Warning : This story features a same sex relationship.

Thanks : To Pam for beta reading.

Something To Cling To
by Claire Withercross
clairewitherx@altavista.com

 "You do not like it."
Captain Janeway studied the picture for several seconds before glancing up at the artist. It was a perfect representation of a bowl of fruit, but it lacked a certain something. 'It's flat', thought Janeway. 'There's no life in it.'
She racked her brain for a tactful reply, but realised tact would probably be a wasted on the creator of the painting.
"No," she said.
"I will endeavour to do better next time."
"Seven, I...."
"Captain?"
"Painting is a personal thing. It's a way of expressing yourself. Just because I don't like this painting doesn't mean someone else won't. Most important of all, don't try to paint to please me, or anyone else. You must paint for yourself."
Seven of Nine gave Janeway a quizzical look.
"Do you like it?" asked the captain.
"I don't know. I haven't made an in-depth study of all forms of art to know whether it is good or not."
Janeway shook her head and sighed. "You're missing the point. It's not a question of good or bad, it's a question of liking it."
"What's the difference?"
"Well-"
"Chakotay to Janeway," the comm interrupted her.
"Excuse me. Go ahead."
"You're late for our meeting."
The smirk that must be on the Commander's face was evident in his voice to Janeway.
"Sorry, I guess I lost track of time."
"How is Florence at this time of year?"
"It's very nice, thank you. How did you guess?"
"It's an old trick my father taught me."
"I'll be right there," Janeway laughed.
As Janeway moved to leave, Seven of Nine followed her.
"Stay," said the captain. "Paint some more. But remember, paint for yourself."
"Yes, Captain."

****

While it was important, and Chakotay was good company, the meeting was a chore. Janeway found her mind wandering back to Leonardo's workshop, Florence, and her pupil.
"Huh? What?" she pulled herself back to the meeting, realising she had missed something.
"I said, Lieutenant Torres has put the routine maintenance of the warp core back another eight weeks."
"Good," she nodded. "Why?"
"The few Borg enhancements Seven of Nine made has improved reliability as well as performance."
"She's proving useful," Janeway found herself complimenting the ex-Borg.
"You never miss an opportunity to praise her," Chakotay smiled.
The captain felt herself flush. 'What's the matter with me?' she thought.
"Just because I said she'd be trouble," Chakotay continued. "I never knew you could be so vindictive."
"Got to keep my first officer in his place," she countered with a grin. "If he gets too cocky he might organise a mutiny."
"Mutiny? Now there's an idea," the commander tapped his padd, "I'll make a note of that."
"As long as you put it off until after the meeting. Next?"
"Lieutenant Paris wants fourteen kilograms of tritanium alloy for the Delta Flyer."
"Do we have enough to spare?"
"Just about."
"Give it to him."
Chakotay nodded and made a note. "That'll make his day."
"I'm in a good mood. Next?"
"Ensign Sandhu is on report again."
"What for?"
"Same as usual."
"Have her flogged," Janeway shook her head, and reached for her coffee.
"I thought you said you were in a good mood?"
"I am. If I was in a bad one I'd have her keel hauled."
"So?"
Janeway sipped her coffee. "I'll speak to her."
"And finally, Lieutenant Bergstrom is having a birthday party in the mess at nineteen hundred."
"Is that you're way of asking me on a date, Commander?"
"I'm otherwise engaged, I'm afraid."
"Oh, I forgot. You're planning a mutiny."
"Yeah, but don't tell the captain," he whispered conspiratorially.
"Your secret's safe with me," she leaned forward and whispered. She straightened back up. "I suppose I better put in an appearance at the party."
"Enjoy yourself," said Chakotay standing up. "I'll see myself out."
Janeway watched the doors slide closed behind the commander and slumped in her chair. She wasn't looking forward to seeing Ensign Sandhu, but the party might be fun.
'I wonder if Seven is going,' she found herself thinking.

****

The meeting with Ensign Sandhu had gone better than expected, and Janeway was looking forward to the party. She walked along the corridor nodding to the few crewmen she passed.
"Captain!"
Janeway turned and saw the holographic doctor hurrying towards her, holocamera in hand.
"Doctor, off to the party?"
"I am," beamed the hologram. "And you?"
"Yes."
"Would you mind if I escorted you?" he half bowed and extended an arm to link with hers.
Janeway stifled the laugh that came to her lips at the Doctor's display of gallantry. "Not at all," she managed to say.
"I love birthday parties," the EMH said as they continued walking. "I've often thought about having one myself, but which date to have it on? What do you think, Captain.?"
"I-" was all she managed before the Doctor continued.
"Do I choose the date I was first activated, or..."
Janeway filtered out the hologram's ramblings and just nodded.
The mess had been decked out in streamers and balloons, and a cake in the shape of a warthog stood in pride of place in the buffet. Partygoers were laughing and dancing to the music that drifted over the room. Janeway spotted the man of the moment surrounded by a small group of friends and walked over.
"Happy birthday, Lieutenant," she handed over a small package.
"Thank you, Captain. A drink?" Bergstrom offered her a glass of champagne.
"Thank you," she took the glass. "How old are you now?"
"Twenty-six."
Janeway rolled her eyes. "So young," she laughed. "Do I dare ask why the cake is shaped like a warthog?"
Bergstrom's companions fell about laughing. "It's best not," he replied, a tide of red rising across his face.
"Then I won't. Many happy returns," she saluted him with the glass. "You can open your present," she nodded  at the present she had given him.
He tore the wrapping to reveal a hologram of a warthog. His blush deepened as he looked up at Janeway. "You know!"
"I make it my business to know," she grinned back at him. "Besides Professor Selok is a friend of mine. The last I heard he was still complaining about the mess it made in his class."
"I-uh-"
"Enjoy your party," she left before she embarrassed him further.
Janeway heard the Doctor offer his congratulations behind her as she moved away. She caught sight of Seven of Nine standing alone against a wall and headed over to her.
"Seven. Enjoying the party?"
Seven frowned. "I haven't quite mastered these social situations yet."
"Hasn't the Doctor been giving you lessons?"
"I still have some way to go."
"I hear you're progressing nicely."
"The Doctor is not usually that diplomatic in his appraisal of my performance."
Janeway chuckled.
"What?" enquired Seven.
"You weren't making a joke, were you."
"No," the ex-Borg frowned. "We have not yet covered that lesson."
The captain raised her glass to her lips to hide the grin. Within a few a minutes Janeway had been dragged away by various crewmembers. During all her mingling she kept looking across at Seven, who stayed stuck to the wall like a painting. No one talked to the ex-Borg, not even the Doctor.
When she saw Seven head for the exit, Janeway made a split second decision.
"Excuse me," she said to the people around her. "I'm a bit tired, I think I'll call it a night."
She bid them goodnight and hurried after the former drone.
"Seven!" she called out.
Seven stopped walking and turned around.
"Captain?"
"I just thought....," she paused. "Uh... I was just on my way back to my quarters. Would you like to stop by for a nightcap."
"Nightcap?"
"Yes. Just a quick drink."
"Was that not the point of the party?"
Janeway sighed to herself. 'Why is this so difficult?'
"I would like to have a word with you as well."
"As you wish," said Seven.

****

Seven sniffed the contents of the glass and hesitated. She looked to Janeway for confirmation, the captain nodded her head in encouragement and took a sip of her own glass of the liquid.
"What did you say it was again?" asked Seven.
"Eggnog."
"Eggnog," the ex-Borg repeated, and took a sip. "I have tasted better beverages."
"Would you like something else?"
"No thank you, this will be sufficient."
Janeway smiled at the reply, 'A typical Seven reply,' she thought. "How did you get along with the painting after I left?"
"I do not think I will pursue anymore painting in the future. I can reproduce what I see but it does not," she paused and tilted her head, as though trying out which word she would use. "It does not 'move' me."
"Certainly if you do not get any enjoyment out of it then you should try something else. What do you enjoy doing?"
"I enjoy singing. The Doctor and I often sing a duet during our lessons."
"Hmm," Janeway nodded while taking a sip of her drink. "He says you're very good."
"He would be correct in that deduction."
"Well, even if you don't want to paint I hope you'll want to join me on further trips to Florence."
Seven nodded once. "I will look forward to it."
Janeway smiled and sipped her drink. 'So will I,' she thought.

****

Janeway sensed the usual active hum of the bridge pick up pace as they neared the target.
"What is it?" asked Chakotay, he leaned forward towards the main view screen as if that would help to resolve the dark shape against the background of space.
"Seems to be a derelict ship," offered Ensign Kim from his station.
"I'm not detecting any signs of life or power," said Tuvok.
"Finder's keepers," piped up Paris from the conn.
Janeway smiled at the young man's quip. "It won't hurt to take a look. Any sign of a breathable atmosphere, Mr Tuvok?"
"I'm detecting several pockets of air, but I'd recommend taking suits."
"You heard the man, Commander. Choose your team and go take a look."
Chakotay smiled and nodded at the captain. "Paris."
"Right behind you," chirped the pilot rising from his console.
Chakotay tapped his comm badge. "Lieutenant Torres, Seven of Nine, report to transporter room one."

****

The transporter deposited the four suited figures in a large, dark room. Their suit lights cut the darkness, revealing dull, grey walls.
"We're here," said Chakotay.
"Happy hunting, Commander," Janeway's voice drifted over the comm.
The commander cut the link and looked around him. "Nothing here, let us move out."
Torres found the door and headed for it. She grumbled and let out a Klingon curse.
"Is there a problem, B'elanna.?" asked Chakotay.
"It's these damn suits. I hate them."
"Why?" asked Seven. "It's keeping you alive."
"You just don't understand, do you," sneered Torres, and turned to face the other woman.
"That's why I asked you the question," Seven countered.
"Knock it off, you two," said Chakotay, and walked between the pair and into the corridor.
Torres was only momentarily distracted by the commander's rebuke and was ready to reply, but Seven took the order seriously and followed the commander. The demi-Klingon seethed at the lost opportunity. Lieutenant Paris tapped her on the shoulder and smiled at her, she relaxed and smiled back.
"Come on," he said. "I want you to save some of that aggression for later," he gave her a wink.
The couple left the room to join the others, as they entered the corridor Chakotay beckoned them over. He held out his tricorder and pointed to the screen.
"B'elanna, this looks like a good bet for the engine room. Check it out and see if anything is suitable for us. Tom, check these rooms. They look large enough to be cargo holds. Seven and I will try and locate the bridge, see if it turns up anything useful like navigation charts."
The away team split; Paris and Torres moving aft, Chakotay and Seven going in the opposite direction.
After a minute Chakotay and Seven came across a closed door.
"There's a breathable atmosphere on the other side," noted Seven, consulting her tricorder.
"That won't be much use to us if we have to open the door to get there."
Chakotay searched the walls for the door's control.
"Hey, guys!" Paris' voice cut in over the comm. "There's simply oodles of stuff here."
"'Oodles of stuff'?" queried the commander. "Could you be more specific."
"I don't think so. I wouldn't like to hazard a guess at what most of this stuff is, but the hold I'm in is full of it."
"B'elanna, how are you proceeding?"
"I'm in the room you indicated," the engineer replied. "But it's not like any engine room I've ever encountered."
"Explain."
"It's empty apart from one console with two buttons on it."
"Start and stop?" suggested Paris.
"The workings could be concealed behind a wall or under the floor," continued Torres, ignoring the joke. "However, my tricorder is not giving me any clue if that's the case or not."
"Never mind," said Chakotay. "Find Tom and see if you can help him identify anything useful."
After terminating the connection, the commander turned back to his task in hand.
"Commander!"
"What is it Seven?"
"This symbol seems familiar," said the ex-Borg pointing at a faded mark on the door.
Chakotay looked at the mark, it was a three pronged symbol, the outer two arms curving slightly towards the long straight middle arm.
"It's similar to something used by species two-four-one-seven."
"And who are they when they're at home?" asked Chakotay.
"I don't know who, but I know what. Dangerous."
"How so?"
"The Borg encountered them twice. Only one of the drones sent to their ship returned. We retrieved scant data before the drone had to be deactivated."
"You mean this species was more than a match for the Borg?" Chakotay's voice held a note of surprise, awe and little concern.
"Only on the two occasions we met them," Seven said defensively.
There was no slow awakening of long dormant power cells or flickering of lights that hadn't shone for years; the power was suddenly on.
"What did you touch?" asked Chakotay.
"Nothing."
Chakotay activated his comm. "Paris! Torres!"
No answer. He repeated the call.
"Try yours," he ordered.
"Lieutenant Paris, Lieutenant Torres, please respond."
No answer.
"Chakotay to Voyager."
"I'm not detecting any dampening field," said Seven, scanning with her tricorder.
"We'll return to the beam in co-ordinates and see if that makes a difference."

****

Janeway saw lights appear on the ship on the view screen and hailed the away team. There was no response.
"Tuvok! What's going on?" Janeway stood and faced her security chief.
"Power has come on in part of the ship," the Vulcan reported coldly.
"Kim, get them out of there."
The young ensign's fingers danced over his console.
"I can only get a lock on three of them," he said, showing less emotion than he was feeling.
The captain absorbed that information and its meaning. She could be losing a member of the away team if she brought them back now, but if she delayed it could mean losing more.
"Voyager to away team," she called again.
Still no answer. She made her decision.
"Do it," she ordered Kim.
The transporter cycle seemed to take an eternity, but Janeway managed to stop herself from badgering Kim to hurry things.
"They're back," reported the ensign.
"How many?" asked Janeway, hoping against hope. It was never easy to think you  might have lost someone under your command.
"Three. Chakotay, Paris and Torres."
The absence of Seven's name from the list took a moment to register, and then Janeway felt a knot form in her stomach. This was more than losing a colleague. 'Now is not the time to feel,' she reminded herself. 'Now is the time to be a captain. Now is the time to try and get her back.'
She must have spent too long thinking. The turbolift doors opened and three-quarters of the away team came onto the bridge.
"What happened over there?" she asked her first officer, slipping easily into command mode.
"Where's Seven?"
"We couldn't get a lock on her."
"She was right beside me," explained Chakotay. "The power came on, our comms didn't appear to be working so we headed back to the beam in point. Next thing I know I'm being transported. If she reaches the beam in point, you might be able to get a lock."
"Kim," Janeway turned to Ops. "Keep-"
"I already am," he interrupted, protocol be damned.
"What caused the power to come on?" Janeway asked, she ignored the misconduct from Kim.
"It just did," replied Chakotay, feeling useless.
"The lights were still out where Tom and I were," offered Torres.
"Captain! We're being hailed."
"On screen!"

****

Seven of Nine watched the commander disappear in a blue sparkle.
"Seven of Nine to Voyager."
She repeated the hail several times. When no response came back she started to the beam in co-ordinates. All of a sudden she found herself in a room lit by soft blue light. A hologram of Voyager floated near one wall.
"You have a very efficient transporter," she said to the person she sensed behind her.
"Identify yourself," the unseen presence commanded.
Seven started to turn around.
"Face the front!"
Seven obeyed.
"I am Seven of Nine, tertiary adjunct of unimatrix zero-one." She saw no harm in telling him her name.
"And the vessel?"
"Federation starship Voyager."
"That is not a Borg vessel."
"No."
"You are Borg."
It wasn't meant as a question but Seven detected some uncertainty in the tone. "Yes. That is I used to be. I am no longer part of the collective."
She heard soft footsteps and the man entered her vision. He was short, and compact, but had a tall bearing about him. He also had several weapons about him. Seven tensed for a possible attack.
"It won't help," he said.
"What won't?"
"Trying to defend yourself. Fighting back. If I chose to attack you won't be able to do anything about it."
Seeing the alien was not wearing a suit, Seven removed her helmet. "That remains to be seen. I've learnt that resistance isn't futile."
"And who taught you that?"
"The captain of Voyager."
"He must be quite remarkable to tame a Borg."
"She is remarkable."
"How many Borg on Voyager?"
"I'm the only one."
"What about on other ships?"
"What other ships?"
"In Voyager's fleet."
"Voyager is alone."
The alien stepped closer. "Alone! One ship and she captured a Borg. I must meet this captain."

****

"On screen!" called Janeway.
The view screen changed and showed an alien with a blue tinged skin and dark sunken eyes.
"My name is Hnaahth."
"I'm Captain Janeway. I bel-"

****

"-ieve you....."
Janeway looked around her as the bridge suddenly disappeared and she found herself elsewhere.
"Welcome."
Janeway turned and saw Hnaahth and just behind him Seven of Nine.
"Are you okay?" Janeway asked Seven, approaching the ex-Borg and temporarily ignoring her abductor.
"I am undamaged," Seven replied.
"I'm glad to hear it," Janeway smiled, the knot that had formed in her stomach eased slightly. She turned quickly to face her captor. "Why did you kidnap us?"
"I wish to talk, and I prefer to do that face to face. I'll let you go when I've finished."
"It is a courtesy among my people to ask them beforehand, and not abduct them."
"I have no concern about being courteous," retorted Hnaahth. "I want to talk to you."
"And if I refuse."
"I can wait."
They stared at each other for several seconds.
"How did you capture this Borg?" asked Hnaahth. "Take your time," he added when Janeway didn't answer.
"I didn't capture her," Janeway eventually replied. She figured talking was better than waiting.
"She is a Borg, she didn't leave the collective of her own free will."
"Her presence on my ship was an accident," she clarified. She cast a glance at Seven. "A happy accident," she added quietly.
Seven heard the comment and gave the captain a puzzled look.
"What happened to her ship?"
"It was destroyed."
"By you?"
"No."
"Oh," he sounded disappointed. "Then how was it destroyed?"
"Why do you want to know that?"
Hnaahth looked taken aback by the question. "Knowing ways to defeat the Borg can be very useful. How did you tame the Borg?"
"Tame?" Janeway considered the word. It wasn't the word she would have chosen for the process of adaptation Seven had undergone, and was still undergoing, but it somehow fit.
"Yes," Hnaahth prompted.
"It took patience and understanding."
"And surgery," the alien added. "I couldn't help but notice you've removed most of her implants."
"That was necessary. After Seven became cut off from the collective they posed a danger to her health."
"What do you use the Borg for?"
"I don't 'use' her. Seven is a valued member of my crew."
"Ahh... I was hoping to keep her."
"Keep her? You said you were going to let us go when you finished talking to us."
"I said I was going to let you go, I said nothing about letting the Borg go."
"She is not 'the Borg'," said Janeway coldly. "Her name is Seven, and if you think you're going to keep her, then you'll have a fight on your hands."
"Very commendable, if ultimately pointless. You couldn't stop me if I wanted to keep her. But, if as you claim, she's a valued member of your crew, then I'll let her return."
"Thank you," said Janeway, semi-sarcastically, semi-grateful.
"I hadn't realised the level of domestication you have achieved."
Janeway shot him a dirty look.
"Patience, understanding and surgery," he said. "I'll have to remember that."

****

Janeway blinked and found herself on the bridge. There were several shouts of surprise at her return. She turned and was relieved to see Seven standing there. The former drone nodded to her.
"Welcome back," said Chakotay. "What happened?"
"I.... I'm not sure."
"The vessel is moving away," announced Tuvok.
They all turned to the view screen in time to see the vessel disappear.
"I'm not sure," Janeway repeated.

****

Janeway grimaced as she sipped her coffee, it tasted more bitter than usual, she made a mental note to alter the programming on the replicator. She leaned back in her chair and considered the last mission and the feelings they ignited in her. The thought of losing a crew member was bad enough, but why was the thought of losing Seven different.
It was then that realisation hit her.
'I'm in love!'
As she turned her attention back to the padd in her hand the door chime sounded.
"Enter."
The door slid aside and Seven of Nine entered. She approached the captain, stood to attention and held out a padd.
"My report."
"Thank you," said Janeway, and reached out to take it. As her hand contacted the padd she looked up into Seven's eyes. They stayed that way for a few heartbeats, Seven standing, Janeway sitting, the padd held between them. 'Tell her, Janeway,' the captain screamed at herself.
"Will that be all?" Seven said eventually, letting go and putting her hand behind her back.
"Yes. Thank you." 'Tell her!' "Seven!"
"Yes, Captain?"
"I..... I think..... I'm not sure how to say this. I'm not sure I should say this."
"Say, what?"
Janeway stood up. "I think about you a lot. I enjoy your company. Our times in the holodeck. I miss you when you're not around. I.... When I thought I'd lost you... I... it hurt," Janeway took a deep breath. "I think I love you," she uttered a laugh of relief. "There I said it. I didn't think I could, but I did." She took a calming breath and looked expectantly at the other woman.
"Is there anything else?" asked Seven.
The reply took the wind out of her and she sank back into her seat. "No," she heard herself say. She pulled herself together. "Yes. How do you feel about what I just said? How do you feel about me?"
Seven considered the captain's words. "Do you wish to copulate with me?"
Janeway felt as if she'd been given a shock with a Klingon painstick.
Seven stepped closer. "Are you all right captain? You look...  ill."
"No, I'm fine. I just didn't expect you to respond that way. Though to be honest I'm not sure how I expected you to reply."
"Isn't that what people in love do?"
"Yes. But it's more than that. It's wanting to be with someone. Thinking about them when they aren't there. Caring about them."
Janeway looked up into the open face of Seven. It was then that Janeway realised what she was dealing with. Seven may be a woman, but emotionally she was still a child. To dump her admission of love on the ex-Borg was perhaps not the brightest thing Janeway had ever done.
"I'm sorry," said the captain. "I shouldn't have said what I said."
"You mean you don't feel those thing?"
"I do feel those things, I just should have been more careful about expressing them." Janeway turned her seat to face the window and stared at the streaking stars outside. "You may go."
Seven stared at the back of the captain's head, she heard her dismissal, but felt she needed to say something. She had so many conflicting emotions with which she didn't know how to deal.
Janeway could see the other woman's reflection in the window, and considered repeating her order when Seven spoke.
"I, too, enjoy our time together. You have taught me so much and I look forward to the times when we can be together. I guess you could say I miss you when you are not there. I would not like to see you hurt."
Janeway slowly turned her chair back around.
"Is that love?" asked Seven.
"It's a start," said Janeway, and smiled.
"I have to return to duty," said Seven, and left.
Janeway thought about what Seven had said. It wasn't quite the love she hoped for, but it offered something to cling to. Something for a relationship to form from. Something that would make the journey home that little bit more bearable.

THE END
2/4/00 - 29/4/00
 

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