Title: Thrown Through Time
Authors: R. Mason & Joanne Collins
Codes: C/P, C/P/M (only once), M/I (implied)
Ratings: G - NC - 17 (depends on where in the story)
Feedback:
mchakotayparis@yahoo.comSummary: See chapter 1
Thrown Through Time
Chapter 35
After Kes‘s so called *wake* Melody slowly worked herself back into the normal life of Voyager. She still kept her dance club program mostly private only inviting certain people to join her while it was running. But after the rest of the crew learned about it and word spread of the fun the command staff had had using the program Melody started getting requests from other people to use the program. She finally agreed putting the program in the general public holodeck bank with the understanding that if she was using it everyone would respect her privacy.
Chakotay and Tom‘s next significant happening came right after Alaina and Garrick‘s fifth birthday. After dinner Melody sprung her latest surprise on Tom and Chakotay.
"Guys, can I talk to you about something?" asked Melody as she looked over at the two men.
They were sitting on the couch cuddling under the pretense of working together on one of the ships reports. Unfortunately they were paying more attention to each other than they were the report. She would probably have to finish it for them later. With one last sneaked kiss Tom and Chakotay separated to look at their oldest daughter.
She had grown a lot in the past years. It had been hard on her to lose Kes, but with everyone‘s continued help and support she was making great progress. Oh she still got teary eyed when she talked about Kes and the things they did together but she no longer hid her pain and remembered more of the good times than the bad ones. The past three years had been fairly quiet and peaceful for them so it was about time for Melody to liven things up.
"Yes, sweet. What do you want to talk about?" asked Chakotay.
"Well, I‘ve been thinking..."
"Uhh no, here comes trouble," Remarked Tom.
"Very funny, mister Paris. You will pay for that you know," answered Melody.
"I‘m sorry, Mel."
"Any way, as I was saying. I‘ve been thinking," started Melody as she looked over at Tom. "Alaina and Garrick are five now, and you guys have been married for six years so..."
"Yes, go on..."
"Well, I was wondering if you have ever thought about having any more kids?"
"Mel, are you sure. I mean after Garrick and Alaina we thought..." said Tom
"Guys, I told you then that I wanted to do it again. Just later, and I meant it. Now that the twins are older I would like to try again. I mean... that is if you want to?"
"Melody, we‘d love for you to have our children again," answered Chakotay as he pulled her into his arms.
"Good, and this time I promise. No away missions or shore leave to alien planets while I‘m pregnant."
"Can we have that in writing?" asked Tom.
"Tom! I suggest you stop while you‘re still alive. I don‘t know about you but I don‘t want to become a widower with three kids," Said Chakotay as he looked over at Tom.
"Oh I wouldn‘t kill him. Just make him absolutely useless to *anyone*," Said Melody as she looked over at him. His pale face told her that he understood exactly what she meant. She smiled her best smile then quickly left the room. Tom came over beside Chakotay and leaned into his arms.
"You don‘t think she‘s really do *that* do you, Cha?"
"Probably not, but remember. She has complete access to the medical database. There are other methods than the obvious." Reminded Chakotay as he quickly hugged the younger man then left to follow Melody. Tom sat stunned at what he had just heard; he wasn‘t the only one that Melody got her mischievous streak from.
Two days later Tom, Chakotay and Melody began the procedure, and then had to explain to Garrick and Alaina. Over the past five years several different kinds of families had formed aboard Voyager. Not only some male/male couples but a few female/female couple and also some single parent families. Along with a number of male/female couples.
In the school and day care Garrick had noticed the some of the kids had only one parent, while others had two mothers but no father, and some like himself and Alaina had two fathers but no mother. He had wanted to ask Meldee or Daddy about it but so far had never gotten the courage. One night after dinner they brought the subject up themselves.
He and Alaina had been sitting on the couch reading when Chakotay came over and sat down beside them. "Garrick, Alaina. We need to talk to you about something important," Tom was sitting on the other side looking very nervous.
Every since they could remember they had been calling Chakotay "Daddy" and Tom "Dad", sometimes they would call both men "Daddy" but with a slight difference in their voice so they could tell which one they wanted. Meldee sometimes called them by their real names but that was only because she was so much older than they were.
"What about, Daddy," asked Alaina.
"Well you know that here on Voyager we have many different families. Some have a mother and a father, while others have two mother‘s or two father‘s like us."
"Uhh Huh."
"And when two people love each other they express that love by having babies."
"But Matthew said that daddies can‘t have babies?" said Garrick.
Tom and Chakotay looked over at Garrick and Alaina then heard Melody laughing. She was sitting at the desk laughing while working at the computer terminal.
At Garrick‘s innocent question a memory came flooding back to Melody. She remembered sitting in this very chair several years earlier making an entry in her personal long about how she thought Tom or Chakotay would look if they decided to carry a child. The image of a severely swollen Chakotay or Tom had thrown her into a giggling fit then and she found it did the same even now. They both were perfect fathers, loving, and understanding and even tempered but she still couldn‘t see them under the influence of the raging hormones of pregnancy.
"This isn‘t funny, Melody Elaine," said Tom
"You’re right, Tom. It isn‘t. I‘m sorry," Said Melody, but continued laughing softly.
"No, your not," remarked Tom as he turned back to his youngest children.
"Well he‘s right, Garrick. Men can‘t have babies so they either have to have a medical procedure that allows them to carry the baby or they have to find someone else to carry it for them."
"*See*, I told you. They have to find a mommy to have the baby for them, right Daddy," said Alaina proudly.
Melody had almost gotten herself under control but with Alaina‘s serious reply she burst into laughter again causing all four people to look at her.
"Melody! You‘re not helping matters," Reminded Chakotay.
"I‘m sorry, Daddy. Do you want me to leave?" said Melody as she saw Chakotay and Tom‘s expression. They were having a really hard time with this and her laughing wasn‘t helping.
"No, Mel. This includes you too," Said Tom softly as he looked at the young woman across from them. Once again she had offered to give them the precious gift of children. Even if she was making it very difficult for them now.
Alaina saw the way Tom was looking at Melody and suddenly realized what they were talking about. "Is Meldee going to carry a baby for you?" asked Alaina.
Tom and Chakotay spun around from their oldest daughter to their youngest. Between these two they didn‘t know which one would surprise them the most. They knew that Garrick and Alaina had picked up some traits and habits from all three of them but Alaina‘s quick wit and thinking never ceased to amaze them. If they didn‘t know better they would swear that Alaina was more like Melody than either of them.
"Yes, Alaina. That‘s exactly what we are trying to say," Answered Chakotay finally. Melody had come over to the couch and was sitting in Tom‘s lap.
"When will it come?" asked Garrick.
"In about eight and a half months, and there are going to be two babies we hope," Said Tom as he looked at the young woman in his lap.
"If things hold true to form there will be, the Doctor will do the test for me in three days to make sure," Explained Melody.
"Can we help?" asked Alaina.
"Yes, you can. There‘s not going to be much to help with at first, but later on I will need a lot. OK?" said Melody.
"OK, can we tell Matthew?" asked Garrick.
"Not right now, OK. We want to make sure Melody is going to have the babies before we tell everyone," Said Chakotay.
"OK," Said Garrick sadly.
"All right, time for bed. Who wants a story?" asked Tom.
"I do."
"I do."
"OK, go get you‘re pajama‘s on and I‘ll be in there in a minute," Said Tom as he kissed both of his youngest children, and then they ran into their bedroom.
"Gods, I didn‘t know they were that smart," Said Chakotay as he looked over at Melody. She had gotten off of Tom‘s lap before Alaina and Garrick came for there good night kiss, and was standing by the window.
"Hey, don‘t look at me. They’re you‘re kids; the Doctor changed my genes so they would match yours. Remember," Said Melody as she turned around to look at both men.
Alaina and Garrick might not be hers biologically but like her they were combination of the people who raised them. Part Tom, part Chakotay and part her. She saw it everyday in the way Alaina and Garrick did things. They might not carry her genes but they would certainly carry a part of her even after she was gone.
Chakotay noticed Melody‘s worried look and went over and wrapped his arms around her slim waist. Pretty soon that waist would begin to show the signs of their children. Children of love not made the traditional way but nonetheless loved.
"Don‘t worry, sweet one. They only have your best traits," Said Chakotay against her neck.
"Gods I hope so, I‘d hate to think I passed on any of my insecurities to them," Said Melody as she leaned back against Chakotay‘s chest.
"Don‘t worry, Mel. What happened to you was nothing you did so you can‘t pass anything on," said Tom as he came up and wrapped his arms around both of them. Tom leaned down and kissed Melody on the forehead, leaving his forehead against hers. They stayed that way for a few minutes until small voice was heard from another room.
"Dad! You promised us a story!" called Garrick from their room.
Tom smiled and leaned back to look back at her.
"You did promise, Tom," reminded Melody.
"I know, are you going to be all right?"
"Sure, I‘ll be fine," Said Melody as Tom released her and walked into Alaina and Garrick‘s bedroom.
"Sweet one, what brought this on?" asked Chakotay as he turned her around in his arms.
"I‘m not sure, I guess I‘ve just been thinking about my brother‘s recently."
"Well don‘t worry, there is no way they can hurt you anymore. Believe me, you are nothing like them at all," Said Chakotay as he punctuated his words with a kiss to her forehead.
"Thanks, Daddy. I needed to hear that right now."
"Your welcome, love. Now why don‘t you go to bed early, you look like you‘re tired."
"I am, love you. Chakotay, good night," Said Melody as he left to go into her room.
Chakotay watched as his oldest daughter went into her room then check on Tom and his youngest two.
Four days later the Doctor ran the test and proudly informed Tom and Chakotay that once again they were to be fathers. They waited until Melody was three months before they made the ship wide announcement and held her to the fact that she had promised no away mission while she was pregnant. During one of her six months prenatal exam the Doctor told her that she was carrying two health boys. She asked that he not tell Chakotay or Tom guessing that they would want to wait until they were born.
Eight and a half months later Melody went into labor, and after an exhausting ten hour Melody delivered two healthy baby boys. Just after the second boy was born, Melody suddenly grabbed the Doctor‘s hand in pain again.
"Doc! Something‘s wrong! It feels like I‘m still having contractions?" said Melody hurriedly as she gritted her teeth against the sudden pain.
The Doctor quickly ran a scanner over her stomach then called to Tom and Chakotay. "Commander! It looks like I missed one, would you come help Melody deliver your daughter?"
Chakotay returned once again to Melody‘s side and thirty minutes later Melody delivered a small but healthy baby girl.
"Oh Melody, Thank you. You have given us so much!" said Chakotay as he gently kissed her forehead.
Melody leaned back against Chakotay‘s arms and closed her eyes smiling. "Are they all right?" she asked weakly.
"They‘re fine Melody, they‘re all fine," Answered Chakotay.
Melody sighed and fell into a light sleep as the Doctor finished taking care of her. He walked over to the two men who were standing proudly looking down at their two sons and daughter.
"What happened, Doctor?" asked Tom as he looked at his newest daughter.
"She was hidden behind one of the boys, they were so big that they masked her heartbeat."
"How‘s Melody?" asked Chakotay.
"She‘s tired, but physically fine. I will want to keep her for the next two days just to make certain. You can pick up the boys tomorrow, but I would like to keep your daughter for a day to observe her."
"All right, take care of them," Said Chakotay as he looked down at his newest children, then left.
Two hours later Chakotay, Tom and Captain Janeway reentered the sick bay to find Melody feeding her sister. She looked tired but happy, and smiled when she saw them coming closer towards her. Tom and Chakotay had stopped and picked up both their sons.
"How are you feeling, Mel?" asked Chakotay as he kissed her forehead.
"Tired and sore, but happy."
"Are you ready to name them?" asked Janeway.
"Yes, Captain. Since we knew about the boys we had their names all ready picked out. I would like to present to you..."
"Allen Eugene," said Chakotay as he motioned to the baby he was holding.
"Connor Harold," said Tom he motioned to the baby he was holding.
"What about the girl?" asked Janeway.
Melody looked at Tom and Chakotay, and at their nod she smiled.
"I was thinking Cheyenne Dakota Rose,"
"That‘s beautiful, Melody. Thank you. Thank you for our son‘s and daughter," Said Chakotay as he kissed her forehead again.
"She‘s beautiful, Mel. Just like you," said Tom as he leaned over and kissed her.
"On behalf of myself and the entire crew of Voyager I would like to welcome you aboard," Said Janeway as she looked at the three newest Chakotay-Paris children.
"Thank you, Captain."
"It think it is time that we let Melody finish feeding Cheyenne and then get some rest," said the Doctor as he came over to the newest family.
"All right, Doctor. Take care, sweet one," Said Chakotay as he kissed her once more then left to put Allen back in his crib.
"I love you, Mel," said Tom as he kissed her then left to put Connor back in his crib.
"Are you all right, Melody?" asked the Doctor as he ran a scanner over her.
"I‘m tired and my back hurts a little but I‘m fine," Answered Melody wearily.
"Uhh Huh, I‘m give you a sedative plus something for the pain. I want you to rest, young lady," Said the Doctor firmly.
"Yes, sir!" said Melody as she handed Cheyenne to Samantha then leaned back against the bed as the Doctor administers they hypospray. Melody fell into a light sleep as the Doctor scanned her once again to make sure.
One week later Melody was rushed back to sickbay because of heavy bleeding and was immediately taken into surgery. Four hours later the Doctor came out to a very anxious Chakotay, Tom and Captain Janeway.
"Doctor, how is she?" asked Chakotay as he stepped toward the Doctor.
"She‘s in critical condition right now, Commander but she is going to recover," Explained the Doctor.
"What happened? She was doing so well, then all of a sudden..." asked Tom.
"She started hemorrhaging from a tear in her uterus, I‘m afraid in order to stop the bleeding we had to perform a hysterectomy."
"Has she woken up, does she know yet?" asked Tom.
"No, she is heavily sedated and won‘t wake up for several hours," Replied the Doctor.
"Can we see her?" asked Chakotay.
"This way, gentlemen," Said the Doctor as he led the way to the biobed where Melody was. She was lying on the bed with the life support systems lights flashing on the panel above her.
Tom and Chakotay walked over slowly and looked at the young lady on the bed. She looked so helpless and small lying there, that their hearts broke at all the pain she had endured. They both promised each other and her that they would do everything in their power to keep her from getting hurt again.
"Sweet one, I don‘t know if you can hear me or not but we promise you we‘ll do everything we can to make sure you don‘t getting hurt again. Please, Melody. Get well soon and come back to us. We need you, sweetheart," Said Chakotay as he leaned close to her head. He took her hand in his and brought it to his lips gently kissing her fingers and palm. He looked down at Melody‘s face and noticed the tired and pain lines on her forehead.
He gently rubbed her forehead with the tips of his fingers until the lines slowly disappeared. When he looked up he saw Tom watching him.
"Don‘t worry, Cha. She‘s going to be all right, the Doctor will take good care of her," Said Tom as he took her other hand in his.
Melody stayed in sickbay for three day and then was released to their quarters for complete bed rest. As Melody recuperated Tom, Chakotay, Alaina and Garrick became very protected of Melody so that she had not only had two older protectors but two younger ones too.
Just after Melody‘s thirty-eighth birthdays Harry‘s scan picked up some anomalous readings that turned out to be a wormhole forming. After many scans and several probes it was determined that the wormhole lead to the Alpha Quadrant. Two weeks later Janeway decided that Voyager would launch a probe with a message then travel through the wormhole.
One the day the probe was launched Melody found herself trying to calm down five very excited Chakotay-Paris children. Alaina and Garrick had just turned seven, while Allen, Connor and Cheyenne were two and a half. Along with the standard message Captain Janeway asked that messages be send to the families of the Voyager crew.
Three days later Voyager received a faint reply from the probe that their message had been received and that Starfleet would have someone waiting for them when they came through the wormhole. Harry estimated that at the wormholes present rate of expansion that it would be another three or four days before Voyager could safely make it through.
During that time Chakotay and Tom updated Melody and the children about Earth, Dorvan and Starfleet. The night before they were to go through the wormhole Tom found Melody sitting in one of the observation lounges. She was curled up on one of the couches looking out of the window at the wormhole. Tom stood watching her for a few minutes then slowly, as not to startle her walked over and sat down beside her.
"Mel?"
"I was just thinking, what I still have family on earth that I don‘t know about. I know that Tuvok said my father never remarried but that doesn‘t all ways mean that he didn‘t have children. I mean what if I have some distant relatives that somehow know about me," whispered Melody softly.
Tom sighed and sat down besides her pulling her into his arms. "Mel, I‘m going to tell you something. Do you know why I have never mentioned my father?" asked Tom as he looked down at her.
"No"
"Well there was good reason, after what the crash at Caldik Prime and being kicked out of Starfleet. He was the one that advised the courts to throw the book at me and sent me to the maximum prison at Akland," answered Tom as he left the couch and went to stand at the window. The wormhole just outside that window would take him back to Earth, his mother and sister‘s and possible prison.
"Your own father, Tom? Why?"
"Because I couldn‘t keep quiet about what really happened, it was him that forged the reports. All I had to do was keep quiet about the crash. But I couldn‘t, not even for the Paris name. After that he made it publicly know and in no uncertain terms that I was no son of his"
"I don‘t understand Tom, why are you telling me this now?" asked Melody as she left the couch and came up to stand behind him.
She was close enough that he could feel her breath on his back, and hear the slight quiver in her voice. He turned to face her and slowly pulled her into his arms.
"Because I want you to understand that even if the whole world thinks you are no good there will always be people that believe in you and love you. And that you are better than what anyone thinks."
"I‘m trying, Tom. But sometimes..."said Melody softly.
"Well remember that Chakotay and I will all ways here for you. And even if were not you will have Ian plus Chakotay‘s family and mine to take care of you and the kids,"
"If you not...Tom, what are trying to not tell me?" asked Melody as she pulled out of his arms and took a step back from him.
Tom sighed then turned back around to look at the wormhole. "Oh Mel...You remember when you asked Chell about Chakotay and the Maquis?"
"Yes?"
"Well as far as we know Chakotay and the other Maquis crew members are still listed as fugitives. And the only reason I was released from Auckland was so I could lead Captain Janeway and Voyager to Chakotay and the others. There is a good change that when we reach the other side of the wormhole that Chakotay and I a long with the other Maquis crew members will be take into custody and taken back to prison."
"NO! Aunt Kathryn wouldn‘t let that happen! She can‘t let that happen!" cried Melody as she sank to the flood and began to shake.
Tom quickly turned quickly and pulled her into his arms.
"She might not have much of a choice Mel, but I just wanted you to know about the possibility incase something like that happened. I need you to be strong for us and take care of the children. I‘m sure Kathryn and Chakotay‘s brothers will do everything they can to prevent it or to get us out as soon as they can but I need to know someone is there to take care of the kids. Please Melody, can you do that for me, for both of us?" asked Tom as he gently raised her chin so she could look at his face.
"Oh Tom, I‘m sorry. It looks like we both have gotten the raw end of the deal when it comes to life. Of course I‘ll take care of the kids, and don‘t worry about a thing, we‘ll find someway to take care of this," said Melody as put her hands on his checks and kissed his nose. "Oh and by the way, you don‘t seriously think that I believe what the courts and your father said about you do you?"
"Now how would you know what my father said about me?"
"Your not the only one who has done research on a person you know. If I was going to take on the Chakotay-Paris name I wanted to know all there was about both your families. Voyager has quiet an extensive database on both families you know; well at least up until Chakotay left Starfleet. And honestly I think that *Admiral Paris* is a pompous windbag who doesn‘t know his ass from a hole in the ground!"
"Melody!" exclaimed Tom laughingly.
"I‘m sorry Tom, I know he‘s your father and all but he..."
"It‘s not that Melody, but you know how Chakotay feel about you cussing."
"Oh yeah, I forgot about that,"
"Forgot about what?" asked Chakotay as he came towards the two.
He had been standing in the shadows watching them for nearly ten minutes now, he had seen Melody go from worried, to frightened to down right mad. She was so child like when it came to her emotions but one thing was perfectly clear. She would fight for her family. Even if things turned out badly for him and Tom he knew that the kids would be taken care of and that Ian would take care of Melody.
"Nothing daddy," said Melody as she came over and wrapped her arms around him.
"Now what was that for?" asked Chakotay as he wrapped his arms around her waist and felt him lean into her.
He knew that she had had her hands full for the past few days trying to help keep the children call, plus helping with getting Voyager ready to go through the wormhole.
"Just for being you, and loving me unconditionally, both of you." Said Melody as she looked back at Tom.
"Well that‘s a given young lady, and I know there are several more people back on Earth and Dorvan V who will love you just as much."
"Gods I hope so," said Melody as she leaned back against Chakotay‘s chest and tried to hide a yawn.
"As you are so fond of saying, It‘s a given. Now come on, you both need to get some rest before we enter the wormhole. Harry thinks we might be in for a bumpy ride." Said Chakotay as he steered her towards the door.
"Oh joy! Just what we need another bumpy ride," answered Melody as the door closed behind her and her fathers.
After tonight part of their life was closing and a new part was about to begin but like true Chakotay-Paris Melody, Tom and Chakotay would face whatever came with pride and dignity.
TBC