Spoilers: Season 5
Pairings: J/Kashyk, J/7
They Shoot Devorian's, Don't They? (Part One)
By Socket
Kathryn Janeway waddled down the corridor of her ship. No one battered an eyelid anymore, much to her relief. She turned the corner and entered the turbo-lift; she was due on the Bridge and was running late. It was becoming habit, but she found it difficult to get out of bed these days. The Doctor was growing increasingly concerned. She shrugged off his apprehension, but knew she should be more careful in her condition.
The lift doors opened and omitted her to the Bridge. Chakotay looked at her and lowered his head as she hobbled over to her seat and sat down. Her back was already aching and the shift hadn't even started, she glanced down to where her feet would be and lifted her ankles, they felt swollen, but she couldn't see them.
She folded her hands over her enlarged stomach and felt the baby move. She smiled.
Chakotay watched her out of the corner of his eye. He still found it disturbing to see her heavily pregnant, but Kathryn had given up caring; right about the time she lost control of her flatulence system. If he thought he felt uncomfortable, he should try being seven months pregnant!
She sighed, this was not the way she had imagined it. Being alone, no partner in sight – separated from her family, stranded in the Delta Quadrant, hardly the ideal setting to have a child.
Not for the first time she was angry with herself. She should have checked the databases, could have asked Kashyk... how did she know that kissing a Devorian was tantamount to sexual intercourse? Talk about odds! She would pick the one alien species in the Delta Quadrant that could fertilize her via a kiss in under five seconds!
Seven arrived for her shift; she took up her position behind the Captain and smiled at the radiant glow on Janeway's face. Pregnancy certainly was agreeing with the Captain, even if she did complain periodically about the inconvenience of expecting. Seven put it down to nervousness. The ex-drone had also noticed a change in the crew's attitude towards Janeway, as if she were less capable whilst carrying a child. Seven didn't understand it. She had asked the Doctor to explain, but he had only evaded her questions.
Janeway stared at the view screen; it was just another day at the office. She knew she had to call a staff briefing at some point today and she was dreading having to get out of her chair. She hated asking Chakotay to help her up, but she couldn't do it on her own anymore. At first it had been funny, her first officer trying to help get her mass out of the chair without incident, but now he seemed embarrassed when she asked. Fortunately, Seven had taken to watching out for her and usually came to her aid first.
In fact, Kathryn was beginning to depend more and more on the ex-drone. Seven seemed to be one of the few crewmembers who could look her in the eye without either blushing or stammering something incoherent - as if nervous of saying something that would inadvertly offend her.
Neelix arrived on the Bridge, carrying a tray with synthesized coffee. The Doctor had insisted that she not drink her usual brand, for the baby's sake, and so Neelix had worked around the clock to come up with a new-improved synthesized version just for her.
She smiled at the Talaxian as he began the first of many daily trips to the bridge. Kathryn happily took the cup offered and sipped it. Gently, Neelix leaned her forward, fluffing the pillow that was now a fixture of her seat.
"And how are we this morning?" he asked cheerily.
"Good," Janeway replied and took another sip of coffee. She closed her eyes and savoured the taste.
"Get much sleep last night?" the Moral Officer enquired.
Janeway shook her head and looked up at her friend. "This kid thinks it's trying out for the Velocity Championships!"
The baby was a he; she hadn't gotten used to that. She was having a son, but if she kept referring to him as 'kid', it made all of this less real somehow.
"He certainly seems to take after his mother! A born fighter!" Neelix answered softly, smiling as he took back the coffee cup and headed for the turbo-lift. "See you at ten," and he was gone.
Chakotay was looking at her again, Janeway turned her head towards him and met his gaze. He leaned torwards her, as if to say something, then took her hand and squeezed it gently.
oooooooooooooooooooooooo
The Staff conference was about to begin, Kathryn shifted uncomfortably in her seat, her feet were aching and she really needed to elevate them. She looked about, but there was nowhere to –
"Captain," Seven's voice interrupted her thoughts.
Janeway looked over as the ex-drone stood and pushed her chair towards the Captain, indicating for her to use it as a foot stool.
Kathryn shook her head, but had no real time to refuse because the young Astrometric's officer bent down and scooped-up Janeway's feet, lifting them carefully and placing them on the seat.
Kathryn immediately felt more comfortable; she looked up and smiled warmly at her friend. She wondered if Seven really knew how much she appreciated these little acts of kindness.
The blonde gazed down at Janeway; pleased that she had made Janeway smile. She missed the careless way Kathryn used to smile that confident, half-cocked grin of hers.
oooooooooooooooooooooooo
Seven set about her duties. The Captain had been getting later and later for her shifts, the Doctor and Chakotay were even discussing alieving her of Bridge duty entirely since she wouldn't take the initiative herself. Seven had wanted to pound both of them with her fists. She understood they were doing what was best for the crew, but she was more concerned with what was best for Janeway.
oooooooooooooooooooooooo
Kathryn lay on the sofa in her quarters, the Doctor had confined her, claiming she was exerting herself too much and it wasn't good for the baby. She had cursed him in Klingon and then agreed.
She was bored, tired and felt extremely heavy and bloated. What she really wanted was some companionship, but that had also been forbidden by the EMH - something about over-exciting herself. Kathryn had almost laughed when he said that, as if she were in any condition to get over-excited about anything.
She was in the process of convincing herself that this baby would never actually arrive, that she would be carrying it around inside her for all eternity when the door chimed. Sshe raised herself into a sitting position, "Come." She called, eager for any form of interaction.
Seven entered the dimly lit quarters, carrying a tray with a pot of synthesised coffee and a cup.
Surprised to see her Astrometric's Officer, Kathryn was suddenly anxious for the Talaxian's welfare. "What happened to Neelix?" she asked.
"He is fine, just busy – he asked me to bring you your beverage," explained the ex-drone.
Kathryn relaxed and leaned back against the pillows.
Seven moved towards the Captain and placed the tray on the table beside her. Janeway eagerly picked up the coffee cup and inhaled the scent before taking a languid sip.
Seven stood over her, watching intently.
Janeway gazed expectantly up at the blonde.
"Is there anything else I can do for you, Captain?" Seven offered, tilting her head in her usual inquisitive manner.
Kathryn thought for a moment. "Yes, I would very much like for you to stay awhile… talk to me Seven."
The ex-drone gave what looked like a faint smile and sat in the nearest chair. She studied the Captain for a moment. "I am pleased to see you looking rested," stated the ex-Borg.
"I don't feel it. I feel agitated," Kathryn confessed.
"You are not used to inactivity. I believe you are suffering from 'Cabin Fever'," Seven clarified.
Janeway half-smiled. "I suppose that's an accurate description."
"Your immobility is probably adding to your feeling of confinement, it must be a strange process to have your body constantly adapting for the baby."
Kathryn froze at the mention of the baby. It was his fault that she could barely move, his fault she looked and felt like a beached tic-narg'nna whale, his fault… She sighed. He wasn't to blame. In fact, it was pointless assigning blame, it had happened, she had to accept it and move on. She remembered her mother's words, 'Kathy, if you can't change it – make something positive out of it.' Kathryn smiled sadly; she missed her mother.
Seven felt uncomfortable, realising she had said something to upset the Captain, she attempted to repair the damage by adding. "I like the changes."
Janeway looked at her friend in surprise.
"You glow, I believe is the correct expression" the blonde stated. "You always did, but more so now that you are pregnant."
Janeway gazed with astonishment into piercing blue eyes, "I had a 'glow' before?"
Seven nodded.
They sat in silence for a moment.
Janeway rotated the coffee cup nervously in her hands, then asked. "Do you think I'm crazy for having this child?"
Seven started at this question. "No. I think you are courageous," there was a hint of awe in her tone that touched Kathryn.
"I had such an idyllic childhood," Janeway said softly, her eyes somewhere in the past. "Apart from the odd traumatic family camping trip, I was a happy child. I'm scared… scared that this child… that my son will grow up not knowing the innocence and freedom of childhood."
"Naomi Wildmen has spent everyday of her life on Voyager, she is none the worse for it," Seven pointed out.
Kathryn's brow furrowed. "Isn't she? I'm not so sure. It's a lonely existence for the crew, I can't imagine how isolating it must be for a child." She sipped her drink, "and I'm worried... worried that I'll be a disappointment to him."
Seven frowned. "You could never disappoint him," she stated ademently.
Kathryn was about to reply when her leg involuntarily twinged, pain shot up her calf and tore through her thigh; she stiffened at the abrupt attack.
Seven immediately rose from her seat ready to help when she suddenly realised she didn't know what to do. "Captain?!"
Kathryn shook her head. "Its just cramp," she replied through gritted teeth.
"Insufficient," Seven replied, hating to see her Captain in pain.
In one graceful movement, Seven moved beside Kathryn, lifted the Captain's feet onto her lap and slipped her hands under Kathryn's robe and along her calf's, pressing firmly against Janeway's skin. She moved her hands up to the backs of Janeway's knees and then brought them down again, she felt Kathryn's muscles loosen slightly at her touch and repeated the action. She saw the pain slowly ebb away as she continued the massage.
Kathryn let out a low groan at the pain relief, and it was nice to have someone actually touch her. She'd felt as if she'd had the phage the last week or two; no one had come near her, as if afraid to touch her.
When the pain had subsided, Seven stopped her ministrations and slowly lowered the Captain's legs onto the sofa. She suddenly felt ashamed of herself; she enjoyed seeing the Captain this way – it gave her a sense of intimacy that she had never known. She wanted it to stay this way; to have Kathryn to herself, to be her sole companion and confidant.
Janeway gazed at the ex-Borg, sensing the shift in Seven's demeanour. She didn't know when they had crossed that line, merely that it had been crossed, and despite herself, she indulged in the closeness.
Sevens intense blue eyes met hers and she didn't know what to say.
Kathryn's lowerback ached, reminding her that she was up way past her prescribed bedtime. "I need to lie down," the Captain stated, sighing internally - being a beached tic-narg'nna whale was exhausting!
Seven nodded, she reached out and took Janeway's hands in hers, gently pulling the heavily pregnant woman to her feet.
They started to move towards the Captain's bedroom, Kathryn struggled slightly. So, without thinking, Seven scooped Janeway up in her arms and carried her the rest of the way. Janeway was too tired to argue and allowed herself to be carried to her bed.
The blonde towered over the mattress. She drew back the covers with one hand and then gently lay Kathryn down. She crouched beside the bed and tucked-in the sleepy Captain.
Janeway smiled appreciatively. "Thank you Seven."
There was something in the way the ex-drone was looking at her, something in the way she felt at that moment that caused Kathryn to say in a voice she barely recognised, "Stay."
Seven nodded. She stood and turned to get a chair, intending to sit by the Captain until she fell asleep. Kathryn captured Seven's hand to prevent her from moving away. The ex-drone turned her penetrating gaze on the beautiful woman lying before her.
"I meant… stay with me," Janeway said as she drew back the duvet covers, inviting Seven into her bed.
Seven held her Captain's gaze and without hesitation, removed her boots and climbed into bed beside Kathryn.
Silently, they lay facing each other. Seven reached out her hand and stroked a loose strand of hair behind Kathryn's ear; Janeway relished the physical contact and then closed her eyes, overcome with sleepiness. Seven watched Kathryn in fascination as she drifted to sleep, and knew that she wanted this always.
Kathryn was soon lost in slumber, a protective arm wrapped itself around her expanded waist and she felt the warmth of Seven nestled close to her and smiled unconsciously. A feeling of well-being settled over her, and she knew there it would stay while Seven was close by.