Soul's Revisions
3. Life Changes
J/C
Rated MA
October 2009
By: AW
Length: 5,815 words
Summary: Changes in the timeline, now 'Imperfection' is in season 6, and more of Jennica and Janeway's story.
Disclaimer: blah blah blah, I DON’T OWN THEM
AUTHOR’S NOTE: I’m messing with the order of the episodes that they came in the series, so I’m taking ‘Imperfection’ and moving it to assume it happened in season six for the sake of this story.
[Ready Room]
Kathryn paced around the ready room with Chakotay watching and worrying. “I’m scared Chakotay, she’s my baby; and the doctor won’t tell me anything.”
Chakotay sighed, “She’s a grown woman Kathryn and capable of making her own decisions. When and if he finds something that you need to know I’m sure he’ll tell you.”
Kathryn broke down and Chakotay enveloped her in a hug. “It will be fine Kathryn.”
[Sickbay]
Jennica woke slowly and looked around her. She was in sickbay, “What happened?”
The doctor walked up to her, “Ah you’re awake I see.”
She shook her head, “I remember talking to my mother and Chakotay, and then I don’t remember anything.”
“You collapsed in your mother’s ready room and just about gave her a heart attack.”
“I hope you’re speaking metaphorically doc?”
The doctor glared at Jennica, “For the moment I think it’s you I should be worried about not your mother.”
Jennica let a few stray tears fill her eyes. “I can’t have her worrying about me right now. She has my brother or sister to worry about.”
“Crying is nothing to be ashamed of, Seven. Having all the responsibility of facing your mother and her new baby and the Vaadwaur threat we just escaped, it’s all emotionally draining: Crying was a normal response.”
“Except that I am in complete control of my emotions.”
The doctor ran his tricorder over her body and looked down at her, “It seems I owe you an apology. According to this, your tears were the result of a glitch in your primary cortical node. Have you experienced any other malfunctions lately? Headache? Dizziness? Diminished motor function?”
Jenn stared at the doctor, “No, and I don’t need you or anyone else checking up on me.”
“Really? Then you won't mind if I check the bio-monitors in your alcove, just to be sure?”
“Fine you want to know? I’ve had headaches, I’ve had a little dizziness, but I figured it was nothing to worry you or my mother about.”
“Why didn't you come to see me? You have a very different very physiology that needs monitoring, especially now that you’re not required to regenerate every single day.”
“The malfunctions have not affected my work. If you want to know for sure you can ask my mother or Chakotay.”
“Jenn, if you're having problems you need to let me know. I need to know so I can help you out with them.”
“If it'll make you feel better I'll tell you from now on if I have problems.”
“You're all heart. I'll schedule some follow-up tests and make my report to the Captain.”
“I don’t want my mom to know. She has enough on her plate, and don’t tell Harry he worries about me too much already.”
“We've always kept both of them informed of your medical needs before now.”
“It was my understanding that all members of this crew have the right to doctor-patient confidentiality.”
The doctor shook his head, “If you want to keep this between us, then fine but I need to know if it gets any worse or if you have any more dizzy spells.”
Jennica nodded her assurances to the doctor and walked out of sickbay.
The doctor stopped her before she exited sickbay, “And Jennica, according to these scans it has been three days since you have done a full regeneration cycle. Please complete a cycle tonight before your shift tomorrow.”
“Yes Doctor, thank you.”
[Cargo Bay two]
Jennica walked into the cargo bay, she had been so happy with not having to complete regeneration cycles as often or for as long, but the doctor had ordered her to do so, so here she was.
She walked up the alcove and turned so that she was facing out waiting for the mechanisms that were still in her body to ‘click’ into place.
“Computer, initiate regeneration cycle.”
She heard the metallic voice of the computer state, “Unable to comply.”
“Why?”
“The interface is incompatible.”
Jennica looked at the machinery and shook her head before attempting to link to it one more time. When she received the same result, frustrated she stated, “Run a diagnostic of alcove zero one.”
“Diagnostic complete. Alcove zero one is operating within normal parameters.”
Jennica shook her head and tried again, “Initiate regeneration cycle.”
“Unable to comply.”
Fear coursed through her as she realized that as much as she hated it and hated to admit it, she needed her regeneration alcove still to regulate many of her cybernetic functions, “Clarify.”
‘Your cortical node is malfunctioning.”
Jennica’s jaw dropped open. She needed her cortical node and she knew it, maybe this was the end of the journey she’d started 25 years ago with her birth to one Kathryn Janeway.
She drew in a deep breath and made her way to the mess hall, perhaps she needed a nutritional supplement.
[Mess hall – 8 hours later]
Neelix walked into the darkened mess hall, not expecting to see anyone there at 0500. He saw the silhouetted body of Jennica Paris. “Jenn, I didn't see you.”
“I’m sorry Neelix, I was just leaving.”
“Before breakfast?”
She shook her head confused, “What time is it?”
“0500. Don't tell me you've been here all night.”
Jennica took in a deep breath, “I was unable to regenerate. Maybe my conversation with my mother and the incident with the Vaadwaur have me a little more bothered than I thought.”
“Anything else on your mind?”
The words felt wrong to her, but they were the truth, “My alcove is malfunctioning.”
“Well, you should ask B'Elanna to take a look at it.”
“I didn't want to wake her.”
Neelix walked up to the table and picked up the empty glasses and unceremoniously looked at is distastefully, “What's all this?”
“Nutritional supplements. I thought they would compensate.”
“Your own recipe.”
“It's a mixture of metabolic enzymes and protein extract.”
Neelix smiled at her kindly, “Let me make you one of my Talaxian omelettes. It may not have as many enzymes but it'll taste better.”
“It’s okay Neelix, but thanks anyway.” Jenn picked up the padd she was working on and went to leave the mess hall.
She felt faint and let a hand slip to her face before collapsing onto the floor.
Neelix watched the scene before him and looked at Jennica as the metallic implants just below the peaceful porcelain perfection of her skin began to show through, “Seven! Jennica?!”
He stared at her body as it began to tremble and shake. Neelix raised his hand to tap his commbadge, “Neelix to Sickbay, medical emergency!”
[Sickbay]
Kathryn covered her face with her hand and took her husband’s hand. “I can’t lose her Chakotay.”
He pulled her into a hug, “Maybe this is our creator’s way of telling us that she really wasn’t meant to be.”
Janeway shook her head, “Chakotay I lost her and now I have her back: I can’t lose her again.” She heard the rustling as Jennica awoke from her drug induced sleep. “You lost consciousness in the Mess hall. Your body's begun to reject your implants.”
The doctor shook his head almost looking real, “I'm afraid it's a result of that glitch we found in your cortical node. Apparently, it's more serious than we thought.”
“The node is destabilising.”
“It's no longer able to regulate your implants. They're shutting down one by one.”
She shook her head the severity of the situation beginning to sink in, “When you've disconnected implants in the past I've always adapted.”
“Minor implants. An assimilation tubule here, a few nanoprobes there, nothing crucial to your human physiology, but these implants control your vital functions.”
Jennica was incredulous, “And without my cortical node to regulate them, I'll die. Correct? Borg technology is highly adaptive. My cortical node will repair itself in time.”
The doctor hated delivering bad news but this was one of those times that he didn’t have a choice, “I don't think so, Seven. If anything, the deterioration is accelerating.”
Her mother walked up to her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “You'll have to stay here for observation. We don’t want to lose you, but we have to make sure you don’t get any worse, and that nothing further malfunctions.”
“I think the doctor has watched me enough: Will keeping me here make a difference?”
Kathryn turned to the doctor, “Would you excuse us, please?”
The doctor bowed his head in a defeated fashion and exited the area.
Kathryn looked at her daughter, “I'm sorry this is happened to you Jenn, I would take your pain if I could. You have every right to be angry but that isn't going to help us solve this problem.”
“Mom, I just got my life back, things were going so well. Maybe the node will correct itself and I’ll be more human than I was before.”
She stared at her daughter, “Suppose it doesn't, for the sake of argument. Is it possible to replicate a new one?”
“I don’t think so Captain, the technology is too complex.”
Kathryn needed answers, she needed suggestions and a way to fix her firstborn. “What if this had happened when you were part of theCollective? How would the Borg have repaired the damage?”
Kathryn watched the defeated expression cross her mother’s face. “They wouldn't have. Trying to repair a node would be a futile exercise. The Borg would simply replace it.”
“Then that’s what we’ll do, I’m not giving up on you this quickly.”
[Bridge]
Chakotay followed his wife out of sickbay and back to the bridge. She looked desperate and troubled.
“Harry, we passed a Borg debris field six or seven days ago just outside the Yontasa Expanse. See if you can find it on long range sensors.”
“Yes, ma'am.”
Chakotay spun on his wife at this suggestion, “It's not every day we go looking for the Borg. What's up?”
“You were there Chakotay, Jennica needs a new cortical node to survive.”
Tuvok spoke his piece from behind the command couple and their conversation. “Captain, need I remind you the Borg often return to salvage damaged cubes.”
Kathryn looked at her husband pleading with him not to argue with her on this one. “It's a risk I'm willing to take.”
“Kathryn, I want to help Jennica as much as anyone but if we're not careful we'll all end up with cortical nodes.”
Kathryn looked into Chakotay’s soul, willing him to understand. “That's why I'm taking the Flyer, alone.”
Harry told Kathryn he had found what she was looking for. “I've located the debris field.”
“Transmit the co-ordinates to the Flyer. You have the Bridge, Commander.”
Chakotay had had enough. “You can’t do this alone or in your condition Captain.”
His stress on her rank made her even angrier and her hand came up and slapped him across the face.
Chakotay had a shocked look on his face as she felt the sting on her hand and watched the welt on his face begin to take form.
“Commander my ready room.”
[Ready Room]
Kathryn walked into the ready room and fell to the floor feeling the tears beginning to flow down her face, “Oh god -”
Chakotay quickly followed her into the ready room staring at the form of his wife cradling her stomach curled up on the floor. “I can’t do this anymore Chakotay.”
“Shhh, it’s okay Kathryn; but you can’t do this alone. You do remember that you’re over six months pregnant right? And I won’t let you risk the life of our son on this. I’m not backing down on this.”
She looked up at him through tear-filled blue orbs, “I can’t lose another one Chakotay: I can’t.”
“I know honey, but you can’t do this right now and I think deep down you know it too.”
Kathryn nodded, “I know but we have to save her Chakotay, we have to.”
“Then let Harry and Tom take the flyer and find her a new cortical node.” He sighed and tilted her head up so she was looking directly into his eyes. “I think deep down you know that this time it can’t be you.”
“Janeway to Paris and Kim, please meet the Commander and myself in my ready room.”
She heard almost in tandem ‘Yes, ma’am’. They quickly walked through the doors of the ready room and Kathryn stared at them. “I need you two to take the Delta Flyer out to find Jennica a new cortical node.” She paused looked at each of them. “You have to make this work gentlemen; and take Tuvok with you; you’ll need a third person with you.”
They nodded and knew they’d been given their assignments.
The three officers made their way towards the Borg cube. Tom got ready to transport his best friend and their chief of security down to the cube.
Tom’s hands flew across the controls. “You two ready to go?”
Harry nodded, and Tuvok agreed. Tom touched the buttons and they disappeared before his very eyes.
[Borg vessel]
Harry walked through the Borg graveyard and saw a drone lying under debris; He scanned it, and called out to Tuvok. “Tuvok, here. Help me get this off him.” He ran a more in depth scan and realized there was no damage to the node. He let go of a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding as he realized his nerves could be getting to him. “No apparent damage to the cortical node.”
Harry used the laser scalpel as Tom had instructed him to cut through the layers of tissue trying to get to the activation sequence so he could remove the node.
Harry heard Tom’s voice over the com line, “Harry you and Tuvok have company. There's a ship –“
Tom was cut off, as Tuvok tapped his commbadge hoping to get a response, “Two to beam out.”
Harry’s frightened voice called out, “Delta Flyer, respond.”
Tuvok made many adjustments to his tricorder, and not thirty seconds later he stated that there were three humanoids that had come aboard the vessel.
Harry looked at him, fright tingeing his eyes. “Drones?”
A large alien approached Harry, “The only drones here are dead, and they belong to us. Who are you?
Tuvok walked close to the alien, “Commander Tuvok of the starship Voyager.”
“This is my debris field, Commander.”
Tuvok stared at the alien, “We were unaware of that fact sir. We will take what we came here for and go.”
“What have you taken?”
Tuvok looked at the alien calmly, “A cortical node. We need it to save a member of our crew. “
The alien looked menacingly at Tuvok and then at Harry, “Everything here belongs to us.”
Tuvok placed his hand on the alien’s face, in the typical mind-meld position, “Put down your weapons and I'll consider not creating a psychic link that could be painful.”
The alien pointed the weapon at Harry, “You do that and he dies.”
Tuvok strengthened his grip and as the alien fired and before the two could process the information: they found themselves on the bridge of the Delta Flyer.
[Delta Flyer]
Harry looked around starting at Tom. “Tom, your timing sucks.”
“Sorry about the delay. They knocked our transporters offline. “
“There’s always an excuse isn’t there Tom.”
Tom laughed and the three flew on their way to sickbay and hopefully fixing Jennica once and for all.
[Sickbay]
The doctor walked up to Jennica where she was checking out the sickbay filing system, “May I ask what you're doing?”
“Your filing system sucks doc, I’m making it better.”
“You should be in bed.”
Jennica glared at the doctor, “I’m sick of staring at the sickbay walls. I’m not that sick.”
The doctor shook his head, ‘Jenn, you’re sicker than you know and I need to fix you.”
The doctor heard the voice of the older Janeway over the comm. line. “Janeway to the Doctor.”
“Yes, Captain.”
“The boys are back with the new node, I think we can start trying to get my daughter back to normal now.”
[Bridge]
Kathryn turned to Chakotay. “I guess it’s now or never Chakotay.”
“She’ll be okay Kathryn.”
Kathryn sighed and tapped her commbadge, “Captain to the doctor, transfer your program to the holodeck, we’ll run a few simulations before you try this for real.”
“Acknowledged Captain, doctor out.”
[Holodeck 2]
Kathryn and Chakotay stood at one side of the ‘simulated sickbay’ staring at the representation of Jennica lying on the biobed.
She watched the E.M.H. walked up to the bed with the tools in hand.
“I'm ready to disengage the damaged node. Transfer Seven's cortical functions to the computer.”
Kathryn watched the doctor open her daughter’s head and get ready to remove the part of her skull that the Borg had forced on her. Kathryn felt a tear run down her face and felt Chakotay’s hand cover hers as she punched the command into the computer to transfer her daughter’s brain to the computer. “Understood.”
She punched the final code and looked to the doctor, “Done.”
“Initiating the extraction.”
“Vital functions are stable.”
The EMH looked at the command couple, “Time?”
“Twenty seconds.”
As Kathryn got ready to transfer her vital functions to the new node the doctor’s acerbic voice stopped her cold, “Not yet, I have to realign her primary neurodes first.”
Kathryn drew in a deep breath and looked to her husband for support, “The computer can't maintain her cortical functions much longer.”
The doctor answered her, “Ready.”
“Her neural relays are going to destabilise in ten seconds, nine.”
“Almost finished.”
“- Eight, seven, six, five.”
The doctor completed the surgery closed her skull and looked to Jennica’s mother and would-be saviour, “Transfer Seven's cortical functions to the new node.”
Kathryn looked at the hologram hoping that this time her eyes would open, that she would be able to go to sickbay and tell her daughter that they had found the answer, “Something's wrong.”
Tom looked at his daughter, than to his daughter’s mother, “She's going into anaphylactic shock.”
“Her implants aren't adapting. They're rejecting the new node.”
“It's losing synaptic cohesion. We’re losing her doc.”
“Apply a twenty millijoule neurostatic pulse on my mark. Now.”
Kathryn looked at the readings. “No effect.”
“Again.”
Kathryn walked up to the doctor and took the tool out of his hand. “No doctor, that’s enough.”
“Computer, end simulation.” Kathryn bowed her head, she wasn’t one to give up, but enough was enough.
Her daughter was going to die.
[Sickbay]
Jennica looked at Harry. “I have to say thank you for everything Harry.”
Harry looked at her confused, “Pardon me?”
Jennica sighed, “Thank you for loving me thank you for being with me, and thank you for looking past the fact that I was Borg and that Kathryn Janeway is my mother.”
Harry walked up to her, “Those weren’t things I had to look past those were things that made you who you are and who I fell in love with.”
Harry went to walk out of sickbay and Jennica stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.
“Stay with me. I want to spend what could possibly be my last hours with you.”
Harry shook his head, “You know your mother and father are going to do everything they can to make this work, and if I know your mother she will make this work.”
“Sometimes even my mother can’t make things work and I have to prepare for that eventuality.”
Harry shook his head again, “I’m not giving up on you yet.”
She approached him and kissed him on the lips. “I love you, never forget that.”
Kathryn walked into sickbay to that scene, and almost cried at what was going to be lost on Voyager.
Seven saw her mother and father-in-law walk into sickbay with her real father and the doctor following not far behind. “Are you ready to try this?”
“According to the simulations the salvaged node isn't going to work. I'm sorry.”
“So I guess that’s it then mom.”
Kathryn nodded, “I’m so sorry.”
“We’re going to try everything to keep you with us Jenn, and you have to believe that maybe it will work.”
“You know this is it mom. Can I leave sickbay? I’d like to avoid spending my last hours here.”
Kathryn nodded, “I guess at this point it can’t hurt.”
Jennica looked at her mother, “I’m sorry mom, I never meant to disappoint you or let you down.”
Kathryn approached Jennica. “I’m the one who gave you up and left you with someone who allowed you to get assimilated and that’s why you’re here right now, so you haven’t let me down. I’ve let you down.”
Jennica looked at her mother, “You never let me down you saved me from a lifetime as a Borg Drone, I’d rather have spent 3 years as a human than a lifetime as a Drone.”
Kathryn hugged her daughter, “You and Harry should go spend some time together, I have to get back to the bridge for an hour or so, then I’ll track you down.”
Jennica nodded and left sickbay.
[Bridge]
Kathryn entered the bridge and saw Chakotay sitting at his post. “Chakotay my ready room please.”
Chakotay and nodded as he followed her to the ready room.
[Ready Room]
Kathryn sat on the couch and motioned for Chakotay to join her. “She’s going to die Chakotay. She’s going to die and there’s nothing I can do to stop it.”
Chakotay sighed, “I know honey, but you have to worry right now about the new baby.” He rubbed her tummy and the baby gave him a good swift kick. “Active today isn’t he?”
Kathryn smiled, “Yes, but I still don’t want to lose my daughter.”
“I know Kat and we’ll do everything we can so that hopefully that doesn’t happen; but just as you told her and the doctor told both of you, you have to be ready for that possibility.”
Kathryn sighed, “I know, I’m going to go and visit her in case this is possibly the last time I see her alive again.”
Chakotay nodded, “I’ll come with you if you want.”
“This is something that I need to do on my own; I need to make sure she makes it through this even if today is her last day in this world.”
Chakotay nodded, “Okay, but if you need me, you know where to find me.”
Kathryn walked out of the ready room and made her way to Jennica’s living quarters she rang the chime twice and when there was no answer she asked for her location.
The computer answered “Jennica Paris is in Ensign Kim’s Quarters.”
Kathryn shook her head and almost seemed remiss in disturbing them but it might be her last chance to see her daughter alive again.
“Janeway to Jennica.”
“Jennica here mom.” Kathryn shook her head she sounded like she was crying. “You okay Jenn?”
Jennica sat in Harry’s quarters and it was then that she lost it. “No I’m not okay mom, I’m going to die. I finally got my life back and now the Borg are taking it away from me again.”
Kathryn rushed towards Harry’s quarters when she felt a twinge in her abdomen. *Oh god not this.* She placed a hand on her belly and felt the child squirm around. “Janeway to Chakotay.”
Chakotay answered, “Chakotay here.” Chakotay heard a sharp intake of breath. “Kathryn?”
“Chakotay meet me in sickbay now.”
Chakotay stared at Tuvok, “You have the bridge Commander.”
Tuvok nodded and Chakotay rushed off the bridge.
[Sickbay]
The doctor rushed over to Kathryn, “Captain what’s wrong?”
She shook her head, “I’m having contractions and it’s way too early.”
The doctor pulled out a tricorder and scanned her, he let a smile light up his features. “It’s false labour Captain. The stress of the past days probably caused it.” He pressed a hypospray into her neck. “This will mature the baby’s lungs just in case something happens, but I don’t see there being a problem.”
Chakotay ran into sickbay just as he watched the doctor frowning over his wife. “Kathryn?”
“It’s nothing Chakotay, I’m fine: I just had a little scare that’s all.”
The doctor looked smugly at Chakotay, “And with the best doctor in the quadrant at your beck and call it should be no problem.”
Chakotay rolled his eyes, “Thank you doctor.”
The doctor continued looking at the couple and realized that had been his cue to leave. He cleared his throat, “Computer deactivate the EMH.”
The moment the doctor had disappeared, Chakotay approached Kathryn, “What happened?”
“False labour, nothing the doctor said it was probably precipitated by all the stress that the last couple of days have caused.”
“Kathryn, go back to our quarters and take a nap.”
“I have to go see Jenn: It could be my last chance.”
Chakotay took her hand, “You have to be more careful Kathryn. Go to our quarters I’ll bring Jennica to see you.”
Kathryn opened her mouth to answer as Chakotay covered her mouth with his to stop the protests. “I need you to be careful, and Haley and Taya have been asking about you.”
Kathryn finally relented, “Fine tell Sam to bring the kids home and I’ll see you and Jenn soon.”
She watched her husband nod, and turned around to leave for deck 2.
[Janeway Quarters]
Kathryn walked in and plopped down on the couch letting her head fall to her hands and the tears fall. She heard the doors open and Sam walked in with Taya and Haley in tow.
Kathryn tried her best to cover up the tear stained face and the swollen eyes. She finally lifted her head and walked over to take baby Haley.
“How’s my baby girl today?”
The baby smiled at her mother. “Mama.”
Kathryn laughed. “That’s right honey, I’m here for you today.”
Taya walked up wanting a piece of the action. “Mom, can we play a game today?”
“We’ll try honey. First I’m gonna get some food on.”
Taya made a face and shook her head. “Mom, you’re not a good cook.”
Kathryn heard Sam laugh from the background. “Hey Sam, thanks for watching them, you can go now.”
“Yes, ma’am; and Kathryn, maybe you should listen to the words from the mouths of babes.”
Kathryn glared at Sam, “Enough already: my cooking isn’t that bad!”
“Whatever you say Kat.” And Sam was gone.
Kathryn looked down to Haley who had fallen asleep in her arms. She turned to Taya, “I’m gonna put Haley down, then I’ll be back out to replicate you some soup: It’s getting rather late and you need to get some food in you and get to sleep.”
Taya nodded, “Okay mom, thanks.”
Kathryn walked into Haley’s room and placed her in her crib. She kissed the baby’s forehead and walked out into the living area.
She walked up to the replicator and ordered some chicken soup. When the meal was done she brought it over to the table. She took out two bowls and set it out for Taya to eat. “There you go honey.”
Taya nodded, “Thanks mom.”
Kathryn watched Taya eat the soup. “Guess I can replicate alright, huh honey?”
Taya nodded and finished the last of her soup. She yawned and her eyes began to close. “Are you tired honey?”
Taya nodded, “I’ll go get ready for bed mommy.”
Kathryn nodded.
20 minutes later, Taya and Haley were both in bed and Kathryn was sitting on the couch waiting for Jennica to get back to her. She still hadn’t made her way to the Janeway quarters.
Jenn had told her that she would be here soon.
Kathryn shook her head and tapped her commbadge, “Janeway to Jennica.”
Kathryn heard a sigh over the line, “I’m here mom. What’s up?”
“I thought you were going to come visit me two hours ago.”
“I was, but Harry and I needed to get some stuff talked through.”
Kathryn sighed, “I understand Jenn, when you’re done can you come over and visit me?”
“Last rights mom?”
Kathryn let the tears flow down her face, “Don’t say that honey. I’ll see you soon.”
“Sure thing mom.”
And she cut the line.
[2 hours previous – Kim Quarters]
Jennica and Harry walked into his quarters. “You want something to eat Jennica?”
Jennica nodded, “Thanks Harry, sounds great.”
Harry walked over to the replicator and programmed in a Chinese dish that his mother had fed him as a child. He walked into the bedroom and pulled out the diamond ring her was ready to propose to Jenn with.
He placed the ring in the pocket of the loose fitting trousers he was wearing and went out into the living room. He walked up to Jennica and went down on one knee, “Jennica. I have loved you since the moment you came on board this ship, and I was wondering if you’d do me the honour of being my wife.”
Jennica’s eyes got wide. “Harry, I’m not sure how long I have.”
“I don’t care Jennica; I want you for as long as you’re in this world.”
Jennica felt the tears beginning and placed her left hand out so that Harry could adorn her finger with the diamond. “Yes.”
Jennica reached up and kissed Harry. “You think we can get my mother to perform the wedding ceremony before the end of the day?”
Harry smiled, “We can ask.”
Jennica nodded, “Do you need to get to the bridge?”
“Yeah I have a shift that starts in 30 minutes.”
Jennica nodded, “Okay honey.”
Harry kissed her one last time and left for the bridge.
Jennica stared at her wall. She had to go and see her mother. She sighed, she had to do something first.
She walked over to the replicator and ordered a large bowl of coffee ice cream. She savoured each and every bite.
This could be her last chance ever. She was going to go see her mother and hopefully convince her to marry her and Harry before she took her last breaths.
She sighed and took a spoonful of the delightful food. He mother had sworn it was the best ice cream, best dessert ever and Jennica had decided she had to agree.
She smiled as she finished the last little bit she took in a deep breath. She shook her head, this was going to be one of the last things she did in this mortal coil of her life.
She was going to marry Harry, and she had to convince her mother that it was something that had to be done.
She placed the bowl in the replicator, she had been sitting contemplating for almost an hour when she decided it was time to get something done.
[Janeway Quarters]
Kathryn heard her communicator beep and she went over to the couch to pick it up. “Janeway here.”
“Mom, can I come over now?”
Kathryn smiled to herself, “Of course honey, I’ll be waiting.”
[Bridge]
Harry walked onto the bridge ready to start his shift. “Commander.”
“Well hello Harry. Stuck on the night shift too I see.”
Harry scoffed, “You should know you’re the one who makes the duty rosters.”
Chakotay glared at Harry. “I know why I’m on night shift ensign, someone has to be home with the kids, what’s your excuse.”
Harry tilted his head, “Because the Commander is a masochist.”
“Ha ha, take your station.”
Harry went to tactical and began the shift.
[Janeway Quarters]
Kathryn answered the door and watched Jennica answer. She saw the absence of implants and realized that her child looked more human than she had since she’s met her again, three years ago. “How are you doing Jenn?”
Jenn smiled, “I’m okay I guess. No problems that haven’t made themselves known before.”
Kathryn shook her head, “You know that’s not what I meant.”
“I know mom, I came here because I have to ask you something.”
Kathryn noticed something shining on her daughter’s left hand. “Oh my god; did he finally propose?”
Jennica smiled, “Yeah mom, and I was wondering if you could possibly do the deed before it’s too late for me.”
“Don’t say that Jennica, the doctor might still –”
Jennica cut her off, “You know it’s not going to happen mom; you know these are my last days and I want to make the most of them: Harry wants to marry me and I said yes, and right now you’re the only one who can make that happen.”
Kathryn walked up to her daughter and ran her hand over the soft blond locks, “Of course dear, we’ll do it as soon as the shift is over.”
Jennica grinned, “I hope I can last that long.”
Kathryn laughed, “I’m sure you’ll last at least eight hours honey.”
“I hope so too mom.”
[Bridge]
Halfway through the shift, Harry finally got up the courage to approach Chakotay about the marriage proposal. “Commander, could I see you privately in your office?”
Chakotay nodded, and pointed towards the door to his office. Harry followed him in and as soon as the doors closed, Harry lost his nerve, and looked down at the floor.
Chakotay turned to look at him, “Harry, what’s up?”
“Uh...”
“Come on Harry out with it.”
Harry paused and stared up into his face, “Commander, I’d like to ask for your daughter’s hand in marriage.”
Chakotay smiled, “You’d like to ask for Jennica’s hand in marriage. That’s great Harry.”
Harry smiled, “Is that a yes?”
“Of course Harry.”
[Janeway Quarters]
Kathryn finished up the basics of the paperwork. “Jennica, I need to go up to the bridge and my ready room to make this paperwork official.”
Jennica smiled, “You can’t do anything without the ready room can you?”
Kathryn laughed, “Unfortunately no.”
She turned and stared at her daughter, “I’ll be back soon. Can you just hang out here in case either of the children wakes up unexpectedly?”
Jennica smiled, “I’d love to stay with my sisters.”
“Thanks hon.”
And with that Kathryn left.
Jenn stared at the quarters that her mother and step father had occupied for six years and realized that they had made a life for themselves here and as much as she had tried, she never had and never would.
Maybe marrying Harry would make one good thing come out of her life before she left it for once and for all.
END SOUL’S REVISIONS 4
TBC in PART 5