Don't say a word
Janeway listened to the gentle hum eminating from Seven's alcove. Soon it would
be about three months since they had installed the alcove into the Captain's
bedroom.
At first the humming sound had bothered her but she had, as Seven had stated,
adapted soon. Now she found the sound relaxing and soothing, she found it to
have become a thing she needed to hear in order to get to sleep. Like a child
needing to hear a lullaby, perhaps. Only that her lullaby was the sound of Seven
regenerating. -Foolish.
Janeway turned to lay on her stomach.
Regeneration cycle incomplete.
-Oh, but of course. It's the devil's midnight again, isn't it? Janeway thought.
She lay in bed, kept her eyes closed and listened as Seven of Nine stepped down
from the dais and left the quarters. Images of her blonde lover in someone
else's arms. Someone else having the right to bury their face to Seven's neck
inhaling the icy scent of Seven, feeling the skin which was broken by her
implants, the ones Janeway had loved gently, caressing, kissing, caring of them
almost as if they had been sore wounds no matter how many times Seven had
assured her the implants weren't painful to bear.
Seven's scent lingered in the room. That was becoming a thing painful to bear.
Ice water and deep sea mint. It almost stung her eyes. Sit, watch and learn.
Janeway turned to lay on her right side.
Seven had to be aware of the fact that Janeway was aware of her nightly little
adventures. What bothered Janeway even more was the thought that if Seven knew
that Janeway knew, it must've meant that she didn't care about that. - What did
I forget? I forgot to teach her to finish what she started. I forgot to teach
her not to start what she wouldn't be able to finish.
Janeway turned to lay on her back.
Seven of Hearts, the obscene angel. Seven of Spades, the slender demon. Janeway
didn't need to possess as an accurate memory as Seven did to remember every
detail. The implants shining in metallic silver embedded to the pale smooth skin,
the surprising softness and warmth of them. The ecstatic explosion she had
experienced when Seven had impaled her wrist -right in the artery- with her
tubules connecting them for only a few moments which had felt like an eternity.
Perfection.
Janeway turned to lay on her left side.
Janeway had kept the scar in her wrist to remind her that there had been a time
when they had loved each other more than life.
Janeway turned to lay on her stomach.
"Big secret, small the lie. No word you say tonight can make this be alright.
Unlike the last time here, I now have the means and the will sincere.
Unfortunate for you is that I'm your God. Closing your eyes, don't ever say you
love me, whore. You never meant the word, I know you lie. I promise you the end
before the first light arrives."
Last drop falls (The conclusion)
"Vade retro, alter ego, move aside, I'm choking on this life"
Chakotay thought this was his lucky day. He had just gotten an invitation from
the Captain to join her in the holodeck. He was slightly surprised to see that
Janeway was running the Da Vinci program when he entered.
- Computer, disengage safety protocols, Janeway's voice said from somewhere
behind Chakotay before something smashed hard into the back of his head. When he
came to he realised his arms and legs were tied with strong leather belts.
- Welcome. I wanted to show you what I've been building for the past couple of
days, Janeway purred as she circled Chakotay letting her fingers caress the
smooth shiny surface of the mahogany.
Chakotay's eyes widened when the realisation hit him. "She knows. My God, she
knows!" Janeway leapt onto him, sitting astride on his stomach and leaning
forward. She sunk her fingernails into Chakotay's face breaking the skin causing
few drops of blood run down his cheeks.
- If you honestly thought I wouldn't find out about it you're dumber than you
look. Did you think I wouldn't smell your stench all over her? She was
perfection until you laid your filthy hands on her, Janeway whispered. She
thrust her palm to his face crushing his nose. She was tempted to use more force
and drive his nose all the way into his brain but she held it back, where would
be the fun in that? Janeway sighed before jumping off him.
- Kathryn, don't do this!
- Quit whining, dickface, you're only getting what was coming to you, Janeway
snapped at him. She walked over to a lever to Chakotay's right.
- You know what this little thingy is? It's known as The Duke of Exeter's
Daughter. Doesn't ring any bells? Well, I'm not surprised you don't know. It's a
rack. I'll just do this... Janeway began and leaned onto the lever causing the
chains to tense pulling Chakotay's limbs dislocating them slowly.
- Hurts, doesn't it? I should know, I've been on one myself. I never told you
that story, did I? Not that it matters much anyway, Janeway said and yanked the
lever harder. Chakotay let out a cry of pain to accompany the sound of his
ligaments, cartilage and bones snapping.
- It took days to recover... Even with all the modern day medical science... Oh,
shut up, you whine like a little pig, Janeway said and pulled the lever again.
The blades she had installed into the wooden plate sunk deeper into Chakotay's
back mutilating the muscles. His wrists and ankles had began to swell under the
pressure of the hard leather belts.
- And years of councelling to make sure my mind was in mint condition after all
the... Horrors... I... Had... Gone... Through, Janeway said pausing between
words while pulling the lever.
- I guess I should ask my money back, Janeway sighed. She let go of the lever
and walked slowly around Chakotay admiring her handywork with her hands on her
hips.
- I'd say your muscles are now stretched so far that they've lost their ability
to contract, she said with a distant voice. Chakotay's eyes rolled back as he
began to lose consciousness.
- Oh, no you don't, Janeway said and pressed a hypospray to his neck reviving
him. - Indulge me now, she said offering him a brilliant smile.
"I read a book about a man, a love, a woman, how they died. I truly see a
madman in the mirror when I'm weak. I spent a year in love before I realised
it's me. Open your blue eyes, tell me that you love me, whore"
Seven of Nine laid in the Captain's bed when she arrived to her quarters. It was
dark but Janeway didn't need to see to know Seven was there. Janeway removed her
uniform and left it laying on the floor before sliding next to Seven. She
gathered the limp cool form of her lover into her arms and buried her face into
her long elegant neck. The long elegant neck which was bruised. Janeway lifted
her hand a little and traced the shape of Seven's light blue lips with her index
finger.
- I was a little disappointed, Seven. Somehow I had expected more from you...
But you just gave up. Believe it, I had prepared for more... But you just laid
there, you didn't fight back. Why didn't you? Did you know that was what I
expected from you? Or did you just... Comply? Janeway whispered. She sat up,
held Seven on her lap and kissed her pale forehead gently.
- You're so cold. It's ok... Shh... Everything's going to be ok... I promise.
Hush little baby, don't you cry. Katie's gonna buy you a mocking bird... Janeway
hummed quietly.
"Strawberry blond, your stranglehold on my heart is
bound to end
I suppose, life sometimes, it doesn't go the way it was meant
You read the book now, the part 'Ashes to ashes, dust to dust' "