Timeline: Post "Fair Haven"
Love With All The Trimmings
Attempt One
Seven only managed to play a few chords of the guitar before Janeway grabbed her arm and dragged her to one side.
The Captain stared at her Astrometric's Officer in disbelief. "Seven – what are you doing?" she demanded, completely stunned by this display.
"Serenading you," Seven replied, pushing up the tip of her sombrero.
Kathryn glanced over her shoulder at the Bridge crew, who immediately looked away, trying desperately to feign disinterest.
Janeway leaned closer to the blonde. "Serenading me? Seven… whose idea was this?" the Captain asked, feeling her exasperation at Seven dissipate into annoyance on her friends' behalf.
Seven stared blankly at Janeway. "I read it."
Kathryn's eyebrow arched at this unexpected revelation, she released her grip on Seven's arm, her expression softening. "You read it?"
Seven nodded, feeling that perhaps she had misinterpreted the data. She had thought it was clear but like so many human rituals, when it came to the actual practice, it was far more complex.
"What were you trying to do?" Janeway asked gently.
"The Doctor informed me that you will not consider a romantic relationship with a member of your crew."
Kathryn nodded, feeling uncomfortable with any direction this conversation would take. She was always guarded in relation to her personal life and the recent holodeck affair unnerved her. It made her vulnerable and that was a dangerous position for an isolated Starfleet Captain.
"You are the only person on this ship that I am compatible with and I am not, strictly speaking, a member of your crew. I am not part of Starfleet's collective, therefore… it is possible that you might consider a romantic relationship with me," Seven stated.
Janeway folded her arms across her chest. "And so you decided…" she waved her hand, indicating Seven's ludicrous get-up, "that this was the best way to win my affections?"
Suddenly Seven felt awkward. This was not going according to plan. The information she had studied clearly stated that Earth women responded favourably when they had love songs performed publicly to them. Judging from the Captain's expression Seven realised this was not the case.
"I shall leave now," stated the Borg. She tucked the guitar under her arm and marched off the Bridge.
Janeway took a deep breath before returning to her chair; she felt everyone's eyes upon her and wished the view screen would crack open and suck her into space.
The crew attempted to hide their smirks and the Captain ignored them - a guitar-wielding, sonnet-singing ex-Borg would not chase Kathryn Janeway from the Bridge, no matter how tempting the offer was.
The "If At First You Don't Succeed" Attempt (AKA: Attempt Two)
The Captain had seemed displeased at her costume, so Seven selected clothing that was more appropriate for her next attempt.
She finished replicating the roses and tapped instructions for lingerie into the replicator. Seven slipped the clingy garment on and headed for the Captain's quarters; she would have to work quickly if she were to arrange the room in time.
Janeway rubbed the back of her neck wearily. She was exhausted; all she wanted to do was collapse into bed. What with a run-in with a Malon freighter, Seven's impromptu cabaret and the crew's hushed tones since, she had had her fill for the day.
The door to the Captain's quarters opened, welcoming Kathryn to sanctuary. She didn't bother initiating the lights as she made her way to her bed, stripping out of her uniform and slipping her shoes off. She slumped down onto the bed.
"Oh!" exclaimed Seven, who was stretched across Kathryn's bed in a seductive pose.
Kathryn leapt to her feet, instinctively hitting her insignia. "Janeway to Security – intruder alert - my quarters!"
Janeway took a step back from the bed and ordered the lights to come on. As brightness flooded the room, Janeway recognised her intruder. She sighed and covered her face with her hands, shaking her head in disbelief.
Seven carefully removed the rose from her mouth. "I did not mean to startle you, Captain," she apologised.
Janeway sighed in exasperation. "Seven, what are you doing here?"
Seven offered Kathryn one of the glasses of red wine she held in her hands.
Janeway didn't move.
Seven sat up cautiously, trying not to disturb the rose petal covered duvet. She opened her mouth to speak but was prevented by the arrival of Tuvok storming into the Captain's quarters, accompanied by three Ensign's, phaser's drawn.
They stopped dead at the sight that greeted them.
Kathryn had to stop herself from screaming at the smirks on the Ensign's faces. She was never going to live this down!
"It's alright Tuvok – false alarm," Janeway informed him.
Tuvok looked from the Captain to Seven, then back to Janeway. Even he seemed amused by this scenario.
As she walked through the corridor the following morning, Janeway noticed the crew were avoiding eye contact with her. She had the feeling that she and Seven were the main topic of ship conversation. She groaned internally. Just what she needed, another series of rumours about her love life. She'd weathered the "hologram"' storm, but she wasn't sure she could endure an "ex-Borg" blizzard as well.
Then Kathryn decided she was handling it wrong. The more she attempted to deter Seven, the harder the ex-drone seemed to try. Maybe she should approach it from another angle. Janeway smiled to herself, a plan already formulating in her mind.
Kathryn's Attempt (AKA: Attempt Three)
Seven sauntered happily towards the Captain's Ready Room; she had been pleasantly surprised by the summons, thinking that after last night's debacle, Janeway would be avoiding her.
When Seven entered, the lights were low and Janeway was seated on the sofa, her arm casually draped across the back of the couch. She smiled flirtatiously at Seven and patted the seat beside her.
Seven raised a cautious eyebrow - this was most unusual behaviour. Seven seated herself beside the Captain and Janeway leaned towards her; the close proximity of the Captain's face to her own startled Seven. Janeway had a tendency to get in her personal space but Seven had never seen her do it quite so purposefully.
Kathryn smiled confidently, pulled her hand up and cradled her chin against her palm. Her eyes probed Seven's. She sighed dreamily and her lips curved in a suggestive manner.
Seven wanted to bolt from the room; she felt tenser than she had when facing assimilation.
"You wanted to speak to me?" Seven asked, the anxiety marked in her tone.
"Not really, I just wanted to look at you… hear that sexy voice of yours," Janeway tilted her head and ran her eyes the full length of Seven's body before resting them on her face. She moved even closer to Seven, allowing her breasts to gently brush against Seven's arm, then breathed lightly against Seven's neck.
Tingles overpowered Seven's nerve endings; her bodies systems almost shut down with the fierceness of the sensations. Janeway reached out and stroked the exposed skin of Seven's neck with her fingertips; her touch feather light.
Overwhelmed, Seven stood up and strode to the other side of the room, trying to put some distance between them. This was too hasty, her body was responding too quickly for her mind to catch-up.
Janeway smiled to herself, she just needed to push Seven a little further. She got to her feet and strolled confidently towards the ex-Borg who seemed to tremor at her approach. Kathryn stopped directly in front of her Astrometric's Officer, not entirely sure how far to take this bluff.
Seven was actually shaking and Kathryn took a step back; she had only wanted to frighten Seven into shying away, she didn't want to be responsible for Seven having a nervous-Borg-breakdown. All of her instincts for Seven's welfare returned full-force and she felt thoroughly ashamed of herself. Her eyes softened as she gazed at her friend.
Seven immediately sensed the shift in Janeway and she relaxed a little as the familiar look of friendship appeared on the Captain's face.
"I'm sorry Seven, this was a bad idea."
Seven didn't have the opportunity to respond as Voyager shook violently, thrusting Kathryn forward - knocking Seven down and forcing the Captain on top of her.
The Ready Room lights went out and the red alert siren screeched through the ship.
Seven lay flat on her back, Janeway perched on top of her.
Seven felt the distinct imprint of the Captain's breasts pressing against her own and although Voyager was in peril, she felt the urge to roll on top of Janeway and make love to her here and now.
For a brief moment, the same thought occurred to Janeway as she straddled Seven in order to get up. The feel of the younger woman between her thighs mades her aware of certain… sensations. She placed her hands on the floor, either side of Seven, and attempted to lever herself up but her uniform tunic had somehow become ensnared with Seven's hand implant, which pulled her back down, forcing her to a sit astride Seven's lap, her chest in Seven's face.
The blonde took a controlled breath as she stared at Janeway's heaving chest.
Seven realised the obstruction and sets about untangling the Captain's jacket from her implant.
The ship rocked again and Kathryn braced herself against the blonde. Then wished she hadn't as a stir of desire blazed through her.
Lost in the moment, neither of them heard the Captain's insignia chirp or the First Officer's anxious voice. "Chakotay to Janeway."
Janeway pulled back from Seven and the ex-drone set about disentangling them, accidentally tapping Janeway's insignia in the process.
The Bridge crew were at battle stations when they heard the Captain's husky voice. "Seven, not so hard! Oww… you'll rip it!"
"I am unaccustomed to this sort of endeavour, I shall try to be more gentle," replied Seven's cool voice.
The crew exchanged confused glances.
A low sound issued from Janeway, followed by. "Ah! Almost!"
"Stay still, your squirming is distracting."
"You nearly had it then – just – yes – that's it!"
"I cannot do it. You try. I will observe for next time."
There was a pause.
"But you're doing so well, just - a bit more to the left – yes! That's it!"
Having successfully untangled themselves Janeway and Seven drew apart and got to their feet.
Kathryn removed her tunic; it had a small tear where Seven had managed to pull it free. She'd deal with it later.
Both women headed for the Bridge, hair tussled and faces flushed.
Janeway entered first, closely followed by Seven. The Bridge crew were silent and stared at them.
"Report," ordered the Captain, wondering why everyone was gaping at her.
Harry took a moment to respond. "A Malon freighter attacked us Captain," he said hoarsely.
Janeway turned to Chakotay who seemed more disconcerted than anyone else.
"What?" Kathryn asked innocently.
The Inadvertent Attempt (AKA: Attempt Four)
She wanted Janeway as her mate. She had decided. That was the easy part; it was the 'courtship' that had created problems so Seven carefully assimilated more information on Earth's dating practices and realised that her previous attempts had been inappropriate. She decided on a new approach, a direct approach - she would just be herself and ask the Captain for a date.
Seven glanced at her reflection in the workstation; she practiced her smile one last time and then removed her hairgrip, letting blonde curls fall loosely around her face; she was ready.
It is the first social event that Seven has ever been early for since joining Voyager. Neelix greeted her with his usual enthusiasm. He offered her a drink as she scanned the Holodeck for Janeway. It was a beach resort, one of Tom Paris's infantile fantasy programmes.
"The Captain hasn't arrived yet," Neelix informed her as he handed her a glass of water, having learned from bitter experience never to serve the ex-Borg alcohol, synthesised or otherwise.
Seven took the glass and smiled graciously. She would have to wait, which would be difficult - she had an inexplicable desire to see Janeway. To resolve the strange tension that had settled between them.
Neelix leaned close to her. "I heard what's been happening – with the Captain. Don't you think you should be a bit more… discreet? She is the Captain after all."
Seven raised an eyebrow. She had not meant for her intentions towards Kathryn to be clandestine but nor had she intended to provide gossip that could fuel Voyager all the way back to the Alpha Quadrant. She was aware that the Captain loathed rumours about her personal life circulating amongst the crew and the thought that she was somehow bringing discredit on Janeway, possibly even causing her embarrassment, filled Seven with apprehension.
Suddenly Seven had an inexplicable feeling - as if everyone in the room was mocking her and sneering at her. It was a most unpleasant and overwhelming emotion. She jostled her glass back into Neelix's hand and quickly excused herself.
She headed for the door at a brisk pace and collided with Janeway and Chakotay, who had just entered arm-in-arm. Kathryn was laughing at something Chakotay had said and looked far too happy in his company. Startled, Seven started to mumble an apology when her eyes flited down to where Kathryn's hand linked intimately with the Commanders, and then she bristled with anger.
"Sorry to interrupt!" She spat venomously and pushed past them.
Seven could cope with rejection; it is all the crew have offered her these last three years... but Kathryn had never treated her as an outsider or made her feel insignificant; quite the opposite: she had always made Seven feel special - until now.
As Seven stormed past her and out into the corridor, Kathryn turned her head with concern. She glanced at Chakotay, who shrugged.
"It's now or never," he said gently.
Janeway didn't hesitate. She pulled her arm from his and rushed after Seven.
The Final Attempt (AKA: Five Attempts To Happiness)
Seven stopped running due to a malfunction with her ocular implant. Her eyes kept filling with water, which proceeded to pour down her face. Mortified by the fault in her cybernetic construction, she hid behind a bulkhead.
Janeway strode along the corridor, her eyes scanned the hallway for any sign of Seven. Kathryn didn't so much see Seven as hear her. The faint sound of crying drew her attention to a bulkhead. Janeway slowed and peered behind the bulkhead, where Seven's flushed and tear-stained face came into view. Kathryn swallowed her trepidation and cursed herself for causing Seven pain.
Seven heard the Captain draw near and turned her head away. Undeterred, Janeway stepped closer to Seven and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Seven? I think maybe you and I need to have a little chat."
Seven shook her head. Her throat was dry and scratchy and she did not trust her voice. She didn't want to appear weak in front of the Captain. It would be one humiliation too far.
Kathryn sighed and reached out, she cupped Seven's chin with her finger and turned the blonde's face towards her. The usually crystal clear blue eyes were puffy and blood-shot and her bottom lip quivered - Kathryn's heart pounded with distress. "Don't cry," she entreated.
Seven still couldn't bring herself to respond verbally, her throat was tight and words escaped her.
"Please don't cry," repeated the Captain, her voice barely more than a whisper. Gently Kathryn wiped away Seven's tears. "I can't stand to see you like this… such sad, sad eyes." Janeway leaned forward, standing on tiptoe to kiss Seven's forehead affectionately.
Seven closed her eyes as Janeway's kiss radiated life into her body.
Kathryn tilted her head and kissed Seven's eyelids reverently. Then she pulled back slightly, watching breathlessly as Seven opened those large blue orbs but instead of being filled with sorrow, they were now bursting with joy.
Kathryn couldn't help but smile and before she had time to think, she raised her lips to Seven's. The kiss was tender and impassioned. Instinctively, Seven's arms wrapped around Janeway, drawing her closer and Janeway's hands wrapped about Seven's neck.
After several blissful moments, Seven broke the kiss and gazed disbelievingly into Janeway's eyes.
Wordlessly, Kathryn slipped her hand into Seven's and lead her out from behind the bulkhead.
They walked hand-in-hand along the corridor. Once outside the doors of the Holodeck, Seven hesitated. Kathryn squeezed Seven's hand in reassurance; they smiled knowingly at each other and then entered the holodeck together.