Title: Rehearsal
Author: Supersleuth! ( diana6prince@yahoo.com )
Series: Voyager
Code: Janeway/Torres & Mulgrew/Biggs-Dawson (conversation only!)
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Kate Mulgrew and Roxann Biggs-Dawson are going over Janeway and Torres' lines for an upcoming script.
Archive: FFF and ASCEM, and anywhere else, please ask first.
Disclaimer: The following is total fiction! Paramount owns the Star Trek characters and everyone else owns themselves! This is in no way meant to represent reality. (Like it would be that flaky! *smirk*) Note: As far as I know, Monsanto has no such devious motives.
Warning: This delightful little story is about two characters and the real people that portray them. Nothing offensive, promise!
Written for the FFF round 17 -- http://www.svpress.us/femmefuhqfest/
Feedback: Love it! diana6prince@yahoo.com
by Supersleuth
Scene 4
*B'lanna Torres enters the Captain's Ready Room, engineering report in hand, and walks up to the captain's desk where Janeway is sitting, drinking a cup of coffee.*
B'LANNA: The report you requested, Captain.
JANEWAY: *glances at padd.* I trust the warp drive is running at peak efficiency?
B'LANNA: Yes, ma'am, and I added a new Colombian blend of coffee to the replicator yesterday.
JANEWAY: Yes, I thought the coffee was better this morning. Once again, you've gone beyond the call of duty!
*Janeway stands up and walks over to stand right in front of B'lanna*
JANEWAY: B'lanna, I want you to know how much I appreciate all the little things you do for me. It means so much. *You* mean so much...
*Janeway and B'lanna pause and look at each other silently for 5 full seconds.*
B'LANNA: *quietly*: Anything I can do to help. You know how devoted I am to you, Captain.
JANEWAY: You can all me Kathryn.
*Janeway takes a tiny step closer to B'lanna and touches her arm.*
B'LANNA: Kathryn?
JANEWAY: Don't you know I've devoted myself to you too?
*B'lanna looks puzzled, then smiles. Janeway slowly leans in to kiss B'lanna. B'lanna accepts the kiss and puts her arms around Janeway.*
Kate Mulgrew looked quite shocked. "Wait a minute! Since *when* have Janeway and B'lanna liked each other *that* way??"
"Only since the season one second episode, when B'lanna came up with that brilliant plan and outdid Carey. Don't you remember?" Roxann, in her non-Klingon form replied.
"Yes, but I don't recall there being any subtext to that."
"Are you kidding? I got *mail* asking me if I thought Janeway was going to kiss B'lanna during that briefing room scene. And if you remember, B'lanna got promoted to Chief Engineer right after that." Roxann raised her eyebrows at that, looking back at the script.
Kate looked puzzled. "What has that got to do with it? She was a better Engineer."
"Kate, why does *anyone* that new get promoted, especially with a bad rap sheet like B'lanna had? Honestly, you are so naive!"
Kate Mulgrew stood up, walked a few steps, and paused, obviously giving something serious thought. She turned back to face Roxann. "Do you think Janeway is a lesbian and I just haven't noticed?"
Roxann smiled. "No, I honestly don't think so for the simple reason that the American viewing audience just isn't ready for that yet. You're the first female Captain, and *that* took 29 years. Let's not be too progressive!"
"You think they're really *that* conservative?" Kate asked as she sat back down.
"Yes, I think so. You know, I bet Bush is going to invade Canada if those crazy fuckers don't stop trying to give gays their rights back! Face it, we're playing 24th century characters and living in a 1984 world!"
"But the sleeveless uniform shirt, the way she can handle a phase cannon, the husky voice! And she's always wearing pantsuits! Think of all the men written in to sweep her off her feet and not *one* of them has been successful! She's in the closet! She's lost in space in a closet! The poor woman!" She was looking both alarmed and sympathetic.
The dark-haired actor was finding this discussion most amusing, but was trying to hide it from her older, and now quite concerned colleague. "I think you might be overreacting. She's from rural Indiana of all places, and we both know there were no more lesbians in Indiana and half of Ohio, after Monsanto had that 'accident' with their No-Homo-Grow™ fertilizer/pesticide in 2124! And what about the time she was left on that planet with Chakotay for months?"
"Well, she took a bath by herself, and Chakotay told her a touching story, but they only held hands non-commitally and then planted some tomatoes." She made a dismissive gesture with her hand.
"What about the time the crew got abducted and reassigned to a work facility on that other planet? Didn't she move in with that guy?"
"Well, almost, but she *had* been brainwashed. She *did* thank Chakotay for bringing her to her senses and all."
"What about on that planet in 'Prime Factors', where she was so interested in the leader of the pleasure-seeking culture?"
Kate thought for a minute. "Well, that went well until she figured out he was only seeking pleasure, now didn't it? And then what did she do? Flew off in a huff in her ship. And now that I think about it, she wouldn't mate with Q either, not even to get the ship home."
"If she got the ship home, the show would have ended, so we can both be glad she didn't do Q!"
"That is still a *lot* of men she *didn't* sleep with. She even unplugged Michael Sullivan, didn't she? Do you think that was because of B'lanna? Or Seven?"
"Seven?" It was Roxann's turn to look surprised.
"You noticed the subtext with Janeway and B'lanna, but you missed the more blatant undertone with Seven? It seems so obvious to me now. I mean, really, how many times has Janeway gone to Cargo Bay 2 and woken up Seven of Nine? And Seven never complains...much. I can't believe I didn't see this before! I wonder what the fans are thinking?"
"That Janeway is going where every man wants to?" she said with a smirk.
"Maybe *that* is why she struts around the ship like that! You know I had to have three hours of coaching on how Janeway walks?! 'Head UP! Chest OUT! BIG steps!' Gees! That's what that was all about! You know, Majel once said to me that Gene would have been proud. It was just after Jeri had come on board and we were shooting the third episode with her. She said Gene and Picard would have been proud and Kirk envious, and then she winked at me and walked away. I thought she meant because I had just taken a piece out of the biggest bad guys in the galaxy." Kate had a far-off look as she thought about that incident.
"Maybe it was because you got to keep the piece. After all, Picard was a gentleman and Kirk *was* a tramp. And Gene had a pretty big vision of equality he wanted to get out there. I mean right off the bat in 1965, he wanted to have a female First Officer, but he had to back down and have just the Alien Science Officer, and even that went right against the proven formula for a successful show at the time. It doesn't surprise me that he'd have something like this up his story-line sleeve."
Kate got up purposefully. "I have to go talk to the writers! Apparently I haven't been doing Janeway justice to have missed this whole side of her character! I just love how they keep making her more complex!"
Roxann fairly leaped out of her chair, looking a touch panicked. She grabbed Kate's arm. "Hang on!! I wouldn't do that if I were you. They might not agree with your interpretation. I mean, they may not really be *intending* all that subtextual meaning."
"What so you mean 'subtextual'? This is *actual* text and it's pretty damn blatant. Janeway *kisses* B'lanna! How else would you explain a scene like that if they didn't *intend* it?"
The young woman managed to look devilishly sheepish. "Ah,... that's actually a fanfiction script someone sent to me. I thought you'd get a kick out of it."
Kate paused for several seconds before looking at Roxann. "You weren't going to *really* rehearse this with me... were you?"
END