[pwaxen@yahoo.com]

This story can probably read it as a standalone, as long as you recognized that Janeway and Seven are in love.

Disclaimer: The characters of Star Trek: Voyager are the property of Paramount Pictures. This story is written in the spirit of Voyager fandom. No infringement is intended.

Warning: This story depicted two women in love. If this offends you or you are too young or it's just plain illegal on your part of the planet, do not proceed. This story contains explicit sex.

Please do not archive, link to or reproduce this story without author's consent.

Element of Doubt

by Vaxen (pwaxen@yahoo.com)

Every course change designed to take them out of the path of one disturbance led them into another. The resulting excursion had not only driven them far from their original course, but away from the general shipping lanes. The solid month of being chased by ion storms had put a damper on the crew's spirits and a dent in the ship's resources. With the storms finally at an end, the senior staff turned their attention to recovery.

"We know where we aren't," Janeway opened, "the question is, do we know where we are?" She sat with her elbow on the table and her temple and jaw supported by her index finger and thumb respectively - the picture of frustration.

"The Borg explored this region of space over five hundred years ago. It was found to be unremarkable," Seven offered.

"In other words, no one to assimilate." Janeway managed a weak smile. "At least we won't be running into them."

"Or anyone else, I'd hazard a guess," said Kim. "I've done long range scans. There's only one planet within range that has any chance of sustaining life. It's our best bet for finding food and the organic matter we need as raw material for the replicators. The bad news is that it will take us even farther out of the way than we've already gone. The good news is there are indications of a rich dilithium deposit."

"That is good news," Janeway said, perking up.

"Even that isn't all good news," B'Elanna added. "The planet has an anomalous geological structure. We're going to need a surface crew to help us with the extraction process. Instead of beaming the crystals out in a couple of hours, it will probably take two weeks."

"It can't be help," Janeway stated. "We can't get back on course without supplies and as long as we're there we may as well take advantage. A treasure like this doesn't fall into our laps every day. Chakotay, assemble an away team. While you're scouting for the rest of our supplies, you can find a good location for B'Elanna's crew."

Kim cleared his throat. "I should warn you that we did detect some small life signs on the planet's surface. There may be predators."

"Make sure everyone on the mission is armed," Janeway told Chakotay. "I'll be waiting for your report and I don't want to hear any more bad new."

"Yes, Captain."

Chakotay, Seven and two ensigns from engineering materialized in the midst of a dense forest of aging trees, which lifted their gnarled limbs to the sky in a tangled confusion. The floor of the forest was nearly bare, but the trees themselves were tightly spaced.

"We may have some trouble setting up a station down here," said Chakotay as he and the rest of the team pulled out tricorders. "B'Elanna's estimate of two weeks may have been optimistic."

Seven was frowning over her tricorder. "Commander, I have detected several life signs. The closest is 15 meters in that direction and advancing. The telemetry is unusual."

"Ready, phasers," Chakotay ordered and he and the ensigns trained their weapons in the direction from which they heard something approaching. They observed the motion as it zigzagged between the trunks; a blur of muted color until it was practically upon them. Only then could they make out the dark body armor trimmed with tubes, wires and servomechanisms and the pale skin of a hairless head.

"Borg," one of the ensigns screamed and fired into the figure's chest.

"No," Seven cried, too late to stop him. She rushed to the motionless heap lying unconscious on the forest floor. "This is not a Borg. My proximity detector would have activated. Seven to transporter room, two to beam directly to sickbay from my signal." She pulled the body into her arms and waited to dematerialize.

"This is most unusual," the Doctor commented as his examination of the injured women produced progressively more startling results. "She is human and she possesses Borg technology, yet she is not Borg."

Janeway walked in just in time to catch his last comment. "How is that possible?"

"I wish I knew. There is no transponder, which is why Seven's proximity detector wasn't set off. In fact there are no communication components anywhere in her body, yet her blood stream contains nanoprobes almost identical to those in Seven's"

"Is she going to be alright?"

"I detect no internal injuries. The phaser was set on stun. The minor disturbance it caused to the cerebral cortex has rendered her temporarily unconscious. It shouldn't last long."

"Are you alright, Seven," Janeway asked as she gently touched her arm.

"It was disconcerting. Like the others, I believed the evidence of my eyes. I failed to realize they were deceiving me."

"It's not your fault. You tried."

"I wonder if she will take comfort in the fact that I tried," Seven replied.

"Perhaps we should return her to the planet's surface before she revives."

At that moment, the woman's eyes fluttered open. She took in the Doctor and Janeway with no interest, then caught sight of Seven. Reverence filled her face as she slowly reached up and lovingly caressed Seven's ocular implant. "We have waited so long for you."

"Waited so long? Who do you think she is?" the Doctor asked his patient.

She refused to tear her eyes away from Seven as she answered, "She is Neves. She is the One who will make us One."

Janeway gave Seven a speculative, almost fearful look. "Who are you and who is the 'us' you spoke of?"

"I am Mar and we are the Glarakrue and we have waited for you since the beginning of time." She delicately traced the ribbons Borg technology that covered Seven's hand.

"I have been in existence for less than three decades, therefore you must be mistaken."

"Are you not from the minds of many who become One?" Mar asked.

"Could she be talking about the Collective?" Janeway wondered.

"It is an accurate description," Seven admitted.

"I must take you to the others." Mar attempted to leave the biobed, but lost her balance and would have fallen to the floor if Seven hadn't caught her. Mar clung to her as she lifted her back to the bed. "Neves will catch me when I fall," she murmured, like a prayer.

Janeway looked at the Borg-like woman with bewilderment and an unwelcome flash of jealousy. "You need to rest," she said to Mar. "You've had a severe shock to your system." To Seven she said, "She's incoherent right now. I'm sure this will all make more sense when she's had a little time to recover."

"Perhaps," Seven replied, a hint of panic seeping through her carefully modulated tone. Mar, who had continued to hold Seven's hand, went limp. "Doctor, she has lost consciousness, again."

The Doctor circled Mar's head and body with a medical tricorder. "This is not good. She's experiencing rapid metabolic failure. If this were Seven, I'd say that she was in desperate need of regeneration."

"She has Borg technology. She probably has a regeneration cycle."

"It's possible the phaser hit disrupted it," the Doctor added.

"We'll have to return her to the surface."

"I don't think she'll survive the transporter in her condition, not to mention the time it might take to locate her 'alcove.' I suggest we move her to cargo bay 2 and quickly."

"You've had a very difficult day. You really should eat something." Janeway and Seven had elected to forego the night's planned entertainment in favor of a quiet meal together in the Captain's quarters. Seven had been pushing food around her plate in a distracted manner for ten minutes. "The Doctor says Mar will be fine. You don't need to worry about her."

"My concern for Mar is only one of many things that seem to be preoccupying my thoughts."

"I'm here if you want to talk about it." Janeway allowed her fork to drift to her plate and settle there, finding that she, too, had little appetite.

"With the exception of yourself, I have never know such immediate and unconditional acceptance as Mar gave me" From anyone one else is would have sounded like a plea for sympathy, but from Seven it was a simple statement of fact. "It is strange to be loved and accepted when one is used to being disliked and shunned."

"She thinks you are her savior. She thinks you are here to assimilate her, to make her One. She's wrong. You can't do that."

"Yes, I can," Seven whispered. The fork slipped from Janeway's fingers causing a discordant clangor. "I have the knowledge of the Collective. I know how to make the minds of many into one."

Seven had risen from the table and moved to the couch. Janeway followed her. "You wouldn't do that," said Janeway, half way between a question and an order.

"The Borg relationship to humans is founded in a paradox. They crave the assimilation of humans for the perfection their individuality would bring the Collective, yet when humans are assimilated they are no longer individuals. I was taken by the Borg against my will and against my will I was removed from them only to find the individuality I had lost, yet Mar would willingly participate in a system that has become an anathema to me. Individuals do not seek assimilation. I do not understand."

Janeway had joined her on the sofa. Seven laid her head on Janeway's shoulder, accepting the comfort of her cradling arms. She held Seven for several minutes, musing over the day's events, until the soft, insistent pressure of Seven's lips against her neck roused her from her reverie. They progressed to her ear where a nimble tongue traced the intricate contours of the structure. It was one of Janeway's most erogenous areas. Seven knew it and Janeway knew she knew it and it had therefore established itself as one of the bridges between foreplay and intercourse for them. It was a little disconcerting to find Seven using it to initiate intimacy, but Janeway was willing to explore this new approach. Suddenly Seven raked her hands across Janeway's breast and down her torso to the inside of her thigh then back to her waste, where she tugged at the fastening on her slacks.

"Seven's stop," Janeway protested, the mood totally lost. "I can't respond, not like this."

Seven ceased her activity. "Why can you not respond?"

"Why are you doing this?" Janeway retorted.

Seven thought for a moment, trying to understand what the Captain meant. "I don't know. I needed…"

"…an outlet? I understand. Expressing emotion is still difficult for you. I've seen a side of you no one else has been privileged to see. At no other time do you show your feeling the way you do when you're in the heat of passion. I think you're overburdened with emotion right now, but this is not the way to release it. It wouldn't be good for either one of us."

"You are right. Sex under these conditions would not be satisfying. I apologize."

"Don't be sorry. Things are very unsettled right now. Tomorrow we'll take Mar back to the Glarakrue and see if we can't find out what this is all about."

"That would be satisfactory," Seven replied, pulling back a little. Janeway's heart ached for this woman who was unable to utter the simple phrase, "I hope so."

"You aren't leaving?" Janeway asked, as Seven continued to back away.

"I must regenerate." She paused self-consciously. "Would it be alright if I kissed you?"

"I'd be very disappointed if you didn't." The kiss was chaste and loving and Janeway had to fight the impulse to extend it.

The Captain's dreams that night were infused with the image of Seven and Mar standing side by side in Borg alcoves on the planet's surface as Voyager sped away.

The three women transported to the site where the engineering crew was busy with its mining operation. According to reports, dozens of beings similar to Mar had arrived since work began and sat at a safe distance, watching – offering no assistance and no threat. When approached, they would vanish into the forest only to return later. They all stood when Mar appeared, but continued to keep their distance. Mar took Seven by the hand intending to lead her to them, but when the Glarakrue saw Janeway follow they began to retreat. Mar turned to her.

"Please wait here."

Janeway looked at Seven, who assured her she would be fine.

The Glarakrue showed no fear of Seven. They became animated as she approached and gathered around her. Janeway watched them for several anxious minutes until she was at last motioned to come forward.

"Captain, they have a settlement not far from here. There is someone there, a holy man, who may have answers. We have been invited to accompany them."

"By all means," Janeway replied, motioning for them to lead the way.

The longer they walked, the more aware the Captain became of the similarity between this planet and Earth as it must have been in its primordial state, unsullied by the encroachment of industrialization. Temperate breezes caressed her bare skin wafting the sweet scents of flowers and fresh, moist soil. A large yellow sun and a smaller red one imbued the natural colors of the foliage with a enhanced perspective. Against the green background, the multicolored blossoms almost vibrated. The limbs of the ancient trees intertwined like vines in some areas to form a low canopy. As the forest thinned, these shelters became more and more common. The group reached a clearing that overlooked a lush valley.

A lone figure stood off to the side gazing across the lowlands. As they approached, he turned to acknowledge their presence. Meanwhile, they were joined by more of the Borg-like beings as Mar spread the word among them that their redeemer had at last arrived.

"This is Trai," Mar introduced him to Janeway and Seven. "He once knew Neves. He was One, until he fell from grace." The crowd came to a halt in front of him.

"Oh wise and holy man," Mar addressed him, "Neves has arrived. You will be One again."

Trai looked at Seven with a light in his eyes that quickly died. "She is not Neves."

Low murmurs of disappointment began to circulate through the crowd.

"Are you sure Trai?" Mar protested.

"I have seen the one who would make us One, this is not her. She knows the One, but she too has fallen from grace. You are welcome here."

"Can you tell us anything about how you got this way?" Janeway asked, motioning toward his body with her hand and realizing too late that her question probably made no sense.

Before she could expand on it, Trai replied, "I am as I have always been," and returned to his vigil over the valley.

Janeway was about to press her inquiry when a glimpse of something incongruous with the natural surroundings caught her eye. It looked as if some one had torn cargo bay 2 out of Voyager and dropped it in the middle of the woods. There, in a small clearing, were Borg alcoves being powered by a solar array. Attached to one alcove was an inscribed plaque. It had been well cared for, polished so much that the writing was almost worn down in spots. It read,

Bound for Glory

May God Protect This Ship and All Who Journey on Her

"They came here on a starship." Janeway exclaimed. "They aren't the Glarakrue, they are the crew of the Bound for Glory - the Glory crew."

"It would seem so, Captain"

"When we get back to Voyager we'll search the database. The ship was obviously of earth origin. That would explain the human component in the population."

Mar appeared at Seven's shoulder to see what the two women were looking at and commented, "That is all that is left from the beginning."

Janeway tried to formulate a question, something that would unravel the mystery of an Earth ship in the Delta Quadrant on an isolated planet and a crew that had obviously been exposed to the Borg, yet managed to remain individuals. She abandoned the effort as she observed Mar, who was still watched Seven with adoration in her eyes. If Seven wasn't her savior, at the very least she was her saint.

"We should get back to Voyager," said Janeway.

"With your permission," Seven requested, "I would like to remain on the planet's surface and investigate the matter further."

"Yes, please let her stay," Mar intoned.

The Captain transported back to the ship alone.

"Ship's database shows an independently registered starship called Bound for Glory, launched from Earth's orbit in the mid twenty-second century. It's crew consisted of zealots who believed the end was near and were determined to be the first to meet their savior as he returned to claim his kingdom on Earth." Chakotay handed the padd he'd been reading from to Janeway.

"It wasn't Neves they were waiting for, it was Jesus."

"But that was over three hundred years ago?"

"I admit, we still have more questions than answers."

"Is that why you left Seven behind?"

There was a long pause as Janeway considered her response. "Have a seat," she said, an invitation not a command. He relaxed into the chair opposite the sofa on which she was seated. "You've never liked Seven."

Chakotay's casual demeanor vanished. "I admit I you opposed you when she first joined Voyager, she's become an asset to the ship. There are several times I'm not sure we would have survived without her."

"Tactful but evasive, Commander, but rightfully so. I didn't mean to put you on the spot, it's just that despite her obvious value to Voyager, Seven still feels like an outsider."

"Are we speaking as captain to second or friend to friend."

"Consider the remainder of this conversation off the record." Janeway smiled, trying to put him at ease.

"People carry expectations into their social interactions. For most people, Seven doesn't fulfill those expectations. Add to that her past as a Borg and it's a pretty daunting combination. You didn't ask me to join you just so I could tell you what you already know. What's on your mind, Kathryn?"

"The people on this planet aren't like that. From the moment they saw Seven they accepted her, made her a part of their community, even after they were told she wasn't the one they were waiting for. Do I have the right to ask her to leave, to forsake this Utopia for – for what? The Borg will always be hateful to humans and a part of Seven will always be Borg." Janeway stood and slowly paced the length of the couch. "I wondered if one day someone younger might steal her away from me, I never imagined it might be an entire race. And maybe they need her. Left to their own devises, they may one day find a way to create a Collective of their own. Seven could prevent that."

"Seven can't stay just because they might need her. Do you really think she'd be anymore willing to stay with them than she was with the Borg? They needed her, too."

"That's different."

"I know. What I want you to see is how it is the same. You marched through hell to get her back from the Borg."

"It was in her best interests. Now, in her best interests, I'm not sure I have the right to ask her to leave. Maybe I even have an obligation to push her away, for the sake of her own happiness. What kind of life can she expect when we get back to the Alpha Quadrant?"

"Grant her the Starfleet commission we talked about."

"Do you really think that will make a difference?" Janeway regretted starting the conversation. It had all seemed so rational and reasonable in her head. She wasn't prepared for Chakotay's objections and she felt suddenly exposed. "I think Trai is the key to the mystery," she said, filling the silent void and effectively changing the subject.

"How so?" he asked, accepting the turn in conversation.

"He knew what Seven was. He knew she had been part of the Collective."

"One thing I don't understand is how the Second Coming became assimilation. I also wonder how they got here. They could have arrived the same way we did, but that doesn't explain how they've survived for centuries."

"Good point. I noticed there were no children at the settlement."

"Maybe a wormhole with a temporal displacement. We've encountered that before. It's a puzzle, maybe one we'll never solve." Chakotay noted the exhaustion in Janeway's face. "But I'm sure it's one we won't solve tonight. It's late and I could really use the sleep."

"Of course, forgive me for keeping you."

Chakotay rose from the chair and debated with himself all the way to the door, where he finally turn to Janeway and said, "Kathryn, fight for her."

She thought about it for some time after he left until she realized that it was exactly what she had wanted to hear from him.

"You don't want to be One?" Mar's mouth was hanging open. She looked as if she was about to cry.

"I do not wish to rejoin the Collective, if that is what you are asking," Seven replied.

"How could you have once known the fulfillment of sharing thoughts with others and not want it back? Didn't you ever want to return?"

"Yes," she was forced to admit, "but that is irrelevant."

"You talk like you're still belong to the hive," Trai broke in.

"What do you know of the Collective?"

Trai smiled knowingly at Seven as the expression on her face changed from bland indifference to surprise. Her proximity detector had activated.

"Mar, leave us to talk for awhile," he requested.

"Yes, Trai. I'll see you later, Seven." Mar ran effortlessly into the woods.

"She doesn't understand the sacrifice, only the lure of the Collective. I was Borg, like you, only I was not so fortunate. I was Three of Eight, Secondary Adjunct to Unimatrix One Five. Our ship was lost while exploring in this sector and crashed on this planet."

"Borg do not become lost."

"They do when their communication system is damaged and can't be repaired. Nanoprobes are much more effective at repairing flesh that inorganics and there was no way to boost the power of my transponder. Imagine being cut off from the Collective and alone for over a hundred years. During that time, I found my individuality only to lose it again to madness. When the Glory crew arrived, I assimilated them in my own deformed manner. I could not give them one mind, but I gave them the individual resilience of Borg drones. Unfortunately, in my madness, I also infected them with my dream of returning to the Collective, not directly, but over time their quest and mine melded together."

"Who did you think I was?"

"For just a moment, I hoped you were the Queen. Funny, how after all these years I can still feel her inside me and a part of me longs to be with her again."

"I understand."

"Which is stronger, the power of the collective or the power of the individual will?" Trai seemed to be musing to himself.

"There is nothing stronger than free choice."

"In the end, yes, but the lure of the Collective never leaves us."

"I concur."

"You must leave."

Janeway acknowledged Seven's request, to meet her in holodeck 1, with trepidation. They hadn't been alone together since the evening before they took Mar back to the planet's surface. They'd seen each other during briefing sessions, but someone from the senior staff were always present. Seven's report had given Janeway no indication of her state of mind. She was left to wonder what Seven intended to do.

No program was running when Janeway entered the holodeck, but in the center of the floor she spotted something. She picked it up. It was a tropical flower, an orchid of some sort.

"Do not move," Seven's voice commanded her as hands slipped around each side of her head to cover her eyes. "Computer, run program Q1"

Janeways nose tingled with the sensation of salty breezes as her ears filled with the sound of waves rolling across a sandy beach. She knew this place. "Paradise," she said.

"Yes, Q's paradise," Seven replied as she removed her hands to reveal that they were standing on the balcony of the bungalow they had shared in Q's vision of the perfect romantic getaway.

Janeway turned around to find Seven wearing the same simple wrap dress with her hair loosely falling around her bare shoulders. "And once again, I'm overdressed," she commented, as she peeled off her uniform jacket. Like Q's paradise, this one was also warm.

"If all goes as planned, your condition will soon be under-dressed."

"Sounds intriguing," Janeway responded lightheartedly, but the nagging doubt of the last several days would not leave her in peace. She pushed Seven's hair back, placing the orchid's stem behind her ear. "Seven, have you considered staying here with the Glarakrue?"

"Kathryn," she replied, "I would never leave you. I love you."

"Did you think about leaving?"

Seven's eyes dropped for a moment. "I did consider remaining. Their acceptance was enticing, but in its own way, being with them was as frustrating as being with Voyager's crew. Besides, Trai asked me to leave."

"That wasn't in your report."

"He reasoned that I might eventually be influenced to create a collective. Since I had already decided to leave and it did not seem relevant. The conversation was of a personal nature."

"I can respect that." Janeway replied with an unabashed smile. "I'm so glad to have you back." She swept Seven into her arms and held her. The atmosphere seemed to have a familiar effect on her libido as her hands traveled over the smooth muscles of Seven's shoulders.

"Dinner is served." It was the white haired creature that had served as their guide.

"Are you hungry," Seven asked.

"Not for food."

"Computer, delete servant."

"Dinner is…"

"Now, where were we?" Janeway asked, resuming her investigation of Seven's clavicle.

"Perhaps we should proceed to the bedroom," Seven suggested.

"I have idea that will allow us to take better advantage of the program. Wait here." Janeway dashed to the bedroom, but soon returned with a blanket. She took Seven's hand and led her down the steps to the beach. It was still warm although bathed in the light of a full moon. She spread the blanket on a dry patch and kicked off her footwear, allowing the cooling sands to work between her toes.

"This will not be like the first time," Seven commented as she intertwined her fingers behind Janeway's neck and pulled her closer.

"Our first time was about lust, every time since has been about love. Lust can be fun, but you can't beat love." Janeway caught Seven's lower lip between both of hers and massaged it tenderly while Seven's tongue darted caresses across Janeway's upper lip. Janeway's hand found that one special tuck that undid Seven's dress and let it fall to the ground leaving her naked -- her soft white skin fairly luminescing in the moonlight.

Janeway stepped back to drink in the sight, but Seven grabbed her by the shirt and in one fluid motion it was pulled over the Captain's head and being used like a sling to retrieved her. Janeway gasped at the first contact of Seven's breast against hers, only to have it muffled by an eager mouth that seemed intent on devouring her.

Seven's hand found its way into Starfleet regulation trousers and past satiny panties to the course, curly hair they hid. She teased it, plunging as deep as space would allow, before withdrawing her hand to remove the impediments, planting kisses down the length of Janeway's body as she pulled her clothing off and held them to the ground as the Captain stepped out.

Seven stroked up the back of Janeway's legs as she rose, until her hands reached the hips. She grasped Janeway's bottom and stepped between her legs so that their thighs fitted firmly against each other's vulva. Seven began to rhythmically raise and lower herself, thighs rubbing against increasingly receptive members while their breast brushed each other, nipples kissing on each other each time they passed. Janeway's knees at last grew weak from the stimulation and she sank to the blanket, pulling Seven with her.

To avoid crushing the Captain, Seven rolled unto her back and Janeway seized the opportunity to wrap her lips around a luscious breast. She worked her way around it, starting from the base, licking and sucking it randomly until she reached the tip. She traced around the areola and felt the skin beneath her tongue develop little bumps like a tapioca pudding as the nipple contracted to a hard bud. She moved to the other nipple, took it into her mouth once to moisten it and let the night air bring it to erection.

Seven's hand had wandered aimlessly over Janeway's body while her bosom was being ministered to, but now it went to work in earnest, seeking out that same triangular patch it had explored earlier. Janeway turned onto her side, throwing a leg over Seven's hip to expose a moist, beckoning area. Seven's hand glided across the mat of soft hair and deep between her legs until she had two fingers poised at the opening.

"Don't stop," Janeway implored.

Seven answered by pressing her tongue into Janeway's ear.

"Oh, yes," she sighed. "Sometimes I think I'm part Ferengi."

Seven plunged her fingers into Janeway, who promptly lost all capacity for speech. She stroked the vaginal walls with gradually increasing pressure and speed until she felt muscled tighten around her fingers while Janeway's body jerked with orgasmic contractions. The feeling around her fingers and the motion of Janeway's breasts as they bounced in rhythm to her spasms was enough to cause Seven to climax.

"Do you know the odds?" Janeway asked when she had recovered her voice.

"In reference to what?"

"A ship from Earth and a Borg vessel both land on a planet so remote no one would ever find them, but we do."

"I could calculate them for you if you think it would be of value."

Janeway gave her lover a dubious look. "Sometimes I wonder how much you say is serious and how much is just pulling my leg."

"Sometimes I wonder about it myself," Seven replied with a deadpan expression.

"You're aware that Neves is an anagram."

"Yes." Seven remembered how the realization had disoriented her that first day in sickbay.

"What are the odds?" Janeway repeated as she trailed a handful of sand across Seven's torso. "Want to go for a swim?"

"We may not be able to. Computer, state time remaining on holodeck reservation."

"Holodeck reservation will expire in 15 minutes."

"It'll take me that long to shake the sand out of my uniform. Perhaps another time."

"I hope so."