All Mine

“Explain,” said the ex-drone in her customary offhand manner.

“No. I don’t want to!” Kathryn declared stubbornly, she sat down on the nearest rock, she knew she was being childish, but she didn’t care. She was hungry, tired and desperately in need of a cup of coffee - she was in no humour to explain the workings of her logic to the Borg.

In fact, she was in the mood for pouting.

The Captain puckered her lips; it was her birthday and she could sulk if she wanted to.

Seven quirked an eyebrow as she observed the Captain. Janeway was in a volatile mood today and it was extremely agreeable to watch. The ex-drone delighted in seeing the usually calm and controlled woman in a state of aggravation.

Janeway gazed out to sea. She was stranded on some desert island programme with her Astrometric’s Officer; ordinarily she would have enjoyed the experience – but not today, not on her birthday - an event that went largely unnoticed aboard Voyager due to Kathryn’s unmitigated efforts to underplay it.

She hated birthdays, especially her own. There was something so false about being the centre of attention in that archaic fashion, it embarrassed her having to sit there while people sang ‘Happy Birthday To You’. Just the thought of it made her cringe.

She had always preferred to spend her birthdays alone; it was a family tradition her father had passed on - he used to disappear to their Farm in Indiana for his birthday. Janeway smiled wistfully at this memory; she missed him. She missed home.

“Captain, it should only take a further ten minutes for Ensign Kim to release the holodeck controls,” Seven assured, a little too confidently.

Kathryn gazed at her friend suspiciously, then stood and approached the ex-drone. “Seven?”

The blonde remained motionless, even though Janeway’s face was precariously close to her own. “Captain?” she replied, trying to keep from smiling.

“Did you lock us in here on purpose?” Janeway’s voice went up an octave at this suggestion, while her brow furrowed in a charming manner.

“No,” Seven answered truthfully, however, she did not reveal the circumstances leading to their being intentionally trapped on the holodeck.

Kathryn took a step back, suddenly embarrassed by her accusation, but she could think of no other reason why her usually efficient Astrometric’s Officer could not release the holodeck controls, Seven had given her some guff about the door circuitry being fused, disallowing access from inside, but Kathryn wasn’t buying it. She sat back down on the rock, imagining a steaming cup of coffee in her hands.

Seven wondered how the decorations in the Mess Hall were coming along, she had wanted to participate in organizing the celebration, but Paris had insisted that she be the one to distract the Captain, something about Janeway being more inclined to go with her than anyone else. The memory sent a fierce elation flooding through her body.

As she watched sunlight streaming onto Janeway’s auburn hair, soaking into her creamy skin and highlighting the Captain’s striking features, the ex-drone realised she was enjoying this situation far too much. Janeway gently tilted her head, raising her face to the sun and arching her neck; Seven exhaled loudly.

Realising that the blonde was watching her, Kathryn turned to the ex-drone. “What?” she snapped, exaggerating her pout.

“Nothing,” replied Seven, radiating a smile that completely unnerved the Captain.

Kathryn knew that people often thought she had a maternal instinct where the ex-Borg was concerned, but she had to admit that her feelings for Seven were more… complicated. ‘And having her gaze at me that way isn’t helping’ She thought to herself.

“Is now a good time to give you your present?” the younger woman inquired earnestly.

Janeway was dumbfounded. “What?!” she spluttered, now she really was beginning to think this was a set-up. A romantic setting, isolated from the rest of the crew… and a present?

Seven took a small package from a tree branch, while Janeway wondered how she had managed to place it there.

Seven ran her fingers anxiously over the wrapping paper and hesitated.

Observing the worried look on her friend’s features, Kathryn softened, and she wondered what Seven could have bought her. A Self-Assimilation kit?! Little Borg-Cube earrings…

The ex-drone took a step forward, carefully placing the present in Janeway’s hands.

“Thank you,” the Captain expressed her gratitude in advance.

Seven scowled. “You have not opened it yet. I want to know if it is sufficient, I did not replicate it so that you could thank me out of courtesy – it is relevant to me that you like it.”

Kathryn was struck by the unexpected importance placed on her gift. She glanced down at the crisp red paper, remembering it was Annika’s favourite colour.

Vigilantly, she remove the wrapping to reveal a small box, with care, she opened it. Her eyes shone and she removed the intricately detailed brooch of Earth. She gazed up at Seven, touched by her friend’s sentimentality. She looked down at the pin again. “Seven… it’s beautiful…” she stammered.

Seven smiled shyly and moved closer. She took the brooch from Janeway, lightly brushing her fingers across the Captain’s palm, feeling Janeway’s pulse quicken.

Seven loosened the clasp and leaned nearer to Kathryn. She watched Janeway closely as she raised her left hand and slipped it under the coarse material of the Captain’s tunic collar. She ran her hand along the neckline of Kathryn’s tunic and down the slight opening, her fingers lightly grazing Janeway’s tank top and the skin beneath it. Seven tugged gently at the fabric of the tunic as she fastened the pin in place.

Kathryn remained still as Seven fixed the brooch firmly over her heart, half afraid of being jabbed by the pin and half afraid of the intensity of physical contact with her Astrometric’s Officer. She felt the warmth of Seven’s hand against her body and wanted to lean into the touch. They spent so much of their time together, were so familiar with each other and yet physical contact was a foreign concept between them.

“So you can keep your dreams close to your heart,” the ex-drone explained the gift, slowly drawing her hands away from Kathryn, but kept her body at a close proximity. She felt drawn to the Captain, as if caught in a wormhole that was pulling her into a dizzying haze of uncertainty, unknown territory that was simultaneously exciting and scary.

Seven breathed lightly against Kathryn’s neck, Janeway felt the heat caress her skin and it sent fiery tingles the length of her body. She felt the young woman’s nearness pressing in on her, as if the barrier between what they knew and what could be was gradually evaporating.

The pout was gone, Kathryn’s gaze was tender, she just wanted to keep watching Seven looking at her in that way. The way she had secretly longed for. She had dreamed of similar scenarios, fantasized about being with Seven – but never dared consider the possibility of it actually happening.

Now, here in this moment, she felt as if time had been extended and the precious few seconds that they stood this close, that she could feel her own breath stroking Seven’s collarbone, that she could almost taste the ex-drone’s skin on her lips… she almost hoped for the impossible.

The usually level-headed blonde openly gaped at Janeway’s beauty, Kathryn had always held a certain power over her – not because she was the Captain, but because she possessed an irresistible quality, there was something in her air, something Seven found enticing and she wanted so desperately for the Captain to know it.

Janeway’s upturned face was too much of a temptation and Seven moved closer, Kathryn gasped as Seven lowered her face to her own, leaning her forehead against the Captain’s; Seven wanted to ensure that this was what they both wanted.

Janeway didn’t resist the contact, she accepted it, then tilted her head to allow her mouth to meet Seven’s. Their lips touched tentatively, unsure of the other.

Kathryn pulled away; she searched Seven’s eyes for assurance. The ex-drone leaned forwards again, Kathryn parted her lips and relaxed as they kissed again, she explored Seven’s mouth passionately while Seven moved her hands up the Captain’s back, pulling her into an embrace.

A chirping noise interrupted them, followed closely by the sound of footsteps; they pulled apart.

As Kathryn straightened her tunic, Seven ran a hand over her unruffled hair to ensure it was in place, for some reason she expected it to be wild and unruly, just like her insides.

Harry Kim stood on the threshold of the holodeck doorway. “Sorry for the delay Captain, bet you’re glad to be getting out of here!” he joked.

Kathryn smiled awkwardly, feeling disappointed by this interlude. “Yeah,” she answered weakly, before shooting Seven a regretful glance.

The two women followed Kim out of the holodeck and into the corridor, Janeway was about to head for the Bridge when Harry suggest she accompany him to the Mess Hall – some lame excuse about a new type of coffee Neelix was anxious to try. She gave Seven a doubtful look, but the blonde indicated for her to go along.

How could she refuse?

* * * * * *

She shook it again; she was usually good at this. Neelix hovered in front of her, eagerly awaiting her guess. She deduced that this party had been his idea, ‘This present had better be good’, she decided, ‘otherwise, god help Neelix the next time he’s walking past an airlock.’

She gave up guessing and tore into the bright wrapping paper, revealing two dolls of Treevis and Flotter. The Captain smiled at Neelix.

“Thank you,” she managed, deciding to put them in the replicator-recycling bin as soon as she returned to her quarters.

“Naomi helped me choose them,” the Talaxian declared happily.

She was almost at the end of her presents and very much relieved. So far she had received a Klingon pain stick from B’Elanna and Tom, Tuvok had replicated her a copy of Starfleet Regulations (as if she needed reminding), and Chakotay had bought her a ridiculously soppy leather-bound book of love sonnets which had caused her to raise her eyebrow sceptically.

Seven stood timidly in the background while she unwrapped her presents, hoping that Janeway favoured her gift above the others, she had an impulse to throw all of the presents aside, grab Janeway’s hand and drag her back to the holodeck where they could continue that kiss.

Kathryn caught a glimpse of the pensive look on Seven’s face and wished that she could be alone with her Astrometric’s Officer, instead, she accepted Harry’s clumsily wrapped present and smiled, making a metal note to take Seven to one side when the party was over.

It wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate the crew’s efforts... she did. But she had other things on her mind… Borg-like things… Nice Borg-like things… She smiled deliriously, and had to remind herself that she was on show and should refrain from making googly-eyes at the young blonde.

She unwrapped Harry’s present to reveal an elegant silver and glass coffee pot. She smiled at him, Kim grinned happily. She added it to the pile of coffee pots collecting behind her. Another package was handed to her; she had a feeling this party was going to be a lengthy occasion.

* * * * * *

Two hours passed and there was still no escape from the well-wishers standing in her way of Seven. So, she did what any self-respecting Captain would do in her position - she hit the Klingon blood wine.

Ever since the Hirogen had invaded Voyager, forcing the crew to be characters in holodeck simulations, she’d had a strange partiality towards Klingon beverages. To this day, it remained a mystery.

* * * * * *

After four hours, the blonde gave up all hopes of talking privately with Janeway and decided to leave; she would have to wait till tomorrow. She didn’t want to return to the emptiness of her alcove, she needed to clear her head, so she decided to take a detour.

* * * * * *

“She did what?!” Torres exclaimed.

Janeway squirmed at B’Elanna’s tone, suddenly wishing she hadn’t said anything.

It was five hours later, and having consumed enough blood wine to make even the heartiest Klingon keel over, Kathryn sat slumped at a table facing her Chief Engineer and Helms Control operator.

Almost everyone else had retired for the night, ‘some people have no stamina!’ Janeway thought drunkenly to herself.

“She kissed you?!” Tom echoed B’Elanna’s surprise.

Kathryn nodded.

“Well, I know resistance is futile – but she’s taking that Borg charm of hers a bit far!” Torres muttered to herself.

“We told her to distract the Captain, not - ”

Janeway shot him a warning look. He held his hands up in surrender, adding quietly. “Did you… Captain… I don’t mean to pry, but… did you let her kiss you?” the pilot studied Janeway; the answer to this determined how they should proceed.

A confused expression clouded her face as she thought about this. Torres and Paris shifted further forwards in their seats, intrigued.

“Yes. I suppose I did!” Kathryn admitted, suddenly feeling very pleased about the situation.

* * * * * *

“She did what?!” Cried the Doctor.

Seven remained calm, despite the look of shock on the hologram’s face. “Let me kiss her,” restated the ex-Borg.

The Doctor turned to Neelix as if not hearing properly. “She can’t have… She wouldn’t!”

“But she can, and she did. I mean… ‘we’ did,” Seven confessed, wondering why her friends were so upset.

“Did you… enjoy it?” Neelix asked cautiously.

Seven thought for a moment, then a rather large smile crossed her face. “It was very enjoyable,” she replied.

The Talaxian waved his arms. “Well then, as long as the two of you had a good time, what does it matter - ”

“Of course it matters!” the Doctor interrupted him. “She’s the Captain – you can’t go about willy-nilly kissing the Captain!”

Seven quirked a quizzical eyebrow. “Why not?”

There was a little too much confidence in her cool demeanour for the Doctor’s comfort. “Why not?! Why not?!” he turned with disbelief to Neelix. “Do you hear that? Why not, indeed!”

The Talaxian shrugged. “If Seven is interested in the Captain romantically… and the Captain reciprocates, then why shouldn’t they?”

The EMH raised his arms in defeat. “Fine! Just throw protocol out the airlock!” He turned to Seven. “How are you going to conduct a relationship with her? Have you thought about the consequences? What about her responsibilities? Her needs… you’re putting her in a very awkward position by pursuing her.”

Seven glanced at the floor. She nibbled her lower lip, remembering the feel of Janeway's lips pressed to her own. “I did not think in advance,” she admitted.

“You see!” the Doctor disproved.

“I only thought of how it would feel to brush-up against her… breath her in and taste her lips… to have one moment that she gave to me; and only me. Where I could see want and need in her eyes for something more… something lasting. Feel her heartbeat quicken at my touch and know I had affected her as severely as she affects me. I only wanted her to want me. Is that wrong?”

Neelix and the Doctor exchanged a heartfelt look. They would have to rethink this.

* * * * * *

“Then what?” Kathryn asked.

Tom thought for a moment. “She’s a Borg – so you’ll need to be confident. Stride provocatively towards her - ”

“Stride?” The Captain’s tone was uncertain. “Isn’t that a little forceful?”

“Saunter,” amended B’Elanna.

Paris nodded. “Saunter provocatively towards her - ”

“I don’t think I can saunter,” the Captain declared, already feeling tense at the prospect of seducing her Astrometric’s Officer.

“It’s easy!” Torres exclaimed, quickly sauntering to illustrate how it should be done.

Janeway looked unconvinced.

“You try,” B’Elanna encouraged.

Kathryn attempted; she made it halfway across the Mess Hall before the Engineer clutched her arm, stopping her in her tracks. “You look like a constipated Leola root! Don’t saunter!”

“WALK provocatively towards her…” Tom paused, as if expecting another interruption, none came, so he continued. “Keep your tone light… but suggestive… be coy, yet dynamic - remember – she has little experience in this area, you need to be obvious... but not desperate.”

Kathryn nodded. “Light, suggestive, coy, dynamic – obvious and desperate. Got it.”

* * * * * *

“What if she falls over? Or I drop her?” asked the ex-drone, somehow the suggestion of sweeping the Captain off her feet seemed ill advised.

“Not literally, Seven!” the Doctor exclaimed, rolling his eyes.

“In fact – I strongly recommend not picking her up at all,” Neelix suggested helpfully, the image of Janeway battering the ex-drone to death with a coffee cup entered his head. The Captain wasn’t one to be manhandled, even if it was by the stunning ex-Borg.

Seven felt dizzy with all the contradicting information she was gathering on this topic. “But you said - ”

“I meant flatter her - with flowers, a compliment, a present…”

“Oh,” the blonde registered. “I have already given her a gift.”

“Looks like you don’t need our help after all,” joked Neelix.

Seven didn’t look amused; she was growing weary of their advice.

“Okay – try a compliment on us and see how it goes,” recommended the EMH.

Seven wrinkled her brow in concentration, then she gazed at the Doctor. “Captain, despite your advancing years, I find you highly attractive,” the blonde smiled, pleased with herself.

The Doctor and Talaxian stared at her.

* * * * * *

“Try again, a little more sultry this time,” B’Elanna instructed wearily.

Tom collapsed his head into his waiting arms, he couldn’t take much more of this.

Janeway’s tone was awkward as she declared. “Hey Seven - are those Borg implants, or are you just pleased to see me?!”

After a pause, Kathryn broke into laughter. “I can’t say that! This is ridiculous! I’m going to bed!” she declared.

She turned her back on the frustrated couple and left the Mess Hall, relieved to escape the scrutiny of her chat-up technique; she was rustier than a targ’s bucket in the middle of the dry season.

As she made her way towards her quarters, Janeway kept her head low, she was beginning to regret the amount of wine she had drunk. Turning a sharp corner, she was surprised to bump into someone at this late hour. She looked up, it was Seven.

The ex-drone took a step back from the Captain. They gazed uneasily at one another. Remembering all the advice she had received, Kathryn wondered whether now was the time to kick into her ‘seduction’ mode, it was a bit late for the saunter, but maybe she could still be dynamic and coy…

Seven looked disconcerted as she wondered whether now was an appropriate time to compliment Janeway on how attractive she was when inebriated.

They gazed at each other uncertainly. Then Kathryn decided to end the suspension. “Seven, about this afternoon on the holodeck. The kiss.”

“Yes, Captain?”

“I liked it.”

“So did I.”

They both smiled, relieved.

“Would you like to go for dinner after our Velocity match tomorrow?”

“I would enjoy that very much, Kathryn.”

They beamed happily at each other.

“Good,” the Captain tilted her head and smiled. “Well, goodnight, sleep well.”

Seven nodded happily and they continued on their separate routes, content that things would take their natural course; that they would find their way to each other in their own time.



 

~The End~