Disclaimer: All characters and locations are the property of Paramount, and are taken from Star Trek: Voyager, inspired by the work of Gene Roddenberry. All plot and dialogue in this story is my own.

Curse

Stardate 54240

"Rose?"

"Mmm?"

"Do you think it's possible for someone to be... cursed?"

Rose Jenkins rolled up onto one elbow and looked down at the woman next to her. "I know it's been a rough week or two," she said, "but the Captain's sorted out all the problems we've faced. We-"

Tal Celes shook her head. "I don't mean that," she said. "I mean... no, it's silly."

Rose frowned and prodded her gently in the ribs. "You can't do that; you have to tell me now."

Tal sighed and reached down to pat the other woman's hand. "It just feels like everyone I've had a thing for has come to... a bad end, you know?"

Rose arched an eyebrow and pinched her own arm. "Ow. I don't seem to be a hologram, so you're obviously wrong."

Tal smiled faintly. "It's you I'm worried about," she said. "If I am cursed, then this," she waved a hand vaguely over the rumpled bedding, "has probably sealed your fate."

Rose chuckled and squeezed her shoulder. "I'm sure you're not 'cursed'," she said. "But if it'll make you feel better, we can go through your list and prove it."

Tal tilted her head, pressing her cheek briefly to Rose's hand. "That sounds... fairly embarrassing, I have to say."

"Hey, you brought it up." Rose's hand stroked across her cool skin, wandering vaguely downwards. "And, you know, there's only a hundred and fifty people on the ship; I've probably crushed on most of the same women as you."

Tal still looked dubious, but Rose's slow caress did its job, drawing her out. "Well," she said slowly, "remember Ensign Jurot?"

"The Betazoid?" Rose's brow furrowed slightly. "She was kind of cute, wasn't she?" Her hand continued its movement, stroking in broad circles. "What happened to her was tragic, but you can't really call it a curse on you."

"No?" Tal shifted on the bed, turning slightly towards her. "What about Lieutenant Stadi?"

Rose nearly choked. "Stadi? Oh, sweetheart, I thought you had better taste."

Tal stiffened and pulled away. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Veronica Stadi was my superior officer when we launched," Rose reminded her. "She was a terror - always coming after us for the least mistake."

Tal's cheeks flushed red. "She seemed nice to me," she said. "We had lunch together once, before she... oh, I knew this was a bad idea."

Rose reached out and caught her before she could slip out of bed. Draping one arm across her, the blonde ensign kissed her tenderly on the cheeks, soothing away the blush. "Don't be like that," she murmured, her fingers stroking across Tal's bare stomach. "I'm sorry I laughed. You can have feelings for whoever you like."

Tal shook her head again, her body taut. "I should never have brought it up," she said. "It was stupi-"

Rose leant in and cut the word off with a kiss. "Shh," she whispered. "None of that."

Tal squeezed her eyes shut, fingers digging into the bedsheets. "But it is."

Rose sighed and flopped back down beside her. "Marie Kaplan," she said.

Tal blinked. "What?"

"She was one of the shuttle pilots," Rose explained. "I had the hugest crush imaginable on her. It never went anywhere - I don't think she was even into women - but I was devastated when she died. The Doctor ended up signing me off for a week on medical grounds."

Tal glanced across at the other woman. "I don't know what you're trying to say."

"Don't you?" Rose pushed up onto her elbow, hooking one leg across Tal's thighs. "I'm saying that we're trapped in the Delta Quadrant, tens of thousands of light years from home. I'm saying that it's a dangerous universe out there." She pressed her hand flat on Tal's cheek, stroked deliberately downwards. "I'm saying that bad things happen to good people, and if you're 'cursed', then so is everyone on this ship." Abruptly, she caught hold of Tal's shoulder, and rolled to pull her on top of her. "I'm saying," she finished, her breath warm on Tal's lips, "that it's time to enjoy what we have, rather than lamenting what we've lost."

"Ah." Tal Celes looked down at Rose Jenkins as the other woman's arms enfolded her. She kissed her gently on the lips, considered for a moment, then repeated the kiss more deeply. "Yes."


Lieutenant Stadi was Voyager's original conn officer. She was seen in the pilot, flying Tom Paris to the ship, and then dying when they got taken to the Delta Quadrant. Some of the licensed media gives her the first name Veronica, and claims she survived, but that's not really believable from what's shown; furthermore, see below.

Ensign Jurot, like Lieutenant Stadi, was a Betazoid; she's seen only once, going into hiding when Voyager encounters a race of telepath-haters. Given that Janeway laments in a later episode that she doesn't have a Betazoid available, she and Stadi both have to be dead.

Marie Kaplan is one of those Voyager characters who is introduced and built up over a few episodes for the sole purpose of then dying. It's a good way to avoid the Redshirt problem. In her case, she was shot by some ex-Borg in order to trap Chakotay on a planet.

Commission - Consider - Charming - Construction - Caught - Casual - Cultural - Crush - Calming - CURSE - Committed