Chapter 9 added on 2 Jan 2002
Disclaimers are in part 1.
Rating: R
The sun was streaming in the windows of the cabin the next morning and the bed was bathed in sunlight as B'Elanna slowly awakened in the arms of her lover. She looked up to see that Seven was still sleeping peacefully on her back. She eased up on one elbow and drank in the sight of the beautiful young drone relaxed and totally at peace with the world. She gently brushed a strand of hair off of the lovely face and simply stared at the picture before her. She again felt the now-familiar surge of protectiveness and decided that Seven should be introduced to the pleasures of breakfast in bed. Not wanting to wake the younger woman she eased out of her arms slowly and dropped a kiss on the pillow beside her head.
"Those are precious and you should not waste them." Seven murmured sleepily, one eye open, awake after all.
B'Elanna grinned and rectified the fault by kissing Seven thoroughly before she left the bed and padded into the kitchen.
She was joined shortly by Seven who shuffled sleepily into the kitchen and perched on top of the counter, yawning.
"Hey I'm supposed to be making you breakfast in bed," B'Elanna protested.
"I would rather spend my time with you than waiting in bed for nutritional supplements."
"Well in that case, here," said B'Elanna popping a piece of fruit into Seven's mouth.
So that is how they ate, sitting on the counter, swinging their feet and eating whatever they could find in the refrigerator. It was the best meal either of them could ever remember.
By the time they had eaten, showered and changed Sam, Neelix and Naomi were at the door with Kate. Although they would have loved to have more time alone together they were both happy to see the little child, and soon they were heading out the door to spend the afternoon on the beach with their friends.
B'Elanna was laying back with her head in Seven's lap reading her holonovel, while Seven watched Naomi and Kate playing in the sand nearby. She could never remember having this sense of 'belonging' before. She absently traced the ridges on B'Elanna's forehead as they enjoyed the sun.
"Are you guys gonna get married now?" Naomi asked all of a sudden.
B'Elanna's head shot up in a flash, "What, married, I don't know about that, why would you ask a thing like that?"
"Mom and Neelix said you were in love, people in love get married don't they?" Naomi asked with a child's logic.
"Um, well, sometimes yes, I guess they do," B'Elanna replied her uncertainty evident in her voice.
"You do not wish to marry me?" Seven felt all the old insecurities she thought were gone forever come flooding back. Perhaps B'Elanna's feelings did not run as deeply as her own.
"I didn't say that! I just, well to be honest I just don't know what I think about the idea of marriage anymore. I mean I failed miserably at it once." She could see the look of panic on Seven's face and hastened to reassure her. "This doesn't change a thing about the way I feel about you Seven, honestly."
They sat in silence for a moment or two, while Sam and Neelix quickly found a place for themselves and the children to be out of earshot.
"Does this mean that you want to get married Seven."
"I had not thought of it until right now, but it is the next logical step in our relationship is it not."
"I don't think logic enters into it. I don't want to do something just because tradition or logic says we should, and I don't think we should be thinking about getting married just because other people might expect us to. The only reason for even considering a step like that is because it's what we both want."
"I know that I wish to spend the rest of my life with you B'Elanna."
B'Elanna smiled fiercely at Seven, "I want the same thing. So maybe this is something we should talk about. It is possible to spend the rest of our lives together without having a formal ceremony you know."
"I know, but it would be nice to celebrate our love with our friends would it not?"
B'Elanna's heart melted at the look of longing on Seven's face. She had told her last night that she could deny her nothing and never truer words were spoken.
"I am NOT wearing a wedding dress!"
Two days later with the help of all of their friends, the wedding for B'Elanna and Seven was about to take place. They discussed many options about when and where and what type of ceremony they should have. They talked about how long they wished to wait, or not, but they finally decided that waiting was futile, and that they wanted to be married here in the spot where they finally admitted their love. B'Elanna was also anxious to have Dartak and his sister be a part of their ceremony. She was estranged from her father and found solace in the old man's obvious love for her. He had readily agreed to give B'Elanna away.
B'Elanna was wearing her full dress uniform and she looked confident and happy as she walked on the arm of Dartak toward the place where the captain stood waiting.
Seven had opted for the traditional white wedding dress, and she took away everyone's breath as she came down the isle on the arm of Neelix, who had happily agreed to stand in as a father figure for her.
Harry was standing up for B'Elanna and Sam Wildman for Seven. Naomi was the flower girl and Tom stood near the group with Kate in his arms.
It was a simple ceremony; the captain read several of her favorite passages from literature and then the happy couple exchanged the vows that they had written themselves.
"My heart and soul belong to you, and today I bind my fate to yours for life. With you I am a warrior, a lover, a mother, a poet, only with you am I everything I want to be. With you I am at peace. You are my love, my life, and my heart's home. QamuSHa' tai be'nal."
"My heart and soul belong to you, and today I bind my fate to yours for life. With you I have become more fully human than I ever dreamed was possible, you gave me my life and my emotions and today I dedicate them back to you with love. Love is a journey not a destination.... It is a promise made to the future. A future I will gladly share with you. I love you my honoured wife."
With the simple exchange of rings and the promises of all of their friends gathered there to honour and support their union it was both finished and begun.
To be continued....