STAR TREK: VOYAGER
What Comes After… Part
II
An Original J/7 Voyager Story
Ó2007 by Patricia L.
Givens
September 2007
Disclaimer #1: This
story is an original work of fiction set in the pre-existing universe of Star
Trek: Voyager. As such, many of the
characters and references used within belong solely to Paramount Pictures. I have borrowed them for the purpose of
creating this scenario and promise to return them unscathed, and smiling, as
soon as I am done. No gain, monetary or
otherwise, is expected from their use and no copyright infringement is intended
or should be inferred.
Disclaimer #2: All
original characters and storylines contained herein belong to the author. (Like
anyone else would claim them! ) This story may be archived upon request with
the stipulation that it must be posted exactly as it was written, with all
disclaimers intact.
Disclaimer #3: This
story depicts a romantic relationship between two women. Some scenes may be graphic but lovingly
so. If this bothers you then you can
take a flying fuck at a rolling jelly donut.
If you are under 18 please close your eyes when you see a dirty word
(Woops, don’t read the sentence before this one.) If this is illegal where you live then you
really need to ask yourself if it’s time to move out of your mother’s house…
Who To Blame: Thanks must go out to
Ky for coming up with all new ways to insult me. (Please notice that this story is almost completely
hyphen free.) As well as to Andrea for beating
the beta bush. Thanks to The Janeway/Seven Faction, The Voyager Conspiracy, Ralst,
Sazzy (For the inspiration), Beachbum because her stories are beautiful,
Traevlr for showing where the cool kids hang out, aw61 for getting me woefully
addicted to Motivators (I told you I would work the chin thing in there
somewhere!) and the multitudes of mailing lists I have found myself on. And thanks to GL Dartt… Just Because…
This is dedicated to Kristen (My Boo), for showing me it
really can be like this.
There is a potty mouth warning in effect. Sorry, it fit. (And yes, I blushed)
No furniture was harmed during the writing of this story,
but ‘dining room table’ took on a whole new meaning…
DAx =/\=
.
“She just reached in
and put a string of lights
around my heart.”
Chapter One: Coming Home
Seven of
Nine, former Tertiary Adjunct to the Unimatrix 01… was nervous.
It was not
an emotion she was familiar with, nor was it one she appreciated. She glanced down at the small form sitting
next to her on the shuttle.
Admiral
Kathryn Janeway was reclining back in her seat, her eyes closed as her breath
moved evenly through her delicately shaped nose. This was the woman who had braved the Borg
Queen twice and the most ferocious fighting sect in the Alpha Quadrant, to save
her.
She was
asleep.
Seven felt
her heart swell almost painfully as she watched her, wondering how perfection
could come in such a small package.
Reaching
out, she traced the noble jaw line and strong chin with her fingertips before
caressing her cheek.
“Like what
you see?” Janeway smiled, not opening
her eyes.
“No.” Seven replied evenly, causing the admiral to
blink and look at her questioningly. “I
love what I see.”
The older
woman gave her a shy, happy smile and leaned over to kiss her before closing
her eyes again. They would be in the air
for another thirty minutes, and then they would be home.
Kathryn’s
home.
It was a
place Seven had never seen before, but one she had wondered about often. What would it look like? How would it feel to be there? And, most importantly, how long was she going
to be staying?
It wasn’t
something they had discussed as of yet and it was that uncertainty that was
causing her apprehension. Since she had
parted ways with Chakotay, she had had little time to give any thought to where
she would live. She knew where she
wanted to be, with Kathryn. Startled,
she realized she had not yet voiced her opinion on the matter and decided to do
so immediately upon their arrival.
The shuttle
finally set down at Starfleet Headquarters where a hover car was waiting to
take them to Kathryn’s house. They rode
in silence. Janeway was in full Admiral
Mode and Seven respected it. Kathryn was
a very private person by nature and she did not want to add fuel to the already
out of control gossip mill that had surrounded her since their return to the
Alpha Quadrant four months earlier.
It was a
short ride and when the hover car pulled to a stop, Seven stepped out to study
the building before her analytically. It
was an attractive two story structure, constructed of deep red brick and
mortar. The front was lined with a
series of tall trees that blocked much of the view from the street.
The ensign
that had served as their driver pulled their bags from the vehicle and left
them at the door as instructed. When he
had gone, Kathryn took her hand and smiled.
She keyed the lock pad and motioned for her to go inside before she
grabbed up the bags and tossed them into the entryway. Closing the door behind her, she turned and
wrapped the tall blonde up in her arms, sighing contentedly before drawing her
head down for a kiss.
“Welcome
home.” She whispered.
The Borg
looked down at her, a soft smile curling the corners of her mouth. Gently, she rubbed the back of her fingers
across the admiral’s lips.
They were
interrupted by a chirping sound from the other side of the room. Janeway sighed and squeezed her one last time
before letting her go. “I have
messages. Let me go take care of them.”
As Kathryn
worked at her desk PADD, Seven slowly walked around the room. She ran her hands over the elegant furniture,
thinking how perfectly it fit Kathryn’s taste.
Some of the statues and mementos on the shelves were fascinating, while
others were familiar. She could remember
having seen them before, in the Captain’s quarters on Voyager.
Suddenly,
the sensation of finally being there broke through her calm and she felt her
senses heighten acutely. That was when
she noticed it.
Kathryn’s
scent.
It was
everywhere. The light, musky lavender
that she had come to know and adore permeated the entire dwelling, causing her
head to swim momentarily as desire sharpened within her. They had only made love once and her body
remembered the encounter perfectly, without the need of her eidetic
memory. She flushed hotly as she
recalled the feel of Kathryn’s hands on her body, of Kathryn’s lips on her
breasts…
Swallowing,
she felt her pulse quicken as her breathing became shallow. The sound of her own heart pounded loudly in
her ears as she walked over, coming up behind the smaller woman to wrap her
arms tightly about her waist and bury her face in her neck, biting lightly at
the pulse that beat just beneath the skin.
“Seven!”
The panic
in Janeway’s voice caught her attention and she glanced up. It took her a moment to realize she was
looking directly into the face of an attractive older woman who was staring
back at her through the vid screen. She
recognized the refined features immediately.
“Well…” Gretchen Janeway blinked several times as
though she was trying to clear her vision.
“I get the impression that a lot of things changed while you were
away. I can’t wait to hear all about
them. I think a visit home is in order.”
“I’m not
sure when we’ll be able to…” Janeway
began.
“Kathryn
Elizabeth Janeway!” Her mother raised
one finger at her. Seven was immediately
captivated, understanding from whom Kathryn had inherited not only her hands,
but her mannerisms as well. “Don’t you
even try to tell me you don’t have a
huge amount of leave saved up after seven solid years of service. I expect to see you here by the day after tomorrow. We’ll have a nice visit, just the three of
us, unless I can persuade your sister to come back from
“You don’t
have to do that, Mom!” Janeway rushed. “No need to bother her in the middle of one
of her exhibits. We’ll see you the day
after tomorrow.”
She said
goodbye quickly and closed the link, sighing as she turned in Seven’s embrace
to give her a dry look. “Not exactly the
way I imagined introducing you to my mother.”
“I
apologize, Kathryn.” The Borg leaned in
and kissed her. “There is just… so much of you
here…”
Janeway
broke off the kiss to catch her breath.
She looked into Seven’s eyes and it left her again when she saw that the
love there was darkened by an almost desperate desire. Need rolled off the younger woman like waves
of heat as her body shook with barely contained passion. Kathryn understood and she nodded almost
imperceptibly.
Seven saw
it and gave in to the emotions that were threatening to immolate her. She kissed Kathryn hard, pushing her back
against the wall as her hands came up to tear her sweater open, throwing it
aside as she reached for the belt at her waist.
Once she had it unfastened, she picked the older woman up and sat her on
the edge of the desk, pulling her slacks and undergarments off her legs. She stepped back just long enough to tear the
biosuit from her own body before sliding between her legs again and kissing her
possessively.
Janeway
wrapped her fingers into the Borg’s pale golden hair, freeing it from it’s
confinement as Seven’s lips closed on her neck, raising a trail of red marks as
she worked her way down to take one nipple into her mouth. Kathryn groaned as teeth bit down firmly on
her swollen flesh. She felt moisture
flood out from between her legs and gasped when the younger woman threw her
head back, her nostrils flaring.
In one
fluid movement, Seven slid her Borg enhanced left arm under Kathryn’s buttocks
and lifted her from the desk. She felt
strong legs encircle her waist as she slipped her other hand between their
bodies to tangle briefly in dampened curls before dipping lower to slide firmly
between the thickly moistened folds of her lover’s sex.
Janeway
cried out as Seven’s fingers rubbed briefly over her clit before burying
themselves deeply inside of her. For a
moment, they were both still as the Borg reveled in the tightening muscles
surrounding her fingers, then she began to move, lifting her up and back,
grinding against her with her pelvis as she controlled their rhythm with the
strength of her left arm.
Kathryn
wrapped her arms around Seven’s neck, moaning in pleasure as she gave up
control, letting the younger woman set the pace as she undulated her hips
against the fullness inside of her.
The
sensations were intense, the contact constant and sweet; the skin under her
hands slick with sweat as Seven’s muscles clenched with her exertions. Small grunts were the only sounds the Borg
made as she increased her tempo, lifting Kathryn higher before pulling her back
down. Her fingers flexed deep inside,
looking for and finding all the places that she had memorized from their first
encounter, playing her fingers over them, relishing the sounds of passion they
pulled from her lover’s lips.
“Dear… god…
Seven!” Kathryn began to shake uncontrollably
from the exquisite sensations the younger woman was creating within her. Her fingertips dug into Seven’s shoulders as
she whispered, “Harder… fuck me harder…”
The
vulgarity tore through Seven like a bolt of lightning. She pushed Kathryn back onto the desk,
leaning over her to capture a nipple between her lips as she used the lower
half of her body to thrust into her, bringing her thumb up to play across the
swollen bundle of nerves at the apex of her cleft.
Janeway
leaned on her elbows, her head thrown back as she cried out her pleasure. “Oh…god….Seven….oh…!” She closed her eyes tightly as the strongest
orgasm she had ever felt rocketed through her, making her grind her teeth
together and causing stars to swim in the darkness behind her eyelids. “Oh… my… GOD… SEVEN!” She knew she was screaming but she couldn’t
help it. Her muscles contracted almost
painfully and she hung there, caught at the very peak until the waves of
release crashed over her and she slid back, falling heavily onto the desk.
Seven
withdrew her fingers and slowly wiped them across Kathryn’s lips before kissing
her with a hunger that was not yet sated.
She glanced up, seeing the dining room table a few feet away. She picked her lover up and carried her over
to it, laying her down and spreading her thighs to bury her face between her
legs. She suckled the small bundle of
nerves ferociously, joyously, as she felt the delicious nectar flow down her
chin.
Kathryn
grabbed Seven’s head with one hand, holding her firmly in place as she used her
other arm as leverage to lift her hips off the glass tabletop. She was amazed when she felt another wave
growing within her even stronger than the first. Her body shook with the force of it as the
vibrations echoed out from between her legs, causing her toes to curl and roots
of her hair to tingle. When the crest
finally broke, she knew she was crying out loudly but she couldn’t hear herself
over the pounding of her own heart. She
fell back limply, closing her eyes as her head swam from the force of her
release.
She wasn’t
sure how long she was out, but when she came to her senses, Seven was resting
her cheek on her thigh as she gently kissed and nuzzled the tender flesh
between her legs. She laughed weakly and
stroked her lover’s pale golden hair.
“You are incredible.” She
whispered. Sitting up, she gently lifted
the younger woman’s face to hers with her fingertips. She kissed her softly, tasting herself and
saltiness of the tears that rolled unchecked down Seven’s cheeks. “Come here.”
She wrapped
her lover up in her arms and held her quietly as she wept.
“Will it…
always be like this?” Seven whispered,
her voice catching.
“If we’re
lucky.” Kathryn slid off the table and
pulled the Borg to her feet. “And you
know luck has always been a good friend of mine.” She could feel Seven’s need vibrating through
her body but instinct told her the young woman needed something much different
for her own release. “Come with me.”
She took
Seven by the hand and led her up the stairs to the bedroom. Laying her out on the bed, she stretched out
next to her and linked one leg lightly through the long ones trembling beside
her. She kissed her gently, using her
lips and tongue to convey her love as her fingertips traced patterns across
Seven’s chest. She trailed them lightly
across the full breasts and the tight stomach, running them in between the
bands that crossed over her midsection.
When the younger woman was able to breathe easily again, she took one
nipple between her lips and rolled her tongue over it, feeling Seven relax into
the pleasure building inside of her.
Reaching
down, she ran her hand up the inside of one smooth, firm thigh, shocked at the
amount of moisture she found and by how far down her thighs it had
traveled. Kissing her way down the long,
lanky body, she moved her tongue slowly into Seven’s flesh, finding the ridge
of nerves that was swollen and distended.
She suckled it gently with her lips and tongue as the body beneath her
began to move.
Everything
was slow, sensual, exquisitely soft and loving and Seven’s hips moved in a lazy
tempo, keeping time with her ministrations as the passion built up inside of
her. It wasn’t long before she felt her
lover’s body go rigid, felt her hands tangle tightly in the sheets beneath her
and the soft sounds of a gentle release fell from her lips. Kissing the swollen flesh one last time, she
traveled back up Seven’s body to wrap herself around her.
“Thank
you.” Seven whispered, nuzzling the
auburn locks beneath her lips.
Janeway
laughed. “Thank you! That was quite an
ambush!”
The younger
woman flushed. “I do not know what
happened to me. One moment I was
admiring your furnishings and the next moment the only thing I could think of
was being inside of you. I apologize.”
“No,
no. You can ambush me anytime you feel
like it.” She tugged at the sheets,
pulling them up to wrap around them both.
“Are you tired?”
“I am
weary. It has been a very eventful
week.” She rolled them over so that she
could spoon the admiral from behind.
“But as it has led to a most pleasing series of events, I do not feel
that I can ever regret it.”
Kathryn
pulled the arm around her stomach tighter, relishing the warm skin that pressed
up against the entire back of her body.
“I regret that you were hurt. I
swear to you, I won’t ever let that happen again.”
There was
only a mumbled reply and Kathryn realized that her Borg had already
succumbed to her tiredness. Smiling
contentedly, she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.
* * * * * * * * * *
Seven of
Nine slowly opened her eyes, taking in the room around her as she shifted
slightly against the warm form in her arms.
Kathryn’s bedroom.
A small
smile curled her lips as she remembered the events from the previous
evening. Part of her had feared that the
admiral’s want of her would have been sated after their initial sexual
encounter. This was one of the few times
she had ever found pleasure in being wrong.
Her body
shook slightly as she thought of the passion they had shared and her nerve
endings cried out to be touched again, but she did not want to wake her
companion. Kathryn had sustained serious
damage to herself during the rescue and while the injuries had been repaired,
rest was still required to complete her recovery.
Instead,
she occupied her time by studying the objects scattered about the room. The small items that her lover found too
personal to store in the more widely visited parts of her domicile. There were many books on the shelves as well
as plaques calling out to various achievements.
The most incongruous item she saw was a small stuffed bear that held what
had to be a place of honor on the night table next to the bed. It was threadbare in many places and was
missing one of the buttons that were meant to represent its eyes. Reaching out, she touched it.
“You found
Boo.”
The words
were uttered in an adorably lazy voice and Seven looked down at Kathryn,
thinking her beautiful with tousled hair and sleepy eyes. “Boo?”
“Yes.” The admiral rolled them over and grabbed up
the bear, setting it on the Borg’s ample chest.
“Mister Boo, this is Seven of Nine.
She’ll be occupying your place for the rest of my life. Hope you don’t mind.”
The younger
woman looked at her curiously, making her chuckle.
“I used to
cuddle with Boo when I was a child. He
helped me relax and fall asleep.”
“Ahh.” Seven kissed her softly on the nose. “So now I am to be your ‘Boo’?”
“I
certainly hope so.” She put the bear
back. “If you want to.”
The Borg
heard the tentative note in her voice and squeezed her gently. “I do.”
She took a deep breath. “I would
like to stay here with you, if you will allow it.”
“Allow it?”
Kathryn lifted her head and gave Seven a long, sweet kiss. “I expect it.
We just have to figure out where we’re going to put your alcove. I think that corner over there is a good
spot.”
“It is an
excellent vantage point for watching me regenerate while you are reclined in
bed.”
“My
thoughts exactly.” She began to slide her
hands across Seven’s stomach lightly as she snuggled one knee between the
blondes pale thighs.
“State your
intentions.”
Kathryn
looked up at the beautiful face of her lover, aware of the change in
respiration that caused her perfect breasts to begin rising and falling more
quickly. “I think you know what my
intentions are.”
“Indeed.” Seven kissed her passionately, her lips
opening to allow the gently seeking tongue entrance into her mouth. At the same time, her thighs parted, allowing
the older woman’s knee to rest more fully against her tender flesh.
“Mmmm.” The admiral pulled away reluctantly. “As much as I would like to continue this, I
really need a shower.”
“Your
shower will wait.” The Borg said firmly,
raising one hand to cover her lover’s breast.
Janeway
laughed. “Why don’t you join me? I’ll wash your hair. It’s one of the small pleasures in life that
I would love to share with you.”
Intrigued,
Seven allowed her to climb out of bed and followed her into the bathroom,
watching closely as she turned the knobs and checked the temperature of the
water that ran down in a cascade from the showerhead.
Kathryn
pointed to a tiled bench in the corner of the large stall. “Get yourself wet and then go sit over
there.”
One eyebrow
raised, Seven did as she was told. When
Janeway stepped into the shower with her, she found herself fascinated by the
way the water moved over her body, gathering into waterfalls that fell from her
breasts in small torrents. She continued
to watch as her lover filled her palm with liquid from a dispenser and turned
to her.
“Ok, lower
your head just a bit.” Kathryn rubbed
her hands together and then slid them into the golden mane, using her
fingertips to massage her scalp gently.
“Oh.” The Borg took a quick breath, her entire body
tingling from the feel of those long elegant fingers playing in her hair. “That is… very enjoyable.” From her seat she was in the perfect position
to take a plump nipple into her mouth and she did so with great enthusiasm.
“Yes,”
Janeway breathed. “It is.” She continued massaging her hands through the
mass of golden hair even as she felt her back arch to press her breasts more
firmly against Seven’s questing mouth.
She found she had to focus intently on her task otherwise she would
cease moving altogether.
The younger
woman brought her other hand up and cupped the admiral’s left buttock, using it
to pull her closer. The combined
sensations did much to stimulate her desire and she bit down firmly on the
nipple between her teeth, making Kathryn gasp softly.
“I think we
need to get the soap out of your hair… now.”
She purred.
Seven rose
and allowed the water to flow over her until all of the suds were gone. Then she stood expectantly as the older woman
grabbed a bar of scented soap and worked up a good lather. When Janeway moved towards her, she began to
shake, anticipating the feel of the warm hands on her wet skin.
It was more
than she was ready for.
The beloved
hands and fingers moved over her, smooth and slick, creating a heat between
them that she would not have though possible without friction. They touched her everywhere, paying extra
attention to the nipples that were jutting out, swollen in their need, before
sliding around across her back and buttocks.
Finally, they moved around to the front of her body and slid between her
legs.
“Oh
my.” Janeway breathed, feeling the
slicker than soap moisture already gathered there. Losing herself in the feel of her lover, she
allowed her fingers to play firmly across her swollen ridge, encouraged by the
soft moans emanating from Seven’s lips.
The Borg
placed both of her hands against the shower walls, trying to hold herself up as
her legs became weak. When Kathryn
finally ceased playing and entered her in one smooth movement, her head fell
back against the wall and she groaned. “Yes… please… ”
The admiral
smiled, taking one nipple between her lips as her hand snaked around Seven’s
back to pull her more fully against her.
She felt the powerful hips start to surge and she lost all control,
devouring her breasts as she thrust faster and harder into the warmth at her
fingertips.
“Kath…ryn….” Seven was having a hard time breathing and
standing erect but she held on, not wanting to lose the exquisite feeling of
the slippery body moving against hers.
When her orgasm hit, it was hard and strong, sending her senses reeling
as she crushed her lover’s body to her.
“Oh…Kathryn…OH!”
Kathryn
didn’t stop. She felt the muscles around
her fingers convulse wildly, felt the strong arms around her tighten but still
she continued. “Seven...” She said in a wicked whisper. “I know you have one more for me… I want to feel you come again.”
Seven began
to shake wildly, Kathryn’s words doing as much to push her towards a second
release as her hands were. As she felt
it build, she brought her mouth to Janeway’s neck, biting down on the soft
flesh, leaving a red mark behind before moving to capture the older woman’s
lips. The kiss was hot, almost harsh,
lips pressed together in mutual need as Seven groaned her second release into
her mouth before sliding back down onto the bench, her body shaking as the
waves of pleasure moved through her and finally subsided.
“Do you
wash your own hair in this fashion?” She
asked weakly.
The admiral
chuckled. “For seven long years.”
The Borg looked
up at her, her intent plain on her face and the older woman had no time to
react before she was pressed up against the back of the shower stall, her legs
spread with Seven kneeling between them.
“Oh my
god!” She gasped as her lover’s velvet
tongue captured her bundle of nerves and two fingers slid smoothly inside of
her. She laid her palms on Seven’s
shoulders as the younger woman suckled her with wild abandon, her fingers
thrusting into the slick channel with a firmness that met her need and enflamed
it to new levels. She wound her fingers
into Seven’s hair as the Borg cupped her buttocks and pulled her hips forward
to meet her fingers, her tongue never losing contact with the hard ridge of
nerves that was singing with pleasure.
“Oh god… oh
god… OH GOD!” Janeway’s cries were
amplified by the close quarters and she wondered briefly if she was going to be
hearing from her neighbors but then decided she didn’t really give a damn as
Seven’s fingers found the spot within her that made her lose the ability to
think altogether. “OH SEVEN…YES!”
Seven
didn’t hear her. She was lost in the
movements of Kathryn’s body and the gentle feel of the water cascading down off
her back. But when the strong hips
bucked wildly and then began to shake uncontrollably, she knew her lover was
close. She thrust one last time, pushing
in as far as she could before she flexed her fingers strongly, feeling
Kathryn’s release as it flowed out and down her palm. Leaning back, she gently withdrew and brought
her fingers to her mouth, trying to lick the moisture from them before it was
washed away.
Janeway stroked
the blonde head gently. “I love you,
Seven.” She whispered, drawing the
younger woman up to kiss her passionately.
“And I love
you as well.” The Borg smiled. “I am glad that you convinced me to allow you
to shower.”
“I’m going
to need a shower to recover from our shower.”
She laughed. “Come on, let’s
finish getting cleaned up. I think I’ve
worked up an appetite.”
“Agreed.”
They
lathered and rinsed each other off, taking a few moments here and there to
tease each other in the process, before exiting the shower and drying each
other with large, fluffy towels.
The admiral
pulled on a silk robe and replicated another for Seven and then took her hand,
leading her down the stairs to the kitchen.
She ordered a pot of coffee and an omelette then turned to the younger
woman. “What would you like to eat? I’m afraid I don’t have ‘Nutritional
Supplement #18’ programmed into this replicator.”
“An
oversight, no doubt.” Seven programmed
in a small bowl of oatmeal and they sat at the kitchen table, both of them
enjoying the comfortable silence that fell over them as they ate their meal.
“You know,”
Janeway drained her cup and put the dishes back into the replicator to be
recycled. “We’re going to have to get
you some clothing appropriate for winter in
Seven
stiffened and looked away.
“What’s
wrong?” She sat down again and took her
hand gently.
The Borg
looked at her apprehensively. “What will
occur if your family does not approve of me?”
“Seven,”
She squeezed the younger woman’s hand.
“My family is going to love you.”
“You cannot
be sure of that. I was Borg. I cause uneasiness in most individuals.”
“Well, I
think you will find that my mother is not like most individuals.” She laughed.
“In fact, she isn’t like anyone else I’ve ever met. She won’t care what you were. All she’ll care about
is who you are now. And what you are to
me.”
Seven
looked into the blue gray eyes filled with warmth and love and allowed herself
to relax slightly. “I desire her
approval.” She leaned her forehead
against Janeway’s and sighed.
“I know,
love. I would feel the same way if we
were going to meet your mother.”
“If we were
going to meet my mother you would not be feeling anything at all.” Seven quipped, making the older woman laugh.
“You’re
developing quite a sense of humor.”
“I have
found it helpful when dealing with Starfleet Captains…and Admirals.”
Janeway
smiled and leaned closer, bringing their lips together in a rapidly deepening
kiss. When she felt Seven’s arms
encircle her, drawing her into a tight embrace, she broke the kiss off
regretfully. “As much as I hate to say
it, we have a lot of things to get done before we head to
The Borg
let out an exaggerated sigh as she eyed the aforementioned piece of
furniture. “Unfortunate.”
“I
agree. But I’m sure we’ll get around to
it eventually.”
Seven gave
her such a smoldering look of desire that she felt her knees go weak. Oh yes,
there’s no doubt that we will get around to it eventually.
They spent
the rest of the afternoon replicating outfits for Seven and sending communiqués
to various Starfleet personnel, explaining Janeway’s continued absence as a
decidedly lengthened vacation. The
information was accepted without debate, as she knew it would be. In truth Admiral Neyechev seemed pleasantly
surprised that she was interested in leave at all.
They still don’t know what to do with me.
Janeway thought to herself. Well, they will.
As soon as Voyager is space worthy again, they’ll know in no uncertain
terms what they’ll be doing with me.
She knew
that taking command of her vessel again would mean a demotion, but as it would
be her choice, it didn’t concern her overly much.
The last
call she made was to Tom Paris, requesting that he leave the now fully repaired
Venture dry docked at Fleet headquarters where Seven could access its alcove
safely from the transport station in
All of the
busy work done, she decided that it would be a good time to show her love a
little of the city.
She,
herself, enjoyed watching the Borg slide into a pair of pale blue jeans and a
black turtleneck sweater, her hair left down to gently blow about her face in
the breeze that welcomed them as they strolled leisurely down her block to the
slightly busier area of her neighborhood.
Café Pernod
was packed when they arrived, but the maitre de took one look at who was
requesting a table and ushered them over to the best spot in the house, a quiet
corner with its own window overlooking the bay.
“This is
quite pleasing.” Seven gave her a soft
look as she sipped the wine Kathryn had ordered for them.
“I’m glad
you like it.” Janeway smiled. She
realized she had been doing quite a bit of that lately, smiling, so much so
that the muscles of her face were becoming sore. Then again,
they could be sore for other reasons… She blushed at the errant thought, beginning to think
it had taken her very little time to become decidedly oversexed. But then, who could blame her with six feet
of blonde passion constantly within arms reach.
“What are
you thinking, Kathryn?”
She looked
up to see the Borg watching her intently, a small smile curling the corners of
her own mouth. Reaching out, she grasped
Seven’s hand and brought it to her lips, allowing her tongue to linger briefly
on her index finger.
“Kath?!?”
Janeway
looked towards the sound of the voice, her eyes widening as she took in the
form that had moved to stand next to their table. “Mark?”
She squeaked, and then cleared her throat. “Mark!
Hello, how are you?” She glanced
at Seven, noticing that the blonde’s countenance had gone from curious to stony
in the moment it took her to utter his name.
“Oh my god,
it is you!” He grabbed a chair and
dragged it over to their table to join them.
His gaze moved over her with frank appreciation. “You look incredible! What have you been doing with yourself? I’ve tried to get a hold of you more times
than I can count but you never returned any of my messages.”
“I’m sorry,
Mark. Things have been hectic at Fleet
Head Quarters lately; messages have a tendency to get lost in the shuffle.” She lied shamelessly.
“That’s
alright. I understand.” He glanced at her companion for the first
time. “Who’s your friend?”
“Mark
Johnson, meet Seven of Nine. Seven of
Nine, Mark Johnson.”
Mark looked
startled. “Oh… the Borg! The one you brought back from the Delta
Quadrant. I read about her in the
newspapers.” He turned to face Seven,
slowing the tempo and increasing the volume of his voice. “It’s nice to meet you. I hope you are finding yourself acclimating
to Earth easily.”
Seven raised
one eyebrow. “It has been difficult on
occasion, however, my auditory senses have not been affected.”
Janeway bit
the inside of her cheek, trying not to laugh at the redness that crept into her
ex fiancé’s face.
“Oh,
right.” He frowned for a moment as he
took in their hands, which were still linked together. “So… you two are…”
“Together?” Seven finished for him. “Yes, we are.”
“Well… that
was quick.”
“I would
not consider seven and a half years ‘quick’.”
The Borg informed him in a cold tone.
“Not nearly so brief a period as four and a half years.”
“Seven!” Janeway whispered before turning her
attention back to Mark. “Seven and I
have been courting for quite a while, longer than either of us knew actually. I guess you could say it was inevitable that
we ended up together. It just took me a
while to realize it.”
“She is
very stubborn.” The Borg said quietly.
Mark looked
from Kathryn to Seven and then back to Kathryn again, his face finally
registering that they were, in fact, a couple.
Shock and a great deal of respect were apparent in his features as he
studied the admiral carefully. “I guess
some things really have changed.”
“Yes, they
have.” She smiled at Seven and squeezed
her hand reassuringly. “And they keep
getting better all the time.”
That
brought a smile to the Borg’s face and Mark stared at her, transfixed as her
features changed from cold and forbidding to warm and loving in a single
heartbeat. He coughed slightly,
uncomfortable with whatever was passing between the two women. “Well, I just stopped in to pick up
dinner. I guess I should get going.”
As he stood
to leave, Janeway tore her gaze away from Seven. “It was nice to see you,
Mark. Give Melissa my regards.”
“Who? Oh, right.”
He flushed. “Well, we’re not together
anymore, hence the takeout.” He lifted
the bag a little sheepishly. “Maybe you
and I could get together sometime soon?
Talk about old times?”
“We’ll see.” She smiled.
“Take care of yourself.”
“You
too.” He hurried out of the restaurant
only to stop outside and gaze back in through the window. Neither woman noticed.
“You
enjoyed that.” Kathryn accused.
“I did not
enjoy him inviting himself to join us.” Seven retorted. “As for anything else I might have said, it
was merely the truth.”
“Maybe,”
She laughed. “But he certainly left
quickly.”
“That was
my intention.” Seven tightened her hand. “I do not wish to share you with him in any
manner.”
“You’re
being a little possessive aren’t you?”
The older woman said quietly.
Seven
looked her full in the eyes. “And if
“Point
taken.” Janeway smiled ruefully. “I don’t want to share you either.”
“I am
gratified that we are in agreement.”
Their
dinner arrived and Seven looked down at the angel hair pasta the admiral had
ordered for her. Picking up her fork,
she tried to keep the food on the utensil long enough for it to reach her mouth
with varying degrees of success.
“Here,” Kathryn
took the fork from her and glided it through the pasta before pressing the
tines into a spoon, using it to wrap the stands around the utensil tightly. She then raised it to the Borg’s mouth,
watching in fascination as the ruby lips opened to accept the food. Seven chewed carefully before swallowing,
then wet her lips with the tip of her tongue.
“Incredible.”
“Yes, you
are.” Janeway said softly as she handed
the implements back.
Seven
blushed and smiled, following the admiral’s example until her pasta was
gone. The waiter came and took away
their plates, replacing them with a slice of cheesecake and a cup of coffee.
“You are
not having dessert?” The Borg asked.
“Later.” Kathryn said in a low, husky voice that made
the hair on the back of Seven’s neck stand up.
She
finished her cheesecake quickly and stood. “I am ready to return home.”
Janeway
laughed and placed her thumb on the padd the waiter had left, paying for their
meal. Outside, she took Seven’s hand in
her own as they strolled casually down the street to their house. As soon as the door had closed behind them,
she pounced on the surprised Borg, burying her fingers in her hair as she
caught her lips in a passionate kiss.
She broke away breathlessly several minutes later to whisper, “I’ve
wanted to do that since we left the house.”
“Then why
did we go out?”
Kathryn
ignored her as she pulled the sweater over her head, pushing her backwards
towards the stairs. Seven stumbled over
the first step and sat down heavily with the admiral ending up on her lap. The older woman continued kissing her as she
fumbled through the buttons on her jeans, stopping only long enough to pull
them off, tossing them into a pile with the rest of her garments and her
shoes.
Seven
stripped Kathryn of her clothing quickly before allowing herself to be pressed
backwards, resting her elbows on the steps behind her as she was kissed
senseless. She threw her head back and
moaned as the small, quick hands began to stroke the skin of her stomach,
playing across the metal bands before sliding up to cover her breasts. Fingers closed firmly on her swollen nipples as
hungry lips raised red marks along her throat.
She brought her own hands up to caress the smooth skin of her lover’s
back, her nails digging in slightly when Kathryn slid one smooth knee into the
wetness between her legs.
“And what
were you thinking about during dinner, my love, that you are so wet and ready
now?”
“How you
taste.” Seven said simply, sending a
shockwave of passion rocketing down Janeway’s spine. “How you feel against my lips, how you shake
when you achieve orgasm.” She paused for
a moment. “How you sound when I ‘fuck’
you.”
Kathryn
groaned loudly, moving her leg back to replace her knee with one hand, sliding
through the slick warmth she found there to enter her effortlessly. She brought her thumb up to play against the
swollen bundle of nerves as her fingers began to thrust firmly in and out. She drank in Seven’s moans with her lips,
tangling their tongues together as the Borg brought her own knee up between the
admiral’s legs. Whimpering, she began to
move her hips, matching the tempo and rhythm of her hand until they were moving
as one body, all muscle and ache and warm slick desire.
Seven felt
herself lose awareness of everything except Kathryn; everything except the
fingers and mouth that were driving her to the very edge of consciousness. She closed her eyes as she slid her hands
around the older woman’s buttocks, using them to pull the smaller form more
firmly against her thigh. She could feel
Kathryn’s peak approaching and held her own back forcefully, wanting to share
the experience with her completely.
When it
came, the ferocity of it took them both by surprise. A huge, crashing wave of all consuming
ecstasy slammed into them both, causing them to shudder uncontrollably as it washed
over them, leaving them limp and spent in each others arms.
They lay
that way for several long minutes until Kathryn began to kiss her way down the
long lanky body, stopping only to wrap her arms around her lover’s strong
thighs before lowering her face into the heat between Seven’s legs. The Borg cried out at the contact, her
muscles spasming at the touch of her tongue, her fingers wound tightly into
Janeway’s auburn hair as she tried to hold onto at least some of her senses.
It was
futile.
The muscles
of Seven’s back and legs stiffened and her vision darkened as the orgasm hit
her full force, the strength of it driving her head back as she cried out
loudly, “Kathryn….oh…Kath…yes….CAPTAIN!!”
And then she collapsed, her body twitching only slightly as Janeway
withdrew and climbed back up to kiss her softly.
“I’m an
admiral now, you know.” She teased.
Seven
returned the kiss weakly. “You will
always be my Captain.”
Touched
beyond words, Janeway gently kissed the red welts she had left on her lover’s
throat before stroking her hands down the warm body beneath her.
“Sto…stop.” The Borg gasped. “Do not move your hands… on me. Not yet.”
Kathryn
smiled. “Have I actually worn out the
Borg?”
Seven’s
gaze cleared immediately and she looked at her arrogantly. “Is that a challenge, Captain?”
Janeway
climbed to her feet and looked down at her.
“You bet your sweet Borg ass it is.” She laughed as she ran up the
stairs, calling down after her, “What you catch, you keep.”
The younger
woman was on her feet in an instant, chasing after her lover as she tore
through the house, heading for the bedroom.
Chapter Two: Family Ties
Kathryn
shifted uncomfortably in the driver’s seat of the hovercraft, the muscles of
her arms and legs aching as she operated the controls. They had transported from
Seven eyed
her with a small smirk. “I informed you
that you would be sore this morning if you insisted upon your course of action
last night.”
“Are you
actually saying ‘I told you so’?”
Janeway growled. “You didn’t seem
too adverse to my attentions.”
“I was
not.”
“You were
not what? Not saying I told you so or
not adverse to my making love to you until you passed out?”
“I did not
pass out. Borg do not pass out.” Seven looked out the window, watching the
snow covered farmland as is sped by. “I
was simply resting.”
“Ha!” Kathryn laughed. “Resting…yeah, right.”
“I am not sore this morning.”
The admiral
threw her a poisonous look. “Well…
You’re just… more limber than I am.”
“And
younger.” Seven mumbled under her
breath, feigning interest in a passing snow bank as Kathryn looked at her
sharply.
“You can’t
blame me, love. I had to get enough of
you to hold me over while we’re out here.”
The Borg
looked at her suspiciously. “Hold you
over? Explain.”
“This is my
mother’s house, Seven. We are not going
to make love in my mother’s house.”
“Kathryn,
you are forty six years old. Certainly
your mother is aware that you engage in sexual activities.”
“What my
mother is aware of and what I will risk her hearing, are two very different
things.”
“Then you should
endeavor to be quieter.”
Janeway
glanced over at the Borg, taking in her stubbornly set jaw and sighing. “I am not going to argue with you about this,
Seven. We just have to behave while
we’re here. End of story.”
“Unacceptable.”
She was
about to retort when she realized they were actually having their first
fight. Well, as first fights went, there
were worse things to be arguing about than the fact that your lover wanted to
spend more time in bed with you. She
slowed the vehicle as her mother’s house came into view. “We’ll talk about this later, alright?”
“Yes,”
Seven replied calmly. “We will.”
Kathryn
brought the vehicle to a stop outside of a two story, sprawling ranch house,
complete with porches on three sides and tall red barn half hidden behind
it. She watched the Borg with a small
smile on her face as she stepped out of the hovercraft and sank knee deep into
the snow.
Seven
reached down and picked up a handful, bringing it closer to her face for inspection. After a few moments, a wide, delighted smile
appeared and she began to wade through it, kicking her feet out to watch the
snow fly up into the air before slowly falling back to the ground. She stopped in place and breathed out hard,
watching as her breath turned into white smoke and grinning at the effect,
before looking up at the slate gray sky that dropped more flakes onto her face,
her smile only growing brighter as she blinked away the ones that caught in her
long blonde lashes. She turned her smile
back towards the hovercraft and Kathryn thought her heart would break at the
joy apparent in her features.
“Snow.” Her pink tongue appeared between her lips and
caught a falling snowflake, her smile never faltering as she felt it melt in
the heat of her mouth.
“I’m glad
you like it.” All thoughts of their
argument were gone as she watched her love trudge back and forth, leaving a
trench behind her as she went. She
hadn’t considered that this would be the Borg’s first experience with real, honest
to goodness snow. It was something she
had always taken for granted, but now, after seeing the affect it had on her
lover, she knew she never would again.
Finally,
Seven stopped, breathing hard as she looked around her. The white covered everything, from the top of
the house and the barn to the trees whose branches seemed to bow under the
snow’s weight. The air was crisp and
clean, harsh in her lungs as she drew it in but pleasant nonetheless. Smiling, she came around the small craft to
wrap her arms around Kathryn, sliding her chilled fingers up under the sweater
the older woman wore.
“Seven!” Kathryn squealed, twisting to try and avoid
the cold, metal tips of her left hand.
“You’re fingers are freezing!”
“Yes,
Kathryn.” The Borg leaned in and placed a
soft, loving kiss on her lips, a teasing twinkle in her eye. “It is wonderful!”
“It is
cold!” Janeway’s teeth began to
chatter. “We’re going to need to get you
some gloves if you’re going to be playing in the snow. C’mon, let’s get the bags inside. I’m sure mom thinks we’re crazy, tramping
around out here.”
Seven
reached down and picked up all three of the bags, ignoring Kathryn’s protests
as she trudged through the snow up onto the porch. She watched as the older woman stamped her
feet, knocking most of the wetness off her boots. She mimicked her movements, holding her
breath in anticipation as Kathryn opened the door.
Warm air
rushed out to meet them and the scent of wood burning in the fireplace invaded
her senses as they stepped inside. She
dropped the bags in the entryway as Kathryn instructed and then turned in a
small circle, taking in the house with wide, childlike eyes.
It was very
different from their home. Where the
“Kathryn!”
Seven
turned to see an attractive woman in her late sixties enter from the
kitchen. Her hair was the same auburn
red as Janeway’s, only shot through with strands of silver that lent to her
beauty instead of detracting from it.
Her frame, though slight, was straight, almost statuesque and she
carried herself with a grace that seemed to have been passed down directly to
her daughter. Her blue eyes were bright
and shining with emotion and her entire countenance seemed to radiate warmth
and welcome.
“Mama.” Kathryn shook the last of the snow from her
hair and moved quickly into her mother’s waiting arms. She stayed there for several long moments,
the elder Janeway rubbing her back and shoulders.
“You’re
freezing! What is wrong with you
two? You aren’t even wearing jackets!”
“It is
snowing!” Seven said with a smile,
causing Gretchen to laugh softly.
“I take it
you didn’t get much of that out in the Delta Quadrant.”
“No… ma’am.”
Kathryn
turned to look at her in surprise, never having heard that tone from her lover
before.
“Well,
Kathryn.” Gretchen looked at her
expectantly. “Are you going to introduce
me to your friend or am I going to have to do it myself?”
“I’m sorry,
Mom.” She reached out and took Seven’s
hand, pulling her forward. “Mom, this is
Seven of Nine. Seven, this is my mother,
Gretchen Janeway.”
“It is very
nice to meet you, Mrs. Janeway.” Seven
looked a little flustered. “I have heard
many things about you.”
“Oh, stop
with the missus bit, just call me Gretchen.”
She took the young woman’s hand and pulled her into a light embrace.
Seven
stiffened for a moment and then relaxed, enjoying the warmth of the hug from
this enigmatic woman.
“I’ve heard
a bit about you as well,” She looked at her daughter pointedly. “Although apparently not as much as I should
have.”
Kathryn was
about to reply when a voice called down from upstairs.
“Is that my
big sister, finally home from gallivanting all over the quadrant?”
She turned
to Gretchen. “Mom…you didn’t.”
“I couldn’t
very well tell her not to come, now could I?
She wanted to visit with you too.”
Sighing,
Kathryn flashed the Borg a lopsided grin.
“Yeah, it’s me Pheebs.”
Seven
watched in fascination as a tall blur flew down the stairs and tackled her
lover, propelling her backwards into an overstuffed chair where she wrapped her
arms around her and hugged her hard. The
newcomer shared the same hair color with her sister, but that was all. She stood nearly three inches taller and
massed nearly twenty pounds more than her older sibling.
“God, I’ve
missed you, Katie!’ She climbed off the
admiral, who looked decidedly undignified at the moment. “I’m glad you came home again!” She rubbed her hands together gleefully. “So… where is this blonde beauty that Mom was
telling me about?” She glanced behind
her, noticing Seven for the first time.
Kathryn almost laughed when her jaw hit the floor.
“Yowza.” She breathed, walking in a circle around the
now very nervous Borg. “I don’t know
what your problem was with men, Katie, but your taste in women is flawless.”
“Phoebe!” Gretchen reached out and put an arm around
Seven’s shoulders. “Don’t scare the poor
child.”
“You don’t
look like any Borg I’ve ever seen.” She
smiled. “You are definitely a hottie.”
Seven
raised one eyebrow and looked at the younger Janeway curiously. “A ‘hottie’?
Explain.”
“All right,
that’s enough.” Kathryn climbed to her
feet, waving off Seven’s questions with one elegant hand. “We’re starving, Mom. Please tell me whatever is causing that
fantastic smell in the kitchen is almost done.”
“Well, I
had expected you earlier, so you missed lunch.
Dinner isn’t for a little bit but I can whip up something to tide you
over.”
“I’m sorry
about that. Seven and I got caught up this
morning…” She paused as Phoebe snorted,
earning a glare that she cheerfully ignored.
“And we ended up running a bit late.”
“It’s all
right, Kathryn. This will give you girls
some time to get settled in upstairs. I
made up your room for you. Get your
things put away and then we’ll sit down and have a long chat over tea and
biscuits while we wait on the pot roast.”
“My
room?” Janeway said weakly.
“Yeah, your
room.” Phoebe leered at her behind her
mother’s back.
“You know
the way, Kathryn.”
Seven
picked up the bags and followed her lover up the stairs, slowing to look at the
pictures hanging on the wall along the way.
Near the top of the stairs she came to a dead stop, staring intently at
a picture of a very young Kathryn Janeway who was rocketing down a snow covered
hillside on a small wooden toboggan. The
simple joy and happiness on her face captivated Seven and held her rooted to
the spot so long that Kathryn came back to see what was keeping her.
“Seven?” She said softly, a small smile playing about
her lips.
The Borg
looked up at her, surprise apparent in her eyes. “You were young in this picture.”
Kathryn
stepped down to stand beside her, looking at the picture herself for the first
time in more years than she cared to think about. “I was twelve. Phoebe was supposed to be riding behind me
but she jumped off at the last moment, thinking it would scare me to go down
the hill by myself.”
“She
obviously did not know you very well.”
“She knew
me well enough.” The older woman
laughed. “I was frightened.”
“But also
exhilarated,” The Borg glanced at her, smiling knowingly. “Even then fear did not stop you.”
Kathryn
shrugged and took her hand, leading her up the rest of the stairs and down to
the last room at the end of the hall.
She opened the door slowly, years of memories flooding back on her as
she flipped the light switch.
It was
exactly as she had left it. All her
medals and certificates still hanging on the walls, the models of space ships
she had built still standing proudly on the shelves. Even her bedspread was the same, a thick down
comforter with images of constellations and black holes strewn about it. She breathed in deeply, thinking she could
almost catch the scent of the ink she used to use when she wrote long hand,
something her parents had demanded she do on a regular basis.
Seven moved
around her, taking in the small room reverently. This was where her Captain had grown up. This was the room that had held all her hopes
and aspirations, all the thoughts and dreams that had led her to become a
Starfleet Captain; that had led her to the Delta Quadrant… that had led her to
save one Borg drone. She placed the bags
on the floor and sat down on the bed, laying back to run her hands over the
bedspread, her Borg senses caught the slightest scent of Kathryn, captured in
the sheets, even after all the time that had passed.
Janeway
came and sat beside her, leaning back to look up at the ceiling with Seven,
where the glow in the dark stars she had stuck there as a child still hung.
“This room…
it is very much you.” Seven said
softly. “I find it very… soothing.”
Kathryn
laughed. “I spent a lot of time up here
as a kid. Studying quantum physics and
space charts while my friends were out on dates in the city.”
“Even back
then, you knew where you belonged.”
“Yes.”
They were
quiet for a moment then Seven whispered, “Your Mother only prepared one room.”
“Seven.” Kathryn groaned. “I expect you to behave yourself when you are
in this room. This is my childhood bed.”
The Borg
leaned up on one arm and looked down at her.
“Have you never made love on this bed, Kathryn?”
The admiral
flushed, shaking her head.
“I
see.” Seven stood and began opening
their bags, neatly placing their garments into the empty chest of drawers.
“What do
you mean ‘I see’?” The admiral got up
and helped her, pulling out their toiletry items and taking them into the
bathroom.
“I meant, I
see, Kathryn.” She said innocently.
Janeway
didn’t buy it for a second.
They
finished unpacking and Kathryn ran her hands through her hair. “Well, I guess it’s time to go downstairs and
be sociable.”
“Wait.” Seven stepped closer and wrapped her arms
lovingly around the smaller woman, bringing their lips together in a very
sweet, and very chaste, kiss. Afterwards
she rested her forehead against Kathryn’s and smiled. “I… like your family, Kathryn.”
She
smiled. “Come on. Let’s go get some of my Mom’s biscuits. They’re to die for.”
* * * * * * * * *
Phoebe picked
up a warm biscuit and slathered it with butter, shoving the entire thing in her
mouth as she groaned in appreciation.
“Phoebe!” Gretchen frowned at her. “You’re going to choke if you keep eating
like that. It isn’t as though there
aren’t enough biscuits.”
“You forget
the way Katie can put ‘em away, Mom. I
have to be sure I get my fair share.”
“Funny, I
don’t remember you getting your fair share ever being a problem in this
house.” She reached out and ruffled the
unruly bangs that fell over her youngest daughter’s forehead before pulling
open the oven to check on her roast.
Phoebe took
a long drink of her iced tea and pointed to the ceiling. “So what’s the deal with them?”
“I don’t
know much more than you do, dear.”
“C’mon,
Mom. You told me they were
‘involved’. You have to know something.”
“Well, I
was talking to your sister on the vid conn the day before yesterday when Seven
showed up behind her. I don’t think she
knew Kathryn was on a call.” Gretchen
continued shucking peas as she spoke, her hands working in almost perfect
rhythm with the cadence of her voice.
The
youngest Janeway leaned forward, a huge smile on her face. “What did she do?”
Gretchen
flushed. “She wrapped her arms around
your sister and kissed her on the neck.”
“Whoo hoo! Way to go, Katie.” She laughed lightly as she chewed on another
biscuit. “What is she, like twenty years
younger?”
“I’m not
exactly sure how old Seven is.” She
dropped the vegetables into a pot of boiling water, adding butter and salt
before setting it to simmer. “What I do
know from your sister’s letters is that the Borg took her and her parents when
she was only six years old and that Kathryn stole her back from them, more than
once apparently.”
“Katie went
up against the Borg… for her?” Phoebe
frowned. “So what the hell was she doing
with that knob of a first officer that Kathryn had under her? What was his name? Chickory?
Chakootle?”
“Phoebe,
language!” Gretchen put a kettle of
water on the stove to make warm tea for those who wanted it. “I don’t rightly know. The letters I got from Kathryn led me to
believe that Seven was very important to her.
Of course, none of them mentioned a romantic involvement. I don’t believe they were together while they
were lost out there.”
“You’ve got
to be kidding me? Have you seen the way
Katie looks at her?”
“Yes I
have.” She picked up her coffee, sipping
it quietly.
“It’s like
she just saw her first starship or somethin’.”
“I know,
dear.”
“Then what
the hell?”
Gretchen
sighed. “Language, Phoebe. You know as well as I do that Kathryn didn’t
have a whole lot to say about what happened out there when she got back. I think a lot of her reticence to talk about
it came from her concern for our peace of mind.
But I do know that something was bothering her after she got home, something
the led her to accept the promotion to admiral.
I never thought she would do that, at least not so long as she was still
physically able to walk onto a bridge.
But something kept her Earthside.
And I think that something is upstairs in her bedroom right now.”
“Well, that
‘something’ would certainly keep me
Earthside. And I don’t even date
women…much.”
Gretchen
stared at her wild child affectionately.
“You go easy on Kathryn and Seven.
If this relationship is as new as I think it is, they are going to have
plenty of things to work out without you making it more difficult.”
“Moi?” Phoebe threw her a look of mock hurt before
becoming serious. “I want her to be
happy too, Mom. I never thought Mark was
right for her. He was too… simple, too
nice. She needs someone that will shake
things up, keep her on her toes.” She
grinned wickedly. “Or completely off her
feet.”
“Phoebe!” Gretchen shook her head. “The way you talk.”
“Have you
looked at her, Ma? That woman was made for sex.”
“Oh my
goodness, what am I going to do with you!”
“You think
they’re gonna do it up there? In her old
room…with all those fake stars floating over their heads?”
“Alright,
this conversation is now officially over.”
Gretchen tried to look stern but couldn’t keep herself from
laughing. “What your sister does in her
own room with her girlfriend is her business.
We certainly do not need to be speculating about it.”
“Yeah but it’s
fun to speculate!” Phoebe laughed along
with her mother. “What is it the Borg
say? Resistance is futile?”
* * * * * * * * *
When Kathryn
and Seven entered the kitchen, her mother and sister immediately fell silent,
but Kathryn couldn’t miss the look of humor that passed between them and she
sighed heavily. “What have you two been
talking about?”
Phoebe
opened her mouth to answer, only to have her mother place a biscuit firmly
between her lips. “Nothing,
sweetie.” She smiled. “You two all settled in up there?”
“Yes Mom, thanks
for getting the room ready for us.”
“You sure
the bed is going to be big enough?” Her
sister snickered, moving over to the other side of the counter, out of arm’s
reach.
Kathryn
threw an exasperated look at her but Seven merely nodded. “It is quite comfortable. The sheets still smell faintly of Kathryn.”
Phoebe
snorted merrily as Gretchen bit the inside of her cheek. “Well…good.”
She placed her hand on Seven’s arm.
“Come and try my biscuits, they’re still warm from the oven. Would you like some tea, dear?”
“Yes I
would, thank you.”
“I’ll have
coffee.” Kathryn pulled out a stool next
to the counter and slid onto it, motioning for Seven to do the same.
“Of course
you will.” Her mother smiled. “There are some things that never
change.” She pulled two mugs from the
cabinet, placing them on the counter, followed by a full plate of biscuits
before she filled their mugs and slid onto a stool herself.
Kathryn
grabbed up a biscuit and split it open.
She spread sweet cream butter liberally over one half and held the still
steaming bread up to Seven’s lips. The
Borg looked faintly surprised but opened her mouth, biting off a piece. Her eyes closed in appreciation and a soft
sound issued from her throat as she chewed.
She swallowed the morsel with a sigh and opened her eyes, blushing at
the warm smiles that were centered on her from all three of the Janeway
women. Kathryn fed her the other half
with a smile, relishing the enjoyment so plain on the younger woman’s face. “What do you think?”
“It is
good…” Seven licked the remaining butter
from her lips causing Kathryn to breathe in sharply. “It is very, very good.”
“Sure looks
good from where I’m sitting.” Phoebe
grabbed another biscuit for herself, ignoring the warning looks she received
from both her sister and her mother. She
covered her biscuit with butter and fresh strawberry jam and handed it to
Kathryn. “Have her try that one,
Katie.”
Seven
wondered briefly why Phoebe had not just handed it to her directly but she
parted her lips obligingly, noting the flush that crept up into her lover’s
cheeks as she fed her the next piece.
The sweetness of the jam cut into the saltiness of the butter and bread
and she reached out, taking hold of Kathryn’s hand to pull the remaining piece
back to her mouth. A small bit of jam
remained on one of her lover’s fingers and she flicked her tongue across it,
claiming it as well.
“Wow.” Phoebe watched the scene with rapt attention
and even Gretchen seemed absorbed in watching her daughter feed the beautiful
woman she had brought into their home.
There was something so completely… loving about it.
Kathryn
cleared her throat. “Yes, well, I’m sure
you get the idea, Seven.” She picked up
her mug and took a long drink, thinking to herself that maybe iced tea would
have been a better idea.
“So,
Seven…what kind of name is Seven anyway?”
Phoebe kept her focus on the Borg, ignoring the glare her sister was
leveling in her direction.
“It is not
a name. It was my Borg designation. Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct to the
Unimatrix 01.”
“Well that’s a mouthful.”
“Kathryn
thought so as well. She was the one that
reduced it to Seven. I found it
imprecise but acceptable.”
“I see.”
Gretchen smiled, completely charmed by the forthright young woman. “What was the name your parents gave you?”
“Annika
Hansen.” She reached out tentatively and
took another biscuit, covering it with butter and jam before bringing it to her
own lips.
“That’s
lovely.” The elder Janeway smiled. “You don’t like it?”
Seven
considered the question carefully. “I am
not used to being addressed in that fashion.
On Voyager, I spent a great deal of time alone, it seemed more expedient
to continue using the designation I was familiar with.”
“So you
didn’t socialize with the rest of the crew?”
The Borg
shook her head slowly. “My few attempts
at interacting with others led to much embarrassment and a few injuries on
their part. It was apparent that most
found themselves uncomfortable in my presence, except for Kathryn of
course. From the first moment I stepped
onto Voyager, I most often found myself in the company of the Captain. She took it upon herself to help me learn to
embrace my humanity.” She flushed slightly.
“I do not believe I was a very good student.”
Phoebe
threw her a lopsided grin. “You look
like you did all right.”
“It was all
Kathryn’s doing. She spent much of her
free time with me. We used to spend many
hours engaged in philosophical discussions, most often late at night in her
quarters.”
Kathryn’s
sister snorted. “I bet.”
“On what?” Seven replied.
Gretchen
and Phoebe laughed softly as Kathryn gave her a gentle smile. She had seen the twinkle in her lover’s eye
and knew she was displaying more of her burgeoning sense of humor.
“I just
meant that I’m sure Kathryn enjoyed your conversations as much as you
did.” The youngest Janeway clarified.
“I assume
so, since she often sought me out at various times during the day to indulge in
verbal discourse. It was an odd
occurrence when she did not show up in Astrometrics at some point during my
duty shift, even if it was simply to share a greeting or make an appointment to
spend more time together later in the evening.
I found her company… very appealing.
Our frequent games of Velocity were also quite enjoyable.”
“Velocity?” Phoebe looked at her sister in surprise. “I never thought you were into the physical
sports, sis. Well, not that kind anyway.”
“Actually,
Kathryn was the best player on the ship.
I, myself, have never defeated her, something which was a constant
source of irritation as the difference in our ages and physical abilities
should have made mine an obvious victory.
But if there is one thing I have come to learn about Kathryn, it is that
she is a very surprising and adept individual.”
“So you two
were close from the beginning?” Gretchen
asked.
“No.” Seven flushed slightly. “I did not appreciate Kathryn’s intentions
initially. I demanded that she return me
to the Collective. I also tried to use
Voyager’s communications array to signal a cube, but I failed and ended up in
the ‘brig’.”
“That must
have pissed you off.” Phoebe laughed,
her use of the slang earning a frown from her mother.
The Borg
leaned her head to one side. “I was
infuriated, but I have since come to appreciate that moment in time immensely.”
“How
so?” Gretchen leaned forward, resting
her chin in her hand and Seven was amazed at how much she looked like her
daughter.
“It was the
first occasion that Kathryn placed her arms around me.”
Phoebe
started laughing. “You hit on her in the
brig?”
“I most
certainly did not!” Kathryn’s face was
bright red. “I was trying to calm her
down. She had just taken a swing at me
and she was out of control.”
“You tried
to hit her?” The youngest Janeway
smiled.
The admiral
smiled. “In all fairness to Seven she did
warn me that she would kill me if I entered her cell.”
Gretchen
cleared her throat nervously. “Well, I
am happy to see your relationship has greatly improved.” A timer chimed and she stood to remove the
roast from the oven. “Would you girls
mind setting the table?”
They all
pitched in and soon they were sitting around the dinner table eating pot roast,
mashed potatoes, peas and more fresh biscuits.
“So the
crew had a hard time getting to know you, huh?”
Phoebe asked around a mouthful of potatoes.
“It was
often simply a matter of miscommunication.”
Seven clarified. “One such
example was Ensign Kim. He often tried
to engage me in flirtatious behavior. I
was unfamiliar with such social interaction so I informed him that if he wished
to copulate he should remove his clothing.”
Kathryn
choked on her coffee as Phoebe and Gretchen broke into laughter.
“He did not
seem inclined to engage in flirtation after that.” The Borg continued. “And there was also the occasion where the
Captain implied that I should consider participating in the human courtship
ritual of ‘dating’. Unfortunately, I
tore a ligament in Lieutenant Chapman’s arm when I attempted to dance with him
and I made no further efforts to participate in social engagements.”
“Ah.” That came out as a strangle squeak as Phoebe
tried to wash down the piece of roast she was choking on. “So, if it wasn’t love at first sight, when
did you start to think that Katie was the girl for you?”
Seven
leaned her head to one side, a thoughtful look gracing her features. “I believe it was after the first time the
Captain watched me regenerate. She engaged
in that activity often when I first came on board and the frequency of her
visits increased as the years went by.”
“You
watched her sleep?” Phoebe grinned at Kathryn. “That’s kind of creepy, sis.”
Janeway
flushed beet red.
“Actually,
I found it very comforting… and confusing, although at the time I did not
understand why.” The Borg replied.
Gretchen
turned to her eldest. “What about you?”
Kathryn
gazed at Seven, a soft smile on her lips.
“When she told me her favorite color; I knew then that I was a goner.”
“When was
that?”
“A week
after I let her out of the brig.”
“Wait a
minute.” Phoebe wiped her mouth with her
napkin and pushed her plate away. “Are
you telling me you both had it bad for each other for years and you didn’t do anything about it until you got home? What’s the deal with that?”
Kathryn
sighed. “Starfleet protocols prohibit
Captains from fraternizing with members of their crew.”
“But she
wasn’t even a member of Starfleet.”
“That was a
technicality, Pheebs. I was still
responsible for her safety and well being.
I couldn’t allow how I felt to get in the way of those responsibilities.”
“Forgive me
for saying so, sis, but you are a dork.”
“Phoebe!” Gretchen started to gather the plates and
Seven stood to help her. “Your sister
did what any Starfleet officer would do, including your father. She doesn’t need you second guessing her
now.”
“I’m
sorry.” Phoebe put a hand on Kathryn’s
arm in apology. “I just don’t understand
how you could stand to be so close to her feeling the way that you do and not
act on it.”
“Apparently
she spent a great deal of time washing her hair.” Seven responded, smiling at Kathryn as the
admiral’s ears reddened.
Phoebe
looked from Kathryn to Seven and back again before deciding she really didn’t
want to know.
* * * * * * * * *
After they
cleaned up, Phoebe headed to her room to finish up some sketches she needed to
take back to the gallery in
Kathryn
took hers into the den where she could check her messages from the small vid
conn her mother kept there while Seven stepped out on the porch to take in the
night air.
The cloud
cover had finally cleared and the night sky was covered in a brilliant blanket
of shimmering stars. She remembered
something Naomi Wildman had said to her once, something about stars having the
ability to make your wishes come true.
She wondered idly what she should wish for now. She was here, with Kathryn and her
family. She was loved; she felt warm,
safe and complete. What more could
anyone possibly want?
“Seven?”
The voice
startled her, even as the familiar tone was comfortable in an unfamiliar
manner. The timber was there, as were
the inflections, but there was also a gracefulness to it that came from many
years of life experience that eclipsed Kathryn’s own. She turned to look behind her, “Gretchen.”
She nodded slightly surprised that she had not heard the woman’s footsteps. It wasn’t often that someone caught her
unaware.
“Am I
disturbing you?” Gretchen asked. “I can go.”
“You are
not. Please, stay.”
Gretchen
nodded and came to stand beside her. “I
used to catch Kathryn out here at all hours of the night, staring up at the
constellations. When I asked her what
she saw, she always said the same thing… possibilities.” She smiled softly. “Is that what you see too?”
“No.” The
Borg looked at the stars shimmering above her. “I see Kathryn”
“You really
love her don’t you?”
Seven knew
the question was rhetorical but she answered it anyway. “When I was Borg, I had no concept of
love. It, along with all other emotions,
was considered insignificant next to the perfection of unity. Every thought was shared, every action
planned, every response predicted and precise.
Kathryn took all of that away from me and gave me one mind, one voice. I felt very small and alone. I did not understand how individuals could
survive without a Collective. Then she
shared herself with me and I began to appreciate things I never knew
existed. The anticipation of seeing her
each day, the manner in which her touch would take me by surprise and leave my
skin feeling warm even after she had moved away. But more than anything it was her voice that
affected me. The way her words seemed to
convey feelings and emotions she would not allow herself to share. They left a resonance within me that took a
great deal of time to identify.”
“What was
it?” Gretchen asked softly.
“Longing.” The corners of Seven’s lips curled into a
smile. “My existence was complete only
in the moments when she was with me. She
became my Collective. And when I finally
heard her say the words ‘I love you’, I truly understood perfection.”
Gretchen
wiped at the tears that had welled up in her eyes. “She won’t stay grounded for long, you
know. She’s got stars in her blood. She will go back to them.”
“I am aware
of that eventuality. It is where she
belongs.”
“Where do
you belong?”
“With
her.” Seven said simply.
“It takes a
very special woman to love a Starfleet officer.”
Seven
turned and looked directly into Gretchen’s eyes. “I agree.”
Gretchen
swallowed, deeply touched. “Come and sit
with me for a while.” She led Seven over
to the porch swing. “Have you given any
thought to what you want to do with your life?”
“I have an
aptitude for all areas of science. I am
positive I will be able to obtain a position that will allow me to stay with
Kathryn, wherever Starfleet might send her.”
“I’m sure
you will. But there are other issues to
consider as well.”
“Such
as?” Seven gave Gretchen her complete
attention.
* * * * * * * * *
An hour
later, Kathryn joined them on the porch.
She smiled at them both but there was something sad in her eyes.
“Well,”
Gretchen stood. “I think I’ll turn in. Goodnight.”
Kathryn sat
down beside Seven and took her hand.
“Something
is distressing you.” Seven
whispered. “Tell me.”
Janeway
sighed deeply. “They’re going to
decommission Voyager.”
The Borg’s
eyes widened. “But you informed me that they
were performing a retrofit on the ship.
What has altered?”
“When they
began the work they realized what an incredible conglomeration of technology
she had become. They intend to rededicate
her as a National Monument and a museum.
They’ll also use her as a blueprint to incorporate similar technology
into new ships, like the Astrometrics lab.”
“But not
the Borg Alcoves.” Seven said softly,
making Janeway laugh.
“No, I
think those will just be an exhibit. At
least until another Starfleet Officer gets as lucky as I did.” She looked up at the stars.
“You will acquire
another vessel, Kathryn.”
“I
know.” She sighed. “But is it so wrong that I wanted Voyager
back?”
“It is not
wrong. Voyager was our home.” She rubbed Kathryn soothingly on the
back. “You were aware that this would
happen.”
“Yes,
fifteen years from now!”
“Voyager
will have a place of honor, Kathryn. She
will be placed on the steps of the Presidio, so that all individuals may admire
and learn from her… and her Captain.”
Janeway
kissed her softly. “They want me to
speak at the dedication ceremony. It’s at
the end of the week.”
“That
should give you sufficient time to prepare a speech.”
“Yes it
will, but not tonight.” She wrapped her
arms around the Borg, kissing her tenderly.
“Tonight I want nothing more than to curl up and fall asleep in your
arms.”
“Acceptable.”
They headed
upstairs, turning off the lights as they went.
While Kathryn went to perform her nightly ablutions, Seven changed into
a pair of silk pajamas and slid between the sheets of their small bed.
When
Kathryn returned, she closed the door and climbed in next to her, lying on her
side and sighing contentedly when the Borg spooned up close behind her,
wrapping one long arm around her stomach and resting her chin on her shoulder.
“I love you
Kathryn Janeway.” She breathed into her
ear.
“I love you
too… Annika Hansen.” Smiling, she closed
her eyes and drifted off to sleep.
Chapter Three: Cold Hands…
Kathryn
woke the next morning with Seven still wrapped around her, one hand cupping her
breast gently, long legs tangled up in her own.
She stretched happily and kissed her lover awake, adoring the sleepy
smile she received in return. “Good
morning, you.” She whispered.
“Every
morning is good when I awake next to you.”
Seven replied.
The admiral
kissed her on the nose. “Sweet talker.”
“What is
that smell?” The Borg sat up slightly
and sniffed the air.
“French
toast.” Janeway smiled. “Mom’s cooking breakfast. I’m going to jump in the shower.” She got up and headed for the bathroom, only
to stop in her tracks when she realized Seven was following closely behind
her. “Where are you going?”
The Borg
gave her an innocent look. “I thought you
might require assistance washing your hair.”
“I think I
can manage.” She said dryly, then kissed
her softly on the lips. “You can go
after me.”
“If you
insist.”
Kathryn
took a long hot shower, enjoying the feel of the spray against her skin even as
she regretted the need to decline Seven’s offer. Being home had its perks, but it came with
disadvantages as well.
When she
was finished, she threw on a t-shirt and a pair of sweat pants, and headed
downstairs. She found her mother in the
kitchen grilling thick slabs of batter covered bread next to two other pans filled
with hash browns and bacon.
“Smells wonderful, Mom.” She kissed her
on the cheek as she accepted the mug of coffee she was handed before claiming
her customary stool.
“Did you
sleep well, dear?” Gretchen smiled.
“Yes,
very.” She looked up as Phoebe staggered
into the kitchen.
“Coffee.” Her little sister croaked. “Before I die.”
Kathryn
laughed. “What are you doing up? It isn’t noon yet you know.”
“Trust me,
I know.” She groused. “I need to get the sketches I did last night
back to the gallery in Paris in time for them to be included in the
program.” She took the mug her mother
offered and drained half of it in one gulp.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with you people. Getting up this early just isn’t natural.” She looked around. “Where’s your betty? I could use some eye candy this morning.”
Janeway
rolled her eyes. “She’s taking a
shower. And what’s with the
comments? I thought you were a confirmed
man-lover.”
“I was, until
I saw the kind of women a uniform can attract.
Will you take me with you to your next Fleet party?”
“Do you
honestly think I would turn you loose at a party full of people I have to work
with? Find your own betty.”
“What is a
‘betty’?”
All three
of them looked up to see Seven enter the kitchen. She was wearing her blue-grey biosuit and had
her hair done up in a French twist.
“Whoa!” Phoebe walked around her in a circle, her
lips pursed. “What’s up, pussycat?”
“I beg your
pardon?” The Borg looked at her
quizzically.
“What’s
with the cat suit?”
“This is
one of five biosuits that comprised my wardrobe on Voyager.”
Phoebe’s
eyebrows climbed into her hairline. “You
wore that on Voyager?” She glanced at her sister. “You’re a bigger dork than I thought.”
Kathryn
shot her a disgusted look before turning her attention to her lover. “Why are you dressed in your biosuit?”
Seven took
the cup of tea Gretchen offered her and sat down next to Kathryn, laying her
hand on her thigh under the counter. “It
is necessary that I regenerate today. I
decided to transport to Starfleet Headquarters right after breakfast, that way
I could return in time to assist Gretchen with the evening meal.”
“You
cook?” Kathryn’s mother looked at her in
surprise.
“I did
attempt to do so for the senior staff while still on Voyager. They deemed my efforts sufficient.”
“More than
sufficient.” The admiral beamed at her.
“I raised
my daughters in a traditionalist home and they can’t boil water, but a former
Borg drone from the Delta Quadrant can cook.”
Gretchen sighed. “I would love to
have you help.”
Kathryn
reached down and squeezed Seven’s hand.
“Let me get dressed and I’ll take you to the transport station.”
“That is
not necessary, Kathryn. You should stay
and visit with your family. I will be
fine.”
“I’m not
comfortable with you going alone, Annika.
Not after what we just went through.”
“I’ll take
her.” Phoebe offered. “I’m going out there anyway. I can drop her at the station and you can
have one of your Fleet guys bring her back when she’s done. I’d bring her back myself but I don’t know
how long I’m going to be tied up at the gallery. It could be a late night.”
Janeway
frowned but she couldn’t think of a reason to decline her sister’s offer. “You’ll be careful? You won’t stop for anyone and you won’t let
her out of your sight until she’s already left the transport station?”
Phoebe
looked at her mom questioningly but Gretchen just shrugged. “Sure.
I’ll make sure nothing happens to your one and only.”
“Alright
then,” Kathryn nodded.
They ate
breakfast quickly and Kathryn walked Seven to the front door, giving her a
long, lingering kiss while Phoebe fidgeted behind them. When they wrapped their arms around each
other and began to kiss in earnest she rolled her eyes and sighed. “Jeez, you guys. You’re only going to be apart for a few
hours. I’d hate to see how you’d say
goodbye if Katie was going on a deep space mission.” She considered that. “Well…maybe I wouldn’t hate to see it…”
Kathryn considered
her sisters words, a small frown creasing her features but Seven only smiled
and laid her hand on her cheek. “I will
see you soon.”
When they
had gone, Janeway sent a communiqué to Starfleet Headquarters requesting an
escort for Seven back to the ranch house when she was done regenerating. Then she wandered back into the kitchen, so
deep in thought that at first she didn’t notice her mother staring at her
expectantly.
“Kathryn?”
“Hmm?”
“Are you
going to tell me what is going on?”
The admiral
looked up, seeing the concern on her mother’s features. “Mom, you know that Seven is… unique.”
“That’s got
to be the understatement of the millennium.”
Kathryn
poured herself another cup of coffee and sat down. “Her being unique is part of what makes her
such a wonderful person. But it also
makes her a target. About two weeks ago,
Seven was abducted by a military sect known as The Mark. They were planning to…” She swallowed. “They were planning to take her apart,
Mom. To cut out her implants and use
them in some master plan to build the perfect soldier.”
Gretchen
reached across the counter and took her daughters hand, a horrified look on her
face.
“That’s
where we went, B’Elanna, Tom, Tuvok, the Doctor, Chakotay and I. We tracked her from Mars to a moon named Lirnis
Two where they were holding her in a medical facility. Luckily we got there in time but we had to do
a lot of damage to get her out of there.
I’m fairly certain The Mark are not the kind to forgive and forget. Not to mention the other factions out there
that would love to get a hold of the Borg technology she still possesses. That’s why I don’t want her traveling
alone. It’s just too dangerous.”
“Why wasn’t
Chakotay with her in the first place? I
thought she was living with him.”
Kathryn
flushed. “She was but… Seven and I had
started trading vid messages back and forth and we realized that we had both
left too many things unsaid. Things that
were too important to hide from each other anymore. She was on her way to see me when they took
her. I had planned to have some Fleet
personnel escort her but she and Chakotay had… words.” Her gaze became hard. “And she left quicker than I expected. I should have been with her.”
“Why, so
they could have killed you and taken her anyway? Kathryn, as hard as it is for you to hear
this, you can’t control everything. It’s
because you weren’t with her that you were able to pull the resources together
to get her out of there.”
Kathryn
blinked and angled her head towards the ceiling, trying to hold off the tears
that were threatening to overwhelm her.
“I love her so much, Mom. I
wasted so much time fighting with myself over how I felt about her. If I lost her now…”
Gretchen
came around the counter and wrapped her daughter up in her arms, holding her as
she cried. The emotional outburst was
turbulent, but short-lived. Within
moments Kathryn had collected herself, breaking away from her mother to grab a
napkin and wipe her eyes. “I don’t know
that I have ever seen anyone affect you this way before, honey. I’m so happy for you… and so scared for you
at the same time.”
“Do you
like her, Mom?”
Gretchen
reached out and took her by the shoulders, bending down slightly to look
directly into her eyes. “That woman
loves you, Kathryn… with everything she has in her. How in the world could I not like her?”
* * * * * * * * *
Phoebe
glanced over at the woman riding silently beside her, wondering what was going
on behind those sky blue eyes. She was
such a contradiction in terms; beautiful, intelligent, serious, arrogant,
charming, sweet and childlike all at the same time. Everything anyone could ever want in a woman,
and Katie found her with the Borg? She
was startled when the subject of her musings finally spoke.
“May I ask
you a question, Phoebe?”
“Sure
can. What’s on your mind?”
Seven
studied her for a few moments. “Your
relationship with Kathryn… at times it appears to border on being
acrimonious. I was curious as to why.”
“I think
acrimonious might be a little too harsh a description, but I can see how it
could look that way to someone that isn’t used to how we interact.” She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. “Kathryn has always been a control freak. Ever since she was a kid, she’s taken herself
way too seriously. I guess I just want
to break through that shell and get a rise out of her. Prove to her that she doesn’t have to be
perfect all the time.”
“Control is
important to Kathryn. It is a part of
who she is. You are both very different
people. I find it fascinating that you
were raised in the same family.”
“You have
no idea.” She laughed. “Mom used to say that together we make a
perfectly balanced person. We just fell
at different ends of the spectrum. I got
the artistic side of the gene pool, she got the responsible side. I actually have a lot of respect for her, of
course, I’ll deny it if you ever repeat that.”
“Why do you
not wish her to know that you respect her?”
“It isn’t
that I don’t want her to know. I guess I
always figured I shouldn’t have to tell her.
“I believe
it would mean a great deal to her if she were to hear it from you.”
Phoebe
glanced over at her. “You really do love
her, don’t you?”
“Yes I
do. That surprises you?”
“It’s just
that all of her past relationships have been so matter of fact… so passionless
and dry. But when I see you two
together… it’s like you switched her on or something. She looks at you and she gets this big goofy
grin on her face and her eyes light up like a kid at Christmas. I never thought I’d see my sister find that
kind of relationship.” She reached over
and squeezed the Borg’s arm. “You are very welcome in this family.”
“Thank
you.” Seven said quietly.
“Hey, no
problem, gives me one more person to tease!
Now, can I ask you a question?”
“Of
course.”
“Would you
pose for me?”
Seven’s
eyes widened. “Would I have to be
naked?”
Phoebe
laughed so hard she almost swerved into a snow bank. “Not unless you want to be. I’m more interested in your features than your
assets, Seven. You have a classic
profile. I’d love to include a sketch of
you in my showing in
The Borg
thought it over carefully. “That would
be acceptable.”
“Great! We’ll get started when I get back.”
“Phoebe?”
“Yes,
Seven?”
“What is a
‘betty’?”
“You’re a betty, Seven.” She smiled.
“Definitely a betty.”
* * * * * * * * *
Kathryn and
Gretchen spent the afternoon at a farmer’s market, picking out vegetables grown
organically off site as winter had choked all the farms into
non-production. They had lunch at a
charming little bistro in
On the way
home, they made a delightful detour to a little vineyard that Kathryn had
thought would have long since closed.
The winery made her absolute favorite Merlot vintage and she purchased
several bottles, both for their stay and for when they returned to
They
finally got back to the house around 1600 hours and Gretchen went to make
coffee while the admiral stood staring out the front window. She was there so long her mother brought her
coffee to her.
“I’m sure
she’s fine, honey.” She put a comforting
hand on her daughter’s shoulder.
Kathryn
only nodded and kept up her vigil. The
winds had picked up and the sky outside was a swirling mass of mist and
snow. At 1645 she was getting ready to
pull on her jacket and go looking for them herself. “Where are the keys to the SnoCat, Mom?”
“Kathryn,
you can’t go out in this. Especially not
on the Snocat. You’ll get lost before
you hit the main road!”
Their
conversation was cut short by a low whining sound from outside. Kathryn threw open the front door and watched
as a hovercar came into view. She let
out a long sigh of relief when a blue-grey blur stepped out, followed by two
men in Starfleet uniforms. They escorted
her all the way to the door.
“Admiral,”
The senior officer nodded to her. “I’m
sorry it took so long, it was slow going with the weather and all.”
“It’s no
problem, gentlemen.” Kathryn said
graciously. “Would you like to come in
for something warm to drink? Take the
chill off?”
“Thank you,
Admiral, but we need to get back.” He
nodded and they climbed back into the hovercar, gliding out of sight.
She turned
to Seven and wrapped the tall blonde up in her arms, a happy smile on her face. “I missed you, love.”
“I missed
you as well.” The Borg kissed her
gently. “Did you enjoy your time with
your mother?”
“Yes, I
did.” Kathryn glanced behind her, noticing that her mother had quietly
retreated to the kitchen. Alone with her
lover, she wrapped her hands into her hair, freeing it from its confinement
before pulling her head down for a long passionate kiss. “Why don’t you go change,” She whispered when
she released her. “I’ll make you some
hot cocoa.”
“Acceptable.”
Seven kissed her one last time and headed upstairs.
The admiral
made her way to the kitchen, where she found a steaming mug of cocoa on the
counter, her mother already having beaten her to the task. She picked up her own cup of coffee and slid
onto her stool. “So what’s for dinner?”
“Roast
chicken and rice with fresh vegetables.”
Gretchen said idly. “I look
forward to seeing just how many cooking skills your girlfriend picked up out in
the Delta Quadrant.”
My girlfriend. Kathryn smiled to herself.
“I love you, Mom.”
Gretchen
looked up, a slight pink in her cheeks but a pleased smile on her face. “I love you too, honey.”
They
chatted quietly for a few minutes until Seven joined them. Kathryn thought she looked adorable in a grey
pullover and heavy grey sweat pants, nothing on her feet except a pair of
thick, comfy socks.
“Kathryn,”
Gretchen cut into her musings. “The
workmen chopped up a cord of wood for me the last time they were here. It’s stacked out by the barn. Could you go and get some of it? I feel like a nice big fire tonight.”
The admiral
looked confused. “Mom, there’s a whole
stack of firewood next to the hearth.”
Her mother
smiled. “Fine, then let’s try this a
different way… Kathryn, go outside.”
Seven would
have smiled at Kathryn’s confusion if she hadn’t been so nervous. She watched as the admiral picked up her mug
and, shooting her an alarmed look, walked out onto the porch.
“Have I
done something wrong, Gretchen?” She
asked quietly.
“What? Oh,
no. Not at all. I just wanted to talk to you for a few
minutes.” Gretchen placed a hand on her
arm. “Seven… Annika?”
The Borg
nodded slightly.
“Annika…
Kathryn told me what happened with The Mark.”
She immediately became concerned when Seven’s eyes filled with tears.
“I
apologize, Gretchen. I put Kathryn in a
position where she was injured and that is inexcusable…”
“Oh, no,
honey!” She wrapped the tearful blonde
up in her arms. “That wasn’t your
fault. None of that was your fault. You stop thinking that way!” Seven wiped at her eyes and the eldest
Janeway thought how much she looked like a young child. “I just wanted to tell you that I know, that
it isn’t something you need to not discuss around me. I also wanted to tell you how happy I am that
Kathryn found you. That you found each
other. I have waited a long time for my
eldest to find a love that meant more to her than her career. I’m glad it is someone I would be proud to
welcome into this family.”
Seven felt
her heart swell as Gretchen spoke, wondering how the Borg could ever deem love
to be irrelevant.
“Have you
given any thought to the conversation we had yesterday?”
“Yes I
have.” She said seriously.
“And what
did you decide?”
“There was
never a decision to be made.” The Borg
smiled softly. “It is merely a matter of
logistics.”
“I think I
can help with that. Wait right
here.”
Kathryn
looked over her shoulder and saw her mother walk out of the kitchen, leaving
Seven with a decidedly confused look on her face. She desperately wanted to know what they were
talking about but knew better than to go back inside before she was
invited. She took a long drink from her
coffee, wrapping her fingers around the mug to keep her hands warm. The house blocked much of the wind from
hitting the porch but it was still cold.
A few moments later, Gretchen returned and handed Seven a small, black
pouch. The Borg looked inside and the
admiral felt her curiosity peak as a small flush crept into her alabaster
cheeks. She was even more surprised when
Seven reached out and hugged her mother.
Cold and
perplexed, she was grumbling to herself when Gretchen came to the porch
door. “Kathryn Elizabeth Janeway! What are you doing out there without a coat?” Her mother’s eyes twinkled merrily. “You’ll catch your death. Get in here.”
The admiral
sighed and followed her mother inside.
She looked at Seven questioningly but the Borg merely raised one eyebrow
before noting that her lover’s hands were bright pink. She reached out and took them both within her
own. “Your hands are very cold.” She commented. Without missing a beat, she slid them up and
under her own pullover, placing Kathryn’s palms against the warm expanse of her
stomach.
“Well, I
think I’ll get the fire going.” Gretchen
smiled as she left the kitchen.
Kathryn
reveled in the soft warmth under her fingertips, taking a moment to rub them
slightly over the skin above Seven’s implant, earning a soft sigh from her
partner. When she looked up, she saw
that the Borg’s eyes were closed and she had a look of intense pleasure on her
face.
With a sly
smile, Janeway slid her fingers further up until she just brushed the underside
of Seven’s breasts before pulling them away altogether, making Seven whimper in
disappointment.
“Behave.” She whispered.
“I am
trying.” The Borg looked at her
fondly. “But you are making it
difficult.”
Kathryn
leaned in and gave her a small kiss.
“What did my mother give you?”
“It is none
of your concern.” Seven lifted her chin,
arrogance sliding back into her features.
“It is not necessary that you know everything, Kathryn.”
The admiral
was about to growl a response when her mother returned. “Later.”
She whispered. “I’ll get it out
of you later.”
“You are
welcome to try.” The Borg teased.
The evening
was extremely enjoyable and went by much too quickly. Seven helped Gretchen in all areas of the
food preparation, learning how to make the Janeway family secret herb rub and
the correct method for making tender rice from scratch.
When they
sat down to dinner, Kathryn opened a bottle of the Merlot, surprised but
pleased when Seven raised her own wine glass to be filled. The conversation was light, filled with
stories about the crew of Voyager and some of the fun moments they had managed
to have in between all of the red alerts.
When Seven raised her glass to be filled a second time, Kathryn quirked
one eyebrow in response, but obliged.
Then she
sat back and watched the Borg, taking in her beautiful countenance and the ease
with which she interacted with Gretchen.
She had never seen her more animated and treasured the moments
immensely.
When
Gretchen rose to get dessert from the kitchen, Seven raised her glass to have
it filled again and the admiral frowned.
“Are you sure you want more? This
vintage is pretty strong, Annika.”
“I… need
it.” Seven said hesitantly.
“Why?”
“Because I
regenerated today, Kathryn. You cannot
expect me to lay awake all night holding you while being forced to ‘behave’.”
Kathryn
chuckled, filling her glass. “I didn’t
think it would be that hard.”
“It shall
be.” Seven assured her. “And it will only be all the more difficult
unless you cease to look at me the way you have been.”
“I’m only
looking, Annika.” Janeway said seductively.
“Yes, but
your looking is like touching.” The Borg
shifted in her seat as Gretchen rejoined them.
They had
chocolate crème pie for desert, followed by coffee for Kathryn and more cocoa
for Seven which they took to the living room to watch the fire crackling
merrily in the hearth. As the hour grew
late, the admiral became concerned. “Any
word from Phoebe?”
“She called
before dinner. She won’t be home for a
few hours yet. The showing has her
pretty much frazzled at this point.” Her
mother replied.
“Glad to
hear it!” Kathryn smiled. “The responsibility will do her good.”
They sat in
comfortable silence until Gretchen informed them that she was turning in. Seven and Kathryn followed her upstairs,
where Kathryn firmly shut and locked her bedroom door.
Seven
slipped into her silk pajama top and was about to pull on the bottoms when Kathryn
took them from her, throwing them over a chair.
“Kathryn?”
The admiral
stepped closer to her, her fingers slowly working through the buttons one by
one. “We may have to behave, love, but I
for one cannot go another night without at least feeling your skin against
mine. Do you mind?”
The Borg
trembled as elegant fingers ran up her chest to slide the garment off her
shoulders.
“I’ll take
that as a no.” Kathryn laughed. She peeled off her own clothing and climbed
into bed, holding the quilt up for Seven to slide in beside her. When she complied, she wrapped herself around
the long, lanky frame and sighed in happiness as her hands began to roam across
the expanse of Seven’s stomach making her shiver and arch her back in response.
Laughing
softly, Kathryn continued to touch her, sliding her fingertips from the edge of
her ocular implant, down along her neck, before swirling in circles around
Seven’s hardened nipples. Bypassing
them, she continued down across the metal bands of her implant, lightly brushing
the pale thatch of hair between her legs to stroke her thighs possessively.
“Kathryn…” The Borg whispered, her breath becoming
shallow. “I will not tell you.”
The older
woman’s laugh was husky. “I guess I’ll
have to try harder.” She brought her
lips up to taste Seven’s mouth, moaning when their tongues met, losing herself
in the heat of the kiss. Her fingers
seemed to move of their own accord, seeking out and finding a pebbled nipple,
closing on it with a gentle fierceness that took the Borg’s breath away.
Seven
brought her hands up to tangle in the auburn locks, her whole body focused on
the feel of the hands against her.
“Kathryn… please...” She begged.
The admiral
groaned and gave in, all thought of coercion gone as she felt one smooth thigh
slip between her legs. She raised
herself over Seven’s body, settling the tender flesh between her legs more
firmly onto the muscular thigh. She felt
moisture flood the top of her knee where it rested at the apex of Seven’s legs
and groaned, forgetting why they weren’t supposed to be doing this in the first
place.
With wild
abandon, she kissed her way down the leonine neck and across one elegant
clavicle, trailing her lips down until they closed over a perfect nipple,
sucking it into her mouth to graze her teeth over it roughly. She shifted slightly, bringing one hand up to
her other nipple while her other hand slid down Seven’s stomach to tangle in
the golden curls. The Borg whimpered as
she parted her folds and her fingers slid over the swollen ridge of her sex.
“Shhhh.”
Kathryn whispered as her tongue and her fingers found a perfect rhythm and
Seven began to grind her hips up and into her.
After playing in the wetness for several minutes, she slid two, long
elegant fingers inside her lover, sighing at the sheer pleasure of the muscles
tightening around them.
Leaving the
perfect breasts behind, she slid down Seven’s body, slipping her tongue into
the Borg’s cleft to flick at the swollen bundle of nerves before closing her
lips around it to suckle it in earnest.
She could almost hear Seven biting her lip to keep from crying out, and
the thought of her holding in her passion enflamed her even more. She sped up the motion of her fingers,
thrusting more heavily as the Borg began to shake uncontrollably, her climax
nearing.
When it
hit, the entire length of the long beautiful body went rigid, her hands flat on
the sheets, toes curled tightly and Kathryn glanced up, chuckling softly when
she saw Seven biting down on the implant of her left hand. As the wave passed, she climbed back up to
give her lover a passionate, tangy kiss, before resuming her position on
Seven’s raised thigh.
Reaching
down, Seven slid her fingers inside Kathryn, using the leg as leverage as the
older woman thrust against her. She
studied Kathryn’s face as the woman rode her, losing herself in the look of ecstasy
apparent in her features.
When
Kathryn finally came, she buried her face in Seven’s neck, biting down hard on
the pulse point to keep from crying out before collapsing heavily on top of
her.
“I never
imagined that you could be so silent.”
Seven panted. “That was most
enjoyable.”
“Yes it
was.” The admiral laughed quietly.
“I now have
the memory of being with you somewhere no one else has ever been.” The Borg
quipped, earning an adoring grin from her lover. “But I am not yet finished with you.”
“Annika, I
don’t know that I can be quiet if you put your mouth on me.”
“Try.” Seven whispered as she flipped them over,
sliding down the compact body to claim her with her lips. “Perhaps a pillow will help.”
Kathryn
laughed and grabbed one, placing it over her face.
* * * * * * * * *
Morning
dawned with a bright ray of sunshine that spilled through the window to bathe
their resting bodies in it’s warmth.
They were tangled up together in the center of the bed, sheets and
comforter wrapped snuggly around them as Kathryn played lazy fingers across
Seven’s stomach.
The Borg
sighed happily. “What shall we do
today?”
“Well, the
day looks gorgeous outside the window. I
thought I might take you tobogganing.”
“Tobogganing?” Seven repeated. “Like in the picture?”
“Yes,”
Janeway smiled at the childlike delight in her lover’s voice. “We have some excellent hills behind the
house for it. It’s something you’ve
never done before. Are you up for it?”
“Of
course.” She stretched, her lithe form
arching back to flex every muscle, something that Kathryn watched with great
appreciation. “We will need to shower
first.”
“I think
that’s a good idea.” Kathryn breathed in
deeply, relishing the scent of their passion that still lingered in the
room. “Let me go first, I’ll be quick.”
Seven lay
in their bed after she was gone, understanding finally how being lazy could be
enjoyable. She had just started to doze
off when Kathryn poked her head in the door.
“It’s all
yours. I’m going to grab some
coffee. See you in the kitchen in
fifteen minutes.”
“Yes,
Captain.”
Her heart
caught at the loving grin the older woman threw her way as she rose from their
bed. Grabbing up some clothes she thought
appropriate for their endeavors that morning, she headed for the bathroom, her
mouth watering at the scent of pancakes that emanated from the kitchen
downstairs.
“Morning,
Mom.” Kathryn smiled broadly at her
mother as she grabbed a mug of coffee.
“How was your night?”
Gretchen
Janeway took in her daughter’s brilliant smile and grinned at her. “Not as good as yours.”
Kathryn
flushed. “What do you mean?”
Reaching
up, Gretchen flipped at her collar. “You
better take care of those hickies or your sister will never let you live it
down.”
Blanching,
she ran to her mother’s bathroom and stared at her reflection. “What hickies?”
The sound
of her mother’s laughter made her blush even harder. “Very funny, Mom.” She groused, returning to her stool by the
counter. She watched her mother ladle
spoonfuls of golden liquid onto the griddle, her stomach rumbling in
anticipation.
When Seven
finally joined them, she was ready to eat the empty plates sitting on the
counter in front of her.
“Good
morning, Gretchen. That smells very
good.” Seven smiled as she entered the
kitchen.
Kathryn
looked up at her and felt her stomach do a little flip. The Borg was dressed in faded blue jeans and
black snow boots. She had on a white
button down shirt that was tucked in at the waist and had the sleeves rolled up
to the elbows. She looked good enough to
eat and Kathryn almost expressed that sentiment before remembering they were
not alone. She bit the inside of her
cheek instead.
Seven
strolled up to her and dropped a kiss onto her head as she took her place next
to her. Gretchen dished them up heaping
platters of Pancakes, eggs and hash browns before joining them herself.
“Where’s
Phoebe?” Seven inquired.
“Right
here.” The youngest Janeway trudged into
the kitchen, her eyes bleary and her shoulders slumped with tiredness.
“You all
right, Pheebs?” Kathryn looked at her in alarm.
“I’m
fine.” Phoebe sighed. “It was just a really long night getting the
gallery set up for the showing tomorrow.
I’m sure the stewards hate me by now, with how many times I made them
move the exhibit around. I was worn out
when I got home and then of course I was too tired to sleep.” She took a sip of coffee as her eyebrows
knitted together in confusion. “Hey, did
I hear humming coming from your room last night?”
Kathryn
choked on her coffee, sending a spray of it across her sister’s chest as Seven
turned bright red. Without a word, the
Borg stood and pulled on her jacket, then exited through the porch door.
“Sorry,
Pheebs.” Kathryn mumbled quickly. Her laughter carried back to them as she
chased after her lover calling out, “I told you so!”
The
youngest Janeway looked down at her shirt before turning her questioning gaze
on her mother. “What did I say?”
Gretchen
only shrugged and smiled as she started to clear away the dishes.
Chapter Four - …Warm Heart
Seven of
Nine stared down the snow covered hill, anticipation and apprehension warring
within her for superiority as she watched her lover clamber onto the flat
conveyance joyfully. “How do you steer
this device?”
“With your
feet, see?” Kathryn placed both her appendages against the curved board on the
front of the toboggan, shifting them from side to side, making the runners turn
slightly.
“And that
is sufficient to keep us from gliding to our deaths?”
The older
woman held out her hand, beckoning Seven to get on behind her. “Don’t worry, Annika. I won’t crash us into a tree. If I can captain a starship I’m sure I can
handle a toboggan.”
“Tom Paris
helmed Voyager.” The Borg said
dubiously.
“Just get
on!” Kathryn laughed.
When Seven
was settled snuggly against her back, Kathryn leaned forward, using their body
weight to set the sled in motion. They
flew down the hill quickly, their hair flying out in the breeze behind them and
she heard a small sound of pleasure from the woman behind her.
“Like
it?” She called out over the sound of
the wind.
“It is
exhilarating!” Seven responded.
As they
neared the bottom of the hill, Kathryn pulled back on the rope threaded through
the front of the sleigh. The toboggan
groaned beneath them and she suddenly realized that she hadn’t taken the extra
body weight of Seven’s implants into consideration. She tugged harder, causing the nose of the
sled to lurch to one side.
The whole
conveyance flipped over, sending the two of them cart-wheeling into the snow
where they lay, Kathryn laughing uproariously and Seven looking at her with
pointed disgust.
“You said
you would not crash us.” She accused.
“No, I said
I would not crash us into a tree.” Kathryn rolled over, sliding herself on top
of Seven. Picking up a handful of snow,
she gently rubbed it into her surprised features. “Tag, you’re it!” She jumped up and ran.
Seven
gracefully got to her feet. She reached
down and formed a tight snowball with her hands and then watched the older
woman’s path intently. Finally, she
pulled her arm back and let the snowball fly, satisfied when it thumped into
the back of her lover’s head, earning her a startled yelp.
“Hey!” Kathryn stuck her tongue out at her. “No fair!
You can’t use your Borg enhanced everything! That’s cheating!”
“I fail to
see how it could be cheating when my ‘Borg enhanced everything’ is a part of
me. You are merely upset that I have met
your challenge. You should pick your
opponents more wisely.”
She
realized a moment too late that it was probably not a good idea to taunt a
Starfleet Admiral.
Janeway
went flying at her, impacting her midsection solidly, sending them both
sprawling into the snow yet again. She
then proceeded to rub more snow in her lover’s face. “Give?”
“Give
what?”
Kathryn
rolled her eyes. “Do you give up?”
“Never.” Seven picked her up, using her Borg hand to
slide her body across the snow.
“I’m not a
bowling ball!” Kathryn protested,
laughing.
They played
for over an hour, each of them finding new ways to pelt each other with the
soft fluffy snow until they collapsed onto a rock at the base of a tall
tree. Kathryn brushed the remaining
flakes from Seven’s face and kissed her gently.
The Borg
swallowed. “Take off your gloves.”
The admiral
gave her a curious look but did as she was asked.
“Hold out
your hand.” Seven requested.
Kathryn did,
surprised when the Borg set a small ball of snow, approximately two inches in
diameter in the center of her palm. Then
she wrapped the admiral’s fingers around it, surrounding her hand with her own.
“Annika!” Janeway laughed. “That’s cold!”
“There is
an old Earth saying, is there not,” Seven whispered. “Cold hands, warm heart?”
“Yes, but I
don’t think-“ Kathryn stopped speaking.
The snow had finished melting in the heat of her hand and she felt
something hard left behind. Seven pulled
her hands away and Kathryn spread her fingers, her face registering shock even
as her breath left her in a gasp.
There, in
her palm, was a perfect gold circle.
There was a large solitaire diamond set into it, with sprays of smaller
diamonds on either side. She looked up
at her lover in confusion. “Annika,
where did you get this?”
“From your
mother.” Seven plucked the ring from her
palm. “Gretchen informed me that this
ring was originally her grandmothers and that your grandfather added the
smaller diamonds to the setting before he used it to propose to your
grandmother.”
Kathryn swallowed,
hard. “State your intentions.”
“I intend
to marry you, Kathryn Elizabeth Janeway.”
Seven gently held the ring with the fingertips of her left hand. “If you will have me.”
The admiral
felt tears threaten to overwhelm her again for the second time in as many days
and tried to stop them, knowing they would freeze almost immediately. When she was unsuccessful, Seven reached up
and wiped the crystals from her cheeks gently.
“Will you marry me, Kathryn?” She
whispered.
The older
woman threw her arms around the startled blonde, knocking her backwards into a
snowdrift where she kissed her senseless.
“There is nothing that would make me happier, Annika.”
Smiling,
Seven slipped the ring onto her finger and then linked them with her own. They lay together, kissing in the snow, for
several long minutes until they both felt the dampness seeping into their
clothes.
“C’mon.” Janeway stood and pulled the younger woman to
her feet. “Let’s go tell Mom she’s got a
daughter-in-law. Although I’m sure she’s
already well aware of it.”
Hand in
hand, they headed back to the house.
“Kathryn?”
“Yes love?”
“Now that
we are engaged…”
Kathryn
laughed. “We still need to be quiet,
Annika.”
* * * * * * * * *
Phoebe
looked over at her older sister and rolled her eyes. For the last hour Kathryn had been
alternating between staring at Seven and staring at the ring on her
finger. It was enough to make anyone go
into a diabetic coma.
What was
worse, Seven took every opportunity to brush against Kathryn that she could
find. It was sensual in a way that made
Phoebe very uncomfortable. This was her
sister’s fiancé for god’s sake!
But if she
was honest with herself, it wasn’t the sensual part that really bothered
her. As happy as she was for her sister,
the love that was apparent between them made her realize just how empty her own
personal life was. Something she would
have to fix immediately. No way was she
going to Kathryn’s wedding without a date!
Especially
now that her eyes had been opened to all new avenues of possibility.
When
Kathryn pulled Seven to her for another kiss, she finally couldn’t hold her
tongue any longer. “Jeez you two! Get a room!”
Her eyes twinkled mischievously.
“Preferably a sound proof one.”
Seven
looked over at the youngest Janeway, her eyes assessing her keenly. “Perhaps you should try a social engagement
yourself, Phoebe.” Her eyebrow arched when she saw her comment had struck its
mark. “I know of several unattached
females that I would be happy to introduce you to.”
“Uh..oh..”
Phoebe stammered and turned bright pink.
“Who did
you have in mind, love?” Kathryn played
along, enjoying the turnabout in the teasing.
“Tal Celes
is quite attractive and, if the rumors are true, quite sympathetic to our
cause.”
“Tal
Celes?” Janeway’s mouth dropped. “She’s so quiet.”
“I was
unaware that being loud was a requirement for same sex affiliation.” She eyed her lover, one eyebrow raised. “Of course, if you are any indication…”
Kathryn
leaned up and smothered her lover’s words with a kiss. “I think Mom could use your help in the
kitchen, Annika.” She said pointedly.
The Borg
gave her a soft smile and headed for the other room as Phoebe finally exhaled.
“She’s a
handful.”
Kathryn
couldn’t tell if Phoebe was paying Seven a compliment or not and decided to let
it pass. “Yes, and she’s my handful.”
“I’m really
happy for you.” Phoebe took a deep
breath. “I want you to know that I have always been proud of you, Katie. I know sometimes I act like a brat, but that
doesn’t mean I don’t respect you, and everything you’ve done, both for your
crew and for this family.”
Kathryn
looked at her in surprise, completely unprepared for the turn in the
conversation. “Thank you.” She said quietly.
Wordlessly,
Phoebe walked over to her and wrapped her up in a hug. It was brief, but they both had tears in
their eyes when it ended.
“That
doesn’t mean I’m going to let you get away with anything!” The youngest Janeway pointed out. “I’m still
going to tell you when you’re being a dork.”
“Wouldn’t
have it any other way.” Her big sister
smiled.
Gretchen
and Seven joined them at that moment, both of them carrying platters full of
food for the evening meal. They gathered
around the table and Kathryn filled all their wineglasses from a bottle of her
prized merlot before raising her own in a toast. “To our family.”
Gretchen
raised her glass up and clinked it merrily against Kathryn’s. “May it continue to grow.” She said with a twinkle in her eye.
Seven
stared at her lover, wondering why she suddenly looked like a small animal
caught in the headlights of an oncoming vehicle. She would have to ask her about it
later. She raised her own glass. “Thank you for welcoming me into your home,
Phoebe and Gretchen. There is no place
in the galaxy that I would rather be.”
“The name’s
Mom, Annika.” The eldest Janeway smiled
brilliantly. “Get used to it.”
* * * * * * * * *
Admiral
Kathryn Janeway sat in the command seat of Voyager, her heart heavy with the
bittersweet feel of the moment. All
around her, there were familiar faces.
Tom was at the helm, B’Elanna was at the engineering station, Tuvok was
at security, Harry was at communications and Seven was at the aft science
console. The Doctor stood a few feet
behind her and even Chakotay was there, sitting in his own chair, a faraway
look on his face as he stared straight ahead.
This was to
be Voyagers last flight and every one of her crew had shown up to witness it.
They flew
low over the
“Condition
Blue, Mr. Paris.”
“Aye,
Captain.” Tom smiled, knowing that was
the title she would want used for this event.
“Landing gear extended.”
Janeway
sighed. “Take us down.”
Voyager
floated effortlessly downwards until her struts impacted the hard earth, the
ship settling finally onto its permanent home.
“All
stop.” Janeway said quietly. “Shut her down, Tom.”
Every spine
was straight and every eye tearful as the hum of Voyager’s engines died away
for the final time.
Standing,
Admiral Janeway stepped forward, accepting a glass of champagne from Harry Kim.
“Almost eight
years ago, I took command of Voyager.
She was my first vessel, and I loved her from the minute I saw her,
glimmering in dry dock at the Utopia Planetia ship yards. Our first mission… well, it went a little
longer than anyone anticipated.”
Everyone laughed. “During those long
lost years, Voyager became more to us than just a ship. She became a living, breathing member of the
crew. She was the skin that held our
community together, she was the armor that protected us from our enemies, and
she was the salvation that delivered us home to our families. I can think of no better tribute to her than
to make her a piece of living history, so that every individual may admire and
learn from her.”
Seven
smiled at her gently.
Kathryn
raised her champagne flute, looking up.
“You did us proud, my friend. You
will always be a part of us.” She took a
drink quickly, trying to hide the catch in her voice. “We will never forget you.”
Cheering
began throughout the ship, all of which was broadcast around the world from the
video stations on every deck.
Admiral
Paris and Admiral Neyechev stepped forward, each of them shaking her hand
before turning to congratulate the rest of her crew.
There was
to be a huge reception at Fleet headquarters, one which Kathryn knew she would
be required to attend, but all she really wanted at that moment was to curl up
in Seven’s arms and cry. Two months from
now, Voyager would open its doors to the public and the whole world would be
able to set foot onto her decks and imagine what it had been like, lost out
there in the Delta Quadrant.
What they
would never be able to imagine, was how much the ship meant to its crew, how
much it represented a home to the one hundred and forty seven people who had
been ready to live out their lives on her.
She watched
as people began to disembark for the last time.
Taking Admiral Paris by the arm, she whispered, “Give me a minute here.”
He nodded
silently and followed the rest out, leaving only Kathryn and Seven behind.
The admiral
moved slowly across the bridge before entering her ready room, followed by her
fiancé. She ran her hands along the edge
of the desk, before stepping up to the windows to stare out them one final
time. “The view is different.” She choked on the words. “But it feels the same.”
Seven came
up behind her and wrapped her arms around her.
“It will always be our home.”
Kathryn
sighed heavily before turning in the embrace to kiss her gently. “You will always be my home.” She took the Borg by the hand. “Come on let’s go to the reception before
they send out a search party.”
As they
headed for the turbo lift, Seven hung back and Janeway turned to look at her
questioningly. She watched as the Borg
climbed the steps to stand behind the command chairs.
Laying one
hand on the console, she looked around the bridge and whispered, “Thank you.”
The End
(Sorta)
What Comes After… Part III – ‘A Very Special Woman’ Coming Soon to a Forum Near You.
Fabulous Movie Poster by ZoeAmory!!
