Chapter 14 added on 31 May 2001
Disclaimers are in part 1.
Rating: NC17
After a few minutes, Rain lifted her head from Kathryn's shoulder. "Thanks," she whispered.
Kathryn just nodded and held Rain's hand. "You okay?" she asked gently.
Rain nodded. "There's more," she stated, wondering if Kathryn wanted to continue. At Kathryn's nod, Rain began again.
"I think this is where I tell you what it means, exactly, to be Energetic." Rain took another deep breath and let it out slowly. "First, we are creatures of pure emotion. It encompasses all that we are, everything we do. You're probably wondering how Tuvok and I are so close," she said with a smirk. "He realizes it makes me a better officer. Kathryn, when I say we're creatures of pure emotion, I mean our physiology feeds on emotion. It manifests itself as pure energy. Hence the name. It's pure coincidence that we look just like Humans and ended up on Earth. But though we may look like Humans, the energy we harness inside our bodies could power a galaxy." She paused to let Kathryn absorb this information.
Kathryn looked at Rain and tilted her head to the side. "I'm not sure I understand," she said.
"I'm not sure I can explain it so you can. It might be easier if I show you my medical file. Or parts of it, anyway," she smiled conspiratorially.
"Okay," replied Kathryn, "but what does that have to do with the program you were running in the holodeck? And what was causing you to be in that condition in the first place?"
Rain grimaced and appeared slightly embarrassed at the question. This had Kathryn intrigued. Rain stood up to pace. Though walking was painful, there was no way she could talk about the Transcendence while Kathryn held her hand. "It has to do with the Energetic mating instinct," she began as she walked over to stand before the viewport. Staring unseeingly at the passing starfield she continued, "An Energetic becomes aware of their mate the minute she's born. It doesn't matter where in the universe she is, an Energetic immediately senses her."
Kathryn had to interrupt again. "Her?" she questioned.
Rain looked over her shoulder at her Captain. "Yes. Oh, sorry. I forgot to mention that all Energetics are female. Because we are creatures of emotion, male Energetics do not survive the first year of maturity. It was discovered that they simply were unable to handle the sheer volume of emotion harnessed within our bodies."
She turned back to the starfield. "The minute the mate is sensed, the mating instinct begins. It may take five years, or it may take 500 years for an Energetic to actually encounter her mate, but when she does, she knows her immediately. Kathryn, we sense our mates the minute we meet them. It is instinctive. Our auditory acuity recognizes her heartbeat, our olfactory acuity recognizes her scent."
Rain shook her head. "Again, I'm getting ahead of myself. The minute we become aware of our mate, regardless whether or not we've met her, the mating instinct begins. What that means is that every two years, we go through something called the Transcendence." Rain rubbed her hand over her face, wincing when she encountered cuts and contusions. She did not want to continue with this part of the explanation but knew she must.
"The Transcendence is the most vulnerable, emotional, and intense aspect of an Energetic's life. If an Energetic has found her mate, has already completed the mating rituals and is actually 'mated,' the Transcendence is completed with the mate's assistance. If an Energetic is not yet 'mated' she must complete the Transcendence alone. Only she can't actually 'Transcend' until she's 'mated.' Don't ask about that, yet, Kathryn. Trust me when I tell you that you are not ready to hear about what it means to 'transcend.' Each Energetic has to figure out for herself the best way to go through a Transcendence when 'unmated.'"
Rain turned to look at Kathryn to see how she was processing all of this. Kathryn had a spellbound look on her face that begged Rain to continue. Rain just smiled. Kathryn has no idea, thought Rain.
Kathryn stood up and walked over to Rain unsure whether Rain would be receptive to her close proximity. When Rain didn't object, Kathryn took her hand and whispered, "You're amazing. What you manage to hide behind that sense of humor and intelligence is unbelievable." Kathryn could feel herself getting more emotionally involved as the evening wore on and was, by now, completely enamored with the young Energetic.
The fact that Rain was a raving beauty didn't help, either. Didn't hurt, of course, but it certainly didn't help her maintain objectivity. At 5'8, Rain was built. Broad shoulders and a lanky body hid a muscularity that Kathryn distinctly recalled from their meeting in the Ready Room. Kathryn found the deceptive strength sexy as hell. Curly black hair that hung just below those broad shoulders was made for Kathryn's fingers to run through. She hoped she got the chance. But it was the eyes that did it. Piercing green that looked clear into Kathryn's soul. The tawny skin begged for Kathryn's caress.
Rain could not take it anymore. The look she was getting from Kathryn, the close proximity, breathing in Kathryn's scent, hearing her heartbeat, pushed her over the edge. She leaned down and pressed her lips to Kathryn's. She let out a groan when she felt Kathryn yield to her touch.
Kathryn felt Rain's tongue press gently against her lips and opened them, allowing the deep, intimate caress. She touched her own to Rain's, the two dancing together. Rain pulled back slightly to gently bite down on Kathryn's lower lip, pulling at it, before returning to explore the treasures within. The kiss grew hungrier as Rain brought her hands up to hold Kathryn's face in her gentle grasp. She left Kathryn's mouth to take in a gulp of air, whispering, "enge'mi', and then pressed her lips to her Captain's jaw, placing lingering kisses along the jawline up to her ear where she took the delicate lobe in her mouth and began to gently suck.
Kathryn gasped when Rain took hold of her ear. Her fingertips were tingling so badly they were numb. She reached up to put her arms around Rain's shoulders and heard Rain let out a gasp of pain. Leaning back to saw a grimace of pain wash over Rain's features. "I'm sorry," Kathryn whispered. "I forgot about your injuries." She let go of Rain's shoulders, and Rain immediately felt the loss. So Rain also let go of Kathryn, letting her hands move from Kathryn's face to her shoulders, down her arms until she ended up holding both of Kathryn's hands in her own.
"It's okay," Rain whispered back. In a normal tone of voice, she continued, "I should probably finish the explanation, anyway." Kathryn nodded and led Rain back to the sofa. When she tried to sit down with her, Rain just shook her head. "I can't sit next to you and finish this. I need a little distance, just to get perspective." Kathryn nodded to indicate that she understood. So Rain sat in the chair opposite the sofa.
"I was going through the Transcendence when you found me in the holodeck."
Kathryn just stared at Rain. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. After several tries, she finally managed to say, "No wonder you were ready to kill me."
Rain laughed. "You have no idea. Kathryn, I'm not sure how far you want me to go with this. It gets very personal from here on."
Kathryn looked down at her hands, rubbing them as they continued to tingle. "I guess that's up to you. I feel as though I should tell you that I'm developing some very strong feelings where you're concerned. I know I'm very attracted to you, but it's more than that. I don't want to make you uncomfortable, but this is very new to me. I haven't allowed myself to feel this way for so long-"
"Kathryn" interrupted Rain, a smile on her face, "I understand. More than you know. But I'm afraid that if I tell you the rest, it'll scare you off."
"Oh, I don't think you have to worry about that," murmured Kathryn. "I'm in pretty deep already."
Rain took a deep breath and bit the bullet. "However deep you're in, Kathryn, I'm in deeper. I told you that Energetics sense their mates immediately upon contact. If an Energetic's mate is another Energetic, the result is simple. They mate. They recognize one another instantly. If, however, an Energetic's mate is not another Energetic, it gets a little complicated. The Energetic knows the outcome is predetermined, but the mate does not. Remember the absolute cornerstone of Energetic ideals? 'An it harm none?' Well, the Energetic can do nothing to force her mate into falling in love with her. She just has to wait for it to happen."
Rain took another fortifying breath. Gathering the courage to continue she asked, "Enge'mi', do you know the significance? Me going through the Transcendence?"
Kathryn stared off into the distance, going over in her mind all that Rain had told her, putting the pieces together. Her eyes got wide and her mouth fell open. "You've sensed your mate."
Rain nodded and waited for the outburst.
Kathryn did not disappoint. "But you-. We-. That kiss? How-?" Kathryn was confused, upset and disappointed.
Rain did not allow Kathryn time to jump to the wrong conclusions. "Kathryn, enge'mi', remember when I told you when we sense our mates?"
Kathryn, still dumbfounded, nodded and said, "You said as soon as they're born."
Rain left her chair and crossed over to Kathryn. Though it pained her, she knelt in front of her Captain. "Kathryn," she whispered, "I sensed my mate 44 years ago." She waited for the significance of that to sink in before continuing. Grasping Kathryn's hand, Rain asked, "Try to remember the Doctor's response when you told him I was in your Ready Room."
Kathryn sighed and tried to focus. Remembering the conversation in the Ready Room, she tried to remember the Doctor's exact words. When it finally came to her, the pieces of the puzzle dropped into place, and she froze. "He said, 'in her condition, she really can't be in your Ready Room.' Then he said, 'you especially know whose presence your body can and cannot tolerate, physically, during this period.' Oh, my God," Kathryn finished.
Rain rubbed Kathryn's hands, waiting to see if Kathryn would accept or reject her.NOTE: enge'mi' is Energetic for "my queen"
To be continued....