The Traveler by H.W.

Chapter 1

When Seven of Nine walked out of Astrometrics at the end of her shift, she was surprised to see Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres lying on the floor a bit further down the corridor. Her first reaction was to run and make sure that B'Elanna was all right. However, the toolbox beside the Chief Engineer and her cursing reassured Seven that there was no need to make a fool of herself. So instead she made sure that her cool Borg mask was in place and walked the remaining distance to B'Elanna in her self-assured and confident manner. Of course, Seven knew only too well that the Chief Engineer called that same walk arrogant as hell.

"Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres, may I ask what you are doing here? Deck four is not an area frequently visited by you. Maintenance is usually done by one of your engineers."

"Damn it Seven!" B'Elanna shouted while the tool that she was using went flying through the corridor. "Why do you always have to sneak up on people?"

Seven did not dignify that question with an answer and simply looked at how the tool that B'Elanna had thrown made a rather impressive dent in the wall plating that covered the real structure which made Voyager. The chief engineer had asked that same question twenty-eight times, in the last four weeks. Twenty-eight times the Borg's answer had been the same. Twenty-eight times Seven had explained that she did not 'sneak up' and that B'Elanna simply had been too engrossed in her work to hear the Borg approach.

This however was an explanation that B'Elanna could not accept. The Klingon was proud of the fact that there was enough Klingon warrior in her to 'feel' somebody approach. And yet. That annoying, arrogant, beautiful... that stupid Borg succeeded time and time again in approaching B'Elanna without the Klingon noticing it. 'Be honest girl.' B'Elanna thought. 'The only reason this terrifies you is because you know certain things about Klingon warriors that others on this ship don't know, not even the doctor. A true Klingon warrior will 'feel' all but one person approach. That one person is the only person that the Klingon warrior will never have to defend herself against. Her partner, her third heart.'

"Lieutenant, May I point out to you that causing damage while repairing Voyager only means that you also have to repair that damage later on. So, throwing heavy objects into relatively soft material is only counterproductive."

"Listen you..." B'Elanna suddenly stopped her outburst by taking some deep breaths and thanking Kahless for the fact that she was also partly human. If she had been fully Klingon she would have already punched Seven, or jump her for an entirely different reason. "Damn, I never thought keeping my promise to Kathryn could be so hard."

"Lieutenant?"

"Never mind Seven. Actually, contradictory to what you think throwing my tools around is very productive."

"Indeed?"

This was the first time B'Elanna and Seven had an altercation since the Klingon made her promise to the captain. At the time B'Elanna could not understand why Kathryn had asked her to explain things to Seven instead of shouting at her. Now however the Klingon could clearly hear that Seven was truly curious and not making fun of her.

"Yes. The damage to that wall is easily repaired in five minutes. Correct?"

"Correct," Seven agreed, not really sure about where B'Elanna was going.

"Correct. Now, by throwing that stupid tool around I had an release for my... annoyance and thereby it prevented me from doing something like ripping those circuits down there out of the wall or hitting you. If I had ripped those circuits out, it would have caused me at least four hours of extra work. And as far as hitting you, well we don't want that now do we?"

Seven felt a strong wave of disappointment crashing through her. 'B'Elanna wants to hit me.' However talking out loud her cool Borg persona had gotten a distinctive superior tone in her voice. "I see what you mean Lieutenant Torres. Trying to hit me would only have resulted in you getting severely damaged which in its turn would have needed to be treated in sickbay. And after that you would have gone to the Brig. Indeed, if you explain it like that throwing that tool was a prudent course of action."

To Seven's surprise B'Elanna actually started laughing at this. "TRYING to hit you. You are pretty sure of yourself Seven."

"I am Borg," Was all the explanation that Seven gave.

Surprising enough that explanation was more than enough for B'Elanna.
"That you are." But then the Klingon got serious again. "Listen Seven that remark about hitting you it is not because I don't like you, it is simply an impulse from my Klingon side. My Klingon side needed some physical release and unfortunately Klingons are known to do physical rather violently." B'Elanna actually saw a slight change of expression on that Borg mask and decided to quit while she was ahead. But the Klingon could not help adding in thought. 'Thank Kahless she doesn't know that minor physical violence can also lead to some other physical exercises.'

"So you are actually telling me that you like me Lieutenant?"

B'Elanna's first reaction was to deny that statement. But luckily enough the Klingon stopped herself before she made that mistake. "Well, I wouldn't call you my friend. But yes. I think you could say that I am learning to like you." B'Elanna saw Seven actually smile in reaction to her words. 'Beautiful.'

"In that case Lieutenant I will look forward to the day you will be actually prepared to call me your friend. I would like that."

"What?" B'Elanna couldn't believe her hears. Surely Seven had to be joking. "You actually want to be my friend? Well you sure as hell have an interesting way of showing that..."

"Lieutenant, before you start explaining how I should have shown you that I wanted your friendship put yourself in my position. If somebody treated you the way you treated me until today, would you have made it known to that person that you really wanted their friendship?"

B'Elanna opened her mouth a couple of times but every time only one or two syllables came out. Finally the Klingon groaned and lowered herself until she was sitting on the deck and then buried her face in her hands. "How can I be so stupid? All my life I have people look at me strangely because I'm either too much of a Klingon for them or too much of a human. Then by some freak accident I get stuck on this ship and find a home. And what do I do when somebody comes along and people look at her strangely because she is too much of a Borg, too much a machine? I am the first in line to shout that you are too much of a Borg to be human and too much of a human to be Borg."

"Lieutenant, it was not my intention to cause you distress. Please be assured that I am able to put your former behavior towards me behind me if you are willing to do the same. After all my behavior towards you also could have been different."

B'Elanna gladly accept the hand that Seven offered her and found herself being pulled onto her feet with incredible ease. An ease which told B'Elanna that Seven probably was not exaggerating when the Borg told her that 'trying' to hit the Borg was all what the Klingon would have done. "Kahless Seven, I never realized how strong you truly are."

"That is an error made by almost everybody on board this ship. Everybody knows that my body still has Borg enhancements, which I will have to live with for the rest of my life. But almost everybody seems to forget that the Borg only call something an enhancement if it truly is an enhancement. Small improvements are called just that, improvements."

"The crew will be glad to hear that. Tell me Seven, in a fight, is there anybody on board the ship capable of beating you?"

"That depends. If they are allowed to use technologies like force-fields or phaser weapons then each and every one on board the ship is capable of 'beating me', even Naomi. But if you mean in a hand to hand combat scenario, then no there is nobody capable of 'beating me.'"

"Well it sure is nice to exactly know what you're capable of."

The tone in B'Elanna's voice made it clear to Seven that the Klingon made it a habit to always be unsure of herself in everything. 'Except engineering. She is always sure of herself as far as any technological problems are concerned. Maybe bringing this conversation back to technology will give us the opportunity to let our friendship slowly grown. That is what we need.' "It is, the only drawback is that you also exactly know what you are not capable of. But be that as it may. This whole conversation started with me asking you what you were doing on deck four."

B'Elanna noted Seven's change of subject and gladly jumped at the opportunity. Her mind needed time to sort out all the information it had gotten in the last couple of minutes. "Well, the reason why I am here on deck four is because I am checking out airlock thirty-one. And it is too serious to let one of my engineers do this. Tom brought you that report a couple of hours ago, remember? Anyway, on his way back to the bridge airlock thirty-one suddenly opened up and Tom was almost pulled into space."

"What? Is he functioning? Why was there no alarm? Why was I not informed of this? This only happened a couple of meters from where I was working the entire time."

"Whoa." B'Elanna made a slowing gesture with her hands. "Easy with the questions Seven. Tom is fine. He is just extremely shaken. He was only centimeters from being on the outside of Voyager before the security force-field snapped in place and saved him. The captain gave him the rest of today and tomorrow off to get himself together. Kahless Seven, can you imagine that? Being only a couple of centimeters away from outer space, from being dead? As to why there was no alarm. That's what I am trying to find out, without success I might add. And as to why you were not informed. Well, there was really no reason to. The emergency force-field activated, Tom was automatically transported to sickbay like we have programmed the computer to do in case of an emergency. And be honest Seven, if we notified each and every member of the crew every time something happened on Voyager there would be no work being done. Everyone would be busy reading the notifications. We are in a starship and accidents do happen."

"Indeed."

B'Elanna looked at how Seven got onto her knees in front of the excess panel and quickly looked away to escape temptation. 'Kahless can't that woman do anything without moving so... sensual?'

"You are right Lieutenant There is absolutely nothing wrong with these circuits."

The Klingon also sank to her knees and looked at the electronic circuits in the wall. "Yes. And that is why I am so frustrated at this. There is absolutely nothing wrong. Those circuits are as perfect as they were at the moment they appeared in the replicator."

"Lieutenant if I were able to solve this mystery for you would you agree to not tell anybody how I solved it? Not even the captain. Especially not the captain?"

"Eh, sure Seven. I just want this solved. I don't like the idea of airlocks opening by themselves." B'Elanna made some room and gestured to the circuits. "Knock yourself out."

"I do not see..." The Borg did not finish her statement but rather moved to a better position in front of the circuits.

"I don't see, what Seven, what? You can't leave a sentence hanging like that. What were you going to say?"

Seven looked at the floor for couple seconds before lifting her eyes to B'Elanna. "I was going to say that I do not see how rendering myself unconscious will get those circuits fixed."

B'Elanna was getting better at stopping herself before her first reaction left her lips. So instead of beginning to shout that Seven's remark was not funny the Klingon once again took a deep breath and simply asked: "Why didn't you say it then?"

"Because I know what you mean and I do not want to risk our building tolerance of each other by saying something that I only was going to say because I find your reaction to it quite entertaining."

"Wait a minute. Let's see if I understand this correctly. You were going to make a joke because you would find my reaction to that joke funny?"

"That is a satisfying explanation of the facts Lieutenant."

"Let's see if I really got this straight. All those remarks to me were really you using a dry sense of humor? You actually got a sense of humor?"

"The answer to both of those questions would be affirmative."

This time B'Elanna leaned forward and put her head against the wall while she groaned. "Damn it Seven I really do not know you, do I?"

"Would it have made a difference if you had known that I was 'joking' Lieutenant?"

"It sure as hell would have. Because then I would actually have appreciated those remarks and would not have thought that you were making another stupid comment. I do have a sense of humor you know."

"I know that Lieutenant. But I will try to refrain from using them in the future."

"Don't Seven. Now that I know that they are merely meant in fun I will actually enjoy hearing them, once in a while."

"Very well Lieutenant. Shall I start the repairs now?"

The Klingon gave Seven a toothy grin before answering. "Sure Seven, knock yourself out."

The Borg repaid the grin with a smile of her own which made the Klingon glad that she had two hearts, because B'Elanna was sure that one of her hearts had stopped beating altogether after seeing that beautiful smile. The Klingon stop grinning however when she saw how Seven simply plunged her assimilation tubes into the circuits.

"Remember Lieutenant you promised not to tell anybody how I solved your mystery. This will not cause damage to the circuits and the places where my assimilation tubes have entered will be repaired by some of my nanoprobes before they become inactive. I also..."

"You also... what Seven, what. Remember what I just told you? Do not leave sentences hanging like that." The unfinished sentence was however quickly forgotten when B'Elanna saw the distress clearly written all over the Borg's face. "What is it Seven? You look like you saw a ghost."

The Borg swallowed a couple of times, clearly trying to collect herself again. Seven was sure that B'Elanna would no longer want to have anything to do with her when the Klingon would hear what Seven had to say. When she was sure she had her Borg coolness back in place Seven detached her assimilation tubes from the circuits and answered in her unemotional Borg voice. "The reason you were not able to find the problem was because you were not looking for a Borg encryption code. After I broke the code the original virus was easily found and deactivated. The virus had tied itself into the ship's internal sensors and was programmed to open the airlock at the eighth time Lieutenant Tom Paris would walk through the corridor from the time the virus was first activated."

"What? Are you trying to tell me that the Borg deliberately tried to kill Tom?"

"Not kill, frighten. That same virus also made sure that the emergency force-field was activated just before the Lieutenant would have left the ship." Seven closed her eyes before adding the rest. She knew that any possibility of a friendship with B'Elanna would be over with the next couple of words. "And it was not the Borg, but one ex-drone. The reason I was able to break that Borg encryption code so easily was because I wrote it in the first place."

But to that certain ex-drone's surprise her worst fear never actually crossed B'Elanna's mind. The Klingon did not start accusing Seven of trying to kill Tom but instead got a compassionate look in her eyes. "Oh Seven. You mean somebody is actually trying to set you up? To make it look like you were trying to kill Tom? Who would do such a terrible thing?"

"I must admit that I am surprised that you didn't assume that I actually tried that." Seven stated with relief clearly visible on her face.

B'Elanna got to her feet, quickly followed by Seven, and started gathering her tools and closing the access panel to the electronic circuits. "Don't be ridiculous Seven. I would not even have suspected you of doing that at the time that I truly hated you. Besides, if you would have done this you sure as hell would not have told me this now. I would not have found this virus without you. As a matter of fact I actually did not find it, you did. But that still leaves the question about who would have done this."

"Thank you for believing me Lieutenant. You have no idea what that means to me. As far as the person who could have done this, I think I know who that was.
That trader that was on board of Voyager last week actually asked if I could write him some Borg encryption codes. After the captain assured me that I could do this person that favor I wrote him the encryption codes."

"And exactly how many encryption codes are we talking about here Seven?"

"At the captain's suggestion I wrote him the amount of codes he had asked for. Which was three thousand one hundred eighteen."

"Kahless. So we possibly have over three thousand of these types of traps on board?"

"That is a distinct possibility Lieutenant."

"Come on Seven. We have to tell the captain about this." However to B'Elanna's surprise Seven did not move.

"Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres. You promised not to tell the captain how you came into possession of this information."

"Don't worry Seven I won't tell her. I just say that I found the Borg encryption code and since you were only working a couple of meters away I got you to break them. Then you found out that it was originally your code and after that you found the virus. Is this explanation acceptable to you?"

"It is. Thank you Lieutenant."

This time it was B'Elanna who did not move. "Tell me Borg, how often have you used that little stunt with those assimilation tubes?" The grin on B'Elanna's face was enough to take the sting out of the remark and Seven realized that the Klingon was actually using her own kind of humor on the Borg.

Seven's cool Borg tone and face were absolutely perfect but for the first time since knowing the Borg B'Elanna could actually see the twinkle in Seven's eyes. "Officially, this was the first time."

"And unofficially, between friends?" the Klingon asked. Seven's entire face lit up with a broad smile when she heard B'Elanna calling her a friend and the Klingon shamefully realized that it was incredibly easy to break through that Borg front, if you only tried.

"Unofficially, more times than the Chief Engineer would like to know."

This time they both started walking down the corridor to the turbolift. "Well then, we better not tell her." B'Elanna joked. "I heard the Chief Engineer has a terrible Klingon temper."

"You would not believe me if I told you about the chief engineer's temper Lieutenant."

"Seven?" B'Elanna asked just before the doors to the turbolift closed.

"Yes Lieutenant?"

"Call me B'Elanna, all my friends do."

"Yes B'Elanna."

Chapter 2

Somewhere else in the galaxy.

Her eyes were closed, her entire body a picture of relaxation. To a casual observer, she looked like she was in a light carefree sleep. A casual observer would call her peaceful, tranquil. Serene.

But the others in the room would never make that mistake. Sure, all of those words could apply to her and most of the time she was all of those things. But they knew. If provoked, she could be ruthless, relentless, harsh, hard. Deadly.

And they were glad. They wouldn't want her any other way. Because they knew. To successfully rule an empire of that magnitude, you needed a ruler who cared about her subjects but wouldn't think twice about decimating an enemy. None of them had any doubt about the fact that at the moment that peaceful looking woman was making decisions which would influence billions of lives.

She was Empress Shadeen. Sole ruler of the Empire and her race. And while there were thousands of rules and regulations for her race she could choose to break them all and none could oppose her, but she never did. Her word was law on thousands of planets yet she abided to the rules like she expected of everyone else.

There was a distinct difference between the Empire and her race. The Empire consisted of thousands of different races but only one race, hers, ruled them all. Hers was a warrior race. Either they were children or they were soldiers. There was nothing else. Soldiers filled every job. The workers who built the spaceships in the shipyards could launch a counterattack within minutes if somebody was foolish enough to ever try an attack in the first place. Those workers then became the highly trained and lethal soldiers who would make an enemy curse the day they were born. That scientist over in the PetreDaR colony studying that spatial anomaly in sector eighty-seven would gladly jump into battle while shouting: "For Empress and Empire."

However, surprisingly enough her race was a benevolent race. All those thousands of races gladly were a part of the Empire. The Empire gave them a relatively free self-rule, the rules they had to abide by were acceptable, and the tribute to the Empire was easily sustainable. As a matter of fact, it was far less than the costs would be of keeping their own army. Yet, in return for their tribute, they got a protection they could never hope for if they had to rely on themselves. The Empire also gave help when a planet was in dire need for it. There was more than one race that thanked its continuous existence to the Empresses race. On different planets, her race had done everything from simply destroying an all life-ending asteroid before it could impact, to providing the scientists and the science, to turning barren land into luscious fields of vegetation.

So it worked out for both sides. The planets swore absolute and complete loyalty to the Empress and the Empire while her race could fully concentrate on being warriors.

Not that they were constantly looking for battles or conquering new territory. No, the size of the Empire had not changed in the last three thousand years. And while their ships did travel outside of the Empire's territory they never laid claim to anything that did not belong to them. That was one of the many paradoxes of her race. All of them were warriors yet a majority of them died of old age without ever seeing anything more than a scuffle.

However, the entire race knew why this was so. They knew the reason that they were such good soldiers was the same reason why few of them ever saw a real battle. Only a small amount of them was enough to win a major battle. The entire race knew that their deserved reputation as fierce warriors was what actually kept them out of a majority of battles. It was a fact for more years than anybody could count. You did not mess with them without suffering the consequences. The result of this knowledge was that every soldier wanted to be the best that he or she could be so that not only the soldier but also the reputation as a warrior kept the race safe.

But all of the training did not matter to the soldiers: they gladly endured it. For they only had two priorities. First, to ensure the safety and well being of the Empress. And secondly, to ensure the safety and well being of the Empire. If that meant that they would spend their entire life on a starbase guarding the Empire's territory, they would gladly do so. And if that meant that they had to die in battle by the thousands they would march on the enemy with fire in their eyes and their spirits ready to take as many as possible with them on the journey to the afterlife. For they knew. It wasn't how you served the Empress, but how well you served the Empress, that decided your place in the after-life.

"Empress."

Empress Shadeen opened her eyes and looked at the operative who had addressed her. Like all of the operatives in the room, he was a member of the Imperial Advisory Council. The IAC was the only body who could legally force the reining Emperor or Empress to resign. They were the only safeguard the Empire had against a erratic ruler and the IAC had used that power on more than one occasion. However the last time the IAC used it was almost twenty thousand years ago. That was the time that the name Shadeen became an imperial one. Her family had ruled the Empire since that day. Empress Shadeen herself had gone from being Chiada Shadeen to being Empress Shadeen twenty-three years ago, only a couple of days after her fourteenth birthday.

It had been a dark day. Her father had died in battle two days earlier, followed only a couple of hours later by more than forty thousand members of the Imperial guard who could no longer live with the fact that their leader had died in battle while they lived on. The self-killings had only stopped when the deceased Emperor's last will was announced. When it was made public that Chiada would be the new ruler and not any of her brothers, the Imperial guard listened to the last request of the deceased ruler and swore their loyalty to the new Empress.

Of course there was also an election once every fifty years in which the entire Empire could choose whether or not they wanted the Imperial family to remain in charge. If there ever was more than twenty percent of the empire who wanted another family in charge then an election between the contesting families would be held. This fifty-year election happened only three years ago and of all the billions of votes only a little more than three hundred thousand had voted against Empress Shadeen.

She was the undisputed ruler of the Empire. Because of this some called her the most powerful mortal in the universe. Empress Shadeen had no such illusions. She knew that there had to be races in the universe that were even more powerful than hers, they just had not yet encountered them. Maybe in another Galaxy.

She had to admit however that they yet had to encounter a race that could pose a threat to them in this Galaxy. The most powerful race in the vicinity of the Empire was the Borg and they were always quick to disappear when they saw an Imperial ship. Yes, it had taken many battles over many centuries for the Borg to understand that they were no match for the Empire. But now they finally got it. However Empress Shadeen also had no illusions about this. She knew that the Borg were only waiting until they had assimilated enough technology to win a battle against the Empire. The collective mind of the Borg could simply not understand that there were some enemies from whom you could never win.

The only other race who had posed an interesting challenge in the last years was the Dareni. There were actually races who thought that the Borg had defeated the Dareni. Empress Shadeen still had to smile when she thought about that. As if a vicious race like the Dareni would stop a battle against the Borg simply because those Borg had finally developed a weapon to destroy some of their ships. Empresses Shadeen wondered why some races still thought that the Dareni were so stupid. The Dareni were vicious, but not stupid. Of course they had understood that not even the Borg could alter so many nanoprobes to keep up a battle of that magnitude in such a short time. And of course the Dareni were smart enough that they understood that the Borg could only figure out how to alter those nanoprobes with the help of somebody else.

No, the destruction of those ships would only have resulted in angering the Dareni. It was simply that the Dareni thought so little of the fight with the Borg that they also opened a second front in another part of the Delta quadrant at the same time that their fight with the Borg took place. Unfortunately for the Dareni that second front brought them into the space of the Empire. The vicious Dareni did not want to hear the one and only warning the Empire gave them. The Dareni attacked.

The Empire was the one who finished the attack. The real reason why the Dareni stopped following the Borg in the battle that the Dareni were having with the Borg at the time was because they had no more ships to send to that battle. The Empress had not taken the Dareni attack lightly and she had sent in a decimating eight wings of battle cruisers. Within thirty hours, the hundred and sixty battle cruisers had surrounded the Dareni home word and suddenly the Dareni were capable of pleading. The benevolent Empress had made them a deal. The Empire would leave the Dareni alone if they agreed to never again leave Fluidic Space. The Dareni agreed, gladly.

And thus the peace had returned again. The Dareni were back in their Fluidic Space, the Borg went back to its business in the Delta quadrant. And the Empire went on, knowing that there was no enemy who could defeat it. Neither the Dareni nor the Borg has ever stopped to contemplate actually working together against the Empire, not that would have made much difference. No, the Dareni and the Borg had fought each other until one of them had also started a fight against the Empire, the biggest mistake they could have made. For everybody knew, the Empire never attacked unless provoked.

"Yes?" Empress Shadeen asked while she gave the operative with the name Carizon her full attention.

"Empress, as you suspected the BroN'es have started their attack."

"Today? My, they are eager. Details?"

"Their fleet crossed our border and have started an attack on Chiada six. It seems that they think that success lies in the numbers. There are over four hundred warships, more than one hundred heavy destroyers. And then there is the auxiliary fleet of course."

"So they bypassed four other planets and started an attack on a planet which carries a name which was mine before I became only known as 'Empress' Shadeen? They are attacking one of my protectives?"

"Yes Empress. But then we know that they are not the smartest race in the universe."

"Fools, that is what they are. They start an attack on an Empire like mine and actually think that they can win. Based only on the fact that I am a female. Are there any casualties on our side? Is my protective unharmed?"

"No and yes, Empress. The defense satellites of the protective are doing an excellent job. They already have destroyed three ships and none of the satellites has sustained any damage. If you ask my advice, I would let the satellites take care of this."

"Your advice is noted my friend. I cannot follow it however. They crossed the border, they started the attack, and they specifically attacked a planet, which carries a name that was mine before I became only known as 'Empress' Shadeen. I cannot let a provocation like this go unchallenged."

"I know my Empress. But it is my job to tell you what the simplest option is. What is your order considering this provocation?"

"Sent in two battle cruisers and send them my regards."

"Two? Against the BroN'es?" The disbelief was clear to hear in Carizon's voice.

"Yes my friend. I want to send a message. I want none of those ships that entered our space to ever leave it again. After that I want the battle cruisers to set course for the BroN'es home word and destroy their central command."

"Any special orders, my Empress?"

"Yes. About the auxiliary fleet. With the BroN'es, the only primary fleet is a military one. The auxiliary fleet is usually comprised out of civilian ships and civilians. Destroy the ships but leave the civilians alive. Drop them off on the BroN'es home word after the central command is taking care of."

"Yes Empress." With that Carizon turned and went back to his station to execute the Empress's orders, and Empress Shadeen once again closed her eyes and let her mind drift over the thousand and one different matters of state.

However, her eyes only stayed closed for couple of minutes. The door had opened so quietly that none of the operatives had actually heard it. But Empress Shadeen had. She always did. She saw how one of her imperial guards came nearer and sank onto one knee before her. His eyes lowered to the floor in an utmost sign of respect for her.

This was something nobody was forced to do. As a matter-of-fact, a warrior of her race never lowered his or her eyes. Empress Shadeen was the only one in the entire Empire who was treated that way, but not because she was the Empress but because she also was the best warrior of the Empire. While it was not necessary for an Emperor of Empress to follow the Imperial guard's training, Empress Shadeen had done so.

The Imperial guard's training was a brutal one. Only one in a thousand soldiers who applied actually made it through the first selective training. And of the ones who make it through only one in four hundred actually finish the training. But anybody who thought that Empress Shadeen had enjoyed special privileges would be sorely mistaken. She had followed the training and finished it just like all the other candidates. Only, she had been so good that she actually received the title of Commander. The last time that happened was almost one hundred years ago.

Imperial guards usually did not have a command title. That they were imperial guards was all the title they needed. Of course, in day-to-day life they had people who commanded them at work, bosses. But as soldiers they only answered to one, her, Empress Shadeen. They would do whatever she told them to do, no questions asked. But if once in a while an imperial guard was so good that he or she actually received a command title then this would bring his or her word close to being as important as the one of the Emperor or Empress who ruled at that time. But for a ruler to actually have earned the Imperial guard's title of Commander -that had never happened before.

"Yes?" Empress Shadeen once again opened her eyes. Over the years, she had learned that this simple question was the best way to get people to say whatever they had to say.

"Empress, his Eminence is here and asks if you could spare him a couple of minutes of your time. He says that it is extremely important."

"What?!" The Empress asked disbelieving. "His Eminence is here?"

"Yes Empress." The imperial guard answered. If he had not spoken to his Eminence only a couple of minutes ago he would not have believed it himself.

"Is he suicidal? He knows that he is not allowed inside the palace just as much as I am not allowed inside his cathedral.

"I don't know, Empress. All I can tell you is that he looked extremely disturbed and that he said that there was not enough time to wait for the monthly meeting."

"His Eminence has a unique way of making my life more difficult than it needs to be." She sighed and let her eyes drift across the room. As she suspected, all of the operatives had stopped working when they heard that his Eminence was in the palace. "Very well, let him enter."

The Imperial guard stood and quickly left the room. However it did not take long for him to come back with his Eminence.

His Eminence got onto his knee in front of Empress Shadeen and lowered his eyes. Accepting her rule for all in the room to see. This, however, did not guarantee that he would continue living. He did not have to look at the operatives in the room to see that their weapons were drawn, they were Imperial guards after all. He knew that the first word the Empress would speak would mean whether he lived or died. If she addressed him as YOUR Eminence it would mean that she did not accept his presence in the room. If that happened he would be dead before the Empress would be finished with speaking the words. His only chance was that she addressed him as MY Eminence and thereby made it clear that she accepted his role as spiritual leader of HER race.

My or your.

Life or death.

*****

He stood before the palace gates. He was the spiritual leader, the second most powerful person in the Empire. He knew that the entire race was prepared to die for the Empress. But all of them came to his temples to pray. Theoretically he was the only one who could oppose her if need be. The IAC had the power to force an erratic ruler to resign. They could not, however, force a ruler to resign simply because he or she reigned incorrectly. And the fifty years between elections was a long time for a ruler to make terrible decisions. In that case the only person who could ever hope to gather enough support to oppose the always loyal Imperial Guards would be the spiritual ruler of the Empire -he, his Eminence.

Not that this was a concern with the reign of Empress Shadeen. No, she was the perfect ruler. He, as the keeper of the holy texts, could not find an example of a better ruler in their history.

But the fact remained that he was going into the palace. There she could have him killed and nobody in the Empire would say a word about it. They would most probably even praise her swift reaction. His own priests would spit on his dead body after the Imperial Guards threw it into the street. Rule and religion did not mix. There was a clear separation between the two. Every priest could go into government buildings to take care of his or her business. They would be treated with the highest respect. But not one priest in the entire Empire had any position whatsoever in any government body. The temples, on the other hand, were open to anybody who wanted to attend a service, anybody. But none of the Imperial Guard, and of course especially not the Empress, were allowed into this cathedral. Not because he had decided it was so but because that was the law. There was a clear difference between rule and religion. Both had their own headquarters. Rule, the palace. Religion, the cathedral.

But he knew that this was simply too important. He needed to speak with the Empress immediately and personally.

An Imperial Guard came closer and made a small bow, but he did not take his eyes off his Eminence. Warriors never lowered their eyes for anybody, except the Empress.

"My Eminence, how may I help you?"

"I am here to see the Empress. I have extremely important news."

"My Eminence? I'm afraid I don't understand. If you want to speak to the Empress then why are you here? You have a direct communication line from your cathedral to the palace. And your monthly personal meeting is only in one week. But even then it would not be here in the palace."

"No, you don't understand. I have to see the Empress directly, now."

"My Eminence, do I understand you correctly? You actually want to set foot on palace grounds? I could go tell the Empress that you are waiting here by the gates."

"No that will take too long. I am coming with you."

"As you wish, my Eminence, it is your decision."

It was only a couple of minutes before his Eminence was once again waiting. This time in a reception room while the Imperial guard went to inform the Empress.

"The Empress will see you. Please follow me, my Eminence."

He followed the Imperial guard into the throne room. While he was curious about this famous room which he had actually never seen, he was smart enough to not look at anything but the back of the Imperial guard in front of him. Once the guard stepped aside his Eminence got onto his knee in front of the Empress and lowered his eyes. Accepting her rule for all in the room to see.

He knew, however, that this did not guarantee that he would continue living. He did not have to look at the operatives in the room to see that their weapons were drawn, they were Imperial guards after all. He silently listened for the first word the Empress would speak. For he knew that the first word that Shadeen would speak would mean whether he lived or died.

He knew.

My or your.

Life or death.

*****

"My Eminence." Lucky for him Empress Shadeen was a believer. "What is of such importance that you would come into my palace? The last time a server of the faith was in this room it did not end well for her. I believe that giving her the last blessing was your first act as Eminence after my father killed her. You would know for sure, since she was your predecessor."

"You are absolutely right my Empress. But what I have to tell you is extremely important." He took a deep breath before adding: "I had a vision."

"Arise my Eminence. Tell me what we can expect this time."

After she allowed him to stand, his Eminence did just that but still did not look her in the eyes.

"Oh, come now Danzoc. You know how to look me in the eyes when we have our monthly meeting, why not now?"

With this he finally looked her in the eyes. "Because, my Empress, a ruler such as you deserves all the respect I can give her when she decides to forgive me for entering her domain. I know that I am the one who is at fault here."

"Don't start talking about forgiveness and fault or I may just decide to kill you after all." That small joke was all that was needed. The Imperial Guards put their weapons away and went back to once again be the operatives who monitored all that was going on in the Empire.

After that Empress Shadeen got serious again and her expression took on an obvious distaste in what she had to say. "So tell me what can we expect? Floods on the desert planets? Snow in the rainforests? Or this time maybe something completely funny, like rivers streaming uphill? Oh no, wait. We had that last time."

By now Empress Shadeen was used to the occasional prank of the same beings they so loyally believed in. It was a price she and the Empire gladly accepted because while the Divine Ones did play with her race on occasion, they also fiercely protected it. If a race with Almighty powers, like the Q for instance, threatened the Empire it were the Divine Ones who protected it.

"With all due respect Empress, I would not have come here for something unimportant like that. Empress... It is time. There is a chosen. The time of change is at hand."

For several long minutes there was absolutely no noise in the throne room. Even the machines seem to understand the importance of that revelation and kept quiet. Finally Empress Shadeen found her voice. "Are you sure?" She asked quietly. "It has only been three thousand years since the last chosen. There were five thousand years since the chosen before him."

Every time there was a new chosen it meant a time of change for the Empire. It was always for the good of the Empire, but the price could be severe. They were lucky the last time. Three thousand years ago the actions of the chosen resulted in the Empire expanding almost a thousand fold. The time before that, eight thousand years ago in total, the Empire had learned that rule and religion always had to be kept separate. However, they learned this through a Civil War that nearly crippled the Empire. Rule and religion had fought each other bitterly. In the end both sides agreed that they would never again interfere with the business of the other side. But the cost for this lesson was the death of more than sixty percent of the entire population.

In the time of change brought by the chosen only three things were certain. The first, that the Empire would never be the same again. The second, that the Empire was the most vulnerable for influences from outside forces. It was how the Empire reacted to these influences that decided what the faith of the Empire would be. The third, that even the smallest action of the chosen could have a major effect on the Empire. The Civil War, eight thousand years ago, had only started after the chosen had said that he was not really interested in what the Divine Ones had to say. The Chosen had never actually said that he would not listen to what they had to say, just that he was not really interested.

"Yes Empress. The chosen is not picked because a certain amount of years have past but because THE Divine ONE, the ruler over all of the lesser Divine Ones, decides that is time for the Empire to change."

"Thank you for immediately telling me this Danzoc.
Carizon."

Carizon immediately reacted to Shadeen's call.
"Yes, my Empress?"

"You heard what Danzoc just had to say?"

"Yes, my Empress."

Shadeen looked him directly in the eyes and then let her eyes drift across the other operatives in the room, indicating that Carizon now had the authority to speak for all of them. "Any suggestions?"

"There really is nothing to suggest, my Empress. We only know that something is going to change. But what? The best we can come up with is to send a message out to the entire Empire. Tell it that the time of change is at hand and to prepare for... To be prepared for something unexpected."

The Empress smiled at the faltering words of her friend. "It is nice to know that I am not the only one who would like some more information." A quick look at Danzoc told her that he had nothing more to add. "Send a message out to the entire Empire stating that there is a new chosen and that the time of change is at hand. Also sent out all of the scout ships to the borders. Furthermore, put the Imperial wing on standby. I want it ready to go at a moment's notice. So that means that the Imperial guards already have to be on board."

"Yes Empress. It will be done."

Chapter 3

"I did no such thing."

Seven had always been impressed by the way the Captain could use her voice. The words were only spoken in little more than a whisper yet it sounded as if Janeway had shouted them at the top of her lungs. However, the Captain had just basically accused Seven of lying. This was unacceptable to the Borg.

"I assure you Captain, you did. I came to you with the information that this trader had approached me to write him the Borg encryption codes we are talking about. Since I know that this is something you would not take lightly, I asked you first if I should grand his request."

"Come now Seven. Giving somebody over three thousand Borg encryption codes without knowing what he is going to do with them is pretty much the same as giving somebody over three thousand phasers without knowing what he is going to do with them. With a lesser developed species, those codes can be the difference between winning and losing a war. So simply giving somebody those encryption codes can be considered a violation of the prime directive. And I am not in the habit of breaking the prime directive that easily."

Almost...B'Elanna almost started laughing at this. While she knew that the Captain had a very good reason to break the prime directive every time she had done so in the Delta Quadrant the fact remained that Janeway had broken that same prime directive on more than one occasion.

"Listen Captain. I agree with you that this is something you would usually not do. But... you got to admit that Seven would also not do this without consulting you. And IF she would have done this without contacting you, then she would not lie about it now." B'Elanna's defense of the Borg was enough to stop the Captain's reaction to Seven's statement.

"I know this, B'Elanna. But I also know that I did not agree to have Seven write those codes." Then the Captain's attention went back to the Borg. "Is it possible that this guy tricked you Seven? That he made you think that I had agreed?"

"That is highly unlikely, Captain. I came to you directly. We spoke here in your ready room and you also agreed here in this same ready room."

Janeway came from behind her desk and gestured to the couch. Indicating that B'Elanna and Seven should sit down. Janeway saw the first word forming on the mouth of the Borg but beat her to it.

"Yes I know Seven, sit down anyway." After all three of them sat down, Janeway took a moment to collect her thoughts and then finally made a gesture to Seven and spoke up. "Okay. So you know for sure that I agreed. I know for sure that I didn't. One of us has to be wrong here, Seven, and to be honest I believe it is you. So think about it. Maybe he tricked you by affecting your Borg implants somehow."

Seven could not understand the human tendency to always assume that one was right. The Captain knew that she was right and so everybody else had to be wrong. Janeway could simply not accept that she was wrong and Seven was right. Of course it never crossed Seven's mind that at the very moment she was displaying that very same behavior. She thought she was right and the Captain was wrong. However, unlike the Captain, Seven actually had means to prove that she was right. So to get to the point she started reciting the most important part of the conversation.

'You find it acceptable for me to write him the codes he asked for?'

'Yes, Seven. It is the least that we can do for him. I feel almost guilty for taking his goods at such a low price. I would actually feel a little better if you were to give him those codes.'

'Very well Captain. But what about the amount? He did asked for three thousand one hundred eighteen encryption codes. This is a considerable amount, even if you use it as payment.'

'He deserves nothing less Seven. That coffee alone would have been worth that. I haven't tasted coffee like that since I was on Earth.'

'But Captain...'

Seven's recital was stopped by a raised hand from the Captain. "You are right Seven. I actually remember saying that."

B'Elanna could almost feel the unease coming off Janeway so the Klingon decided to brush it off as not important. "So you forgot. That happens to the best of us. Heck, just last week I forgot that Chakotay had asked me for a match of Velocity."

"No B'Elanna. There is something else going on. I can remember the entire conversation that Seven I had. But I still cannot remember it actually happening. I know I had the conversation with Seven, I know what we talked about. But I... can... not... remember the conversation actually happening."

All three women thought about this and without really realizing it Janeway took a sip from the coffee. Then she suddenly stopped and looked at the cup.
"Captain?" B'Elanna finally asked after all three of them had looked at the cup for a moment.

"This is also not right. Has either of you ever tasted real coffee from Earth? And I do mean real coffee?"

"I tried it once while I was testing some of the suggestions the crew had made after I needed to rely more on organic food and less on regeneration." While Seven did not change her Borg expression, it was clear to hear what she had thought about the taste.

"No Seven. I mean real coffee from real coffee beans. It has such a unique flavor that not even our sophisticated replicators can duplicate the taste perfectly."

"I tasted it once, while I was at the academy." B'Elanna spoke up, mainly to see where the Captain was going. "However it does not agree with my Klingon taste buds. That's why Klingons have invented Raktjino."

"Congratulations B'Elanna. You just offered yourself as my guinea pig."
With that the Captain went to the replicator and replicated an empty cup.

"Why would B'Elanna's knowledge of taste reduce her to an animal used for research? I thought humans no longer condoned such barbaric behavior?"

"Cute, very cute, Seven." B'Elanna whispered so quietly that only Seven would actually hear her. When the Captain started explaining however the Klingon realized just how few people really knew that Borg.

"It is just a figure of speech Seven. It means that I want to try something out and I require B'Elanna's help to do so." With that the Captain was back at the couch and poured a little coffee into the second cup. She then handed the cup to B'Elanna who looked at it as if it was a cup of plasma cooling liquid.

"You don't actually expect me to drink that Captain? I was not kidding when I said that it did not agree with my taste buds."

"Come on B'Elanna. It can't be that bad."

Seeing that there was no real way out without going into a discussion with the Captain about taste B'Elanna took the cup and drank some of the coffee before she could change her mind.

"Beh, gross. That stuff is vile. I really don't understand how you can drink that." B'Elanna said while taking the glass of water the Captain had replicated for her.

Seven thought that time was unnecessarily used for trivial things and spoke up, mainly to get the conversation going again. "I fail to see a point in this. The only thing we established is that B'Elanna does not like human coffee, but she already knew that."

By now the Captain had disposed the empty coffee cup, and the empty water glass, and sat down on the couch again. "I am getting to the point here Seven. So B'Elanna, I know that you didn't like the taste but how did it compare with the coffee you had tasted at the academy?"

"It tasted the same. It was the same vile..."

"Yes, yes. I know..." The Captain interrupted B'Elanna before being interrupted herself by Seven who feared that Janeway once again was about start a lengthy explanation.

"I think the point that the Captain is trying to establish is that the taste should not be the same. While the Terran coffee bean has been exported to many different planets, the soil compositions from other planets results in, at the least, a slight difference in coffee tastes. But most likely the taste should be so different that you should have noticed it."

"Exactly." Janeway said with a smile because she knew perfectly well why Seven had interrupted her. "There is no way to get this exact taste here in the Delta Quadrant. I will give a sample of the coffee beans to the doctor so that he can run some tests on them but I am willing to bet that this is original Earth coffee. The beans were grown in Earth's soil."

"Okay, so the only way that this coffee could taste like it's from Earth is that it actually is from Earth." B'Elanna stated to get that point clear. She knew that the coffee wasn't important but the fact that it came from Earth.

"Yes." The Captain agreed. "But how in Hell did a trader in the Delta Quadrant acquire coffee from Earth? I doubt that he just flew there and knocked on the Federation's door asking. 'May I have some of your delicious coffee. I could make a nice profit selling it in the Delta Quadrant.' That's not possible. Well, it is not possible for somebody who has to make a living as a trader. But that's the only explanation for such similarities I can come up with."

"Maybe Q is having fun again." B'Elanna offered. "He already transported Voyager to the Alpha quadrant once. It wouldn't be hard for him to get some of that coffee and pose as a trader."

"No, that is not his style. First of all, he would want us to know that he was playing with us. So he would never have disappeared again before the 'fun' actually starts. And second, he wouldn't have to ask Seven to write him those codes. He has the powers to make accidents like that happen without having to disguise it." Janeway sighed and rubbed her face with her hands. "Which brings us back to the important issue. Obviously this trader used at least one of those codes to hide a trap on board. I really don't think that that trap was the only one. Especially because it was specifically designed for Tom and also designed to activate when he passed a certain place on the ship a certain amount of times. So what can we do about that?"

Seven couldn't stop feeling responsible because the codes that she had written were used to endanger the crew, her collective. "That is 'the bad news' as you would call it. Because of the way I wrote those codes, it is not possible to do a ship wide scan. The infected areas would not show up on internal sensors. The only way to be absolutely certain if a system is affected or not is for me to go and check them out, individually."

The Captain actually straightened up on the couch when she heard that. "Surely there must be another way. There are thousands of systems on Voyager which could be affected. It would take you years to check them all out."

"Not years, months. But I suspect that this trader started with the more important systems. For instance, it would be a waste to use one of the codes to make one of the sonic showers malfunction. I was planning on starting with the more important systems. Once I find all of the codes we will be once again sure that every system on Voyager operates within acceptable parameters."

"But what if he copied the codes and used one particular code more than once?" While she did ask, the Captain dreaded the answer. Visions danced before her eyes, that somewhere along the line, years from now, in some future battle, suddenly the photon torpedo launchers would decide to stop working. Or worse, that the torpedoes would detonate before leaving the ship.

"That... It is not possible. When I was writing the codes I integrated a string of code that prevented the complete code from being copied. If he were somehow able to remove that extra string, the entire code would become useless. There are not, and will not, be more than three thousand one hundred and eighteen codes."

"Whoa. I'm impressed Seven. Are you telling us you actually didn't trust that trader?"

"Why do you ask, B'Elanna? Because I added the safeguard? No. I trusted him as well. I just wanted to prevent unnecessary spreading of Borg technology."

"Seven." The Captain interrupted. "Why did you just say that you have to look for those codes? We got a complete engineering department. I'm sure that we could bring the time that we are searching for those codes back to a week or two if everybody with engineering knowledge went looking for them."

"That approach would be extremely unproductive Captain. Only B'Elanna and Lieutenant Kim would be capable of finding these codes in an expeditious manner. There is a distinct possibility that others would not find the code in an affected area. That would even be counterproductive. It would be more productive if the others concentrated on doing their daily jobs and covering my shifts in Astrometrics. That way I would be free to keep searching for those codes."

"And why are you the only one who can find those codes so quickly? You have to use the same technology as the others?" Janeway asked kindly.

"I..."

"Actually, Captain." B'Elanna spoke up before Seven could start digging a hole. "I was there when Seven found that first code and I have to agree with her that it would be extremely difficult for others to use her approach in finding those codes so quickly. I think it would be best if Seven and I went after those codes and the others kept their eyes open for anything that might indicate a problem. It is possible that some of the systems will only gradually start malfunctioning."

"B'Elanna, it is not necessary for you to assist me in this task."

B'Elanna closed her eyes for a moment and started counting to ten. Surprisingly her agitation was gone by the count of four. It was then that the Klingon realized that Seven was feeling guilty and did not want to bother anybody else with what, in Seven's eyes, was the ex-Borg's own problem.

"Listen Seven. If the Borg attack Voyager, which department makes the repairs?"

"Engineering of course. But..."

"Right. Now, those codes are causing damage to the ship. Correct?"

"Yes, but..."

"So why wouldn't the Chief Engineer make repairs on her... the ship?"

"Because, B'Elanna, that damage is caused by codes that I wrote."

"But did you dream them up or are those codes designed by the Borg?"

"They are Borg codes, but I did write them down."

"So you are basically saying that you are at fault here because you wrote those codes down?"

"Yes but..."

"Seven, people have been killed by Voyager's weapons. Weapons that I built, enhance, and maintain. Am I responsible for their death?"

"Of course not. You build those weapons to defend Voyager. But..."

"Exactly Seven. Look, when the Hirogen misused our holographic technology many of them died. But it would be wrong to blame Voyager for their deaths. They misused our technology and they are responsible for that. The Borg have designed those encryption codes to defend themselves. Originally those codes were defensive, not offensive. Don't blame yourself if somebody misuses what you have created."

There was a long silence in the ready room after that statement. Janeway realized that something important was going on between B'Elanna and Seven.

Finally Seven gave a small nod. "I will appreciate your assistance B'Elanna."

"Ha!"

"B'Elanna Torres. Why is that remark accompanied by a grin as if somebody had given you a second phaser in a velocity match?"

"Because, my dear Seven, I just realized that I can actually win a argument with you when I stick to logic."

"Should I be frightened?"

However before B'Elanna could answer that, the Captain interrupted.
"Well now that you have figured that all out, why don't you to get started? Where are you going to begin?"

"Engineering."

"The warp core."

Seven and B'Elanna looked at each other for moment and then finally B'Elanna combined their answers. "The warp core, which is in Engineering."
"So what do you suggest we do in the meantime? Should certain parts of Voyager be closed off? The holodecks come to mind here."

B'Elanna shook her head in a negative manner before answering.
"I don't think that doing that will have much of an effect. I agree, the holodecks should be checked out before being used again. But Harry can do that. Tom told me that he and Harry were going to Holodeck Two later on. I think that Harry will gladly check out both holodecks first if that means that he can use them later on. And I trust Harry enough to know that he will not rush his job only to be able to use the holodeck a little quicker. While the technology of the holodeck is very extensive there is a surprisingly small amount of areas that can be affected by viruses. Everything else that effects the holodeck also effects the main computer. And that would mean that the holodeck would be shut down."

"But all the problems we had with the holodecks..." Janeway started before being interrupted by B'Elanna.

"All the problems with the holodecks we had were always hardware errors or something that could not be reproduced by a virus. No, Captain. Surprisingly enough, the holodecks are relatively safe. There is a bigger chance of something happening at one of the workstations then there is of something happening in the holodecks. And for other areas being shut down... That could also create more problems then it would solve.

"There's a high possibility that some of these traps will be actually activated by not using a certain piece of equipment anymore. The virus we already have is a good example of that. Each and every member of the crew could have walked through that corridor a hundred thousand times and nothing would have happened. It was targeted at Tom. But other viruses could easily be activated by, for instance, me not going to engineering for more than two days.

"Listen Captain. I could offer you a number of things we could change as a precaution but then I could also offer you explanations why these precautions might not work, or might actually be counteractive. In my opinion, the best option really is to let everything go on as normal and have Seven and me go looking for those codes."

"Very well." The Captain relented. "But there will be a senior staff meeting in one hour. While we will go on with our daily lives I want each department ready to react in case something happens. I also want them extra alert. A minor difference in one of the systems is usually ignored or corrected by the person working at that system but now I want everything reported. Everything could be the beginning of a very major problem. Dismissed, but I will see you both in one hour."

The two women were almost to the door when Janeway added, "Oh B'Elanna, could I speak you for moment?"

"Sure Captain."

"I will already go to Engineering and start preparing the warp core." Seven said to B'Elanna before turning to the Captain. "That means that Voyager will have to drop out of warp until the inspections are complete."

"Of course, Seven. We are in a relatively quiet part of space at the moment so dropping out of warp for a couple of hours will be no problem."

"I have to go to my quarters first." B'Elanna said while walking back to the couch. "So I think it is best to start our inspection after the senior staff meeting. Is that okay with you Seven?"

"Of course B'Elanna. I will see you at the meeting." With that, the cool blonde disappeared through the doors.

*

"Okay what's up?"

"Captain?"

"Kathryn." Janeway corrected. Indicating that there was no Captain in the upcoming conversation. "Two days ago you were sitting in that very same spot going on and on about how Seven once again had disrupted your work schedule. How I should keep that 'stupid Borg' out of engineering, how..."

"She is not stupid," B'Elanna interrupted. "She may ignore things up to the point that you might think she's stupid, but she is one of the most intelligent people I know. No, she IS the most intelligent person I know."

"Why, thank you very much." Janeway said with a smile.

B'Elanna also smiled when she realized what she just said. But she was not prepared to take back her words. "Sorry Cap-Kathryn. While you may be very trained in giving commands and taking decisions, Seven is smarter than you. She is also smarter than Tuvok. But being smart and being capable of command are two entirely different things. I think she might be very capable of being in command... eventually."

"I think you're right, B'Elanna. But all of this really does not answer my question. What happened between you two?"

"Not much really. I just took your advice and stopped shouting and started listening."

"And?" Janeway asked gently. She could see that this was difficult for the Klingon.

"And? I found out that I am a complete asshole." A tear rolled down B'Elanna's face when she continued. "She wants to be my friend, Kathryn."

That tear was all the encouragement that Janeway needed to take the Klingon into a comforting hug. B'Elanna rested her head on Janeway's shoulder and this time did not try to stop her tears. Klingons did not cry, but that fact had never stopped her human side from doing so. In fact, it was her crying that had formed the strong connection with Janeway. All those years back Kathryn had at first not known what do when the strong Klingon suddenly had started crying in her ready room. Since then, Kathryn had been the only person on Voyager to ever see the Klingon cry.

"Oh Kathryn. I called her a friend and it made her smile. A smile that would lighten up anyone's day. One word from me and she smiles.
Only a couple of minutes of talking with her, without me trying to convince myself that I hate her, and I find a person who I want to have as a friend. Since she has been on board, her friendship was only one word away and I, the idiot, did nothing more than hurt her. I can't actually believe that she is still prepared to offer me that friendship. I really don't deserve it."

"Nonsense." Janeway disagreed. "You are just quite temperamental. It is just as much her fault for not seeing that. I like her just as much as I like you but don't turn this all into your fault. If she had tried a little more, you would have noticed and things would have been different."

"Careful, Kathryn. You are making the same mistake as I did."

"Meaning?" Janeway asked. By now the hug had ended and B'Elanna's crying was down to the occasional tear.

"Meaning that we are trying to use our way of thinking on Seven. And that is where we went wrong. Let me use Seven's own words, because I don't think I will ever forget them. 'Lieutenant, before you start explaining how I should have shown you that I wanted your friendship put yourself in my position. If somebody treated you the way you treated me until today, would you have made it known to that person that you really wanted their friendship?' Well Kathryn? Would you have? No. While I agree that Seven did do some things which made me dislike her even more, the fact remains that I never actually tried and that is the only reason why Seven and I are only now becoming friends."

"Well I am glad. Seven needs a friend and it seems that lately I'm not good enough anymore. Recently, her whole attitude towards me has been changing. It seems more strained that it should be. To be honest, I fear for our friendship."

B'Elanna was quiet for a moment. Deciding whether or not she should speak up. Eventually, the Klingon realized that her newfound friendship with Seven was more important than the fact that this friendship was not more than one day old.

"With all due respect, Kathryn, I don't think you have ever been Seven's friend."

"What!?" Janeway immediately went on the defensive. "If I haven't been a friend to her, than who was?"

"Kathryn, I am talking about close friends here. Seven does have some friends on Voyager but, as close friends go, she only has Tuvok and Naomi, and I hope that now I am fortunate enough to also be called a close friend of Seven. You have been a friend, but not a close friend. You have been a mentor, a mother figure to Seven. But that does not necessarily make you into her close friend. I think the change in attitude from Seven, towards you, is because she has left the stage where she needs a mentor. Kind of like somebody leaving the parental house." Now B'Elanna took a deep breath and added. "If you want to stay in Seven's life then you need to change. Stop trying to protect her. But try being there for her when she gets hurt."

"That is quite some insight you suddenly developed there." Janeway said, slightly hurt. But not because of what B'Elanna had said but because Janeway knew that the Klingon was right. Janeway knew that she had to say goodbye to 'her child' if she wanted to keep her friend.

"I did not suddenly develop this insight. This is something I've noticed the last couple of weeks." B'Elanna shamefully hung her head before adding. "I just didn't care enough to tell you. Why should I care how you get along with... 'that stupid Borg'. I got to go now Kathryn."

Janeway understood why B'Elanna had to go. Not because of time pressure, but because her Klingon half could only tolerate showing weakness for so long. This was how it usually went. The human half would seek comfort and when the Klingon half had enough of that it would let itself be known. "Of course you do B'Elanna. Why don't you freshen up before you go."

B'Elanna did as Janeway had suggested, knowing that her tears must have shown, and that this was the reason why Janeway had suggested freshening up in the first place. When she left the ensuite B'Elanna glanced at Janeway. As always, that was enough. One single glance and a 'thank you' and a 'you're welcome' were exchanged without words.

"Please tell Chakotay that I want to see him, Lieutenant."

"Yes, Captain." And B'Elanna was out the doors onto the bridge.

*

"Chakotay, the Captain would like to see you."

Chakotay stood up and started to walk to the ready room. But he stopped when he reached B'Elanna. "Thanks. Say... do you have time later on? You still owe me a velocity match."

A grin proceeded her answer. But the answer was still negative. "Sorry, Chakotay, I don't have time. The Captain will explain."

"That's okay. But don't think I'll forget about it. We will have that match one of these days. And you are going to lose big time."

B'Elanna grinned again after hearing that statement. "That's right Chakotay. YOU are going to lose big time. Now I've really got to go. See you later."
And with that B'Elanna went to the turbolift while Chakotay went to the ready room.

Chapter 4

Note: For this chapter I would also like to thank Letterx for her input. Thanks X. Your input is also very appreciated. VERY IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ! Special disclaimer: A certain scene of this chapter sounds very similar to a scene in the story 'Changes of the Heart' by Letterx. Be assured that this is the result of two people having the same idea and that in NO way were any rights infringed upon. If you do not know what I'm talking about after reading this chapter than that means that you are probably not reading 'Changes of the Heart' by Letterx. And all I can say to you then is: tsk tsk. Shame on you, you do not know what you're missing. Now, if you want my advice, you go and start reading 'Taking Command'. The first of three truly excellent stories by Letterx. Go read them, you won't be sorry.

When B'Elanna entered her quarters she was surprised to find her husband sitting on the couch. "Tom, what are you doing here? I thought you were planning on tinkering with the Delta flyer this afternoon?" B'Elanna asked while she went to him and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Hi to you too," He said with a smile. Then he picked up the padd he had obviously been reading recently. "Well I am actually working on the flyer, kind of. I was going over your suggestions and trying to find a way to integrate that shield enhancement without having to alter the lines of the flyer."

"Hi Tom." She said with a smile before getting serious. "Tom, that shield enhancement can save your life in a battle. By then, you really won't mind if the line of the flyer is being broken."

After hearing that opening, he could not resist and turned on his boyish charms to the maximum. "Oh, but B'Elanna, it would be a shame to spoil a beautiful body line by adding bumps. Bumps are only beautiful if they are in specific places."

"Very funny," B'Elanna said without giving an indication that she really thought his remark was funny.

B'Elanna's reaction made Tom once again realize that things were different than they had once been. There was a time that his jokes actually did amuse B'Elanna. But with pain in his heart he realized that that time had been before they got married. "Well let me turn that question around on you. What are you doing here? You're only halfway through your shift."

"I am here to grab a bite to eat and change my uniform. I won't have time later on."

Now Tom's curiosity was awakened. "Why? What's going on?" He asked while B'Elanna came back into the room after changing her uniform and went to the replicator.

That question stopped all of B'Elanna's movements for a moment before she replicated something to eat. She went to the chair opposite of the couch Tom was sitting on and she placed the snack she just replicated on the coffee table between them. "Kahless, I'm sorry Tom. We found out what caused your accident and I will be working a lot of extra hours in the near future, because your accident wasn't a accident."

"Whoa, wait a second. Who is 'we' and what do you mean when you say that it wasn't an accident?"

B'Elanna took her snack and started eating. Never thinking of offering Tom something to eat. Because that was how it went lately. They never seemed to find the time to do something together, even as simple as sharing a dinner. Both would replicate something when they got hungry. There wasn't even a set time anymore for... for anything. The only thing they seem to enjoy together lately
was sleeping. Not the sex part, though that was nice also, but the real sleeping together. The comfort of not being alone in those long dark nights that only the Delta quadrant seemed capable of providing.

"Well I could explain about the 'accident' but you will hear it again in half an hour anyhow so you'll just have to be patient until then." A grin took away the hardness of the words. "And as for who 'we' is. I mean Seven and me."

"You mean you let Popsicle actually help you?"

"Don't call her that, Tom."

The tone in his wife's voice told Tom that for some bizarre reason Seven of Nine was suddenly off-limits for jokes. He was smart enough not to mention that only one day earlier Seven still was the most favorite target for B'Elanna herself. Instead of the reply he had ready he changed his approach to simply asking: "Why not?"

B'Elanna realized that Tom would not be the last one to ask that question so she practiced what was going to be her standard reply, on him. "Because she is my friend."

"Okay. So that was the official reply." Tom said, knowing his wife only too well. "But I would like to hear the real reason. Harry is also your friend but it never stopped you from joking about him, preferably when he is around to actually hear it."

By now B'Elanna was finished eating and put her bowl down. "Those jokes are meant in fun. I am making fun with him, not about him. That is why I usually only do that when he is around. Tom, when Seven and I were trying to solve what happened to you something clicked between us. Maybe we both simply had enough of the hostilities, I don't know. But from today on, Seven IS my friend and you know how I protect my friends. So please be careful what you say next time."

"Geez, B'Elanna. You are talking as if Seven's your whole life. I am sorry, but I simply cannot forget that less than forty-eight hours ago YOU were the one who called her Popsicle."

"I know it seems ridiculous Tom. But I gotta confess that I feel kind of guilty for the way I always treated her. I guess I'm just overreacting. It is as you say. Yesterday I hated her, today I like her. I guess I'm just still in the process of getting acquainted with the idea."

"Okay, she's off-limits... for now. But I tell you B'Elanna, she won't be off-limits forever."

"Tom..."

Tom interrupted, and surprised, his wife by adding. "But the jokes will be of the nice kind. Come on, B'Elanna. Even you have to admit that Seven correcting Chakotay is something that has to be joked about."

"Hey!" B'Elanna said with a smile. She knew that Tom was trying to get the serious conversation into a lighter mood, and she was thankful for it.
"Seven was right when she corrected him. That course he had suggested would have taken us through a radiation-filled gas cloud, to the rim of a blackhole, through not one, but three war zones, and a giant asteroid field just thrown in for good measures."

"Exactly!" Tom said excited. "The way she told him in her dry, serious, voice that her route would take one day longer but was not as likely to get the ship destroyed was priceless. Chakotay didn't say a word for the rest of the senior staff meeting. Now, I ask you. How could I possibly not a joke about that?"

"Thanks, Tom. Well, I'm off. Are you coming along? You are expected at this meeting you know."

"No you go ahead. I want to grab a bite to eat myself before going to the conference room. I'll be along in a couple of minutes."

"Okay," was all B'Elanna said before stepping through the door.

*

When the door closed behind B'Elanna she took a moment to compose herself. She wondered if this was all a marriage had to offer. These games of pretend. Every time she stepped into the Torres/Paris quarters B'Elanna Torres stopped existing. As soon as she would step through the door she would become B'Elanna the wife. She wondered if this was so for every married couple. There had to be a way to be B'Elanna Torres, the wife, the partner, the woman.

Slowly, B'Elanna started walking down the corridor, the pain of something missing heavy on her hearts.

*

When the door closed behind B'Elanna, Tom looked at it for a moment before closing his eyes, all thoughts about food forgotten. He had lost his appetite the same moment B'Elanna started defending Seven. People often thought that Tom Paris was nothing more than a big child. Those people seem to forget that this child was capable of pushing a starship like Voyager beyond its construction limits and yet have it survive time and time again. No, Tom Paris was not a mere child. He liked acting like one because of the freedom that gave him but he had a brain and at that moment he knew more than B'Elanna. He knew that the time was there. He had to act.

*****

B'Elanna was operating on her last reserves when she entered her quarters. She and Seven had gone directly to work after the senior staff meeting and they had worked for twelve hours. Only taking a half-hour break to get something to eat in the mess hall. If you added to that: the senior staff meeting, the report to the Captain before that, finding the virus before that, and first working almost half a shift before even that, you would realize that it had been a eighteen-hour workday for B'Elanna.

And it had been a draining one. She and Seven had found seventeen codes and viruses already. Only three thousand, one hundred to go.
It seemed that the viruses could be divided into two categories. The first category was targeted at members of the crew; the second category was targeted at the systems of Voyager.
The fourth virus was targeted at Vorik. Had Vorik entered Engineering another fifteen times the doors would have closed with enough force to break even some of his Vulcan bones.
The fourteenth virus was directed at Carey, but this virus was controlled by a time limit. Everything would have been fine for the next two years. But after that time, the Chief Engineer's office would have sealed the next time Carey had entered and then all air would have been pumped out of the office, creating a vacuum.
So it now seemed that anybody on board Voyager could be a target. Tom just happened to be the first one who triggered a trap.

The good news was that until now none of the viruses would have cost a fatal accident.
Even with the virus targeted at Carey, there would have been enough time for him to beam out of the office. Barely enough time, but enough.
The bad news was that Seven had been right.

Until now all the viruses targeted at systems had been targeted at important systems, and all would have caused a lot of trouble if they had been activated.
The second virus they had found had indeed been with the warp core. They had been just in time. If the warp engines had been engaged another four times the warp core would have automatically jettisoned.
The eighth virus would have started the automatic disconnection of the saucer section.
The twelfth virus would have overheated the thrusters to the point of meltdown. It would have been repairable but it would have taken days.

No, B'Elanna knew that they had been lucky until now. With the yet so many codes unaccounted for it was only a matter of time before an other virus would activate before it was found.

It was dark in the quarters, only one small light was on. The one at the replicator. That light was always on, it was malfunctioning. And it also was a good indicator that B'Elanna Torres the Engineer did not exist in the Paris/Torres quarters. B'Elanna Torres the Engineer could not accept any malfunctions on board Voyager of any kind what so ever, yet that light had been malfunctioning since the very first week of her marriage with Tom. It had never crossed the mind of B'Elanna Torres the wife to fix the light. Only minutes of work and yet the wife had never even thought of it.

"B'Elanna." Tom said from out of the dark at the very same moment B'Elanna's tired brain registered another presence in the room.

"Computer. Lights, half intensity." B'Elanna said while she turned to the voice of her husband. "Hi, why are you sitting in the dark like that. I thought you would be asleep by now."
She went to sit in her favorite place, the chair, and looked over the coffee table at Tom. Suddenly she wondered when that happened. She remembered a time when she would sit down on the couch beside him. But now, she always sat down in the chair and he always set down on the couch. Always separated by the coffee table. B'Elanna realized that this situation could be seen as a good reflection of their marriage. Both having a specific place, yet on opposite sides with a barrier between them.

"I had the lights out because I needed to think, make some decisions."

"What are you talking about? Tom, it's late and I'm tired. Can this wait until tomorrow? I really want to go to bed."

"I don't think that it can wait. We need to talk, B'Elanna. We need to talk about our marriage."

That was enough to fully waken the Klingon.
"And what exactly, in our marriage, do you want to talk about?"

"B'Elanna... you know that I love you... But, our marriage, B'Elanna, it is not working."

"And what do you want to change?" B'Elanna asked, not denying that the marriage was not working. She knew that Tom was right about that. She was just wondering what he had come up with to change it.

Tom did not look at B'Elanna while saying his next words, he couldn't. He did love B'Elanna and he knew that that was why he had to say it, but that did not make it any easier.
"I think we should end it. Our marriage is already over, let's make it official."

"I can't believe I'm hearing this. You were the one who proposed to me and now YOU want to end our marriage?"
B'Elanna really couldn't help it, but her Klingon side gave a distinct growl to the last six words.

"Don't you get it? I want to see you happy. Tell me B'Elanna, when was the last time you were happy? As far as our marriage is concerned."

It took only a couple seconds for the entire marriage to cross before B'Elanna eyes. And what she saw was enough to quiet the Klingon down. She sighed and leaned back in the chair. She closed her eyes for a moment and let it all surface. All those feelings she had been suppressing. Finally she did what she should have done a lot earlier. She accepted it. Marrying her best friend had been a mistake.
"We had a lot of good moments. But if you really want to know the last time I've been happy in our marriage, I have to admit that was on our wedding day.
Since then I have always felt like two people. When I'm here at home, with you, I am B'Elanna 'the wife'. But when I'm somewhere else I am B'Elanna Torres 'the woman', Chief Engineer, the person I want to be. I don't like being 'the wife'.
You're right, Tom, our marriage is not working. We are drifting more and more apart instead of becoming closer. But 'the wife' could not accept that; 'the wife' could be content with our marriage but 'the woman' would not have accepted this marriage for much longer. It is just that, until now, 'the wife' was still trying to resist reality."
B'Elanna could see that her honest answer hurt Tom terribly.

His eyes lowered to the coffee table and he spoke so quietly that was more of a mumble, yet she heard him clearly.
"I married B'Elanna the woman. I never wanted for B'Elanna the wife to appear."

It was at that moment that B'Elanna realized what he meant.
She knew that Tom was not ending the marriage because he didn't love her anymore. Tom was ending the marriage because he did love her. He loved her so much that he only wanted to see her happy, and he knew that he was not making her happy.
"I am so sorry Tom. I wish I could be content with what we have. You are a good husband."

That brought a smile to Tom's face. "I don't want you to be 'content' I want you to look at your marriage and KNOW that you are the luckiest person in the universe. I want you to look at your marriage and wonder how it is possible that one person can be your entire universe."
His voice lowered again before speaking the reality.
"And I know that I'm not that person."

"I do love you, you know."

"I know, B'Elanna. But it is the wrong kind of love. You love me as a friend, don't you?"

B'Elanna gave a hesitant nod. Admitting the last secret in their marriage.
"You know, before we got married you were my best friend. Now you're my husband. Tell me Tom, if we end our marriage, would I be lucky enough to get my friend back?"

"I want to be a part of your life. And if I can't be your husband I desperately want to be your friend. Yes, B'Elanna, you will get that friend back."

"So this is it? Tomorrow we will make the request official?"

Tom took a padd from the coffee table and handed it to B'Elanna.
She activated it and started reading. The first words quickly made clear that what they just talked about was actually about to happen.
And it also made clear that Tom had known that she would agree that the marriage really was over.
'To Captain Kathryn Janeway.
Official request for the dissolution of the marriage contract between Thomas Eugene Paris and B'Elanna Torres.'
B'Elanna's eyes skipped over the standard contract text to the reason for the divorce.
"Irreconcilable differences?"

B'Elanna had said the two words as a question and Tom answered.
"That's the only thing I could come up with."

That made B'Elanna smile for the first time since the conversation had started.
"When you think of it, it's kind of strange isn't it? We really fit together perfectly. We could be a great couple."
B'Elanna was took a deep breath before adding the painful but honest truth.
"If I could only love you as a husband."

"Don't go there." Tom warned. "B'Elanna, I know you. You need more than that. You don't need a love you could settle for. You need the kind of love that makes your toes curl. You need to love somebody so much that it makes you glad that you have two hearts because one of them always stops beating when you see the person you love.
THAT is the kind of love you need. Not what you have for me."

B'Elanna looked at Tom wistfully. Now that she was talking to her best friend again, for the very first in a long time, she asked. "Do you think I will ever find that? I dream about it sometimes, you know.
I and somebody I don't know are on the most beautiful planet I have ever seen. But that planet is crawling with dangerous creatures.
Yet, I am lying in that somebody's arms and the universe is perfect. We are on the beach of an ocean. Creatures that could kill me in seconds are all around us. But the love between that person and me is so great that not even the most dangerous creatures on the planets would harm us. They would know that our love is so special that it needs to be preserved. They would kill anybody who even tried to come near us. Yet, at night those same deadly creatures would share their body heat with us.
In the morning cat-like creatures so powerful that they could dent the Delta flyer are playing with us as if they were harmless kittens.
And all of that because all those creatures can feel the love that person and I share."

"That is beautiful B'Elanna. And that is also what you need."
Then Tom brought the attention back to the ending marriage.
"She is going to ask, you know. Janeway, she will want to know what those differences are."

Now B'Elanna actually started grinning. "You know, I really can't think of anything."

That made Tom laugh out loud. "Tell me something I don't know."

"Well I really hate those stupid Captain Proton programs of yours. And all of that time you spent on the holodeck." B'Elanna finally said desperately, and laughing. Suddenly she realized that she was sitting on the couch next to her friend. She wondered when she had actually moved from the chair to the couch, she couldn't remember it. But for the first in a very, very long time it felt right to sit there.

"Well, I really hate that mess you leave everywhere you go. For instance, just before I went to the senior staff meeting I had to put your bowl away because you had once again left it on the coffee table."

"Do you think she'll buy that?"
B'Elanna asked as she put her head against his shoulder in a desperate attempt to stop laughing.

"No. But it will be the only reasons we will give. The rest are private matters."
But then Tom became serious again and picked up the padd that B'Elanna had put on the coffee table after reading the contents.
He looked B'Elanna straight in the eyes and said: "When I put my thumbprint here, I will make it official from my side. So let me say one more time that I love you, my wife."

B'Elanna stopped Tom just before his thumb touched the padd. She took it from him and once again put it on the coffee table.
She brought her lips to his and kissed him one last time as his wife. When the kiss ended she tenderly caressed his cheek.
"Thank you for trying to make me happy, my husband."

Now that husband and wife had said goodbye, B'Elanna put her thumb on the padd and made her decision official.

Tom did the same and then quickly stood, not really knowing what to do next.
"I eh... I will go to Harry's for the rest of the night."

"Don't be ridiculous, Tom. I will not kick you out of what are also your quarters at two o'clock in the morning. You can stay here until Janeway has appointed your new quarters. I think I can tolerate you for a day or two more."

"Okay, thanks. Then I will grab some blankets and..."

B'Elanna interrupted Tom before he could even finish that sentence.
"And I am also not going to throw you out of the bed. Come on Tom, I know that you can keep your hands to yourself when I'm not in the mood.
You can sleep in the bed. Just pretend that I'm not in the mood."

With that, they both made their way to the bedroom. But now that the serious part was over Tom could not help but saying: "So you are in the mood, I just have to pretend that you're not.
Any chance of me getting lucky tonight?"

By now B'Elanna knew her husband, no, ex-husband well enough to know whether he was asking for real or whether he was joking. So she knew that he was only joking.
"If you keep that up, fly boy then you WILL find out how it is to sleep on the couch out there.

"Okay, okay. I have never been evicted to the couch in my entire married life. I sure as heck will not be evicted at the night my marriage ends."

"You are really asking for it, fly boy. So tell me, think you will be able to sleep tonight? I mean with me being naked and all."

That sure was enough to wipe the smile of Tom's face.
"You are going to sleep... naked?"

Knowing that she had won the round, B'Elanna removed the last of her clothes and deliberately used almost the same words Tom had only seconds before.
"I never wore clothes to bed in my entire married life. I sure as heck will not start wearing clothes to bed the night my marriage ends.
Goodnight Tom. Have pleasant dreams."
B'Elanna made no attempt to hide her grin when she heard Tom mumbling.

"The couch suddenly sounds mighty fine to me."

Chapter 5

The always composed, cool blonde was visibly annoyed. Well, at least visibly to the doctor. "Look Seven, I know that you find this a waste of time but if you keep complaining about it you will only add to the time that you have to be here. These checkups are important in a confined space like a starship."

"I know that, doctor. However, I do not see why I have to have a 'checkup' every two weeks while others only have one each month. This is an unproductive use of time. I should be on the bridge helping B'Elanna with the inspections."

"Yes, I know all about those inspections. And I am glad that I am not affected."
The doctor said before continuing with a heavy dose of sarcasm in his voice.
"And I am also glad that I rated important enough to be checked right after ALL of Engineering. Even the doors." Then his voice turned normal again. "Was that really necessary Seven? I mean, I can understand that certain parts of the ship have to be checked before checking the Emergency Medical Hologram program. This goes along the line of insuring the safety of the crew before insuring the safety of one individual. But the doors? The doors in Engineering are more important than me?"

By now the doctor had stopped what he was doing and he was facing Seven directly. That's why Seven could easily see that the doctor was really upset about that. "No doctor, you are certainly more important then the doors in Engineering. However, with the possibility of these viruses effecting each system on Voyager we decided that we needed one place on board of which we knew that it was completely safe. We chose Engineering because all systems can be rerouted through Engineering. So we can, if need be, use Engineering as an emergency control center. And that is why the doors of Engineering were so important. We had to inspect everything. It would be unacceptable if the senior staff wanted to gather in Engineering in case of an emergency only to be stopped by doors that would not open."

Seven once again saw the shifting emotions on the face of the doctor. Emotions that should not have been there with a non sentient EMH. But then again the ex-drone had always suspected that the doctor was sentient. She was glad that she had found a way to explain to the doctor that he was more important than a couple of doors, yet that the functioning of those doors indeed had been more important than him at that moment in time.

"Well." The doctor said, clearly a bit more at ease, while he started scanning Seven with the medical tricorder. "To come back on what you said about the frequency of the checkups. All members of the crew officially have to be checked every two weeks. But you, Tuvok, and Naomi are the only once who actually do that. The rest of the ship has found a very interesting loophole in Federation rules. You see, officially the checkups are every two weeks. But the Chief Medical Officer can do nothing against it if somebody decides not to show up. The CMO can only do something about it if the time between checkups is more than a month. When some of the crew members actually came in here saying that they were there for their 'monthly' checkup I finally decided to just stop running after them and simply started doing ALL of the tests once a month."

The doctor actually had a smug smile on his face when he explained what that meant. "Because I do ALL of the tests, even the most unimportant ones, it means that they actually have to spent more time in here during that one checkup then they would if you combined the time of the two normal checkups."

"Do you mean that you do not treat me different than the rest of the crew?"
Seven had asked that question without giving any indication how important the answer was to her. So the honest answer of the doctor meant even more to her.

"Of course not. Well, that's not entirely correct. I do treat you differently from the rest of the crew. But that's only because my treatment of you has to include your Borg physiology. Just like my treatment of for instance Lieutenant Torres is different because she is part Klingon and my treatment of Lieutenant Tuvok is different because he is Vulcan. But for the rest, no."
Then he looked at her suspiciously and quickly added: "But that does not give you the right to also come for your checkup only once a month. Remember, if you do that I will do all of the tests. And with you that means that I will test each Borg implant individually."

"Be assured that I will continue appearing for my 'checkup' on the established schedule."

"Good... Say," The doctor started casually, too casually. Seven knew that tone. The doctor was fishing for information again. Of course, some simply called it gossip. "How is that going? The working with Lieutenant Torres I mean. I know that you two usually mix like oil and water but lately I've heard it said that you two actually work well together. It is even said that you two make a very good team. That you both actually stopped fighting. So what happened?"

"That information is incorrect. We still have at least one altercation a day. However, now B'Elanna and I no longer take those altercations seriously. We have discovered that we actually like the occasional 'fight' if we both know that it is not meant seriously." Seven let her eyes drift to some point on the sickbay wall while her voice became thoughtful. "I actually find that quite puzzling. My Borg implants have, and always will, remind me that I'm different than a normal human being. Yet, I enjoy it now, when B'Elanna calls me a 'stupid Borg'. And I... Why are you smiling like that doctor?"

"B'Elanna still calls you that?"

"Yes, she did not in the first two days after we became friends but since then she does say it on occasion. Now, I ask again, why are you smiling like that?"

"I am smiling like that because that same B'Elanna Torres, if the talk of the ship is correct, now goes around challenging anybody who says one wrong word about you."

"Indeed? I do not understand that, doctor. How can one's perception change so drastically in the course of a few days? B'Elanna always called me 'stupid Borg' and it annoyed me while she was laughing about it with others. And then only because we realize that we can be friends I suddenly actually like it when B'Elanna calls me that and B'Elanna challenges any but she who calls me that."

The doctor started pacing slowly while answering, the checkup, which was almost finished anyway, forgotten. "Well, I am only guessing here. But I think that the expression 'stupid Borg' is actually so important to B'Elanna because she always called you that. It was her favorite insult for you and now she is ashamed of it. Yet, because she always called you that she is used to saying it to you. So now she sees that you don't mind if she calls you that; and she also knows that you DO mind that OTHERS call you that. So without really realizing it she turns it into 'her' expression. Like a term of endearment for her new friend. A term of endearment she guards viciously because it's hers."

"But how can a insult be a term of endearment?"

"It all depends on who says it and how it's said, because we know how that person really feels. For instance, have you ever heard Mr. Paris calling Voyager 'the grand old lady'?"

"Of course, he does so frequently. And while it is an incorrect description of Voyager, a starship which is relatively young compared to the usual lifespan of a spaceship, it is also not an insult."

"That could be debatable." The doctor said while he leaned against a second bio-bed. "But anyhow, did you also hear him calling Voyager a 'bucket of bolts'? Or 'rust bucket'?"

"Yes I have. He usually does so when he intends to show off his knowledge of piloting the ship."

"Exactly. But because HE says it we don't think that he actually means it. He says it in a way were he is going to prove just what that 'rust bucket' is capable of. But if we meet another race and THEY call Voyager a rust bucket we assume that they mean it maliciously and that they have insulted us as a whole because the crew identifies with the ship in moments like that. So when Tom Paris says that, it's an endearment. If somebody else says it, then it is an insult. When B'Elanna Torres calls you 'a stupid Borg' it is an endearment. If somebody else calls you 'a stupid Borg' it is an insult and B'Elanna will react to a friend being insulted."

"Ah." Seven said, clearly understanding now. "Thank you for explaining that."

"You're welcome." The doctor said before he started talking again. But this time the talk was mainly to pass time while he continued finishing the last couple of tests. "I really don't understand why the rest of the crew can't see how important these checkups are. The captain is the worst of them all. Her last checkup has been four months ago. She always claims ship's business as an excuse for not showing up. And that works only because Federation rules state that a captain can postpone checkups if ship's business does not give that captain enough time. A captain can only be forced to submit to checkup once every six months. And Janeway sure as heck puts those six months to good use. Can you understand that? She comes here and gives me some coffee beans to test, yet she claims that she does not have enough time to do the checkup while she's here. I only..."

The doctor's monologue stopped when the doors of sickbay opened and Lieutenant Tom Paris entered. "Hey, Seven, just the person I was searching for."

"If you were searching for me, you should have asked the computer where I was. Then you would have known that I was in sickbay."

"Huh? But I did ask the computer. That's why I'm here." Tom answered, puzzled. Not seeing the twinkle in the Borg's eyes.

"In that case you were not searching for me. If you were searching for me it would mean that you did not know what my location was."

Tom thought about that for a second and then figured that it was really not worth the trouble. So he brushed it off with a simple: "Whatever," before getting to the point. "In any case, I need your help with plotting the course we will need to take through this sector."

"I was under the assumption that Commander Chakotay was to plot a course from the information I gave him."

Tom scratched himself behind the ear while, unsuccessfully, trying not to smile. "Actually, since his last course suggestion was so... um, unfortunate, he and the captain agreed to let us both set the course and then send it to them for their approval. Janeway ensured him that the possibility of your plotting a course directly to Borg space was negligible by now."

"I find it strange that Commander Chakotay is still concerned with that possibility. If I wanted to deliver Voyager to the Borg I could have done so on numerous occasions. I actually find it a quite inflexible attitude for a Commander. Especially a Commander who was a Maquis member before becoming the commander of a federation starship. He was distrustful of me from the very first day and still has not changed his point of view. If somebody should believe in giving a person a second chance it would be him. Yet he continues to 'keep an eye on me' as he calls it himself."

"I wouldn't worry too much about that if I were you." The doctor said while finishing his last scan and starting to put his equipment away. "He was also distrustful of me in the beginning. He even suggested returning me to my original EMH state of programming after some of the more... unethical things I did. Which would have meant that I would only have been activated in case of emergencies and that my matrix would have been purged every month to make sure that the program, which means me, would not learn from its own existence. With the Commander it simply takes some time to earn his trust. Maybe because he was too trustful as a Maquis. Don't forget that Seska as well as Tuvok had infiltrated his resistance cell. Something like that is bound to make you distrustful of new members to the crew."

"That is not logical and incorrect. If you look at it exactly you will see that your program was activated BEFORE Chakotay became Commander. So you have actually been a member of this crew longer then he has. Yet he has accepted the crew of the Equinox relatively quickly after they became members of our crew. Even though they misused his trust in the beginning. I think the Commander is simply distrustful of anything that could pose a threat that he cannot counteract. Which would mean you as a hologram and your abilities as such hologram. And myself as a Borg and my abilities as such, being Borg."

"But the Commander trust me by now."

"Are you sure about that doctor? Or do you simply WANT to believe that? I know from experience that wanting to be accepted will make you believe things more quickly."
Because Seven had her attention directed at the doctor she did not notice how Tom's eyes fastened on her when he heard her saying that. It was at that moment that Tom decided that maybe Seven could use another friend. After all, B'Elanna usually did not go wrong when choosing a friend.

"Well as interesting as this is, we are supposed to be doing something Seven. And after that, you're supposed to help B'Elanna if I'm not mistaken. So shall we get going?"

"Doctor?" Seven only asked.

"Yes, you can go, I'm finished."

And with that, Tom and Seven exited Sickbay, leaving behind a hologram deeply emerged in thought.

"So..." Tom started while they were walking to the turbolift. "Almost finished with checking the bridge out?"

"Lieutenant Paris, is there a specific reason why you are trying to engage me in 'small talk'? You were in the conference room when B'Elanna and I explained our plan of action and how long the inspections on each part of the ship will approximately take."

"Damn, Seven your really don't know how to have small talk do you?"

"On the contrary. Naomi was a very good teacher and taught me the art of talking about nothing very well. However, I do not see the need to do so with others of the crew."

"Well, it would make the others feel more comfortable around you. Smalltalk is a very good way to get to know people, people who could eventually become friends."

"I will think about that suggestion. However, for now it does not answer my question, unless you suddenly decided you want to be my friend."

"Yeah, well... maybe I decided just that."

"I find that highly unlikely, Lieutenant."

"Why?"

"You seem to forget about my enhanced hearing." Seven said before starting to quote. "'Damn, if all Borg looked like that I wouldn't mind joining the collective at all.' 'Well Chakotay, she may assimilate me anytime. And preferably use all night to do so.' 'Who would want to resist her anyway? Heck, I would even help.'"

"Okay, okay, I get your point Seven. But you've got to admit that I haven't said anything like that in a long time."

"That is correct. You have not. From the moment you married B'Elanna." It was at that moment that Seven remembered to use one of the doctor's lessons. "I am sorry about the termination of your marriage, by the way."

By now they had reached, and entered, the turbolift but neither of them had given a destination.

"Are you really?" Tom asked in a way that made clear that he doubted her sincerity.

"What do you mean, Lieutenant?"

"Just that I'm not." Tom said, not wanting to be too obvious in case he was wrong. "Don't get me wrong, I regret with all of my heart that our marriage did not work. But I'm not sorry that the marriage is over. You see, Seven, I should have never married B'Elanna. I love her, desperately. But B'Elanna and I were the best of friends and we fitted together perfectly so it was only logical that we should marry, right? Wrong. B'Elanna only loved me as a very good friend and I knew that. But I figured that would change. After all, we were perfect for each other. And yes, B'Elanna did change. She changed into somebody she really did not want to be and I realized that I did love her too much to let her continue being that person. That person was not the one I loved so much that I wanted to marry her.

"And now, we are separated and that person I loved enough to marry is back. I know now that I can never have the person I love as my wife, but I can have her as my friend. So yes, Seven, I am glad that my marriage is over. It hurts me terribly, but I am glad."

"That is confusing. Are you telling me that one should never marry a friend?"

"No! God no, Seven. One should always be friends before marrying, however not all friends should marry." Tom sighed, as this was even confusing to him. Then he started to explain, reluctantly. "You see, Seven, you have friends and you have friends. For instance, Harry and I are great friends but there was and is never one single moment between us where the possibility for more existed..."

"Because you are both male?"

"What has that got to do with it? Same gender pairings are quite common. There are, I believe, at the moment, around ten same gender pairings on board Voyager. No, Harry and I simply never clicked in that way. And that is what I mean. Harry and I are the kind of friends who should never marry. But Gilmore and Jarvis are two lovely ladies who first had to become friends before they married. Yet their marriage is holding strong for over a year now."

"That their marriage is successful whilst yours was not does not explain why their relationship extended into copulation while Lieutenant Kim and yours has not."

"Damn, I knew you'd pick up on that." Tom mumbled more to himself than to Seven. "Look Seven, you have friendships and friendships. Some lend themselves for romantic, others don't. Harry's and mine does not lend itself for that but Gilmore and Jarvis' did."

"And why do you keep referring to Gilmore and Jarvis?"

Now Tom was smiling when he said. "I knew you'd pick up on that. I use them as an example to indicate that romance doesn't have anything to do with logic or compatibility. Gilmore was one of the officers on board of the Equinox and..."

"Yes, I know who she is. She rendered me unconscious after all."

"Exactly, Seven. And Jarvis is the security officer who had to guard her while she was in the brig. The perfect example that 'opposites attract'."

"Very well. But if the degree of friendship does not make it clear whether or not a relationship should evolve into a romantic relationship than what does?"

"Gee, Seven, why don't you ask me something easy. Like recalibrating the warp core while flying at warp nine point eight."

Seven did not answer but merely looked at Tom and raised that damn ocular implant.

"Okay, okay." Tom sighed. "Let me go for all of the romance novel's classics. When you walk into a room with a hundred people in it and yet your eyes immediately find your loved one. Or your heart skips a beat every time you see your loved one. Or when just hearing your loved one's voice sends your heart beat racing. Or a simple movement of that loved one will spontaneously raise the room temperature with ten degrees. Or when seeing your loved one hurt hurts you even more. Things like that indicate that changing your friendship to a more romantic nature is not such a bad idea."

'All of the above and more Mr. Paris.' Seven thought. 'All of the above and more happen every time I am around B'Elanna. Just the scent of her skin makes it difficult for me to keep my composure. Especially these last weeks since she and I became friends. When her hand accidentally touched mine yesterday...'
Seven could not even finish the thought without her heart beat picking up again. 'How naive I was. Thinking that this had something to do with my enhanced senses. Conveniently forgetting that B'Elanna is the only person that this happens with.'

"Seven?" Tom asked when he got no reply.

"Lieutenant, did you feel all of this for B'Elanna?"

Tom looked at the floor of the turbolift before answering. "Sometimes I did. But it usually always lasted only for a moment. And that should really have been an indication for me. The first time I kissed B'Elanna my heart was practically jumping out of my throat. Sure, I played it cool but on the inside I was shaking. Yet the second time I kissed her it was just the same as every time after that, very nice." Tom doubted whether or not he should say the rest but then decided that he could always brushed it off with his boyish charms if it fell wrong. "The only thing that never changed was in regards to our love-life. To have B'Elanna naked in my arms... it never, ever, stopped to affect me."
And Tom could see that the image he just painted was also affecting Seven. He never would have guessed that the Borg could actually blush.

"So, um, Lieutenant, if somebody was feeling like that for a friend, what would you suggest that person do?"

"Well Seven, I wouldn't be surprised if YOUR friend would be very susceptible to that idea." Tom emphasized the 'your' to indicate that he knew exactly who Seven was talking about. "But the way I know your friend I would play it slow. Let it grow, and don't push her."

"Do you think that will work?" Seven asked, dropping all pretense of speaking of somebody else.

"Hey, I know her. And I am the only one who ever got to marry her. So believe me, if this is supposed to happen, then B'Elanna will not be able to stop it. But if you maneuver her into a corner she will fight. She will resist and do anything she has to do to alter her reality. Even if that means getting hostile with you again."

"I do not want that. I have the patience to wait."

"You do that, Seven. But I don't think you will have to wait that long."

"Tell me, Lieutenant, why are you doing this? Why are you helping me in regards with to former wife?"

"Because a part of my wedding vows said; 'I will do everything in my power to make you happy'. I am simply trying to keep at least that promise, Seven.

"In that case, I welcome your help Lieutenant."

"Seven?" Tom asked before he gave the destination for the turbolift as 'Bridge'.

"Yes Lieutenant?"

"Call me Tom, all my friends do."

"Yes, 'Tom'."

And when the turbolift doors closed and the lift started ascending, Seven added. "And Tom..."

"Yes, Seven?"

"You and B'Elanna should really work on finding a more original way to invite new friends into calling you by your first name."

Chapter 6

Note: Once again I would like to thank Letterx for helping me out. When I was writing this chapter I got stuck on several occasions. X made some suggestions to me which finally enabled me to tell this chapter how I wanted to tell it.

It had now been three months since B'Elanna and Seven had found the first virus and a strange kind of peace and continuity had settled over Voyager. They were still traveling through a relatively quiet piece of space, only having encountered three other races with which they were allowed to establish contact, according to the prime directive. But that had been enough to keep Voyager supplied. In fact, they had so many supplies that both cargo bays were stacked full to the brim. Energy was at peak proficiency so all replications were free for use, except the more luxurious items on which there was a limit placed by the Federation.

But despite it all, there was still a slight ongoing unease amongst the crew. Everything would be going fine and than suddenly, a previously undetected virus would strike. However, the crew felt more of an annoyance than a fear because by now, everybody knew that the problems caused by the viruses were never dangerous. Sure, it could be annoying, it could even take a incredible amount of work to repair the damage but the worst injury yet to a person was a couple of broken bones and some third-degree skin burns. All of which was painful but treatable by the doctor within minutes.

It had also been three months in which B'Elanna and Seven spent approximately twelve hours a day together.

"Red alert, all hands to..." The Captain stopped speaking before she had finished the sentence and at the same time the red alert was canceled. The Captain then proceeded with more than a little bit of annoyance in her voice. "Seven of Nine and Lieutenant Torres, report to transporter room 1. We seem to have misplaced Commander Chakotay."

"On our way. Torres out." The standing Klingon said before turning to Seven, who was lying underneath a console in the shuttle Bay. "The transporter room? But I thought we had finished that?"

"We did." Seven said while she maneuvered out from under the console.

B'Elanna once again closed her eyes to keep from looking at the Borg. She knew that she could not go on like this much longer. Things had changed. In the beginning of their friendship it was easy. Her Klingon half saw a suitable partner and wanted it. Her Klingon half had long ago recognized and accepted that she wanted Seven as a partner. No, her Klingon warrior half had long ago accepted 'that stupid Borg' as her third heart. The Klingon warrior inside of her always relished those moments when Seven could approach her or touch her without she noticing it before it happened. This was something the human half had not understood at first, why the Klingon warrior would relish that. But now the human half did understand. Klingons thrived on danger. So to have somebody be able to come close enough to kill you without you noticing it, it was a constant high for Klingons. That is how this behavior had evolved in the first place. To get a constant high from merely being in the presence of your partner.

But now things had been complicated. The human half was falling in love with Seven. And for humans things were never as simple as they were for Klingons. A Klingon would simply stake his or her claim for a woman. Then it was either accepted, or you fought your rival for the woman, or she would turn you down and you would go and drink bloodwine with your friends to drown the sorrow.

But with humans, things were not that easy. Humans suffered from strange questions like; am I good enough for her? Does she love me? Should I tell her and risk our friendship if she does not feel the same? Do I want to be humiliated if she laughs at me? And the human half of B'Elanna lately was continuously wrestling with those questions. Never for once thinking about simply letting her Klingon side take charge or that the cool blonde might actually prefer such a straightforward claim.

"Are you coming B'Elanna?" Seven asked when the Klingon did not join her in walking to the door.

"Sure, Seven." B'Elanna calmly replied when she joined the Borg and they started walking to the exit.

But Seven had seen the way B'Elanna had looked at her. She had seen want in those eyes, not the mere Klingon lust that had been there for the last couple of weeks. The Borg started to wonder whether or not it was time for HER to act. She remembered the words of Tom, to take it slow, but Seven suspected that B'Elanna, all of B'Elanna, was now ready for more. She decided that she would give the matter some of thought. However, for now, they were both on duty and had other things to attend to.

***

"Okay, so how did this happen?" Janeway asked while she, B'Elanna, Seven, Harry and Tuvok were standing in transporter room 1.

"As far as I can tell, Chakotay is still in the pattern buffer but the alignment of the buffer is changed." Harry kept trying to get the transporter to give up the Commander. "I think that it is altered in a way that will enable Chakotay to feel the passing of time while he is in the buffer. So basically, at the moment he realizes that he is nothing more than information in the computer. Kind of like the doctor when he is off-line."

"You are correct, Lieutenant. That was the design of this trap. I reprogrammed it to activate on a date that has already past. That way the virus should not have been activated at all. The only way it could have been activated is if somebody changed my programming. And since it is the Commander who has been targeted it was also he who changed the programming since I re-programmed the virus in that fashion."

Janeway took a brief look at the information on the console. Reassured that Chakotay was relatively safe she turned to Seven. "Okay, Seven, with that answer you opened up three questions for me. First, why have you only reprogrammed the virus and not removed it? Second, why did you reprogram it so that whoever tampered with it would be targeted? And third, what do we do against it now?"

"As B'Elanna and I stated in one of our initial reports, some of the viruses are integrated so much into the programming of Voyager that it would take days just to remove that one virus. In that case we try to determine if we can somehow 'trick' the virus into thinking that it has already activated or slightly modify it so that it will not activate. Then, later on, when we have found all other viruses, we will concentrate on those viruses. It is approximately 1/5 of all of the viruses that we actually leave in place for later removal.

"As to why I reprogrammed the virus to target whoever was trying to remove it. I had to supply a target, so I choose this option because it normally would have been myself who would try to deactivate the virus. Since I would then be the person targeted I would have the ability to once again alter the virus before it could obtain a lock on me and then safely remove it.

"And as for what we should do against it now, I suggest waiting. In nine points five minutes the virus will automatically materialize whoever is in the pattern buffer. But what I would like to know is why the Commander was changing the programming I made."

"Don't worry about that Seven. I am sure that he only accidentally changed it when he was checking the modifications that were made."

"You mean when he was checking the modifications 'I' made. The programming that I have performed; correct, Captain?"

"Now Seven, it is only normal for the first officer to check repairs that are being made."

"Indeed. Tell me, Captain, was it your idea or his to actually go as far and physically control all the changes I made?"

"Well, no. It was his. But he is correct that we can't be too careful."

"Of course not, Captain." The tone in the ex-drone's voice was as cold as Janeway had ever heard it.

"The time is almost up." B'Elanna interrupted, mostly to get the woman to focus on something else.

The next two minutes passed quietly and than finally, the Commander materialized on the transporter pad as if he had just come back from an away mission. "How the Hell did that happen? I thought this room was safe?" Chakotay immediately demanded.

"It is." Janeway said while she took a last look at the readings on the console to see if the materialization had correctly ended. "But it appears that you accidentally triggered one of the traps that were already detected. Join me in my ready room and I will explain it all."

"You could have gotten me out of there sooner, couldn't you?" He asked Seven.

"Come on, Chakotay. If she could have done that, then certainly she would have."

"Actually, B'Elanna, the Commander is correct. I could have retrieved him from the transporter buffer approximately three minutes earlier."

"You could have?" B'Elanna asked surprised. "Then why didn't you? Or why didn't you at least mention it?"

"Because I did not see the need to. By letting the virus run its course and wait three minutes longer, there was a one hundred percent possibility that the commander would rematerialize on the pad. But had I interrupted the program to cut that time down, there would have been a fifty-percent chance that his pattern would have been lost. Which, in essence, means that he would have died. I knew that none of this crew, especially the Captain, would accept such a risk merely to win three minutes of time.
Now, if you all will excuse me, then I shall return to the shuttle bay. B'Elanna?"

"I'm right behind you." The Klingon said, not waiting for the official dismissal of the Captain, nor to see if Chakotay had any other stupid replies to make.

***

"That brings us to an even two thousand five hundred codes and viruses that are accounted for." B'Elanna said while she and Seven were in the Klingon's quarters at the end of the day.

That was something that had somehow developed a couple of weeks back. B'Elanna had invited Seven in to talk about what they were going to do next. And since that day each day had ended like that. Each day Seven would be in B'Elanna's quarters and they would talk. First it had been over work but lately every topic was fair game.
Those hours always were a sweet torture for the Klingon. Because she would always realize that she felt more at ease in those quarters with Seven then she had ever felt with Tom. There was no trace of anybody else but B'Elanna the woman. With Seven around she felt more at ease then she could ever remember.

"That is correct. If we continue to find the viruses at this rate we will be finished in approximately one month. After that we can concentrate on the viruses that we have 'pacified', as you like to call it."

Seven looked at B'Elanna and once again saw the conflicting signals she had seen earlier that day in the shuttle Bay. Seven knew that B'Elanna felt at ease around her, comfortable, secure. And yet, there was a tension coming from the Klingon that felt strange, but the good kind of strange. As if the Klingon was ready to jump her yet the human was holding the Klingon back. Not allowing the Klingon to claim what it wanted to claim.
'I have been patient long enough. When I find the correct opportunity I will, act.'

"I just still can't understand why this guy would do this. I mean, I have heard of a practical joke and this has all the sign of being some kind of joke. But the idea of a practical joke is that you are around to see how others react to that joke."

"I have been thinking about that, B'Elanna, and there is more that makes no sense. First we have some trader who trades his goods with us in exchange some things he can use, but mainly for water. Yet he has a spaceship which is capable of warp and he is coming from a direction where there are planets that have an excessive water supply.
Then he appears to have coffee which originated on the Earth, in the Alpha quadrant. Something which is impossible unless he either got it from somebody else or he is not what he pretends to be and he actually has the powers to go to the Alpha quadrant himself.
But then again, he asks me to write those codes for him which would indicate that he does not have any omnipotent powers."

"Yeah, until now I agree with you entirely. But what's your point, Seven?"

"My point is this. If he does not have omnipotent powers that how did he manage to place all those viruses and codes? To do so, if he was a normal mortal being, would mean that he would have to go to each place individually and also place each virus individually. Tell me B'Elanna, disregarding the rest of the ship, would he have been able to place all of those viruses and codes in engineering? Would he have been able to get access to the warp core? The environmental controls? The weapons systems?... The doors to your office?"

"Holy shit!" B'Elanna shouted while she jumped from the chair, almost running to the padd which had all of the places where the viruses had been found.
"You are absolutely right Seven." She said after taking a look at exactly were the viruses where found in Engineering and on the bridge. She then put the padd down again and continued her train of thought.
"But let's for a minute assume that he was somehow able to do that. What about all of those viruses we found on the bridge? No way, no way could he have done that if he was a simple human being."
B'Elanna once again sat down. This time on the couch beside Seven. "But if he had powers that was even one-hundredths of the powers of Q then he would not have the need for your codes. Heck, he would not have the need for those viruses. He would simply let the accidents happen. And that is another point. Why only things that could be considered some strange kind of joke? By now I don't really think he was out to hurt us, not really."

"And that is also one of the things." Seven added. "Why do we only realize this now? Three months after we found the first virus. We should have realized this immediately when we found the virus in the warp core. Or at the very latest when we found a virus on the bridge. The only time he was on the bridge was when he walked from the turbolift to the Captain's ready room."

"We should report this to the Captain." B'Elanna said while she already was getting up.

"I do not think that the Captain would appreciate if we were to disturb her at five minutes to midnight only to tell her this. This information is not important at the moment because it does not change anything in our situation. We can tell the Captain tomorrow when we give her our report."

"You're right." B'Elanna said while she dropped back on the couch, accidentally brushing her hand against Seven's leg. The Klingon pulled her hand away quickly but only to have it captured by Seven's hand even quicker.

For a moment neither of them said anything, both relishing the feeling of finally holding the others hand. Then after looking at the hands for an unmeasured amount of time their eyes found each other and they looked into each other's eyes for the first time without hiding anything.
Blue eyes that held more emotions then B'Elanna had ever seen in a pair of eyes.
Brown eyes that held the fire of raw Klingon lust, but tempered with human emotions.

"Do not run away from me, Klingon." Seven finally demanded of the woman sitting next to her. "I am merely awaiting your claim." Seven hoped that despite whispering that last comment it would still reassure the trembling engineer of the love she felt for her, and that she was open to that famous Klingon straightforwardness. She knew that B'Elanna loved her but also that for some reason she was afraid, scared to show and feel that love.

"It is not the Klingon that is running away but rather the human." B'Elanna answered not sure what she was trying to say but needing to somehow voice the feelings she was experiencing. It really wasn't the Klingon part of her that was afraid, for months now 'it' had been wanting to claim Seven for herself. No, it was her human half that was running scared.
"Then, human, why are YOU running away from me?"

And that shocked B'Elanna. Though she would never consider herself schizophrenic, with her two heritages she might perhaps very well seem similar to those who had multiple personalities. On the one hand there was her Klingon self ready to claim it's third heart and be with Seven. But on the other hand, B'Elanna realized, was the human who was trying to fight the already lost battle of love. "Because I'm scared, afraid of being hurt." The human finally admitted. "When I let you in, let you into my heart, you will have a power over me that nobody ever had. I'm afraid that you will hurt me."
"I will most probably hurt you on occasion." Seven whispered honestly. Knowing that, no matter how much she wished it not to be true, there was no guarantee that she would not hurt B'Elanna. Then Seven continued in a strong earnest voice. "But never intentionally. I would rather suffer a year of pain myself then see you in pain for one minute. But, human, remember that there is also a human inside ME. And that you might just as easily hurt me. The potential for pain is there on both sides but if we are together we will make each other stronger. We will make each other so strong that nothing, except we ourselves, could ever hurt us.
Annika promises you this.
So, human, will you give your trust to this human? Do you trust Annika, Lanna?"

B'Elanna was quiet for almost ten minutes. Ten minutes in which Seven nervously waited for an answer to her question, and to the questions she had not voiced. 'Does B'Elanna want to enter into a relationship with me? Does she trust me even more then she did Tom? Does she love me as much as I do her or have I read too much into her feelings?'
But knowing that B'Elanna needed that time to make one of the most important choices in her life Seven kept quiet. Ironically enough that important choice of B'Elanna was also the MOST important decision in the life of Seven.
It seemed to Seven that others made all of the important decisions in her life and that she could do nothing more than live with them.
It had been her parents that had made the decision which had brought a young child into the clutches of the Collective. It had been Captain Janeway that had made the decision to sever her from the Collective. And now, it was B'Elanna who was going to make the decision whether Seven's life was going to be an empty one, or a full one.

Finally a quiet 'yes' was heard. Then a little louder: "Yes, I will trust you. I will open my heart to you if you do the same."

"Annika already did months ago. But the Borg is good at hiding feelings." Seven said while she closed her eyes in relief. Finally, for once, the decision of somebody else had been what she had wanted it to be with all her being.

"Since when do you specifically refer to your human side with the name 'Annika'?"

Seven shifted her weight around on the couch a few times while she was trying to figure out a way to answer that question. Finally she decided to tell her love how she truly felt and how she truly saw herself.
She looked straight ahead, not being able to face B'Elanna. Her hands clasped tightly in her lap, Seven finally spoke up. "I tend to see myself as a merger of Borg and human. Each with it's separate identity. The 'Borg' is what the crew see everyday. As the Borg I feel strong, less emotional, detached, and protected from those around me that make me feel weak, emotional, attached, and vulnerable. The Captain once referred to my tendency to project my Borg nature during times when I feel uncomfortable or not in control of my Borg armor. Though I did not admit to her, she was right I use my 'Borgness' as a barrier from things that can potentially hurt me or unnerve me."
Seven took a shaky breath before revealing her most intimate secret. "That is why I always seemed the most cold and emotionless when I was around you. You have the potential to hurt me and more often than not just your mere presence tended to unnerve me. I realize now that I already loved you then. And that feeling scared me.

"But when my more human side, my emotions, began to assert themselves even more... It is then that I started seeing myself as somebody with a dual nature. Borg vs. Human. Seven vs. Annika. No matter how hard the Borg in me try to repress feelings and emotions I still felt, I still experienced emotions. And no matter how hard my human side tried to do away with logically thinking and emotional detachment, I still thought like a Borg would think. Logically and efficiently. I realized that I was a harmony of two separate identities which formed one person. So to account for this I began referring to my human side as 'Annika' and to my Borg side 'the Borg'.
However, I have never told anybody else about this. But I believe that I wished for you to know who I really am, all of me. So now that I finally could, I told this to the only person I trust. You."

"Thank you." B'Elanna said quietly, moved by that show of trust. She as nobody else knew how private that information must have been for the Borg. "Can I call you that in private? Annika I mean? I don't want to disregard your Borg half, it this a part of you just like my Klingon half, but I want something more... personal than Seven. Because Seven is neither your human name nor is it your real Borg designation."

"Yes, that is one of the reasons I told you this, I would like it if you used it as a form of endearment. But Seven is the name I want to be referred to on a normal basis."

"Of course." B'Elanna said. She had also liked it went Seven had called her Lanna. But it was not something that B'Elanna would want to be called on a routine basis. Lanna should be the most intimate of endearments, just as Annika should be.
"Now what?" The Klingon suddenly asked agitated as she sprung from the seat and began to pace the floor. "I mean, do we go out on a first date? Should we tell anybody? Are we considered a couple? Where do we go from here?"
"Now you need to let the Klingon claim the Borg." Seven smirked up at the suddenly stock still woman. It was a challenge, one that B'Elanna soon caught on to.

So with a deep growl, B'Elanna stalked back to the coach and knelt down in front of the love of her life. Sniffing the air, smelling the unique scent of Seven, sent her Klingon passion into overdrive. But her human side refused to let happen what was about to happen without clarifying something first. "But a Klingon claim, if it is accepted, means a marriage. I don't know if I'm ready for that."

Seven took hold of the kneeling woman's hand and once again answered with a honesty that B'Elanna had come to admire. "You are not. And neither am I. However, you are mistaken. A Klingon claim does not necessarily immediately mean a marriage. While longer Klingon engagements are not commonly heard of, they do exist."

B'Elanna smiled at that explanation. "You're right. While longer engagements are uncommon, they are a respected tradition. I forgot about that. Heck, the last time that somebody had a longer engagement in my family is five generations back. But it most definitely IS a respected Klingon tradition. But how'd you know all that?"

"Because I studied all the information I could find about the race my... the person I love is part of."

After hearing that B'Elanna finally gathered all her courage and decided to just... go for it. 'I love Seven. I would be crazy not to do this.' Than, thinking about the universal translator that was standard always online all over the ship, she said; "Computer, from this moment on do no longer translates any of the Klingon spoken in my quarters. Authorization Torres 01."

{Authorization accepted. Klingon translation is now off-line.}

B'Elanna then fully faced the Borg, looking for any trace of doubt but finding none. Then she took a deep breath and came off her knees. Nearly sliding across the other woman's body. In this way she pushed Seven back on the couch, into a semi-lying position until she almost completely covered the Borg.
"Before I do anything else let me just clearly say this, I love you. You are my life."
Then, before Seven could answer, B'Elanna began the ritual.
" jIqu " (I am fierce.)

" jISov " (I know.) Seven answered.

" qatlha' " (I chase you.) B'Elanna stated because she was the one that was making the claim.

" chovuv " (You respect me.) Seven said with a voice full of trust and confidence.

" qaDev " (I lead you) B'Elanna claimed, once again according to tradition.

" jItlhab " (I am independent.) Seven objected. Also according to tradition. But she would have also said so if it had not been the tradition.

" qachargh " (I conquer you.) B'Elanna growled. Tradition said that the person that claimed should get a clear concession on who was going to be the leader of the household.

Without B'Elanna really realizing how it happened Seven somehow reversed positions. Now it was B'Elanna who was lying on the couch with Seven pinning her down with enough force to almost hurt the Klingon and try as she might, she did not get loose. It was then that Seven continued with the ritual and the Klingon understood what the Borg was doing.

" qachaw' " (I allow you) Seven said.

B'Elanna understood that the Borg was showing the Klingon half that B'Elanna could always be sure that whatever happened, now and in the future, would only be what the Borg allowed to happen. The Borg was showing the Klingon that the Klingon was really no match for the Borg if the Borg really wanted to resist.
Then Seven let go of B'Elanna and patiently waited until she was sitting once again facing Seven. They sat quietly for a moment both understanding what they just agreed to. They would be equals in this relationship. But B'Elanna would be recognized as the leader of the household to be, because Klingon custom demanded a clear leader to a household. However, B'Elanna would never have more of a voice in the relationship then Seven.
They were equals.

" qavoq " (I trust you) B'Elanna then continued.

" qavoq " Seven repeated.

" qaQan " (I protect you)

" qaQan " Seven once again repeated and thereby ending the ritual.

They looked at each other, realizing that now they were officially engaged according to Klingon custom. The long engagement meant that they had five years in which they would have to make up their minds about whether or not they would get married. But in those five years they could choose whatever stage of interaction they wanted. From continuing with being nothing more than friends, to actually living as a married couple. Which would mean that they would also be inclined to all the privileges of married life, including sharing the bed.

" quch ?" (Happy) Seven then asked.

" HIja' " (yes, true) B'Elanna answered with a big grin.

" qaHo' Kyamo " (I admire you) (Beautiful one) Seven replied before she started talking in English. "I have wanted to say that to you for more than a year now."

"That long?" B'Elanna asked surprised.

"Well, yes. It is more than a year ago that I started to admire you. And you ARE a beautiful one."

"So what you're telling me is that this could have happened a year ago if I only treated you normal."

"No it could not. You were involved with Tom at that moment."

B'Elanna smiled when she heard that.
"Details." She said before getting serious again. "Well since we are making confessions there, I've been wanting to kiss you for almost half a year now. May I?"

"Are you serious with that question or is the meaning of that question to establish the boundaries of our engagement?"

"The last."

"In that case let me make it clear that there are no boundaries on personal contact. Kiss me B'Elanna."

And so B'Elanna did. Softly, tenderly at first. Lips barely touching. But quickly it became more. The kiss built and passion entered. Tongues started to demand entrance and were allowed.
Annika and Lanna were swept away by passion and slowly but surely hands started to caress bodies.

Suddenly a growl built deep in the throat of B'Elanna and the Klingon half of her made itself known. Seven answered the growl with a moan and B'Elanna knew that she had to stop before the Klingon warrior inside her could get out of the hand. However, when she tried to distance herself from Seven she found herself pinned in place by one hand which was holding her head in place and a arm over her back which held her body tightly pressed against Seven's. That confinement was enough to release all of the holds that B'Elanna had on her Klingon half and the Klingon warrior was given free range. And the kiss changed again. This time to raw passion, Klingon passion. And the Klingon noticed that the kiss was returned just as fiercely. However not by Annika, but by the Borg.

Finally the kiss ended, leaving them both breathless but satisfied. Finally B'Elanna could admit that she sometimes wanted to be kissed like that. Sometimes.

"Wow." Was the only thing that B'Elanna could say. She tried to move but found herself still locked in place. As she noticed this she looked at Seven's face and saw ice cold blue eyes looking back at her. The Klingon realized that it was now solely the Borg that was looking at her. Yet despite that B'Elanna could still see love in those eyes.

" qachargh " (I conquer you.) The Borg said.

The Klingon realized that the ex-drone was stating her own claim. Something that had nothing to do with Klingon tradition. So the first reaction of the proud Klingon was an obvious:
" ghobe' " (no)

" HItlhochQo' " (Don't contradict me.) Seven said with a growl that would make even Kahless proud.

" Qatlh jImatlh " (It is difficult) but (I am loyal) to you. B'Elanna relented after a moment. Knowing that this was what Seven wanted to hear.

" wa' ?" (one) Seven asked.

" wa' " (one) B'Elanna agreed before changing back to English again. Apparently talking Klingon was more difficult for her than it was for Seven.
"Yes, we are one. Now, would you mind letting me go?"

"Why would I want to do that? I like the way you feel against me. I wish to continue with kissing."

"And by whom do you want to be kissed, by the human or by the Klingon?"
There was a dose of humor in B'Elanna's voice. But Seven could easily detect that B'Elanna meant that question seriously.

"B'Elanna, what I just did was not to make a preference." While she let go of B'Elanna and they once again went to the position of sitting beside each other on the couch. "I just want you to be yourself. All I did was show you that you should not hold back because you fear my reaction. I can handle the human just as easily as the Klingon. So what ever you feel like at that moment, act like it. Be yourself."

A wave of relief flooded over B'Elanna. To have somebody accept her so completely... to allow her to be herself... to actually want that impossible Klingon/human mix. That alone made her feel even more love for Seven.

"Isn't this really a bit sudden?" B'Elanna than asked, realizing the quickness with which all had happened. "I mean, I just told you I love you and now I am already engaged with you.

"Perhaps it is not. To the contrary, it is quite logical for two individuals like us. It is your Klingon heritage which allows you to do this. Klingons see what they want and take it. And for a Borg, anything else would be unnecessary waste of time."

"Yeah? Then tell me, why did I wait so long before I married Tom? And what about your human side? Isn't this too quick for the human in the Borg?"

"Are you regretting what we just did?" Seven asked in a small voice already filled with sorrow.

"No! Don't you ever go think that." B'Elanna contradicted fiercely. "No Seven, this is the best thing I ever did. I am sure of that. I'm just wondering why this feels so... right."

Seven decided that she had enough of just sitting beside B'Elanna when she could have more. And so she opened her arms and B'Elanna immediately reacted. The Klingon had dreamt of being held in those arms and now that she could she was not about to hesitate for one single moment.
When Seven's arms closed around B'Elanna a feeling of utter bliss spread through both women. This was how it was supposed to be. THIS was... right.

The ex-drone actually had to concentrate first before she could say the words that were so clear only moments before. Before she had taken the Klingon into her arms, and everything else had become unimportant.

"Maybe, Kyamo(beautiful one), because you love me as much as I love you. And... B'Elanna, I do not believe in the gods, so let me borrow your Kahless for a moment. Kahless, how I love you, B'Elanna."

Hearing that lit a fire of pure love in B'Elanna. "I love you too, you stupid Borg." B'Elanna said affectionately. "And I understand why you wanted to borrow Kahless. Because, Kahless, Seven how I love you. I never knew what love was before I met you."

That lit up Seven's face with a beautiful smile which immediately brought a similar smile to B'Elanna's face. And it was with that same smile that the Borg offhandedly, yet tenderly, explained. "Maybe you waited so long with marrying Tom because you're Klingon side never wanted to. It was the human who wanted the continuous company and familiarity that a marriage like that could offer.
And when your human side finally won that battle, for that moment, it was your Klingon side who once again acted and suddenly married Tom in the course of one day.
And for my human side, B'Elanna, you yourself once said that I am emotionally very young and..."

"I'm sorry for that Seven." B'Elanna once again felt shameful for one of the many verbal things she had thrown at the Borg.

"And you will be sorry for a lot more things that you have once said. Do not go apologizing for all of them B'Elanna. Because a lot of them were true and a lot of them made me actually think, like this one did.
Now, as I said before I was in so ruefully interrupted." The Borg joked to lighten the mood a little bit. "As you said, I AM the emotionally very young. But 'thanks' to the Borg I am a mature person who has seen everything from mass assimilation to... the Omega molecule. So I AM a grown person, mentally and physically. But emotions, I am just exploring. However, that combination makes it incredibly easy for me to know how much I love you and that there will never be anybody else for me. My young emotions make this easy. My memory of assimilated species gives me a indication of how great a love for a person can be. And, B'Elanna, none of that comes even close to what I feel for you.
So maybe this time the Klingon and the Borg have done the right thing and the humans should simply go along and enjoy."

Yeah, you're probably right." B'Elanna agreed before smiling again and adding: "In that case I would love to just lie here and continue kissing you."

"I would like that. And I would not mind at all to feel your hands caressing me."

"Only caress?" The Klingon asked with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

"For tonight? Yes. I want time for more but unfortunately our shift starts in six hours and twelve minutes."

"You're right, of course. But let me get off of you. I must be crushing you."

"No! Stay I like the way you feel against me. And you are not crushing me. I am Borg, I can take it. So stay where you are and kiss me."

And B'Elanna did, tenderly.

*****

The next day the alpha shift on the bridge was extremely quiet. No strange things had happened on the bridge for more than a month now and all of the important systems were a virus free. So finally, on the bridge at least, the usual ease that always hang in the air was back.
And that should have been an indication. Because if their journey in the Delta Quadrant had thought them one thing it was that if everything was quiet... then something was about to happen.

It started of innocently enough. Just a blip on the screen in front of Tuvok. Something he of course dutiful mentioned.
"Long-range sensors are picking up a relatively small ship Captain."

"Really? Out here in this quiet space desert? On screen."

"That is not possible. The Borg enhanced long-range sensors have a range that is greater than the range of the standard Federation viewscreen sensors."

"Is that your Vulcan way of saying 'I told you so', Tuvok?" The Captain asked with a humor filled voice.

"We Vulcans do not believe in 'I told you so', Captain. However, the fact remains that I did advise you to upgrade the viewscreen sensors at the same time as the long-range sensors."

"Of course you did, Tuvok. But what can you tell me?"

"Only that it is a spaceship with roughly one-tenth the size of Voyager, that it is stationary and that the sensors can not penetrate it. We can merely registered it... And that is now coming into range of the viewscreen sensors."

"Well in that case, on screen." Janeway did not try to hide her amusement about the fact that the Vulcan had just really basically told her 'I told you so', despite his claim that he had not.
But then the viewscreen was activated and the Captain was captivated by the small sleek-lined ship. If she had to describe how the ship looked she would describe it has one of the Lions she had once seen back on Earth. It had a feel about it as if nothing could be of interest to it, and yet there was a power shining through in the design that told you that you were dealing with a very deadly creature. "Tuvok?"

"I still can not get any clear readings, Captain. However, the closer we come, the clearer some of the readings are getting."

"Some?"

"Yes Captain. I would semis that we are only getting the readings they want us to get. The rest is completely blocked."

"Take us out of warp, Tom, and close in until a distance of five thousand kilometers."

"Aye ma'am. Dropping out of warp, now. Ten thousand kilometers and closing."

"Harry, hail them."

"No response."

"Five thousand kilometers."

"Tuvok?"

"Still the same readings, Captain. There are living beings on board the ship and they have an environment which can sustain normal humanoid life. But that is all I am reading. I cannot tell you of how many members the crew is made up."

"Close in to one thousand kilometers and then come to a full stop."

Voyager closed in while the zoom of the ship in the viewscreen automatically adapted itself to the closing distance.

"One thousand kilometers and holding."

"Harry?"

"Still no response Captain."

Janeway looked at Chakotay who only lifted a hand to indicate that he ready had no suggestion.

"This is getting annoying. Tom, bring us in to one hundred kilometers."
Janeway then addressed Tuvok. "If there is still no reply to our hail by then I want you to start a level 1 scan."

"One hundred kilometers and holding."

"Harry?" Janeway heard the turbolift opening but did not take the time to see who had entered the bridge.

"Nothing."

"Okay, Tuvok..."

But before Tuvok could initiate the scan a purple light was filling the bridge. "WE are being scanned." Tuvok said calmly, if a bit redundant. Then his eyes went to Seven of Nine who had just entered the bridge together with B'Elanna but who had stopped moving when she saw the ship on the viewscreen.

"Raise Shields." Janeway had hardly said the words before her voice was drowned out by a not so cool nor composed blonde urgently screaming...

"NO!!!"

Chapter 7

Earlier that morning in B'Elanna's quarters.

The Klingon was slow waking up, which was unusual for her. Normally she would wake up and be out of the bed within a minute, yet now it had taken her more than ten minutes to get from the blissful stage of half-sleep to being awake enough to consciously open her eyes, which she had yet to do.

'Damn, I haven't slept like this for years.' She thought while she buried her face a little more into the softness it was resting against. Suddenly her eyes flew open as she realized exactly what that softness was and who she was using as a mattress. The events of the previous night came flooding back in. 'I'm sleeping on top of Seven. I am engaged to Seven. I am sleeping on my fianc�e.' A smile started to spread across her face. A smile that quickly disappeared when she suddenly set up straight because she knew for sure that this incredible thing had to be a dream.

"You are not dreaming, B'Elanna." Seven said reassuring.

"How..?"

"How did I know that you thought last night was a dream? Because I thought the same thing when I woke up. I awakened with you in my arms, just as I have dreamed. With your head resting on my?" A smirk that showed that Seven had noticed all too well how B'Elanna had buried her face into the softness she had found. "?chest, just under my chin."

"Really? Me too. Well, I mean that I've dreamt of being held in this position, not that I've dreamt of holding myself in this position of course, because, well?" B'Elanna stammered.

"Kyamo (beautiful one), do not worry, I understand what you mean. In fact, it is quite logical for us to have similar dreams. Just as it is logical for me to want to hold the woman I love in my arms and it is logical for you to want to be held by me. Kyamo, please do not attempt to raise one eyebrow like I do, you look like you might strain a muscle and I do not wish to see the doctor today. Rather, let me explain. I have done extensive research on the bonding of Klingons and humans and have come across several references that state that strong Klingon warriors who fight in many battles wish to be held, and feel protected, by their mates when not fighting. And it also stated that this behavior usually starts with the warrior wanting to be held while sleeping. Only later when the proud warrior realizes that this is nothing to be ashamed of do they start admitting this openly. And we have certainly encountered enough battles lately to prompt that behavior in you."

"Hmm, leave it to you to bring logic into a conversation about dreams, bring the doctor up in that same conversation, then bring up Klingon behavior, and actually know all the stuff you say in that conversation thanks to research. Tell me, have I told you already how much I adore your little quirks? Don't answer that and consider yourself told."

"I am merely stating what I know based upon the research I have done. The simple answer would be that we simply had two dreams that fit together perfectly? Just as we do."

B'Elanna closed her eyes for a moment when she heard those four last words. She would have never thought it possible to feel like that. That the simple feeling of two arms around her could change everything, make everything else secondary. Oh, she knew that she would give her life for crew and ship. Or that she would leave those arms at the very second a red alert would sound. Or that she would spend days on end in Engineering if that was required.

But still, none of it mattered as much anymore as it did only twelve hours earlier. Because now she knew what her last thought would be if she had to give her life for crew and ship, what image she would see before her eyes when she gave her last breath. Or that the only reason she would leave those arms was because she knew that those same arms would be waiting for her when the crisis was over. And working in Engineering for days on end? Ha! So what. Seven would be by her side and that's what counted.

Since B'Elanna really didn't know how to word the feelings she had, the Klingon half of her decided to ask the relatively neutral, "In that case, how did you sleep?"

They looked at each other and smiled. They both knew what Seven's answer to that would normally have been. So Seven decided not to use her obvious 'I closed my eyes and?' answer, but instead replied, "I do not know for certain but I believe that my answer to that would be? good."

"Why don't you know for certain?" B'Elanna asked while she lowered her head again. The heck with modesty. It felt simply right to be held like that and what was wrong with resting your head on the chest of your fianc� anyhow?

"Because I do not have any reference points. This was actually the first time I slept."

"What?" B'Elanna asked surprise and once again sat up a bit so that she could look into Seven's eyes.

Seven understood the predicament that B'Elanna was dealing with. Either be held in a very comfortable embrace or be able to look Seven in the eyes. So the Borg accommodated her fianc� by also shifting position. She sat up and pulled B'Elanna against her. This way, if she wanted, B'Elanna only had to look up to see the Borg's eyes.

"Yes. While the doctor did encouraged me to sleep, all my attempts at doing so failed. After I had tried for eight consecutive nights to sleep, the doctor agreed that I was not ready yet and said that I should just rely on regenerating for now. However he did encourage me to try to sleep whenever I felt the need to."

"But if you haven't slept before then how could you have dreamt of holding me in your arms?"

"Because I also dream when I regenerate."

"What? I didn't know that. Why didn't you tell somebody? We always assumed that you are totally unconscious while you regenerated."

"Kyamo." Seven said tenderly. "The first dream I ever had was about you sealing one of our arguments by kissing me. The second dream I had was about you tenderly trailing your fingers across the exoskeleton of my hand while you were reprimanding me about how and how not to use that hand. The third dream was ab? about something else. Why would I tell anybody about that? What is wrong with dreaming of the person you love?"

"You're right. There is nothing wrong with me dreaming about you." B'Elanna agreed, deliberately changing the words. "But I would still like to know how it is possible that you can suddenly dream. I was present when you once told the doctor that you actually didn't dream. Remember? So when did this change? And don't you go telling me that this has something to do with you becoming more human. This is mechanics. I could understand that some things changed if some of your implants had been removed but that hasn't happened. So how the hell can you suddenly dream?"

"I started having dreams after we found and removed the virus in the Borg alcove." The Borg could feel B'Elanna stiffen when she said this. "I checked the entire alcove after I had my first dream and found that the virus had changed the programming of the alcove slightly just before we removed it. I no longer only stay in the second stage of sleep, which is a semi-conscious state. Since the virus changed the programming of the alcove I am now occasionally allowed to reach R.E.M. sleep. Not as often as is normal for a human, but often enough to have at least one dream each time I regenerate. This is something the original programming of the alcove prevented entirely from occurring. And something that is also different from normal human beings is that I can remember each dream I had. Humans only remember the last dream they have before waking up. But if I have two or even three dreams I still remember all of them."

"So, for once, something good actually came from one of those viruses. But still, that is months ago. You should have told me," the Klingon accused.

Normally the tone AND the words that B'Elanna had spoken would have been enough to either annoy the blonde, or put her completely on the defensive. But Seven knew that B'Elanna was only concerned for her and that knowledge made all the difference. Because now that accusation actually felt good to the Borg. A fact that her logic-driven mind could not understand at all but knew that it simply had to accept. So Seven explained with a voice filled with understanding.

"I tested the alcove extensively and there was, and is, no danger. Kyamo, now that I could finally dream, dream of you, I did not want to lose those dreams again. That is why I did not tell anybody."

"Okay." B'Elanna relented. "I can accept that, I? I would have probably done the same thing. But I insist, and there are no compromises on this subject, that I will check out that alcove before the next time you regenerate. I promise I won't change anything as long as it isn't dangerous." The small nod that Seven gave B'Elanna was all the confirmation by Klingon needed. So to keep the conversation light she then smoothly changed the subject. "So you were basically telling me that I put you to sleep?" B'Elanna's smile made it clear that she was trying to lighten the mood.

"I would rather say that you were the one thing that was missing in my life to make it comfortable and complete enough for me to sleep but if you wish to phrase it that way?"

"Damn, Seven, you know how to make a girl feel good. That was beautiful."

"It was the truth."

"That you actually mean it is what makes it so beautiful."

Seven's answer to that was to tenderly start kissing B'Elanna, which they continued doing for several minutes.

"Wow, now that is a way to start the morning. Morning?" B'Elanna then interrupted herself, realizing that she was too rested for the four hours of sleep that she could have had ad at the most. "Computer, what time is it?"

{The time is zero nine hours and three minutes.}

"Oh, damn." B'Elanna groaned. "I forgot to set the alarm. No wonder I'm so rested. It is not often that I actually get eight hours of sleep. Well, we most obviously overslept."

"No we did not. This may have been the first time I slept but I only slept for three hours and forty minutes, which was more than enough for me. I then told the computer to disable the alarm and send a message to the Captain informing her that we would start later today because we worked so long yesterday and it would be more efficient to grant you an acceptable amount of time to sleep."

"You did that while I was sleeping right on top of you? I really must have been tired. I assume the captain agreed?"

"Of course, I would have woken you if she had not."

"Of course. Ask a stupid question?" B'Elanna mumbled. Then she realized something else and this time let go of Seven entirely. "Oh, Kahless, that means that you were awake for more than four hours with me lying on top of you."

"Do not distress, B'Elanna, I used the time most efficiently."

"Yeah, I guess that photographic memory of yours does come in handy sometimes. So what did you think about?"

Seven smiled in a way that the Klingon would best describe as patiently tolerant. "I used that 'photographic memory of mine' to remember everything I observed in those four hours of watching you sleep. The comforting feel of your weight on top of me. The rhythm of your breathing. The warmth of your body against mine from toe to... chin. The smell of your hair. The smell of your body, which is almost the same as that of a normal human but thanks to its Klingon Heritage it smells... spicier, more full of life. The way your left hand unconsciously traced the offshoots of my abdominal implants on my side. The way you mumble very softly in Klingon, which I find absolutely adorable and... cute. The way..." The Borg stopped when she saw tears rolling down the Klingon's face. "I hurt you." She said, distressed.

"No you didn't, you stupid Borg. You made me feel so good inside that all I could do was cry."

"Klingons do not cry."

"Yeah, well, Klingon/human hybrids do. But don't tell anybody. Janeway is the only other person who knows this. Rather, tell me what I said in my sleep. Tom has told me that I sometimes mumble in my sleep but he couldn't understand what I said."

"Which most probably is a good thing. It took my enhanced hearing, which Tom does not have, and my knowledge of the Klingon language, which Tom also does not have, to clearly understand what you said. And I really do not think that he would have liked to hear you talk about what you are planning to do to me when you finally get into that 'damn biosuit'."

"Oh, Kahless in a freezer. You heard that? You know what I want to..."

"Yes I heard. And, Kyamo, I am looking forward to it."

"But, Seven, some of that is quite... rough." B'Elanna seriously said, wanting to clear that up before they were ever in a situation where talking about it was the last thing on their minds.

"Some of it was. But you are forgetting that I listened to you for more than four hours. And while you were not talking for the entire time, I did also hear you speak about things that are slow and tender. You have pretty much covered your entire spectrum. Even up to the use of certain attributes you were willing to use if I wanted something else." Seven made sure that B'Elanna was looking her into the eyes before she added, "And let me assure you, Klingon, nothing of what I heard was too rough for me. Are we finally clear on that, SuvwI' (warrior)?"

" Hija' " (yes), the Klingon said after a moment of hesitation. But then started to explain exactly why she was so hesitant. "Seven, sometimes, experience counts more than knowledge. You may research all you want about this but until you actually experience it, you never know for sure whether or not you really like it. For instance, what is so hard about not touching your partner when your partner has ordered you not to do so? That is really incredibly easy, isn't it? You simply don't touch your partner right?"

"That is correct."

B'Elanna took hold of Seven's hand, which was continuously trailing along the Klingon's arm without the Borg realising that she was doing so.

"You see, love." B'Elanna quickly placed a kiss on the hand. "That is precisely what I mean. You have researched this and to you this simple command sounds so easy, oh, so very easy. But I have actually experienced it. And believe me, those kinds of commands are the hardest to follow. To actually NOT use your hands. To keep your eyes closed, or actually keep your eyes open.
Love, the point that I'm making is that until you have actually experienced it, you don't know for sure. And one thing I can guarantee you is that the first time you actually experience it, your reaction will be 'all of my research could never have prepared me for this'."

"Kyamo, I believe that you are misunderstanding me." Seven countered. "I do not assume that I know everything there is to know about this. I actually know that I will most probably forget all of my research at the very moment this will happen. And honestly, I HOPE that I will forget all my research. Because at that moment I want to truly give myself to you and not think about whether or not what I am experiencing is the same as what my research has suggested.
But until that very moment, I only have my research and the current knowledge of my body. So until I actually experience this I will talk about what I know. My research and my body. And, Kyamo, my research has told me what I can expect as far as physical pain and pleasure is concerned. My knowledge of my body tells me that I can easily take the POTENTIALLY physical pain and my body is already hoping for the pleasure. So when I am talking about wanting something I can only talk based upon my research. And I look forward to you teaching me the practical side of my theoretical knowledge."

"In that case, continue convincing me. Because I have to admit that the SuvwI' (warrior) in me still needs more convincing if you really want her to not hold back when the situation occurs."

"Very well." The Borg agreed. "But first let me thank you for saying honestly that you need more convincing. No matter what else ever may happen, we should always be honest with each other, always have an honest relationship."

"Always. I promise you that, Annika. No lying about feelings. No saying that one is all right when one really isn't. Our love will be the foundation our relationship is built on; honesty will be the glue that holds the foundation together. We will never, ever have to doubt each other because we will always talk openly with each other. Only that way will our love always exist without the tarnish of a stain upon it."

"And you say that I have a way with words. Yes Kyamo, honesty will be the only rule in our relationship. The rest will be agreements and?" A smile. "?compromises. Because I know we will never agree on everything."

"Deal. But because I know how precise you can be with words, my beautiful Borg, let me make clear that I will sometimes answer evasively or lie to you. But never on anything even remotely important. For instance, if you ask me if I have a present for your birthday then I might say no and thereby lie about that. But I will not say that I like a certain food if I really don't only because I think I should be nice to you."

"Very well, I can agree to that. But for the rest, honesty."

"Honesty." B'Elanna repeated. She knew that the marriage with Tom had been doomed to failure from the beginning. But what had made it even more difficult were the small lies one told to not hurt the feelings of the other. B'Elanna swore on her Klingon honor that this was not going to happen in this relationship. There would be no secrets. Well, okay, the only secret she was ever going to keep from Seven was whether or not she had a present for her birthday. But that was it. "Anyway, you still have to convince the warrior. So start convincing."

The Borg answered the Klingon's grin with a smile of her own before starting to explain. "As I told you, I have done extensive research about this. As a matter-of-fact, I have researched all there was to find about Klingons in the Federation database. So I know that all that talk about bloodshed and breaking of bones during copulation is only a myth. Yes, Klingons can be rough and because of this, accidents do sometimes happen. So, yes, occasionally there are broken bones and blood but this is not intentional. They are nothing more than accidents. All those myths come from the few times that very violent Klingons copulated with women or men who thought that they could handle it. But statistics show that there are actually fewer injuries with Klingon copulating or Klingon/human copulating then they are between humans who decide that they want to try 'the rough stuff' once."

"The rough stuff, huh?" B'Elanna interrupted. "Have I told you how much I love hearing phrases like that coming from your lips?"

"No, you did not. However, I will consider myself told once again. Now, as I was about to say. You will notice that until now I have not spoken about the fact that my body is much stronger and resilient then a standard human body because of my Borg enhancements. However, I have avoided that topic deliberately. Because even without them I am sure that I could handle everything you have to offer. But if you still are afraid of that then remember that I AM Borg. I AM capable of denting duranium, I AM cable of overpowering everybody on board this ship, including you. I have nanoprobes in my blood that are capable of healing injuries a normal human being would die from."

"Yes, but?"

This time Seven silenced B'Elanna by softly putting two fingers against her mouth. "The biggest problem about this alleged roughness of Klingons is that this belief is so widespread that even young Klingons believe it until they have their first copulation and realize that it is not so. Kyamo, I think that the biggest problem with this specifically is that you simply had the wrong partners up till now. I like Tom and he is my friend, but he is not suitable for you. There is a huge difference between being rough and being? temperamental. You need somebody who can keep up with you. Somebody who actually wants more and is not just going along with you because you like doing it. And I truly believe that I am that person. So stop being afraid that I might change my mind when I actually fully experience that Klingon heritage of yours." Seven could still see a trace of reluctance in B'Elanna's eyes so she tried a different approach. An approach that she knew only too well. Logic. "Very well, tell me, B'Elanna. Every time you copulate, is it always rough?"

"No. Usually it isn't. Most often it isn't. But, Annika, the occasional time, every month or two, I always had to restrain myself because it was more than Tom could handle."

"You are now specifically referring to Annika to indicate that my human side could have troubles with this, correct?" But before the Klingon could answer, Seven continued. "Well then let me tell you one of Annika's secrets, Klingon. Annika usually dreams about tender, but once in a while she dreams about submitting to the Klingon. Do not assume that Annika would not be welcoming and even relish such treatment once every couple of weeks."

"You would?" The Klingon asked surprised.

"Yes, I believe I would. Why do you find that so hard to believe?"

"Well? I don't know really. It's just that, I, well, I guess, you see... As you know, I worked on the data we recovered from the 'Raven'. I have actually seen the little innocent six-year-old Annika. And I somehow find it hard to compare that to the woman who just assured me that she would like to see some of that Klingon Heritage of mine."

Seven softly tapped B'Elanna against her forehead, against the Klingon ridges there. "No, Kyamo, not some of that Klingon Heritage but THAT Klingon Heritage. Not some. Is that finally getting through that thick head of yours?"

The Borg's approach was successful because B'Elanna couldn't help but grin at that. "It is slowly starting to get through. Please be patient with me. All my life I have needed to play that down, to control that part of me. I have to get used to suddenly having somebody truly accepting it. No, not just accepting but actually wanting it. And you know what the funny part is? As much as I am talking about it, you are absolutely right. It is only occasionally. It is more like some sort of battle lust. In certain circumstances, I truly want to be that dominant Klingon. But much more often than that, it is actually my Klingon half keeping my impatient human half in check. Showing the human the fun of a slow, patient, drawn out love session."

"I am glad that you are finally beginning to see what I already know?"

"From research only." B'Elanna interrupted and reminded.

"Kyamo, believe me, I may not have put my research into practice yet but I know more about this than any Klingon ever did before they started copulating. The only thing that is missing is that I actually experience it. And I also want to comment on something else you just said. You may have seen an innocent little six-year-old Annika in that data, but now I am a grown woman with a twenty-seven year old body. Only three years younger than yours. Lanna, I may call my human side 'Annika' but I am not that little girl anymore. She does not exist anymore. The Borg killed her and there is no way of getting her back. My body has the impulses of a twenty-seven year old. And it wants things that it could even easily handle without the Borg enhancements.

"It is just because humans, even half humans like you or me, always fall back on what they know to guide them in their life that I sometimes seem inexperienced or, as you call it, 'innocent'. However, Kyamo, I have already spent three years with you and your personality. I do have experience with that. So, I think I know what I am getting myself into. I know that I love everything about you. And your Klingon Heritage is a very big part of why I love you. I love that temperament of yours and I hope that we will never stop fighting. Because I like the fights we have. I like that Klingon straightforwardness you have. And I especially like when you actually use that straightforwardness instead of having your doubts cloud your mind. I love the way?"

"So you like that straightforwardness, huh?" B'Elanna interrupted because Seven's speech had given her the courage to ask something very important. "In that case, let me ask you this very straightforward. Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct to Unimatrix Zero One, Annika Hansen, will you move in with me?"

Surprised, Seven took a deep breath. Even though she had expected that B'Elanna would ask her this question soon, she had not expected to hear the question SO soon. She had expected that it would take B'Elanna at least a couple of days to get used to the idea of living together with somebody again. However there was no doubt in Seven's mind about what her answer was going to be.

But before the Borg could answer, B'Elanna took the deep breath as a wrong sign and quickly stood up and started pacing the room. She wanted Seven in her life as much as possible so she immediately started with explaining why moving in would be a good idea. Not even for a moment looking at Seven. If she had done so, the smile would have told her what the answer was.

"I mean, I know that according to Klingon tradition we could go on living separately for the next five years but I don't want that." (end of room, turn, start walking) "I love you and I want to be with you. I don't want to keep this quiet as I did with Tom in the beginning." (turn, start walking) "As a matter-of-fact, when we speak to Janeway this afternoon about what we realized about this traveler, I wanted to ask the Captain to send a official ship wide memo informing people, if you agree of course." (turn) "I want the entire universe to know, but I will settle for the entire ship?"

"Kyamo..." Seven interrupted quietly.

"? I know, Seven." B'Elanna rambled on. "I know that this is not really necessary but," (turn) "I still want to do it. Unless you really object. But there are also other reasons. Senior staff is allowed to have their own rooms. You shouldn't have to live in a 'cargo bay'!" B'Elanna practically spit those last two words and then continued rambling. "Now, I know that moving in isn't exactly having your own rooms but if you're going to move, I would like to have you here." (turn) "And that cargo bay simply isn't safe?"

"Lanna..." Seven tried again.

"?No, Seven, everybody can walk in there while you are regenerating and you don't notice it. I know. I have been there each time you regenerated the last couple of months and you never noticed my presence."

B'Elanna was so caught up in a rambling that she didn't realize what she just confessed to Seven. Nobody knew that B'Elanna had spent at least one hour each night when Seven was regenerating just looking at Seven, looking at her own idea of perfection.

"And it would also be better for your health if you lived here. Because you would eventually get a rhythm into your life. Something I know you don't have at the moment. Going to bed at night. Breakfast in the morning. Dinner at night then sleep again. Much better than what you have now..."

"B'Elanna," This time Seven was actually quietly laughing.

"?And if you live here than nobody would disturb you when you are sleeping, I mean sleeping sleeping, not regenerating. Though I do tend to move in my sleep. Not that I'm assuming anything but? okay, so I am assuming that we would sleep in the same bed?"

Seven decided to just lean back and wait until B'Elanna was either finished rambling or would finally look at her. She actually enjoyed seeing the Klingon ramble on like that.

"?And you could use the kitchen here if you want to cook. I could teach you a few things. Not that I'm any good at cooking. But then again, you don't have to be any good at cooking to be better at cooking than Neelix. But if you don't like to cook then I would love to make you something once in a while. I'm sure I could get better at it, cooking I mean.

"And to be honest, I don't trust that alcove of yours anymore after what you just told me and I would only feel comfortable if you were regenerating in a alcove we built from scratch. And then we could just as well build it in here, in some corner. Once again, nobody to interrupt you when you are sleeping or regenerating.

"And? and? ah, you could have Naomi over when you are staying here. I like the kid so that wouldn't bother me at all. I would like that. And? and? you could use half of the closet space to hang your biosuits so that they don't wrinkle. Do your biosuits actually wrinkle?"

B'Elanna was so caught up in her rambling that she still hadn't looked at Seven so she was completely missing the unbelievable sight of a Borg shaking with silent laughter.

"And? and, you would also be rid of that stupid 'regeneration cycle complete' voice. And, when we live together we actually get replicator rations for two persons so we could actually save replicator rations when we would use the kitchen. And Naomi could also come over more often?"

When B'Elanna started to repeat herself Seven decided that it was time to put her out of her misery. So with difficulty, she summoned her best monotone Borg voice and tried a complete; "Chief Engineer Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres."

Seven was finally successful and the Klingon stopped dead in her tracks. She slowly turned to Seven, realizing what a fool she just had made of herself. However, luckily, the Borg had the most beautiful smile on her face that B'Elanna had ever seen. And then those beautiful lips formed the most beautiful word that B'Elanna had ever heard.

"Yes."

"Yes?"

"Yes."

Now that Seven had agreed the nervous butterflies left the Klingon and she got some of her calm back. Though there was no way of getting rid of that broad smile that had come to her face when Seven had said yes. "That's all? After that entire speech, you simply say yes?"

"It seems that you are quite capable of using enough words for the both of us." Seven said while she got up and moved to the Klingon. She put her arms around B'Elanna and rested her hands on the Klingon's backslide.

B'Elanna had no control over it when her eyes fluttered shut. Feeling Seven's body against hers, in front of her, and feeling Seven's hands on her backside was almost enough to short-circuit her brain. And that was with clothes on. She was sure that the ability to stand would automatically leave her if this same situation were to happen when they were both naked. That thought was enough to make her hearts beat in overtime and she quickly stepped back, out of the Borg's reach. "That is something you shouldn't do when we still have to work, love."

"Why not? Does that not arouse you? Or are you afraid to feel my arms around you, afraid to feel my mesh covered hand touching you? A hand that has enough power to transform your beautiful body into nothing more than a bloody heap?" By now Seven's tone had changed from warm and loving to that famous cold Borg tone and her questions were asked in an accusatory way. It pained the ex-drone that she had to do this but she needed to prove this point.

"What kind of stupid questions are these?" B'Elanna asked outraged. How could Seven think that B'Elanna would be afraid of those implants? The hurt was obvious to hear in the Klingon's voice. "How can you even suggest that?"

"Because I noticed that you changed the subject to living together without actually ending the conversation about your Klingon Heritage. Kyamo, I am sorry that I had to do this. But you just proved my point. All what I said about my implants is true. Yet you do not fear them while they are touching your body. In fact, you want them touching you. The same goes for your Klingon Heritage. It is something others might have to fear but to it is something I could never think about fearing. Just like you want to feel my mesh-covered hand on your body I want to experience that Klingon side of yours."

Finally B'Elanna's facial expression changed from outrage to total understanding. Finally, FINALLY she understood what Seven meant. You don't need experience or research to love something. You simply need to love a person entirely and you will love everything about that person.
"Thank you for explaining, Annika."

The tone in the Klingon's voice told Seven that she had finally gotten her point across. So she once again changed the subject. This time back to the living together.

"I wanted to agree to living together before you even started with explaining why living together would be a good thing. Though I really did like your explanations. If you had not asked me, I would have asked you in a couple of days. I just thought that maybe you needed some time to adjust to the idea of it again."

"Okay, in that case, why don't we speak a little about the moving in, and the moving of your personal possessions while we have breakfast."

"I do not require n?" Seven started to say but she realized that even though she was not hungry, she still could eat something if that meant that she could have the experience of sharing a breakfast with B'Elanna so she quickly changed her statement. "I would love to have breakfast with you. Though only a little, I am not that hungry."

B'Elanna caught the change and it brought a smile to her face. 'How have I ever managed without her? Just the fact that she wants to eat breakfast with me makes me happier than Tom ever could.' She realized that even though it was true it still was not fair to her friend who had certainly tried everything to make her happy. 'Sorry Tom,' she thought before saying out loud; "Great, one breakfast coming up."

Continued...