Part 13
"So, Selene did you have fun with the ducks?"
"Oh, most definitely," Selene quipped happily.
Janeway grinned with a surprised lift to her brow. "Most definitely, huh," she commented, thinking this child was way too smart for her age. She raised her eyes to meet Seven's, and the twinkle in them told her that the blonde knew exactly what she was thinking.
"She so intelligent, Seven."
"I've been told that on more than one occasion," Seven said quietly.
"Are you guys talking about me?" Selene questioned.
Janeway's smile bloomed, and she couldn't help but reach down to lightly tickle the little girl. "Maybe," she growled playfully.
Selene giggled and ran a few feet ahead, then abruptly stopped. "Whoa!" she blurted, then pointed a finger ahead of her. "Is that a swing?" Her eyes widened with excitement.
"Oh," Kathryn blinked. "Yes, it is." She had totally forgotten about the tree swing. "Would you like to try it out?"
Selene happily nodded her head, then began to eagerly skip towards it, as the two grown ups followed her towards the large tree. "She skips, too," she said more to herself, then turned toward Seven. "I probably could barely walk when I was her age, let alone skip."
Seven smiled proudly. "She is well advanced in most areas of development," she informed her, then playfully nudged the older woman. "And I have no doubt you were as well. Truthfully, I've always thought she inherited that from you."
Shocked, Kathryn's cheeks flushed and she quickly shook her head. "Oh no, that's all you. I mean, look how far you've come, and in such a short time, too. Seriously, you moved up the ranks faster than anyone in the history of Starfleet."
Seven hesitated, then eyed the smaller woman tenderly. "I suppose I had something to prove."
"Did you now?" Kathryn's lips thinned. "Why is that? To be honest, I thought Starfleet would be the last place you'd want to be."
Seven pivoted to look at her former Captain, halting her steps. Kathryn stopped as well and looked up at her.
"I did have a few offers elsewhere, but deep down, this was the most desirable option for me," she swallowed. "Honestly, I wanted to be someone you would be proud of, approve of." Her voice wavered, and Kathryn immediately picked up on it.
"Oh, Seven," she exhaled. "You've always exceeded my expectations."
Seven eyed her with an unreadable expression, then inhaled and nodded. "I suppose," she commented dryly. She continued to walk down the path towards Selene.
Kathryn's brow furrowed at the shift in the blonde's demeanor. Clearly, she had said something wrong, but had no idea what that might be. She replayed her words to herself, then realization fell upon her. She thought I saw her as not good enough for ME. God, I'm such an idiot. She trotted up beside the other woman and was just about to voice it, but Seven was already pulling Selene into her arms and sitting her on the swing.
"I want to go really high."
Seven pulled her back as far as she could, then began to push gently on her back. Kathryn found herself unable to contain her laughter as Selene's happy squeal rang out around them.
She continued to swing on her own as her parents watched in blissful silence. Kathryn was content to watch her daughter playing on the exact same swing that she played on as a child, and once again was filled with an overwhelming feeling of pure happiness. Just then, she caught sight of something growing on the hillside, and her eyes twinkled with excitement. "I'll be right back," she voiced.
Seven nodded in acknowledgment, then turned her gaze back to Selene. After a minute, Kathryn was back, standing right in front of her and holding out the ugliest flower Seven had ever seen.
"Are you attempting to be romantic?" she inquired, with a bewildered lift to her brow.
Kathryn burst out laughing at that. It wasn't her intention, and it never occurred to her that it might look like that. "Um, actually," she began, then cleared her throat. "This is a dandelion puff, and it's magical," she told her with a straight face.
Seven turned her head slightly and eyed her curiously. "Is it really?" she asked skeptically.
"It is." Kathryn had to fold in her lips to keep her mischievous smile at bay.
The former Borg narrowed in on the flower and then Kathryn. "I've never heard of this; explain."
I gotcha now. Kathryn couldn't contain her smirk. "Well," she began, then proceeded to tear off a small piece of the stem of the flower. "I am going to give you this tiny piece, and I want you to hide it anywhere on you. Don't tell me where you put it. I'll turn around so I don't see." She handed it over for Seven to take and then turned away, her back to the blonde. "Did you hide it?"
Seven examined the small green stem between her fingers for a moment. To her knowledge, Kathryn was not a sorcerer, and in all of the species she had assimilated during her time with the Borg, there was no scientific evidence that magic existed in Indiana, or on Earth for that matter. She mentally calculated the risks, and decided there could be no harm in humoring this woman, who in spite of her attempts to seem casual, was pretty excited to engage in this juvenile act. An impish grin spread through her lips as she hid it in a place she was certain Janeway would not dare to look. "Okay, I have complied."
Kathryn turned around, relying on her command training to keep her face even. "So, this is sort of like a magnet, and I'm going to search for it."
"A magnet, huh," Seven commented, certain that if that were true, then her Borg implants would definitely be affected. She internally reprimanded herself for being so logical, knowing full well that Kathryn was playing some sort of game. Truth be told, she wanted to play along, curious to where this was going. Besides, part of her kind of hoped that Kathryn would indeed search out the spot on the body she had hidden the small stem.
"Yes, in a way," Kathryn now husked, inching closer to the blonde, only stopping when was close enough to breathe her in. She swallowed as she felt her body react to being in such close proximity to Seven, and blinked, silently commanding herself to focus. She began to wave the flower up and down, all over Seven's body, and although Seven's breath hitched, she stood perfectly still in her customary Borg pose, with hands behind her back. She managed not to falter, even as her senses were assaulted with the unique way that this woman always smelled.
After a moment, Kathryn grinned and stepped back. "I have located it," she voiced confidently.
"Oh?" Seven questioned, for a moment forgetting what the other woman was doing.
"You hid it in your mouth."
Seven blinked. "Huh? No, that is incorrect."
"Yes, it's under your tongue," Kathryn said firmly.
"No, it is not," Seven fired back.
Kathryn took a step closer, her eyes flashing with determination. "Prove it. Show me," she commanded.
Seven wanted to roll her eyes, but decided to just go with it. Opening her mouth, she went to lift her tongue when all of a sudden the older woman forcefully shoved the flower puff into her mouth.
Caught off guard, Seven started to choke, and attempted to spit it out as fast as she could. As she did, she could hear Kathryn snort with a laugh she knew she had had never heard come from her. Right then and there, she knew she had been had.
As soon as she expelled every particle out of her mouth, she stood back up, rolled her shoulders, and pivoted towards the Captain. Kinking her neck to the side, she then leveled a glare at her that was so Borg like, it caused Janeway to instinctively take a step back.
The look Seven was shooting her was actually a little frightening, more frightening than when she had gone toe to toe with the Borg Queen, and she briefly wondered if she was going to be assimilated…..or worse. She held her hands up in surrender. "Now hold on a second, Seven, it was just a joke," she tried.
Seven saw the other woman retreating, and marched toward her. "Resistance is futile."
"Seven….wait…" Kathryn breathed, her hands cautiously out in front of her. "Seriously, what are you doing?" she asked, as she continued to backpedal. "It was just a stupid joke, I swear." Her eyes widened as the former Borg continued coming at her. "Seven, stand down," she ordered, her voice faltering in spite of her attempts to sound authoritative.
"Your command to stand down is duly noted, and I respectfully decline to comply. Like I said, Kathryn, resistance is futile."
Oh shit….shit….shit….shit! "Seven," Kathryn tried again, then her survival instincts kicked in and she turned to run. She managed to escape the former drone for only a moment, then she was outmaneuvered by superior Borg physicality and quickness as Seven tackled her to the ground.
She landed with a light thud, but felt her body cushioned by strong arms. Just as she was about to try to wither out from her grasp, she found her own arms suddenly pinned over her head with a strength she knew she could not overpower.
"It would appear that I have captured you, Captain," Seven mocked, as she gazed down at the woman she had successfully subdued.
Kathryn was unaccustomed to being so easily manhandled, and she instinctively began to fight back, but ceased when she looked up and saw the playfulness in those piercing blue eyes above her. There was just a hint of something more, and although she couldn't quite articulate what that look meant, she knew without a shadow of doubt that she had no reason to be free.
"It seems you have caught me, so tell me, what will you ever do with me?" she teased, her own eyes daring the blonde to make a move.
Seven had intended to pounce and tickle Kathryn until she begged her to stop, but now that she was on top of her like this, that was the last thing on her mind. She was keenly aware of the feel of the body beneath her own, and every enhanced sensory node in her body felt the charge from her spiked desire for this woman. She wanted nothing more than to kiss her, and just the thought of doing so made her breasts go hot.
She had been with a few others since their encounter, but she couldn't believe no matter how hard she tried to control it, her body had other ideas when she was in her presence. It was a heavenly feeling to once again have her body awakened by the sensual activation she had only felt when she was with Kathryn. Every single part of her craved her, and her body trembled as it melted even further onto the one beneath her. Her eyes momentarily slipped shut as she envisioned them in the throes of passion.
Being this close to Seven had consumed Kathryn with her own arousal. Desire burned hot throughout her body, and she shivered as she felt Seven's warm body settling into her own. She had felt this before, on the planet, and in her fantasies since then, but never in her wildest dreams did she think she would ever experience this complete and utter ecstasy again. She felt Seven's body slide impossibly closer, and it took every ounce of self-control to hold off the groan that threatened to escape her lips.
Kathryn sharply inhaled as she felt Seven's thigh slip between her legs and press up again a certain area that was now on fire. She gazed up at the blonde, and instantly noticed how her blue eyes had darkened considerably. She watched, entranced, as Seven's tongue slipped out to moisten her lips, and her heart sped up in anticipation as Seven's head dipped lower. After years of deprivation, she was now just seconds away from what she had desperately yearned for. Eager to feel Seven's lips against her own, she licked her own and arched her neck up to meet Seven's.
"Mom!" Selene hollered out, shattering the haze of arousal between them. "I'm stuck! I can't get down!"
Feeling Seven jerk away from her, Kathryn groaned, and then was hoisted up to her feet.
"I see that," Seven answered the little girl. "Be right there." She now cast a glance toward the older woman.
"Next time," she winked playfully, then went to gather Selene off the swing.
Kathryn swallowed, then smiled and shook her head. "Can't wait," she said to herself.
….
When they all sat down together around the large oak table, Selene's eyes grew wide at the food spread out before them. "Whoa, now this is a feast," she voiced, hungry and ready to dive in.
Janeway laughed, along with Gretchen and her sister Phoebe. Phoebe had cried joyous tears when Kathryn introduced her to Selene, who gave her an odd expression like really….again?
"I've never seen corn like this," Selene commented airily, picking up the small piece of corn on the cob.
All three Janeways gave her a puzzled look, then looked questioningly at Seven.
"Um," the former Borg breathed. "Never had the opportunity to, I suppose. It was always consumed without the cob on the ship."
"I guess we will let you off this hook….this time," Kathryn winked, then narrowed in on her daughter. "Did you know that the cob is called a flower? And the kernels are actually the seeds?"
"I knew that the kernels were seeds," Selene said assuredly, rolling her eyes.
Seven witnessed this and gave her a daughter a stern look. "Selene, what did I tell you about that?"
"Not to do it," Selene sighed, and then apologized to Kathryn. "I'm sorry," she pouted.
Seeing that cute little frown tore at Kathryn's heart. "It is okay. It's my fault, really. I should have known that a smart little girl like you already knew that."
"It's okay, not your fault you didn't know. It's not like we have known each other since I was born," she pointed out nonchalantly and began to ingest her food, oblivious to how her words affected the adults in the room.
Kathryn felt her chest burn with a deep ache at all she had missed out on. She had missed so much….Selene's birth, swaddling her in her arms, soothing her when she cried…..not to mention all of the firsts she had not been there to witness. There was no way to go back and experience all of that, and she felt the loss overwhelm and cripple her. She tried to control her emotions and keep her face even, but when she felt Seven's hand slip over her own, she knew she had not held it together very well. She exhaled and casually jerked her hand away.
"Kathryn," Seven breathed, her voice sincere and filled with regret. "Please know that I am truly sorry about that."
Phoebe couldn't help but pipe in. "Sorrys can't bring those moments back," she fired, unable to keep her mouth shut.
Seven gathered a breath. "You are correct, however, you also do not know the circumstances surrounding it," she said evenly.
Ignoring them both, Kathryn watched Selene as she continued to devour her meal, getting food all over her cheeks, and unaware of the tension at the table.
"You should have told her," Phoebe quipped in a low voice.
Kathryn abruptly put a hand up in a warning to her sister. "Stay out of this," she hissed. "All that matters is this….right here." She leveled a glare at Phoebe, one that the younger Janeway knew meant back the hell off.
Selene licked her lips and now began to tear into her chicken. "Mmmm, this is so much better than Violet's," she grinned up at Gretchen.
"I'm so happy to hear that," Gretchen said lightly, her lips curving into a boastful smile.
Seven froze and internally cringed at hearing that name slip from her daughter's mouth. She had totally forgotten about the few dinners they had shared with Chakotay's family.
Who the hell is Violet? Kathryn thought, the name searing through her like a knife to her heart. Was she some girlfriend that Seven had failed to mention to her? While she was missing out on Selene's early years, some shameless hussy was cooking chicken for her daughter? Her nostrils flared as she turned laser eyes toward the blonde. "Violet?" she questioned. She tried to keep her tone light, but Seven knew better.
Inhaling a large breath, Seven hesitated, but before she could respond, Selene chimed in.
"Violet is Uncle Chakotay's aunt. I love her, she is so funny," Selene voiced, then took a drink of water. "She's a good cook, but Gretchen's chicken is way better."
Kathryn felt the anger bubbling up to the surface, on the precipice of erupting. Her lower lip was shaking, and she sucked it in, trying to hide it. She tucked her hands under the table and clenched her fists. "Uncle Chakotay, huh? And all I am is Captain Kathryn," she growled, tossing her napkin on the table. She knew she needed to keep it together, but she couldn't control the emotions swirling inside her. She pushed up from her chair, keeping her eyes on Selene.
"Hey, Selene, I'm sorry, but I need to get some fresh air. Please, continue to enjoy your meal," she managed to get out, then rushed to the front porch.
Tears glistened in Seven's eyes, and she glanced at her daughter, thankful that she was too engrossed in her food and not paying attention to the adults. She inhaled, and looked to Kathryn's mother and sister. "I honestly thought," she began, but Gretchen shook her head and halted her.
"We aren't the ones you need to explain this to," she informed firmly. She then gave the blonde a tender smile. "I'm glad you are here now, and I sure hope this isn't a one time thing," she said pointedly.
"We need to figure out the details, but I have no intentions of altering this," she told her truthfully. She exhaled slowly, then stood from the table and looked to the little girl. "Selene, I'm going to join Kathryn outside. Do you mind finishing your dinner with Gretchen and Phoebe?"
"Of course, Mommy."
She dipped her head to Gretchen, then made her way to find Kathryn and apologize once again for keeping her daughter from her.
…
Janeway's breath caught as soon as she heard the screen door fall shut. She didn't have to turn around to know who had followed her out here. She had always been keenly aware of when the former Borg was within close proximity. It had been like that since she had stepped off her alcove on that Borg cube all those years ago. She wasn't about to acknowledge her, as she was still reeling from the fact that Seven and Selene were close with Chakotay's family.
Neither woman spoke, as Seven just stood there waiting. The silence dredged on until Kathryn couldn't take it any longer and finally turned to where the blonde was standing. Seven was perched against one of the porch's posts, leaning against it with one foot crossed in front of the other, her hands tucked in the front pockets of her jeans. She was beautiful…absolutely stunning….and the way the moon stood just behind her made her look almost angelic, she could almost be a model or a movie star. She looked so unlike a former drone, and Janeway was rendered speechless as she continued to drink her in.
She was losing herself in Seven, and that pissed her off even more as she finally snapped out of it. "Seven," she finally hissed, crossing her arms over her chest. "I don't even know where to begin. Uncle Chakotay? Just when I think I've heard it all….how long has he been in her life? Was he there for her birth as well?"
At least it wasn't Papa Chakotay. "No, he was not," Seven answered, and now stood straighter, then took a step toward her. She had wanted to come to her as soon as she walked out the door, but she had dealt with this woman and her moods on Voyager long enough to know she needed to give her space and let her come to her. "He didn't meet Selene until about a year after she was born, and that was because he came to meet me. I didn't see him here until she was two, and that was very brief. Then he babysat for her so I could attend the Starfleet party, the one where we…"
"I know which party," Kathryn interrupted with a slight hiss. "I was there, and you should have told me about Selene then," she growled, running a hand over her face in an attempt to rein in her anger.
Seven sighed again, feeing weary. "Like I told you before, I am truly sorry I kept her from you. You are right, I should have told you right away, the moment I found out I was carrying your child." Her voice cracked, so unlike the usually poised woman, and it made Kathryn blink in surprise. "I had decided to tell you when I was on Vulcan when I was 34 weeks along, but since I was a high risk pregnancy, I was prohibited from traveling," she informed, her voice somewhat raspy.
"You were high risk?" Kathryn was stunned at hearing that.
"Yes," Seven answered simply. "Let me ask you, Kathryn, what would you have done if I had just shown up that pregnant and told you that I was carrying your child?"
"I…" Kathryn began, but stopped when Seven shifted closer, a soft, sad look in her eyes.
"Don't even tell me that you would have welcomed it with open arms. I'm quite certain you would have found it absurd and laughed."
"I would not!" Kathryn fired back, her eyes dark with resentment. "Shock, maybe, but not laughter. Never laughter. I didn't laugh when you told me on Enterprise," she pointed out.
"No, but you didn't believe me, told me it was absurd. Then you accused me of lying, suggested that it was Chakotay's, or someone else's," she reminded her. "You even implied that I had somehow stolen your genetic material," she said, hurt evident in her tone. "I was wrong for not telling you, but don't you dare tell me you would have reacted any differently than you did on Enterprise."
Kathryn felt defensive and wanted to argue, but deep down she knew Seven was right.
Seven dipped her head and looked the older woman in the eyes. "I was very pregnant, very hormonal, and so afraid you would reject me and tell me that she was a mistake," she admitted.
"I know you had every reason to doubt me, and that's all on me," Kathryn softly voiced. "I know how badly I hurt you, and I have regretted it ever since. If I could have, I would have gone back and told my younger self to stop being a stubborn imbecile and do everything in my power to hold on to the most important thing in my life."
Seven's brow fell with curiosity. "She didn't try to do that?" she asked, as it registered that the most important thing Kathryn referred to was perhaps her.
Stunned, Kathryn jerked back, knowing who Seven was talking about. "No," she quickly voiced. "Did she know?"
"I don't know. I have often wondered about that."
"Did you ask?"
"I did, actually," Seven told her. "She told me that she remembered Voyager going around that sector of space, which would mean that we were never on that planet. I didn't get the sense that she was being deceitful, but I couldn't help but wonder over the years if she was being truthful."
Kathryn now harshly ran both her hands over her face. "Stupid time travel; it will always be a paradox."
Seven just stood there for a moment, watching the older woman take in a few breaths to calm herself. Finally, she inched a little closer. "We have both made mistakes, Kathryn. The question is…." she trailed off and waited for her to pivot so she could see the grayness in her eyes.
"Is what?"
"Is this what you truly want?" Seven rasped, clearing her throat to keep her emotions in check. "I mean Selene," she went with instead, even though she wanted to put herself in the equation. "Because if so, somehow you need to find a way to forgive me."
Kathryn knew that she was right and she had to find a way to move past this, but she was still hurt, and knew exactly why. "It hurts knowing he is Uncle Chakotay. I don't want to be just Captain Kathryn to her," she told her roughly.
Seven's eyes slipped shut only momentarily. "I don't want that, I never did. From moment I showed up here, I wanted her to know you as her mother. I just needed YOU to be okay with it."
Kathryn was not prepared to hear that, and she flinched back, then automatically shifted her gaze toward the window so she could Selene in the distance. "But the way…." she began, but Seven didn't let her finish.
"Let's go inside and tell her right now," she decided, and began to move toward the door when Kathryn reached out and snatched her arm, halting her movement.
"Wait," Janeway snapped. Seven eyed her with confusion and waited as the older woman inhaled a few breaths. "I just need a minute to digest this," she swallowed.
Seven dipped her head. "I guess you're still not sure that this is what you want." Her tone scratched with sadness and she shuffled well away from Kathryn.
Kathryn shot her head up swiftly. "It is, please don't doubt that."
"Then what is it?"
"I'm…" her voice now shook and evidence of tears threatened to spill in her eyes. "What if I am not what she wants?"
That took Seven completely by surprise, and she blinked, taking a moment to let it register. "Please, give her more credit than that," she said softly, as she now erased the steps she had taken back until she was standing right in front of her. She even dared to reach out and gather Kathryn's hand, which automatically made the redhead's breath hitch as she looked up at the blonde.
"Please believe me when I say this…. If you decide that this isn't for you….that you don't want this…..you won't just be breaking my heart," she told her honestly.
Kathryn's lip slightly shook. "Oh Seven," she all but cried. "I didn't know I held that."
"You've always held that," Seven said, pulling their joined hands up and placing them above her heart.
Kathryn tried to swallow the lump that seemed lodged in her throat, and as she tried, tears sprung to her eyes. "I didn't know," she barely got out.
Seven dipped her head, her eyes serious. "I wanted to tell you for so long, but it seemed so futile." She gathered a nervous breath. "Even when I thought I had built up hope, you dismantled it just as quickly."
"I guess I was stupid Seven, so stupid," she choked. "I said things that hurt you all for the sake of my command, and in the process it hurt me just as much. Hell, maybe even more." She squeezed the blonde's hand as she drew in even closer looking up at the younger woman. "Please Seven, forgive me and my foolishness," she said throatily.
Seven absorbed this, feeling conflicted. She could feel her bottom lip shake and was unable to control it. "Somewhere in all of this I realized I had, even before you wrote that letter. I just didn't realize it. It was a beautiful letter, by the way," she breathed softly.
Kathryn held back her tears, even when she saw Seven's eyes shine with her own that she was also holding back. "I am sorry, Kathryn, so very sorry. I promise I wanted to tell you sooner about…"
Kathryn shook her head, not wanting to ever hear another apology. She reacted by pressing a finger to the younger woman's lips to quiet her, but the sensation of Seven's lips against her skin made her tremble with that passionate spark that seemed to always simmer between them. She inwardly groaned and slowly began to withdraw her hand, but Seven held her wrist, stilling the movement, as her other hand snuck around Janeway's waist, pulling them almost flush together. "So, you know how I feel, however I'm a little unclear how you feel….well…about me," she voiced, somewhat choked up.
Kathryn couldn't contain her smirk. "I think my actions have made it quite clear how I feel about you. I even got reprimanded for it," she husked with a tiny smile.
Seven slightly growled at hearing this. She had waited so long to hear from this woman's mouth that she meant something to her, and was really doubting that she ever would. She began to pull away when she felt the smaller woman tug her back.
"Not so fast," Kathryn said, rather firmly in her command tone. She had opened her mouth, ready to tell her everything, but instead she found herself sliding her arms around her neck. She gently pulled the taller woman down and lightly pressed her lips over Seven's in a soft kiss.
It was just a flash of a kiss, and Kathryn pulled away, trying to gauge Seven's reaction. She was hopeful and anxious, wondering if the blonde had understood what she was trying to say. The pounding of her heart echoed so loud that she was certain Neelix could hear it all the way in the Delta Quadrant.
It felt like forever, but finally her question was answered as Seven now captured her lips in an intense kiss unlike any she had felt before. The kiss left her dizzy as it exploded through her, and neither of them could contain the heat that now enveloped them.
Seven basked in the sensations triggered by this kiss, and part of her wondered if this was even real, but there was no way she was about to pull away to find out. Instead she just allowed herself to melt into Kathryn's arms and her kiss, which blended into another, then many more.
Kathryn arched into Seven, kissing her passionately as she lost herself to this woman who she had thought she would only have in her dreams. "Seven," she breathed after a beat. Her lips felt swollen and her entire body was on fire, and she felt lightheaded as she gazed up at her. "I do, you know. I…."
The screen door snapped open, causing both women to growl at the interruption, which made them both softly laugh at hearing it. Phoebe cleared her throat.
"Sorry for the intrusion, but Selene basically fell asleep at the dinner table," she smirked. "Oh, and Mom wanted me to tell you…well, both of you….that since she put Selene to bed, that means you," she now held Seven's gaze, "are staying the night." She grinned one last time and then closed the door shut.
Kathryn and Seven stood there, not moving as they continued to gather their breaths. "I um…. I guess you're staying," Kathryn mumbled, then blinked and turned back toward the blonde. "I mean….will you stay?"
Seven took Kathryn's hands in her own. "I don't believe I was given a choice," she teased, then lightly kissed her again just because she felt as if she finally could. "I just need to inform Starfleet that I will not be returning their vessel tonight."
Kathryn licked her lips, savoring the kiss, and managed a nod. "Okay, I'll be inside."
Seven held on a little longer, but finally dropped Kathryn's hands and turned toward the shuttle, only to have the older woman snatch one of her hands back.
"Don't be too long; I've already missed so much."
"I'll be right back. In the meantime, why don't you go tuck Selene in?"
Kathryn swallowed to ward off the unexpected tears. "I think I can do that," she choked.
Seven softly smiled. "You're a Starfleet captain; you'll do just fine."
Kathryn cleared her throat and ran a hand down her shirt as she watched Seven walk toward the shuttle, then inhaled a nervous breath as she began to walk back inside. "You got this," she said to herself, then it really dawned on her that this would be the first time she would get to tuck her daughter into bed, and she hadn't a clue how to do that. "Oh god."
A thought occurred to her and she turned back to the other woman. "Hey," she called out, and waited for Seven to turn back around. "By the way, where did you hide that flower?"
Seven's lips split into a haughty grin. "Wouldn't you like to know?" she winked.
Oh, absolutely I would, Kathryn thought to herself, as she walked inside the house, anxious to tuck her little girl into bed.