Chapter 5
"Well, personally Stacey, I just see this as a father trying to ensure the safety and well-being of his impressionable young son"
"So you don't think this counts as kidnapping?"
"Absolutely not. The child is only going to be taught how to lie and how to disregard the word of God by this actress. And the father isn't putting up with it, I mean, as a father myself, I wouldn't put up with it"
"So you believe that he has done this in order to save the child from whatever moral implications a continued relationship with his mother would bring to his life as he grows up?"
"First of all, this isn't "the child", it is "his" child. And secondly, Stacey, as this child's father it is his responsibility to ensure that his child is raised in a moral and Christian household. And if that means removing the child permanently from his adulterous, homosexual mother then so be it…"
//
"Darla, what do you think of Jack Ryan disappearing with his son? This is illegal isn't it, this is kidnapping"
"Well, Henry, I think it's disgraceful. And if that man thinks he will be allowed to keep the child after this then he's got another thing coming. It is reckless and irresponsible and I can only hope that the child is safe"
//
"Professor Leila Phillips, you're an expert in family law, and you've been involved in many, many child custody cases. What do you think of the actions of Jeri Ryan's husband and do you think that him taking the child without his mother's consent will affect his chances of winning full custody of the four-year-old child?"
"I think before we can even contemplate what will happen in court, authorities need to establish the location of the child and get him back to Los Angeles so that he can be reunited with his mother.
God only knows the distress and the worry that young actress is going through right now. And she does not deserve it. She had an affair. But she does not deserve to have her child stolen from her, and that child does not deserve to be put at risk by a father hellbent on revenge"
//
"Josh, you were saying before that Paramount bosses had a real fight on their hands this week after Jeri refused to turn up for filming. This was after all the criticism that her and fellow actress Kate Mulgrew had received at the studios own hands, and now it seems that the studio is paying for it.
How do you think the television show Star Trek Voyager can survive now if Jeri Ryan doesn't come back, and do you think that her partner Kate may end up quitting the show as well?"
"I don't think Kate will quit but without Jeri, the show may be dead anyway…"
//
On various television sets placed at random around the warehouselike building of studio eighteen, the cast and crew of Star Trek Voyager listened to breaking news regarding their absentees colleague's young son, who had reportedly been taken out of state and to an undisclosed location by his father, Jack Ryan.
In the large, expensively furnished office of Paramount Pictures chief executive, producers and directors were desperately trying to formulate ideas for how they could convince "key asset", Jeri Ryan, who they had criticised and humiliated and taken entirely for granted, to return to filming.
In an unfurnished apartment in Seattle in Washington state, four-year-old Alex Ryan was asking his father where his toys were, and whether his mother would be visiting soon.
Alone in her trailer with her own news however, Kate Mulgrew did not know to call her partner Jeri, who wept alone and in anguish in their bedroom.
Oblivious to the younger woman's worsening plight, Kate sat in tremulous excitement.
She also had news.
"Stay where you are. She will call you on this number shortly after I hang up."
Aged twenty-two, Kate had given birth to a baby girl out of wedlock, and upon her own mother's advice, given the child up for adoption.
This had been a decision she had regretted almost immediately afterwards, but there had been no reprieve. The Catholic organisation to which she had surrendered the child had not allowed the desperate and heartbroken young mother to be reunited with her baby.
Many years and enquiries and private investigations later, twenty-one-year-old Danielle Gaudette had similarly enquired as to the whereabouts and identity of her biological mother.
Having been absent from the set for a week, Jeri Ryan's character Seven of Nine had been hastily written out of the episode which was currently being filmed and Kate had lamented Jeri's absence, but never more so than at that moment.
She was desperate to share what she hoped would be very good news with her younger partner this evening therefore.
But as she waited in a sort of emotional limbo, unsure whether her daughter would indeed call her as the adoption reconnection agency had indeed promised, and unsure whether indeed she deserved to be happy after wilfully giving up her child and now having a chance to reconnect with that child, Kate felt Jeri's soothing presence in the glittering dust motes and in the warm evening air.
Jeri's presence would soothe and comfort her. But she would also feel her judgement...
As the younger woman spent her time hooked to the phone at Kate's home and rooted to the spot in the offices of her and Jack's lawyers, fighting what felt like a losing battle for the right to maintain close contact with her only child, Kate sat in awe of the world, still wondering how it was possible that she could soon be rebuilding a relationship with the daughter she had long ago surrendered to strangers.
The shrill sound of the ringer rang. Kate's heart stilled. It then raced.
A weak hand lifted the receiver.
Her throat was dry but her voice was gentle.
"…… Hello?"
There was a momentary pause in which Kate felt her heart had stopped completely. Then another voice spoke...
"…… Is this Kate?"
The young woman on the phone similarly spoke softly but with an air of youth and interest.
"Hi honey…" Kate gushed weakly in response.
Tears rushed to fill Kate's eyes as her voice broke away. She fought to maintain composure. Her heart raced, body trembled and her expression contorted. Already she feared she had made a mistake in calling Danielle "honey"and she chastised herself silently.
"… Hey…… How are you?" Came the youthful voice nervously a second time.
Beginning finally to grin wider than she felt her face could tolerate at the sweet sound of her lost daughter's voice, Kate stifled her sobs and began her first conversation with her already grown-up birth daughter.
"I'm good, baby… I'm really good, how are you doing?"
"… I'm okay……"
Her mind flooding with questions and pronouncements, Kate's expression fell to one of extreme sorrow as she prepared herself to apologise for the first time for the decision she had made as a young actress.
Simultaneously sweating and shivering, Kate began, "… Danielle, honey I'm so sorry, I -"
Her chest heaving with emotion, she was interrupted.
"I've been fine… I have a great family… I have a sister who was adopted as well… W- we have all been really happy… "
The young woman's voice faltered a little bit but her tone was confident and strong.
However her interruption suggested that she did not want to hear an apology at this time.
Kate wanted to weep. Her heart had swelled with happiness but had broken with guilt.
The relief she felt at knowing that the child she had in her heart called "Phoebe" had been raised by a family who had loved her and cared for her, as she and her then partner had each refused to do, felt both overwhelming and devastating.
She was jealous of the twenty-one years she had missed. And she hated herself for her jealousy. But she had chosen to pursue an acting career without the inconvenience of having a child, and her choice to surrender Danielle had been a selfish one.
Allowing the baby girl to leave her care, she felt she had not only deprived Danielle of a biological mother but had put her at risk of being adopted by monsters. But from the young woman's own words, she was happy. And the only part Kate had played in her happiness was by removing the newborn Baby Girl Mulgrew from her life.
"… I'm so pleased, honey…… I really, I…"
As Kate struggled to continue a conversation where she wanted to say and explain so much, but knew it was too early and that it was not the right time, Danielle helped her out. From the sound of scuffles over the phone, she had with feeling the young woman was not alone.
"… I've seen that I have two young brothers. What are they like?"
Kate blinked and wondered unintelligently how Danielle could have discovered this information as the young woman elaborated, "I've seen them on TV… I've not seen everything… It was actually my friend who recognised you… Well, she recognised your face…"
Slowly Kate began to understand. She fell mute with utter embarrassment, burying her face in her hand.
"… I've not seen Star Trek Voyager but I've seen pictures of Seven of Nine……… And I saw pictures of the both of you… You guys look very pretty…"
Her face wet from her silent streams of tears, Kate removed her hand from her mouth.
Danielle was very chatty. Perhaps she was nervous, Kate wondered, but it suited her just fine as she took long pauses to compose herself, struggling not to whimper into the phone.
"… Your brothers are wonderful. And they've been looking forward to meeting you since they were children……" related Kate delicately.
Taking several more deep breaths, she continued, "Would that be something you would be interested in doing, meeting your brothers… Meeting me…?"
Kate suddenly felt extremely apprehensive as though she had just made another mistake.
She hastened to clarify her meaning.
"Of course honey, I'm not trying to rush things, I just meant, when you were ready maybe… Maybe you would like to meet us…"
"…… Can I bring my boyfriend?"
Kate laughed, her face sodden but glowing with happiness. She forgot the multiple dimensions of her guilt and simply embraced the feeling of joy which had came over her.
"Honey, you can bring as many boyfriends as you wish…"
Still smiling when she eventually came to ending the telephone call, Kate wondered what she had done to deserve such happiness.
"…… Wait a second, Kate?"
"Yes, Sweetie" the actress replied, gleaming, eager to tell her partner Jeri her news in spite of the younger woman's less than happy situation, "… What is it honey?"
".... I've just glanced at the news... It's about Jeri's son..."