It was days later, after she'd studiously avoided Seven, that the ex-Borg showed up at her door.
Janeway had done an extraordinary amount of soul-searching, intent on making sense of everything that had happened. Her distance from Seven was created on purpose to help this along.
She'd never be known as someone who backed down from the hard questions—in fact, she enjoyed dealing with those first—and this issue was no different.
What happened at the clothing store? It tingled in her head…and her body.
She hadn't had the time to fully process her feelings in the moment, given that she and Seven had been in a public place and she was taken by surprise. But now she needed to delve into the experience and understand exactly what she'd felt, because it could fundamentally alter her relationship with Seven.
Slowly, she replayed the memory in her mind, bringing in details and noting emotions.
The store, the cool air, the shirt, the changing pattern, Seven reluctantly taking it, Seven changing, Seven leaving the fitting room.…
There, everywhere. It felt as though she was being fed electrical current through her stomach. The sensation was enormously familiar, yes…but not ever in this context. And yet despite Janeway's confusion, it was impossible not to recognize the feeling immediately.
Desire.
Some part of her—the scientist—could not accept this until she understood why; it seemed too random, too…strange. She had known Seven for years, mentored her, watched her grow. Why now?
Suddenly, as if on cue, other memories crowded into her mental landscape, forming what Tuvok might call a disturbingly logical sequence of events.
Seeing her again, their reminiscing, the emotional intimacy Seven's plight with Chakotay had created, that intense hug, sharing plans for the future, Janeway staying over, Seven bringing her coffee that morning, their hoverboat race, their teasing one another…attraction now bled profusely through all of these moments.
Janeway realized with a start that they had practically been flirting with each other over the course of the entire vacation.
Dear God.
If this was true now, how long had it been like…?
That thought rattled her the most.
She shook her head, driving her horrified conscience away. Perhaps she had always felt this way and it had gone undiscovered—what difference did it make if that were true? That was the past, and she'd acted ethically. The only thing that mattered now was the present. She'd discovered this attraction. Now what?
Sexual fluidity was well-documented in human women, maybe, but that didn't make it any less unsettling when it actually manifested. She had no experience with pursuing women—assuming she wanted to pursue Seven at all—and hadn't the slightest clue about how to approach the subject with her.
What is Seven feeling?
This was an entirely different but equally important piece of the puzzle.
So when the younger woman eventually showed up at her door, after all of this thinking, she wanted to gauge that exact question.
"Seven, come in," Janeway welcomed her, standing aside for Seven to enter. The blonde did so quickly, as though she was agitated.
"Admiral, it appears as if you are intentionally avoiding me. Is my interpretation of your actions correct?"
Janeway laughed it off, not ready to have the kind of conversation this called for. "Don't worry, Seven. I just needed some time alone to think about some things. I'm sorry if you felt…neglected."
Luckily for the Admiral, Seven did not press her further on the topic. She glanced around the room instead, lingering on the expansive window along the far wall. It afforded a phenomenal view of the ocean. The creature comforts of the room were sleek and cutting-edge, obviously meant for luxury.
"How have you been?" Janeway asked, snapping Seven out of her observational mode.
"Adequate."
Which meant 'not the best,' Janeway mentally translated. "Did something happen?"
"It's Chakotay," she replied curtly.
"Ah," the Admiral acknowledged, pausing. "He sent you something?" she guessed.
"Correct. I am finished."
Janeway started, surprised by the abruptness of the statement and uncertain of how wise this was on Seven's part. "Well, I certainly understand why you would be frustrated, Seven, but I really think you should try—"
"Admiral," Seven interrupted, tone livid. "I am finished."
So something extremely important had happened. Janeway intelligently decided not to push the younger woman yet.
"Is there something I can do? Do you need anything?"
Seven was silent for a moment. "Any activity would be sufficient," she finally admitted.
Janeway took her down to the lobby, checking to see if anything was going on inside the resort. Their walk was silent. Nothing was scheduled.
Outside, a sizable mob of people was dancing to what sounded like salsa music on the beach. Janeway led Seven down into the sand.
As Janeway watched, she picked up the dance very quickly—it wasn't too difficult and similar to a few Earth dance styles. Seven was also watching as they walked by, heading up the shore.
The older woman's pulse quickened as the idea of dancing with the woman beside her occurred. No, it wasn't very creative romantically, but it was something to occupy Seven with.
But the courage she needed to summon simply in asking…
What was she, twelve? She pushed the words out, a note of uncertainty still creeping into her tone despite her best effort to remain nonchalant.
"Would you care to dance, Seven?"
The ex-Borg found it puzzling that the Admiral had asked; dancing was normally reserved for romantic partners. She found herself wondering what the other woman's intentions might be, as unlikely as it was.
"I do not know the dance," Seven protested, gazing back at the people assembled.
"I'll teach you. I've seen most of the steps before," Janeway explained, stopping in the sand and holding Seven there with her arms. "Would you prefer the man's role or the woman's?"
Seven faltered, unsure of which choice she should make. "I will assume whatever role is most efficient for learning."
The Admiral had to chuckle at the response; she should have seen it coming. "Let me take the role of the man—it will be easier, as I know the dance and can lead you."
Seven accepted quietly. She felt a slight jangle of nerves as she prepared to learn the movements. Artistic endeavors were sometimes difficult for her, and dancing tended to frustrate her as it sometimes involved a level of improvisation she was not comfortable with.
Janeway took a deep breath and put her hands on Seven's hips, trying very hard not to focus on anything besides instructing Seven on the steps of the dance.
"I need your hands on mine, Seven."
The blonde placed her hands over Janeway's, looking to her for further direction. Janeway took a breath and tried to ignore the physical contact.
"It sounds and starts like salsa—I take a step forward, you step back with me…" They began slowly, adjusting the length of their strides and finding a relaxed rhythm in time with the music. "Then you come forward with that foot…while shifting your weight to the other foot…step forward with that foot and I step back…"
Janeway had been staring downwards, making sure that they were completing the basic step correctly, but after a few minutes, Seven had mastered it. This dance was more intimate than salsa, given the placement of Janeway's hands, and the timing was tighter.
"Okay," Janeway said, unable to avoid looking up into Seven's face now. A calm pair of eyes gazed back at her, inviting a response that was anything but calm for her heart rate. "Let's try some variations."
As they twisted and spun into new combination moves, the Admiral noted with pride that Seven seemed to be enjoying herself. Not a hint of anger or depression plagued her features. She redoubled her efforts to keep it that way.
"Now I need you to lean backwards and let me lean into you…"
Seven complied, Janeway slowly lowering herself over the younger woman. "More, lean more…tilt your head back…"
As she reclaimed the familiar role of the teacher and moved into such an erotic position, desire rushed through her body.
Janeway was a bit mortified to be living the archetypal story of the mentor falling for the protégé, especially for one as young and beautiful as Seven. But there it was.
Seven bent backwards, finding their position and general close proximity, combined with her uncertainty about the other woman's feelings, electrifying. The experience was relatively new. It rarely occurred in this manner with a woman.
The blonde tilted her head forward and shifted back to complete the move, and in the process locked eyes again with Janeway, who felt the heat between them increase exponentially.
I'm in trouble.
Thankfully, the music abruptly stopped, forcing the two women somewhat awkwardly apart.
"Your attention," an official-sounding voice came over the speaker, addressing the resort's patrons. "A major storm is heading this way from the south and traveling fast. We advise everyone to go inside and refrain from entering the water at this point in time. Thank you for your understanding. We are sorry for any inconvenience."
They both searched the southern horizon and easily found the blackened group of clouds moving towards them. Noting the mob of people trying to make their way into her place, Janeway pointed towards Seven's cottage and suggested that they move over there. She did not object.
With quick strides, they bounded across the sand, trying to outrun the approaching storm. Faint thunder pealed in the distance, punctuated by bursts of lightning, and drops of rain landed heavily as they reached Seven's door, anxious to get inside. The sky had darkened considerably and the outlying haze betrayed the heavy rain headed their way.
"Reminds me of Indiana," Janeway remarked once they were safely in, brushing their clothes off. "That nervous tension before a big thunderstorm…"
A strand of long-buried memory from Voyager arose in Seven's head: Captain Janeway commenting briefly on her hometown, in the Astrometrics lab. She had promised that someday she would take Seven there. It seemed as though the memory had taken place centuries ago…
Nonetheless, Seven strode to the small window to watch the progressing storm, and silently hoped the promise was still good.
It was difficult to tell with the sunset just how deep the dusk was, as the black clouds blended seamlessly with the sky. Janeway checked her chronometer—2100—and with some self-control, left Seven to herself at the window.
She leisurely took a seat on the couch, stretching her limbs and closing her eyes. Part of her was eager to block out everything and clear her head; her body had been overwhelmed with the feeling of holding Seven as they'd danced, moving in tandem, guiding her…the movement of her graceful frame. But Janeway concentrated instead on listening to the rain that had begun to pelt the roof. As the frequency suddenly increased, it produced a soothing beat, lulling her to sleep after some minutes.
Her last thought was that she'd never actually gotten an indication of Seven's feelings.