Chapter 22 added on 7 Nov 2000
Disclaimers are in part 1.
Rating: R
Draining her glass of milk, Seven replaced the cup on the table she shared with Kathryn Janeway. When she had awoken from her regeneration cycle this morning, she opened her eyes to the sight of the older woman. The smile on the Captain's face that greeted her gave her a sense of warmth and homecoming, relieving some of the initial anxiety she felt since returning to the ship yesterday.
"How's your breakfast?" the Captain inquired politely, as she looked across the table at Seven, who was wearing the blue biosuit which Kathryn favored, liking the way it accentuated the young woman's eyes.
Janeway was already enjoying her second cup of java since they sat down, which was accompanied by a Southwestern omelet and toast.
"It is...delicious," Seven replied, adapting some common adjectives she used with Moka's...cooking, peering down at her simple plate of scrambled eggs and hotcakes. She sighed at having thought of the Rangoon woman, briefly remembering the way those weathered hands deftly kneaded dough, tossed spices into boiling pots, and comforted her so easily.
"So,.... Are you going to tell me what happened to you and B'Elanna on the planet, or are you going to keep me in the dark?" Janeway asked, her expression faintly amused.
"I intend to make a full report, Captain," Seven replied, not understanding the conversation.
"I know you will. But I'd also like to hear it from you, how it impacted you," Janeway explained, taking another sip from her cup of coffee. "This isn't an official inquiry, Seven. I just thought it'd be nice to catch up with each other over breakfast."
Seven had intended to enjoy a short meal with the Captain, and then excuse herself to find B'Elanna. She had been looking forward to spending the day with the half-Klingon, but now she realized that her friends also wanted some share of her time. It was another one of those human rituals that she was unfamiliar with, her own selfish needs to be set aside. Perhaps, she could discuss with the Captain what had occurred between her and Lt. Torres, and have a few of her questions answered.
Just then, the doors to the Mess Hall opened, and in walked Lt. Torres. A few crewmembers that weren't focused on their breakfast noticed how well the half-Klingon filled out her casual clothes. B'Elanna spied Seven and the Captain out of the dining crowd, sitting at their own table in the far corner of the room overlooking the port windows. They were chatting amicably, secluded in their private conversation. Though annoyed, the engineer walked over to the counter as nonchalantly as she could manage, finding a few things she actually thought were palatable.
"Lieutenant."
B'Elanna turned, wondering who was possibly addressing her, to find Vorik standing near her, his breakfast plate already filled. He waited patiently for her to answer.
"Vorik," she acknowledged in surprise.
"Yes," he said simply. "I took the liberty of finding a table, if you would like to join me?"
It took a moment for her to answer, her expression bewildered, because it wasn't the first time he had reserved seats for them. Four years ago, he had tried to court her with similar actions, prior to his Pon Farr. Thank Kahless that wouldn't happen for another three years.
"Of course...," the lieutenant answered evenly, picking up a plate, and headed towards the dining table the ensign pointed out.
In truth, she wanted the distraction. B'Elanna didn't know why she came here, other than the fact that she could watch the Captain and Seven eat together, which wasn't all that appealing to her come to think of it.
Seven, in the meantime, had lost her train of thought when she saw the lieutenant enter without attempting to come over and greet them. The ex-drone didn't even bother to ask Janeway any of the questions on her mind, witnessing Vorik approach B'Elanna and evidently, her joining him.
"Seven,... Earth to Seven?" Janeway realized she might as well have been speaking gibberish.
Janeway followed Seven's consternated gaze which was directed evidently at Lt. Torres. Now the Captain was really curious as to what happened between the two women. When they returned yesterday, it had appeared to her that they had reconciled their antagonism. Perhaps she assumed incorrectly.
"Is there something wrong with the Lieutenant?" Janeway asked, back in her officer mode.
Startled from her focus, Seven reverted her eyes back to the Captain. "No. I...I did not expect Lt. Torres to be up so early on her day off," Seven tried to cover unconvincingly.
"If you prefer to be doing something else, Seven, feel free to excuse yourself," Janeway told her.
"Of course not, Captain. I enjoy the time we spend together," Seven responded earnestly, not wanting to injure the older woman's feelings. "And I would like to continue our conversation." She would have to meet up with B'Elanna later.
Janeway's face lit up with a surprisingly coy smile at the compliment, and reached out to pat the young Borg's hand casually in thanks. The expression seemed to lift years off of the Captain's face, which always seemed to be weighted down by the burden of command. Seven couldn't help but smile back.
The ex-drone then began the painstaking process of revealing to the Captain what happened to her and the half-Klingon, starting with the shuttle being attacked by an unknown vessel after locating a deposit of dilithium, and the harrowing chase through the asteroid belt relying only on the engineer's piloting skills. Janeway chuckled at Seven's description, obviously entertained by Seven's unexpected skill at storytelling. She was horrified when she learned how they had crashed, and the extent to which Seven had been injured. She was visibly impressed by B'Elanna's heroics for carrying the damaged Borg through the desert, and noticeably touched when Seven revealed the Lieutenant's initial attempts to comfort Seven in such dire circumstances. But Janeway's expression became one of rage as the story progressed to the encounter with Kal and his gang of lowlifes. It took a great deal of reassurance by the ex-drone to pacify the woman that sat across from her.
"He touched you...inappropriately." Kathryn practically choked out the words, clutching her coffee cup.
"Not to the extent he could have, Captain," Seven explained. "B'Elanna made sure of that. And he was duly punished..."
Seven continued her story, describing the house where they had received refuge and the wonderful people who had provided it. She described Moka, Dannan, Edyn and even Fessi with clear detail, and obvious affection in her voice. She talked about her experience with being half-paralyzed, her feelings of pain, vulnerability, and fear, as well as her joy when B'Elanna had found the Borg escape cube, essentially her cure. Seven spoke of each event that impacted her with so much passion, honest reflection, and exuberance that Kathryn was genuinely moved. Though Seven never touched upon the intimate moments between her and B'Elanna, nevertheless, the Captain was impressed by how the two women had stuck by each other through the good and the bad, and sensed that this had been a life-changing experience for both.
Finally, they realized that the breakfast crowd had been replaced by the lunch crowd, and the Captain had to return to the bridge. Neelix inadvertently cued them when he came by, wondering if they would like to order another meal, but both declined. Seven scanned the room, disappointed but not shocked to find B'Elanna had already left.
"Well, Seven, I've really enjoyed our conversation, and I'm so glad you told me what happened. I think the experiences and what you've learned from them will be with you for the rest of your life. I suspect there's more, but maybe we can resume where you left off in a more private setting. Today, I just wanted you to be around your crewmembers, since many of them have missed your presence." Janeway offered, "Perhaps, we can talk again, like over dinner tomorrow night?"
"That would be acceptable, Captain. May I confirm the time when I have arranged my work schedule?"
~~~~~~~~
Chakotay made his way up on the lift in Engineering. As first officer on Voyager, he only occasionally made it down to Deck 11 even though his good friend had headed the department, his skills more known for diplomacy than warp mechanics. On this day, however, it was that very good friend he was searching for, and he found her on the top tier, working furiously at the console, despite being out of uniform.
"I thought the Doctor gave you today off too," he said as he snuck up behind her, the only person who could without consequences.
B'Elanna spun around at the sound of his voice, pleasantly startled to see him, yet at the same time wary as she turned her attention back to the console.
"Shouldn't you be on the bridge?" she asked, knowing the Captain was still away from command at the moment.
"I thought you might care to join me for lunch. And you should be resting, not working," he pointed out.
"I'm just taking a look ahead for tomorrow. No harm in that," she jested.
"No, I guess not, but you still have to follow the Doctor's orders. Besides, the Captain's on the bridge now. I'm sure she has everything under control," he drawled.
B'Elanna paused her tapping, a fleeting ripple in her cheek at the mention of the Captain, then resumed her data download. Chakotay knew her long enough to know something was up. The half-Klingon looked tense like she was coiled tightly, ready to spring into action.
Quietly, he took her firmly by the elbow, and mumbled in her ear, "Let's go somewhere and talk, privately."
B'Elanna had two options, either her clock him right then and there so he would release her, or cooperate and avoid being thrown in the brig. He was only trying to be a friend, so she settled for being led away. They walked silently through the corridors until they reached her quarters. When they entered her relatively simple, Spartan living area, he sat her down on the couch.
"So, are you going to tell me what's going on?" Chakotay began.
"I'm not sure what you mean," B'Elanna evaded, folding her arms.
"Well, you looked like you were about to explode back in Engineering. You're angry about something. Since you just returned from an away mission gone wrong, I'll have to assume that it's because of something that happened during that time," he reasoned, staring at her with great intensity.
B'Elanna scoffed, and turned from his gaze. Her face tightened, frustrated that he could always read her so well to a certain extent. His friendship had always been one that she could depend on, and no one else could command the loyalty from her like him, not even Janeway. They had risked their lives for each other on too many occasions not to have formed such a connection.
"So what is it?" he entreated in that soft, steady voice of his.
"I'm...I'm in love with Seven." There, she said it candidly, with no apology.
"Oh,...I see."
Chakotay was stunned, to say the least, the lines on his forehead creasing the dark tattoo of his tribe. It was completely unexpected. He knew B'Elanna would never say such things lightly, nor feel such emotions for another person frivolously. Having come right out and said it meant that the half-Klingon had it bad. Real bad.
Sighing, B'Elanna continued, "And I believe she has feelings for me too." Her voice, however, sounded miserable.
"Then, what's the problem?"
"The problem," B'Elanna raged, getting up from her seat and stomping away a few steps, "is the Captain. She's interested in Seven."
Remembering who she was talking to, B'Elanna clamped her mouth shut. Chakotay looked down for a moment, seemingly in deep thought. When he looked up, he had a wry expression on his face, as if he was almost mocking himself.
"Does it really matter, B'Elanna? You just told me that Seven returns your feelings."
"Of course it does!" B'Elanna sputtered, watching Chakotay frown, not understanding this time.
She tried again. "You know as well as I do that Janeway and Seven have a special bond between them. You've seen them together, how they've interacted in the past. The Captain's being far more obvious now about how she feels. Seven's never had a romantic relationship before, and it's only been a few days since we admitted that we cared about each other. She doesn't realize that things can change between two people, but I do. This is it for me, Chakotay. I love her and there's no turning back. What if she discovers that she'd rather be with Janeway?"
"Seven isn't one to take a relationship lightly either, B'Elanna. She's tried before, and it's taken her this long to determine who she wants to be with. She's an intelligent woman, and she's made an intelligent decision. She knows what the consequences are," Chakotay argued passionately, trying to console his friend. "You're just scared that she might not love you as much as you love her."
"No, that's not it," B'Elanna vehemently denied, waving a finger at him.
"No? Then, think about this. Love may not be rational, B'Elanna. But it doesn't just come on a whim, and it doesn't just go away either. You have to work at it. Take it from me, sometimes, a few days is all that's necessary between two people." He had gotten up and approached her, his gestures all pointing to his own heart.
Just then, the door chimed, catching them off guard.
"Come," B'Elanna invited after a bit of hesitation.
It was Seven, and the Borg got the distinct impression that she had interrupted something. She saw Commander Chakotay and B'Elanna exchange glances, then he excused himself politely and left. Seven watched as B'Elanna walked over towards the recliner, sitting down heavily.
"Hey," the lieutenant greeted, forcing herself to be cheerful, "are you a sight for sore eyes."
"Perhaps, the Doctor should take a look at them for you?" Seven asked as she trailed after the half-Klingon.
"It's just an expression," B'Elanna told her affectionately.
"I know. I was attempting to make a joke," Seven explained, arching her brow.
" Ah..." B'Elanna rubbed her eyes, already feeling very exhausted by the day.
Concerned, Seven knelt down in front of the woman. B'Elanna looked at her with a sad expression, and Seven felt an instant pang of pain in her chest. She pulled the woman to her by the arms, and hugged her fiercely.
"What's wrong, B'Elanna?" she implored, running her hands up and down the lieutenant's back in a comforting motion.
"Nothing. I just missed you, that's all," B'Elanna dismissed, as she moved Seven onto the couch next to her.
"I'm sorry I could not join you earlier. I found the Captain waiting for me when my regeneration cycle ended, and she wished to speak to me. I did not realize it would take so long."
"It's okay. I guess we have to expect that we'll both be busy for the next few days until things get settled."
"We still have four hours and twenty minutes before I need to regenerate. And as I said before, I could always delay it," Seven proposed.
"Stand up and let me look at you," B'Elanna instructed.
Curious, Seven obeyed and stood, allowing B'Elanna to inspect her. B'Elanna took her by the hand and led her around the room, noticing how fluid the Borg's motions were once again. Obviously, the Doctor was successful in repairing Seven's neural synapses.
"Your motor function...it's normal again," B'Elanna noted, beaming from ear to ear.
B'Elanna's apparent concern for her well-being warmed the young Borg. "The Doctor says my systems are approximately ninety-two percent repaired, and he doesn't foresee any complications."
"Ninety-two percent, huh? I guess we can't go to the Holodeck for a game of Hoverball just yet," the half-Klingon teased. Her brow furrowed as she tried to think of something for them to do in the time remaining.
"What do you usually do when you are off-duty, B'Elanna?" Seven asked, linking her arms around the lieutenant's shoulders.
"Well, other than using the Holodeck, I work on Engineering proposals, maybe play a game of Derata, watch a little television with Tom--," she mentioned before she could stop herself.
Seven's arched her brow, but allowed B'Elanna to continue.
"Sometimes I read a Klingon novel, but usually I'm in Engineering, " B'Elanna finally admitted, to which Seven smirked. "What about you?"
"When I am not playing velocity or sculpting with the Captain, I report to the Holodeck to work on my social lessons with the Doctor. Other times, he and I practice singing. However, for the majority of my recreational time, I spend it on more constructive tasks in Astrometrics or monitoring the children's activities."
B'Elanna snickered, leaning into Seven. "Kahless, what are we going to do with two workaholics..."
"It does present a bit of a problem," the ex-drone conceded.
"Hey, I have something to show you."
B'Elanna pulled away, but beckoned Seven to follow her to her desk where her computer console laid. Offering Seven the seat, she leaned down over her desk and activated her files, bringing up the holo images they had taken while on the planet. Seven reached out unconsciously to touch the screen, as if she could somehow reconnect with the loved ones they left behind.
"I miss them," Seven said softly, balling her outstretched hand into a fist as she withdrew it.
"I do too. My appetite hasn't been the same since. I thought I had to let out all my uniforms," B'Elanna joked, albeit half-hearted.
Seven cupped B'Elanna's cheek tenderly, the comely face so close to her own. Something in B'Elanna's eyes told her the lieutenant wasn't happy. Whether it was from leaving the planet or for some other reason, Seven vowed to find out, no matter how difficult. And more importantly, Seven wanted to discuss their relationship, hoping at last she could reveal to B'Elanna all she felt for the half-Klingon. Love. A concept that she never thought for one minute, during the first years she had been severed from the collective, she would grasp.
They spent some of the time chatting about the friends they missed, reminiscing over the objects they had brought back with them, and talking about other idle matters as they relaxed on the couch. This was what B'Elanna missed, the solitude of being in each other's company. B'Elanna held Seven in her strong arms, not wanting ever to let go.
~~~~~~~~
"Are you hungry? Perhaps, we can have dinner in the Mess Hall before I return to the Cargo Bay to regenerate," Seven suggested, getting up from her seat.
"Hmm.... I don't think I'm in the mood for one of Neelix's concoctions," B'Elanna replied, still slouching against the cushions.
B'Elanna's answer didn't surprise the ex-drone, but Seven was losing patience with the situation. She wondered why B'Elanna was so afraid of being out in public with her. B'Elanna was never one to shy away from being truthful. What did it matter if their romantic relationship became apparent to the rest of the crew. Seven didn't want to hide the change. It was not as if they were intentionally flaunting the relationship. The lieutenant's reticence only caused her to speculate the worst.
"We could replicate our meal. I thought it would be nice to invite Ensign Kim to join us as well."
B'Elanna shifted uncomfortably. "I'd rather just stay in, and have dinner here," she answered, not really looking at the other woman.
"Why do you wish to hide our romantic affiliation from the rest of the crew?" Seven asked bluntly, her posture distinctly Borg.
"What?!" B'Elanna balked, sitting straight up in her seat.
"Why do you wish to hide the change in our relationship?" she repeated. "Are you ashamed to be associated with a Borg, with me in such a manner?"
"Where the hell did you get that idea?" B'Elanna demanded, now standing in front of Seven, her exasperation overshadowing her concern.
"From the way you isolate us from the rest of the crew. Since we have transported back to Voyager, you avoid showing me any affection in front of our friends that I have been accustomed to. We have yet to acknowledge the development of our feelings toward one another," Seven passionately stated, "openly like other couples do on Voyager."
"I can only conclude," Seven continued, her face flushed, "that you find it difficult to express your feelings towards ME, since you have been able to in the past with Mr. Paris."
"Don't compare what I have for you with my relationship with Tom," B'Elanna seethed. She took a step back, looking away for a moment, and calmed herself. "What I had with him was in some ways...immature. How could you ever think I would be ashamed to be with you?"
"I am Borg. When we first interacted, you made that clear whenever you pointed out what I did was Borg. Isn't that why you disliked me?"
B'Elanna was flabbergasted. "I may not like the Borg Collective, but I didn't dislike you just because you were Borg. I never ever felt hatred for you, Seven. I didn't like you at first because you were so smug in your attitude of Borg superiority. You made it seem like the rest of us were inferior."
"But when you were learning to be human again, when you acted for the good of the crew, my opinion of you changed. You were just like the rest of us, became a valued member of this crew. Sure, we didn't always get along, but I've never felt embarrassed to be associated with you."
B'Elanna could feel the tears welling up in her eyes, but she held back the sob. Seven turned her gaze away unable to bear the hurt expression on the other woman's face.
"Then why do you distance yourself from me when we are out in the corridors, in the Mess Hall... I suggest dinner with Harry Kim, so that we may integrate our lives together, and yet you do not wish to..." Seven couldn't continue, the words would not come even though the tears were abundant.
"I just don't want to share you right now. It's hard enough to have time for one another now that we're here," B'Elanna answered, her eyes pleading.
"But that's not going to improve. We will always have interruptions, jobs, duties, other people we have to attend to," Seven countered, a frown creasing her normally smooth brow. "What is it, Bey?" she implored.
"I guess...I guess I'm just scared," B'Elanna told her when she finally replied.
"What are you scared of?" Seven asked, gently taking B'Elanna's hands in her own and stepping close enough so their bodies grazed.
"That we're not ready," she murmured.
Seven took the smaller woman in her arms, and whispered, "We are."
B'Elanna nodded with all the confidence she could muster. "You're late for your cycle. I should get you to the Cargo Bay." She forestalled the argument from Seven's lips. "We'll work it out, but not all in one night."
Seven acquiesced, feeling completely worn out by the conversation. At least, she had some idea of what was causing her love so much distress. Inexperienced in the matters of the heart, B'Elanna's fears triggered her own, and Seven failed to realize that one single declaration of love from her might have banished the Klingon's doubts away.
To be continued....