Part 12

Kathryn Janeway hunched forward on the couch, elbows on her knees and her hands cupping her face as she stared off into space, until Gretchen stomped her foot to get her attention.

"Kathryn Marie Janeway!"

Blinking, Kathryn slowly lifted her head. "What?" she asked, like it was the first time she was hearing her name.

"I've been talking to you, and you haven't heard a word I said. Where the heck were you?" Gretchen asked, frustration in her voice. Her tone softened as she immediately noticed her daughter's troubled gaze. "Hey, are you okay?"

Phoebe walked in just in time to witness this. She knew her sister had been through quite the ordeal, and this was much bigger than being lost in the Delta Quadrant for seven years. No, it wasn't that at all. Her big sister was still reeling with the news that she had mothered a child.

"Mom, maybe you should give her a break."

Kathryn quickly shook her head. "No, I am fine. I was just….

"Daydreaming?" Phoebe quipped.

Blowing out a tired breath, Kathryn stood up. "No…just….I was just thinking," she said. Deep down she knew her sister was accurate. She couldn't stop thinking about the two most important people in her life…..who happened to be unattainable to her, and that in and of itself bothered her the most.

"You still haven't heard from her I take it?" Gretchen asked softly.

Kathryn groaned quietly and shook her head. "Mom, it's been months. Besides, don't you think I'd tell you if I had heard from her?"

Gretchen made a face as she inched closer to her daughter. "Actually, you've always been rather secretive. I usually have to force things out of you," she responded, then sighed. "In fact, how long it take you to actually tell me you have a daughter?"

"I told you as soon as I was able to."

Gretchen rolled her eyes. "We both know better. I told you I would let that slide, but I am that girl's grandmother, and I deserve to know her," she huffed.

Here we go again, Kathryn thought. "I know, and you're right, but right now she's in another galaxy. Since I've been put on indefinite leave, I have no way of knowing when, or even if, she will come back to Earth."

"Hey, let's try to stay calm. There isn't any point in us arguing over this," Phoebe interjected.

"Easy for you to say," Kathryn dryly noted. At this point, she just felt numb. She had been waiting impatiently for any kind of message or word about Seven. She had even asked Tom if he had any information about when the Enterprise was due back. He was not much help, and of course did not give her any answers she liked. She was in limbo, and all she could do was sit by and wait until her forced leave of absence was finished. As soon as she was cleared, she planned to be on the next ship out of here, with or without Starfleet.

Gretchen walked to the front door and pulled her hat off of the coat rack. She tied the loose ribbon around her neck as she talked. "Well, I think maybe we should go weed the garden, and gather the tomatoes that are ripe for canning."

Kathryn groaned and now rolled her eyes. This was her life right now, and she detested it, even if it did offer her some sort of distraction. "I'll be right out," she griped. She watched her mother leave, then contemplated just sitting right back down and doing nothing. That's all she had done for several months since her reprimand from Starfleet.

"I'm sorry, Sis," Phoebe offered. "I know this sucks."

"Thanks."

Phoebe laid a gentle hand on her big sister's shoulder. "If I could, I would gladly call her up and demand she give you at least some sort of answer. This not knowing is killing you."

"Phoebe, she's a commander on one of the most important vessels in Starfleet, doing highly classified missions, so that would be a little hard to do. Just saying," Kathryn defended, unable to help herself. "Not to mention she used to be Borg," she added.

"I just hope that's the only reason why you haven't heard from her," Phoebe hummed, then offered a smile and sighed. "I have a niece, a niece I've never even seen. It's so crazy."

"You think that's crazy, try finding out you have a daughter who you didn't even give birth to," Kathryn commented dryly.

That made Phoebe laugh. "Yeah, you win. That's definitely crazier. You know, I always knew you were an overachiever, but I gotta admit I'm kind of proud that my big sister is the first human woman to knock someone up," she teased with a wink.

"You're not funny," Kathryn mumbled, but her lips curved into just a hint of a smile.

"Pfft, Auntie Phoebe is freaking hilarious," she shrugged, then glanced at the clock. "I have to go to work. You, on the other hand, better get out there and help Mom, otherwise you'll never hear the end of it."

"Oh joy," Kathryn grumbled, then stood up. "God, I miss being in space."

"I bet you do. Well, I gotta go or I'm gonna be late. See ya tonight, Mama Katie," she said with a grin and a wave as she hurried to go.

Kathryn watched her leave, then ran a hand through her hair and slowly sauntered out the front door. She was still a fortified starship captain, even if her fight was with the unruly vegetation that was trying to overtake the area. It wasn't nearly the same as Species 8572, but she was determined not to let them get the best of her.

…

She had spent hours working hard outside, and Kathryn stretched her weary back to alleviate some of the cramps that seemed to lodge in a certain area after bending over too long. Suddenly, a glint of light flashed in the sky, causing her to glance toward the west, where the sun was now sliding down the horizon.

She continued to watch the shuttle craft until it came into view and hovered over the farm. It was rare to see anything like this out here, and curious, her mother joined her out on the lawn.

"What in the world? Who could that be?" Gretchen wondered, looking in her daughter's direction. "Do you know anything about this?"

"Not a clue."

"Maybe it is one of your old crewman here to visit. Shoot, and I didn't even clean the house today," she fretted.

Janeway was not expecting any visitors, but she realized her mother could be right, as she recognized that this was definitely a Starfleet vessel. Her heart began to speed up with a newfound nervousness at the thought of who it could possibly be. She gingerly began to walk closer, but still remaining a safe distance away. The glare from the setting sun made it impossible to get a definitive view of the mystery guest. Even when she shaded her eyes, she still was unable to make out who it was.

The shuttle eventually powered down, and it took a little bit longer before the doors finally opened, revealing the identity of the unexpected visitor. However, Kathryn was still unable to get a good look, and felt immensely frustrated with the sun for interfering with her vision.

She waited impatiently for whoever it was to make themselves known, and felt herself getting annoyed with the hesitancy from whoever was there. "Who's there? Is there something I can help you with?" she finally hollered out.

The person didn't respond, and after another beat she could finally make the figure who was walking down the ramp, and as the individual continued to walk down the ramp, it became clear who it was. Kathryn would know that walk anywhere. It was her. Her heart seemed to crash into her gut at the realization of who actually had just landed, right there, just a few yards away.

"Oh god," she gasped, and took a stumbled step back, then another one once as she noticed that Seven was not alone. It took every ounce of will power she had in her not to let out a strangled sob at the sight of Selene, right there at Seven's side, holding her hand.

Gretchen's gaze sharpened on the intruders, and as they walked closer, she too gasped and then quickly began to cry. "She….she….she….." she stuttered, too overcome with emotions to even form coherent words.

Kathryn had almost forgotten her mother was there, and immediately realized she needed to get a handle on her before she made a scene.

"Mom," she turned and took hold of her shoulders. "I need you to give me a minute. Please," she firmly voiced.

It took Gretchen a moment for her eyes to come clear with understanding. "Yes of course. I'll be in the house."

"Thank you," she exhaled, then drew in a huge breath, then another as she took a moment to steady herself before turning around to welcome them. Her palms began to sweat, and matching beads formed on her forehead as she watched them get closer.

Seven was a sight to behold, and she looked even more beautiful wearing casual clothes, but Kathryn only let her eyes linger for a moment before seeking out Selene. She looked like she had to have grown an inch since the last time she saw her. She soaked in the vision of her daughter, unable to get enough of her. She had seen her before, but this time she was seeing her as her daughter. She was overwhelmed and nervous, and felt a warmth spill over her with a love she already felt for her….a love unlike any she had ever imagined.

She swallowed in a mouth that had now gone dry and finally managed to find her voice. "Seven, Selene," she said with a smile. "This is a pleasant surprise." She couldn't stop the tears in her eyes, nor did she want to.

"Good evening, Captain," Seven greeted cordially. "I am sorry for just showing up unannounced."

Selene smiled up toward Kathryn. "Yeah we just got here…. I mean to Earth, and Mom wanted to come here before we went anywhere else," she told her honestly.

Seven felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment, but it really didn't matter. She was finally here….the place she had heard so much about…the place she had always longed to visit. All she could do was softly smile and drink in the vision of the other woman.

"You are always welcome here," Kathryn breathed, with a tiny smile of her own. "Always," she emphasized.

They just stood there for another minute as Kathryn soaked in the sight of them both, and she wanted to pinch herself to make sure this was really happening and not just another daydream. Suddenly, she noticed that Seven had tilted her head and narrowed in directly on her face.

"What?" Janeway asked, confusion hanging on her brow.

"You have something on your cheek," the blonde casually, pointing towards the spot.

Kathryn quickly ran a few fingers over the area Seven had indicated. "Did I get it?"

Seven grinned and shook her head, and before Kathryn could try again, the former Borg reached over and gently ran her thumb over the area. "There," she softly husked, gazing into the smaller woman's eyes. Her thumb tingled from the contact, and she let it linger for a moment.

It was just the pad of her thumb, but as soon as Kathryn felt the softness of Seven's skin brushing against her own, her entire body reacted, as her pulse skyrocketed and a tinge of electricity shot right through her. She was immediately taken back to being wrapped up in this woman on that planet. My god, has it really been that long since she has touched me? Her body had been deprived of Seven's touch for years, and apparently just the slightest of touches was all it took to make her crave more. All of a sudden she found it difficult to see, and she dizzily blinked, momentarily forgetting to breathe.

Seven dipped her head with a tinge of concern. "Captain, are you okay?"

"Yeah," she blinked again, forcing herself to take in enough oxygen to get the blood pumping back to her brain. "Of course. Did you get it?"

"Yes, it is gone," Seven told her directly, finally removing her hand from the other woman's face.

They both immediately missed the contact, and just stood there for a moment, the air electric between them.

"I got to pee," Selene squealed, quietly tugging on her mother's hand as she continued to squirm.

Kathryn couldn't help but giggle. "Well, let's get you inside, shall we? Then, there is someone I would love you both to meet," she told them, quite aware that her mother was anxiously waiting to meet her granddaughter.

"Thank you, Captain," Seven said.

"Yes, thank you Captain Kathryn," Selene mimicked, then scrunched up her face. "I really have to go," she whined.

"Follow me," Kathryn instructed, then proceeded to lead them to the house as Selene half walked, half wiggled. Once they were inside, she showed Selene the bathroom, then walked back to the living room, where Seven was looking at a few of the items her mother kept out on a shelf.

"Uh, she said she didn't need any help," she commented hesitantly, motioning towards the restroom.

"She is correct. She has been independently taking care of that for quite some time."

Kathryn blew out an awkward breath. "I didn't…I wasn't sure if I should have…." she trailed off and threw her hands up as if she were surrendering. "I'm sorry, this is just all so new to me."

"It's alright, and I believe you will have it all figured out in no time, Captain," Seven told her sincerely.

"Yeah about that. Don't you think it's time to stop calling me that?"

"You are still Captain, are you not?"

Kathryn sighed heavily. "Yes, but right now, that's just too formal, Seven," she explained, making sure to use the other woman's name instead of her rank. "Please, just call me Kathryn."

Seven paused and began to immerse herself in looking the other woman over. Her gaze was intense, as if she was inspecting her, and Kathryn felt it slice right through her. She swallowed as soon as she noticed the slight smirk on that perfect mouth.

"You do recall what happened the last time you instructed me to call you that," she said with a satisfied grin. "Kathryn," she husked, and Janeway felt her whole body react to the sound of her name coming out of those lips.

Dumbstruck, it took a moment for Kathryn to gather herself. "Oh, how I have missed that Borg bluntness."

"Have you?" Seven moved in closer.

Be honest. "Yes, very much," she breathed, her voice thick.

"All done," Selene's voice broke in.

Both parents turned to greet her. "All washed?" Seven asked firmly, eyebrow rising slightly.

"Yup." Selene bounced in showing her hands. "All clean." She then turned toward the older woman. "You have a cool place, Captain Kathryn."

Kathryn groaned a little and kneeled before her daughter. "You know, you can just call me Kathryn while you are here," she said, gently bumping her finger off of Selene's tiny nose. Right away she could see what Seven had told her on the Enterprise. She could see the Janeway in her little girl, and it caused a feeling of pure joy and happiness to bubble out of her.

Selene scrunched her face. "Are you okay?" she asked, her voice confused yet caring.

The way this little girl….her little girl….was looking at her tore at Kathryn's heart, and she had to clear her throat to hold back the tears that threatened to fall. Seven quickly noticed this and came to kneel beside Kathryn. "She is just so happy to see you," she said.

Selene smiled widely. "Well I am happy to be here and see you too." She then leapt forward and threw her arms around Kathryn's neck and hugged her tight.

The tears she had been trying to ward off now trickled down her cheeks as she soaked in the feeling of her daughter hugging her for the very first time. Kathryn just let them fall as she continued to hold onto Selene until she felt her pull back, but it was only for an instant as she was now pulling Seven in with her small arm.

"We can't leave Mommy out."

Seven softly chuckled through her own tears and just pulled both Selene and Kathryn into her arms, holding them tightly to her. "We love hugs," Seven whispered. "Don't we?"

Selene nodded within the embrace. "Yes, we do."

Kathryn closed her eyes, relishing the moment. She loved this….them….so much that she never wanted to let them go. She soaked it all in, knowing this was a moment she would never ever forget. She was overcome with complete and utter joy, and she wanted this moment to never end.

"Awww," she faintly heard, followed by familiar sobs. She then felt both Selene and Seven pull away and look up. She, however, did not need to look up to know that her mother had walked in.

Selene took in the sight of the emotional older woman and looked back to the two women. "Um….is she okay?" she asked, her voice unsure.

The look on her little girl's face and the cute little voice made Kathryn giggle. "She's fine; she's just happy to see you," she explained.

Selene made a face as Kathryn and Seven stood back up. "Why is everyone so happy to see me? And why do grown ups cry when they're happy? When I'm happy, I laugh," she pointed out.

That made all the adults laugh.

"Well, it's because….." Seven began, but Kathryn cut her off.

"She's happy to see you because I've told her so much about you. She's been dying to meet you," she answered, then looked over at Seven, who dipped her head and gave a reassuring smile of agreement.

"So without further ado, I would like for you both to meet my mother, Gretchen Janeway. And mother, this is… well that's….."

Now Gretchen cut her off and went right to the former Borg, sweeping her arms around her and hugging her. "Seven, it is so good to meet you," she sniffed, wiping at her wet cheeks, but holding her happy smile. She promptly squatted down and held her hand out for Selene to take. "And Selene, you are even more beautiful than I could have imagined, I am so honored to meet you."

Selene giggled. "Nice to meet you too," she responded politely, and shook the older Janeway's hand. She then furrowed her brow and turned to her mother. "Everyone here is so nice, but I still don't understand why they're so emotional. Is this an Earth thing or an Indiana thing?" she asked, with a curious expression on her face.

Seven twisted her lips in a grin. "No, Sweetie, they're just so happy to finally meet you." Her tone then became serious. "I really should have brought you here a lot sooner. That's on me, and for that, I am so sorry," she said to her daughter, but then turned her gaze to Kathryn and Gretchen, her eyes filled with remorse.

Hearing those words made Kathryn want to cry even more, but she managed to hold off, not wanting to reinforce to Selene that Indiana was full of women who cry all the damn time. She stood and joined the rest of them. Silence fell upon them, so much so that they could hear the ticking of the old grandfather clock that had been in the Janeway family for generations.

Gretchen was unfazed by the silence, and just observed Seven and Kathryn. The air suddenly felt thick with the chemistry that sizzled between them, and she couldn't help but smile before clearing her throat. "I sure hope you two are staying for dinner," she invited.

Seven blinked. "I …."

"I'd love to have you both stay," Gretchen amended, then lightly glared at her daughter. "Besides, I am pretty sure Phoebe will also want to meet the two of you."

Catching on, Kathryn finally chimed in. "Yes, please stay for dinner. There's nothing Mom loves more than cooking a big meal."

"Yes, of course, we accept."

Selene smiled broadly. "Good, because lately all we have been having is replicated meals."

Kathryn was confused at hearing that, since she had heard that Seven had turned into quite an excellent cook. "Oh?"

"We've been really busy, the entire ship has actually," Seven told her.

Bewildered, Kathryn inhaled. "I hope everything was all right."

"Yes, I just had somewhere else I'd rather be, so I made it my personal goal to achieve that, even if I had to put in a few extra hours," she said truthfully.

Realizing what that actually meant, Kathryn's chest tightened, and she smiled at the former Borg. They continued to look at each other once again until Gretchen finally coughed to clear the haze that seemed to settle around these two women. "Why don't you show them around the farm? Take 'em down to the pond maybe?"

Breaking out of her stupor, Kathryn nodded. Get it together. "Does that sound okay to you guys?" she asked.

"Yes," Selene voiced, and they started out of the door and down the front steps. "Hey, do you have horses?"

Kathryn sighed. "Sorry honey, we don't. "

"What kind of farm doesn't have horses?" Selene pouted.

Kathryn slightly grinned. "Well, the corn kind."

"Oh." Selene frowned. "I get to see corn, and Geshere gets to see a Saber Bear."

Kathryn eyed Seven, giving her an odd look. It made Seven snort and that surprised Janeway, making her blink and then laugh, which then made Seven laugh and now since they were laughing, Selene laughed too, even though she had no idea why they were laughing.

Finally after Seven composed herself, she cleared her throat. "How about maybe sometime soon the three of us could go to the zoo?" she stated, but her eyes questioned Kathryn.

Selene squealed. "Please, please. I'll be good, I promise."

Kathryn wouldn't say no to this, even if Starfleet gave her a new command. "I think that is a wonderful idea," she exhaled. "But in the meantime, how about I show you a few frogs and maybe some ducks," she offered, winking to Selene.

"Really?" Selene asked, eyes wide.

"Of course."

The little girl quickly threw her hand into Kathryn's and it made her heart buzz with a happiness she never knew was possible. They began to walk down the path around a few trees and onto the pond, and the entire time Kathryn wondered if it would be okay if she just reached out and took hold of Seven's hand as well, but she pondered on it too long because now they were there, and once Selene saw the water, she was off like lightening.

"Hey be careful," Seven hollered out, watching her daughter's every move.

Kathryn watched her too for a moment, then slipped her gaze toward the other woman. The sun was starting to dip lower in the sky behind her, and she was quite the vision. Her breath caught, and she was so lost in the sight of this woman that once again she was reminded of their time on that planet, and the way Seven looked as multiples suns were drifting lower on the horizon. It all came back, falling around her, and she found herself lost in this woman. She was too beautiful to be real, she thought. But she was real, and they weren't on that planet anymore. No, Seven was right here, at her family farm, standing right beside her. And this time, Kathryn was determined that nothing was going to get in the way.