Disclaimer: Star Trek Voyager and all who sail in her belong to Paramount/Viacom and no infringement of copyright/trade marks is intended. This story includes same sex relationships between women. If you are offended by this or it is illegal where you live or you are underage then please read no further.
Lyrics: I'll probably use some.. I always do. Credit to go to wherever credit is due.
Code: T/7.
Rating: NC17
Archiving: Perfect Misfits and VJB only
Yes please. Constructive feedback welcome.
Any feedback or other comments should be sent to googooplex100@yahoo.co.uk
Description: Some song lyrics included ... they don't belong to me! PG13 for the most part, a little NC17 in chapter 18. This is my first attempt at f/f fiction, but feel free to be as brutal as you want.
| Chapter 1 27 May 2001 | Chapter 2 27 May 2001 | Chapter 3 27 May 2001 | Chapter 4 27 May 2001 | Chapter 5 27 May 2001 |
| Chapter 6 27 May 2001 | Chapter 7 27 May 2001 | Chapter 8 27 May 2001 | Chapter 9 27 May 2001 | Chapter 10 27 May 2001 |
| Chapter 11 27 May 2001 | Chapter 12 27 May 2001 | Chapter 13 27 May 2001 | Chapter 14 27 May 2001 | Chapter 15 27 May 2001 |
| Chapter 16 27 May 2001 | Chapter 17 27 May 2001 | Chapter 18 27 May 2001 | Chapter 19 27 May 2001 | Chapter 20 27 May 2001 |
Chapter 1
27 May 2001
A New Start
"Lieutenant, you are in error. Your research is flawed. You have been distracted by your failed relationship with Lieutenant Paris and as usual, you have failed to give the problem proper consideration. The recalibration of the sensor relay can be accomplished more effectively if you ..."
The two junior engineers working alongside the Head of Astrometrics and their boss looked at each other and by mutual, if unspoken, consent, immediately found somewhere else to be. The clashes between the ex-drone and the half-Klingon were legendary and this was shaping up to be a beauty. They had been bickering for over an hour and it looked like Seven of Nine had finally crossed the line and was about to get her pretty little head knocked off.
B'Elanna Torres, Chief Engineer of the Federation Starship Voyager, half-Klingon, very pissed off, closed her eyes, ground her teeth, took a deep breath and began counting to ten, very slowly.
Seven of Nine took a small step back from the console she had been working on and turned to observe to smaller woman beside her. She clasped her hands behind her and cocked her head slightly.
"Lieutenant Torres, the probability of you understanding my research will increase by 100% if you opened your eyes and looked at the console," her voice was coolly sarcastic.
Kahless, God, anyone who's listening, please help me, B'Elanna thought as she gripped the console with grim determination. If she let go she would wrap her fingers around the ex-drone's slender throat and throttle the life out of her.
"Lieutenant Torres, I shall take your lack of response as an acceptance of my superior knowledge in this matter." Seven started to move away. In her ever so logical mind, Seven knew that her comment would only infuriate the half-Klingon even more, but somehow she couldn't help herself.
"Hold it right there, Seven", B'Elanna finally managed to get her voice to work. She took another very deep breath and held it for a second before releasing it. The engineer considered the beautiful ex-drone before her and made a decision
"We need to talk and we need to do it now".
"Talking is ...," Seven started with her stock reply.
"It is not irrelevant," Torres snapped at her.
"Talking to you is irrelevant", Seven argued back. "Hardly anything is accomplished when we talk because you never listen". There was bitter emphasis from Seven.
That shut B'Elanna up for a second, the remark had hurt. It was also true. The anger and frustration she had with the Borg drained away.
"OK, listen very carefully, Seven. We are going to my office and you are going to listen to me for 10 minutes. Do you understand me?"
"I fail to see the reasons why..." Seven started.
"No, Seven," B'Elanna raised her hand to stop the ex-drone. She kept her voice low and calm. For once she actually felt calm, she felt focused. After months of turbulence in her life, B'Elanna was beginning to get things straightened out and this talk with Seven was a long time coming.
"I'm not debating this with you. I think that it's important that you listen to me right now. If you feel that you can't do that, then, you have no place working in Engineering. Do you understand? This is not negotiable, you come with me now or you leave Engineering for good. The Captain will back me up on this one, Seven," she added confidently. In truth, if Seven did call her bluff and walk away, she wasn't quite sure what would happen.
Though it didn't show on her face, Seven was nonplussed. The Chief Engineer has never been so commanding to her before. She was a good leader and an excellent engineer, there was no doubt about that, but this, this was something altogether different. Seven didn't want to admit it, but she was intrigued. What did the diminutive little woman want?
"While you're thinking about it, I'll get those two goons back", B'Elanna said quietly.
"I will comply", Seven stated calmly when Torres returned with two engineers.
B'Elanna nodded and lead the way to her office. Secretly she was relived, but she knew the conversation ahead would be even more difficult.
When they got there, B'Elanna sat behind her desk and Seven stood in her customary pose.
"I'd like you to sit, Seven", she invited.
Seven opened her mouth to say that she preferred to stand, but the half-Klingon was a step ahead.
"Just do it, Seven," a warning note creeping into the still calm voice.
Seven raised her ocular implant slightly, but sat, her hands resting gently on her knees. She looked at the Chief Engineer expectantly.
Think, B'Elanna, think. She may not understand, but you've got to try. B'Elanna gathered her thoughts.
"Seven, what you said out there, about Tom and me, that was completely out of line. You have not right to comment on my personal life, least of all in front of my staff. You need to recognise..." She saw that the Borg was about to speak and forestalled her before she started.
"Uh unh. When I've finished you can respond, but not until then OK?"
Seven nodded, content to wait.
B'Elanna rubbed her hands together, nervously. She wasn't surprised to find them sweating slightly.
"You need to recognise what is appropriate and what isn't. You question and challenge me and my work all the time." The half-Klingon got up and started pacing the small room. "That's fine when it's just us or during a senior staff meeting, but you do it in front of my staff and that undermines my authority." She took a quick look at Seven and saw the ocular implant rise a notch, and smiled slightly.
"Yes, Seven. I know you think that authority is irrelevant, but I don't think it is and neither does the Captain." B'Elanna perched on the edge of her desk facing Seven and looked at her. "You are one of the most intelligent people on this ship, you've helped Voyager in so many ways. But you've also made my life a misery more times than I can count and things have got to change. I can't continue to work with you if you don't respect me", she raised her hand again as Seven tried to speak.
Why would she think that I do not respect her?
"I know your antagonism towards me is mostly my fault, I've been a bitch to you for most of the time and I'm sorry." B'Elanna ran her hands through her hair, playing for time. Come on, you wimp, finish it, you've got this far. "Seven, I am truly, truly sorry for the way I've behaved towards you. It was unjustified and unfair and you didn't deserve it." She sighed, forcing herself to keep her gaze as direct as the unreadable blue one aimed at her. B'Elanna wasn't really a tactile person, but she needed to express her sincerity as best as she could. She crouched down beside the seated ex-drone and placed her hands on one of Seven's forearms.
Almost imperceptibly, Seven flinched; she was surprised at the contact, it was what she often expected from the Captain, but not the aggressive Klingon. However, B'Elanna felt the movement and backed away, giving the Borg her personal space.
OK, bad idea. B'Elanna thought. "Seven, you are often right about lots of things, like my relationship with Tom, I have been distracted by it. I'm tired of fighting with everyone including you, and I want to try to do better. Would you please let me be a better, more supportive colleague and friend to you?
The pint-sized Klingon swallowed hard and waited. Seven's usually serene brow crinkled slightly.
"Lieutenant, you are clearly unwell, should I summon the Doctor?"
B'Elanna closed her eyes in disbelief. You have got to be kidding. She doesn't believe me, she thinks I'm sick.
She opened her eyes and looked carefully at the ex-drone. Very fleetingly, she almost missed it; B'Elanna saw the amusement on the face of the woman siting in front of her.
"Very funny, Seven," she growled, both her hearts were pounding.
"I thought so," said the ever-so-cool Seven.
"Well?" B'Elanna waited for an answer to her apology.
"Lieutenant, I am curious, why apologise now?"
Great, she's still going to fling my apology back in my face. B'Elanna got up and walked back to her seat, thinking hard. Tell the truth. Tell the truth. She leaned across the desk but realised that her hands were trembling and quickly hid them in her lap. She chewed on her lip for a moment trying to formulate a coherent answer. She was so caught up in her own thoughts that she missed the look of pure bewilderment on the face of Seven.
The Lieutenant is clearly unwell despite my attempts at a joke. I have never seen her looking so, so vulnerable. Lieutenant Torres... vulnerable! Yikes. Seven then frowned and made a mental note to stop picking up juvenile and imprecise phrases from Naomi Wildman.
"When my relationship with Tom went so completely wrong, I decided to re-evaluate my relationships with the people that mean a lot to me", B'Elanna started, unaware of the thoughts of her companion.
"I realised that my relationship with the Captain changed when you came aboard and that caused me to react negatively towards you. You see, you replaced me in the Captain's affections. Or at least that's what I felt. Captain Janeway has been my friend, my best friend, and my mentor, in my heart she's been my mother. I love her dearly and it seemed as if you took her love away from me. So I hated you for it. Not for anything else, just because I was jealous".
"And are you still jealous?" She hid it well, but Seven was stunned.
"No, I've come to understand that the Captain loves all of us and that I could have helped her when you came by being your friend and helping you find your humanity. Instead, I sulked and made matters worse. I know that beneath that perfect, ice-cold exterior, you have a heart that beats and that my being the biggest ass this side of the galaxy has made you put up your barriers even higher than before".
Seven had nothing to say to that and stayed silent.
"I have a temper, I know and I tend to be a little aggressive sometimes", she saw the pointed look that came her way at the last comment, but ignored it. "I'm not saying that we'll never fight or have differences of opinion, but I want us to work without the hostility. Can we do that?"
Seven recognised the conciliatory gesture and in her logical mind knew that it must have taken a lot for the proud half-Klingon to open up in such a way, but she did not know how to respond.
"Your proposal is acceptable, but I am uncertain how to proceed. I..., I do not know how?"
"I don't know how to be a good friend to you Seven, but it's because I never took the time to try. She sighed and looked steadily at the bewildered ex-drone. "That's all we have to do, try."
To be continued....