STAR TREK: VOYAGER
An Original J/7 Voyager Story
Ó2008 by Patricia L.
Givens
New Years 2008
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! J
) 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 may or may not depict a romantic relationship between two women, I haven’t
decided yet. However, I did want to
provide you with the warning that it might so that you could get all pissy
about it if that kind of thing bothers you.
Once you’re done being pissy about it, be good little automaton and go
and make me an Irish coffee would ya? If
you’re under 18, then make sure you designate a driver so you can read my
stories when you are 19 too. If this is
illegal where you live, then take heart!
It is a brand new year and the possibilities, as they say, are
limitless.
Who To Blame: Thanks must go out to
Ky, for never changing, as well as to Andrea and Anne for being gentle when
they point out that I am being silly.
This one is dedicated to everyone who loves paisley.
No parkas were harmed during the writing of this story, however,
two did need to have their buttons sewn back on.
To all that makes us unique!
DAx =/\=
“To love is
to risk not being loved in return.
To hope is to
risk pain.
To try is to
risk failure,
but risk must
be taken
because the
greatest hazard in life
is to risk
nothing.”
Seven of Nine,
former Tertiary Adjunct to the Unimatrix Zero One pulled her thick jacket
closer around her body, trying to keep the chill from her limbs even as she
enjoyed the feel of the cold air against her face.
In the three years
since Voyager’s triumphant return to Earth, she had made it a point to visit
many of the places she had heard the crew mention during their long voyage home
and had come to the conclusion that out of all the climates the planet had to
offer, those that came with a covering of snow suited her best.
She had long
ago given up the skin tight bio-suits that had been her standard dress on the
Intrepid class starship in favor of fleece lined cargo pants and turtle neck
sweaters, the Borg mesh of her left hand nicely covered by the thick mittens
she wore to keep her fingers from going numb.
Seven quickly
sidestepped to avoid a rather large group of boisterous people who were moving
down the sidewalk towards her singing carols as they went. She glanced back at them as they passed, one
eyebrow raised in consideration.
So this was New York City
Going by the
Old Earth Calendar, it was New Year’s Eve.
Looking up, she took in the lights strung gaily from one side of the street to the other and
the large view screens which had been erected to count down the time to what
was apparently the “magical moment of midnight’, whatever that meant.
She was well
versed in Earth lore and knew that the celebration was the traditional one for
the changing of one year into the next.
Just exactly why the passage of time should be magical, she had no
idea. Unless time suddenly began moving
backwards, it seemed more of a normal progression of events than anything that
should be celebrated.
Shaking her
head slightly, she continued up the street.
Harry Kim had informed her that to ‘see the ball drop in Time’s Square’
was something that everyone should experience at least once in their
lives. As she had no other plans or
obligations, she had decided to investigate the phenomena and decide for
herself if it could truly be categorized as a ‘magical’ moment.
Thinking of
Harry caused a slight tightening in her chest that she tried to ignore. In truth, any thought of Voyager’s crew
caused the same reaction within her.
They had all made the attempt to stay in contact with her since the ship
had come home… all but one of them.
The one she had
wanted to remain close to more than anything.
At first,
Captain Janeway had made it a point to see her every day. Then, as it became clear that Starfleet was
going to accept her recommendations regarding the former Borg drone, she began
to slowly disappear from her life, the visits becoming more and more rare until
finally they stopped altogether. Her
messages went unanswered and her inquiries into the Captain’s whereabouts were
either met with stony silence from Starfleet personnel or the much more painful
refusals of information from her former crewmates.
She could
picture B’Elanna’s face quite clearly the last time she had seen her. The way the Klingon had refused to look her
in the eye and the sad expression on her face when she saw the pain her refusal
caused.
And still she
had not yielded, which meant only one thing.
Kathryn did not
want to see her.
Seven had
heard, and read, many references to having one’s heart broken, but she hadn’t
truly understood the emotional resonance behind the colloquialism until that
point was made painfully clear to her.
And so she had
started to travel.
So many times
she had wanted to ask the Captain a question or share in the joy she felt over
a particular discovery only to find the ache from her loss painfully renewed.
The cold
helped.
It was hard to
worry about your heart being frozen when you were trying to keep your limbs
from ending up the same way.
With a sigh,
she flipped up the collar on her parka as a particularly nasty breeze blew cold
air down her neck. For the hundredth
time, she reached up and brushed the frost away from her ocular implant.
The Borg did
not rust, but that didn’t mean they liked snow in their eyes either.
There was a
loud noise from up ahead and she raised her eyes as several fireworks trailed
across the night sky to explode into multi-colored stars. The light show was followed by loud cheers
from the crowd gathered tightly together in the center of the street.
Apparently, she
had found Time’s Square.
Gently, she
pushed her way through the people crowding around her, her eidetic memory
catching and categorizing everything for her to review later, when there was
not so much to see and experience.
Harry had said
that a new year meant new possibilities… new hope. It was a time to let go of the things that
haunted you in the past and allow yourself to start over.
But where was
she to start?
Standing in the
center of the snow-lined street she allowed herself to revisit the memories
that meant the most to her from her time on Voyager.
And the Captain
was in every single one of them.
She had assumed
that when they returned…
What had she
assumed? What had she wanted? What did she want now?
She closed her
eyes and pictured Kathryn’s face; the gentle little lopsided grin, the
sparkling blue-gray eyes, the auburn-red tint of her hair… and her laugh…
Her laugh…
Seven squeezed
her eyes tighter thinking she could almost hear the lilting sound of it, the
light, teasing measure, the tone…
She could
almost hear it…
She could hear
it…
She could hear
it?
The Borg’s eyes
flew open wide as her enhanced hearing tuned out the sounds of the people
around her, searching through the noise for the one note she was sure she had
heard…
And there it
was.
Her heart
pounding, Seven moved quickly through the crowd, her eyes darting back and
forth until she caught the unmistakable bald plate of the Doctor’s head. He was smiling up at the fireworks and
talking animatedly to the person standing at his side.
Seven felt her
heart contract painfully in her chest as she took in the vision before her.
Kathryn Janeway
stood beside him, her small powerful form wrapped in a full length crimson
parka. Her long slender fingers were
covered in black suede gloves and the shimmering red of her hair was dotted
with white snowflakes as she tilted her head back to watch the light show above
them.
Seven couldn’t
breathe. For a moment, the whole world
narrowed down to the corridor of space that stood between the two of them. The only sound she could hear was the
pounding of her heart as she stepped up quickly behind the smaller woman, her
eyes closing in appreciation as the scent of lavender and soap and something
else, something so uniquely Kathryn that she had never been able to figure out
what it was, washed over her.
She wasn’t sure
how long she stood there, simply breathing her in, but at some point tears
began to spill down her face, the warmth of them cutting through the cold and
leaving trails in the frost that covered both her cheeks.
Slowly, she
raised her hands, holding them barely an inch from the body she longed to
touch.
And it was
enough.
The form before
her tensed and went still, the elegant head leaned forward and the blue-gray
eyes studied the pavement. Without
turning, without looking, without breathing, Kathryn whispered, “Seven?”
The Borg closed
the space between them, wrapping her long arms around her from behind. She thought for a moment that the Captain
would protest, shake her off or move away, but then the small body relaxed back
into the embrace and a soft sigh fell from her lips.
“I used to
wonder how you always knew when I walked into Astrometrics.” She laughed softly. “I guess now I know.”
“Kathryn.” Seven whispered, her eyes closing and her
face dropping down to rest on Janeway’s shoulder as The Voice wrapped her in
velvet. “What are you doing here?”
Kathryn turned
in her embrace and traced the tracks of her tears with one finger. “Hoping…”
“Hoping?”
“I’ve come here
every year.” She smiled softly. “Harry said he told you about New Year’s in New York City
Seven’s eyebrows
furrowed. “If you wished to see me why
did you not just allow them to tell me where you were?”
Kathryn pulled
one glove off and laid a warm palm against her face. “Because there is so much out there for you,
Seven. I wanted you to see at least some
of it for yourself before making a decision.”
“There was
never a decision to be made.” The Borg
frowned. “Everywhere I have gone has
been lacking without you. Everything I
have seen I have wanted to share with you.
Everything is nothing… without you.”
All around them
people began to call out, counting backwards from ten as a brightly lit ball
began to descend from atop a tall spire.
When the number hit one, Kathryn leaned up and captured Seven’s lips
with her own, drowning out the cheering of the crowds with the sounds of two
hearts… finally beating as one.
