Chapter 21 added on 17 October 2000
Disclaimers are in part 1.
Rating: R
"Captain, the away team, I mean, B'Elanna and Seven are requesting to beam up," informed Harry, unable to contain the joy and enthusiasm in his voice.
Captain Janeway smiled over her shoulder at the young Ensign, feeling the same giddiness in her heart as well. "Permission granted. Chakotay, you have the bridge. I'm going down to greet them."
"Aye, Captain."
As she climbed the few steps to the upper tier of the bridge, she heard Paris call out and looked over to him.
"Ma'am, may Harry and I accompany you?" Paris asked with a slight yearning.
Nodding, the Captain assented. "Of course."
The two bridge officers proceeded to jog over to the turbo lift where Janeway waited impatiently. She was ready to jump out of her skin, knowing that her two missing officers were about to be transported back onto the ship. Days of worrying and wondering what happened to them were almost over, but a new sense of curiosity and concern invaded her thoughts. Now she wanted to hear the entire story of their ordeal, see their familiar faces, and spend a little time with them, especially Seven. No doubt, the young Borg must have been through a lot of difficult situations she had never been placed in before, and she wanted to guide the young woman through the consequences, if there were any.
When they finally reached Transporter Room 2, the doors couldn't open up faster for her. She instructed the crewman to beam the two women on board immediately in her most commanding voice. Hearing the tone, the poor man scrambled to comply with her wishes.
In less than a few seconds, B'Elanna and Seven materialized on the transporter pad. Slightly disoriented, the two women glanced around them for a moment and then at each other, oblivious, it seemed, to the friends that were standing there in the same room.
Janeway caught her breath as she took in the sight of the lieutenant and the ex-drone. B'Elanna appeared to be sporting a few healing bruises on her face, while Seven, in her untainted brown biosuit, appeared none the worse for wear. But Janeway found something in Seven's gaze toward the lieutenant that she had never seen before, some emotion she couldn't put her finger on because the Borg was trying to hide it. Never had she witnessed such a look on Seven's face, other than emotions such as anger, fear, confusion, and humor. Both of them appeared as though they had been crying, their eyes slightly red and swollen, to the Captain's observant eyes. Harry and Tom were more excited, however, and missed those details as they moved to intercept the two stepping down from the pad.
"Welcome back!" Harry cried from behind Tom.
B'Elanna saw Tom head straight for her, and though part of her welcomed him, the majority of her hesitated, wanting to turn and explain to Seven. But explain what? As if in slow motion, B'Elanna watched him walk towards her, arms outstretched to hug her and pull her close. She could see him bending down, his lips opened slightly, the tip of his pink tongue peeking.
'Oh, god! He's going to kiss me here, in front of the Captain. In front of Seven!'
The half-Klingon accepted the embrace, but turned her face away as his mouth descended toward hers. Luckily, Tom got the hint and gave her a full-bodied hug instead in welcome, thinking she was just reserved as usual in front of other people. He would save the real welcome for when they were alone. B'Elanna gently but firmly pushed him away, glancing carefully at Seven to see what her reaction was. Though the ex-drone's face remained impassive, her rounded eyes told the half-Klingon she had seen the entire exchange.
Janeway moved over to Seven's side and gave her a quick one-armed squeeze around the shoulders, and repeated the same gesture with the lieutenant.
"It's good to see you both. I trust you are alright?" the Captain asked with a small smile and crook of her brow.
"We are fully functional, Captain. But it would be best to proceed to Sickbay as both of us have sustained injuries," Seven replied.
B'Elanna turned around from receiving a friendly hug from Harry, upon hearing her words. "She's right, Captain. Seven's neural synapses were damaged by an EM pulse during our crash. The Doctor should examine her first."
"I'll come with you, B'Elanna," Tom interrupted, his eyes focused on his ex-lover with concern.
She was a bit disturbed by his attention, but since he was the Doctor's assistant, she thought he should be there to help EMH just in case Seven's treatment needed an extra pair of hands.
"Okay."
Seven felt her stomach roll when B'Elanna invited Ensign Paris to Sickbay with them. She didn't think there could be any substantial feelings left between them, but she started to have doubts.
"I'll take you down there myself," Janeway announced, as she began urging them out of the transporter room. "I want the full story of what happened, and an official report from each of you."
As they walked through the deck, both of the women looked about as if the surroundings were strange to them. Crewmembers that passed them by in the hallways greeted Seven and B'Elanna politely, gratified to see the two women had been retrieved successfully and were back among them.
Janeway smiled as she walked with Seven, her hand returned to rest against the ex-drone's back, unconsciously stroking up and down. Maybe Seven didn't really notice, her attention still dwelling on the interaction between B'Elanna and Tom Paris, as well as adjusting to being back on Voyager. However, B'Elanna did, as her eyes narrowed watching the Captain caress what was hers, and the lieutenant was about to go Klingon. But years of restraining herself paid off, and B'Elanna remained silent, feeling only a deep sadness envelope her. It seemed to the lieutenant that the Captain had feelings for Seven, strong ones, by the way her unconscious actions had betrayed her.
~~~~~~~~
Seven watched as the EMH waved the tricorder over her ocular implant while she sat patiently on the biobed. It had been a pleasant reunion, which of course included a bit of witty banter between them, and a bit of sarcasm toward the lieutenant. B'Elanna just ignored the barb and rolled her eyes, being quite accustomed to the Doctor's bedside manner, something about "leave it to the Klingon to find a way to get paid for violence." Nevertheless, he seemed genuinely glad to see her as well, having shown her equal attention. They had given a brief history as to how they obtained their injuries, but otherwise, the rest of their adventure remained unrevealed.
"Well, Seven," the Doctor began, as he completed his scan, "it looks like some of your Borg neuromuscular junctions were damaged, and you have a few neurotransmitter imbalances. But otherwise, the one regeneration cycle you underwent on the planet saved your Borg systems from further injury. I should be able to repair most of the systems now, the rest with a couple of long regeneration cycles."
"That's good news, Doctor," Janeway responded as she stood next to Seven, one hand leaning on the edge of the biobed.
Seven peered over to the next biobed where B'Elanna laid listening to the EMH's pronouncement, a look of relief touching her bronze features. Seven arched her brow, realizing B'Elanna had saved her again, and for a moment, B'Elanna shared her gaze.
After making the final passes over B'Elanna's bruises with the dermal regenerator, Tom brought over the medical cart for the EMH. Solicitously, he returned to B'Elanna's side to Seven's irritation.
"This compound should balance out your neurotransmitters," the Doctor indicated as he inserted the solution into the hypospray, and injected Seven with it. "You should stay here until I've worked out the final procedure to repair most of your major neural synapses. The lieutenant can be discharged to her quarters. And I recommend that you both take today and tomorrow off before you return to active duty."
Since there was really nothing left to allow her to stay, reluctantly, B'Elanna proceeded to climb off the biobed and leave for her quarters. Seven suppressed the sudden, near panic she felt as she watched the lieutenant's retreating back, reminding herself she was among friends and acquaintances.
"Good work, B'Elanna," the Captain praised, while the half-Klingon turned to acknowledge her words. "I appreciate what you did for Seven."
B'Elanna looked at the Borg, and replied sincerely, "Anytime."
"Lieutenant," Seven called out, wanting to stall her departure. "I will retrieve my belongings from you at a later date."
B'Elanna wasn't stupid to miss the rope thrown at her, so to speak, and grabbed for it. "Sure, Seven. Stop by later today, if you'd like.
Satisfied, the Borg nodded in response, and the lieutenant turned once again to leave, with Ensign Paris in tow apparently.
"Now, Seven, lie down and try to relax while I set up the equipment I need," the Doctor instructed as he moved off to his medical consoles.
Janeway came closer and patted her shoulder lightly. "Get some rest, Seven. Regenerate. Maybe we can meet for breakfast tomorrow, and you can tell me about the past several days."
"Yes, Captain," Seven replied obediently.
~~~~~~~~
"Hey, B'Elanna! Wait up..." Tom yelled out as he sped up to catch her before she got into the turbo lift. "Let me walk you back to your quarters."
"Alright," B'Elanna answered carefully, as she slowed down to allow her former boyfriend to escort her.
When they arrived at her doors, Tom invited himself in to her chagrin. She was really tired, mainly still upset from having to leave the planet, and she wasn't ready to deal with Tom and their relationship.
"How about I run a nice, warm bath for you?" Tom asked.
It sounded wonderful, but B'Elanna didn't want Tom to stay in her quarters while she naked only a few feet away. He might read too much into their usual comfort level which included being naked in front of one another up until several weeks ago.
"Thanks, but no thanks. I think I'll unpack, rest a bit, and get used to everything first," B'Elanna politely refused.
"How about I replicate us some food? You must be hungry," Tom offered eagerly, shuffling over to the replicator.
"No, really, Tom. That's okay. I just want to re-familiarize myself with my quarters and Voyager." B'Elanna took him by the arm, nudging him towards the doors unsuccessfully.
"Geez, B'Elanna, you make it sound like you were gone forever. You were only missing for ten days or so," Tom pointed out. "You and Harry were gone for much longer on that poet's planet."
"It seemed like more than ten days...," B'Elanna trailed off.
"Come to think of it, maybe the next time you're out on an away mission, count me in," Tom teased. "At least that way, I can look after you."
"I can look out for myself, Tom," B'Elanna replied, her tone slightly dangerous. "Now go, so I can freshen up and relax."
"I guess you are tired," Tom conceded. "I'll let you rest then. Let me know if you feel like grabbing dinner together in the Mess Hall tonight," he asked as he backtracked towards the door.
"Okay," B'Elanna replied noncommittally, watching him disappear through the doors.
After a passing thought, B'Elanna decided to key in changes to her door code. At last, she was alone in her own room, one among many on Deck 9, on an Intrepid class starship making its way back to the Alpha Quadrant. She pulled off her jacket, tossed it onto the couch and headed towards her bed. Kicking off her boots, she'd lay there now and wait for Seven to come by.
~~~~~~~~
Seven anxiously stepped off the turbo lift. The Doctor had discharged her from Sickbay with strict orders to regenerate for twelve hours continuously through for the next two nights, in order for her nanoprobes to finish completing the repairs to her damaged systems. Those were orders she could not follow, however, until she saw B'Elanna, whose quarters she was making her way towards.
Strangely, she continued to feel nervous but for reasons she could not explain. There were so many thoughts running through her mind, mainly discovering how difficult it had been to curb her feelings toward B'Elanna in front of their crewmates. Seven did not understand why she and B'Elanna had automatically hid the change in their relationship, when it would only make things difficult for the both of them. She wanted to speak to the half-Klingon so that they could figure out a way to show the crew how their feelings had grown for one another since their departure on the away mission. She wanted them to be able to express themselves freely.
The turbo lift doors opened, and Mezoti walked in. Finding Seven, the little girl gasped and immediately hugged the older woman.
"Seven!" Mezoti cried, "They said you had returned. And you are functioning normally in all parameters?"
"Yes, Mezoti," Seven answered, her brow arched in amusement.
Noticing what she had done, the Borg child, dropped her arms and clasped them behind her back, once again resuming her customary drone demeanor.
"Please excuse my outburst, Seven of Nine," Mezoti apologized, as she took as step back.
"It is alright, Mezoti. I am happy to see you as well," Seven reassured, and took in the sight of the small girl smiling, answering it wholeheartedly to Mezoti's amazement.
"All the others are waiting in Cargo Bay 2 for your return, but I was too impatient and decided to come look for you. Is that where you were heading?"
"No, actually, I was going to Lt. Torres' quarters to retrieve my belongings. However, I will accompany you to our Cargo Bay instead." Seeing B'Elanna would have to wait, as she had almost neglected her responsibilities, and she wanted to make sure the children had been well-cared for in her absence.
When they arrived at Cargo Bay 2, Seven discovered Mezoti was indeed accurate in saying that the other Borg children had been waiting there for her. She found Icheb working diligently at the console and the twins busying themselves with organizing the equipment obtained over the past few months. When she walked in, all of them halted what they were doing and came to greet her with much exuberance despite themselves.
"Seven, you are back!" Rebi exclaimed, as he ran over to her.
"We have been so worried," Azan explained, as he walked to her other side.
"We have been trying to assist in locating your whereabouts," Icheb chimed in. "I trust the Doctor has repaired the damage you sustained during your mission."
Seven's eyebrows raised suspiciously. "And how did you know I had been injured?"
"Ensign Kim relayed the information at our request. We wished to know all information regarding the search and news of your well-being," he explained. "And Lt. Torres is well, I hope?"
"Yes, the Doctor allowed her to return to her quarters."
"We were concerned at first, that you and the Lieutenant had been lost on the away mission together. We have observed your previous hostilities," Mezoti added.
"Lt. Torres and I were never hostile," Seven responded primly, fixing a stern gaze at the young Borgs.
"A poor choice of words," Icheb apologized, giving Mezoti a glare. Turning back to Seven, he said, "But after accessing Lt. Torres' Star Fleet away mission leadership records, we were summarily satisfied to conclude that she would be a favorable crewmate under such circumstances, despite your relationship. Her level of intelligence and experience were appropriate."
"The Lieutenant and I have resolved our differences." Seven could not help the slight smile that arose on her face with those words. Then frowning, she noted, "You do not have clearance to access such records, Icheb."
"We were careful not to-," Azan started, looking up at Seven.
"-be discovered in the act. We even use Borg encryption to mask our trail," Rebi finished.
"No one knows what we did, not even Tuvok," Mezoti continued.
"That is not the issue," Seven chided gently. "You do not have authorization, and therefore, what you did was wrong. You will refrain from accessing any of the crews' performance records from now on."
"Yes, Seven," Azan replied quickly.
"When we accessed Lt. Torres' records, we noticed that someone else had done so before, one day prior to your away mission. They left a Borg signature, one that we could recognize since it was exactly what we did. The only other person who would have known how to do it would be you, Seven," Mezoti pointed out.
Embarrassed, Seven inhaled deeply. "I was wrong to violate Star Fleet protocol as well. I needed information which would assist me during the mission, but I realize now I should not have done so."
"We're sorry," Icheb said sincerely. "We were only concerned for your safety, and wanted to know if Lt. Torres would be able to handle the situation, not that we doubted your own capabilities. We're glad that you and the lieutenant have resolve your differences. She will be a most efficient...friend."
The Borg children all nodded in congruence.
"I'm glad you approve," Seven noted with humor.
"I wanted to ask Lt. Torres to sponsor my high resolution gravimetric sensor array project after the science fair," Icheb elaborated, "since she was Chief of Engineering. I was hesitant, however. But now that your relationship has improved, I feel less awkward in approaching her."
"Icheb finds her aesthetically pleasing," Rebi teased.
"I do not!" he cried indignantly, looking at Seven and shaking his head in denial.
"Do too!" Azan added, grinning.
Seven quirked her brow high at the comment. "Indeed. Well, I am inclined to agree." She was openly smiling now to the children's surprise.
Mezoti observed, "I believe the Lieutenant will be part of our collective soon..."
~~~~~~~~
"Computer, locate Seven of Nine."
"Seven of Nine is in Cargo Bay 2," the computer responded.
B'Elanna had laid there on her bed for a long time waiting for Seven, and it appeared that the ex-drone was not coming any time soon. The Doctor probably ordered Seven to regenerate to speed her recovery, and was going to be in her alcove for the rest of the day. B'Elanna turned over and pulled the sack with their belongings from the planet over next to her. She rummaged through the pack, found the holo imager, and clicked through all the photos that were stored in the memory.
There was group shot of them all together, with Dannan, Seven and Edyn in the rear, her and Moka in the front, taken from Fessi's back where Edyn had set the timer. Then there was a photo of Seven holding her from behind, both of them laughing. B'Elanna smiled as she remembered her friends and the moments captured. Another photo caught her eye, never having noticed it before until now. It was an image of Seven and her kissing in the backyard apparently, and the half-Klingon guessed that Edyn had snuck the image in while they had been preoccupied. B'Elanna downloaded the photos into her laptop. Suddenly, she had an inspiration to go to the Holodeck.
~~~~~~~~
"Computer, locate Lt. Torres."
"Lt. Torres is in Holodeck 1."
Seven had left the Borg children to find B'Elanna, but the lieutenant had not been in her quarters, and the ex-drone wanted so much to see her. She missed having B'Elanna at her side, and it was more difficult than she had anticipated once aboard Voyager. Seven arrived at the Holodeck and accessed the doors, not caring if B'Elanna would mind, out of urgency. When she entered, it was empty. Shaking her arms in frustration, she decided to hail the lieutenant instead.
-Chirp- "Seven of Nine to Lt. Torres."
"Torres here."
B'Elanna's voice, though surprised, came through over the comm, and Seven felt her heart rate increase because of it.
"Where is your location?"
"I was on my way to the Mess Hall."
"I..I would like to pick up my belongings, if that would not be inconvenient for you?" Seven asked, her insides fluttering with impatience.
"Sure, Seven. I'll meet you at my quarters?" B'Elanna replied.
"Yes, I am proceeding there now."
Seven pace seemed hurried through the halls even to those whom she passed by casually, until finally, she found herself once again outside B'Elanna's quarters. She rang the chime, and the doors swished open.
B'Elanna rose from the couch when she saw the lithe figure walk through her doorway. It had been agonizing to wait for the Borg all day. Quickly, she took the tall woman into her arms, finding the tension in her body released incidentally as she snuggled deeper in the embrace, and felt Seven sigh.
"I have desired to do this since morning," Seven murmured, her cheek resting against B'Elanna's forehead, and her arms wound around the young Klingon tightly.
"Me too...," B'Elanna whispered, pulling Seven's face down and kissing her.
"May I stay with you tonight?" Seven asked between each taste of B'Elanna's lips.
"Didn't the Doctor say you have to regenerate for the next couple of nights?" the half-Klingon recalled plaintively.
"Yes, but I can delay my regeneration cycles," Seven protested.
B'Elanna pursed her lips in thought. "No..., not at your expense," she replied, shaking her head slightly. "You need it. Besides, you'll be regenerating in a matter of seconds once you climb into that alcove of yours. I'm the one who has to suffer being alone in bed, without you."
"The idea of our continued separation is unappealing, B'Elanna," Seven responded, molding her body into the half-Klingon's with pleasant pressure.
"I know, but it will only be for the next two nights. I'll walk you back to your Cargo Bay and tuck you in, okay?"
"Can't we remain here for a little while longer?" Seven complained, which was a close to begging as she could get, B'Elanna noticed while chuckling.
"The sooner you regenerate, the sooner we can spend the day together tomorrow," B'Elanna reasoned, nibbling playfully on a nearby earlobe, clearly not making it any easier for the young Borg.
"You are correct. I will comply," Seven answered, grabbing a handful of ripe buttocks. Two could play that game.
"Oh god, we're going to your alcove right now," B'Elanna yelped, dragging the ex-drone with her out the door by the arm.
Once outside, however, B'Elanna all together dropped her hand, too aware of the fact that they were going to encounter a number of curious eyes. Seven sobered immediately, wondering if this was how their relationship was going to be, but she held her tongue, not wanting to bring the discussion up until they reached a more private setting, which was unlikely to happen in the Cargo Bay as well.
~~~~~~~~
"Computer, what time is it?"
B'Elanna flipped over again under the covers, trying to find a comfortable position. It was the fourth time she had awoken since turning in early. She had gone over some of the day to day reports, updating herself on the jobs done in Engineering during her absence, but for the most part, she had remained distracted.
"The time is 0536 hours," the computer announced.
In a little less than half an hour, she would see Seven again, and her skin tingled with the thought. It had been hard to leave Seven in the Cargo Bay once she had walked the Borg there. The children were still in the middle of their daily activities since Seven was starting her cycle earlier, and they took a particular interest in the two women. B'Elanna felt their eyes on her during the entire time she programmed Seven's regeneration cycle and helped the ex-drone into her alcove. She wondered what that was all about.
"Computer, what is the time now?"
"The time is 0541 hours."
"Ahhhhhh!" she cried out in frustration, tossing her pillow up in the air only to have it fall onto her face.
B'Elanna got up from the bed and shuffled over to the bathroom, her restlessness radiating energy. A sonic shower and a bit of grooming should take up the rest of the time, she thought. As the buzzing vapors swept over her body, she let her mind wander. Part of her remembered living a different life not too long ago, but somehow her brain had managed to separate that existence. Data padds, turbo lifts, holodecks, sonic showers, the deck plating that had the dip in it, the door that was stuck longer than the rest in Engineering, everything she had been used to was back again. Everything was the same except for her relationship with Seven. B'Elanna knew she had been keeping her distance, and she had seen the brief expressions of confusion on Seven's face. Half of her wanted to forget all else and declare her love for the young Borg in front of everyone on the ship, but the other half wanted to slow down, take a breather, and adjust to the changes. She knew why part of her needed to hold back.
Feeling the sonic pulses weaken, she hopped out of her shower just as it had ended, wrapping a fluffy peach towel around her body. Her body clean and her hair still slightly damp, B'Elanna polished herself in the mirror, trying to occupy as much of the time left as possible. With one last sweep through her hair and a satisfied look in the mirror, the half-Klingon donned a fresh new uniform. Actually, she removed her uniform, putting it aside, and dressed herself in civvies instead, a long-sleeved, black T-shirt and brown pants. It was her day off after all.
"Computer, what's the time?"
"The time is 0606 hours."
"Locate Seven of Nine."
"Seven of Nine is in the Mess Hall."
That puzzled the lieutenant. When she left Seven last night, they hadn't made any plans to meet there this morning.
"Computer, who's in the Mess Hall at this moment?" B'Elanna asked, her mind working on overload.
It took a moment for the computer to answer. "Ensign Ashmore, Lt. Ayala, Crewman Jenny Delaney, Crewman Fitzpatrick--,"
"Computer, stop," B'Elanna ordered with annoyance. She had been looking forward to seeing the Borg as promised first thing today. "Is Captain Janeway in the Mess Hall?"
"Affirmative."
There. She had her answer, and that was the crux of the problem.
Author's Notes
1. Elements of B'Elanna's past and emotional recollection are drawn from STV episode, "Faces" and Jeri Taylor's STV novel, Pathways.
2. Elements of Seven's past and emotional recollection are drawn from STV episodes, "Dark Frontier," and "Child's Play."
3. Sorry about the Terraball insert but I was inspired during the Y2K Summer Olympics.
4. Resource for list of minor crewmembers: http://people.delphi.com/jmcquinn/RC/index.html
To be continued....