Standard A's Note: I don't own anything I just borrow for my own enjoyment and hopefully that of others.
The dinner rush had ended hours ago and the mess hall would be empty now, with the expectation of Neelix, who would be busy putting together the last touches for the dinner party he was having for the senior staff. He had come to Captain Janeway ages ago with the idea that the senior officers needed the opportunity to get together once in awhile in a more relaxed environment. He'd played on the theme that these were the people she worked closely with and who worked together as the very backbone of the ship. Neelix had made quite a few good points, but in the end Janeway knew he was just looking for a reason to socialize with the very tight knit group. So she'd given her permission for a monthly get together for her and her senior staff, and it had turned out to one of the highlights she looked forward to every month.
At the sound of two tiny hands clapping together, Janeway looked up from putting her cream colored flats on. The sight that greeted her made her smile. Seven of Nine stood in the doorway of their bedroom dressed in a simple midnight blue dress that reached just below her knees. Her blonde hair was gathered into a clip that kept it up, and off her face but still allowed it to remain loose and casual. In her arms was a very happy little girl dressed in a mint green dress, cream colored sweater, white tights, the cutest pair of little dress shoes that Janeway had ever seen, and the small charm bracelet she and Seven had given their daughter for her first birthday.
"Look at this Gretchen." Seven said with a teasing tone in her voice. "All that fussing Mommy did about being late and she's the last one ready."
Janeway's response to her lover's teasing was to stick her tongue out at the taller woman as she attached her comm. badge to her long cream-colored dress shirt. The gesture was quickly returned by Gretchen, who decided it was fun to blow raspberries at her mother.
Seven held back a laugh as she tisked. "Such manners to be teaching our child, Kathryn."
Janeway had to hold back her own laughter as she walked over to the two ladies in her life. "Now look here you two." She scolded with her hand on one hip. "This isn't pick on Mommy night."
Seven looked down at Gretchen and then back up at Janeway. "Sure it is, didn't you get the memo?" Seven could see Kathryn forming her reply and quickly silenced it with a kiss.
When the two women and their little girl finally walked into the mess hall, they found that they weren't the first ones to arrive but they weren't the last either. Harry was there, as were B'Elanna, Tom, and Miral. As soon as Gretchen saw her godmother standing near the table with Harry and Neelix she reached out her hands and yelled as loudly as she could, "Lanna!"
B'Elanna smiled at the sound of her name and happily took the one calling out to her from Seven when she and the Captain had come over to join them. "Hiya munchkin."
"How's the warp drive coming, B'Elanna?" Janeway asked with a bit of a smirk.
B'Elanna smirked back. "We'll have it back up by the end of Alpha shift tomorrow."
Janeway looked pleased. "Oh?"
"I called in the Calvary." B'Elanna said as she shared a look with Seven.
Seven smiled as she took Miral from Tom. "I would be the Calvary."
Janeway laughed softly. It wasn't all that long ago that B'Elanna and Seven were always butting heads, but both women had grown and mellowed and were now good friends. "Well haven't you two come a long way." She commented as she watched the two women cooing at the other's child.
"Hey good lookin' wanna come dance with Uncle Tom?" Tom asked as he held out his hands to Gretchen.
"Fwyboy!" Gretchen replied with a clap of her hands.
"Uncle Tom." Tom replied while giving his wife a look.
Gretchen titled her head in that same quizzical way Seven had and then repeated, "Fwyboy!"
"Uncle Tom." Tom repeated. It was an on going argument between the two ever since B'Elanna taught Gretchen to call him that.
Janeway, Seven, B'Elanna, and Harry all stood there laughing as they watched Tom argue with a fifteen-month-old infant. The little girl could say Tom just fine; she just liked how silly Tom acted when she called him flyboy.
Once Chakotay, Tuvok, and the Doctor arrived the group sat down for dinner. The conversation around the table started off about repairs but quickly moved into shore leave. Janeway had been right when she decided it was long past time for her crew to take a break. Even Tuvok was expressing the need for a little downtime, on behalf of his officers of course.
As Seven talked about the list of possible places she'd found that afternoon, Janeway could tell she was some what hesitant. Yes, she thought, even Seven needs some down time, but after her last planet-side experience she's a little leery.
After dinner the group broke up a little and paired off to have more confined conversations. Janeway stood off to the side of the room watching as Seven not only talked lively with the others but smiled from time to time. It was an amazing sight to see.
"She's come a long way since joining us." Chakotay said as she walked up to his captain and friend.
Janeway looked over at her first officer and smiled while giving him a small nod. "She's come a long way since Gretchen got here."
The two watched for a few moments as Seven talked to the doctor and Tuvok. Then Chakotay added, "So have you."
"So have I what?" Janeway asked after taking a sip from her wine glass.
"Come alone way. Look at you Kathryn, not only are you sharing a life with the one you love, the two of you are raising a child. I'd say that's a major improvement. You've gone from no life to having every thing."
Janeway watched Seven a little while longer before thinking to herself, Not quite everything.
The group rearranged it's self again and Janeway found herself sitting next to Seven on the couch, the other's spread around them in the small lounging area, the two girls playing on the floor between them. The toy that Gretchen was playing with was another educational toy that Seven and Icheb had designed and replicated. The toy would play a song when Gretchen, or Miral, would match the colors right. Tonight however, Gretchen couldn't make it play and she was starting to get frustrated. The adults' conversation was quickly ended by the sound of a toy hitting the floor and a sudden shout. "petaQ!"
Everyone watched as Gretchen scrunched up her nose after saying the word and then giggle. Then they all looked up and over at B'Elanna.
"What?" The Klingon-Human hybrid asked. "Don't look at me. I'm not the only one who speaks Klingon on this ship, besides I only know a few phrases."
"That being one of them." Tom said with a muffled snicker.
After dinner Janeway and Seven headed back to their quarters with a sleeping Gretchen. Janeway watched from the doorway of the baby's room as Seven carefully undressed their daughter and got her ready for bed. Despite the Borg implants and the normally cold attitude that Seven presented to everyone out side their personal life, she really was a gentle and loving woman.
When Seven looked up from putting Gretchen's sleeper on, she noticed that Kathryn was looking at her again and it made her smile. "You've been watching me all evening, my Kathryn."
Janeway smiled, a light blush coloring her cheeks at having caught. "Have I?"
Seven nodded as she laid Gretchen in her crib and covered her with a blanket. "What's on your mind, my Kathryn?"
"Do you think she'll sleep through the night?" Janeway asked as Seven approached her. "Because I have several things on my mind."
Seven's brow went up as a smile curled her lips. Seven knew that Kathryn was hiding her real thoughts behind her playfulness, but she also knew that her partner would come to her with them when she was ready. Taking Kathryn by the hand and leading her to their room, Seven decided that for now playing along was the best thing to do.
Voyager's senior staff sat around the conference table looking up at the image of a planet with jade green landmasses and sapphire blue bodies of water. Geographical and biological information about the planet and its inhabitance streamed along side and below the image, but no one was really looking at it. They're attention instead, was placed upon Seven as she gave them her report.
"The planet is in the Xon system and is used by several of the surrounding systems as a type of resort planet. After doing an extended search which included ensuring it's security to the crew, I've found it's the best of our choices." Seven told them as she switched the image on the screen from the planet to photographs of different climates. "Another plus is that it's similar to Earth in quite a few ways, including the availably of several different climates, which would give the crew quite a few choices as to what they'd like to do."
Harry watched as the images changed and then smiled as he spoke up. "Hey Tom, looks like they might have some fresh powder."
Tom's face lit up. "Three days on the slops, four on the beach. Sounds like heaven to me."
Captain Janeway watched her officers carefully. Each one seemed to brighten as they listened to the report and took in the pictures. After a moment more of listening to the chatter of the others, she held up her hands. "Well then I guess that settles it. Neelix, send a commutation to the proper people and set up our reservation."
"How long will we be staying?" Chakotay asked.
"I'd like to see everyone on board get at least a week." Janeway answered.
Her first officer nodded with a bright gleam in his dark eyes. He'd have to work out the schedules but Janeway knew he could handle it. The rest of the meeting was spent talking about repairs and the need to restock. Seven assured them that restocking would be possible on Xon IV, and B'Elanna assured them that they could be on their way by the end of the day. By the time the meeting ended and the group broke up, Janeway could already feel a positive upswing in morale.
"Any plans for your shore leave yet?" Chakotay asked as he followed Janeway out of the conference room and onto the bridge.
Janeway smiled as she lowered herself into her chair. "A few possibilities. What about you?"
"Seven's written report says there's a nice desert resort on the northern continent. I think I might head that way." The tall Native North American man said as he took his seat.
The anticipation of simply getting underway had built to the point that when B'Elanna alerted the Captain that warp drive was back online, there was a near ripple effect of cheering that started on the bridge and worked it's way down to the lower decks.
"Set course for Xon IV, Tom." Janeway commanded. "Warp three."
Tom smiled as he put in the information, and then just before engaging engines reported, "It'll take four days to get there at warp three, Captain."
Captain Janeway sat back in her chair and smiled as she accepted a cup off coffee from a young crewman. "That'll be just enough time for everyone to make their plans, Tom, engage."
"With pleasure." Tom replied as he pressed the button that would engage warp.
The Captain stood from her chair with a smile. "You have the bridge, Chakotay."
Commander Chakotay smiled as he watched the auburn haired woman heading for the turbo lift. "Going to do some planning of your own?"
Janeway turned in the turbo lift so she could face the Commander, and replied just before the doors closed. "Something like that."