Thank you to everyone who reviewed, followed, or favorited the story.
Part 2
Present Day on Voyager
Kathryn replicated a cup of coffee and tried to shake off the cobwebs in her head. Although it wasn't the first time she had dreamed about Seven of Nine, this one felt very different. It felt like it really happened. ….Pffft like I would ever be dancing at a Starfleet party, I wouldn't even dance with Mark at those events. If she closed her eyes, she could almost feel herself holding the blonde in her arms, the way her body felt against hers and how it truly rattled her while she slow danced with Seven. Okay, Katie it was just a dream. Time to focus. She finished her coffee and headed to the Bridge for a report.
"Captain on the Bridge," Tuvok announced, as Janeway walked through the doors.
"As you were," she ordered, glancing at Seven out of the corner of her eye. She felt her cheeks flush when she made eye contact with the former Borg and quickly looked away, thankful that she could not read her mind.
Tuvok approached Janeway with a concerned expression on his face. "Captain, is everything okay?"
"Everything's fine," Kathryn answered, as her eyes continued to scan the report in front of her. "Was there something else?"
He frowned as he silently studied her for a moment. "You appear to have something on your mind. I am your friend, Captain. Whatever it is, I'm happy to listen."
Kathryn opened her mouth, but before she could respond she received a call from the Doctor summoning her to sickbay. Thank God for interruptions. "Carry on," she commanded, avoiding looking over at Seven as she made her exit and headed towards sickbay.
**********
Relativity (500 years into the future)
"So now what?" Seven asked, anxious to complete the mission that would save her friends.
"You've made this trip three times," Ducane informed her. "Any more jumps and you could suffer from temporal psychosis or even death."
"It could kill me," Seven said, processing the information.
"Yes," he answered honestly and looked to Captain Braxton for support.
"It could kill you, that is true. However, if we don't find the weapon and dismantle it, you and the rest of Voyager will die anyway," he explained.
"Then I will comply," Seven said without hesitation.
"Very well," Braxton patted her on the shoulder and turned to the main computer. "So, anything unusual happen at the party?"
"I'm not certain," she said honestly.
"Oh? And what does that mean?" Braxton narrowed his gaze in on the blonde.
"It means that I do not have sufficient data about Starfleet social gatherings to give you an accurate assessment," Seven explained, her face void of any expression.
"I understand," the Captain said, turning his attention back to his work. "It would have made my job a whole lot easier if whoever planted the weapon had been there wearing a shirt that said 'I sabotaged Voyager' on it."
"I believe you are correct," Seven replied without any variation in her tone. "So, where are you sending me this time?"
"Two years before you joined the crew, Voyager was in a battle with the Kazon. The ship was boarded then and it would have been the perfect time to plant the weapon without being detected," Ducane informed. "You will want to get to the Jefferies tube and find and dismantle the weapon, and then get the hell out of there without being detected by any of the crew."
"Understood," Seven responded.
"Oh, Seven?" She turned to look at Braxton. "There's no dancing during battles. Stay away from Janeway."
An unfamiliar emotion washed over her. Embarassment? I am Borg. I don't get embarrassed. It's a useless emotion. "Yes Sir," she said, and prepared to make the jump back in time.
Voyager (During Battle with Kazon)
Seven brought a hand to her forehead as she tried to fight off the headache and dizziness that seemed to accompany these temporal jumps. She moved into an empty alcove and oriented herself, waiting for an opening to sneak into the Jefferies tube and complete her mission. She opened the panel and looked around. "There's no weapon," she tapped her com badge.
"Any uninvited guests?" Braxton asked.
"Not yet."
"Good, now lay low and keep your eyes open," he commanded. "Let's finally catch this guy."
Seven immediately sensed that something was off and hit her com badge again. "They've erected force fields around my location. I may have been detected. How should I proceed?" When she didn't get a response, she tried again. "Lieutenant, respond! Captain Braxton? Relativity, are you there?" Even thought she knew it was in vain, she was trying to push her way through the force field when Janeway and Tuvok walked down the hall to where she was obtained.
"I don't believe we've been introduced, Ensign," Janeway said, as walked to the edge of the force field. She froze in her tracks at what, or rather who, was standing there.
"Lower the force field," Seven ordered.
"I take that back. We have met," Janeway said, ignoring her request. "Two years ago. You told me the briefing room was efficient." She blew out a breath to settle the anxiety building up in her, as she recalled her intimate slow dance with the blonde. So many questions racing through her mind, but first and foremost, she had an obligation as captain of this ship.
"You've mistaken me for someone else," Seven tried, even though she knew it was in vain. "Now lower the force field and I will explain everything, before it's too late." She demanded icily.
"Oh, I don't think so," Kathryn said with a determined gleam in her eyes as she studied the blonde. "I remember everything about you, Anna, Anna Jameson. If that's who you really are." Was that all a ploy? And how did she get on my ship that's now stranded thousands of light years from home.
"Captain, with all due respect, I am not who you think I am."
Janeway continued speaking as if she had not heard her prisoner speak. "Two years ago I told you that I had hoped our paths would cross again, and here you are, halfway across the galaxy and on my ship. That's quite interesting, don't you think?'
"Captain, you are preventing me from completing a very important mission," Seven tried, her eyes softening.
Janeway glared at the younger woman. "Who are you and what are you doing on my ship?"
"My designation is irrelevant. But I assure you, my intentions are not hostile. Please, you must trust me."
Kathryn laughed mirthlessly. "Well, you'll pardon me if I don't just take your word for it. I'm not going to ask you again. Tell me who you are and what you are doing here," she ordered in her most commanding voice. "Are you working with the Kazon?"
"No I am not."
Tuvok looked up from his tricorder to get his superior's attention. "Captain, I am detecting biomechanical implants with a Borg signature."
Janeway's eyes remained locked onto the other woman's as she tapped her com badge to her First Officer. "Chakotay scan for Borg ships in the vicinity."
"Captain?" Chakotay's voice questioned.
"Just do it." Janeway commanded sharply then turned back to her unwanted guest. "Who are you and how did you get on Voyager?"
Seven sighed. With no direction from Relativity on how to proceed, she was on her own. Sometimes, she really missed being part of a crew. Even the collective would be better than being out here all alone. "I am no longer Borg," she said, looking the other woman right in the eye.
"Who are you?" Janeway needed to know, not just for her crew, but for herself too. She was usually a very good judge of character. She couldn't stand to think that she might have been played by this woman as part of a scheme to harm her crew.
Seven's eyes pleaded with the Captain for trust. "You know who I am, and I'm sorry but I can't answer that," she said honestly.
"Why not?"
This is Captain Janeway. There's no one on this or any other planet that I trust more than her. "It would be a violation of the Temporal Prime Directive," she informed and hoped that her Captain would understand.
"You're from another time?"
"Yes." Seven said and was relieved that Janeway quickly understood.
"Who sent you?"
"I can't tell you that," Seven said. "It would be risking damage to the timeline."
"I don't care if history itself comes unraveled. I want to know why you are on my ship," she hissed, determination and hardness clouding her blue grey eyes.
"Captain, please. Just let me out of here and I will explain everything," Seven tried again, her voice softening.
Janeway studied the blonde for a moment, and something inside her knew she had to give this woman a chance and suddenly she snapped at her chief security officer. "Tuvok, lower the force field and wait outside. I want to talk to our guest in private," she ordered.
"Captain, I…"
"That's an order," she commanded firmly, leaving no room for argument.
Tuvok reluctantly did as he was told and moved a few away in case he was needed.
"Now talk."
"My name is Seven of Nine. I am a member of your crew, I mean, I will be a member of your crew," she said. "I've traveled back in time to prevent a disaster that will destroy Voyager and everyone on it. You don't know it, but there will come a time in the future when you will trust me."
"You expect me to believe that sometime in the future I will take a Borg on as a trusted member of my crew? And that you are this Borg, who has traveled back in time to save the ship? That's quite the story you're telling."
Seven took a deep breath as she tried to get through to her. "Captain, when you took me from the Borg, you told me that part of being human is learning to trust. Please, trust me now. I would never do anything to harm you."
"I don't know what to think. I need some time to consider everything," Janeway said, after a long silence. "In the meantime, I'm going to keep you confined and away from the rest of the crew. No offense."
"No offense taken," Seven said. "I will comply with whatever restrictions you require. However, I cannot guarantee how much time I have left. My superiors will be working to reestablish contact and when they do, I'm certain they will beam me out of here. Plus, I still need to finish my mission."
"Well, then I suppose we must act fast. Come on, let's get you to my quarters," she said, wanting desperately to believe this woman.
Seven arched her eyebrow, giving her an odd look. "Your quarters?" In all the years she had known Captain Janeway, Seven had never been in her private quarters.
"It's the only place I can guarantee you won't be seen by any of the crew," the older woman explained. "I will have Tuvok escort you there until this battle is finished. Then you and I will talk." She opened the door and called out to Tuvok. "Escort our guest to my quarters and erect a level 10 force field until I return." She glanced at the blonde. "Again, no offense."
"Chakotay to the Captain."
"Go ahead," Janeway spoke into the com, her eyes locked on Seven.
"The remaining Kazon ships have retreated. The conflict appears to be over," he reported. "And no sign of Borg activity."
"Understood," she responded. "Chakotay?"
"Yes, Captain?"
"I'm going to retreat to my quarters. You have the Bridge. I wish not to be disturbed unless it's an emergency," she stated.
"Aye, Captain."
Kathryn turned to Tuvok. "I will take it from here. Get back to your station," she commanded.
Tuvok's eyes moved back and forth between to the women for a moment before he narrowed in on the Captain. He started to protest, but something in her eyes changed his mind. "Yes Captain."
Janeway and Seven walked silently to her quarters, taking a longer route than necessary to avoid being detected by the crew. As soon as the doors closed, Seven assumed a formal pose, standing with hands locked behind her back. "I regret that I was not more forthcoming with you the last time we met."
"Are you being truthful with me now?"
"Yes."
"I certainly hope so. I don't like being lied to. And I most certainly don't like being played for a fool," Janeway remarked dryly.
Seven frowned. "I acknowledge that I misled you, but I most certainly did not lie or play you for a fool, Captain."
"You better be right, for your sake." Kathryn sat down on the couch and motioned for the other woman to sit as well. "So can you tell me exactly why you're here?"
Seven continued to stand. "No. I am hopeful that the people who sent me here will get the temporal communication device online soon so I can complete my mission."
"In other words, they could just beam you out of here at any time," the Captain summarized a little crossly.
"Correct."
"You know, I'm quite familiar with the Temporal Prime Directive," Kathryn said with a forced sigh to let the other woman know how irritated she was with all this.
"Then you are aware that I've already violated it by telling you what I have said," Seven informed without any variation in her tone. Above all else, she did not want offend or alienate this woman any more than she already has.
"Yes. And if I'm not mistaken, you violated it two years ago when you and I…" she trailed off, closing her eyes as the heated memory began consume her. She inhaled sharply and instead she moved her hand back and forth between them. "In addition," She quickly changed the subject. "To violating the directive, you also contaminated the future timeline."
"I am aware of the potential ramifications of my actions," Seven replied honestly.
"So why did you do it? Why did you go to the party? And why dance with me?" Kathryn had often thought about the mysterious Anna Jameson and wondered about her. On more than one occasion she would dream about their dance, only in her dreams, the evening ended with them going back to her room and…She shook those images out of her head and was thankful that the Borg did not have telepathic abilities. She looked in Seven's eyes and waited for a response.
Seven felt a wave of dizziness wash over her as her vision started to blur. Squinting her eyes, she tried to ascertain which of the three visions of Captain Janeway was real.
"Are you all right?" Kathryn noticed the pained look in the other woman's eyes.
Seven blinked rapidly. "I appear to be damaged. I am experiencing nausea, dizziness, and double vision."
"I should get you to sickbay." For some reason, Janeway cared about this young woman. Well, she is going to all this trouble to save me and my ship, and my crew so it's only natural that I'd care. It doesn't mean anything more than that. I'd do this for any number of aliens and other species who were sick. It's not just because I've thought about her every day for the past two years. Nope, I'd do this for anyone.
"I'm afraid that would be ineffective," Seven explained. "My ocular implant can detect disruptions in space-time better than any technology the Federation has, yet my human physiology has not adapted very well to these temporal jumps. I can assure you that there is nothing in the Doctor's database that will help. I will have to adapt."
"Time travel is making you sick?" Janeway asked. "Wait, you said jumps. How many times have you done this?"
"This is my fourth."
"Your fourth," Janeway repeated. "So, have you and I, um, have you interacted with me any of the other times?"
"No." She rubbed her fingers against her temple.
The older woman moved closer and on impulse actually touched the blonde's forehead. "You're in pain," she whispered, concern evident in her voice.
"I will adapt."
Kathryn sighed. "I should get you to Sickbay so you can at least rest."
Seven shook her head. "No, please don't do that. My presence here is already contaminating the timeline. We can't risk anyone else on the ship interacting with me."
"Okay then so why don't you sit down," she offered.
"I prefer to stand," Seven argued.
"Of course, you do, but I'm still the Captain of this ship so please sit down." Janeway ordered, but the tone of her voice was now softer as she motioned to the couch. Long streaks of light passed through the small window in Janeway's quarters as the distortion of the ship's warp field fell around the room, disturbing the view of stars, which offered the only light in the room. "Come on, in fact maybe you should just lie down on my bed." She chuckled at the look of panic on the other woman's face. "Don't worry; I'm more than happy to sleep on the couch tonight."
"No, I couldn't." Seven was horrified at the mere thought of putting her superior officer out in this manner. "The couch will be adequate for my regeneration needs."
"Your regeneration needs? Hmm, well, it may be adequate, but if you are indeed saving my life and the life of my crew, then the least I can do is offer you a comfortable place to rest. No arguments," she said, with a tiny smile. "Right now you are on my ship, so consider it Captain's orders."
"I will comply," Seven reluctantly agreed.
"Good. Now let's get you settled." Kathryn got her guest settled in her room before going back to do some research on the computer. She became more and more anxious and horrified by what she was finding out about the effects of time travel. Unable to rest, she stood at the doorway and watched the blonde sleep. Well, when I dreamed about having her in my bed, this isn't exactly what I had in mind! The memory of the dance they shared so long ago flashed before her eyes and she couldn't help but wonder why she was so drawn to this woman. They didn't know each other, not really, so why has Anna, or rather Seven, consumed so much of her thoughts for the last two years?
Her heightened visual senses allowed Seven the ability to detect the eyes that had been watching her for the past six minutes and thirteen seconds. "You're staring, Captain," Seven stated, her eyes still closed.
Kathryn smiled and shrugged as she stepped into the room. "You were snoring."
Seven's eyes shot open and she sat up with a frown. "Impossible. I do not snore."
Kathryn chuckled. "Relax, I was just teasing you."
Seven furrowed her brows in thought. "Teasing…to make fun of or provoke in a playful way. You're making fun of me?"
"No, I was just playing." Janeway pointed to the edge of the bed. "May I?" When Seven nodded, she sat at the side of the bed, leaving a respectful distance between herself and the other woman. "How are you feeling?"
"Adequate."
"Your symptoms?"
"Have terminated," Seven said promptly, and didn't elaborate any further.
Oddly, Janeway felt humor suddenly flicker inside her and hid a grin as she dipped her head. She cleared her throat as she scooted a little closer. "I did some research while you were sleeping. It seems that your time travels have some potentially dangerous side effects."
"Yes, I am aware. Sensory aphasia, temporal psychosis, or termination of my biological life-sustaining systems."
The detached and almost clinical tone of the other woman's voice, as if she was reading from a dictionary, was so incongruent with the seriousness of the situation that Janeway had to hold back her laughter. "It could kill you," Kathryn countered, trying to stay in command mode.
"Yes," Seven simply agreed.
Kathryn sighed again. "So why are you putting yourself at risk by doing this?
Seven looked the other woman in the eyes. "I don't want anything bad to happen to you…to anyone on Voyager."
"You and I are close, I take it?"
"Yes. I can honestly say you are the person I am closest to," Seven said, the truthfulness of that statement evident in her tone. "You have saved me on more than one occasion, and I would lay down my own life in order to reciprocate."
Kathryn was mesmerized by the emotion underlying the blonde's response. "I don't know what to say. I don't have the benefit of knowing what our relationship is like in the future. But I do know that I would not want you to put yourself in such danger for me. I can look for the weapon and destroy it. You don't have to keep doing this."
On impulse, Seven reached and out and took Kathryn's hand in her own. "I will complete my mission. And I will succeed. Failure is not an option. You have to trust me on that."
Kathryn stared down at their joined hands, as the memory of their dance and how close they were burned through her. "I want to believe you," she softly whispered. "I don't know want to miss out on knowing you in the future."
"Then believe that I can do this," Seven said with certainty, reaching out with her other hand and lifting the Captain's chin so she could once again look her in the eyes. "Failure is not an option," she repeated.
"I feel at such a disadvantage here. You know all of these things about me, yet I know very little about you." Kathryn's lips curved into a smile. "I know you can't tell me about the future, but I'd like to know more about you. Where did you get the name Seven of Nine?"
"From the Borg. To be precise, I'm Seven of Nine Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix Zero One. My human designation was Annika Hansen."
"Annika. It's a beautiful name."
"I prefer to be called Seven," the blonde said with indifference.
Kathryn let go of Seven's hand and shifted so she was sitting on the bed facing her guest. "So, can you at least tell me about Seven?"
"I can share what little I do know from my childhood. If you will reciprocate."
"That sounds fair," Janeway said with a smile.
For the next couple of hours they talked, Seven sharing what she knew of her childhood prior to being assimilated, and Kathryn talked about growing up in Indiana. Both women were careful to avoid talking about anything that would violate the Temporal Prime Directive. Somehow during their talk, Kathryn had moved to sit up beside Seven, her head resting back against the headboard as they laughed about how Kathryn used to torture her little sister.
"You miss your family," Seven observed.
"Very much so. What about you? Do you have family who are missing you? Parents? A husband, perhaps?"
Seven shook her head. "No, Voyager is my only family."
Kathryn reached out and took her hand once again, wanting so badly for that connection. Giving it a gentle squeeze, both women immediately flashed back to the night they danced and parted in a similar manner. The Captain's eyes moved from their joined hands to look into the other woman's eyes. "Seven, I…"
At that moment the temporal communication device beeped and Lieutenant Ducane's voice broke through and interrupted. "Relativity to Seven of Nine."
"Go ahead, Lieutenant," Seven responded, her eyes locked on the Captain's.
"We're pulling you out. Stand by for transport."
"Understood."
"You're leaving," Kathryn said, her voice hitching. "Where will you go next?"
"That is uncertain. My superiors ascertain the most likely point in time to catch the saboteur," Seven answered as best she could.
"Are you sure you are feeling up to this? Perhaps you should tell them to wait until tomorrow so you can get some more rest."
"I assure you, I am physiologically capable of completing my assignment."
Kathryn looked down at their hands, still joined together. She gently ran her thumb over top of soft knuckles. "I think I'm going to miss you." Her voice was barely a whisper. She looked back up at the blonde. "When will I see you again?"
"We will meet again precisely in one year, three months, two days, twelve hours, twenty two minutes and six point five seconds," Seven said, "Oh Captain when you see me again I will look different, and when I say that you shouldn't trust me I will betray you…" Her pouty lips twisted up in a knowing grin as she stood up to prepare for transport. "Just ignore me." She winked playfully, and bowed her head toward her Captain. "Thank you for allowing me to regenerate in here, and trusting this former Borg drone." She narrowed in on the Captain's face; her expression made her heart ache with an undeniable need to comfort her, but she knew there was no time to do so.
"So, I guess this is goodbye," Kathryn said, her voice cracking ever so slightly. She looked up and locked eyes with the blonde. "Take care of yourself."
Seven nodded and gently dropped her hand. "Goodbye, Captain."
"Wait!" Janeway grabbed Seven's wrist and pulled her into a hug. "I don't want you to go." The blonde felt her heart skip feeling the smaller woman's arms around her, as she instinctively wrapped her arms around Janeway and held her close. She could feel the Captain's heart beating rapidly against her own and wanted nothing more than to stay with her. She pulled back and looked her in the eye. "I have to leave."
Kathryn wanted to demand that this woman stay. She wanted to order her not to leave Voyager. But she knew that all of that was out of her control and sighed in resignation. "I know. I just..."
For the first time in her life, Seven of Nine just acted totally on impulse and pulled the other woman into a kiss. Tentative at first, she quickly relaxed when she felt the Captain returning the kiss. Kathryn was all soft lips and tasted so sweet and sent a jolt of through her that she felt from her cortical node all the way down to her toes. Her brain staggered from all of the sensations coursing through her…the feel of soft lips on hers, the faint smell of perfume, and the way this woman's skin felt under her fingers, and she briefly wondered if her nanoprobes would short circuit. A voice in the back of her head warned her that she shouldn't do this… that there she was contaminating the future timeline. She pushed that thought away and kissed Kathryn with a ferocity and urgency she had never felt before, and somehow knew that this maybe the only time she would get to do this.
Kathryn was shocked but quickly gave into the kiss, every cell in her body coming alive with arousal as she surrendered herself to the blonde's lips, teeth and tongue. It was too much; it was not enough. She wanted more. Her hands that were tangled in Seven's hair moved up and down her back, trying to pull her even closer. She felt another shock of electricity and then a flash of light appeared, and just like that, Seven of Nine had vanished, leaving the Captain all alone in her room. Feeling lightheaded, she fell down onto the bed and stared at the ceiling as she tried to catch her breath. Fingers ran across swollen lips, the only empirical evidence she had that this had not been a dream, and a huge sense of loss swept over her. One year until she would even see her again, well, one year, three months, two days, twelve hours, twenty two minutes and six point five seconds to be precise. In her heart, it felt like an eternity.