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Dating Deanna
Dating Deanna
G. Brooke (GB)
”State your intentions.”
Standing just outside the doorway looking in, Kathryn thought had never seen
Seven as magnificent as this afternoon, standing ramrod straight in the middle
of their San Francisco living room. The sun shone in through the panoramic
windows, casting an ethereal glow over the ex-Borg, her hands clasped behind
her back as was her habit of many years. The poor cadet at the center of her
attention paled considerably, but mimicked Seven’s stance, looking impeccable
in an obviously freshly replicated uniform.
“I wish to ask your permission to take Deanna to the Academy Cadet Ball,
ma’am ... eh, Lt Commander Hansen.” Sweat beaded at tanned temples and Kathryn would have
felt sorry for the youngster if the request had not concerned her just as much.
“Have you asked Deanna?” She entered the room, making sure the young cadet saw
the pips on her collar in the light from the window.
“Sir! Ma’am! Admiral Janeway, what an honor.” Saluting the old-fashioned way,
the cadet almost poked an eye out and Kathryn could not help but to take pity.
“Relax, Cadet, before you sprain something.” Thinking better of it, Kathryn
wondered if perhaps a sprained muscle was a good idea. I might keep the
eighteen-year-old from being able to attend the annual Cadet Ball with Deanna.
The ball was usually quite a rambunctious event, with a lot of synthehol hidden
in various places for easy, yet secretive, access. The admiral was not too old
to remember her own cadet years and it did not bode well.
Glancing over at her wife of more than twenty years, her eyes softened. With
elegant streaks of crisp white mixed with the blonde, the ex-Borg was still
beautiful and the sight of her made Kathryn’s heart ache. Slender in parts,
voluptuous in others, Seven’s body was kept younger than her forty-seven years
by the ever-present nanoprobes. It didn’t show any signs of ever having carried
their child to full term, despite the difficult pregnancy, where the fetus was
under constant attack of rampaging nanoprobes the first trimester. Only after
the Doctor had managed to invent a serum, of sorts, had they been able to
render the microscopic machines harmless. Kathryn knew her love for her wife
had grown every day since the magical instant when Deanna entered their lives.
Seven, in turn, showed her constantly, sometimes in ways that could make the
Admiral flustered for days, how much she adored her spouse.
A quick glance in the gold framed mirror over the mantlepiece showed the
admiral she was indeed still a striking woman, though no where near as
attractive as her spouse, in Kathryn’s own opinion. The auburn hair was adorned
by a long white tress originating in her hairline above her left eye, a memory
of a run-in with a rogue Romulan ship ten years ago. She kept the now quite
long hair in a firm twist; the strict style fit her rank and her job as
responsible for the Delta Quadrant Fleet.
“Yes, ma’am,” the young cadet managed, relaxing marginally.
“Does your father know who you intend to ask to the ball?” Kathryn continued
her interrogation.
“Of course, Admiral. I wouldn’t be so presumptuous …”
“Jack!” A whirlwind of auburn hair, glittering blue eyes, and a curvaceous
body, tore through the room. Deanna Hansen-Janeway threw herself around the
startled cadet’s neck, hugging her Ball date close. “I didn’t know you were
back.”
“I’m back,” the object for her obvious affection whispered huskily.
“You’re strangling the poor …” Kathryn sighed, watching with a twitch in her
heart how her daughter’s eyes sparkled and knew Deanna wasn’t listening.
Turning to Seven, she shrugged. “I suppose there’s no way of denying these
two.”
Seven looked like she was going to try, but eventually shook her head. “I
suppose not. But it is important that they abide by strict protocol for this
function. It is after all our daughter’s first date.”
“An important one,” Kathryn smiled. “However, I don’t think you should have
your hopes up for much of any protocol adherence once the Ball is in full
swing. It usually goes right out the window.”
Seven looked like she wanted to rip their daughter out of the young cadet’s
arms. “That is not very encouraging.”
“Oh, Mother, I can take care of myself.” Deanna finally paid them any
attention. “Jack and I are hardly strangers. We’ve known each other since we
were kids.” Her eyes shone. “Only a month ago, who could have dreamed we’d be
so in love?”
Kathryn had to pity Jack who blushed profusely behind her free spirited
daughter. Dressed in her blue painter’s smock, with a decorative light green
smudge across her nose, Deanna didn’t look sixteen, but the intelligent eyes
keenly observed their every reaction.
“Jack, we trust in your common sense and protectiveness,” Seven stated,
sounding serious. “You both will take care of each other, but you are responsible for bringing Deanna
home on time. Merely because this child has no concept of time.”
“Yes, ma’am,” the cadet hiccupped, a cautious smile finally forming on firm
lips.
“You may address me as Seven from now on, since you are now officially dating
our daughter.”
“Certainly, ma’-- … Seven. Thank you.” Jack shot a careful glance towards
Kathryn who had no intention of letting the cadet refer to her as anything else
but ‘Admiral Janeway’. Not yet.
There was a knock on the half open door leading to the front yard. “Hello?
Anybody here?”
Kathryn smiled. “Come in, Chakotay, you coward. Waiting outside for the dust to
settle, eh?”
The good-looking former First Officer of Voyager stepped inside, relieved to
see everybody smiling. “In a manner of speaking. Is my kid intact?”
“Jack’s fine. They’re going to the Cadet Ball together.”
Chakotay looked relieved. “Oh, thank the Gods. You have no idea what a relief
that is. I have heard about little else for the last month. Well, we better
move onto the second most important thing on the list. I’ve had this list
repeated to me for the every breakfast for the last month.” He turned towards
the dark-eyed, devastatingly handsome cadet that was his daughter. “Ready to go
shopping for your Dress Uniform, Jacqueline?”
The end
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