Jenara stretched out on the bed, on her side. Her stomach, now much larger, made lying any other way very uncomfortable. However, this also seemed to make her daughter much more active. She was six months pregnant, and so far, though there had been complications, she loved to feel this child grow within her. She had now become accustomed to the questions she was asked, though they still made her uncomfortable, but her condition was so apparent now that she would have been a fool to not expect them. The most difficult was, of course, who the father was. It brought up the memories of the abduction and tests. So far she just hadn't had the nerve to conduct a DNA scan on the baby. But there was no mistaking that the baby had one of two fathers. With a sigh, she gently caressed her stomach. She took a glance and her room and her gaze rested on her closet. Her Starfleet uniform hung by itself except for a few other pieces of clothing that were more suited to her current condition. The regular Starfleet uniform had proved most uncomfortable as her abdomen grew. So she had been given the clearance to wear more appropriate clothing. As it was, she wore a soft, lavender, trapeze blouse over matching pants. She constantly had her hair pulled up, since she was always hot. Just as she was about to doze off, her com badge chirped.
"Major Chee to Lt. Tomme," she heard.
Quickly she tapped it. "Tomme here," she replied.
"Would you mind meeting me in my quarters. I have something I need to discuss with you... privately."
For a moment she was struck silent. She never liked the sound of statements like that, but she had the definite impression from him that it wasn't something that was truly serious. But there was something. "I'm on my way," she replied.
Slowly, she got to her feet, so as not to make herself dizzy. Quickly, she checked herself in the mirror and seeing that she still looked decent, she headed out the door to Johnny's quarters.
It took her a few minutes to reach his quarters, but once at the door, an odd sensation hit her. However, for the first time, she couldn't tell what was causing it. Usually, her telepathic and empathic abilities with Johnny were unmatched, but tonight, things were different. Was something wrong with her, she wondered? Was it another side effect of the pregnancy? Fighting her concern, she tapped the sensor. As the door slid open, she took a step inside, but it was rather dark.
"Johnny?" she called out.
Suddenly, the lights came on and she was surrounded by smiling faces shouting, "SURPRISE!!!" She heard the sound of a holoprojection being taken and knew the look on her face must have revealed just how surprised she truly was. Then everyone started singing happy birthday to her as Johnny approached her carrying a single red rose.
"Happy Birthday, Jenara," he said, leaning in to kiss her gently.
A smile lit her face as she looked into his dark eyes. "Thank you," she replied, "How did you know it was my birthday? I know I didn't tell you." Her green eyes sparkled brightly.
"I had a little help," he said, turning to look at a friendly face.
As Jenara's gaze followed, she saw Kalmar step forward. "So you are the coconspirator," she giggled.
"Guilty as charged," he replied. "I thought you could use a celebration."
"Thank you," she said, stepping toward him to plant a kiss on his cheek and then returning to Johnny's side. "Thank you, both of you." Then her eyes scanned the room, looking at all the faces of her friends and co-workers. "And thank all of you for coming!"
"Then let the party begin!" Kalmar smiled.
The evening was filled with wonderful conversations, good food, and even a few presents. And yet, Jenara felt unsettled. Among the guests were Commanders Lataro and Benton. She considered them both friends as well as co-workers, but since her pregnancy and the resurfacing of the memories surrounding her pregnancy, she had a difficult time facing them. She knew what she had been forced to do, and though she understood that the circumstances were beyond her control, it made her feel no better. Her actions as a slut were ingrained into her memory and would be forever. It would always be a part of her that she would be ashamed of.
For most of the evening, she had managed to avoid direct conversations with both of them. However, it was becoming obvious to them that she was indeed avoiding them. Benton was the first to pick up on it.
Jenara had been getting another cup of punch and she had just been about ready to reach for a wonderful looking hors d'oeuvre, when she had glanced him approaching her. Swiftly, she managed to walk away and enter a conversation going on not more than three steps from the table. Later, the same thing happened to Jon Lataro with K'Lara at his side. K'Lara and Jon had exchanged puzzled looks, but said nothing. However, when Jenara noticed Jon and Benton both speaking together, she got the definite impression that she was going to be double teamed shortly and politely excused herself from Johnny and a few of the other guests that were engaged in an animated discussion about a new holodeck program. Swiftly, she slipped into Johnny's bedroom and sat down on the bed. She had a sinking feeling that no matter what, she was going to be confronted, and what she had to tell them, they might not want to hear. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves. Suddenly, she felt the rhythmic movements of her baby. Her daughter was having the hiccups, which brought a smile to her face.
Johnny saw Jenara leave the party, and started to go to her. Kalmar stopped him. "Not just now," he said. "This is something she needs to do for herself."
"What am I going to do, little one?" she asked, more to herself that to her unborn child.
"What are you going to do?" asked a voice from the entryway. As she turned around, she saw both Jon and Benton gazing at her with concern.
"I was expecting you both," Jenara said with resignation and a sigh.
"It's come to our attention that you're trying to avoid us," Benton explained. "We were wondering about the reason."
Jenara's eyes hit the floor for a few seconds. How could she explain this, she wondered. As her green gaze returned to them, tears were misting them.
"Remember the transporter accident? I found out I was pregnant then... Well, I hadn't known what happened, or how I had become pregnant, but I thought it had something to do with that accident... Well, in some respects I was right..."
They both looked at her puzzled. "What are you getting at?" Lataro asked.
"That was no transporter accident... We were actually taken hostage by an alien race. They conducted all kinds of tests on us. In fact, they had us for over three weeks. They can manipulate time. So when they were done with us, they erased our memories and sent us back as if nothing serious had happened. That's where I became pregnant."
"If they wiped our memories, then how can you know what happened?" Benton asked.
"Tiadara," she replied. "She warned me that I might not want the memories, but I had to know what happened. I had to know whose child I was carrying."
"Did you actually find out?" Lataro asked, with a sick feeling building up in his stomach. He didn't like where this was going. Putting two and two together, was not pleasant.
Trembling, she gazed at Benton and then at Jon. "One of you two is the father. We... were manipulated into procreating so they could observe how it was done," she replied, practically choking on anger and pain at the words and the memories. "I... was made into a... slut." With that, the tears came unabated. She had been dealing with these feelings for so long, and trying to hide it from these two men, that the floodgates opened.
"It would have been the Benton from the alternate universe," the Benton from this universe explained, "But if this child is his, he's mine. Responsibility has to be taken." He went to her and offered her something to dry her tears with.
Jenara shook her head. "No, because if the child is yours," she said gazing at Lataro with intense concern," I couldn't and wouldn't ask you to acknowledge the child at the expense of your marriage to K'Lara. After all, you don't have any memories of this at all, and you wouldn't want them." Again the tears came.
Neither man knew what to do, when suddenly, another figure entered the room. It was Kalmar, worry covering his face.
"What? The birthday girl crying? We can't have that." he said. Immediately, he went to her, took a seat beside her on the bed and touched her shoulder. "It's the memories again."
She nodded. "I can't ask them to take on the responsibility of this child. To possibly ruin their lives."
"But who is the father?" Jon asked. "Have you done a DNA scan?"
Jenara shook her head. "I couldn't bring myself to do it. What would I have said to either of you once it was done?" Finally the tears began to slow as the resignation of her situation truly set in.
"I know who the father is," Kalmar replied.
All heads snapped up and looked at the god intensely.
"Who is it?" Jenara asked weakly, not sure if she really wanted to know.
"Yours, Commander," he replied, looking at Jon with intensity.
For a moment, Jon almost appeared to lose his balance before regaining his posture. The news hit him hard. "I... will have to tell K'Lara..."
"NO!" Jenara replied without thought. "You can't! After that misunderstanding that almost drove you two apart, I can't have you do that. I won't ruin your life. You have another child to consider! T'Lan!"
"But who's going to take responsibility for this child?" he asked, feeling as if his honor was somehow on the line.
Benton knew he had to do the chivalrous thing, but before he could speak up, another voice came from the doorway. "I will." It was Johnny Chee. "I'll take responsibility. I'd always planned to anyway."
Kalmar stood and let Johnny take his place, so that he could hold her as tears started flowing anew. But this time, of relief. The truth was finally known by those that needed it, and a solution had been found.
Jon stepped toward her. "I hope you don't mind if I watch your daughter grow up. It would mean a lot to me," he said, knowing that she was adamant about not ruining his marriage. It would be up to him if he ever told his wife.
As Jenara turned to him, she smiled, "Maybe you and K'Lara would like to think about being my daughter's godparents."
He nodded with a tender smile.
Suddenly, another guest appeared in the bedroom entryway. "Has the party migrated into here?" asked a female voice. It was K'Lara.
"No," Kalmar interjected quickly as no one knew what to say, "Jenara was suddenly feeling a little queasy and we all ended up in here to check on her. After all, she is the guest of honor!"
Jon immediately went to his wife and kissed her. "Do you know how much I love you?" he said.
Jenara smiled, and for the first time since her pregnancy, she felt truly free. No more burden of who the father was, what she was going to do, or anything. Everything, for the moment, was solved. It was the best birthday present she could have asked for. The memories that surrounded the actual pregnancy would take time for her to deal with, but now that she knew no lives were going to be ruined by this child, she felt she could finally heal.
As K'Lara and Jon left the room, Benton kneeled on one knee before her. "If there is anything that you do need, don't hesitate to ask me," he said.
"Thank you, Benton," she replied with a genuine smile, "and I promise I won't avoid you anymore!"
"Good." With a smile and a nod, he stood and left.
"I think I'll go see how the rest of the guests are faring," Kalmar said, excusing himself and leaving Johnny and Jenara alone.
"I can't believe how much better I feel now." She smiled. "This has been a wonderful party."
"Is there anyway I can make it any better?" he asked.
A sparkle entered her eyes. "Maybe." She giggled, "But I think we'll need to wait until the party's over," she replied.
With that, he kissed her. Kalmar watched from the entryway with a smile on his face.