[pwaxen@yahoo.com]

This is a sequel to "Element of Caution," with several references to events that occurred in it. I would suggest reading it first.

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.

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

Element of Magic

by Vaxen (pwaxen@yahoo.com)

I have drifted among the stars and communed with gas giants, encountered pulsars, quasars and quantum singularities, but despite this familiarity I sometimes wonder if I am further from understanding the mysteries of the universe rather than closer. What chance then do I have of understanding human nature, which is so much more complex? Through this time of being alone, I have never felt lonely, but sometimes, like now, I long for the stimulation companionship affords me.

I've been watching this one - this tiny dust speck overflowing with life - that churns it's way through the celestial consommé with a tenacity that is both admirable and exhausting. It would almost be a mercy to put an end to their struggle. I believe I will let them find me for I have grown weary of the tedium of my own company. I was always fond of tellurians, complex creatures that they are.

"Captain, there's a small object 500 kilometers to starboard. The technology is Borg. There is one life sign. It's human."

"Is it a ship, Mr. Kim?"

"It's too small - maybe an escape pod - and unless the sensors are out of calibration, it's been out there for two years."

"Not even a drone could survive in an escape pod for two years," Seven remarked from her station just behind the command chair.

"Well," Kim continued, "whoever is in there is alive."

"Have you tried hailing?" Chakotay suggested.

"No response."

"Tractor the pod to a shuttle bay and transport the passenger to sickbay." Janeway was already half way to the turbo lift. "Bridge to sickbay. Doctor, prepare for a patient - condition alive, but otherwise unknown. I'm on my way. Commander Tuvok, you're with me."

Janeway, Tuvok, and the Doctor circled the biobed and its occupant, who casually introduced himself as Erlys. He appeared to be middle aged and healthy, the latter observation confirmed by the Doctor. His attire consisted of soft leather boots, a dark purple robe of crushed velvet and a skullcap that effectively concealed his hair, assuming he had any. His eyes, although a deep, bewitching black held no trace of menace. His smile was warm.

"I'm Captain Kathryn Janeway. Erlys, you are in our medical unit aboard the starship Voyager. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, thank you for asking and thank you for bringing me here. I would have been hard press to find a means to come aboard on my own."

"Can you tell us something about how you got here?" Janeway relaxed against the unoccupied bed next to Erlys.

"I suppose it must seem rather curious. I was a guest of the Borg, or more precisely the Borg queen, for a time."

"But they obviously didn't assimilate you."

"They couldn't." Erlys looked almost embarrassed by the admission. "I may look human and while I spent some time on your home planet, Captain, I am not one of you."

"He's right," the Doctor interjected. "He's missing several key genetic markers – most notably those associated with aging."

"And you escaped from the Borg?" Janeway continued.

"I wouldn't say 'escaped.' The queen kept me around for a month or a year or something. She said she was fascinated by me. Often she would study me, not unlike you are now."

Janeway scowled at the comparison. "How long ago were you on Earth?"

"It must have been a millennium, give or take a century or two. A very untamed period in your planet's history."

"You don't seem to have a very good sense of time." Janeway allowed amusement to color her face. "Just how old are you?"

"Old enough to have forgotten my age," Erlys's replied with a touch of sadness. "As far as I know I have always existed."

Janeway tried to absorb the significance of Erlys's statement, but her thoughts were interrupted by Chakotay paging from the bridge.

"We've detected verteron particles."

"A wormhole."

"According to Seven, not only is it a wormhole, it has a mouth you could launch a small moon through – bigger than the one at Deep Space Nine."

"Any idea where it terminates?"

"Not yet. It looks like we'll have to wait until we're close enough to launch a probe."

"Have senior staff report to the bridge. I'm on my way." She looked at Erlys with regret. "There are many more questions I'd like to ask you, but this is not a good time. Would you join me for dinner?"

"Would it be private?"

"Yes." For the first time Janeway doubted the wisdom of being alone with the man.

Erlys waved his hand as if to brush away her concern. "I've had enough of solitude."

"Would you like to meet in the mess hall, our community dining room?"

"That sounds delightful." A small rumble of laughter rolled from his throat. "I really have missed this."

After two years in a vessel the size of a pup tent, Janeway could well imagine. "Tuvok, see that our guest finds quarters before you report," she called over her shoulder as she headed for the turbo lift that would take back her to the bridge.

Janeway's progress through the corridor missed a beat when she caught sight of Seven standing at the lift doors. They made eye contact simultaneously then broke it in favor of examining the paintwork on the bulkhead. Janeway continued to approach and when she was close enough said, "Going up?" She grimaced at her own banality.

"In space, 'up' has little meaning." Seven had intended the remark to be informational, but the words sounded belligerent even to her ears. "Yes, I am going to the bridge."

The lift arrived and they entered. Janeway let out an exasperated sigh. "Aren't things ever going to get any better?"

"I don't know. I lack a frame of reference in these matters." The "matters" concerned a recent incident involving the attraction of an Arvodan ambassador for Seven, Janeway's resulting jealousy and the lingering ill effects. Despite repeated attempts to reconcile their relationship, they're progress seemed to have plateaued at a state of awkward discomfort. "I only know that while it is difficult to be with you, it is torture to be without you."

Janeway slipped her hand into Seven's. It was as intimate as they had been since before Ambassador Milta's arrival. "I'm having dinner with our newest passenger in the mess hall tonight. Won't you join us? I think you'll find him interesting."

"Yes." Seven gave the hand a mild squeeze, releasing it just before the lift doors opened.

"Report," Janeway commanded as she entered the bridge – all business.

"The probe has been launched." Chakotay responded. "We should know in a few minutes."

Janeway sat down, the picture of calm, with her legs crossed at the knee. They had encountered dozens of wormholes during their long journey home. Each one held the promise of a return to the Alpha Quadrant, a promise each had so far failed to deliver. Janeway knew better than to get her hopes up. Still, she couldn't tamp down the nervous excitement even if it did have to limit its expression to the occasional flick of her foot.

"We've acquired telemetry." Kim sounded a little breathless. "Navigational bearings are being processed." His face fell. "It terminates in the Delta Quadrant."

"Distance and location?"

"30,000 light years in the wrong direction."

Janeway's foot drooped - motionless. "We'll spend a few hours here, gather data, then resume course for the Alpha Quadrant."

"Captain, I'm receiving a transmission from the other end of the wormhole."

Janeway's foot bobbed a few times before she launched herself from the chair. "Open a channel. This is Captain Kathryn Janeway of the USS Voyager. We received your distress signal. Can we be of assistance?"

There was a short delay before a static filled image appeared on the screen. "This is the Malon freighter Karok. We passed through the wormhole you've just encountered. Unfortunately, we don't seem to be able to return through it."

"Thought you'd make a quick trip and dump a little toxic waste on someone's doorstep?" Janeway crossed her arms over her chest as the corners of her mouth turned down.

"I was conducting business," the Malon cried defensively.

"Give me one good reason why I should help you."

"How else I can alert my peers to avoid this wormhole? Without that alert, more toxic waste will end up here the same way ours did."

"Perversely logical," Tuvok remarked.

"Have you any suggestions?" Janeway was wary of assisting the cosmic polluters, but she understandably had a soft spot for anyone stranded far from home.

"We've developed a theoretical model…" The transmission suddenly went dead.

"What happened?"

"The entrance to the wormhole has closed," said Seven. "However, sensors indicate that it will open again in five minutes. Sensors also indicate the it is subject to some slight drift."

"Mr. Paris, back us off to a safe distance." Janeway began accessing the computer through the interface at the side of her chair. "I've never heard of a wormhole that only allowed passage in one direction."

"Like a finger puzzle." Everyone gave Kim an acknowledging nod or mutter - everyone except Seven, whose posture indicated that she was patiently awaiting an explanation. "A finger puzzle - a woven tube that’s large enough for you to put a finger in each end, but when you try to remove them the weave contracts and you can't get out." Harry almost cowered as he awaited the inevitable retort regarding the foolish inefficiency of such a device.

"It seems like an appropriate metaphor," Seven remarked. It was the closest thing to a compliment she had ever given him. "The wormhole is opening. Reacquiring the transmission."

"Voyager, can you hear us?" The communications screen jumped to life and the crude featured of the Malon commander peered out at them.

"Yes, we have you. This end of the wormhole closed about five minutes ago and we lost contact."

"It does that every 25 minutes."

"Transmit the data on your models. We'll see what we can do with them. Voyager out."

"Thank you, Voyager. Karok out."

"It had to be the Malon." The Captain tossed her hands in exasperation. "Notify B'Elanna and download the information to engineering. Let's see what we can do for them."

"Aye, Captain."

"Seven."

"Lieutenant Torres." Seven's mind had been so engrossed in thought that she failed to hear the engineering officer enter astrometrics.

"I need…" The words seemed to catch in B'Elanna's throat. She cleared it and started again. "I need your help."

"How can I be of assistance?" Seven asked. B'Elanna thought she detected just the touch of a smirk.

"I've developed a plan to bring the Malon freighter back through the wormhole, but I'm having a little trouble with timing, getting it through before the mouth closes. Right now, the margin for safety is very slim – a lot slimmer than I want to risk our lives on. I'm afraid that if I take it to the Captain that she won't see it that way, that she'll attempt it anyway. If anyone can buy me those few extra seconds, I figure it would be you." It had been a difficult admission to make, but she was willing to swallow her pride if it might save her shipmates. She braced herself for a blast of Borg superiority.

"You doubt the Captain."

B'Elanna wondered if she had stirred something far worse than Seven's hubris. "I'm not questioning Captain Janeway or her ability to command. I just want to give her a better option."

"She has been known to take questionable risks at times. Yet, somehow, they are always successful. I will examine your plan." Seven stepped aside so that B'Elanna could have access to the terminal.

B'Elanna initiated a transfer of the data from her workstation in engineering to astrometrics. "You know, Seven, you haven't been yourself lately."

"Interesting. Lately I've found myself wishing I was someone else." It was not self-pity, only a simple statement of fact.

"Everyone is flawed, from the lowest deckhand to the admirals at Starfleet."

Seven said nothing for a long time. B'Elanna began to wonder if she'd heard.

"Have you ever been jealous?" Seven's voice was soft.

"You mean have I ever wanted to kick Tom's butt up through the top of his head because I caught him eyeing another woman? Once or twice."

"How did you reconcile?"

Tempted to give an exaggerated tale of Paris pleading for mercy, she decided instead on the simple truth. "I forgave him."

"Forgave?"

"Yes - pardoned, absolved, let bygones be bygones."

"I understand the word," Seven bristled.

"But I'm not so sure you understand the concept."

"Explain."

"Explain forgiveness," B'Elanna sighed. "There's a certain comfort in blaming people. It acts like a buffer. It keeps you from feeling pain and it keeps them from hurting you again. Unfortunately, it keeps everything else out, too. No love or real comfort can penetrate that barrier."

"There are some things that can not be forgiven."

"Like your parents."

Seven turned on B'Elanna with a clenched jaw and slitted eyelids. "Are you suggesting that I forgive them for destroying my life."

"I'm suggesting that maybe you might just discover something good about them if you forgot about what they did for a moment." B'Elanna took a deep breath. "I'm telling you that if you don't find some way to forgive Janeway you're going to lose her."

Seven's ire collapsed like a house of twigs in the face of a typhoon. She turned her crumpled visage back to her work.

"I'm sorry," B'Elanna muttered. "It's none of my business."

Seven looked into B'Elanna's eyes to determine if she was being baited. She saw nothing but honest remorse. "I forgive you."

"That's a start."

"How are you getting along?" Janeway placed her tray on the table and took a seat across from Erlys. It had required considerable persuasion to pry him away from the rest of the crew. After his release from sickbay, he spent the bulk of the day in the mess hall cruising from table to table, engaging the rotating shift's crewmembers in conversation. Everyone seemed impress by his knowledge and easy manner. Even Tuvok, who still maintained a healthy cynicism about the man's background and motives, admitted that he found Erlys "tolerable."

"I'm having a splendid time. I should have done this sooner." The fine lines at the corners of his eyes deepened with his broad smile.

"I'd like to learn more about that, but first I want to tell you that I've asked someone to join us. I hope you won't mind."

"Not in the least. What is it you wanted to know?"

Now that the opportunity to interview this enigma presented itself, Janeway was unsure where to begin. There were so many mysteries waiting to be uncovered. "How did you survive for two years in an escape pod?"

"I assume you're wondering how I survived mentally, because we both know I couldn't possibly have survived physically." He snickered at his own joke. Janeway propped her elbows on the table, laced her fingers together and rested her chin on them.

"I can't explain how I stayed alive anymore than you can explain what happens to the essence that is you when you die. As for my mental state, I chose to be alone after the Borg released me. Sometimes you have to take time to step back and examine you past to understand where you are going."

"Still, two years seems like a very long time."

"I have a very long past to contemplate."

"You aren't in any way associated with the Q continuum?"

"Those juvenile delinquents. The Q allow themselves the delusion that they are the 'masters of the universe.' 'Miscreants of the universe' is more like it."

"I'll take that as a 'No,'" Janeway said with amused relief. "You know, you remind me of someone or something, but I can't quite put my finger on it."

"A favorite uncle on your mother's side?"

"You said you were on earth a thousand years ago."

"Probably more."

"There was a kingdom ruled by a man named Arthur and he was guided by a mentor, a wizard called Merlin."

"Camelot."

"But Camelot was a myth."

"So was Merlin." Erlys looked deep into her eyes and she could almost see something medieval reflected there.

"Despite what you said in sick bay, I'll bet you could have gotten to Voyager on your own," Janeway postulated. "We were within 500 kilometers when we found you. We should have detected you long before that. You allowed us to find you."

"You’re a very intelligent woman, Captain Janeway," Erlys observed. For a moment Janeway's eyes darted away and he follow them to catch a blond woman nod in their direction then turn to await food service. "Yes, a very intelligent woman – in some things."

"I'm sorry," said Janeway, apologizing for her distraction. "You were saying."

"It must have been very difficult all these years, responsible for the lives of so many people, but at least you didn't have to carry the burden alone. You delegated responsibility."

"To a certain degree, but things function better if I keep a close eye on them."

"And who is 'them?'"

"Actually I was referring to the daily operations of the ship, but I guess you could say that I'm a hands-on commander with my crew as well." Janeway was beginning to wonder why she had suddenly become the topic of conversation.

"Because I took control."

"I beg pardon," Janeway stammered at the non sequitur.

"You were wondering why the conversation had taken a turn and I explained that I took control."

"Are you a mind reader?" Janeway was caught somewhere between amusement and annoyance.

"No, but I'm very good at reading people. Maintaining control is very important to you."

It sounded almost like an accusation, but before she could answer, Seven arrived and took the seat perpendicular to the Janeway and Erlys.

"Erlys, this is Seven. She's…" Suddenly she was at a loss for words. Stating Seven's duties seemed rather stiff for the informal setting and didn't really explain why she was there.

"… your dearest friend," Erlys finished for her.

Janeway couldn't deny it. "Yes, she is."

"I think she wants to talk with you about something."

Although somewhat puzzled, Seven seized the opportunity. "Lieutenant Torres has developed a means to retrieve the Malon."

"Tell me about it."

"Lieutenant Torres is more familiar with the plan, but she's in engineering, verifying some of the details."

Janeway hated to leave. There seemed to be more mysteries surrounding their passenger than when she sat down. She was about to make her excuses when Erlys intervened.

"I understand that you must go. Perhaps Seven will keep me company." Seven looked ill at easy as she nodded.

"I'm sorry," Janeway apologized, not sure if it was to Erlys, Seven or both, and left.

"She does not understand the needs of others," said Erlys after they had been sitting in silence for several minutes.

"Who?"

"Captain Janeway."

"Captain Janeway puts the needs of this crew above all else including her own," Seven replied indignantly. "She always sees to our needs."

"Does she see to your needs or what she believes to be your needs."

"How are they different?"

"She believes that the crew needs to be protected, but what if an individual needs freedom more than protection. Would she see that? Would she allow her to have her freedom and trust in her judgment?"

Seven felt as if his questions were no longer addressing a hypothetical case, but something personal. She recognized herself in the questions. "Perhaps," she evaded.

After another lengthy gap in the conversation Erlys said, "Nothing is wrong, I hope. I mean the matter that called your captain away."

"We have encountered a wormhole. A ship is trapped at the other end. We are attempting to assist them."

"Captain Janeway will make every effort to bring them back?" Erlys looked troubled.

"Of course," Seven replied with somewhat more force than necessary.

"She will fail."

Before Seven could form a response, a vision evolved in her mind. Her eyes went dead and then they filled with terror. "No," she rasped.

"Yes," Erlys answered. "It will happen."

Seven found Janeway standing in a corridor, one of the few that ran along the outer edge of the ship, staring at the rolling clouds of luminous swirls that surrounded the opening to the wormhole. Seven's approach startled her from her revere like a dreamer from a deep sleep.

"Seven, B'Elanna tells me that you played a large part in developing her plan."

"You intend to execute it?"

"Yes," Janeway replied, beginning to react to the strained look on Seven's face. "We'll start as soon as the preparations are complete."

"You can't do it. The mouth will collapse and destroy Voyager. I have seen it."

"Seven?!"

"I was with Erlys. He told me the plan would fail and then…and then he showed me."

"What did you see?"

"We were on the bridge and had lost inertial dampers. Ensign Paris was unconscious. Commander Chakotay assumed the helm. We were using the tractor beam to pull the freighter through the wormhole but the Malon initialized their engines. The plasma emissions accelerated the cycle and the wormhole closed prematurely. Voyager was ripped apart by the subspace turbulence."

"You think Erlys gave you a glimpse of the future?"

"I didn't just see it. I felt it. I was there." Janeway had seldom seen Seven demonstrate such passion.

"We don't know much about this man. Maybe he implanted the idea in your mind." Janeway couldn't help thinking about Erlys's uncanny response to her thoughts at dinner. He wouldn't be the first powerful telepath they had encountered in the Delta Quadrant despite his denial.

"You're going to go through with it," Seven challenged, face etched with despair. "Nothing I can say will stop you."

"I can't allow my judgement to be dictated by visions. I need evidence."

"Everything must be under your control, including me." There was no accusation in Seven's voice, only revelation.

"Torres to Janeway. We're ready when you are."

"Acknowledged." Janeway tapped her commbadge. She asked Seven, "Are you coming with me?"

"Yes, but I have one more thing to say." Prepared for another argument, Janeway was stunned when Seven said, "I forgive you."

Seven walked away, leaving Janeway to follow.

Voyager had been maneuvered into the center of the their end of the wormhole.

"All stations secure?" Janeway waited until the departments had reported then turned her attention to the Malon. "We'll be using a tractor beam to pull your ship through once we've created the energy limiting field. Just sit back and enjoy the ride." She was about to cut the transmission when a final thought occurred to her. "Under no circumstances should you engage your engines. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Captain. Perfectly."

"See you on the other side. All right people, let's do it."

"The wormhole will hit the top of its cycle and begin to deplete energy…" Kim marked the countdown with his body, "…NOW!"

"Activate the deflector." A pale blue beam pierced the breach. "Lock on tractor beam."

"We have a lock." Those on the bridge who were not busy monitoring conditions watched as the small speck at the end of the volatile tunnel began to grow.

"We're encountering some resistance."

"Increase power to the deflector," Janeway ordered.

"That helped, but we've lost the momentum. Unless, we can get more power to the tractor beam we won't get them out before the it closes."

"Bridge to Torres. I need more power to the tractor beam."

"I'll try but if I shunt much more from main engineering we won't be able to maintain our position. We'll be drawn in."

"We're going to have to shutdown the tractor and abandon the Malon," Chakotay advised.

"The Malon are powering up their engines," Kim shouted.

Voyager shook violently, tossing crewmen about the bridge. Janeway pushed herself up from the floor to find Chakotay dragging Paris's limp body from his post and taking his place. The ship continued to tremble.

"Kill the tractor. Get us out of here." She worked her way up the stairs. The ops station spewed smoke and sparked as Kim attempted to bring the damage under control. Janeway turned toward the station where Seven labor to bring order from chaos.

"It's no use," Chakotay screamed. "We can't make it."

Janeway looked around the bridge. Time seemed to drag to a standstill around her as if Voyager were being destroyed in slow motion. Erlys appeared at her elbow.

"You can stop this," she spat at him, "can’t you?"

"Yes, I could."

"Then do it," she shrieked.

"I can't. Not as long as you have control."

"What do I do?"

"Let go."

Time began to reassert itself and the squeals of the dying ship filled her ears. She reached within herself to a place that was both her darkness and her strength. She recognized that part of herself that clung tenaciously to order and discipline and realized just how blind it could be. She embraced the realization that some things were beyond her control and this was one of them. If they were to survive, she would have to put her trust in another. She walked to the edge of her doubts, closed her eyes and took a leap of faith.

She opened her eyes to whiteness – a bright, empty haze. She thought she was alone until she turned to find Seven standing behind her.

"Are we dead?"

"Perhaps," Seven replied. "Under the circumstances, it is very difficult to access the situation."

"So this is what happens when I let go. It isn't nearly as bad as I imagined it might be." Janeway felt almost giddy.

"Shouldn't we go somewhere or do something?" Concern lined Seven's brow although it was more for the Captain's attitude than their situation.

"Go where? Do what?"

"Don't you care about Voyager and the crew?"

"Of course I care, but I think I've finally learned that when there is nothing left to do, I have to let go. I only wish I'd learned this before I made such a fool of myself and allowed jealousy to come between us." Janeway took Seven's hands between hers. "Were you forgiving me for being a fool?"

"Not as you have defined it," Seven said, wishing only to make her position clear. "You doubted me without cause."

"For that I am also sorry and I thank you for forgiving me."

"I did it for my own sake as much as yours." Seven's soft eyes shined with emotion as she took Janeway in her arms. "I've missed you, Kathryn."

Janeway responded by brushing her lips against Seven's – once, and then again – the yearning of prolonged abstinence growing between them. Seven flexed her arms to bring Janeway closer and pressed the contours of their bodies together. Their kiss held all the tremulous passion of a first time encounter with its wondrous awe and excitement.

Immersed as they where in the pleasures of each other's touch, they failed to notice that the mist that surrounded them had dissolved. The pair slowly became aware that all eyes on the bridge of Voyager were turned on them. Janeway stepped back from Seven, but not before whispering in her ear, "I love you." Aloud she shouted, "Report."

The crew roused itself as if from a daydream and fumbled to make sense of the instruments before them.

"We're clear," Kim stated. "There've been some system overloads, but the hull is intact and there are a few reports of minor injuries ship wide."

"And Mr. Paris seems to be regaining consciousness," Chakotay added.

"Help him down to sickbay. What of the Malon ship?"

"No sign of it or the wormhole."

Janeway shook her head in resignation. "Resume original course."

"Are you sure we can't convince you to stay on with us a little longer. This planet is inhabited, but the technology is very rudimentary. It could be quite some time before you find another means of transport. You could end up here for years." Janeway moved slowly down the corridor, in no hurry to reach the transporter room with her guest.

"Earth wasn't exactly the center of the universe when I visited and despite the opinion of some, it still isn't," Erlys teased. "There's a lot to be learned in a place like this."

"Searching for the Holy Grail?"

"In the end, aren't we all? Don't worry about me."

"I suspect there isn't much you can't handle. Speaking of which, I don't suppose you'd like to explained it me what happened that day on the bridge."

All the answer she got was a Cheshire-cat grin.

Determined to get some kind of admission out of him she continued, "Couldn't you have saved the Malon."

"You can't be sure what happened to the Malon. You know, a part of understanding is realizing that you can't always have it all."

"Just because I can't have it doesn't mean I can't want it, but at least I recognize there's a difference."

"It's been a pleasure knowing you," Erlys admitted as he ascended the platform.

"The same here. With most people we've encountered in the Delta Quadrant this would be an empty statement, but in your case I feel there if a distinct possibility that we might run into each other again."

"Perhaps," he responded. "It would be nice."

I know that one day they will find their way home. I almost wish that I could stay around to see it, but I fear that I'd be far too tempted to make it happen and that would never do. Everything by it's own good time and means. Good luck to you, Voyager and my fondest wished to you, Kathryn and Seven.