Most Wanted

Things started off innocently enough when Tuvok found the PADD, obviously forgotten, laying on a bench in the mess hall. That had been yesterday.
When Tuvok accessed the PADD in an attempt to find out who it might belong to,
he found a detailed and meticulous log of Tom Paris' movements over the previous two weeks. He had, of course, brought the matter to the attention of Captain Kathryn Janeway as a possible security issue.
As she scanned the PADD herself, Janeway noticed that the log recorded what seemed to be Tom's every movement, down to noting who he sat with at lunch time in the mess hall.
She also noticed that the log showed that he spent almost every night in Sandrine's, the holographic Marseillaise bar, but she didn't really find this information surprising: Tom was the creator of the program and she knew that his stormy relationship with Chief Engineer B'Elanna Torres had recently foundered. No doubt her alpha-shift helmsman found himself at a loose end in his off duty hours.
But interesting as these observations were, they did not explain who had collected the information or why. She quickly decided she would play her cards
close to her chest on this one: she wouldn't tell Tom or the rest of the senior staff about the log until she had some idea what it was all about.
Her decision made, she tapped her com badge and asked Tuvok and Seven of Nine, her former Borg Astrometrics officer, to report to her ready room immediately.
Only moments passed before Tuvok joined her from the bridge and Seven was not far behind him. She asked Tuvok to brief Seven and he did so in his usual dry and economical style.
Janeway took charge once he had finished outlining the situation: "Seven, I want you to run an analysis of the computer logs for the last two weeks and find out who has been keeping tabs on Lieutenant Paris. Run the analysis from Astrometrics and don't let anyone know what you're doing."
"Yes, Captain," Seven responded crisply. "I will encrypt my searches of the database and computer logs with Borg encryption codes. If the information regarding Lieutenant Paris was collected using Voyager's central computer, I should quickly be able to identify who accessed the records of his movements."
"Thank you Seven. I'll expect your report soon. Tuvok, I'll let you know when Seven has something. Dismissed."
*************
Early next shift, Seven hailed Janeway to tell her that she had identified who had collected the information on Paris. Janeway, who felt she might possibly disappear under a tidal wave of this months personnel reports, was eager to know the answer to this little puzzle.
If truth be told, she was also ready for a little distraction: "Well, who was it?"
"Captain, I must discuss this matter with you before I tell you who has been keeping track of Lieutenant Paris."
"Nonsense, Seven. I asked you to find the answer to a question. You have found
that answer and I expect you to tell me what it is. That's an order Seven."
"Captain, if I tell you will you promise me not to act on the information until we have spoken?" Seven's normally emotionless tone was pleading.
"Seven, I am the Captain of this ship. I am not accustomed to bargaining in order to obtain information from the crew members under my command." Janeway's tone was becoming decidedly dangerous. "I expect you and your report in my ready room immediately. Janeway out."
Sighing in frustration, Janeway crossed to her replicator for a strong cup of coffee. She didn't quite know how Seven managed to get under her skin so effortlessly, but she always did. The young blonde woman had a definite knack for infringing on Janeway's space, and not just her physical space.
Seven seemed to be able to get beneath Janeway's command mask - make her feel off balance and uncertain. The conversation they had just had was only the latest example - she knew she had overreacted to what was probably just minor miscommunication but had seemed, at the time, a slight on her command authority.
She was annoyed at her own lack of perspective and control. Despite herself, she began to wonder what Seven so urgently wanted to discuss with her. She turned various possibilities over in her mind, going from the unlikely to the outright absurd. She knew that this wasn't getting her anywhere and she also knew that, for all Seven's rebellious streak, she
usually had some reason for her rebellions against Janeway's authority.
It occurred to her that some time had passed since she had ordered Seven to the bridge. "If she has ignored a direct order, I'm going to have to discipline her. I can not tolerate this disrespect for my authority on this ship. Enough is enough," she thought as anger swept through her once again.
A chirp alerted her to the presence of someone seeking admission to her ready room. "Come in Seven," she called but instead of the infuriating ex-Borg she found herself looking at her Chief of Security.
"Captain, I spoke to Seven of Nine and then I directed her to go to her alcove to regenerate. She has not regenerated since the day before yesterday and did not rest at all last night because she wanted to find the answer to our Tom Paris puzzle. I asked Commander Chakotay to log her off duty for the rest of
this shift." His tone was non-committal and he showed no apprehension about the storm he must have known was coming.
"You did what?" Janeway roared. "Didn't she tell you that I had ordered her to bring her report to me immediately?"
"Yes, she did tell me that you had spoken to her. In the circumstances, I still thought it best to send her to regenerate. I assured her that I would speak to you." Tuvok was still amazingly calm. Janeway, however, was anything but. First Seven's insubordination and now this. Her instructors at Starfleet Academy had been right - crack down hard at the first sign of insubordination before it spread. The insubordination of just one officer was infecting other members of the senior staff and now her Chief of Security and her second in command were aiding and abetting Seven's defiance.
Janeway knew she had made allowances for Seven and her unique situation, had thought she was doing the right thing by giving her some latitude. Clearly, she'd have to review that whole approach.
"OK Tuvok. I want to know right now what this is all about." Janeway thought she felt some measure of calm returning to her, but his next answer sent her pulse rate to warp speed; no, make that transwarp.
"I can not tell you Captain until you have discussed the matter with Seven of Nine, or rather I can tell you the identity of the crewmember who was monitoring Lieutenant Paris, but only if you assure me that you will take no action until after you have spoken to Seven."
Janeway ground her teeth and a dull throbbing settled in around her temples.
"OK. I give up, this is some sort of conspiracy. You can have my assurance if I can have your's. I want you to assure me that the delay will not endanger this ship or any member of the crew."
"Yes, Captain. I can confidently give you that assurance."
"Very well then. Who was keeping tabs on Tom?"
"Jennifer Delaney. She asked the computer where he was and who he was with an average of six times per day over the last fortnight".
"I see. Why such a burning need to know Paris' every move."
"I am not certain Captain, but it seems reasonable to postulate that Jennifer Delaney may have romantic designs on Lieutenant Paris and was trying to determine if his relationship with Lieutenant Torres was indeed over. No doubt you can ask her when you interview her about this matter tomorrow."
"Oh, so I'm to be permitted to retake command of this ship tomorrow am I?"
Janeway's tone dripped sarcasm. "Yes Captain," he answered smoothly and without a trace of irony. "Seven asked me to ascertain if you would be available to speak to her at 1900 hours. She will attend your quarters at that time if you are free to meet with her."
"Yes, Tuvok, you can tell your co-conspirator I will see her at 1900."
Janeway's voice was uninflected. She might as well resign herself to this seeing she seemed unable to do anything about it. She took comfort in the small bitter thought that this had better be good or the brig was going to be seeing a lot of high ranking traffic.
After Tuvok retreated, Janeway found the mountain of personnel reports an insufficient distraction and her thoughts turned again and again to her Astrometrics officer. She logged off duty and trudged to her quarters at the end of her shift, feeling that she had accomplished nothing.

***********
One very hot bath and one very long scotch later, Janeway began to feel her equilibrium return. She knew she shouldn't let Seven get under her skin but
she also knew that, if she was honest with herself, she would have to admit that
her feelings for the beautiful blonde woman went beyond what a Starship Captain should feel for a member of her crew.
She also knew that her feelings for Seven were confused and completely contradictory. She ached to hold her and kiss her about as often as she itched to throw her out an airlock or confine her to the brig. It made no sense at all.
Right now, feeling relaxed and mellow, she longed to take Seven in her arms and tell her how she felt about her. She often lay awake long into the night thinking of what she could say, how Seven might react.
At these times, her mind inevitably wandered to what it would be like to kiss
and touch Seven. Janeway's body would leap in response until, almost immediately, guilt and self recrimination wracked her. She had no time for personal relationships or pleasure. Her only responsibility was to get this crew back home - it was the only way she could make up for stranding them here in the first place.
Anyway, Seven was an innocent, almost a child - she could not possibly take advantage of her position as Seven's Captain and mentor to coerce her into a physical relationship.
So while she ached for Seven, she was also desperate to conceal how she felt from her and from everyone else. No wonder she was so easily rattled by the woman.
***************
At precisely 1900 hours, the computer announced that someone was at the door to her quarters and she bade Seven enter thinking that the younger woman was nothing if not punctual when it suited her.
Her first surprise came from Seven's attire: she was not wearing one of her usual bodysuits, but instead wore a simple sleeveless dress of sky blue, which Janeway couldn't help but notice brought out the colour of her eyes beautifully.
Her hair was loosely pulled back into a ponytail and occasional golden strands framed her face and throat. Janeway thought irrelevantly, but not for the first time, how utterly adorable the little dimple in Seven's chin looked. Her next surprise came when Seven accepted her offer of a drink and indicated she would have whatever Janeway was having.
As she motioned Seven to the couch and crossed to the replicator, Janeway mused that, if she didn't know better, she would almost say Seven seemed nervous.
"Maybe she's finally realised she's gone too far with her rebellious attitude," Janeway thought as she seated herself next to Seven and handed her a glass of dry white wine.
"Now Seven," Janeway started in a business-like tone," you insisted on speaking to me. I'm here, you're here, so speak. Tell me what this is about."
Seven cleared her throat nervously and began.
"Well, Captain, I was able to quickly identify Jennifer Delaney as the crew member who was tracking Lieutenant Paris. I simply asked the computer to specify who had queried the Lieutenant's whereabouts at the times shown in the log Tuvok found. Crewman Delaney had not attempted to conceal or encrypt her enquiries. However, I knew you would have at least three further questions about this information."
"Did you now. Well Seven, my Starfleet training must be wearing thin if I'm so transparent."
"I intend no disrespect Captain. The three questions I thought you would ask followed logically from the information that Crewman Delaney had been tracking Tom Paris."
"OK. Let's just get on with this. I haven't had dinner yet."
"Very well Captain. I knew you would ask if Crewman Delaney's enquiries could be duty-related, if she was tracking anyone else and how often crew members used
the ship's computer to keep track of one another for personal purposes."
"And?"
"I cross referenced the computer records of Crewman Delaney's enquiries with the duty rosters and found that 78% of her enquiries occurred when both she and Lieutenant Paris were off duty. It also emerged that Crewman Delaney was tracking Lieutenant Torres."
"Oh great," Janeway thought "that's all that needs to be added to this little situation - an enraged half-Klingon."
"We might just keep that little bit of information quiet thank you Seven,"
Janeway cautioned.
"Of course Captain. I have kept this matter completely confidential and will continue to do so."
"So what about your answer to the third question - how widespread is tracking other members of the crew?"
"I asked the computer to list the five crew members whose location and activities were most frequently queried over the last month."
"A most wanted list," Janeway quipped. "OK, I'll bite."
Seven's eyes widened in alarm and Janeway realised that her ex-Borg officer
really didn't have a full command of idiomatic expression.
Janeway sighed. "Just tell me who is on your most wanted list Seven."
"You are the most sought after person on this ship Captain."
"Well, I suppose a crew's entitled to know what their Captain is doing."
"No, Captain; only 37.6% of the enquiries about your location were made when you
were on duty."
"Oh. Who made the rest?"
Seven took a deep breath: "I'm afraid I did, Captain, although Commander Chakotay also checks your location an average of 1.2 times per day when you are off duty and Tuvok, the Doctor and various other members of the senior staff
sometimes ask for your whereabouts." Seven's chin had come up and she looked proud and a bit defiant.
"Seven, if you're going to ask me what the fact that you check up on me at all hours means, I'm afraid I don't know."
"I know what it means Captain and that is not what I came here to ask you. Don't you want to know who the others on the 'most wanted' list are?"
"Yes, tell me."
Again Seven cleared her throat nervously. "First there is you, then there is me, then Commander Chakotay and Lieutenants Paris and Torres."
"I take it Jennifer Delaney is responsible for those last two, but who is tracking you and the Commander, Seven?"
"A number of the crew monitor the Commander, most of them young and most, but not all, of them female. I suspect that his movements are monitored to increase the opportunity for a 'chance encounter' and that those monitoring him have romantic designs upon him."
"Well, who is monitoring you?" Janeway's mind was filled with an image of some faceless crewman slavering over Seven. "Tell me who he is and I'll charge him with invasion of privacy, sexual harassment and any other charge I can come up with," she said, her voice tight.
"She, Captain."
Janeway started a bit at this, but she pressed on. "She then. It doesn't make it any better that it's another woman who is stalking you Seven. Let me call Security and you can make a statement right now."
"Please don't, Kathryn. I do not wish to lodge a complaint."
"I see. Will you tell me who she is?"
"It is you, Kathryn." Janeway flinched as if she had been struck. Seven went on, her voice soft, "You checked my location an average of nine times per day over the past fortnight: an average of 4.3 times when I was on duty, 3.8 times when I was off duty and 0.9 times when I was regenerating. On 87.3% of the occasions
you were informed that I was undergoing regeneration, you proceeded to Cargo Bay 2."
A little voice inside Janeway piped up gleefully: "Well, she's got you there Katie."
Janeway was mortified. She suddenly realised what it would have meant to have disciplined Delaney, maybe issued a ship-wide order about using the ship's computer for personal purposes, only to discover she was one of the principal offenders. Honour would have demanded that she subject herself to whatever punishment she had prescribed for Delaney. It would have been extremely embarrassing to have to confine herself to quarters or, the gods forbid, to the brig.
Oh yes - talk about an erosion of command authority. Imagine finding out that your Captain was secretly pursuing a subordinate like a love struck schoolgirl. "Seven, I can't begin to thank you for the way you've handled this. How did you ever persuade Tuvok to send you to regenerate?"
"I told him that my survey of the computer records had revealed personal information about me and that I must discuss it with you before the matter went
any further."
"And he accepted that?"
"Yes, Kathryn. I admit I was somewhat distraught at the time and he probably agreed as a way of calming me down. He simply told Commander Chakotay that I was in desperate need of regeneration."
"I think that I should trust you more".
"Is that why?"
"Why what?" Janeway was definitely puzzled.
"Is that why you check on me - because you don't trust me? I am Borg. Is that it Kathryn?" Seven's voice broke on the last word and a single crystalline tear ran down her face.
In her imagined encounters with Seven, Kathryn had always visualised her as passionate and proud. She had convinced herself that she could resist frank demands and physical approaches from the statuesque younger woman and she probably could have. What had never occurred to her was that Seven, the imperious Seven, would be so humble, so vulnerable. She had prepared no defence against it and it broke her heart. Kathryn put her arms around Seven and clasped her tightly. Some dam of reserve
seemed to have finally and completely broken in the young woman and she sobbed into Kathryn's shoulder.
"Please Seven, please don't cry. Of course I trust you. I check on you for many reasons: because I miss you, because I wonder what you're doing, because I'm thinking of you, but never because I don't trust you."
As Seven clung to her and cried out the pain Kathryn had caused her, things seemed to come into sudden focus for Kathryn Janeway, both the woman and the Starship Captain.
As a woman she knew that she loved Seven of Nine and that she did not have the strength to go on hurting them both by trying to deny it. As a Captain she knew that her ability to command was being eroded by the distraction and uncertainty
caused by her futile attempts to repress her feelings for Seven. Both the woman
and the Captain felt deeply ashamed that she had treated her love for Seven as if it were something cheap and dirty to be hidden from everyone.
"Enough," the Captain in her thought; "time to take action." The command presence in Janeway took control, but in a small corner of her mind Kathryn Janeway the woman prayed that Seven loved her back and that she wasn't about
to make an irretrievable blunder.
She gave no sign that a decision had been reached as she stroked Seven's hair and waited wordlessly for the storm of tears to subside.
Seven finally sat back and said dully "Please forgive me Captain." Janeway went into her bedroom and returned with a handkerchief. She sat back beside Seven and wiped the tears from her face, looking deeply into her eyes as she did so.
"Seven, go into my ensuite and wash your face. You'll feel much better and when you come out we're going to talk darling".
Seven's face lit up at Kathryn's use of the endearment and she was back almost instantly.
Instead of talking, Kathryn placed her thumb in the little dimple in Seven's chin and cupped her jaw with the rest of her hand as she steered Seven's mouth to her own. She brushed her lips over Seven's in the lightest of touches before pulling back to look into her eyes once again.
Seven's eyes were dreamy and unfocussed as she pressed her fingers to her lips where Kathryn's mouth had touched moments before. Seeing no sign of fear or resistance, Kathryn gently pulled Seven's fingers away and pressed her mouth more firmly against Seven's.
This time Seven's arms came up around Kathryn's shoulders and their kiss deepened. Once again Kathryn broke the kiss to look into Seven's eyes. Seven
smiled radiantly at her and Kathryn was shaken by her beauty and by how much she wanted her.
Her restraint fraying fast, Kathryn grasped the back of Seven's gloriously long and graceful neck and held her head in both hands as if she had been beheaded as she kissed her deeply and passionately.
Seven had begun running her hands up and down Janeway's flanks and arms and, as Kathryn plunged her tongue into Seven's mouth, she used both hands to cup Kathryn's breasts and run her fingers over her nipples through the thin fabric of the T shirt she wore. Kathryn pulled back again. Her chest heaved with rapid breathing and her voice was hoarse. "Before we go any further darling, and no matter whether we make love or not, I need to tell you that I love you. I have loved you for a long time."
Kathryn paused to draw a much-needed deep breath: "I don't know if you can love me, but even if you can't I know that I'll go on loving you. I want you to understand that what happens next is up to you, but I need you to know that, although I have trusted you with my life on many occasions, I also trust you with my heart."
Seven's response was eloquent if non-verbal. She stood and lifted her dress over her head. She wore nothing underneath and held out her hand to Kathryn, murmuring "Please make love to me Kathryn. Take me to your bed. I love you and I have ached for your touch."
It didn't seem to Kathryn that there was a whole lot that needed saying after that so she got her pigheaded, foolish, lucky, grateful self up off the couch, took Seven's hand reverently in her own and led her into the bedroom.
As they stood at the foot of the bed, she started to tear at her clothes until Seven's hands over her own stopped her: "I think I'd like to do that." Seven then proceeded to undress her slowly, turning her for inspection and touching and kissing each part of her as it was exposed to her loving scrutiny.
She knelt in front of Kathryn as she eased the last wisp of silk over her hips and pressed her back until her knees struck the edge of the bed and she fell backwards on to it.
A heart-stopping instant later, Kathryn felt the full, glorious length of her Borg's naked body against her own as Seven slid up to lay on top of her, all the while placing small random kisses on her face and body, whispering how beautiful Kathryn was and how much she wanted her.
Kathryn's every atom seemed to give a great shout of exhilaration and her pores drank in the feeling of Seven's skin against hers as if they were dying of thirst and the other woman's touch was water.
Kathryn put her hands on Seven's hips and pulled her upward until she was straddling Kathryn's own hips. She then raised her right leg and pulled Seven's shoulders toward her until Seven's weight rested on her hands on either side of Kathryn's head In this position, Seven's full breasts hung over Kathryn's face like exotic fruit and Kathryn moved between them sucking and nibbling the darkening pink nipples.
She could feel Seven's wetness against her raised leg, and she placed her hands on Seven's hips and began to rock them back and forth so that Seven's sopping crease slid up and down her muscular thigh.
They were both breathing very heavily by now, and the motion against Kathryn's thigh had caused Seven to set up a continual soft whimpering. Kathryn rolled
Seven on to her side and moved up to kiss her full lips passionately.
Seven ran her hand down Kathryn's front, stopping to squeeze her hardened nipples before plunging between her thighs and running her fingers through the
copious wetness she found there.
The stars streaking by outside the view port gave enough light for Kathryn to see Seven raise her wet fingers to her lips and slowly and deliberately lick Kathryn's juices from them and she moaned at the erotic surge the sight gave her.
Kathryn pushed Seven on to her back and covered her with her own, smaller, frame. She started kissing her way down Seven's body, wholly focused on reaching the golden triangle of curls at the apex of Seven's thighs.
She was surprised when Seven pulled her back up so they were face to face. "What's wrong darling," her voice sounded strange, as if she hadn't spoken
for days. "Don't you want me to taste you?"
"Yes Kathryn, but I want to taste you as well."
"Well, you can afterwards."
Seven jutted out her bottom lip in an endearing pout. "Now," she said decisively, "turn around."
Kathryn settled her knees on either side of Seven's face, and pushed her own face against Seven's drenched vulva. The younger woman grasped Kathryn's firm buttocks and pulled her dripping sex onto her waiting mouth. Kathryn moaned
as Seven's tongue found her and Seven felt the moan vibrate against her clitoris as Kathryn licked and sucked at the small organ.
Seven mimicked the movements of Kathryn's tongue and mouth almost exactly, so Kathryn was able to control the encounter completely and she brought them both to the edge of orgasm repeatedly before backing off again. Their actions had become more and more frenzied as their arousal increased and the room resounded with their muffled cries and moans.
Finally, Seven gasped and her body went rigid as she started coming hard. The realisation that Seven was coming sent Kathryn spinning into her own orgasm and she bucked her hips against Seven's face. They clung to each other as they came repeatedly until Kathryn finally rolled off Seven and crawled up to put her head on the blonde's heaving chest.
"Darling, that was wonderful. Is there anything you are not good at?" Kathryn teased the younger woman.
"I am Borg Kathryn. We aim for perfection in all things, but in this case I can see that I will require frequent experimentation to refine my technique."
"Hmm. I can't wait."
"You don't have to," Seven said and she kissed Kathryn hard.
"Darling, I don't care what the computer says, you're definitely at the top my most wanted list," Janeway said and returned her kiss.
********************