STAR TREK: VOYAGER
An Original J/7 Voyager Story
Ó2008 by Patricia L.
Givens
A Dirty Pair
Valentines 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. 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 #2: This
story does depict romantic relationships between members of the same sex. Some of them are sweet, some are silly, and
some will leave you wondering what kind of mushrooms I had in my salad last
night. Only the ones with a certain
Captain and her Borg will be graphic (probably…
Mrs. Devlin is hanging out here somewhere and you know how she likes to
mess about without her pants on.) If
this bothers you then… well, I really don’t give a fuck. I’m trying to care, honestly I am, but it just
isn’t happening. Sorry. If you are under 18, then please be aware that inter-species sex
is really a concept ahead of its time at this point. Please do not take a goat home for dinner and
try to explain to your parents how much you love Billy, m’kay? If this is illegal where you live then please
utilize your local Lesbian U-Haul service and fucking move!
Disclaimer #3: Following
in the footsteps of my original fanfic obsession, Xena: Warrior Princess, I have
taken MANY liberties with the Cupid/Eros myth.
I am well aware that one was Roman; one was Greek and both were
male and that I am stirring them together into a blatantly erroneous historically
cringe-worthy hodpodge. So sue me. (You show me any actual Greek myth in which
Aphrodite mutters the word ‘Bitchin’!’ and I will apologize!)
Who To Blame: Thanks must go out to
Ky, for forcing me to make her a toon and then bitching about how I did
it. You better take care of Talas! Thanks also to Andrea and Anne for beta-ing
(Is that really a word?) this mess. Thanks ALWAYS
to AW61 (my Personal Kei) who makes being dirty so much more fun as my partner
in crime! Thanks also to
ZoeAmory for the fabulous cover manip and vid (I am sure you will all love us
all when you can’t get the song out of your head!) And thanks to all of the
people who donated their time and creativity to another Dirty Pair Holidaze
Celebration!
This one is dedicated to the Duck, for cheerfully nodding when
my explanations make no sense whatsoever and still being able to come up with
something brilliant regardless! (Put it on my bill…er…your
bill…uhm…whatever. The sliding scale
still applies!)
Love Long and Orgasm!
(My sister says “Hello Lesbian Type People!)
DAx =/\=
This Vid is Required Watching for the Story!
(Besides, it is fucking brilliant!)
“I don't
understand why Cupid was chosen to represent Valentine's Day.
When I think
about romance, the last thing on my mind
is a short,
chubby toddler coming at me with a weapon.”
The small
winged form stopped abruptly, hanging motionless in mid air as she quickly
surveyed the stars around her. Her
eyebrows furrowed and her mouth drew down in a small frown as she realized that
nothing looked familiar.
“Goddess
damn it all to Hades!” She sighed in
frustration and shifted the golden bow and arrows slung across her back to a
more comfortable position as she pulled a folded piece of parchment from her
inside wing pocket. Mumbling to herself,
she read off the directions. “Turn left
at the dark matter nebula, right at the black hole and then forward for twelve
thousand light years and you’re there.” She
looked around again.
“And where
exactly is there?” She shouted
to no one in particular. “The dark
sphincter of URANUS?!? Damn it, I knew I
shouldn’t have let Bacchus write out the directions. Crazy drunk’s probably laughing his ass off
right now.” She had just reached for her
Goddess Positioning System when she heard a low humming noise. Glancing back over her shoulder, she did a
quick double take at the odd ship that was moving up behind her.
It was a
box.
One of her
eyebrows rose and her mouth quirked in confusion as she studied the vessel, her
head cocked slightly to one side. Who
the hell would want to fly around the galaxy in a box, for Pete’s sake?
“We are the Borg. Your biological and technological
distinctiveness will be added to our own.”
“Uh…yeah.” She frowned.
“That sounds like fun and all but I’m in a bit of a hurry and more than
a little lost. You think you could help
a sister out? I’m trying to get to
Tanaris III, any clue what direction it might be in?”
“We are the Borg. Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.”
She rolled
her eyes. “Yeah, I heard that before.
But I don’t have time to play right now.
I have too much work to do today.”
“We are the Borg-“
“All right
already!” She snapped. “You’re the Borg in the Box, I get it. Nice ship design by the way. Bet you put a lot of thought into that one.”
The remark
had barely left her mouth when a beam of green light shot out from the vessel,
impacting her directly in the abdomen.
Wrapping
her arms tightly around her belly, the winged creature doubled over in laughter
as her small frame shook uncontrollably. “Stop it! Stop it!”
She wheezed. “That
tickles!!” When the beam did not
disengage, she flicked at it with her hand, knocking it away. “You better be careful! Artie’s the only one who’s really allowed to
do that, and she has quite the jealous streak.”
“We are the Borg. Resistance is futile-“
“Is that
some kind of advertising campaign, the way you keep repeating that? Or are you just insecure? Anyway, I know who you are I think the real question is, do you know who I am?” She flexed her back muscles,
causing her snow white wings to fan out majestically. “I am Eros!”
There was no response. “Daughter
of Aphrodite, the Goddess of love, sex and other things we won’t mention?” There was still no response. “Granddaughter to the big, bad voodoo daddy
himself? Zeus? Any of this ringing a bell?” She shook her
head and sighed in frustration. “Ok, so
you apparently skipped the week in school when they went over Greek
Mythology. I am a GOD, people! You don’t wanna fuck around with a god!”
“Your biological and
technological distinctiveness will be added to our own. Resistance is futile.”
For a long
moment, Eros merely stared at her aggressors.
Then, a slow, mischievous smile graced her full, bowlike lips and her
eyes twinkled brightly. “All right. You win.”
She tucked the parchment back into her wing pocket and pulled the golden
bow from her back. “You wanna play? I’ll show you exactly what the word ‘futile’ really means…”
As she flew
towards the cube, a hatch opened to allow her entry, making her giggle. “Well, aren’t you accommodating?” The powerful wings on her back propelled her
forward and she glided effortlessly through the green, murky atmosphere,
pausing every now and then to stare at something when her curiosity got the
better of her.
When she
finally dropped down to land in an open bay, she shook her head in mock
amazement. “Wow… you guys have some
serious issues!”
Smiling nonchalantly
she notched an arrow onto her bow when the drones in the area began to move
towards her. She let the projectile fly,
laughing to herself when it struck its mark and the drone stopped dead in its
tracks. A moment later, it moved over to
a nearby console and began to stroke it gently.
“Well… I guess we all have our own ‘thing’…” Eros was so busy watching the spectacle that she
stopped paying attention to the fight.
A second
drone took advantage of her distraction and grabbed her, lifting her off the
ground.
“Whoa there
tiger!” She patted his arm gently. “Can the rough stuff! You know its all fun and games until someone
loses an eye…” Her voice trailed off as
she studied the device protruding from one of the drone’s ocular cavities. “Well… I guess you already know that.” She leaned in and kissed the pale lips,
satisfied when the arm went slack and the drone seemed to sway back and forth. “You
give that thought a good hour or two…
Then we’ll see about finding you another…”
Eros
watched as the rest of the drones stopped and began to back away.
“That’s
it?” She called out. “Two lousy playmates and you give up? Come
on! Anyone with balls enough to fly
around in a friggin’ box spouting out ‘Resistance Is Futile’ has to have
something better than that up their sleeve!”
There was no response, causing her to pout. “I see how it is… You’re all bark and no bite… all lip and no
fight? Normally the lip part is ok, but
I do like a little slap and tickle to go along with it. We probably shouldn’t talk about that
though, what with Artie’s temper and all-“
The room began to sparkle around her.
She blinked in surprise, laughing out loud when she was whisked away and
rematerialized in a different chamber altogether.
This room
was circular, the walls completely covered with computer interfaces and view
screens. Six drones also lined the
bulkhead at various points. Eros smiled
to see that two of them were female. She
had begun to think this was a very dreary race.
In the
center of the room there was a glass walled chamber and as she watched, it
filled with green light. Looking up, her
breath caught as she once again re-evaluated her opinions about the dreariness
of the Borg.
Descending
from an aperture in the ceiling was a small platform. Suspended above it by two black conduit hoses
were the head and shoulders of a beautiful, if somewhat startling,
creature.
Eros watched
in wonder as the platform reached the ground and robotic arms proceeded to build
a body from various, black rubber coated parts.
When the curvaceous form was complete, the head and shoulders dropped
gracefully into it, securing itself with four hooks that emerged from the body
suit to bury themselves in the skin of her chest.
Two mercury
colored eyes opened and pale red lips curved into a sinister smile as the
female stepped down from the dais.
“Hello… little god.”
Eros
ignored her, going over to stare at the chamber she had just stepped out
of. “That was amazing!” She enthused.
“My closet doesn’t do that! Damn
that would make deciding on an outfit so much easier…” She turned back to the newcomer. “So… I guess you get to come out of the
closet every day hmm?” She giggled
quietly to herself.
“Enough!”
The female stepped closer, moving well into her space as she stared into the
gods gorgeous green eyes. “You asked for
bite? I am the Borg Queen. You will comply.”
“Hit me with your best shot.”
The Queen
brought her hand up quickly and stabbed Eros in the neck with her assimilation
tubules, her lips quirking in satisfaction when she saw the goddess’ eyes widen
and small implants begin to spring out across her naked form.
A moment
later, the smile faltered as she felt something traveling towards her through
her own tubules. “Impossible!” She growled, trying to still her shaking
limbs as her system was flooded with images and information.
Very
specific information.
The tubules
went slack and fell away as she stared at the small winged creature with a look
of horror on her face that quickly faded to shock… and then to something else
altogether.
“We’ll call
that a Borgasm…” Eros winked at the
wildly shaking Queen. “Shove that in your
tubules and assimilate it!” She was
still grinning a few moments later when all of the drones around her began to
shudder, their eyes closing in unison as a low collective moan began to reverberate
throughout the Cube. The small god
stared at them, one eyebrow raised in amusement. “Damn, talk about group sex…”
As she
watched them, an idea began to form in her devious little mind. Going over to a computer console, she laid
her hand on its surface, her smile growing at the information she received.
“So that’s
what you meant by assimilate, huh?
Sounds wicked… but not what I’m looking for right now. I am, however, very interested in these nanoprobe
thingies… Did you know if I tweak them
just a little bit, I can use them to send Valentine Coding to everyone on a
planet all at once??” She rubbed her
hands together. “I simply cannot pass
this up! You just made my day!” She looked at the Borg Queen
thoughtfully. “That Borgasm won’t last
forever though and I can’t have you running around trying to thwart my good
deeds. I need something to keep you
under control. Hmmm…. What should it be…” A huge grin split her face. “I know just the
thing… and it will so match that outfit!”
Eros
snapped her fingers and a wide leather collar appeared in her hand, complete
with silver studs and a hoop, from which dangled a long tether. She quickly buckled it around the Borg
Queen’s neck and grabbed up the leash.
“Come along now, Queenie. We have
worlds to do.”
Meanwhile, on the
other side of the quadrant:
B’Elanna
Torres sighed heavily as she slid into the mess hall booth, dropping a plateful
of whatever atrocity Neelix was passing off as breakfast and a mug of coffee
onto the table before her. She stared at
the food for a moment, before deciding she was just too hungry to care what was
in it.
This was
the second time she had tried to have breakfast. The first having been interrupted before she
even managed to make it through the mess hall doors.
Right as
she had arrived, the Red Alert klaxons had gone off and the doors had slid open
to release a torrent of officers heading quickly to their stations. After being pushed against the bulkhead, she
delivered a few well placed ‘accidental’ nudges and headed back to engineering
herself.
The
attacking aliens hadn’t been that dangerous, but they were very persistent and
the alert had dragged on for three and a half hours. Now that it was over, she was tired, cranky
and hungry enough to eat a targ.
She had
just taken her first bite when she noticed a PADD lying on the seat next to
her. Picking it up, she looked around
quickly, but Neelix was the only other person present and he was busy trying to
wrestle something back into his frying pan.
Shrugging, she thumbed the control and read the words that appeared.
How do I love thee?
Let me count the ways…
I love you for
The wildness hidden
Deep within your eyes,
For all the glances
You have given
And all each one implies.
I love you for
A love letter? A startled smile
appeared on the Klingon’s normally serious face. Well,
well ,well… the love bug has bitten someone and from the looks of it, the wound
is serious!
B’Elanna
frowned at the abrupt ending. Whoever
had been waxing poetical had apparently been dragged away by the red alert and
left the PADD behind in their hurry to get back to their station.
But who the
hell was it?
She tried
several different algorhythms in an attempt to unlock the privacy seal placed over
the log in code but had no luck. She
knew she could probably get Seven to break it easily enough, but then she would
have to explain why she was snooping around a PADD that wasn’t hers.
And if
there was one thing she had learned about Seven of Nine it was this: Never, ever
leave her room to ask questions. For
someone completely uninterested in gossip, the former Borg drone had an uncanny
knack for dragging information out of unwary participants in her conversations.
She still flushed
every time she thought about Seven’s blunt request for definitions of certain phrases
she had heard while passing by B’Elanna’s quarters late one night.
No, that
was a road best left untraveled.
B’Elanna
glanced at the chronometer tucked into one corner of the screen and
frowned. She had wiled away most of her
lunch trying to break through the PADD’s encryption.
She
shoveled a few more spoonfuls of food into her mouth, drained her coffee cup and
picked up the PADD as she stood to go.
On impulse she stopped by the kitchen counter on her way out. “Neelix?”
“Yes! Hello B’Elanna! Did you enjoy your breakfast?” The furry face
smiled at her warmly.
“Uhm…yeah.” She grinned to hide the belch that was
threatening to erupt. “Hey, I was
wondering if you remember who might have been sitting over in that corner
earlier today?”
Neelix
scratched his chin. “No… But I’ve been
busy trying out this new recipe. It’s
called Earwig Eel delight. I’m very excited! Once I get the thing to lie down and boil
quietly it should be quite tasty! Here,
try some of the broth!”
He held a
large wooden spoon in front of her face and B’Elanna had to call on all of her
Klingon strength to keep from gagging.
“No…no..” She waved the spoon
away. “I couldn’t eat another bite… really.”
Turning on her heel, she left the mess hall quickly.
Engineering
was quiet when she arrived, so she nodded to a few of her crew and proceeded to
her office where she sat down at her desk and read the lines of the poem yet
again. Feeling only slightly guilty, she
added a few lines of her own.
How do I love thee?
Let me count the ways…
I love you for
The wildness hidden
Deep within your eyes,
For all the glances
You have given
And all each one implies.
I love you for
The strength you give
And the strength you take from me
For all I am
That you accept
And make me want to be.
She smiled
at her efforts.
I love you for
She was
about to add more when a loud explosion sounded outside her office.
“What the
hell’s going on out there?” She tossed
the PADD onto her desk and sprinted out to the door to find that an EPS conduit
had ruptured and was spewing gas all over the place. “God damn it!
The Ensign
cowered before her and B’Elanna took a deep breath. “Never mind, I’ll handle it. Get to the main shunt and get it clamped down
so I don’t get my face burnt off!”
Fifteen
minutes later, the Klingon was under the console, up to her elbows in fractured
conduit hose when felt a soft tap on her ankle.
With a growl of frustration, she pulled herself up and scowled at the
Crewman who was looking at her nervously.
“What do you want, Tal? Can’t you
see I’m busy here??”
The Bajoran
flinched noticeably. “I apologize,
Lieutenant, but you asked me to come get the energy usage surveys you wanted
the Doctor to complete.”
B’Elanna
swallowed her anger, counting to ten as she dismally remembered the last
scolding she had received from the Captain for making Crewman Tal cry. She patted the young woman on the arm
amicably. “No, I’m sorry, Tal. It’s just this conduit. It really has me pulling my hair out. I appreciate you remembering. The PADDs are
on my desk. Go ahead and grab them, ok?” She smiled at her one last time before
crawling back under the console.
Tal Celes,
bemused but much relieved, practically skipped into the Chief Engineer’s
office. Gathering up the PADDs strewn
about the desk, she headed to Deck Five.
* * * * * * * * * *
The Doctor
looked up from his experiments as Tal Celes entered
“Lieutenant
Torres is requesting a full energy usage survey for all of your systems. She’s trying to improve power efficiency ship
wide.”
He stared
at her in disbelief. “There are at least
twelve different requests here! When am
I supposed to get this done?”
“I believe
she wanted them back by 18:00 hours.”
The Doctor
scowled at her, mildly placated when his glare caused Tal to stumble slightly
as she headed out the door. With a
heavy, put-upon sigh, he began to go through the PADDs one by one. When he reached the last one his eyes widened. “Well, what do we have here…?”
He read the
lines to the poem with a small smirk on his face. Taking the PADD into his office he sat down
and put his legs up on his desk, the power usage surveys long forgotten.
“Not
bad.” He waggled he head back and
forth. “But it could use a
little…oomph! A little something…”
He thought
about Seven for a moment and then began to write. When he was done, he read the whole thing
over again.
How do I love thee?
Let me count the ways…
I love you for
The wildness hidden
Deep within your eyes,
For all the glances
You have given
And all each one implies.
I love you for
The strength you give
And the strength you take from me
For all I am
That you accept
And make me want to be
I love you for
The way you are,
Your curiosity
For how you look
Beyond the limits
That bind what others see
“What are
you smiling at?”
He started
violently, the PADD falling from his fingers as he looked up at Tom Paris. “Do not sneak up on me like that!”
Tom rolled
his eyes. “Doc, you’re the EMH… Aren’t
you supposed to sense it when someone comes into
The Doctor
flushed bright red. It was a new
personality quirk he had just programmed himself and one he was quite proud
of. “I was… involved in these power
usage surveys Lieutenant Torres demanded.”
“Ahh.” Tom knew the Doctor was acting oddly but,
honestly, when didn’t he? “Well, I’m
yours for the next four hours. Want me
to work on those?” He picked up the PADD
the EMH had dropped.
“Oh, yes… well… that one is done. The others are out here.” He led Tom to the stack of reports still
waiting to be completed.
“Ok,” The
Ensign slipped the one he was holding to the bottom of the stack. “I’ll finish them up and then take them all
back to Engineering when I’m done.”
The Doctor
looked at him oddly for a moment and then nodded, unable to come up with an
excuse to get the PADD back. For the
next four hours he hovered around Tom, casting covert glances in his direction
but never found the opening he needed.
When the Ensign finally stacked all the PADD’s together and waved
goodbye to him he forced a grin onto his face before returning to his own work.
B’Elanna…
He thought
about the fiery brunette for a moment, a wicked gleam flashing in his
eyes. I
wonder if I can get her into her office for a minute…
When he
entered Engineering, however, the sight of her shapely legs sticking out from
under an EPS conduit killed any thoughts of engaging in some conduct
unbecoming. She had an engineering
problem, which meant he didn’t exist.
Still, it
was worth a try.
He leaned
down and peered into the opening. “Hey,
Lanna.” He threw her his most charming
grin. “I’ve got those energy usage
surveys you wanted from the Doc. Wanna
come into your office and… go over them?”
The Klingon
shot him an exasperated look. “I’m busy,
Tom! Just put them on the desk. Make sure they’re all marked ‘completed’ and
I’ll check them out later!”
Having been
quite effectively dismissed, Tom pouted slightly and carried the PADDs into her
office. He picked up each one and
confirmed that status of the information before laying them out on her
desk. When he reached the last one, his
jaw dropped open.
“What the
hell…” He read through the lines once
and then again. With a small grin he
tucked the PADD under his tunic and headed for his quarters.
Once there,
he ordered himself a scotch and soda from the replicator and sat down at his
dining room table.
It was
quite a poem. But it could use a few
more verses… After thinking for a few
moments, he added his own lines.
How do I love thee?
Let me count the ways…
I love you for
The wildness hidden
Deep within your eyes,
For all the glances
You have given
And all each one implies.
I love you for
The strength you give
And the strength you take from me
For all I am
That you accept
And make me want to be
I love you for
The way you are,
Your curiosity
For how you look
Beyond the limits
That bind what others see
I love you for
Your endless passion
So hidden at the start
Then so apparent
When you open up
And share what’s in your heart
Tom smiled
to himself. Not a bad start.
CHIRP!
“Kim to
He slapped
his commbadge. “Yeah, Harry what’s up?”
“I’ve been waiting for you on
Holodeck Two for the last twenty minutes.
Are we doing Captain Proton and the Lethal Ladies of Lunar Lapis or
not?”
“Damn, I’m
sorry, Harry I totally forgot. Give me
five minutes and I’ll be there.” He
grabbed up his Captain Proton outfit, a towel and the PADD, tossing them all
into his Starfleet duffel as he ran for the Holodeck.
* * * * * * * * * * *
“That was
great!” Harry was grinning from ear to
ear, his face covered in lipstick.
“I told you
you’d like it.” Tom smirked. “Of course, if you would just ask Megan out
you wouldn’t need the Lethal Ladies of Lunar Lapis!”
Harry
sighed. “I told you, I’m not
interested.”
“Not brave
enough is more like it.”
“Whatever!” He dug around in his bag. “Damn I forgot my towel. Do you have one I can borrow?”
“Here.” Tom pulled the one from his bag and handed it
to him. “I have to hit the sack. I have the early shift. Talk to you later.”
“Later!” Harry wiped the lipstick from his face
quickly with the towel, picking up the PADD that fell from it as he did so and exited the Holodeck. Feeling peckish, he headed to the mess
hall. Grabbing a cup of coffee and a
plate of stew, he slid onto a chair and began to eat. When he was done, he looked at the PADD
curiously. There was no lock on it so he
thumbed it open and read the contents.
A huge
smile broke out on his face. He knew Tom
had a thing for B’Elanna, but he didn’t know it was that bad! Man, your
writing sucks. He thought to himself. He thought for a few moments and then added
some words of his own to the PADD.
How do I love thee?
Let me count the ways…
I love you for
The wildness hidden
Deep within your eyes,
For all the glances
You have given
And all each one implies.
I love you for
The strength you give
And the strength you take from me
For all I am
That you accept
And make me want to be
I love you for
The way you are,
Your curiosity
For how you look
Beyond the limits
That bind what others see
I love you for
Your endless passion
So hidden at the start
Then so apparent
When you open up
And share what’s in your heart
I love you for
Your gentle smile
So rare and far between
Transforming beauty
To a radiance
The likes I’ve never seen.
“You’re up
late.”
Harry
looked up to see Chakotay standing next to him holding a tray of food. “Yeah, Tom and I just finished a Captain
Proton session. Have a seat.”
“Ahh.” The First Officer winked at him knowingly as
he sat down across from him. “What was
it this time? The Gallivanting Gals of
Galaptinus Prime?”
Harry
flushed. “The Lethal Ladies of Lunar
Lapis. How did you know?”
“You missed
some lipstick. “Chakotay reach over with
his own napkin and wiped a smudge from the Ensign’s chin. “There.”
“Thanks. That would have been embarrassing.”
“Anytime.” Chakotay smiled at the young man with honest
affection. “We wouldn’t want Megan to
see you running around like that.”
Harry had just
opened his mouth to retort when the Captain’s voice came over the Conn.
“All senior officers will report to the
conference room immediately.”
“So much
for my late dinner.” The First Officer
sighed. “Come on, we better hurry.”
The two of
them exited the mess hall quickly, leaving Neelix to pick up their trays. As he did so, the Talaxian noticed the PADD
that was lying on the floor beneath the table.
It was still activated and he read the lines curiously.
“Oh how
sweet.” He smiled to himself. Sitting
down at the table he allowed himself to think of his secret crush before adding
some lines of his own.
How do I love thee?
Let me count the ways…
I love you for
The wildness hidden
Deep within your eyes,
For all the glances
You have given
And all each one implies.
I love you for
The strength you give
And the strength you take from me
For all I am
That you accept
And make me want to be
I love you for
The way you are,
Your curiosity
For how you look
Beyond the limits
That bind what others see
I love you for
Your endless passion
So hidden at the start
Then so apparent
When you open up
And share what’s in your heart
I love you for
Your gentle smile
So rare and far between
Transforming beauty
To a radiance
The likes I’ve never seen
I love you for
Your sense of honor
The oaths to which you’re true
And though I know
You’ll never break them
I can’t help what I feel for you…
Sighing
wistfully, he looked at the verse he had added and nodded to himself. Well, it is Valentine’s Day. No reason not to show how I feel, even if we
both know nothing will ever come of it.
He finished
cleaning the mess hall and shut off the lights.
As he
meandered through the corridors on his way to the turbo-lift, he ran into
Tuvok, who was striding down the hallway towards him.
“Commander!” Neelix said warmly. “How are you this evening?”
“I am
hungry. The debriefing on the last
attack went long. Is your presence in
this hallway to mean that the mess hall is closed at this time?”
“Well, it
is, but I would be happy to open up the kitchen for you if you like.”
Tuvok
considered for a moment. “Thank you, but
that won’t be necessary. I will get
something from the replicator in my quarters.”
“It’s no
trouble I assure you!” Neelix
smiled. “You know how I love getting you
to try my new dishes!”
“Indeed.” Tuvok blanched slightly. “Your commitment to my culinary expansion is
admirable, but I am sure I will be able to find something sufficient in the
replicator databanks.”
“All right,”
Neelix cocked his head to one side. “So
long as you know I am always available should you need anything from me.”
“Rest
assured that I am quite knowledgeable of that fact. Have a good evening, Neelix.”
“And you as
well, Commander.”
Ten minutes
later, Neelix entered the Wildman’s quarters.
He sat the PADD carefully on the living room table, where he was sure
Samantha would see it in the morning and then proceeded to Naomi’s
bedroom. The young girl was already
tucked in, sleeping peacefully and he sighed a little sadly, remember when she
had needed him to be present for her slumber to come so easily.
Kissing her
lightly on the cheek, he pulled the covers up a little higher and quietly left.
* * * * * * * * * * *
The Borg
Queen glowered at the small form that lounged on the makeshift couch before
her. Eros had commandeered her cube,
forcing them to fly to planet after planet as she released her ‘Love Bugs’ as
she had grotesquely named them, on the unknowing populace. It was bad enough that she and the entire
collective were being held against their will, but to use her technology for
something so…puerile… that was just more than her sensibilities could handle.
When she
felt a slight tug on the collar at her neck she rolled her eyes and bit her
tongue to keep from saying something obscene.
The last time she had launched a tirade at the small god she had found
herself, and her entire collection of drones, incapacitated for over an hour.
“What is it
you require?” She growled.
“Oh I think
you know.” Eros grinned at her cheekily.
Her face
stony, the Borg Queen plucked another grape from the plate next to the god and
held it before her lips.
“Now,
now…you know better than that.”
With her
anger causing her limbs to jerk, she pealed the skin from the grape before once
again holding it out, shaking when the small pink tongue lapped quickly at her
fingertip, sending a shockwave of emotion though her.
“How much
longer will you be holding us against our will?” She asked, her voice like ice.
“That
depends on how well you behave…” Eros’
voice trailed off as her eyes became distant.
A look of intense concentration covered her features.
“What is
it?”
“Shhh!” The small god held her hand up. “My gaydar just went off in a BIG way.” She stood and began to pace. “Yes… there’s a letter… a love letter.” She squinted.
“An anonymous love letter to boot!
I love those!” She cackled before
her eyes went wide. “And several secret
infatuations all floating around a MAJOR unrequited love.” She walked over to the computer console and
began to pull up data.
“What are
you doing?”
“The love
wave is coming from a ship. One I think
I saw in your database earlier.” She
grinned in triumph. “Yes! There it is!”
The Borg
Queen walked over to stand beside her, her teeth grinding loudly when she saw
the image on the screen. “No.”
“What's the
matter?” Eros teased. She looked back at the ship. “Since this Voyager doesn’t seem to be
spouting any box like qualities I am going to assume your encounters with her
did not go exactly as you planned. Seems
to be a theme with you huh?” She
scrolled through some more data. “The
minor crushes the drones can deal with.
But the two major ones I sensed…they’re going to need some personal
involvement. Come on…who are you…? THERE!
THOSE TWO!”
This time
the Queen did not hold in her rage.
“IMPOSSIBLE!”
“What? Why?”
She looked at the images more closely.
One was of a rather small, but regal looking female with red hair and
gray-blue eyes. The other… “OH!” Eros fell and began to roll around on the
deck in her laughter. “I see a striking
resemblance Queenie! Was she one of
yours?” Her laughing intensified. “The one that got away maybe?”
The Queen
said nothing.
“Well,
you’re going to get to see her soon enough.
Take me to them. Take me to
Captain Janeway and Seven of Nine.”
* * * * * * * * * *
“Naomi! Your breakfast is getting cold!”
“Coming
Mom!” The small half Katarian child picked
up her knapsack and headed into the living room. Sitting down on the sofa, she smiled up at
her mother when she was presented with a plate of pancakes and a mug of cocoa.
“So what
lessons do you have today?” Samantha
Wildman asked.
“Particle
physics with the Doctor and subspace communications with Ensign Kim.”
“That
sounds fun.” Sam smiled as her daughter
rolled her eyes. She noticed a PADD on
the table and picked it up, holding it out to her. “Here, don’t forget this one. I’ve told you to keep all of your lesson
plans together.”
Naomi glanced at it, her forehead furrowing around her horns in confusion.&n