Memories in Bloom
The sky a brilliant blue, like her eyes, the
older woman remembered as she padded around her garden, snipping the spring
flowers now in bloom. She smiled, thinking about days gone by and the beautiful
woman who had once shared a time with her. Seven of Nine had made the most
wonderful and loving spouse anyone could have ever of had. This one thought
brought more warmth to her than the sun ever would. Her smile lingered as she
basked in her thoughts a moment longer.
“And to think.” Retired Admiral
Kathryn Janeway spoke out loud, “I was so full of myself I almost missed the
opportunity to have shared it all with her.” She stood in her garden in pure
amazement with one hand on hip, shaking her head. The smile she possessed spoke
of the happiness she had experienced with Seven and the memories she would
always have.
The winter’s weather had finally broken and a
gentle spring breeze blew across the field sweeping her gray hair about her
face.
She let it tussle until the
breeze ebbed then put the ends back behind her ears.
The slight tremor in
her hand reminded her that Kathryn Janeway had grown old in her years and within
that she had also grown tired.
Her step now slow and
not as sure as it was.
Her heart longed for the day
she would see her one true love again.
She shook off the
thought and with her basket now full she left the garden, climbing the back
steps of her home cautiously.
She had fallen twice
before, but now that she was alone and miles from her neighbor she didn’t want
that to happen again at least not if she could help it.
Placing the basket on
the kitchen table she felt a chill creep through her, walking to the replicator
she commanded.
“Coffee… black.” Yes, she
still had command of some things in her life, but not like she used to.
Like I used
to,
she thought as she seated herself in front of the basket of flowers ready to
work her magic on them.
She only had a short
time left before the small gathering she had planned would be underway.
She floated back into
her reverie of what and whom her life once held dearly.
“Grandma…
What’s his name?” The little blonde girl asked shaking the retired Janeway.
“What’s whose
name, Tyne?” She straightened up from where she had been reclining on the porch
swing and looked to see what her granddaughter was referring to.
“Him!” Tyne
pointed.
The little
brown rabbit sniffed around in the elder Janeway’s garden oblivious to the
humans around him.
She smiled
back at the younger child and ran her hand through the child’s hair. “I doubt
that he has a name, sweetheart. Would you like to give him one?”
“Yes! And I
think we should name him after grandma Seven.” The little girl sitting next to
her carried the same blue eyes. They swept the elder Janeway up and for a
moment they captured her as she had been many times before when Seven had looked
at her just right. It stirred her memories around to the forefront once again
as she looked out beyond the creature her granddaughter sought to name.
“Seven?” The
captain of Voyager questioned upon entering her quarters, “Why are you here?”
“I had no
where else to go.” The ex-Borg drone replied turning to face the stalwart woman
that approached.
“Is there a
problem with your alcove?”
“No… yes. I
cannot…”
“What is it,
Seven. Tell me.” It was not a command as she placed her hand softly on Seven’s
arm.
“She is
coming to take me back.”
“Who’s coming,
Seven?” Janeway asked apprehensively looking into the ex-Borg’s eyes.
“The Borg.”
The shiver that Seven experienced ran through the captain.
“Why? We
haven’t found any Borg warp signatures for quite some time now.”
“She will
never allow for me to leave the Collective,” Seven stated without truly
answering.
“Nor will I
ever allow you to leave this… Collective,” Janeway assuredly asserted. She ran
her hand up and down Seven’s arm. A sign that she meant every word she spoke.
They had come too far for her to allow that to happen. Seven had taken to her
humanity as a duck would to water. Through it all they had become friends. She
had allowed Seven of Nine use of a bridge no other member of Voyager’s crew
would dare cross. She would risk her life for this young woman that sat with
her now.
“Seven. If
she does come we deal with it as we have before. Please, don’t lose any sleep
over this.”
Seven looked
at her, searched her eyes and saw the truth she spoke. She relaxed for the one
person she knew she could always count on. Perhaps count on forever.
“You need to
regenerate.” It was spoken, but not an order. Kathryn Janeway enjoyed the time
they spent together.
“I wish I
could stay here forever.” Seven spoke softly.
“Why, Seven?”
Kathryn asked surprised, but wanting to hear more and understand where her
friend was coming from.
“I always
feel safe…after talking with you.” The hesitancy could be read on Seven’s
face. It showed of her humanity more than anything.
Janeway
smiled, appreciating the bravery that it must have taken for such an admission.
“Captain?”
“Yes, Seven?”
“There is
more that I feel beyond issues of safety,” Seven offered. But Kathryn saw it in
the ex-Borg’s eyes before she ever uttered a word. It was all there and Kathryn
Janeway knew it. She felt it suddenly radiate off of Seven, up her arm and into
her heart. The impact could be likened to the stun of a phaser. She reached up
and put her hand to her heart never taking her eyes away from the young woman
who sat next to her. She couldn’t.
Seven watched
the captain’s eyes darken. She saw the older woman’s hand placement and then
felt the same hand take hers and felt as it was laid upon Kathryn chest.
Neither woman could speak. There was nothing to say. It all came down to how
they felt for one another.
“Grandma… I
think we should name him… Thumper.” The little girl spoke as she shook her
grandmother out of her reverie.
“What honey?”
The older Janeway questioned letting go of her remembrance.
“I said… I
think we should name him Thumper! I read it in a book once.”
She smiled at
her granddaughter then wrapped her arms around her. “I like that.”
Kathryn
Janeway leaned back with the young girl in embrace. She so much reminded her of
Seven in the way her hair flowed around her face, the blueness of her eyes, the
smile and the inquiring mind. She hugged her as she looked out beyond her
flower garden, now home to Thumper. She felt the stun of the phaser again in
her heart and smiled.
I’ll see her soon enough,
she thought to herself, but for now she would just let her memories bloom.
“Grandma,”
the little girl started.
“Yes, Tyne?”
“How’d that
baby bunny get born?”
She knew the sun would set on this conversation as it had for many of the ones she had had with Seven. She pulled the young girl closer and settled in.