Series: VOY
Codes: J/7
Rating: If this were a movie, you'd have to show ID to get into the room where the video was kept.

For Sarah, because it's her birthday and she can't have open flames in her dorm room.


Kathryn Janeway, Undercover Operative

Kathryn Janeway edged up to the corner of the building and cautiously looked around it. When she didn’t see any signs of life, she broke from the shadows and darted to the recessed door she knew was hardly ever used. She had worn black for the occasion, but there was no reason to take unnecessary chances. She was on a mission and she had no intention of being caught before she completed it. She held a device up to the lock and scanned it. She rocked back on her heels, biting her lip anxiously, and cast a glance over her shoulder. The area was still deserted, but the soft trill of success made her wince anyway. She glanced at the information displayed on her scanner, took out another tool and began removing the panel next to the keypad. Three minutes later, she had finished her rewiring and was replacing the panel. She dropped her instruments into her satchel, keyed in a code, and tried the old-fashioned knob. It turned easily in her hand and she eased the door open and slipped inside, listening for the sound of the lock reengaging behind her.

The corridor was dark but she knew the layout by heart. She moved to a stairwell, her heels clicking on the marble tiles, adrenaline singing through her veins. She felt her way up the stairs to the fourth floor, where she practically pressed her nose to the window in the door as she tried to see into the corridor beyond. Nothing. She stepped out of the stairwell and strode boldly down the hall, silently counting doors. At the seventh door, she stopped and looked around one more time. Then, taking a deep breath, she smoothed her hair and brushed reflexively at her clothing before she turned to the keypad. She didn’t need the tools for this lock. This code never changed and she’d learned it long ago. It was something else she pulled from her bag as she opened the door.

The room was dimmer than the corridor, the windows darkened to block any vestiges of light from outside. She quickly closed the door behind her, shutting herself in complete darkness. She listened carefully as she waited for her eyes to adjust. Even breathing came from her right, the soft slow respiration of sleep. There was no one else in the room, then. Excellent.

Now she could make out the shapes of the furniture and the form in the bed to her right. She glanced once at the bed on the left, though she knew she would find it empty, and started across the room, careful to keep her heels silent. She placed the item she’d taken from her bag on the desk nearest the bed and then turned to the sleeping figure. She deftly drew the light blanket away and looked down at the dim shape. When there was no movement, she reached into her bag again for another tool. She thumbed the mechanism and was rewarded with a burst of light. She carefully lowered the small flame to the wick of the blue and silver candle she’d placed on the desk. When it caught, she turned back to the bed. The woman stirred restlessly and turned her head away from the light.

Janeway smiled and leaned down to whisper into the nearest ear. “Happy birthday, darling.” She drew back in time to see the eyes fly open and she grinned down into a delightfully confused face.

“Kathryn?” Seven murmured sleepily.

Janeway reached into her bag and drew out a rainbow of tall, narrow candles. Pink and blue and green and yellow, their silver highlights caught the light of the single small flame. Each one was already secured in a small pewter holder. “Yes. I told you I had a birthday surprise for you. Remember?” Kathryn turned away and began setting the candles around the room.

“But it’s not my birthday. It’s the middle of the night.” Seven rolled onto her side and propped her head up on her elbow.

“Yeah, but it’s about oh-three-hundred, so it is your birthday.”

“How did you get in?”

“I snuck in the back.”

“But that door’s always locked.”

Kathryn shot her a look over her shoulder. “Give me a little credit, darling. A third-year engineer could open that lock.”

“You broke in?” Seven’s tone was somewhere between shock and disbelief.

Janeway put her hands on her hips and looked offended. “You don’t think I can pick a lock without breaking it? That thing was working better than ever when I was through with it.”

“You snuck over here in the middle of the night and illicitly entered the dorm,” Seven said musingly.

“Of course. What better beginning for an illicit tryst?” Kathryn grinned. “I’m glad you happened to mention your room mate was going to be gone tonight. Telling me she planned to sleep elsewhere was as good as a dare.” She held out her arms and tried not to sound too pleased with herself. “Do you like your surprise?”

Seven took in the evening dress that clung to Kathryn’s frame. More precisely it clung to her torso and hips. Below that, the skirt flowed gently around her legs to brush the tops of her feet. Above, her shoulders and upper chest were bare. Seven admired the tantalizing display of cleavage and adoringly traced the narrow waist and hips with her eyes.

She smiled. “I don’t think it will fit.”

Kathryn laughed softly. She crossed over to lean in and gently kiss Seven’s mouth. “Probably not, but I’m willing to try if you are.”

Seven sat up and pushed the blanket away. “You look good enough to eat.”

“Hey, that’s my line,” Kathryn protested as she went to her bag for more candles. She held up another handful. “Twenty-eight. One for every year.”

“Where’s the cake?” Seven teased.

“In the bag,” Kathryn said off-handedly. She gestured vaguely as she placed more candles on the desks, the window sill, and the small table by the replicator.

“You really brought a cake?” Seven got out of bed to see for herself.

“Uh-uh,” Kathryn chastised. “Don’t spoil the rest of your surprise.”

Seven watched as Janeway moved around the room, lighting the candles. Kathryn was beautiful. She decided she definitely liked her surprise. As Kathryn bent over to set the last of the candles on the floor, she watched the dress pull tight across her bottom. She noticed for the first time that the dress was split up to mid-thigh, and she watched Kathryn’s calves flex as she stood. She was wide awake now.

Kathryn began unpacking her bag. She brought out two glasses and a bottle kept cold inside a fitted silver sheath and placed them on the desk. Seven watched her set out one thing after another. “What is all that?”

“Everything we need for your first official Academy all-nighter.” Kathryn smiled seductively.

Seven picked up a small bottle of oil and arched her brow. “Was this what you meant when you told me you’d ‘pulled your share of all-nighters’ as a cadet?”

Kathryn laughed, took the bottle from Seven, and set it aside. “Different kind of all-nighter.” She fisted her hand in Seven’s shirt. “I love you in this shirt,” she murmured as she pulled Seven closer.

“You didn’t think it would fit, either.” An old t-shirt of Kathryn’s, it was stretched tight across Seven’s shoulders and breasts. The cotton was worn so thin that the dusky rose of her nipples was visible.

“And I was right.” Kathryn ran her fingers down Seven’s chest and along the sides of her breasts. “I can’t believe your roommate gets to see you in this every night. I may have to kill her.” She ran her hands down her sides and over her hips. Her shorts, more white cotton, were high enough that Janeway could curl her fingers under the hems. She wrapped her hands around Seven’s thighs and pressed her forward. Kathryn’s heels made her slightly taller and the reversal made her feel powerful and sexy. She covered Seven’s lips with an open mouth. She loved to kiss her like this, slow and hot, without touching her anywhere else.

At last Seven couldn’t stand it. She brought her arms around Kathryn and crushed their bodies together. Janeway took her cue and moved her hands the last few inches to cup Seven’s bottom under her shorts. She wasn’t surprised to find her fingers pressing into bare skin. The muscles tensed under her touch and soon her hands were kneading in rhythm with their kiss. Then she wrapped her hands in the material and yanked. The shorts came halfway down Seven’s thighs and she reached up to work them down until they dropped to the floor. She broke the kiss to admire her lover. Mussed blonde hair spilling over her shoulders, chest heaving in the tiny white shirt that emphasized her tapered waist, curly blonde bush at the apex of legs that seemed to go on forever, lit from below and all sides by the warm glow of the candles.

Janeway licked her lips and took a deep breath. “Beautiful,” she breathed. She drew a single finger along Seven’s jaw as she lowered herself to the bed, gracefully lifting her legs onto the mattress, mindful of the long skirt and heels.

Seven looked down at the vision reclining on her narrow bed. Janeway was leaning back on her hands, her chest thrust forward, breasts emphasized by the cut of her dress, legs primly crossed at the ankles. She looked almost demure, if not for the split that bared her legs, but then she smiled and it was nothing but wanton.

Seven sank down onto the bed and Kathryn pulled her into her arms and ran her hands up and down Seven’s back, loving the feel of her body under the cotton. Seven, still warm from the blanket, felt hot in her arms.

Seven felt like she was melting into Kathryn’s body. The feel of Kathryn all around her brought something very like relief, like coming home at the end of a hard day. She reveled in it, wriggling against Kathryn, and slid her hand along a warm thigh, beneath the skirt, until Kathryn opened her legs. Her hand met hot, wet silk and she looked wonderingly up at her lover. Kathryn cocked her head and gave her a sheepish smile.

“I think sneaking around in the middle of the night excites you.”

“Sneaking out to meet a gorgeous woman nearly half my age in her dorm room? Just a little.” Kathryn's tone was wry. “It’s a dirty old woman’s fantasy. I couldn’t think of anything else all day.” She tangled her hands in blonde hair and pulled Seven into a heated kiss.

Their bodies came together, restlessly seeking more contact. Seven gasped at Kathryn's knee nudging between her legs. She wanted more of Kathryn’s skin against her own. She slid herself shamelessly over a lean thigh and fumbled for the closure of the dress.

“Let me get up.” Kathryn pushed her down and crawled on top of her, pressed into her, loving the feel of Seven’s breasts against her own, the prickling of hair against her naked thigh. Seven groaned and arched into the contact and she bent her head and sucked Seven’s lower lip between her teeth, crushed their mouths together, thrust her tongue into her mouth. Almost before Seven could respond, she scrambled off the bed and was taking off her dress.

She left it in a puddle at her feet as she stepped out of lacey black panties. Then she kicked it away from the candles and straddled Seven. “Try it on some other time, okay?” she rasped.

The only reply was hands on her back, urgently pulling her down. Seven flicked her tongue over Kathryn’s lips before she kissed her. Then her hands were roaming down Kathryn’s back, squeezing her ass, massaging so Kathryn felt every touch tease her open. She pulled back, slid down Seven’s body, letting one knee fall between her legs. She took one stiff nipple into her mouth and rubbed her thumb over the other. Seven moaned and took Kathryn’s breasts in her hands, squeezing them roughly. “God,” Kathryn ground out as she tore her mouth away, leaving the cotton soaked to translucence. She pressed herself against Seven’s thigh and pushed Seven’s shirt up. Seven lifted her shoulders from the bed so she could pull it off. Kathryn kissed her as she brought her hands to her breasts. Without her hands to support her, she sat back and Seven moaned at the feel of her slick sex against her stomach. Kathryn slid down to replace her hands with her mouth and Seven wriggled one hand between their bodies and cupped her mound. Kathryn pressed into the touch, her hands and mouth growing more insistent as Seven’s fingers rubbed circles over her clit.

Kathryn kissed Seven’s breasts, one at a time, and placed a final open-mouthed kiss in the center of her chest before she raised her mouth to Seven’s and reached between her legs, moaning at the wetness she found. They kissed until they were too distracted by their hands to keep it up, then simply watched one another’s faces, their mingled breath loud in their ears. Kathryn lazily licked Seven’s mouth and Seven gently met her tongue with her own. The desire to be filled grew until Kathryn could think of nothing else. “Inside.” Kathryn panted for enough breath to speak. “Please.”

Seven obliged, two fingers sinking easily into Kathryn. Kathryn arched her hips and braced her palms on the bed. Her head fell foward and her hair fell into Seven’s face. Seven breathed in the scent of Kathryn’s hair, loving the sensation of being surrounded by her lover. She kissed her forehead and then wrapped an arm around her back, holding the writhing body firmly against the palm she was grinding slowly into Kathryn’s clit.

Kathryn pressed her face against her shoulder, every muscle in her body tensing in anticipation until her calves burned and her arms trembled. Simply having Seven inside of her had been everything she craved before, but now she desperately wanted to feel those fingers in action. “Move your fingers, Seven,” she gasped. The words instantly made her lover wetter. “Please. Just move—”

Seven curled her fingers into Kathryn’s flesh and then drew them almost out before thrusting in again. Kathryn moved the knee resting between Seven’s so that she straddled her hips, opening herself to press herself more firmly against Seven’s palm, onto Seven’s pumping fingers. Her hips thrust hard, her whole body rocking with every thrust, and Seven thrilled each time her nipples rubbed over her own breasts.

Kathryn’s open mouth was pressed against her shoulder, her breath hot and wet on her skin, driving her mad. As her passion mounted, Janeway closed her lips over the hollow of her collar bone, sucking harder and harder as she climaxed. Her body arched as she came, and Seven groaned at the feel of slick walls clenching on her fingers.

Kathryn gasped in a breath and dropped onto Seven’s chest as she exhaled. “God!” Seven’s harsh breath ruffled her hair and she rubbed her cheek against her chest. “So fast! I set out to seduce you and you make me crazy for you. My God,” she exclaimed in heartfelt approval. She pushed herself up and looked down into Seven’s smug, smiling face, and then kissed her hard. Seven returned the kiss urgently. Janeway kissed her way down Seven’s throat and nuzzled the bruised skin of her collar bone. “Now that I can think again . . .” she murmured.

She licked up Seven’s neck and sucked her earlobe into her mouth, earning a gasp. She pushed herself up a little, pressed their breasts together with her hands and teased Seven’s nipples with her own. “So hot,” she whispered, watching Seven bite her lip. She leaned down and plunged her tongue into Seven’s ear. She stayed there for several minutes, knowing Seven loved this, giving her a very good idea of what she was soon going to be doing with her tongue elsewhere. Seven’s hands clenched on her hips and she unconsciously arched her pelvis into Janeway, who only turned Seven’s head and gave her other ear the same treatment until Seven was writhing beneath her.

“Kathryn,” Seven called softly. “Kathryn, Kathryn, Kathryn.” Janeway answered the mantra by pressing her lips to Seven’s for a long, torturously lazy kiss.

She slipped off Seven and off the bed. “Turn over.” Seven didn’t hesitate to do as bid and Janeway quickly found the bottle Seven had examined earlier and straddled her lover again. “Technically,” she said into one ear, “The massage is supposed to come earlier in the seduction, but . . .” She drizzled oil over Seven’s shoulders and down her back.

“It’s warm,” Seven said in surprise.

“Mhm-hmm.” She rubbed the oil in, kneading the muscles briefly. She’d decided that Seven wouldn’t be content with a lengthy massage, so she trailed her nails along her spine, making Seven shiver, then poured more oil into her hands and ran them lightly over Seven’s cheeks. She squeezed the taut flesh, massaging deeply, until Seven moaned, then she let one finger dip down to brush Seven’s sex.

Seven spread her legs invitingly and Kathryn grinned and laid open-mouthed kisses all the way up Seven’s spine. Definitely no long massages tonight. “Now your other side,” she directed huskily and Seven turned over and kissed her immediately.

“You taste like strawberries,” she said as soon as Kathryn released her tongue.

Kathryn held up the bottle of oil. “Strawberries are your favorite,” she said by way of explanation and poured more oil into her palm.

“My favorite.” Her chest felt full to bursting. How lucky she was to be loved by this woman who never failed to think of the smallest detail that might make her happy. She watched with a smoldering gaze as Kathryn rubbed the oil over her breasts and stomach then dipped her head to lick at pebbled nipples. She ran her hands haphazardly over Kathryn’s shoulders and arms and back, eventually grasping urgently at her lover.

Janeway answered the silent plea by slowly thrusting her pelvis against her sex. Seven ran her hands through Kathryn’s hair then tangled her fingers at her nape and pulled. Kathryn made a murmur of appreciation, and then raised her head to give Seven the kiss she craved. The thrusting of their hips was entirely unconscious as Kathryn accepted the near-painful crush of Seven’s lips, the forceful probing of her tongue. “My darling,” Janeway breathed as she pulled away. “I love you.” She sucked a nipple into her lips for a brief kiss and then she was settling between Seven’s legs.

Seven jerked at the first, quick swipe of Kathryn’s tongue. Then fingers were gently parting her folds and Kathryn slowly ran her tongue up one side of her sex and then the other. Seven laid a trembling hand on her head and pressed her closer. Kathryn laughed, a low bawdy sound that made Seven tremble in anticipation, and obligingly thrust her tongue inside. Seven arched her hips into the contact and Janeway wrapped her arms under her thighs, hands pressing her hips down into the bed. She brushed her lips over her clit and then prodded it lightly with her tongue. She felt Seven’s nails scratch deliciously at her scalp as her fingers clenched and unclenched. She smiled as she began laving Seven’s clit in earnest with a hard tongue. She loved this, Seven surrounding her, all hot and wet, the clean smell of her soap, the lighter scent of her body barely there beneath it, the hand tightening in her hair. She felt a new rush of wetness between her own legs. God, this was good.

Groaning her appreciation, she squeezed Seven’s clit between her lips, sucking harder and harder, even as she quickened her tongue. She looked up Seven’s body, took in her trembling breasts, the thrashing blonde head, and the hand grasping the sheets. She freed one of her own hands to catch it. Seven squeezed her hand tightly, her nails digging into Kathryn’s palm. Her hips bucked harder and Kathryn knew she was close. She used all the limited strength she could muster in this position to hold Seven steady, to keep her snugly against her mouth, and was rewarded when the irregular rhythm of Seven’s hips paused and then sped up. Then she heard Seven hold her breath and felt her clit spasm in her mouth as she came. Seven’s hand held her hard in place and she carefully kept up her rhythm until Seven’s hips stilled. The hand went limp as Seven exhaled harshly and Kathryn delicately licked her once more, a regretful farewell.

“Kathryn!” Seven jerked and groaned, her hips bucking hard. Kathryn kissed her thigh soothingly.

“Come here,” Seven demanded, so she uncoiled from her crouch and crawled up the bed, deliberately and noisily licking her lips. Seven held out her arms and then wrapped her in a fierce hug and cuddled her close.

Kathryn pressed her head to her chest, listening to the rapid hearbeat, and then turned her face enough to place a gentle kiss between her breasts. Seven urged her up and rolled them onto their sides. Their legs automatically entangled as they kissed and Kathryn felt her heel catch Seven’s calf. She opened her eyes in time to see Seven wince. “My God, I forgot to take my shoes off!”

Seven laughed at the unadulterated astonishment in her voice. Kathryn looked at her wide-eyed and then burst into laughter even as she goosed Seven in the ribs and they wrestled playfully. When she could catch her breath enough to fend Seven off, she struggled to speak through her laughter. “I—I never made love with—with my shoes on before. I thought women only fucked in their heels in holovids!”

In reply, Seven renewed her attack and they wriggled over the bed, tickling each other, Seven easily getting the upper hand until Kathryn tweaked a nipple and pressed her knee into her still sensitive sex in self-defense.

“Hey!”

“You should know by now,” Kathryn gasped, “I fight dirty.”

Seven glared and flipped her onto her back, pinning her shoulders to the bed. Kathryn twinkled up at her, unrepentant. “You’re bigger and stronger. How else am I going to win?”

Seven tried to hide her smile, failed utterly, and dug her fingers into Kathryn’s ribs. As she was no longer being held down, Kathryn thrashed about wildly, kicking the blanket crumpled at the foot of the bed onto the floor.

Seven saw it fall from the corner of her eye. “Kathryn! You’re going to burn down the dorm.” She jumped up to make sure the blanket hadn’t landed on the candles.

“Oh, I am not.” But she pushed herself up to see. Seven was crouching on the floor blowing out the candles one by one. “You’re blowing them out,” she protested.

“I think it’s safer with you around,” Seven said archly. Kathryn crossed her arms and huffed. “You’re adorable when you pout,” Seven told her and Kathryn narrowed her eyes, but Seven continued before she could open her mouth. “We can’t let them burn while we sleep anyway.”

Kathryn pursed her lips and then gave Seven a crooked grin. “You were planning to sleep?”

Seven came over to the bed, still holding one of the candles. “You had other ideas?”

“Well, there’s champagne and cake, for one thing,” she began, then Seven blew out the candle she held and melted wax splattered over Kathryn and the bed.

Janeway shrieked. “And you think I’m a menace!”

Seven rushed to her, crowding her so Janeway had to lean back on her hands, and brushed at a splotch of wax on her breast. “Did it burn you?”

When Kathryn didn’t answer, she glanced up and found herself looking into a steady gaze. “No,” Kathryn said quietly.

Seven rubbed at the wax, which flaked off under her fingers as it hardened. “Cake?” she suggested brightly.

“No.” The same low voice.

Seven shifted her thumb slightly lower to stroke Kathryn’s nipple. “Champagne?”

“No.” Kathryn brought Seven’s free hand up to her other breast, leaned back, and pulled Seven to her.

Seven feigned enlightenment. “Ahh.” She kissed Kathryn softly and then bore her down onto the bed with the weight of her body. She teased Kathryn’s breasts with her nails, garnering a soft sigh. When she dipped her head and sucked a nipple into her mouth, Kathryn pressed her feet into the bed and found her heels sliding and catching in the sheets.

“Shoes,” she mumbled. Seven grazed her nipple with her teeth and pinched the other between thumb and fingers. Kathryn made a low sound in her throat.

“Mhm?” Seven questioned with her mouth full.

“Ah, what?” Seven lifted her head and Kathryn met her look with hooded eyes. “Oh. Shoes?”

“Shoes,” Seven agreed and moved her mouth to the other nipple.

Kathryn dug her toes into the bed, which caused her hips to arch into Seven. Her feet slid up and down on the sheets with a rhythm that matched the kneading of her hands first on Seven’s shoulders, then on her hips. She held Seven firmly to her, pressing her sex against her, striving for contact. Each time she managed to rub her clit against her lover, it drew a whimper from her throat.

At last Seven slipped sensuously down her body, trailing her fingers down her thighs and calves. When she reached her ankles, she traced the straps of her shoes until she found the buckles. She covered Kathryn’s inner thighs with kisses as she methodically worked the straps free, taking so long that Kathryn began to equate getting her shoes off with release. Finally, Seven lifted one of her feet and Kathryn groaned when she felt the strap slide off her ankle. Seven sat back and met Kathryn’s eyes as she took off one shoe and then the other. She kissed the arch of one small foot and licked the ankle of the other while Kathryn watched closely.

Seven shifted onto her stomach and immediately decided this wasn’t going to work. Her bed was just long enough for her, but not long enough for her to lie between Kathryn’s legs. She crawled up the bed and turned onto her back, holding out a hand to her lover. Janeway didn’t need any more of an invitation. She rolled to her knees and straddled Seven’s face, throwing her hands up to keep her head from hitting the wall as she felt Seven’s tongue wriggle into her sex. She pressed her face against her shoulder and pushed her palms into the wall as Seven’s arms came over her thighs and Seven’s tongue found her clit. “Oh Seven. Oh God, Seven.”

Janeway drug one hand down the wall and finally managed to relax the corded muscles of her arm enough to pull her hand away and grasp Seven’s where it rested on her thigh. She struggled to hold still, to not shove herself down onto her lover’s mouth and smother her with her sex. She looked down between her trembling legs and caught Seven’s eyes. Seven paused in her ministrations to kiss her sweetly and Kathryn felt so cherished that she wanted to weep. But then Seven was licking her even more intently than before and kneading her bottom with her free hand and nudging her chin against her opening and Kathryn was lost. She threw her head back and moaned, her hips meeting each stroke of Seven’s tongue with a tiny, supremely controlled thrust as she came. She rose onto her knees but Seven kept her face pressed between her legs the whole time, only falling back when Kathryn put a hand against her forehead and pushed.

Kathryn clumsily scrambled off and flopped onto the bed beside Seven, landing sprawled half on top of her. Seven brushed her hair away from her face and hugged her close with the arm that wasn’t pinned beneath her lover. “I love you, Kathryn.”

Kathryn lifted her head, which felt twice as heavy as usual, and pressed her open mouth to Seven’s. She deepened the kiss and her hand drifted down to Seven’s mound. Seven returned the kiss, but didn’t open her legs. Kathryn pulled back and looked at her. “No? But it’s your birthday.”

“Yes, all day. Let’s sleep, Kathryn. I want to sleep in your arms, at least for a little while.”

The idea and the sweet expression of it would have cooled Kathryn’s ardor even if she’d actually had the energy for ardor, which she didn’t. She clambered over Seven without any grace whatsoever, squeezing in between her lover and the wall, and held up her arm for Seven to slip under. When Seven turned onto her side, Kathryn turned onto her back and Seven settled into her arms, resting her head on her chest and curling her legs up so her feet wouldn’t dangle off the end of the bed. Kathryn floated blissfully in the warmth of Seven’s body and the love suffusing her chest.

“Kathryn, the candles.”

Kathryn sighed. “The candles.” If she hadn’t known Seven wouldn’t be able to sleep in so much light, she’d have let them burn. As it was, she crawled over Seven again and blew out two dozen candles. Then she shuffled around in the dark until she found the blanket. “Just scoot over,” she mumbled as she felt her knee bump against the bed.

“You don’t want the left side?”

She grunted a negation and eased her body onto the bed, crawling in as she felt Seven move out of the way. She spread the blanket over them and they wiggled until they had their bodies fitted comfortably together.

“Kathryn?”

“Yes, darling?”

“What about my birthday cake?”

Kathryn laughed until tears sprang to her eyes, and then she swatted Seven on the butt. “It’s your birthday all day, remember? We’ll have it for breakfast in—oh—about fifteen minutes.”

She felt Seven’s lips move into a smile against her chest. “Actually, the computer will wake us in—”

“I don’t want to know,” Kathryn groaned and hugged Seven.

Seven wiggled against her since she couldn’t possibly actually snuggle closer. “Thank you for my surprise.”

“Happy birthday, my darling.” She felt Seven’s leg ease over hers and smiled.

“Goodnight. Or should I say good morn—” Kathryn cut her off with a vague attempt at a groan. “Goodnight, Kathryn.”



Cadet Walker hurried across the Academy grounds. She’d left a PADD she needed for her first class in her room and she didn’t really have time to get it since she’d overslept this morning. Damn, four hours was nowhere close to enough sleep. This was the last time she let Dan talk her into staying over when she had an early class the next day. She paused at the path that would take her to the dorm, weighing how badly she needed the data against how much time she had. Then she snapped to attention as she realized the figure coming towards her was Admiral Kathryn Janeway.

Walker resisted the urge to comb her fingers through her hair. She just knew it was standing on end—and was her uniform fastened properly? She probably looked as if she hadn’t slept in a week. Janeway, on the other hand, looked as fresh as if it wasn’t 0630, as immaculate as she’d looked when Seven had introduced them once before. Her uniform was crisp, her hair was flawlessly coiffed, and her boots were even shined. And here was Sandy with her overnight bag over her arm, looking like she’d just come from an assignation, which she had. Talk about making a good impression. She bit the inside of her cheek and waited for the admiral to dress her down for failing to maintain a dignity becoming a Starfleet officer . . . for letting a personal whim interfere with her fitness for duty . . .

Janeway smiled brightly at her. “Good morning, Cadet. It’s Sandy, right?”

Sandy exhaled in relief and then tried to cover it. “Yes, Admiral. Good morning, sir.”

Janeway affected not to notice Walker’s red-rimmed eyes or the dark circles under them. She did let her eyes rest briefly on Walker’s bag, though. “Beautiful morning for it, isn’t it?”

For what? Sandy nearly blurted. “Yes, sir. Certainly is.”

Ooh, Kathryn, you are bad! she chided herself gleefully. But it is a beautiful morning to be slipping out of your lover’s bed just in the nick of time, isn’t it, Katie, my girl? She carefully kept her face neutral. “It’s nice to see a cadet getting an early start on her duties. Bodes well for the future of the ’Fleet.” She gave her an approving smile. As soon as she was past, she chortled under her breath and then yawned widely.

Sandy looked after the admiral. Her step was practically jaunty, her satchel bouncing against her hip as she swaggered away. Sandy glowered at her back. Not even admirals should be that perky at this hour. Wonder what’s in her bag?

She abruptly remembered the time and broke into a jog toward the dorm. She had to have that data. Maybe Seven would already be up and she wouldn’t wake her fumbling around for her PADD.

She burst into their room and stopped in surprise. She’d left the room shipshape and Seven was the tidiest person she knew, but now there was an open champagne bottle on Sandy’s desk and Seven’s bed was empty but unmade, the sheets stained with something greasy, scattered with crumbs and—Is that wax?

A plate with a trace of pink icing rested on the pillow, another on the table still held some cake, and the blanket was in a wad on the floor. Wow. I go away for one night . . .

Walker dashed over to her desk and pulled her PADD out of the drawer. She headed for the door and tripped over something. Oh my God.

She picked up a strappy black stiletto heel and glanced at the door to the head, behind which the sonic shower whined. Seven of Nine, I can’t wait to get you to tell me who belongs to this. And how she managed to leave without it! She tossed the shoe in the general direction of Seven’s bed and ran out of the room.

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