summary:

Last ever...

disclaimer:

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.

warnings:

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.

text:

DISCLAIMER: No copyright infringements etc intended. F/F interaction ahead of the NC17 variety, if it's illegal where you live, I suggest moving to Scotland.

NOTE: This is AU based on the “world” created in Temptation and is the final instalment of the Fantasy series; it will probably make more sense if you’ve read it first. It is also a little out of character for most of the main players as a result.

RATING: 18

FEEDBACK: Constructive criticism welcome.

AUTHOR: ~allie

Future Misunderstandings –Years Later

She sat perfectly still watching the monitor closely; the object of her desire was heading away from the Mess Hall and towards the turbo lift. The screen flickered and shifted viewpoint to the camera over looking the turbolift and the corridor with a deft flick of her fingers on the keypad. The view of her unrequited love was tantalisingly brief as she entered the turbolift and headed towards the bridge. Although there were no hidden cameras in the lift she had tapped into the communications grid and could hear the command to take her intended paramour to the bridge.

When her mama found out what she’d done she knew there would be hell to pay but 14-year-old Bethany really didn’t care. She knew that she was the one for her, as Seven was the one for her mama; she knew that they were destined to be together, but why they couldn’t be together was more than the young woman could fathom. She wasn’t currently dating anyone so that should leave her free to date Bethany, but the age gap between them had to be the only thing putting her off becoming involved romantically.

Startled from her daydreaming at the sound of her mama’s voice over the comm link, she hurriedly switched the monitoring programme off and replied to the hail.
: Yes mama? :

: Can you meet Seven in Astrometrics and help her run a new power cable to the view screen? :

: Yes mama. : Grumbling about the interruption to her free time she hurried to clear away the evidence of her surveillance and headed towards Astrometrics.
~~~
Entering the lab quietly she saw her mommy engrossed in her work, her long blonde hair cascading freely down her back as was the norm on her off-duty periods, her jaw set in the usual determined way when she was focussing intently on something. Seven had volunteered to help B'Elanna with the repairs to the Astrometrics viewscreen so that they could spend some “quality” time together. They may have been married for years but that didn’t stop them from enjoying their mutual passions. Each other being their favourite.

Not realising her mommy had noticed her entry she coughed gently to announce her presence.
“Come in Bethany. Can you hand me the sonic screwdriver please?”

“Mama sent me to help you.” She informed her mother whilst handing the equipment over.

“I am aware of that. I also wanted to talk to you which is why I asked for your assistance.”

Swallowing hard at the implications Bethany raised her left eyebrow á la Seven and queried. “About what?”

“Your surveillance of a certain female on board.” Seven barely glanced at her daughter but could tell automatically that the words had a huge impact on the young woman. Her breathing escalated and her heart seemed to skip a beat as she realised the import of her mother’s words.

“Surveillance?” Bethany hedged. “What surveillance?”

“The one you have been conducting for the last eighteen weeks. The one which, when a certain red-head finds out about it, will cause you a lot of trouble.”

Blushing furiously but not denying all knowledge of it Bethany smirked as she lowered her eyes to the floor. “Which red-head? There’s two on board, ya know.”
~~~
Seven looked up and frowned at her daughter. For one so young to be so stubborn there had to be a Klingon gene in there somewhere. Recalling her daughter’s birth and early escapades she smiled at the audacity of her daughter. She always did have more courage than common sense. She never backed down from a challenge and refused to acknowledge superior intellect until it proved her wrong, usually the hard way.

There was the incident when Bethany was eight. The crew of Voyager were having some well-deserved R&R on Pageno, a pleasure planet in the Vindici sector, when the security team had contacted Janeway to inform them of Bethany’s misdemeanour.

Her natural curiosity had led her to the inner sanctum of the Government building where she proceeded to have a thirty-minute argument with the AI over her rights and responsibilities as an eight year old. Pageno citizens considered 8 years to be the age of majority. Bethany, according to them, was supposed to be at work helping the rest of the Voyager crew with the repairs they so desperately needed completed. Bethany had advised the AI that as she was only eight this was not acceptable, her mama was the Chief Engineer and would not allow her access to engineering as it was deemed to dangerous for a child to be there. The AI had been unconvinced of her statements and had queried Voyager’s computer to verify the claims.

Bethany had taken umbrage at having her honour questioned and proceeded to cuss the AI in several languages whilst thumping it with her fist. The AI had requested security assistance when she raised a laser scalpel and threatened to remove its heart and feed it to her pet targ.

Although her mama was proud of her for defending her personal honour Bethany had been confined to quarters for 24 hours by Janeway for using threatening behaviour. To her, as a representative of Voyager, it was “conduct unbecoming of a crewmember” and she was punished as such. On her release Bethany and Janeway managed to get tangled in one another’s personal space as they both moved in the same direction at the same time. The resulting collision meant that Janeway ended up on her ass on the floor with Bethany sprawled across the length of her body.

Muttering about “that damned child always putting me on my ass” Janeway scrambled to her feet and departed the Torres-Hansen quarters for the relative safety of the bridge.
~~~
“You know very well which one I refer to Bethany. You also know that I am aware of your subterfuge and illicit use of Borg algorithms to mask your trail.”

Bethany’s tanned features paled at her mommy’s words. She knew that she was in very serious trouble. Not even attempting to deny the accusations she straightened her back and stood at parade rest to face her mommy’s wrath head on.

“Bethany, if your mama and I are aware of what you are doing then you should know that the Command Crew will also be aware of it. Your use of Borg algorithms was ingenious, but you failed to mask the Borg signatures on them, therefore exposing your actions to anyone with access codes higher than that of crewman. Why do you insist on pursuing the impossible?”

“I seek only perfection mommy. She is the embodiment of passion and perfection for me. I know that she would love me, if only she gave me the opportunity.” Bethany sighed her answer.

Closing the gap between them, Seven embraced her daughter and smiled. “You cannot force love. If it is meant to happen then it will, regardless of your actions. She may not be ready for a relationship with you, with anyone; there may be circumstances which prevent her from being with you.”

“Mommy, we are talking about the same person here aren’t we?”

“Yes Bethany, I know that you’re feelings have changed. I know that you no longer view her only as a friend and that you have set your sights on Naomi as your partner. I also know that the Naomi is aware of your infatuation and will reject any and all of your advances.” Seven explained gently.

“You can’t stop me!” Bethany exploded at her whilst pulling away from her mommy’s gentle hold.

“I have no intention of stopping you. I am simply giving you all of the pertinent information you require to make a logical, sensible decision.” Seven’s patience with Bethany was legendary. The two of them could debate the most heated of subjects for hours without Seven losing her cool.

Years of fighting with B'Elanna had taught Seven that anger and logic were not friends, so for one to overcome the other, reason had to be applied. Look at the situation from all angles then decide on the best course of action. So she explained patiently to her daughter. “You know that Naomi is not interested in girls. She is, to use an ancient phrase which you and your mama love so much, “straight” and will reject you should you make it known to her that your feelings have changed.”

“But she told me that she loves me!” Bethany howled, throwing herself back into her mommy’s embrace.

“She swore she would love me forever!”

“You misunderstand the terminology she used when speaking to you. As her best friend she loves you, yes. As a surrogate sister, yes. As her lover, no.” Seven gently pulled her daughter’s chin upwards to meet the sable eyes. “She is not interested in you that way. She loves you with all of her heart but it is not a romantic love she feels. It is platonic.”

Pulling sharply away from her mommy Bethany turned and fled Astrometrics in tears.
~~~

Launching herself at her bed Bethany allowed the tears she’d been holding back free reign. They coursed down her cheeks as her heartache poured from her soul. She couldn’t fathom why her own mommy would be so against her having a relationship with Naomi. It wasn’t like Seven didn’t know who she was or that she was a nice person.

Everyone knew Voyager’s first child was one of the nicest people in the galaxy. That was what made her so special to Bethany, that and the fact that she was stunning! Naomi had grown into her beauty transforming from the ugly duckling child who’d first befriended Seven to the beautiful young woman she was now.

Bethany’s tears refused to stop as her heart quietly broke into a million pieces. She curled into the foetal position and managed to cry herself to sleep. It was this position B'Elanna found her in several hours later when she’d finished her repairs and returned home.

Sitting on the edge of her daughter’s bed she gently caressed the faint brow ridges and blinked back tears.
“Oh daughter, how I wish I could take the pain away for you. Unrequited love is horrible to deal with at the best of times, but at your age it seems so much worse.” She whispered.

Snuggling closer to the warmth of her mama’s body Bethany sought the security of her mama’s caress. “Mama, why doesn’t she love me?”

Unsure if her daughter was dreaming or actually awake B'Elanna whispered gently. “Baby, I wish I knew what made some of us like women and some of us like men. People have been trying to answer that question a lot longer than you and I have been around.”

Opening her eyes to regard her mama Bethany. “I’m not interested in anyone else mama. I love Naomi. I don’t care who else likes women, men, or whatever. I only want her to love me too.”

Caressing her daughter’s ridges again B'Elanna countered. “She does love you baby. You are her best friend. You’re like sisters to one another. You just misunderstood the context when she said she loved you. She is so protective of you that you would think she had given birth to you, not me. You mean the world to her, but she’s interested in boys as lovers, not girls.” B'Elanna smirked, “although, if she was into girls, I think you’d have some competition, I heard that the Delaney Twins were into Naomi too.”

“They better not go near her!” Bethany exploded out of bed in a tangle of bedclothes and pillows. “I will rip them apart if they go near her! Naomi may not want me but THEY ain’t getting their claws into her!”

Laughing as she grabbed her daughter by the shoulders and pulled her into a Klingon bearhug. “Easy tiger! They think she’s cute, most of us do, but that doesn’t mean they’ll do anything about it.”

Standing with her arms folded across her chest, her chin jutting out in defiance she looked like a mini-replica of B’Elanna from years past. “If I can’t have her then no other woman will! We’ll have to come up with a plan to get her a boyfriend and keep her away from them! I’m not having them anywhere near her; they are far too old for her!”

Grinning at the vagaries of youth and the resilience of her daughter’s heart B'Elanna clapped Bethany on the shoulder making her stagger forward as she replied. “As long as there are no more future misunderstandings you should be okay.”