Chapter 4 to 6 added on 13 Apr 2001
Disclaimers are in part 1.
Rating: NC17
Chapter 4
Captain Janeway regarded the man sitting across her desk with something that was understanding but now quiet distain. She had talked to him before, on the first day of this leg of her journey to find Ani, finding him an agreeable chap. That was then and this time was something entirely different.
This man -- Tom Paris -- was the Hansen butler and had, on the first day of their journey, urged Janeway and the crew of the Jolly Voyager to find his young charge, Annika Hansen. He told the experienced captain within a year of her parent's death, she would not inherit her family's wealth. Instead, it would go to a far distant cousin who was already making his life very difficult. He had to dress as a vagabond and sneak out of London in order to find her to ask her to do this. Janeway sympathized. It seemed as though finding Ani was her only quest over the past five years, even though they had taken other jobs to pay their way. She loved the child, now woman, as if she were her own, even though they had never met. She wanted Ani to succeed in her life.
Now, some nine months later, after they had tracked Ani to this island of thugs, whores and pirates that Janeway didn't like to visit at all, Paris was getting antsy. He didn't understand the notion of taking one's time.
"We must get her now. It is urgent that she return to England, marry and claim her fortune," Paris said, sweating from the fury and the heat.
"We just found her and she's been under a lot of stress. I doubt that she wants to marry right away. Give her a little while. And besides, we've been over this, there's no writing in the will that says she must be married to claim her inheritance."
"But it's proper!"
"I've done quite fine without a man all these years. I've managed my finances, the ship's finances, and my own life quite well."
"I'd hardly call this management. You have no man, no children..."
"Maybe I don't want those things." She paused. "I've got better things to do than to argue about my life and how I manage it. Go away and I'll fetch you after we've had a talk."
"You cannot properly explain this to her. You are no barrister!"
"No, but my father was and he taught me everything he knew. Now leave."
"But..."
"Do I have to call Mr. Tuvok?"
"No, ma'am."
"Much better."
He stood and left and Janeway was happy to see him go. Over the next hour, she reviewed the will and other documents that the Hansens had left Ani. They all seemed in order and none of them asked that she marry before she claim her birthright. There was one letter from Ani's father, Magnus, that was sealed. Janeway thought that she would leave that for Ani to read. She judged that it was important and private. She tied it in a bundle and set about plotting their course back to England.
It was an hour after Paris had left, when activity on deck made Janeway raise her head. She rolled up the maps and went to see what it was all about. When she emmerged from her cabin, she saw a woman more beautiful than Helen of Troy, herself. Of course it was Ani, and she had gracefully shed the trappings of a poor floor scrubber and filled the regal robes of nobility quite well. Her golden hair fell in ringlets about her shoulders. Her face was so clean it sparkled. Her eyes once again had life to them. Her skin looked soft even from the distance which Janeway was standing. Her dress, specially made for her complete with petty coats and a modest hoop skirt, was white as the clouds with blue ribbons accenting it. It made her look all that more angellic. Her stance was confident with her shoulders straight and her arms well placed at her sides, yet in front of her so that she was neither inviting or warding anyone off. She looked straight at Janeway, nodded, and gave a small smile. Janeway had to pull her mask down before she could respond in kind.
"Welcome to the Jolly Voyager, Annika Hansen. May I show you to my cabin for breakfast? You must be famished," Janeway said politely.
"Thank you, Captain," Ani said as she walked to the captain's cabin/ready room.
"Mr. Talax, some tea, fruit and biscuts please."
"Yes, Katie," Talax replied.
Ani sat in the chair Paris had sat in earlier, her back straight as a board, but her shoulders at a feminine angle so not to imply that she had a hanger in her dress.
"You look much better than you did yesterday, Ani. Do you feel better?"
"Much, Captain."
"Please call me Katie. Everybody I like calls me that."
"Very well, Katie. Kes took very good care of me yesterday."
"And the others?"
"They treated me well, also. I must admit, however, I'm not used to people being so clean and nice on this island."
"That's why we don't come here all that often. We can trade here, but the business is hardly above the table. I'd rather stay off the gallows myself."
"I understand," Ani said, truly knowing that most people on this island were nothing less than treacherous in both business dealings and personal as well. "Why have you found me now after all this time?"
"I'm sure Kes had mentioned to you that we had been looking for you for five years, but we were looking in the wrong places, unfortunately. A recent development, nine months ago in fact, made us begin the search in greater earnest. I'm afraid to tell you, Ani, that both of your parents and your sister have died as a result of a mysterious disease affecting the aristocrats of London. It seems as though they have contained it, but not before claiming many lives. I'm sorry."
"Thank you. Where does that leave me?" Ani's eyes darkened slightly, but she remained sitting elegantly before the captain.
"Your father left you everything in the hopes that you would be found within a year of their death. After that year, you have no claim to the things set forth in this will," Janeway said as she passed over the item in question. "It has been almost nine months. It will take at least two and a half, maybe three months to return to England, which means cutting it very close."
"I understand."
"Your butler made this journey with us this time, Tom Paris." Ani flinched for a minute and then allowed her face to go passive. "And he believes that it would be best for you to marry before you return home. There is nothing in these documents that states that you must do so, but do be aware that this is his intention."
Talax chose that time to come in with the tea and other items. He served them and quietly slipped out when Janeway nodded at him.
"I have the feeling that you don't like this gentleman," Katie said.
"Not especially, but his family has taken care of ours for several generations now. He's all that I have left."
"You have us. We are committed to taking care of you in any fashion that you deem fit. I realize that you don't need taken care of, since you are a very intellegent woman, but we are more than willing to watch your back for you."
"I appreciate your kindness."
Janeway nodded and handed over the sealed envelope from Magnus Hansen. "This is from your father. We've kept it sealed for you. I'll leave you in private to read it."
"Thank you."
Janeway left her in silence, going to check the ship's readiness.
Ani broke the seal to the envelope after examining the familiar wax stamp. She looked over her father's distinctive writing and let a couple of tears fall from the corner of her eyes.
"Dearest Ani,
If you have received this, it is more than likely that I have passed on into heaven, God be willing. I write to you to tell you how much I have loved you, from the moment that we found your mother pregnant, and if God be willing, I shall love you for eternity. I am very proud of you, as well. My parents mourned that I would never sire a son, but I knew that I had all that I could have wanted in a son in you. I know that you will handle your heritage wisely.
The one thing that I want for you is for you to be happy. I want you to marry for love, and not duty. If you need someone to protect you, to help you manage your life, Kate Janeway can fulfill that role. You do not need a man. You need love, autonomy, independence. Your spirit does not allow for anything less.
I trust you and have faith that you will ultimately know what to do. Also, if Mr. Paris is on that ship, make him walk the plank. I do not trust him. He is nothing like his father.
All the best in your life, Love, Your father, Magnus Hansen."
Ani traced her father's signature and then carefully folded the letter, tied it with a ribbon from her dress, and put it up her sleeve. She then sipped the rest of her tea, nibbled on her scone, and then left the comfort of the captain's cabin. She found Janeway on the deck and beckond her to come over.
"Katie, I have a request of you."
"Anything."
"Can your Mr. Tuvok take Mr. Paris onto the island and lose him?" she asked in a confident yet low voice. "I don't even want to see him. I then want to set out for England, if you are ready."
"Certainly," Janeway said without asking why. She nodded and found Tuvok immediately. She told him the plan and said that they'd meet him near the cove they had found the day before. He understood and found Paris right away. Without much fanfare, he convinced Mr. Paris to help him retrieve Ani's things from where she was found. He agreed and Tuvok took him into town. Tuvok only stepped into the door when Mr. Paris went directly to the bartender and asked for Ani's things. When he was occupied with haggling over the few things that Ani did have and not being taken seriously at all, Tuvok slipped out and found the ship. It didn't take very long and by the time he was back on the ship, they were ready to go.
Chapter 5
Once they were on the high seas, Ani had changed into the previous day's outfit of white cotton pants and dark shirt. She was much more comfortable as she hung overboard, puking everything she had ever ate in the last two days. Kes was right beside her and Janeway and some of the others were watching on, some laughing, some honestly concerned.
When all of the contents of her stomach had emptied, Kes showed her to the guest cabin and fed her more food than Ani possibly could have been comfortable with. She didn't feel nautious after that, though. She was able to go through the paperwork and see everything with her own eyes. There was a lot there, but she understood it all. She had inherited a considerable amount of land, money, jewels and responsibility. She had to take care of many people and she hoped there would be something to take care of when she got home. They would have been without a lord for far too long.
Talax knocked on her door late that afternoon and Ani called for him to enter.
"Hello, Talax. I've been wondering where you've been hidning all day," Ani said with a smile on her face.
"I believe it's you who has been hiding, my dear Miss Hansen. The captain an Kes would like to invite you to dinner in the captain's cabin. No need to dress. Just want you to be comfortable."
"And when will that be?"
"They are gathering now."
"Thank you, Talax."
Talax smiled brightly and left her to prepare. It didn't take her long to put everything back in its place, check herself in the mirror, and recognized herself for the first time in many years. She still saw the whore, but she was hidden under this old and new clean fascade.
She left the quiet of her cabin and found Kes, Janeway, Bella and Tuvok sitting around a rectangular table in the captain's diningroom.
"Welcome, Ani," Janeway said with a kind smile. Her hair was down around her shoulders and she wore softer clothes, linens and not leathers. Tuvok nodded at her and she nodded back. `He doesn't talk at all.'
Kes came over and took her hand which caused jealous looks from both Bella and Janeway that were not lost on Ani. She understood Janeway's look, but she didn't understand Bella's. `Is she in love with Kes, too?' Ani thought to herself.
"Did you talk to the captain?" Ani asked Kes quietly.
"Not yet. It'll take time," Kes replied as she showed Ani to a seat on the bench next to her.
"I hope you like turkey. We just obtained at least three of them from the island. I checked on Talax earlier and the bird was cooking to perfection," Janeway said. "It smelled wonderful."
"I haven't had that in a long time. It was usually catch what you can on the island. Sometimes the Queen gave me food for performing certain duties," Ani said with some sadness. "But that is hopefully over with. You got rid of Mr. Paris?" she asked Tuvok. He nodded and raised an eyebrow. "Good. My father warned me about him in that letter. He was such an... well I'm unwilling to say the word since it isn't very lady like. He often played tricks on me as a child and told lies."
"He's gone now," Kes said, squeezing Ani's hand.
"I'm not worried about him. I could probably cause him some damage in a hand to hand fight. He has always been a weak man, unlike his father," Ani said. They all laughed heartily. "I am asking for your help. I will need a staff, a protection service from the dangers I can't see, as well as some help keeping all of my commitments straight. My father employs over three hundred individuals. Employed. With the senior Paris dead, I have no one in England to trust. I would like to employ this crew in that task and take over the shipping company to the Americas. Will you agree?"
Janeway looked to the others who nodded. She looked to Ani and nodded in turn. Talax chose that moment to come in with dinner. He served everyone and then sat down with them, showing that the ship was truly democrat.
Ani, even though Kes's hand was in hers the majority of the time, had attention fully on Bella directly across the table. Neither were talking a whole lot, especially, since Janeway held command of the conversation.
Chapter 6
Ani had tried desperately to be proper and not do any work beyond pouring over the paperwork and reading the books that Katie had loaned her. That got boring after a while and by the third day, she was begging for something to do, if you call what she did begging. She went directly to the captain and said, "I need something to do."
"Did you run out of books?"
"I need something to do with my hands."
"You don't need to do that anymore, Ani. We'll take care of you," Katie said as she tried to walk away. Ani stopped her by grabbing her arm.
"I have been working for five years doing one thing or another with my hands. I do like the fact that I don't have to work, but I would rather do something, anything, than nothing at all. Do you understand?"
"Yes," Janeway said. "Go find Bella and she'll find something for you to do. I believe she's below deck."
"Any idea where?"
"I don't keep track of my crew when we're all on board. All I know is that she's below deck. She doesn't tell me her plans either."
"Okay, thank you," Ani said as she straightened her shirt and stomped off. After searching the various nooks and crannies of the ship, she found Bella on the lowest deck, reading by candlelight. She watched the woman, clearly from Spain or from Portugal, secretly from behind a stack of crates. She looked engrossed in the words, in the meaning, and turned the pages slowly.
"I can't believe that!" Bella said as she quickly turned the page again. "Oh my god! How do they do that?" She rotated the book as if turning them around would make the words and the picture look more possible. Ani giggled and Bella dropped her book. "Who's there? Come on out so I can kill you!"
"It's just me, Bella," Ani said shyly, hoping that the woman wouldn't kill her like she promised.
"What are you doing there in the dark?"
"Looking for you. Katie said that you might have something for me to do."
"Unfortunately, not. It's pretty boring now. How long were you standing there?"
"Just a couple of minutes, not long." Ani walked over and sat down next to Bella. She took the book from the woman and it indeed looked like an impossible picture, the way that they drew it. "Kama Sutra? You suprise me, Bella."
"I'm not virginal, you know."
"I didn't even think it."
"So I'm a whore, then?"
"Didn't say that either. I just thought you'd be one to improvise and not need an instruction manual."
"And you?"
"Required reading for those who could read. Anything to keep me from being beaten. When I performed with another woman, we would use this position. The men would tip more after that."
"It is possible?"
"Very. You need to be limber, though."
"No doubt," Bella said.
"Those who love with their whole heart and soul, who own their passion, don't need this. They know how to please their lovers and don't worry about positions."
"How do you know?"
"I feel it," Ani said seriously. "So who are you wanting to use these positions on?"
Even in the candle light, Ani could see Bella blush. Her small hand covered her nose and mouth and her eyes looked away. Ani smiled.
"You have strong feelings for this person and want to impress them," Ani percieved.
"Yes."
"Someone aboard?"
Bella nodded. "Can we not talk about this?"
"Sure," Ani said, quietly wishing that she was the one Bella wanted to be good for. "That position is too complicated for beginners." Ani turned to her favorite position, possible for any type of lover. Ani could almost forget she was a whore when in this position.
"Umm... That's nice. These pictures are beautiful."
"Yes, they are. Is this Janeway's?"
"Yeah. She doesn't know that I borrowed it." Bella's breath caught as Ani started to stroke the picture, not only the picture, but the place where the two lovers were connected. Their knees touched.
"I could show you," Ani said. It was hard to act like the prim and proper lady that she was supposed to be.
"I don't know if that would be good. We don't know each other all that well. Besides, it sounds like business to you and not love. I want it to be about love," Bella explained.
"Oh. Your pleasure is important to me, though."
"Like Kes's was?"
"Kes took care of me. You've shown me kindness."
"What about you?"
"You would take care of me. Because of your last statement, I know that." Ani wouldn't take no for an answer. She put the book aside and took Bella's hand in hers and pulled her to a standing position.
"Ani," Bella said, quietly refusing. She wasn't very effective at it.
Ani led her up two decks to Bella's cabin, a private cabin but small. The tall blonde pulled the shorter woman into a kiss, melting her knees beneath her. Neither woman could deny that the other was a good kisser, that her lips were velvety smooth, their tongues were strong.
"We can't do this," Bella said as they separated. Still, Ani began unlacing her shirt and pulling it over her caramel colored body. She smiled at the pert breasts with small brown nipples, pebbling under her gaze despite the heat and humidity of the room.
"You are very beautiful," Ani whispered. "Has anyone told you that?"
"Only my father and then he left."
"No sadness." Ani leaned close and began to kiss across her shoulders, sucking bits of skin in between her lips as she went. Bella moaned.
Ani's hands deftly pulled her shirt over her head and Bella gasped at the sight. Her white shirt had given everyone hints at the treasures underneath, but she hadn't expected her breasts to be so beautiful, large and silky smooth when she touched them. They were heavy in her hands and soft. Her pink nipples poked into Bella's palms.
"Let me," Ani said breathlessly. She cupped Bella's face and kissed her fully on the lips, her tongue ghosting across Bella's lips and then pushing gently into her mouth. Without Bella knowing it, Ani had undressed them the rest of the way. She led the shorter woman over to the unmade bed and prompted her to lay down.
"Oh God," Bella groaned as Ani laid on top of her, her midsection between Bella's parted legs.
"You are so wet," Ani whispered.
"I've never felt like this," she whimpered. "It scares me."
"Don't be scared," Ani cooed. She took her time exploring Bella's body, kissing down her chest, from one nipple to the other, drawing them into her mouth, elongating them with sweet suction, making Bella cry out. She kissed further down Bella's body, tonguing her belly button, carressing her sides with her hands. Bella shook from antici...
She moaned and wound her hands in Ani's hair.
...pation.
"Please," Bella cried as tears fell from her eyes.
"Shh... It's better this way."
"You're killing me."
Ani smiled. She loved doing this to women, making them nearly come from the anticipation and the foreplay, not even touching their centres until their breath was so ragged that they almost passed out and their hearts beat out of their chests. When she finally relented, the women loved her all the more. This was the best experience of their lives, they said. They didn't care if someone else was watching or if they paid her to do it, the women loved her, often writing love poetry to her for weeks afterward, begging to see her again. Of course, she refused because the Queen wouldn't allow it. The men were only allowed return engagements. This made Ani's heart ache. She loved the feel of these women, and loved to take care of them. They were so much softer and smelled so much better than the men. Their attention wasn't forceful, but was pleading in its own sense. She loved them for that small moment in time. That's probably why the Queen wouldn't allow it.
Ani wondered if she could love Bella after she had tucked her heart away after too many shattering realizations and breakups. She hoped so.
The blonde ex-whore placed open mouthed kisses on the point of Bella's hip, across her abdomen to the other hip, tracing the vine tattoo there. Her chest brushed against Bella's wet thatch and the prone woman gasped. Ani grinned and kissed from the point of Bella's right hip and down her thigh. She licked the juices from the insides of Bella's thighs, surprised that this woman actually tasted like she smelled, smoky, rich, full of musk. Bella was honest and the taste of her juices only proved it.
Ani blew cool air into Bella's centre and the small woman's hips bucked. She cried out, too. Ani parted the netherlips and put her own lips to the hard ridge that was revealed. Bella exhaled and then became tense. She was close, Ani knew. She sucked the rose lips into her mouth and flicked her tongue over them. Bella's hips bucked more and Ani held her in a position that would be comfortable for them both, with Bella's legs over her shoulders.
Bella came within thirty seconds and collapsed against the bed, sweating buckets. Still, Ani didn't stop. She kept her assault up, licking and prodding Bella with her tongue and didn't stop until Bella had pushed her off gently. Ani climbed up next to her, wrapped the sheets around their nude bodies, and allowed Bella to snuggle into her and fall asleep, exhausted and unable to do anything else.
Continued in next part ....