STAR TREK: VOYAGER
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! 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 depicts a romantic relationship between two women. Some scenes may be graphic, but lovingly
so. If you are under the age of 18,
either stop reading now or find a really good place to hide it. I don't want to hear from your mother! (And
clean up your room would ya??) If this
is illegal where you live, then please advise your local government to pull its
head out of its ass or at least put a window in its belly button.
Who To Blame: Massive Huge Thanks
must go out to Shatterpath, for helping me pound out the outline to this so
long ago. Thanks also to the women of HerCaptain, Ladies of the Stars, The
Janeway/Seven Faction, The Voyager Conspiracy, Passion and Perfection, Ralst,
and Sazzy for just being wonderful in general, to G.L. Dartt, for showing us
all how it's done and to Andrea, Ky and Shawn for beta reading and thumping me
on the head when I needed it.
This story is dedicated to Kristen, for gracefully putting
up with hours of Trek babble and J/7 lust while trapped in the backseat of her
own car. You truly were a lady in every
sense of the word…
One last note – Please Read:
This story was written with tongue planted firmly in cheek. I recommend that you read it the same
way. It came about from taking eight
trips to Vegas in one year. And yes, I
know it's an inane concept, but I just couldn't resist! I did not care about the probability or
possibility of it. The only thing I
tried to adhere to were the personalities of Janeway and Seven themselves. If you are a fan of purely logical stories,
you might want to skip this one. Oh, and
yes, the story about the ring is true.
Someone told me they thought it would be
cathartic…<<shrug>>. I
apologize if it seems rather melodramatic.
This is a first time
story. With all the first time
jitters. I have found that I dislike
wasting pages describing the antics of Voyager up till the point before the
story begins. We all know where they are
and why, and how Seven ended up with them, so I am going to leave that out,
other than very briefly.
The best time frame
for this would be sometime later in the series.
LOL Sorry, that’s as exact as it gets.
I welcome all comments, suggestions, criticism and
compliments. Please email them to either
of the above addresses. Flames
concerning the lesbian content will be promptly laughed at, printed, and used
to line my cats litter box.
No half Borg blonde goddesses or velvet tongued ship jockeys
were harmed during the writing of this story.
However, my water bill has risen accordingly.
To all that makes us unique!
DAx =/\= The EverBard
What did you want, How could I guess
You wanted more, I gave you less
A miracle is all I need,
A bush to burn, A stone to bleed
Walking on water, Water to wine
Love lasts forever
Wish you were mine
-Melissa Etheridge
Chapter One: What the
hell?
Tom Paris
stifled a yawn as he scrolled through the programs on his PADD. He had seen them all before, but he still
lived in hope that maybe he had missed something in his perusal of Voyager’s 20th
century entertainment database. It
wasn’t that he was tired of Captain Proton or his ’57 Chevy, a guy just needed
something new every now and again.
Sipping his
coffee, he glanced around the mess hall, taking in the various people who were
milling about, waiting for Neelix to serve breakfast. He waved at a few of the cuter Ensigns who
wandered by before returning his attention to his search. If he hadn’t looked down at exactly that
moment, he might have missed it.
“What was
that?” He mumbled to himself. The screen had gone out of focus for a second
and when it realigned itself, there was something there he had never seen
before. Walking over to the replicator
he punched in the program code, using three of his precious ration strips in
the process. He was slightly
disappointed when a traditional 20th century book appeared instead
of a holochip. Picking it up, he
wondered briefly at the title before turning it over.
The coffee
cup fell from his fingers as his jaw dropped.
“All senior staff will report to the
conference room.”
Tom stared
for a few moments longer before tucking the book under his arm and heading for
the staff meeting.
* * * * * * * * *
“What’s the
status of the warp core?” Captain
Kathryn Janeway turned her attention to her half Klingon Engineer. She almost didn’t need to ask. After being lost in the Delta Quadrant for
the last six years, she had come to trust B’Elanna with her precious ship’s
engines to the point where the query was merely procedure.
B’Elanna
looked up from her PADD. “The overhaul
is complete. We’re just doing a standard
inspection of the plasma injectors and then we’re good to go.”
“Thank
you.” Janeway turned her attention to
the far end of the table where her head of Astrometrics sat patiently. Half Borg, Half human, Seven of Nine had been
severed from the Collective two years earlier.
At six feet tall, with white gold hair and clear blues eyes, she was as
stunning as she was intelligent. Even
her remaining Borg implants seemed to add to her beauty rather than detract
from it. Or, at least, the Captain
thought so. “What do we have ahead of
us, Seven?”
“There are
several interesting phenomena in the next sector, Captain. Including a small planetoid that is showing a
high concentration of dilithium ore. If
we divert our course slightly, the addition to our current stores would be well
worth the delay.”
“Agreed.” The Captain took a drink from her favorite
mug as she looked at each of her senior staff in turn. “If there’s nothing else, you’re dismissed.”
“Uhm…Captain?” Tom Paris looked at her oddly. “I’m not sure how important this is but I
thought I should bring it to your attention.”
“Yes, Mr.
Standing,
Tom placed the book on the table and slid it over to her.
Janeway
raised one eyebrow. “Starting a book
club, Lieutenant?”
“Not
exactly. I found that in the
entertainment database. The weird thing
is it wasn’t there before this morning.”
Janeway
reached out and drew the book towards her.
“The Problem With Temporal Mechanics…”
She read out loud. “Not exactly
what I would name a novel, but each to their own. I’m sure you just missed it, Tom.”
“Uhm, no,
Captain. You don’t understand.” He hated
to contradict her but he had no choice.
“I was looking through the database and the screen sort of…went out of
phase and when it came back in line that was there.”
“Computer
glitch.” She said stubbornly.
“There is
also the fact that it was in the 20th Century entertainment
database.”
That got
her attention.
“And then there
is also the matter of the back cover.”
Janeway
sighed and flipped the book over. Her
look of astonishment must have been immense as every member of the senior staff
suddenly leaned forward. “Damn it!” She breathed.
“Captain?” Chakotay looked at her curiously. “What is it?”
Slowly, she
turned the book so that they could all see the picture on the back.
There,
dressed in blue jeans and a white button down shirt, laughing into the camera,
was Seven of Nine.
The silence
was deafening.
Finally,
the Captain cleared her throat.
“Obviously this is something we need to investigate.” She flipped the book open and read the first
page out loud.
A
Note From The Editor
Lauren Scott was many things to many people. She was a mother, a friend, a lover, an
accomplished writer and poet, as well as a respected scientist and mathematician. She was also a mad dog lobbyist for the
rights of AIDS and cancer patients, even going so far as to head many different
task forces aimed at changing the structure and policies of several of the
larger American insurance companies.
And yet, I have found, that none of the work she has left
behind in print, rivals the manuscript you now hold before you. It was found at the bottom of a bureau drawer
ten years after her passing. Simply
reading these pages made me miss her with a profound ache that I have never
experienced before, or since.
This book…this history…of the beginning of the rest of her
life, shows a side of Lauren Scott that only a very lucky few were blessed to
know. I have always thought that rather
unfair, as she had so much to offer to the world, in so many different ways.
For that reason, I have decided to publish this, her last
known unreleased work, under the name she herself gave it. While I have yet to figure out what the title
means, I can only assume it is part and parcel of the unflappable spirit that
was Lauren Scott, as is the rest of this unforgettable novel.
But don't take my word for it! Read on!
And if you can finish this book without laughing, crying,
and smiling from the wonder of it all… then you are a bigger man than I am.
And I will never envy you for it.
ASH
– 2063
She went to turn the
page only to be interrupted by Tuvok.
“Captain, I believe
that we must approach this situation carefully.” He reached out and took the book from her
hands. “While it is obvious that this
could not be a picture of our Seven, as this woman has no implants, I do
believe precautions would be prudent.
There is the Temporal Prime Directive to take into consideration.”
“Agreed.” The Captain shook her head slightly to clear
her thoughts. “What do you recommend?”
“I believe that the
book does need to be read, to ensure that we do nothing to interrupt the
timeline. However, it is my feeling that
it would best be investigated by a less emotional mind.”
Janeway smiled. “I presume you mean yourself?”
“Yes, Captain. I would be able to dissect the information in
an appropriately objective manner. If,
as I suspect, the novel is nothing more than the fanciful imaginings of a human
mind, I will declassify it and allow it to be accessed by the rest of the
senior staff. If, however, it does
warrant our involvement, I will act accordingly.”
“All right.” She ran her fingers through her hair,
wondering when the headache would start.
“Get back to me, Tuvok.
Dismissed.”
Her senior staff
filed out silently, all curious about what had just happened but knowing better
than to ask. All except one.
Seven of Nine came to
stand next to her. “Captain?”
“Seven,” Janeway
smiled up at her. “How did I know you’d
want to talk to me?”
“I find myself
vaguely unsettled by the picture on the back of the book. I do not know how such a thing could exist.”
“Neither do I,
Seven. But I am sure Tuvok will get to
the bottom of it.” She raised her hand.
“I do not want you to do any
investigating into the matter until we hear back from him.”
“May I ask why? The picture did seem to be one of me.”
“Pictures can be
deceiving. And if it is, by some
colossal cosmic joke, a picture of you, the last thing we need is more people
mucking around and cluttering up the landscape.
It’s safer to let Tuvok carry out his investigation and wait to hear his
recommendations before we do anything.
Understood?”
“Understood.”
When the Borg did not
leave, Janeway craned her neck to look up at her. “Was there something else?”
“I wanted to inquire
as to your plans for the evening.”
“My plans?” The Captain blinked, shifting gears. “I don’t have any.”
“Would you care to
join me for dinner?” The younger woman
watched her intently. “I have been
experimenting with several recipes I located in the database and I need
feedback as to my success in their preparation.”
“I’d love to. When and where?”
“I would ‘invite you
back to my place’ but I do not have the facilities for such an
undertaking. Would it be acceptable for
me to prepare the dishes in your quarters?”
This is
new. She just invited herself to spend
the evening with you in your quarters.
If it had been anyone else, Janeway might have been a little
put off. But Seven never meant any
disrespect, she merely voiced the most logical course of action, if not the
most appropriate. The Captain’s lips
quirked into a smile. “You’re certainly
welcome to come feed me anytime.”
Okay that
didn’t come out quite right…
Seven didn’t seem to notice.
“I will arrive at 1830 hours.
Dinner will be at 1900. Please do
not be late.” Without another word, she
turned and left the conference room.
Janeway watched her go, aware that tonight she would be in a
position of envy to more than half the ship… and the one least likely to take
advantage of it.
* * * * * * * * *
“How could
you not look at it?” B’Elanna glared at
Tom. “I can’t believe you didn’t even
take a minute to flip through it!”
“I’m
sorry!” Tom sighed. He had just picked up his lunch tray when the
engineer had cornered him and dragged him to a table. “I had just replicated it when we were called
for the staff meeting. Besides, I really
didn’t want to be involved, especially if the T.P.D. is in question. I happen to like the extra pip.”
The Klingon
snorted. “All that time you waste on 20th
century crap and when you finally find something interesting, you don’t even
look. Sometimes I wonder about you, Tom.”
“C’mon,
B’Elanna. If it does have something to
do with Seven do you really want to know about it? You know how protective the Captain is.”
“Yeah I
know.” The Klingon frowned and settled
back into her chair. “She has a definite
weak spot where the Borg is concerned.
Why do you think that is?”
“Oh,
no.” Tom put his hands up. “I told you before the last thing in the
galaxy I would ever gossip about is the Captain, and especially how she feels
about Seven.”
“But don’t
you think it’s odd? All the time she
spends with her? I know you have to have
seen the way she looks at her. I’m
telling you, the Captain likes
her. And from the way Seven follows her
around like a puppy dog, I would have to say it’s mutual.”
“What does
it matter?”
B’Elanna
sighed. “She’s given us so much,
Tom. Don’t you want her to be happy?”
The
helmsman did a double take. “Wait a
minute… are you saying you would actually approve of a relationship between
them?”
“Honestly? I can’t say I understand what she sees in the
ice queen, but if Seven really could make her happy, I’d be the first one to
give them my support. I would hope you
would too. You know there are people on
the ship that wouldn’t take to it. It’s
important that the Captain knows her senior staff supports her.”
“Well, I
would agree with that. But I think we
had better wait until we know there’s something to support before we start
supporting it. And I for one, am not
about to ask her.”
* * * * * * * * *
“Are there
any other crew requests?” It was late in
the evening and Captain Janeway had spent several hours going over shift
rotations with her First Officer, Chakotay. He was a tall, robust man, whose Native
American heritage left him with a well tanned complexion and a rather
interesting tattoo over his left eye.
Many of the female members of the crew thought him quite a catch. Janeway thought him to be attractive as well,
but only in an analytical way. He was
her good friend. That was all.
Chakotay
smiled. “We have another transfer
request to Astrometrics.”
The Captain
sighed. “How many is that this month?”
“Five. This one is female.”
“Well,
that’s different. Who’s the candidate?”
“Ensign
McNamara.”
Janeway
pursed her lips. “Wasn’t she the one
dating Jennifer Delaney?”
“Yes.” The First Officer rubbed his eyes
tiredly. “Apparently they broke off the
relationship a few weeks ago.”
Leaning
back in her chair, the Captain sipped from her favorite coffee mug. “Does she have an aptitude that would justify
this transfer?”
“Actually? She hasn’t ever shown an interest in that
department before.”
“Honestly,
Chakotay. I know we’re a long way from
home but we can’t just move crew members around because they have a crush on
the head of the department.”
“Is that
what you think is driving her?”
“Do you
think any differently?”
“No. In fact all of the requests we’ve received
seem to be generated by a desire to be closer to our resident Borg. I suppose it’s better than when everyone
avoided her like the plague.”
“Not by
much.” Janeway ran her fingers through
her hair. “Request denied. Please inform Ensign McNamara that she is
needed in Logistics. She’ll just have to
work up the courage to talk to Seven herself, outside of her duties.”
Chakotay
studied the Captain out of the corner of his eye. At least two of the transfer requests might
have worked out, but she had dismissed them summarily. He wondered why. “I’ll keep looking for a suitable candidate
to help out in Astrometrics.”
“You do
that.” Suddenly, Janeway stiffened. “Computer, state the time.”
“The time is 1910 hours.”
She shot up
out of her chair, stacking the PADDs on her desk quickly. “I’m late.
Can you finish this up?”
“Got a hot
date?” He teased.
Janeway
shot him a poisonous look. “Dinner
plans.”
“No
problem. Have a good time.” He smiled at her broadly.
Ignoring
him, she left her ready room quickly and headed for the turbolift. When she arrived at the corridor outside her
quarters, she was saddened to see that it was empty.
How long did you expect her to wait for
you, Katie? Her little voice asked snidely.
Unwilling
to delve into the many meanings of that particular question, she sighed and
keyed her door, walking inside only to stop dead in her tracks.
Seven of Nine sat on her couch primly, her knees together with her hands folded on top
of them. “You are late.”
“I’m sorry,
Seven. Chakotay and I were going over
crew rotations and I lost track of the time.
I didn’t mean to make you wait.
It was thoughtless of me.” She
tried not to think about how many times her father had used a similar
approach with her mother, trying to placate his spouse every time he arrived
home late for a meal or a family function.
Spouse?
Get your head together, Kathryn.
She’s a member of your crew.
She
straightened and slid into her command stance.
“I see you let yourself in.”
Seven
ignored the change, standing gracefully to walk over to the replicator. “I anticipated your tardiness and have timed
the food preparation accordingly. You
have time to shower and change your apparel before dinner if you begin now.”
Janeway’s
lips quirked into a half smile. “All right
then. I’ll be out in a few moments.”
Heading
into her bedroom, she laughed to herself at Seven’s commanding demeanor. Slipping into the hydro shower, she allowed
the hot water to wash away the stresses of the day and emerged in a much better
mood. Going to her closet, she fussed
over what to wear for several moments before she realized that Seven could
probably care less. She could walk out
in a fuzzy pink robe and bunny slippers and the Borg probably wouldn’t even bat
an eyelash. Choosing a pair of
comfortable grey slacks and a black tshirt, she padded barefoot back out to the
other room, surprised when she saw the lights had been lowered.
The table
had been set with china and crystal wine glasses, accompanied by two gaily
flickering candles in the center.
Swallowing, she suddenly felt a little less sure of herself. Was this…
could Seven… possibly think this was… a date?
Jeez you’re all over the place
today. It’s probably just part of the
Doctor’s social lessons. Get a grip.
“This looks
nice, Seven.” She sat down at one of the
place settings, gratified when the Borg filled her glass with a generous amount
of wine. Sipping it settled her very empty
stomach and calmed her somewhat strained nerves. “What are we having?”
“I have
prepared several courses, Kathryn.”
Seven paused for a moment. “It is
appropriate to use your given name is it not?
In a social setting?”
Janeway
thought about it for a moment. “It is
acceptable when you’re in my quarters, Seven.”
The Borg
nodded, apparently pleased she had judged the situation correctly. “The first course will be a Caesar salad,
accompanied by several pieces of ‘french’ bread. That will be followed by a dish called
Chicken Marsala over penne pasta with garlic bread. Finally, I have programmed a dessert called
‘Tiramisu’. As I have never sampled
these dishes before I will be relying on your honesty as to the adequacy of
their preparation.” She brought two
plates of the salad over and set one in front of her, taking her much smaller
portion over to the other side of the table.
Sitting down, she looked at the Captain.
“How was your day?”
Janeway
could almost hear the ‘dear’ on the end of the sentence and her pulse
quickened. “It was fine, Seven. A little boring but I’ll gladly take that over
the alternative. How was your day?” She smiled to herself as she watched the Borg
thinking intently for the correct way to answer.
“It was
acceptable. We are still understaffed in
Astrometrics. I could use a crew member
to assist me with data entry.”
“Anyone in
mind?”
“Ensign
McNamara approached me today suggesting she might be able to help.”
I bet she did.
“What did you say?”
“I informed
her that she lacked the necessary training to be a suitable candidate.”
Janeway
laughed. “I thought the same thing.”
When they
finished, Seven removed their plates and brought over the main course. The Captain took her first bite and looked at
the Borg in amazement.
“Seven,
this is phenomenal. How did you learn to
do this?”
“I have
been researching traditional Earth recipes.
After studying their components carefully, I chose one that I felt I
could prepare satisfactorily. I am
gratified that you find it adequate.”
“It’s more
than adequate.” Janeway took a sip of
her wine. “Why did you decide to learn
how to cook?”
Seven
flushed slightly. “It is my
understanding that food preparation is often ‘the way to someone’s heart.’”
The Captain
choked, barely able to keep from spewing her wine across the table. “What?”
“Was my
utilization of that colloquialism incorrect, Kathryn?”
Janeway
dabbed the wine from her lips with her napkin.
“No, it was correct. I just
wasn’t aware you had heard that expression before.”
“B’Elanna
Torres has used it on several occasions when she is expressing her
dissatisfaction with the food available in the mess hall.”
“Ahh.” The Captain said noncommittally. “Well, I am sure you could win her heart with
this meal.”
“I am
uninterested in acquiring B’Elanna’s affection.”
Just who’s affection are you trying to
acquire?
Janeway
kept the question to herself, choosing instead to dig into her meal, gratified
by the comfortable silence between them.
The dessert
was just as magnificent as the rest of the food, and when she was done, the
Captain pushed her plate away and patted her belly in satisfaction. “That was outstanding, Seven. Maybe you could prepare something for the
entire senior staff sometime.”
“If you
wish.”
Janeway
helped her clear the rest of the dishes and then settled onto the couch with
her glass of wine. She was a little
flustered when Seven joined her, sitting much closer than she normally
did. “So,” She searched for something to
say. “Was there something you wanted to
talk about?”
The Borg
cocked her head to one side and looked at her intently. She noticed that the Captain seemed to fidget
slightly under her gaze. “Are you
nervous, Kathryn?”
“Nervous?” Janeway laughed weakly. “Why would I be nervous? Nothing to be nervous about.” Then why do
you sound so nervous? Her little voice asked
gleefully.
“I wished
to discuss with you the traditional Earth practices of ‘dating’ and
copulation.”
The Captain
had just taken a drink of her wine and this time she could not stop it from
going down the wrong pipe. As she choked
and coughed, the Borg leaned forward and patted her gently on the back.
“Kathryn,
are you all right?”
“Hmm? Yes, yes I’m fine.” Why wouldn’t
I be fine? My stunning Astrometrics
officer has just made me the best meal I’ve had in the last six years and now
wants to talk about my mating habits. Her palms began to
sweat. “What did you want to know?”
“I would
like to know that standard amount of time two individuals must ‘date’ before
they begin to copulate and what the procedure entails.”
Janeway
sighed. “I thought the Doctor was helping
you with your socialization.”
Seven
looked irritated. “He did attempt to do
so, but I have found his information and experience inadequate. I fail to see how I can learn something so…
human… from a hologram.”
“I
see. Was there something specific you
were interested in?”
“Yes.” Seven took a rather large drink of wine and
if Janeway didn’t know better she would swear she was trying to work up her
courage. “Ensign McNamara informed me
that it is acceptable for members of the same sex to engage in romantic
activities. The Doctor was either not
aware that this behavior was appropriate or left it out of his lessons
intentionally. I wanted to know why.”
What did I get myself into here…
“Well, as
you have said, the Doctor is a hologram.
He may have just assumed that you wouldn’t be interested in this particular
area of humanity. While it is completely
acceptable, the urge to mate with a member of the same sex only occurs in about
27% of the human populace.”
“I
see.” Seven considered that for a few
moments. “Are you a member of that 27%?”
RED ALERT!! RED ALERT!!
She
tried to think of a way out of the question but couldn’t seem to find an available exit.
“Well,” She
said carefully. “I’ve never really
thought about it. All of my partners have
been male.” She knew it was an
equivocation but she really did not
want to talk about her own feelings on the subject.
“So you
would never choose a female partner?”
The Borg looked at her intently.
“I didn’t
say that, exactly.” Careful here Katie.
“It just isn’t something I’ve ever considered.”
“Why?”
“I suppose
the situation has just never come up.”
She tried to turn the topic away from herself. “What about you? Is it something you think you would be
interested it?”
“In truth I
had never considered it either, since I was unaware that it was
acceptable. If I had known, I believe I
would have factored it into the equation when I made my selection for my ‘first
date’.”
Janeway
remembered hearing about Seven’s abortive dating attempt. She had been off ship at the time, engaged in
a trade delegation with the Kadi. She
knew the young woman had seen the experience as a failure, but she had not
approached her about it for…various reasons.
Exactly
what reasons, she wasn’t sure.
Seven
seemed not to notice her discomfort as she continued. “I believe I find myself more comfortable in
your company than the company of anyone else on Voyager.”
The Captain
felt her heart flutter and squelched it.
“That’s because we’re good friends, Seven.”
“Perhaps.”
That single
word sent chills running up and down Janeway’s spine. She knew she had always found the young woman
attractive, but this conversation was making her study that attraction more
closely than she wanted to. Feeling
slightly childish, she faked a rather large yawn.
It worked.
“I
apologize, Kathryn. You are weary and
should rest. Thank you for having dinner
with me. I hope we can continue this
conversation at another time.” She stood
to go and Janeway walked her to the door.
“Of course.
Anything to help.”
Without
warning, the Borg turned and wrapped her arms around her. It was a light embrace, innocent and sweet,
and she returned it carefully. “Good
night, Seven.”
“Good
night, Kathryn.”
After the
young woman had left, Janeway collapsed on the couch, her heart beating wildly
and her pulse racing. No matter how
innocent the hug had been intended, it had affected her more profoundly than
she wanted to accept.
This is inappropriate. She is a member of my crew. I can’t have these feelings!
Sadly, she
realized there was only one way to stave off what she was feeling and keep it
from getting worse.
She would
have to stop spending time alone with Seven of Nine.
Chapter Two: Red Alert! Headache Incoming!
Captain
Janeway sat in her ready room drinking her coffee. She had been trying to go over departmental
reports but every time she settled in to read them, images of Seven sprang
unbidden into her head.
This is crazy! She’s been on board for two years. Why would I feel this way now?
But if she
was honest with herself, she had to admit that these feelings were not all that
new. She had just kept them buried
beneath so many layers of denial that they hadn’t surfaced until Seven had
started discussing the possibility of being attracted to a female. And if her pointed remarks were any
indication, there was at least one specific female she was considering for her
affections.
She sighed
when her door chimed.
“Come in.”
Chakotay
entered, handing her a PADD. “B’Elanna
finished the inspection on the plasma injectors. She’s given the engines a clean bill of
health.”
“Thank
you.” She set the PADD aside absently.
“Kathryn?”
“Hmm?”
“If I may,
you seem a little distracted today. Is
everything all right?”
She looked
up at his concerned face and forced a smile.
“Everything’s fine. I think I’m
just a bit bored.”
“Oh,” He
sat down. “Well, if you’re looking for
something to do, Tom, Harry, Neelix and I are going to be playing poker
later. You’re welcome to join us.”
Janeway
hesitated. She knew she had a game of
Velocity scheduled with Seven at 1700.
This might be just what she needed to get out of it. “I think I’d like that. What time?”
“1700 in the Mess Hall. Bring your ration slips.”
“You know,
as Captain, I can’t condone gambling for actual stakes, Chakotay.”
“Then leave
your pips at the door.” He grinned. “Because I intend to clean you out.”
“You’re
on!”
The rest of
the day progressed rapidly. She had just
begun shutting down her desk PADD when she was hailed.
“Seven of Nine to Captain Janeway.”
“Go ahead, Seven.”
“Captain, I would like to inquire if
we could continue our conversation tonight after our Velocity match.”
Janeway
swallowed, trying to interject embarrassment into her voice.
“Oh, Seven! I’m sorry.
I forgot I had a previous engagement tonight. I promised Chakotay I would join his poker
game.”
There was a
pause. “I see.” Her voice
definitely carried a hint of disappointment.
“What about after?”
“I think it’s going to be a late
night with the guys, Seven. Again, I
apologize.”
“Very well. Good night, Captain.”
Janeway
told herself it wasn’t exactly a lie. It
almost made her feel better. She headed
to her quarters where she changed into comfortable clothes before contacting
Chakotay and pleading tiredness. He
accepted it with good grace and she promised she would attend next time.
Then she
curled up with a book of poetry and spent the evening reading.
Several
hours later, her door chimed.
“Computer,
state the time.”
“The time is 2327 hours.”
Who the
hell would be calling this late? “Come
in.”
The door
slid open and Seven of Nine walked into the room. She was not happy.
Janeway
swallowed her initial pleasure at seeing the ex-drone and looked at her
expectantly. “Seven. It’s late.
What can I do for you?”
“You can
explain your deception, Captain.”
“I beg your
pardon?” She felt her ire rise.
“You
informed me that you could not meet me for Velocity because you would be
playing poker. Unless you have been
playing with yourself here in your quarters, you lied.”
The Captain
flushed at her choice of words. “I did
have plans to play poker with Tom and Chakotay, Seven. I was tired so I canceled. Sometimes I do prefer to spend time alone!”
The Borg’s
jaw twitched. “I see. I apologize, Captain, that my attempts to
interact with you have impinged on your personal time. I assure you I will not burden you in the
future.” Without another word, the tall
blonde turned and left.
“Seven!” Janeway called after her but the young woman
did not come back. “Damn it!”
“Tuvok to Captain Janeway.”
She slapped
her commbadge hard in frustration. “What is it?”
“I apologize for the intrusion,
Captain. But I require your presence in
the shuttle bay.”
Sighing,
she grabbed her jacket. “On my way.”
You really handled that well.
She berated
herself all the way to her destination where she found her Chief of Security
standing next to a shuttle, a medium sized container in his hands.
“What’s all
this about?”
Before he
could answer, the shuttle bay doors opened and Seven walked in. She faltered slightly when she saw the
Captain but then lifted her chin and joined them. “Commander.”
She addressed Tuvok. “You wished
to see me?”
“I needed
to speak with you both. I have finished
my analysis of the book Tom Paris found in the databanks and I have come to the
conclusion that your participation is necessary to maintain the integrity of
the timeline.”
“What?” Janeway stared at him. “What are you talking about, Tuvok?”
“I cannot
go into much detail, as it may unduly affect the events which must transpire but
I must ask that you follow my instructions, trusting that what I am going to
ask you to do is in the best interest of all.”
“Tuvok you
know that I trust you implicitly.” The
Captain laid her hand on his arm. “What
is it we need to do?”
He handed
her the case. “It is imperative that you
enter the shuttle and proceed to the coordinates programmed into the computer
under flight plan Alpha Omega. Once
there, you must wait.”
“Wait for
what?” Seven asked.
“Just
wait. You will know when it
happens. Once it does, you may then open
the case and the rest of the instructions will be supplied to you.”
“Tuvok,”
Janeway pinched the bridge of her nose with her fingers, feeling a huge
headache begin behind her eyes. “You’re
certain you can’t give us any more information than that?”
“I am
sorry, Captain. All I can tell you is
that you both must go and you must go now.”
“All
right.” Turning to Seven she looked at
her apologetically. “I guess we have to go.”
Seven
turned and walked into the shuttle, ignoring her consolatory look.
Sighing,
she addressed Tuvok again. “I trust you
will make the necessary adjustments to cover our absence.”
“Already
handled, Captain.” He then did something
she had only seen him do on very few occasions previously. He laid his hand on her shoulder. “I know you dislike any activity regarding
temporal inconsistencies, but this is a matter of utmost importance. Please take care to follow my instructions
precisely and only access the areas of the information relevant to your current
situation.”
“Of
course.” She nodded. “I’ll see you soon.”
She climbed
inside the shuttle and closed the door, not hearing his response.
“I am
hopeful that you do.”
* * * * * * * * *
Janeway settled
into the pilot’s chair, glancing sideways at the woman sitting silently beside
her. “Ready to go?”
“All
systems are functioning normally, Captain.”
Came the cool reply. “Ready for
launch.”
The Captain
guided the shuttle out of the bay and into space. Accessing the indicated flight plan, she
activated the auto pilot and sat back.
“I didn’t
mean to hurt your feelings, Seven.”
“Nonetheless,
you have.” The Borg refused to look at
her.
“You know
you are very special to me.” Janeway
tried again. “And I know I handled
myself badly this evening. Can we agree
to continue this conversation when we’re back on Voyager? I would welcome the opportunity to explain
myself after the mission is over. Right
now I think we need to keep our minds on what lies ahead.”
She could
feel the uncertainty in the younger woman as she nodded slowly. “Acceptable.”
They spent
the rest of the trip in silence, both of them occupying their attention with
the computer readouts. After they had
traveled approximately two light years, the shuttle came to a stop and powered
down leaving only life support operational.
“It seems
we have reached our destination, Captain.”
Janeway
looked out the windows, not seeing anything out of the ordinary. There wasn’t even a planet in view. “I wonder what’s so special about these
coordinates.”
Fifteen
minutes later, they got their answer as a small rift appeared directly off
their port bow. They watched in silence
as it grew. Suddenly, the shuttle
lurched and they began slowly sliding towards the tear.
“Get the
engines back online!” Janeway demanded
quickly.
“I cannot,
Captain. I am locked out.”
“Raise
shields!”
“Systems
are not responding!”
There was
another huge lurch as the shuttle slid into the rift. They were tossed about hard as the spatial
anomaly tried to rip the hull apart. A
bright light filled the cabin and the last thing Janeway saw was Seven being
thrown forward into the instrument panel before everything went black.
* * * * * * * * *
“Oh my
god.” Janeway cracked one eye open. Her muscles screamed out in protest as she
lifted herself from the floor. She moved
quickly to check on her companion, relieved when the young woman opened her eyes
at her touch. “Are you all right?”
“I am
operating adequately.” Seven mumbled. “What just occurred?”
“I’m not
sure.” The Captain slid into the pilot’s
chair and started trying to power up the shuttle but it stubbornly refused to
respond to her instructions.
“Captain.”
There was a
breathless quality to Seven’s voice that made her look at the young woman in
surprise.
Seven was
staring out the front window, her eyes wide.
Turning to see what had captured her attention Janeway felt the air in
her lungs leave her quickly.
There, hanging
right in front of them, was Earth.
For a
moment she could only stare. Then her
wits returned and she grabbed the case Tuvok had sent along with them. “I guess this is where we find out what the
hell is going on.”
Inside the
container, there were several items. She
pulled them out one by one and set them on the console. “A medical tricorder, a site to site
transport control, several hyposprays, an envelope,” She handed that to
Seven. “And a PADD.”
Accessing
the PADD’s controls she was relieved to see Tuvok’s face staring back at her.
“Captain,” he
said. “At this point I am sure you are
greatly confused. I will try to
alleviate your apprehension. The planet
you see before you is, indeed, Earth. It
is not your Earth however. You have
returned to the planet in the year 2005.
Leave the shuttle in orbit. It is
positioned so as to avoid any detection from the planet below. It is imperative that you use the site to
site transporter to beam down to the planet at the exact coordinates
specified. Inoculate yourself with the
hyprosprays before proceeding. Once
there, you will make contact with Lauren Scott, the author of the novel. You must allow the course of that meeting to
happen without the knowledge as to why or how at the moment. After the initial encounter, it will then
become imperative that you acquire accommodations and funds to facilitate the
rest of your mission. In the course of
your activities you will gain some insight as to why you are there. Please access this PADD again once you have
attained that information. Take the rest
of the contents of the case with you.”
The screen went dark.
“That’s
it?” She growled in frustration. “No matter how often I swear not to get
caught up in temporal messes I always seem to find myself hip deep.” She turned to Seven. “What’s in the envelope?”
Seven tore
the container open and slid the contents into her hand. “It appears to be several forms of
identification, Captain.”
Janeway
reached over and picked them up. “An
I.D. card, a social security card, and a passport.” She looked at the picture on the I.D. It was clearly Seven of Nine, but the name on
it was Lauren Scott. “I will assume this
will allow you to function on the planet.
I wonder why there aren’t any for me.”
“I do not
know, Captain.”
Frowning,
she stood up. “I guess there’s no time
like the present.” She took each of the
hyprosprays and pressed them, one after another, against the Borg’s neck and
then did the same to herself. “Ready to
go?”
Seven
nodded and stood. She swept the
remainder of the contents back into the case and slung it over her
shoulder.
Janeway
stood next to her and held up the transport device. “Let’s hope Tuvok knows how to keep us out of
sight.”
She pressed
the control and watched the shuttle shimmer out of existence.
They
reappeared in a very small space. She
found herself pressed up against Seven tightly and felt her pulse quicken. Looking around, she saw a toilet behind them. “It looks like we’re in a sanitary
unit.” Turning to the door, she pulled
it open with some difficulty and they stepped out into a small bathroom
complete with two sinks and an overflowing trashcan. The walls were covered in graffiti calling
out the physical attributes of several differently named parties. “Well this is attractive. It’s a good thing the stall was unoccupied.”
Moving to
the door, she cracked it open, looking out.
The area outside was somewhat dark and she could hear loud music
emanating back to her. There was the
distinct smell of alcohol in the air. “I
think we’re in a bar.”
Seven said
nothing, merely raising an eyebrow in response.
“All
right. Here we go.”
Chapter Three: Luck Be A Lady
They
ventured out of the small room and into a hallway that led to a very crowded
outer chamber. Idly, she noticed that
most of the clientele were male. There
were lights flashing in all directions and raucous music blaring loudly out of
huge speakers scattered throughout the room.
A long bar occupied one side of the establishment, while on the other
side there was a stage elevated to the height of her waist. Looking up, she saw three, long brass poles
that reached from the stage to the ceiling.
Attached to the wall was a huge mural, surrounded by twinkling lights
that flashed ‘THE VEGAS STRIP’.
“Oh my
god.” She closed her eyes in frustration. “He’s sent us to a nudie bar!”
“A
what?” Seven looked at her in confusion.
“It’s an
establishment where women take their clothes off…for money.”
The Borg’s
nose wrinkled in distaste. “This does
not seem a logical place for Tuvok to have sent us. Perhaps his coordinates were in error.”
They moved
quickly through the room, but not fast enough to avoid the shape that stepped in
front of them. “Hey there cutie
pie!” A large figure of a man looked
down at them. He was ignoring Janeway
and centering his attention on the blonde at her side. “What’s your name?”
“Seven of
Nine.” She replied, lifting her chin to
respond to him with her normal grace.
“Now please step aside.”
“Well,
Heaven of Mine.” He leered, grabbing her
arm. “I’m not going anywhere until you
let me buy you a drink.”
“I do not
require liquid refreshment at this time.”
She tried to twist free from his grasp but he would not let go. “Please remove your hand from my arm or I
will remove your arm from your body.”
“Ooo.” His breath was thick with alcohol. “Little spitfire aren’t you? I like that in a woman.”
“Perhaps.” Seven did not raise her voice. “But I find little that a woman might like in
you.” Grabbing him with her Borg
enhanced left hand, she lifted him bodily from the floor and slammed him down
into a chair. “Do not accost me
further.”
Shocked at
the display of her strength, he quickly turned away, much to the glee of his
companions who teased him mercilessly.
“Gonna let a little thing like that get the better of you?”
“Seven,”
Janeway took her arm and led her away.
“We’re supposed to blend in.”
“There is
nothing here I wish to ‘blend’ with, Captain.
This is obviously a mistake. I do
not believe anything here warrants our attention.” She kept walking, unaware that the Captain
had stopped. Finally realizing it, she
turned back to see Janeway staring at the stage.
“I think
you might be wrong about that.” She
breathed.
Following
her line of vision, Seven caught sight of what had drawn her companion's attention. The music had changed tempo as the curtains
at the back of the stage opened. Gliding
across the stage to swing lithely around one of the brass poles was her
doppelganger.
The woman
wore a small strip of cloth across her breasts, practically see through, and
an equally small pair of shorts. She had
her eyes closed and was swaying rhythmically to the music.
Janeway
looked over at her and laughed. Seven
was standing with her hands behind her back, her body held in its normal
graceful pose, but her jaw hung open slightly and her eyes were as wide as
saucers. Stepping closer, she used her
fingers to gently close her mouth.
“Blend, remember?”
At that
moment, the woman on stage opened her eyes and caught sight of them. The shock on her face was apparent and she
faltered for a moment before throwing them a nod and continuing her
performance.
The Captain
took Seven by the arm and led her to the bar.
“May I have a glass of water?”
The barkeep looked at her dourly but placed the drink on the
counter. She handed it to Seven, who
looked like she was in shock. “Drink
this.”
She did so
automatically, feeling the coolness of the water help to center her
thoughts. “Thank you, Captain.”
Janeway
patted her gently on the arm. “I think
you’d better get used to calling me Kathryn for the time being. Captain would cause a lot of questions.”
“As you
wish.”
The Borg’s
voice was so soft that she had to lean in to hear her. There was a somewhat sad expression on her
face and the Captain realized that the last time she had utilized her given name had
led to consequences they had not yet worked through. Sighing, she moved closer, well into Seven’s
personal space and whispered, “Bear with me, Seven. We’ll figure this out.”
Seven
wasn’t sure if she was referring to their personal situation or their mission
so she kept silent.
They waited
together quietly as the show finished.
Twenty minutes later, Lauren Scott exited a back room and walked up to
them, an expectant look on her face.
“Well,” She
smirked. “I can’t wait to hear this.”
Janeway
stepped forward. “My name is Kathryn
Janeway.” She held out her hand.
“Nice to
meet you.” Lauren shook it firmly and
then turned to Seven. “And who are you?”
“Seven of
Nine.”
The Captain
cringed inwardly, but Lauren seemed to take it in stride.
“You’re
parents too, huh?” She winked at the
startled Borg.
“Explain.” Was all Seven could manage.
“Your
parents? Hippies right? They sure didn’t do you any favors with that
name. What, do you have eight brothers
and sisters or something? My husband,
Jeff, he had an unhealthy obsession for Star Wars. My son will be paying for it the rest of his
life.”
“Yes,”
Seven faltered slightly but recovered quickly.
“I was the seventh of nine children.”
Lauren
laughed. “I guess they didn’t feel like
being very creative. So, what are you,
some long lost cousin? I know we have to
be related somehow.” She circled the
Borg with a smile on her face. “What’s
with the uniform? You guys in the
military?”
“Something
like that.” Janeway chose that moment to
jump into the conversation. “We’re only
here for a few days and when Seven heard she had family here, well, she just
couldn’t resist stopping by.”
“I
see.” The inflection was so close to the
Borg’s own that the Captain did a double take.
“Where you from?”
Seven
didn’t hesitate. “
Janeway
looked at her in surprise. Not bad, Seven!
“I wasn’t
aware I had any family in
“Class?” Seven raised on eyebrow skeptically.
Janeway
leaned closer and nudged her in the ribs, whispering, “Not that kind of class,
Seven.”
“Yes,”
Lauren went on. “I’m taking extension
courses at UNLV. English and creative
writing. I need to get going before the
professor tears my head off. He has a
thing about punctuality.”
“Of course.” The Borg nodded. “Punctuality is something I myself
appreciate.”
“Glad to
hear it.” She flashed a crooked
grin. “But listen, we’re having a
birthday party tomorrow afternoon for my son.
He’s turning ten. It’s in the
kid’s area at Excalibur.”
“Excalibur?” Janeway asked.
“Yeah. You know the big white castle with the
colored turrets? You can’t miss it. Come by around two o’clock. He’s gonna love meeting you!”
“We’ll be
there.” The Captain returned her smile.
“Great. Seeya then.”
They followed
her out, waiting until she got into a rather dilapidated car before Seven
turned to her. “Star Wars?”
Janeway
shrugged. “No clue. I don’t remember any interstellar war this
far back in Earth history. We’re going
to need to find out what it is.” She
looked around, noticing extremely bright lights further up the street. “From what I remember of this place, that area
up there should be the Strip.”
“More
scantily clad individuals?” Seven asked
in distaste.
The Captain
laughed. “No, the Strip was what they
called the most active area of
“I
completed a lengthy cycle before coming to your quarters. I will not need to regenerate again for
seventy two hours. If I ingest solid
nutrients and… sleep… I should be able to extend that period if necessary.”
“Good.” She took Seven’s arm and began walking. “Now we have to find funds and accommodations
as Tuvok suggested.”
They walked
in silence, both of them taking in the incredibly bright lights and multitudes
of people around them. It became a
normal occurrence to see people stop and watch them as they walked by.
“I think
another thing we are going to have to do is find different apparel. I can’t walk around in this uniform and
you…” She smiled. “If you continue to walk around looking like
that I expect we’ll run into a whole different set of problems.”
“Captain?”
“You’re a
little… provocative in that attire, Seven.
If we’re going to blend you’re going to have to tone it down a bit.”
They
reached the heart of the Strip and began looking for a suitable place to
investigate. Janeway turned away from
several of the more tawdry looking spectacles until her eyes caught on a
beautiful structure with a huge pool of water in front if it. As they watched, fountains jumped up and the
water chased itself from one end of the pool to the other, creating an
enchanting display for the people standing around the edge.
“The
Bellagio.” She read, noticing that the
sign also called out a museum experience revolving around the works of Van
Gogh. “That sounds like my kind of
place. Come on.”
They entered
the building and after moving through a gorgeous entry chamber, were assaulted
with the loud sounds and flashing lights of the casino. Seven coughed slightly as the acrid scent of
smoke invaded her nostrils.
“That
smell,” She complained. “It is vile.”
“I
know.” Janeway patted her on the
arm. “In the 20th century,
gambling, smoking and drinking went hand in hand. Will you be all right?”
“Certainly,
Captain. I will merely adjust my
nanoprobes to counteract and neutralize the harmful aspects of this
experience. But what of you?”
“I’m sure
I’ll survive, Seven.” She said absently
as she studied a bank of slot machines.
“These machines are gambling devices.
You insert money and the wheels spin.
Hopefully they land on a combination that rewards you with more money. More often than not, you just end up
broke. But I wonder…”
“Captain?”
“Kathryn.”
“Of course,
I apologize. Kathryn?”
“Seven...
do you think there’s anything you can do with the Borg technology left in your
system to tip the scales in our favor?”
The Borg’s
eyes widened. “You wish to ‘cheat’?”
Janeway
flinched. “Normally I wouldn’t suggest
such a thing, but our situation requires that we obtain a large amount of money
quickly. Can you do it?”
“Of
course.” She responded with
asperity. “It would merely require me
to create an electrostatic pulse from my implants. That would disrupt the turning of the reels
and allow me to stop them at my desired location.”
“Would the
casino be able to detect anything of that nature?”
“I find
that highly unlikely. These machines are
crude in nature.”
“All right,
let’s see what we can do.” She started
walking up the wildly colored carpeting.
“We need something out of the way.
I think if we start small and move around from casino to casino we
should be able to get what we need without drawing too much attention to
ourselves. What do you think, Seven?”
There was
no response so she turned around.
“Seven?”
The Borg
was nowhere to be seen. She walked back
the way they had come but caught no sight of her. How the hell
can a six foot blonde in a burgundy cat suit be so hard to find?
She had
just started to feel a degree of panic when a loud stream of music, accompanied
by wildly flashing lights and a ringing sound came from the side of the
room. It was quickly drowned out by the
sound of cheering from patrons in the area.
Pushing her way through the gathered crowd, she saw her Astrometrics
officer standing in front of a rather large slot machine. It was the source of the music and the
lights. As she watched, several casino personnel
crowded around Seven and began to shake her hand.
“What’s
going on?” She asked a man standing to
the side.
“The blonde
just hit the jackpot.” He shouted over
the noise. “Talk about being
blessed. All those looks and now money
besides!”
Janeway
pinched the bridge of her nose with her fingers. She should have known. As she watched, two security guards
approached Seven and led her away. She
tried to follow but when they went through a door leading out of the casino,
she found her way blocked by more security.
“This area
is off limits ma’am.” One of them said
politely.
“But my
friend was just taken in there.”
“I’m
sorry. You’ll have to wait out
here. There’s a lounge right around the
corner where you can get a drink and relax.
I’m sure she won’t be long.”
Janeway
sized him up and decided it was better she followed his suggestion. She took a seat at the edge of the bar and
ordered a whiskey and soda, hoping she would have some way to pay for it soon.
After two
hours, Seven emerged and walked over to join her. “Kathryn.”
“Seven!” The Captain stood and hugged her fiercely. “I
thought something had happened to you.”
The Borg’s
look softened. “Your concern for my
wellbeing is… touching. Thank you.”
Janeway let
her go and sat back down. “What the hell
happened?”
“I did as
you instructed, Kathryn. I secured the
funds to facilitate the completion of our mission.”
“How much
did you win?”
Seven
calculated the numbers in her head.
“After the removal of a grossly large amount for something called
‘taxes’ I have been left with the sum of nine hundred eighty two thousand, six
hundred forty seven dollars and sixty nine cents.”
Janeways
jaw dropped. “Are you telling me you won
almost a million dollars?”
“Apparently.” The Borg handed her three cards. “The casino has also allocated us a suite on
the top floor as accommodations and they have provided us with something called
‘charge cards’ which allow us to purchase items without carrying large sums of
cash. My winnings are being securely
held in their vault. They have assured
me that they will deduct any charges we incur before releasing the rest of the
funds upon our departure.”
“Seven.” The Captain looked at her in concern. “How did they handle the taxes? Surely they asked you for some kind of
identification.”
“They
did.” She held up the ID cards that
Tuvok had included in the case.
“Nicely
done.” Janeway smiled at her
proudly. “Did they say anything about
your implants?”
“They
initially wondered if they were some kind of electronic device, but after
careful inspection, they believed they were as I stated: a metal brace acquired
after an accident crushed my left hand and… jewelry.”
The Captain
laughed. “And I was worried you might
feel out of your element.”
“I am
Borg. I adapt.”
“Of
course.” Janeway felt an almost
overwhelming surge of affection. “So, I
guess we go shopping.”
“The hotel
manager has assured me that there is a consumer area on the upper mezzanine
that will fulfill any needs we might have.”
“Then let’s
get started.”
They left
the casino floor behind and headed up an escalator. At the top, Janeway smiled enthusiastically
at the multitude of shops available to them.
“Something
amuses you, Kathryn?”
The Captain
turned her infectious grin on the Borg. “It’s
just been so long since I’ve gone on a shopping spree. We may be on a mission, but there’s nothing
wrong with enjoying the experience.”
“Indeed.” Seven returned the smile tentatively. “Where do you suggest we begin?”
“Clothes!” Janeway grabbed her arm. “What else?”
They
meandered through the shopping center, stopping in front of a large storefront
with subtly decorated windows.
“Banana
Republic.” Seven read the name. “Why would someone name a clothing
establishment after a fruit?”
Janeway shrugged
and pulled her inside. She perused the
shelves with obvious enjoyment, pulling down a pair of jeans and holding them
up to Seven to gauge the fit. “You and
those long legs.” She tried to keep the
admiration out of her voice but the Borg picked up on it nonetheless, feeling a
strange warmth in her stomach. Putting
them back, she chose another pair and then grabbed a deep blue sweater. “This should do for a start. Let’s go try them on.” She led Seven to a small changing room. “Oh wait, I forgot the undergarments.”
Heading to
the back of the store, she looked over their selection of delicate underwear,
knowing she should pick something simple but going for a lacey white pair of
briefs instead. She chose a bra as well,
feeling her palms begin to sweat as she tried to guess what size the Borg would
need.
Rejoining
her companion, she handed the additional items to her and pushed her
inside. “Put these on.”
Seven stood
inside the small room and stared at the clothing. “Kathryn?”
“Yes,
Seven?”
“I am
unfamiliar with this type of apparel.”
Janeway
felt her pulse quicken.
“Can you
assist me?”
Groaning
inwardly, she straightened her spine and entered the room to find that Seven
had already removed her biosuit. The
sight of all that pale, smooth skin with delicate bands of metal wrapped around
the midsection elevated her body temperature and she was slightly embarrassed
to find her salivary glands working overtime.
Seven had
figured out the panties on her own but was holding up the bra, looking at it
suspiciously. “You wish me to wear this…
harness?”
“It isn’t a
harness, Seven.” Isn’t it? Her little voice
giggled. Something
to keep those bad girls reigned in? “It’s a bra. It keeps you from… uhm…” Seven was looking at her so intently she
blushed. “It keeps your breasts in
place.”
“I do not
believe my breasts will be going anywhere without it.”
“Fine.” The Captain gave up. “Forget the bra.” She grabbed the sweater and pulled it quickly
over the Borg’s head trying desperately to get her heart rate under
control. “Now, the jeans button up the
front.”
Seven slid
them on and fumbled with the closure until Janeway reached out and helped her,
trying not to notice the intoxicating scent of the Borg’s skin or the way the
metal bands felt incredibly soft and warm under her fingertips. “There.”
She stepped back. “What do you
think?”
She turned
Seven so she could look in the mirror.
The Borg stared silently, amazed at the difference the apparel
made. She started slightly when the
Captain reached up and pulled the pins out of her hair, using her fingers to
pull the white blonde tresses down over her shoulders. “Kathryn?”
“I think
having your hair down will help to take the edge off your implants. It pulls attention away from them.”
The Borg
looked at her reflection again.
“Agreed.”
“All right,
now that we know your size, we can do some serious shopping.” She chose several garments for herself,
changing out of her uniform after firmly declining the Borg’s offers of
assistance. When she emerged, a clerk
was waiting for her. She handed the
woman both of their uniforms and the tags from the items they were wearing and
asked her to hold them at the front counter.
They then
proceeded to choose several different outfits of various colors. Seven generally gave way to the Captain’s
choices until she picked up a light pink t-shirt and held it up to her.
“No.”
Janeway
looked at her in surprise. “I would
think that color was irrelevant.”
The Borg
wrinkled her nose. “That color is not
irrelevant, it is revolting.”
Laughing,
the Captain put it back and they proceeded to the checkout with the rest of
their purchases.
“Would you
like these items sent up to your suite?”
The clerk asked.
“Please.” She looked at Seven. “Makes it easier, not having to carry
packages all over the place.”
“I have
enhanced strength, Kathryn. I assure you
carrying the items would not have caused a hardship.”
Janeway had
a mental image of Seven trailing behind her like a put upon boyfriend, laden
with her purchases. A nervous laugh
bubbled out. “I’m sure. But we’ll do it this way anyway.”
Seven
acquiesced and they left the shop. They
made several other stops, purchasing sundry items as well as formal attire for
both of them, Janeway answering the Borg’s questioning look by saying, “You
never know.”
As they
turned a corner, they found their path blocked by a group of performers. They were engaging in feats of acrobatic
wonder and Seven found herself greatly amused by them. Janeway watched with her for a few moments
before the shop next to them caught her attention. Keeping a watchful eye on the Borg, she went
inside and was immediately transfixed by something in one of the cases. She was still staring at it when Seven joined
her.
“Kathryn?” The Borg looked around. They were in a jewelry store named K. Norris
and Associates. She followed the
Captain’s gaze to a particularly stunning ring sitting in a display all by
itself. As they studied it, a female
clerk walked over to join them.
“I take it
you see something you like.” She
smiled.
“It’s
beautiful.” Janeway breathed. “It doesn’t look like anything else you have
here.”
“No, it
wouldn’t.” The clerk pulled it from the
case and handed it to the Captain who slid it onto her finger to admire
it. “It’s a platinum filigree raised
band with a half carat flawless diamond in a floating setting.” She smiled.
“It has a wonderfully romantic and tragic story attached to it.”
Janeway
looked at her eagerly. “I’d love to hear
it.”
The woman
took the ring back and looked at it thoughtfully. “This ring was commissioned from our
Seven
perked up at this comment, leaning in to listen intently.
“Because
only platinum would do for the woman who had won her heart, the request was
sent to our
“That’s
incredible.” Janeway breathed.
“Now comes
the tragic part. It turned out that her
lover was sick. She had cancer. They were, unfortunately, unable to treat
her. The young woman cared for her for a
year before Kristen died in her arms one month shy of her thirtieth
birthday. They were never able to have
the ceremony. The young woman was
inconsolable. She disappeared shortly
after that and we reacquired the ring from the estate at her request. She wanted it to continue the legacy of love
that it was created for.”
The Captain
swallowed, visibly moved by the story.
Seven placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Thank you.” Picking up her bags,
she led the younger woman away.
“Kathryn?” The Borg stopped her. “If you desire the ring why did you not
purchase it?”
Janeway
sighed. “We’re not on holiday, Seven. It isn’t necessary to our mission to purchase
such a thing. It would be
frivolous.” She smiled wistfully. “Besides, that’s not the kind of ring a woman
buys for herself. Come on.”
They walked
further, coming across a massive toy store.
“FAO
Schwarz.” Seven looked at the Captain
quizzically.
“It’s a
birthday party tomorrow, Seven. Since
the boy is ten years old, I think a few toys would be a welcome present.”
Each floor
held every type of entertainment a child could want, from roller skates to
video games. They reached the top floor
to discover it held a theme all its own.
“Star
Wars!” Janeway said with a smile. “Well, that mystery is solved. Apparently it was a science fiction movie. This looks like a good place to find
something.”
She went to
look through the selection of action figures as Seven moved to a large glass
display against the back wall. Inside
were a multitude of weapon replicas. One
in particular caught her attention. It
had a cylindrical handle and a long glass tube that housed an internal light
source. It looked vaguely Borg.
A clerk
came out of the back room and approached her.
“Is there something you would like to see?”
“Yes,”
Seven pointed to the item. “What is the
purpose of that item?”
The clerked
smiled and unlocked the case, pulling out the weapon. “This is an exact replica of Luke Skywalker’s
light saber. There are only one thousand
of them in existence. It is fully
functional and creates the sounds of an authentic saber battle when it is
lightly struck against another surface.”
He pushed a button on the handle causing the light to flicker off, then
pushed it again to cause it to illuminate.
Slapping it against his hand, the glass blade made an interesting
hissing sound. “So, what do you think?”
“Would it
make a suitable gift for a ten year old boy?”
She asked.
“Oh,
definitely.”
“Very
well. I wish to acquire it.”
“It’s a
little expensive.” He pulled the glass
case and stand from the cabinet.
“$2200. Is that all right?”
“The cost
is irrelevant.” She handed him her
charge card and he completed her purchase.
“You said
it was a gift, would you like it wrapped and sent to your suite?”
Seven
nodded. “That would be efficient. Thank you.”
She
rejoined the Captain who was looking a little lost.
“I have
acquired an appropriate gift, Kathryn.
They are wrapping it and will be sending it directly to our room. We may continue.”
Janeway blinked
in surprise. “Ok. I guess you didn’t need my input.”
As they
left the shop, Seven stopped, placing her hand on her stomach which was
rumbling oddly.
“Seven?” She heard the sound and laughed. “You’re hungry. I’m feeling a bit peckish myself. Let’s go somewhere that I can get a
margarita.”
The Captain
chose a rather festive looking restaurant and followed the host to an outdoor
patio where they could watch the people going by. She ordered them each a margarita and then
looked over the menu. “Is there
something you would like to try or would you like me to order for you?”
“You may
order for me.”
“All
right. How is your stomach doing? Do you think you would have any problems with
something mildly spicy?”
“Kathryn, I
have been eating in the mess hall for the last year. I somehow doubt that anything I ingest here
could do any more damage than Neelix’s cooking.”
Laughing,
Janeway ordered their food as their drinks arrived. She sipped at hers, enjoying the flavor. She noticed that Seven hadn’t touched hers
and was instead staring at it suspiciously.
“Try it.”
“It smells
of alcohol. Alcohol inhibits my cortical
function.”
“A little
won’t hurt you. Go ahead, try it.”
Seven
complied, her eyes going wide at the tartness.
“It is good!”
They ate
quickly, both of them feeling the lateness of the hour. When they were done, the Captain steered the
slightly tipsy Borg towards an elevator.
“Let’s head up and go to bed.”
Her words
caused a slight flush to creep into her face and as the doors closed, Seven
reached up and laid her palm against the Captain’s cheek.
“Your skin
is warm.”
“It’s an
affect of the alcohol.” Janeway lied.
“And is
your increased respiration also a result of the alcohol?”
The Captain
didn’t answer. When the elevator
stopped, she flashed her room key to the security officer standing guard and
then continued on to a large set of double doors. “I think this is us.” She swiped the key and they went inside.
The suite
was huge. There was one main room with
doors off to either side which Janeway assumed led to separate bedrooms. Thank goodness
for small favors! She didn’t want to explain why they
shouldn’t be sharing a bed.
The room
was tastefully decorated and she led Seven across it to a set of double French
doors. They opened out to a large
veranda overlooking the fountains they had seen earlier in the evening.
“Incredible.” She leaned up against the railing and took in
the view. “This place sure knows how to
treat its guests. It’s beautiful.”
“Indeed.” Seven whispered and Janeway was a little
nonplussed to notice the Borg was looking at her and not the scenery.
She cleared
her throat. “It’s late. We should turn in.”
“Turn into
what?”
“No, I
meant…” She began and then caught the
twinkle of amusement in Seven’s eyes.
“Very funny.” She moved to go
back inside but the Borg grabbed her hand and pulled her back.
“Are you
certain we must wait until we return to Voyager to continue our
conversation?” Seven felt somewhat
bolder than she had during their previous encounters and assumed it had much to
do with the alcohol she had imbibed. “I
wish to speak of it now.”
Janeway
sighed. “I’m not sure what you want me
to say, Seven.”
“I want you
to explain to me why my questions caused you to behave so erratically. In all the time I have known you, you have
never been dishonest with me, until now.
Why did my inquiries cause such a response?”
“I guess I
was concerned that you were asking them in regards to me.”
“I
was.” The Borg answered honestly. “From the moment Ensign McNamara informed me
of the possibility of sharing love with another female, you have been foremost
in my thoughts.”
“Why,
Seven?”
“I find
you… fascinating,” Seven swayed a little as she moved closer. “As well as quite aesthetically pleasing.”
The Captain
smiled. “That’s probably the nicest
thing anyone has said to me in six years.
Thank you.”
“Do you
find me attractive?”
There was
an undercurrent of doubt in the Borg’s voice that made Janeway instinctively
raise her hand and place it on one smooth alabaster cheek. “I find you very attractive, Seven, both in
appearance and intellect. I think you’re
fascinating too.”
“Then why
did you react negatively to my advances?”
The Captain
dropped her hand and turned to look out at the water. “I’m your Captain, Seven. You’re a member of my crew. I can’t take advantage of you that way.”
“Take
advantage of me?” The Borg took on an
obstinate look. “I believe you are
forgetting that after assimilating thousands of species I possess a life
experience which vastly eclipses your own.
I find it vaguely insulting that you would think I could be swayed by
something as irrelevant as your rank.”
“Then what
is it, Seven? What makes you think that
we would be a good pairing?”
“We are
already a good pairing, are we not?”
Janeway
found she couldn’t argue with that.
“We work
well together, we ‘play’ well together, we enjoy each other’s points of view
and conversation. You understand me in a
way that no other could. And I, in turn,
understand you.”
“You
do?” The Captain felt a small amount of
resistance creep into her tone. “What
makes you say that?”
“You take
your responsibilities to Voyager very seriously, often to the detriment of your
own well being, you constantly put yourself last in regards to anything you may
wish for yourself, you sublimate your need for human interaction by replacing
it with casual touches signifying friendship or pride, you are desperately
alone and do not wish it to continue and yet you turn away from the
opportunities presented to you. Your
duality is… disconcerting.”
“Such is
the life of a Starfleet Captain.”
“Perhaps,”
Seven intentionally moved into her personal space. “But ours is not an ordinary situation and
you are not an ordinary Starfleet Captain.
You cannot possibly intend to remain alone for the rest of our entire
journey. You would be forsaking a life
and happiness merely to maintain an appearance that no one expects of you.”
“Oh, I’d
say there are plenty of people who expect it of me.”
“If you are
referring to the crew, you are mistaken.
I have overheard one hundred and thirty nine different comments made by
various members of the crew stating that they wished you would take a
mate. That they feel you deserve some
measure of happiness of your own after everything you have given them.”
Janeway
felt her heart swell and was surprised to find herself near tears.
“You are
respected beyond measure, Kathryn. Is it
so hard to allow yourself to also be loved?”
Without
warning, Seven leaned in and pressed her lips gently against the
Captain’s. It was brief, and very
sweet. When she pulled away, she could
feel the regret in the smaller woman’s body.
“Good night, Kathryn.”
Janeway
watched the Borg make her way to one of the bedrooms, her form a lithe shadow
in the darkened room. She stayed out on
the veranda for quite a while longer, hoping the cool night air would help slow
the rapid beating of her heart.
Chapter Four: Ten The Hard Way
It was a
lovely ceiling.
That much
Janeway had decided after staring at it for two hours as she lay, unable to
sleep, in her very comfortable hotel bed.
She had
tried every technique she could think of to induce slumber but she had
failed. Failure was not something she
was used to. It wasn’t all her fault
though. At least she could feel a little
bit better about it knowing that Seven’s words, not to mention her kiss, were
primarily to blame for her sleepless night.
Groaning,
she threw the sheets back and grabbed the fluffy white robe the hotel had so
generously provided for their VIP guests, pulling it over the t-shirt and
briefs she had worn to bed.
Maybe I just need a drink. She groused to herself.
She had seen a fully stocked bar when they had arrived yesterday. Maybe that was just what the doctor ordered.
Opening the
door quietly, she put out her hand to feel her way towards the minibar, not
wanting to turn on the lights. She
stubbed her toe on the packages the hotel staff had delivered the day before
and bit down on her tongue to keep herself from uttering something obscene.
Reaching
her destination, she sniffed at each bottle until she found the whiskey. Pouring three fingers into a tumbler, she brought
it to her lips, anticipating the burn she would feel as it slid down her throat.
“Can you
not sleep, Kathryn?”
The voice
came out of the darkness and scared the hell out of her. Jumping slightly, she dropped the glass on
her other foot and this time she did say something obscene.
“What did
you say?” Seven’s voice was curious.
“Nothing.” Janeway picked up the glass and refilled it
before turning to look towards the couch.
“What are you doing up?” She
could almost hear the Borg lean her head to one side.
“I am still
unfamiliar with the concept of sleeping.
I find that it is more difficult to shut down my memory functions than I
had anticipated.”
The Captain
laughed. “Can’t shut off your brain
either, huh?” She limped over and sat
down next to the young woman, noticing she was wrapped up in the same type of
robe that she had on. “I think my
problem is that I miss the hum.”
“The hum?”
“Yes. The hum of the ship. When I’m in space I hardly notice it. But when I’m not… It’s like something is missing, some voice
I’m used to hearing all the time in my head.”
“Ahh,” Seven
shifted towards her. “Like the voices of
the collective.”
“Something
like that.” She swallowed the whiskey
quickly, trying not to think about the fact that Seven was sitting so close she
could smell the sweet scent of her skin.
Absently, she wondered what the Borg was wearing under her robe. Shaking the thought off, she glanced towards
the windows and noticed a faint pink light.
Standing, she took Seven by the hand.
“Come with me.”
The Borg
allowed herself to be led out into the chill morning air where Janeway
positioned her at the rail, sliding one arm around her waist as she pointed
towards the horizon. “I want you to see
this.”
“What?”
“An Earth
sunrise. I’m sure you probably have a
memory of one in there somewhere but there is nothing like seeing it with your
own eyes.”
They stood
quietly as the sun started to peek over the top of the mountains, flooding the
sky with a brilliant pink hue. The pink
gradually gave way to a deep, smoky blue, one that almost matched the Captain’s
eyes when she was amused.
Seven gently
wrapped her Borg arm around the smaller woman when she felt her shiver and
pulled her in closer. The warmth of her
was intoxicating and she found herself lowering her head to nuzzle into the
auburn colored locks, breathing in the sweet scent of her hair.
Janeway
knew she should move, that she should put some distance between the two of
them, but it was so wonderful to be held like this that she couldn’t make
herself do it. Sighing, she circled
Seven’s waist with her other arm, holding her loosely as the sky continued to
lighten. As they stood there, she heard
the Borg’s breathing become more regular and felt her sway slightly.
“You’re
still tired.”
“Yes, I
am.” Seven turned in her embrace and
tightened her arms. “I believe I could
sleep if you were to hold me like this.”
The Captain
swallowed. It’s
a bad idea. It’s such a bad idea. So why does it sound so heavenly? “Just sleep?” She
felt Seven smile into her hair.
“Yes, just
sleep. I give you my word, Kathryn.”
Janeway
stepped back and looked at her, finally nodding ever so slightly. Taking Seven by the hand, she led her back
inside and into her bedroom. She tossed
her robe over a chair and pulled back the sheets, sliding between them and over
to one side of the bed.
The younger
woman watched her get comfortable and then pulled off her own robe.
The
curtains were drawn and it was so dark in the room that Janeway had a hard time
seeing her. It wasn’t until Seven was
right beside her, pulling her close to wrap her long form around her that she
realized the Borg wasn’t wearing anything at all.
“Seven!” She squeaked.
“You’re naked!”
“Yes,
Kathryn. You failed to purchase any
pajamas for me earlier and I find the undergarments uncomfortable.”
“I don’t
think this is such a good idea.”
“Why?” She could hear the humor in Seven’s
voice. “Are you frightened that you may
not be able to control yourself? I
promised I would. I do not believe I
asked for any promises from you.”
“Go to
sleep.” Janeway growled, rolling onto
her side. She held her breath when Seven
slid one arm around her stomach, pulling her back until her buttocks were
cradled into the Borg’s groin and her legs were tucked up under her knees. I’m never
going to get to sleep…
She was
surprised when she heard Seven’s breathing even out almost immediately and felt
the arm around her loosen slightly.
Somewhere in her chest she felt something break and finally give way,
allowing the peace and the joy of the moment to wash over her. She listened to the steady beating of the
young woman’s heart until she finally drifted off to sleep.
* * * * * * * * *
“Mmmm…” Captain Kathryn Janeway sighed contentedly;
feeling more relaxed and well rested than she had in the last six years. She was comfortable and cozy, kept warm by a
soft weight that was draped over the top of her and kept content by a sweet
pressure resting deliciously between her legs.
Flexing slightly, she shivered at the friction the movement provided and
she luxuriated in it for a full five seconds before her brain registered that
it probably shouldn’t be there.
Opening her
eyes, she looked down to see Seven of Nine sprawled out across her, her left
hand snuggled up under one of her breasts and her left leg entwined between her
own. Blushing furiously, she realized
her own arm was wrapped around the sleeping form, pulling the young woman
tightly against her in a traitorous act of sleepy treason. She turned her face slightly to the left and
her breath caught at the beautiful sight of full, ruby red lips and delicate
blonde eyelashes that gave her Astrometrics officer the look of an angel who
had fallen asleep after being scolded.
“Seven.” She whispered softly, rubbing her hand in
circles across the Borg’s back. “Time to
wake up.”
Seven inhaled
deeply, opening her azure blue eyes, still heavy with sleep, to look up at The
Captain. For a moment, there was
confusion there, but the look was quickly replaced by a smoldering desire that
took Janeway’s breath away yet again.
“Kathryn?” She snuggled in closer, bringing her lips to
the Captain’s in a long, slow sweet kiss that went on much longer than it
should have.
“Seven.” She said weakly. “You gave me your word.”
The Borg
blinked and sat up, a deep flush creeping into her cheeks. “I… I apologize, Kathryn.” She stammered slightly. “I thought… I thought you were a dream.”
Janeway
felt her heart catch painfully and she reached up, brushing the blonde hair out
of Seven’s eyes. “It’s all right.” She whispered. “I thought you were a dream too.”
Seven
nodded and slid out of bed, grabbing up her robe and wrapping it around
herself. She looked down at the Captain,
who was stretching happily. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For
helping me sleep.”
Janeway
smiled. “Anytime.” Well that was
brilliant! She has an eidetic memory
remember??
Seven gave
her a small smile. “If you remain in bed
much longer we will be late.”
“What time
is it?”
“1320
hours.”
“I did not sleep that late!” She grabbed the clock next to the bed and
stared at it, groaning and then climbed out of bed. “We need to jump in the shower or we’re going
to be late.”
Seven
quirked one eyebrow at her in amusement.
“Was that an invitation, Captain?”
She threw
her a dirty look before pushing her in the direction of her own bathroom. “Twenty minutes.” She rushed out the door calling back over her
shoulder, “And leave your hair down!”
“I will
comply.” Seven smirked to herself.
At 1345
they were in the lobby. Janeway was
dressed in a pair of light cotton pants and a thin cream colored silk
shirt. She allowed her eyes to linger on
the Borg as she went to the cashier to withdraw some cash from her
account. She was dressed in form fitting
blue jeans and chambray work shirt with the cuffs rolled up to her elbows. Janeway thought she looked charming.
They
grabbed a cab outside of the hotel and headed straight to the Excalibur where
the security guards pointed them downstairs to the children’s area. The place was packed with kids laughing and
having a good time, but they had no problems spotting Seven’s double at a table
near the food court. She was wearing
jeans and a white button down shirt and, with the exception of the implants,
the resemblance was staggering.
“Kathy! Seven!”
Lauren smiled and waved them over.
When they reached her, she turned to pull a young boy out in front of
her. “This is my son, Annikan.”
Both women
looked at the child in wonder. There was
no mistaking the bright blue eyes and the pale shock of thick wavy hair. “Annikan!” Janeway whispered to Seven in
delight. She bent lower and held her
hand out to the young man. “Hello! My
name is Kathryn.”
“Nice to
meetcha.” He said politely, shaking her
hand, but his eyes never left the woman at her side. “You look like my mom.”
Seven
nodded. “I am her cousin, Seven. From
“Everyone
just calls him Anni.” Lauren smiled.
“Can I open
it mom?” He pleaded.
“Not until
you finish your lunch.”
“Awww…” He turned and ran back to the table.
“Come on,”
Lauren laughed. “Or there won’t be any
food left for us.”
During
lunch, Seven studied the boy. He was an
attractive child, but she could tell there was something not quite right about
his appearance. The cheeks that should
have been full and pink were hollow, his color washed out, the eyes somewhat
dark and sunken around the edges. He
also seemed incredibly small and slight for his age.
“Kathryn,” She
whispered as he began to unwrap his presents.
“I know.” She whispered back, a worried look in her
eyes that scent a shiver of fear down Seven’s spine.
“MOM! MOM!
LOOK! LOOK! LOOK!” He had
unwrapped the light sabre and was waving it in the air, tapping it against his
friends and laughing at the sounds it made.
“Isn’t it great mom?” He ran up
to Janeway and hugged her before doing the same with Seven. “Thank you!”
Lauren
looked at them, her eyes glistening.
“That’s some gift. Those things
aren’t cheap. You didn’t have to do
that.”
Janeway
laid a hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently. “We wanted to do it. You are family, after all.”
Lauren
nodded and went back to watching her son, smiling at his enthusiasm, but there
was something infinitely sad in her eyes.
“Seven!” Anni waved at her to come over.
The Borg
looked at Janeway, catching the amusement in her smile before she went to join
him.
“Seven’s
really good with kids.” The Captain took
Lauren by the arm and led her over to a bench.
“I can see
that.” She laughed as Anni tried to
teach Seven how to play Dance, Dance, Revolution and one of the other parents
waved and snapped her picture. Janeway
was careful to lean out of the shot.
“How did you two meet?”
The Captain
smirked. “I travel around a lot, typical
Army brat. We stumbled into each other
somewhere along the way and I just had to take her with me.”
“You guys
seem close.”
“We’re…
good friends.”
“Friends.” Lauren smiled at her and Janeway felt like
she was transparent. “Well, you two do
seem to make a good pair.”
“Yes we do,
don’t we?” The Captain smiled fondly at
her Borg before turning her attention back to Anni’s mom. “Lauren, I know we don’t know each other that
well yet, but I noticed that Anni seems…”
“Sick?” The word was said with barely concealed
bitterness. “Yeah, he’s sick.”
“Will you
tell me what’s wrong with him?”
Lauren
sighed. “He has cancer. It’s in the final stages. He’s been on the donor list for a bone marrow
transfusion but they haven’t been able to locate a match. He doesn’t have that much time left.”
“I’m so
sorry.” Janeway put an arm around her
shoulder. “What about his father?”
“Jeff
died. Six months ago.” She angrily wiped away a tear. “Freak accident. He tripped and fell. People fall all the time right? They just get up and brush off their dignity
and go on their way. But not Jeff. He struck his temple. Hard enough to rupture a blood vessel. He died almost instantly.”
So that’s where the timeline diverged…
“I can’t
imagine how hard it’s been for you.” The
Captain hugged her.
“Yeah,
well. It only got worse after that. Once he was gone, his insurance company cut
us off. I had to take the job dancing
because it paid well. Well enough for a
while anyway. Its honest work, I just
dance, that’s all.”
“I
understand.”
“But it’s
not enough anymore. Anni’s medical bills
ate through all of our savings. Even if
I work double shifts and stop taking classes, it isn’t enough. We got evicted this morning. I’m not even sure where we’re going to be staying
tonight.”
“Mom!” Anni came running up, dragging Seven behind
him. “Seven said she would go on the
Manhatten Express with me! Can I go? Please?”
She smiled
down at him. “Oh, I don’t know,
honey. Are you sure you’re feeling up to
it?”
“Mom!”
He rolled his eyes. “I’m
fine! You said I could go if an adult
went with me. Please can I?”
Lauren
nodded. “All right. If your Aunt Seven knows what she is getting
herself into.”
“He has
stated that it is a ‘thrill ride’. I am
sure I am adequately prepared for the endeavor.”
“All
right. Gather up your presents and we’ll
walk over.” She turned to Janeway. “It’s across the street at
They helped
him collect his things and left the hotel.
They were walking along the pedestrian overpass when Seven suddenly
stopped and looked up. Rising above them
was a maze of metal tracks and as they watched, a train of cars sped along it,
zipping through the turns before flipping completely upside down and then
continuing out of site. The Borg looked
back at them, feeling slightly queasy.
“Captain?”
Janeway
laughed. “I’m sure you’ll be fine,
Seven. You are adequately prepared
remember?”
Anni
laughed and dragged her along, pulling her up into the waiting area to find a
place in line.
“Is she
going to be all right?” Lauren looked at
her oddly for a moment and then smiled.
“She seems a little green.”
“Oh, she’ll
be fine. I think it’s just going to be a
new experience for her.” They took a
seat on a bench outside to wait for them and Janeway leaned closer to her,
taking one of her hands between her own.
“Listen, we have plenty of room.
The hotel gave us a ridiculously large suite. You’re welcome to stay with us.”
“Oh, we
couldn’t impose like that.”
“It
wouldn’t be an imposition. You and Anni
would have your own bedroom. It’s
already paid for. Please, come and stay
with us. I know Seven would really love
it if you did.”
Lauren couldn’t
hide her tears as she nodded and wrapped her arms around the Captain. “Thank you.
Thank you so much.”
Janeway
just nodded, not trusting herself to speak.
When Seven
and Anni reappeared twenty minutes later, the tears were replaced with laughter
at the Borg’s slightly disheveled appearance.
Her eyes were wide and she looked as though she was barely hanging on to
the pizza and ice cream she had had for lunch.
“What was
the purpose of that?”
“Its
fun!” Anni laughed, pulling on her
hand. “Come on, let’s go again!”
“No,
Anni.” Lauren took pity on the young
woman. “Once is enough. Besides we need to go pick up a few things
from home. We’re going to be staying
with Aunt Kathy and Seven for a couple days.”
“Cool! We can watch movies and tell scary stories.”
Seven
looked at the young boy fondly, feeling her heart break slightly at how weary
he appeared.
“Why don’t
you let us take Anni back now?” The Captain offered. “He looks kind of tired and the hotel isn’t
very far. We’re staying at the
Bellagio.”
“Are you
sure?” Lauren looked at her
skeptically. “He can be a handful.”
Seven
placed her arm around the child. “I
would welcome the opportunity to spend more time with him, if you are
agreeable.”
“Here.”
Janeway pulled out her hotel key card and handed it to Lauren. “We’re on the top floor. Just wave the card at them and you won’t have
any problems.”
She nodded,
whispering, “Thank you. I didn’t really
want him to hear me arguing with the landlord.”
“It’s no
problem. We’ll see you soon.”
When she
had gone, Anni seemed to lose what little energy he had left. Seven picked him up easily and carried him to
a taxi. When they arrived back at the
suit, she carried him into one of the bedrooms and pulled off his shoes, tucking
him under the blankets where he curled up and went to sleep.
Seven went
to the main room and returned with the tricorder. She ran the probe over his body several
times, watching the readout intently.
When she was done she motioned for the Captain to follow her into the
other room and closed the door behind them.
“Well?” Janeway asked.
“He is
dying, Kathryn.” The Borg’s voice was
soft and a single tear slid down her cheek.
“The cancer has consumed so much of his bone matter that it will be only
a matter of days before he will no longer be able to walk.”
“There has
to be something we can do.” Janeway ran
her fingers through her hair.
“There is.”
The Captain
looked at her.
“I am a
close match to his blood type and cell structure.”
“Seven, it
isn’t as if we can walk into a hospital and have them take bone marrow from
you!”
“I am aware
of that. That would not help Anni in any
case. I said I am a close match. He is too far
gone for my bone marrow to be successfully transferred to him by medical
means.”
“Then what
are you suggesting?”
Seven led
her to the couch and pulled her down beside her. “I believe I can alter my nanoprobes to act
as a conduit for the transfer. They will
adhere to his bone matter and allow it to adapt to a donation from my own
body.”
“And then
what? We can’t just leave him swimming
in Borg technology!”
“We would
not. The nanoprobes would go dormant
after the transfer and be passed out of his system within a matter of
days. There would be no lasting danger
to him.”
Janeway’s
eyes narrowed. “But there would be… to
you?”
Seven
looked away. “I do not believe so. It will take me quite a while to generate
enough of the nanoprobes to ensure the procedure is a success. They would be created in addition to my own
to serve only this purpose.”
“How much
time would you need?”
“At least
thirty six hours. I should be able to
make the transfer by the day after tomorrow.”
“All
right. If you think you can do it.”
“I know
that I can.”
Janeway
smiled at her self assurance, allowing herself to hope for the first time since
originally speaking to Lauren about Anni’s illness. But she could not shake the feeling that
there was something Seven wasn’t telling her.
She knew it would do no good to badger her about it. She would just have to trust that Seven knew
what she was doing. “Well, seeing as you
are probably going to need your strength, let's do one of my very favorite things
to do in a hotel room.”
The Borg
raised one eyebrow seductively. “What
would that be?”
The Captain
blushed. “Order room service!”
An hour
later they were sitting on the veranda, three room service carts around them,
picking out morsels from various dishes when Lauren arrived.
“Well,
damn.” She looked around the room in
awe. “You two know how to travel don’t
you?”
“You have
no idea.” Seven said dryly, making
Janeway laugh.
“How’s
Anni?”
“He is
fine. He is sleeping in the bedroom to
the left. After you check on him, please
join us for dinner.” The Borg said
graciously. “And if he awakens, we have
taken the liberty of ordering him “macaroni and cheese’ and ‘hot dogs’.”
“A growing
boy’s favorite foods.” Lauren said a
little sadly. “I’ll be right out.”
When she
joined them, they opened two bottles of wine and sat together watching the
fountains and the stars. Lauren told
them about her husband and the life they used to have and all about Anni and
the trouble he would get in to.
“He’s a
great kid.” She said softly. “He’s had to grow up a lot these past few
years. But he never complains. Sometimes I forget that he’s only ten years
old.” She wiped her eyes and
smiled. “But enough about that. What about you two? You must have some interesting stories to
tell. Kathy tells me she met you in her
travels and spirited you away. How did
your family feel about that?”
Seven
looked at her seriously. “My mother does
not approve of Kathryn. My family was
not agreeable to my leaving them to join her.”
Janeway
snorted, trying not to laugh. “That’s an
understatement.”
“So why did
you go?”
Seven
smiled softly. “I had no choice.” She gazed at Kathryn tenderly. “Some things are just destined to be.”
Lauren
cleared her throat, suddenly feeling as though she was intruding. “Well, it’s been a long day. I’m going to bed. Thank you for letting us stay with you.” She winked at Janeway. “Sorry to leave you with only one bedroom.”
The Captain
flushed. “Not a problem. We’ve shared some tight quarters before.”
“I’m
sure.” Lauren laughed. “Good night, you two.”
When she
was gone, Janeway pulled the PADD out of the case and sat next to Seven.
“Captain,
Seven. I trust you are well.” Tuvok
looked up at them from the screen. “At
this point you should have gained some idea as to why you are there. I apologize for my reticence in providing you
with information. However, it was
necessary that your actions be sincere and believable. I had every faith that you would discover
what you needed to know simply by virtue of who you are. Now, I can tell you this: You must carry out your plan of action as
swiftly as you are able. The rift will
appear again at your coordinates two days from now and will remain stable for a
period of ten hours. That leaves you a
total of 58 hours to obtain your objective.
Please also be aware that there will come a time when you will be
required to share all you know with Lauren Scott. I realize that this direction may seem in violation
of the Temporal Prime Directive but it is necessary for the completion of your
mission. You will know when that time
has arrived and I am certain you will find the most logical means of making her
understand. I will expect your arrival
at the original coordinates in two and a half days. Our thoughts are with you.” The screen went blank.
‘”Remind me
to never play poker with Tuvok.” Janeway
sighed. “That man keeps his cards too
close to the vest.” She glanced at
Seven, suddenly realizing how very tired the younger woman looked. She touched her cheek briefly with her
fingertips. “So now you believe in
destiny?”
“I do where
you are involved.”
The Captain
swallowed, amazed at her candor and ability to always say exactly what was in
her heart. “Let’s go to bed. You need your rest.” She took Seven’s hand and led her to the
bedroom. “I’m going to use the
facilities. I’ll be back.”
She went
into the bathroom and stared at herself in the mirror. Why can’t you
be as honest as she is? Why do you
always have to make things so hard? Why
can’t you, just once, say exactly what you feel? She brushed her teeth and washed her face, looking at the
light wrinkles around her mouth with a sigh.
Finally she grew tired of dissecting herself and turned out the light.
Seven was
already in bed, lying on her side, watching her. Self consciously, she removed her shirt and slacks,
pulling on a t-shirt before removing her bra.
She slid between the sheets with a sigh of pleasure, her arms going out
automatically to find the younger woman already moving within them.
“Will you
ask me for a promise tonight, Kathryn?”
Janeway
laughed softly. She rolled over on her
side until their faces were centimeters apart.
The emotion she saw in those azure blue eyes left her breathless. “No.
Not the same promise.’ She traced
the implant over Seven’s eye with her fingertips. “Seven, I am not going to deny that I want
you. I don’t think it would do me any
good anyway, you would know that it was a lie.”
“Yes,
Kathryn.”
“But, I
don’t know that I’m able to give you what you want. What I do know, is that I want to hold
you. I want to kiss you. Would that be enough?”
Seven
closed the space between them, kissing her gently. “For now.”
Janeway
wrapped her arms around Seven, feeling the Captain within her surrender without
a fight. She moaned slightly when the
Borg’s arms tightened pulling her up against her long nude form. Her hands
wandered across the smooth plains of her back as they kissed, marveling at the
softness of her skin. Seven whimpered at
the touch, her breath lost in their kiss which deepened into a passion that she
thought might consume them both. She
parted her lips and tasted the Borg’s tongue, it was sweet and clean, just like
the rest of her.
Sevens
hands moved down to the edge of her shirt, pausing for a moment before sliding
up underneath it. Her long fingers
caressed Kathryn’s shoulder blades with long languid strokes, only pausing when
the Captain raised her arms. Not
hesitating, she pulled the garment over her head and settled in closer, fitting
her breasts up under Kathryn’s gently.
The contact
was electric. The soft skin against her
own made Janeway’s pulse quicken. When
Seven brought her hand around to run lightly down her side, she shivered and
pressed closer, losing herself in the feel of the younger woman against her.
Through it
all they kissed, the lips never losing contact.
The kisses changed from being tentative and soft to being demanding and
slightly rough, full of barely restrained passion and intent all the more wild
for having to be kept in check. She
wanted to feel Seven everywhere, wanted her skin to touch every part of her and
she reached down, sliding her briefs off so that she could feel the hair between
their legs tangle together. She spread
her legs slightly, allowing Seven to slide her thigh between them. The younger woman cupped her buttock, then
slid around it, pulling Janeway’s leg more firmly over her own. But she did not move it, did not try to
increase the friction between them only rested it there firmly, possessively as
their tongues danced together.
It was the
most erotic thing the Captain had ever experienced. To be this close to Seven, to know she was
ready and willing and controlling herself simply because she had been asked to
was almost enough to make Kathryn forget everything she had said, almost enough
to make her give in to the emotions running wildly through her, almost enough…
almost enough.
* * * * * * * * *
Kathryn
woke slowly, feeling wonderfully relaxed.
She brought her fingers to her lips, realizing they felt swollen and
sore. Smiling, she reached out beside
her, disconcerted to find only smooth empty sheets.
“Seven?”
There was
no answer. Sitting up she looked around
the room. It was empty. She climbed out of bed and pulled a robe over
her nude body, surprised at how sensually the fabric caressed her, aware that
her skin was slightly sensitive as well, as though every inch of her had been touched
over and over for hours. She smiled to herself
when she realized that was exactly why she felt that way.
Moving out
to the main room, she opened the veranda doors, letting in the air that was
already warm from the late morning sun.
“Seven?”
Still no
answer.
She was
about to call out again when the door to their suite opened and Seven walked
in, dressed in the pair of black leather pants that Janeway had bought her just
to see what she would look like in them and a black t-shirt with a pair of
glowing cat eyes on the front. Her hair
was pulled back in a loose pony tail and she smiled brightly when she saw her.
“Kathryn. You are awake.”
“Yes I am,”
She purred happily, raising her hands over her head to stretch, faintly amused
by the look of desire that was apparent on the younger woman’s face. “And where did you wander off to?”
Seven
smiled again and walked towards her, holding out a large cup with a plastic
lid. As she got closer, the unmistakable
scent of rich, hot coffee reached her and she thought she had gone to heaven. “Oh, Seven.”
She took a long drink. “This is
wonderful. You are too good to me.”
“Agreed.” The Borg said playfully before sliding her
arms around her and kissing her deeply.
When they separated, she looked at the Captain thoughtfully. “Curious.”
“What?”
“I find the
taste of coffee from your lips so much more enjoyable then when I have tried to
drink it from a cup.”
“Are you
saying I might be able to get you to appreciate it?”
“If you
were to always offer it to me like this, then yes.” She kissed her again and Janeway welcomed the
slight pain in her lips, remembering the night before as she curved into her
embrace.
They stayed
like that for several minutes, losing themselves again in the feel and the
taste of each other until they heard movement from the other bedroom. The separated regretfully, a small smile on
each of their faces.
“Good
morning!” Lauren smiled as she entered
the room. She stopped short for a second
when she caught sight of them, a smirk curling the corners of her mouth. “So how did you sleep?”
“Quite
well.” Janeway answered, throwing the Borg a cautioning glance, but Seven only
nodded in agreement with her. “How about
the two of you?”
“Oh we were
great! The beds they have here are
amazing.” She picked up one of the bags
she had brought the night before. “What
are you two up to today?”
“I don’t
think we had any plans yet. Although I
was hoping to visit the Van Gogh exhibit.”
“Oh, I’ve
heard that it’s fantastic.”
“Would you
like to join us?” Seven asked.
“I’d love
to but Anni has a couple of doctor’s appointments today. We’re going to be gone most of the
afternoon.” She glanced down at Seven’s
pants. “Wow, did you have those painted
on?”
“No,” The
Borg looked confused. “Kathryn showed me
how to put them on.”
Janeway
flushed as Lauren laughed. “Well,
whatever works. We’ll be out of your
hair shortly.”
“No
worries.” The Captain smiled at
her. “You not in the way.”
Lauren took
the bag back into the bedroom, shutting the door behind her.
“You did
that on purpose.” Janeway said dryly.
“Kathryn?” Seven gave her an innocent look.
“Mmhmm.” She traced her fingers along the younger
woman’s jaw. “So, what do you
think? Would you like to visit the Van
Gogh exhibit with me?”
“I would go
anywhere with you, Kathryn.” The Borg said
simply and Janeway felt another chink in her armor fall away.
“Ok.” She smiled softly. “Let me get changed and
we’ll head down there.”
* * * * * * * * *
The gallery
was quiet when they arrived and they were able to move about at their
leisure. Janeway found she was excited
by the idea that she would not only be able to see these paintings first hand,
but that she would also be able to share them with Seven.
“Do you
like art, Seven?”
The Borg
tilted her head to one side as she gazed at a painting. “I have found that some artwork has
interesting mathematical properties. The
angles and the perspectives are intriguing.”
Kathryn put
a hand on her arm. “Art isn’t about
that, Seven. I mean, I am sure it could
be and your views are just as valid as anyone else’s, but what I love about art
is the way it grabs me. It catches my
attention and makes me truly study it, feel it in here.” She placed her hand on the younger woman’s
chest. “It’s seeing a thing through
another person’s eyes, in a way you might not have looked at it on your
own. Do you understand what I mean?”
“I believe
so.”
“Here, like this one. This is considered Van Gogh’s first true masterpiece. It’s called The Potato Eaters. It was completed in 1885, when he had just first started painting. If you think about it logically, there is really nothing interesting about people sitting around a table eating potatoes. But if you truly study it, you can see the character in each of the subjects. You can almost hear their voices, their conversations.”
She led her
to another wall. “And here, these two
paintings, you almost wouldn’t know they were by the same artist. The
Church At Nuenen was done early in his career. You can tell by the way the colors are
darker, more earthy, by the way it actually looks the way such a structure
might in real life. But then, The Church At Auvers was painted after
he moved to
She looked
back, surprised to see the Borg lost in contemplation of another painting. Moving to her side, she watched as Seven
leaned in closer, a look of wonder on her face as she studied the artwork
before her.
“Tell me
about this one, Kathryn.”
Janeway
smiled. “This one is called Starry Night Over The Rhone. Van Gogh painted this one in
“When I
first noticed it, I saw only shapes that resembled nothing. But the longer I looked at it, I began to see
the stars, the way they shine down on the water, the boats pulled up on the
shore, a pier, and buildings in the distance.
It has no discernable pattern, no quantifiable equations and yet… I can
see it. I can feel… what it might feel
like to be there looking out at this river.
The Captain
kissed her gently on the cheek. “That’s
art, Seven.”
“Show me
more.”
Janeway
took her around the rest of the gallery, holding her hand the whole time. She
introduced her to Van Gogh’s Sunflower Series,
his Olive Trees and Boats at Saint-Maries. The last painting she brought her to was Starry Night itself. “What do you think of this one?”
Seven’s
brow furrowed. “It is dark. The stars are there but they do not convey the
light the way the other painting does.
It feels as though the large object in the forefront is casting a shadow
over the village beyond it. It does not
make me feel the same way.”
“There are
many that feel this one is far more beautiful.
But I feel as you do, that the darkness that was gripping him at that
time truly came through in this painting.”
“May we go
back to the other one? I would like to
look at it again before we leave.”
“Of
course.” She was delighted by the
fascination Seven had for the painting.
She left her standing in front of it while she went into the gift shop
at the back of the gallery. When she
rejoined her, she held out a stiff tube of cardboard, smiling when the Borg
stared at it in confusion.
“Kathryn?”
“I bought
you a print, Seven. Of Starry Night Over The
The young woman’s
face lit up with a brilliant smile and the Captain felt her heart catch in her
chest.
“Thank you,
Kathryn.” She sobered slightly. “Would this not be considered frivolous?”
“Art is
never frivolous, love.” Love? Oh,
Katie… You’re falling… hard. She knew Seven had heard the
endearment and was grateful when she did not comment on it. She cleared her throat. “Are you hungry?”
“I believe
that I am.”
“Then let’s
go find something to eat.”
They found a
charming little café right outside the gallery, done up to look like Van Gogh’s
Café Terrace At Night. The food was fantastic and the wine was even
better and Janeway found herself completely enchanted by the experience. She was leaning back in her chair, watching
the people come and go when Seven spoke very softly.
“Kathryn. Will you do something for me?”
“Of course,
Seven. What is it?”
The Borg
looked up at her, her eyes soft, the color vivid against the paleness of her
skin. “I would like for you to take me
out dancing tonight.”
“Dancing?” She blinked.
“You want to go dancing?”
“Yes. I would like to be able to hold you in public,
to feel you within my arms and to have people see us. It is our last free night here. I want to have one moment in time with you
that is not for any other reason than what we wish it to be.”
Janeway
felt a lump in her throat and swallowed, trying to get her emotions under
control. In truth, if Seven had asked
her to go sky diving the way she had asked her to go dancing, she would be
strapping on a parachute gladly. “Of
course. I would love to go dancing with
you.”
Seven
smiled at her shyly and in the loveliness of it the Captain realized that she
wasn’t falling. She had already fallen. The only question was where they would land.
Chapter Five: A Natural Seven
The Captain
studied her face in the mirror again as she finished brushing out her
hair. The lines she had seen just the
night before didn’t seem so apparent now and there was a glow about her
features that she hadn’t seen in a very long time.
It’s love, Katie. You love her, more deeply than you ever thought
yourself capable of.
She smiled
at her reflection as she realized that the thought no longer frightened
her. She could do this. She could love Seven and be the richer for it
and still be who she needed to be. All
that it would take was the willingness to do so.
She touched
perfume lightly to her pulse points, feeling the dress she was wearing move
over her skin in an almost sensual caress.
Smiling one
last time, she turned out the light and headed into the outer room.
She saw
Seven standing on the veranda. She was
wearing a long red dress that clung lovingly to her curves, plunging low in the
back while dipping somewhat more demurely over her breasts. The sleeves hung slightly off her shoulders,
covering her arms to the elbows and the matching shoes had heels that were
slightly more manageable than the ones she normally wore. All together the effect was stunning.
Janeway
walked over to join her noticing that the young woman’s attention was caught by
the view. “Seven?”
At first
the Borg didn’t answer.
“Seven?” She repeated softly.
“Yes, Kathryn?”
“You seem a
million miles away.”
Seven
turned to look at her, her pupils dilating slightly as she took in the black
dress, the earings, the sandals laced up her calves. “You look very appealing.”
“Thank
you,” Janeway blushed slightly though she tried hard not to. “What were you thinking about?”
“I was
thinking how oddly this location is decorated.
Pyramids, towers, castles, waterfalls.
It would appear that the creators of this city wished to be anywhere but
here.”
The Captain
laughed lightly, the sound a warm caress in Seven’s mind. “It’s not so much that they wanted to be
elsewhere. I think they just realized
that there are many people who would love to see the wonders of the world but
never seem to make it that far from home.”
She watched as the incredible water fountains outside of their hotel
began their show yet again.
Seven
wasn’t paying attention to the view anymore.
Instead, she was lost in the look of joy on Kathryn’s face as she watched
the waters chase each other.
“Beautiful.” She whispered.
“They are,
aren’t they?” She turned to see that the
Borg was not looking at the fountains, but at her instead and her breath caught
in her throat at the expression of adoration quite apparent in the younger
woman’s features. Sighing, she reached
up and cupped Seven’s face in her palm, drawing her forward to taste her lips.
Seven
complied eagerly, enveloping the smaller woman in her arms as she lost herself
in the kiss. Lips touched briefly and
retreated only to come together once more.
Slowly, their lips parted to allow the mutual tasting of mouths and
tongues.
They were
so lost in themselves that they didn’t hear the door open.
“Whoa, nelly!” Lauren laughed. “I knew it!”
Janeway and
Seven parted quickly. The Captain
blushed quite charmingly as Seven brought her fingers up to touch her lips.
“Ewww.” Annikan made a face.
“Anni, stop
it.” His mother pushed him towards
their room. “So sorry to intrude. We’ll just be... going in here.” Her eyes sparkled as she
walked past them. “What is it you
military types say? As you were?”
“Wonderful.” The Captain laughed. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”
After a
brief stop at the VIP desk, they climbed into a cab and, at Seven’s direction,
headed for the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino.
When they arrived, Seven grabbed her hand and led her through the lobby
to another VIP booth where they were given a pass and directed to a private
elevator.
“Seven,
where are we going?”
“It is a
surprise, Kathryn.”
The
elevator deposited them on the top floor.
They walked down a long hallway until they came to a door with red
curtains on either side of it. Stepping
inside, Seven showed their pass to the doorman and they were allowed entry into
the main room.
“Oh,
Seven!” Janeway breathed. It wasn’t like any night club she had ever
seen. One entire wall was occupied by a
large, roaring fireplace and there were plush upholstered couches and intimate
booths where a normal bar would have had stools and tables. The walls were adorned with all manner of
artwork and sculptures and she found herself fascinated with the entire
aesthetic of the place.
Seven
smiled at her, pulling her gently towards a large outdoor patio, complete with
a small bar and an intimate dance floor off to one side. She led her over to the railing and the
Captain was astonished to see a view of the entire Strip stretching out beneath
them.
“Where are
we?”
“The
Foundation Room.” Seven circled her arms
around her, using her body heat to ward off the chill night air.
“How high
up are we?”
“Forty
three stories. This establishment
purportedly has the best view in
Janeway
grinned, leaning back into the welcoming warmth behind her. “So how did we get in?”
“I have
come to learn that in this city, monetary means opens many doors that would
otherwise be closed. I asked the hostess at our hotel where I could find an
intimate place to dance and she directed me here.” Seven hugged her tightly. “When she described this location I knew that
you would appreciate it.”
“Oh, Seven
I do. Very much. Thank you.”
“Thank you,
Kathryn, for spending this night with me.”
Janeway
turned in the embrace, rising up onto her toes to place a brief kiss against
Seven’s lips. “Dance with me.”
“It would
be my pleasure.”
Seven
stopped to whisper a few words to the DJ before she led Kathryn to the small
dance floor, wrapping her up in her arms as the music began to play.
It wasn’t a
song Janeway had ever heard before, but the tempo was intoxicating, with a
rhythm that made the slow, grinding motion they moved in seem more than
appropriate. She closed her eyes and
laid her head on Seven’s shoulder, listening to the words as they played out
softly into the night.
Well
I have lived ten years plus ten
And ten and ten again
I have seen too much to pretend
Then you wanted to come in
I have survived all of the lies
They made me wise
The locks and walls and the peace it buys
Still when I look into your eyes
It's a surprise when you say
It's
gonna be all right
It's gonna be okay
Just hold on tight
Let it all go away
Oh
mercy mercy baby
What do you want from me
Well
I plead mercy mercy baby
I do not know what this all means
It's been awhile since I been stylin'
In just my jacket and my jeans
It hurts to walk it hurts to talk
It hurts to think about it
Shout about it
Could I be sure without a doubt
That you could never live without me
It's
gonna be all right
It's gonna be okay
Just hold on tight
Let it all go away
Oh
mercy mercy baby
What do you want from me
It's
gonna be all right
It's gonna be okay
Just hold on tight
Let it all go away
I
want to fall in you crawl in you
Surrender all in you now
Could I be sure in you pure in you
Finding the cure in you
Now I plead have mercy on me
Now
I am kneeling at the alter
In the temple of your eyes
And I am asking for a miracle
I have been too long paralyzed
When you say get up and stand up
And climb the rope of hope
And open up again
Oh the peace you say is promised me
Seems too much to comprehend
It's
gonna be all right
It's gonna be okay
Just hold on tight
Well
can this girl believe?
Let it all go away
Oh
mercy mercy baby
What do you want from me
It's
gonna be all right
It's gonna be okay
Just hold on tight
Let it all go away
Mercy baby mercy baby
What do you want from me
As the music faded away, Kathryn hugged
Seven fiercely. “You were busy this
morning weren’t you?”
The Borg’s eyes widened. “Kathryn?”
“The song, Seven.” Janeway quirked her lips into a grin,
wondering what had gone through the Borg’s mind at that moment. “How did you find that song?”
“I asked someone for a recommendation. After listening to it, I deemed that it was
relevant.”
Smiling, she dropped her head back onto
Seven’s shoulder, content to remain in her arms, swaying slowly to whatever
song came next.
* * * * * * * * *
It was well past midnight by the time the
returned to the suite and they moved quietly through the outer room, not
wanting to wake up Lauren or Anni. When
they were safely behind the closed door of their bedroom, Seven pulled Kathryn
into her arms, holding her tightly as she kissed her with a slow, heated
passion that made her toes curl.
They didn’t say anything, but then, no words
were necessary as Janeway slowly slid the dress down Seven’s body, her pulse
quickening when she realized that the Borg was nude underneath.
Seven stepped out of her shoes, her hands
finding the fastening at the back of Kathryn’s gown and slid it down and off
her hips. She pushed the Captain back
onto the bed and slowly untied the sandals, her hands warm against the older
woman’s calves as she ran her fingers up and down her legs. She removed her undergarments slowly, almost
reverently, and then pushed her back, laying her body fully on top of her as
they kissed, slowly and deeply.
Janeway wasn’t sure when she noticed it, but
the younger woman’s body seemed to vibrate with a barely restrained
energy. She rolled her over gently and
looked into deep azure eyes filled with emotion. “Seven?”
“Please, Kathryn.” The Borg’s voice broke slightly. “Please do not ask me to…”
“Shhh.”
The Captain placed a finger against her lips, stilling them. “No promises.” She brought her hands up to gently cup the
full breasts, her fingers grazing across the swollen nipples lovingly. “Not tonight.”
Moaning, Seven wrapped her fingers into the
auburn hair she adored so much and brought Kathryn’s lips to hers in a rough
kiss, hearing a low growl reverberate from her lover’s throat that sent a
shiver through her entire body.
Janeway’s hands wandered across the
beautiful body beneath hers with joyous abandon. She kissed her way down the long leonine
neck, stopping briefly to suck and bite against the pulse wildly fluttering in
her throat. Moving on, she brought her
lips to the tops of the young woman’s breasts, kissing them lovingly until she
took one nipple between her teeth, biting gently.
A shock of liquid desire went through Seven
causing her nerve endings to sing as though she had touched a live electrical
conduit. She brought her hands to the
Captain’s shoulders, gripping them tightly as Janeway moved to the other
nipple, giving it the same attention she had given the first. But she did not linger there long. Kissing her way down a flat stomach and
between the smooth metal bands of her implants, she licked briefly at the
indent of her navel before nuzzling her nose into the pale thatch of curly hair
between her legs.
The affect on the Borg was overwhelming. Her thighs fell open of their own volition
and the Captain settled between them, watching lovingly as Seven opened to her
like some exotic flower. She breathed in
the intoxicating scent of her sex before rubbing her nose softly over the
bundle of nerves at the apex of her cleft.
“Kathryn!”
Seven moaned.
The Captain smiled, opening her lips to
allow her tongue to play in the already copious dew gathered there. The taste was heavenly, sweet and thick. She surrounded the little bundle with her
lips and suckled it, flicking it with her tongue as her fingers began to play
in the moisture surrounding the young woman’s opening. Gently she slid two fingers into the
welcoming warmth, feeling the Borg’s body stiffen above her and a deep guttural
moan fall from her lips.
Slowly, she began to move, timing her
thrusts with the movement of her tongue, long languid stokes that were not
impeded by the muscles that pulled frantically at her fingers. As Seven’s hips began to rise to meet each
thrust, she quickened her pace until she was thrusting wildly, her face bathed
in the wetness her tongue adored.
“Oh…Kathryn…” Seven’s head moved from side to side as the
pleasure swept through her. Her
thought’s were not analytical, they were not concise or eloquent, they were
chaotic, fragmented as her brain tried to make sense of what was happening to
her body. She realized she was
whimpering incoherent words, sounds of bliss and ecstasy that had no meaning
outside of her need to convey how Kathryn was making her feel.
Suddenly, all the chaos solidified, becoming
a huge wave of feeling and heat that suffused her entire body. The need in her body became acute, the
reactions of her hips wild as her chest tightened and reached a massive peak
where she was sure she could not survive any further emotion. Then the wave broke, cascading over her like
a torrent of raging water, flowing through her until she couldn’t hold on to a
single thought, could not concentrate on anything except the exquisite sensations
coursing through her nerve endings.
“Kath…Kathryn…” She cried out,
finding her eyes filled with moisture as her body fell back limply, her skin
slick with perspiration and her muscled shaking violently. “Kathryn…”
“Shhh…”
Janeway slid up her body to cradle her gently. “I’m here.
It’s ok.” She uttered soothing
sounds as the Borg’s movements slowly gentled.
“Kathryn.”
Seven was crying, holding onto to her beloved firmly. “I did not know… that anything could feel
like that.”
“Wonderful, isn’t it?” Kathryn grinned, kissing the tears away.
“Yes.”
The young woman held her fiercely.
“Thank you.”
“Thank you.” Janeway smiled. “Thank you for letting me be the one you
shared this experience with.”
Seven smiled at her as she rolled them over,
kissed her passionately before sliding down to take one nipple between her
lips. The other she brushed gently with
the fingers of her human hand before pinching it lightly, gratified by the
surge of the Captain’s hips beneath her.
She laid her human hand against her lover’s
stomach, pulling the other one back.
Janeway
caught Seven’s left hand as she tried to move it away. “I want you to love me. I want YOU
to love me.”
“I could
hurt you.” The Borg whispered softly.
“I don’t
think so. Let me see it…”
Seven held
up her left hand slowly, stretching her fingers apart so that Janeway could see
all the veins of her implant.
Kathryn
reached up and laid her fingers against the Borg metal, wondering how something
could look so foreign and be so warm.
She stroked down to the inside of Seven’s palm and then nodded.
Gently, the
younger woman slid her fingers into warmth between Kathryn’s legs, the metal
tips playing in the moisture, stroking softly before entering her. She went slowly at first, pushing all the way
in before flexing, paying close attention to the moans coming from the woman
beneath her. She brought her thumb up to
rub against the bundle of nerves on the outside as her fingers began to thrust
deeper, before pulling out only to slide in even faster. She shuddered when she felt the muscles
clench around them and quickened her pace.
Janeway
pushed her head back into the pillows, arching her back and pushing her hips
forward into Seven’s touch. The thrusts
met her tempo perfectly and she began to ride them, faster and faster, small moans
of pleasure escaping her lips. Then
Seven found the high, slick spot that was usually just out of reach and she
began to buck wildly, her nails digging into the smooth plains of her lover’s
back as the ecstasy built up inside her.
A molten wave of heat and pleasure cascaded outwards from between her
legs, making her muscles freeze and her thighs tremble. She didn’t understand how this young woman,
so new to love, was playing her like an instrument, her fingers finding all the
right places at all the right times in combinations she would never think was
possible. “Oh… Sev…oh! Annika!”
Seven felt
the body below her being to shake and she slipped her arm beneath Kathryn’s
back and pulled her roughly forward, grinding her pelvis hard against her as she
brought her lips to a swollen nipple.
Biting down on it, she felt the body in her arms stiffen, felt the
muscles around her fingers flutter wildly as her lover cried out, “OH MY GOD,
ANNIKA!!!”
Janeway was
held motionless for a long moment as the power of her climax shot through
her. Seven did not remove her fingers
but she did still them, all except the movement against the slick spot deep
inside her. She felt her vision begin to
dim as she was pushed up fiercely one last time, to come crashing down limply
onto the bed, her body spent and incapable of movement.
Seven
slowly released her hold, allowing the smaller woman to recline back
fully. Gently, she pulled her fingers
from their warm nest and kissed the tears away from her lover’s cheeks.
“Oh, Annika.” Janeway cried, her arms trembling as she drew
the younger woman’s body up against her.
“That was… well… I don’t really know what that was. It’s never been… like that. What did you do?”
Seven
raised her left hand slowly, bringing it so close that Kathryn could smell her
own scent clinging to the metal braces.
As she closely watched her lover’s face, she extended her assimilation
tubules, making them writhe in the air before her.
Janeway’s
eyes went wide. “You… did that… with
those?”
“Yes,” The
younger woman kissed her softly. “I am
fairly certain it is one use that the Borg are unaware of.”
The Captain
laughed, a warm sensual sound that caused Seven’s pulse to quicken yet
again. “It’ll be our little secret.”
The young
woman looked down at her with eyes full of desire that had not yet been
satisfied and Janeway felt her breath catch.
Without warning, Seven rolled them over again, holding Kathryn up so
that she was straddling her waist. She
put her hands on the older woman’s buttocks and pulled forward intently.
Janeway
allowed herself to be moved until she was sitting on the Borg’s chest, her
knees on either side of her head. Her
eyes went wide when she realized Seven’s intent. Rising slightly, she rested her arms against
the wall above her as the young woman pulled her down until she could slip her
tongue into the cleft between her legs.
Throwing her head back, she groaned at the contact. Seven’s tongue was rough against her, lapping
wildly at the small nub that was engorged with her desire. She looked down and saw the young woman’s
eyes had closed, saw the look of rapture on her face as she devoured her and
felt her thigh muscles begin to shudder.
Moving slowly, she rocked back and forth, small, soft grunts of pleasure
emanating from her as the Borg’s lips moved faster.
The orgasm
hit her fast, a huge surging of pleasure that thrummed outwards from Seven’s
tongue to shake her body to the core.
She leaned her head against the wall until the pleasure broke suddenly,
turning into a liquid fire that burned through her body and left her too weak
to support herself.
Gently,
Seven put her hands on Janeway’s hips and lifted her effortlessly, settling her
onto the bed where she wrapped her long arms around her and held her, waiting
for her shivering to subside.
“Oh,
Annika.” The Captain breathed. “That was lovely.”
“I
concur.” The Borg gripped her tightly, her
face buried in Janeway’s neck. Slowly,
she loosened her hold and moved back, looking at her with eyes filled
with warmth and love. “You were
mistaken, Kathryn.”
“About
what?” Janeway purred, running her
fingers down the Borg’s side.
“There is
one promise we must discuss tonight.”
“What would
that be, love?”
Seven
pulled away slightly, reaching over to the end table where she removed
something from one of the drawers.
Holding it up before Kathryn, she opened it slowly.
A small
light blinked on, illuminating the bed and Seven’s face, as well as box she
held. There, nestled in a bed of black
velvet, was the ring.
“Seven!” Janeway gasped, leaning forward to gaze at
the platinum band with its sparkling diamond reflecting the small light back
towards her eyes. “Do you know what that
ring symbolizes?”
“Yes,
Kathryn.” The Borg took her hand
gently. “A ‘legacy of love’. One I wish to share with you.”
The Captain
felt her eyes fill with tears. “Seven,
there are so many things that we need to talk about.”
“I am aware
of that, Kathryn.”
“There will
be compromises that you will have to make.”
“I am aware
of that, Kathryn.”
“There will
be times that I won’t even be able to display what I feel for you.”
“I am aware
of that, Kathryn.”
“Then why
would you do this?”
Seven took
the ring and set the now empty box on the nightstand. Taking her Captain’s hand, she slid the band
onto her ring finger. “Because none of
that is relevant, Kathryn. The only
matter of importance is that you know the depths of what I feel for you.”
Crying
openly, Janeway wrapped the younger woman up in her arms. Seven held her quietly, truly understanding
for the first time how tears could sometimes signify joy.
Chapter Six: The Turn
Seven
sighed contentedly and tightened her embrace around the small body she held in
her arms. Kathryn was sleeping, her
breath even, and she did not wish to wake her.
Studying
the beloved profile of her Captain, she felt a tightness in her chest. It was an almost sad feeling, a melancholy
rush of love and devotion that she was only beginning to understand. She was amazed that this woman who had, in the
past, instilled such rage and frustration within her, could also be the cause
of such peace and happiness.
If she had
nothing else for the rest of her existence, she knew she could find joy in what
had transpired between them.
Gently, she
brought her lips to the spot below Kathryn’s left ear, a place she knew she
loved to be kissed, gratified when the older woman stirred, murmuring her
pleasure with a smile.
“Good
morning.” Seven smiled. “You slept well.”
“Yes, I
did.” The Captain pulled the Borg’s arms
tightly around her. “What time is it?”
“It is
time.”
Janeway
blinked, not understanding.
“The
nanoprobes are ready.”
“Oh.” It was a small sound, but Seven could read
the regret in it. “I guess we need to
get up then.”
“Yes.” Seven hugged her fiercely one last time and
then stood, holding out a hand to pull her lover from their bed. “We will need to facilitate a separation of
Lauren from Annikan. I do not believe she
should be witness to what I will have to do.”
“I
agree.” She pulled her robe on and
handed the other one to Seven. “Let’s go
talk to her.”
They went
into the outer room, surprised to see Lauren sitting on the couch.
“Have a
nice evening?” She smiled.
“Yes, it
was lovely.” Janeway ran her fingers
through her hair.
“Whoa! Wait a minute!” Lauren stood quickly and walked over. She grabbed the Captain’s hand and looked
down at her fingers. “That’s one helluva
rock. Is there something I should know?”
Kathryn
blushed and tried not to look at Seven, who she knew was standing beside her
with a pleased smile on her face.
“I guess
congratulations are in order.” Lauren
threw her arms around the Captain and then Seven as well. “You two make a great pair!”
“Thank
you.” Seven said seriously.
“Well, this
calls for a celebration. I was going to
ask you to watch Anni while I went down to get a newspaper, but I think I need to
grab a bottle of champagne while I’m down there too. Do you mind?”
“Not at
all.” Janeway smiled, throwing a brief
glance over her shoulder at the Borg behind her.
“Cool!” The energetic blonde headed for the
door. “I’ll be back!”
Once she
was gone, Seven and the Captain entered Annikan’s bedroom. The boy was awake, looking at them curisouly.
“Hey
Anni.” Janeway sat on the side of his
bed. "Your mom had to go out for a few
minutes. We wanted to talk to you.”
“What’s up,
Aunt Kathy?”
The Captain
smiled, warmed by the endearment. “Seven
wants to give you some medicine. We
think it will help you to feel better.”
The boy
frowned. “Is it going to hurt?”
Janeway
felt her heart ache at how much the child had already gone through.
“No.” Seven moved to stand beside him. “It will not hurt. But I will need you to lie still.”
“All
right.” He straightened his body, an
apprehensive look on his face.
“Close your
eyes, Anni.” The Captain said gently.
Annikan did
as he was told and Seven leaned in closer, extending the tubules from their
sheath in her Borg hand.
“I forgot
my wallet… WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?”
They both
turned quickly, seeing Lauren standing in the doorway behind them. Her eyes were fastened in horror on the tubes
extended from Seven’s hand.
“Hey
mom,” Anni said quietly. “Aunt Kathy and Seven said they had some
medicine that would make me feel better.”
Lauren face
grew dark with rage as she moved to shield her son. “Get the hell away from him.” She looked at Seven in revulsion, not
noticing that Kathryn had left the room.
When the Captain
returned, she heard the disgust in Lauren’s tone as she spat out, “What the
hell are you?”
Seven
blanched and Janeway felt her heart go out to the young woman but there was no
time to comfort her. “Lauren,” She said
carefully. “You need to let us explain.”
“Explain
what?” The blonde spat. “What the hell were you planning to do to my
son?”
The Captain
sighed and whispered to Seven, “Wait for us.”
Then she placed her hand on Lauren’s shoulder and, before the woman could
knock it away, she pressed the site to site transport control.
Lauren
gasped as the room shimmered around her.
She felt an uncomfortable tingling in her body and closed her eyes. When it stopped, she held perfectly still,
terrified to open them.
“Lauren.” The Captain said calmly. “Open your eyes.”
The blonde
obeyed, cracking them open slowly at first, then they flew open wide when she
realized the hotel room was gone.
Instead they were in a small van of some sort. “What the hell did you do?”
“Calm
down.” Janeway knelt in front of
her. “There are a lot of things I need
to tell you. I brought you here because
I thought that it would help you understand that what I am telling you is the
truth.”
“Brought me
where?” She demanded.
“Take a
deep breath.” She was concerned that the
woman was going to hyperventilate. “Look
behind you.”
Lauren
glanced over her shoulder and froze. “Oh
my god.” She stood slowly and stared out
of the front viewport. Her jaw dropped
at the sight of the planet hanging in front of them. “I’m dreaming.” She said firmly, shutting her eyes
again. “I’m dreaming and I want to wake
up now.” She opened them again but the
view did not change. Turning back to
Janeway she looked at her, her face frozen with panic and fear. “Who the hell are you?”
The Captain
pushed her back gently into the pilot’s seat, taking the other seat for
herself. “We didn’t lie to you,
Lauren.” She said gently. “Seven is related to you. We just didn’t tell you how distantly.” She took the blonde’s hand in her own, noting
that it was limp and clammy. “My name is
Captain Kathryn Janeway, of the Federation Starship Voyager.”
“Captain.” Lauren repeated. “I heard Seven call you that.”
“Yes. Seven of Nine is the Astrometrics officer on
my ship. We came here for only one
reason. To help you.”
“To help
me? With what?”
“Annikan.” She said softly. “To help Annikan.”
Lauren just
stared at her in disbelief.
“We’re from
the future.” She grimaced as she said
the words, thinking how ridiculous it sounded.
“Almost four hundred years in the future. Seven is one of your descendents.”
“My
descendents.” Lauren repeated hollowly.
“Yes, yours
and Anni’s.” She touched the console and
an image of Voyager appeared. “That’s
our ship.”
Lauren
looked at it blankly. “This doesn’t make
any sense.” She said weakly. She wanted to deny it all but the proof in
front of her eyes would not allow her to.
“If you are from the future how the hell would you even know that Anni
was sick?”
“That’s the problem with temporal mechanics,”
The Captain sighed. “They’re really hard
to explain.”
But explain she did, in great detail. She told Lauren about Seven, about the Borg,
about Voyager, about the book and about how they had come to be there. When she was done, she waited patiently as
the blonde worked through everything in her mind. Janeway was pleased to note that the vacant
look had disappeared and her color had returned…somewhat.
“So Seven is human?”
“Yes, well, mostly. When she was assimilated she was just a
child. We were able to undo most of what
the Borg did to her, but some of her implants still remain, as I am sure you’ve
noticed. Seven of Nine was her Borg
designation.”
“What’s her real name?”
Janeway smiled. “Annika Hansen.”
“Annika…”
Lauren looked at her in wonder.
“Hansen was my husband’s last name.
It’s Anni’s last name.”
“I know.”
The blonde looked up suddenly. “Anni… you really think you can help him?”
“I believe so.” She squeezed the blondes hand. “Seven has ‘little machines’ called
nanoprobes in her body that can repair the damage to his system and make her
own bone marrow compatible to his. That
is what we were attempting to do when you arrived and caught us.”
“Why didn’t you just tell me?”
Janeway gave her a gently sarcastic look.
“Right,” She laughed nervously. “I would have had you both committed.”
“Will you let us try?” The Captain asked.
Lauren looked at her intently and Janeway
realized that she was fighting between her own disbelief and her wild need to
hope.
“I know you are aware of how sick he
is. This could be his only chance.”
Finally, the blonde nodded.
“All right.
I’ll take you back now.”
Lauren gazed out the window one last time,
taking in the sight of the planet below her.
She was still staring at it in amazement when the shuttle disappeared
around her and she was back in Anni’s bedroom.
She went to her son and hugged him tightly, glancing at Seven who sat
quietly at the end of the bed.
“Mom!”
He hugged her back. “Where did
you go?”
“It’s a long story, Anni. I’ll tell you all about it later. For right now, your Aunt Kathy and Seven are
going to try to help you. Can you be
brave and let them?”
He looked from his mother to Seven and back
again. “I’ll try.”
Lauren began to cry. She hugged him once more and then stood. Turning to Seven she placed her hand on the
Borg’s arm. “If you can help him,
please…do it.”
Seven nodded and moved to the head of the
bed. She extended her tubules slowly and
then inserted them into the boy’s neck.
Her eyes closed as she felt the connection between them solidify.
Janeway hugged Lauren to her, holding her
tightly when she gasped at the change her son was undergoing. His skin turned slightly pallid and she could
see the veins clearly underneath.
The process took several minutes and the
Captain noticed that Seven had begun to shake.
Suddenly, she convulsed and the connection broke, her body sliding to
the floor where she lay much too still.
She released Lauren and ran to her, noticing that the tubules had not
retracted back into her implant.
“Seven!”
She shook her, softly at first and then more violently when the young
woman did not respond. “Seven!” She turned to the blonde who was watching her
son, witnessing the color return to his cheeks and the sunken flesh around his
eyes fill out. “Lauren, help me! She isn’t responding!”
Together they lifted the Borg and placed her
next to Anni on the bed. The boy was
awake and looking at all of them in surprise.
“Mom?”
He whispered. “I don’t hurt
anymore.”
Lauren sobbed and grabbed him, feeling his
normally frail body become more solid under her hands. “Thank you!”
She cried to Janeway. “Thank you
so much.”
The Captain ignored her. She grabbed the medical tricorder and ran it
over Seven’s body, feeling her heart stop when she read the results. Seven was near death. Her bone mass was critically low and her
nanoprobes and cortical implant were shutting down. “No!”
She cried. “No, Seven, oh god
no!” She wrapped the young woman in her
arms and began to rock her. “No, don’t
you do this to me. Don’t you dare give
me everything I could ever hope for and then take it away. Goddammit wake up!”
Lauren came up behind her and placed a hand
on her shoulder. “What’s going on?”
“I knew there was something she wasn’t
telling me and I didn’t push her. I
didn’t make her explain…” Her words were
cut off by the choking sobs that stuck in her throat. “She’s lost most of her nanoprobes. She said she was making new ones for Anni in
addition to her own but she lied. She
gave him almost everything she had. Now
they aren’t regenerating.” She felt the
body in her arms start to grow cold. “I
need something to stimulate her system.
Oh god, Seven don’t do this to me.”
Lauren thought quickly. “What would you need? What would work?”
“A hypospray of epinephrine!” Janeway cried. “That’s all I would need and I don’t have it!”
“You will.”
Lauren said firmly.
Janeway looked at her, trying to decipher
what the hell she was talking about through the shock. Suddenly, her eyes widened. “The case.
Get the case. The black one in
our bedroom.”
Lauren ran to do as she asked, returning
quickly to hand the container to her.
Kathryn reached inside it, her eyes going
wide when her fingers closed on a single hypospray at the bottom. She quickly pressed it to Seven’s neck and
then wrapped her arms around her again, wildly hoping that it had been in time.
Nothing happened.
Janeway laid the Borg flat and slammed her
fist into her chest. “Goddammit, Seven,
this is your Captain speaking and I order you to wake the fuck up!”
Suddenly the Borg took in a huge gulp of
air. She shook violently for a few
seconds and then opened her eyes. At first
they were unfocused, staring blankly, but then they cleared and she looked up
at Janeway.
“Kathryn?”
She said weakly. “My chest
hurts.”
Janeway laughed, tears coursing down her
cheeks as she grabbed Seven to her and held on like she would never let go. Between her sobs she shook the Borg
gently. “Don’t you ever do that to me again. Do you understand? You scared the life out of me.”
Seven looked at her seriously. “I will not.
Especially if it means that you will strike me again.”
“I love you.” The Captain showered her face with
kisses. “I love you, you obstinate,
frustrating, infuriating Borg.”
The younger woman smiled shyly. “You… love me?”
“Yes!”
Kathryn kissed her hard on the mouth.
“I love you with everything in me.”
“I love you as well, Kathryn.”
“Well,” Lauren cleared her throat and wiped
the back of her hand quickly across her eyes.
“If the melodramatics are over…”
Janeway looked at her sharply and then
realized that she was hiding her own relief behind her sarcasm.
“I require nutritional and liquid
supplements.” Seven mumbled.
“Right.
Can you stand?” Lauren moved to
one side of her and Janeway took the other.
Between the two of them they managed to pull the young woman to her feet
and then walked her slowly to the outer room where they deposited her on the
couch. “Lauren can you call room
service?”
The blonde did as she was told, ordering all
different kinds of food, not knowing what Seven needed. Then she sat down beside her and took her
Borg hand into her own. “Thank you,
Annika Hansen.” She whispered, grabbing Kathryn’s hand too. “Thank you both, so very much.”
Seven nodded, a small smile on her lips.
“Mom?” Anni was standing in the doorway.
“Anni!”
She went to him and gathered him up in a hug, kissing him fiercely.
“Yuck!”
The young boy wiped his face.
“Mom!”
“How are you feeling?”
“I feel great.” He smiled.
“Can I go play?”
Lauren laughed. “Yes!”
She wiped away her own tears, willing to give him anything he wanted in
her joy. “Let me just take care of Seven
and I’ll take you to Circus Circus and you can ride whatever you want ok?”
“YAY!”
he shouted and ran back into his room to dress.
“It’s ok.”
Janeway smiled up at her. “Take
him to have fun. Seven will be fine
now. I’ll take care of her.” She looked over at the Borg and laid her palm
against her cheek. “Always.”
Seven leaned into the embrace. “I will recover. Proceed with the fun.”
“We’ll be back in a few hours. You take it easy, Annika.” She hugged the Borg one last time before
collecting her son and leaving the suite.
“Seven,” Janeway said seriously. “Why didn’t you tell me how dangerous this
would be for you?”
“Because you would have attempted to stop me
and I could not fail.”
“You can’t do this again. If we’re going to be together, we have to
share everything, even the things that aren’t so good.”
“Will we?”
“Will we what?”
“Be together?”
Kathryn smiled. “Just let something try to get in the way.”
* * * * * * * * *
Lauren
returned several hours later to find Kathryn and Seven curled up together on
the couch. The food she had ordered was
long gone and the Borg looked much better than she had earlier.
“How is my
savior feeling?” She smiled.
“I am
functioning adequately.” Seven
responded.
“Good to
hear it.” Lauren sat beside them. “Because there is going to be a party the
likes of which you have never seen tonight.”
Janeway
sighed sadly. “I’m sorry, Lauren. Seven and I have to go.”
“What?” The blonde looked at her in shock. “You can’t go yet. You just can’t. Anni is downstairs with a couple of my
friends setting everything up right now. You
can’t leave without saying goodbye to him.
It would crush him.”
“We don’t
have much choice-“The Captain began.
“Kathryn.” Seven sat up and gazed into her eyes. “We still have 14 hours left. I do not see the harm in attending the
celebration, at least for a short while.
I too, would be regretful to leave without saying goodbye.” She gave her lover a soft look. “Please.”
Janeway
melted, realizing that it was going to be very hard for her to ever deny the
young woman anything. “All right, if
you’re feeling up to it.”
“I will be
fine, Kathryn.”
“Great!” Lauren rubbed her hands together
gleefully. “It’s a come as you aren’t
party, by the way.”
“’Come as
you aren’t’?” Seven looked at her
blankly.
Lauren laughed. “Just wear your uniforms. You’ll be fine. Party starts in two hours, downstairs in the
bar. I thought they would have a problem
with Anni being in there and with closing it for us, but for some reason they
seem to be willing to do whatever I want.”
She gave them a suspicious look.
“Any clue why that might be?”
Janeway
cleared her throat. “We were going to
talk to you about that.” She handed the
blonde two charge cards and a statement book that said “Bellagio Services’ on
the outside. “When we got here, Seven
had a bit of luck on one of the slot machines.
She won quite a lot of money.
Money that the casino is holding in their vault. Money that now belongs to you.”
Lauren
opened the book and read the sum, her face paling. “I can’t take this.”
“You don’t
have to take it.” The Captain smiled at
her. “It’s already yours.” She handed Lauren the ID cards Seven had
used. “All of it is in your name.” She laughed at the other woman’s look of
astonishment. “Don’t argue with us about
it either. That money will go a long way
towards a new life for you and Anni. You'll be able to get a house and go to school full time. Anni will have everything he needs and more. And we certainly don’t need it. Money isn’t in use anymore where we come from.”
“I don’t
know what to say.” Lauren said softly.
“It is not
necessary that you say anything.” Seven
touched her briefly on the arm. “But if
I may offer a suggestion?”
“Of
course!”
“I suggest
that you also investigate courses in science and mathematics along with your
writing interests. They are areas that
the members of our family appear to excel in.”
Lauren
wrapped her arms around both of them, her tears warm against Seven’s face. “Two hours.
Do not be late!”
* * * * * * * * *
Janeway
straightened her uniform jacket as they rode the elevator to the first floor.
“Stop
fidgeting, Kathryn. You look wonderful."
“I don’t
fidget.” The Captain protested. “I’m just not used to showing off who we
really are.”
“As Lauren
stated, all the individuals in attendance will assume this is who we are
not. I do not foresee any problems with
us attending in this attire.”
Janeway let
her eyes roam down the burgundy cat suit that Seven wore. “I’m sure no one will have a problem with
your attire. I’m probably going to be
the one with the problem, trying to keep all the men off of you.”
“Just look
at them they way you look at Tom Paris when he says something
inappropriate. I am certain they will implode
instantly.”
The Captain
laughed, taking Seven’s hand into her own as they exited the elevator.
The bar was
crowded with people and they had to gently push their way into the room.
“Kathy! Seven!”
They both
saw Lauren at the same time and their jaws dropped. She was wearing a burgundy leotard, complete
with matching high heals. She had
fashioned an eye implant and a starburst cheek adornment out of some kind of
shiny metal and had them applied to her face in the appropriate places. Even her hair was pulled up into a bun that
resembled Seven’s own. She laughed at
them as they took in her costume.
“And who
are you supposed to be?” Janeway smiled
at her.
“Me?” Lauren turned in a circle, letting them see
all sides of the outfit. “I am Fourteen
of Eighteen.”
The Borg
raised one eyebrow curiously.
“Twice as
fine as Seven of Nine!” The blonde
laughed.
Seven
snorted, causing the Captain to look at her in surprise.
They joined
in the celebration, laughing and talking with Lauren and her friends
easily. Seven danced with the Captain
several times, and even went around the floor once or twice with Anni in her
arms.
It was a
wonderful evening. One that passed much
too quickly.
As the hour
approached midnight, Janeway put her arm around the Borg and gave her a sad smile. “Time to go, Seven.”
“Yes,” She
agreed softly.
They found
Lauren who was engaged in a lively conversation with several men who seemed
quite charmed by her attire. She took
one look at them and disengaged herself, approaching them with a sad look on
her face. “It’s time isn’t it?”
“Yes.” Janeway hugged her.
“Where is
Anni?” Seven asked.
Lauren led
them to a booth where the young boy was soundly sleeping. Seven lifted him gently into her arms and
carried him back to the elevator and up to their suite. Once there, she laid him on the bed where he
awoke, looking at them seriously.
“Mom says
you guys have to leave.”
“Yes we
do.” Seven stroked his face with her fingers.
“I don’t
want you to go!” The boy cried,
launching himself into Seven’s arms.
She held
him tightly for a moment, and then released him so that Kathryn could do the
same.
Sniffling,
he settled back into the bed. “Am I ever
going to see you again?”
Janeway
began to answer but Seven cut her off.
“It is not
likely, Annikan.” She said softly. “But in a universe as vast as this one, the
possibilities are limitless.”
She hugged
him one final time and they left the room, gathering the items they would be
taking with them before turning to face Lauren.
“I’ll never
forget you.” She said softly. “I am honored to call you family.”
Janeway and
Seven embraced her tightly and then stood back, pressing the control on the
transporter.
Lauren
stood quietly, watching them shimmer out of existence. Then went to join her son, to fall asleep and
dream about what the future would bring.
Chapter Seven: Elvis Has Left The Building
The Captain
looked over at Seven, who was sitting quietly in the co-pilots chair of the
shuttle, lost in thought.
“You all
right?”
“I am
functioning adequately, Kathryn.” The
Borg looked at her sadly. “Except for a
tightness in my chest and a hollowness I can not identify.”
“It’s loss,
Seven.” She took the young woman’s
hand. “You’re going to miss them.” It wasn’t a question.
“Yes, I
will. But I will always have the
memories of having known them and the knowledge that Anni will grow up healthy
and happy.”
“Thanks to
you.”
Seven
smiled at her. “Thanks to us.”
They said
nothing more as the rift began to appear before them.
* * * * * * * * *
Several
hours later, Captain Kathryn Janeway sighed happily. She was stretched out on the couch in her
quarters wrapped warmly in her lover’s arms.
Seven smiled as the older woman’s hands began to wander down her thighs.
“Was there
something you required, Captain?” She
teased.
“Only you.”
The door
chime cut off their conversation and Janeway sat up, frowning.
“Computer,
who is at the door?”
“Commander Tuvok.”
Leaning
back against Seven, she called out, “Come.”
The door
slid open and Tuvok stepped into the room.
He did not look surprised to see them in such a familiar position. “Captain.
Seven.” He nodded to both of
them.
“Hello,
Tuvok.” Janeway smiled. “I was wondering when you would show up
here.”
He raised
one eyebrow and handed Janeway the book.
“I assume
since you read this that you are well aware of the change in our relationship.” She smirked, taking it from him.
“Indeed,
Captain.” He glanced at the ring on her
finger but his expression did not change.
“I did wish to inform you that I have removed all traces of the novel
from the ships databanks. I did not feel
it was necessary for members of the crew to read certain parts of it. I am sure you would rather they learn of your
new circumstances at your discretion.”
“Thank you,
Tuvok.”
“I did,
however, feel that you might wish to retain a copy for your own purposes.”
“Why,
Tuvok!” Janeway teased gently. “How very sentimental of you.”
He ignored
the comment. “I also wanted to suggest
that you read the final page of the novel, together. I believe it is something that you would find
interesting. Good night, Captain. Seven.”
When he was
gone, Janeway snuggled back into her lover’s embrace and opened the book to the
last page. Quietly, they read it
together.
A Final Note
When I was a young boy, I asked my mother how I had gone
from being so sick, to being perfectly healthy.
This was the story she told me.
As that small child, I was able to believe my mother's words
with a grace and wonder that have been missing from my life for many
years. I took this story and made it a
part of my own mythos, often imagining what my life would have been like if my
"Aunt” Kathy and Seven had ever walked back into it. I also spent many a
childhood afternoon pretending they had taken me with them. Back to their "Federation", as my
mother called it.
But in truth, I never saw either of them again.
And so, when I reached my late teens and early twenties, I
put aside the things of my childhood, this fairy tale among them. I believed that this story was merely a
mother's attempt to gently explain the unexplainable.
I had just been lucky, it was that simple. Somehow, someway, I had defeated a disease
that could not be beaten. I had cheated
death, and it made me feel invincible, a rationalization that got me through
many of the tougher moments in my life.
Now, however, in my later years, I begin to wonder how much
of what my mother told me was really the truth.
My heart would like to believe that every word of it was. And each passing day, my head can come up
with fewer and fewer reasons as to why I shouldn't.
Maybe my cynical years were merely that. The middle age of a man who knew magic in his
life, but only briefly. And when it was
gone, he found nothing that could compare.
Now, I think I would rather believe.
Believe that there is magic…somewhere out there, that there
could exist somewhere two individuals whose love for each other was strong
enough to withstand anything. And whose
love for a child they had never met was strong enough to transcend time.
Will I ever see them again?
I can't answer that.
The only thing I know for sure is that in a universe as vast
as this one, the possibilities are limitless.
I have to believe that with all my heart. And I will spend the rest of my days trying
to find a way to reach them, trying to find some way to thank them, for what
they did.
For saving a little boy and the woman who meant the world to
him.
Annikan
Scott Hansen
1995
- 2066
Seven held Kathryn as she cried, whispering,
“I believe he found a way.
A note for the hopeless
romantics:
The box the
ring came in really did light up. When I
opened it in the dark during a Melissa Etheridge concert, it lit up our entire
row. She was singing “I Want To Be In
Love” at the time.
Kristen
said yes, and everyone around us applauded.
Dance
as though no one is watching you
Love
as though you have never been hurt before
Sing
as though no one can hear you
Live as though heaven is on earth.
“Mercy”
Copyright Melissa Etheridge and
