Zac and Saku were having a father/son day out at the park. Saku was in cat form and racing all around the place, pouncing on insects amd chasing after kids until shoelaces.
"Zac?"
Zac looked up.
"Annika? Hey! How you doing?" he asked. "I thought you moved to Boston."
"I did," Annika replied, joining him on the bench. "But I'm here for a couple of weeks to catch up with friends, yadda, yadda, yadda."
Zac grinned, then nodded towards the pram. "Baby sitting again?"
"Mmm... actually this one is my own."
Zac raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, you're a parent too now are we?"
"Yes... what do you mean 'too'?"
Zac looked a little sheepish.
"I have a few kids of my own."
"A few?" Annika repeated.
"Yeah... Lets see, there's B'Elanna and Tom - those are Julie's twins. Did you ever meet Julie?"
"Umm... if I did I don't recall her face."
"And there's Saku - he's the cat running around the park."
"He's a cat?"
"Yeah... his mother is Nyx, a cat goddess."
"Cat goddess? Ooookay."
"Yeah, yeah, I know. Ego trip. Let's see, there's -"
"There's more?"
"Yes. There's Dee Dee - she's home with the Nanny at the moment. And there's Rachel's daughter Annie. And... I'm expecting a few others," Zac counted on his fingers. "Two... no three. Three that I know of anyway."
"Huh," Annika shook her head and looked down.
"Soo... what's her name?" Zac asked. "Or his name?"
"His name is Brett."
"Cool."
"He's three months. Three months just the other day, actually."
"You look sad."
Annika shrugged.
"What? What is it?"
Annikia sighed, then looked at Zac thoughtfully.
"I love him a great deal, you know."
"Of course you do. What parent doesn't?"
"Mine."
"Yours?"
"You... you never met my mother, did you?"
Zac shook his head.
"You probably didn't know... what kind of a woman she is either... do you?"
"What do you mean?"
"She's human, you know."
"What are you trying to say?"
Annika sighed.
"My mother... is the kind of woman who has children for the sole purpose of living off welfare from the government and child maintainence payments from the fathers."
"Ahh."
"My father was the only one who was alien, though... He paid her until he died. And can you believe it, he was so embarrassed about me that he didn't even tell anyone I existed. No one at YIRAAS found out until after he died and people went throught his affects. Well, by the time they determined that I did, in fact, have powers..." Annika sighed again. "They did offer to have someone approach my mother about adopting me, but I wasn't interested and told them as much. So they just made sure I knew of all the other YIRAAS stuff available."
She chewed her lip.
"But you know what? I sometimes wonder what it would be like if I had taken them up on their offer. I mean I... Mom... Mom encourages us girls to follow in our foot steps, and what's worse is that... some of them have. And now of course, Mom thinks I'm one of her number... but I'm... Zac I'm not. This was just an accident. I'm not interesting in just bludging off the system, and no one seems to see that... and I..."
Annika burst into tears. Zac scooted over and wrapped his arms around her.
"Hey, hey," he said softly. "It's okay. Yeah, I know it completely sucks to be lumped in a little box, with a little label that doesn't describe you at all. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt."
Annika giggled.
"So, has little Brett got any powers?"
"He's a telepath," Annika replied. "Little choice in the matter, I suppose, having powers. He's 3/4 alien, after all. Quarter human, one eighth Sem, and the rest all Dath."
"That's right... because you're a quarter Sem and Dath, and half human?"
"Yup."
"So, the father is a Dath, then?" Zac confirmed. "Well, that sure narrows down the field."
"Yeah, well, thank goodness Mom doesn't know that," Annika said decively. "Mom... never found out that I was half alien - and I'm sincerely glad that she hasn't. I'm a little worried about what she might do - or have doen - if she ever did. I love her, but she's a bit of an unfeeling opportunist at times. Heck, I had to tell her I didn't know who the father was, so she sure as hell would have made me have him up for child maintainence payments."
She rolled her eyes.
"So... you know who the father is then?"
Annika paused, then shrugged and nodded.
"Yes, actually."
"Is it... me?"
"Haven't you got enough children already?"
"And all of them were accidents. I don't love them any less... but I... well, I know me. Anyway, if I'm just being paranoid and jumping to conclusions, just tell me."
Annika giggled, then sobered.
"Actually... he is."
Zac flopped back in the seat.
"Sorry."
"Not your fault. Mine, as always."
"Now, don't be so hard on yourself."
"Plus I love the way this is the... third time (that I know of) that someone has tried to hide from me that their kid was mine."
"Yeah, well, I would have told you," Annika glared. "But, number one, we moved and - no offence - but you were not top on my list of people to keep in contact with. And number two, had mother-dear ever learnt that you were Brett's dad, believe me, you would not have lived it down. Forget just child maintainence, she would have gone to the press as well."
"Ahh... Well... Okay... Fun."
"Yeah, that's what I thought."
"So... what are you doing at the moment?"
Annika shrugged.
"Looking after Brett. It's... it's a little frustrating, I'll admit, because I was planning on going to college and getting out of Mom's thumb... but I... my life isn't over just because I had a baby, y'know?"
"Of course."
"Sadly, though, I think i'm just as much of an opportunist as my Mom... been taking advantage of our in homebuilt child care centre. And secretly looking for a job and whatever educational opportunities I can find."
"Secretly?"
"Mother-dear hasn't worked a day in her life, so why should her children?"
"Ahh. Well, if there's ever anything I can do to help -"
"I don't want your charity, Zac."
"Who said anything about charity? If Brett is my child too, then I want to be a part of his life in some way."
"Don't you have enough kids?"
"Probably, but that's not the point. The point is that..." and Zac reached out and touched her face. "The point is that, all legalities and whatever rot aside, I like to live up to my responsiblities. And I want to contribute something to Brett's well being."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"You're not just saying that?"
"Nope."
Annika took a deep breath.
"Well... I... I don't know... We can stay in contact, I suppose, but I... I couldn't accept money from you. Actually, it's probably best if you don't actually send me or Brett anything at all... I... I don't really know how you could help."
"Well, if you think of something, just let me know. Any objections to me starting a trust fund? Brett wouldn't even come into it until he was eighteen, and hopefully old enough to be sensible."
Annika chewed her lip and nodded.
"That would be fine."
"Good."