Moonlight's Spell, part two: The Rescue
Summary: Uninhibited by their usual restraint, Seven and Captain Janeway share a passionate night together. When the Captain is faced with the astonishing consequence of their encounter, she is forced to cross yet another boundary she told herself she never would.
Disclaimer: This work is a piece of fiction, and is meant for entertainment purposes only. I have no ownership of Star Trek, the Voyager series, its characters or plot, etc.
Author's note: This is one chapter in an ongoing story. It takes place sometime during season seven. It is written as an alternative storyline and not all details are 100% accurate. It contains femmeslash and is rated M for graphic sexual content. Do not continue if this is not to your liking.
So you are aware, part two marks the change of perspective from singularly Janeway's (third-person) to singularly Seven's (third-person) for several chapters. Perspective will be marked in bold at the beginning of the chapter/section. Please bear with me, it will all come together in the end.
Chapter 11 – The Confrontation
Seven gazed at Kathryn, the soft skin of her face glowing in the bright moonlight. The red-headed woman beamed up at her, smiling softly. Seven felt her heart race, waiting for her Captain to speak.
"This is perfect." Kathryn said in a dreamy voice.
Seven felt a smile spreading across her lips. At first, smiling was something she had to practice. She found the facial gesture to be unnatural and of little use. But, somehow, Kathryn had a way of making her heart flutter, causing her lips to curl upward of their own accord. No one had ever made her break her usual composure except Kate.
"I am glad you are pleased," Seven said, sighing softly. As the night had gone on, Seven had found herself increasingly anxious. For some reason she found herself worrying about showing Kate how much she cared for her. It seemed that the words came so easily to Kathryn, but Seven found herself reluctant to use a word so full of meaning—meaning she wasn't sure she fully understood.
"I am pleased, Seven. But you didn't have to go to all of this effort for me." Kathryn said, "Honestly, just being with you is enough."
"On the contrary," Seven said searching her eyes with a frown, "I had to show you all of this so you could understand."
Love, Seven thought to herself as she stared into those steel gray eyes, is this love? Surely I am capable of it as well. But how do I show you—how do I tell you?
These had been some of the questions that had pestered her for those four long days that she had sat at Kathryn's side in sickbay. She had struggled to concentrate on anything except the Captain's welfare for much of that time, though worrying about her had achieved nothing of consequence. Even when she had left for her duty shifts, she found her mind wandering back to Kathryn.
Kathryn had a peculiar affect on her. Seven had easily recognized her accelerated heart rate, dilated pupils, and rise in body temperature as sexual attraction to the striking captain. What she could not grasp was what Kathryn did to her mind.
She was first greatly agitated with the way that her concentration and efficiency was directly related to her physical proximity to the Captain. Eventually, the intensity of her feelings subsided to the point where they were at least manageable. She found that she could tolerate being within a few meters of Janeway without being preoccupied about whether the Captain was looking at her, or thinking about her.
But Janeway did not seem to have the same self-control. Several weeks ago, the Captain's glances started to become longer, and more frequent. Seven caught the Captain looking at her breasts rather than her eyes when they spoke. And when she did look at her face, the Captain would unconsciously lick her lips.
The behavior was so sudden, however, that Seven suspected something was wrong with her. The Captain had never acted in such a manner, so far as Seven was aware. And considering her behavior was so inappropriate, and blatantly obvious, Seven had concluded that her behavior was due to some yet unidentified illness.
Rather than addressing the Captain herself, Seven decided to ask the Doctor about it. Normally, she would simply have confronted her, just as Seven always had confronted the Captain directly with any issue she had. But Seven found the Captain's attention to be oddly distracting. Whenever her eyes fell on her, Seven would find herself becoming uncomfortably aroused.
So, she went directly to the Doctor. Without so much as a 'hello' she walked up to him and said, "I believe that the Captain is ill."
"Well, hello to you too!" The Doctor said, starting from his chair where he was busy reading medical paads.
"What do you intend to do?" Seven insisted. She was horrible at explaining herself, she was aware, but she found it more efficient to say as little as possible.
"What makes you think that the Captain is sick?" The Doctor said, a curious expression on his face.
"Her behavior is abnormal." Seven stated.
"Is that all?" the Doctor said with a laugh.
"No." Seven said, raising an eyebrow at him. "I have also noticed that her heart rate is accelerated and her pupils are dilated."
"Hm…" he said putting a hand to his chin in a pensive gesture, "that is curious."
"It is more than curious, it is distracting." Seven said simply.
"Distracting?" the Doctor inquired. "Distracting, how?"
"Her symptoms are, from what I have observed, directly related to my presence."
"Really?" the Doctor said with an amused look on his face. "Well, then…"
"Well then?" Seven repeated with a frown.
The Doctor gave a shrug. "The Captain is not ill," he said seeming very sure of himself, "she is simply attracted to you."
"How should I act on this information?"
"Well," he said, "how would you like to act?"
"I did not expect for my attraction to be returned." Seven said, trying to decide if the Doctor was, in fact, correct about the Captain's attraction to her. All the physical signs were there, but could there be some other explanation?
"So," he said with a contrite expression, "You find yourself attracted to her…sexually?"
"Yes." She said shortly. "Is that unnatural?"
"No, no!" the Doctor said shaking his head, "Of course not. It's just that…"
He trailed off, looking at Seven sympathetically. He smiled knowingly, placing a caring hand on her shoulder. "It's just that while I'm sure the Captain cares for you deeply, she will most likely never act on her feelings for you."
Seven looked at the Doctor for a while in silence, considering what he had said. Since he seemed quite sure that the Captain's symptoms were sexual in nature, rather than from illness, it seemed likely that he had noticed similar behavior as well. If this was true, than the Captain had lost her usual discretion. What Seven didn't understand was why.
"What, then, is your suggestion, Doctor?" Seven finally said, feeling no closer to an answer than before she walked into sickbay.
"Seven," he said squeezing her arm sympathetically, "I think the best thing to do is leave it alone for now."
Seven frowned at him, so he explained. "The Captain's behavior will most likely return to normal soon. And if you can tolerate it, you should try to wait it out. Otherwise, you could end up getting hurt."
"I do not believe that the Captain will attempt to damage me." Seven stated with a perplexed expression.
"No, no." The Doctor reassured, "Of course not. But the heart is a delicate thing, and getting invested in the Captain when either one of you are not sure of yourselves could lead to heartbreak."
"The heart is an organ, Doctor. It does not break." Seven said, frowning at him.
"It's an expression, Seven." the Doctor said, "What I mean is, you clearly care for the Captain. Yet, if you pursue a romantic relationship with her, you run the risk of not having those feelings returned."
"If that be the case," she said with a determined nod, "then I will simply have to adapt."
"I hope so." The Doctor said as Seven turned to leave the sickbay.
Seven's consciousness snapped back into the present. To her it was as if only a millisecond had passed by. She was looking down at Kathryn, who was looking up at her curiously.
"Understand, what?" Kate said with a furrowed brow.
"That the time I have spent with you has been more than just time expended." Seven replied, her eidetic memory reliving every moment with Kathryn since they had met.
It was as if now, looking back, every tiny moment was significant. She was starting to realize that every time Kathryn had looked at her or spoken to her or touched her, as well as every time they had argued or every time they had made love was equally meaningful.
"Seven, of course I know that!" Kathryn said, grasping her tightly by the arms.
"But you have feared otherwise." Seven said, "I have seen it in your eyes. I have seen it when you tell me that you love me and I do not reply with the same."
"Seven," Kathryn said rubbing Seven's arms soothingly, "I understand your reluctance to say it. It's not an easy thing to understand. But I certainly never meant to pressure you in anyway—"
"You have not pressured me!" Seven interrupted her with urgency. How could she make Kate understand? If all she had done tonight had not demonstrated it, what would?
"Still, you shouldn't feel like you have to feel that way about me, simply because I do." Kathryn insisted.
"Kate, I do, I do love—" Seven said, but was suddenly interrupted by the sound of Chakotay's voice.
"Red alert!" the comm. sounded, "All senior staff to the bridge!"
Seven was almost as shocked about what she had started to say as she was about the sudden interruption. She had wanted, but did not intend on using those words. She wanted to make sure she was entirely sure she understood their meaning before she used a term of such significance, especially one the Captain used so delicately.
She had been very cautious with how she acted and what she said ever since she had confronted the Captain in the turbolift. When first recalling this event while working on the holodeck program she had tried to do so fondly. The Captain's reaction, however, still gave the memory a bittersweet feeling.
She had finally decided to confront the Captain after speaking to the Doctor again about her behavior. Seven had tried to take his advice and ignore Kathryn's attentions towards her, but she was finding it increasingly more difficult to concentrate with the Captain's eyes on her. Even worse, she found herself returning the glances. She found that when the Captain sighed, Seven would find her eyes on her heaving chest, and when the Captain sat across from her at staff meetings, she would find herself locked in her gaze, unwilling to look away.
After the Doctor listened to Seven describe how distressed she was, he seemed to agree that Seven should talk to the Captain. He warned, however, that she may not reciprocate her feelings.
"And even if she does…" he had warned her, "I do not believe she will acknowledge it."
So, she had cornered Janeway, in order to speak to her privately. Seven vividly remembered stepping closer to the Captain in order to force her to look her in the eyes. The Captain had been avoiding her for some time, and when she first had brought up her behavior she had rushed away as soon as possible. Now, it seemed, she was avoiding her eyes.
Seven took advantage of the crippling effect she had on the Captain in order to make her listen. She was honestly concerned for her welfare, and unless Janeway listened to her, she may not acknowledge the true source of her symptoms. Seven watched the Captain's eyes dilate as she lifted the auburn-haired woman's face to look her in the eyes. She felt her heart race in her chest as she felt herself pulled closer to Janeway, their lips only a breath apart.
Seven dared not move any closer, for she still had her doubts despite her show of confidence. Would the Captain close the distance between them? Would she taste Kathryn's lips at last? She watched Kathryn's eyes searching her, or were they searching herself? Seven wondered if that painful look in the Captain's eyes was the same doubt she felt in her own chest.
Just when Seven was about to pull away, thinking that she had been wrong after all, Kathryn touched her lips softly to Seven's. Seven's heart leapt in her chest. She instinctively pulled Kathryn into her, wanting all of her all at once.
She ran her fingers through Kathryn's auburn hair, slipping her hand down her waist, pulling Kathryn's shivering body firmly against her own. The sound of Kathryn whimpering softly created a curious sensation between her legs, one she had not yet experienced.
They were suddenly broken apart by the turbolift resuming course. Seven looked disappointedly down at the Captain's soft lips. The Captain appeared flustered as she tried to regain her footing. She ran her fingers through her hair, breathing heavily.
"You are better now?" Seven asked with an even tone, while on the inside she was suddenly fearful that the Captain would reprimand her.
"Seven you can't just—" the Captain started, but became quiet as soon as the turbolift doors opened. "You can't just kiss me, Seven!"
The Captain seemed furious. Seven fought to remain calm. She had been sure, if only for the moment that they had been locked in that embrace, that Kathryn was feeling everything Seven was struggling with.
"I apologize, I thought that that was what you wanted."
"I'm sorry if I mislead you, Seven, but…we are just good friends, that is all." Kathryn said, seeming to be extremely uncomfortable.
"I am sorry that you are displeased, Captain. However, it is you that kissed me."
With that Seven turned on her heal and headed down the hall. All she wanted at this point was to be as far from the Captain as possible. As to where she was going, she had no idea. She felt as if she might cry. Not knowing what to do with this emotion, she headed for Astrometrics to distract herself. But no matter how she tried to focus, tears kept threatening to well up in her eyes.
What made it particularly frustrating is that she had only ever really cried once. Then she had had the Captain to comfort her, to be strong for her in her moment of weakness. Now she did not know if she could ever handle even speaking to the Captain again.
In fact, it was several days before Seven was even in the same room as the Captain. She had busied herself in the Astrometrics lab most of the time, and when she was finished there she had gone straight to the cargo bay. For a brief while she had worried again about the Captain's health, when she started to hear rumors about how tired and irritated she had been behaving. Eventually, she shrugged it off as merely gossip.
But when the Captain ended up in sickbay, Seven lost her cool. "This is all your fault!" she yelled at the Doctor. She was not even sure why she was accusing him in the first place, but her emotions were temporarily in control of her mouth.
"How is this my fault?" he said, indignantly.
"She has only gotten worse since the other night. You told me it would help!" Seven said, her face red with anger, and her hair tossed about.
"I never told you to kiss her!" the Doctor whispered loudly.
"You said I should confront her!" Seven said between gritted teeth.
Realizing the Captain was waking, the Doctor lowered his voice. "I said you should talk to her about your feelings. I never said she would return them. Look, we can talk about his later, I have a patient to attend to."
With that, the Doctor slowly approached the Captain's medical bed. "How are you feeling, Captain?" he said warmly.
Seven turned and left the sickbay at once. She did not wish for the Captain to see how upset she was. She was already furious with how emotional she had let herself get in her presence. She did not wish for the Captain to feel further distress from her discomfort with what had happened.
"Chakotay to the Captain." Chakotay said over the comm., Seven's thoughts suddenly interrupted; the acting Captain's voice echoing in the now quiet holodeck.
"Report!" Janeway said, leading the way out of the holodeck.
"It's the Borg." He said in an anxious tone.
Janeway and Seven looked at each other fearfully. "We are thousands of light-years from Borg space." the Captain stated as she picked up her pace.
"Perhaps we have come upon a transwarp hub." Seven suggested as they entered a turbolift and headed for deck one.
All of a sudden an explosion rocked the ship, causing Janeway to almost lose her footing. Seven caught her before she was jolted into the turbolift wall. The turbolift doors opened to the bridge, where the senior staff was struggling to evade a giant Borg cube approaching from the starboard side.
"They've taken out the starboard nacelle!" Tom hollered.
Tom, Tuvok, Chakotay and the Captain all exchanged announcements and commands as Seven watched helplessly. Her heart started to thump fearfully in her chest as she watched Kathryn being tossed about by explosion after explosion. She knew it was pointless, but she just wanted Kathryn safe, she held her tightly, trying to steady her.
"The secondary shields are failing, Captain." Tuvok said to Chakotay, then he looked up at Janeway, "Photon torpedoes have had no effect."
"Captain," Seven said to her in a commanding tone, "you should not be on the bridge, it is unsafe."
The Captain dismissed her concerns, continuing to shout out commands, "Tom, can you get us out of here?"
Seven was suddenly distracted by a shimmering beam of light. It was engulfing Kathryn right before her eyes. She tried desperately to grasp at her arms, to hold her back, though she knew this to be a futile thing to attempt. Before she could even yell "Kate!" however, she had slipped from her hands, dematerializing right in front of her.
"Captain!" Tom, Chakotay and Harry all called together.
Tuvok, acting quickly and without encouragement, desperately tried to recover her using Voyager's transporter beam. But he relented after only a couple of minutes, when the Borg cube warped out of range.
"We have to go after her!" Seven commanded Chakotay, pointing furiously at the viewscreen.
"We can't, Seven," Tom said solemnly, "we have thrusters only."
"Besides," Tuvok added, "they have already gone into warp."
"We cannot simply let them take her!" Seven said, tears of rage welling up in her blue eyes. "She will not survive!"
"It is likely that they will attempt to assimilate her." Tuvok said matter-of-factly.
Chakotay looked at Seven sympathetically, "I'm sure she will be okay. The Borg could have attempted this abduction any time before now. There must be a reason they have chosen to do so only just now."
"That fact is far from reassuring, Commander." Seven said, struggling to recover her composure.
"Lieutenant Torres," Chakotay called over the comm. "damage report."
"The warp core is offline, the starboard nacelle is destroyed, three decks are structurally unstable, life support is failing on all decks, and our shields are completely gone. We aren't going any where for a long time." She said in an exasperated tone.
"How long until you can get the warp core online?" Chakotay asked with a hopeful look on his face.
"Assuming we can get life support and shields back up, I could probably get the warp core back online in about three weeks, maybe four." Torres said with dismay.
"Commander!" Seven said frantically, "The Captain has about 23 hours until her last dose of nano-probes wear off, after that her biology will revert and she will no longer be able to support the infant. Neither will survive until we are able to complete Voyager's repairs!"
Tom spun around in his chair at the helm, "Captain, we could take the Flyer!"
"A rescue mission of this sort would certainly be pointless." Tuvok discouraged. "The logical course of action is to concentrate our efforts on repairing Voyager."
"No!" Chakotay said with a determined look, "We are not giving up on the Captain!"
He turned to Seven, "Seven you and Tom and Harry will take the Delta Flyer and follow their warp trail. If we're lucky they are not far off. It seems possible that there is a transwarp corridor near this area, like you suggested."
Seven nodded and left the bridge immediately to prepare. Tom and Harry headed for the Delta Flyer to get the ship ready for launch.
(to be continued)