Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek Voyager or the characters within, they are the sole property of Paramount and CBS. I just have some fun. Enjoy.

Vanished

Where & Why

"Why?" she whispered to herself as she stood at the main window in her newly assigned apartment on Earth. It had been a repeated theme ever since the news of his disappearance had reached her. One minute he'd been taking part in Starfleet's round of PR interviews with FNN and the next he'd gone – vanished.

The worried female sighed and hugged herself as she struggled to understand where and why he'd left without any word to her or anyone, that was what worried her the most.

They had been on Earth for almost three months, the debriefings long over for most of the crew; only the command team had had to endure it a little longer and then the PR interviews with the popular chat shows had started straight after; leaving everyone within the 'Family' feeling these interviews went on almost morning, noon and night; and now he'd gone.

The strident cry of her newborn daughter had her putting aside her troubled thoughts on her lost friend to deal with more immediate and pressing needs. It was after she'd re-settled the young child that her husband came home and his tired expression did nothing to calm her.

"Dad's doing all he can, Lanna," he informed her softly, mindful of her emotional needs as well as that of their daughter's. "He's calling a meeting of the 'Family' in the morning to let us know what the facts are at this present time," he informed her, holding her close to him.

"He promised he'd always be there for me, Tom," she said anxiously, cuddling close to him. He rested his chin on her head his arms wrapped around her. This silent gesture of comfort meant more to her than any amount of words he could have spoken. Their sleep that night wasn't peaceful as their daughter demanded their loving attention, yet it was reasonable for they couldn't really worry about what they didn't know.

=/\=

At Admiral Paris' home after an anxious breakfast the following morning most of the Voyager 'Family' – those who were still on Earth – gathered with mixed emotions to hear about their missing friend. Miral was absconded in the arms of her Grandmother whilst her parents joined the 'Family'.

"Where's Janeway?" someone asked.

"I suggested that she remain in her current duty schedule. Starfleet Admiralty – as a whole; isn't exactly falling over themselves to find our missing friend," Owen Paris informed them. Like most of those gathered he was out of uniform, yet Torres noted that his body language spoke loudly of his command status as an Admiral; she smiled to herself as she stood beside her husband whom she could feel was trying hard not to bristle at his father's unconscious attitude.

"Relax, Flyboy," she whispered lovingly into his ear.

"Doctor your report please," Owen said to their EMH.

"Certainly Admiral," he acknowledged, clearing his throat he informed them that their missing persons had been at Starfleet Medical prior to his disappearance; being treated for injuries sustained in a mugging. "The second of such incidents; the first was a very serious one. Both hospitalisations took place when Admiral Janeway was being interviewed by FNN, with the popular chat show host Mark Kelsea as per Starfleet's PR schedule."

"But Doctor both those broadcasts clearly showed the Commander was there," noted Dalby frowning puzzled, by this news.

"He was in hospital being treated for a sustained physical attack by a person or persons unknown," the EMH said firmly.

"If your next question is have they been caught? No they have not," Owen Paris said, his face reflecting the sense of injustice that all in attendance were expressing in various ways. "There has been no formal identification of the perpetrators' at this stage," he added worriedly.

"Will they be caught and identified?" a voice asked tightly.

"I don't know." That honest reply tinged with regret surprised his son – Tom, this was something new for him to contemplate about his father.

"Does anyone know if someone – other than the Doctor – visited Chakotay at Starfleet Medical?" the calm voice of Ayala asked.

"That is unknown as it appears the internal sensors weren't working for a time and the general nursing staff were busy elsewhere. It was only when the EMH went to check on his patient that we discovered him missing."

"Sensor blackout and lack of staff, rather convenient!" noted Dalby softly.

"So he could have slipped out at anytime, between the Doc's visits," Tom noted; his father nodded affirmation.

"The question remains why and where?" Torres said.

"Neither question has any positive answers at this moment, only more questions and dead ends."

No-one said anything to that as she'd only expressed vocally what they were all asking of themselves and Paris senior had only confirmed what they already suspected about this affair.

"I'm sure it has something to do with that question and that glance between them every time it's asked," said Dalby his tone sour.

"It would have been better if Starfleet hadn't ordered the Command Team to do these interviews at all," Mariah Henley injected bitterly.

"Indeed," sighed Paris senior.

"Why couldn't Starfleet have left that subject to our debriefings; what did they hope to gain?" Sam Wildman asked anxiously, her husband at her side. "They even asked Naomi about their sleeping arrangements."

"They did! What did she tell them?" his tone gruff and indignant at his fellow Admirals.

"She said they had their own quarters like everyone else," responded the Ktarian male using the same inflections in his voice that were known characteristics of his daughter; making many smile.

"Of all the betting pools we had on Voyager there is only one that remains unclaimed to this date. Yes, Tom?" Ayala asked. Paris junior nodded confirmation. No-one needed the subject matter of 'that' pool to be voiced or clarified for they all knew what it was and that it was the largest too.

Silence descended on the group as they contemplated all that had happened to them and especially the Command Team since Voyager's return. Admiral Paris informed them that he would keep them all up-dated when any new information came to light and suggested that they all keep their eyes and ears open to any new leads on the questions posed today and to keep in touch as discreetly as possible; as it appeared there were elements within Starfleet that felt either threaten by Voyager's unexpected return or just some within the crew - Family. Thus they soon left to go about their new daily activities none the wiser as to their friends whereabouts or why Starfleet wanted a certain question answered.

=/\=

The letter when it arrived was eagerly read by its recipient more than once and although her father-in-law asked no-one was sure how it had arrived at his Pathfinder office.

"With so many people coming and going about their normal duties, it could have been slipped in by any one person or more," he noted puzzled. "Does he say where he is?" he asked hopefully and yet wasn't that surprised when she shook her head.

"Can't say I blame him," noted Tom gently as he rocked his daughter.

"It does mean I can't reply to him."

"You mean tell him off!" her husband quipped with a knowing smile. At first she scowled at him, which soon soften into a gentle smile as she settled down to avidly read the letter again, although by now she knew it word for word.

When a second letter arrived a few days later, she read it just as eagerly as the first, but something there caused her some disquiet, even Tom felt it lacked something. Thus when a third letter arrived via the usual postal system, Torres marched into Admiralty and let them know with very strong verbal words how she felt about these two latest letters.

"I know how he writes and it's not like this," slamming the letters down on the desk in front of Admiral Hayes. He was the main liaison officer who'd been dealing with the Voyager crew since their return, rather than the Pathfinder project; as its leading officer was considered too close to the crew to be objective enough. She had not waited for him to call her into his office she'd just marched in unannounced.

"If you think this trivial will get me to reveal where he is, you can think again. So leave me alone," she growled and stormed out of the man's office; leaving behind a rather stunned and bemused Admiral Hayes.

=/\=