Star Trek Voyager: The Loving Game

Star Trek Voyager: The Loving Game (Chapter 26)

Seven shifted uncomfortably on the hard surface of the biobed, struggling to find a position which would bring relief to her aching and exhausted body. Celeste snuffled into her loose top at the unexpected movement. “Shh, don’t wake up.” Seven murmured as she rocked her, “I won’t move again I promise…” The baby seemed to listen to these words, settling back into a deeper sleep, cuddled into the crook of her mother’s arm, her tiny fists curled against her cheeks. Seven glanced up from her daughter for a minute and saw Chakotay smiling gently at her as he watched the scene; she blushed slightly and said in an apologetic tone, “I’m sorry, were you trying to speak to me?”

Chakotay chuckled softly as he shook his head. “No, I was just watching.” He replied before a yawn shook his entire body.

Seven frowned at him in concern, the lack of sleep and great deal of stress caused by five days in the plasma storm obviously still hung over him. “You should go to your quarters and rest.”

“And leave you two here?” He shook his head, “I can sleep later, do you want a break?” Seven nodded and carefully handed him the baby, who after a few seconds of adjustment, buried her face into the folds of his uniform, making him laugh in wonder and kiss her affectionately on the top of the head.

The Doctor, watching this scene with a smile on his face, commented, “I wouldn’t dismiss that offer of sleep straight away if I were you Commander, after a few all nighters with her you’ll be begging for ten minutes…” He was interrupted by the buzz of the comm. system and Tom Paris’ jovial voice.

“The Captain said we had to give them fifteen minutes half an hour ago Doctor! Can we come and see the new arrival now?”

The Doctor’s eyes went to the couple, watching as they glanced at each other and shared a sigh before Chakotay pulled Celeste closer and gave him a reluctant nod. “They say that you can come in, but I’d only like small groups of three or four people invading my Sickbay at any one time, is that clear Lieutenant?”

The doors slid open to reveal a beaming Tom, Harry and B’Elanna in the threshold. “Crystal clear, Doctor.” Tom replied, no longer needing the comm. system.

B’Elanna, looking unusually enthused, moved past the two men and made her way to the baby. “Can I have a quick cuddle please? I have to start clearing the warp manifolds of plasma in ten minutes.”

“Of course.” Seven answered, pride filling as the other woman took Celeste from Chakotay, the normally tempestuous half-Klingon’s face instantly softening.

“Hi sweetheart…” She cooed as Tom and Harry looked at her in almost as much wonder as they had the much gentler former Borg. “No wonder your parents wanted to keep you to themselves for a little while…”

“Wow, even B’Elanna has a baby mode!” Tom joked, receiving a light slap on the arm as soon as B’Elanna had transferred Celeste over to an eager but nervous Harry.

“Who do you think she looks like?” Harry asked the new parents softly as Celeste charmed him by waking up a little more and grasping his fingers.

“Seven definitely.” Said Chakotay confidently. “She has a little of my mother in her too I think.”

Seven’s face brightened, “Really?” she asked happily. Chakotay nodded and gave her hand an affectionate squeeze, thinking gratefully back to his vision quest with his mother that had started his acceptance, and subsequent joy, of all this.

Tom fondly tickled the baby’s chin. “You’ll be happy I’m sure Chakotay, that no one put a bet on the sixteenth for her birthday, she surprised us all…”

Chakotay shot him a smirk as B’Elanna laughed, “Well, after the drama at the beginning of all this it seems fitting that she makes an entrance!” she remarked as she got ready to return to Engineering to continue repairs.

“It’s a nice day to have a birthday though…” Harry interjected. “It’s my mom’s fiftieth birthday today.” His tone became heavy and regretful, obviously affected by homesickness.

Sympathy prickled at Seven and she gave the Ensign a compassionate look. “When you see her again you can tell her she shares a birthday with my daughter.”

Harry flashed her a grateful, if a little shaky, smile. “I’m sure she’d like to hear that.”

The Doctor’s angry, strident tones pierced their ears. “No Mr Neelix. I wouldn’t recommend Seven eating a cake made by you at anytime but especially not as a first meal after childbirth and as for those ridiculous balloons…”

“But Doctor, we need to welcome our new crewmember properly and since we can’t have a party just yet I thought I’d brighten up Sickbay a little…” Neelix explained, a huge bunch of pink balloons floating above his head in one hand and a large, round cake in the other with “Happy Birthday Celeste” thickly iced on the top.

“Are you saying my Sickbay is depressing?” The Doctor questioned sharply, deeply offended.

The Talaxian backtracked only slightly, “I didn’t say that Doctor but it’s not the most simulating place for a baby to look around and learn…”

Their argument continued in the same vein with the everyone else in Sickbay trying their best not to laugh. Celeste was starting to cry from all the racket around her and as Seven picked her up and tried her best to soothe her baby, who had by now wound herself up considerably, she lost her temper with her two bickering crewmates. “Be quiet or leave.” She demanded, using her most icy, Borg influenced stare and tone, making both men shamefacedly fall silent.

“Seven? Can I still see Celeste? I’ll be quiet.” Seven turned at the sound of the quiet voice to see Naomi peering at the scene from behind Neelix.

Seven flushed in guilt before smiling at the child. “Of course you may Naomi. Come and see.” Beaming, Naomi rushed over and Chakotay helpfully lifted her onto the biobed beside Seven, where the new mother tilted the baby’s face towards her young friend, who gazed at the moving bundle in awe for several seconds. “Do you want to hold her?” Seven offered kindly.

Naomi nodded vigorously and Seven lowered Celeste into Naomi’s arms. “I have to support her head, right?” The little girl asked anxiously.

“That’s right.” Seven confirmed with a smile until a thought passed through her head. “I left the teddy you got for her in my quarters, would you like to go and get it and give it to her yourself?”

“Sure!” Naomi exclaimed excitedly, letting Seven take Celeste off her lap before jumping off the biobed and running out to perform her task. When she returned a few minutes later, clutching the small lilac bear, she gingerly presented it to Celeste who gurgled at her and snuggled into the toy’s soft fabric. “This is for you Celeste, there are two kids on Voyager now, you and me, so we’re friends okay? I have dibs on being the Captain’s assistant when we’re older though…”

A/n: Not my best chapter I know but I hope that it was quite cute at least. Please review!