Part 8 added on 31 May 2001
Disclaimers are in part 1.
Rating: PG
"You avoid spending any time with me, you spend it all with Icheb and then when things don't work out, you expect me to behave as if nothing happened? You're so selfish, Annika. Why don't you go to hell?" Seven burst into tears and ran from B'Elanna. "Wait!" B'Elanna yelled. She didn't want to make Annika cry, but she was so angry. Seven stopped and turned around, tears running down her face.
"I think that you have made your feelings quite clear, B'Elanna." She turned to leave and B'Elanna tackled her. She pinned her to the ground, pulling Annika's arm behind her and digging her knee into the other girl's back.
"Say you're sorry. Say you screwed up." 'Say you love me,' B'Elanna added silently.
"I'm sorry," Seven sobbed. "I screwed up. You're my best friend and I've treated you like nothing because I've been so absorbed with my own self-pity." B'Elanna let go, but Seven didn't move, just laid there, crying. B'Elanna grabbed her and pulled the sobbing blonde into her lap. Seven was finally the same height as she and it wasn't as easy as it had been when they were younger and B'Elanna was taller. The Klingon teenager rocked her friend and tried to calm them both down. That's when it happened.
B'Elanna felt as if all her joints were aching unbearably and her limbs felt as though they were being pulled to the breaking point. Also, her head throbbed and her hearts sped up to triple their normal rhythm. Somehow she managed to tap the commbadge she wore everywhere now.
"Medical emergency, B'Elanna Torres and Annika Hansen," she whimpered as she felt Annika going rigid in her lap. Within seconds, two crewmen were there with antigravity stretchers. They were loaded up and taken to Sickbay, their pain becoming unbearable.
"Seventeen?" Kathryn repeated. "Why is Seven only sixteen?"
"Their growth patterns are beginning to take on different rates. Within the month, B'Elanna will undoubtedly reach eighteen years development."
"Well, that would put them back at the age difference they had before," Samantha said. The EMH nodded.
"Also, I think that I may have a way to stop it permanently, the next time they grow."
"Should we let them reach the ages they were before?" Samantha asked.
"Let them have a few extra years," Kathryn said. "We'll ask them when they want to have their growth stopped. But anyone would like to be able to take a few years off."
"That is acceptable," Seven said, coming into the office. "You were the one who believed that we should be told sooner, Captain and I wanted to thank you. At least some people," she shot Samantha a look, "wish for us to know who we are."
"Annika--" Samantha began, but Seven interrupted.
"I wish to be called by my previous designation--Seven. Also, I am sorry that I have upset you, but you injured me first." Sam looked at the teenaged Borg girl and nodded.
"Truce?" Seven nodded and Sam smiled.
"B'Elanna!" The half-Klingon girl spun and looked at Icheb, startled by his hail.
"Hi, Icheb. What d'ya want?" She repressed her impatience and dislike of the boy, reminding herself that he had done nothing wrong. 'Nothing but monopolize Seven's time,' her inner voice growled.
"I wished to ask you to a social event?" The boy said as he slowed to a walk, then stood in front of her.
"What event?" B'Elanna asked, puzzled. Neelix hadn't been talking about any crew events. He had assured her that she would be allowed to attend the next one, since she was old enough now.
"A private one. Perhaps a musical? Seven was fond of them, although I must admit to being ignorant of your own tastes." 'Seven.'
"Ignorant is right, Borg boy. Sod off," she growled, using the word she had learned to be more polite than 'piss off,' which she had been reprimanded for using. Or at least, she hadn't gotten in trouble for using it yet. She turned away from him and the next thing she knew, she was being shoved against a wall.
"Perhaps you wish me to be more forceful?" He asked, his face a mask of concentration as he held her, pinned. He wasn't as strong as the typical Borg and she was able to shove him away.
"Just what the hell do you think you're doing?" She yelled, earning a confused look from the young man.
"I recalled Klingon mating practices in my cultural database, and they indicated that you might respond better to--"
"Mating practices? You want to mate with me?" B'Elanna raged. Icheb looked definitely uncertain now and he took a step back.
"I did not mean--that is I would want to take things more slowly--" B'Elanna realized that she had the advantage and she advanced on him. She pinned Icheb against the opposite wall without laying a finger on him.
"Never let a Klingon smell your fear," she growled. She put one arm on either side of his head and he gulped audibly. "Don't think that just because you're the only male my age that you have any chance with me at all. Not after you stole Annika from me, turned her into your precious Seven," she spat out vehemently, her voice low and dangerous.
"I did not--"
"Don't lie to me!" B'Elanna yelled, at the end of her tether. "Every minute that she used to spend with me was spent with you and now that she's rejected you, you are under the mistaken impression that I have any desire to--" Icheb interrupted her angrily.
"If you would quit spitting in my face for a moment and allow me to speak, I would inform you that it was a mutual decision between Seven and myself to terminate our dating experiment, since I still see her as my mother!" He nearly screamed the last words back at her and her temper faltered.
"Your mother?" B'Elanna asked, confused.
"My mother. You see; my own parents used me as a weapon against the Borg. Seven of Nine, with the assistance of Voyager, of course, rescued me from that existence and became my guardian." Icheb calmed down as he explained to B'Elanna, reminding himself that it was irrational to respond to mistaken jealousy with anger. If B'Elanna had heard his thoughts, he wouldn't have still been standing there, but he was wise enough not to voice them.
"Why would you fuck your mother?" B'Elanna asked, her anger returning. Icheb frowned at her and flinched at the profanity.
"We did not engage in sexual congress, B'Elanna. We did nothing more than share a few chaste kisses that did nothing to strengthen our bond or cause us romantic excitement. We spent most of our time in the same manner as simple friends would. Sharing enjoyable events, discussing common interests and backgrounds. More than anything, she wanted me to tell her about who she was, or had been."
"I wish I had someone to tell me," B'Elanna said, looking away.
"Also, much of our time was spent discussing you, and your friendship. She is afraid that she will lose you. Perhaps..." Icheb shook his head. "Perhaps the next time we go to a musical, you would accompany us?" B'Elanna thought for a moment, then nodded.
"But if you ever hit on me again..."
"I understand."
Seven sat on the floor, next to B'Elanna's bed, where the half-Klingon lay sprawled.
"So you never did more than kiss?" B'Elanna asked, running her hairbrush through the blonde tresses.
"No. And it was not pleasant, either." Seven moved her body slightly to the music playing in the Klingon's bedroom, humming the words lightly.
"You didn't enjoy it at all?" B'Elanna asked, curious. Seven turned her head to look the older girl in the eye.
"I felt nothing more then my lips touching his. There was nothing more to it than that. It was like kissing Naomi." B'Elanna laughed and rolled on her side as Seven crawled into the bed in her pink and violet pajamas that B'Elanna liked so much she had a matching pair in red.
"Bet he liked hearing that it was like kissing your sister." Seven smiled.
"Not particularly. But as he shared the sentiment, no feelings were actually injured."
"You know, I was going to have a baby. I was married and everything. But to me, all that seems like someone else's life. Everything that the other B'Elanna Torres felt, wished and dreamt was someone else's fears and hopes and dreams. None of it, even what we have in common, feels like me. You know?" Seven nodded.
"You do not behave as I remember you. I mean, towards me. We were adversarial, rather than friends."
"Best friends," B'Elanna corrected, grabbing Seven's hand. Seven grinned.
"Yes. I am glad that things are different this time. I enjoy being your friend." They lay there for a few minutes, then began arranging their pillows and crawled under the covers.
"You know, I meant what I said. That other B'Elanna's life, where she had sex and all that is like a dream, not all of it good. I've never even been kissed." They lay there for almost a minute, falling asleep. "How did Icheb kiss you?"
"He pressed his lips against mine and--" B'Elanna stopped Seven's words by jumping up and rolling onto her elbow.
"Show me." Seven sat up and smiled at B'Elanna. B'Elanna giggled and Seven started to lean in, licking her lips. Before their lips touched, both broke into a fit of giggles. Finally, they managed to control themselves long enough to sit still and calm down. After their laughter had faded, Seven slowly leaned towards B'Elanna and pressed her lips against the soft mouth awaiting their touch.
It was an instant reaction in each. They jerked apart and looked at each other. Finally, B'Elanna leaned forward and Seven snaked her hand behind the darker girl's neck. At first clumsy and breaking apart from giggles, the kisses turned deeper and more intense until they had to break apart, panting.
"It was never like that with Icheb," Seven whispered.
"But isn't that how it's supposed to be?" B'Elanna asked.
"I think so." They lay apart for only a few more seconds before Seven rolled over to snuggle against B'Elanna's chest.
"I'm sorry you were assimilated," B'Elanna whispered.
"I am not."
"But it looked like it hurt," B'Elanna said.
"It did. But I would not give up the memories, the knowledge of who I am or was for anything. Except this," she said, taking B'Elanna's hand in her own. "I might give it up for this."
"It fixed your arm," B'Elanna noticed. Seven looked down and nodded against the warm chest of her bedmate. "Does it still hurt?" Seven shook her head, no. "Do you want me to start calling you Seven, still?"
"No. I want you to call me whatever you want. I always want to be your Nika, and you my Lala." B'Elanna couldn't help noticing how melodic Seven made the childish name sound. Nothing like her youthful mispronunciation, it was like a real name.
"I think I love you, Annika."
"I believe I love you too, B'Elanna."
"Will you still be holding me when I wake up?" the half-Klingon asked as she drifted off to sleep.
"If you will hold me." Seven murmured sleepily.
"It's a deal..." B'Elanna fell asleep before she could say anymore, content and peaceful, holding Annika, Seven, the young beauty, in her arms.
To be continued....