STAR TREK: VOYAGER
This story is for Lyric because she came gave me the title and
asked me to write her a story.
Rock-a-bye Janeway
“Captain may I speak with you?”
“Of course Seven, what is it?”
“I lost a bet with Tom Paris and now I have to do something
and I am not sure I can.”
Janeway caught her breath for a second. What the hell
stupid thing can
“What was the bet Seven, and I thought you knew better than to bet
with
Seven
lifted her optical implant in a way that usually made the
Captain go weak at the knees, “I was exploring my humanity
Captain, somethng that you have often requested me to do”
The beautiful former Borg smiled
at her Captain, knowing that this was indeed what the Captain wanted
her to do. Seven knew that if
she was going to obtain the Captain’s help she would need to be
her most
charming. She leaned in a bit closer and said, “He bet me
that he could
get Kim to run through the mess hall in only his underwear. I did
not think
that Kim would be so stupid. I was wrong.”
Janeway put her hand to her face and pinched the bridge of her
nose. She could see now that the past month of empty space had lowered
her crew’s defenses. She made a mental note to tell Tuvok to run some
battle simulations before Tom completely took over her crew. She would
also have to speak to Neelix about keeping her informed of such
behaviour. “Seven you should know better than to engage in betting with
"I will not make the same mistake again Captain."
"So what do you have to do now Seven, and why do you need my help?"
Seven arched her back and leaned into the Captain, knowing that the movement stretched the material of her biosuit tighter across her breasts. Janeway's eyes were immediately drawn to Seven's breasts and for a moment she forgot what they had been talking about.
“Yes” said Janeway thinking only of putting her mouth on those
beautiful breasts and sucking.
“Excellent, thank you Captain, we will arrive at your quarters at
0700 hours.”
Seven turned and began to walk out of the ready room, hoping to
make it out the door before Janeway realized what had just happened.
Without the distraction of those breasts Janeway returned to her
senses, “We, what we? And what the hell did I just say yes to Seven?”
“See you in the morning Captain and thank you” said Seven over her
shoulder as she quickly left the room.
Janeway began to pace wondering what the hell she had just agreed
to. Damn Tom Paris and his stupid bets!
The alarm beeped at precisely 0630 hours the next morning and
Janeway stretched her muscles. She had spent the night dreaming of her
childhood and the tricks she used to play on her younger sister Phoebe.
Perhaps she was about to get a taste of her own medicine. She got out of
bed and walked slowly to the sonic shower, dreading what the day had in store
for her. The only consolation was that it would be spent with Seven, but
depending upon the bet that may not be a good thing.
After getting dressed she replicated a strong pot of coffee and
waited.
At precisely 0700 hours the door chirped and she responded with a
brusque “Enter”
Seven walked in carrying baby MIral in her arms closely followed
by B’Elanna who was carrying several bags and a bassinet.
“I am so glad you are going to help Seven, Captain. When Tom
told me about the bet I wasn’t sure that it was fair but Seven insisted she
honour it and assured me that you were going to help her and you were looking
forward to it.”
Janeway looked at Seven with more than a hint of anger in her
face, but Seven just smiled sweetly and raised her ocular implant. “Oh
she insisted B’Elanna, here Captain you may hold Miral now, I know you are
dying to get your hands on her.”
“Thanks again and enjoy your day, I have given Seven all the
instructions.” Said B’Elanna as she kissed Miral and headed out the door.
Miral began to cry, perhaps sensing that the person holding her
was better at holding a phaser rifle than a tiny infant. Janeway quickly
thrust the noisy bundle back into Seven’s arms.
“Well you have the instructions, do something Seven. I see
Janeway began to pace as Seven gently rocked Miral in her arms,
remembering that B’Elanna had told her she liked that. “How long do we
have to look after the baby Seven, please tell me it is not all day. And
by the way, you will pay for tricking me into this, don’t think you
wont.” “Kathryn, B’Elanna and Tom have not spent any time alone together
since Miral was born and I thought it would be nice for them. I actually
knew I would loose the bet you know, I am not as naïve as you think me.”
“Don’t worry Seven, I will not underestimate your abilities again,
that is for sure.”
The rocking was not helping and in fact Miral seemed to have
increased the noise level if that was possible. “For god’s sake Seven will you
shut that thing up now.”
“Kathryn, she may need a new diaper. Can you search in that
bag and find one for me please,” said Seven as she laid Miral on the sofa.
“Oh don’t put her there Seven.”
“Where do you suggest I put her Captain, unless you want to change
her while I hold her?”
Janeway just glared back and searched through the nearest bag
pulling out enough baby clothes to last a week. “Seven it is just for the
day isn’t it? I mean how many clothes does a baby need for heaven’s
sake. I will have to talk to Tom about his replicator rations. He
clearly has too many.” She could not find any diapers in that bag so she
reached for the next one and discovered it full of baby bottles and baby
rugs. She pulled out a yellow one and handed it to Seven. “Here put
this under her in case there is a mess.” The third bag was the charm and
she handed Seven a smalldiaper.
“I am going to check some files in my ready room Seven; I will be
back when I am done.”
“No Kathryn, you are staying right here with me,
remember you agreed to help me with the bet and Miral is the bet you know.”
“Yes well if I had known that at the time Seven I would not have
said yes, you know that, I do not do
babies,”
“I know you were not looking at my face at the time Captain, but
you did say yes. What did you think you
were saying yes to?”
Janeway flushed a deep red and turned around, “all right Seven, I
will stay, but please hurry up and cover that child up now,”
Seven dressed Miral and looked at Janeway, “so do you want to
clean up or hold the baby?”
Janeway did not want to do either but she chose the lesser of two
evils, and cleaned up. Miral was cooing
sweetly now and seemed to enjoy sitting on Seven’s lap. A place the Captain would also enjoy if she
could only survive the day.
“Computer what is the current time?”
0730 hours
Thirty minutes. It can’t be, how could
only thirty minutes have elapsed since Seven and MIral had arrived? It was clearly going to be a very long day,
but perhaps I will get lucky and the Hirogen will drop by.
“Kathryn if you put a rug on the floor I can put Miral down and we can converse, would you like that?”
Janeway complied and soon Miral was on her rug surrounded by
colourful objects, each one of which she felt the need to put in her mouth.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The petite red head replicated a fresh pot of coffee and set it on
the table, well out of the reach of tiny fingers. She poured a mug full and joined Seven on the
sofa.
“Kathryn, you must admit she is very sweet when she isn’t
crying.”
“Well I am glad the noise has stopped for now but babies have
never been something I was interested in Seven.
I had my career I guess and just never thought about them, and now, well
that time has past.”
“Not necessarily Kathryn, what if you enter into a relationship
with someone and they want a child?”
“Seven that is not likely to happen out here so why worry about
it,” said Janeway beginning to feel very uncomfortable with the turn the
conversation was taking.
“Humor me anyway Captain, and answer my question.”
Janeway took a deep breath. For some reason she felt that her
answer to this question was important to Seven.
God does she want a relationship
with me or is it just curiosity? Does
she want children? What can I say? What if I say the wrong thing? I will have to
take the risk because the only answer I can give to her is the honest one.
“If I am lucky enough to find a loving and secure relationship,
and my partner wants a child, then Seven I would open my heart to the
possibility of sharing a child with her. But until then I cannot really answer
the question.”
“Her?” smiled Seven
Just then Miral became bored with her toys and began to cry.
Saved by the baby, thought Janeway. She leaned down and looked at the tiny little
person who had invaded her quarters. “So
Seven, what is that noise about?”
Seven laughed, enjoying her role as the one in charge. Usually it was Janeway who got to call the
shots, but this time Seven had the upper hand and she intended to use it.
“I changed her a short time ago Kathryn, you may remember, so
that leaves only two choices. Do
you know what they are?”
Janeway turned and looked at Seven, hearing a hint of smugness in
her voice. Two choices, damn can’t be that difficult can it? What the hell could
such a small person possibly want? How
could this tiny infant be more difficult to deal with than the Borg Queen? This was ridiculous!
“Well Seven perhaps she wants her teddy bear or could it just be she
wants to look out the window?”
Seven laughed, “Kathryn you show her the stars while I get a
bottle ready, and we will see which one does the trick.”
Janeway knelt down and put her hands on either side of the
wriggling bundle whose noise volume had increased substantially. She took a deep breath and picked the bundle
up holding it out in front of her. The
Captain walked to the window and held MIral close to the glass hoping that the
stars flashing by outside would provide some relief from the noise. Sadly for the Captain this was one maneuver
that had little chance of success and Miral proved the point by crying even
louder. Luckily Seven had heated the
bottle and took the baby from Janeways outstretched arms. She sat on the sofa and placed the bottle in
Miral’s hungry mouth.
Kathryn ran her hands through her hair and looked down at the pair
of the sofa. It melted her heart to see Seven
being so gentle and loving, and she stood staring for a long time. She watched as Miral slowly closed her eyes
and fell asleep and reached over for the bassinet, placing it next to Seven on
the sofa. Seven gently placed the
sleeping baby in the bassinet and smiled at Kathryn. “That was not so hard now was it, guess
the stars will have to wait.”
Janeway walked over to her desk, determined to engage her brain
with something she could control. She
opened her computer and reviewed the duty shift files. Seven tidied up Miral’s toys and clothes and
replicated herself a cup of peppermint tea.
She picked up the PADD’s she had bought with her and started reviewing
the star charts of the area they were now traveling through. She looked over at Kathryn and smiled,
thinking how nice it was to spend time with her Captain like this.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The time passed quickly now and Janeway began to feel more relaxed
thinking that babies were not so difficult after all. She looked over at Seven and smiled, but just
then Miral decided it was time to remind them of her presence. She let out such a tremendous cry that Seven
jumped and said “Well I can see that she has her mother’s lungs.” Janeway laughed and shut down her computer,
knowing that any further work with that noise in the background would be
impossible.
“So Seven, what is it now?”
“I would think another diaper Captain, I am assuming that you require me to do that task again,”
“As usual Seven you are correct” said Janeway as she made her way
to the replicator. She knew she had
drunk too much coffee today already but she needed it.
Thankfully Miral was again cooing happily and Janeway sat at her
desk to drink her coffee.
“Chakotay to Seven of Nine,”
“Yes Commander,”
“Seven you are required on the bridge.”
Janeway bit her tongue, wanting to countermand the order but
knowing that she had given the bridge to Chakotay and it would not be right to
overrule him just to suit her needs.
“Yes Commander, reporting now.”
Seven got up off the couch and made her way to the door. “I am sorry Kathryn, I did not think I would
be needed during this shift.”
“It is alright Seven, I mean how difficult can it be to look after
one tiny person on my own?” asked Janeway with just a hint or nervousness in
her voice.
“Just remember, diaper, bottle or sleep, in that order.”
With that Seven left the Captain’s quarters.
Janeway moved over to the sofa and sat down to watch Miral. Luckily she seemed content at this time as
she cooed and chewed on her toys. She
looked down at the tiny fingers and toes amazed at their size and their
perfection. Miral looked up and seemed
to smile at the curious red head.
Janeway reached down and touched Miral’s cheek amazed at its
softness. She picked her up and held her
close leaning down to place a gentle kiss on the tiny head, breathing in the
wonderful baby smell which was new to her.
The Captain of Voyager leaned back into
the sofa and held Miral in her arms, taking in the sweetness of her face. MIral let out a soft cry which began to
increase in volume. Janeway began to
gently rock her in her arms and began to hum.
It was a tune she suddenly remembered from her childhood and it took her
a little by surprise. Miral however
seemed to enjoy it and stopped her crying, now making the soft bubble sounds that
babies do. She softly began to sing the
words;
Rock-a-bye,
baby
In the treetop
When the wind blows
The cradle will rock
When the bough breaks
The cradle will fall
And down will come baby
Cradle and all
Janeway felt an unusual peace move
through her body and she forgot everything except this tiny child cooing in her
arms. MIral began to close her eyes and
Janeway could feel her own lids drooping.
Seven had not been needed for more than a couple of hours on the
bridge. She hurried back to the Captain’s
quarters, hoping that Kathryn had coped with Miral for two whole hours. She was beginning to feel guilty about
tricking the Captain into helping her and wanted to tell her. She hurried out of the turbolift and overrode
the security protocol on the Captain’s doors not wanting to wake Miral with the
chirp.
She walked in and stopped in her tracks. Seven would carry the memory of the sight that
greeted her for the rest of her days.
There was Captain Janeway, the brave and tough Starfleet captain, asleep
on the couch with a tiny, sleeping Miral cradled in her arms.
THE END