Chapter IV (day three, evening, Drone)

Seven approached Celes’s quarters, surprised when the doors automatically slid open to admit her.  Taken aback only for a moment, she stepped across the threshold and called the Bajoran’s name.  Answering quickly, Seven found her coming from the bathroom dressed in the same robe she had on two days before.

“I didn’t think you’d be back this fast.”  Celes tugged the robe closed, tying it off at the waist, and moved toward the small sofa against the wall behind her.  “Mission go well?”

“Not particularly,” Seven looked around for Celes’s roommate.  “The mission was unsuccessful, at best.”

“Oh,” she sat easily, tucking her legs underneath her body.  “Are you going out again?”

“I do not know,” Seven shook her head slightly.  “The Doctor’s emitter was damaged during the return transport.”  She noticed a small smirk, virtually undetectable, adorning Celes’s lips.  “What?”

Celes laughed, “You can sit down, you know.”

“I can, but I prefer to stand.”  The smile on Celes’s lips faded into a discernable frown.  “Do not take it personally, Celes.  I always stand; even with the captain.”

“Even with the captain?”

Seven nodded, “Everyone.  Speaking of ‘everyone,’ where is your cabin mate?”

Shrugging, Celes looked less offended.  “I’m not sure.  I just live with her.  To be honest, we don’t get along very well.”

“Why have you not requested a transfer?”  Again, Celes shrugged.  Before Seven could say anything more, the subject of conversation traipsed in demanding full attention.  “Crewman.”  The woman shot her a sick look as she crossed the room.  “Is there a problem?”  Celes kept quiet, as her roommate was.  “I believe I understand your difficulties.”  Celes cracked a smile as she attempted to abate her laughter.  “Would you accompany me to the holodeck?”

The question Seven sprung on her was unexpected, but most welcome.  Her roommate, Corey Terrell, wasn’t at all happy with Celes bringing the Borg home the previous time.  She didn’t understand why, but Corey’s opinions hadn’t mattered to her in five years.  “Sure.”

Seven kept an eye on Celes as she grabbed some clothes and retreated uneasily in thought to the washroom.  With the door closed for privacy, Seven turned her head slightly toward Celes’s roommate picking through a drawer on the opposite side of the room.  “What is your name, Crewman?”

“What’s it to you?”

The woman didn’t even look up as she spoke.  “Since I will most likely be coming here more often in the foreseeable future, I thought it prudent I call you something more than ‘Crewman.’”  Now, the woman stopped in her rummaging to pay attention.  “But, if you wish, Crewman is more than sufficient for me to address you with.”  Wordlessly, the woman returned to her activity.  Seven wasn’t impressed with the crewmembers attitude toward her, or Celes.  Fortunate for her, Celes exited the washroom in record time, preventing anymore talk between the two.  Silently, Seven lead the way from the room and back to the turbo lift.  Once inside, she initiated the conversation.  “She does not like me.”

“She doesn’t like very many people.  Deck six.”  She thought for a minute as the lift brought them upward.  “Would you rather meet in the cargo bay next time?”

Seven crookedly glanced at the Bajoran.  “Do you prefer to sit on uncarpeted deck and grating, Celes?”

Celes looked back wondering if she should answer the question or not.  “Uhh…”

“I did not believe so.  Your quarters are suitable.  However, I will make it a point to arrive earlier.”  The lift halted, allowing the doors to part and Seven strode toward the holodecks.  She heard Celes trailing light on her feet just behind her.  As she stopped to check availability on the first holodeck, Celes moved to the second.

Celes walked back to Seven shaking her head.  “They’ve got a security seal on the door.”  She nodded to the door beside her.  “Any luck here?”  Seven stepped closer to the door, causing them to open, gesturing for her to move in first.  She smiled, dipping her blushing head and moved into the holodeck.  Heading inside, she found herself face to face with an alley.  A dark one.  She turned to Seven who had stepped up her pace and was passing her.  Celes let her eyes follow the tall blonde until she settled by another door.  Intrigued, Celes walked up to meet her.  Again, Seven gestured her inside as she held the door.

With her first few steps into the building, Celes wanted to leave.  It wasn’t the atmosphere or the actual look of the place that bothered her.  The overwhelming presence of Voyager’s senior staff members scattered around the room was the cause of her jumpy nerves.  Turning to leave, she ran into Seven.  The force caused her to fall back into the room and attracted more attention.  She felt Seven grab her arm, entwining it around her own, attempting to offer some stability.  The shock of it only made her more nervous.  Celes bet that her face was red and pulsing.

B’Elanna looked up from her shot at the pool table when Tom nudged her side.  His attention grabber cost her the game as the cue ball struck the eight knocking it directly into a corner pocket.  She more than nudged him back before looking where he was pointing.  “Forget it, Tom.  Old news…” she trailed off as she started to rack the table for a new game.  She noticed most of the group gathered in Sandrine’s was watching Seven and her nameless friend walking uneasily to a table on the far side of the bistro.  Her mouth almost cracked a smile seeing Harry’s dumbfounded expression.  Even the Doctor faltered his flawless keystrokes momentarily on the piano at the sight.  Tom and hers opponents, Chakotay and Tuvok, paused to take in the view as well.  The only one who hadn’t taken any notice was Neelix.  Shrugging it off, she called attention back to the game and broke, scattering the balls easily around the tabletop.

Hiding unseen in a dark corner, an amused smirk passed over Janeway’s lips as she watched B’Elanna glance around the room gauging her crews reaction to Seven and Celes making their entrance.  Since she’d spoken with the engineer, a million thoughts ran rampant through her mind.  Doubts and countless reevaluations were making her uneasy with what she thought she knew of herself.

For the last half an hour, she’d been second guessing drinking the glass of whiskey before her.  She glanced down shortly at it for the thirteenth time finally pushing it to the far side of the table.  Leaning forward to do so, she made sure it would stay out of her reach the next time she thought to take a swig.  Janeway kept an eye on Seven and Celes, however, and failed to notice where the glass was as she pushed it aside.  She froze when the glass shattered on the floor and all eyes turned toward her.

Sitting back slowly, Janeway smiled meekly at the group staring at her.  Celes turned her head as Seven kept her attention on the Bajoran, which bothered her after all the thinking she’d done.  B’Elanna shot her an odd look before returning to the pool table.  Fortunately, the rest of the room went back to whatever they were doing before the clamor as the holographic waiter cleaned up the holographic mess.  He nodded to her, silently asking her if she wanted another glass.  Janeway refused raising her hand to him.  Another nod to her and he was gone.  In his wake came her first officer.  As hard as she tried, she couldn’t prevent her eyes from rolling or a sigh from escaping her lips.

“I didn’t even see you over here.”  Chakotay pulled out a chair, not feeling the need to wait for an invitation.

Janeway felt like saying ‘That was the general idea,’ but refrained from doing so and only smiled while adjusting her seat.  She hadn’t realized she’d slouched down in the chair as far as she did.

“Hiding?”

She barely shook her head, “Thinking.”  He was an easy distraction.  Seven had some good points about him and Janeway wondered why she couldn’t find it in her to see the man in a different light.

“Oh?”  He was generally concerned as he had been a few days ago.  “Feel up to talking about it?”  Since they’d left the void, Chakotay had hoped his friend’s depression would lift.  It had for a day, maybe more, but seeing her as he was now showed that he was dead wrong.

Partly, Janeway wanted to tell him everything she was thinking and feeling.  Then again, the idea scared her more than she ever thought possible.  “I’ll meet you halfway.”

He wasn’t sure what Janeway’s statement meant, but he was a go for it.  “All right.”  Watching her, he could see the tension build up under her skin.  Her jaw tightened visibly as her leaned on the table, propping her head up on her hand.  Chakotay counted the minutes that passed before she actually spoke.

“Let’s just say,” Janeway met Chakotay’s eyes after moments of thinking a the way to say what she wanted without giving up too much information, “I think I have more than a passing interest for someone on the ship.”  His face was passive after hearing the tidbit.  She thought maybe he hoped it was he.  “You wouldn’t be looking at me if you knew who it was, Chakotay.”  The man opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off, “No.  I said halfway, not the whole nine yards.  But,” she sighed, sitting back, “I will tell you that it scares me.  A lot.”

Across the room, Celes shifted uneasily in her chair.  “What do you think they’re talking about?”  Seven questioned her without speaking.  “The captain and the commander,” she glanced over her shoulder.  “You know she was watching us, Annika.  What if they’re talking about us?”

“If they are?”  Celes shrugged.  “Whatever their opinions happen to be regarding us do not matter.”  Seven wasn’t going to admit she was curious, too.  However, just because she was interested didn’t mean she had to show it and make a fuss.  “As my opinion of them means nothing.”

“You think they…?”  Seven cut her off sharply.  Something she didn’t quite like.  Celes held her hand out at her instantly quieting the Borg.  “Seven, I just don’t appreciate other people talking about my personal life behind my back.  Not to sound presumptuous, but I think you don’t like it either.”  Seven visibly winced as her words hit the right spot, but there was something else in the blonde’s reaction that caught her attention.

“There’s something else.”  She waited a few moments to allow Seven to speak, but the Borg kept her mouth tightly closed holding a thoughtful expression.  “Annika, whatever it is, you can tell me.”

Catching herself watching Kathryn and Chakotay, she tore her eyes away and returned her gaze to the pretty Bajoran opposite her.  Despite how Celes always seemed to get things wrong on duty, Seven found she actually liked her and enjoyed being around her while off duty.   She’d tuned out the whispers, speech and laughter around Celes and herself, focusing on what she was about to say; wondering if two out of three was, honestly, good odds to have.  Seven sucked in a deep breath, “In a less public setting, perhaps,” she chickened out at the last moment.  Her inner voice verbally smacked her brain for not taking the leap of faith.

Willing, for now, to accept Seven’s uncharacteristic timid ducking out, Celes reached out and took Seven’s Borg enhanced hand into her own to offer comfort.  Her action surprised the Borg, but she didn’t say anything about why.  Celes had two guesses, one: Seven wasn’t accustomed to it; two: Seven thought everyone was afraid of the Borg remnants.  The latter, in Celes’s case, wasn’t the truth.  She knew of some people it did ring true for, but most of them were ignorant and intolerant of much other than their small worlds.  Others held fear and resentment toward her because of Borg attacks on their families and friends.  Celes wanted to smack them all and show each that Seven, former Borg, was Annika, Human, at heart.  If she had to prove it to Seven, too, she would.  “It’s really weird…” her voice trailed off.  Seven cocked her head slightly in question.  “I’ve only really gotten to know you today and yesterday, but I’m more comfortable with you than some people I’ve known for years.”

Celes’s words made Seven’s insides tingle as her hand warmed under the Bajoran’s slight touch.  No one had ever given her such a compliment before.  “I would have to agree,” Seven’s voice shook.  A voice rang out calling her name before she or Celes could say another word.  Seven grated her teeth in annoyance as B’Elanna made her way over carrying a pool cue.  Tom sauntered behind her.  The Klingon grabbed a chair and sat down to her left.  “Lieutenant?”

“You two any good at pool?”  B’Elanna nudged the Bajoran on her left causing the woman’s grip on Seven’s hand to break.  “We need someone else to beat since Chakotay left Tuvok to be with Janeway.”

Celes glanced at Seven, who looked rather annoyed that their conversation was interrupted.  She knew the game was relatively simple, using trajectory to get each colored ball in the pockets, but there was a certain technique involved as well.  “It’s not that hard, Annika.”  She stood before Seven did and looked down on her.  “Come on.  I’ve played a little.”  Celes offered her a hand and when Seven took it, she raised them over B’Elanna’s head and headed for the pool table without she or Tom.

“I guess that’s a yes.”  B’Elanna spun out of the chair and joined Tom.  “Don’t look too surprised if they beat us, Tom.”

“What?  How can they if they’ve never played before?”  He honestly couldn’t think of any reason why he and B’Elanna wouldn’t win the match.

“Don’t you remember what happened when the captain found out about this program.”  It was a statement rather than a question, and she knew he knew it.  As they neared the table, Chakotay rushed past behind them for the exit.  B’Elanna turned a circle and watched him go before taking a glance at the captain sitting in her dark corner.

Janeway slid down in her chair as far as it was comfortable rubbing her face.  Talking to Chakotay about her realizations wasn’t the smartest thing she’d ever done.  She got so comfortable in the conversation that she let it slip that it was Seven who caused her to rethink certain things in her life.  He wasn’t nearly as phased by it as she thought he might be, and she was the one left in surprise.  The only reason he scampered from the table was because she started to tell him the conversation Seven and she had gotten into the night they exited the void.  She shook her head.  ‘No, he left because he found out he never had nor will he ever have a chance with you.’  Janeway wanted to plan her inner voices’ murder.  ‘In fact, the real reason he left was because you were actually considering to be with Seven over him!’  Her sympathy didn’t help him when she offered it, so running after the man would do nothing.

Hearing the crack of balls at the pool table, she looked up.  Since Chakotay left, Tuvok settled at a table with a padd.  Somehow, B’Elanna and Tom ended up playing against Seven and Celes.  The thought of the two women losing brought a smile to her lips, as faint as it may have been.  Tom missed dropping any of the balls into a pocket on the break, so Seven was up and searching the table as if she knew what to do.  To her surprise, for the third time that night, Seven pocketed two balls in one shot.  B’Elanna shot Tom a knowing look causing him to cower slightly.

She stood easily not wanting to stay for the inevitable outcome of the game, or games depending on how competitive Tom was feeling that night.  Heading for the exit, she nodded to Tuvok with a smile.  He returned only the nod.  She stopped at the pool table opposite of where Seven was about to take her third shot.  The four of them had their eyes trained on her.  “Tom, you’ve got yourself into a bit of trouble here.  Just hope B’Elanna doesn’t turn on you as well.”  His mouth gaped as she moved away toward the door once again.  As she left the confines of the holodeck, a few muffled good nights could be heard.

Within minutes, Seven had the set of solid colored balls pocketed.  Tom was gawking at her, his mouth gaping even more than it had when the captain insulted him.  “Another game?”

Celes laughed at Seven’s question, knowing she was poking fun at Tom for underestimating her.  He’d have underestimated her, too, if Seven hadn’t gone first.  “I don’t think Tom could handle another defeat tonight, Annika.  Why don’t we go and leave him with someone of his own experience level?”

“Very well.”  Seven took Celes’s pool cue from her outward stretched hand then offered them to Tom, his mouth still cavernous.  “Another time.”  Before she turned away, she acknowledged B’Elanna and said good night to both of her opponents.  By the time she and Celes left the holodeck, the Bajoran was trying not to double over in fits of laughter.

“We must do that more often.”  Celes was almost skipping down the corridor.  “I’m just upset I didn't get a turn.  I’m good.”

“I don’t believe they’ll allow us to play against them in another game.”  Celes looked up at her.  “We’d beat them too easily.”

A smile was cast on Seven’s lips as they entered the lift making her giggle.  “Deck twelve.”

The ride on the lift was quiet.  As they stepped out onto the deck, Seven hesitated a moment and grabbed Celes’s arm to hold her back.  Seven made sure no one else was present in the corridor.

“Annika, what is it?”

She took a breath and exhaled slowly.  “I…” the words were in Seven’s head whirling around and she couldn’t put them together.  Instead of waiting for the words to come out either jumbled or correct, Seven leaned forward and placed her lips tentatively against the Bajoran’s for just a moment.  She backed away keeping her eyes closed.

Celes felt her skin flush the instant Seven pulled away.  She giggled guessing her face was red.  Seven had kept her eyes closed.  The kiss was definitely a surprise, and it wasn’t at all unpleasant.  “Annika, you can open your eyes.  I’m still here.”  Ever so slowly, Seven revealed her troubled blue eyes.  “I’m not going anywhere either.”  Tiptoeing, Celes leaned up and kissed Seven briefly.  “Well, maybe to sleep, but that’s about it.”  She grabbed Seven’s hand, squeezed it then backed away down the hallway.  “I’ll see you in the morning, Annika.”  At the door to her quarters, she waved and disappeared.

Too shocked to do much else, Seven stood in front of the turbo lift watching Celes slowly disappear down the hall.  After it sunk in that what she’d done didn’t kill the new relationship, only ensured it for the time being, she moved backward into the lift.  “Deck three.”