Chapter 24 added on 24 Nov 2000
Disclaimers are in part 1.
Rating: R
Seven retired to her Cargo Bay, finding solace in the quiet hum of her alcoves. The children were preoccupied with a camping trip with Neelix, who had been thoughtful enough to take care of them while she adjusted to her work schedule. He seemed to think that she had some matters to work out, and it amazed her how accurate he had been. Seven hailed the Captain and told her that she could not join her that evening for dinner, her thoughts still clinging to the conversation with B'Elanna. Instead, she agreed to dinner with Janeway tomorrow night, hoping perhaps to bring her closer to understanding the nature of both her relationships with B'Elanna and with Kathryn Janeway.
The ex-drone heard the Cargo Bay doors opened, and turned to see a small, familiar figure enter wearing a cheerful smile. And she greeted her friend in her usual manner.
"Naomi Wildman."
"Seven, you're here!" the tiny girl squealed, and ran up to the Borg, embracing the long legs. "I've been trying to find for the past two days."
Seven hugged Naomi back, having felt her friend's absence all this time. "I have been looking forward to seeing you too. I am sorry I have been so busy with regenerating and my duties."
"That's okay. I understand," Naomi replied, pleasantly surprised by the open affection. "What was it like on the planet? Was it scary?"
"At times," Seven admitted, "however, it is a lengthy story. Perhaps, I can tell you about it over a game of kadis-kot."
"Great!" The little girl bounced around the room with excitement. She spotted an item on Seven's computer console, and before Seven could stop her, picked it up in curiosity.
"What this?" she asked, fingering the machine.
"Naomi Wildman, be careful with that!" Seven cried out, rushing over to her side.
The poor girl literally jumped and quickly set the game box on the console to its former place, putting her hands behind her back.
"I'm sorry," she apologized, a bit scared at Seven's reaction.
Seven regretted her actions immediately, and knelt down to address her friend. "It is I who should apologize for yelling. I had no right to raise my voice in such a manner."
"No, Seven. I...I shouldn't have touched your belongings without your permission."
"That still does not excuse my behavior. Someone special gave this game box to me. I'm sorry I overreacted," Seven explained, her eyes beginning to redden with tears just thinking about the Lieutenant, while Naomi slipped a small hand in her bigger one.
The young girl sensed her older friend's distress, and though she did not know what was troubling her, Naomi gave her support in the most natural way she could. Seven was grateful for the gesture.
"Would you like to play with it?" Seven asked, trusting her friend, and handed her the precious object.
"Yes, and I promise to be really careful," Naomi answered sincerely.
The two of them sat on the platform of her alcove, and Naomi played as Seven looked on, her arm around the child's shoulders.
~~~~~~~~
B'Elanna woke the next morning feeling very tired, even after a full night's sleep. With her bed empty, without Seven to warm it, she had no desire to linger there any longer than she needed. She did have something to look forward to today, however. She and Seven made plans to meet in the late afternoon at one of the Doctor's opera recitals. Though she wasn't particularly interested in one more rendition of Faust, it was an opportunity to spend time with Seven, something she sorely craved. Every moment that they lived their lives separately filled her with remorse. The half-Klingon hoped that she wouldn't look back on this someday to find that she had acted like an idiot.
"Seven of Nine to Lt. Torres."
B'Elanna smiled. "Torres here. You're lucky you didn't call a few minutes earlier. You'd have a grumpy Klingon on your hands."
"I doubt you would be in a negative mood if I did have my hands on you," came the reply.
Biting her cheek at the blatant come-on, the lieutenant swore she heard a bunch of Borg children giggling in the background. She wondered what else the Borg picked up from Edyn, that rat.
Seven continued, "You are late for breakfast."
"Breakfast?" B'Elanna asked, rubbing the sand out of her eyes, and yawned.
"The nutritious meal one ingests traditionally at the start of a day," the ex-drone kept baiting.
"Hah, hah. Very funny, Seven. I don't remember us talking about it yesterday," she replied hoarsely, idly scratching an itch on her tummy.
"No, we did not.... I thought it would be...nice."
B'Elanna picked up the hesitation in Seven's voice, and instantly reassured the Borg. "That would be great! If I hurry I have enough time before my shift starts..." She got up off her bed, and ran over to the bathroom.
"I will meet you in the Mess Hall," Seven replied.
In fifteen minutes, the lieutenant exited her quarters completely rejuvenated by the fact that she would see Seven soon. When she entered the Mess Hall, she found a small crowd had gathered in front of the counter, and she could hear Neelix's voice projecting over her crewmates. Curious herself, B'Elanna walked through the group, which parted for her easily being a senior officer, and found Harry at the head. But that wasn't what captured her attention. All of them had been watching Seven of Nine, who was behind the counter putting the last touches on her crepes, and admiring her form as she worked. Beaming happily was Neelix at her side, observing and giving helpful tips. A lazy grin appeared on the lieutenant's face, who was drunken with pleasure at the sight of the gorgeous Borg attempting to make use of her lessons from Moka.
Finally, after topping the crepes with fruit, Seven wiped her hands clean from remaining flour, and picked up the plates. The ex-drone paused and straightened when she looked up to find B'Elanna had been in the crowd.
"Lt. Torres,... As I recall, you volunteered to be my test subject," Seven told her, hiding a smirk in her cool facade.
A flash of confusion crossed over B'Elanna's amused face before she replied, "I...guess I did." She cleared her throat. "Well, yes, my redundant stomachs should be able to handle anything you throw at me."
Seven arched her brow and indicated that the half-Klingon should find a seat to sit down. B'Elanna walked over to one of the middle tables near the port windows while Seven followed her, bringing the plates with her. They ignored the stares from their crewmates who also went back to getting their breakfast, once the show was over.
"I'm sorry. I did not realize I would draw so much attention. Ensign Kim rises far too early for his shifts," Seven apologized, giving the young man a hard stare across the room.
"No, it's fine. They can look all they want," B'Elanna assured her. She couldn't shy away from their relationship, not now. The Borg looked positively adorable with a bit of flour smudged on her cheek.
"Are you going to taste my first attempt at cooking?" the young woman asked, waiting expectantly.
"Hmm... Oh, of course!" B'Elanna picked up her fork, but then peered at Seven warily. "Unless you've poisoned it," she asked, the corners of her mouth twitching, "not that I don't deserve it."
"Poisoning is inefficient. An individual may show signs of nausea and vomiting early enough to be saved," she deadpanned.
"Klingons don't get nauseous. Well, actually I do.... But I don't think any other Klingon has had the privilege of an ex-drone cooking for them before," the lieutenant bantered back.
B'Elanna took a bite, and was immediately surprised by the flavoring. "Koli fruit? My favorite..."
"Moka had given us a few of the fruit to bring back with us, and I intend to plant the seeds I extracted from those I used this morning in the Hydroponics Bay."
"It tastes great," B'Elanna complimented, licking her lips, and dug into her crepes greedily, as Seven looked on with delight and joined her.
"Thank you, Seven."
"You are welcome."
~~~~~~~~
The high note the Doctor hit was insufferable, and Tom Paris flinched as his ear drums began to oscillate, feeling sorry for the people who sat closer to the front. He had been hoping to catch sight of B'Elanna, after having overheard her tell Harry that she was going to the recital. Each time he had tried to invite her to share a meal or come over to watch his television set or even play a game of Derata after both their shifts, she had turned him down over the past few days.
At last, he saw her trim but curvaceous figure sneaking through the double doors of the Mess Hall. Before he could secretly wave her over, he saw her skulk to the opposite side of the aisle, finding a seat next to Seven, one the ex-drone had been saving in the back row corner. Tom's eyes narrowed suspiciously, realizing that he would have gotten those seats only with the intent of rendezvousing rather than actually paying attention to the performance. He watched as the two women exchanged meaningful glances on occasion and whispered to each other. It was rare, but he even detected a slight smile or two from the ex-drone all directed at B'Elanna, his former lover.
Tom sat there stupefied. If B'Elanna hadn't been acting so cold to him lately, brushing him off at every chance whenever he made romantic overtures, he would have just assumed that the two had patched things up between them on the away mission. But their behavior was something entirely different, and that had him shaken. Maybe there was something to the gossip. The helmsman looked around the room, wondering if anyone else noticed, or rather if everyone else knew and he was the only one kept in the dark. Then he caught sight of Harry, his best friend, who sat there with a whimsical smile on his face while he too squinted towards the two beautiful women in the corner. When Harry's eyes met his, the young man immediately tried to cover up what distracted him from the opera, and there was no doubt left in Tom's mind.
~~~~~~~~
B'Elanna unzipped her mustard uniform jacket even before she stepped into her quarters, finding it annoying and now restricting in comparison to the comfortable Rangoon clothing she wore on the planet. It would be another lonely night for the engineer as Seven was expected at the Captain's quarters for dinner. She tried not to think about what that meant, allowing the young Borg to have some space.
The half-Klingon tried to ignore the feral part of her that demanded her to take action. 'Go and fight for your mate, you qoH!' it told her.
A voice startled her. "Busy night?"
B'Elanna jumped back as she peered into the dim room. She knew it was Tom from his voice, but she still searched him out. She found his dark outline sitting at her work desk, and despite the situation, she felt no fear, not from him, never from him.
"Computer, lights," she ordered, watching the helmsman adapt to the sudden change. "How did you get in here?"
"You didn't make it easy. I had to bypass the code. Since when did you change it?"
"Since I wanted more privacy," she retorted, irritated by the intrusion. "You shouldn't have just come in here, Tom."
"Yeah, you're right, but it's been hard to get in touch with you lately," Tom replied with a touch of sadness. "What's going on, B'Elanna?"
"It's been really hectic. You know how it is when there's repairs to be done," she explained regretfully.
"I mean this..."
Tom turned her laptop around to face her. The image of her and Seven together was plastered on the screen, an image of happiness in stark contrast to the expression on Tom's face.
"You had no right to invade my files, Tom!" she yelled, her anger flaring at the outrage.
"I didn't. It was just there on the screen, just out there! I didn't have to touch a thing!" he yelled back.
She smacked the computer keys and closed the file, even as the computer beeped in protest from the abuse. She stalked away from there, but not before she gave him a dirty look.
"Is that's what's been going on? Is that why you've been avoiding me lately? Cause you've got some fling with Seven?" he accused, following her over to the couch area, neither one sitting down.
"IT is NOT a fling!" she growled, turning around to confront him. "And I've been way too busy to stop you from trying to rekindle our relationship."
"So she's good-looking. You don't believe that Seven can actually love somebody," he mocked. "It's probably some kind of warped Borg experiment of hers."
If the half-Klingon ever felt like hitting Tom, it was right at that moment. Instead, she shoved him away, five feet away that is, of his hundred-eighty pound frame.
"Shut up, Tom! You don't know a thing about Seven, and I won't have you disrespecting her to me or anyone else on this ship," she snapped.
"And what about us, B'Elanna. I love you... We've been together for three years. You can't tell me you don't love me," he whined, his eyes starting to color red.
"I did love you, Tom. But it's over. Don't make it so we can't be friends," she pleaded, searching his face.
His shoulders slumped in defeat at her words, knowing he'd rather be something to her than nothing at all. If he had learned anything from their years together, it was to never question her resolve or devotion.
~~~~~~~~
Janeway lit the last of the candles, and stood back to observe the little scattered points of light throughout the room with satisfaction. The chicken was roasting, the salad was tossed, and best of all, the white wine was chilled to the perfect temperature. Of course, she wouldn't subject the poor ex-drone to alcohol unless Seven wanted it, but it just helped with the overall atmosphere. She put the final touches by dimming the lights twenty-five percent, and setting her audio program to play piano concertos during dinner. Once that was done, she looked herself over in the mirror, smoothing the soft, white silk button shirt and icy gray slacks she had on.
The chime to her door rang, just at that perfect moment, and Janeway couldn't help feeling a little excited, but also nervous. She invited whoever was at the door to enter, but expected only one person. Seven, dressed in her usual brown biosuit, stepped into the Captain's private quarters tentatively, her customary nonchalance absent.
"Come on in, Seven," Janeway invited, waving the Borg in. "Dinner's about to be ready."
"Captain. Do you require assistance?" Seven inquired politely, hoping that occupying herself would relieve some of her anxiousness.
"No, just settle yourself down at the dining table, and get comfortable," she replied jovially, pointing over to the table settings.
Seven nodded, and moved over to one of the tall-back chairs. She seated herself, and found there was nothing much to do but wait and observe Kathryn Janeway, who was famous for her disasters at cooking. Seven smiled as Janeway fiddled with the dishes and food, sometimes wrinkling her forehead in indecisiveness. Not wanting to be caught staring, her eyes wandered to the decorum of the Captain's quarters.
Books lined the shelves with literature from various cultures, many of which were poetry. Kathryn had collected quite a number of knickknacks and artifacts from other civilizations over the years, which where tastefully displayed throughout the living area and shelves. No doubt, there was a story behind every object in the room. Kathryn Janeway was a complex, highly intelligent woman, and Seven knew she could spend the next several years learning just who that woman was. The Captain's voice brought her back to the present, as the auburn-haired woman sat down at the table.
~~~~~~~~
Not noticing the appraising looks she got in her kick-boxing top and pants, B'Elanna walked to the Holodeck in cold silence. Her encounter with Tom had been unpleasant, but it resolved most of the immediate tension that had developed between them. Though they were far from being best friends, she had a gut feeling that with time, their relationship would return to the way it was before they had gotten involved. He was a good guy, but just not the one for her, and she wished him all the happiness in the universe.
Still, her mood was agitated, and there was no way she could stay in her room without going stir crazy, knowing Seven was with Janeway. The half-Klingon needed to purge her negative feelings, call it a biological need, but she learned how to do it constructively now. She initiated the gym program in the computer and entered the Holodeck doors. It contained the same sterile Star Fleet environment. The nice small running track circled around the padded work-out floor. The weights occupied one half of the floor, and the punching bags in the other. Even before she knew it, her legs carried her around the clay surface of the track.
~~~~~~~~
Kathryn laughed for the third time this evening, the first time after hearing about the willing offer the Nokk maiden had proposed to her supposedly flustered Klingon lieutenant. She genuinely wished she could have seen the expression B'Elanna's face when it happened. This time, it was because of B'Elanna's run-in with a disgruntled pet. The faint rustling and ruffling of the Captain's loose silk shirt over her chest as it shook in laughter distracted Seven for a moment. The Captain looked quite handsome in it.
Seven put her glass of wine down, and chastised herself. The first opportunity to demonstrate her serious commitment to B'Elanna, and she failed to keep her thoughts and eyes from wandering. She had to admit she was attracted to the Captain. Kathryn was an aesthetically pleasing, strong-willed, charming, and accomplished woman. She could sway leaders of other civilizations with a single speech, let alone a single Borg's heart. In truth, there was a part of her that could love Janeway, perhaps even intrigued by the notion, and it distressed Seven even more. If she loved Janeway, then she would have to stop loving B'Elanna. But that was not possible, unfathomable to her own Borg logic.
If she and B'Elanna had not been stranded on the planet together, then she might have pursued her previous, budding feelings for the Captain. It would have been possible that she and Kathryn would have ended up loving one another for the rest of their lives, not knowing there could have been someone else. However, something did happen between her and B'Elanna, and there was no way to erase the knowledge and feelings that had developed, not that she wanted to. B'Elanna tried to give her freedom, at the expense of the Klingon's own well-being, and the injury she must have borne tore at Seven's heart. The possibility of her and Kathryn was in...the past.
Seven sighed. She had made a promise to Moka and she had forgotten. How foolish of her...
The dear woman had told her not to dwell on the past and focus on the future, but instead she had missed the meaning of the message entirely. Even Dannan had warned her during their whispered goodbye that Bey would put up a fight against their destiny together, and had encouraged her not to give up no matter how hard the half-Klingon tried to resist. The sudden insight came crashing down upon her.
~~~~~~~~
B'Elanna punched and kicked her pain away as she slammed the red punching bag with ferocity again and again, making it squeak on its hinge. She didn't have to think about anything as her arms and legs blurred with a savage speed. It was purely physical, acting and reacting to the motion of the object in front of her. But even her endurance had its limits, and she launched herself one last time against the bag in frustration, grabbing it as she slid down its length to the floor, and sat with her eyes closed. Her breathing came in pants, and perspiration dripped down the sides of her face, down her neck and disappeared into her clothes. Blinking, she came out of her daze, and began stripping away the tape from her hands.
"Computer, change program to the Nian Rainfalls," the half-Klingon ordered.
Instantly, the gym disappeared and changed to a cool drizzle of clean rain, relieving her fevered skin as it fell lightly upon her face and body. She sat, arms resting on knees, upon a flat plateau of slate rock next to shallow ponds of collecting rain water. For as long as she could remember, B'Elanna had always loved the water, and her favorite holoprograms were always of lakes and beaches. With a quick tug, she pulled her shirt over her head, allowing the rain to trickle down her back and wash away the sweat.
'I can't wait for her any longer. Ten more minutes and I'm going to go get her. I don't care what happens,' she thought to herself, as the sound of pattering water drowned all else.
But ten minutes came and went by a few times, and still she remained unmoved. B'Elanna wondered if she had created the dilemma for herself because she needed the conflict, the suffering in all her relationships. That she wanted Seven to leave her. But if that were true, she would have never told the Borg she loved her. It would have been more in character for her to suffer in silence the pain of requited love. She would never have dishonored herself by declaring her love only to hurt Seven in the end.
"Have faith in Seven," the voice told her calmly, no longer angry.
~~~~~~~~
When Seven had fallen silent, Janeway had sat patiently watching her, hoping to give the ex-drone some time to her own thoughts. She enjoyed looking at Seven, at her high cheek bones, chiseled nose, downy lashes, and gold-spun hair. But when she saw the troubled expression cloud over the blonde's features, she spoke up.
"Seven, are you alright?" she asked, her own face concerned.
Seven looked up and sighed, not completely certain what she was about to say would not hurt the woman across from her. "Captain.... Do you think it's possible to love someone after ten days?"
It took a while for the question to register, and within moments, Kathryn's mask of command returned. But it did not stay long, for greater than her role as a mentor to the young woman was her role as Seven's friend.
Kathryn sat up, the motion pulling her elegant shirt straight, and answered evenly. "I think it's possible under very special circumstances,...like those on the planet," she concluded.
Janeway pursed her lips. "I take it we're talking about B'Elanna here?..."
Seven looked down shyly, unable to hold the Captain's gaze, and nodded.
"I've noticed remarkable change in you, and I can't help but wonder if part of it hasn't been because of what being with B'Elanna has brought out. But you and B'Elanna have kept each other at arms length all these years. Do you really know each other that well?" the Captain questioned, but not in a malicious manner.
"How can we not, Captain?" Seven posed calmly, after a moment's thought. "The ship is small, and the crew complement moderate. For the past three years I have been on Voyager, I have encountered and worked with B'Elanna almost every single day. I know when she wakes up in the morning, when she works, when she takes her breaks, and when she stubbornly does not. I know what annoys her and what gains her approval in Engineering. I know what of Neelix's cooking she prefers to eat and what she avoids."
She continued, more passionately this time, "I have observed her friendships and her romantic relationship, argued and agreed with her over issues that impact the crew."
Seven paused. "The ten days on the planet were the most intimate times I have ever had with anyone on this ship. B'Elanna and I shared things that we have never revealed to anyone else before. She has taught me what it means to love someone, and I believe I am honorable when I say that I love her."
"Ten days is enough," Kathryn replied with small understanding smile.
Her gaze was filled with warmth for the young woman that blossomed in the presence of love, and reflected none of the disappointment she felt for not being the reason behind it. But at least she was comforted by the fact that nothing had progressed to the point which neither of them could not return, their friendship preserved.
"I think you should go to her and tell her," the Captain suggested empathetically, releasing the young woman from her obligation to stay.
"Thank you, Capt...Kathryn. Without you, I would not have regained my individuality and my ability to love," Seven told her sincerely as she rose from her chair, knowing a small part of her would always care deeply for this woman. Without any further hesitation, Seven stepped out of the Captain's quarters to seek her destiny.
Kathryn Janeway sat in her own chair, contemplating the Borg's words long after she had left. She sighed, remembering her own experience, a short period of special circumstances that she had denied and put aside. She had let the possibility pass her by, and now she was too late again. However, this time, she wondered if her own personal sense of duty was worth it all in the end. If Seven of Nine was willing to try, why shouldn't she?
"Janeway to Chakotay."
"Chakotay here," replied the comforting tone of her first officer.
"Would you like to join me for dinner? It seems my guest was unable to stay, and I have quite a meal prepared."
There was a pause before his voice returned. "Are you sure they won't change their mind and come back."
Janeway smiled ironically. "No, I don't think so...."
"I'll be right there."
~~~~~~~~
Seven hurried through the corridor on her way to find B'Elanna. This time, she would not give the half-Klingon any opportunity to push her away for whatever the reason. She must have not paid attention to where she was going, because in her rush, she ran straight into Ensign Paris. Tom moved away from her as if she had struck him, his eyes ablaze with accusation.
"I'm sorry, Ensign Paris. Please excuse me," she offered, a lesson from the Doctor on customary apologies.
Tom crossed his arms. "I don't think you're sorry at all," he told her.
Seven frowned, not understanding his demeanor. He of all people was the most agreeable in nature, and she never experienced any hostility from him before.
"You don't have any trouble 'assimilating' what's not yours, do you?" he scorned.
It became apparent to Seven just exactly who, not what, he was referring to. "I don't believe Lt. Torres belongs to anyone. She is an individual, capable of making her own decisions."
He seemed taken aback by her words, his anger cut off by her rational response.
"You don't deserve her," he said finally, without any sort of conviction behind it. Tom's fight had left him after his argument with B'Elanna.
"Perhaps," the Borg acknowledged, "but neither do you."
They both stood staring at each other across the corridor, until finally Tom turned away and nodded, leaving the ex-drone in the opposite direction with what comfort he took from the exchange. Though some might consider it heartless, for the Borg, Tom factored very little into her conscience other than being B'Elanna's previous love interest, and Seven resumed her search for B'Elanna.
~~~~~~~~
Seven stepped hesitantly into Holodeck 1, not that she was having cold feet about declaring her love for the half-Klingon, but wondering if she could adequately convey all she felt for B'Elanna. She found herself sprinkled with a little shower of precipitation as she walked onto the slate ground that seemed to stretch beyond her field of vision, framed by a mountain vista in the background and a lush, leafy green jungle on either side. She softened her footsteps as her heels connected with the flat stone, in order not to disturb the serene setting, and she avoided the shimmering pools of water that punctuated the rocky terrain. The rain made it more difficult to locate the lieutenant, creating a slight haze and darkening the air, but it was extremely tranquilizing despite.
At last, the ex-drone saw the huddled figure of her beautiful companion in the short distance, who was still unaware of her presence. Seven approached quietly, finding a shirtless B'Elanna, with legs draw up to her chest, resting the side of her face on her arms. Her eyes were closed, and her face was calm as if in slumber.
Seven reached behind her neck, and pulled at the clasp of her biosuit before she spoke. "You are so beautiful, B'Elanna, in every way. Sometimes I do not think you are even aware of it, your effect on others, on me. And when I am in your presence, I am a woman, B'Elanna........with needs."
Crystal clear, brown eyes shot open at the sound of her voice. Wordlessly, B'Elanna watched as Seven peeled away her clothing, slowly, a vision of sensuality. Smooth shoulders made way to creamy, youthful breasts with inviting, pale pink nipples, that led to a tone, washboard stomach outlined by whisper thin bands of Borg metal. The circling bands meshed artfully with Seven's otherwise flawless alabaster skin, the pattern drawing the half-Klingon's eyes further downward to the ex-drone's tender womanhood, which gave her pause, and then down long, slim legs glistening intermittently with silver implants.
"I need you to love me, and I need to love you. It hurts when I cannot," the young Borg said, not breaking the intense eye contact between them as she stepped into the pool.
Seven waded across the small length, and stopped in front of B'Elanna, just as the Klingon turned and dipped her legs into the water to accept her. She could see the stark desire in B'Elanna's gaze, and continued her impassioned speech.
"I do not know what spirit or force or random chance of events brought this single drone to this ship, to you. But I do know you are my perfect match, my one true mate. Ten days, a lifetime...it does not matter. I love you now and I will love you for the rest of my existence."
Seven watched as B'Elanna's expression broke with relief. When the half-Klingon reach out, Seven cradled her in her arms and hugged her fiercely.
"I love you, Seven." Looking deeply into Seven's eyes, B'Elanna swore, her voice thick with emotion, "I've never loved anyone more and I never want to be apart from you again."
Seven smiled even as tears sprung from her ocular implant. She felt exhilaration as she had finally found her place, and there was no where else she'd rather be. She watched as B'Elanna took her human hand and lifted it to her lips, placing gentle kisses along her palm and wrist.
Full lips met with full lips in a heated passion when B'Elanna brought their faces together. There would be no barriers between them tonight. Seven pressed their bodies together, her hands running up and down the half-Klingon's well-muscled back, eager to remove the remaining clothing under her finger tips. Her caresses stroked the burning desire in B'Elanna, who slipped an agile tongue into the sweet mouth that beckoned her. Seven moaned softly in protest when B'Elanna pulled away, breaking off the steamy contact, but was utterly aroused by the wanton look on her face.
B'Elanna could feel an internal ache stirring as rampant Klingon hormones surged through her veins, her senses suddenly acute. The desire to bond with the woman she loved, her mate, to touch souls was so incredibly powerful. She picked up the unique scent that the Borg gave off, and could almost taste Seven's blood when she moved in close. With ease, she released the bun, entangled the fingers of her hand in the silky blonde locks, and moved her teeth closer to the delicate chin with the shallow dimple. The lieutenant struggled for control over her strong instincts, which were partly biological and partly cultural perhaps. She forced herself to look away, focusing on the smooth porcelain skin of Seven's shoulder.
"B'Elanna, please copulate with me," whispered Seven desperately, as she clutched the smaller frame, the repressed emotions she had endured crying out for release.
"Make love, Seven," B'Elanna corrected her, sliding into the pool, needing to feel the lithe body against hers.
As B'Elanna laid kisses along the slender shoulder, she could feel the tiny goose bumps on the naked flesh under her lips. Concern for Seven reined in her lust, as she contemplated a more comfortable setting, and only one befitting place came to mind.
Holding Seven tightly to her, she voiced her command, "Computer, change program to Torres-Seven Prime."
The rainfall halted, and a warm, familiar surrounding appeared. Seven glanced around as the Holodeck transformed itself into their small, quiet room in the back of Dannan's home. The young woman quirked her brow in surprise and pleasure at the sight of the one place she and B'Elanna had come together in love. She felt herself being led backwards toward the bed, and was gently seated on its cushioned surface. B'Elanna bent down and kissed her teasingly on the lips before standing up again. Seven observed as the woman in front of her began to strip away the top that hid the dusky red nipples and supple breasts from her gaze. She was draw to the cocoa buttery skin, at long last being revealed to her in all its glory. The ex-drone reached out hungrily to caress the toned body, cupping the soft mounds, before sliding her hands lower and grasping the waistband. With a firm, steady tug, Seven lowered the pants over round hips and let everything drop to the floor.
Seven held the firm buttocks and pulled B'Elanna towards her, nipping the skin over the flat, subtle rippling of abdominal muscles all the while peeking inquisitively at the dark triangle of short, wispy hair. Both of them were still damp from the rain shower, but they paid no attention to it, knowing that in a few moments, both of them would be even more wet with perspiration. B'Elanna lowered herself and resumed their kissing, tongues touching each other with ease, until she lifted the Borg by the hips. Seven clung to the lieutenant's neck while she was carried over to the center of the bed, and did not release her hold even when her head laid on the pillow. She was content kissing her soon-to-be-lover, and wrapped her long legs around the trim waist, at last knowing what it felt like to have B'Elanna's smooth, naked skin next to hers.
"B'Elanna?...I've never engaged in making love before," the ex-drone admitted nervously, wondering if her research would be enough to please her companion.
"I'm in unfamiliar territory myself," B'Elanna answered, as she caressed the milky thigh within her reach soothingly, "We'll be all right. We'll do what feels good for the both of us."
Seven nodded, implicitly trusting the half-Klingon, whose every touch had given her pleasant, passion-inducing sensations thus far. She buried her left hand in the dark, rich mane of hair while her other hand alternated between gripping and stroking the powerful muscles on B'Elanna's back.
B'Elanna nuzzled her face against Seven's once before peppering the blonde with light kisses over her lips, cheek, and chin. Resting on her elbows, she traveled down the hollow of Seven's long neck, nipping once or twice before descending lower, very aware of the hardening pebbles against her own chest as she slid her wet body easily over Seven. As her hands moved under the supple figure, the half-Klingon kissed the valley between the firm breasts, and avoiding the sensitive nipples, nipped and suckled on the abundant flesh before her. She definitely liked the differences from her past sexual experiences, finding the taste of Seven's moist skin and the resilient texture of her bosom under her lips addictive. She could hear the young woman's breathing deepen, and wondered what the reaction would be if she kissed the round nub.
The reaction was immediate as Seven allowed a slight moan to escape, followed by a sigh, while her hand pulled the Klingon's head closer. B'Elanna didn't keep her waiting for more as her tongue slipped out to graze the pink nipple to the left and her right hand reached up to caress the other nipple, kneading the soft mound gently.
"Bey...," breathed Seven, as she watched her lover through half-closed eyes, enjoying her own body's response to B'Elanna's actions.
She tried to memorize everything B'Elanna was doing, how each change in touch evoked a certain sensation in her body, storing away her first time. Her enhanced hand combed through B'Elanna's thick, dark hair while her other hand moved up to caress the back of her neck and spine. She could feel the bone ridges prickling her fingertips just under the surface of the skin and the muscles flexing as B'Elanna moved back and forth between her breasts, and then lower to her ribs, her belly. Her lover kissed and touched every implant, every part of her, and the former drone felt cherished. And each time she began to tremble, B'Elanna would stop to hold her and nuzzle her face against her body.
Her research described the physiological arousal one obtained during sexual activities, but nothing could have prepared her for the sensations she was experiencing. She knew that words and ideas could elicit strong responses between people, developing deep connections, but now, she understood that physical acts could create such moments as well, every since she and B'Elanna began kissing and touching each other. And when the Klingon kissed her intimately...down there, B'Elanna was truly loving her.
The breathy moans Seven released and the taste of mead that flowed between their lips were beginning to make B'Elanna feel heady. There was nothing of the young Borg that was short of perfection. Each subtle moan Seven produced was so undeniably erotic, and B'Elanna noted with humor that some part of her lover was still restraining herself, still attempting to maintain control. The thought of Seven losing that control urged B'Elanna on, hoping the next sound would be a cry of unbridled ecstasy. Seven's hips rocked when she slipped her tongue in deeply or at other times, just shy within the delicate folds, concentrating on the small, swollen nub that seemed to drive the beautiful blonde a little wilder, while her hand steadied the pelvic rhythm. Her other hand never stopped its ministrations along Seven's breasts, smooth belly, and metal ribbing.
"Ah,......Bey...," Seven gasped softly, eyes now closed as she arched her back.
And B'Elanna could feel her lover peaking, the motions becoming erratic, the grip in her hair tightening. Though she didn't stop her tongue caresses, she slowed her movements, only thrusting deeper and licking harder, and coaxed Seven to a slow, drawn out climax.
"Bey!" Seven murmured more loudly this time, as what started out initially as exciting tingles, then an almost painful yet pleasurable ache in her sex with each stroke of B'Elanna's tongue, exploded into an all consuming orgasm.
Gently, B'Elanna eased away a creamy thigh that had clamped down on her head moments ago. Pulling back her own mussed hair, she caught her breath and took in the appealing sight of her ex-drone, panting in the quiet afterglow. Slowly, she kissed her way up the long, slender body, licking away the sweat that collected between the soft, heaving breasts. B'Elanna captured Seven's face between her hands, and kissed the cherry lips tenderly.
Seven opened her eyes, and gazed up at her lover with a mixture of awe and bewilderment. "I have no words to describe what I just experienced. And yet I still need you," she told the half-Klingon, her voice raw and shaky, cuddling the half-Klingon closer.
B'Elanna looked back at her with a smoldering desire of her own. "I need you too, Ani" she replied huskily, as she straddled Seven's right thigh.
Without breaking their gaze, B'Elanna moved her hand down to cup the soft, unguarded mound of Seven's sex, and slipped her fingers between the wet lips. In response, Seven pulled B'Elanna towards herself, and kissed the darker woman passionately, tasting her own essence, pressing her tongue against B'Elanna's with urgency. Moaning, the Borg could feel the ache building again in her pelvis as B'Elanna stimulated her clitoris with loving strokes, sometimes brushing back and forth teasingly, sometimes grinding satisfyingly in circular motions.
When the fingers hesitated at her entrance, she heard B'Elanna whisper in her ear between breaths, "I don't want to hurt you..."
"I trust you, Bey,...please...," Seven urged.
"If you need me to, I'll stop..."
Seven nodded, knowing what to expect, believing that her lover would never cause her any intentional discomfort in their lovemaking. And then she felt B'Elanna's gentle finger entering her.
B'Elanna heard a sharp intake of breath from the young woman, and paused her motion. The opening had been wet and welcoming as she eased her finger in, feeling only a slight resistance before her finger slid through the tight, hot channel. She leaned in and kissed Seven with all the devotion that was in her heart, and felt her lover return the kiss with equal intensity. She kept her hand still as the young Borg began to move against her, hips undulating on their own accord. And when she felt Seven's human hand touch her mound, she couldn't stop herself from growling. Her own need had been growing with each second she made love to Seven. The half-Klingon moaned deeply when Seven reached up and massaged her breast with her Borg hand, the edges of the metal rubbing her rosy brown nipple from all directions. She rocked against the lithe body under her as Seven began to thrust two fingers into her earnestly, mimicking the actions of her tongue earlier.
"Oh, Kahless,.........Ani!"
The rain water that had covered both their bodies initially was replaced by sweat, as they moved in rhythm on the bed, touching each other ceaselessly. Their lips collided sensually when they were not busy tasting their partner's body elsewhere. B'Elanna nearly climaxed when her senses became aware of how their nipples rolled and danced around one another, their breasts mashed together as the two women moved. But the half-Klingon was almost there, already having experienced smaller peaks along the way. And when the ex-drone brushed her thumb against her clit, she knew she was lost. Her warm muscles began to spasm, pulling Seven's fingers deeper into her.
Seven felt the change in B'Elanna, and as if her own body had synchronized with her lover, she began to lose control of her building arousal. She thrusted hard onto B'Elanna's hand, and pulled the Klingon down to her, wanting to connect every part of their body the same way their emotions did right at that moment. And when the blazing fires of sexual pleasure tore through their bodies, Seven lean forward in a paroxysm of passion and bit B'Elanna.
The teeth sank into her right cheek, just over her jaw, but B'Elanna felt no pain at all. Instead, the torrid act set her primal blood off into another climax just as the first began to pass, and she rode the waves that coursed through her just as Seven came. Their loud, unrestrained cries reverberated off the walls when they called out each other's names.
~~~~~~~~
Seven could feel her heart hammering wildly in her chest, and she found herself grateful that Borgs had reinforced cardiopulmonary systems because a mere human would not have survived such a making love experience. Sighing with lazy satisfaction, she wiped the tears that had begun to fall from her eyes, even as she held onto her exhausted lover resting on her chest, and waited for the other woman to catch her bearings. She traced the tattoo, only she knew was there, with her Borg enhanced hand, its artificial nerves sensitive enough to feel the lines of ink just under the bronze skin. Finally, when B'Elanna's breathing slowed and decreased in effort, Seven lifted the dark head up to look at her half-Klingon. B'Elanna had a silly grin on her face despite the tears that tracked down her own cheeks.
The ex-drone quirk her brow in amusement and entreated B'Elanna to come up beside her. B'Elanna crawled up the lanky body, snuggled close, and propped herself up on her elbow to look down at the beautiful woman.
"I did not realize making love could be this way," Seven murmured bashfully, running her hand along the arm that embraced her around her waist.
"Neither did I," replied B'Elanna, with a tender expression on her face.
Seven smiled at that, and raised her fingers to trace the faint bite she had given the Klingon in the heat of passion. "You do not mind this?" she quietly asked, looking at her lover intently.
"The bite?" B'Elanna wondered out loud. "No,.... I didn't even feel any pain. It was...kind of a turn on actually," she added wryly.
"...I meant...the engagement," the Borg murmured, apprehensive over what B'Elanna's response would be.
Recognizing the implication of that bite in Klingon culture, B'Elanna's eyes widened in astonishment before they began twinkling with mischief. "Seven, are you asking me to marry you?"
Seven gazed up at her lover, noting the change in tone, and responded with equal playfulness. "That depends. Do you accept?"
B'Elanna leaned down, and paused just millimeters away from kissing Seven.
"Yes," she answered sincerely, and kiss Seven deeply with all the love she felt.
When they broke apart again, Seven turned her head and offered her cheek to B'Elanna. Both women were breathing heavily as their desire to bond again was rapidly rising. The musk from their love making coupled with Seven's unique blend of human and slightly metallic scents called out to B'Elanna's lustful Klingon instincts.
Nuzzling her face against the flawless cheek, B'Elanna agonizingly whispered, "I don't think I could ever mark your fair skin, Seven."
The ex-drone cradled her close, and slowly flipped them over until she rested on top.
"You do not have to hold back with me, B'Elanna." The Borg took her smaller hand into her larger one, the one enhanced with implants, and lifted them until they could both see their fingers intertwined. "Just as I do not have to hold back with you."
B'Elanna understood what Seven was trying to tell her, and nodded. "I love you, Seven."
"I love you too, B'Elanna."
Seven wrapped her arms around her lover, as she sank her body between athletic thighs, and captured the full lips with her own, growling softly when B'Elanna's skilled hands began to knead the swells of her pliant buttocks. The half-Klingon had no trouble picking up where they had left off, and was already driving the young Borg insane with her knowing caresses. But there was one more question on Seven's mind before all thought was lost to her.
"B'Elanna,..." the young woman gasped, her voice laden with desire, "this bed appears...to be proportionately larger...oh...than the real one."
B'Elanna grinned against her lips. "Well,...we need room...to maneuver," she explained, as she moved her mouth toward the alabaster cheek.
To be continued....