Dammit, man, I'm a fanfic author, not an owner of Star Trek!
Hugh was feeling better the next morning as we got ready to leave. It was cute how, even days later, he still glanced down at his ring, as if to make sure it was real.
"Are you alright?" I asked. Hugh nodded.
"Yes, thank you Jean-Luc." I kissed his forehead softly.
"Anything for you." I said. He smiled and took the suitcases off the racks. We made our way back to the public transporters and were met by Data and Worf supporting a very hungover Riker. Hugh and I rolled our eyes. I swear to god even his Borg eye rolled.
His Borg eye was interesting. I had noticed that it often changed color, seemingly at random. Over the last few days, though, I realized it changed with his emotions. It was a bright warm red when he was happy, a deep dark dim red when he was sad, and a burning fiery red when he was angry. Right now it was a warm red. He was content.
Once we were back on the Enterprise, we went straight to the bridge, Hugh conversing with Geordi via combadge to run a final check over the engines and make sure we could safely use them. The rest of us took our seats and the other bridge officers began their own final checks. After a few minutes, I began calling for everyone's results.
"Tactical."
"Go" Worf answered.
"Helm."
"Go!" called the ensign.
"Science."
"We are go." said Data. I continued down the list until, finally...
"Engineering."
"All systems go." Hugh answered.
"Excellent...Ensign Mattox, why don't you return to the science labs. I'm going to have someone else fly us out."
"Yes sir." He jumped up and left. He was fine with checking the system, but I knew Mattox was no pilot.
"Hugh, why don't you take us out." He turned around.
"Me, sir? Fly the Enterprise?" I nodded, "Alright." All eyes were on Hugh as he slid into the helmsman's chair and began prepping the engines for startup.
"Starbase Command to Enterprise, you are cleared for departure."
"Acknowledged, Command." I said over the comm before shutting it off, "Hugh, take us out." I saw his fingers fly across the console as the rear of the ship appeared on the main viewer and we started to back out. It was hard to believe this was his first time flying the ship. He easily backed us out of the spaceport and turned out into space, expertly shifting to impulse, gradually increasing speed as he headed for the buoys around the station that marked where it was safe to go to warp. Once past them, Hugh took us into Warp 1, gradually increasing until we reached cruising speed, where he set us on the course the navigator had plotted and laid in. At that point, everyone applauded him for his first flight. He turned to me and I gave him a thumbs up. He leaned back in the chair and I decided to leave him there for the whole flight.
(a few months later)
The day is finally here. The day I've been waiting for since that first dinner on the starbase, before Riker passed out on the table. The day I would seal my love with a kiss. Today was my wedding day.
Beverly had taken it upon herself to get me ready, since Athena and Sennex were attending to Hugh. Our veune was outdoors, on the Borg Cooperative's homeworld. It was a place they normally used only for their ceremonial sendoff of the deceased, but it had the most amazing view of the might sky. A big raised platform carved out of the rock was where we would stand. It was where those leading the Borg sendoff ceremony would stand, and more importantly, where I would be joined to the one I loved.
I was wearing a formal dress uniform, the one with a white jacket. Worf, wanting to have an influence on the whole thing, had also given me his silver sash to wear over it. It was a simple enough outfit, and I didn't have much to do, so I simply sat by the window and watched as the venue was prepared and the guests were arriving. The room was in a building made from parts of a wrecked Borg cube. A tall tree grew right up the center, as if the building had simply been built around it. Which, in fact, it had. The Cooperative didn't want to destroy the planet, like the Collective would've done. They did everything they could to preserve nature on their world. And the unique building style made for breathtaking interiors. I turned back to the window as sundown approached, wondering how Hugh was doing.
Hugh's POV
I stood perfectly still the entire time. Athena and Sennex worked together to dress me, since it was such an elaborate getup, like my Ambassador's robes. I understood their wanting to get everything right, but I just wanted to do this! I hadn't seen Picard all day. Apparently, humans believed it was bad luck for the couple to see each other before the ceremony on the day of the wedding. I don't know why, it doesn't make sense to me. I was just excited to be doing this.
The door opened and Worf appeared.
"Can I do my part yet?" he asked.
"Sure," Athena said, "He's all ready except your thing." Worf nodded and walked over to me.
"On Qo'noS, you would be considered among the most honorable Klingon warriors." he said, "so it is only right you should be wed like one." I leaned over as he fitted a silver Klingon wedding circlet around my head. It had obviously been altered, likely by Worf himself, to accommodate my implants. He stood back and nodded.
"If you were Klingon, and a little taller, you could easily pass for Kahless himself." I laughed.
"Thank you, Worf. Do you think he'll like it?"
"Hugh, he'd have to be a fool not to. And you know as well as I that the captain is anything but a fool." Worf gave a tiny smile and left as Athena and Sennex gave a final once over before they led me to the set of huge doors I would emerge from. They had once been the doors to the main part of a Collective cube, but they had been modified, so that the patterns on them now formed a sort of stylized phoenix, split down its center, one wing on each door. Sennex and Athena gave me a final glance and then left to join the ceremony. I was left to wait alone until the doors opened.
Picard's POV
I stood on the raised platform as everyone else took their seats, Enterprise crew on the side closest to me, Borg on the other side. I looked out over them to the enormous double doors where I knew Hugh was probably waiting. I was rather impatient, even trying to will the doors open with my mind. I was itching to hear the song start playing.
We'd both vetoed the traditional wedding march in favor of an instrumental version of an old song from Earth called "1000 Years" performed by a group called The Piano Guys. We'd found it in the ship's data library on Earth history.
Most all of the seats were full now, as the sun disappeared over the horizon. Bright lights on the ground helped people find their seats. Then, at long last, the bright lights turned off, giving way to much softer lights focused on the platform where I stood and the long aisle leading from it to the doors. The chattering voices all quieted, then went silent as the first few notes of the song began. I straightened up when I heard gasps of awe and I saw a crack appear down the center of the huge phoenix on the doors as they slowly slid apart to reveal what lay behind them. Then minute I saw him, I felt myself gasp.
He was STUNNING!
He wore floor-length black robes with red and orange fiery detailing, like he was wearing real flames, and silver trim around only the outer robe's hem, around the neck of both, and at the ends of the inner robe's long sleeves and the outer one's billowy short sleeves. On his head sat a shining Klingon circlet. Then I saw behind him that the outer robe was much longer in the back, so it dragged behind him like a train. The top of it was fiery red and orange and, I realized, detailed to look like a pair of huge folded wings, which faded to black as they continued down the train. When he started to walk, the entire thing seemed to flicker, like an actual flame. All I could do was watch, mesmerized, even as he climbed the steps and turned to stand beside me, the train so long, it still lay on the top steps. Admiral Quinn, an old friend from my Academy days, stood between us holding a PADD with his readings on it, though I barely heard anything as I was staring in awe at Hugh, until Quinn mentioned our names.
"I believe Jean-Luc and Hugh would like to say a few words before we commence. Jean-Luc, you may go first." I nodded and took a deep breath.
"Hugh. When I look back at how I first met you, I can't ignore how ironic this is. I've gone from wanting to turn you into a bioweapon to turning you into my husband." There was a bit of laughter, and Hugh smiled. "I once had a professor at Starfleet tell me the universe works in strange ways, and today I think I finally understand what he meant. Things we think are impossible are suddenly happening to us, like becoming captain of a starship, outwitting a godlike entity, or falling in love with and marrying a Borg when you're known for hating Borg. But the thing is...I cannot truly hate even the Collective anymore. For without them, I wouldn't be standing here right now. Yes, the Collective gave me a nightmare I'll never get over. But they also gave me something else unforgettable. Something wonderful and beautiful. Something I am unbelievably fortunate to call mine. Unintentionally, the Collective gave me Hugh. And I can't help but be grateful to them for that. Every day I've known you has brought me more happiness than I probably deserve, and I'll never know what I did so right that I am graced with you in my life. I look forward to being with you, holding you, loving you, for all of eternity...and beyond."
The crowd responded with a resounding "Aaaaawwwww." and Admiral Quinn softly applauded.
"Hugh, you may go now." he said.
Hugh's POV
I nodded to Admiral Quinn, then turned to Picard.
"Jean-Luc. The first time I met you...I-I was afraid, for I thought you were someone else. Locutus. Someone who had immediately become the face of my newfound enemies. Someone I thought would bring me only the pain and suffering of having my new friends assimilated, along with my own reassimilation or death. But after the encounter in your ready room, I realized you were not that person. Yes, you are physically the same, but you and he are nothing alike. Locutus has not the kindness and understanding you have shown me. He cannot listen to someone and be there when they need him. And, most importantly, Locutus cannot love." I felt my eye starting to sting, "Wherever I go, I face hate and fear because of what I am. You yourself admitted to these feelings, yet your love was more powerful than your hate or your fear. Even though you agreed with such things, you fought for me when I was the target. When you could have earned a favorable reputation for ridding the universe of my kind, you chose me instead. Ever since I was freed, you have defended and protected my people and me, not because you had to, but because you believed, despite your own feelings about us, that it was right. Now, being here with you, I have something I never imagined existed. Something I had heard of, but never thought I would have. Something more wonderful than individuality or even friendship. And that something is the knowledge that I am not alone and I never will be. The feeling that someone cares more about me than themselves and would even give their very life for me." I had tears running down my face now, "And best of all, knowing that I will have that for all time, and no one can ever take it away. I thank you, Jean-Luc, for giving me my new life, the Cooperative, and the amazing gift of your love." There was another resounding "Aaaaawwwww." as Admiral Quinn spoke again.
"Thank you both. The rings, please." Worf and Athena brought them up to the admiral, who thanked them and hand each of us a gold band. He turned first to me.
"Do you, Hugh, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband to have and to hold, to love and to cherish, in . good times and bad, for rich or for poor, in sickness and health, until death part you?"
"I do." I said, "Even beyond death." Quinn turned to Picard.
"And do you, Jean-Luc, take this Borg to be your lawfully wedded husband to have and to hole, to love and to cherish, in good times and bad, for rich or for poor, in sickness and health, until death part you?"
"I do." He nodded, "For all eternity." Quinn nodded, then took my hand with the ring and guided it into Picard's left ring finger.
"Hugh, repeat after me. With this ring, I thee wed."
"With this ring I thee wed."
"And henceforth vow to love and honor."
"And henceforth vow to love and honor."
"And endow my every worldly possession."
"And endow my every worldly possession."
"Forever and ever."
"Forever and ever." Quinn nodded, then had Picard do the same as he slid his ring onto my finger. Then he stood back and addressed the guests again.
"If anyone believes these two should not be married, speak now or forever hold your peace." There was complete silence, except one or two people that sneezed or coughed. Quinn cleared his throat as he prepared to speak again.
"Then by the power vested in me by Starfleet and the United Federation of Planets, I hereby declare that this man and this Borg are married. You may kiss."
Picard's POV
I smiled to myself. I had a little surprise for this part. I wrapped my arms around Hugh as our lips met. Then I suddenly spun toward the guests and dipped him almost to the ground. I could see the surprise along with the joy in his arms. The applause was almost deafening. When we parted lips, Hugh had the biggest smile I had ever seen on him. I stood us back up and held his hand as Quinn presented us to the guests, who were all standing and cheering. as we descended the steps and went back up the aisle, back through the doors to get ready for the reception.
The long train of Hugh's robes was expertly pinned up by Beverly for the reception. The two of us entered first, and ate firs. Well, I ate, since Hugh, being a Borg, didn't need to. Then we cut the Borg cube cake Athena had made with Deanna's help. Riker and Sennex made toasts to us, but I honestly wasn't paying attention to them I couldn't take my eyes off Hugh, who was just too bloody adorable with that smile on his face.
Then came the dance. It was a soft, slow song, with a soothing ethereal feel to it. I held Hugh tight as we slowly moved around the floor, other pairs gradually joining us. But I barely noticed them. I was too focused on the Borg in my arms. It seemed like so long ago that Crusher was begging me to let her save the little drone. Now that same drone was a strong leader, a brave fighter for his people, and a wonderful person to everyone. He was a special little Borg. And now, for all eternity, he was mine.
But wait! That's not the end. In fact, it's just the beginning. Stay tuned for more of "Irony"!
Please review!