Part: Five of Five

 

 

 

“Here we are.” Naomi said, and released Lilak’s hand as they reached the brig. “Let me know if I can help you again.”

 

“I will, thank you.” Lilak let the girl walk away and she entered the brig.

 

A female security officer immediately stopped her. “I’m sorry, the brig is off limits at this time.” Her nose ridges wrinkled momentarily. “Shouldn’t you be in sickbay?”

 

Lilak was about to make a quiet protest, when she saw Aonghas, in cycle and pacing back and forth in the cell.

 

“Aonghas!” Lilak rushed past the officer and to the cell, where she kneeled. The Howl recognized her as his mate, and he whimpered. Lilak looked back at the female officer. “What have you done to him? Why is he in this cage?”

 

‘Captain’s orders.” The woman answered. “I’m sorry.”

 

At that moment, Aonghas began a rapid change back to himself. He stood nude in the cell, his hair slick from perspiration, and his body covered with burns from the force field he’d been throwing himself against.

 

He spoke to the guard. “Z’ela. I believe I need medical attention.”

 

Z’ela nodded and tore her eyes from the perfect physique. She moved a distance away, thinking to herself it was pointless, since he could surely hear her from this distance. She pressed her combadge to contact the Doctor.

 

Lilak wanted to place her hands against the field, she wanted to touch him.

 

“Lilak.” Aonghas whispered. “Get me out of here.”

 

Lilak nodded, “But how?”

 

“Think.”

 

Lilak looked back at Z’ela, and motioned for the woman.

 

Z’ela stepped back to her. “The Doctor will be just a moment.”

 

“Let him out.” Lilak insisted. “I need my husband. Why would the Doctor order him into a cell?”

 

“It was because I was Howl.” Aonghas said, “Surely you can release me now.”

 

Z’ela had been told it was for the transformation. She’d also been told that Lilak was supposed to be in sickbay- but Aonghas was back, and Lilak was here, and the Doctor on the way. She punched in the code, and the force field fell.

 

It was only a moment before he was on her, and she was fighting for her life, as a partial transformation came over him and he tried to get at her throat. Her phaser was pulled from its holster.

 

“Computer!” Z’ela yelled, while trying to keep his mouth away from her throat, “Transport the Howl back into the cell!”

 

Lilak had made it to the console, and the computer’s transporters activated. Z’ela suddenly disappeared and reappeared inside the cell, the field came on, and she stood quickly. She could only watch the two run from the Brig, a naked man and a pregnant Hirogen female, hand in hand. She pressed her combadge, “Z’ela to Tuvok.”

 

The Doctor appeared then, and upon seeing Z’ela in the cell, dropped his hands to his sides. “Oh my.”

 

 


Aonghas had wrapped himself in the caftan that Lilak wore over her maternity chemise, and his instinct guided him.

 

Lilak tried to keep up with him, “Aonghas, we must leave! Take a shuttle, anything. Where are we going?”

 

“We’ll be off this ship soon enough.”

 

“We have to leave! Aonghas, they asked me about us. About things.”

 

He pushed her into the turbolift and ordered it to the correct deck. “What things?”

 

Lilak suddenly realized what a mistake it was to say it. She clamped her mouth shut, and backed up.

 

“What things, Lilak?”

 

She had no choice now. “The Doctor found my injuries, scar tissue. I didn’t tell him, Aonghas, I didn’t…. until he told me it was hurting the baby, and he needed to know.”

 

“You know they don’t understand. What were you thinking?” He took her hand roughly.

 

The turbolift opened.

 

Down the corridor, he ran pulling Lilak with him, knowing he had little time; security was surely coming after him already.

 

The holodeck was unsecured. No Howl inside. Aonghas stepped inside, yanking Lilak in after him.

 

“See that the doors are locked.” He walked into the center of the small clearing, and looked around, sniffing the air. “Caela! I know you’re here.”

 

Lilak secured the door. “It’s locked, Aonghas.”

 

He turned and growled at her, “Change the codes. See that no one gets in here.”

 

“I don’t know if-”

 

“Do it!” He turned back to the false wind. “I can smell your scent, Caela!”

 

Caela stepped out of the woods. “Give me a minute next time, I was planning a garden.” She saw Lilak, and the look on Aonghas’ face. “So, it’s time?”

 

“And then Lilak and I will be leaving.”

 

Caela was very concerned about Lilak. The girl looked like she was about ready to pass out, her hand over her pregnant belly, and she was trying to catch her breath. Caela turned her eyes back to Aonghas. “Your wife looks ill.”

 

Aonghas snarled. “She’s mine to worry about.”

 

Lilak had locked the holodeck, and stepped up behind Aonghas. “Aonghas, please-”

 

He turned and pushed her back, so violently that she was thrown yards away, landing on her side. She gasped for air. He snarled back at her. “Stay where you are.”

 

Caela immediately moved for Lilak, and Aonghas met her move. He very slowly began to transform, as if he was showing off his control of the animal, his ears changing, then his face, his teeth, his hands.

 

For every part of her that wanted to protect Lilak, there was a part that wanted to fight him, and a part of her that felt the irony in those emotions. She had never fought as Howl against Howl. She had threatened him out of anger… it had been stupid and because her people were too fiery for their own good. She would have to meet him now… but she couldn’t do it like this.

 

Her Howl wouldn’t awaken.

 

Praying to some unknown god, Caela turned and ran. He was after her, his paws tearing into the holodeck ground, and she tried to think of where to go. She tried to will her animal to task, and kept going.

 

She knew he was close and felt his claws rip into her back when he caught her.

 

She was turned over, and felt her Howl stir. She closed her eyes and gave herself over to the animal in her, never so grateful to feel her emerge.

 

Lilak pushed herself to her feet, and followed the sounds of the fighting. She saw them, two huge black animals, fighting, tearing and growling between the trees, Aonghas larger than Caela and winning.

 

Lilak knew she was screaming at her husband to stop, but her voice was drowned out by the sounds the animals made.

 

They did stop, suddenly, and Aonghas was himself within moments. He held down Caela, who transformed back to herself slowly, and was held face down by him. Both were wounded, deep gashes bled.

 

“Your grief has made you weak.” Aonghas laughed.

 

Caela was wearing out, her muscles were screaming at her to stop; but she wasn’t going to cower. “So then finish it.”

 

His face was sullen suddenly. “The last of our kind, and you create this by your bonding.” He was again angry, and held her wrists with one hand, above her head. “Bond with a female? You make me sick.”

 

She tried to fight him as his legs moved between hers. “If you do this,” She growled at him through clenched teeth, knowing what he was about to do. “It won’t change who I am, it won’t change the bond. Know that.”

 

“Aonghas, stop!” Lilak stood nearby, pulling the brig officer’s phaser from between her breasts and pointing it directly at him. “Get off her.” Tears streamed down her face, and she blinked against them. “Get off her!” She screamed again, memories of pain and degradation flooding her mind… all he had done to her. “I won’t let you.”

 

He ignored her and turned back to Caela.

 

Lilak fired the phaser at full power, and it hit him in the side. He howled in pain, and lunged at Lilak, transforming partially back to Howl as he leapt, and she fired again.

 

They landed together, and his jaws dripped with saliva as his lavender eyes gazed down at her. His tongue lashed out and licked his lips. His hand was raised, and she turned her head and closed her eyes as she braced for the claws to make their target.

 

Instead, Aonghas stopped short, his eyes wide and in shock, he looked down at his wife. “She-”

 

Caela was behind him, and pushed her weapon further into his back. She’d picked up the true wood branch and found his heart with it. With tears in her own eyes, she shoved it deeper, and he fell over, still halfway on his wife.

 

Lilak pushed herself up and away from him, pulling her legs out from under him as she pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them.

 

Caela quickly found the caftan he’d been wrapped in and covered Aonghas’ body. She turned back to Lilak, who was staring at the covered body now, silent, and watching her husband’s blood soak the cloth.

 

“Lilak.” Caela said it quietly. She realized she was still bleeding badly, her nude body covered in scratches and gouges. She marveled that there were no broken bones. She kneeled in front of Lilak, and gently touched her shoulders.

 

Caela was flooded with Lilak’s emotions. Her eyes closed against it, as the feelings materialized into mental images, and Caela knew all Aonghas had put Lilak through, and what Lilak had finally felt when she saw him about to do the same to Caela.

 

Caela lifted Lilak in her arms, and the girl was sobbing. Quiet, uncontrolled, grief-laden sobbing. She began walking toward the holodeck door when it was forced open from the outside and Tuvok, followed by the Doctor, Z’ela and Nazeem. Chakotay came in last, his face drained of color, and his fear of losing her apparent.

 

Caela met Chakotay’s eyes. “Aonghas is dead- in the woods. He was going to kill her-”

 

He nodded, “Computer, end simulation.” 

 

The holoforest was gone, and Aonghas lay in plain sight.

 

Caela stood still as the Doctor took readings on Lilak’s baby. “Computer, two to beam to sickbay.”

 

 


Seven was on her way to sickbay. She knew Kathryn was also, and that Lilak’s baby was coming, about five weeks early.

 

Inside sickbay, Lilak was breathing quickly to help her baby out. The Doctor guided the child’s head out, and Caela, covered in a sickbay robe, held Lilak’s hand.

 

Seven stood behind the sanitization force field and held her breath when she saw the wounds still on Caela’s face, neck and legs; they were healing, but to still be wounded this badly, she must have been nearly killed.

 

Kathryn stepped up next to Seven, and her eyes met Caela’s. Caela looked up at her silently, then to Seven, and then gave her attention to Lilak in soothing words.

 

In a moment, the Doctor was placing a new crying, writhing, and Hirogen-looking female infant on Lilak’s chest. Lilak smiled and cried at the same time.

 

“She’s all right?” She guided the infant to her breast, and the child began suckling immediately.

 

“Yes, perfect in every way, from what I can tell.” The Doctor said. “One month early, but with her Howl physiology, she is doing just fine. There will be observation and tests, of course. We don’t want to take chances.”

 

Caela smiled down at Lilak. “She’s beautiful.”

 

The Doctor let the force field down, and Kathryn and Seven came forward.

 

Kathryn was happy to see that the first child since Naomi born on Voyager was healthy. But Lilak had just been through something horrible, and it would take time to heal.

 

Seven went to Caela. “You’ve been wounded badly.” She tilted her chin up to look into her eyes, and saw the pain there that had nothing to do with physical wounds. “You had to do it, Caela.” Seven whispered.

 

Caela uncomfortably noted Kathryn’s observation of them. She looked into Seven’s eyes, which welcomed her, and she felt better. “I’ll be fine. I’m already healing.”

 

“You and Lilak have gone through quite an ordeal.” Kathryn said. “It was all recorded on the security monitors.”

 

Lilak, attention still on her child, quietly asked, “You saw what Aonghas was going to do, to Caela. You saw that he would have killed me with the blow he was about to strike.”

 

Kathryn touched Lilak’s arm. “Yes. I’m so sorry, Lilak.”

 

“I… I thought he was getting better. Not worse.” Lilak sighed. She looked down at her baby. “My child… she cannot come with me.”

 

“Lilak?” The Doctor asked, “What do you mean?”

 

She looked at these new friends she had made. “I have to go back… to my people. I need to. And they won’t accept her. There’s nowhere else I can go.” She looked up at Kathryn. “If I asked for you to take me in, they’d be after your ship until I was retrieved. But with Aonghas’ blood, my little Caela will never be welcome or survive.”

 

“You’re making a tough decision.” Kathryn said, “Be sure it’s what you want. We might be able to work something out with your father.”

 

“No.” Lilak said, “I need healing. I need my mother.” Her eyes implored Caela, “Please, will you take care of her for me? I’d know she’s in good hands with you. I love her so very much…” Her voice trailed off into tears, “And I have to do what’s best for her.”

 

Caela was aware this was coming. Her empathy had been growing back since Seven had given her hope. She nodded, “Lilak, I will care for her as if she were my own child.”

 

“When you speak of her father,” Lilak asked, “And of my people, I know you must speak the truth. But, please, speak kind words when you can.”

 

“I will.” Caela said, “Doctor, can you synthesize Lilak’s milk?”

 

“Yes.” The Doctor looked as if he would have been teary eyed, if he only had the tear ducts. “I’ll begin immediately.”

 

Kathryn had to inquire. “When will you leave us, Lilak?”

 

“As soon as she’s done feeding, and if the Doctor says I’m ready. Please contact my people.”

 

Kathryn nodded to Seven, who nodded back, and took leave to go contact the Hirogen that had been trailing them.

 

Lilak was humming to the baby now, as it fussed at her breast. She adjusted her mouth, and the baby was content again. “I want to name her after my mother. Corin. She’s to be called Caela Corin.”

 

Kathryn touched the baby on the forehead, which was still smooth and would grow in texture as the child grew. She watched as the baby was finished feeding, and grew sleepy. She stood back and watched as Lilak handed her child over to Caela, who took the baby, kissed her little forehead, and held it close to her heart.

 

“Please go.” Lilak said, and turned her face away. “Tell her often that I love her.”

 

Caela turned away, after the Doctor nodded his assent. She and Kathryn met eyes as she walked toward the door, taking the sleeping Hirogen-Howl child with her, and were gone from sickbay.

 

Kathryn stayed with Lilak until her people were notified.

 

 


Two days passed. Caela had the infant with her every moment of the day, and kept her in a cloth slung around her shoulder and waist while she resumed work in botany.

 

Caela knew Seven needed time, and Kathryn seemed to be in Caela’s situation as well, where that was concerned.

 

As she worked, she told the baby everything she was doing, described every herb, spice, tree, fruit, seed, and vegetable in the aerponics bay.

 

When Seven walked in, she stood back for a moment, and watched as Caela stroked the child’s face with a feathery leaf from a Talaxian plant.

 

Caela, without turning around, greeted her, “Seven. What brings you here?”

 

Seven smiled, “You do.”

 

Caela braced herself. Those hopes that Chakotay had warned her about were very much raised.

 

Seven walked up behind Caela. “How is C.C.?”

 

“She’s well.” Caela turned to face the taller woman. She looked up at her, “I think she looks exactly like Lilak.”

 

“She does.” Seven said. Her hand went to the infant’s face, stroked her there. “This seems natural for you.”

 

Caela lifted the child out of her sling, and took her to a bed of leaves and straw. She laid her gently in the softness of it. “It feels natural.” She removed the sling and placed it next to the infant.

 

Seven took Caela’s hands, as she had so often in the past. “I’ve had time to sort my thoughts and emotions.”

 

“And?” It took a fair degree of control to not let her voice be lost. “What conclusion have you come to?”

 

“I love you still.” Seven said, “But I also love Kathryn.”

 

Caela’s heart seemed to rise and fall. She could only listen.

 

“Still… I want to give us the chance we never had. To see where our relationship could take us.”

 

Caela was elated inside. She was speechless.

 

“But I am not ready to give up on Kathryn either.” Seven said, “I have never quite agreed with the human practice of monogamy. I will need both of you to earn my trust again, but I do wish to be with you. I love you and Kathryn, and I see no reason why I cannot love you both.”

 

Seven took Caela’s face in her hands, and gently, laid her lips upon those she hadn’t touched in six months, and kissed her.

 

Caela accepted the kiss, accepted it deeply and passionately. Her heart beat faster and she felt her spirit lift.

 

Seven pulled away. “Can you accept such an arrangement? Until such time comes that I or you feel differently?”

 

Caela nodded. “Yes, Seven.” Caela let arms wrap around her love, and she rested her head against Seven’s beating heart. “As long as you know I share my love with C.C.” She smiled. “I’m happy with the agreement.” Caela looked up at Seven. “And Kathryn? Is she happy?”

 

“I wouldn’t say she is happy about everything…but she is in agreement.” Seven said. “Tonight, I have plans, but tomorrow evening, I would like to spend with you.”

 

“Neelix has offered to care for C.C. when I am in cycle, and whenever else I may need him to.” Caela said. “I will be available tomorrow night, to you only.”

 

Seven stroked Caela’s long hair. “I’ve missed you so much. You know that, don’t you?”

 

“I didn’t know.” Caela said, and took C.C. back into her arms. “But I do know now.” She stood on her toes, and kissed Seven on the cheek, and whispered into her ear. “I love you, Seven of Nine. My Annika.”

 

Seven smiled, kissed her forehead, and then the baby’s. “I must be going, but I will call on you tomorrow.”

 

Seven left feeling well.

 

 


Kathryn waited in their usual seats, and Seven sat next to her, just as the curtain was rising.

 

Captain’s eyes turned to Seven. “You spoke with Caela?”

 

“Yes.” Seven said, taking Kathryn’s near hand. “She is in agreement.”

 

Kathryn looked at the stage. “I cannot say that I blame her. But I had hoped she wouldn’t want it this way.”

 

The overture began. Soon, faeries danced on stage.

 

Seven touched Kathryn’s face, “Kathryn. I do hope you’ll learn to fully accept this.”

 

Kathryn took a deep breath. “I don’t know that I ever will, completely. Competing against someone who will literally die without you is quite a task…. but, as I said, I am willing to try.” She turned to Seven, kissed her on the cheek. “Because I love you Seven of Nine. My Annika.”

 

Seven’s two favorite women had no idea how alike they really were. “And I love you, Captain Janeway.”

 

Kathryn motioned toward the stage and squeezed her lover’s hand. “Oberon.”

 

Seven gave her attention to the production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She relaxed, feeling content and wondering how long her two women would be cooperative before things got very complicated again. It was all right; for now, she had both the women she loved, and somehow she would have to find time to regenerate between visits.

 

Voyager was a good home to have.

 



End