[Scene Insert: The following scene takes place
before the first Briefing Room scene where Janeway approves entrance in the Antarian Trans-stellar Rally.
]
"You trust me, don't you?"
"Yes, Kathryn."
"Then come here," ordered Janeway who stood at the bottom of three small steps leading into the Olympic-sized pool. She offered her hand to Seven when she came within reach. "I know you're not afraid of the water," the captain commented appealing to the younger woman's pride.
Seven frowned as she regarded her attire - yet again. She had opted for a black swimsuit with electric blue 'racing' stripes along her sides. The garment completely covered her torso, back and thighs, cutting off just above the knees. Unlike Janeway's, it had a sweeping neckline and one-quarter length sleeves.
"I do not like the sensation of water."
Regardless, Seven took the offered hand as she descended the stairs, stepping into the cool water. Her eyes wandered over Janeway's swimsuit, realizing it was the same one worn during the Doctor's rehabilitation exercises.
Still holding her hand, Janeway guided Seven further into the pool, stopping around the 140 cm mark. "See, this isn't so bad." She attempted to release the hand she held captive, but it did not let go. Eyeing Seven with amused suspicion, Janeway gave a reassuring squeeze before temporarily submerging herself underwater. Pushing the stray hairs back, she asked, "You want to try?"
"No."
"It'll help you adjust to the water's temperature."
"My nanoprobes are functioning adequately."
Smiling, the captain allowed herself to relax, allowing the water to suspend her body. After a few moments, she noticed Seven start to relax as she got used to the sensation. "I'm sure you already know the mechanics of swimming."
"Correct."
"You're just not comfortable in the water."
"Correct."
"Why?"
Seven regarded Janeway with an even expression as she never really thought about
why she didn't like being in the water, just that it felt . . . off.
Janeway tried a different tactic. "What is it about being in the water that makes you uncomfortable?" She could tell Seven was honestly focusing on her question. Then, it all clicked. Looking down at her floating body, she smiled, "You don't like the weightlessness, the loss of control."
Their hands still linked, Janeway returned her feet to the rough concrete-like texture of the pool bottom. She walked around the ex-drone, turning her. "There are several basics to swimming you
have to become comfortable with, Seven." Before the younger woman could offer the obvious counter agreement, she added, "Yes, I realize you know
how to swim, but I would rather we not wait for a crisis to test your practical aptitude. So, we're going to start with floating."
If she could get Seven comfortable with floating, the rest should naturally follow, or so Janeway hoped.
"Very well."
Dipping her head, Janeway quickly smothered the threatening smirk. "Good." Carefully, she extricated her hand from the near death grip. Stepping to stand at Seven's side, the captain calmly instructed, "Lower yourself into the water by bending your knees a bit. Good, now lean back."
Janeway placed - what she hoped was - a reassuring hand on the middle of Seven's back while sliding her other arm under her legs. She watched as the young woman stiffened when her head touched the water.
"It's alright," the older woman softly cooed, willing the ex-drone to relax. "Just breathe."
Feeling all of her muscles seize, Seven of Nine didn't understand this irrational fear, and she certainly didn't like experiencing it. A moment of concern crossed her features as she considered the physical strain supporting her frame may cause her captain. Her eyes nervously darted to Janeway's.
As if knowing what was on the young woman's mind, Janeway flashed a grin. "I won't let you sink." She ignored the arm that wrapped around her waist, pulling at the fabric of her swimsuit. "Slow, deep breaths, Seven - that's it." Once certain that Seven had gained some semblance of control, she continued her instructions, "Now, lift your feet off the bottom-"
"Kathryn, I don't think that would be wise," interrupted the Borg as she shifted to right herself. However her movements were stalled by a firm glare from Janeway and an equally stern 'relax.' She slowly raised her feet off the pool floor. Instinctively, Seven pressed her fingertips into the small of Janeway's back as she sought physical contact. Water gently lapped against her starburst implant on her right check, causing a flinch.
Once again, Janeway soothingly repeated, "Breathe, Seven, just breathe."
Slowly, Seven found herself relaxing, trusting the arms supporting her. The tension in her muscles seemed to uncoil as the water seemed to push her upward instead of dragging her under. Her brows furrowed as she attempted to identify the sounds vibrating in the water. She could hear the warp core humming, the subtle shake of the ship cruising at warp. For the first time, Seven realized the pool house had a skylight roof. Natural holographic light streamed down, indicating the hour to be around 0900 hours - if the pool was indeed in San Francisco. Slowly her need to maintain a hold on the captain lessened as her eyes drifted closed.
Janeway smiled as she watched Seven's eyes close. Carefully, she lowered her arms from Seven, allowing her to float totally on her own. Her next step was to take a step away, but there was that hand on her back, just resting there....
However, before the captain could devise how to extricate herself, Seven abruptly tensed up, her eyes and mouth flew open. She gasped. Fear seized her as she felt her head begin to submerge, yet her body did not sink any further. Puzzled by the absence of doom, Seven returned to rational thought. Hand tightly gripping the material of Janeway's swimsuit, she looked into concerned eyes.
"Want to keep trying?" the captain asked.
Grateful that Janeway did not question her reaction, Seven nodded as she settled her breathing and allowed her body to once again relax. It wasn't until the captain's hands were no longer supporting her that Seven realized the comfort drawn from the physical contact.
The practice continued without further event, and the ex-drone had gained a suitable amount of confidence with the task. Things even progressed enough for Seven of Nine to actually demonstrate her swimming technique. However, the fun stopped when Janeway suggested she take a dive off one of the platforms or springboards. Seven declined.
"Next time?" Janeway asked
"Perhaps." Seven said entering the pool's locker room.
"Naomi will be quite pleased when she finds out you're comfortable swimming," the captain commented, following Seven around a series of lockers until she located her own. Opening the door, she continued, "She's been feeling the crew out for additional swim partners for some time now."
Seven hesitated in removing her swimsuit as Janeway was already out of hers. "She has never mentioned a desire to swim." Her eyes watched flexing muscles as the captain started to dress. Slowly, she slipped out of her own swimsuit.
Pulling a grey tank over her head, Janeway explained, "She knows you're not too keen on the idea." She sat on the center bench, pulling on grey boot socks.
With a sense of urgency, Seven slipped into her dermaplastic bio-suit. By the time Janeway stood to fasten her uniform pants, she was already dressed and situating her hair.
Any further conversation was halted by a hail from Chakotay indicating that Paris and Kim wished to speak with her at her earliest convenience. Janeway attempted to hedge what this meeting was going to entail, but her XO refused to give any hints. Seven of Nine took this as an opportunity to abruptly excuse herself, and quickly exited.
The captain simply finished her conversation with Chakotay, indicating that she would be ready to meet in about ten minutes. However, she couldn't take her gaze off of Seven's retreating back. She had observed the young woman's movements through her reflection in the gleaming lockers but not in any great detail.
***
[Scene Insert: The following scene takes place
between Torres accepting Paris' marriage proposal and the 'honeymoon' onboard the
Delta Flyer.
]
"May I join you?"
Seven looked up to see Captain Janeway, still in dress uniform, smile down at her. Taking a slow breath which seemed to fortify her restless stomach, she nodded to the chair across from her while uttering her usual greeting. Thankfully, it appeared the captain did not notice her edginess.
"Did you enjoy the ceremony?" Janeway settled herself at a slight angle, legs crossed with hands clasped over her knee.
The captain seemed different in her dress uniform, but Seven could not deduce precisely why.
"The proceedings were rather subdued for the emotional significance the crew had placed on the event." While Janeway's gaze was diverted to watching couples quietly talk on the other side of the Mess Hall, Seven took the opportunity to study the older woman's profile: the strong jaw line, intense blue-grey eyes.... Suddenly, those eyes were focused back on her, and Seven glanced away.
"That's usually how commitment ceremonies go . . . for the most part." Janeway flashed a crooked smile; her expression was warm, welcoming.
"Have you attended many of these marriage ceremonies?"
With a shrug, the captain replied, "I've been to my fair share I suppose. Of course, I presided over most of them since earning my fourth pip."
At the sound of the pneumatic doors, the pair watched as a whispering couple slinked out of the Mess Hall, holding hands. The atmosphere was comfortable and relaxed as Janeway and Seven maintained their status quo and nestled in an isolated corner together.
While idly holding an empty glass, Seven said softly, so as to not attract unwarranted attention, "I have been contemplating my own possible participation with marriage. My research into the matter has created only more questions."
Patiently, the captain waited, a hand now resting on the table top as she was unconcerned with the chatter amongst the remaining crew.
"Commander Chakotay asked if I have ever considered marriage and would I eventually take part in the ritual myself."
Janeway arched an eyebrow. She had seen the pair speaking shortly after Tom and B'Elanna left, but had no clue what her first officer would say to Seven at a wedding of all places.
Looking directly at the older woman, Seven let a bit of ire show. "The more I think about the prospect, the angrier I feel."
Turning to face Seven fully, the captain rested both hands on table, mere inches from where Seven clinched her glass. "Why's that?"
"Since our first interaction, Axum was not content with who I have become since being freed from the Collective, and as I've had time to reflect on our exchanges, I realize he attempted to mold me into the Annika Hansen he remembered." Seven went rigid as she spoke, her annoyance clearly evident in her eyes and voice. "I do not remember being Annika Hansen."
"Then don't be Annika Hansen," Janeway rasped, voice low and husky as she rested a hand gently over Seven's own.
"Who am I supposed to be?"
"You."
The answer didn't seem to pacify the ex-drone as she glared at Janeway, her eyes narrowing slightly. "It is hard to be oneself when everyone expects one to be someone else." Seven let her anger have freer reign because the more she held the emotion in check, the more powerful the feelings became. "You yourself said I seemed more human in Unimatrix Zero."
Holding up her free hand, the captain said, "I never actually said human."
"A technicality."
"Maybe, but the sentiment remains the same." Seeing Seven about to object, Janeway quickly continued. "Being human isn't a simple matter of DNA and physical appearance, it's about what's inside - the heart, the essence of who you are, not what you are." A pause. "How comfortable you are with yourself."
Comfortable, that was what Janeway really wanted to say; that was how Seven had appeared in Unimatrix Zero. However, the captain resisted the urge of correcting the young woman. The conversational waters were murky enough as it was.
Silence once again settled between them. Seven found she couldn't be angry at Janeway, but she still didn't completely understand what the captain was trying to explain. Seven of Nine was Borg. Annika Hansen was her human counterpart. It was a clean divergence of identity, simple and absolute, wasn't it? Didn't she simply have to choose to be one or the other? Wasn't it her goal to eventually become completely human? So lost was she in her pondering that when her thoughts stilled, Seven was captivated by the friendly, welcoming face still sitting across from her and the hand now firmly holding her own.
"This matter will undoubtedly take further consideration and thought." Seven said without really realizing it.
Squeezing the younger woman's hand before releasing it, Janeway leaned back. "Yes, it will."
"However, it still does not illustrate the necessity for marriage. If two people have chosen to embark on a monogamous relationship, why go through an archaic ceremony?" Seven asked, wanting to divert the conversation from the deeper issue.
Blinking a few times, the captain cleared her throat. "Well, there are all types of reasons why people choose to get married: legal, religious, romantic-"
"Romance is inconsequential."
"Oh, I don't know. There's some pretty convincing evidence to the contrary."
"The concept of romance is vague, superfluous and deceptive," spat Seven, remembering her foray into dating under the Doctor's guidance.
"How so?" Janeway asked. The young woman had barely scratched the surface of romance and had already come away with two unfavorable experiences. What was that old adage? Once burned, twice shy.
"Isn't the purpose of romance to curry the favor of an individual?"
The captain nodded, waiting to see where the Borg took this.
"My first date was a failure," Seven stated as if that was enough. After a moment, she added, "I've observed the crew's attempts at facilitating romantic endeavors amongst themselves and other species. The entire process routinely appears counterproductive to the desired end result."
Janeway couldn't really argue that point. She had on numerous occasions observed (and heard) the overzealous antics of her crew in their pursuit for romantic companionship, and unfortunately, some situations required her direct involvement. After her last attempt of nudging Seven into expanding her emotional base to include romantic, the captain was extra cautious as to how she should approach the topic while allowing Seven to develop her own outlook. She must have been quiet for too long....
"My experience with Axum demonstrated romantic behavior to be inconsistent and impractical."
Oh, boy. Janeway had walked into a minefield with this one. "Let's simplify things a little bit." Noting Seven's quiet acceptance, she said, taking to gesturing with her hands, "Take a friendship, a really good friendship, one in which you feel completely comfortable with the other person. Now imagine taking that same friendship and intensifying it to include an even deeper level of comfort - sharing things you wouldn't normally. As things progress, you develop a common ground by sharing similar interests and hobbies, learn to express yourselves without hostility or arguments, and gradually, if the right chemistry is present, start to connect and bond through physical intimacy."
"That is the essence of romance?" Seven sounded skeptical.
"More or less, but every individual, every culture has their own outlook. Although there are quantifiable parameters, romance remains primarily a personal experience and a matter of perspective."
"Then, the Doctor's advice was incorrect."
"His advice was maybe not the most practical application for you."
"What realistic application for a romantic relationship would you suggest?"
Janeway's first inclination was to refuse to answer, but that damned expectant, trusting look managed to slip past her defenses - every time. Wishing for a cup of coffee, the captain cleared her throat, voice gravelly as she managed to answer, "Laissez-faire." At Seven's confused expression, the captain continued, "I think you may be over analyzing romance and relationships in general. Just take a step back, do some more research. There's certainly no rush or pressure, despite what anyone might tell you."
The relief in Seven's eyes was almost tangible. She was torn in her own desires. On one side, Seven wanted nothing to do with the mundane trivialities of the crew's emotional lives. On the other hand, she desperately sought companionship. It was her own reluctance to expose herself that kept her from seeking deeper relationships among the crew. This same reluctance was further fueled by the Doctor's well-meaning but ill-executed attempt in helping Seven to date.
The pair resumed their casual scrutiny of the crew, who still socialized in the Mess Hall. Some were animated in their conversations while others spoke quietly. Each woman lost herself in her own appraisal of the dynamics around her.
"Come on," Janeway said as she stood, gesturing for Seven to follow her. "Walk the ship with me. It'll help clear your head."
Without another word, Seven of Nine joined Captain Janeway on a tour of the ship.
***
Chapter 5
Vista