Janeway: Generations Part 3
Title: Janeway: Generations (3/?)
Author: vicar_dibley
Rating: G
Fandom: Star Trek
Character/Pairing: Admiral Nechayev/Phoebe Janeway, Gretchen Janeway/Admiral Pulaski, Captain Janeway/Seven
Disclaimer: I do not own any of them.
Summary: Certain Starfleet officers take a certain interest in the females of a certain family.
Author's Note: It’s a different timeline and I took a lot of liberties with the characters, especially Admiral Nechayev. I can’t help it; I always kind of liked her. Hope you enjoy it. Comments are very welcome.
Janeway: Generations
3
Two days later Admiral Pulaski and three of her most trusted staff were on their way to the Janeway farm. Admiral Nechayev was still in an artificial coma and would be so for the next few days. The guest room had been prepared and after the medical staff had settled the unconscious Admiral comfortably in her bed they left. A security detail had taken up post on the outskirts of the farm to make sure no unwanted guest would get to the house.
After a final check on her patient the doctor joined Gretchen in the kitchen, smiling gratefully when a fresh cup of coffee was placed in her hand. Sitting down at the kitchen table the Admiral savoured her coffee with closed eyes.
Occupying a chair on the other side of the table Gretchen took Kate´s free hand in her own and held it tenderly, glad that Kate could now share some of the burden.
“So, what are the next steps?“
Putting the cup on the table in front of her, Kate put her other hand on Gretchen´s, following the line of her arteries with her index finger before she looked up again.
“I want to keep her in this artificial coma for at least another week. This should help her heal. Afterwards she has to get up, otherwise we are going to risk pneumonia. It sounds a bit old fashioned, I know, but the injuries were so severe that I don’t want to take any risks by unnecessarily speeding up the healing process.“
“She is not going to like it“, Gretchen guessed. „And she is not going to like her current residence either.“
“I know. But don’t worry, I’ll make sure that Lwaxana is here when I wake her up. She will talk her into staying.“
“Lwaxana?“ Gretchen raised a questioning eyebrow.
“The Betazed Ambassador, Lwaxana Troi“, Kate explained with trepidation. “I really don’t know why or how but these two have a mutual understanding. Given their personalities I can not fathom how that had happened but it had. Lwaxana once said Alynna is the sister she never had and somehow I believe Alynna feels the same way. Anyway, I’ll make sure she will be here.“
“Whatever you say, love.“ Gretchen smiled when she thought about Kate´s words. She had never met the Betazed Ambassador only ever heard rumours, wondering about the woman herself.
Cocking her head Gretchen heard the faint noise of a hovercraft, knowing it had to be her artist daughter. She gave Kate´s hand a loving pat before she got up to retrieve another cup. At Kate´s confused look she only had to say one word to make the other woman understand.
“Phoebe.“
“Oh. I bet she won´t like this either.“
“Too bad for her,“ Gretchen deadpanned.
Thundering footsteps on the porch, the bang of a door and a loud “Mom!“ announced the arrival of the youngest Janeway woman.
Breezing into the kitchen Phoebe kissed and hugged her mother, glad to be home again and she also welcomed Kate with a kiss on the cheek.
“Hey, doctor Admiral!“
“Hello, girl. How was Paris?“ Kate laughed at younger woman’s nickname.
Sinking into a chair next to the Admiral, Phoebe put her head on the table and heaved a big sigh at the question.
“Insane. I´m glad to be back. Tracy, my agent, drove me nuts. I mean really, this woman makes an elephant out of a molehill.“
“Here you go, darling“, Gretchen pressed a kiss on the top of her daughter’s head, when she put her coffee in front of her.
“Thanks, mom. So what’s up? Skipping work today, Kate?“
“Actually no, I’m here because on business.“
Feeling afraid for her mother´s health Phoebe instantly sat up in her chair shooting both women an anxious look. Gretchen immediately caught on her youngest´s train of thought and put a reassuring hand on Phoebe’s arm.
“It’s not about me, darling, I’m fine. Kate brought us a guest, who is in need of medical treatment and a safe place for the time being.“
“Who is it?“
“Admiral Nechayev.“
“Come again?” Phoebe nearly choked on her coffee.
Rolling her eyes at her daughter’s melodramatic behaviour, Gretchen repeated patiently.
“Alynna Nechayev.”
“Mom!” Phoebe wailed, sounding very much like her three year old self when she worked up a temper.
“You can´t be serious! This woman...”
When Gretchen held up her hand with a stern look in her eyes Phoebe´s mouth clamped shut.
“This woman, as you call her, needs our help and that is exactly what I am going to do, help her. I would appreciate if you would lend me a hand, but it´s your decision. This is my house and she can stay as long as she needs or wants to, end of discussion. Do you understand me, young lady?”
“Yes, ma´am”, Phoebe mumbled, not daring to look into her mother´s eyes.
“I didn´t quite catch you, what was that?”
“I said, yes, mom. I do understand”, sounding very much like the scolded child that she was. “You are right of course and I will gladly lend you a hand.”
“Thank you, darling.” Gretchen covered her daughter’s hand smiling her motherly smile to let Phoebe know she was forgiven.
“So what happened?” The artist turned to Kate.
“There was an explosion in her office, somebody had planted a bomb there. She was severely injured and is still in an artificial coma.“ Kate explained.
“I mean, yeah, the woman is a royal pain in the arse, but blowing her up is a bit way over the top, don’t you think?“
Kate couldn’t help but laugh out loud at Phoebe’s deadpan words. It was good to laugh off the tension of the last few days. Gretchen and Phoebe were looking at her like she had grown another head.
“Sorry, ladies. I didn’t laugh at you, Phoebe. It just felt good to get rid of some of the tension.“
“It’s okay.“ Phoebe waved her off.
“We don’t know who was responsibly for the explosion. The possibilities are nearly limitless, to be quite honest“, Kate sighed. “All bets are off at the moment, it could have been the Dominion, the Cardassians or even someone within Starfleet.“
“And you wonder why I have no love for Starfleet?“ Phoebe snorted. “Anyway, if you excuse me, I need to shower and get a few hours of sleep. See you around, Kate.“
Waving a good bye to her mother and the Admiral, Phoebe left the kitchen and returned to her own house at the south border of the Janeway estate.
Over the next week something like a routine settled in the Janeway household. Taking the necessary care of their guest, following the doctor´s visits and keeping the unconscious Admiral company became the usual way how they spent their day.
Phoebe had taken to reading to the Admiral in the afternoon as Kate had told them it could help with the recovery to hear a voice. Taking a comfortable seat in her grandmother’s rocking chair Phoebe had begun to read one of her favourite books to the Admiral. Good thing the Admiral was unconscious because that way she couldn’t protest against Phoebe’s choice of literature `Pride and Prejudice´. Phoebe found the novel quite fitting, the insufferable Admiral somehow reminded the younger woman of the good Mr Darcy.
So every afternoon would find her in the guest room, reading the defenceless Admiral the tale of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy.
At the end of the week, though a rather hysterical agent made it necessary for Phoebe to leave her post and join her in Paris again. This, on the other hand, made it possible for Kate to come by and stay longer than usual and for the two women to deepen their relationship even further.
Kate was satisfied with Alynna´s progress, so she contacted Ambassador Troi to make sure the flamboyant woman would be there when the Admiral was to be woken up from her coma. Lwaxana Troi was more than accommodating after Kate had informed her about what had happened to her dear friend.
At the beginning of the second week Kate and Ambassador Troi made their way to the Janeway farm. An unnatural silence accompanied the Ambassador as they went to Indiana.
Before they climbed the stairs to the house Troi stopped Pulaski with a hand on her arm.
“Her injuries are not too ...?“
“No, don’t worry“, Kate assured her. „I was more worried about the internal injuries. She will still have trouble with her left arm and right foot. Some of her surgery wounds have to heal more properly but otherwise she looks the same as always.“
“Well then, lead the way, doctor!“
When they entered the house the smell of freshly baked bread greeted them and a flushed but beautiful looking Gretchen Janeway welcomed them, wiping her hands on a dishcloth.
“Kate“, Gretchen welcomed the Admiral with a kiss on the cheek. “Ambassador Troi, welcome to Indiana.“
Accepting the outstretched hand Lwaxana raised an eyebrow at the dynamics between the Admiral and their hostess.
“Please, call me Lwaxana. Thank you for having me.“
“Call me Gretchen. No, thank you for coming here. I´ll leave you to visit our patient then.“
Climbing another flight of stairs to the guest room, Pulaski and the ambassador entered the guest room where Lwaxana immediately went over to the bed to take a closer look at her friend.
Grasping one of Alynna´s hands Lwaxana gently squeezed it and finally moved away to make room for Kate.
Pulaski checked the Admiral´s vitals before she injected a hypospray into her neck.
“It will take a little time for her to wake up. I leave you to it. If you need anything I’m downstairs.“
“Thank you, doctor.“
Lwaxana looked around in the room before her eyes fell on an old rocking chair. Pulling it closer to the bed, she sat down waiting for her dear friend to wake up.
Down in the kitchen Kate stepped into the welcoming arms of her love, holding on firmly, breathing the wonderful scent of Gretchen´s hair and skin. With a final squeeze Gretchen linked her hands behind Kate´s neck but stayed in her arms. Tender kisses were shared before she put a warm hand against Kate´s cheek, looking worriedly into her eyes.
“You look tired, love.“
“I am. Reports and our dear Ambassador kept me up for hours.“
“She seems rather pleasant“, Gretchen took Kate´s hand and led her to the table where she put a plate with a snack in front of the doctor.
“Thank you“, Pulaski smiled. “Oh, she can be. Let’s just hope she can convince Alynna to stay for a few more weeks.“
Observing the constant rise and fall of the Admiral´s chest Lwaxana contemplated the events that had led to her injuries. She knew that Alynna had many enemies, even fractions within Starfleet wanted her out of the way, but this was outrageous. The Federation and Starfleet have always been Alynna´s priorities at the cost of her private life. Which was rather sad because Lwaxana Troi knew the Admiral better than she knew herself. Admiral Alynna Nechayev was a woman dedicated to her duty, yes, but Alynna the woman had so much love to give and wanted to be loved but always thought she didn’t deserve it.
Sighing at her friend’s stubbornness at refusing to enter another romantic relationship when a stir from the bed made her straighten her posture.
Blue eyes slowly fluttered open and with confusion in her gaze the Admiral looked around, finally settling on the figure in the rocking chair.
“Lwaxana“, the Admiral croaked. A warm hand covered her own cool left hand and when her vision cleared Alynna could see the smiling face of her old friend.
“Hello, darling. How are you feeling?“
“Like I’ve been hit by a shuttle.“
Laughing at the answer Lwaxana found herself relaxing, the tension leaving her body which had been there ever since Admiral Pulaski had contacted her and asked her to come.
“Why are you here and where exactly is here?“ Alynna took a good look at the unfamiliar room, she wasn’t at a Starfleet facility that much was obvious. But she had no idea where else she could be. The room was decorated in warm colours, the furniture was mostly made of dark brown wood and through the windows filtered warm sunlight and a slight breeze.
“Brace yourself dear, you are at the Janeway farm.“
“What? Why?“ Alynna hissed at her friend, she tried to sit up when a sharp pain shot through her abdomen and forced her back onto the bed.
“Oh, please, stop being a drama queen. This is my part, remember, I am so much better at that. Why don’t I get Doctor Pulaski and she can explain everything.“
Not waiting for an answer Lwaxana left the Admiral to find the doctor. On her way downstairs the ambassador heard the soft voices of Kate and Gretchen in the kitchen. She found the two women with their backs to the door, Kate was sitting at the table sipping on a mug and Gretchen was busy preparing lunch.
Gently clearing her throat to capture their attention, Lwaxana couldn’t help but feel like something was going on but she couldn’t put her finger on what it was.
“I think you better come up, doctor. Our dear patient is in need of some much needed explanations.“
“Of course.“
Kate followed Lwaxana upstairs and after a quick check on Alynna´s bandages she took a seat on the bed to brief the Admiral on the situation.
Starfleet didn´t know who had planted the bomb, every path they had followed so far had led to a dead end. The threat was still very tangible and therefore it seemed reasonable for her to keep a low profile at least until she was completely healed. Looking at her old friend, Admiral Nechayev was anything but pleased that Kate had brought Lwaxana into this. It was blackmail, plain and simple.
Grumpily accepting her fate the Admiral shot a poisonous glance at her friend and upon seeing the Ambassador´s eyes twinkle Alynna became even more annoyed at her situation.
“You are just angry because you can’t have it your way.“
“What is that supposed to mean?“
Snorting at Alynna´s pretended ignorance Lwaxana leaned towards the bed while her expression became serious.
“You are used to being in charge, Alynna. I know how you must feel right now. But the situation is more than serious. Please, my friend, for once do as you are told! The doctor means well and so do your colleagues.“
Crossing her arms over her chest Alynna huffed in annoyance. Considering the fact that her body was still recovering from the wounds what else could she do than give in? She had been in need of a break for months, not that she would ever admit it, though.
“All right, then. But as soon as I get a clean bill of health I am back behind my desk. Anyway, it’s a bit awkward for me to impose on Gretchen like that. And what is more, Kate has to come all the way from San Francisco on a regular basis which makes one more person for Gretchen to deal with.“
“Oh, I somehow suspect that your dear hostess doesn’t mind so much at all.“ Lwaxana said with a knowing smile on her face which went completely unnoticed by the Admiral.
“You think so?“
“Yes, dear.“
“If you say so“, the Admiral grumpily relented. „But what is there to do once I get out of bed? Indiana for crying out loud.“
“Well, you could try to seize the day for a change. Take long walks and get some tan. You can always raid the bookshelves downstairs or simply enjoy pleasant conversations with kind people.“
“Says you, the woman who would go crazy in less than an hour“, Alynna snorted at Lwaxana´s suggestions.
“True, but you are not me.“
Watching the anger rise in the Admiral´s face, Lwaxana knew it was now or never to get some truths across. She took a seat on the bed and placed a warm hand against her friends face, forcing the other woman to look into her eyes.
“Please, Alynna, I know you better than you know yourself. You can probably fool yourself but you can’t fool me. This is what you long for, always have and always will. Enjoy it for as long as it will last. It might help to soothe some of your pain which we both know is invisible to the eye.“
Swallowing the lump in her throat Alynna Nechayev could only nod and close her eyes in defeat.
Being up next morning, to use the bathroom and consuming her breakfast out of bed made for an exhausted Admiral by early afternoon. Making sure she was all right and had everything she needed Gretchen left the house for the market to buy groceries for next week. Alynna had assured her that she would be fine, resting until she would be back.
The Admiral was dozing when she heard light footsteps on the stairs but she didn’t feel up for small talk so she decided to keep her eyes closed and pretend to be asleep. Unfortunately enough whoever it was didn’t take the hint but took a seat in the rocking chair. Alynna heard the ruffling of pages, the clearing of a voice and when the person started to read out loud she knew what was going on.
“Chapter 36. If Elizabeth, when Mr Darcy gave her the letter, did not expect...“
“Please, spare me more of that dreadful Jane Austen“, the Admiral pleaded without opening her eyes. When she did though, she found a flabbergasted Phoebe Janeway with the novel clutched to her chest in the rocking chair.
“I should have known it was you, who obviously finds a perverse pleasure in torturing helpless people with this ridiculous Bennet woman and that dork Mr Darcy.“
Getting a grip of herself after the initial shock Phoebe felt her hackles rise. “I beg your pardon?“
“You heard me! Not even the Cardassians were that cruel to their so called guests and I should know.“
“Well, excuse me Admiral. I was only trying to help with your recovery.“ Phoebe was angry, she felt her pulse quicken and her temper was going to snap if there was another insult from this ungrateful woman.
“How? By reading me into an early grave through the means of Pride and Prejudice?“
“Fuck you! You ungrateful, insensitive, awful bitch!“ Storming out of the room Phoebe slammed the door and ran down the stairs fuming with fury.
On her way out of the house she nearly knocked her mother over who was on her way up the front porch.
“Hey, hold it young lady. What’s the matter?“
With a hand on her hip and the other combing through her long hair Phoebe tried to calm her nerves before she answered.
“This... this woman...“ Phoebe seethed with fury, gesturing wildly towards the inside of the house.
Rolling her eyes Gretchen wondered what the hell had happened again between those two.
“Sorry mom. I have to go for a walk and calm down before I can talk about it.“
Stalking off Phoebe left a bewildered Gretchen behind. Sighing, the older woman gathered her basket and went inside. Putting her groceries into the kitchen she then walked upstairs to look after her guest.
With a knock to announce her presence, Gretchen entered the room and found the Admiral trying to get dressed.
“And what the hell do you think you are doing?“ Gretchen tapped her foot.
“What does it look like?“ Admiral Nechayev snapped.
“Don’t use that tone with me Admiral! I was married to one for thirty years, so don’t think this works with me.“
“Sorry. But I have to talk to your daughter, I need to apologise to her.“
“Not now, she went for a walk“, Gretchen helped Alynna back into bed and sat down next to her.
“What is it with you two. The only time you seem able to communicate without tearing each others head off is when one of you is unconscious. Why is that? And to be honest it is quite tiresome.“
“I am sorry.“
“Quit apologising and change it!“ Gretchen gave the Admiral one last look before she left the room to prepare dinner.
TBC