So what the heck... we decided to do a round robin... here's the story so far!
Summary: still to be summarised
Rating: still to be rated
Disclaimer: do we have to? Okay, so they belong to Paramount...
* Sally *
It was hot in the library and Naomi was desperate to get out of there. But the final exams were looming and she needed to pass them if she had any chance of graduating. Star Fleet Academy was tough on its students, particularly those whom they considered would have a head start; such as herself and Icheb, both of whom had got their start on board Voyager.
Icheb and Voyager. Both seemed a world away now. Icheb had graduated with top honours from the Academy five years before and was now off on a classified mission somewhere in the Beta Quadrant.
Icheb was her motivation now. She could finally admit that to herself. She had no idea if he knew that, she had kept those kinds of thoughts private, terrified of losing an already fragile friendship, weakened by their time spent apart. But his being had formed her goal, to graduate from the Academy and serve on the same ship that he was on.
* Jo *
"Who's the picture of?" Dan Roberts asked, walking up to Icheb. He turned the picture over self-consciously.
"A friend."
"Uh-huh?" Dan said, sitting down in the chair opposite him. "When do I get to meet this friend?"
"I do not know. She is in her final year at Starfleet Academy."
"Ah, it's a she friend then." Icheb nodded, not quite getting his friend's meaning. Although he'd come a long way in his search for 'humanity' there were still things that he didn't understand.
"I hope that, when she has graduated, she will be able to serve along side me on this ship."
"Yeah, that would be great," Dan smiled. "But it's probably more likely that she'd serve under you."
"Yes, it probably is. I would also like that," Icheb said, wondering why Dan was snickering.
"Well, are you going to show me the picture then?" Icheb reluctantly handed it over to him, and Dan's eyes went wide. "Naomi Wildman, right?" Icheb nodded, confused.
"How do you know her name?"
"I could never forget *that* pretty face."
"I do not understand."
"My last year at the academy- I met a first year at the Christmas party. We hit it off right away. I never saw her again after that weekend though- not even a picture. Until now that is. Wow, she was hot." Icheb smiled at Dan, wondering why his stomach was suddenly feeling rather strange.
* Taya *
"Do you have a number I can contact her at? I'd absolutely *love* to hook up with her again."
Icheb thought for not even a moment before casually replying. "No, we ...do not keep in close contact as much anymore." He wasn't that great of a liar. He didn't even know why he was lying. There was no threat from him, no reason to worry about a threat... Dan took the picture delicately from him and looked at it closely.
"But if this is right, this picture was taken just a few weeks ago. 3 weeks if I'm not mistaken."
"I just- do not have the number, I'm sorry." He took back the picture and tucked securely in one of his drawers.
"Hey, man, listen, if you two are-" he gestured something with his hands, "that's fine, you could of said something." Icheb didn't know how to respond to that, no one had ever questioned him about a personal life, one that involved a girlfriend at least.
"We are not together." He never thought of her like *that*, he pictured her as a younger sister and always thought it weird if they were anything more. He listened to Dan talk as if he were background noise. But, hearing what he was saying, didn't seem so weird anymore. He wondered what she was doing...
* Eve *
~~~~~~
"Icheb, I never knew." Naomi's eyes were filled with tears of joy as she smiled up at Icheb, their faces barely a breath apart.
He smiled back with all his heart as the violins played in the background. "Oh, Naomi."
"Oh, Icheb."
"Will you
-----
No, no, no! She was supposed to be writing an essay on the Heisenberg compensator. This wouldn't do. This wouldn't get her onto the same ship as Icheb, would it?
She pressed delete and started again. Or tried to. It had been nearly month since she'd last seen him, and proved an old Earth phrase right. Absence does make the heart grow stronger...... and the mind grow weaker.
Silence ruled heavily over the library, almost seeming envious of the sunny weather and laughter outside. No, maybe that was her. It was worth it, it was worth it, that's what she kept telling herself. But her very reason for her motivation was what kept distracting her.
If only she could see him right now, just for a moment, it would help so much.
But instead the only thing she saw was the dull, grey old library.
Did he think of her the way she thought of him? No, yes, no, yes. She never could quite work out from the way he acted toward her what he thought. Sometimes, fairly recently, he would look at her like she was the only person in a crowded room. The next moment, there was a platonic gulf between them. She just couldn't work him out. Considering it was Icheb, former emotionless Borg, now socially awkward but good-hearted man, perhaps he didn't know what he felt either.
---
Icheb was confused. Ever since that odd conversation with Dan, he could not concentrate on his assigned tasks. He could almost see Seven stare down out at him in disappointment, lecturing him about his inefficiency.
Thoughts of Seven always faded away as a shorter but sweeter woman entered his mind again and again, refusing to let him work, but instead think of her. And when did he start using the word "sweet" as anything not related to the taste of food and drink? All he knew for sure, as strange sensations and emotions took him over when he thought of Naomi, was that he wanted, needed, to see her. Romantic feelings couldn't come between their friendship. Perhaps a meeting would sort this all out, and he'd be able to move back to a normal relationship with her.
Unlikely, he knew, very unlikely, and an 'inefficient' use of time, but he didn't care about those deeply ingrained Borg standards, he had try something. These strange emotions were far too pleasant to ignore for much longer. He had difficulty articulating it, but a part of him didn't want... didn't want to go back to normal.
He smiled tightly, having finally come to a decision. Right. After Naomi's exams had finished, he would use some of that stored-up shore leave he rarely used except to see her or Seven, and try to sort out his feelings, without her knowing. This couldn't be allowed to complicate their relationship.
* Vicki *
Naomi skidded down the corridors to her dorm room, trying not to drop her PADDs. She was late for dinner with Admiral Janeway and her family! Naomi had kept in contact with quite a few members of the crew from Voyager, and Kathryn Janeway and Chakotay had been two of the easier ones, as they both lectured part-time at the Academy. Naomi was actually the God-mother to their youngest, Ashleigh, and she had promised to have dinner with the little girl if she got 100% in her maths test. Ashleigh had inherited her mother's mathmatical talent, and Naomi was cursing her mouth for making the promise so close to her essay deadline. Still, if she had been working, instead of thinking about Icheb...
Her mind wandered again, and she mentally slapped herself. Icheb was her friend, nothing more. And it was going to be a while before she saw him again, especially if she didn't survive the next few days...
* Sally *
"Darling," Kathryn began that evening. "Something is troubling you. What is it?"
"Its nothing," Naomi muttered.
"It doesn't seem like nothing to me. You were quiet all through dinner. Is it the exams?"
Chakotay let out a laugh. "From what I've heard, Naomi has nothing to worry about in that department. Its boy trouble, my dear Kathryn. Pure and simple."
Naomi blushed so severely that Chakotay's wife reached across the table and slapped him lightly on the arm. "Chakotay. Stop harrassing the poor girl." She turned to Naomi. "Ignore him, dear."
"Hey!" Chakotay protested. "She's only embarrassed because I guessed the truth. So, who is it, Naomi?" He paused for a moment but before the young woman could respond, he continued. "Let's see. Who's in your class? Clarkson? Memitz?" He suddenly rolled his eyes. "Not that bore, T'mok I hope."
"Chakotay!" Kathryn exclaimed. "You should say things like that. Besides, T'mok is a good student."
"He's a Vulcan," Chakotay replied, as if that explained everything.
Kathryn grinned. "What is it about you and Vulcans, Chakotay? You're getting quite the reputation about campus, you know."
"Let's just say seven years with Tuvok had that effect on me."
Naomi sat back and smiled. She enjoyed watching Voyager's former captain and first officer spar like this. It was what had made them such a good command team. Their's was a long and lasting friendship, a friendship that had deepened and matured once they had returned to Earth, one that finally had evolved into a strong love. If only Icheb and I could be like that, Naomi thought to herself.
She became aware of fingers snapping in front of her. "Earth to Cadet Wildman. Come in Wildman. See, Kathryn, it is a boy."
Naomi practically flew back to reality. "Its no one in my class," she blurted out without thinking. Realising her error, she bit down hard on her lip.
"Not in your class, huh? Chakotay queried.
"Oh, will you give it a rest, Chakotay," Kathryn snapped. "I swear you get more and more like Tom Paris every day."
But her husband was not to be deterred. "My goodness," he breathed. "I've got it. Its Icheb, isn't it."
* Jo *
"Don't be so stupid Daddy," Ashleigh said, giving her father a look that said 'you idiot.' "Icheb's like Naomi's brother. Just like Robbie's mine and Rachel's brother. It's all the same." She grinned widely, and Naomi sighed with relief. She knew there was a reason why she'd always loved Ashleigh Janeway!
"You just don't get it do you Ashleigh? Can't you see the romance there? There must be something between them! They're perfect for each other!" Rachel said, obviously annoyed at her younger sister's inability to see the romance in the situation.
"She's only seven, she's not old enough to understand all that romantic stuff. And anyway, I think it's disgusting!" Robbie said, the typical ten-year-old boy.
"Oh for goodness sake Robbie, you're such a boy!"
"I do understand what you mean," Ashleigh butted in. "I just think they're better as a brother and sister. It's too complicated if they started to like each other." Kathryn just managed to suppress a snicker at her youngest daughter's comment, and noticed Rachel trying to keep herself from laughing.
"Hey, no need to fight!" Chakotay said, putting on his 'fatherly-voice.' "Everyone's allowed their own opinion. And even if I do think there's something between Naomi and Icheb, it doesn't mean you have to all agree with me!" Naomi had been watching the interactions between the family, and decided now was the time to stop them
"Uh, hello? I don't like being talked about as if I'm not here." She was given quick apologies, before they all continued to eat their meal, no one mentioning the topic again that evening.
***
"So, what do you think?" Chakotay asked as he handed his wife a mug of coffee later that evening, after Naomi had gone back to her dorm room, and all three children were in bed.
"What do I think about what?"
"Naomi and Icheb."
"Chakotay, we don't know that there's even anything between them!" she said, rolling her eyes.
"Oh come on Kathryn! Don't be so ridiculous!"
After some discussion, Chakotay got his wife to see what he could see, and at 2 o'clock the next morning, when they finally went to bed, they had a plan. On Stardate 14569.3, after Naomi's exams had finished, she would be going on a trip to the beta quadrant, to see a certain ex-Borg. Kathryn and Chakotay just knew it would be the best gift they could give either of the two.
***
"Thank you sir, it's very kind of you to allow me this time off."
"Don't mention it Ensign, I can see that this is very important to you."
"Yes sir. There are a few things I need to put right before I am affected too drastically."
"Dismissed Ensign." Icheb turned, and left his Captain's ready room, making his way back to his quarters. On Stardate 14569.3 he'd leave the ship for Earth, to see Naomi and sort out all these strange feelings he was having.
to be continued...