The Path of Thorns
 

Chapter One

Kathryn Janeway, who had kept her name, was pensive as she gazed out from the balcony of her childhood home. Indiana still didn't seem real to her, even after all these years, and a part of her regretted allowing Starfleet's engineers to take her Voyager away from her. Starfleet, in fact, had taken what seemed like far too much when Voyager returned home.

The memory of Seven of Nine being led away by Admiral Nechayev's aide pricked at her.

"Captain?" Seven made a motion as if to shake off the hand that rested on her elbow, looking fearfully at Janeway. "Captain, what will happen to me?"

"They won't hurt you, Seven," Janeway assured her distractedly. "You'll be fine. Call me if you have any problems."

"No!" Seven exclaimed. "Captain, I belong with Voyager."

"Voyager is being decommissioned, Seven. We're home now."

"Voyager is my home, Captain. Please..."

Janeway, flustered, with three admirals clamouring for her attention and several family members of deceased crewmembers standing waiting patiently nearby, then said the words she would begin to regret that night and continue to regret for the rest of her life.

"Just go, Seven."

The image of Seven freezing where she stood, and her quiet acquiescence to the importuning aides, had burned itself into Kathryn's conscience and stayed there in the intervening decade.

"Kathryn?" said a voice behind her. Kathryn turned. "They'll be arriving soon."

"Any word from the Doctor or Seven?" Her lips stumbled over the name.

"The Doctor is due to be transmitted from Phobos later this evening - if he finishes surgery in time. Seven of Nine hasn't sent word, but Naomi says she'll be here if she can be."

"Thank you, Chakotay." Kathryn followed him into the house. Cadet Wildman was seated crosslegged on the floor, playing with one of the dogs.

"Have you heard from Seven lately?" she asked the girl, who at eighteen was winning hearts all over the Academy. Naomi nodded.

"We keep in touch. If she got the invitation in time, she'll be here." There was faint accusation in Naomi's eyes, and Kathryn was guiltily aware that in the ten years since Voyager came home, she hadn't once left a message at the address Seven had given them - an account at a mail reception service in Reykjavik. Kathryn wondered where Seven really lived.

Naomi unfolded from the floor with a vitality that made the ageing former captain feel suddenly old. It was good to have Naomi staying with them - she had become the daughter Kathryn had never chosen to have with Chakotay, even after they were married. "I think I hear someone at the door," Naomi said, and quickly went to check.

B'Elanna Paris had arrived, and greeted Chakotay and even Kathryn with fierce hugs. She hadn't changed much since last Kathryn had seen her, but then she knew that she herself had grown older than she should be. "Where's Tom?" she asked, and B'Elanna made a face.

"Still on Mars. He couldn't get away," she excused him. Kathryn remarked that they would miss him, and then turned to greet Neelix and Kim as they separately arrived. She laughed with the others as the Talaxian remarked on how much Naomi had grown up since she left for the Academy.

"Din -" Kathryn began, then stopped mid-word as her eyes caught a sparkle of transporter energy out on the front lawn. A pain so old she'd forgotten it was there seemed to ease as the form coalesced into Seven of Nine.

"Seven!" Naomi exclaimed, and ran to greet her friend with a hug. Seven was smiling as she allowed the young woman to pull her towards the doorway. Her gaze scanned and identified each of them before locking on Kathryn.

"Captain," she greeted her evenly. Kathryn felt a pang. To the rest of the universe she had been Admiral or Kathryn for too long. From Seven, it seemed still... fitting.

"Let me take your case," Kathryn almost begged. Seven handed it to her with a faint sardonic smile. It was surprisingly heavy, and Kathryn wondered if Seven owned anything else. The others crowded to greet the blonde as Kathryn stored the case in a cupboard.

It was Starfleet issue, she noticed, though the identifying symbols had long since worn off. Kathryn remembered giving one just like it to Seven for her to pack her scanty possessions, and wondered if it was the same one. Seven's brief attempt at entering Starfleet had ended within months of her admission to the Academy, only days after the last time Kathryn had seen her - at her own promotion ceremony, in fact. She remembered that Seven had looked good in uniform.

Tonight she wore faded black pants, scuffed boots, and a loose white shirted belted at the still-slim waist. As she compared the image to the one she held in her mind, Kathryn realised she barely looked older, even though the air of cool superiority had been replaced by one much darker, more... edgy. She had even changed her hair style. It now hung long and casual in a simple ponytail.

They went in to dinner. Kathryn's mother had prepared the meal and left it in stasis units for her daughter's guests. Kathryn's hands shook as she served a plate to Seven, who attacked the meal with surprising intensity and allowed the conversation to flow around her.

"Seven," Naomi asked, a concerned frown furrowing her ridged forehead, "when was the last time you ate?"

Seven glanced up and paused to swallow before answering. "Three days ago, on the way here." A ripple of surprise ran around the table. Seven ignored it and took another bite. Kathryn watched her, noticing the precise way she still moved as she took potato from her fork. Seven met her eyes, and Kathryn had the uncomfortable feeling of being caught. "The food is excellent, captain," Seven said.

"That's Kathryn, Seven. Admiral if you really have to," Chakotay corrected her, with a geniality that seemed forced. Seven quirked an eyebrow at him - Kathryn smiled reflexively at the sheer familiarity of the expression.

"To you, perhaps, Chakotay," Seven answered him mildly. "To me, she will always be the captain."

B'Elanna cleared her throat. "Didn't you say your mother made dinner, cap - Kathryn?" she prodded. Kathryn took the cue, and dinner proceeded relatively smoothly.

She saw Naomi lean over to talk to Chakotay as she rose to serve dessert. "Allow me to assist you, captain," Seven said, and followed her into the kitchen.

"Captain." Seven spoke from behind her as she searched a drawer for a knife. Kathryn froze, but didn't dare look around as she felt her move closer. "Captain, look at me." Seven touched her shoulder, and Kathryn closed her eyes.

"Seven..." she whispered hoarsely. "I'm so, so sorry."

Warmth against her back as Seven took another step and wrapped her arms around her waist. With a faint sob, Kathryn turned and embraced the slender body in a contact that felt like a homecoming. She felt a kiss against her hair.

Seven released her and smiled. "I have missed you, captain," she said softly, then raised her voice to its normal level. "What is for dessert?"

"Cherry pie." Kathryn picked up a knife, which Seven took from her hand and used to slice the pie into geometrically-precise portions. Kathryn felt a fond smile form on her lips as she watched. Still her Seven, even if the woman before her was... different. The Seven she had known had been unsure, childlike in her innocence, frightened by the world around her, even if she tried not to show it. This Seven... had grown up.

They served the pie and sat down to eat it. Chakotay leaned over to Kathryn. "Why don't you ask Seven to spend the night?" he asked quietly. "B'Elanna's invited me to come back to Mars with her and see my godson. It would give you and Seven a chance to catch up."

Naomi grinned at her encouragingly. After a moment's hesitation, Kathryn nodded.

She waited until later, when they were sitting in the firelit living room drinking coffee and listening to Harry Kim relate an amusing story about his youngest son's antics. Seven leaned against a wall, long legs crossed casually at the ankles - it seemed that if nothing else, ten years had taught her to blend into a social situation much more easily. When she laughed at Harry's tale, Kathryn's breath caught. She was, impossibly, more beautiful for the sparkle of the long-hidden soul she had finally learnt to show.

Kathryn opened her mouth, but stopped when Seven's eyes met hers before she could call her name. With a slight smile she cocked her head towards the door. Seven nodded and followed her out of the room.

"Seven..." Kathryn felt awkward. "Would you... I mean..." She stopped and took a breath. Seven watched her as she always had, polite, silent, and unreadable, her gaze faintly shadowed. "Do you have anywhere to stay tonight?" she asked instead.

"Not as yet," Seven replied evenly. "Was that the information you required?"

Kathryn shook her head, then realised with some surprise that Seven was teasing her. Unaccountably, she blushed. "Would you like to stay the night here?"

"Yes." Seven smiled. "I would be delighted, captain."

The evening progressed smoothly until B'Elanna suddenly spoke up. "The Mars ferry will be leaving soon," she said. "We'd better go, Chakotay."

"It's getting late," Harry Kim said as he rose from his chair. "I'd better go too. Neelix, give you a ride?"

"Thank you, Commander Kim. Kathryn, may I say what a pleasure it has been to have been invited to your home."

Kathryn smiled. "Thank you for coming, all of you. We must do this again next year."

"We must," Neelix beamed. "Next year, at my restaurant. A bit of good old Delta Quadrant cooking."

"I never thought I'd say this, Neelix," B'Elanna said with a grin, "but I've missed your cooking." She patted his shoulder.

Seven, Naomi and Kathryn saw them all out. Neelix, voice choked with emotion, hugged Naomi fiercely at the door while the others looked on with fondly indulgent smiles. "Be good," Chakotay admonished good-humouredly as he kissed Kathryn goodbye.

"Yes, Dad," she teased.

When all of them were gone, Kathryn and Naomi were left with Seven of Nine. Seven looked at Kathryn. "Captain, may I use your bathroom facilities? My journey was of extended duration."

"Certainly, Seven. Naomi, please show her to the bathroom while I clear the dining room."

"Sure, Kathryn. Seven, this way."

Before long, she heard the water running, and Naomi joined her in clearing the dishes. "She's looking good, isn't she?" the cadet said without preamble. "But she's changed a little." They carried stacks of plates into the kitchen.

"I'd noticed." Kathryn placed the dishes in the recycling unit. "It has been a long time."

"Too long." Naomi echoed her thoughts. "You should have written to her sooner."

Kathryn frowned. "Or she could have written to me," she replied pointedly. "After she left Starfleet I never heard from her."

"Nor she from you even before. You really hurt her, you know. She needed your protection and you abandoned her," Naomi retorted. "You owed her more than that."

"As you were, cadet," Kathryn snapped. Naomi froze.

"Yes, Admiral." She began to walk quietly away.

"Naomi, wait." Kathryn rubbed at her neck, feeling tension start to tighten the muscles there as Naomi paused in the kitchen doorway. "I'm sorry. And you're right. But there's no way I can make up for that now."

Naomi turned back and looked at her compassionately. "Just talk to her, Kathryn. Remember, she's Seven. She doesn't hold a grudge. And you're still the most important person in the universe to her." A discreet chirp and flash of lights indicated an incoming transmission. "I'll get it," Naomi said, and left the room.

Seven came in not much later. "Naomi is speaking with Ted," she informed Kathryn, referring to the young cadet's boyfriend. "Do you require further assistance?"

Kathryn smiled. "No, Seven, thank you. Let's talk."

Seven followed her into the living room and sat beside her on the couch, flicking her hair out of her way as she did so. Seven had changed into Academy sweats Kathryn recognised as belonging to Naomi. Her hair hung loose, framing her face and softening her appearance considerably. She met Kathryn's gaze with a self-possessed surety she hadn't had before.

"So tell me," Kathryn said, forcing the words past a dry throat. "What have you been doing since..."

"Since Starfleet?" Seven filled in with a slight lift of one implant-framed brow. "I have primarily engaged my services as a bodyguard."

Kathryn was surprised, but intrigued. "A bodyguard. Why? Why not a scientist?" she asked.

"I was unable to find tenure as a scientist in Starfleet or as a civilian," Seven told her quietly. "My Borg nature was... not tolerated. I was surprised to discover that the crew of Voyager had been unusually tolerant of my origins." She hesitated. "I adapted."

Kathryn blanched as she realised what Seven must have experienced in her first years in the Alpha Quadrant. I could have prevented that. The name of Admiral Kathryn Janeway should have brought a hell of a lot more weight to bear on Seven's life in the Alpha Quadrant than it had. "Seven..."

She didn't see Seven move, but her fingers were against Kathryn's lips. "Don't say it," Seven whispered. "I did not understand. I suffered greatly, then, but I did adapt." Eyes too blue bored into Kathryn's soul. "I learned what it is that makes me Borg, and I adapted. I learned, Kathryn, that what in me is human is that part which loves you. I did not wish to adapt to that. Please do not force me to."

She tasted Seven's skin as her lips parted, but knew no answer to give. It was then that they heard someone clearing their throat. Kathryn pulled away, blushing furiously.

"I'm going to bed," Naomi said. "Goodnight, Seven. Kathryn." She smiled at them, and left again.

Heart pounding, Kathryn stood explosively and strode across the room. "Seven, this can't happen," she tried to state but almost pleaded.

"Kathryn..."

It was her own name, the name she heard so often but somehow, from Seven, this was different. A lover's whispered caress, not a designation. Kathryn felt a decade-old need pull her toward the sound, and fought it.

"Kathryn." Seven was moving closer behind her. She heard her stand up, could feel her approaching. "Kathryn."

"Seven, this can't happen." Kathryn whimpered and turned at the touch to her shoulder. "Don't touch me, Seven."

"Kathryn, it must. I have loved you for as long as I have known what love can be and what it can mean. And I know that you have loved me." Seven stepped closer, but didn't quite make contact. "Kathryn, we belong together."

"Seven, I'm married." But this time Kathryn closed the distance, until she could feel the warmth of Seven's body heat radiating into her own.

"Irrelevant." A ghosting movement as Seven's hand rose to touch her arm, hesitated before the touch. "You are not his."

Kathryn bowed her head. A sound between a whimper and a sob escaped her lips, born of the years of marriage to a man she loved but without passion.

"Kathryn," Seven breathed, the warmth of the word touching Kathryn's hair on the soft exhalation. She looked up to meet Seven's eyes.

With only the slightest movement, Seven closed the gap between them. Their lips and bodies met in an embrace that held ten years of their need for one another. When breath failed, they parted.

"Love me, Kathryn." It was question, and statement, and a plea for an anguished need to be answered. With no words that could fill that need, Kathryn kissed her with desperate hunger.

She had no idea how they crossed the distance between there in the couch, aware only of the feel of Seven's body against her own and the indigo glow of Seven's eyes in the firelight that was all that illuminated the room. Cool metal and warm skin brushed her ribs as Seven's touch slipped beneath her shirt.

"Kathryn..." An implied question.

"Yes." A firm answer. No more words were necessary or wanted as Kathryn lost herself in the breathy, softly-crackling darkness of this haven.

Her shirt was unbuttoned and pushed aside for the nuzzling, tasting touch that started at her collarbone and found her breasts. She moaned softly, and felt Seven's lips curve against her skin in a smile whose beauty she knew would be blinding in sunlight.

Kathryn arched into the mouth that closed on sensitive skin and gasped at the light touch of Seven's teeth. She could feel long fingers tracing the contours of her abdomen, exploring her with a delicate eroticism. How long she floated in this haze of gently mounting arousal didn't matter, but then she felt her pants loosened and pulled from her body.

A single light touch. She ached for more, but felt Seven pull away to free herself of her own clothing. Skin and metal pressed against her skin as the touch resumed. Seven was gentle insistence and rhythmic, coaxing pleasure, until at last Kathryn cried her name and sobbed for lost and wasted years.

"Shhhhh." Seven held her. "My Kathryn." Tears gave way to kisses, and Kathryn hungered for the body so warm against her own.

Seven tasted of salt and the tang of metal as Kathryn suckled at a breast that nourished only her soul. Seven accepted the touches in rustling silence, until finally she pulled Kathryn to her with painful strength as the pleasure overwhelmed her. "I love you," they whispered together.

Kathryn smiled softly, then sighed as the chill of the air began to reach her damp skin. "We should go to bed," Seven suggested. Kathryn nodded reluctantly and kissed her again before they went together upstairs. Without conscious decision Kathryn led Seven past the doorway of the bedroom she shared with Chakotay to the guest bedroom Seven had been put in anyway.

They tumbled onto the bed. Kathryn felt the predatory intent as fingernails and tips softly metallic raked across her ribcage and Seven's lips latched firmly onto hers. She shuddered as Seven's hands found her breasts, stroking and teasing with an aggression - and mastery - that surprised her.

She's done this before. The thought shouldn't have surprised her, but did. The disturbing realisation faded as she felt Seven's lips pass quicksilver across the sensitised skin of her breasts, and then those hands were caressing her hips as Seven's body moved against hers.

A shudder rippled through her body as Seven's teeth nibbled a path across her stomach. Kathryn's fingers entwined in Seven's hair as she urged her towards further contact, aching for the connection even more than the release.

Kathryn felt her orgasm building and almost sobbed with love for the woman whose touch rocked her soul as thoroughly as her body. The wave crested like an epiphany, blinding her with lost devotion. When she returned to herself, she was wrappen in Seven's arms, holding her and being held so tightly it hurt. She revelled in the pain and the glowing feeling of connection that accompanied it.

Rendered speechless by emotions too strong to be spoken, they held each other until finally exhaustion sent them drifting out of consciousness. As she felt herself sliding into dreams of the woman who cradled her, Kathryn thought she heard Seven whisper a few words.

"We are as one."

She woke aware of being cold, and of the leaden grey dawn creeping in through the window opposite her. Seven was gone, and the sheets beside Kathryn bore no trace of her warmth. Kathryn rose to find her, borrowing Seven's white shirt from a chair to cover her nudity. It fell to her knees. She encountered Naomi in the corridor outside the bedrooms. The young woman smiled warmly, and Kathryn's own smile in reply came easily to her lips.

"Good morning, Kathryn," Naomi greeted her. "Did you sleep well?"

Kathryn blushed at the mischievous grin the cadet was trying to hide. "Yes, very well, thank you." She tried not to ask the question foremost in her mind, but Naomi answered it anyway.

"I saw Seven a few minutes ago. Several messages came in, one for her. She said there was someone she needed to see, but that it wouldn't take long. Then she left." A lopsided shrug. "Chakotay called from Mars. He asked me to tell you he'll be back this afternoon."

Kathryn paled.

Chakotay.

Hello, Chakotay. How are the Parises? Did you have a good time? That's wonderful, Chakotay. Us? Well, we cleaned up after dinner, and then I had an affair with Seven of Nine. Yes, it was very nice, thank you.

"Kathryn? Are you all right?" Naomi asked, frowning. Kathryn forced a smile.

"I'm fine, Naomi. Thank you," she managed to reply. Naomi gave her a slightly bemused nod and went into her bedroom.

She would just have to talk to Seven of Nine, apologise, explain to her that it shouldn't have happened, that it couldn't happen again. That she loved her, but she had made a vow to Chakotay.

That she loved her...

Kathryn leaned against the wall and buried her face in her hands.

Loved her. Loved Seven of Nine with a fierce, consuming totality that she had never felt for Chakotay, as much as she cared about him, which was really the problem - she cared about him, she liked him, she even loved him as the faithful friend he had been throughout their years in the Delta Quadrant.

She slid down the wall, breathing hard, as she heard footsteps on the stairs and saw a long body she both craved and dreaded to see ascending into her view. Seven's eyes widened as she saw Kathryn, and she ran up the last steps to kneel at her side. Seven wore a sleeveless black body suit that reminded Kathryn of Velocity games too long before, and of Voyager, lost then but more a home than this one...

"Kathryn, what's wrong?" Seven demanded. Kathryn curled into her arms and hated herself for it.

After a time, calmed by the strong arms of the woman who had always been her Borg, Kathryn took a deep breath. "Where did you go?" she asked plaintively, rather than answer Seven's question.

"I received an urgent message. I had to go to Reykjavik." She hesitated. "I must leave. Soon."

Kathryn's heart sank. "Why?"

"I have been hired as a private agent to locate and retrieve a stolen artifact. One of my informants learned of its current possessor. I must go after it." She smiled. "Come with me, Kathryn. You will enjoy it. And we could be together again."

"Seven, I can't," Kathryn answered, anguished. "Chakotay..."

Seven pulled away, and Kathryn died a little further. "You love him," she stated tonelessly.

Kathryn nodded the lie. "He's my husband, Seven."

The betrayal in Seven's eyes was almost more than she could bear. "I believe I understand, captain. I ascribed greater importance to last night's events than I should have." She rose in a smooth, controlled motion. "If you will excuse me, I will pack my belongings and say farewell to Naomi." Kathryn wanted to scream as she watched her walk quickly away to the bedroom they had shared.

She didn't move as Seven packed, and watched as, only moments later, Seven crossed the distance to Naomi's bedroom without looking at her. She was there much longer before she left and walked silently from the house.

Kathryn flinched as she heard the front door close. When she looked up, Naomi was standing in the doorway of her bedroom. She favoured Kathryn with a look of pure disgust and turned away, slamming her door as Seven hadn't.

Chapter Two

Naomi slammed the bedroom door closed and glared, unfairly, at the battered stuffed Flotter doll that rested on her pillow, her link to her childhood and long-lost home. She was furious with Kathryn Janeway. She had idolised the woman for as long as she could remember - how could she do that to Seven of Nine?

Resolved to stay in her room and avoid the captain, at least for now, Naomi sat at the desk to complete her assignment on subspace particle analysis. It wasn't difficult for her, more something to work through while she thought about Seven and Kathryn. She had studied under the far-more-prodigious tutelage of Seven of Nine since she was five, and had assimilated a great deal more knowledge than most people her age seemed to.

Occasionally, Naomi wondered what it was like to grow up with other children.

Usually, she reflected that she would not have traded friends like Seven and Neelix for all the other children in the galaxy.

She remembered their arrival at Earth, and leaving home.

"Seven?" Naomi called, entering Astrometrics. "Seven of Nine."

"Naomi Wildman." Seven answered from a wall console.

"Hi, Seven." Naomi looked at her for a long moment, then ran across the room to hug her as she burst into tears. Seven's long arms enfolded her comfortingly.

"It will be all right, Naomi," Seven said. Naomi couldn't help but smile as she heard Seven's own doubt in her attempt to be reassuring. Her tears finally abated, but she didn't release Seven. She felt safe here. Seven had always protected her from harm. She was also the only person on board who understood why she was upset.

"Seven, I don't want to go to Earth. Voyager is my home. I don't want to leave. I'll miss Neelix." She looked up at her friend. "I'll miss you."

Seven actually smiled. "You and I are... friends, Naomi. We are a part of each other, and will not be separated. And we will always maintain contact."

She had kept her word, and they had remained very close. They had even helped each other through the very difficult phase they had suffered when Naomi had met the stranger who was her father, and Seven an assortment of Hansens and other relatives who had tried to stake their claim on the reluctant ex-Borg.

And now...

Her stylus snapped in her hand as she recalled what Janeway had just done to her best friend. Naomi swore as the last spark of energy released fizzed into her hand and sucked the singed skin. It was then that she heard a tap at her door.

After saving the particle movement graphs she had been sketching, she turned around. "Come in," she called, with bad grace. Janeway entered. "Kathryn." Naomi turned her attention back to her graphs.

"Naomi, I messed up," Janeway said honestly. "I need you to help me fix it."

Naomi was silent for a long moment before she turned. "Kathryn, you hurt her."

"Naomi..." Janeway scrubbed at her face with her hands. "Naomi, I didn't want to. I... care about Seven." Her eyes begged Naomi's forgiveness, but the cadet wasn't ready to give it.

"I care about her too," she countered. "And it's my job to protect her when she can't protect herself. She's loved you for as long as I've known her. Maybe what happened last night was just a diversion from a passionless marriage to you, Kathryn, but it meant everything to Seven. You shot her down on the happiest day of her life."

"That's enough, Naomi." A note of steel entered Janeway's voice. "We have to find Seven. I have to talk to her. I can't leave it like this."

Naomi regarded her thoughtfully for a long time. Janeway endured the scrutiny calmly. "All right," Naomi finally said. "I'll help you find her."

Kathryn smiled. "Thank you, Naomi. Where did she go?"

Naomi blinked, surprised. "I don't know. Out of system, I think. We should be able to find out from her mail service."

Janeway nodded. "Then I suppose we're going to Reykjavik. I'll go get dressed." She left to do so. Naomi changed into her uniform and contacted Starfleet Headquarters. She had decided to arrange official transport just to Reykjavik, on the grounds that the search for Seven of Nine was hardly official Starfleet business, no matter how much of a carte blanche the phrase 'Admiral Janeway requests' could get her.

She was just finishing arranging transport to Iceland when Janeway returned. "Are you ready?" she asked, looking at Naomi with that faintly proud look she always wore when she saw her in her uniform.

"Yes, Admiral. I contacted Starfleet Headquarters and arranged our transport to Reykjavik. We'll be there in a few minutes." She pointed at her still-active comm badge and saw comprehension dawn.

"Thank you, cadet," Janeway answered formally. Naomi finished her conversation with Lieutenant Ellery and picked up her tricorder. She was very attached to her tricorder. It had been an original Voyager-issue, extensively modified by Seven of Nine and presented to Naomi when she entered the Academy. She gave the slightly battered instrument a little pat as she holstered it at her belt, and slung a tool case from her shoulder by the strap.

"We'd best go," she suggested. "Lieutenant Ellery cleared a transport slot for us." Janeway nodded, and Naomi tapped her badge. "Cadet Wildman to Headquarters Transport Control."

"This is Ellery."

"Admiral Janeway and I are ready for transport to Reykjavik."

"Acknowledged, cadet. Stand by," he responded.

The familiar glitter of transport energy filled Naomi's vision, blotting her view like static until her bedroom at the admiral's home had been replaced by the Reykjavik Regional Transport Centre. The building was largely automated, existing only to serve as a receptacle for Starfleet transports.

She shivered. "These places are spooky," she muttered, as she stepped off the transporter dais. Having spent her formative years on a starship plagued with frequent systems failures, Naomi still had a persistent sense of uneasiness when it came to people placing their faith so blindly in technology. "I'm setting the co-ordinates for the mail centre," she announced, as she crossed to the transporter controls. "It's on the other side of the city. I'm also setting this to pick us up at a remote command."

Another matter transfer, and they were outside the doors of the nondescript building on the shabby side of town that was Seven's mailing address. There were no signs or distinguishing features of any kind, and Naomi felt a prickle of wariness as she entered the building on the heels of a Starfleet Admiral in full uniform.

Inside was a lobby, and a disinterested-looking middle-aged man behind a desk. He glanced up as they entered, and his expression grew distinctly unfriendly as he noted the uniforms they wore. "What do you want?" he asked abruptly. Janeway didn't bat an eye.

"We're trying to locate one of your clients," she answered politely. "Seven of Nine. She stores her correspondence here."

"Got a warrant?" the man asked flatly.

"No. We don't want to arrest her. We simply wish to find her," Janeway said with slightly strained calm. "She's a friend of ours."

"Never heard of her. Get out," the man spat. "You have no command here, Admiral."

"Now look," Janeway began. Her voice had dropped to the register that could slice duranium, and Naomi stepped forward hurriedly.

"He's right. Starfleet has no jurisdiction here. Don't make a scene, Admiral. There's another way." Janeway glanced at her, nodded slightly, and turned on her heel. Naomi followed her out of the building.

"What's your idea?" she asked, once they were out on the street. It was late autumn, and the Iceland street was chilly. Naomi quirked a grin.

"It's a little un-Starfleet," she warned. "Something Seven taught me."

"Whatever it takes, Naomi."

The cadet grinned wickedly. "Yes ma'am." She pulled out her tricorder and flipped it open, walking around the perimeter of the building until she found what she was looking for. "Here." She knelt and brushed grime from a panel set near ground-level, then punched commands into her tricorder until she found what she was looking for. "Got it."

"Naomi, do I want to know why Seven taught you this?" Janeway asked, crouching behind her.

"No, captain." The rank slip went unnoticed as Naomi took out one of her tools and did something to the panel. It fell open to reveal circuits and isolinear chips. The cadet pulled one out, slotted it into another position, and then returned her attention to her tricorder. "Accessing their systems now."

It occurred to her how odd the sight of a Starfleet Admiral and a third-year cadet breaking into a civilian computer system would be to passersby. It also occurred to her how much trouble they would get into if caught. Clearing her throat unconsciously, Naomi worked a little faster.

"Got it." Naomi restored the chips to their former locations and hurriedly replaced the panel. "Seven's on her way to Orion III."

"Orion III? Why?" Janeway sounded honestly surprised.

Naomi scanned the information she had downloaded. "Early this morning a priority communique arrived from an individual who appears to be named 'Rath'. Text only. Message reads... 'The merchandise is being held in Anakh Darom.' It's followed by a set of spatial and geographical co-ordinates that correspond to a large city on Orion III. That's it."

"Any way to get a message to her?" They began walking away from the building in the general direction of the transport control centre.

"No. She's closed her account here. Their databanks read that she paid a substantial closure fee. Conditional that they purge all their records relating to it. The information is still there because there's a message from Seven flagged to be delivered tomorrow morning." Her lips twitched. "It's addressed to me." Curious, Naomi examined the file. "It's audio. My tricorder isn't equipped to play it."

"You can access it at the house," Janeway said. "We should be heading back."

"Yes, Admiral." Naomi keyed in the instructions for the regional transport centre's computer to reclaim them, and energised. Once they had materialised on the pad, she returned to the console and submitted a request for a slot at the busy Headquarters terminus. Janeway was pensive.

Finally she looked up at Naomi with a barely-audible sigh. "Suggestions, Naomi?" she asked. Her voice echoed faintly in the spacious, untenanted building.

The cadet considered seriously. "It depends on how serious you are about fixing this mess, Admiral. If you really want to talk to Seven, we're going to have to chase her to Orion."

Janeway's lips twitched into a smile. "We, Naomi?"

Greatly daring, Naomi grinned. "You're going to need me, Kathryn. If only because no Starfleet Admiral travels alone. We can probably get Ted to help us." Her boyfriend was the pilot of a small, fast courier shuttle that could easily be placed at the Admiral's service. Most importantly, he would be discreet.

Her attention was caught by an incoming message from Starfleet Headquarters. "We're cleared for transport, Admiral," she announced. After transmitting return instructions, she hurried to take her place on the dais. Moments later, the system energised, and they were relayed to the Admiral's front lawn.

Naomi followed Janeway through the door. She was reminded that she had yet to have breakfast by a rumble from the approximate area of her abdomen. "I'll go fix breakfast while you make your decision, Kathryn," she said, diverting her course.

"Good idea. Thank you," Janeway replied. Naomi shot her a tight smile before she went into the kitchen to start cooking. She was halfway through the thick stack of hotcakes when she heard the front door open and a familiar voice call out Kathryn's name.

"Good morning, Gretchen," Naomi called. Kathryn's mother appeared in the doorway.

"Naomi, honey, good morning!" Gretchen crossed to hug her. "How was the dinner?"

"It was great. Everyone wanted us to tell you how wonderful the food was." She kissed Gretchen's cheek. "How was the play?"

"Wonderful. What's for breakfast?"

"Hotcakes. Will you join us?" Naomi invited, as she slid the next hotcake out of the pan.

"I'd love to, dear." She looked towards the doorway as they heard Janeway approaching. "Kathryn, dear, I have yet to understand how Naomi can have grown up on a starship and still have learnt to cook, when you never learnt."

Janeway smiled faintly. "I guess it's all a matter of natural talent, Mother."

"You just didn't try. Set the table, please, Kathryn."

"Yes, Mother," the Admiral replied automatically. Naomi hid a smile. It always amused her to see the woman she had grown up viewing as the ultimate in human authority under the command of the greater power that was Gretchen.

"So how's Ted?" she asked Naomi, as Kathryn took plates and cutlery out to the dining room. Naomi smiled.

"He's great. I haven't seen him much lately, but he'll probably be piloting Kathryn and me to Orion three soon, so I'll get to see him then." She poured the last of her batter into the pan.

"Really? Why are you going to Orion?" Gretchen began assembling appropriate condiments for the hotcakes.

"You remember Seven of Nine?" Naomi loosened the hotcake in the pan.

"That delightful young Borg girl?" Gretchen leaned against the counter. "Of course. She's hardly easy to forget."

Naomi smiled. "Yes. She showed up at the dinner last night, but she and Kathryn had a misunderstanding. Seven left, and we have to follow her to fix it up." Naomi flipped the hotcake. "Seven's gone to Orion, so..."

Gretchen nodded. "I never told anyone this, but when you all got back from the Delta Quadrant I was surprised that Kathryn spent so little time with her. She seemed so fond of her."

"Kathryn or Seven?" Naomi slid the last hotcake onto the platter and crossed to the replicator for orange juice.

"Kathryn. Seven was positively devoted. They were close?" Gretchen took the juice from Naomi and set it on the tray. Naomi nodded.

"Seven never had many close friends on Voyager. Really, just the captain, the doctor, Tuvok and me. She wasn't great at what you'd call social skills at first. And she really respected the captain, so..." Naomi shrugged uncomfortably, wary of giving away more information than she intended.

Gretchen nodded. "I understand, Naomi." She lifted the tray, and Naomi took it from her. "Shall we?"

"Certainly," Naomi replied, with a smile. Gretchen held the kitchen door for her, and they took the meal through to the dining room.

Kathryn was sitting in her place at the table, staring pensively out the window. She jumped visibly at the sound of Naomi setting the platter down. "Penny for your thoughts," Gretchen said.

Kathryn smiled, but it looked more like a reflex to Naomi. "Just drifting, Mother. I'm a little tired."

Naomi, who knew why, slapped hotcakes on Kathryn's plate with a little more force than was absolutely necessary. Kathryn gave her a startled look, then seemed slightly contrite at the realisation that despite her willingness to help her find Seven, the young cadet had not entirely forgiven her for the mess.

Gretchen shot a smile at Naomi as she served her hotcakes, and turned back to her daughter. "Naomi told me you two are going to Orion," she remarked. "I don't know what you said to upset that poor girl Seven of Nine, Kathryn, but I want you to make it up to her. She's a charming young lady." She paused, seeming in thought. A prickle of wariness shot up Naomi's spine. "In fact," Gretchen continued innocently, "I want you to invite her back to stay with us awhile. You've barely seen her since you all got back from the Delta Quadrant, and I'd certainly like to get to know her better." Gretchen took a bite of her breakfast. "Delicious, Naomi."

Kathryn was paler than she should be. "Mother, I'm not sure Seven would want to -"

"Nonsense, Kathryn," her mother interrupted. "I don't want you to take no for an answer."

Kathryn sighed. "Yes, Mother." She attacked her own breakfast unenthusiastically.

Naomi made idle conversation with Gretchen as they ate. Kathryn remained lost in her own thoughts. After they finished and had cleared the table, Naomi went upstairs to call Ted.

The pilot looked surprised to see her on his comm screen so early. "Nay? Something wrong?"

Ensign Ted Knott was a slender, athletic young man with an easygoing manner and ready smile that belied the sharp intelligence he also possessed. He and Naomi had met in his final year at the Academy, and were still together two years later. She had obviously roused him today from his bed, as his dark hair was adorably tousled and he was dressed only in a pair of Academy sweat pants that left his smooth chest bare.

"Sort of, sort of not," Naomi answered his question. "Ted, Admiral Janeway and I are going to need a pilot we can trust to go on a... special assignment. Before she puts in the formal request, is there any reason it shouldn't be you?"

Ted ran his fingers through his hair. "Not that I can think of. What's the assignment?"

"Sorry, honey," she grinned. "Can't tell you that just yet. And now I have to go give the Admiral the word. Talk to you later." She blew a kiss at the screen, which he mimed catching and holding to his heart. Naomi laughed.

"Later. Miss you." Ted smiled back at her and cut the connection.

Chapter Three

The screen in Ted's quarters blanked out Naomi's face. The pilot sighed and made his way across to the replicator for bad coffee. The door shot open as he was mid-wince, and Neil Foster entered. Neil was an engineer who worked in the courier hangars, and a friend of Ted's.

"Afternoon, Ted. Hell of a party last night, wasn't it?" he asked rhetorically, as he threw himself down on Ted's bunk with appalling energy. Ted gulped his coffee and nodded.

"Naomi just called," he said, leaning against the wall. "I look like getting seconded to Admiral Janeway."

"Janeway, queen of the Delta Quadrant? Good score. I hear her people like her." Neil plucked a holoimage of Naomi from the wall by Ted's bunk and examined it, grinning. "Gonna see the honey?"

Ted plucked it from Neil's fingertips, grinning pleasantly. "None of your damn business, Neil." He tossed the holo onto his small desk. "Get yourself a sex life and you can lose your interest in mine, how about it?"

Neil feigned a hurt expression. "I'm just concerned for your well-being, Ted. A healthy young buck like you, all built and active... Gotta be a hormone buildup there, and that's just not good for you." Unfolding from the bed, Neil flicked a well-formed bicep. "All I'm saying is that there has to be a reason you spend so much time in the station gym."

Ted patted his cheek. "You said you liked the eye candy. What are friends for?" He downed the last of his coffee, then pointed at the door. "Now get lost, Neil, I gotta get dressed. Janeway or no Janeway I have a run to Callisto to make in an hour."

"I'll prep your scooter," Neil promised, suddenly more businesslike. "Then ready for interstellar when you get back?"

"Probably best. Nay didn't say where I was supposed to be taking her, and I hear Janeway's not the type you want to get caught short by." Ted opened his closet and looked at the selection of uniforms. "Whaddaya think, Neil, red or red?"

"I think the red's more your colour," Neil answered gravely. "See you later, flyboy."

"Later, Neil." Ted recycled his coffee cup and made his way to the sonic shower. Twenty minutes later, he was on his way to the mess hall. He was stopped before he reached the mess hall replicators by Geoff Hayward, one of the other pilots.

"Damn, Knott, how did you get that Janeway assignment?" Hayward complained. "I've been assigned your Callisto run. I had holodeck time planned." Hayward, Ted remembered, had a knack for avoiding actual assignments on his shift.

He stepped around him and continued towards the replicators. "Just lucky, lieutenant. I've met the Admiral once or twice before. I guess she wanted someone she knew."

"I wish I was sleeping with that Wildman girl," Hayward said. "Must get a lot of points with Janeway to be screwing her little wonder child."

Ted stopped, and took a deep breath, before turning around with a lazy smile. "Naomi wouldn't even look at you twice, Hayward," he replied easily. "Takes a bigger man than you to shine her boots." He turned back towards the replicators. "Enjoy your run."

As Hayward stomped away, Neil called him to the nearby table where he was sitting with a man in a teal uniform whom Ted didn't recognise. Ted replicated oatmeal and joined them.

"Ignore him," Neil suggested as Ted sat. "He's got the small man's complex."

Ted glanced at the doors closing behind Hayward's back. "He's as tall as I am, Neil," he observed.

Neil smirked. "And your point is?"

Ted couldn't help but laugh. "I sense history, Neil, but I am not going to ask." He looked across at the man next to Neil. "I don't believe we've met. Ted Knott." He extended a hand, which the man shook.

"Steve Kay," he replied. "Neil's mentioned you."

Ted grinned. "So long as he doesn't tell the Sadie Hopkins Dance story..."

Neil chuckled. "What else, Ted?" He patted Steve's arm. "We only just met. And we have to talk about something..."

"Which means me?" Ted glanced at the chronometer on the wall. "I gotta go. I'm on duty soon and it looks like I've been cut new orders. Nice meeting you, Steve. Neil, behave." He ruffled his friend's hair as he passed and hurried towards the despatcher's office, leaving his unfinished oatmeal behind.

The despatcher gave him a dour look as he entered. "Knott. You've been detached. You'll be working for Admiral Kathryn Janeway until further notice." She glanced at her padd. "Be in geostationary orbit above the American continent asap. Dismissed."

"Yes ma'am." Ted turned smartly on his heel and marched out of the office, rolling his eyes out of the despatcher's line of sight.

Neil met him in the hangar bay after he finished his own breakfast. The engineer ran the necessary preflight diagnostics and cleared Ted for departure.

"So what's with you and Steve?" Ted asked, as they waited for Ted's flight slot. Neil shrugged.

"So far? Nothing's with us, but... I'm hoping. I really like this guy." He was uncharacteristically serious.

Ted squeezed his shoulder as he was called to leave the station. "Good luck." The hatch to his vessel slid closed on Neil's smile.

Ted felt an odd sort of freedom as his small ship slid out into the depths of space. The station he currently operated from was in an outer orbit of Earth, and the young pilot's breath still caught every time the vast, glowing curve of the planet's surface filled his view. The sun was setting over the Indian Ocean before him, and the varying shades of sunlight on the water and the darkness to the east of it enchanted him. Ted loved his job.

Shaking off the creeping awe, he engaged his thrusters to move clear of the station before powering up the vessel's engines. He was on pretty much exactly the wrong side of the planet, and too far above besides for a geostationary orbit. His flight plan took him around the night side of the planet, and he gazed with great enjoyment at the passing panorama of city lights.

After a few minutes of pleasantly uneventful flying, he approached and passed the line of dawn, keying the autopilot to assume standard orbit, in accordance with the regulations governing Earth's crowded space lanes. Keeping half an eye on the readings on his board, he hailed Admiral Janeway's home. An older woman he remembered being introduced to once answered.

"Mrs Janeway," he greeted her politely. "I'm not sure you'd remember me - I'm Ensign Ted Knott. I've been assigned to pilot the Admiral and Cadet Wildman."

Mrs Janeway smiled warmly. "Of course I remember you, Ted. If you'll just wait a moment, I'll fetch Naomi."

"Thank you, ma'am."

Naomi came to the comm screen. "Ted!" she said delightedly. "You're early. We'll be up in a minute. Can you hold on up there?"

He smiled. "As long as you like."

"Thanks." She blew a kiss at the screen and cut the connection. While he waited, Ted downloaded the Admiral's communicator transponder ID from Starfleet. The database gave it up only reluctantly. He was glad he already had Naomi's on file.

The comm system chimed, and Naomi's voice filled the small cabin. "Wildman to Knott. Ted, the Admiral and I are ready for transport."

"Acknowledged, Nay. Stand by." Ted locked onto them and energised. Once he had them safely aboard, he turned around and stood to attention. "Welcome aboard, Admiral."

Admiral Janeway gave him a faintly amused look. "As you were, ensign." The two women stepped down from his small transporter dais. Naomi took the rarely-used co-pilot's seat, and the Admiral sat on one of the even more rarely occupied passenger seats. Ted's ship had two, and a small cabin aft that could sleep one comfortably, two uncomfortably, and more than that in very cramped conditions. As he took his passengers' cases and stowed them in the cabin, Ted resolved to sleep in his chair.

"Where to, Admiral?" he asked, as he resumed his seat.

"Orion III, Ensign. Is your ship prepared for interstellar travel?" Her tone implied that it had better be.

"Yes, Admiral. Laying in a course for Orion III now." He glanced sideways at Naomi for the simple pleasure of seeing her.

"Engage," Admiral Janeway ordered.

"Aye aye, sir," Ted answered crisply. The optical illusion of streaking stars filled the viewscreen as the small ship jumped to warp. Glancing back, he noticed Admiral Janeway rubbing irritably at her neck. She looked tired, and older than he remembered.

"Admiral, why don't you get some rest?" Naomi suggested. "That cabin Ted has is small to share. It makes sense if we take turns using it."

The Admiral's lips twitched. "Good idea, Naomi." She stood. "With your permission, Ensign Knott? This is your ship."

Ted turned slightly red. "Be my guest, Admiral."

The Admiral nodded crisply and went aft, pausing to stick her head back out with a mischievous grin on her face. "And keep your eyes on the road, Ensign," she added, looking from Ted to Naomi with a wicked glint in her eye.

"Yes ma'am," he answered, daring to grin back at her.

They flew in silence for a while. "So how's Neil?" Naomi asked at last.

"He's great. Just met someone new." Ted glanced at her, idly admiring the casual competence with which she perused the copilot's boards.

"That's great." Their eyes met. "You know..." Naomi said thoughtfully, "I hear the autopilots on these courier vessels are pretty good."

Ted nodded. "Sure are. I can leave this thing flying while I sleep. It alerts the pilot if something happens that's outside its parameters." Without conscious volition, he found himself turning to face her.

Naomi smiled. "Computer, engage autopilot," she ordered crisply.

"Autopilot engaged."

It occurred to Ted, as Naomi slid across into his lap, that it had been several months since their schedules had coincided sufficiently to allow them to spend some time together that didn't involve a communicator. And while it was definitely her intellect and charm that attracted him to her...

His universe narrowed to the touch of Naomi in his arms and delicately passionate kisses.

... it really wasn't the same.

He had no idea how much later it was that a beep from the console in front of him interrupted their delicious reacquaintance. He groaned as Naomi reluctantly slid back to her own seat, breathing deeply as he turned his attention to his duties.

"Hormones are irrelevant," he heard Naomi mutter, and couldn't help but chuckle.

"There's a non-Federation ship in sensor range," he reported. Naomi curiously activated the sensor controls on her side.

"Looks like an old Klingon bird-of-prey hull that's been refitted," she reported. "I'm picking up a weird mix of technologies. I think they're freelance."

"Pirates?" Ted's little courier ship was unlikely to be a match for an attacker. Their best hope if under threat was to bolt for safety and scream for help from the nearest friendly starship.

Naomi snorted. "This close to Earth? I doubt it. I'm not picking up anything more than basic weapons, anyway. I think they're just traders." She shot him a fond grin. "Stand down red alert, ensign."

Ted relaxed. "Nay, I've got Admiral Kathryn Janeway on board. Do you *know* what they'd do to me if I got her killed?"

"You'd be dead, too, Ted," she pointed out.

"I don't think that would stop the wrath of High Command." He paused, and smiled at her. "Besides, I could never forgive myself if something happened to you."

Naomi blushed. Ted chuckled and turned back to his console, plotting a minor course adjustment that gave the unknown ship a wide berth. Despite their proximity to Earth, he didn't plan to take any chances.

"That's odd," he said a moment later, a frown creasing his forehead. Naomi glanced at him sharply.

"What is?" Her fingers flickered over her own panel, and she made a hmm sound as she saw what had caught his notice. "They're changing course."

"Right. To follow ours." They looked at each other. A creeping alarm tingled along Ted's spine. "Maybe they're going to Orion too," he suggested slowly.

"They weren't." Naomi concentrated, calling up the sensor data they had on the ship and extrapolating a course.

"What's that way?" Ted asked, as a line plotted itself across a representation of the quadrant. Naomi bit her lip adorably as she refigured some calculations before answering.

"A whole lot of nothing. Mostly just the area that used to be the Cardassian Demilitarised Zone before the war." Despite the interim of over a decade, the area remained largely unpopulated. "That doesn't look good, Ted, but what would pirates be doing this deep into Federation territory?"

"Scaring me," Ted answered succinctly. "I'm powering up auxiliary thrusters and raising shields." He keyed in an override. "Weapons systems are active on your side." The tight grin he shot her was in memory of the simulations they had played at the Academy. Naomi had had a tendency to thrash him.

"The USS Namatjira just left Earth," Naomi reported. "They're about fifteen minutes away at their maximum speed if we need them."

"I'd rather not call if we don't have to." Ted adjusted their course again, drifting as casually as possible further from the other ship. "I'm moving away. They're not following."

"Good work, ensign," said a voice behind them. Naomi and Ted both jumped. Admiral Janeway smiled slightly as she approached and examined the data on their screens. "Keep a close watch on our friends out there."

As his heart gradually stopped pounding, Ted nodded. "Yes ma'am."

"What's our ETA at Orion?" the Admiral asked.

"Several days," Naomi answered absently. She was focussing on the screen in front of her with quiet intent. "Kath - Admiral, Seven can't even be there yet. She only has about six hours on us."

Ted glanced at them. "Nay, that bird of prey out there. Why don't you track its probable course backwards?"

"Okay..." Naomi worked silently for a few seconds. "Looks like they came from the direction of the Centauri area." Ted waited in respectful silence as she ran more calculations. "Ted, do you think Seven's on that ship? That's near enough for a detour."

"Could be. What other information do you have?"

"Not much." Naomi flipped open her tricorder. "This is what we got in Reykjavik..." She transferred the data to Ted's main computer and called it up on-screen. A small icon blinked in the corner. "Hey, I forgot about that."

"The message?" Admiral Janeway queried. "Play it."

"Loading audio file now," Ted reported. Moments later, Seven of Nine's voice filled the small cockpit.

"Naomi Wildman," the message began. "This message is encoded for transmission to you tomorrow. I am unsurprised that you are hearing it now. I assume you are in the company of Captain Janeway." There was a long pause. "If I am in error, please inform her of my sentiments."

Ted saw Naomi glance back at the Admiral, and followed her gaze. Janeway looked slightly pale as the voice spoke again. "Kathryn, I am aware of the cultural restrictions which would suggest to you that we should not have made love last night. I had not, however, believed that they would cause you to reject me so soon after we had shared what we did. I shall not return to Earth. I had thought... more, of you, captain."

Ted fixed his eyes on the foreward viewscreen and carefully arranged a distant expression on his features.

"Naomi." Seven's voice continued inexorably. He had to be imagining that he heard pain in the measured tones. "Please, do not come after me. It appears I was in error last night. I now have work I must complete, and then it is my intention to take a brief sabbatical. I will contact you immediately upon my return." Another pause. "Love, Seven."

The message terminated. Ted made a small but unnecessary course adjustment, trying to ignore what he had just heard and the stunned silence of his passengers.

"Naomi," the Admiral said hoarsely, "do you have a record of the energy signature of Seven's implants?"

In his peripheral vision, Ted saw Naomi give herself a little shake. "I might, Admiral. I scanned her with it when she gave it to me, and I don't think I ever purged that data."

"Narrow the sensor frequency to search for that signature. I want to know if she is on that ship out there." Ted heard her stand. "I'll be in the aft cabin."

"Yes, Admiral." The door slid shut, and Ted felt a touch on his arm. "Ted? Honey, look at me."

Ted unclenched his jaw and gave Naomi a dark look. "That is what this is about, Nay? Admiral Janeway cheating on her husband?" Scowling, he called up some system readouts with unnecessary force.

"Ted, it isn't like that. You know Seven, Ted. You can't think she would..." Naomi bristled on behalf of her friend.

"Be Janeway's mistress? Of course not, Naomi. I respect Seven. A lot. But it's obvious Janeway played her for an innocent, and I can't believe you're helping her go after the poor woman. Or that you let me be a party to it." His eyes showed the hurt and betrayal he felt, he knew, and he kept his voice low to keep the anger from the Admiral's ears. "Why, Naomi?"

She was silent for a long time before she answered. "Because I honestly believe that Kathryn is in love with Seven, Ted," she told him quietly. "Even if she doesn't realise it. And being apart is going to destroy them both."

Ted thought about that. "I know you respect her, Naomi. But you grew up knowing her as the great Captain Janeway. Are you sure you're not biased by that? What if she's less than you believe?"

"I'm sure, Ted."

Ted nodded, accepting that. "And what about her husband?"

Another long pause. "Chakotay will recover, Ted. He might even be better off. I think he senses something's not right, anyway." A quiet regret. "He's a good man. I won't claim he doesn't deserve better than this."

Ted took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. "Naomi, I can't approve of this. It's wrong." He looked across at her, trying to convey with his eyes what it was so hard to say. "But I'll respect your convictions."

Naomi smiled sadly. "Thank you, Ted." Wordlessly, he held out his arms. Naomi crossed quickly to be enfolded in the hug, burying her face in his shoulder with a muffled sob. He rocked her tenderly for long moments until the anguished tension left her body. "Oh, Ted, it's such a mess."

Ted placed a kiss on her forehead, circumventing the spines there with the ease of familiarity. "I know, honey. But I promise you, we can fix it." Pulling back slightly, he looked into her eyes and smiled. "We just have to find Seven. And we can do that."

Naomi kissed him gently. "I love you, Ted."

"I love you, too," he replied, with quiet intensity, before loosening his hold on her. "But we have work to do, right?"

She smiled. "Right." Returning to her own seat, she started retrieving data. "Isolating Seven's energy signature now." Silence. "Can I have more power to the sensors?" Wordlessly, Ted rerouted auxiliary power to the sensor array. "Thank you. They have some kind of diffusive shielding. I'm trying to get through it."

Ted watched her work, pensive. Their mission, now he knew it, bothered him. He cared about Seven, but there was an obstinate part of his ethical core that angrily insisted that Janeway was married.

"She's there," Naomi announced triumphantly, then her eyes widened at the screen. "Oh, hell. I think they noticed the scan." She raised her voice. "Admiral, you'd better get up here."

Janeway appeared in the doorway. Ted determinedly affected not to notice that she almost looked as if she had been crying, and knew Naomi was doing the same. "Report," she ordered crisply.

"Seven of Nine's aboard that ship, but they noticed the scan. They're closing on us," Naomi answered tightly.

"Hail them."

Ted keyed a control. "This is the Federation courier vessel Gay Deceiver to unknown vessel. Please respond." He waited. "I repeat, this is the Federation courier vessel Gay Deceiver to unknown vessel."

After a short pause, their hail was answered, and the screen filled with the image of a compact, dusky-complexioned woman Ted would have guessed to be in her late thirties. Her gaze raked across the two young people and fixed on Admiral Janeway.

"I am Captain Alicia Singh," she introduced herself. "What do you want?" Ted told himself not to relate to the blatant hostility in her tone as the Admiral answered.

"We would like to speak to Seven of Nine," she said evenly. Captain Singh folded her arms.

"Who?" she queried, but her ignorance seemed feigned.

"Seven of Nine. Six feet tall, blonde, very difficult to miss. We know she's aboard," Janeway replied. Her tone was still calm, but there was a slight edge to it now.

From off-screen, Seven's voice was heard. "It is all right, Alicia," she said, and stepped into view. She wore a one-piece black jumpsuit, as did Singh. The outfits were suggestive of a uniform. "Naomi Wildman. I requested that you not to follow me."

Ted saw Naomi pale slightly, and reached across below the range of the viewscreen to pat her knee reassuringly. "I'm sorry, Seven," Naomi said. "But I was already on my way here when I heard your message."

"We will discuss this further," Seven decided. "Ensign Knott, please hold your position. We will stop here."

Captain Singh's head snapped around, and she stared at Seven. "Seven..." She seemed to hesitate, then change what she was about to say. "What about the mission?"

"Inform Daimon Tor that he will wait for me, and send Geoffrey to negotiate with the target. His training is adequate for him to attempt the task now," Seven answered implacably. "We will stop here."

Captain Singh's eyes dropped. "Yes, Seven," she answered, in a defeated tone. Ted was surprised at the hate in her eyes as she looked back at them. "Occupants of Gay Deceiver, the starship Raven and her captain invite you aboard. Stand by for a tractor lock."

"Acknowledged, captain," Janeway said politely. "Stand by for transport."

Ted cut the comm link. "The Raven?"

"Seven's ship," Naomi answered. "I've never been aboard it."

"Well, you're going now. Ted, lock down the ship's systems."

"Yes sir." He powered down most of his ship, and locked it to respond only to his, Janeway's, or Naomi's authorisation. "Ready."

The Admiral and Naomi waited on the tiny transporter dais. Ted programmed the transport as a slight shudder announced that the Raven had them in its tractor beam. Silently he rose and stood with the two women. Moments later, the surroundings of the courier vessel dissolved.

"Welcome aboard," Seven of Nine said.

Chapter Four

Seven saw the uncertainty in Naomi's eyes, and felt a pang of regret for having hurt her friend. "It is all right, Naomi," she reassured her quietly, and nodded in greeting to Ted. She avoided looking at her former captain, but was gratified by Naomi's relieved smile.

She was flanked by the Raven's transporter chief and a security officer Alicia had insisted accompany her. He was a husky young man, and one of the less savoury element that formed part of the crew. Seven was aware of the necessity of hiring them, but unappreciative of the way he was looking at Naomi.

"Chief Holt," she said coolly, addressing the transporter chief. "Escort our guests to my quarters. They will be residing there for the duration of their stay. I would like to speak with Mr Douglas."

Holt nodded, looked sympathetically at Douglas, and led Naomi, Kathryn and Ted out of the transporter chamber. Seven turned to the security guard. "Mr Douglas, your attention to Cadet Wildman was excessive," she noted quietly. "Be aware that our guests' security is of paramount importance. It is also your personal responsibility."

And turned on her heel, and left. She knew that her reputation on this ship, despite how rarely she was aboard, would be enough to frighten him into ensuring that her guests would be completely safe from the crew.

Her quick strides took her to her own little-used quarters just as Chief Holt was leaving them. He cleared his throat. "The visitors are in there, boss. How many extra beds do they need?"

Holt was probably the only crewman she truly trusted on the Raven - including, of late, Alicia. "Just one. Install it in the second room for Admiral Janeway."

"Gotcha. Did you leave Douglas in easily repaired pieces?" he asked, with a grin.

Despite herself, Seven's lips twitched. "I merely informed him that the safety of our guests is his personal responsibility."

"Good move, if you don't mind my saying so... Douglas is as rough as they come, but he'll keep the rest in line if he thinks you'll kill him if he doesn't."

"My thoughts exactly." She entered her quarters.

Kathryn was standing by the window, looking out into space. Naomi was prowling her quarters interestedly, while Ted leaned against a wall. There was limited furniture available. Seven's quarters were scrupulously clean and efficiently designed, but lacking in anything surplus to her essential requirements.

"You followed me," she stated, gathering their attention. "State your purpose."

Silence. Finally, Naomi spoke. "For my part, Seven... I hated seeing you hurting. I agreed to help Kathryn find you so that maybe the two of you could work this out."

"There is nothing to 'work out', Naomi. Kathryn loves Chakotay. I was in error to express my feelings otherwise." It still hurt. Seven forced the tears and feeling down, crushing it savagely in Borg self-control. Apparently not deceived, Naomi crossed the room to touch her arm. Seven couldn't meet her eyes, and stared instead at the pale fingers contrasting against her black sleeve.

"Seven, talk to her," Naomi said softly. "Please. Don't shut her out. Don't shut me out." The hand moved, reaching up to grasp Seven's jaw. Naomi gently tilted Seven's chin up, forcing her to meet a gaze filled with the only love Seven had ever dared rely on.

Seven of Nine entered her bedroom, her perfect posture marred as she unconsciously hunched herself against the hate-filled gazes of so many of her fellow students. It was too much. She found herself missing Voyager so much the ache was physical. The mild sarcasm of B'Elanna Torres seemed by contrast like sweet affection.

The voice of her Astrophysics professor echoed in her mind. "Seven of Nine, a perfect test result. Of course, that's hardly surprising. Some of Starfleet's best astrophysicists have been assimilated by the Borg."

That had hurt. She had devoted considerable time and attention to revising her knowledge of astrophysics in preparation.

Then their had been a knock at her door. Fighting for self control, she called "Enter." An adolescent female had entered. She was the most welcome sight Seven could remember in a long time.

"Seven?" Naomi frowned on seeing her. "What's wrong?"

"I am not adapting well." Wrapped securely in a hug from her young friend, Seven had told her the story, and others. Naomi's reaction of indignant fury had been gratifying, as had her efforts to see that the professor was reprimanded. Seven had not blamed her for her failure. That she had tried was almost enough.

She nodded slowly. "I will comply."

Naomi hugged her. "Thank you, Seven."

A flicker of annoyance crossed Seven's face as the communicator clipped to her collar beeped softly. "This is Seven of Nine," she said, touching it.

"Seven, it's Singh," Alicia's voice said tightly. "We have a problem. Daimon Tor is screaming. Geoffrey reached the target, but the merchandise had already been moved. Tor insists on speaking to you."

Seven sifted through the layers of euphemism and repressed the urge to swear. "Inform Daimon Tor that he will be patient, or I will speak to him in person. Add that he will not enjoy our conversation."

"If you say so, Seven." Alicia did not sound pleased. Seven knew she would probably be required to appease her employee at some point.

After terminating the connection, she looked at Ted and Naomi. "Please accompany me," she requested, and then her voice hardened. "Kathryn, wait here." She saw a muscle twitch in Kathryn's jaw, but Voyager's captain made no other move.

Once out of the room, Seven leaned against the wall for support. "I am malfunctioning," she muttered.

"What's wrong, Seven?" Ted asked. She gave him a wry smile.

"I once believed that love was analogous to a disease," she remarked. "It is possible that I am terminally ill."

"Oh, Seven." Naomi wrapped an arm around her. "That's why we're here."

"Why you're here," Ted said. "I'm just the pilot." Seven glanced at him sharply for the edge she detected in his voice, and resolved to speak with the young man later.

"She... is not herself," she then said, glancing back involuntarily at the closed door. The small part of her that was still Borg railed against her weakness in succumbing to mere emotion, but however against her will, Kathryn's clear pain hurt.

"I know, Seven. She's been distracted all day. This is really preying on her," Naomi answered intently.

"No. It is more than this. She was not herself at dinner last night, either. She has grown too passive." Her jaw clenched slightly. "Chakotay has done this to her."

"Chakotay is her husband, Seven," Ted answered, slightly agitated. "I know that..." He paused, and took a deep breath. "Seven, I know what happened. And it was wrong, though I don't blame you for it. But Admiral Janeway is married. She belongs with her husband, not you. And if she's changed since Voyager... It's been ten years, Seven." He shrugged a little. "People do change."

"Elaborate. Why is it wrong for her, but not for me?"

"It's wrong for her, because a marriage is more than just an institution. When she married Chakotay, she bound herself to be with him... and to be faithful to him."

"Define faithful."

"To love no other as she loves him."

"She does not love me as she loves him. She loves me more."

"She isn't married to you, Seven," Ted answered obstinately. "Even if she wants you, what happened last night shouldn't have. It isn't logic, Seven, but it's how this is supposed to work."

"So why do you not think I am in the wrong? I did not protest. I even initiated our physical relations. I was aware of her marriage." Seven was unreasonably angry at the young man's argument, and knew that it was unfair. But she hurt, and seemed unable to prevent herself.

"Do you think what you did was wrong, Seven?" he asked gently, touching her arm. She was unable to pull her gaze from his. The dark, gentle regard was too compelling.

"No. I do not. I do not see that it can be wrong for us to love each other. Love is the greatest distinction of individuality I have known since I was severed from the Collective," she whispered. "How can it be wrong to love?"

He smiled. "It isn't, Seven. It's never wrong to love. It's how you express that love that can be wrong. You love her with all that you know of love, and you didn't see how what happened last night could be anything other than natural and right. That isn't bad. But Janeway knew better. Which is why I don't, I can't, support her actions in this." He squeezed her forearm. "She should never have hurt you like this."

"Morality is a personal choice?" She began to think she understood.

"It has to be, Seven. It was right for you, because you didn't know anything but the beauty of what love can be. But it was wrong for the Admiral, because she knows better. And it shouldn't have happened, because you, and Chakotay, and even Janeway are hurt by it."

"But her marriage is wrong for her," Seven said plaintively. Ted shook his head.

"That isn't for you to judge."

"You still have to talk to her, Seven," Naomi spoke again. "Or this will destroy you both."

Seven took a deep breath, fighting to expand her ribcage past the strange constriction on her chest. "Very well. I will talk to her."

"Thank you, Seven."

"Feel at liberty to explore the ship. You should encounter no difficulties." Seven took a deep breath. "Wish me luck," she added dryly.

She stopped in the doorway of her quarters. Kathryn was asleep, lying on the couch pushed against one wall. Relaxed like this, the lines of the Alpha Quadrant smoother a little from her aging face, and Seven could see more clearly to the woman she had known and loved. The years had not been kind, but to Seven's eyes the beauty still remained.

She took a few silent steps closer, looking for her captain.

There was the line on her forehead where she frowned as she concentrated. There were the creases of her smile. Her hair was greying, but the beautiful auburn Seven had always been startled and delighted by remained visible. Still, Kathryn seemed... smaller. Diminished, somehow. She hadn't looked so closely the night before. She had taken it for granted that the captain could only have grown, as she had, as Naomi had. Even Neelix and the Doctor were greater than they had been. Seven hurt, just to see her.

He did this to her. She tried to imagine how this marriage could ever have been, and failed.

Her fingertips brushed across the sleeping woman's lips, remembering the night before. She wanted this woman, still. On her ship, in her bed, in her life. She wanted her.

Almost without intending to, she leaned down and brushed her lips across Kathryn's. As she pulled away, blue-grey eyes fluttered open. "Seven," Kathryn whispered.

"Kathryn." They looked into each other's eyes at very close range.

"I'm so very sorry, Seven." Could those be tears forming in her eyes?

"I know, Kathryn." Her human fingers caressed and tangled in the greying hair.

"How can you forgive me?"

"How can you forgive me?"

"Tell me why you married Chakotay."

"He asked, Seven. Everything was being taken away. Voyager, my crew, my command... you. Chakotay came to me and made a wonderful loving proposal. I didn't want to lose him too. And I did love him, Seven. Perhaps not enough, but he's been... a good husband." She was silent for a moment. "But I stopped needing him."

"And now?"

"He deserves better than this. He should have someone who does need him. Someone..." She hesitated. "Someone who isn't in love with someone else." Seeming almost without Kathryn's conscious volition, her arms rose to wrap around Seven, who felt the shoulder of her uniform dampened by silent tears. "It's going to hurt him so much," Kathryn whispered hoarsely.

Seven held her tightly for a long moment. "I'll come back to Earth with you," she promised quietly. "I must speak with Alicia."

Seven walked towards the bridge, mind turning over rapidly. The Raven's crewmembers she passed gave her wary looks, which she ignored. It had always suited her purposes for Alicia to hire as motley a crew as possible. The high turnover rate of lower decks crewmen meant that they tended not to know enough of the Raven's activities to sell Seven's organisation out to her competitors, who envied the efficiency of her operation and the profits it generated.

It came down to money, and necessity. It was true that Seven needed funds, herself. Since she could not always get the maintenance she required to survive from Voyager's doctor, she was frequently obliged to obtain assistance from expensive, non-Federation physicians - and engineers. There was also Holt to consider, and Alicia. They depended on her. So if she was to return with Kathryn, it would be important to consider that.

She dreaded the coming conversation, however.

"Seven?" Alicia rose from her command chair as Seven entered the bridge. Her eyes, dark and familiar, seemed to read Seven's mind, and she immediately gestured towards the anteroom that served as a ready room. Once there, she grasped Seven's shoulder and ran her fingertips lightly across her cheek. "Seven, tell me what's wrong."

"Kathryn," Seven answered simply. Pain flashed across Alicia's features, quickly masked.

"You're leaving with her," she surmised. Seven managed a brief nod. "Even though she rejected you this morning." Another nod. Anger. "Damn you. Why?"

"I..." A breath. "I love her, Alicia."

"After everything she did to you? And what about the business?" Alicia demanded, then her voice tumbled to a broken whisper. "What about me?"

"Such aspects of our business as necessary will be transferred to your control," Seven told her, then paused. "Alicia, I told you long ago that I could not love you."

Alicia grimaced and took a step back. "Which, in your mind, apparently was supposed to stop me falling in love with you. Too bad, Seven. I do love you. It's been six months since you left me and I still miss you. I miss you so much..." She was starting to sob. With genuine remorse, Seven pulled her into a gentle hug. "I need you, Seven," Alicia said softly.

"I am sorry," Seven answered regretfully. "It was not my intention to cause you suffering."

"Too late," Alicia said against her chest. "You walked on board with a mind that would put Hawking to shame and a body that would tempt a saint. How the hell was I supposed to not love you?" Seven released her with a gentle kiss to her forehead.

"I do..." The vocabulary of emotion still didn't come naturally. Seven selected her words with difficulty. "I care for you, Alicia. I will think of you... fondly."

"Only two years, and it means so much to you? I'm flattered." Seven winced at the sarcasm. "I'm glad I never asked you to marry me, Seven. I'm not good with such excesses of emotion."

The bitterness in her eyes and voice was almost more than Seven could bear. "Alicia..."

"Just go, Seven. Please. I'd rather not be near you right now," Alicia pleaded. Seven hesitated, then nodded, and silently left the room.

"Well?" Naomi asked, when Seven found her and Ted passing the time in the ship's gym. Seven smiled wryly.

"It would seem you were correct. Kathryn and I... have resolved our differences." Seven caught Naomi's slender body as her friend launched herself towards her, hiding her face for a moment in the hug. When she looked up, she met Ted's eyes across Naomi's shoulder. They were filled with something very like fury, as he pressed his muscular body over the vaulting horse he'd been sitting on and dropped to the ground.

"Congratulations, Seven," he said in an oddly flat tone, and stalked out of the room.

Naomi turned in Seven's loosely clasped arms. "Seven... Did he seem upset to you?"

"Yes, Naomi."

"He's probably just gone for a walk, right?"

"The possibility does exist."

"Have you talked to Alicia yet?"

"I have." Seven hesitated. "She's upset. She is... in love with me."

Naomi winced in sympathy. "Poor Alicia."

"Indeed." Guilt was weighing on Seven's emotions for the suffering of the Raven's captain. "I care for her, Naomi. It is hard to cause her suffering like this."

"I know, Seven." Naomi rested her head against her friend's shoulder, and was silent for a moment. "As long as we're talking about our respective lovers, I think I should go after Ted. He might be having a real problem with this. You..." She paused to raise her head again and kiss Seven on the cheek, smiling. "You go finish your business, so we can leave."

Tying off the loose ends her departure would create took longer than Seven expected, and the others were waiting by the time she was done. The return journey was brief and uncomfortably silent.

"The Raven has cloaked," Naomi said, halfway to Earth. Kathryn, curled silently into a passenger seat, did not react.

Seven frowned. "They were not under orders to do so. There is a high element of risk in such an action this close to Earth. Are you certain?"

"Dead certain. They just disappeared from sensors."

"It is probable that Alicia has determined to follow us. She is, however, unlikely to attempt to harm this vessel."

"Why would she be doing it?"

"I cannot be certain. It's probable she wishes to be in range should something happen."

The silence returned. Seven noted without surprise that Ted was still agitated. A muscle twitched erratically in his jaw, though his set expression gave no other indication of feeling. Naomi remained preoccupied, and Kathryn... withdrawn.

"Entering orbit," Ted said at last. "Will you be beaming down, Admiral?"

"Yes, ensign. Naomi, set co-ordinates for home."

"Co-ordinates set," she reported, then looked at Ted. "Call me?"

"Tonight," he promised. They kissed regretfully goodbye. "Ready for transport?"

The three women gathered on the small transporter dais. "Ready," Naomi told him. He touched a control. Moments later, they were back in Indiana, not far from the Janeway home.

"Here we go," Naomi muttered, starting towards the building. Seven followed.

"Kathryn?" Seven stopped and turned as she noticed that Kathryn had fallen behind, and saw that she was looking without enthusiasm at her home. Carefully clamping down her irritation, Seven raised an eyebrow at her. "Your apprehension is counter-productive," she told her evenly.

"Seven, I'm about to throw away an eight-year marriage," Kathryn pointed out defensively.

"Irrelevant," Seven informed her curtly. "Your behaviour has been unworthy of you, captain."

"Unworthy how?"

"You lack courage."

Seeming stung, Kathryn had opened her mouth to reply when the sound of Chakotay's voice cut across the grass. "Kathryn! And Seven? You're back!"

Seven looked at Chakotay thoughtfully, seeing him now as a man rather than an adjunct to Kathryn, perhaps for the first time since they'd met. His face was more deeply lined than she'd thought, his hair greyer - but he retained an uncertain dignity the years of his unfortunate marriage had yet to erase. He did, she realised, probably still love her; for all her dislike of him, she knew his heart was good.

For a long, aching moment, she felt sorry for him.

"Chakotay," she said gravely, as she entered the house.

Chapter five

Kathryn felt tears sting her eyes as Chakotay's voice, deep, smooth, and wrenchingly familiar, answered Seven's greeting behind her. Walking into the living room, Kathryn shivered faintly as she glanced at the couch. It seemed like so long before that she and Seven had made love, though she knew in her mind that it had been barely a day. Chakotay's footsteps followed her. She couldn't bring herself to look at him, and instead stared out the window at the garden.

A bush trembled. Kathryn decided it was probably a cat.

"You've had a long day," her husband said. "Why don't you come to bed?"

"All right." Still avoiding his gaze, she preceded him upstairs to their bedroom. There, she again found the window. She could see the stars. For most of her adult life, the starfields she watched had been different every day. The constellations of Earth, their shapes imprinted into her very bones, were like a sign of her own stagnation here.

When had it changed?

"What do you mean, I'm being assigned to Headquarters?" Janeway had demanded. "After I held my damn crew together across the breadth of the galaxy, you're questioning my ability to command?"

"Just the opposite, captain," Admiral Blake answered coolly. "We feel that after such a long and unorthodox career so independent of Starfleet Command, it would be to your benefit to settle down close to home. You'll be promoted, of course."

Janeway stared at him, somehow unable to comprehend his statement. "What about my crew?" she asked hoarsely. "We were family."

"They'll all be advised of their new assignments. After a suitable leave period. Should it not suit their tastes to remain with Starfleet, that is their option. Your non-Starfleet crewmembers will of course benefit by the presence of an advocate here at Command."

Janeway was numb. "So the ex-Maquis stay free if I stay on Earth. What exactly are you so afraid of, Admiral?"

Blake scowled. "I'll be honest with you, Kathryn. You're a loose cannon. Unreliable. Your logs of your journey show that you are no longer deeply bound by Starfleet ethics. We don't want you out of our sight. We've agreed to pardon the Maquis, and we're happy for your crew to stay in Starfleet. Most of them are getting promotions. But we're splitting you up, because it's time you all came back into the fold."

She had reeled home from her interview with the Admiral a Commodore who had just had the deck-plates ripped from beneath her feet. Exploring was her life...

After that, Kathryn recalled, her will had seamed to gradually leak away, eroded by paperwork and the frustration of her need to fly.

She even found she missed the Delta Quadrant.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the feel of strong hands on her shoulders, expertly massaging away the tension there. Against her will, she groaned. Chakotay's touch progressed across her shoulders, mapping the shape of muscle and bone.

"Chakotay, stop," she whispered. His hands pulled away, and she turned to find puzzlement in his gaze.

"What's wrong, Kathryn?" he asked.

She didn't answer immediately, but instead let her gaze roam his broad, genial face. He really was a good man, she reflected. She hoped he might find a better love than she.

"Did you ever wonder if we did the right thing, Chakotay?" she asked. "Eight years ago. When we married." Please, don't say you've been happy...

"Never, Kathryn. It was the right thing to do, I'm sure of it. We'd been together so long... I can't imagine living without you." He smiled uncertainly. "Besides, Kathryn, you weren't happy just hanging around Starfleet Command."

"No. No, I wasn't," she agreed sadly. "But was companionship all it was? What about falling in love?"

"Of course I love you, Kathryn. I fell in love with you the first year we were aboard Voyager."

Kathryn took a deep breath and wiped a tear from her eye. "Chakotay, I want you to know that I loved you too."

"Loved?" His dark, beautiful eyes were widening in alarm, and she could sense his rising panic. Yes, Chakotay. Past tense. I'm so so sorry...

"It stopped being right for us a long time ago, Chakotay." She closed her eyes, unable to look at him. "And it has to end now."

"I..." He was breathing hard, and he had to swallow convulsively before he could speak. "Is this about Seven? Kathryn... I know you missed her, I know..."

"It's not about Seven."

"Then what is this, Kathryn? What changed? You never -" He stopped. He was crying.

Shaking, Kathryn turned away. "Nothing changed, Chakotay. Maybe that's what's wrong." She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry," he repeated. It sounded like a curse. She heard his footsteps leave the room, soft for a man of his size, but anger was in each footfall. The door closed behind him with a soft click of the latch.

Janeway steeled herself, taking a deep, diaphragm-stretching breath as a vitality she hadn't felt in years stirred, making her heart beat a little faster as she reached for the handle to her bedroom door. She heard raised voices as she quickstepped downstairs - Chakotay, sounding hurt and furious, and Naomi, sounding entreating.

She saw Seven as the living room came into view. The blonde stood silently, head slightly bowed, her eyes shining with unshed tears. Her otherwise composed face bore traces of - compassion? Chakotay's ire, Janeway saw as she advanced, was directed at Seven, but the lithely still-youthful ex-Borg showed no evidence of an attempt at self-defence. Instead, Naomi had interposed her slight figure between them, begging Chakotay to please calm down.

"That's enough," Janeway growled, the old, implacable note of command back in her voice. Naomi and Chakotay froze; Seven looked up at last, blinking rapidly to clear her eyes. They held one another's gaze for several moments before Seven smiled slightly, tenderly, and loooked away. Kathryn consciously softened her demeanour and focussed her attention on her husband. "Chakotay, this wasn't, isn't, because of Seven."

He took deep, shuddering breaths, the wildness of a strong man at the boundaries of emotional pain and self-control. Kathryn hurt to see him.

"I wish I'd never met you, Kathryn," he spat. "I wish I'd never loved you."

"Maybe that would have been better," she allowed. He flinched like her words were a blow. Unable to look at him, Kathryn let her eyes fall on Naomi, who stood ashen-faced by Seven. "But we can't change the past, Chakotay. I wish we could. But all we have is the future."

Chakotay snarled. "Get out, Kathryn. Get the hell out of my life." His glare took in Naomi. "You too."

Janeway nodded slowly as Seven rested her hand lightly on Naomi's shoulder in reassurance. "All right."

Tears flowing silently down his cheeks, Chakotay dropped heavily into a chair. Janeway silently gathered Seven and Naomi with her gaze and led them upstairs.

"Help me pack?" she quietly asked Seven, who nodded.

"I'll call Ted, and get my stuff," Naomi said. "I can spend the rest of break with him on the station."

Kathryn touched her arm. "I'm sorry you got mixed up in this."

Naomi grinned humourlessly. "It's okay, Kathryn. It's sure been an experience." She turned and slipped out the door. Together, Janeway and Seven began packing away the remnants of Kathryn's marriage.

Epilogue (1)

The tears had dried into trails of impure chemicals, and the sounds of the house told him the three women had gone, before Chakotay moved - to answer the door. A quiet, but insistent knocking had penetrated the walls of his misery. Even so, his body responded sluggishly to his distracted mind's commands.

A compact woman with dusky skin and midnight hair stood before him, looking about as cheerful as he supposed he did. "Who are you?" he demanded.

"My name is Alicia." She gave him a pained smile. "I had a vested interest in what just happened here." He realised she had been watching, perhaps from outside the windows.

"Seven," Chakotay spat the name.

"And Janeway." She seemed no fonder of his wife's.

"What do you want?"

Alicia held up a bottle of dark green liquid. "Not to drink alone."

Wordlessly, Chakotay stepped back to let her in.

Epilogue (2)

Seven browsed a PADD as Kathryn reclined tiredly against her, eyes closed. "Alicia has left me her resignation," she remarked.

"She was the Raven's captain." Kathryn shifted closer, finding a more comfortable position against the angular body. She had not, she knew, yet dealt with the emotional impact of the scenes with Chakotay, but for now... she was just too tired. "What will you do now?"

"Hire a replacement... captain." Seven let the statement, and its implications, hang in the courier ship's rarefied air. Kathryn's eyes blinked open.

"You can't be suggesting that I..." She realised that she was temped. A ship, a command, a return to space... and to a life of excitement, adventure, the intricate machinations of Seven's privateer craft rather than the supply runs that were probably the best she could get out of Starfleet these days.

"I do not see why not," Seven observed.

"You know, Seven... Neither do I."

They sealed the agreement with a gentle kiss, as the courier ship flew smoothly towards their future.

finis