“Touched: In The Moonlight.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, it is what I wish,” Seven replies.
“All right, why don’t we go over there,” Captain Janeway said, pointing to the slight hillside up ahead.
Seven looked in the direction. “Agreed.”
They walked up the grassy hill, side by side. Captain Janeway enjoying the view, while Seven contemplated what was going to happen.
They had located an M—Class planet while passing through this sector a few hours ago. After running initial scans, the planet was deemed safe enough for shore leave. It also gave them the opportunity to replenish their supplies.
“Is this good enough?” Janeway asked, when they had reached what appeared to be a tree of some sorts.
Seven took out her tricorder and scanned the tree. “Yes. Where will we sit?” she asked.
“Right here,” Janeway replied, reclining against the trunk.
“You wish me to sit on the ground?” Seven asked perplexed.
“I don’t see any benches or chairs around, do you? Come on… it’s not that bad,” Janeway said, patting the ground next to her.
“If you insist,” Seven replied.
“You’ll be fine Seven, trust me,” Janeway said as she watched her Astrometrics officer gingerly sit on the ground. “So, you are sure you want to do this?” she asked again.
Seven turned and looked at the Captain. “You have asked me that before, if you are not comfortable…”
“No… no. it’s not that… well, we might as well get started, don’t you think?”
“Do you wish me to begin, or would you rather start?” she asked.
“Why don’t I get the ball rolling…” Janeway paused, seeing the confusion on Seven’s face. “Why don’t I start.”
“Shall I move closer?”
“No… you’re fine right where you are… okay…”
Janeway took a deep breath.
“Kathryn, where are we going?”
“Well, you surprised me. Now it’s my turn,” she replied, hoping they would reached their destination on time.
“I see, and you will not give me a hint?”
“Nope.”
“Perhaps a small one?”
“No…”
“So, I will suffer until we arrive…”
“I’m not sure about the suffering part…” Kathryn said as she adjusted the controls on the shuttle craft.
“Kathryn, what are you doing?”
“Well… if I have to tell you…”
“Ah… I believe I would much rather you showed me.”
“That can be arranged,” she replied with a grin on her face.
“How much time do we have?”
“Long enough…” Kathryn said.
“Long enough is never long enough.”
“You, are a sweet talker,” Kathryn replied.
Leaning to her right, she kissed the person she loved most in the world.
Soon, kisses gave way to gentle explorations.
“Oh… Kathryn… again… please…”
“As you command,” she whispered.
“Captain?”
“Yes Seven,” Janeway said, looking up from the data padd.
“What was it that Kathryn does to provoke such a response?”
“That’s up to you to decide. I have a pretty good idea what it is,” she replied.
“Will you…”
“Will I what?”
“Will you… show me?”
“Excuse me?” she replied.
“Will you show me what provoked the response in the story you have written,” she stated clearly.
“You know what? I think we’d better head back to the ship,” Janeway said getting up to her feet quickly, waiting for Seven to do the same.
“Why?”
“Seven… you don’t understand… we’ll discuss this later. Janeway to Voyager,” she said touching her comm badge.
“Go ahead Captain,” Chakotay answered.
“Two to beam up.”
“Acknowledged.”
“Here, you’d better finish this yourself,” Janeway said after leaving the transporter room.
“Is there something wrong Captain?” Seven asked.
“No… I’ll… I’ve got to go.”
Seven watched as the compact body of Voyager’s formidable Captain left her holding the data padd.
She did not understand how her simple request could have made such an impact on the Captain.
As she walked back towards Cargo Bay 2, she decided that she would finish reading the story there. Seven realized that she had enjoyed listening to the Captain voice as she read the story, there was something different, something she could not place that had begun to affect her in a way she could not pinpoint.
It was…
‘Mesmerizing,’ she thought to herself.
She felt as if she was in the story, which had in turn prompted her request.
Had she known how the Captain would have reacted to it, she would not have voiced her request. Arriving at Cargo Bay 2, Seven sat on the steps leading to her alcove and began to read.
“As you command,” she whispered.
They spent the next half—hour oblivious to the scenery passing by them, rather their interest was solely on each other.
“I’d better get up,” Kathryn muttered to herself, completely satisfied to stay where she was, wrapped in a blanket of love.
“I suppose you must…”
“It’s a good thing, we’re almost there,” she said, once she was back at the controls.
“It is beautiful Kathryn…” she heard as she landed the vehicle.
“I was hoping you might like it. Come on let’s go,” Kathryn said after leaving the shuttlecraft.
Hand in hand, Kathryn led the way from the small clearing and into a wooded area.
“Is it far?” she was asked.
“No… just another minute.”
Walking along a grove of trees, they noticed a reflection of some kind, slight off in the distance.
“What is it?”
“You’ll see,” Kathryn answered.
They came to a stop.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, go on. I’ll be right behind you,” Kathryn said, urging her companion forward.
“Oh.. My…”
The scenery changed dramatically, as a few overhanging branches were pushed aside.
The moon high above them in the cloudless sky cast its light down upon and merging with the plants among the trees.
They were in paradise.
The stars blanketing the sky enhanced the view, allowing them to see the lush green plants and ferns reflecting on the perfect stillness of the lake.
“Do you… like it?” Kathryn asked hesitantly.
“I… do not know what to say… I am at a loss…”
“I love you so much…”
Seven stopped reading, placing the data padd down, she quickly stood up and left the cargo bay.
Captain Janeway entered her quarters and went directly to the replicator.
“Whiskey, neat.” Taking the glass, she drank it down, feeling the harsh burn. ‘What am I going to do?’ she asked herself for the hundredth time since beaming aboard.
“Seven of Nine to Captain Janeway.”
“Go ahead Seven,” she replied, hoping the young woman was not going to bring up the request once more.
“Captain, would you join me for a velocity match?”
“You want to play… now?” she replied, shocked by the question.
“Yes, unless you are busy at the moment?”
Sighing, she contemplated her decision. ‘It’s only a game for crying out loud!’, she thought to herself. “I’ll be right there, Janeway out.”
According to the read out, Janeway knew that the velocity program was already running, before she entered the holodeck.
“All right Seven… here… I… Oh … My… God,” she said, as the holodeck doors slid shut behind her.
She had stepped into…
“The story,” she whispered.
“Do… do you like it?” she heard.
“I… I don’t know what to say,” she answered.
Before her eyes, was the lake, calm and serene.
“Perhaps it is time for actions,” Seven said.
“What?” Janeway replied, turning to Seven, who had moved next to her.
Seven closed the small gap between them, raising her right hand, she touched Captain Janeway’s face, ready to move it, if the Captain showed the slightest indication that her touch was not wanted, or welcomed.
Seven marveled at how soft the other woman’s skin felt in her hand
“Seven, you don’t know what you’re doing,” Janeway said quietly.
“You are correct,” she replied, leaning forward and whispered, “You will show me. May I kiss you?” stopping a mere breath away from her destination.
‘Make up your mind!’ Janeway told herself. “…..” she answered.
The End.