“Touched In The Rain.”

“I hope I am not intruding?” she was asked when she opened her door, pleasantly surprised at who was standing there.

“No… not at all. Come in, come in,” she replied, trying to keep the smile off her face, knowing she was acting like a teenager again.

“Are you busy? Have I come at a bad time?”

“No… I am off right now. It is good to see you again,” she said, in actuality it had only been two days since they had seen each other last.

“I enjoy being with you,” she heard.

“Can I get you something to drink?”

“No. Thank you. Have you had lunch yet?”

She shook her head.

“Would you like to join me?”

“Of course,” she replied.

“Good. Could you meet me here, in twenty minutes?” she was asked.

“You want me to meet you there?” she asked after reading the name of the establishment.

“Yes. I promise, you will not be disappointed,” came the reply.

“All right.”

“I must go, there are a few things I must take care of first.”

“So soon, you just got here?”

“I am sorry,” she heard.

“You are forgiven… this time,” she said with a smile.

Walking arm and arm to the door, they paused in front of it. “Have I told you that I love you?”

“No…” she whispered.

“An error on my part. I love you, very much,” she heard, before her lips were captured in a kiss that left her gasping for air. “I will see you in twenty minutes.”

Before she knew it, she was alone. She had heard of the old saying, ‘A watched pot never boils.’ She understood what it meant now. She finally left to meet her date, arriving at her destination with minutes to spare.

“Close your eyes,” she was instructed by the voice she loved to hear. “No one will bother us, I have booked it for the entire afternoon.”

“It must have been expensive?” she asked.

“You are worth the price and so much more,” came the reply.

“You’re going to spoil me,” she said, smiling.

“Never enough.”

When the doors to the holo–suite opened, she could hear birds chirping and children laughing in the background. She also heard another sound that appeared to be coming closer.

“No peeking,” was whispered in her ear. It took all of her will power not to turn around and attack the person behind her. “Patience, I promise it will be worth it.”

“It had better be,” she answered, leaning back, feeling safe, secured and above all loved by the arms that wrapped themselves around her. “Is that a horse?” she asked tilting her head to one side.

“Yes…”

“Are we going horseback riding?” she asked.

“No… now, hold out your right hand.”

She did as she was asked and was startled to feel someone take hold of it.

“There are two steps just in front of you. Trust me, I will not let anything happen to you.”

She cautiously stepped up, the unseen person assisting her. “Thank you,” she said.

“At your service,” came the reply.

“That was too bad, was it?” she was asked.

“No… not too bad,” she replied.

“Okay, let’s have a seat?”

She nodded and reached behind her and felt the back of the seat, and lowered herself down.

“One more minute, I promise…”

She heard the distinct sound of a bottle being taken out of an ice bucket.

“Driver… begin.”

She heard a cork pop.

“Open your eyes…”

“Where are we?” she asked as she looked around.

“New York City. Central Park to be exact.”

“Oh… my.”

“To us.”

She took the offered glass of champagne. “To us,” she answered, as she smiled and turned to view the sights that passed by. The horse drawn carriage took them around the park in a leisurely manner.

“Lunch is served…”

“You thought of everything,” she said looking at the repast set before her. They spent some time feeding each other. Capturing fingers with their mouths.

“Are you sure?” she asked, after her glass was placed in the basket as she gestured to the driver.

“No one will see us,” noticing her gaze, “He is programmed to drive unless I say otherwise. You are perfectly safe.”

“I’ve never done this before…” she said, as the stirrings of desire began.

“Nor have I.”

The afternoon sun caressed them both, as the carriage made another trip around the park.

“I must tell you, that I find that you have taken up most of my thoughts… when I close my eyes, it is your face that I see. If I concentrate, it is your voice I hear calling out my name. My wants… my desires reside inside you. I feel so much for you I can hardly believe that my heart can contain it all…you are…”

“Show me,” she said, leaning forward and tasting the lips she could not seem to get enough of. She felt warm hands slowly moving up her body, stopping briefly to graze the already aroused nub of flesh. The brief contact left her wanting for more.

“You are so beautiful,” she heard whispered in her ear, as her blouse, followed by her bra was removed. Suddenly, she felt bare skin on bare skin, wondering how it had happened so quickly. Soon, hands were touching everywhere… whimpers… moans were exchanged. Thunder rolled in the distance as the skies turned dark grey, heavy with rain.

“Yes…” she hissed, as she built towards a release that threatened to shake her to her very soul. She was at the edge, waiting to fall over. The intimate caress she felt nudged her over and into the abyss.

The rain that had begun to fall did little to cool down her overheated skin.

“I have you… you are fine. I have you,” was murmured in her ear as she was cradled.

“I love you,” she said.

“I love you too…”


 

Captain Janeway’s eyebrows arch as she re–reads the last two lines of Seven’s story. She was not mistaken, the name she thought she had read, was there. “Seven… why that name?” she asks the young woman who was seated on the opposite side of her couch.

“Should I choose another?”

“No. It’s your story…”

“If it troubles you Captain, I will change it,” Seven says.

“Let… let me think about it, if you don’t mind?”

“Of course.”

“What’s going to happen next?” Janeway asks.

“Explain.”

“With the characters?”

“I am not certain. In my research, I have found that something usually happens between the couple and they separate.”

“Oh…” Janeway murmurs as she feels something akin to sadness at Seven’s statement.

“I—I do not have to continue in that direction. I could think of something else?” she said noticing the Captain’s reaction to her earlier remarks.

Janeway watches as Seven moves across the couch.

“I am sorry Captain,” Seven offers, wanting to reach out and offer some show of support, though she did not know why. Hesitantly, she slowly places her hand on top of Captain Janeway’s, keeping her gaze down.

Amazingly, the Captain did not remove her hand, instead placed her left hand over hers and gently squeezes.

“It’s all right Seven. I guess I’ve grown attached to you… your characters, that’s all,” Janeway whispers.

“Then I shall keep them together… for you,” Seven replies firmly, finally daring to look up. What she saw left her aching for something.

“I think it’s time for you to go,” Janeway states abruptly.

“Of course, I have overstepped my bounds, I apologize Captain,” Seven says taking her hands away. Standing up quickly she heads towards the door.

“No… Seven, wait. Seven of Nine, stop! Comply!”

Seven stood still, she could not disobey the command.

Janeway walks over to the young woman.

“Seven… Seven look at me,” Janeway asks.

Seven gazes into the Captain’s eyes.

“Seven, I only meant that it was time for you to regenerate. I… I wasn’t kicking you out, please believe me,” Janeway urges, knowing deep down that something had changed between them.

“I see… I thought…” She could not finish her statement as Captain Janeway places two of her fingers on her lips.

“You did…” Janeway shakes her head, “… nothing wrong,” Janeway whispers, removing her fingers.

Seven felt an immediate loss… but of what, she could not say.

“Good night Seven,” Janeway says taking a few steps backward.

“Good night Captain,” Seven replies taking a half–hearted attempt towards the door, as if something inside of her was saying, ‘You must not leave, you must stay here.’ But leave she did.

Janeway watches as Seven leaves her quarters, turning around, she walks back towards her couch.

‘What“S happening? What is it?’ she thought to herself. Picking up the data padd, she reads the last two lines aloud.

 

The rain that had begun to fall did
little to cool down her overheated
skin.

“I have you… you are fine. I have
you,” was murmured in her ear as
she was cradled.

“I love you,” she said.

“I love you too Kathryn.”