Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek Voyager, I do however own this plot and the original characters.
Icheb had not been thrilled Naomi had chosen to spend the rest of the weekend with her roommates, having wanted to spend the time with her, but had understood that she needed time with her friends and to herself as well. Subsequently, classes where canceled that week for the funerals, though it didn't mean they would be able to see much of each other anyway. As such, that week, with the funerals, the increase in people coming in and out of Earth, including San Francisco, made it all the more difficult for Naomi to sneak into Icheb's apartment.
Fortunately for Icheb, the time allowed frequent visits from the doctor and even a few from Tuvok to help further mend his broken mind. There had been a lot of promising progress made and Icheb found he no longer had tormenting nightmares and no longer experienced panic attacks. Finally, he was learning to deal with it... though his burning hatred for the Borg remained just as powerful as ever.
Throughout that period of time, the Federation gathered to honor those who died heroically in the massive interstellar battle, those who had done everything they could to stop the Borg invasion. Many distraught families received flags and medals from their fallen daughters, sons, wives, husbands, and siblings. Days of mourning were had by many. Finally, the week worth of funerals and send offs were finally at a close, and the Federation, Starfleet, and all those who lost loved ones could concentrate on happier thoughts. Very early that Monday, the reminder invitation to attend the celebration at Deep Space Nine for Wednesday was sent.
Naomi woke up early that Monday with a bit of apprehension. This was the first class day since leaving for her mission, that she would be forced to pretend nothing was going on between her and her Astrometrics instructor. Deciding she couldn't just lay about in bed, Naomi got up and set off to prepare for the day. Fortunately, one of the good things of not having seen too much of her lover, was that she could now walk around normally without having to hide a wince or limp. Part of her sighed disbelievingly at how she actually missed that. She wasn't a masochist, but it had been amazing. Stepping into the sonic shower, memories of that unbelievable day filtered through her mind and Naomi had to forcibly brush the distracting thoughts from her mind.
Naomi met her roommates in the hall where they waited for her and walked with them into class. "...So are you excited?" Hannah asked with a little grin.
The half Human tensed. "About?" Naomi questioned, her brow popping up.
T'Chea glanced at their human friend and saw the mischievous sparkle in her eye. "About this Wednesday, the celebration?" she asked before Hannah could ask anything embarrassing. Ever since T'Chea had connected with Naomi accidentally, she felt they need to protect her, even if it was from their own friend.
The half Ktarian visibly relaxed and smiled at T'Chea. "Yes, I can't wait! Most of the original Voyager crew is going to be there!"
Hannah, having figured she could give her friend a break nodded and smiled. "I bet you miss them, right?"
The younger woman's face split into a wide grin. "You wouldn't believe how much! I worked with a lot of them on the mission, but there were a few missing that I'm looking forward to seeing." The friends sat and ate breakfast quickly before class, joined by Kav'ain and a few of his buddies. Naomi smiled as she watched the group talk, laugh, and tease each other. As much as she had missed her family on Voyager, she was only a little surprised how much she had grown to miss these friends as well.
Walking into her first class that morning, Naomi did everything she could not to greet Icheb the way she had been used to greeting him for the past month on Voyager. Instead, she gave him a fleeting smile and walked up to her seat, trying not to notice the intensity of his eyes on her. Sitting down, Naomi pulled out her PADD and opened the page they would be studying on her computer. As Icheb taught, Naomi's eyes swept her instructor's muscled frame, barely and tightly concealed by his fitted black instructors uniform. She bit her lip and tried to concentrate again, losing herself in his rich voice. The half Ktarian sighed inwardly, having predicted how hard it would be to get through classes now.
Meanwhile, Icheb was having similar difficulty focusing on the class. As he taught, his eyes scanned the class, lingering on a certain Human-Ktarian hybrid, attempting everything he knew to help him not to let his memories of having her in his arms flood him. Despite his normally strict discipline over his thoughts, a stray fantasy rushed through him before he could stop it. Before his eyes, he imagined pushing Naomi over his desk, tearing her clothes off and making her scream for all of the academy to hear. Doing all he could to not let the unwitting images make him physically react, Icheb threw himself into his lesson, showing more enthusiasm than his students were used to seeing from him.
Clearly, a week apart had been too long for either of them.
After class was mercifully over, Icheb swallowed hard as his eyes betrayed him again, watching her lithe, sculpted form descend the steps of the seats. His eyes trailed over her voluptuous body and shapely legs, the memory of them tightening over his hips in desperation while he rode her into his bed making him bite back a moan of frustration. "Professor," Naomi greeted him with a slow smile as she walked by him with her friends, making his hold on his PADD tighten painfully. Icheb had never felt so close to losing his mind over just a simple smile, and resolved to keep his thoughts focus for his next classes.
By the end of the day, Naomi felt both relieved and stressed. She had expected her roommates to tease her about it, point out how much she was squirming in class, tell her that the smile she had given her professor was a little too friendly, but thankfully they had remained tactfully silent. That night however, Hannah and T'Chea looked over at their roommate with worry, noticing how wired and tense she was.
"What's up, Naomi?" Hannah asked curiously with a little frown.
"Hm? Oh, nothing," Naomi answered quickly, her eyes scanning her notes pointedly.
T'Chea and Hannah observed their friend quietly. Naomi was sitting on her bed with the typical amount of PADDs all scattered around her. She had one in each hand and was glancing at both of them. Nothing out of the ordinary there... only, she was so wound up that one of her legs was bouncing with barely restrained agitation and she was appeared to be trying to eat her bottom lip with how much she was chewing at it.
"Are you certain?" T'Chea questioned worriedly. "Something seems to be bothering you?"
Naomi sighed and placed her PADDs down. Bothering her was an apt description. It seemed she was going on withdrawal from her drug and it was driving her insane. She had seen the way Icheb had reacted to her that morning and knew he was feeling the strain just as strongly as she was. Unfortunately, with how many people were visiting the academy, neither of them could do anything about it.
"Nothing worth mentioning," Naomi answered her concerned friend. "Just stress over everything that's been happening really..."
Hannah gave her friend a pained expression. "You miss him, don't you?" she asked quietly.
Naomi said nothing for a few moments, simply staring at the mess of PADDS and her computer over her bed. "Is it that obvious?"
Miss him? That was an understatement. She had gone ten years without seeing him before, and now that she met him again, got a taste of what he had to offer her, she was overwhelmed with the need to be with him. Naomi wanted nothing more than to be in his arms, listen to his rich voice, surround herself with his familiar, comforting presence, breathe in his scent and simply bask in everything Icheb. But she couldn't, neither of them could, not really... not until either this week was over and she could sneak to his place, or she graduated from the academy.
Naomi had been getting a clear picture from him that Icheb wanted more than to just spend glorious sleepless nights with her. At first the thought scared her a little, the idea of such a commitment was a little overwhelming... but in the end it was always different with him. She had gotten plenty of time to think about it over the past year, and if she was being honest with herself, yes, she could really get used to the idea of spending a lot more time with him than just nights. Did she miss him? With every fiber of her being.
In close enough proximity from her, T'Chea seemed to detect something, a tug of vibrant, yearning emotions from her friend, traces from their link. "I suggest you try to conceal your emotions a little better. We could all pretty much tell that you and the instructor were tied in a way, it's probably suspicious to the other students as well," she warned her.
Running her hand through her hair, Naomi nodded. "Yes, you're right" she let out a breath. "Thanks for pointing that out. I'll do better."
The next day was just as tense. Nonetheless, this time Naomi made sure to be friendly but not as obvious as she was on Monday. There was still the obvious desire between both of them, the vibrant undeniable pull to be with each other, but they stuck to their guns and remained as outwardly platonic as they could. After class ended however, Icheb stopped her from leaving as he had many times before. "Cadet Wildman, may I speak to you for a moment?"
Naomi smiled at her friends to go on ahead of her. "Of course sir." They both waited a little bit until the students left before she approached him with a raised brow, aware of his eyes on her legs for a second before they returned to her own. "Something wrong, professor Hansen?" she asked innocently, trying to ignore the thrill she got every time he checked her out.
"Nothing is wrong, however, I've only ever seen Seven try to fuse with her PADD as much as you have lately," Icheb smirked lightly. "Problem concentrating?" he asked teasingly.
Naomi huffed and gave him an annoyed look. "The only reason I may be having to concentrate a little harder than usual is because of you, professor," she hissed at him, though there was no sign of real anger or frustration... at least, not that kind of frustration.
Icheb smiled softly, mildly regretful and inclined his head to her. "My apologies," he mentioned gently. "I'll see you at the celebration tomorrow?" he asked, attempting to ease the strain a little.
"Of course, sir," Naomi relaxed and smiled back. "I'll see you then." She had turned to leave but felt his hand latch on to hers for a moment. Making sure no one was watching, Naomi gripped his better and squeezed it, sending him a look of ardent promise. Icheb caught the meaning and felt his cardiopulmonary enhancements fail him for a second. It was gone as quick as it had flashed before her eyes and then her hand slipped from his and she was walking away without a second glance. Icheb took a breath to calm himself and went back to preparing for his next classes.
Finally, Wednesday rolled in and Naomi found herself standing behind the pilot on the shuttle to Deep Space Nine, watching the station get bigger. Around the station Naomi could see many different ships, Starfleet, Klingon, Vulcan, Andorian, and other races. Voyager was not there, but Naomi figured it was under repair with the other damaged ships from the battle. "Settle down, Cadet," the pilot gently scolded when Naomi became a little impatient.
"Sorry, sir! Just excited!" Naomi answered cheerfully.
"Well, strap yourself in, we've been cleared to dock."
As soon as the shuttle door opened, Naomi was willing the pressurizing chamber to hurry and let her into the station. Through the glass, Naomi could see her mom and dad waiting for her. Once the doors finally opened, the room pressurizing with a hiss, Naomi was pulled into her father's strong embrace. "Hey, kiddo!"
"Dad!" Naomi laughed, hugging him tight. "Mom!" she grinned then when Greskrendtregk pulled Samantha into the hug as well.
"My girls," he sighed.
"Dad, don't get mushy..." Naomi blushed. "I'm a..." she trailed off. She had been about to joke around and say she was a 'war hero' and deserved a little more refinement but it would be in bad taste to joke about what had happened.
"A grown woman?" Samantha supplied with a wink.
"Yes, sorry," Greskrendtregk grunted and pulled away from them. "I'm so proud of you, sweetheart," he cooed, smoothing her neatly bunned hair gently.
"Thank you, dad," Naomi blushed again.
Samantha pat her husband's arm. "Come on now darling, let's get her to the rest of her crew!"
The first thing Naomi spotted when she and her parents entered the promenade was Kathryn Janeway speaking quietly with Chakotay someways on the other side, in a corner table. From the distance, they looked like they were either plotting something, or their relationship now stretched beyond platonic friendship. Knowing them though, probably both. Either way, Naomi was very happy to see them and couldn't wait to say hello to Chakotay! "Naomi Wildman." Naomi grinned and spun around to face Seven of Nine.
"Seven!" Naomi was surprised when it was the former Borg who pulled her into a hug this time. Clearly motherhood had done her well! Naomi was still curious what happened to the rumor of the former drone and Chakotay hitching up, but decided it wouldn't be very appropriate to just bring up. Maybe with the other Admiral Janeway's involvement she had changed a lot more than she had intended? Either way, from what Naomi could tell, neither she nor Chakotay seemed troubled by it at all. If they had had a prior relationship in the past ten or so years, clearly it hadn't kept up.
"It is good to see you," Seven smiled softly. "You have preformed admirably during the conflict. Well done," she told her with a hint of pride in her tone.
"Thank you, Seven, it means a lot to me to hear that from you," Naomi answered, feeling giddy for getting such a high praise from her mentor. Samantha and Greskrendtregk gave their daughter her space and walked off to speak with friends of their own. "Have you spoken to Icheb?" she asked curiously.
"Yes. I could not be more proud of him," Seven nearly grinned. While she had full use of her emotions now, Seven of Nine was still one of the most reserved among the former drones. "I never doubted his abilities to preform during the conflict and thought his decision to bring you into it held wisdom."
Naomi shifted a little uneasily. "Do you... know of our..?" she trailed off, unsure how to place it or if she even should around so many high ranking Federation officers.
"Of your relationship with him? Yes," Seven answered quietly. "Don't worry, no one is listening."
Ah yes, it seemed every former Borg drone had that enhanced hearing. "And that doesn't factor into your view?" the half Ktarian questioned curiously.
Seven smiled almost fondly. "No."
Naomi felt herself relax and nodded appreciatively to her. "I'm glad to hear it."
"The result of your efforts during the mission speak for themselves. I am not the only one to notice this either," Seven raised a brow and glanced over to a group of Admirals and Ambassadors from the Federation.
"You're kidding," Naomi resisted gawking.
"I do not 'kid' over matters such as this," Seven scolded gently. "Come, I believe B'elanna Paris wanted to speak to you," Seven gestured for the younger woman to follow her. Naomi spotted Tom and B'elanna speaking with an older, burly looking Klingon male. Miral Paris stood between them, grinning up at the adults. If Miral was here, could that be that 'Worf' guy B'elanna had mentioned mentoring the pint-sized Klingon? Throughout the celebration, Voyager members from all over reunited. While an aging Quark tried to swindle many people, as was the Ferengi way, guests mingle for a bit. Naomi had been keeping an eye out for Icheb since she had arrived, but hadn't seen him. It was then she noticed he had been in the far end of the promenade, speaking to a younger looking version of Ambassador Worf.
A little later, the guests were asked to settle down by Kathryn, who stood next to many of the top Starfleet brass, and some of the Federation, including an ambassador from Vulcan Naomi couldn't remember the name of, and Worf. On the other side of Kathryn stood Admirals Picard, Chekov, Paris, Sisko, and Quin. It was Picard who spoke up then. "We are here to celebrate the memories of our fallen brothers and sisters. To pay tribute to the men and women of the Federation who died valiantly in one of the Federation's greatest battles. They are and shall forever be heroes. Today we also commemorate those who risked their lives and triumphed over evil." Picard called a few officers forward, rewarding them with medals and praise.
"Icheb Hansen, please step forward," Kathryn called. Icheb walked over as calmly as he could to the collection of Federation brass and stood still by them. "You have preformed beyond what was expected of you, rose to the call of fleet commander. At the hands of the Borg, the wormhole device would have wrought devastation on a galactic scale. You have saved not just the Federation of planets, but our entire galaxy. Beyond that you have earned the respect of your crew and the respect of the brass. Acting Captain Icheb Hansen, we hereby promote you to the full rank of Captain and award you the medal of Valor. Congratulations."
Icheb tried not to blush in embarrassment when the medal was pinned to his uniform while the whole of the promenade cheered for him. "Thank you sirs," he inclined his head to them.
"Good job, Captain," Picard smiled fondly at him. Icheb smiled back weakly and stepped back.
"Cadet Wildman, please step forward," Admiral Quin said. Naomi jumped in surprise at the unfamiliar voice and looked over at the collection of Admirals and Ambassadors in disbelief as they gazed at her expectantly. Feeling like all eyes were on her, Naomi did everything she could not to appear completely inept as she made her way to the front.
"Naomi Wildman, your performance during the mission has not been missed either. Every report we have received stated your adept efficiency, ability to rapidly compensate during tremulous situations and proficient decisions during the battle. With your vast demonstration of intelligence, battlefield tactics, and scientific aptitude far exceeding that of an average Cadet, we hereby bestow onto you this medal of Honor and grant you accelerated passage through the academy. In an academic years time, should your performances continue to impress, you will be allowed to graduate ahead of your peers and will be granted access to any starship with an available opening of your choosing. Congratulations," the Admiral smiled and pinned the medal to her uniform. As with Icheb, a roar of cheers surrounded her and Naomi had to resist ducking her head bashfully.
"Tha-" Naomi cleared her throat and blushed deeper at her stutter. "Thank you, sirs," she corrected herself and forced herself to stand a little straighter. Around them, their blood and starship family surrounded them giving them their admiration and affection. While Icheb's back was slapped by Ambassador Worf, who claimed he was an honorable warrior in battle, Admirals Paris and Chekov approached the half Ktarian, momentarily pulling her away from all her friends.
"Cadet Wildman, Captain Hansen told me you'd impress. I hadn't believed him when he fought to have you join the mission, but now I see he was right to do so. You've caught the attention of a lot of us in Starfleet Command," Admiral Paris grinned. "We will be keeping a very interested watch on your career."
Naomi wasn't sure what to say. She also wasn't sure whether she liked the idea of being further monitored, especially with how precarious her relationship with a certain Brunali Captain was. "Thank you, sir. While I will not disappoint you, I was simply doing what was needed of me," she told him honestly. "I hadn't expected to be honored as I was."
"Modesty is an admirable trait, young one, but don't sell yourself short," Admiral Chekov smiled.
As the celebration began to wind down, a surprise visit to the large group startled all of them.
Q and Q2 popped in, exasperating Picard and Janeway in a way only they could. Q2 leveled his father with a look, halting the older Q from doing or saying anything embarrassing. Q huffed in annoyance but held himself back, gesturing for his son to carry on. "Hello, everyone!" Q2 grinned. "I promise this will be brief and I promise that my father will behave," he glanced over at the older Q, who crossed his arms almost childishly. "I just wanted to drop by to honor the accomplishments of my friends and their comrades," Q2 flicked his wrist as glasses of champagne appeared next to everyone. "I wanted to congratulate all of you on the heroic battle against the Borg. I'm not sure if I can speak for my dad, but I am proud of all of you, and especially to the valiant efforts of Voyager's new Captain." Around him people raised their glasses and cheerfully agreed and Icheb once again felt like an adolescent, smiling modestly.
"Wow, he's certainly matured," Kathryn muttered next to Picard.
"...Yes..." Picard mentioned, having only met the younger Q once or twice in the past. Something had clearly helped the younger Q mature a lot smoother than his father. He was surprised and pleased by how considerate the young 'man' was and felt comforted by the evidence that he could keep his chaotic father in check. It seemed having Q2 was the best thing the older Q had ever done in Picard's opinion. Both Picard and Kathryn sighed in unison when the older Q approached them with a mischievous smile.
After giving his speech and making his father promise again to not upset any of them, Q2 made his way over to his old friend. "Ich-" the young Q paused for a second and grinned again. "Icheb!" he called, remembering his promise not to call his friend 'Ichy' in front of the officers.
"Hey, Q-ball," Icheb said, knowing Q2 preferred to be distinguished from the other Q by the nickname. The two 'men' stood leaning against a wall, watching the others mingle, laugh, and congratulate each other.
Q2 noticed Icheb's eyes were trained on the young half Ktarian and grinned again. "So have you asked her yet?" Icheb stiffened and looked over at his friend questioningly. "You should know by now I know pretty much everything," Q2 rolled his eyes. "Don't avoid the question."
Icheb squirmed and went back to gazing at the woman who was branded into his thoughts seemingly permanently. "Not yet. It's not the right time yet," he answered simply.
Q2 shook his head and gave his friend a patient look. "You mortals have such short life spans. A mere two hundred or so years with your advances in medical technology, but it's still a blink of an eye for a Q. Sooner or later you'll run out of time. You should ask her before she either finds someone who will or you both grow old and die."
"Don't be so dramatic," Icheb grumbled, giving his friend a tolerant look. Q2 responded with a lopsided smirk. "I'll ask her when the time is right and not a moment before."
That night, after the celebration died down, the guests were allowed to either stay aboard the ships that brought them or stay in a guest room on the station. While Naomi was very happy to see her parents, she had decided on her own room to relax and reflect on the days events. Not to mention how much more pressure she had been given to excel in the academy beyond her peers! It wasn't exactly something that usually happened after all, her circumstance was extraordinary and responsibilities to succeed a lot more strenuous than they had been before.
Still, Naomi was absolutely ecstatic by this turn of events and thrilled for the opportunity to graduate far earlier than she thought. This not only meant that she would be one of the youngest Ensigns in Starfleet, given opportunities most would kill for, but it also meant in a year she and Icheb could finally get some relief from all the sneaking around. While it wasn't exactly smiled upon, following specific guidelines a Captain and an Ensign were allowed to pursue a relationship as long as there was no favoritism and they worked separately. While Naomi didn't like they idea of being separated from him, the lack of stress over being caught outweighed that detail.
Meanwhile, as Naomi got ready for bed, Icheb sat on one of the couches in his guest room, staring at the little blinking charging device for his disk on his night table by his bed, and thought of what Q2 had said. Would she wait for him? Could their relationship last a year with them apart? Icheb held no illusion that they would have to concentrate harder on their careers. While he would no doubt be given his first mission soon, Naomi would have to put everything she had into her studies in order to graduate three years early. This meant they would have little to zero time together. Which meant that they would have to wait and see if their love for each other lasted that time apart.
Getting up then, Icheb forced that dismal thought far from his mind. He knew that tonight would be about the only time they would be able to be together. He could not ignore the chance to see Naomi while they were so close and had no obligations. With the much limited risk of being caught compared to the academy, and much closer quarters, this was the perfect opportunity to be with her. Icheb set off, having to stick to the shadows as he made his way through the station. He knew that the head of security Odo, was a vigilant and furtive officer, but he hoped he could avoid being caught. Fortunately, he had his enhancements and tactical training to fall back to.
When he finally reached her door, he waited for his announcement to be registered. The sight that greeted him made him feel a little guilty as it was clear she had been ready to go to sleep. On the other hand, Naomi was in her silky thin pajamas and the sight was very pleasing to him. It wasn't difficult for his mind to rain carnal images through him at the sight, making his already very lax efforts to stay in control loosen further. "Icheb?" Naomi blinked in surprise to see him at her door.
"Naomi Wildman," Icheb greeted a little breathlessly and glanced around the corridor. "May I enter?"
Naomi tried not to make a lewd remark at his word choice, maybe that was the week of repressed need for him talking, so instead she stepped aside for him. "Of course." Once the doors shut though, she couldn't resist. "You can enter any time you want," she grinned.
Icheb smiled a little, a blush tainting his cheeks. "When you put it that way..." he slid his hand over her cheek and gently tugged her closer to him. Naomi wrapped her arms around his neck and let him pull her into a kiss. "I'm sorry," he said between kisses, "-I couldn't... stay away..." he told her.
Naomi slid her fingers over the nape of his neck, lightly dragging her nails through his scalp. "I am not protesting," she grinned happily.
Wasting no time, Icheb lifted her up, pulling her legs around his waist. "Good." He walked with her to her bed and lay her over it, kicking off his boots and stripping himself of his uniform top. Kneeling over her, he set off to work, sliding his hands over her own clothes, slowly unbuttoning her top to make his exploration easier. The more he unclothed her, the more impatient he became. Once he had revealed enough, his impatience forced him down onto her, his warm lips on her body making her shiver.
"You know, without... your regulating device... you won't be... able to sleep..?" Naomi mentioned in a strained, distracted voice as he meticulously, kissed every inch of exposed flesh he uncovered.
"Who said... anything... about sleeping?" Icheb grinned against her heated skin, glancing up at her. His nimble fingers pulled her pajama top off entirely, leaving her completely exposed to him as his tongue lay complicated patterns over her bare belly. Naomi shut her eyes and trembled in thrill, laying still and simply enjoyed the overdue attention. While his mouth trailed up to her hardened peaks, his fingers worked to unbuckle his pants. Icheb pulled away only for a second to ruthlessly tears his uniform off, sliding out of his underwear as he leaned back to capture her lips, his fingers working to remove Naomi's remaining clothes.
Naomi kicked out of her panties and wrapped her legs around his waist, tugging him closer, impatient to join with him. "I missed you," she told his softly against his kiss, stroking over his handsome face.
Icheb took her hand and kissed it adoringly. "I did too," he grinned, his eyes flickering playfully. Naomi rolled hers and smacked him arm lightly, feigning annoyance, though she was more than ecstatic to see him back to being playful. "I missed you too," he amended, his hands sliding up and down her legs enticingly. He slid up closer, resting his palms on either side of her and jutted forward eagerly. They stiffened and let out a breath of satisfaction. Soon he was rocking them back and forth, aided by her pushing herself up to meet each of the movements of his hips. "I can't... get you... out of... my head..." Icheb growled with each thrust.
"Nng..!" Naomi could not get her own words from her throat, the dizzying sensation of his purposeful grinding friction against her completely mind numbing. She gasped with each poignant drive of his body, arching up against him. Her legs shook with the intensity of the quickly mounting ecstasy. It was clear Icheb was making up for lost time, and it was completely breathtaking. Naomi held him tight, hugging him close as he leaned in further into her.
Using his body weight and angle, bending his legs slightly while pushing hers a little higher, Icheb tensed himself and pistoned in short, hard bursts, hitting just the right spot each time. Each vibrating tension of his solid body into hers sent waves of indescribable pleasure rolling through them. Icheb was familiar now with her violent reactions, twisting and writhing beneath him while she clawed at his back and sung into his ear. Smiling, Icheb took her wrists and pinned them down to the bed, knowing she liked it when he was assertive with her.
Icheb felt her approaching her end and, after securing her wrists above her head against the pillow in one hand, reached in between their bodies with the other, rubbing her until she was screeching his name. Icheb used the opportunity of her head thrown back to leaned in further and slide his tongue over her pulse point, sucking lightly, extending her pleasure.
Naomi keened breathlessly, making Icheb shudder, loving the sound of sexual desperation while she cried for him and felt himself stiffen painfully in response. "Naomi..." he gasped, feeling her force her body to tighten harder around him, her compelling legs flex against him as she helped him thrust. Soon his own cry joined with hers and he rammed into her. His body convulsed and stilled over hers, their breaths mingling as they recovered. After, as they lay there momentarily spent, Naomi decided to give him her own reward for him for going beyond the call of duty...
Icheb glanced over at her when Naomi suddenly sat up over him. "Stay still," she told him, and he watched her crawl down his body. Icheb's heart began to hammer in his chest when she slid over his legs and took him in her hand, working to bring him back to stiff arousal. Icheb was the one to clench the sheets beneath him this time as she worked him hard. Clenching his teeth, his eyes widened a fraction when she slipped her mouth over him. He arched instinctively, and was surprised by the strength she used to force him back down on the bed. "Be still," she whispered against him. Icheb groaned and stiffened at the feel of her hot tongue on him. He employed every enhancement he could muster to obey her, staying as still as he could.
The combination of her skilled mouth and her dominance over him nearly made him explode, but he didn't wish it to be this way. Perhaps it was his practical upbringing, maybe, despite the improbability and complications between them, it was his instinctive need to spread his species in an area of the galaxy devoid of his kind. Whatever it was, Icheb felt an unbelievable urge to fill her welcoming womb and it forced him to pull her mouth away from him. "What's wrong?" Naomi asked, her voice out of breath.
Nearly losing his mind with need, Icheb could only shake his head, unable to properly explain his desire. "Nothing is wrong," he said simply as he pulled her around onto her knees, his hand firm over her back as he settled over her. Naomi shuddered at the familiar position and held still as he reached between her legs to sink into her aching folds while he pushed into her. Naomi lost her breath and gasped when he pushed her deeper into the bed and drove into her with passionate abandon, each strike emphasized by deliberate strokes of his efficient digits on her. Soon they were both shouting in exaltation as their pleasure synchronized with exhilarating accuracy.
Once the unyielding realm of pleasure dissipated enough, they lay there for only a moment to catch their breaths before Icheb once again nudged Naomi over. He slid his hands over her legs, pulling them over his hips again while he leaned in to sink his burning tongue into her waiting mouth. Naomi held his cheeks, pouring her fierce love for him into the sensual kiss, hugging him close. Naomi felt him begin to stir again, as inhumanly rapidly as was usual for him, and knew this was going to be a very long night.
The celebration lasted for another day, allowing the couple to be together for another blissful night. That weekend would be filled with family and friends at nearly every waking hour and little chance for them to sneak off. They knew they had limited time together and made the most of it. The rest of the week was filled with Naomi and Icheb doing everything they could to focus on their responsibilities. While Naomi worked harder than she ever had in her studies, Icheb felt as though something was about to happen, at least to him, all week he had been seeing Admirals and Ambassadors going in and out of the academy. He had also heard his name and Voyager mentioned a few times, so he knew sooner or later they would approach him, no doubt with another mission.
One solid week later, his suspicions were confirmed as he was once again called to the dean's office. Once he stepped into the office, the dean left him with Admirals Chekov and Picard, and the Vulcan ambassador he learned was Spock. He should have recognized him before, Kirk's right-hand and closest friend. Icheb had admired Spock's staunch logical approach to dire situations and had tried on many occasions to emulate what he could. "Admirals," he greeted them, then turned to Spock. "Ambassador, it is an honor to officially meet you," he said, standing straighter in the presence of a legend.
"Likewise. It is not often a species other than Vulcan has caught the attention of the council. Your contributions are impressive," the Vulcan mentioned in a usual calm and collected tone as was usual for half of his heritage.
"I was merely doing my duty, sir," Icheb insisted.
"And that duty has warranted the opportunity to go above and beyond what we were previously capable of," Chekov said, sharing a look with his old friend and nodding in understanding when the Vulcan gave a slight inclination of his head. "We called you in to offer you another very important mission," he said then, his thick Russian accent accentuated by the seriousness of the situation.
Icheb heard the tone and his head tilted his question. "What is it, sir?"
"With the success of the wormhole device and possibility to travel to other parts of the galaxy unhindered by time and distance, the council has decided it would be prudent to sending Voyager back to the Delta Quadrant," Picard explained.
"To what end?" Icheb asked, resting his hands behind his back as he glanced at each of them expectantly.
"Kathryn Janeway has made many enemies during the trek back home," Chekov said severely, though his tone was tainted with the fond look in his eye. "She had, however, also made a great deal of allies as well. Your mission, should you accept it, will be to go back there and meet with those allies. This is not simply a diplomatic mission, Captain Hansen, but an opportunity for the Federation to spread to other parts of the galaxy. You will be given a year to meet with each allied species and invite them into the Federation, should they meet specific guidelines and qualifications."
"Hopefully one day we may be able to establish a permanent wormhole into the Delta Quadrant, perhaps using the transwarp conduits to aid in the effort," Spock mentioned.
"With all due respect, sirs. The Borg are still very much a real threat. I do not believe using the conduit at this point would be wise... not until we can be sure they would not threaten it," Icheb argued, rubbing his thumb over his other hand to calm himself. The thought of having to go up against the Borg again both scared him and made him eager, his desire to destroy all of them very great.
"We are aware of the dangers, Captain. It does however hold promise for the future, once our enemy is properly dealt with. For now however, the representative of the Federation in the Delta Quadrant would be the first step into unifying the galaxy. This is a very important mission, are you willing to take the responsibility?" Picard questioned, leveling the young man with a critical stare.
Icheb's jaw squared and eyes hardened in determination. "Yes sir, I am willing," he answered. The responsibility, while undeniably daunting, was a major opportunity to not only test his skills, train them further, but also for him to face his demons and prove he was worthy of being a Captain. "I accept the mission." The three men nodded in approval and went over the details with him, explaining everything he needed to know, who would be aiding him, what he needed to say, how he would organize the diplomatic meetings, and the tactical measures he would have to employ should the need arise.
When Icheb returned to his classes, he was distracted the entire day, though he made his usual efforts to teach as best as he could. When classes were finally over, he found himself reaching out to Naomi, emailing her, needing to see her and talk to her about this. He knew it was risky, but perhaps with a disguise and stealthy enough tactics, she could make it to his apartment undiscovered and they could talk. He knew he could have simply just emailed her the details, but he needed to see her, needed to hear her gentle voice, feel her soothing presence.
When she arrived, disguised as he predicted she would be, he let her in and they sat down on his couch. Icheb went over the mission with her, telling her as much as he could without breaking secrecy, though he knew he could trust her with classified matters. Besides, Naomi would have been sneaky and skilled enough to find out one was or another, even if he didn't tell her. Once he was finished, Naomi grinned and told him how proud she was of him, how she had always admired him, and how she loved him.
Icheb was touched by her passionate sentiment, but could tell she was hiding pain behind her enthusiasm. She was worried. Icheb pulled her into his embrace and kissed her cheek soothingly. He told her that he had always been fond of her, it had grown into uncontrollable love over the past year and that he knew of her worry. "I promise with as much certainty as I can have over the situation that nothing will go wrong," he told her softly. "We'll see each other again."
Naomi blinked away tears and rested her cheek against his neck where she sat over his lap. "I suppose I'm an open book, huh? I just... I'm afraid we won't see each other again for another ten years or something.."
Icheb shook his head. "I will not allow that to happen. Naomi, I will return to you. In a year we will see each other again, I promise" he told her soothingly, kissing her hair.
"When do you ship off?" she asked him after a moment of collecting herself.
"In three days. Starfleet had concentrated on repairing Voyager for this mission so we're only waiting for last minute checks, arrival of crew, and... for them to have time to part from loved ones," he answered gently. Naomi's grip on him tightened and she shut her eyes again, willing the negative feelings to leave her. Everything would be fine, they would start the process of uniting the galaxy and he would return before she knew it. "I'll miss you," he whispered against her hair.
"Please don't say that," Naomi choked back a sob. "Please don't say goodbyes or that you'll miss me, it all sounds too final..."
"Alright," Icheb agreed, using his thumb to gently wipe the tears from her cheeks. "Hey, when I return, we'll spend a week together, does that sound acceptable?" he suggested, trying to cheer her up.
"Sounds good," Naomi smiled through her tears, wiping at them and feeling annoyed with herself for childishly breaking down. "A week on Risa would be awesome," she grinned.
Icheb smiled softly and ran his fingers through her hair. "I'll see what I can do."
While they wanted nothing more than to spend the evening simply talking, spending time together, as they had many times before in the past, they knew it would be unusually risky for Naomi to stay. So after they spoke a little more, they reluctantly parted. T'Chea, who had awoken some time when Naomi had been gone with the need for tea, didn't say a word to her obviously distressed friend, merely smiled and tilted her head in greeting to her, offering her a cup of tea. Naomi gratefully took it and the girls enjoyed a quiet, companionship.
A few days later, Icheb and Naomi found themselves in spacedock, surrounded by friends and family there to see them off. The couple stood some ways apart, trying hard not to looks like lovers bidding each other a tearful goodbye, and nearly failing. Icheb and his closest officers received hugs and farewells from those not going on the mission. When it was Naomi's turn to hug Icheb, he smiled and whispered his love for her in her ear. "Look at it this way, our time apart will give you the chance to concentrate on the remainder of your studies. Without someone as irresistible as me to distract you, that is," he grinned, hoping to bring a smile to her face.
Naomi laughed at his attempt to sound like his second in command and nodded. "You're right. I won't let you down, sir," she grinned as they pulled away. "Icheb," she said then, uncaring if those around them heard her. "Don't make... us wait another seven years for Voyagers return. Come back."
Icheb held her gaze and nodded. "We will return," he promised her. Neither of them noticed the sympathetic looks from their friends around them. It was only a moment longer before his shuttle arrived and the group that remained behind watched the official Captain of Voyager, the last passenger to the ship, make his way. While Naomi was pulled into a hug from Kathryn, Icheb used the time relatively alone to collect himself, psych himself for the mission and convince himself that everything would turn out as well as he promised Naomi.
Once he stepped onto the ship, he made his way to the bridge, receiving cheerful, though slightly apprehensive greetings from familiar crew that he passed. As soon as he stepped onto the bridge, Tuvok announced his arrival. "Captain on the bridge," he said sternly. The bridge crew stood and turned to him at attention.
"At ease," he said softly, smiling to them. He walked over to his seat and nodded toward Tom when the older man slapped his shoulder lightly in a friendly, comradely way. "Ensign Flores, take us out," Icheb commanded. As Voyager reached the rendezvous point, they met with two other ships. Alongside Voyager was the Luna-class starship Titan commanded by Captain William T. Riker, and the multi-vector assault ship Prometheus commanded by Captain Cassini, both ships tasked to aid Voyager with the mission.
During that year, Naomi missed Icheb more than she ever thought she could, the part of her soul that belonged to him contained tightly in an outwardly steeled facade. Her worry that something from the many enemies they had made in the Delta Quadrant, including the ever present threat of the Borg, often times kept her up at night. While Voyager now had the capability to easily and quickly transmit data, including mail, from the Delta Quadrant to the Alpha Quadrant with the use of her modifications, it still did not make their distance any easier. Throughout the year they sent each other mail, explaining their adventures and misadventures, while desperately trying to keep their longing for each other out of their words.
"It's amazing how much smaller the galaxy seems with the device," Icheb had said during one of his first emails. "We have made contact with two of our allies so far, each separated by a vast distance, but with the wormhole device and knowledge of their locations through our astrometrics lab, we are able to instantly reach them. The only thing that takes time is the delegations between our represented governments." Naomi understood that it wouldn't have been as simple as hoping from one corner of the galaxy to the next and simply saying 'join us' and then hopping to the other. It was only wishful thinking that it would have been that easy. Icheb had explained in further detail how tedious the process was, some of their allies having outright refused such a commitment, but it was rewarding when one of them agreed and sat down with them.
"During out diplomatic efforts, I had the chance to meet our mission diplomat, counselor 'Troi'. To be honest, I do not understand what it is about them, but Betazoids have always troubled me. I have too much darkness within me, I don't like the idea of them being in my head, able to tell whatever mood I'm currently in even if I'm not presently in the room. It is disconcerting." Naomi could certainly understand his reservation, but she had met Riker-Troi herself and had found her to be a positively lovable person. Naomi knew how sensitive Icheb was about his past though, and with the recent events with the Borg invasion, it had just exacerbated his deep-seeded wounds.
As the year went by, his messages became a little more playful. Either he was trying to ease some of his stress away with humor, or things were going better than expected.
"Would you believe if I told you that Tuvok requested a station transfer to the Titan? I hated to see him go, but Captain Riker was in need of an experienced tactical officer and I decided I didn't mind looking over Lieutenant Reed for him. It's strange looking over at tactical and not seeing Tuvok's familiar scowl." Naomi had to laugh at this, knowing exactly what Icheb was talking about.
"Our three ships often trade crew members to further facilitate our camaraderie and get varied training on different ship configurations and methods. It is only a problem when things start to get too... personal. I had to discipline many officers in just the first few months of our journey. I must admit however that chiding them over inappropriate public displays of affection made me think of you." Naomi grinned, feeling her heart speed up a little. "Not to imply you were ever inappropriate. I'm afraid I'm at fault for that. Scolding them made me feel a little bit like a hypocrite." Naomi rolled her eyes. They never did anything in public, they always waited to be alone to engage in affection. Leave it to Icheb to feel unnecessarily guilty.
"While the ship itself was a technological wonder to tour, I can not tell you the amount of times I had to separate the doctor from the EMH mark two from the Prometheus. I have never seen two holograms argue so viciously before, and I am fairly certain it was their way of being friendly." Naomi had once or twice encountered a mark two during her time in basic training. They seemed a bit friendlier with their patience, but to her they seemed like dorks and couldn't hold a candle to Voyager's MKI.
"We encountered a Hirogen hunting ship a few days ago. I do not believe they had expected our ships to be as upgraded as they had. A few choice shots of our cannons and we were able to disable them before they became a problem. The Prometheus served to intimidate a few other threats with its multi-vector assault mode. It is quite an impressive sight to behold! Later that day we found ourselves passing by the formation of a star, it was truly beautiful... I only wish you were here to witness it with me." Naomi wiped at a stray tear from her cheek and smiled sadly but knew that soon they would have adventures of their own.
After reading Icheb's emails each time he sent them, Naomi sent her own, detailing her own journey over the year, adventures and misadventures. She explained how it wasn't the same there without him. While their new Astrometrics teacher was not Matthews, the instructor was not as engaging as Icheb had been. Still, she gotten through her classes in rapid order, impressing the instructor enough to be asked to be the new TA. Further than that, Naomi had been given the chance to intern aboard the USS Lincoln, the Akira-class heavy cruiser under another supervisor. She told him that it simply wasn't the same without Jeremiah being snarky and barking orders at her. Naomi told him that she had managed to impress her and even the Captain. Captain Garcia asked if she wanted to serve aboard the Lincoln next year, but Naomi had to decline, her heart set on Voyager.
Icheb had read over her letters with as much longing and enthusiasm, feeling more pride in Naomi than he ever had. She was giving everything she had into the academy. Naomi Wildman had always had an aptitude to learn quickly and showed a great deal of mental acuity at a tender age. He had known she would strive for the very best and the fact that she was succeeding, served to ease his heart. In a year she would be an Ensign and they would be able to be together at a more official capacity. Without protocol in the way... maybe she would be amendable to spending more time with him? More than friends, more than lovers... he intended on spending forever with her, if she would have him.
TBC...
End A/N: Long chapter to make up for the long wait! Sorry 'bout that! Kathryn/Chakotay fans should be happy with this chapter lol. You know who you are! Yes yes rant and rave at me that Spock wouldn't be around but whatever, Sarek was around to speak with Picard and all them, so I figured since Spock is much younger he'd be around now. Besides, I wanted to honor Leonard Nimoy's memory. May his soul rest in peace. This chapter was influenced by "Way Back Home" by Bag Raiders, love scene influenced by "All Those Moments" by Mooryc.
NOTE: Again, I have some responsibilities I need to take care of so it may be a little bit before I can update again, but I AM working on the next chapter, don't worry. Input over the story so far will be of great encouragement and greatly appreciated though!
Shout-Outs
Jon Voris: Lol you're funny. I'm very happy you enjoyed this so far! I think you're reading into it too far lol Icheb had assured Naomi that without specific intervention, it would be very difficult for them to have a baby. Sabrina from the last episode of Voyager may make an appearance... maybe not in this story, but in a possible sequel. In my head-canon, she's their kid hehe, though I may or may not have some interesting plans for her.
The Cheshire Cheese: No lol not a prequel. However, a lot of parallels are inevitable, since the same people and similar circumstances exist in both universes. I may or may not use a lot more references in the possible sequel though...
MissSarahG1: Thank you! I like his playful side too!