Title: New and Different

Spoilers: Takes place after the Star Trek: Destiny book series, though, really, the big thing that happens is in "Star Trek: TNG: Before Dishonor", so, if you're going to read that soon and don't want to be spoiled, don't read this. (Uh, and for the record, I haven't quite finished the Second Season of Blood Ties so, if something's wrong, that's the reason) But the really funny thing is that I hadn't read the final book of the Blood Series before I wrote this, I had only seen the show.

Disclaimers: I don't own either of the characters from Blood Ties (TV) or ST: Voyager, I'm just havin' a bit of fun with them.

Annika Hansen ran a hand over the letters on the tombstone. She closed her eyes and felt each bump and groove. J-A-N-E-W-A-Y. "Kathryn." She swallowed. With the Borg no more, so many things had become clear, and so many others had gotten murky.

She wiped away a stray tear and blinked in surprise as a voice came from behind her. "Were you a friend of hers?"

Annika turned. A bespectacled blonde woman stood there. She seemed to be wearing pants of denim, a black button up shirt and a brown leather jacket over them. She didn't seem too old, or too young. Mid 30s, nearing 40. "Ah, yes, we... served together."

The woman knelt next to the grave, "Ah, you were on Voyager."

Annika's face was set in a frown. "How do you know of her?"

"Met her a few times." The woman stood and glanced around the cemetery, "There are many other Voyager crew members buried here."

Annika stood and moved away, "What do you want?"

"Nothing, nothing at all. You seemed like you needed to talk."

Annika sighed, "I have talked to counselors upon counselors, I do not need to talk. I am Annika. Do you have a name?"

A half a smile came to the woman's face, "That's a beautiful name, Annika, and yes, I have many names. Call me Vicki."

"Vicki. I know of no reason why you would need ocular assistance."

Vicki sat down on the grass next to the grave marker. She took off her glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Did you know that even when the need for something is taken away, it doesn't mean that you stop doing it."

"You do not need them?"

"An affectation. I haven't needed them for..." she smiled to herself. "For nearly four centuries."

She put them back on and Annika tilted her head to one side. "They suit your face."

"Are you hitting on me Ms. Hansen?"

Annika ducked the question, "400 years. You're not Trill, or Vulcan."

"I'm... I'm unique, and getting more and more unique by the year."

Annika frowned, "You will not tell me."

"Ask me."

Annika was silent for a moment. "What are you?"

"I am Vampir, Vrykolakas, Strgoi..."

Annika blinked and suddenly sat down across from Vicki. "Species 5699."

Vicki chuckled. "A species designation for Vampires. So, did we help y'all?"

"Will you kill me?"

Vicki regarded the former Borg. "That depends, do you have a death wish?"

Annika sighed, "My skill was the Borg."

"So, learn something new. You were given a new life, right? Most of this galaxy got a second chance. What have you always wanted to do but didn't get the chance."

Annika changed the subject, "How did you become a Vampire?"

Vicki took off her glasses again, "Let's call it my personal Kobayashi Maru. There was no right answer, instead of dead, I wound up like this." Annika was silent, "I was chasing a... a Windango... again. I was by myself, all by my barely seeing self. Managed to kill it with five or six silver bullets, a minor miracle in and unto itself. But, it also managed to kill me, almost."

Vicki's glasses went back on. She winced, "I could see my own heart, I could see it slowing and... and then Henry was there, and our eyes met, and we didn't even have words. He drank what blood I had left, and then..." She sighed, "I drank his. And here we are..."

"If you did not desire to become a Vampire, then why did you not let yourself die?"

Vicki shrugged, "I don't know. Stupidity, hubris, love? A little bit of everything?

There was lightning and a crack of thunder. Annika looked up as it started pouring rain. She sighed. Vicki stood. "Hey, can I show ya something?"

"Will it involve my blood?"

Vicki chuckled, "Nah. I already ate tonight. C'mon..."

Annika paused for a moment, then took a step towards Vicki. "Show me."

There were two men that Vicki and Annika were watching. "Who are they?"

"One's name is Dave, the other is Monthod, not what he was originally called. He's a vampire."

Annika glanced at Vicki, then back to the two men. "You're going to kill him."

"He's already dead. Stay here. You'll be safe."

Annika didn't move a muscle as Vicki jogged towards the men. She yelled and the two men turned. Then, before Annika could blink Monthod and Vicki seemed to both speed up and slammed into the other.

The other man, Dave, took the opportunity to run like hell while the two vampires fought. Even from where Annika stood she could see the blood flying. And, it didn't look like Vicki was winning.

The pain was immense. She could feel multiple places from where she was bleeding. It had been nearly a century since someone had truly fought back like Monthod was doing.

And then, in a flash, Vicki was on her back, Monthod on top of her, laughing, teeth bared. "I've gotten the big bad traitor. I'm going to suck Vicki Nelson dry..."

He laughed and laughed and then there was a crunch and he fell to the side. Vicki stared up at Annika and blinked. Annika spoke, "He will not be unconscious for long."

Vicki pushed herself up on one arm and held her other one up. As she was pulled to her feet a groan came from deep within her. She pointed at a crypt. "Behind there, sword, please..."

Annika went behind it and popped back with a raised eyebrow. "A sword."

"Stand back." And with one strike she separated Monthod's head from his shoulders and he disappeared. Vicki sank back to the ground. She swallowed and closed her eyes. "Too much... too..."

Annika rolled up her sleeve. "Blood will solve your problem, the Doctor... I have read the... fictional tales of your kind."

"No... no..."

Annika used the sword to cut gently at her wrist. She managed not to jump as Vicki's eyes went black and she seemed to sprout fangs. She growled. "No, no..." She shook her head and tried to back up, but was too hurt too much to move. "I didn't want it, let me go, let me g..."

Annika grabbed Vicki in a headlock and pulled the woman to her. "Drink. Now."

"I'm al..."

Annika did not give the Vicki any chance to disagree anymore, she pressed her arm against Vicki's mouth. To her credit it was a few long moments before Annika felt any blood leaving her body. Annika hoped that she hadn't just made her last mistake.

"What... where?" Vicki sat up and glanced around. "Apartment, not mine..."

"You are in my apartment in San Francisco. It is day."

Vicki laughed, "It's 2381 Annika... it took me nearly 75 years straight, but I found a pendant and spell that allows me to walk in the day." Vicki studied Annika, "Call it my very own Caelier. Freeing me of my... darker parts..." Vicki paused, "Are you okay?"

"I am fine, you showed much restraint, even in your altered state."

Vicki laid her head back and closed her eyes, "I was taught by the best."

"Did you kill him?"

Vicki sat up, "I only dispatch those Vampires who kill others for pleasure and will not or cannot find it in themselves to learn how to survive alongside humanoids instead of on humanoids. So far, I have not met any who want to change. I am going to..." She closed her eyes and was silent as she pulled the information from her still slightly scrambled mind. "Right, Cestus III next. I have a report of a human Vampire feeding there."

"Do you need a pilot?"

"No, you don't know me, and I work better alone. I'm not good with the trust crap."

Annika sat down at the bottom of the bed. "You have been asleep for nearly three days. I did some research. Vicki Nelson. You owned and operated Vicki Nelson Investigations until your death in 2009. Since then you have gone by many names, Anne, Elizabeth, Mary, Catherine, Alexandra. I would most likely be able to find more aliases now that I know that for the past 297 years you have been able to walk in the daylight. You have never killed anyone of a humanoid species, and have never been married."

Vicki chuckled and winced, still a bit drained. "Still, it's not a good idea. I've been hunting my own kind for years and years... on my own. With two..."

Annika seemed to bristle, "I am able to handle myself in a multitude of situations."

Vicki shook her head, "We're killing people, they may have already died once, but we're taking them out of this world again, with no trial, no jury, no judge, just a sword, or other implement."

"LOOK..." Vicki's head jerked up at the anger in Annika's voice. "Do you understand, comprehend how many people I've killed, what I have to make up for. And, I cannot be here, not with... with her here... all the time, haunting me, my thoughts, what could..."

"...have been. You loved Captain Janeway, and never could tell her, could never give in. And then when you were about to give in, to love hi... her and let her love you back, it was all shot to hell by the Borg."

Annika slowly nodded. "On Earth I will forever be Seven of Nine, former Borg, but... out in the rest of the galaxy, I can start anew. Annika Hansen..."

"...Vampire Slayer?"

Annika tilted her head to one side, "Pilot."

"...and Engineer. I suck at engines, right now, they're making this putt putting thing, I don't know, doesn't sound right. I sorta had to gun it to get away from... uh, don't remember the world, but man were their ships fast."

"You will allow me to accompany you?"

Vicky held up two fingers. "Two conditions. One, the next time I tell you to let me die, you let me die."

"And two."

"Do you cook? Or maybe know where to get a new replicator for the Toronto?"

"Toronto?"

Vicki smirked, "I'm home wherever I go. It isn't a Starship Annika, and you may find that running doesn't help."

Annika got off the bed and stood to her full height. "Has it helped you?"

"Well... yeah, but..."

"We leave tomorrow."

With that, the tall, blonde and beautiful former Borg drone left Vicki alone in the room. The nearly 400 year old woman chuckled to herself, "Oh yeah, I'm sooo gonna regret this."

Fin ~ July 29th, 2009