Soft
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek Voyager. Not Janeway, not Seven, not Chakotay... Oh the terrible ways I could kill Chakotay *sigh* lol
Summary: A short bit of fluff, very feel good. Still a J/7 of course but very chaste.
It's the captain's birthday and Seven wants to do something special.
Note: It's my birthday you guys! I know you're all asking for longer stories (I'm working on one, I swear lol) I just had to write this piece of short fluff! Since it's my birthday, I'm dedicating it to myself! Lol. Here's hoping 24 years old will be a good age for me!
Seven of Nine sat in the Mess Hall, drinking one of her nutritional supplements and waiting on her friend Naomi Wildman. The half-Ktarian child had requested Seven's help on an "urgent" matter. Seven suspected it was more likely her friend wanted to play Kadis Kit.
She saw Naomi Wildman enter the room and the child quickly joined her at the table in the corner.
"Naomi Wildman," Seven greeted as she approached.
"Seven, I have a problem."
"Are you ill?"
"No," Naomi said, sitting down with a frown. "I was looking through the database and I found out something really important."
"What?"
"Tomorrow is Captain Janeway's birthday!" Naomi whispered loudly.
"Oh," Seven said, also frowning. "How is that a problem?"
"Because I don't think anyone knows!"
"Maybe the captain does not want anyone to know."
"But she has to celebrate, Seven!"
"Why?" she asked, brow furrowed. "I do not understand the need to celebrate the day of one's birth, based on a calendar determined by the rotation of a planet around a sun...tens of thousands of light years from here."
"Oh birthdays are the best, Seven! There's cake and balloons and presents and all your friends are there. Haven't you ever had a birthday party?"
"No," she answered simply.
"Do you have a birthday? I mean, you have to have a birthday, right?"
"I have no memory of such a birthday party before I was assimilated... I remember having a cake with my parents, but there were no other children or balloons. I do not remember if I had gifts."
"That's sad. We should have a party for you, too! When is your birthday?"
"I do not know. I will look it up for you later, but I do not want a party," Seven said warily.
"Jeez, Seven, how do you not know your own birthday?"
"If Captain Janeway has not told everyone about her birthday, perhaps she does not want a party and cake and presents?" Seven suggested.
"We don't have to throw her a party, but we should get her a present. Something to make her happy. She deserves to be happy. She takes good care of us."
Seven nodded in agreement. The former drone might not understand birthdays but she did like seeing the captain happy.
"What kind of present would be appropriate?" Seven inquired.
"Umm...Well, what does she like?"
"Coffee," the drone answered instantly and Naomi laughed. "And Earth. Voyager. Playing Velocity. Reading real books instead of Padds."
"Hmm... Oh I know! We could make her a coffee mug. There's an art program on the Holodeck where I learned to make a bowl out of clay. I bet a coffee cup wouldn't be much harder. Will you help me?"
"I will assist you," Seven agreed. She had worked with clay some with the captain in her Da Vinci program. She had not originally seen the appeal but she had come to enjoy it, if only because it was time she spent with her captain.
As they left the Mess Hall, Seven wondered if there were anything else she could do for the auburn-haired Captain who had done so much for her...
Kathryn Janeway arrived outside the Holodeck the next evening wearing her Velocity outfit. When Seven had requested to meet her here after her duty shift, she had assumed the former drone wanted to play Velocity. When she arrived, however, she saw Seven already had a program running. It wasn't one she recognized from the name.
Kathryn stepped through the doors and found herself on a sunlit grassy hill. She looked around for Seven curiously. She had never seen the Borg woman run a program like this before. This looked like Earth.
At the top of the hill beneath a large oak tree, stood Seven of Nine.
"Captain," Seven greeted as the captain approached, hands behind her back.
"Hello, Seven. I assumed we were playing Velocity but it looks like you have something else in mind."
"We are not playing Velocity," Seven confirmed. "Naomi Wildman asked that I give you this."
She pulled a parcel from behind her back. It was wrapped haphazardly in bright pink paper with a lot of tape.
"She wrapped it herself and would not allow me to assist her," Seven added.
"What's this?" Kathryn asked, accepting the parcel.
"A birthday gift, Captain. You are to open it to see what it is."
"How did she know?" Kathryn asked, smiling slightly. "I thought only Tuvok knew."
"She said she was reading about you in the database and found out it was your birthday. She insisted you needed a gift," Seven answered.
The captain's gray eyes lit up and she unwrapped the gift. It was a coffee mug, painted with stars and a red and blue nebula.
"She made this?" Kathryn asked, touched.
"With some assistance from me, however, I have my own gift for you," the Borg answered, the corners of her mouth turning up in a faint smile.
"Oh Seven! You didn't have to-"
"Can you whistle, Captain?"
"Huh?"
"I cannot whistle. Will you?"
"Uh, okay."
Kathryn gave a short whistle and gasped when she heard barking. A wide smile spread over her face when she saw a dozen or so reddish brown puppies running up the hill, barking and yipping playfully.
"Oh my goodness!" she gushed, immediately dropping to her knees to love on them. She gathered and armful of puppies, hugging and kissing them as the rest of them climbed all over her. They were all warm fur, wet noses and tongues, tails wagging. They even had puppy breath!
Seven watched, feeling very pleased with herself, as the captain laughed delightedly. She didn't think she had ever seen the starship captain look so happy. It made the blonde feel pleasantly warm inside.
Seven noticed one of the puppies had not made it all the way up the hill with the rest of them. She went and picked it up. She carried it back to where Kathryn sat and sat down next to her on the ground. The small puppy Seven held seemed content to stay in the Borg's lap rather than roughhouse with the others. Seven stroked the puppy and continued to watch Kathryn as she rolled around on the ground with the dogs.
"Do these subunits of the canine species make you happy, Captain?" Seven asked, thinking that maybe she understood some of the appear. The Irish Setter puppies had soft fur.
"Oh, Seven, they're wonderful!" she exclaimed, sitting up and pulling the Borg into a hug. "Thank you!"
Then she surprised them both by kissing the blonde straight on the mouth. When Kathryn pulled away after just a second, Seven's mouth dropped open in surprise. Then spread into a wide, un-Borg-like grin.
"If I show you subunits of more species, will you do that again?" she asked, quirking her ocular implant as she grinned.
Kathryn laughed, her face burning bright red.
"I might...if you want me to, Seven."
"I would like that, Captain. Happy birthday."
THE END