Seven of Nine glanced at her counterpart out of the corner of her eye. Though Annika Hansen was fairly disorganized, there was no question she was brilliant. Some of these equations were beyond even Seven's experience to recognize, though once they were explained to her, she understood what they meant. Slowly her initial disdain for the woman was being replaced with an appreciation and respect. She wondered if this was what the Borg Collective had taken from her by their assimilation, the innate ability to instinctively grasp a scientific situation, to create a solution out of thin air from sheer inspiration alone, rather than from accessing data and extrapolating conclusions based on it. 
She was very good at the latter, she knew. She could not remember ever experiencing the former.
"Hey, Seven?"
"Yes?" She raised an eyebrow as she gave Annika her full attention.
"Can I ask you a personal question?"
"You may," Seven allowed.
"You know, you talk like a computer," Annika said, shaking her head. "Or a Vulcan. Where'd you pick that up?"
"The Borg appreciate precision," Seven responded. "As do I. Was that the question?"
"Uh, no," Annika said. She dipped her head, a faint blush coloring her pale features. "That sound I heard last night. Several times. Sort of a cross between a moan and ... well, a cry of astonishment. What exactly is she doing to you at that moment?"
Seven hesitated. In truth, Janeway generated that sound from her in a variety of ways, none of which could be explained in a very concise fashion.
"Loving me," she said finally, simply.
The look she received from Annika was one of pure envy.
"Have you no one?" Seven asked after a moment.
Annika looked away, toying with her stylus. "There have been a few people," she said slowly. "At school, then here, on the project." She shrugged. "No one that ever looked at me the same way Janeway looks at you."
Seven considered that. "Unfortunate," she allowed. To her surprise, she did feel a real empathy for her counterpart, truly sorry that Annika did not have the same special love supporting her, surrounding her, making her more than just intellect.
"Yeah," Annika said in quiet agreement.
They looked up as the doors slid open, and Janeway entered. Seven knew instantly that something was wrong, and she quickly went over to greet her. "What has happened?"
Janeway hesitated, looked at Annika who abruptly started, standing up uncertainly.
"Uh, I have to go..." the young woman said awkwardly. "Do something in the suite."
Seven stared at her. Was this how she looked when she attempted to be discrete? She couldn't possibly be that bad, could she?
Janeway waved it away. "It doesn't matter," she said. "I'm sure if this base is anything like a starship, it'll get around quick enough. I just have to make sure I get to the Vice Admiral first."
"What is it?" Seven queried.
"I just saw Mark Johnson."
Seven felt a sudden sinking sensation in her chest, though she knew that she should not. Janeway loved her. She did not love Mark any longer. Kathryn had told her this, but still....
"And?"
"He dumped me," Janeway said wryly. "Again."
"I don't understand," Annika said. "Isn't Mark Johnson the Vice Admiral's husband? Why would he dump you?"
"Because he thought I was his wife."
There was a pause as that sunk in.
"Oh boy," Annika breathed. "The bastard." 
Seven blinked, startled at the venom in the tone, looking askance at her counterpart before focusing on her partner. "You must tell her," she insisted.
"I know, but I can't find her," Janeway said. "She's nowhere on the base."
"She's in the caves," Annika said suddenly.
Together, Seven and Janeway looked at her, and Annika squirmed slightly. "It's where she goes to be alone."
"How do you know this?"
Annika developed an intense interest in the deck. "I followed her once," she admitted. "I was curious. She never saw me and I didn't go in the water. Mostly because I hadn't brought any equipment along."
"God, no wonder you get along with B'Elanna," Janeway said, shooting an admonishing glance at Seven, though the Borg had no idea what she had done to deserve such a look. "You're all too inquisitive for your own good."
"Do you want me to take you there?" Annika asked eagerly. "I can show you where they are."
Janeway shook her head. "No, if it's the caves, then I know exactly where she is. Anyway, it'll be fun to do a little diving again."
A qualm shot through Seven as she remembered which caves they were talking about, the ones Kathryn had once told her about. "This is dangerous," she said worriedly.
"I'll be fine," Janeway assured her, putting a hand on Seven's forearm. "You don't want to deny me the chance to go diving in the caves again, do you?"
She gave her the 'look', the soft expression that Janeway called her 'puppy dog' gaze, with the velvet blue eyes and the gentle tremor to her lip. The one Seven could not resist in the slightest, though she was fairly disgruntled that Janeway would pull it on her now. Nor could she figure out why she would in front of another person. It was very unlike the captain.
"You will be careful," Seven said, a statement, not a question.
"I promise," Janeway said with that half-grin on her face, then to Seven's considerable surprise, the captain reached up and cupped her face in her palms, drawing her face down for a long kiss. "I'll be back this evening," she murmured against her lips.
Shaken by the intensity of the kiss, and the sheer unexpectedness of it, Seven could only watch as Janeway disappeared out the door. She frowned briefly, then looked at Annika who was looking at her with an envious expression.
"Yeow," the young woman said. "Maybe I've been looking at Johnson all wrong, after all."
Seven suddenly realized what her partner was up to.
 
Janeway pulled herself from the crystal clear water, breathing heavily in the still air of the cavern. She was out of shape, she decided as she slipped off her fins, and shrugged out of the breathing apparatus. Despite the planet's lesser gravity, it had been almost a decade since she had been diving, and muscles not otherwise utilized were already sending up a protest to her brain at abruptly being put in service again. Yet, she couldn't deny that it had been an exhilarating experience to once again penetrate the submerged tunnels and caverns of the Mars interior, retracing the familiar path that led to this cavern where she had once discovered a fossil, resulting in her name being recorded in the history archives. She wondered if she would ever do anything else as scientifically significant as that single discovery when she was barely out of her teens. 
She clicked off her wrist light, and gazed around in the sudden blackness that descended upon her with all the weight of the stone pressing over her. There, she noted. A spark of flickering firelight. Leaving her equipment near the side of the pool, she walked toward it.
Johnson sat next to the flame, regarding her approach without expression, as if having expected her. She was dressed in her diving outfit, black with bright yellow bands down the sides, and her hair was loose, hanging down over her shoulders in a glorious auburn tangle.
"I suppose you know this place as well as I do," she said calmly as Janeway hesitated uncertainly, just inside the glowing circle of golden light.
"I needed to speak with you," Janeway said delicately. "May I sit down?"
A faint smile ghosted over Johnson's face. "I certainly can't begrudge you," she said. "It must be some time since you've had the opportunity to be here."
"More years than I care to think about," Janeway agreed, sitting down on the soft Martian sand, the rusty granules providing a comfortable cushion for her. "But I'm here for another reason. I was told that this is a place you come to when you want to be alone, and honestly, I wouldn't have disturbed you if it weren't important."
Johnson looked vaguely surprised. "I didn't think anyone knew about this place."
Janeway let that one pass. For now. "I went to your office, and while I was waiting for you, I had a visitor."
Something flickered in her counterpart's face, too quickly for Kathryn to identify it. "Indeed," Johnson said. "Dare I guess?"
"It was Mark." Janeway hesitated, tried to figure out a gentle way to say it. "He thought I was you. Apparently, Melissa Bell...er, Bellknocker ... is pregnant."
The silence was total, the only sound that of the flames snapping as they consumed the lichens that fed them. The fungus grew in profusion about the caverns, this world's version of organic fuel, and it gave off the fragrance of sandalwood as it burned. Janeway was very aware of the spicy aroma as she regarded her other, thinking she probably could have found a way to break it a little easier. Yet, if it had been her, she would have preferred the news flat out, giving her a chance to deal with it and move on.
"I see," Johnson said finally, and it was clear that she did.
"I'm sorry," Janeway said lamely, wishing she knew what to do now. Should she leave her counterpart alone? Or should she stay, offer what comfort she could. She couldn't remember how it felt to be in this position. She was the one who had dumped Cheb Packer, and Justin Tighe had died. When she had received the letter from her Mark Johnson, he had already been a figure of her past, distanced by time and space. It had hurt, but not as it would, had the two situations been more similar, had the loss been more immediate.
Johnson was looking away, chin on her palm, moisture glinting in her eyes. "I guess that makes it final, doesn't it?"
Janeway nodded. That was what hurt, she remembered. The finality of it, the knowledge that she would no longer have him in her life, no longer be a part of his. "He's dissolving the term agreement."
Johnson nodded. "I won't fight it," she said. "I suppose I knew it was coming."
She covered her face with her hand, and a sob shook her. Janeway did not think, she simply crossed the space between them instantly, wrapping the other up in her arms, embracing her counterpart tightly as she wept. She thought that this should feel a little odder, that this in fact, was herself she was holding, but it did not. Rather, she was aware that this entity was separate and distinct from herself, a different person altogether. A person who was in pain and needed help, someone that Janeway cared enough about to want to make it better somehow, even as she knew she couldn't.
She was struck by the sense that only her presence was tolerable at this time. No one else could have offered any comfort to her intensely private other self, no one else could have granted a shoulder to accept that helpless weeping. For that reason alone, she was very glad that she had somehow been brought here to this universe.
"I look terrible when I cry," Johnson said irrelevantly after awhile.
"I know," Janeway replied dryly.
Johnson was startled into a brief bark of laughter. She pulled away from the captain's comforting embrace, and wiped at her face with her sleeve. "God, do you know how long it's been since I laughed?"
Janeway shrugged, keeping a hand resting lightly on the other's shoulder. "Probably just as long as it's been since you've cried?" she asked, not expecting an answer.
Johnson took a breath. "It was never right," she said wistfully. "I shouldn't have married him. I was just trying to recapture what I had before Voyager got lost. Maybe he was, as well."
Janeway stared unseeingly into the dark beyond the fire's light. "I know I am not the same person now that I was then. What happened in the Delta Quadrant made me understand that command was what I was meant to do. It's something I've only truly realized in the last year." She paused. "My destiny is to command starships. I am fortunate that I have someone who is willing to stay with me while I pursue that."
"I guess I didn't pay attention to what I learned out there," Johnson said. "Or that I missed out on the really important lessons." She shook her head. "I hate what I've become."
"Then change it," Janeway said simply.
Johnson smiled crookedly. "Guess there's no reason not to, now." She tossed a few more chunks of Martian fungus into the fire, then glanced sideways at Janeway. "Why Seven?"
Janeway supposed that was fair. She had just seen her other self at her most vulnerable. She owed Johnson something in exchange, and if that meant speaking of her most intimate feelings for her partner, then it was the least she could do.
"She lets me be who I need to be," Janeway said finally, after considering her answer carefully. "In fact, she demands it. She challenged me from the first moment we met, disregarded the rank, and made me react as myself no matter how much I tried to react as a captain. She questioned me, argued with me, forced me to take another look at things that I thought I understood. When I received the letter from Mark, I realized I had been using him as an excuse not to ... get involved with anyone else, not to look at other possibilities. Thank god Seven made herself one."
"She pursued you?" Johnson asked curiously.
"Let's just say I bumbled around the subject until she had to take matters into her own hands," Janeway said with a wry grin, remembering the night she had returned to her quarters to find Seven in her bed, awaiting  her arrival with the same concentration and focus that she brought to everything else. "We've had a few bumps, but we always seem to make it back to each other in one piece. I believe in her in a way that I have never believed in anyone else." 
"I envy you," Johnson said simply, honestly.
"Don't," Janeway said. "You too, have possibilities ... if only you'd look for them."
Johnson frowned briefly. "What do you mean?"
Janeway stifled a smile. There had to be a reason Annika Hansen made a point to know where Johnson went to be alone, and the captain believed there was far too much antagonism between the two to spring from mere incompatibility. Possibly frustrated attraction? In any event, both were now free to see where things led. Janeway had discovered that since falling in love with Seven, she was a bit of a matchmaker, wanting others to experience the same happiness she did. Whether there was a match to be made here was uncertain, but she could try.
"Sometimes there's an opportunity right in front of you," she said enigmatically. "One that's been overlooked when the rest of your life seems so complicated."
Johnson held up a hand. "I just had one relationship fall apart, I don't even want to think about another."
"Just don't lose the chance because you think it shouldn't be," Janeway advised with a shrug. "The fact is, I think your relationship with Mark was over long ago, this just made you both face that. Now you're free to look elsewhere. Don't waste it."
Johnson just stared at her and Janeway realized she was pressing a bit hard. She smiled and squeezed the shoulder beneath the diving outfit. "I think I'll look around a little," she said. "Who knows when I'll get the chance to be here again."
She stood up and flicked on her wrist lamp, leaving the fire behind. She did not have to look back to realize she had left both confusion and consternation in her wake.
 
Lt. Harry Kim stumbled a bit as he stepped forward, and he looked back to see the rip in the fabric of dimensional space mend itself up behind him. He didn't know what universe he was in, but he knew that wherever it was, he wouldn't be leaving for at least another two days. That was how long it would take for the device he and B'Elanna had built to recharge from the anomaly. Taking a breath, he looked around uncertainly, raising his arm to allow his wrist beam to splash light about his general vicinity. 
It was just like the lab he had so recently been in, except this one was not clean and sparkling, nor did it have the huge piece of machinery they had constructed to open the portal. The deck was covered with debris, and dust liberally coated the consoles and tables that remained. It looked as if it had been abandoned long ago, and he frowned as he studied his surroundings. If he wasn't mistaken, this was indeed Voyager, but it was clear that there were no life signs in his immediate area. He raised his tricorder, turning in a slow circle. The ship was reading minimum energy, and no active life support. Could the captain and Seven have survived this long?
Not here, he determined after checking his readings. There was only enough atmosphere for a few hours, and the fact that it still remained meant that the two women had probably left before it had been used up. Where that was exactly remained to be seen. He decided to check out the bridge, figuring correctly that it would be where the captain would have headed upon her own arrival.
Had she been able, he thought dismally. It was entirely possible that the two women had died and their bodies were moldering in the turbolift. He didn't want to consider that possibility at all.
The thin whine of transporters startled him, and he whirled, surprised to see the forms of several beings in Starfleet environmental suits materialize around him. He stared at them, trying to see through the glass front of the helmets, unable to pierce the shadows because of the way the light reflected.
"For crying out loud," one said, in utter disgust, an unfamiliar male voice. No one Harry recognized. "What the hell is this, Starfleet Central? How many of you are going to show up, anyway?"
Harry felt a grin cross his face as the import of that sunk in. He wasn't the first. "Are you telling me that there have been others?" he asked. "Was it two women, one in a captain's uniform, the other...."
"Built like a wet dream?" one of the others blurted.
Harry relaxed. That was Seven all right. "Where are they?"
"Not far, Mister," the first one said. He gestured with his rifle, and only then did Harry realize they were flanking him as if he were a threat of some sort. "Come on. Vice Admiral Johnson can deal with you, too."
Harry frowned as he was taken into custody, relieved of his equipment, and transported off the ship. When they had first opened the portal to the other universe, it had been to glimpse the dirty lab which mirrored their own. B'Elanna had offered the theory that it was Voyager, but perhaps abandoned in order to colonize a planet or transfer to another vessel. Then the portal had started to collapse, and before anyone else could react, Harry had scooped up a wrist beam, a phaser and a tricorder, leaping through the opening as he heard the protesting howls of both B'Elanna and Chakotay ringing in his ears.
Harry knew it was completely uncharacteristic of him. He had always followed the rules, done what he was supposed to do, accepted whatever happened to him. In truth, however, he had been chafing under that self-imposed restriction for some time. He had watched others in the crew boldly seize opportunities to rule the day and emerge triumphant. He knew, without a doubt that he had been offered chances to change his life, opportunities to make a difference somehow, and had been too timid, too hesitant about accepting the offer, losing out in the end.
He was sure that was why Seven was with the captain now, instead of him. If he had been a little more assertive in the beginning, a little less afraid of what might happen, perhaps he would have been the one the Borg had been attracted to, would have loved. Perhaps he would be more than just good old Harry Kim, dependable operations officer who never ever did anything glorious or outrageous. In that instant, seeing the portal start to collapse, it had come to him in a flash of clarity what he had to do.
No more staid, safe Harry Kim. He was going to be an adventurer, a swashbuckler, more like Tom or Chakotay or even the captain herself. The ones who always got the girls and commanded admiration just by walking into a room.
He wished it were warmer.
He had developed a chill on the ship devoid of life support systems, and the heat of the base which materialized around him hit like a blast furnace. He frowned as he looked around at the unmistakable Federation architecture. He had assumed when he saw the other Voyager that it had also been in the Delta Quadrant. Now he was not so sure. He did not recognize any of the people who came to take him from the suited team on the transporter pad. The uniforms were different from his own, black with blue-grey shoulders, the sweaters underneath displaying the colors of the various sections.
They marched him to an office deep in the complex which was filled with strangers, primarily Human though he had seen Vulcans, Bolians, and a few other species. Apparently, he was now back in the Alpha Quadrant, and he tried to resist the sense of exhilaration.  After all, this was not his universe, though of course, the last one wasn't exactly his universe either. He was still startled however, when a glimpse outside a few display windows in one corridor revealed a rusty surface which he quickly identified as Mars.
Confused, he kept his mouth shut, waiting to see where he was to be taken. When they deposited him into a lavishly appointed office, and the familiar figure stood up behind the large desk, he felt his face break out into a beaming grin.
"Captain," he said.
"Harry Kim," she responded. "My god, it's really you."
To his surprise, she flung her arms around him and hugged him tightly. Awkwardly, he returned the hug, patting her back clumsily. He had hoped she would be glad rather than angry to see him but he certainly hadn't imagined this. She grasped his arms when the hug ended, raking him up and down with the familiar look that always made him feel the way he had when he first stood in her ready room those years ago, and was told that 'Sir' was unacceptable and 'Captain' would be expected.
Except, this wasn't the captain.
Belatedly, he realized she was dressed in the same uniform as the others had been, and the insignia on her collar ... his eyes widened and he straightened, painfully aware of his uniform which was stained and rumpled from hours of working with B'Elanna on the trans-dimensional device.
"Vice Admiral," he amended crisply.
So this was the 'Johnson' his captors had been talking about. Lt. Kim was somewhat slow compared to the innate brilliance of B'Elanna or Seven, but he was not stupid. This must be the captain's counterpart. He wondered why the name was different.
"Lieutenant, is it?" she said softly, an oddly gentle expression in her face. "I should have granted my Harry that respect."
"I guess you know why I'm here."
"Oh yes," she said, beaming at him. She couldn't seem to get enough of looking at him, and he was disconcerted by it. He hadn't realized that Janeway was so fond of him. Or maybe it was only in this universe. "You're here to retrieve your captain and Seven of Nine. You discovered a way through from your universe."
He nodded. No need to go into details. "The portal was opened briefly. It will be open again in two days. We'll need to be there in the engineering lab on Voyager when it does because it won't stay open long. The power drain is tremendous."
At least, he hoped it would be opened. He could not believe that B'Elanna would be unable to find a way to recharge the device and hold the portal open. As a matter of fact, knowing her as he did, she'd probably improve it between now and then, and increase the time the portal could remain open.
The Vice Admiral nodded briskly. "I suppose I should take you to the others and let them know they don't have to work so hard at finding a way back any longer." 
He glanced at her sideways as she led him back out into the complex. He noted that her hair was done up, and he wondered how he could have missed it when he first walked into the office. But the walk and the manner, were exactly the same, barely contained power and energy that kept everyone around her on their toes.
"So," he said jovially. "You're a Vice Admiral. What am I, now? At least, a lieutenant commander, right?"
She didn't answer right away, and he looked at her, a sinking feeling in his chest as he saw the shadow cross her face. "Or do I want to know?" he added weakly.
"Harry Kim was a fine officer," she said softly. "Who gave his life in the service of his vessel."
"Oh," he mumbled. "Sorry, I asked."
He wondered if he could feel any more stupid than he did at that moment. Then, he walked into the lab and saw the two women standing by the console. On the right was his fantasy, the woman who haunted his dreams, remote, aloof, and completely out of reach now that she was with the captain. On the left....
Harry felt his tongue cleave to the roof of his mouth, the blood thundering in his ears like an unchecked warp core.
"Harry Kim," Seven of Nine said, with decided pleasure as she looked at him. "Obviously you have found a way to this dimension."
"Nuhh," he answered brilliantly, not even looking at his crewmate. Instead, he found himself staring helplessly at the other woman, the tall blonde who looked back with the open friendliness in her features, through warm, clear eyes and a quizzical smile.
Seven, yes, but as she could have been. Annika Hansen. Not a Borg, not the figure of mystery and unapproachable coolness, but a woman not much older than he, real and warm, and standing only a few feet away from him.
"Seven's told me about you, and the rest of Voyager's crew," she was saying, reaching out to shake his hand, pumping it up and down. It lay in her grasp like a fish, limp and unresponsive. She glanced worriedly at Seven. "Is he all right?"
Oh god, please don't say anything, Seven, he begged silently as he tried to get his mind and his mouth to work. Please don't dissect me with that Borg logic, and lay out all my failings in front of this woman with concise and unfailing analytical precision. Don't blow my chance before I even get started. Let me do that myself if that's how it has to be.
He never knew if Seven heard his silent plea. All he knew was that Seven regarded him with a slight tilt to her head, and a faint smile.
"Perhaps there was a lingering after effect to his entering this dimension," the Borg offered. "We also experienced a certain disorientation when we arrived. I believe it was a courageous thing on your part, Lt. Kim, to attempt to rescue us without knowing what you could face in this dimension."
Considerably stupid as well, but to Harry's eternal gratitude, she didn't add that part.  He was both amazed and considerably gratified to hear Seven singing his praises, though he wasn't entirely sure why.
"Of course," Annika said, suddenly concerned. She grabbed a chair from nearby, and scooted it under him. "Good god, man, have a seat."
Bemused, he did, sinking into it with a glance at Seven who looked vaguely amused.
"Are you the only one who came through?" she asked. More in hopes of getting him speaking intelligently than anything else, he suspected. Certainly she could assume that he was alone since there was no one with him from Voyager.
"Yes," he said, taking the glass of water that Annika handed to him, and smiling at her. "Thank you," he said, proud that he was now sounding somewhat more coherent.
"No problem. How did you manage to get over here?" She frowned suddenly. "It wasn't an accident, was it? Like Seven's?"
Feeling more comfortable, he shrugged with what he hoped was careless competence. "No, I intended to come here, though it wasn't easy," he admitted. "I had to determine the exact energy resonance of the anomaly wave which had originally struck the ship. Then I had to construct a device that would replicate it, thereby opening a hole to this Voyager, and hopefully the correct universe."
"Lt. Kim is quite intelligent when it comes to quantum physics," Seven offered dryly, no doubt noting the 'I' as opposed to the 'we' when he was explaining. "Our chief engineer has often said that she wouldn't know what to do without him."
That was so blatantly a falsehood that he could only stare at her ... and blush furiously, aware that she realized that, of course, B'Elanna had built the actual device. Theory was his forte, Torres was the one who knew how to make theories become functioning reality. In fact, when he and Seven had constructed the astrometrics lab, he had been responsible for the concept, the theoretical application.  Seven had accomplished most of the actual construction. He didn't think most people knew that. He wasn't bad with a spanner necessarily, just not as good as others.
"How do you know this is the correct universe?" Johnson asked idly.
He froze, considering that. "I guess I don't," he admitted. He looked at her. "Some things you have to take on faith."
She nodded. "Just so," she said, and there was approval in her voice.
He frowned. "The captain?"
"Captain Janeway is on her way," Johnson said. "I contacted her and told her she had a visitor. She was over in the library, catching up on some research. I didn't tell her who it was. I wanted to surprise her."
Harry gulped. Well, he had no doubt that she would be surprised. Especially when he told her how he had gotten here ... and that it hadn't exactly been authorized by Chakotay.
 
Janeway eyed her operation's officer with a combination of disbelief and outrage. "You're telling me you had no authorization for what you did." 
"No, Captain," Harry Kim said, staring straight ahead, at full attention.
She circled him like a predator, raking him up and down with a look that had set far better people than him to stammering and flushing. She was pleased to see that he did not. His shoulders were square, his gaze level, his jaw set firm.
"You realize this is a violation of protocol that could be considered a court martial offense," she said, her voice at its lowest register.
"Yes, Captain, I do," he said crisply.
She paused in front of him, staring into his face, head tilted back a little. "Do you have anything to say in your own defense?"
"Only that I felt it was the right thing for me to do, Captain," he said. He paused. "And that I would do exactly the same thing again," he added.
She frowned. "I see. You have no regrets?"
"No, ma'am." His back seemed to stiffen though she could not see how he managed to get it any straighter. "I fully understand the seriousness of my decision, and I accept full responsibility for my actions."
She nodded. "Very well. I will be placing a reprimand in your file when we return for disobeying protocol and failing to receive proper authorization prior to acting."
"Yes ma'am." Harry managed not to flinch.
"As well as a commendation for your bravery and initiative," she added.
It was a moment before that sank in and his eyes glowed. "Yes, CAPTAIN."
"Dismissed," she concluded formally.
She held back the smile until he had turned and left the suite, then allowed it to spread over her face. Perhaps there was hope for young Mr. Kim yet. He was finally growing into the officer she always knew he could be, and the fact that he was now at the level where he was prepared to take the initiative, as well as the courage to accept the consequences of his actions, was very heartening to her. She crossed her arms over her chest and regarded the deck thoughtfully, remembering the young ensign fresh out of the Academy, his uncertainty and his desire to fit in, his need to discover his niche within Voyager's crew.
She supposed she could have mentioned that Chakotay may have a few things to say to him once he got back, but she was sure he knew that, and was prepared to handle it. She looked up as the door slid open, and Seven of Nine entered the suite.
The Borg raised an eyebrow at her partner. "You did not punish him?"
"What makes you say that?"
"He was too ... cheerful, when he came into the lab," Seven explained. "Not as he would have been had you punished him."
"Actually, I will be placing a reprimand in his permanent record, as well as a commendation."
"Indeed," Seven said, frowning. "Is that not a contradiction?"
Janeway shook her head. "Not really," she said with a smile. "It's possible to be rewarded and punished for the same actions."
"I see," Seven said in the tone that indicated she didn't at all but wasn't really interested enough to pursue it. "Do I have a record?"
Janeway smiled at the phrase which tended to have a different meaning when asked in that tone. "You certainly should," she said in a faintly teasing tone. "But you're not in Starfleet. If you were, your record would have gotten you busted back to ensign a hundred times over."
Seven did not look chastised in the slightest. "What does your record look like?"
"I don't even want to think about it." Janeway grinned wryly. She wondered if Starfleet had promoted her counterpart simply because they didn't know what else to do with her, and sticking her in a desk job close to Earth was the best solution they could come up with. She also wondered if that's what she had to expect when she finally returned to Earth, or if her brass would go as easy on her.
Seven took a few steps closer until she was a mere breath away,  the warmth of her body radiating to surround Janeway with a unmistakable feeling of love, yet Seven didn't touch her. Janeway took the initiative, knowing that recent events had Seven confused by how much affection she could show and when. Wrapping her arms around the slender waist, she rested her chin on the narrow shoulder, immediately embraced in return.
"We will be returning soon," Seven assured her, misunderstanding her hug.
"I know." Janeway smiled, snuggling deeper into Seven's arms, kissing the warm line of neck. "I'm just glad you were here with me." 
"I am, as well." Seven tightened her hold a little. "Do you wish to go into the bedroom?"
Janeway laughed. "Not right now, sweetheart," she said, a bit wistfully. "There's no way of knowing when the others will return. Even if I managed to get by that first night with Dr. Hansen in the room next to us, there's no way I'm going to be comfortable with the idea of Harry Kim possibly walking in and hearing us."
"Unfortunate," Seven murmured, nuzzling the auburn hair as she allowed her hands to roam a little. "But we shall be in our own, soundproofed quarters soon enough."
"I'm counting on that," Janeway responded, raising her face to be kissed which Seven obligingly did with great thoroughness.
"Don't you two ever stop?" a throaty voice offered several minutes later.
"Why would we want to?" Seven asked in honest confusion as she released Janeway, and looked at Johnson who had entered the suite unannounced.
The Vice Admiral made a face, a mix of amusement and rueful agreement. "Good point."
Janeway took a breath, composing herself, then looked directly at her counterpart. "You wanted to see us?" she asked dryly. She refused to be embarrassed at being caught sharing affection with her partner.
Johnson eyed her tolerantly as she sank gracefully onto the couch, smiling at her. "I just wanted to let you know that Voyager ... my Voyager ... has had a life support unit placed on deck 12, and that Starfleet Command has instructed me to monitor every second of your return, for future study."
"Is that wise?" Janeway asked, taking a seat on the chair. She was aware of Seven perching herself on the armrest next to her, laying an arm along the back and around the captain's shoulders. She did not motion for her partner to retreat, rather enjoying her closeness.
"We like to have as much knowledge as possible about everything," Johnson said, and for a second, there was a bit of steel in her tone. It occurred to Janeway that her counterpart had become a great deal more ingrained with Starfleet rules and regulations than she had. Or was that Seven's influence working on her again? "In the meantime, there is the question of the nanoprobes," she added with little delicacy.
Janeway felt a flicker of anger. "You didn't help us get back to our own universe," she said coolly. "That was my own crew's accomplishment."
To her surprise, she felt Seven's hand close on her shoulder and squeeze admonishingly.
"However, in the interest of keeping the Federations safe," Janeway added smoothly, if a touch belatedly. "I have created the schematics for creating the nanoprobes. They're in the computer base under our old Academy code."
"I have also provided a sampling of my own nanoprobes to Dr. Hansen," Seven offered evenly.  "So that a step shall be saved in the development."
"Thank you," Johnson said, and she truly did look grateful. Janeway felt a moment of shame at her prickliness.
The captain of Voyager leaned back in her chair, shifting slightly under the comforting arm of her lover.  By this time tomorrow, they would be back in their own universe.
Where they belonged.
 
Voyager's engineering lab was considerably cleaner than when Harry had been there last, he noticed, not to mention a good deal warmer. A life support unit had been installed on this deck, and the Starfleet of this universe had filled it with equipment and monitoring devices in preparation of their return. Dr. Hansen, although a civilian, had been invited to witness the entire exchange, and she was darting here and there about the room in constant scientific excitement. 
He tried not to stare at the good doctor, knowing he would only display a hangdog look if he did. Of course, it wasn't as if he had expected to stay here with her, or have her come with him after only a day or two of interaction, but was still deflating when she had finally noticed his interest was more than mere curiosity, and let him know she wasn't interested. Her reaction, though considerably gentler and more graceful than Seven's had been, had been profoundly depressing, especially when he finally figured out who Annika really had her eye on, though she had refused to name names.
Like he had to work hard to figure that out, he thought sourly. He could see how Hansen looked at the Vice Admiral when she thought no one was looking. Or for that matter, how Johnson looked at her in return, though the older woman's expression was considerably more uncertain, and confused.
He wondered if in some universe, Harry Kim and Seven of Nine actually managed to come to an understanding. And why he couldn't be in that one, right now.
"Vice Admiral, our instruments are detecting a breach in the inter-dimensional continuum," one of the Starfleet technicians offered suddenly.
"Looks like this is it," Captain Janeway said, suddenly appearing at his shoulder, along with Seven.
"Looks like," he agreed and tensed, though he wasn't sure why.
His communicator suddenly chirped, as did the captain's.
"Voyager to Captain Janeway," came Chakotay's unmistakable tone through the scratchy static and distortion.
"Janeway here," the captain responded instantly. "I'm here with Seven and Lt. Kim. We're in position for transfer in the engineering lab of this universe's Voyager."
"Good," Chakotay said quickly. "Because we wouldn't have gotten another shot at opening this thing up. The anomaly is dissipating, and B'Elanna can keep the portal open for only ten seconds. We will open to full intensity in five seconds."
"Understood," Janeway said.
So quickly, Harry thought, disappointed that B'Elanna had not managed to increase the time the portal remained stable. But then again, if the anomaly was dissipating, he should count his lucky stars that they even had the opportunity. He was suddenly seized in a farewell hug by both the Vice Admiral, and again, by Dr. Hansen, then the portal was opening and he had barely enough time to see Vice Admiral Johnson thrust something into Seven's arms before the trio was pushed through the opening, a sound like the roar of air escaping surrounding them and filling their ears. Before he had gathered himself, the sound suddenly ceased, and he was stumbling across Voyager's lab into the arms of Chakotay who straightened him abruptly before turning away.
Harry wondered briefly how mad the first officer was as he turned around to see the lab full of people. B'Elanna was there, along with Tom and Tuvok. The Doctor and Sek were running tricorders over the three returning crewmembers, and everyone seemed to be talking at once, asking questions, receiving answered, being offered reassurances as to their continued health, along with what had happened on the 'other side' whihc included technical descriptions of what needed to be done. Neelix, meanwhile, was busily thumping people on the back, and welcoming them home.
The portal had disappeared as if it had never been, and Harry felt a real pang go through him, knowing that he would never see either Vice Admiral Johnson or Annika Hansen again. They were not his captain or crewmate, of course, but they were individuals in their own right, people he had grown to like in the very short time he knew them, and he mourned their loss. Then he found himself gazing at Seven who was standing apart from the rest, holding something in her arms, and looking thoroughly apprehensive. The rest of the crowd seemed to notice her at the same time, and everything abruptly went quiet as they all stared at her.
"What," she said in a faintly frightened voice, "Is this?"
She looked as if she didn't know whether to grip it tighter or fling it away from her as far as it would go.
"Where did you get that, Seven?" Janeway asked in an odd voice, a strange mix of dismay and, Harry would swear, astonished joy.
"Vice Admiral Johnson gave it to me," Seven said, holding it out in front of her at arm's length, dangling it from both hands. "Just before we came through. She said it was for you but if she had given it to you, you would not have taken it."
Janeway was obviously baffled. "Well, she was correct there."
"Take it, please," Seven insisted, rather desperately. There was a wet spot spreading damply over the front of her outfit even as Harry watched.
Janeway gently took it away from her and cradled it in her arms, staring down at it with a strange expression. "There's no need to be upset, Seven," she said soothingly. "I believe the Vice Admiral thought I might need this out here in the Delta Quadrant."
A whimper came out of the red bundle that squirmed in the captain's arms, reaching up to nose the charmed features, as everyone gaped at the sight of their captain's face being licked frantically by the tiny pink tongue of an Irish Setter puppy.
 
"What exactly are we supposed to do with it?" Seven asked distastefully as she regarded the tiny form curled up on her partner's lap. The captain was sitting on the sofa while Seven stood before her, hands linked behind her back, a frown of immense disapproval on her face. 
"Love it," Janeway replied as she stroked the small head. It sighed blissfully and closed its eyes, a content little bundle. "It's a puppy, Seven."
This was the first time Seven had seen it remain still since they had returned to their quarters, and she was appalled at the concept that it was now expected to live with them. "What of the bodily functions it insists on displaying?" she asked icily. Her nose wrinkled as she considered the damp spots scattered at various sites around their otherwise immaculate quarters.
"He can be house broken," Janeway responded reasonably. She looked up at Seven and the Borg was somewhat dismayed to see that the captain's eyes were shining their warmest blue. "I suspect it's one of Molly Malone's puppies. The Vice Admiral mentioned she had just littered again."
"Who?"
"That's the dog I had when I was lost in the Delta Quadrant," the captain said. "She had been pregnant, and Mark had to find homes for all the puppies. I guess in her universe, the Vice Admiral allowed her to be bred again." 
"Unwise," Seven noted. "Particularly if she has to ship the offspring to the Delta Quadrant to be rid of them."
Janeway eyed her primly. "I suspect you're not taking this gift in the spirit it was intended, Seven."
"One intended to inconvenience and annoy me?" Seven queried.
"No, Seven," Janeway responded in an admonishing tone. "There's nothing better than a dog. They love you unconditionally."
"You already have that," Seven pointed out, vaguely offended. "With me."
Janeway grinned at her. "Yes, but unlike you, this little one will obey me."
"Then by all means, please instruct it to stop urinating all over the deck," Seven told her acidly.
"What I meant is that he will obey me once he's properly trained," Janeway amended.
"When shall you have time to do this in your capacity as captain?" Seven offered. "Or did you expect me to carry out this duty?"
Janeway considered her with her softest expression. "He will look to both of us as his mistresses," Janeway offered gently. "It's important that we both train him."
"I see," Seven said without enthusiasm. She studied her partner, observing how Janeway was interacting with the small animal on her lap. It was clear that the captain was already completely captivated by the puppy, and that anything negative Seven offered further would not be appreciated. This, apparently, was not a conflict she could win. "I will research the proper methods of training a dog," she said finally, in resignation.
Janeway beamed. "Thank you, darling," she said, then looked around. "While you do that, I'll clean up the mess," she added as a sort of peace offering.
Seven sighed and went over to the console, querying the data base about everything it had on dogs, Irish Setters in particular, and the best methods for training them. She was not pleased at what she learned. It all sounded like a great deal of effort for little return, yet Kathryn clearly considered it a worthwhile activity.
"Sweetheart," Janeway offered after awhile. "I'm going to bed."
"I will be along shortly," Seven said absently, not looking up.
She had much to think about when she finally shut down her board and went over to the replicator. She noted that the damp patches on the rug no longer reeked of acidic chemicals, and instead had been sponged with a neutralizing cleaner. It was the absolute least Janeway could do, she thought grumpily as she replicated several sheets of specially designed unifying plexi-sheets. She assembled them into a small structure, and created a tiny run for the animal, placing it in an obscure corner of the room where it would not be in the way. She covered the carpeted area under the doghouse and run with an absorbent spongy material that hopefully would also eliminate odors. Then she went into the bedroom.
"No," she said firmly, seeing the tiny red form napping happily on Kathryn's chest as the captain stretched out in bed, perusing a padd. "Absolutely not."
"But Seven, darling," Janeway offered. "He'll be lonely."
"No," Seven insisted, crossing her arms over her chest. "He is not sleeping in the bed."
"He doesn't take up much room," Janeway said, offering her most tender look, all fluttery eyes and gentle pleading.
Seven was completely unmoved.
"Not at the moment," she said pointedly. "But it will grow into an animal approximately a meter long, a half meter high and weigh about 20 kilograms." She paused and fixed Janeway with her most determined look. "I have no intention of learning how to share sleeping space with a large, hairy animal."
Janeway raised the tiny muzzle with a forefinger. "How can you resist this face," she asked in a cooing voice.
"Easily," Seven responded flatly. She crossed her arms over her chest. "Either you sleep with it, or with me. You must choose."
Janeway looked stubborn. "Suppose I choose the dog," she said sulkily.
"I shall move out immediately," Seven said without inflection, turning to leave.
"All right," Janeway said grumpily. She knew Seven couldn't be bluffed. Seven wondered why she kept trying. "The puppy gets his own bed."
"I have constructed a pen for it in the living area," Seven said, not unkindly. "It is exactly to the specifications set down by the Dog Lover's Guide."
Janeway offered her a grudging smile. "That was nice of you, Seven," she said. She had the grace to look abashed. "With him not being house broken yet, that's probably the best solution anyway."
While Seven went into the ensuite to prepare for the night, Janeway took the puppy out to the living area. She was still not back by the time Seven had slipped into bed and as the moments continued to pass, she grew progressively more irritated. When Janeway finally did return to the bedroom, pitiful howls followed in her wake.
"He'll quiet down after awhile," the captain said reassuringly to her partner.
Seven looked disbelieving.
An hour later, her disbelief had proven to be warranted, and outraged annoyance had replaced it. The howling had not ceased and in fact, had actually increased in intensity. Seven could barely hear herself think, and the sight of her partner huddled in the bed beside her, a peaceful smile on her face as she slept did not make the younger woman feel any more benevolent toward the situation.
"This is unacceptable," she exclaimed, startling Janeway awake as Seven leapt to her feet and stormed into the living area.
A few moments later there was silence, and she returned to the bedroom to discover Janeway sitting up in bed, eyes wide, looking at her apprehensively.
"What did you do?" Janeway asked in the sort of tone that indicated she wasn't sure that she wanted to know.
"I replicated an artificial companion," Seven said as she crawled back into bed. "It is a puppy sized oval stuffed with a warming material, and includes a tiny transceiver that gives off the sound and pulse of an adult dog's heartbeat. The animal seemed to find it acceptable."
"Oh," Janeway said, regarding her oddly.
Seven shot her a sharp look. "What did you think I would do?"
Janeway hesitated, then looked embarrassed. "Terminating it would be the most efficient manner in which to deal with this."
Seven rolled over, her back turned pointedly to her partner. "Sometimes I do not think you understand me at all."
Janeway must have realized from the tone that Seven was honestly stung by her suspicions, and she immediately wrapped her arms around her. "I'm sorry, darling," she said in her most apologetic tone. "Really I am. I didn't mean to hurt you."
"Nonetheless," Seven said coldly. "You have."
"Tell me how I can make it up to you," Janeway whispered, kissing her ear. "Please, darling, let me make it up to you."
Seven considered this for a while. In truth, terminating the puppy had actually crossed her mind on her way out to the pen. A quick snap of the neck with her Borg enhanced hand would have been quite effective, but she decided to exhaust all other possibilities first before resorting to such extreme measures, because she knew Janeway would be devastated at losing what she had already come to care about. Bringing pain to Kathryn was something that Seven would never willingly do, and it hurt her feelings that the captain actually thought she would.
I am becoming far too Human with all its accompanying weaknesses, Seven noted without pleasure. Then Janeway was nuzzling her neck, raising up to kiss her temple, her cheek, tugging at her to roll over.
Still, some weaknesses are better than others, Seven allowed with only a trace of reluctance.
Grudgingly, she allowed Janeway to pull her over until she was facing the captain.
"I'm sorry, darling," Janeway crooned as she covered Seven's face with kisses.
"If I forgive you, will you stop this?" Seven asked.
Janeway pulled back, startled. "Do you want me to?"
"No," Seven said in her most reasonable tone. "That is why I wish to know if I can forgive you now or if I must wait until you are finished."
Janeway smiled. "I won't stop," she promised.
"Then I forgive you," Seven said and kissed her back.
 
Kathryn returned Seven's kiss with sincere regret at having hurt her. She appreciated Seven's Borgness, at her ability to stand aloof from Human pettiness and confusion, but she also had to remember that the young woman was a great deal more sensitive than her demeanor sometime indicated. She should have known that Seven would never harm the puppy, for no other reason that it would hurt Kathryn ... and Seven would never do that deliberately. 
"I'm so sorry, darling," she murmured against the generous mouth.
"I know," Seven replied calmly. "I have forgiven you. Do you require more?"
"No," Janeway said and found herself smiling. "I guess I'm still not used to how you forgive so easily." She ran her hand lightly over Seven's ribs, over the hip and back up the spine.
"I love you," Seven noted with a touch of confusion, as she returned the caresses gently. "Why should I not forgive you?"
"Sometimes the people you care about are the hardest to forgive," Janeway told her.
"That does not make sense," Seven said flatly.
"Perhaps," Janeway allowed. "But that's the way it is."
Seven shook her head briefly. "Sometimes I do not think I shall ever be fully Human," she said, her caresses becoming absent in intent. She looked blankly into the greyness of the room, her gaze seeming distant and far away.
"Maybe that's not such a bad thing," Janeway offered casually.
Seven refocused, eyes shifting to meet hers, clearly startled. "I thought you wanted me to be Human."
"Perhaps in the beginning," Janeway responded thoughtfully. She leaned forward and kissed Seven. "In fact, I know I pushed it at times," she admitted softly, "but when all is said and done, I just want you to be you, darling. Having been Borg is part of who you are. It would be wrong of me to demand you forget that, or not be affected by it. You are who you are ... and I absolutely adore who you are."
Seven seemed to be deep in thought. "I believe I understand," she said. She paused. "If you had been stranded in that other universe, and I had not been with you, would you have fallen in love with Dr. Hansen?" 
Kathryn let her breath out in a rush. Damn, but Seven came up with the strangest questions, and at the oddest times. No, she reconsidered, taking it back. Seven always came up with them at the same time ... usually when they were about to make love. Maybe it was because Janeway was at her most vulnerable, and Seven thought she could pry the best answers out of her partner.
"I can't say with any certainty, darling," she answered as honestly as possible. "I think I would have missed you so terribly that any reminder, as Dr. Hansen would be, would have been too much to bear ... but I don't know for sure. It's equally possible I would have ended up reaching out to her as a substitute for you." She arched her brow, decided to turn the tables. "What about you?"
Seven frowned. "I think it would have been very odd for me to become involved with Dr. Hansen," she said. "Though we could have easily shared outfits."
Janeway closed her eyes briefly. "No, Seven." She wondered if Seven was really that literal, or did she deliberately misunderstand on occasion for her own reasons? "Would you have become involved with Vice Admiral Johnson?"
Seven hesitated. "Perhaps," she said. And offered no more.
Janeway frowned. "And?" she prompted.
"She is very attractive," Seven admitted reluctantly. "Not to mention, extremely similar to you. It would have been most efficient to continue my relationship with a known entity rather than attempt to start all over again with someone new."
Janeway bit her lip. "I see," she said. "So you stay with me because it would be too difficult to try someone different."
Seven hesitated. "I do almost have you trained properly."
Janeway blinked, then saw the humor in the pale eyes, and finally realized that her partner had been pulling her chain, and quite thoroughly.
"Indeed!" she exclaimed, both astonished and delighted with the unexpected teasing.  She reached over and started to tickle Seven's ribs.
Since this was a completely new experience for the other woman, Seven was taken totally by surprise, and was very quickly squirming impotently under the assault. Janeway just as quickly relented, remembering how easy it was to cross the line from teasing to tormenting. Seven was gulping, looking at her wide-eyed.
"That was unwise," Seven told her. "Especially since I know you are more susceptible to this than I would be."
"Oh no," Janeway objected but Seven's fingers were already skittering across her mid-section.
Immediately, Janeway was helpless with laughter, but Seven also seemed to know when to stop, and very shortly Janeway was looking up at her partner, trying to catch her breath as the Borg cradled her in her arms, looking down at her with unadulterated love and devotion. Janeway decided that being tickled by Seven was considerably different than being tickled by anyone else, having found Seven's playful assault to be arousing rather than annoying. She guessed she'd be more apt to allow her partner this liberty in the future now that she had made that discovery.
"You are the only Kathryn I want," Seven told her sincerely. "In any universe."
"That's good," Janeway said with a wide smile. "Because I'm the only one you have." She rose up and kissed Seven, sinking back as she followed the contact down.
"It was intriguing to see that other universe, however," Seven noted when they broke for air some minutes later, not letting the topic go even after Kathryn was clearly indicating with both mouth and hands that she was more than ready to move this into a more intimate stage.
"Hmm, yes it was," Janeway said, trying not to be impatient. She supposed she could take her time. After all, time was something they both had plenty of here in the Delta Quadrant, and it was clear that Seven needed to talk about this. "What intrigued you the most?"
"It was interesting to see the differences between us," Seven allowed. "What kind of people we were there in comparison to who we are here ... and how we have changed since falling in love."
"We have changed, haven't we," Kathryn agreed thoughtfully. "Both as individuals and as a couple. What's the biggest difference between then and now, do you think?"
"I trust in what we have," Seven admitted readily. "I trust in you. I am secure in your love for me."
Kathryn smiled.
"What?" Seven asked.
"That is exactly how I feel," Kathryn said softly. "I thought that you would wake up some day, and realize that you didn't need an old starship captain holding you back. I think I've learned that in some unfathomable way, no matter what happens, we're meant to be together."
"That is true," Seven said. She kissed Kathryn gently, lovingly, then rested her forehead against the captain's. "I am so very glad I met you, Kathryn Janeway. I am so grateful that of all the billions of drones in the Collective, it was I who was chosen to be your liaison."
"Oh darling," Kathryn whispered, feeling tears sting the back of her eyes. "So am I."
"I am also grateful that you never gave up on me," Seven added gravely. "I know that I certainly tried your patience when I fist arrived on Voyager."
"No less than I did yours," Janeway said ruefully. She remembered in the beginning, when she had pushed the young woman away, not daring to become involved even though she was already in love with her. She reached up and stroked Seven's cheek, looking intently into the blue eyes. "Thank you for putting up with me, darling. For never letting my fears and insecurities keep you from staying the course."
"You are a difficult person to be involved with," Seven admitted with a smile, echoing the words she had used so many months before. "However, it has always been worth it."
"I'm so very glad you think so, darling," Janeway said. She reached up and kissed Seven very gently, barely brushing her lips over hers. "You are my heart, Annika. I shall always love you. Believe that.  Nothing shall ever change how I feel about you."
"I will always love you," Seven whispered. She deepened the kiss, softly touching Janeway's tongue with her own, but only briefly. "May I ask you a question?" she asked when they had parted.
Janeway stifled a sigh. "Of course," she said, though she was a trifle uneasy. She wondered why Seven, the most honest and straightforward person she knew, was hesitant about asking her anything, and she felt a certain apprehension stab through her.
"Have you ever really thought about our having children?" Seven offered.
Oh boy, so that was the question, the captain thought with a bit of dismay.
"Not really," Janeway admitted cautiously. "Being lost in the Delta Quadrant makes it a difficult thing to consider. Sometimes I do think about how it will be once we return to the Alpha Quadrant, what our lives will be like, where and how we'll live. Do you really want children, Seven?"
"I believe I do," Seven responded thoughtfully. "My research tonight indicated that the care of a puppy is somewhat similar to that of a child," Seven said. "Is that true?"
Janeway took a breath. So that was what had inspired this line of discussion.
"A puppy is a great deal easier to raise and care for," she warned.
"Oh," Seven noted. She paused. "Still, this may be a good experience for me to help discover if I am comfortable with raising a child."
Janeway forced herself not to panic. Although she had considered having children on various occasions with her previous fiancés, it had been only in the abstract, something that had never developed to where she had to consider it as a reality. As the years passed, her career had taken the forefront, regulating such speculation into the 'might never be' category ... something she did not particularly regret. Now it seemed that she had to consider it for real, from a rather different viewpoint, knowing that Seven would only have brought it up now because she was quite serious about the future possibility.
"I'm sure you're capable of succeeding at anything you might want to do," Janeway said carefully, regarding her partner intently. "I think you would be a wonderful mother."
Seven seemed very pleased by the words. "Thank you," she returned. "I think you would be an outstanding parent as well."
Janeway sighed. "Perhaps," she allowed. "I don't know. I haven't really considered the whole idea very seriously. Maybe it's time I did."
Seven regarded her gravely. "Do you like children, Kathryn?" she asked, as if the contrary had just occurred to her.
"I haven't been involved with them much," Janeway replied honestly. "My life is such that I rarely come in contact with them in any form. For the last five years, there's only been one child in the vicinity."
"I see," Seven said thoughtfully. "Perhaps you should begin spending time with Naomi Wildman ... in order to determine your comfort level."
"That's probably a good idea," Janeway said tentatively, swallowing hard, wondering what she was getting herself into now. "I believe I will."
Seven seemed content with that, and Janeway allowed herself to breathe a little easier. Still, it was clearly something she would have to address one way or another the closer they got to returning to the Alpha Quadrant. To the day they returned to a more normal, settled life.
One day in the future.