Never Doubt, My Love
By Cirroco DeSade
The caramel skinned beauty stood just inside the door armed with a PADD full of data. For a long while she silently stared at the Nordic women peacefully slumbering across the room. After a few minutes, she chased away the thoughts that had waylaid her from her task and lithely made her way to the blonde's side. She drew a chair alongside the bed and sat next to the former Borg who occupied the bed as well as a very special place in her heart.
Muted light reflected off of forehead ridges denoting the young hybrid's Klingon heritage as she continued to sit in silence gathering her thoughts. Finally she drew her hand over the Borg enhanced hand that lie next to the blonde, tracing over the fiber, metal and flesh that had fascinated for longer than she could remember. This action finally caused the former drone's startling blue eyes to snap open.
"Hello," Seven said in a soft voice. The corner of her mouth drew up in a smirk that many still found unnerving, but those who loved her knew was as good as a full blown grin on the reserved woman. Seven reached out and captured the soft hand that tickled her flesh, holding it gently so as not to damage the other woman.
"Hey," the other woman answered genuine happiness coloring her voice. She was ecstatic to see that smirk, a bright spot for this day indeed. She held up her PADD. "I thought I would come remind you of some things. Like what day it is today."
"I am aware of the date and its significance," the blonde said raising her eyebrow at her companion's impertinence.
"I kinda' figured you were, but that doesn't mean you won't want to see this. Now hush and let me show you what I brought you," the little Klingon-Human hybrid growled.
"Very well," the blonde answered. The smirk reappeared.
"First, here is something the Captain gave me. I think it will amuse you," the other woman grinned and activated a portion of the PADD.
A little video of Captain Kathryn Janeway appeared on the screen. She had a very harried appearance.
*".I have just returned from breaking up yet another fight between my brilliant Chief Engineer and my equally brilliant Astrometrics officer. According to my calculations this is the 40th fight that I have had to personally get involved in since Seven came aboard. I do not understand what fuels the venom, the sheer tension between these two women who have so much in common. I don't know how many different ways I have tried to get these two to make peace. Instead, the tension seems to be riding even higher lately. I don't think it helps matters any that B'Elanna is still stinging from her divorce from Ensign Paris and Seven seems insistent to make this time the exact time she wants to spend more time in Engineering vying for upgrades. If things don't improve soon. I think I'm going to use an old earth method I read about in a historical novel once. a `fire hose'."*
The Captain flickered off the screen at the exact same moment that a small snicker erupted from the woman in the bed. Her lips pursed together and she opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the smaller woman next to her. "Wait! There's more."
Again a slender finger activated another recording. Several more of the Captain's logs played in bits and pieces with the Captain beginning to look positively crazed by the last one. A dazed look sat upon the face of the supposedly fearless leader of the intrepid ship as she recited.
*". I have . I don't know where to begin. I just came from the cargo bay. Lt. Carey had alerted me that Lt. Torres had left in search of Seven after yet another fight in Engineering. I hurried down to try to stop what I thought might be a bloodbath and instead found. I found."* Janeway at this point raised a glass of smoky liquid to her lips taking a long draw, then put the cool glass on her temple. *" Well. I found B'Elanna and Seven engaged in a quite heated exchange alright. only not the type I am used to dealing with. They were on the deck ripping off clothing, growling, kissing, and groping. I was dumbfounded. I actually watched as they undressed for a few minutes before I caught myself. I've never! I mean. Well, finally I ordered the computer to transport them to a less public place: B'Elanna's quarters. Then I hightailed it here. I think I've seen it all now.."*
The two women sat together snickering at the poor befuddled Captain as the hybrid pushed on to the next video. In this one most of the crew was present in dress uniform, with the now clear-faced Captain standing in front of B'Elanna and Seven. She recited the vows that the two women had debated about for months before all their friends. Kathryn Janeway radiated only slightly less happiness than the brides. When she told them they could kiss, the exchange was only slightly less heated than the ones the couple saved for B'Elanna's quarters.
The blonde on the bed smiled weakly and a tear ran slowly down her smooth alabaster face. She touched the screen of the PADD longingly.
"Valentine's Day. Our anniversary. She loved that holiday," Seven said, her voice ending in a choking sob.
"She loved you more momma," Miral told her. She handed her mother the PADD when the blonde indicated she wanted it.
"Would you. Could you get me a glass of water puqbe'wI?" Seven asked her now grown daughter. Every time she looked at Miral,she saw all of B'Elanna's beauty combined with something that she had seen from the moment the girl was born: some intangible flame all her own. B'Elanna had always argued that Miral got her good looks from Seven's genetic input, but Seven always argued the opposite. Special things like what her daughter had done for her this evening just let her see the sweet little girl she had raised rise to the surface again.
She backed up the recording of the wedding to listen to B'Elanna's vows one more time. It was always the last phrase that made her cry. B'Elanna had repeated it often during their marriage.
*". Never let yourself doubt, my love, I will love you through this life, and beyond."*
Seven actually drew the PADD to her heart and closed her eyes.
"bangwI'," she whispered.
A minute later Miral walked back into the room quietly with a cool glass of water. She tilted her head, amazed to see that her mom was asleep again, but decided to leave the water on the bedside table in case she awoke wanting it. She'd wait a little while to see if the older woman would wake again as she sometimes did. As she leaned over, setting down the glass she recognized what she had not let herself see before.
Bowing her head she inhaled deeply. She laughed and smiled even as her tears covered her face. "Better watch out mom. she's on her way," she told her other mother, who was long dead, and in her mind probably joyful to be reunited with her `Soch'.
Then Miral tipped her head back and did something she had only done once before. she howled as loudly as she could, wailing into the night, warning StoVoKor that another warrior was on her way.
~Finis~