The Soak
Kathryn
Janeway’s bathroom filled slowly with wafts of smoke curling from the warm
water running into the bathtub. She was tired and her aching muscles and
weary mind were begging for a break from the everyday stresses that Voyager
brought. It was time to take a bath and clear her mind for a while. She was
ready to just drift.
She slowly lowered herself in the warm bath water. Her muscles began to
unwind as she settled in for a nice, long soak.
Life on Voyager is going well. It’s hard to believe that 11 years have
passed by. Everyone seems to be doing well. Even Tom and B’Elanna have
settled quiet a bit, but I think I have Miral to thank for that.
She chuckled to herself as she absentmindedly played with the bubbles that
puffed in clouds about her.
I have to admit that the crew gets closer to one another everyday. I
noticed one of the Delaney sisters was dating Harry. I’m glad he finally
found someone. I was becoming concerned he wasn’t going to find anyone
during this trip.
She sighed as she dipped her sponge in the warm water and started a nice
lather of lavender. She took a moment to just watch the lavender emerge from
the sponge and slide gracefully through her fingertips and into the water
below leaving small waves in the bath water.
I guess I was right when I said the crew would all eventually begin to
pair off. Of course, even if they don’t pair off romantically, they’re
pairing off in very strong friendships. I caught Tuvok and Vorik playing a
game of Kal-Toh in the Mess yesterday. As much as Tuvok denies it, he really
does have an affinity for Vorik. They are a father-son pairing if I ever saw
one. I don’t care what Tuvok says.
She smiled a very lovely lop-sided grin and ran her sudsy sponge over her
arms and the nape of her neck enjoying the fragrance of the lavender filling
her mind.
But isn’t it a relief that Tom and Harry finally created a female
hologram that the Doctor has become smitten with? Anna really is very lovely.
I’m very pleased with her personality, and the doctor seems to be happy. At
the very least, he isn’t forcing us to watch his slide shows anymore. Now
they both are!
She groaned and pulled her hair down out of the towel. She pulled her head
under the warm water enjoying the pressure and sensation of the warmth
hitting the coolness of her face. She came up out of the water pushing
strands of auburn hair away from her closed eyes. She slowly coaxed more
lather from her sponge and ran it the length of her legs.
Everyone has really paired off. Well, almost everyone. Seven and
Chakotay had a hard break up. It went so well for so long, but Chakotay just
decided Seven was conducting some kind of experiment. I’ll never forget his
face when he told me how, after two years, Seven still gave no sign of
really loving him. She just went through the motions of what was expected.
He is still convinced she’s in love with someone on the ship. He says, if he
ever finds the guy, he’ll throw him out the nearest airlock and take care of
the competition. Seven talks to me about it now and again, but she doesn’t
seem as bitter about is as Chakotay. I asked her once if she did have
feelings for someone else on the ship. She just told me that she had
considered other people on board the ship and left it at that. Still, I
wonder who those “other people” are.
She set her sponge on the side of the bathtub and pulled down into the warm
water. She floated there enjoying the silence brought about by having her
ears just below the waterline. She drifted in the water listening to the
echoes of the waves she created as they hit the sides of the bathtub.
Suddenly, a shock ran through her body. She gasped and opened her eyes
trying to see what, or who, was caressing her– petting her, teasing her. She
couldn’t focus. Her mind was still too fuzzy. She tried to gain control, to
gain composure. She wanted to moan. She tried to keep from moaning. She
wanted the wandering hand to stop. She didn’t want it to stop. She was
confused. She didn’t know. She tried to speak, to see, but the fog was thick
from the water and in her mind.
Then, she felt someone kiss her and her mind cleared as the hand pulled away
and nothing was left but the softness of their lips on hers, of their
tenderness received and given.
She opened her eyes again as she sank back into the water trying to gain a
bit more modesty in the situation.
“Seven…what do you…how did you…?”
“I came to your door, but there was no answer. After consulting with the
computer and finding you were in your quarters, I became concerned, so I
entered to make sure were not injured or damaged in anyway.”
“You could have just hailed me.”
“Yes, but I did not. I came into your room and saw that you were here.” She
paused a moment.
Kathryn realized how inappropriate this whole scene was. She should be
ordering Seven out of her room. She should be restricting Seven’s ability to
gain access to such high security clearances. She should be restricting
Seven to her quarters. She should be reprimanding her for how she just
treated her captain. But, instead, she just sat there and talked with her as
if nothing unusual was going on.
“Captain, I am sorry. I don’t know…you were there and an emotion that I have
experienced often when you are around came over me once again, and I simply
had to … I had to touch you. I am sorry.”
Kathryn sighed. She wasn’t sure how she was to handle this. “The emotion…
was it desire? Seven, do you desire me?”
“Yes. I have wanted to touch you in that way for a long time.”
“How long?”
“Before I ever had a relationship with the Commander. I have considered you
for a long time.”
“I see.” Chakotay was right. Kathryn suspected he wouldn’t throw her out of
an airlock, however. “We will have to talk about this, Seven. You can’t
simply come into my quarters anytime you like and do as you please.”
“I understand and I am willing to accept any punishment you deem necessary
for my actions.”
Kathryn leaned back in the bathtub and gave a wicked grin. “I’ll keep that
in mind. Meanwhile, why don’t you leave and give me some time to get dressed?
After that, perhaps we can have dinner together.”
“What time do you wish for me to be in the mess hall?”
“No, not the mess hall…here.”
“Would this be considered a date?”
“I believe so. After all, we have to start from somewhere if you ever want
to touch me like that again.”
Seven flushed. Kathryn thought it quite lovely.
“I see.” Seven stood. “You will contact me then?” He voice broke for an
instant.
“Yes…soon.”
Seven turned and left without another word.
Kathryn Janeway stood and grabbed a towel from the counter by her bathtub.
Life just gets more and more interesting by the day. I wonder how
Chakotay is going to take this. I wonder if I should be doing this? Oh, how
I’ve wanted Seven, but I never thought it was something that was
reciprocated. She never ceases to amaze and surprise me. Perhaps I should
take baths more often.