Moonlight's Spell, part two:

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.

Since the timeline progression changes repeatedly from now on, I have added a countdown (in bold) and other timeline cues (in parentheses) to avoid confusion. Please bear with me, it will all come together in the end.

(Seven's perspective)

Chapter 12 – The Trap

On the day that Voyager had first arrived at the peculiar sphere called Lumina, Seven was keeping herself busy working in Astrometrics. For the past couple days Seven had made no particular effort to check up on the Captain since she had visited the sickbay for "exhaustion." Seven did come in contact with her once, however, when she had to sit across the table from her at the senior staff meeting.

She tried her best not to feel awkward, but she found it considerably easier to concentrate on giving her report to the staff when she avoided making eye contact with the Captain. And as soon as the meeting was over, Seven headed straight back to the security of the Astrometrics lab.

Later in the afternoon, though, Voyager was unusually quiet and empty. Most of the crew had gone planet side for Neelix's get-together on the southern continent. Normally Seven would have been relieved to be free to work in the stillness of a ship with not much more than a skeleton crew, but Seven had already completed her work for the day.

In fact, she was already two days ahead on her duty schedule. She had even recalibrated all of Astrometric's sensors, twice. Short from heading to engineering and recalibrating everything there—which B'Ellana would surely not appreciate—she was out of ideas as to what to do with her time.

She was on her way to the cargo bay to regenerate when she found herself outside of the mess hall. Briefly, she wondered how she had even managed to find herself on this deck; it surely was not on route to the cargo bay. She shrugged it off to drowsiness, since she had not regenerated properly for several days.

Perhaps I should consult the Doctor? She thought to herself. That thought was an unpleasant one, she was still angry at the Doctor, though she was aware that she had no rational reason to be upset with him. I hardly see any use to having these 'emotions,' they accomplish nothing of purpose, she thought as she stepped into the mess hall.

She was not sure why she had decided to enter the mess hall. She was not hungry, nor was she particularly in need of company. She instinctively looked to the left to see if Neelix was cooking anything in the kitchen. Of course, he was not. Neelix had most likely gone down to the planet to set up for his impromptu celebration.

The mess hall was not only empty, but the lights were down. The only lighting was coming from the moons rising over the crest of Lumina down below. Seven opened her mouth to give the command for the computer to raise the lights, but stopped abruptly when she heard movement in the corner.

Her curiosity drew her nearer. She soon recognized the shadow as that of the Captain. Immediately, Seven's heart sank. She turned to leave, but then she heard Janeway heave a sorrowful sigh.

Seven's chest ached sympathetically. Despite how upset she was with Kathryn, she recognized the sound of that sigh. Kathryn was deeply troubled. But what could she be troubled about? Seven searched her memory for any source of distress that could be bothering the Captain. Nothing came to mind.

She felt herself approaching the corner slowly, as if drawn by magnetism. Five minutes ago she could care less if she ever spoke to another human being. Now, however, it seemed as if she was completely empty and alone. If only she could be nearer to her, perhaps this feeling would cease.

Seven's heart leapt when she heard her name in that husky, lustful voice. In the silence than followed, she wondered if she had simply imagined it. Surely, the Captain would not call for her in that fashion. Janeway had made it clear that she did not feel anything for her but friendship.

"Oh, Seven…" she heard Kathryn moan.

Seven desperately tried not to let herself get excited. Surely she is simply asking for me? Seven thought, Perhaps she noticed me come in.

"Yes, Captain?" Seven replied, trying to keep her voice steady as she tried not to imagine what Janeway could be thinking about sitting here alone in the dark.

"Seven!" Janeway said, flying to her feet, looking shocked.

"Yes, Captain?" Seven repeated herself. From the red color of her face, it seemed that Janeway had, in fact, been thinking of her, quite lustfully. Did this mean that the Captain was hiding her true feelings? Could it be those feelings that she was so troubled with?

"Oh!" Janeway said, shifting uncomfortably. "I was…wondering if you had gone down to the planet."

"No." Seven stated, trying not to reveal how desperately she wanted to be nearer to Kathryn. "I find shore leave to be counterproductive. My time is better spent in the Astrometrics lab."

"Huh," Kathryn said softly, "I like being alone too."

"I do not like being alone." Seven said, unsure as to why it was suddenly true. "I would much rather enjoy your company. Do you wish to be alone?"

But Seven did not wait for a response, she turned to leave, expecting the Captain to deny yet again what Seven was increasingly more sure to be her desire for her.

"No!" Janeway said, grabbing Seven by the arm.

Seven looked at the Captain, surprised. It was as if Kathryn's touch had set her on fire. Strange thoughts flooded her brain. She ached to kiss her again, to feel her body against Kathryn's, to run her hands over parts of her body—parts she had never given much thought to before. Seven's heart began to race.

She searched the older woman's eyes. Why do you make me feel this way? Seven thought to herself, wishing Janeway would answer these unasked questions. Why do I ache for you?

The Captain looked down at her hand on Seven' shoulder, but did not move. Seven noticed how close Janeway was letting herself get. They had not been this close since they had kissed on the turbolift. The look in Janeway's eyes was foreign to Seven. She wondered if it revealed the heedless desire she felt in her own heart.

"Captain, your behavior confuses me." Seven said, suddenly.

"My behavior?" Kathryn said, still shifting closer to the tall blond.

"It is erratic." Seven said, suddenly growing angry. The Captain's current behavior made no sense, despite how much it excited her. She turned on Kathryn, demanding an explanation. "First, you seem to make every possible excuse to come see me in Astrometrics. Then you become irritated and seem to go out of your way to avoid me. Then, when I confront you, you kiss me. And now, yet again, you have done your best to avoid me."

"I'm sorry, Seven, I never meant to hurt you." Kathryn said.

"I am not damaged." Seven stated simply. "However, it would be easier to adapt if your behavior was more predictable."

Kathryn stared at her for a moment, her eyes filled with what Seven could easily recognize as remorse. Still, she had not yet explained herself. All Seven wanted was a simple answer.

"So…" Seven said, being as direct as possible, "Do you wish to engage in sexual relations or not?"

"Seven…" Kathryn said sorrowfully, "I can't, Seven."

"You are not attracted to me?" Seven inquired, a stab of pain hitting her heart.

"Seven. My feelings are irrelevant, I am your Captain."

"Your feelings are all that is relevant." Seven said immediately, without even thinking about it.

"Seven, I wish that I could—"

But Seven would not hear of it. She knew what she had heard, what she had seen. The Captain may deny it, but her body responded to Seven the same way that hers responded to the Captains. Suddenly Seven's heart swelled with another new sensation: greed. She wanted Kathryn and she was going to have her. She did not care about Starfleet or their codes.

Seven closed the distance between them. She hovered just inches from Kathryn's lips. She could feel the Captain's hot, uneven breath on her face. Seven's hand was poised on Kathryn's neck, ready to pull her hungrily into her. She could feel Kathryn shivering as she stared into her steely gray eyes.

"You kissed me." Seven whispered, desperately holding herself back.

"Yes." Kathryn said, collapsing onto Seven's shoulder. Seven's anger melted away instantly. It was replaced by fear. She worried that she had hurt Kathryn somehow.

Before Seven could think of what to do next, Kathryn had started placing kisses on her neck. She started off slowly, and then grew quickly ravenous and passionate. The Captain pulled her body tightly against Seven's, her breasts rubbing against Seven's. She struggled to contain a whimper as Kathryn moved her kisses up her jawline to her lips.

Seven moaned softly and ran her fingers through Kathryn's auburn hair. Seven did not know what to do with all that she was feeling. The thrill of Kathryn's hands wandering over her body made her hot between the legs. She was not sure what would make that ache go away, but it only got more intense as she felt more and more of Kathryn's body.

Kathryn let out a soft moan as Seven's hand wandered over her breast. She broke the kiss. Seven looked at her hungrily, wishing she could touch her more.

She was about to ask Kathryn why she had stopped when suddenly the Mess Hall door opened, revealing Tom Paris. The moment was lost.

(returning to the present)

"The Captain now has about 22 hours left until the dose of nano-probes begins to wear off. After that she can probably make it about four more hours before her condition becomes life-threatening, but we really need to get there before she becomes unstable." The Doctor informed the three away team members, Tom, Harry and Seven.

"We?" Seven repeated with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes!" The Doctor said with surprise, "Surely I am going with you!"

The four of them looked to Chakotay, who had come to the cargo bay to see them off.

"Doctor…" Chakotay started cautiously, "We have wounded here that you need to care for—"

"None of which are in critical condition!" The Doctor said, "A few plasma burns and broken bones, nothing Tom here can't handle."

"Chakotay..." Tom said, looking at him pleadingly. He didn't seem to want to give up the opportunity to lead the away mission, especially since they were taking his beloved Delta Flyer. He probably didn't want to be stuck in sickbay either.

"Doctor," Chakotay said, "while Tom is more than capable—"

The Doctor rudely interrupted him, "If the Captain is to survive she will need my immediate medical attention as soon as she is rescued!"

Chakotay looked amongst them thoughtfully. Harry shrugged his shoulders ambivalently, to which Tom responded by elbowing him with agitation. The Doctor watched Chakotay expectantly. Finally, Chakotay looked to Seven.

"The Doctor would be useful to our mission." Seven said with a nod.

"Well then," Chakotay said turning to Harry, "that puts you in charge Ensign Kim."

Harry cracked a brief smile. Becoming serious he nodded, "Sure thing, Captain."

Chakotay turned to Seven, "Bring her back to us, okay?"

"We will be bringing them both back." Seven said shortly.

"Of course." Chakotay said with a nod.

Without another word they headed into the Delta Flyer, setting course for the Borg ship's warp trail.

(26 hours remaining)

They headed off in the direction of the warp trail at maximum warp. Seven knew that their efforts were most likely misguided, and in the pit of her stomach she feared she would never see Kathryn again, but something made her hope that the luck that seemed to follow Janeway this far, would continue to follow her now. Voyager had faced insurmountable odds and made it this far. And Voyager was not Voyager without its captain; Seven was not complete without her.

"Captain…" Seven remembered whispering in Janeway's ear that night on Lumina.

Seven had been watching her for nearly an hour, as she attempted to hide along the outskirts of the party. The way Kathryn swayed her hips to the slow drumbeat had made Seven's heart flutter. The way Kathryn's sundress hung on her every curve made it impossible for her to look away. Finally, Seven could handle it no more, she had approached the Captain slowly, cautiously.

Her fingers slipped between the Captain's of their own accord. Kathryn's scent was intoxicating. Seven struggled to steady her breathing. The Captain did not retreat, she simply continued to sway back and forth, her small ass grazing Seven teasingly.

Suddenly she spun around, looking up at Seven with a playful grin, her steely gray eyes gleaming with desire. "Katie," she whispered seductively, "Call me Katie."

"Ka-tie" Seven said awkwardly, it seemed foreign to her.

"Yes?" the Captain said putting her arms around Seven's neck and placing her head on her shoulder. Her heart was beating so fast, she wondered if Katie could hear it pounding.

"Will you dance with me?" Seven said nervously, wrapping her arms around Katie's waist.

"But we are already dancing," she said in a dreamy voice.

Seven was not sure how long they danced there together. Time had seemed to stop. But as soon as the Captain stopped, it felt like it had only been for a millisecond. Seven looked down at Katie, who was smiling widely. "Seven, what are you doing to me?"

"I am holding you." She responded, wondering if Katie meant for her to stop.

"No, I mean…" Katie said, shaking her head and trailing off. After a moment of silence between them, Seven turned and pulled Kathryn off by the hand. She headed for the spot she had picked near the beach.

Earlier that day, not long after what happened in the mess hall, she had come down to the planet to avoid being near the Captain any more. While the rest of the crew were busy preparing for Neelix's festival, she had wandered off to explore. The smell of the sea drew her to the outcrop, which out-looked the glowing western horizon.

She had stared off into the skyline, which seemed to go on for eternity. She felt anger and sorrow building up in her chest as she watched the star set in the distance. She heard someone approaching her from behind, but did not respond until he had placed a sympathetic hand on her shoulder.

"I wish to be left alone." She said to Tom quietly.

"Really?" Tom said, removing his hand.

Seven did not respond. She simply continued to stare out to the sea. She felt helpless. Her sadness enraged her. All this emotion is useless! She thought, suddenly hating Kathryn as much as she longed for her.

"Seven…" Tom said cautiously, "you know she cares about you, right?"

Seven spun around, looking at him with a frown, "What are you talking about?"

"The Captain," Tom said with a determined expression, "She obviously cares for you."

Seven pretended not to know what he was talking about. She raised an eyebrow at him with suspicion. "I am not certain of what you are implying."

Tom laughed softly, "Everyone can see it."

"See what?" Seven demanded.

"The reason she distances herself from you…" Tom said, "is that she believes she shouldn't act on what she feels for you."

"How do you know this?"

"Well, Janeway, she's a traditionalist." Tom said with a shrug, "She puts a lot of stock in following the letter of the law. Still, that doesn't change the fact that she's human."

"Human?" Seven inquired curiously.

"She has emotions, emotions she can't ignore, emotions like love."

"Love?" Seven said raising her eyebrow at him again.

He shrugged, "Of course."

Seven watched him for a moment. He seemed truly sincere. But why was he doing this? Sure, the two of them could work together amicably, but Seven never really considered Tom to be her friend. Honestly, Seven didn't really have friends, except, maybe, the Doctor.

"You should talk to her." Tom said with a reassuring nod. "Get her alone, confront her about what's been going on."

"Going on?" Seven repeated suspiciously.

Tom's face reddened. "Well," he said looking uncomfortable, "Let's just say I saw more going on in the Mess Hall than I let on."

It was Seven's turn to be embarrassed, but she hid it well. She shifted awkwardly, then changed the subject, "Why are you doing this?"

"Because I know what it's like to work with someone with unresolved feelings. We're most likely going to be out here in the Delta Quadrant for a very long time. Trust me, Seven, it's a lot better when you get it all out in the open."

"You are referring to your relationship with Lieutenant Torres?"

"Yes." Tom said, smiling. "Trust me, it's worth it."

(returning to the present)
(24.5 hours remaining)

"That's it." Harry Kim said with resign. "The warp trail ends here."

"Scan for Borg ships." Seven ordered.

"Nothing on long range scans." Harry said, ignoring her blatant disregard for rank.

"There must be something…" Seven said to herself more than anyone. She ran her fingers over the control panel, a pensive frown on her face. "…perhaps I could boost the signal with…" Her voice trailed off with her thoughts.

"Seven," the Doctor said understandingly, "I know that you care for her, but you must face the fact that we may not be able to—"

"A transwarp hub!" Seven said, working the control panel frantically, "At maximum warp we could get there in… twenty hours."

"And then what?" Harry said with frustration.

"I'm not giving up on Kate just yet." Seven stated, "Adjusting course."

"No need for my command or anything…" Harry muttered to himself.

"Don't take it personally, Ensign Kim," the Doctor said, "In the three years that Seven has been on this ship, she has never been one for Starfleet protocol."

"I'm aware." Harry said, rolling his eyes.

It was a long twenty hours for all three of them. For Seven, however, it felt like an eternity. Her mind kept going over and over all that had happened. Each time she recalled the Captain slipping from her grasp, her heart ached with a new stab of pain. She felt responsible, but that thought was irrational, she told herself, there was nothing she could have done.

But why had the Borg taken her? Why had they not assimilated the Voyager and its crew along with her? They had to have something sinister planned. Seven just could not imagine what it could be.

Perhaps, the Borg had been watching them closely for some time, waiting to strike. What Seven could not fathom, though, was why now? The only factor that had changed, so far as Seven could recall, was Janeway's pregnancy. But what did the Borg know of that? And even if they did, what use was the infant to them?

Seven's mind wandered back further, recalling the source of that wondrous happening. She recalled how Kathryn had looked in the moonlight, how all Seven had wanted to ask her was spinning around in her mind, how all she managed to do was press her lips to Katie's. Her hunger for her took control.

She pulled Kathryn to the ground, barely willing to let their mouths separate for even a moment. But then kissing her was not enough. Seven wanted more of her, all of her. She pinned her to the ground, she was not running away from her this time. She tore at Kathryn's clothes eagerly.

Kathryn's moans only made Seven hotter, wetter. She heard Kathryn pleading for more. Her kisses wondered closer and closer to Kathryn's center. But she did not touch her there. Instead she reveled in the beauty of Kathryn's shivering body beneath her.

Kathryn broke free from Seven's grasp, and fervently removed Seven's biosuit. Seven was distracted by Kathryn taking her breast into her mouth; she bit her lip, holding in a gasp. Seven kissed the crook of Kathryn's neck, fighting shivers down her spine.

Then she felt Kathryn's hand between her legs. Seven could not control the shudder that shook her as Kathryn passed her finger over her clit. She struggled to breath steadily. What was Kathryn doing to her?

She grabbed her hand to stop her, but regretted it immediately, for the sensation faded. She looked down into Kathryn's heavy lidded eyes.

"I wish to orgasm simultaneously." Seven said, knowing no other words.

Kathryn smiled up at her. Seven watched her eyelids flutter as she slipped her hands into the hot folds of skin between Kathryn's legs. Seven marveled at how moist she was as she circled the spot that had driven Seven mad a moment ago. Kathryn had been aching for her after all.

"You've been teasing me all night." Kathryn mumbled into her ear as Seven let her fingers explore her center.

"You have been frustrating me for much longer." Seven said lustfully. Then she felt Kathryn's finger deep inside her, her thumb rubbing rhythmically over her clit.

She followed Kathryn's lead. She added fingers, thrusting deeper. Seven felt Kathryn shivering below her, her moans growing louder, changing pitch.

"Come with me, Seven." Kathryn moaned in her ear. Seven was not entirely sure what she meant until the climax washed over her.

"K—Kate" Seven howled in ecstasy.

After the two of them collapsed, Kathryn seemed more than willing to go to sleep there in the moonlight. But she was not satisfied. Seven wanted to make Kathryn scream, wanted to make her feel that ecstasy again, but only when she let her.

Kathryn was soon begging her desperately. She commanded her to scream. Kathryn was reluctant to comply. She teased the spot that had made her moan before.

"Seven!" she screamed, like Seven had been sure she could make her, and she did not relent until Kathryn had collapsed beneath her. Kathryn sleepily curled into Seven, who had laid down beside her. Seven watched her fall asleep, Kathryn's legs tangled in hers, her hand on Seven's hip.

(returning to the present)
(8 hours remaining)

"Seven!" Harry yelled, "Evasive maneuvers!"

Seven did not respond immediately; her mind had been preoccupied about the Captain. The Flyer suddenly shook from a blast to the bow. Seven grasped tightly to the control panel as the ship rocked.

"Seven!" the Doctor called, "What's the matter with you?"

Seven typed in the commands on the control panel. She looked up at the viewscreen. "The Borg…" she whispered.

"That was who we were looking for, right?" Harry said with uncharacteristically sharp sarcasm.

"But why are they here?" the Doctor asked the obvious question.

"Waiting." Seven simply said.

"It's a trap?" Henry said naively.

"Of course it's a trap." Seven said with agitation.

"Seven, how could you put us in danger like this if you knew it was a trap all along?" the Doctor said in horror.

"Because they have Kate." Seven said looking at the Doctor with wrath flaring in her eyes.

(to be continued)