grinned at her and left. She put the holo-imager back on the desk. No one could go anywhere with the baby without a holo-image being taken. The entire ship was involved in putting together the scrapbook for Seven. She knew Seven would love the book. She just hoped…. No, she thought, Seven will love the book.

* * *

He was enjoying the amused faces as he walked through the corridors with the baby held against his shoulder. "We are attracting attention, Kathryn B’Elanna." He approached the door to the living quarters, keyed in his access code and entered. He stood a moment, looking around. The room had a spartan, yet comfortable feeling. He noticed the piece of art on the side table and went to put his hand on it. He had heard about this piece and wanted to experience it himself. He closed his eyes, appreciating the flow of peace and comfort he received from it. He could tell why Seven liked it so much. It gave her a peace she could not find in herself. Although things had been different once she knew she was pregnant.

"You gave your mother a great sense of peace and comfort, Kathryn B’Elanna. And you made your father one of the happiest beings I have ever seen. You’ve added a lot of happiness to the people on this ship. I’d say you were a wonderful gift." He dropped the carrier the Captain had given him on the sofa and crossed to the rocker where he sat down. He put KB in the crook of his arm and started to rock.

"You have even made Captain Janeway smile more. If your mother were well, this ship would be a very happy place." He looked down at the baby, noticing how she was watching him. "You know, when you get to be a little older, I will help you find your animal guide. I think there is something spiritual about you that will need guidance. I think you are a very special young lady."

The doors opened and Tom came in. "I was wondering who was taking care of KB." He snapped a quick holo-image of Chakotay rocking KB.

Chakotay laughed at him. "I took over for the Captain. She ran a little short on babysitters this morning."

"I thought she was having more trouble scheduling all the people standing in line waiting for their chance."

Chakotay shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe she just wanted to spend some time with Kathryn B’Elanna herself. I probably shouldn’t have been so quick to offer to take KB from her."

"If the Captain had not wanted you to take KB, she would not have handed her over. I wouldn’t worry about it." Tom noticed the baby starting to get restless, "She’s acting hungry. It must be time for her bottle."

"How can you tell?"

"That’s the way she acts when she gets hungry."

"I would have thought she would cry."

"She doesn’t cry much. She is a pretty quiet baby."

Chakotay was up and preparing her bottle. When it was warm, he sat back down in the rocker to feed her. As she nursed, she watched his face with a surprising intensity. Chakotay’s eyes narrowed. Then he looked up at Tom, "It will be very interesting watching her grow up. I have the feeling she will be a unique individual."

Tom just nodded, "I know exactly what you mean."

* * *

Harry was thinking. He looked back over the work he had done, looking for anything he might have missed or forgotten. Staring at the screen in Astrometrics, he let his eyes wander, hoping to see something he had not seen the last ten times he looked at it. He dropped his eyes to the console in front of him, hoping for some response to the message he had sent out on every frequency he could think of. He was looking for a grain of sand on the beach.

He had been at this for almost two full days sleeping for only a couple of hours. The Captain had been in and out, trying to help. She was not pushing him, but he knew they were running out of time.

As he had done many times over the last two days, he stepped away from the console and turned his back to the screen to allow him a few minutes to clear his mind. He looked around the Astrometrics Lab and took a minute to think about the work that he and Seven had done in this place. This was the product of their work, and he was proud of what they had accomplished. This was the first place he had seen past the Borg to the person. He remembered when she had cut her hand and her shock that it did not regenerate immediately. For the first time, she realized she was human. She had seen herself as weak. He had seen her vulnerability. At that moment, he knew he loved her.

He looked around him. He could not imagine this place without her. He did not want to.

He turned back to his work. He had to find Kahkar Omarahn.

There had to be something else he could try. He reached to bring up the list of frequencies he had tried when he saw an incoming message. His heart jumped into his throat. Quickly, he downloaded the message and replayed it. To his dismay, it was badly garbled. He knew it had come in from a great distance. He adjusted the computer and replayed the message. The message was still garbled but he thought he could make out some of the words. He listened, his eyes closed in concentration. Then he heard a word he thought he recognized. He replayed it, again and again, adjusting the computer each time. Finally, he caught one clear sentence, and he screamed in triumph.

"Voyager, this is Kahkar Omarahn."

Body tense, breathing deeply, he worked to unscramble the rest of the message.

* * *

The Captain was working beside him. He had contacted her, and she had come immediately. Finally, he looked at her and said, "I think we are ready."

She nodded and watched him open the channel they had been working on. "This is Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Federation starship Voyager calling Kahkar Omarahn."

They listened to the incoming static. Suddenly, Harry nodded, indicating a response was incoming.

"Hello, Captain Janeway. This is Kahkar Omarahn." They looked at each other, big smiles on their faces. Their smiles were replaced by looks of surprise when they heard the rest of the message. "Is Seven of Nine still alive?"

The Captain replied, her voice shocked and tense, "Yes. For right now. How did you know?"

"Later. I need for you to send me all of the data you have on her."

Janeway gave Harry a look, but he had already started to download all of the information they had and ready it for transmission. He glanced at her for permission to send and, receiving it, transmitted the information.

"Captain, we have been pursuing your ship since the baby was born." The Captain and Harry Kim exchanged wide-eyed looks. "We are almost three weeks behind you. We need for you to reverse course. I am having the coordinates transmitted to you."

There were a thousand questions Kathryn Janeway wanted to ask, but she bit them back. There would be time for answers later. She watched as the information came in and hit her combadge, "Commander, Ensign Kim is sending you course adjustments. Set our course to them immediately."

"Captain?"

"I’ll explain later, Chakotay. Just do it. Warp nine."

"Aye, Captain,"

"Captain Omarahn, we are adjusting to the coordinates you sent us." She paused, almost afraid to ask her next question. "Is there anything we can do in the meantime?"

It was quiet for a few minutes. Instinctively, Janeway knew he was studying the data Harry had just transmitted. "Yes, Captain, this is what you should do."

* * *

They were studying the scans. B’Elanna did not think she had ever seen the Doctor’s face so desperate. Even Tuvok looked worried. She was starting to get scared. Nothing was working. No matter how many adjustments they made to the alcove it was not enough. The regeneration was not working, and the Seven’s Borg systems were destabilizing more each second.

The Doctor looked at B’Elanna, "I don’t know what else to do for her."

She didn’t know what to say to him. They had tried everything they could think of and things were only going from bad to worse.

Suddenly, the Cargo Bay doors swished open, and Captain Janeway rushed in. "Doctor, we need to get Seven out of her alcove immediately."

The Doctor looked at her in amazement, "What?"

"Doctor, Kahkar Omarahn says we have to stop the regeneration. It’s killing her."

"Kahkar?" The Doctor was incredulous.

Something started to materialize in the Cargo Bay. The Doctor, B’Elanna and Tuvok looked at the Captain expectantly as the stasis unit solidified in front of them. "Kahkar said we should put her in stasis until we reach each other." The three people in front of her did not move. She realized they were in shock. She walked up to the Doctor, trying as best as she could to keep her voice calm, "We have been in touch with Kahkar. He says you have to stop the regeneration process and get Seven in a stasis unit. He said it will maintain her until our ships can rendezvous."

"We are going to rendezvous with Kahkar?"

She took him by the arms and forced him to look at her. "Doctor, we can discuss this later. Right now, you have to get Seven out of the alcove and into the stasis unit." When the Doctor continued to stare at her, she tried a different approach, "Doctor, get her out of the alcove now!"

He shook himself and walked to stand next to Seven in the alcove. He looked back at the Captain, then spoke to B’Elanna, "Would you turn off the alcove?" While B’Elanna turned off the power to the alcove, he held Seven, not knowing what to expect once the power to the alcove was terminated.

Her eyes opened, and she looked at him, confused. She stood for a moment, then started to fall into him. He grabbed her and lifted her. He carried her to the stasis unit where Janeway and Tuvok helped him settle her into it. Her eyes watched the people around her, then she looked up at the Doctor.

He smiled at her, then leaned down close to talk to her, "Seven, we are going to put you in stasis. You are having trouble regenerating. Kahkar is coming to take care of you. He will be here soon. You don’t have to worry about anything. You are going to be okay."

All she could do was look at him. He saw the look and knew she believed him. She trusted what he told her. Her eyes followed him as he closed the unit. The Captain set the controls to maintain her on minimum life levels and checked with the Doctor before activating the unit. The Doctor watched as Seven’s eyes closed. Captain Janeway watched the screens for a full five minutes, finally satisfied that Seven was stable and then raised her head to talk to the three people standing, looking at her for an explanation.

"She should be okay now. Kahkar said this should maintain her until he can get here." She looked at the Doctor, an encouraging smile on her face, "He thinks he knows what happened and that he can do something about it."

She could see all of the questions on the face of the Doctor. "Doctor, I am afraid I cannot answer all of your questions. Actually, I know very few answers. All I know is that Kahkar’s ship and Voyager will rendezvous in about ten days. Kahkar thinks he can help Seven and his instructions were to get her out of the alcove and into stasis. That is all I know."

The Doctor put his hands on the glass of the stasis unit and stood looking intently at his wife.

* * *

The Doctor was rocking Kathryn B’Elanna and B’Elanna was stretched out on the couch. They were both staring at the stasis unit that had been installed in the living quarters.

"I can’t believe the regeneration was killing her." B’Elanna’s voice was soft and sad. "Who would have ever thought the thing that kept her alive almost killed her."

The Doctor was silent. She looked at him when he did not respond. He was staring at the stasis unit, his eyes sad and a defeated look on his face. His hand was on Kathryn B’Elanna’s stomach, rubbing it softly.

"Doctor?"

He lowered his head, not able to look at her.

She got up and kneeled next to his chair, her hand on his arm, "Doctor, you did everything you knew to do for her. You should not be upset with yourself."

"But I failed her. I couldn’t save her. B’Elanna, I almost killed her."

"Doctor, you still don’t know what went wrong. How can you blame yourself? You did everything you could." She reached out, took his face in her hand and forced him to look at her. "Seven herself would tell you that you should not blame yourself."

"No," he laughed ironically, "she would say that guilt was irrelevant."

B’Elanna laughed, "You’re right. She would." She looked over her shoulder at Seven, lying in the stasis unit and then back at the Doctor, "And soon, she will."

Part 3