What a Mother Knows

Gretchen Janeway held her eldest daughter as if she were still a young child. She rocked her in her maternal embrace as if to sooth a child's troubled heart. She whispered softly into her daughter's ear, "There…there Kathryn, it will be alright."

In her heart, Captain Kathryn Janeway knew it would. But right now she was in pain. Her heart ached from the upheaval it beat through.

"You know you are a strong woman and it will just take time to heal." The older woman spoke, "It was not your fault. It was no ones fault. You will try again."

"I failed, mother." The younger woman cried, "I have failed her miserably."

"Ohhhh, I think not." Gretchen soothed. "It was only your first try. She'll be just fine, Kathryn…just fine. She loves you too much not to be."

It didn't stop the flow of tears from rolling down her face. It didn't make the loss seem any less real. But it did give her some comfort with where she was right now wrapped in her mother's protective arms.

"I don't want to hurt like this forever. I don't want to feel this another day." Kathryn spoke, her head lay on her mother's shoulder.

"You won't dear, but you need give it some time. Perhaps…look at your pain. See where it comes from."

She lifted her head pulling back and looked at Gretchen. "Since when did you become the therapist?" Kathryn questioned, wiping her eyes and sniffing.

Gretchen chuckled as she noted the color change in her daughter's questioning eyes. They were no longer gray. She could see her mere touch still made a difference. "Since the birth of my first daughter, dear." She smiled.

Kathryn examined her mother's face, seeing the strength, the wisdom and the calm that age brings. She returned her head to the shoulder and hugged her mother dearly.

"When will Seven be back?" Gretchen inquired.

"She left Vulcan as soon as I got in touch. Tomorrow night. I…I don't know what I'm going to say to her."

"What can you say, sweetie. That you love her and that you can try again later."

"I don't think it's that simple."

"But it can be, Kathryn. If you let it." The older Janeway replied. She looked out, holding back her own tears. She understood her daughter's pain. She had experienced the same pain many year before, even before Kathryn's birth. She and Edward had loved but a moment then buried their first child. It was not something she had ever wanted her daughters to experience. But even with the technology of the 24th century babies still died before birth. Lives lost before their time she supposed. And now here she stood holding her daughter, as her mother had held her.

"Mom?" Kathryn spoke, feeling the words her mother spoke.

"Yes, dear?"

"I love you."