End Game Redux
See part 1 for info
End Game Redux
See part 1 for info
CHAPTER 12
San Francisco
2398
“…the twentieth anniversary of their return, we take a moment to recall the sacrifices made by the crew—”
“Computer, end display.” Kathryn Janeway’s low, husky voice was a mixture of warmed velvet and cold, hard steel even when she was alone, her only orders to her monitor.
“You are beautiful.” Seven’s voice from the doorway to their bedroom caused Kathryn to turn her head towards her wife with a smile on her lips. Even twenty years later she still felt overwhelming warmth and love permeate her entire being as she looked at Seven.
“And you are exquisite.” She walked towards Seven with a gleam of mischief in her bright blue eyes. “I hope you know I’m too old to be fending off your admirers.”
Kathryn took in the dark blue dress that showed off more than a hint of the voluptuous, beautiful body that lay beneath the shimmering fabric. Seven had of course aged in the twenty years they had been married, but Kathryn thought perhaps her wife became more beautiful with each passing year. And perhaps she was extremely biased.
Seven rolled her eyes but smiled with humor. She knew that Kathryn was well aware that any and all attentions placed on her by her ‘admirers’ were quickly rebuffed or simply ignored completely. Most people had enough self-preservation to not even attempt to seem like they were flirting with the wife of the most decorated Admiral in Starfleet. Not to mention most intimidating.
“Must I repeat the fact that you are not ‘old’?” Seven smirked as she said the next part with false seriousness. “You are merely middle-aged.”
“Oh, you! You spend too much time with that sister of mine.” Kathryn went to playfully swat her wife on the arm but her wrist was caught in a firm grip and her slim, petite form was soon pressed tightly against the warmth and curves of her wife.
In truth, at sixty-three Kathryn Janeway seemed to have the energy of people half her age. She was the superintendent of Starfleet Academy, traveled throughout the Alpha Quadrant and beyond to give lectures, and was the official liaison to the Cooperative, a Federation type organization that had flourished in the Delta Quadrant over the years.
At first many in Starfleet wondered at Admiral Janeway’s choice to stay mostly Earthside after her official promotion had been granted. But then she and Seven had married and it seemed the answer was clear. Seven had become a prominent researcher for the Theoretical Propulsion Group once she had received doctorates from the Daystrom Institute of Technology, where she now taught at as well as Starfleet Academy. It was obvious that the two women wanted to lay down roots.
Although both Janeway and Seven were extremely busy, this night was one that would never be cancelled, postponed, or diverted. Especially not this year. Not the twentieth anniversary of their return to the Alpha Quadrant.
“You are the most beautiful being in existence.” Seven held Kathryn tightly in her embrace as she passed her pale blue eyes lovingly over her wife’s elegant features.
Creases had formed around Kathryn’s eyes and her mouth and her auburn hair had streaks of silver, but with the aid of modern medicine, routine exercise and what Kathryn called “good genes” her form remained petite, strong, and lovely. Seven actually considered that Kathryn became impossibly more lovely and elegant as time went on. Or perhaps, she also considered, she was extremely biased. For the love that she had thought overwhelming twenty and more years ago had definitely grown as time had passed.
“And you are quite the flatterer.” Kathryn pressed her lips against Seven’s in what she had thought would be a chaste, but loving kiss. But as Seven moved her to their bed she realized that she too wanted it to become so much more. Her dark red dress was removed quickly as well as her undergarments and then Seven was naked and pressing their bodies together sweetly. Kathryn’s voice was low and husky and desire made her voice tremble. “Oh, Seven!”
“I love you, Kathryn.” Seven continued to press her fingers into her wife’s moist center as she held the petite form against her. “I love how you still want me after all these years.”
“I—I’ve never wanted… you more, oh God, than right now.” Kathryn’s hips undulated from the pleasure she was receiving by her wife’s hand as she pulled Seven’s lips to hers for a searing kiss. She groaned in need when Seven released the kiss. But then Seven was moving down her body until her hot breath brushed over her wet sex and the fingers buried deeply within her. “Seven!”
Seven circled her tongue over the engorged bud she found above where her fingers were thrusting. She suckled the swollen flesh as she relished in the noises Kathryn was making that caused moisture to flood between her own legs. Kathryn came with her wife’s name ripped from her throat and tears in her eyes.
Seven gently withdrew her drenched fingers before she licked them clean as she moved up Kathryn’s still shuddering form. She pulled her wife to her and relished in the warmth, dampness, and scent of her.
“The guests will be arriving soon.” Kathryn’s voice was muffled in the flesh of Seven’s ample breasts. She peered up with a grin on her swollen lips. Her voice was teasingly regretful. “I suppose I’m just going to have to take you hard and fast, my love.”
Kathryn fingers swirled in the abundant moisture flowing from her wife’s sex. “Oh, my. You’re quite wet.”
“Y-yes, Kathryn, please!”
Seven held her wife tightly to her as her eyes squeezed shut. The overwhelming sensation of having
Kathryn’s fingers pressing within her caused her to scream in pleasure and beg
for release. “Please! Do not stop!”
Kathryn suckled greedily upon Seven’s breasts, alternating between one until the other needed her attention. Her fingers continued to thrust into her wife’s sex with hard quick motions. Her thumb swirled around Seven’s clit and it was the last thing Seven needed to find her release.
“KATHRYN!”
Seven’s body was held tightly, lovingly, as it shook from the power of her climax. She heard soothing words and finally she came back to herself. Kathryn held Seven as she continued to speak words of love and devotion to her wife. “I will always love you, Seven. I’ll always want you. Need you. Always.”
The chime of their front door made both women groan with frustration. Kathryn reluctantly removed herself from Seven’s embrace. “It’s probably mom, she’s always too damned punctual.”
Seven smiled gently as she thought how that particular trait of Gretchen’s had not necessarily been passed onto her daughters. She entered the bathroom to use the sonic shower as she heard Kathryn use the intercom to tell whoever was at their door that it would be “one moment”.
Seven tried to maintain her self-control when Kathryn entered the shower with her. It was made easier because the sonic waves made Kathryn slightly irritable. They changed into their dresses quickly and were distracted by the fact that neither had donned undergarments as they went to the front door to allow in the first guests of the evening.
****
“Just a moment please.”
Janeway’s voice through the intercom caused Tom to look at his wife and then to his daughter as he shifted the heavy containers in his arms. “You don’t suppose we were interrupting, uh, something, do you?”
“Tom.” B’Elanna’s voice was censoring as she tried not to look too obviously at their daughter.
“Well, come on.” Tom tried to shrug but the containers in his arms wouldn’t allow it. He still didn’t understand why in a house full of at least partially Klingon women he always ended up being the one carrying the heaviest of loads. The fact that he always insisted upon doing so despite the protests from both B’Elanna and Miral escaped him at moments like these.
What didn’t escape him was the fact that it wasn’t too much of a secret that Miral Paris had developed a crush on her godmother in the last year or so and maybe long before that. Ever since puberty hit, Tom supposed. He didn’t think anyone else was aware, but then again the others hadn’t been introduced to a string of girlfriends over the last eighteen months. Georgia, Jayne, and the latest ex-girlfriend, Charlotte had all resembled Janeway to an extent.
When Tom had mentioned this to his wife after their dinner with Charlotte and Miral two months ago, and the two had left to go back to the Academy, B’Elanna had been skeptical until he had shown her an old holovid of his dad with his protégé, Kathryn Janeway, when she had been a cadet and he her mentor.
“Well, that’s just great!” B’Elanna had fallen into the sofa, exasperated by the truth of her husband’s words. “How can she—what is she thinking?”
“She’s not. You don’t when you’re infatuated. Especially with an older woman.” Tom barely ducked the pillow that was aimed for his head. “I mean that’s what I’ve heard.”
“Nice save, Flyboy.” B’Elanna crossed her arms over her chest as she chewed on the problem that had just arisen. “What should we do?”
“Nothing.” Off his wife’s bemused expression he continued quite seriously. “Really, I’m sure it’s just a crush. You know Miral has always looked up to Janeway, seen her as a mentor and everything. Hell, she stayed a whole extra semester at the Academy to be the Admiral’s assistant! I mean who wants to stay in school? Oh wait… wait this could be bad.”
“It’s not ‘bad’, just unfortunate.” B’Elanna had always wondered why her daughter
had added unnecessary time to her education when she had excelled to the point
of graduating early. But the Admiral had
needed an assistant and Miral had worked tirelessly to obtain that
position. Now it all made sense. “Tom, she could be in love here.”
The protective father in Tom had reared up as he feared for his daughter’s heart. He knew, as many did, that Janeway and Seven were utterly and completely in love with each other. Nothing, not even time and death could destroy that. Certainly not his nineteen year old daughter. But what could he do? He couldn’t very well confront his daughter, or the Admiral for that matter. So he and B’Elanna maintained their secrecy and hoped that they were wrong. That it would pass and Miral wouldn’t get too hurt in the process of overcoming her unrequited love for the unobtainable Kathryn Janeway.
Tom nearly dropped the containers in his arms when he was shaken out of his reverie as the doors abruptly opened and there before him was a positively radiant and beautiful woman. Kathryn Janeway. The scarlet dress she wore was cut modestly, but still bared her arms and the smooth pale skin, lightly dusted with freckles, of her upper chest. The dress fit the Admiral attractively and hinted at a petite, but curvy body beneath. The Admiral’s smile was broad and lit up her elegant features. Her long, thick hair was pulled into a loose bun and tendrils of auburn and silver hair touched her slim neck and collarbones. Even after all these years, she was still breathtaking. He didn’t dare look at Miral.
“Why, the Parises! Come in, please.” Kathryn stepped away from the door and beckoned them in with a motion of her hand. “Do you need help with those, Tom?”
“That’s okay, Admiral, I’ve got it.” Tom smiled in return as Kathryn continued to smirk at him before her attention was drawn to her goddaughter.
“Miral, happy
birthday!”
“Thank you, Admiral.” Miral cursed the blush that reddened her cheeks, but she relished the feel of Kathryn Janeway in her arms as she was embraced tightly by the woman she was secretly and desperately in love with.
Kathryn pressed her lips to Miral’s ridged forehead before she lengthened her arms and pulled away from her goddaughter’s petite, but powerful form. “So, only a few weeks until you receive your assignment. Excited, Ensign?”
“Y—yes.” Miral was excited, but unfortunately for her not for the reasons the Admiral thought. The feel and scent of Kathryn invaded her senses and made her tremble slightly. Enough to make her mother worried.
B’Elanna watched the exchange between her former captain and her daughter with a slight pain in her heart. She could see clearly the love Miral had for Janeway. She couldn’t begrudge her daughter her feelings, B’Elanna just wished for Miral’s sake that it would pass quickly. Especially since the main obstacle was just now walking into the living room as beautiful as she was twenty years ago.
“Greetings. I am pleased you are here.” Seven smiled warmly though she kept her eyes off of Miral and Kathryn until after her wife released her hold on Miral. “Miral, happy birthday.”
“Thanks, Seven.” Miral carefully schooled her features and her voice so that her loathing for the woman before her wouldn’t show.
Miral would never admit this to anyone but she used to have fantasies in which Seven would die, tragically and heroically of course, but be dead nonetheless and it would be Miral that Kathryn Janeway would turn to for comfort and then gradually for love. She knew it was an evil fantasy but she maintained it nonetheless because she thought without Seven she might actually have a shot. But with Seven in the picture Kathryn Janeway would never ever be obtainable.
“What’s in the containers, Tom? Spoiling Miral again? That’s my job you know.” Kathryn moved away from her goddaughter as seamlessly as she could.
Miral and Seven had never really warmed to each other. Kathryn couldn’t really blame her goddaughter since she knew Seven harbored ridiculous thoughts about Miral. When Kathryn had given Miral the open assistant position in the interim of being assigned a new one by the Starfleet Academy Board she and Seven had actually had an argument about it. They didn’t often fight and Kathryn still didn’t quite understand how it had started in the first place, but she remembered how it ended.
“Seven, I’m old enough to be her grandmother.” Kathryn rolled her eyes knowing at the precise moment that she did, that it was the wrong thing to do.
“You are not taking my unease seriously. You are making a joke out of it.” Seven’s face was flushed and she felt anger and frustration grow hot within her. Her fury was spurred on by jealousy and fear. “I am asking you to deny her request. Or are you unable to deny her anything, Kathryn?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Gone were the teasing tones. Kathryn was deeply offended at the implications that she would take advantage of Miral in such a way. “I’m her godmother for God’s sake. I can’t believe you would think—Seven, don’t you trust me?”
Seven could see the anger drain from her wife and a hurt expression was upon Kathryn’s features that pained her to see. She realized what was really troubling her. Seven feared being replaceable. Miral was brilliant, beautiful, strong, and immensely talented in everything that she did. Seven wondered if she should be replaced, that Kathryn deserved the best and perhaps that was no longer her.
“Seven?” Tears filled Kathryn’s stormy gray eyes as she felt the pain in her chest grow with each passing second Seven remained silent. “Do you trust me?”
“Yes.”
“Come here, please.” Kathryn held her arms out in offering which Seven readily accepted. She hugged Seven close to her as she settled them onto the foot of their bed. She stroked her hand along Seven’s back as she held her wife close. “What’s really bothering you, Seven?”
“She is an exceptional individual, Kathryn.” Seven’s voice was even, but she felt pain radiating through her at her admission. “I wonder if perhaps she is more exceptional than I.”
“Seven, please, look at me.” Kathryn coaxed Seven’s chin up with a gentle touch of her fingers. “You are the most exceptional person I have ever known and will ever know. I love you. And I always will. I’m not sure what has happened to make you believe otherwise. Perhaps I have done something, but please never think for a second that you’re anything but exceptional.”
Kathryn began removing her wife’s clothing slowly, carefully. Her movements were gentle, loving and unhurried. She touched Seven with adoration and desire clearly displayed within her dark blue eyes and her elegant features as she brought her wife to release gradually as she continued to speak words of love to her.
Kathryn was brought of her reverie when Seven took her hand in hers. The look that passed between them conveyed their love and commitment to each other. Kathryn tightened her hold on her wife’s hand and Seven smiled in understanding. Kathryn was hers. Always.
“Actually they’re old holopics and vids I found when I was going through Dad’s old stuff.” Tom’s voice only caught a little as he handed the gray container to Kathryn. His father had died only a few months ago and so it was still fresh for him and for the woman thanking him quietly.
Kathryn set the container on a nearby table before she pulled an old fashioned PADD from the box and activated it with a bittersweet smile and tears in her eyes. It was a picture of her receiving her first pip from Owen Paris. Kathryn replaced the PADD before she turned and hugged Tom to her.
Kathryn pulled away from the hug before she cupped Tom’s chin gently in her palm and gave him a grateful smile. “Thank you, Tom.”
“Anytime, Admiral.” Tom grinned brightly in return. Even after all these years he was still strongly affected by her. Just being in her presence made him feel more confident and just, well, better. As if anything could come their way and they would be able to defeat it just by being together. He wondered if he had gotten overly sentimental.
“Well, this is a party so we might as well open up a bottle while we wait for the others.” Tears still shimmered in Kathryn’s eyes but her smile was bright and her voice jovial. She was just about to enter the kitchen to get a bottle of Saint-Émilion when the door chimed again.
“I will get the wine, Kathryn.” Seven knew how much Kathryn loved to be the grand hostess. It was something she was much better at than Seven, who thought repeatedly greeting people at the door and allowing them in was inefficient. After all they were invited guests who already knew they were welcome.
Seven poured the wine while Kathryn hugged her mother and then her sister as the husky voices of the trio of Janeway women seemed to fill the penthouse apartment with warmth. Seven smiled as she handed B’Elanna a flute filled with wine as she felt warmed by the presence of her family.
“Hey, sis, why don’t you show me that new painting you did?” Phoebe held a wine glass in one hand as she hooked an arm around Seven’s. When they entered the art studio it was bathed in golden light automatically by their presence, Phoebe didn’t speak again until the door slid shut behind them.
“So, how’re you doing?” Phoebe took a sip of her wine as she awaited Seven’s response. She had one slim hand crossed over her midsection as she stood with a slight slouch customary to her. She was a slim, tall woman who usually towered over people, but not Seven which she appreciated.
Seven’s occipital implant glinted in the golden light as it rose. “Does this indicate that you do not wish to see my painting?”
“Of course I do.” Phoebe smirk was lopsided and though she resembled her father as opposed to her mother like Kathryn it was a smile Seven knew well. “It’s just, look mom told me you and Katie had hit a little bit of a rocky path at the beginning of the year. I’ve been gone so much I haven’t gotten a chance to see how you were doing. I assume though by the way the both of you are glowing and floating about a foot off the ground that you’re doing all right.”
Seven smiled warmly at the remembrance of what had caused their glows as she lifted her newest painting to the metal tripod. A swirl of blue and red paints created a beautiful effect upon the canvas, but the painting was quickly forgotten after Phoebe’s praise turned back into the question she had asked when they had entered Seven’s studio.
“We are fine, Phoebe. Exceptional.” Seven wondered how much Gretchen had told Phoebe. How much they knew of the situation that still caused unease within Seven despite knowing it was illogical to feel such a way. “Our love is strong. Our bond, unbreakable.”
“Well, of course that’s good to hear, but then why didn’t you want Miral to be Katie’s assistant for the semester while she found a more permanent one to replace Kirayoshi?” If it was anyone besides Seven, Phoebe would have parsed her words but she knew Seven appreciated getting to the point as quickly as possible.
Seven’s eyes focused on Phoebe and her voice was low, regretful, but matter-of-fact. “She is in love with her.”
“What! Who?” Phoebe nearly dropped her glass. Surely she knew her sister better than this.
Realizing her imprecise wording Seven quickly elaborated. “Miral Paris is in love with Kathryn. I believe it to be evident. However, Kathryn does not. She is skeptical of my ‘claim’ that Miral has romantic love for her. She believes it is ‘ridiculous’ because she is ‘old enough to be her grandmother’.”
“Well, yeah that’s true, but since when has that stopped anyone before?” Phoebe knew those weren’t exactly comforting words, so she left her wine glass on a nearby workstation before she placed her hands on Seven’s shoulder. “Look, Seven, jealously is common to everyone but despite what Miral might feel, it’s irrelevant. Kathryn loves you. I think she falls in love with you a little more every day. Besides she should be counting her lucky stars that an old, glorified principal has such an attractive and brilliant wife. I’m sure over the course of these years you’ve had to break a few hearts, right?”
“I have denied people’s request for more intimate interactions.” Seven understood the logic to Phoebe’s words but the comparison between Miral and random people Seven worked with asking her out for coffee seemed unbalanced. “I believe this situation is different. Miral’s unrequited love could become… unpleasant for Kathryn. She does love her goddaughter immensely, Phoebe.”
“I know she does, but that’s also beside the point. If Miral would ever admit to her feelings, and I don’t think she ever will, but if she was to, Kathryn would very sweetly but very firmly say that it was utterly impossible.” Phoebe knew from stories regarding Chakotay and his unrequited love that Kathryn had perfected the kindly worded, but strong ‘no’ over the years. “Trust Kathryn, Seven, she would never ever do anything to hurt you. Intentionally or otherwise.”
“I do trust her, Phoebe. But I cannot help how I feel.”
“Of course not, that’s what being in love is all about right?” Phoebe didn’t know from personal experience, but she couldn’t help but feel the almost tangible love whenever she was with Kathryn and Seven. “Come on, let’s get back to the party. See how tipsy Katie is by now.”
****
“Kate, are you drunk already?”
“On life, Admiral.” Kathryn smiled toothily as she handed the white haired Admiral a wine filled flute. “Besides admirals do not get ‘drunk’.”
Alynna Nechayev snorted at this before she took a drink from her wine glass and smiled. “Of course we don’t.”
Kathryn knew her friendship with Alynna was perhaps the most unlikely of relationships since twenty years ago the two had been famous for despising one another. But over the course of the last two decades begrudgingly given respect turned into actual affection. Individually they were imposing but together they had become a force to be reckoned with amongst the Starfleet brass. Both women were smug about that fact.
“Where’s that Borg of yours?” Nechayev laughed at the look of exasperation Kathryn had upon her features.
It wasn’t a surprise that Nechayev had never warmed to Seven of Nine, her aversion to anything Borg was widespread knowledge, but she didn’t loathe her as she had several years ago. It helped that there were at least a thousand or more former Borg drones living throughout the Alpha Quadrant alone thanks to the Resistance created when the drones from Unimatrix Zero had been liberated by the then Captain Janeway, Seven, and the Voyager crew.
“Seven is off with my sister somewhere.” Kathryn had a pretty good idea why Phoebe had pulled Seven away from the party. She wondered what her sister was telling Seven, but she tried not to let her curiosity become worry. Phoebe of all people knew how much she loved Seven. How singularly devoted she was.
“Sounds dangerous.” Chakotay’s weathered features were amused as his smile created deep dimples near his mouth.
“You don’t know the half of it.” Kathryn smiled broadly before she embraced Chakotay’s wife in greeting. “How’re you, Tessa?”
“Fantastic as always, Admiral.” Tessa Omond hugged Kathryn close to her as she smiled brightly. The woman in her arms and Seven had been integral to her relationship with Chakotay.
She had met Chakotay eight years ago at the annual Voyager party after she had reluctantly accepted an invitation from Seven, whom she worked with on the slipstream project. It had been love at first sight for her, but he had been reluctant. She had wondered why until two years into their relationship he had admitted that seeing Kathryn with Seven was still painful. He had always imagined he and Kathryn would be together once Voyager made it back to Earth. He had been unpleasantly surprised when three weeks after their return Kathryn’s engagement to Seven was announced via the means of every news broadcast available.
Tessa had been so jealous that she had refused to go to another Voyager party despite Chakotay’s words that he loved her. It wasn’t until after they had been married for a year that she attended the parties once again. It had been difficult at first, but Kathryn Janeway had a way of putting anyone at ease and so Tessa began to relax more and more until finally she realized that she actually liked Kathryn very much. And that she had nothing to worry about. It was obvious to even the casual observer that to Kathryn Janeway there was no one for her other than Seven.
“And you?” Tessa smiled warmly. Released from the hug, she held her husband’s hand in one of her own. “Rumor has it you might be thinking of running for the highest of public offices.”
“Could you imagine?” Kathryn snorted at the idea of her being a politician.
“Come on, Admiral. ‘President Janeway’ does have a nice ring to it.” Chakotay’s smile deepened at the disgusted look he received at that.
“And have my life scrutinized more than it already is? I think not.” Kathryn wondered where the hell these rumors came from. She would have thought after twenty years public interest in her would fade away completely. She was annoyed that it hadn’t.
“Admiral!”
“Sabrina!” Kathryn turned quickly with a grand smile. She bent down on one knee and opened her arms to the little girl running towards her. She caught the bundle of energy with a slight whoosh of air leaving her. She proceeded to place a light kiss on each of the little girl’s four horns, which caused giggles to bubble to the surface. “You’re growing up so fast, young lady. You’ll be applying for the Academy in no time.”
“Already setting up the sales pitch, Admiral?” Naomi’s eyes sparkled as she approached Kathryn, slower than her daughter had but with no less enthusiasm.
“Naturally.” Kathryn stood and embraced her former captain’s assistant fiercely. “How have you been?”
“Oh, fine. It’s just hard you know.” Naomi returned the embrace gladly.
“Yes, I know.” Kathryn was aware that Naomi and her husband kept in regular contact, but having him in the Delta Quadrant was difficult. But he was the ambassador to the Resistance and so that’s where his job took him. “How is Icheb doing?”
“He’s carefully optimistic that a pact could be signed within the next few weeks.” Naomi hated that her husband was so far away, but the possibility of the Resistance joining the Delta Quadrant Coalition and the Federation was vitally important to all parties. “He’s very excited. Well… as much as he gets excited about anything.”
“Understood.” And indeed Kathryn did better than anyone. Icheb had not been part of the Collective for as long as Seven, of course, but he still maintained a certain impassivity that could be seen as unfeeling by the casual observer. “And how’s your work, Naomi?”
“Sorry, Admiral, that’s for me to know.” Naomi smiled enigmatically since she was deeply entrenched in Starfleet Intelligence. Not a secret agent anymore, but her missions were still kept confidential even to the woman before her. “I’m just grateful that Sabrina here loves to spend time with her grandparents.”
Kathryn nodded knowingly as her eyes drifted towards where Samantha and Greskrendtregk were speaking with Gretchen and Alynna. Her attention was quickly diverted to the person who had just walked through her front door. “Naomi, Sabrina, if you’ll excuse me.”
“Of course, Admiral.”
“Captain Kim!” Kathryn placed a warm hand on Harry’s shoulder as she took in his smiling but weathered features. Being a captain, she noticed, had turned him gray. The last time she had seen him was four years ago and he had much more black in his hair than he did now. The Beta Quadrant, she supposed, would probably do that to anyone. “I heard your ship was on route to Earth but I wasn’t sure you’d make it tonight.”
“The Rhode Island drydocked only a few hours ago, Admiral.” Harry beamed as he was led to where the drinks were, while Kathryn kept her hand on his uniform covered shoulder. “I’ll be Earthside during the refit and I knew the first place I needed to be was here. And there was actually something I wanted to talk to you about.”
“Oh?” Kathryn dropped her hand away to pour Harry a glass of wine before she turned towards him with an arched eyebrow. “What would that be?”
“I know Miral’s been your assistant for awhile, so I didn’t want to step on your toes but I wanted to offer her the Ops post when we go back out to the Beta Quadrant in a few weeks.” Harry hated to have lost Molly O’Brien, but he knew her heart was set on ship design so he couldn’t begrudge her transfer or her promotion to Lieutenant.
“That’s marvelous, Harry. She’s dreamt of Bridge duty before she was taking her first steps.” Kathryn couldn’t deny that Seven would be relieved by this news. Though she was irritated by her wife’s erroneous assumptions, she knew that perhaps she should be somewhat relieved as well. “What an appropriate birthday present.”
“Sure. But you know she’s the best. Better than I was.” Harry shrugged, but he felt a little pang of embarrassment that he had been so green despite being right out of the Academy when he had been assigned to Voyager.
“Oh, Harry, we were all a little green back then. I think I lost ten pounds that first year from worry alone.” Captain Janeway would never have admitted this to a crewmember, former or otherwise, but the Admiral was much freer with her emotions than the captain had ever been.
“You were worried, Admiral?” Harry’s voice was teasing, but he was still skeptical that the great, invincible Kathryn Janeway was scared of anything.
“Petrified more like it, Harry.” Kathryn’s dark blue eyes danced with merriment as she took in Harry’s incredulous expression.
“You never showed it, Admiral.” Harry hoped that he was half the captain Janeway had been. He doubted it, but he still maintained his attempts. “How’s Tuvok?”
“He’s not doing so well, I’m afraid.” Kathryn’s dark blue eyes never lost their shine nor her lips the broad smile. “His cadets are trying his control terribly. He couldn’t make it tonight because he’s still on some L-Class planet trying to teach some first years how to start a fire with just sticks and stones. He keeps having to confiscate their phasers.”
Harry didn’t laugh outright, he was much too prim for that, but he did smile broadly. “Poor guy.”
“He’s the one who insisted he was too young to retire from the Academy after he left his ambassadorship.” Kathryn’s voice wasn’t sympathetic in the least. “Is it my fault that the only post available was Survival Strategies 101?”
It actually was precisely Kathryn Janeway’s fault since she oversaw Starfleet Academy, but Harry knew better than to point that out. His dark eyes caught on blonde hair, blue eyes, and a slim but voluptuous figure. “Who is that?”
“That is Doctor Joe’s wife.” Kathryn followed Harry dark gaze. She nearly rolled her eyes. He definitely seemed to have a type.
“Did you say ‘Doctor Joe’?” Harry now saw the holographic Doctor standing next to the stunning woman in a tight white dress. “You have to be kidding me. After twenty-seven years? Joe?”
“He wanted a name when he got married. It’s apparently Lana’s grandfather’s name.” Kathryn smirked as she took sips of his wine. “Have you met anyone, Harry?”
“Married to the ship, Admiral.”
“Ah yes, as all good captains are.” Kathryn’s smile became luminous as she finally caught sight of Seven coming out of the art studio. “Fortunately for me, I’m an admiral.”
Harry could see Kathryn’s attention was now solely on Seven and he couldn’t blame her. “I think I’ll go talk to Miral. I’ll see you later, Admiral.”
“Yes. We should have lunch soon, Harry. Catch up.” Kathryn was already moving slowly away from Harry and his amused look.
“Hello, Seven.”
Seven smiled gently as she embraced Kathryn in her strong arms and pulled her close to her warmth and curves. She bent her head as she brushed her lips over Kathryn’s. A chaste kiss, but one that promised more once their guests had left. The clinking sound of a fork against a crystal flute brought their attention back to the party.
“May I have your attention, please?” Reginald Barclay lowered his fork as the din of the party turned to silence and all eyes were on him. “Twenty years ago, on this date, this crew returned home. In those seven years in the Delta Quadrant and the two decades after you’ve become a family. One that I am so very proud to have been adopted by, so if you’ll please join me in raising a glass… to the voyage.”
A resounding chorus of “to the voyage” responded to Barclay’s eloquent toast. Sips were taken from wine glasses until all attention moved to the Admiral that had once been a captain. The captain who had completed her mission and returned her ship home under impossible odds.
“And to those family members who aren't here to celebrate with us.”
****
“So what do you think of Harry’s offer?” Kathryn’s voice was quiet in the night air as she moved the chair swing gently with slight motions of her legs. She turned her dark blue eyes to her goddaughter who was sitting close enough that she could feel heat radiating from her petite, but strong form.
“I’m not sure if I’ll take it.” Miral dark brown eyes were on the beautiful San Franciscan evening cityscape instead of on the incredulous expression her response had garnered. “I like being here. With you. Working with you.”
“I don’t understand. I thought you’ve always dreamed of being on a starship, exploring the unknown.” Kathryn felt confusion causing her brow to crease. “Miral, look at me, please.”
Miral couldn’t deny Kathryn Janeway anything, especially when she said ‘please’.
“What’s really going on? Why did you want to be my assistant?” Kathryn kept her voice as gentle as possible but she needed to know the truth and she wouldn’t be denied it despite her worry about what it could be.
“I—I wanted you to see me, everyday.” Miral felt coldness grip her heart as she mumbled her words. “I wanted you to be proud of me.”
“I am proud of you, Miral. You’re an exceptional woman, if I had done anything to make you doubt that I’m sorry.” Kathryn rested a warm, gentle hand upon Miral’s cheek not realizing the sweet torture it was for her goddaughter. “I’ve always been proud of you.”
“Admiral, I—I love you.”
“I love you too, Miral.” Kathryn smiled affectionately as she moved her hand to Miral’s shoulder.
“No, that’s not what I meant.” Miral was warmed by the Admiral’s affectionate, but she needed Kathryn to understand that it wasn’t platonic love she felt for her. It was burning and overwhelming desire. “I mean I’ve… fallen in love with you.”
Kathryn’s grip tightened on Miral’s shoulder as she was rendered, perhaps for the first time in her life, utterly speechless.
Miral couldn’t control herself any longer. Despite the party going on inside past the patio’s windowed doors and the fact that she could be caught by a multitude of people including a pretty strong former Borg drone, she pressed her lips tightly against Kathryn’s and found them to be warm, moist and oh so inviting. She withdrew when they were also completely unresponsive.
“I’m sorry, Miral, this can never be.” Admiral Janeway’s words were said softly, but firmly.
“I know.” Miral felt hot tears fill her eyes both from embarrassment and bitter disappointment as she stood with her hands balled tightly into fists. “You don’t love me. You never have.”
“You know that’s not true.” Kathryn ignored the fact that Miral’s outburst could be overheard as she stood slowly to wrap her arms around her goddaughter. “I love you very much. But my heart belongs to Seven. And it always will.”
Miral was aware of the events that had transpired, the time travel, her future self and the fact that even in a future where Seven died Admiral Janeway still loved only her. She wiped tears away from her cheeks furiously, angry for deluding herself that she could ever stand in between Seven and the Admiral.
She pulled out of Kathryn’s embrace as she moved to the railing of the balcony. She hugged herself as if she were cold and she couldn’t find the strength to look at the Admiral so she kept her eyes on the twinkling lights of San Francisco.
“I think maybe it would be best if I joined the Rhode Island.” Miral knew her love for the Admiral wouldn’t disappear with time and distance, but perhaps it wouldn’t be so overwhelming or as painful if she didn’t see Janeway every day. “I’m going to miss you, Admiral.”
“I’ll miss you too.” The Admiral gently placed her hand on Miral’s arm before she led them back inside. “I know you’ll do great things, Miral.”
As Miral adjusted her features and hoped the redness in her eyes wasn’t too noticeable she announced to the partygoers that she would be honored and privileged to serve aboard Captain Kim’s ship and embark on a four year away mission to the Beta Quadrant. As she was being congratulated she saw peripherally the most fleeting of looks pass over Seven’s features, but she knew what she saw. Relief.
****
The party ended officially when the front door slid shut behind the last two people to leave. A rather tipsy Admiral Nechayev escorted nervously by Reginald Barclay.
“Seven? You, you were right about Miral.” Kathryn’s cheeks were red, but she looked squarely at her wife with apology on her lips and on her features. “When we went out to get some fresh air, she told me that she had fallen in love… with me. And then, she kissed me. I’m so sorry, Seven.”
The empty wine bottle fell from Seven’s hands and landed in a million glass shards upon the hardwood floor of their living room. Seven’s fists were tight as a small muscle jumped below her metallic starburst implant imbedded next to her right ear. “She… kissed you. Did you respond to the kiss?”
“No. I didn’t. But I didn’t pull away either. I wasn’t expecting it. I froze. I didn’t know what to do.” Kathryn didn’t dare move towards Seven, to touch her in comfort, so she remained where she was. “I told her why she and I could never be. I told her that my heart belongs only to you, that it always will. I know she was in pain, but I made it clear that my love for you is unwavering. As is my commitment. Seven? Please, say something.”
“I would like to be alone.” Seven looked away from the hurt expression marring her wife’s beautiful features as she walked hastily to their bedroom.
Once the door slid shut behind her she allowed her breathing to become labored which caused her chest to rise and fall rapidly. Her eyes were wide, but unseeing as she paced the bedroom aimlessly. She wanted to hurt someone. No, she wanted to hurt Miral Paris. For daring to touch her wife. To profess love to her as if there was any way that Kathryn could be lured away from her marriage, their union. To kiss her!
A soft knock caused Seven’s head to rear up and her icy blue eyes to blaze with intent.
“Seven, please, let me in?” Kathryn jumped in surprise when the doors slid open and she was abruptly pulled into her dimly lit bedroom by strong hands around her wrists. “Seven?”
Seven’s eyes were wild and Kathryn worried for a moment that she could be in danger by a woman she had never imagined causing her harm. She let out a gasp of surprise when she was pushed roughly, but not painfully against the beige colored wall of their bedroom. Kathryn’s chest heaved as she tried to regain her breath all the while the hold on her wrists tightened, Seven was pinning her arms to her sides.
“You are mine, Kathryn!” Seven pressed her lips hard against Kathryn’s and thrust her tongue forcefully into her mouth.
Seven pressed as much of her body against Kathryn’s as she could and slipped a well-muscled thigh between her wife’s legs. Seven groaned loudly in the back of her throat when she was reminded that both of them had forgone wearing undergarments this night. She felt Kathryn’s moisture coat her thigh and knew that despite being surprised, shocked really, her wife wanted this as much as she did. She was going to make Kathryn hers again.
Seven bunched up the skirt of the dark red dress Kathryn wore beautifully until she could see her wife’s moist sex sliding against her own naked thigh. With one strong arm around Kathryn’s ribs, Seven pressed three fingers forcefully into her wife as she moved her mouth from moist lips so that she could sink her teeth into the pale flesh covering Kathryn’s right collar bone.
“SEVEN!” Kathryn’s scream caused her head to go back as her auburn, silver streaked hair fell in waves about her shoulders as metal pins fell to the floor. She bucked fiercely against Seven’s hand as she continued to cry out in pleasure from the forceful way her wife was making love to her. Kathryn felt her arousal flow even more when Seven latched onto one of her nipples with her mouth and bit down, hard. “GOD, YES!”
“I require you to say it aloud, Kathryn.” Seven’s voice was low, guttural and demanding. Kathryn’s legs were spread wide apart as Seven continued to plunge her fingers deeply into her wife’s dripping sex. “Say it! Say that you are mine!”
“I—I’m yours! God, yes, Seven! I’m yours! Oh, please, don’t stop!” Kathryn’s legs were wrapped around Seven tightly as her wife supported her weight easily and continued to slam her back against the wall with each forceful push of her fingers deep within her. Kathryn knew she would be bruised and sore in the morning, but she didn’t care. A thought that this sort of ravishing was better suited for people half her age escaped her completely when Seven pushed a fourth finger into her and increased the pace of her thrusts.
“You are mine, Kathryn. I am the only one allowed to touch you, to kiss you, to make love to you.” Seven wasn’t entirely sure what she was doing constituted as lovemaking. It was as if she was punishing Kathryn for allowing Miral so close, for not seeing all the signs that the girl was falling in love, and above all the kiss. No, Seven decided, this wasn’t making love. This was something else entirely. And she reveled in it as she continued to drive her fingers into Kathryn harder and faster with each push. “Only I get to fuck you and hear you scream as you come. Now, do it, Kathryn. Come for me. Only me.”
The explicit words caused a gush of moisture to flow over Seven’s hand and still she continued to plunge her fingers into her wife. Seven’s thumb rubbed against Kathryn’s throbbing clit, which caused her to cry out as another orgasm crashed over her.
“God, Seven!” Kathryn’s back arched like a bow, sweat dripped from her overheated body, and she knew she had never released so much moisture before in her life.
But Seven wasn’t finished with her. Even before the post-orgasmic tremors subsided, Kathryn found herself on her back on their bed. She had nearly been tossed there by her crazed wife. Her wrists were imprisoned above her head within Seven’s strong grip and her legs were coaxed to bend and spread as far apart as they could. Kathryn had never felt so exposed to her wife’s eyes than at this moment. She could feel the cool air of the bedroom play across her splayed sex and she quivered from the sensation.
Seven used two fingers to spread the swollen, drenched outer lips of Kathryn’s sex and brought her face between her wife’s legs to inhale deeply the heady fragrance of desire. She blew cool air across Kathryn’s engorged clit and appreciated how her wife quaked under the sweet torture. Seven stroked the warm, wet flesh with her fingers gently which caused Kathryn to groan and push her hips off the bed in an attempt to bring her sex closer to Seven’s touch. It was futile since Seven withdrew completely when Kathryn attempted this maneuver
“Seven, please, I, I need you… to touch me.” After two explosive orgasms it surprised Kathryn that she was begging for more, but it didn’t make her stop her pleas. Her desperation showed clearly in her guttural voice and her enraptured features. “Please, Seven, use your tongue.”
“Would you like that, Kathryn?” Seven kneeled between her wife’s legs while she ran a damp hand over Kathryn’s wet inner thigh. Her icy blue eyes focused on Kathryn’s sweat-drenched and hungry features. “You’d like me to fuck you with my tongue? My mouth?”
“Yes, that’s what I want.” Kathryn groaned in need and frustration as she tried to pull her wrists from Seven’s iron grip, to no avail. “Seven, please do it.”
Seven’s mouth descended upon Kathryn’s swollen sex abruptly. Her lips and tongue caused Kathryn to scream out in pleasure as her hips rocked powerfully against Seven’s mouth. Seven had let go of Kathryn’s wrist, so now the Admiral’s fingers were free to entwine themselves in platinum blonde locks as she held her wife to her. The motions of Kathryn’s hips were as urgent and forceful as the tongue that plunged deeply within her before withdrawing only to thrust into her repeatedly. Kathryn’s arched back assisted in Seven’s wish to attend to her wife’s breasts as her mouth remained on hot, wet flesh.
One of Kathryn’s hands untwined from Seven’s wavy blonde hair to cover the metal encased hand squeezing and massaging her breast almost painfully. The wet sounds of Seven’s mouth moving urgently, her tongue thrusting vigorously and Kathryn’s screams exalting Seven’s name for the pleasure she was receiving filled the dimly lit bedroom. As Kathryn neared an explosive release her screams became louder, more fractured and ribald.
“Oh, fuck! Sev—oh, God, Seven! Fuck me!”
Kathryn might have been embarrassed by the vulgar words being ripped from her throat, if she wasn’t completely overwhelmed by the hot pleasure coursing through her as she came hard against Seven’s mouth.
A rush of hot juices flooded Seven’s mouth and she drank Kathryn’s essence greedily. She loved the taste of her wife, the heady scent and the velvety, wet softness of her sex. Seven loved it all. She lapped up the warm fluid that had spilled upon the creamy white skin of Kathryn’s inner thighs. Kathryn’s body was still shaking from the power of her orgasm. Finally she came back to herself and asked quietly if Seven would allow her to make love to her in return.
Seven’s response was so quiet Kathryn almost didn’t hear it even in the silence of their bedroom. “Please.”
Upon hearing that softly spoken authorization, Kathryn gently coaxed Seven up so she could wrap her arms tightly around her. She kissed Seven passionately and tasted herself upon moist, lush lips. She slowly and carefully maneuvered Seven onto her back.
“I love you, Seven.” Kathryn held Seven as close to her as she could as she pushed two fingers deeply within her. It garnered a low whimper of need. She conti