Title: Welcomes (5/6)
Couples: C/P/7, T/K
Rating: R (for language)
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters... Paramount does. I can't even
get a micron of Voyager's dust for myself. I made no money off the use
of their characters, and I promise to return everyone when I'm done,
happier and more sexually satisfied!
Disclaimer2: I don't pretend to own Carlos Ponce nor Marc Anthony...
two *very* talented singers whose main bodies of work have been in the
Latin genre. Although Marc Anthony's latest album released in the fall
of 1999 is in English, I actually prefer his Latin language releases
(but then I'm learning to Salsa, so that explains *that*). "Rezo" and
all of Carlos Ponce's material released to date are copyrighted by EMI
Latin, but the translation I use is available from
http://kiari.com/carlosponce (the *only* English language page linked
from his official web page). Marc Anthony released his English
Crossover album with Sony Music, and my best friend is hoarding my CDs
of his Salsa music right now, so I can't tell you who holds the
copyrights on those. I *highly* recommend you check out his English CD,
it's way better than the one released by that Ricky Martin guy (No
disrespect to Mr. Martin intended).
Disclaimer3: Rear Admiral Grace Hopper (ret) of the US Navy is
mentioned a number of times in this part. If unlike me, you don't have
a wide appreciation of the Grand lady of Software (or Grandma COBOL or
Amazing Grace) you can learn a lot more about her, and the new destroyer
named after her (commissioned in 1997 and it's homeport is now Pearl
Harbor) you can check out the web page I like best about her,
http://www.norfolk.navy.mil/chips/grace_hopper/, hosted by the US Navy
(as is fitting and proper for a remembrance for a woman who only left
the Navy after 43 years because they *MADE* her leave).
Warning! This story contains spoilers for the sixth season episodes
"One Small Step" and "Equinox, Part II". Also, I'm ignoring some the
events of the fifth season... especially a *few* of those portrayed in
"Course: Oblivion".
Summary: The madcap hilarity of birthing occurs in this plot... I think.
This story is dedicated to the four very entusiastic ladies. Shamenka,
for getting me hooked on C/P slash in the first place. Leone, my twin
and the person who encouraged me to post this story. Stephanie, for
being one of the best Beta-readers I've ever had. Finally for Bella
Morte, my fellow co-host in the Monday night chat for our graphics
group, I'd go crazy in there without her.
------------------------------------------------As Naomi and the Captain return to Sickbay, they are stopped by even more of the crew asking how the births are going. Naomi scowls at the crewmember standing in front of her. Pulling herself up to her full height, she pins the crewmember with her eyes. "I think we should respect the wishes of the Chakotay-Parises and the Torres-Kims and *not* let you know. If you want to find out about the births... listen for the announcements later. Now, c'mon Captain... I've got a goddaughter to meet!" With that, Naomi Wildman pulls Kathryn Janeway away from a very confused crewmember.
They make their way down the corridor and around the corner, then Janeway dissolves into laughter. She had felt it start building the second Naomi had begun dressing down the adult in the previous hallway. She pulls some air into her lungs, and looks at her companion. "Well, Naomi I can see that your lessons in Starfleet Command Voice have paid off. Let's get back to Sickbay. Who knows what abuses Seven and B'Elanna have hurled at their husbands during our absence?"
The two females walk the rest of the way to Sickbay, managing to avoid being stopped by any more members of Voyager's intrepid crew. The doors to Sickbay open, and Seven of Nine Chakotay-Paris can be heard yelling, "Mírame a los ojos, vas a ver lo que es vivir!"
Laughter rings out from the direction of the other biobed, where B'Elanna Torres lay. When her laughter abates, she yells at Seven, "Your obsession with twentieth century Latin singers not withstanding, Seven, I like your sentiment. Although, it might have been better if you had yelled that to the husband who actually speaks Spanish."
Seven's contraction ends, and she glares at the woman lying on the other biobed. "The point still got across, B'Elanna. Besides, I have already insulted Thomas. What makes you think I wasn't yelling that at Chakotay?"
Tom just shakes his head and removes his wife's left hand from the front of his shirt. "Maybe it was the fact that you nearly spit the words into *my* face?"
Naomi and Janeway are still standing near the doors to Sickbay, but are far enough inside to not activate the opening response. Janeway looks at Seven, and asks her, "What did you say to Tom?"
Seven smiles at the Captain. "I will let Chakotay tell you what I said, once you have gotten into the office." She growls at Tom as another contraction hits her.
Naomi and Janeway enter the Doctor's office, to see a blushing Chakotay awaiting them. Janeway raises her eyebrows at him. "Well?" she inquires.
"My wife has been alternating between loving sentiments and outright threats in the minutes you've been gone. Her most recent offering was a line from a song she enjoys." He grows silent then.
Naomi looks at the Commander and smiles. She releases Janeway's hand, and pulls Chakotay into a nearby chair. Once she has him sitting, the little girl carefully climbs into his lap and smiles. She locks glances with the man whose lap she is sitting in. "So what did she *say*?"
"She yelled, 'Look into my eyes, you'll see what it means to live!' It's from Carlos Ponce's song 'Rezo'."
Janeway speaks then. "I remember seeing images of him when I was into twentieth century music. He was cute! And those eyes..." The Captain of Voyager, feared by many throughout the Delta Quadrant for her steely voice and fierce attitude, swoons at the thought of a long dead singer's eyes.
Naomi and Chakotay share a bemused look, then they turn back to watch Janeway collect herself. Chakotay cannot stop the snort he makes when he sees she is still fanning herself from her remembrances of a singer many people would not know. "Problems Kathryn?"
"Not at all, Chakotay. But I was remembering a photo shoot he did with a Santa suit in 1999. I can't remember which magazine it was for, but let me tell you, Santa Claus *never* looked that good at my local mall."
Naomi looks between the "adults" in the room, as only a child can, questioning the sanity of her elders when they reveal anecdotes from their youth. She turns to look at the Captain once more, and says, "I don't understand. If you are a fan of this Carlos Ponce, as you claim to be, how come you didn't recognize the line from his song?"
"It has been a few years since I last listened to his debut album. I much prefer his album 'Todo Lo Que Soy', and his later works. Although if I recall correctly, 'Rezo' was also released in English, many years later."
"Yeah, it wasn't the same in English. It lost some of the flow it had in Spanish. Although nothing can top the way Marc Anthony got his 'Dímelo' onto English charts by re-recording it in English as 'I Need to Know'." Chakotay interjects.
Janeway lets her forehead crinkle in puzzlement, if not outright confusion. "I thought they were released at the same time, on his English cross-over album in 1999."
Chakotay chuckles. "That's what we let the English speakers believe."
His deadpan delivery of the line forces Naomi and Janeway into laughter. Chakotay joins them. From the main part of Sickbay, B'Elanna can be heard to yell, "Feldercarb!"
Tom's laughter rings out next. He speaks, obviously to Harry. "I told you we shouldn't have let her watch those 'Battlestar Galactica' vids last night. Next thing you know, she'll be invoking the 'Lords of Kobol'."
"Why would she be invoking royalty of a computer mainframe language of the twentieth century, invented by Rear Admiral Grace Hopper?" Seven asks, her confusion obvious in her voice.
"No, not *that* COBOL... the one from the television show produced by Glen A. Larson in 1978 for ABC. You were sitting in the room last night watching those vids, the same as us, Seven," Tom tells his wife, sounding very offended.
"Yes, but I was not watching as closely as the rest of you." A growl can be heard coming from her throat, then she yells, "AUDE ET EFFICE!"
Kathryn Janeway chuckles when she hears the phrase in Latin. She turns to look at her first officer, and smiles. "Well I guess Seven's interest in history has grown considerably since we recovered the records of Ares 4 on 53292.7. Perhaps her husband's influence?" Janeway grins at Chakotay.
"Wrong husband. Her love of things twentieth century springs from Tom. I still think they're going to start a bowling league." He says this last bit emphatically, while tickling the young girl still sitting in his lap.
"Perhaps. But you have to admit that her knowledge of Amazing Grace Hopper is astounding. If she next says, 'It's easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission.' I may have to talk to your husband, Chakotay."
"You're *still* touchy about that Monean incident Kathryn? That was nearly four years ago now. Besides, I think 'Dare and Do!' is just as fitting a motto for *our* ship as it ever was for the USS Hopper."
"I agree, Chakotay. Maybe when we get home, we should make sure that they change our ship's motto." Janeway smiles at her first officer. Her smile broadens when she notices that his gaze constantly darts towards the main part of Sickbay. "Is my repartee not witty enough for you today, Commander?"
"What? Oh! Sorry, Captain. But it's not every day that my children are born."
"I suppose not." Janeway grins when she sees Naomi wink at her.
Naomi wiggles a little on Chakotay's lap, to remind him of her presence, mostly because he had begun to pet her hair like she had suddenly become a cat. He stops and then just begins to hum quietly. Naomi catches the tune of his song and snorts. She turns to look at Chakotay. "Somehow I don't think that 'Santa Claus is Coming to Town' is a song most people associate with birth."
"Perhaps, but I bet most people didn't grow up with *my* mother!" Chakotay replies to the little girl. "She always used to hum this tune when she was getting ready to leave on her mid-wife duties back home."
Before Naomi can respond, the three people hear from the main part of Sickbay, "*PUSH* SEVEN!"
"I *am* pushing!"
"Ensign Paris, it is not wise to upset a woman capable of inflicting bodily harm upon your person. Please push on your next contraction, Seven."
The response to *that* piece of doctorly advice, is a growl. "Mordez-moi!"
"That's highly unsanitary, Seven. Besides, wouldn't your husbands be jealous?"
"Who cares? This is all *THEIR* fault!" She lets loose with an eardrum splitting scream.
The Doctor merely says, "That was very good, Seven. One more push and your second child can be welcomed into the world. Mr. Paris, please support your wife a little more firmly on this last push."
"Right, Doc." His voice gets gentler in tone. "We're almost there, Sweetie. After this, it's the afterbirth, and then you can sleep for days, just like you want."
"Sweet talker. This is *highly* inefficient!" She grunts out as another contraction rips through her body.
"Mr. Paris, please hand me the hypospray by your right hand. We need to help your daughter to breathe." The hiss of a hypospray is heard, and then drowned out by the lustful cries of the small baby girl.
Chakotay sweeps Naomi into his arms and the pair "sedately" walk out to the biobed containing Seven. Tom leaves his wife's side, and goes to check out his newest daughter. Chakotay smiles at his now tired looking wife, while Naomi winks at her. Naomi manages to wiggle out of the Commander's arms, and goes to stand next to Tom as he watches the Doctor check the baby over. She whispers, "What's *her* Indian name going to be?"
"Well, 'Worried Asian Bulkhead', *her* name will be 'Panicked Irishman Hypospray'. What do you think?" He looks down into the blue eyes of the little girl standing next to him.
"I think you better give her a *great* regular name, or I'll start calling her 'Spud'!" She teases the man beside her.
"Oh! I'm scared of the girl called 'Spike'!" He teases back.
"You *should* be! I'm not Canasta Champion for nothing!"
"Naomi Wildman, Thomas, if you could refrain from your bickering for awhile, I would like my entire family here when we officially name the newest addition to the family." Seven says softly.
Together, Tom and Naomi go back around to the right side of the biobed. The Doctor places the girl into her mother's arms, and smiles. "Well? What is this little beauty's name?"
"Elizabeth. Elizabeth Marie Chakotay-Paris. Welcome to our family." She kisses the little girl's forehead, and hands her to Naomi. "Meet Naomi Wildman, one of your godmothers. Hold her carefully, Naomi."
"Of course," Naomi breathes softly as she holds the small infant in her arms. "She's beautiful, Seven. May I show her to the Captain?" She looks up at the three adults around her.
"Of course you can, Spike. Just be careful" Tom replies, and smiles as she walks slowly toward the captain. He turns back to face his spouses. "Well, at least she has more than one surname. It'd be *hell* if her initials were EMP."
Seven lets her left eyebrow rise. "What makes you think I wasn't deliberate in that choice?" A small smile plays about her lips as she looks at her husband.
"You rat!" He leans over and kisses her lips. He looks up at their husband. "Did you know about this?"
"No, but unlike someone I could mention, I could figure it out *before* she was born. You've had a few weeks to say you didn't like the name chosen for her." He turns to look at the Doctor. "Well, how does Em measure up?"
The Doctor processes the newest nickname for the current youngest person on Voyager. He smiles at Chakotay. "I will tell the Captain her measurements, and you can find out with the rest of the crew, Commander." With a grin only a Hologram could produce, he walks into his office. There he finds the Captain cooing at the little girl, still held protectively in Naomi's arms. "Captain?"
Janeway looks up at her CMO. "Yes Doctor?"
"As you can already tell, Elizabeth Marie Chakotay-Paris has been born. She arrived at 1309 hours, weighing in at two kilos and 100 grams. She is fifty point eight centimeters in length. She is the spitting image of her identical sister Sabine, and both will be home within the next day. Please make sure that the crew knows that the Chakotay-Parises should *NOT* have too many visitors in the next few days. This last bit of information should be included as a general message after the Torres-Kim baby is born." The Doctor turns and heads back to his patient.
Captain Janeway taps her comm badge. "Janeway to bridge."
"Bridge here Captain." Tuvok's dulcet tones pour forth from the comm channel. "I assume you would like to make another ship wide announcement." His tone indicates it is a statement not a question.
"You know me too well, Tuvok." She waits while the computer once more signals the crew that there is an announcement about to be broadcast. "Attention all hands! At 1309 hours, we welcomed on board Elizabeth Marie Chakotay-Paris. She weighs in at two kilos and 100 grams, and measures fifty point eight centimeters in length. So she weighs about 200 grams less than her identical twin sister, Sabine Jennifer. We're still awaiting the birth of the Toress-Kim baby. Captain out." Janeway taps her badge to close the channel.
Naomi stands up, and turns toward the main part of Sickbay. She coos to the baby in her arms, while walking back to Elizabeth's waiting parents. Handing the baby off to Tom, Naomi then climbs onto the biobed, to lie down next to Seven. "We still on for that game of Kadis-Kot next week?" she asks, only loud enough for Seven to hear.
"Of course we are! I'll make one of my 'minions' watch the girls, and you and I will escape to the Holodeck," Seven whispers back.
Chakotay observes the two heads bent towards each other, obviously planning something, then he looks at his husband. "Why do I have the sneaking suspicion that we're being talked about badly, right in front of us?"
Tom looks up from the mesmerizing blue eyes of his youngest, to smile at his husband. "Because we are, such is the nature of the female of our species. Now I think this little angel here probably needs to be put under the warmer, like her big sister."
"How right you are, Ensign." The Doctor swoops in suddenly and takes Elizabeth from her father's arms. She merely stares at him. He places the baby in a cradle similar to her sister's, and places her under her own warming lamp.
His task complete, he turns back to the family at the biobed. "Gentleman, you can do nothing more here. I suggest you leave now, take a walk, go the holodeck, or clean your quarters. I do not care, just get out of my Sickbay!"
"I know a command when I hear one. C'mon Cha, if we leave now, we'll miss the vultures in the hallways." Tom grabs his husband's arm and steers him quickly out of Sickbay.
Naomi turns to look at the Doctor, from her place still lying on the biobed with Seven. "Do I have to leave, Doc?"
"Of course not, Naomi. You're my assistant. As such, I expect you to stay right here and make sure that *those* two let their wife rest for a few hours, *and* that no one except Commander Tuvok or Megan and Jennifer Delaney get through those doors."
"Okay. What are you going to do?"
"I'm going to help Seven complete the process of childbirth. She still needs to expel the afterbirth from her body, then there will be some minor regeneration required. You're not going to get squeamish, are you?"
"Of course not! I was just wondering." She rolls her eyes.
"Very well." He lifts the sheet he had re-draped over Seven after Elizabeth's birth. Noticing that the placenta was nearly ready to leave Seven's body, he looked up and said, "Seven, I need to you to push one more time, then you don't have to do anything remotely birth related until you decide to add on to your family."
"Chakotay will be giving birth to our next children. He is just not aware of my decision yet."
The Doctor chuckles at her comment. "I will be sure and record it in my logs, Seven." He grows quiet as he efficiently helps Seven with the final stages of her pregnancy. When the afterbirth is out of her body, he wraps it lightly in a towel. With a modicum of haste, he regenerates the tears to her skin and performs a sonic cleansing of the area. Once complete, he removes her feet from the stirrups they had been in for most of the morning, and wraps a sheet around Seven and Naomi.
The two females, who have long considered each other family, and reluctantly let others into their circle, curl up together and nap. The Doctor smiles at them, and cannot resist taking their picture; the child and the still child-like woman, curling up on a biobed together. His attention is drawn to the other biobed, and the occupants there.
"I swear Harry Kim, you come near me again in the next month wanting to be affectionate, I'll rip out your ribcage and use it as a mobile!"
TBC
Helpful Translations:
< Seven"Mordez-moi!" (Bite me!)