After Counterpoint (Season 5) Janeway is arrested by the Devore and taken from Voyager. Five years later, remade and rather different, she returns to find her old ship. She needs Voyager and the crew but can they trust her? Part 17 reveals more about Janeway's life away from Voyager.
This part may appear to be a diversion from the main story line but it really isn't ;-)
TPTB are many. In a perfect world I would be one of them but it's not and I'm not. No infringement of copyright/trade marks or other intellectual property is intended. This story was written for fun and not profit.
Warning: This story includes same sex relationships between women. If you are offended by this or it is illegal where you live or you are underage then please read no further.
Full warnings, credits and disclaimers can be found in the contents page and chapter 1.
I hope that this part and part b when it is posted will go some way to rewarding loyal readers.
===The bridge on Voyager===
While Janeway was describing her rapid ascent to power, B'Elanna Torres found herself being escorted to the bridge by a couple of Janeway's thuggish looking crew. The doors opened to reveal a tall dark woman leaning back against one of the consoles. She watched impassively as B'Elanna was pushed in through the doors.
"You are?" asked the stranger in the tone of one accustomed to immediate answers.
"Chief engineer, B'Elanna Torres."
"An engineer! Is there no-one more senior with whom I can discuss this...vessel?"
B'Elanna folded her arms and glared at the woman. "Who are you?" she asked trying not to give into her desire to punch the arrogant woman. Janeway had impressed on them that the Voyager crew had to appear compliant.
"Arrin, Commander."
"Commander of what?" B'Elanna asked with a sneer of her own.
"Second Battle-group."
"How interesting. Well I am the third most senior officer on Voyager. And since you've got Captain Chakotay and Commander Tuvok in chains..."
"...you'll have to do." Commander Arrin curled her lip in what was obviously an habitual sneer.
"I suppose I will," growled B'Elanna.
The two women locked eyes neither wanting to back down. After a long moment, B'Elanna folded her arms without dropping her gaze and Arrin's hard face twisted with a smirk.
"At least you're not a man though I would have preferred to talk to a warrior rather than a technician."
"You don't know anything about Klingons," B'Elanna stated.
Arrin shook her head, looking even more amused by the shorter woman.
"We emerge from the womb as warriors. If ever the opportunity arises you will find out the truth of that at my own hands."
Arrin's smirk became a grin.
"I may take you up on that challenge Engineer but let's get on with the work at hand. I need a complete understanding of the tactical and technical capabilities of Voyager."
Several hours later Arrin and B'Elanna had completed the review. Arrin surprised B'Elanna by producing a small flask and offering her a drink.
"Well it seems that two good things came out of this ship. You know your ship Chief Engineer."
B'Elanna took a swig of the bottle and didn't flinch at the burning liquid inside. Arrin's eyes widened. B'Elanna made a mental note to try out some blood wine on the visitor.
"What's the other good thing?" she queried, pleased to have at last surprised the invader.
"Seven of Nine of course."
Arrin sounded defiant and B'Elanna tried hard to hide her surprise behind a determined scowl. She had expected the invader to name Janeway.
"Seven is a good and courageous friend," Arrin explained earnestly, taking another drink from the flask. "She has told me a great deal about you B'Elanna Torres. She thinks well of you and I can see she did not exaggerate but then it would not be Seven if she had."
Arrin had become melancholy and B'Elanna surmised that it was because of the missing ex-drone.
"Do you believe she is still alive?"
"I have to. Until I see her body I will never accept that she is no longer here. We should be there now, saving her, not chasing about here. Nothing would stop me. No Borg or murdering bastard Devore. I would kill them all to save her."
"Does Captain Janeway know how you feel about...this mission?" B'Elanna asked with some unexpected delicacy and an even more unexpected feeling of comradeship. Arrin was a woman after her own heart.
Arrin smiled her twisted grin but there was no humour this time just banked up anger.
"Oh Janeway knows how I feel alright but as always she has more 'important' things to do. There is always a larger game for her to play."
"I think Captain Janeway would do pretty much anything for Seven."
"Maybe 'Captain' Janeway would have but Marshal Janeway is different."
"If you feel this way why do you follow her?"
"Because Seven asked me to," Arrin replied baldly.
==Three years earlier==
"Feet down," ordered Seven. Arrin who had been resting on the couch with her feet up, grinned cheekily though she did sit up and swing her legs round, slouching on the couch instead. It was only just in time. Kathryn Janeway, the most important leader in the Free Alliance of Worlds stomped into the room and glared blackly at her.
"What are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be away on leave for a few days."
"I am away on leave here," Arrin responded arrogantly.
"Arrin is visiting me," Seven interceded looking up from the chair where she was seated.
"But we are going away." Janeway protested weakly.
"Arrin is to baby-sit while we are gone." Seven stated coolly.
"Arrin! I thought Makela was coming over...Seven I hope you are not serious." Seven simply looked at her spouse and Janeway knew she was wasting her time though that knowledge did not remove the Janeway command glare entirely. Although she found it hard to maintain any real anger while watching her wife cradling their first-born, Catriona, in her arms.
Mother and daughter closely resembled some medieval dream of motherhood rather than an ex-Borg drone holding a ten month old baby that owed her existence to advanced scientific intervention. Apart from her shock of red hair, Catriona was clearly the daughter of Annika Hansen, thanks to a very talented geneticist and DNA recombination expert, a woman of H'ronor, who had declared that everyone was the same in a test-tube and that at least Janeway and Seven were more or less from the same species and of the same size and were hardly therefore even a challenge though she had never encountered humans before. Janeway carried the baby since the Borg had removed Seven's womb to make way for 'enhancements' but after Catriona was born it was quite clear that she was 'Mom' too.
Seven was explaining why Makela was unable to babysit.
"Unfortunately Suinaal and Nilka are unwell. They have contracted something called red swine pox - it is not usually too serious but Makela cannot leave them. Balaan and Greka and Margil are coming to stay with us while their brother and sister are in quarantine."
Arrin sat up sharply and her glare was as dark as Janeway's.
"What! Whoa! Seven, you didn't mention that there would be more than Catriona."
"You fear you will be unable to cope?" guessed Seven, opening her blue-eyes wide as though surprised.
The ever-proud Arrin's mouth opened to deny any fear and realised she was walking into a trap. She closed it again. Her obvious discomfort certainly cheered up Janeway who was smiling now. The relationship between Janeway and the senior pilot of her flagship was always tense and at the current time while Janeway was on edge with her second pregnancy it was worse than usual. Arrin narrowed her eyes.
"I simply did not know. It will make no difference."
Janeway had to voice her own doubts then.
"Does Arrin even know how to feed or change a baby? I really don't like this Seven. And the piglets can be a handful too."
"Still in the room..." Arrin muttered darkly. Seven regarded them impatiently. She loved Janeway with everything she was but sometimes the sometime leader of the Free Alliance Forces was irrational. Arrin was Seven's best friend, and a courageous, loyal and skilful warrior who had been with them from the beginning. It was completely beyond Seven's understanding as to why Janeway disliked her so much.
"You trust Arrin to fly the Fearless un-harmed through a legion of Borg cubes; I do not believe she will fail to change Catriona's diaper. I have left complete instructions and we are not cancelling this trip Kathryn. You will go to the Doctor."
Both Janeway and Arrin were looking mutinous so Seven brought out the big guns.
"Kathryn if you are really troubled then Arrin can take you to the Doctor and I will remain here with the children. I will see you tomorrow."
Janeway's face fell comically. Seven knew she had been planning this time away with Seven for weeks and it would crush her to leave Seven behind. Arrin didn't look any happier at the idea of spending so much quality time with her boss. Janeway conceded gracelessly.
"I am sure even Arrin can cope for 24 hours."
"Thank you for the vote of confidence Marshal Janeway. I am sure that I will survive this test," Arrin growled, insubordination flowing from every molecule of her body so that she almost vibrated.
"Don't betray that confidence" Janeway replied smoothly but with a raging undertow of menace. "I do not expect to find anything untoward on my return Arrin. And no visitors - male or female. The security detail will be instructed to keep everyone out who isn't me or Seven. Clear?"
The ill-tempered exchange was interrupted when three of Kraal's piglets barrelled into the room, squealing excitedly. Balaan had grown considerably and was nearly as tall as Janeway now. He was still several years from adulthood (or his parents' girth) but he was stronger than most human adult males. He was fearless, strong and stupid. Greka who was from the same litter and nearly as large as her brother had all the brains and a great deal of ambition - her poor brother unfortunately spent most of his time in trouble after following his sister into perilous schemes. The third, much smaller piglet, Margil, came from her parents second litter. For a Parath she was a quiet artistic little girl, thoughtful and intelligent, oddly wise. Kraal adored her though he couldn't quite understand how such a child could be his or Makela's offspring which was the subject of dark and completely unsubstantiated allusion to infidelity when the adult Paraths quarrelled (which they did often).
Seven and Janeway greeted the children warmly before the latter charged out of the living room and could be heard thundering up the stairs of the two storey house. The piglets spent as much time with their adopted human relatives as they did at home and needed no instruction on where to bunk or put their bags.
"We must go," Seven declared after hugging and kissed Catriona who protested sleepily at the disturbance. She handed the sleeping baby to Arrin who was bouncing nervously on the balls of her feet. Catriona promptly woke and started to cry. Arrin bounced her ineffectually and ignored Janeway rolling her eyes as Seven handed Arrin a list of instructions.
"We will see you tomorrow at 8.30am. You have two platoons of marines deployed as security but they will not trouble you. The commander knows our requirements exactly. You will be more than adequate Arrin." Seven hugged the pilot and kissed her on the cheek while Janeway stood back and glowered angrily at the shamelessly smirking pilot. Before Janeway could start any trouble Seven took the Marshal's hand and led her briskly out the door to the waiting transport.
They were going by road to the nearest town where a shuttle was to fly them anonymously to an inter-planetary space port. Seven had banned Janeway from using transporters while she was pregnant although the baby was not yet showing. The whole trip was being done without any formal support because Janeway wasn't ready for anyone to know that she was pregnant again - not after the kerfuffle last time.
When Janeway and Seven had told their friends that Janeway was pregnant it had triggered an avalanche of celebrations. The irritated Grand Marshal Janeway had found herself and Seven of Nine having to shuttle from planet to planet for endless parties, civic receptions and diplomatic functions honouring the new addition to the Janeway/Seven of Nine household until it reached a mad crescendo when Catriona was born. Janeway had found herself exposed to a blizzard of interest in her private life. Journalists, reporters and columnists from a hundred worlds besieged her. It had been overwhelming and the last thing that the family needed as they adjusted to their new life. Janeway had finally declared herself off limits and had informally stepped down from her duties (at least temporarily) so she could spend more time with her family on Parath where they had settled. While the Parath regarded Janeway and Seven as heroes and saviours and had honoured them as such, they had no culture of celebrity which allowed a level of privacy that would have been impossible on most other Alliance planets. The traditional Parath country house they were gifted by a grateful Parath government was a haven of peace; the local villagers jealously guarded their much honoured neighbours' secrets and any non-Parath intruders were kept at a distance by Janeway's personal guard, so apart from her over-stated concerns about Arrin, Janeway left her home without fear.
It was a slightly nervous Arrin (holding a very unhappy Catriona in one arm) who watched the transport disappear down the road, heading for the main highway. Arrin glanced down at the red-faced child who was crying with a determination that reminded Arrin uncomfortably of Marshal Janeway. Arrin muttered quietly 'I love your Mom little one but I have a feeling that you are going to test me to the limit.'
Arrin was surprised when a small hand wormed its way into her free one.
"Hello, I'm Margil," announced the small Parath girl who had appeared beside her. "Can I hold Catriona?"
"Erm. I'm not sure that…she…"
"It's okay. I help Seven all the time. I feed her, change her and play with her."
Arrin hesitated for a moment before finding Catriona being taken confidently from her arms and to the pilot's utter amazement the baby immediately stopped crying and smiled up at her new protector.
"See. She knows me," said Margil.
As Catriona gurgled and waved her arms at Margil trying to grab the girl's small snout while Margil expertly jiggled her as she walked up and down, Arrin realised that some goddess had smiled on her and salvation was at hand. She grinned as she guessed that maybe Seven of Nine was the goddess in question.
The older Parath kids appeared in the door.
"Hey there. Greka. Balaan." announced the girl pointing at herself and then her brother.
"I remember you," Arrin said, "as much smaller children. The escape from the Devore with Marshal Janeway?" The Parath kids stared at her, then Balaan shook his heavy head.
"Nah," he mumbled. "Sorry don't remember you."
"Arrin, Commander, Second Battle-group."
Balaan was unimpressed by that. "My Dad's commander in the First Battle-group. The Elite. They're the best soldiers in the universe. I'm joining them as soon as I reach height requirement. Maybe two years."
"If they'll have you," Greka sneered. "There's an IQ test. Maybe the kitchen brigade will take you."
"Ha Ha Ha. Very not funny." Balaan shouted angrily. He punched his sister who grunted but seemed to shrug off the heavy blow easily.
"The Second Battlegroup is also elite" Arrin said, slightly peeved by the kid's attitude.
"Sure," said Balaan with adolescent superciliousness. "Can I go fishing?"
"I..er..guess. Um what time do you kids have to be in bed?"
Both the older children looked at her as though she was insane.
"When we're tired?" Greka suggested in a bratty drawl. Before Arrin could retaliate and attempt to assert her authority, the girl's face brightened and she said excitedly "We could all go to the river and have a cookout."
"I dunno," Arrin hesitated. "I can't leave Catriona."
"It's okay," piped up Margil. "She can come too. We often go out with Seven into the woods. I know what to take."
"I don't…"
"What else can we do?" Greka asked innocently. "Something that's not boring," she added less innocently.
Arrin was nonplussed. She had no idea what two adolescents, a kid and a ten month old baby would not be bored by. Greka and Balaan were both smirking in a way that reminded Arrin exactly of their dad.
"Alright. We'll go. But if the baby isn't happy or anyone gets out of line then we come right back and you can do something 'not boring' in your rooms."
The Parath children high-fived each other and then in a flurry of activity that would have put a battle-group call-to-arms to shame, the kids assembled all the essentials for the outing: fishing rods, frying pan, carry-cot, baby-food, diapers, swim-suits, an axe for fire-wood, milk-warmer, milk, towels, toys, hunting knives, back-packs, food, drinking mugs, an assortment of soft drinks, baby-wipes, baby-cup, baby-plate, baby-spoon, blanky, a blaster…
Arrin gaped in bewilderment at several huge piles of gear.
"Why in Hezmana do we need a blaster? And why is Catriona's pile three times bigger than anyone else's? And who is going to carry all this?"
Balaan, Margil and Greka all answered at once.
"There are trogs and baggers in the wood. If the fire goes out...we may have to scare them off. Maybe even kill some."
"You don't know much about babies! They just need everything!"
"You carry of course. You're the 'grown up'."
Arrin's eyes narrowed and she stared them down with a look she reserved for subordinates who were really in trouble. After some seconds they all squirmed, even Greka who mumbled "Just kidding."
"Okay squad," Arrin relented - treating them like squad members might be easier - after all they were Parath with a strong military tradition. "Pack up your back-packs and lets get going. Balaan, Greka and I will take turns carrying Catriona. I'll take the blaster." Balaan looked disappointed at this but perked up when she asked "Where's the best fishing?"
"I'll show you. It's about thirty minutes walk."
Arrin took five minutes to talk to the head of security to let him know they were going out and just to have five minutes time with an adult before she plunged into her new job as child-minder. When she returned the bags were packed. She shouldered her bag and winced; she suspected it contained everything that was heavy, bulky and/or had uncomfortable knobbly bits and judging by the knowing smirk she suspected Greka had packed it. Arrin lifted Catriona's carry-cot in which Catriona was now sleeping soundly despite the racket around her, and they all set off for the river.
~~~
Some hours after leaving home Kathryn at last relaxed and began to anticipate the evening. Seven had just called Arrin and had a good report - the pilot and all the children were down by the river, fishing and swimming, and they were having a cook-out before bed. Catriona was asleep in her carry-cot and had been fed and changed by Margil. Kathryn snorted at that news. Typical of Arrin to delegate what she did not like. Seven had just smiled mysteriously.
Kathryn's trip to the doctor had been uneventful too, the pregnancy was proceeding normally and the foetus was thriving. So with the serious part of her trip resolved satisfactorily, Kathryn was looking forward to having Seven all to herself for the evening and the night. She smiled lasciviously at the thought. It had been many weeks since she and Seven had had any time together that did not involve their extended family. In fact the last occasion had been the evening of the artificial insemination. Kathryn grinned at the memory. If she had half such a good evening it would have been worth the aggravation of seeing Arrin today and watching her lust after Seven.
The second artificial insemination had been a much more romantic affair than their first when they had both been too nervous to refuse the offer of medical assistance. For this second time however Seven had insisted that they do it themselves as the process was quite simple and she felt able ‘to improve on the experience.’
What she meant by this was mind-blowing sex and inseminating her partner with the artificially created sperm while Kathryn sobbed helplessly in her arms. Compared to the clinical experience of the first time, Kathryn had to agree it was an improvement. Kathryn wondered occasionally if the difference in their conception might affect how she viewed her children subsequently but she didn’t actually believe it was possible to love anyone more than she loved Catriona.
Kathryn was not looking forward to the latter stages of pregnancy; it hadn’t been too physically uncomfortable last time but it had not been easy either. The early morning sickness had faded fairly quickly and she had been in robustly good health otherwise but the weight-gain, clumsiness and tiredness seemed endless and attitudes amongst Devore and Alliance to pregnant women were equally annoying and right back in the dark ages. That she stayed on duty almost until the birth caused a scandal. It had taken all her self-control not to hit Maefen, the Alliance president when she had firmly suggested that Janeway should perhaps not attend meetings when her pregnancy became really obvious. The Devore were even worse and actually averted their eyes when she was in the room. Regardless Janeway had soldiered on, determined to see a proper cease-fire agreement in place and a joint military agreement before Catriona was born. It had taken a great deal of pressure to persuade all the parties that the Borg would come back and they had to be prepared and had to be united on at least that one issue.
After the birth, Janeway was sufficiently happy with how things had turned out politically to take a long leave of absence to at last enjoy married life with Seven of Nine and to escape from life in the public eye. It had been ten blissful months and far from being bored as she had feared, Kathryn had thoroughly enjoyed family life and learning to live in an often strange place with unfamiliar customs. Apart from her personal guard who lived in a small barracks several miles from the house, they had no entourage and they did everything for themselves. Kathryn had learned to cook, mastered local plumbing, planted vegetables, acquired the local equivalent of chickens and had developed plans to build a summer log cabin for hiking trips in the very beautiful mountains that they could see from the bedroom window. Kraal had thoroughly mocked her for becoming such a bumpkin but he and his family were frequent visitors.
Seven had also enjoyed their time on Parath, although she was rather more a child of technology and had ensured that adequate technological facilities were installed in the house to meet modern standards of cleanness and comfort. It also fell to Seven to engineer the security and communication systems required to protect the person and family of a Grand Marshal and to install her own regeneration unit salvaged from the old Starfleet shuttle. She had even begun the design of a small holo-suite which she was going to program with languages, information and simulations of places, cultures and peoples in the Federation. Kathryn had been puzzled that Seven, who had no memory of the alpha quadrant, was making such a point of this until she realised that Seven knew better than most how it felt to be rootless and that she was also trying to insure their children’s future by familiarising them with the Alpha quadrant in case the Borg finally succeeded in overrunning the sector, or if the girls just wanted to try out life somewhere different.
Kathryn collapsed back on the enormous couch in their hotel suite and then heaved herself up on her elbows to look at the room. She sighed in mock despair at the extravagance. It was ludicrously over-appointed: marble floors, vast fur rugs made from vast furry animals, a holographic open fire, a floor to ceiling window of utterly transparent glass curving around most of the space with panoramic views across the city. And that was just the living room. The bathroom was so overwhelming that she half-expected to find Queen Cleopatra wallowing in asses milk and she feared that the bed was so large they would both get lost or be smothered in its soft depths.
The management of the hotel had insisted on giving them the largest and best suite when they realised that the two women trying to book a room were no less than Kathryn Janeway and Seven of Nine. The director of the hotel had laughed when Kathryn suggested that the suite was too expensive and immediately offered it for free. He would, as he explained, be able to charge twice the price when he could advertise that Grand Marshal Janeway had stayed there. A couple of acres of flowers had just been delivered and were now adorning every shelf and table. They looked and smelt very beautiful but Kathryn was painfully reminded of why she had fled to the woods and rivers of Parath - this kind of celebrity treatment made her very uncomfortable.
Seven of Nine was in the bathroom or perhaps in seventh heaven given the uncharacteristic glee the ex-drone had shown when she saw the opulent and enormous sunken bath. Kathryn wondered how long it would be before Seven had built a smaller version of it in their home.
“Kathryn,” Seven called in a voice that demanded her spouse’s presence.
Kathryn pushed herself to her feet and ambled into the bathroom. Any smart comment about decadence died on her lips. Seven was just lifting herself out of the foaming water of the vast hemispherical pool and water ran in easy streams down her fair skin; she shone in the artificial sunshine like a beautiful bejewelled statue from some ancient Roman fountain. She began to dry herself in a towel whose size and fluffiness did not disgrace the luxury of the rest of the apartment. The ex-drone carefully towelled each elegant leg and foot, bending to reach, revealing each perfect curve from hip to ankle as she stretched. Kathryn’s breath caught as she glimpsed the swell and swing of her lover’s breasts. Seven lifted her head and their eyes locked.
“I need your assistance to dry my back,” Seven said matter of factly but there was a slight gruffness.
“I..er..will..umm..yes of course.”
Kathryn knew this was not a moment to quibble that the room was fitted with a superb warm air drier that would evaporate the water from every orifice while perfuming your skin with any one of a thousand different aromas. On slightly unsteady legs she began to walk around the sunken pool.
“No,” said Seven suddenly. “Undress first.” Her tone was definitely rougher and lower than normal. She had dropped the towel and stood like a Viking queen, blonde hair loose about her shoulders, haloed by the artificial sunlight; even her Borg implants shone like pagan armour. Kathryn felt her throat dry up as her gaze drifted over firm breasts and down the hourglass curves to the smooth skin at the juncture of Seven's legs.
“I…don’t...”
“Undress for me Kathryn.” The ex-drone was almost growling now. “Undress for me. I want to see you. Be efficient.”
Kathryn’s heart stopped for a moment and then began to beat again painfully. She bent down to remove her shoes.
“Take your upper garments off first” Seven interrupted again. “After that you may remove articles in any order.”
“Is that more efficient?” Kathryn almost squeaked. Seven’s ice-blue eyes had darkened to the shade of a rough arctic sea on a summer day. She shook her head very slightly.
“No. I merely wish to observe your neck and shoulders and breasts in motion and imagine them moving under my lips as you remove the rest of your clothing.”
“Why just observe?” Kathryn asked shakily, her fingers fumbling as she tried to unclasp her bra, her top already discarded on the floor. Seven's eyes hungered and her voice was harsh with desire.
“Because you are not yet fully ready Kathryn. I am. As I washed myself, I visualised you, spread out for me on silk sheets, naked, the skin on your chest and shoulders blushing pink, your nipples demanding attention, your arousal glistening in the candlelight, ready, waiting. It required substantial self-control to not slide my fingers inside myself and..” Seven shifted a little and licked her lips. “But that would not have been as pleasing as waiting for you.”
Kathryn violently threw aside her last article of clothing, a shoe, and started towards her beautiful wife, all shyness forgotten.
“Stop.”
“Believe me I’m ready Seven,” Kathryn half-yelped although she did obey and stood waiting as Seven’s eyes devoured her.
“You have not bathed,” Seven observed relentlessly.
“Seven! What the hell!”
“I will wash you,” the ex-drone offered lightly though her blue eyes still burned. Kathryn hesitated, torn between her desire for Seven and her desire to be pampered by Seven. The latter need won out for the moment.
Kathryn gracefully stepped into the pool where a set of shallow steps ran down into the water. She walked down the steps into the deeper water enjoying the warmth of the water that was heated to just a few degrees below body-heat. She waited.
Seven slid straight into the deep water and swam, just two easy strokes, to arrive where Kathryn stood immersed to the top of her thighs. She rose up, beautiful and naked. They stood facing each other, challenge meeting in their eyes, not touching, just inches apart, looking. Kathryn smiled slowly.
"What are you waiting for Seven?"
Challenge accepted. Seven took Kathryn’s hand and led her deeper into the pool until the water lapped at Kathryn's waist. A small soap dish paddled over to where they stood and floated beside them.
Seven smiled a little, taking the scented soap and an ornate little cleaner like a sponge and lightly soaped Kathryn’s shoulder. Kathryn moaned. The soap foamed gently as it came in contact with her flushed skin and Seven began to move her hands gently over her wife’s body, soaping and washing her. She carefully avoided more sensitive regions apart from an ‘accidental’ brush of stiffening nipples, or a few misplaced strokes of the sponge that slid high inside Kathryn’s inner thigh. Each time Kathryn whimpered and tried to get more contact but Seven held her off.
After five minutes of this torment Seven finally pulled her wife’s quivering body against her own, turning her around, holding her close, fitting her body against her own. Kathryn’s eyes closed and she moaned again at the exquisite contact, revelling in the contrasting textures: the soft suppleness of her lover’s breasts; the taut pressure of her nipples; the delicate strength of her hands; and the hard but smooth press of her Borg implants.
“I have to wash your back now,” Seven whispered. She supported a shaking Kathryn with one arm as the other slid the soapy sponge through the crystal water and down her back and over the smooth rise of her ass.
“You’re evil,” Kathryn croaked. She bit her lip as Seven kissed her neck; it was all that she could do not to plead for mercy. As Seven’s arm encircled her and her hand squeezed and stroked her breasts, Kathryn knew she’d had enough.
“Please,” she begged. “No more.”
“You wish me to stop?”
“I want you to fuck me.”
She didn't have to ask again. Seven hissed in response and turned her wife to face her. She bent slightly and slid her arms around her spouse's backside and lifted her. Kathryn immediately wrapped her legs around Seven's waist and groaned as she opened herself to her lover and the warm water washed against her aching clit. She opened her eyes and stared lust-struck into Seven's blue-eyes. Carefully Seven walked her backwards, smiling slightly at the need she could see in her lover's face, until they reached the wall of the pool and she could rest Kathryn on the edge.
Kathryn bent her head slightly to kiss Seven and moaned into her mouth as Seven's tongue and fingers invaded her simultaneously.
"Oh God. Please."
"So wet," whispered Seven in her ear. "I can feel it even in the water…"
Kathryn was beyond words now. She clutched at Seven's shoulders hard enough to leave marks. The ex-drone moaned too, in appreciation of her lover's abandon and thrust more firmly, at the same time brushing Kathryn's clit with her thumb.
Moments later Kathryn came in Seven's arms, her small body arching and shaking until the final climax allowed her to collapse.
"Damn," she whimpered helplessly, her weak legs unwinding from around her spouse. Seven gently lowered Kathryn into the water, holding her up. Kathryn's head rested against Seven's chest. She turned her face to place her lips against the top of Seven's breast and kissed her lightly. "Give me a moment love," she murmured against smooth skin.
"I believe we must go to to dinner," Seven whispered softly and unexpectedly. "You booked it for 07:30."
Kathryn raised her head and stared into Seven's face dumbfounded. "You're kidding. I can un-book it,"
"You require regular nourishment. The Doctor felt you were under-weight."
Kathryn smiled at Seven's concern. "Dinner can wait but I don't believe you can." She ghosted her hand down Seven's spine and the ex-drone shuddered in a very un-borg way but she shook her head.
"I would prefer to wait as I do not believe that anxiety about your nourishment will enhance the experience for me nor do I wish you to hurry because you have suddenly realised that you are in fact hungry."
Kathryn glared at her but was fatally undermined when her stomach rumbled loudly.
"We will resume later," Seven instructed firmly and lifted Kathryn up and out of the water to place her again on the edge of the pool.
"You're impossible," Kathryn complained.
"The wait will be enjoyable," said Seven firmly and Kathryn gave up and reluctantly began to dry herself in the opulent towels that had presented themselves to her as she left the water.
~~~
Back on Parath, in the woods by the river some thirty minutes walk from home, Arrin was marshalling her squad of children to return. This was not easy. Balaan was still fishing, trying to make his twentieth catch, Greka was still eating the eighteenth and cooking the nineteenth and Margil had fallen asleep in Arrin's lap. The only obedient member of the party was Catriona who was asleep again after her evening feed and change. Margil had proved very able as a baby-handler and had even taken it on herself to train Arrin in the finer points.
"Why can't we camp here?" Greka whined. Arrin glared at her.
"Because we have nothing to frelling well sleep in."
Greka and Balaan exchanged sniggers at Arrin's profanity.
"I thought you were an elite unit commander," Balaan sneered. "Dad's unit sleep outside all the time without any equipment - they have to learn survival skills."
"Not with a ten month old baby and a small girl. I am not arguing Balaan. This is an order. And if you wish me to report favourably to your father on your readiness for military service you will obey this order, and Greka, stop stuffing your face. You and your brother are to wash the dishes and then pack up the gear and this time you get to carry the heaviest bag."
"We can just take the dishes home and put them in the washer…"
"You heard me. I will not repeat my order. There will be no similar outing tomorrow if you do not obey."
"We can come back?" Greka said hopefully.
"Only if …" Arrin raised her eyebrows and Greka finished for her.
"… we follow orders. Yeah, yeah, yeah," Greka intoned feigning boredom.
Arrin smirked and nodded as Balaan and Greka started the clear up with a lot of heavy sighs. She looked down at the girl asleep on her lap.
"Margil, you must wake up now . You are too heavy for me to carry." The small girl stirred and smiled sleepily up at her.
At that moment they all heard a noise that even the children recognised. The sound of a Devore search-copter. Arrin knew that the local security team were not equipped with search-copters. Ground-based heavy-phasers made them suicidal in combat but they had been used on prison planets to search for escapees. The copter was flying low over the woodland as though searching - but no vehicles were allowed to fly over Janeway's home or the surrounding land - Seven had programmed the ground based phasers to shoot down anything . If this was an attack then where was the security fire. The copter should never have got past the perimeter. Arrin swore again and this time none of the children laughed. They were too frightened.
…TBC in Chapter 17 part 2