Games

Chapter 1

Death plays chess. Fate plays dice. What isn’t widely known is that Angels play Poker.

She sat quietly, surveying the other three players at the table, two black spiralled backed cards lay face down in front of each player, three cards face up in front of the dealer. The eight of hearts, each heart deep red and almost three-dimensional, somehow mocking in its elegance and beauty. The King of clubs his dark goatee beard setting off a sneer that marked the figure as a dark scoundrel, a comic villain. Lastly the Ten of diamonds, not crudely shaded in red or orange, but instead each coated in sparkling varnish that caught the light and shone up reflecting against the metal that adorned each player, on chains, buttons or other ornamentation.

The real life scoundrel, wearing a platinum chain seemed nervous, his hands drummed relentlessly on the uppermost of his cards, staring intently at the deck as if willing his luck to change. His pile of chips was the smallest.

Next to him sat a fresh-faced young looking man, his pile of chips was only slightly bigger. Still he didn’t fidget, his hands were clasped together in front of him, a worn fedora pulled down to obscure his eyes and the innocence that might betray him.

Opposite sat a middle-aged man, middle aged in the way that some people are born that way. His age was immaterial it was his fussy manner, his smug smile and innate sense of self-confidence that marked him, he stared at each player in turn, before stopping to reassure himself that his hand was as good as he remembered.

"I’ll raise one hundred" the angel spoke distinctly.

I’ll match you and raise another twenty" The middle-aged player straightened his already impeccably placed tie.

"Too rich for me" the scoundrel looked petulant, turning his cards face up and throwing them disgustedly at the dealer. A two of clubs and a seven of realistically shaped spades were revealed.

"I’ll live to fight another day," said the boyish young man as he too revealed his cards, a neatly aligned four of hearts and a six of diamonds, then them slid across the table calmly.

"I will ‘see’ you" the lanky woman declared, placing the rest of her chips in the centre, she lifted her card from the table but held them in such away that they were still concealed from the other player’s views.

The bald gentleman nodded his ascent, and thrust his chips into the centre as well. The dealer turned the last three cards. A King of Diamonds, resplendent in white robes. A nine of diamonds, glittering in the subdued lounge light and a four of spades, arranged in a central cross.

"Hah, Full House." He said, revealing the King of Spades, his hands worn by labour as reached out to the edge of the card and an understated eight of clubs, with slightest of red tinges on each on each of the studded wooden clubs.

The angel smiled, her face stretched wide as a single golden wave laid down the side of her face, "Royal Straight" and she tilted her hand displaying a Queen of Diamonds, looking almost as striking as her and a Jack of Diamonds grinning mischievously.

"Damn Seven, that’s the third hand in a row!" Tom sulked, drinking deeply from his tankard, "I give up, I’m going home too my wife."

"We should all be so lucky" smirked Harry

"Hey get your own" sniped Tom as he wrapped his arm round Harry’s shoulders and slapped him across the back of the head. Harry winced than clambered to his feet, resetting his hat and brushing some non-existent dirt of his double breasted deep brown suit, "I think I’ll head home too, ma’am" he quirked an eyebrow at Seven and headed for the emerging holodeck doors.

"Yes well" mumbled the Doctor, "The best machine and all..." then he vanished, his matrix transferring back to the Sick Bay.

Seven smiled, "Computer end program" she gathered up the stack of holodeck rations she had won just as the table they were resting on vanished, as did the rest of the 1920’s saloon lounge in which they had been playing.

Striding purposefully towards the turbolift, Seven affected aloof disinterest in the attention she was attracting. Still she was not immune to the veiled looks of lust and envy she was attracting. Her dress left her shoulders bare and fell in straight lines until it reached the floor, but was slit almost to the top of her thigh, Black silk flowed, for once hinting at rather than parading her curves, somehow she looked all the more attractive. Grey lace trimmed the edges of the dress, thin and delicate, breaking the harsh lines of the fabric and giving it more warmth than one material alone.

She reached the bridge, stepping out of the lift with just a little more movement to highlight the swaying of her dress than actually required; the gamma shift gawked, and then ducked their heads embarrassed. Seven hit the chime on the Ready Room door and strode in. Captain Janeway looked up from her book and lay it down on the couch next to her. She beckoned Seven over to the sofa, grinning slightly.

"Well I think I’ll forgive your entrance based on that dress. You look stunning Seven."

"Thank you Captain, I am pleased to see that you also look relaxed." Indeed the Captain did, wearing a calf length navy blue dress with small crossed straps holding the dress over slim shoulders and disappearing under shoulder length auburn hair

"Are you ready?" she asked rising gracefully to her feet and extending her arm.

"Indeed, I believe I have secured all the rations we will need Kathryn." Seven grinned for the second time that night, but where the first had been a triumphant declaration, this smile was a gentle invitation as she extended her own arm out to thread through the Captain’s.

Kathryn grinned in return, her eyes sparkling with mischief and intent and the two headed back for the holodeck.

 


 

 

Chapter 2

 

"Honey I’m home" Tom hollered as we walked into the quarters he now shared with B’Elanna, looking around for his wife. Not spotting her he stopped to divest himself of his hat and his shiny black shoes. His hands went to the buttons of his Black pinstriped double-breasted jacket and began to undo the silver buttons; each engraved with a smoking Colt, when

"Hey Honey" A smooth honey dripped voice greeted him and he looked up, to see legs, long, sculpted caramel legs disappearing under the hem of an aqua negligee that fell across rounded hips, down a flat abdomen and cut across in a harsh V over perfectly proportioned...

Tom gulped, his mind not working, though he’d be the first too admit it didn’t always, and he struggled for words.

"Hey Doll, you’re looking fine tonight," He drawled in his best Chicago mob accent. "Can I interest you in a night of lovin?"

"No way stud, tonight I call the shots, got it?" B’Elanna stalked over and proceeded to rip his jacket off, buttons and all.

"Yes Ma’am" Tom grinned and blessed his luck.

 

Later...

"She beat you five times!!" B’Elanna propped herself up on her elbows and looked down at her husband who was sprawled half across her, face down on the bed. He lifted himself up a little and grinned sheepishly.

"Yeah I know, the card shark I am got bit." He wrapped one of his arms round her a bit more securely.

"I bet she cheated," groused B’Elanna, "In fact I bet I know exactly how she did it." She leaped up from the bed, grabbed a fresh uniform from the back of the chair and started pulling it on.

"Lanna where are you going?" Tom dragged himself up into a sitting position, "Its 0415 and your shift starts in less than three hours, and I know you haven’t slept yet," He wriggled his eyebrows roguishly.

"Stupid Borg thinks she can mess with my man." B’Elanna declared loudly as she headed for the door. Then she stopped, turned back to the bedroom and pulled Tom into a breath-stealing kiss, "I’ll teach her!" she grinned and headed back for the door.

Tom flopped back onto the mattress, arms stretched wide, a grin on his face, "That’s my girl" he smirked.

B’Elanna walked down the corridor headed for Holodeck two, muttering under her breath still; "How did she does do that, can’t she bad at anything? She’s so ooh, she’s such a Borg and..." B’Elanna trailed off, wondering what it was about Seven that made her quite so mad. She pondered that briefly as she stalked closer and closer to the holodeck doors, and spared an idle thought to returning to retrieve her mekleth and paying a visit to the neighbourhood drone afterwards. She saw then that the holodeck was already in use.

B’Elanna shrugged, it would have to wait until later she guessed, she started to turn away when her still sleep fogged mind finally noticed "12 of 32?" only Seven could name a program that. "I bet she’s in there fixing stuff right now," exclaimed B’Elanna furiously as she started entering override codes, trying to get the door to open.

Now if it had been anyone else on the crew B’Elanna wouldn’t have tried to break in, or if there had been some mitigating circumstances that meant she just had too, she would have found out what program was being run first. However, the testy and tired Klingon was in no mood to stop and think of it rationally, she also didn’t expect Seven to have any idea exactly what a holodeck could be used for so she blithely kept tapping in codes. "Aha" she exclaimed as the doors whirred open, "I got you now you unethical, despicable, good-for-nothing CAPTAIN!!!"

B’Elanna’s mouth fell open as she was greeted by the sight of her, remarkably exposed, superior officer.

The holodeck currently resembled a fairytale ballroom. The floor was covered in golden-varnished planks, arranged in geometric patterns; the bay windows reached from the floor up to the eight-foot high ceiling and had plush full-length red velvet curtains. The ceiling was covered in gold embossing, shaped as ivy trails running up from the floor and meeting in the centre where a huge chandelier hanging from the centre.

The room was bathed in a soft golden glow, with long shadows being cast from the pillars that stood each side of the window stretching across the floor and partly hiding the large incongruous four-poster bed nestled in one corner of the hall.

What had caught B’Elanna’s eye as she had stormed in was the hue of pink flesh, as two figures lay entwined on the luxurious black silk sheets of the bed. The bed’s occupants had still been locked in an embrace and while they lay with their passion cooling, the intimacy between them would have been unmistakable regardless. If there was any doubt as to exactly what they had been doing though, the one sheet tangled across them but barely covering anything confirmed all suspicions.

Now however Captain Janeway had raised herself up after B’Elanna’s interruption and knotting a sheer silk robe around her was proceeding to stalk towards the mortified and terrified engineer. If a force ten glare was normally reserved for the enemy apparently being interrupted after sex warranted a force twelve glare. The shadows cast eerily across her face, making her seem hard and cold. Klingon warrior or not B’Elanna was intimidated enough to keep her eyes fixed firmly above Janeway’s still exposed body.

"What the hell do you think YOU ARE DOING!!!?" Kathryn lost all hold on her temper as she began to yell, drawing to a halt just centimetres from B’Elanna, with just enough angle left to still subject B’Elanna to the full force of her ire. Kathryn’s body bristled with tension, her fists bunched up her sides. "HOW DARE YOU BURST IN HERE, YOU..."

"Kathryn" Seven’s soft voice broke into the Captain’s tirade halting her progress towards the pale Klingon, as she began to force B’Elanna back towards the wall. Seven rose up from the bed gracefully, unabashed by her nudity but for propriety’s sake pulling a sheet round her, though only after B’Elanna’s jaw had dropped. A pissed naked Captain was bad enough, and insufferably smug Borg goddess was something else.

B’Elanna let her mouth work before her mind, "Why Seven, I thought the Captain had more taste or did you have to assimilate her to get to second base?" B’Elanna sneered derisively. Seven moved.

Launching herself towards B’Elanna from half away across the room, who in turn allowed a growl to rise in her throat readying her body for the contact. For a second B’Elanna wasn’t sure what was happening when she saw Seven’s hand not close at her throat like she had expected, but instead round Janeway’s hand, millimetres before it reached B’Elanna’s cheek.

"Ssh love" the Borg whispered drawing Kathryn into her arms, "It is alright, I’m not offended, B’Elanna is not worth this." Seven bent her head to lay the softest of kisses on Kathryn’s mouth, rubbing her hands along tense arms and chilled skin.

B’Elanna was in shock, at the scene she saw, at the normally calm Captain losing all cool and at the gentle and loving way Seven looked at her. Gone was the ice Borg and the reserved captain, this was two woman in love, one driven past all reason to protect the honour of her partner, the other drawn to express such intimate emotions to prevent her from doing harm.

B’Elanna realised that they had obviously been together for a while, the casual comfort of the embrace and the permeating sent in the air spoke of more than a casual or clumsy first-time encounter, this was two passionate lovers bound to the other. Now the engineer was truly afraid (well slightly nervous anyway, she didn’t get scared after all), interrupting a ‘diversion’ was one thing, storming in on two devoted lovers was a thousand times worse.

"I-I’m sorry" she stammered, reaching up to rub her ridges in an nervously adolescent gesture, "I had no right to barge in and you’ve got every right to reprimand for what I said, Captain, I"

"Don’t" Kathryn’s tone was clipped and cold, she was flushed with anger and shaking with the knowledge that she almost hit a crewmember, that she risked her career for the sake of a partner. If she had been in a less stressful situation she might have permitted herself a wry smile at this uncharacteristic behaviour, and then she looked at Seven and melted.

"You owe her an apology not me" whispered Kathryn. She turned in Seven’s arms and wrapped her own around the blonde’s slim waist, this close to Seven, as always, she found it hard to focus on anything else. Kathryn looked deeply into Seven’s eyes as she spoke, "She has never deserved your scorn B’Elanna, or anything close to it, Seven is my love, my life." Kathryn ducked her head embarrassed at her sudden declaration in front of B’Elanna, but gratified to feel Seven tightening her grip and lowering her voice to a deeply intimate husky tone.

"And you are mine my darling Kathryn" replied Seven softly. Then the Borg was back, eyes cold, features hard; she loosened her grip on Janeway and turned her attention fully to B’Elanna who was vainly trying to disappear. "Leave. NOW" Seven barked.

"I’ll see you first thing in my ready room Lieutenant" snapped Kathryn, realising that the whole situation was in danger of spiralling out of control, if it hadn’t already. She reverted to the more familiar Captain persona; "Did you hear me?" she grated out through clenched teeth.

"Yes Ma’am" replied a suitably chastised and shocked B’Elanna, "I’ll lock the door on my way out." B’Elanna moved towards the holodeck controls, still visible by the door.

"NO, stay away. Have you not tampered enough already?" demanded Seven, releasing Kathryn and stalking towards the door, icy rage filled her at the thought B’Elanna could do more to interfere, what right did she have to be here in the first place?

"Hey I think I can fix a lock" protested B’Elanna indignantly, her natural animosity of Seven out weighed her common sense as she got another dig in "I managed to ‘fix’ it in the first place didn’t I?"

B’Elanna reached for the control panel, just as Seven did. Their joint momentum knocked both women off balance and they crashed into each other. Their entangled hands going straight through the exposed display panel in a shower of plastic and sparks.

"SEVEN!" screamed Kathryn leaping forward to try and drag her away before the panel overloaded from the damage, but it was too late, with a flash and a momentous bang the two of them were just gone.

Kathryn stood for a moment frozen in shock, then the shaking started, not from anger this time but fear, she vaguely felt her legs give way as she crumpled to floor. Choking back a sob of fear and anguish combined she addressed the computer.

"Janeway to Chakotay" she hailed her first officer, her voice trembling almost as much as her body. After a couple of tense, endlessly delayed seconds he replied in a sleep-clouded voice.

"Chakotay here, What’s wrong Kathryn?" his concern projected down to her as he registered her tone, discarding formalities he pressed her for more information, "Where are you? Do you need help? Kathryn?"

"Holodeck Two" replied Kathryn, her voice broken, "Oh Chakotay, get down here fast with an engineering team and find Tuvok."

"What’s happening?" The Commander’s voice was momentarily muffled as he pulled a shirt over his head, having been disturbed from sleep, "Kathryn are you alright?"

"No" she whispered in reply, "I’m not."

 


 

 

Chapter 3

 

"Stupid Fucking Borg! What happened where are we?" B’Elanna screamed at Seven. Her head was pounding and lights swam before her eyes obscuring her vision, but it hurt and it had to be Seven’s fault, if only she could remember where they were. "Do you hear me drone, what the hell have you done?"

A right hook was her answer as Seven unleashed all her anger at B’Elanna, blood streamed down Seven’s head and fell down her throat, dripping to her shoulders and across the top of her bared breasts. The sheet lay tangled at her ankles its presence forgotten. "Be warned B’Elanna Torres, if you yell at me again I will hit you with my left hand instead." She threatened her Borg hand clenching into a tight fist.

B’Elanna looked up from the floor where she lay sprawled, one hand rubbing her bruised jaw and silently thanking her Klingon heritage, without it the body part would surely have been broken. "Back off bitch" she snarled, "or else I’ll have to start hitting back."

"Please try" Seven was angry, she couldn’t remember ever being this angry. Frustrated yes, often with B’Elanna, annoyed at Kathryn for not taking the time to sleep or relax properly or for forgetting to mention a meeting she just had to attend right then, even angry at the enemies that threatened her collective, but never this rage. Her vision was red, literally as blood dripped into her eyes; she was consumed by the urge to hurt B’Elanna to strike her again and again and.

Seven took a deep breath, "I am not the monster you see me as Lt Torres, or you would already be dead, I do not wish to hurt you again, rather to ascertain where we are."

"Bring it on you coward" growled B’Elanna, "this is all your fault anyway."

Seven’s hands were on B’Elanna’s collar, lifting her into the air, holding her at arms reach so her legs swung uselessly, ignoring any glancing impact they had. "I will not kill you Lt, Kathryn would not allow it, but I will hurt you if you continue to act in this manner." She shook B’Elanna slightly for emphasis, "This is YOUR fault, YOU barged in on us, YOU insulted us, YOU continued to interfere when you were TOLD to leave and YOU pushed as into the panel."

Seven dropped her, stalking away to the other side of the room, grabbing the sheet as she did. B’Elanna scrambled to her feet and was about to reply when her up to now dormant Klingon honour raised its head and pointed out to her that she was wrong, it was her fault and she was about to try and attack the Captain’s naked, wounded girlfriend. Not good in anyway.

She turned away from Seven, averting her eyes from the gorgeous figure in front of her, giving Seven a modicum of privacy as she ripped the sheet into two strips and proceeded to knot one band across her chest, and the other wrapped around her legs in sarong style. B’Elanna turned her head a little, noting how bizarre the ‘Beach ready Barbie’ looked here in a hostile grey hospital ward, reminiscent of some 20th Century show Tom had once convinced her to watch.

"Hey?" she said, pieces coming together, "Where are we, I remember the controls exploding, then falling and..."

"Then we were here" cut in Seven smoothly, arching her eyebrow in disgust as the Lt tried to pretend she was too insignificant to even look at as she remained facing the opposite wall. "Am I really so disgusting to you that you will not look at me" queried Seven, trying to keep her tone cool, but the emotion of the day catching up with her and adding a slight quiver to her voice.

B’Elanna noticed it, and turned round taking two steps towards Seven until her natural preservation instinct kicked in and she decided to remain out of the very pissed, very strong Borg reach. "No Seven, I guess not, you’re just..."

"Borg" Seven said the word tonelessly, "And you hate the Borg, or is it just me?"

"Damned if I know" smirked B’Elanna with just a hint of teasing in her voice, then she clamped down on the smile that threatened to break on to her face, "But odds on I’d say you, Borg or not, would always annoy me."

"Wonderful then I have a purpose in life" quipped Seven as she grabbed the handle on the door and almost wrenched it off in the nanosecond before she realised she must turn the implement, and strode from the room.

"Great" said B’Elanna, reluctantly following Seven, "Still its not worth it if I come back alone" she pondered out loud, "Always knew she was the Captain’s favourite."

 

B’Elanna stepped out into a corridor, muted sounds of intercoms and crying echoed down the hall, reverberating through paper-thin walls. Everything was painted white, now turned grey from years without cleaning; the lighting flickered intermittently and cast dully across a row of empty orange plastic chairs running down the wall. Seven had disappeared from sight, so cursing quietly B’Elanna followed the corridor, hoping she was headed in the right direction.

As she reached the end a room opened up on her left, B’Elanna peeked in and saw a young girl, 17 at most, strapped down to a bed, moaning piteously. A bag of fluid hung from a metal pole next to her bed and seemed to be running into her arm, her leg was covered in cloth wrappings, now soaked with blood and her eyes remained closed, screwed up in pain. B’Elanna gasped, the room was so barren, no decoration, no window, no medical equipment. This girl had just been left to bleed.

B’Elanna’s gasp had alerted the girl to her presence, she wearily turned her head and opened her eyes, staring at B’Elanna for a moment she then whispered through her cracked lips, "Diamonds aren’t for me to find". Then she started to cough, blood coming out of mouth.

B’Elanna recoiled from the sight, so desperate and cold it made her blood chill and walked straight back into another figure. Wheeling round she found Seven, now dressed in loose green trousers and shirt (scrubs a voice in her head supplied).

"Come Lt, we will be discovered here and I think that it would provoke more questions for us than we can find answers." She handed B’Elanna a long white, stained coat that she had had slung over her arm, "Put this on it is less conspicuous, and keep your head ducked." Seven ordered, then turned and headed for a small grey door marked Fire Exit.

"Great" murmured B’Elanna; "Well she isn’t going to get away with giving orders for long.


* * *

"I want some ANSWERS," yelled Kathryn Janeway, banging her hand down on the conference room table. Her senior staff was gathered there now, after having been woken at 0500 to find two members of the crew missing, four hours later and they were still scrambling for explanations.

Chakotay had reached the Captain first; he had found her curled up on the floor of Holodeck two, tears running down her face, the sheer black robe barley covering her. The handsome Commander had been shocked at how fragile his Captain looked, and without hesitation he had wrapped his tunic around her and gathered her in his arms. Carrying her back to her quarters, while calling for the Doctor (who had later appeared and disappeared rapidly as Kathryn made a sound closely reminiscent to a growl when he tried to scan her). The crew shouldn’t see her like this Chakotay reasoned as he hurried through the sparsely populated Gamma shift corridors.

Kathryn, having realised his intent had spoken the first words he had heard since he had burst into the holodeck, her voice dry and scratchy from crying, "No, I have to stay and help"

"In a moment Kathryn" Chakotay had hastened to reassure her, "But first you should really put some clothes on, we can’t have all those nice you ensigns distracted now can we?"

Kathryn had choked out a sob, "Oh Chakotay, I don’t know what happened to them." Chakotay set her down as he walked into her quarters, "Who?" he asked, as Janeway headed into the bedroom. Realising he was still at a loss over what had happened to provoke his senior officer’s broken plea in the middle of the night.

"B’Elanna and S-Seven, they were fighting and they crashed into the panel and then..." Kathryn reappeared now in uniform, though her face was still blotchy, "They were just gone," she whispered.

Four hours, two diagnostics and several in-depth examinations later no one had a better explanation as to what had happened.

"Well" reasoned the Doctor, trying to sound cheerful, "Though we did find blood stains, there wasn’t enough biological residue to indicate that the explosion killed them. Wherever they are they didn’t arrive their dead."

Everyone glared at him. The Doctor shrank back into his seat, "I thought that was a good thing."

"The sensors reveal no evidence of any known transporter technology" interjected Tuvok in smooth clipped tones, "However it would have been unlikely that such an event could have occurred at the same time as the explosion due to the unforeseen nature of the event."

"Right" said Harry, pleased to have something to contribute, "There appears to be no prior damage to the panel, they caused the explosion, it wasn’t a cover for anything else. I think we can rule out the possibility they were taken some where."

"Gentleman" barked Janeway, "You have told me what they aren’t, where they aren’t but you still haven’t told me where they ARE." She turned away from the table, looking out across the reassuring star field that now hung stagnant as the ship maintained position as the crew tried to solve the mystery.

Chakotay spoke up quietly, "All holodecks have been taken off line, but we can find no evidence of anything unusual there. When the explosion occurred holodeck two terminated the program automatically, since then we’ve had no other holodeck activity."

"So where are they?" Tom whispered, his voice almost as choked as Kathryn’s had been, "Damn it that’s my wife who’s missing."

"No." The fire was back in Janeway’s voice, "That is a reckless Ensign who barged into a situation she had no right being in and has provoked a tragedy. When we get them back I’ll have a hell of a lot to say to Ensign Torres before you get to see her."

No one missed the implied demotion, and no one quite had the courage to ask exactly what she had interrupted. "Find them. "Dismissed" ordered Janeway and the worried and chastised senior staff trailed from the room.

Tuvok paused to look at Janeway, trying to judge her mind, but she turned away from him quickly.

"We will be on the bridge" he said, "The crew will of course assist you however we can" Tuvok softened his posture just a touch, wordlessly expressing his ‘dissatisfaction’ at events.

Kathryn nodded stiffly, controlling her emotions now as rigidly as any Vulcan might, scared to fall apart.


* * *

"So where are we?" B’Elanna asked, coming to a halt. Seven had led them out of what appeared to be a hospital down a series of back alleys. It had been dark, but what the intermittent street lighting and glow of the moon had revealed was a serious of red brick houses, densely packed, garbage piled down each alley next to over flowing trash cans and the occasional cat meowing in the shadows. There had been muffled engine noises, but no people, no open shops or bars, no sign that anyone lived in this ghost town.

Eventually they had left the rabbit warren off lanes and entered a poorly tended park, again with no life apparent. B’Elanna had finally lost patience and stopped, sitting on a broken park bench and wrapping the thin Doctor’s coat tighter around her. If she was cold, Seven must be freezing.

Seven realised B’Elanna had stopped, and quietly relived she too sank down on the bench, but not before shooting B’Elanna a dirty look at the supposed delay.

"We are in a city Lt," announced Seven

"No shit Sherlock" quipped B’Elanna, "But which city? Where? And how did we get here?" she shot her own dirty look at the obviously clueless Borg.

"From what we have seen I would suggest an Earth city, 1920’s, however with obvious irregularities." Seven was puzzled, "I do not believe this is actually Earth."

"Agreed" said B’Elanna, "There are no people, its nothing like Tom’s holo-simulations."

"Which of course are completely factually accurate?" sneered Seven, then hurried on quickly before B’Elanna could reply and provoke another confrontation. "The lack of people is not unusual considering the late hour and the evidence that this is a less than salubrious area. What is unusual are the posters."

"Posters?" asked B’Elanna puzzled, and still smarting over Seven’s dig at Tom. Sure he was an idiot, but he loved her and went out of his way to try and show her and include her in things he did rather than just blithely going off on his own like he had once. "What about the posters?"

"They are for films," said Seven patronisingly

"So?" B’Elanna’s tenuous grip on her own fiery temper was slipping.

"The posters are for, respectively, ‘Star Wars’, ‘2001’, ‘Galaxy Quest’ and something called ‘Austin Powers’

"Hey, I’ve seen all of them" B’Elanna realised, "On the holodeck with Tom"

"Indeed" Seven looked completely under-whelmed at the information, "What is important Lt is that each film was not created until over 50 years after this time period."

"So why would they be here?" B’Elanna caught on. "Still, I don’t think we’re going to find any answers tonight, perhaps we should find somewhere to stay?" she suggested, still puzzling over Seven’s little revelation.

"What do you think I have been trying to find?" Seven raised her eyebrow, did the Lt really think that she hadn’t already thought of that, "There appears to be more activity coming from the other side of the park, I believe that we may have more success there."

"Tomorrow we’ll need new clothes." Hah, thought B’Elanna, I bet brainiac didn’t think of that.

"Indeed" replied Seven, "But that is hardly our most pressing concern" she sent one last barb in B’Elanna’s direction before she stood up and resumed walking.

 


 

 

Chapter 4

 

Kathryn hadn’t slept, it was now 0400, almost 24 hours after her crewmembers had disappeared, and there were still no leads. They weren’t dead, they hadn’t been taken, they just weren’t there.

She rubbed her eyes tiredly and dug into her fourteenth cup of coffee, dimly aware she should eat something, but knowing her stomach would only rebel if she tried. Sitting there on her Ready Room sofa she kept playing those last seconds over and over in her head, remembering Seven’s face. Her beloved Seven, even the thought bought a smile to her face.

Their had been no sudden shock, no big declaration, just a gradual realisation that she hurt less, and Seven smiled more when they with each other. That the loneliness that permeated both their lives faded in each others company, that they complimented each other, mentally adept, emotionally contained but with so much passion to give.

Their first time had been glorious. An away mission on some otherwise forgettable planet where Janeway had tried to convince Seven that fish were a valuable food source and they should attempt to catch some. Finally in vexation at her stolid protests over the "inefficient nature of this exercise" Kathryn had pushed her into the lake to see how easy they were to ‘secure’ for herself.

Seven had emerged, soaking and spluttering, a dangerous glint in her eyes and in self-preservation Kathryn had hailed Voyager requesting an emergency beam out straight to her quarters, but Seven had reached her, and the beam had enveloped them both.

Back in her quarters Kathryn had bolted for her bedroom, intending to lock the door, shocked at her childish behaviour yet spurred on by it and the delighted giggle that had risen up in her throat. Seven’s long reach had snagged her though and they tumbled onto the bed.

"Kathryn" Seven’s voice was an ominous growl, " I am wet" she said with much distaste. Unable or unwilling to sensor herself Kathryn had smirked and replied, "There are worse things to be."

"Indeed" Seven’s voice dropped to a husky whisper, as she reached behind her and unfastened her biosuit, allowing it to fall from her shoulders and expose the pale skin beneath. "Perhaps you could be of some assistance in the matter?" she had suggested as her lips brushed over Kathryn’s. Lost in the unexpected eroticism of the moment Kathryn had wrapped an arm around Seven pulling her nearer, the other hand pushing the biosuit down as she dimly felt Seven’s enhanced appendage rip her yellow cotton sun dress in half. Then the contact was too intense and she slipped into a blissful haze.

Six months ago, Kathryn mused, by nature both of them were private people and had seen no need to announce their blossoming relationship to the crew, but they had recently been more obvious, tired as Seven had put it, "Of pretending that there is something to shameful to be seen."

Hence their rather public trip to the holodeck, an elegant evening that had finally been overwhelmed by the fierce desire that infused them both as they had danced and dined, given and taken, offered and received each others love. It had been magical.

Now she was alone again and desperately worried, "Oh Seven" whispered Kathryn to the empty room, "Be careful my darling, be well".

The door chime interrupted her plea and without waiting to be acknowledged Chakotay burst in. "I think I now where they are!" he exclaimed excitedly.


* * *

"How is it possible for you to snore so loudly?" Seven was irritated, B’Elanna’s rumblings had woken her three times during the night and now five hours later she was tired and grouchy.

"I bet ‘Kathryn’ doesn’t snore." B’Elanna raised herself up of the thin mattress and looked at Seven.

Last night they had indeed found some signs of civilisation, the park had bordered a busy if dismal square, where they had spied a collection of old motorcars and people dressed appropriately for the 1920’s era. Of to one side of it they had found a pawn shop, and after assessing the situation Seven had reluctantly agreed to pawn the Black pearl earrings she had been wearing, an anniversary gift from Kathryn she had explained reluctantly, to B’Elanna’s quiet consideration. Another indication of how close the two were.

They had taken their "woefully inadequate monetary return" around the square, buying more fitting dresses from a grubby shop with no sign and then a brief hunt had produced a motel. However due to the ‘Cubs’ whatever that meant it was almost booked out and there was only one room available for the night.

So this was where they now found themselves, B’Elanna still lying on the thin double bed, a beige sheet pulled up around her. Seven had insisted she buy something to wear to bed and had also agreed to the condition, they had headed back to the small clothes shop and then pointedly avoided each other, heading for opposite ends of the small establishment, weaving through the racks and hangers, boxes and dust. Ironically they had both settled on wearing cotton men’s shirts, Seven’s in white, B’Elanna’s in blue but each had been too stubborn to change their minds when they spied the others selection. So they now wore matching sleepwear.

Seven sat in a green armchair, in one corner of the room, resting against a wall covered in brown vertical striped wallpaper that was peeling from the ceiling in various places. The carpet was also beige, plain and thin, with an incongruous red rug across the centre, concealing an old stain that looked suspiciously like blood and a chalk outline. Seven had been awake for a while and was now glaring at B’Elanna.

"Lt lets ‘get something straight’, I will not tolerate any reference to Kathryn that is in anyway mocking or derogatory."

"Or else what?" asked B’Elanna full of bravado

"Or else I will leave you here." Threatened Seven. B’Elanna backed down a little, realising she was far more likely to figure things out with Seven’s help, "I don’t know what she sees in you anyway" the Klingon mumbled.

"No, I have often wondered that too." Seven’s voice was quite and her gaze introspective, not really speaking to B’Elanna just acknowledging a puzzle, "At first I could not understand why she found me attractive. Then I was baffled by her behaviour towards me, teasing and engaging in conflict, I thought that she was displeased with me in someway for she argues with me constantly, and I wondered if I dissatisfied her so why was this in odds to her other actions? And why did she continue to ‘see’ me. Eventually I realised it was because she wished both to provoke my emotions, but also to show me that in this we were equals. Both of us alone for too long."

Seven raised her head, noticing B’Elanna again, who sat amazed by the revealed information, "I find that she is most beautiful each morning, strongest when she holds me and at her most gentle when she loves me. And I, I am alive when I am with her, and this does not hurt so much." She stared down at her Borg forearm; "I miss her so much already."

B’Elanna stood, walking from the bed over to Seven and kneeling in front of the chair, awed to realise that while she had missed Tom’s familiar presence it was nothing compared to the desperate ache Seven was feeling at the Captain’s absence. "I didn’t realise" she said gently, "I’m sorry Seven, I had no right to judge your relationship."

Seven smiled slightly, tilting her head and accepting the engineer’s apology. Then taking a literal as well as figurative deep breath she rose up from the chair. "We should eat and then try to find some answers." And with that she turned and walked into the bathroom, taking the second of her newly purchased dresses with her.

B’Elanna shrugged and drew her own dress on, having showered the night before, that had been a unique experience, from a dripping shower head lukewarm water had spattered on to her, run down a mouldy curtain and soaked the floor. Much to Seven’s displeasure. Still she thought with a shrug, breakfast sounded good.

Seven stepped out of the bathroom, her hair still wet a towel over her shoulders, "Proceed Lt, I will join you as soon as I can." B’Elanna shrugged and in a rare moment of frank and non-aggressive honesty commented, "Damn Seven, you do look good in that." Then she turned heading for the door, missing the slight blush that rose up on Seven’s cheeks.

In the light of day the small inconsistencies were more noticeable, the furniture outside the café B’Elanna had chosen to eat at wasn’t quite right. The clothes the people crossing the square in front of her wore were a little too new, and she was sure denim wasn’t worn by anyone, especially not men out with their families. It appeared to be a Saturday, a sunny if crisp day at that, with leaves falling from the Maple and Cedar trees that dotted the flat sidewalks as they hugged the cobbled streets, over which cars from various eras intermittently clattered. The newspaper that had been lying on the table when she had sat down was written in an unknown language, though the menu was clearly legible to her, as were the shop signs. Even more puzzling where the photo frames had been hung on the far wall of the café, behind the rounded iron counter. They were filled with sheets of blank white paper, presenting a ghostly collage of missing pieces. The whole thing was baffling.

Having ordered coffee and muffins B’Elanna settled into her seat, scanning the area for any hints as to why they might be there. As she finished off the last bite of her large, and very tasty, blueberry muffin she spotted Seven leaving the motel and heading towards her. Seven was wearing low cut yellow summer dress, without a hat or gloves as one might expect would have been appropriate and high cream heels, striding across the square towards B’Elanna, followed by wolf-whistles and lewd remarks. Unknown to B’Elanna the dress she had been admiring on Seven was almost identical to the one Kathryn had worn on that fateful day six months ago. Seven had smiled at seeing it, but now wearing it the ache was more apparent.

Seven dipped her head in recognition as she spotted B’Elanna, then moved towards the table. She sat gingerly in the wrought iron chair provided by the square white plastic café table, still uncomfortable with the ideas of sitting or eating and after a moments consideration ordered orange juice and pancakes from the waitress in striped shirt and silly blue hat. She looked over at B’Elanna, who had finished her breakfast and was now sipping a cup of coffee. Even the aroma reminded Seven of Kathryn, but she couldn’t bring herself to drink the ‘foul concoction’ even now.

"What have you learnt?" Seven asked in a low tone, nodding her head to acknowledge the waitress as she returned with breakfast.

"Not much more than we knew last night" admitted B’Elanna, "The inconsistencies are clearer, but without a tricorder or any decent scanning device I can’t tell what this place is."

"Then perhaps we should review what we know?" suggested Seven. B’Elanna stared at her as if to say ‘Well duh" but was stopped from commenting by an interruption.

"Howz will you be paying for this?" drawled the waitress, slapping a bill down on the table, "With money or diamonds?" she asked with an odd smirk in her face.

B’Elanna sighed; she didn’t get this century’s humour, "Money." She handed the girl a ten dollar note, "I’ll bring you change said the waitress as she scurried off.

Seven finished demolishing her pancakes, she was a little concerned about her ability to survive without regeneration for any length of time. However more pressing problems beckoned. "It is logical to assume that since our hands broke the holodeck that has something to do with what is now happening. What must we now ascertain, is if we are still on the holodeck or if the explosion coincided with us being taken to another location?"

"Right, if we were still on the holodecks we’d have to assume that they’d have found a way to contact us, its been over twenty four hours, and if it came to it they could always shut down the grid, just leaving us stuck in the room."

"Indeed", agreed Seven "And also why is Kathryn not present if it is a fault with the holodeck, she was still in the room?"

"So we’re not on the holodeck." Stated B’Elanna, hopefully dismissing one of the possibilities, "So where are we?"

"That I don’t now" said Seven, "There are a large number of unexplained irregularities in this habitat, and as such it is hard to draw any conclusions over a possible purpose for placing us here."

B’Elanna pondered that for a moment, "I wonder who we pissed off this time?" she asked grinning wryly.

"Perhaps Kathryn, and I am here by accident?" suggested Seven, with just a hint of teasing in her tone.

"Perhaps Tom was mad at you for cheating at cards?" retorted B’Elanna

"I do not cheat," stated Seven indignantly, glaring at B’Elanna, who relaxed back with a casual smirk. Her white linen dress caught the suns rays, accentuating her caramel complexion, and the wicked tinge in her eyes. She refused to back down to Seven’s stare, but she softened her response by grinning a little.

"Whatever, lets just try and get by until we figure out why we’re here." She suggested, taking a sip of her lukewarm coffee, and breaking the staring contest the two occupants of the table had become trapped in.

The waitress returned with their change, and B’Elanna counted it after leaving a small tip (another lesson learned from Tom’s obsessions.) "We need money." She stated, "There’s not much we can do but let this play out, whatever’s going on its no use and less someone contacts us, finds out whatever they want to know from us, so..."

"There’s no need for us to starve." Smirked Seven, "Or share a bed." The sting was taken from the comment by her gentle smile and the tilt of her head and B’Elanna realised that she seemed very different than she had just 24 hours ago. "Seven" she said hesitantly, "I know its probably kinda my fault this happened, but I want you to know I’m sorry, and we’ll figure out how to get back to Voyager."

Seven studied B’Elanna, looking for any trace of deceit in her eyes, seeing none she decided to accept the apology gracefully, "Since we do not now what happened I will not presume it is your fault until I now for sure. Then you may apologise again."

B’Elanna burst out laughing at the sudden and unexpected witty comment and much to her continued surprise Seven joined her, chuckling quietly. Her eyes sparkled, her face relaxed as did her normally ramrod straight posture, and for a moment B’Elanna realised what Captain Janeway had obviously seen all along.

"Come on," said the Klingon, extending her hand to help Seven up, "I’m sure I can get a job at least. Though you might put them off."

"I bet I get a job before you." Seven grinned and shirking B’Elanna’s hand bolted out of the café. B’Elanna followed her laughing loudly.

By evening they had both secured employment, and thanks to Seven a small flat. It was dingy, on the fifth floor of an apartment block and basically unfurnished. Two single beds had been pushed together by the previous occupants, but they had been separated, and plain but new cotton sheets now adorned each bed. In the living area, a couple of large (also new) cushions lay on the floor to provide seating, and Seven and her multi-purpose adaptations had cut the hideously scuffed liver shaped pine table that had been provided into two smaller tables. One now acted as a side table on which the single provided lamp was perched, though B’Elanna swore that first thing in the morning the pink tasselled shade was going. The other larger table with newly extended legs now served as a functional if inelegant dining table.

The walls were a surprisingly palatable mint green colour, though they desperately needed washing, the carpet was a dark uninspiring brown that did vaguely match. The kitchen, which was set a half step down of the far wall was tiled, both on the floor and walls with standard plain cream tiles. The oven worked, the fridge didn’t, which was why B’Elanna was lying on her back wearing another casual cotton shirt trying to fix it.

"Damn it, my kingdom for a hydro spanner." She exclaimed mockingly, "Stupid thing."

"Do you require my assistance Lt?" inquired Seven. She was standing in the cramped kitchen next to the oven, leaning on to the faded mock marble sideboard. In front of her where various fresh ingredients, however having had never cooked before she had settled on making sandwiches. She looked down at B’Elanna, or rather at her bare legs, which stretched from one side of the kitchen to the other, giving testament to its narrow width, then she focused and examined the problem. B’Elanna had rewired the whole fridge, and had even made a number of improvements to its design in the hour she had spent working on it. Yet still there was no power. It was baffling, until Seven noticed that the oven appeared to have a cable stretched to the wall, where a plastic board with a small switch showing red was displayed. The fridge was also ‘plugged in’ but there was no red marking on the socket.

Seven smiled, "Lt I believe that ‘dinner is served’" the blonde smirked as B’Elanna scrambled to her feet to collect the offered sandwich. "Mmph" she mumbled round a full mouth, "This is really good Seven."

"Perhaps if you do not wish to eat it all now you could put what is left in the fridge?" the Borg suggested, a hidden smile trying to break across her face.

"Ha Ha Seven, what the hell do you think I’ve been trying to do for the last hour." B’Elanna was just a little bit irked at the blonde’s attitude.

"Perhaps continuing to miss the obvious?" suggested Seven as she reached across to the far wall and depressed the switch. The Fridge gave a hiss, then a whirr, and then the light popped on and the fan started rotating, "Obviously this is far superior to Voyager’s technology" commented Seven.

"P’Tak" yelled B’Elanna in response. How long had Seven known and stood there watching her make a fool of herself? "To think I was going to try and get along with you for the sake of the Captain’s honour. What does a frigid drone know of honour?" she spat enraged at Seven.

Seven’s face fell; all of the progress she had felt they had made today had just been thrown back at her. B’Elanna had obviously been trying to ‘lull’ her into a false sense of security so she could be even more hurtful. Sadness and shock turned to anger, "You are the P’tak B’Elanna and a fool beside if you think goading me could ever make me feel inferior to you. I was not the fool who wedded Mr Paris!?!"

Seven stormed from the room, B’Elanna followed her, "How dare you?" she screamed, getting right up to the Borg’s face (well shoulder level anyway). "At least he loves me, the Captain can’t be looking for anything other than a casual screw. Like you said before, how could she possibly find you attractive?" B’Elanna yelled the accusation at Seven, who turned and ran from the apartment, grabbing her coat as it hung on a peg by the door, but not even stopping to grab the purse she had laid so carefully on the coffee table.

The door slammed and B’Elanna only watched as the devastated Borg ran from her, "Serves her right for trying to make a fool of me." She mumbled, before tearing another mouthful from the crusty sandwich Seven had prepared and chewing furiously.

Seven left the apartment block, with no clue where she was going. She ran, past the houses that surrounded the tower block flats, past the factory where B’Elanna had been employed after noticing one of their turbines was overheating and rushing into fix the problem before it created an explosion. Past the school where she had been employed, after over hearing a conversation about a French teacher being required immediately and walking in and taking the job. Past the square where they had bought clothes, through the park, past the hospital and along to the docks, she ran. Her chest burning, her eyes streaming, until at last she collapsed against the hull of a beached transport ship as it lay tightly moored to the wooden dock, rocking on the waves.

"Kathryn" she sobbed, "Kathryn I need you. Why aren’t you here?"


* * *

"What do you mean you know what happened?" half a world away Janeway barked at her first officer, causing Chakotay to recoil slightly from the formidable Captain.

"I think I know Ma’am, but I could be wrong."

"Don’t be" snapped Kathryn, "I want them back Commander, I want her back."

"Her?" Chakotay realised that something else was going on; he had known from her reaction that this was not an average crisis or setback, that something about this had affected the Captain deeply. Maybe know he could find out what. "Which her?" he asked more quietly.

"Didn’t you have a report to give?" Kathryn’s voice was cold as she wrestled her concern and vulnerability down, now was not the time to fall apart she told herself sternly.

"Yes Ma’am" Chakotay came to attention, "But I need to know what happened in the holodeck prior to the accident, everything that happened. Something about it has been bothering me, but I need to make sure my facts are straight before I get up your hopes."

Kathryn studied her first officer; aware that it was at least partly a ploy to get her to reveal some of the details she had been so elusive with. Still, if it could help... Kathryn sighed aloud, then sunk back down to her seat by the window, pausing to collect her broken, though fortunately empty, coffee mug, that she had dropped in her haste to march towards Chakotay and demand an answer.

"Sit" she beckoned him over. Chakotay did sit, at arms length. "Its alright Commander, I promise I wont hurt you" she grinned at his apprehension, then as suddenly as her smile appeared it faded, "Though I guess its my temper as much as anything else that caused this whole mess."

"Captain?" Chakotay asked, his puzzlement evident.

"Seven, I was with Seven, when B’Elanna barged into the holodeck, overriding the privacy code." Kathryn began to explain, but seeing the look on Chakotay’s face, and the next question hovering at the tip of his tongue she realised that wasn’t enough. "Seven and I are, are together." She explained

"Oh" said Chakotay, "OH!" he did a double take, "Like together together?"

"No Commander, like together apart!" Kathryn allowed herself a moment of levity, until reality came crashing back in, "I love her Chakotay, more than I thought I ever could love anyone. When B’Elanna burst in I was angry yes, but then she insulted Seven and..." Kathryn trailed off in embarrassment.

"And what?" prompted Chakotay, moving a little closer to Kathryn, offering her support even though he was still reeling over the news.

"And I was going to hit her." Said Kathryn in a small voice, "Seven stopped me but B’Elanna was mad, I dismissed her but she went to touch the holodeck controls again, supposedly just to re-lock the door, but"

"You didn’t trust her to?" hazarded Chakotay

"No, but neither did Seven" Janeway confirmed his guess, realising with hindsight that the whole situation had degenerated into an adolescent pissing contest, "Seven went to stop her, grabbed her hand but B’Elanna was knocked, or knocked Seven off balance and"

"Their hands went through the control panel." Chakotay was able to fill in the blanks. Kathryn nodded in conformation. "But" asked Chakotay, "What exactly where you doing before B’Elanna burst in?"

"Umm?" Kathryn looked up at her handsome first officer and quirked her eyebrow, in a gesture oddly reminiscent of her partner’s favourite expression. "Do you want a blow by blow account or will ‘enjoying each others company do?"

Chakotay bit back his initial response; "No I get the idea. Did you plan it?" he asked.

"What?" Kathryn was a little thrown by the presumption of the question.

"I mean" Chakotay explained, his ears going red, "Did you take anything with you into the holodeck?"

"No" replied Kathryn, "just the clothes we were wearing, and the earrings that I then gave to Seven." She looked oddly at her first officer, "Why, what are you thinking?"

Chakotay smiled, a genuine wide smile that scrunched up the corners of his eyes, and showed of his straight white teeth. "I’m thinking" he said, "That I know where they are, you better call the senior staff Captain."

 


 

 

Chapter 5

 

She was cold now. Seven had no idea how long she had huddled there in the dark, people had passed her without a glance, though one or two had tossed coins in her direction. At the end of the pier where she now sat there was a small restaurant, the enticing smells from it only serving to remind Seven of her hunger and lack of money. Other than the light from the front door though there was only the moon to shed ethereal illumination onto the cargo steamer behind her, and the wet boards Seven sat on. Now she had no tears left. She missed Kathryn with an ache so profound that she thought she would rip apart, what surprised her though was her ache she felt over B’Elanna’s hurtful words. For a moment she had glimpsed the possibility of a friendship, a pursuit still denied to her by many, an it hurt all the more coming from the Klingon, for whom she had a grudging respect if a certain animosity.

"I wasn’t mocking you B’Elanna" she whispered to herself, "It just felt good to laugh." Seven curled up tighter against the chill autumn air, wishing for the hundredth time she had paid more attention to where she had run, and she had enough money to just call a cab back.

"I’m sorry" Seven wheeled round at the sound a voice, on her guard against an attack, optimistic that it might be, "B’Elanna?"

"I’m sorry Seven" B’Elanna emerged from the shadows, heading towards Seven and holding a blanket to add to her thin coat. "I don’t like being laughed at" she lowered her head, "I was laughed at for years. When I was younger it..." B’Elanna trailed off as she sat down next to Seven, wrapping the blanket around the blonde’s slim shaking shoulders. "Did you try and humiliate me?" she asked hesitantly, knowing Seven would always be brutally honest.

"No." Seven shook her head violently, "I am not that cruel."

"I’ve been though, haven’t I?" The Klingon hung her head further, looking away from Seven. "I felt like I was competing against you, like you succeeding meant I had failed. When I saw you with the Captain I, I realised I’d always be second best, particularly to the only person that ever just trusted me."

Seven looked at B’Elanna, seeing a little of the lost soul she was reflected in the deep chocolate brown eyes opposite her. Seven was still hurt, but "Tired of hurting," she whispered, "I am tired of hurting, and of being alone Lt, this experience has taught me that. I did not attempt to deceive or offend you, or to up stage you or undermine you to Kathryn. She is very proud of you."

B’Elanna tentatively wrapped her arm round Seven’s shoulders, pulling her slightly until Seven tilted her body enough to nestle her head on B’Elanna’s shoulder. "Thank you for telling me that." Said B’Elanna, "And I promise Seven, I wont pick on you anymore, I never knew you were capable of feeling so much, that you were so human." She trailed off; mortified at her sudden offer of friendship to a ‘thing’ she couldn’t stand the sight of 48 hours ago.

Seven looked up and smiled and grabbed B’Elanna’s hand with her human hand. "I want to go home" she said, earnestly, desperately "I do not wish to be here any longer, but, providing you learn to control your temper, I don’t mind, I want to spend time with you B’Elanna." Seven smiled gently, allowing her eyes to grow rich with warmth and caring, shading from ice blue to the brightest of sky blues.

B’Elanna nodded, ashamed by the generosity and forgiveness that the Borg had shown her in spite of her behaviour. "We’ll figure it out tomorrow" she promised, "Between us it shouldn’t be so hard, for now lets go back to the apartment."

Seven stood slowly, her legs a little shaky from exhaustion, both physical and emotional. She extended her hand and B’Elanna took it, maintaining her grip even after Seven had pulled her to her feet. Idly the Klingon realised her thumb was caressing the back of Seven’s hand, but since she made no complaint, B’Elanna saw no need to stop.

Together they walked off the docks back down the deserted streets towards their apartment, when by a stroke of luck a taxi appeared, slowing down and rolling down a window.

"Where too ladies?" the driver asked, pushing his flat cap back on his head to reveal coal black hair and piercing green eyes that regarded them intently "Its too late to be wandering around." He commented sagely.

B’Elanna grabbed the rear door of the Taxi, opening it and ushering Seven in and on to the cool burgundy leather seats, just as her legs gave way. She climbed in herself then lent forward to address the driver.

"118 Nana’s terrace, off Blue Square." She said

"Got you love" replied the driver, "I know exactly where you mean."


* * *

"What do you mean you know exactly where they are?" barked Kathryn again, impatient now with her First officers continuing reluctance to reveal the details until the rest of the senior staff were present.

Twenty minutes after his revelation they were all assembled in the conference room, staring expectantly at Chakotay.

He smiled, pleased to have figured it out, then he saw Kathryn’s look of barley veiled homicide and decided to hurry along. "Captain, when I found you, you were still in the holodeck."

"Yes" said Kathryn, drumming her fingers on the tabletop, "What does that have to do with anything?"

"You were wearing a robe," commented Chakotay

"Yes" Kathryn stressed the word, really asking what the point was off the question other than to embarrass her?

"Do you take the robe in with you?" asked Chakotay, hoping to hell he’d got this right and wasn’t about to make a fool of himself.

"No" replied Kathryn, grinding her teeth audibly

"So why was she still wearing a robe if the holodecks were deactivated?" Tom burst in excitedly, jumping up from his chair. "Their still on the holodeck, I can get my wife back"

Chakotay grinned, he was slightly miffed that Tom had stolen his thunder, but he had figured it out. "Right, they're still there, because Captain the robe disappeared when we left the holodeck, I just didn’t notice because you were wearing" he trailed off, having caught Kathryn’s embarrassed blush, "A uniform by then." He recovered, not strictly lying.

"What we need to ascertain is why we have not been able to detect any holodeck activity if they are indeed still there?" Tuvok drew attention back to the problem; if he wasn’t a Vulcan he would have been mortified that he’d missed that.

"I guess we run the diagnostics again?" suggested Harry, clasping his hands together, studying them hopefully, as if their interlocking pattern would somehow jar his mind into working.

"We’ll tear the whole damn ship apart if we have to." Vowed the Captain, "We’ve got a lead, get to work, dismissed."

The senior staff filed out of the room again, but this time with heads held high, and knew optimism in their step,

"I think this will call for a party" murmured Neelix as he walked out, "A big party, with my speciality purple Miskal fungi cake."

"We’ll have only just got them back, do you really want to risk losing them again so suddenly?" sneered the Doctor. The door swished shut behind them and Kathryn sunk, her shoulders slumping, her head coming down to rest in her hands.

"Kathryn?" Chakotay’s voice broke the moment and she sat up with a start, "Chakotay." She stammered, "I didn’t know you were still there, I..."

"Its OK" her first officer said quietly, walking over to her and pulling her to her feet, then wrapping Janeway in a gentle but firm bear hug. "She’ll be alright." He whispered, "We’ll get them both back." Kathryn sniffed and then slumped against him, crying quietly on his broad chest as he stroked her back reassuringly. "They could be anywhere Chakotay." She said, whispering, "They could be hurt or trapped or even..." she trailed off not wishing to follow that thought through. Chakotay squeezed a little tighter "I promise, it will be OK" he said softly, leaning his head down so it rested on hers, "I promise Kathryn, I promise."


* * *

"The sheet!" exclaimed B’Elanna, sitting bolt upright in bed.

"What sheet?" Seven murmured, burrowing deeper into her pillow, she refused to wake up, she’d only just gone to bed.

 

The taxi had dropped them both back at the flat at gone midnight, and together B’Elanna and Seven had entered the apartment, hands still entwined. B’Elanna had surprised her by producing a mug of hot chocolate moments later and a semi-embarrassed comment that "It always makes me feel better to."

Seven had pleaded exhaustion, and after changing into new crisp blue silk pyjamas she had clambered into bed, B’Elanna, wearing a lilac night gown, also in silk, had climbed into bed as well, but had hesitated to turn the light off.

"Seven" she had said quietly, "I know you’re tired but I really did want to say I’m sorry again, I’m sorry all of this happened"

Seven smiled slightly, touched by the earnestness of the Klingon’s voice and, not holding much with tact or evasive posturing decided to ask the question that had long bothered her. "B’Elanna" she started, consciously using the Engineers first name, "Why? Why do you hate me?"

B’Elanna sat up right, looking over at the innocent figure in the bed next to her, looking so young and fragile, and she was ashamed. Ashamed because she couldn’t deny she had hated Seven, ashamed that she couldn’t take back the callously cruel words that had always marked their confrontations. Ashamed because, "I don’t hate you Seven, I don’t know if I ever really did, I think I hated myself more"

"Why?" asked Seven again, propping herself up on her elbow so she could better see and study B’Elanna’s face.

"Because, you’re better than me." B’Elanna hung her head, letting the moment fill with silence and anguish, before pushing on to her explanation. "When you came on board, you were smarter than me, more attractive than me but most of all you were stronger than me. You never backed down, you were so self-assured and courageous, after everything you had been through you didn’t try to apologise for who you were or make excuses for your behaviour. You gained the crews’ respect and slowly their trust and in the end you even took the Captain’s heart, something she had never shared with any of us. I knew then that I would always be second best to you."

"But" pointed out Seven logically, "You didn’t know about my relationship with the Captain, you showed me as much anger and distrust as you ever have before that information was known to you."

"Yes" agreed B’Elanna quietly, "But that was the final straw, I thought I had one thing you couldn’t take from me, one thing you couldn’t compete with. A husband, a partner. Then I realised you’d found someone even more special for yourself, and my failure was complete."

If B’Elanna realised she had begun crying during that speech she gave no indication of it. The tears rolled down her face, soaking the top of her nightshirt staining it deep purple. Seven was transfixed, by the pain, by the emotion that the cantankerous and withdrawn Klingon had chosen to share, with her. She made a decision, and climbed out of bed, moving over to B’Elanna’s bed, closing the gap that had separated them and sinking down on to the mattress, wrapping her arms round B’Elanna.

"I did care, and I was ashamed" said Seven quietly, resting her cheek on top of B’Elanna’s head, " I wasn’t brave enough to show it, to fight it to make myself heard, I wasn’t as brave as you B’Elanna." She rocked the still distraught engineer in her arms, cradling her supportively, while a part of her brain filed away the sensations of her soft skin, her thick hair smelling slightly of sandalwood, the silk covered breasts rubbing at against her own and sending sparks of sensation through her, the elegant hands entwined with hers. " I do not believe anyone is better than you B’Elanna, least of all me. We are all our own person with no comparison deserved to another, I do not wish you to feel this hurt anymore."

B’Elanna lifted her head slightly, gazing in wonderment at Seven, who looked at her openly, her features half shadowed, her eyes shinning with their own unshed tears. "Thank you my friend." She said, squeezing the Borg enhanced hand gently, running her thumb over sensitive metal, "I, I like it when you call me B’Elanna" she admitted shyly.

"Then I will continue to do so" vowed Seven.

Seven had eventually climbed back into her own bed, after they had spent long hours talking, about their hopes and ambitions, arguing over music, debating engineering problems, comparing their partners (Kathryn appeared to win in every category). Much of the old hurts both held had been swept away that night, as they had found themselves confiding in each other, sharing information and feelings they had been unwilling to express to their respective partners for fear of disregard or misunderstanding. But, finding a mirror in each other where they could see and share their pain.

 

Now, after Seven had barely laid her head down B’Elanna had awoken her with her frantic shout. "What sheet?" Seven repeated

"The one you were wearing" explained B’Elanna, leaping out of bed and pacing along the floor. "It was holographic, but you still had, still have it here! Which means"

"We are still on the holodeck after all!" exclaimed Seven bolting upright.

 


 

 

Chapter 6

 

"There in the holodeck" said Harry; looking much happier than the last time he had sat in the conference room. They were his friends and he was worried about them, and Tom was driving him mad, sure he knew his friend was upset but he seemed to be more concerned with whining at him to solve the problem, than actually admitting how much he missed his wife.

"We are aware of that fact already" said Tuvok, obviously without a hint of irritation in his tone, "What have you learned apart from that?"

"The program is self-contained, there not actually on the holodeck they’re in it. The sudden introduction of Seven’s nanoprobes to the system have created a small quantum shift, they are essentially out of sync with the rest of the ship, the nanoprobes adapted the holodeck to contain them, to separate them from the holodeck before they could be injured by the explosion."

"Its quite marvellous really" commented the Doctor, looking uncharacteristically chipper at events, "The nanoprobes, couldn’t adapt Seven to the environment, so they adapted the environment to her. It’s an amazing feat, the possibilities of harnessing this are endless, purely from a medical perspective of course."

"Fascinating " commented the Captain, not looking fascinated at all, "How do we get them back?"

"We can’t" said Harry, then catching a glimpse of a glare forming on the Captain’s face he jumped to his feet and activated the computer screen, hastening to explain. " The holodeck has been isolated from the inside, only by removing Seven’s nanoprobes from the main computer can we re-integrate their habitat with ours. However since the nanoprobes have created this environment we can simply purge them from the system, without risking leaving B’Elanna and Seven trapped ‘somewhere’ else."

"Therefore" jumped in Chakotay, "We have to find a way to get them to recognise and remove the nanoprobes from the system gradually."

"Why the hell is everything to do with holodecks so complicated?" wondered Kathryn out loud, but the smile on her face showed how happy she was to have a working plan. "So how do we contact them?"

"Umm, by placing something unusual in the habitat." Tom spoke up for the first time, "Wherever they are, it can only be created from the active memory of the last few programmes the holodeck has run, as the rest are saved in a separate memory junction, so we just have to introduce something into the environment that they will recognise as being out of place."

"Or at least we would normally" Lt Carey spoke up. He had been more than a little intimidated by being asked to this meeting, but as temporary head of engineering Harry had felt that he not only had a right to be there, but might also be able to help. Seeing a force ten Janeway glare suddenly directed at him (she seemed to be glaring a lot this morning) he almost wished he didn’t have anything interesting to say and could just leave quietly.

"Can you explain Lt" Chakotay spoke up before the Captain could, seeing how nervous Carey looked

"Yes sir" Carey decided Chakotay was all right, he didn’t have much contact with him normally, but anyone who braved the Captain’s temper warranted getting to know. "The program is already showing random anomalies, it is my belief that the nanoprobes are still linked to Seven. Every time she thinks about Voyager or just getting out of wherever she is they react to the increase in brain patterns we can detect in the holodeck and accordingly provide a glitch in the scenery, somehow altering or possibly even aiding her."

"Like I said, clever little inventions aren’t they?" the Doctor looked smug, as if to say ‘hah, medicine really does know everything’

"So what does this mean Lt?" asked Kathryn, never having been an engineering specialist. She was tired, short-tempered and god dammit she wanted to cuddle with then do various adult rated things with her honey when she got her back. All in all the strain was showing.

"Well Ma’am" said Carey quickly, refusing to look up at her, "We know that Seven’s brain waves are affecting the holodeck construct their stuck in. So rather than trying to add something into the program and risk it being rejected by the nanoprobes, we just need to draw her attention to what’s already happening. We just need to send her a message."

"Get on it then" barked Kathryn; "I want them back here safely by 0000 tonight, no excuses."

A chorus of "Yes Ma’am" greeted her words as well as Harry’s note that "We just need to tell them to look for the clues. So we’ll send a letter, introduce it into the program and let the nanoprobes convert it to the appropriate form for their surroundings." He started muttering to himself quietly. Kathryn smiled, "Dismissed" she said, but while the others filed from the room, Chakotay shooting her a brief but encouraging grin, Tom stayed where he was.

"Can I help you Tom?" asked Kathryn, realising, for the first time really that she was not the only one who was scared about a loved one. She stood up and moved towards him, perching on the edge of the table next to his seat. Tom swivelled his chair a little so he could look at her fully and then composed himself. Looking suddenly embarrassed.

"I kinda think this is all my fault." He admitted hanging his head a little, "Seven beat me at cards you see, and B’Elanna thought she’d cheated, that was why she landed up in the holodeck, trying to prove it and I’m sorry Captain."

Kathryn, composed herself, it would have been easy to yell at Tom, but one look at him showed how desperately guilty he felt, thinking that somehow he might have put his wife into danger. So Kathryn reached out her hand, resting it on Tom’s shoulder and waiting for him to look at her,

"Its not your fault Tom, the game was a set up." Tom went red, Kathryn hastened on, "Seven didn’t cheat, she doesn’t know how to" Kathryn smiled at the thought of her gentle and painfully honest lover, "But I knew she was better than you, which is why I suggested she play the game so we could supplement our holodeck rations."

Tom would have grinned, the elegant Captain had well and truly hustled him, then he noticed something in her speech, "Wait, we? Our? What were you two doing in there Captain?" he was grinning now

"Nothing you need concern yourself with Lt" replied Kathryn sharply, then snorted with laughter, "I’m sure it wasn’t anything B’Elanna could have expected to see though when she burst in there!"

Tom’s mind generated several images he would just have loved to have seen, then remembering he was still with the Captain (and he could wonder what she looked like naked later--Seven had said "Exquisite" but he wasn’t to know that) he asked another question that had been concerning him.

"Are you really going to demote B’Elanna?"

Kathryn stood and paced over to the window, staring out she tried to collect her scattered thoughts. How much of her anger was justified and how much was related to her own embarrassment? She rested her hands on the window ledge, and then still staring out into space she slowly formed the words to answer a question that had been plaguing her.

"B’Elanna’s actions were inexcusable, to barge into a locked program, to make derogatory comments about both Seven and by association myself, those are all serious offences. However, if they had been committed against another pair of shipmates (Kathryn was careful not to use or imply the words ‘partners’, ‘lovers’ or god forbid, ‘my girlfriend’) I would probably not be reacting so badly."

She turned round, studying Tom’s face, who in a moment of rare sensitivity and intelligence had schooled them not to show his reaction to how intimate her tone was, how rich and gentle Janeway’s voice had been as she had spoken Seven’s name. Satisfied that she wasn’t being mocked in anyway Kathryn continued,

"No Tom, I won’t demote her, but I will punish her appropriately for the incident."

"Thank you Ma’am" said Tom smartly, rising to his feet and straightening into a rigid posture, "Permission to go and help get my partner back?" he asked. There was just the hint of a gentle smile on his face, letting Kathryn know that though he suspected he wouldn’t presume or comment to anyone else.

For the first time in the conversation Kathryn relaxed completely, "That sounds like a good idea" she said smiling honestly now, making her look much younger, "After you" she gestured with her hand, as they both left the conference room and headed for the holodeck.


* * *

"OK so lets go over it again?" said B’Elanna, wrapping her hands round the mug of coffee she had just had refilled for the fifth time.

Unable to sleep after the excitement of the revelation she and Seven had both pulled on some clothes and wondered out to find a coffee shop, two blocks down they had found a small all-night place. It was larger than they expected, with red leather booths and shiny metal tables, the jukebox in the corner was playing Buddy Holly, and the other occupants of the diner could have come straight of the set of ‘Grease’. There were gold disks and signed pictures on the wall, and it screamed 1950’s at you from every corner, as did the junk food.

So, three hours and four baskets of fries, five coffees and three vanilla milkshakes later B’Elanna and Seven where finally reaching some conclusions.

"We are in the holodeck." Stated Seven

"Yes" replied B’Elanna seriously, as if that wasn’t really a blatantly obvious statement. "Why are we still here?"

"We must assume one of two things either A) they do not know we are still here or B) they have simply failed to find a way to contact us yet." said Seven, pausing to take a deep gulp from her milkshake. "Either option implies there is a problem with the holodeck that somehow conceals our presence from their sight," she continued.

"Which we can do very little about," said B’Elanna in frustration, "I guess what we can do though is try and figure out a way out of here ourselves."

"How?" asked Seven, fascinated by this idea, "I know very little about holodecks, I have always found them to be wasteful, inefficient and..."

"Fun when you’re sharing them with the right person" grinned B’Elanna, as Seven blushed. "Anyway, most holodeck programs are designed with a story y’know, a beginning, a middle and

"An end!" Seven jumped in excitedly, "So if we follow the program to its logical conclusion it should allow us to leave."

"Right" said B’Elanna, finding Seven’s excitement charming and infectious, "But we do need to figure out what the goal is?"

"Howz will you be paying for this?" drawled the waitress, slapping a bill down on the table, "With money or diamonds?" she asked with an odd smirk in her face.

B’Elanna and Seven wheeled round to look, it was the same waitress as at the coffee shop, "Money" said B’Elanna hesitantly, once again extending a ten dollar bill.

"No." said Seven firmly, capturing the waitresses attention, "We’d like to pay with Diamonds"

The waitress smiled, and it lit her face up, making her seem angelic, transcendent. "Do you have any diamonds then?" she asked, her clothes catching the light as the dawn broke, shinning through her hair.

"No" said Seven, "Where might we acquire some?" she asked.

"At Jerry’s" said the waitress, then as Seven turned to ask B’Elanna with her eyes if she knew the answer to the puzzle the waitress faded away, from the table and from the room.

"What was that about?" asked B’Elanna. Seven smiled, and reached over to pull B’Elanna to her feet as she too rose, "It is the beginning of our answer," she said delightedly.

"Huh?" asked B’Elanna, allowing herself to be pulled to her feet and out of the door into the crisp air, tinged with the scent of gasoline, and the murky dawn light, oozing through the haze that surrounded them.

"We must find Jerry’s B’Elanna, we must collect the ‘Diamonds’ they are the key to getting out of here." Seven smiled, wrapping her long black coat round her a little more tightly, and looking for a cab, and smiling when she spotted one passing slowly along the main road at the end of the side alley on which they were now standing. "It is time to go home." She said, smiling gently and the thought of Kathryn.

"Great" replied B’Elanna, not sounding as excited by the prospect as she perhaps should be.


* * *

"So what do you want the message to read Captain?" asked Harry. He and Carey were now standing in holodeck two, its black walls and mustard gridlines, mocking them by concealing the program they knew was still running. They had worked for almost two hours now, suggesting, checking, disregarding and at last deciding on the best method to get a message in, they had hailed the Captain, and had been a little surprised when she ordered them to wait so she could come down to the holodeck itself.

Kathryn herself was pondering the question. It had been quite a shock she realised, to find herself missing Seven as much as she had, her presence, her humour (all be it sly and a tad sardonic at times) her warmth and comfort in being there to greet her at the end of Kathryn’s day. All of those things she had expected to miss, but not her physical presence, the casual brush of her hand along Kathryn’s arm when they worked together in Astrometrics. Her half smile and the ghost of warm breath on her cheek when she leaned in to make a comment as they walked through the corridors. Her. Kathryn missed her.

 

"Captain" Harry interrupted her thoughts, "We can’t send a very long message, in fact the longer it is the more likely the nanoprobes will sense and reject it." He explained.

"At most twelve words" chipped in Carey; his fatigue making him slightly insulated from his trepidation around the Captain, "So they have to count." He added.

Kathryn smiled, "Can I choose the message?" she asked. The others nodded their heads in affirmation, Kathryn decided to stick with a message that would mean something to Seven, and her alone, just in case B’Elanna got it first and decided to try and ditch Seven, she didn’t think the Klingon had that little honour, but she wasn’t taking any chances. " Say: What lies within you will guide you home." She requested.

Harry looked puzzled, but he had the distinct feeling he was missing something in all this, something rather important, so he decided that shrugging then complying with the Captain’s wishes was probably safest. So with a few deft taps of sequences into the holodeck computer, "Message sent Captain" he confirmed.

Kathryn smiled, and turned, briskly striding from the holodeck, feeling happier than she had in days.


* * *

"Are you sure you have tried every possibility B’Elanna?" asked Seven patiently

"Yes god dammit!" the highly irritated Klingon yelled as she continued pacing, "What you think for fun I decided to just fucking leave some options out!?!"

The pair had returned to their small rented apartment just as the sun turned from dawn red, to early morning yellow, the world around them was stirring. B’Elanna and Seven were oblivious to this though, totally focused on their task, finding a way home.

They had grabbed phone books, from their room, from the complex lobby, they had called the operator who after drawling, "Sorry Ma’am I have no person or organisation by that name, please try Bell services again for all your directory needs. Have a nice day." Dozen times had finally been abandoned, (it was either that or find a way for B’Elanna to crawl down the telephone line and personally assault her as she was now itching to do.

Seven was lying on the couch, eyes closed, hands resting on her stomach and idly playing with the white sparkling belt that threaded through the top of her dark black jeans. The movement was disturbing the bottom of her matching white square necked top, adorned by small sequins so that it rode up slightly, exposing a smooth, impossibly pale and alluring stomach, with silver webbed mesh running across it hinting at another delicate pattern of spidery strands presence beneath.

B’Elanna tore her eyes away for the fifth time in the last half an hour, sighing from frustration. Something had changed, and she didn’t like it, she needed space from the growing realisation that...

‘Knock knock’ there was a rapping on the door, disturbing them both from private thoughts. Seven shot a worried look at B’Elanna, who wished (not for the first time) that she had her mekleth with her.

"Its OK" whispered the Klingon, "We can handle this." She reassured Seven, who smiled and relaxed back on the couch, "I don’t doubt it B’Elanna, I will let you have ‘first crack’". Nevertheless the Borg’s posture remained tense, and B’Elanna had no doubt that it would take her only a split second to jump into the fray if need be. Still she was oddly touched by Seven’s faith in her abilities.

Cautiously, B’Elanna moved towards the door, "Who is it?" she yelled through the thin plywood door.

"Post" came the muffled reply; "I’ve got a letter for Seven?" the puzzlement in his voice was evident. B’Elanna grinned, then slowly opened the door, sliding the chain of and opening it just a crack.

A postman stood in the corridor, with a blue hat and blue jacket, a large worn brown leather back was slung over his shoulder, weighing him down a little. The boy really, with short neatly cut brown hair, a face that didn’t need shaving and bright blue eyes and a name tag the proudly proclaimed ‘Jemmy’, hesitantly extended a letter to the crack in the door. "I won’t bite," he said, afraid they might. B’Elanna grinned, showing her own razor sharp teeth and opened the door fully, "Its too early for me to either" she grinned, "I’ll take that thanks" she grabbed the letter, nodded in acknowledgement and closed the door.

 

"What is it?" asked Seven looking excited, regardless of the contents she had never got a letter before. B’Elanna saw her look of anticipation and matched it with a wicked gleam. First she sniffed the envelope, making sure nothing horrible was inside, then she held it up, tilting it towards the window so the light shone through. She carefully flipped and rotated it, examining it from all angles. Then she did it again.

By now Seven had realised she was being bated, so she decided that fair was fair, "What’s the matter Lt?" she asked, her voice light and mocking, "Is the big Klingon warrior scared of the itty bitty envelope."

B’Elanna replied in kind, keeping the grin from her face, "No, I just think it’s to dangerous for any Borg, particularly any with blonde hair. Perhaps I should hang on to it?" she teased Seven now, waving the envelope slightly as one would a bone in front of a dog, or a cookie in front of a toddler, tempting, tantalisingly close and...

"It was addressed to me!" yelled Seven, leaping from the sofa straight at B’Elanna, who dodged her barley, skipping out of reach and waving the envelope. "Nun nuh" she taunted, "Its mine now and you can’t get it Seven."

Seven grinned wildly, and stalked B’Elanna, tracking her movements as she circled round the couch, ignoring the fakes from left to right with which B’Elanna tried to dodge her. Waiting, watching, then B’Elanna moved just a fraction back from the couch, getting the space to make a dash for it, and Seven jumped. Straight over the couch, landing on B’Elanna, straddling her torso with her thighs, pinning her onto the carpet as she reached down to grab the letter, bringing her face within a millimetre of B’Elanna’s. "Mine" declared Seven huskily. "Uhuh" agreed B’Elanna, fixed on her eyes, tasting her breath.

Then Seven drew back slightly, flustered, trying to bring her sudden playfulness back into check. No one but Kathryn had seen her like this before, and she wondered why B’Elanna had suddenly brought this behaviour out in her.

Embarrassed, Seven rolled off B’Elanna and in a fluid motion rose to her feet, still clutching the envelope. "Perhaps we should find what this contains she suggested?" sitting back down on the couch.

"Sure" grinned B’Elanna, still breathless from their little encounter, "Lets take a look." B’Elanna perched on the arm of the chair, leaning down towards Seven who opened the envelope and withdrew a single sheet of paper, ignoring the engineers hot breath on her cheek, or the fingertips that ghosted across hers as they came to rest on the edge of the seat.

She opened up the flawless white sheet and read eight typed words emblazoned on it in red ink.

"What lies within you will guide you home."

"What the hell does that mean?" asked B’Elanna snatching the paper from Seven’s hand and staring at it.

Seven smiled, her eyes growing misty, "It is from Kathryn," she said.

Seven had been ill, she wasn’t often ill, the nanoprobes normally caught and filtered out any infection, but this time the slippery little alien virus had confused her body into thinking it was a harmless protein and had infiltrated every one of her major systems before it mutated and struck.

Now she felt horrible, her head pounded, her skin was clammy and sweaty, her guts were tight and she felt sick. But she wouldn’t see the Doctor, oh no. Partly it was stubborn pride, surely no little virus could beat her, partly it was her distaste over the Doctor’s lecture, but mainly it was because she didn’t want Kathryn to worry.

So, after spending all day trying not to be ill, she stumbled and wavered back to Kathryn’s quarters, the Borg children would only call the Doctor, but Kathryn was still on duty for another five hours. Seven decided she could shower, sleep and leave without Kathryn ever knowing, hopefully she would feel well enough later to see Kathryn, as long as she could distract her from a game of Velocity, which, she smirked, was never too hard if you used the right persuasion.

So she took a shower, leaning heavily against the wall she allowed the water to beat down on her, washing away the sweat that clung to her body like gel, soaking her clothes to her skin, stifling her with its presence and scent. At last, when she thought she would fall over in exhaustion she felt clean, and shirking all clothes Seven crawled into the large double bed she and Kathryn shared, pulling off all the covers except a thin cotton sheet and huddling underneath it.

"Computer" she mumbled, "Set alarm for..." she started to snore as the illness too its toll and knocked her out. When Kathryn came in then that’s how she found her, still asleep in their bed, once again sweating heavily, and whimpering in fever induced nightmares.

Alarmed Kathryn called the Doctor, and oblivious to the consequences she slung off her uniform, grabbed a blue silk robe instead and curled up in bed next to Seven, soothing her lover gently.

"Please state the nature of the medical emergency" reeled off the Doctor as he materialised into the bedroom then he saw the two people in the bed, "Oh my" he exclaimed, "Why Captain I had no idea!"

"Save it" snapped Kathryn, "Doctor - Patient privilege applies and I’ll wipe your program out if you tell anyone." The Doctor gulped, though it was purely dramatic license. "Now get over here and help her," ordered Kathryn.

An hour later, after hastily transporting Seven to Sick Bay and generally helping the Captain towards an early grave with his grim pronouncements and sudden bouts of panic, the Doctor figured it out.

"It’s a completely harmless virus, very much like the common cold only about thousand times weaker." He said, playing with the instruments on the tray next to Seven’s biobed, and avoiding the Captain’s eye.

"It doesn’t look very harmless," pointed out Kathryn. Looking haggard and tired, "What’s going on Doctor?" she asked wearily.

"Well the virus has affected the coding that allows her nanoprobes to bond to her molecular structure. Her natural defences are trying to expel the nanoprobes from her system, mistaking them for the virus itself, but the nanoprobes are fitting back."

"So?" exclaimed Kathryn in irritation and concern

"So her body is fighting against herself, and unsurprisingly it’s losing, the nanoprobes are killing of her white blood cells." Said the Doctor worriedly, checking her vitals then preparing a hypospray.

"The only thing we an do is to temporarily deactivate her nanoprobes." He said

"Isn’t that dangerous?" asked Kathryn. She had moved closer and closer to Seven during the conversation and was now gently stroking her hand. The Doctor continued to look worried, but pressed on gamely. "We have no choice Captain, if we leave the nanoprobes in though we might be able to hide them from the natural antibodies that are attacking them, the nanoprobes themselves will continue to attack her body."

Then, before Janeway could object he reached over and injected the compound he had prepared into Seven’s slender neck. "We only need to knock the nanoprobes out temporarily." Said the Doctor, scanning her attentively. "Just until the white cells ‘forget’ about them, providing I monitor her vitals carefully and administer any other treatment immediately there shouldn’t be any further damage." With that the Doctor patted Seven’s limp arm and turned back towards his office to worry in private, leaving her and the Captain alone.

"Oh Seven" whispered Kathryn "Hang in there darling." She implored, resting her head on Seven’s left arm, running her hand along the metal implants on her arm, "I’ll be here when you wake up love, I promise.

It was 16 fever marred, touch and go hours later, before Seven’s condition finally stabilised, her nanoprobes were re-activated and for the first time in almost two days she was able to sleep, rather than just succumb to unconsciousness. Exhausted Kathryn joined her in slumber, her head resting on Seven’s shoulder and her body leaning half out of the chair and onto Seven’s body. In the end the Doctor was so worried about her injuring herself in that position he lifted Kathryn up and placed her on the biobed next to Seven, after securing them from prying eyes of course with an opaque privacy screen.

It was another five hours before Seven awoke. When she did, she conversed quietly with Doctor, so as not to disturb the still sleeping Captain, when satisfied with the EMH’s explanations she simply cuddled up closer to Kathryn. Contenting herself with stroking her hands through the Captains thick auburn mane and waiting until she was ready to wake up naturally.

When Kathryn did, it was with a sleepy groan and a vain attempt to block out the waking world, nuzzling deeper into Seven’s shoulder and sighing in contentment as her hands tightened around the medical gown beneath her. Then her eyes popped open in surprise, and she looked up to meet Seven’s now awake and bright shinning blue eyes.

"Oh love" she said tenderly, reaching up to stroke Seven’s face, tracing the delicate cheekbones and the soft downy cheeks, touching her reverently as if afraid Seven would simply disappear, "Oh love" murmured Kathryn again.

"Shh Kathryn." Seven laid a delicate finger on Kathryn’s lips, then frowned as a tear rolled down her face onto the digit, bathing it in her concern, "Do not cry my love, all is well." She tried to reassure Kathryn who only shed more tears before whispering, "I was so scared" over and over, a chant of her devotion.

Seven lent down then, kissing her deeply, feeling silk lips touching against hers, the hint of a velvet tongue shyly emerging. Leaning into the lightly callused hand that cupped her face as she ran her own hand down the soft neck extended beneath her, onto Kathryn’s shoulder, where she delicately shifted the fabric of her shoulder, and lent to kiss the hollow point by her collar bone. Kathryn gasped, arching slightly into the contact, moving her hand round to the back of Seven’s head and pushing her closer as her own mouth sucked on the tender earlobe tilted towards her. This time Seven gasped, pulling her head back so she could look at Kathryn.

"I am sorry I frightened you love" she said quietly, "Had it not been for my nanoprobes, for my ‘Borgness’ none of this would have happened." Seven closed her eyes, painful memories sweeping through her. This time Kathryn initiated the kiss, deeper, bold, demanding entrance into her mouth, kissing her fears away and then running her tongue up each of Seven’s cheeks, licking dry her crystal clear tears.

"Your ‘Borgness’ brought you here, to me." Kathryn said firmly, "What lies within you will guide you home. To me, always my love."

Seven smiled, wantonly, wickedly, "Computer" she said out loud, "Two to beam directly to the Captain’s quarters, bedroom. Energise." Kathryn began to frown, worried that Seven shouldn’t leave sick bay, then a hot wet mouth bent back to her neck, sucking hard enough to leave a mark. And all other thoughts were forgotten.

"It is from Kathryn," said Seven, smiling at the recalled memories, "My nanoprobes, somehow they are causing this," she said, "And they can lead us home."

B’Elanna raised her eyebrows, "A) How did you get that conclusion from that message?" she asked, "And B) I knew it was your fault really!" she said, standing again and grabbing the phone book, so she could wave it threateningly at Seven, who reclined herself fully on the couch.

"JERICHO’S!!!" Yelled Seven, jumping to her feet and almost knocking B’Elanna over as she leapt to grab the phone book from the confused engineers hand.

"Huh?" asked B’Elanna, flopping down on the still warm spot on the couch Seven had just vacated and crossing her arms in a defiant gesture, "Do you mind explaining all of this?"

Seven considered teasing B’Elanna, but her emotions were a little to close to the surface to risk degenerating into a playful contest again. The memory of Kathryn was mixing in her head with the scent of B’Elanna’s skin, and Seven was fighting the urge to cry, overwhelmed by hope and despair and sudden relief at a possible answer.

"Hey" said B’Elanna, standing up again, moving towards Seven and in a moment wrapping her arms around Seven, pulling her close, "Hey its OK, Seven. Tell me what you know and we can figure a way out of this." She promised her voice rich and comforting, her hands stroking the long smooth back, and (accidentally of course) brushing against her bare skin.

Seven looked at her intently, "Do you miss Tom?" she asked. B’Elanna withdrew a little, pondering the question; her arms still loosely wrapped round Seven, but a clear distance now emerging, in more ways than one. "Yeah, " she said slowly, "I do, but its not like I can’t live without him. I hoped it would be, and sometimes it is but yes I miss him, sometimes even when he’s there."

"Why did you choose him?" asked Seven, wanting an answer to confirm it was the right choice, who had been chosen. "Because" said B’Elanna, "Because no-one has ever made me feel as close as to how I should feel as he does."

Seven smiled, and backed gently out of the Klingon’s grasp, "Jerry’s is a shortened version of Jericho’s" she explained, "The lounge at which Tom, Harry the Doctor and I played cards, where it all began. In fact everything has been about programs we have run, the films you have seen here, the diner Harry one took us all too. I learnt to speak French on the holodeck in the Hirogen simulations, on a square with a school just like the one outside, everything is from programs we have used recently, just slightly different and out of place when seen together."

B’Elanna mulled this over, "Y’know, I think you’re right" she said, then grabbed the phone book back from Seven, "So we know where we’re going, so lets get a cab."

Seven nodded in agreement and went to find her purse. B’Elanna pulled on her shoes then raised her head as Seven appeared from the bedroom, clutching a black leather purse that matched her shoes perfectly.

"So" drawled B’Elanna, "How did you get nanoprobes from that note?" she asked, tilting her head and raising her eyebrows. Seven blushed hotly.

 


 

 

Chapter 7

 

Kathryn paced. She had tried sitting, sleeping, eating, and even a ‘soothing cup of herbal tea’ as the Doctor had suggested but in the end she just paced. She wondered what it was about tense circumstances that brought that out in her, probably the need to be doing something, even if it was pointless, or maybe a childish hope that if she worried hard enough Seven would suddenly be restored to her. So she paced, and thought and ignored all callers.

The message had been sent over three hours ago, though for all she knew they hadn’t even got it yet, as Harry had pointed out this wasn’t an exact transfer, more a subprogram to be implanted and run when the main programme noticed it was waiting there. Chakotay had come in to see her three times, after firmly telling her to leave the bridge as she was putting everyone else on edge. So when the doorbell chimed Kathryn assumed it was her well meaning, and soon to be locked up in his quarters away from her, first officer.

"What?" she barked at the door, the door judged this to be the most civil invitation the occupant was capable of, so decided to open before this irrational human started throwing things at it again. It was only a door after all, it opened and closed that’s what it did, life was simple.

"Captain, am I disturbing you?" Tuvok’s rich tones broke into the stale atmosphere of the room.

Kathryn smiled wryly and took a seat, beckoning him over, "Yes, but then everyone is disturbing me today so what’s one more nosy officer?" she suggested.

Tuvok of course didn’t look offended, but his tone may have been fractionally more composed than it was before. "If you listened to your officers’ advice the first time it was given you would not need to be continually disturbed by it." He said, arching an eyebrow, and tilting his head slightly to regard her better.

Janeway was a mess, she had no uniform tunic on, just an un-tucked grey undershirt, her hair was a mess, her shoes had been kicked off and he spotted one of them on the floor by the replicator. Her desk and table were both littered by dirty coffee cups and a less composed officer might have been tempted to point out to her she really could do with a shower.

Now, if you are friends with someone for long enough a certain ‘vibe’ develops which allows you to know when they are lying, when they need your help even if they aren’t willing to ask. And when, if they were anything less of a friend they would embarrass you by stating loudly your flies were undone or you had lipstick on your teeth, rather than just subtly indicating it to you before you could further humiliate yourself.

As a result Kathryn was able to decipher Tuvok’s analytical observation of the room, and the remote curling of his lip. "I look kind of a mess huh all friend?" said Kathryn, running her fingers through her hair in a vain effort to prevent it from sticking out at a right angle.

Tuvok refrained from commenting, barely. "Perhaps your time would be best spent by resting and then covering Commander Chakotay on the Beta shift as he has taken the alpha shift, unless our missing crewmates have been returned to us, in which case."

"In which case what?" asked Kathryn, intrigued by the sudden cessation in Tuvok’s speech.

"In which case" he continued, "Perhaps you could spend some time developing better privacy locks for future holodeck use?" then with a swift nod he turned and left the room, leaving Kathryn with her mouth hanging open.

Half a ship away, as Kathryn finally followed the advice and headed back to her quarters for a bath and some fresh clothes, Tom was sitting on a table next to the window in the mess hall. A mug of hot chocolate was in his hands, still steaming gently, he took a sip and smiled, B’Elanna loved this blend so much, chocolate vanilla with mini marshmallows. He wondered where she was.

Having ascertained that the holodeck would be drawing from the most recent programs run to create the simulation in which Lana and Seven were now trapped Tom had called up the records and had a look.

In addition to his 1920’s Chicago card lounge there was a café in Paris, a diner in 1950’s America (Harry and his program) a medical simulation the Doc had been running. Tom had asked about and been told, "Sometimes technology is not always readily available Mr Paris. Even a physician of my considerable skill needs to practice utilising only the most elementary equipment to deal with highly complex problems." Then, a little to arrogantly Tom felt, the Doctor added, "Perhaps you could benefit from trying the program yourself."

There were various movies listed as having been shown there, then the last two programs were a prehistoric simulation a group of security officers had been running as a recreation program, (Tom had rolled his eyes a lot at that information) and most recently, whatever the Captain had been running. Which after some poking around he had decided was probably a medieval style dance hall.

With the exception of the whole 80ft vicious carnivore thing he wasn’t too worried. Still, Tom realised he really missed B’Elanna.

"Mr Paris, can I get you another cup of chocolate?" inquired Neelix. Voyager's resident chef had headed over unnoticed to Tom’s table and was now standing there expectantly. There was something about the Talaxian that always reminded Tom of a Golden Retriever, waiting eagerly for someone to play catch with him. Tom really did like him.

"No its OK Neelix, I think my blood’s going to be replaced by chocolate if I drink anymore of this stuff" Tom grinned roguishly while Neelix chuckled.

"Well I’m sure the Doctor would have something to say about that" he joked, sitting down opposite Tom, "Mind you B’Elanna might quite enjoy it!" Tom grinned and then went back to staring into his cup.

"She’s got to be all right Neelix," said Tom nervously, "I miss her" in a rare moment of levity Tom didn’t try to hide behind sarcasm, "If she isn’t OK it will all be my fault."

"Don’t be silly," said Neelix firmly, pulling the orange and mint green harlequin checked hat (that matched the rest of clothes in a kind of psychedelic nightmare) of his head and twisting it between his hands. "Seven and B’Elanna are both very capable Tom, and this isn’t your fault, but you can help, who knows more about holodecks than you?"

Tom seemed to buck up a bit at that, hopeful he could actually do something useful. "Maybe" he said thoughtfully, "I know that Harry’s sorted out a lot of it, but perhaps I can help to give them a smooth ride back. Yeah, thanks Neelix." Tom bounded up and headed for the door, Neelix thought idly Tom always looked like a spaniel puppy, eager to please but very easily over excited. He snorted at the thought, and then turned his attention to Tuvok who was standing at the counter warily peering at his Crackus pod stew.

"Mr Vulcan" called out Neelix, "I’ll be right there." Settling the hat back on his head he headed back to his kitchen.


* * *

They had found a cab; just sitting outside waiting for them, and after checking the address in the advert in the phone book they directed the obliging cabby to the card lounge.

 

Jerry’s wasn’t open yet, 1pm was still a little early for mobsters to be up and able to do anything that didn’t involve guns sirens and running, at least according to waitress who harried them away from the shuttered front door before the bouncers came out to greet them.

So Seven and B’Elanna went for lunch, which involved ‘super subs’ in the park. The crispy sandwiches were perfect, stuffed full and chewy, eating them involved clever positioning of hands and mouths to prevent debris from falling all over them. When they could eat no more Seven started throwing leftovers to the ducks on the muddy artificial lake in front of them, while B’Elanna settled on baiting the grey squirrels. The squirrels ran up the trees leaping from branch to branch before perfectly executing a fall, to land them just out of reach of B’Elanna’s outstretched hand, but potentially in the circle of all available food. Where as Seven’s ducks just stayed still and demanded loudly when the flow of edibles stemmed. There was something gloriously domestic about the whole thing.

The talked of inconsequential things, What they would do first when they got back? (Seven wanted to wash her hair properly; B’Elanna smirked and threatened to provide detailed commentary on her preferred joint activity.) What was their idea of a perfect day? Seven said smugly, "Facing a problem so complex only a Borg could solve, and then solving it for the benefit of the whole crew", after that B’Elanna settled on "Proving said arrogant smart-ass half-mechanoid wrong!"

After that they contented themselves with general teasing and bizarre word games, such as ‘Guess how many words your partner is capable of saying during sex (with you)?’ (Seven declared stolidly that Kathryn could mange "Oh god" and "Seven" at various decibel levels. B’Elanna said that Tom could only manage, "Yes, Yes, Yes" but they decided that didn’t mean B’Elanna had won, just that Tom was completely inarticulate all the time.

Then there was the fascinating, "Find the engineering term with most syllables’, B’Elanna won that narrowly with a word Seven wasn’t convinced was real and sounded suspiciously like ’Hah-take-that-arrogant-slug’ just said really fast with lots of Klingon hacking sounds.

Their favourite though was three rounds of ‘Spot the most unusual irregularity’; winners were Boob tubes in neon blue, on men. A life-size cardboard Buffy cut out being carried through the park by a guy who could, according to B’Elanna, "Only have lived in the 80’s." And finally a neon pink hover-board, which defied all explanation.

Still they managed to waste an hour and a half and by then they figured they could at least head to the lounge for a drink and try to figure out what the link between that and Voyager’s message was.

So they had headed back to the lounge, walking slowly through the thinning Sunday traffic, as if both of them realised that this would never come again. The feeling of burning anticipation and utter contentment, the feeling of coming home, and having left a part of you behind, feeling weak and strong, lost and found, confused and certain. When they smiled at each other, no words could be used for they would inexcusably contract and limit the moment. It was bliss. It was agony.

They stopped briefly at two partially hidden stores off a small side street, first to pick up supplies, then to barter B’Elanna’s com badge and gold pips for money, bundling her now bare uniform into a leather knapsack, but only after B’Elanna had surreptitiously slipped on the thin grey top under her other clothes.

As they resumed their course towards the card lounge, Seven at last asked the question both of them had been agonising over. Stopping B’Elanna before she could turn the corner and come in view of the club, Seven smoothed her long black suede jacket, before nervously stuffing her hand in her pockets, a completely unfamiliar gesture to both doer and viewer.

"B’Elanna" she asked, "What is happening between us?"

"I don’t know" replied B’Elanna thoughtfully, scuffing the toe of her black ankle boots on the ground, and watching as they caught the edge of a puddle and splashed onto the bottom of her khaki trousers, darkening them almost to the coal black of her hooded top. "It’s that this isn’t real." B’Elanna finally said, "But nothing’s ever been more real, at least not between us. Maybe we’re seeing to much?" B’Elanna provided Seven with a way out, and a chance to confirm her own fears of inadequacy. There was no reply, seconds crawled by, and then shattering the cold, Seven smiled at her, a secretive half smile, and turned and walked towards the club. B’Elanna followed.

The lounge was dimly lit, casting gloomy shadows across the empty booths even though the sun shone bright outside. The lounge was almost deserted, there was a drunk propping up the bar, a worn brown suit marked his less than well off state, his sweaty red face portrayed his already advanced state of intoxication and he leered at Seven blatantly when she entered. Apart from him there was a waitress, bottle-blonde with a half-open white shirt and a practically invisible black skirt and a surly bartender. He was sporting a five o’clock shadow and red rimmed eyes that suggested he’d had a heavy night. His shirt was crumpled and un-tucked, his movements sluggish and laboured as he fixed the requested drinks for B’Elanna and Seven.

By 6pm it was another world. The room was now bustling, men in suits, women in cocktail dresses mingled while sipping cocktails, numerous waiters and waitresses ran around with plates of food, steaks, salads, chocolate desserts piled high with cream. The room was deafening with the ambient noise, though carefully arranged acoustics allowed the scantily clad lounge singer to display her assets to the room properly.

Through all of the B’Elanna and Seven sat unobtrusively, tucked away in a corner booth, they talked and ‘grazed’, drank and lingered over conversation. Their eyes however were not still, darting about the room watching for

"Jerry" whispered Seven, nodding slightly to her right, "He’s just come in and is standing over by the bar."

"What’s the plan then?" asked B’Elanna, wiping her mouth clean of chilli sauce and tensing as if to leap out of the chair and attack him.

Seven noticed the shift of her muscles and frowned slightly, wordlessly asking and ordering B’Elanna not to jump into the situation headfirst. "We drink with them" she said, sorting through her purse looking for money to pay the bill, "Then, I play cards with him, and you stay out of trouble!"

B’Elanna pulled a couple of crumpled notes out of her pocket and slapped them on the table, "Sounds like a plan" she smirked, "Except I’m not that good at staying out of trouble"

Seven smiled tolerantly, "Try"


* * *

An hour later and Seven was convinced of two things, one she was very glad they had both spent the last of their original supply of money on buying cocktail dresses and two, it wasn’t B’Elanna that had to watch her temper it was her.

B’Elanna flirted like an expert, the batting eyes, the casual touches, the exuberant laughter making her audience putty in her hands. It was Seven who was most uneasy, she hated the lustful anonymous glances, the sweaty palms and bad breath, and it was all she could do to keep from hurting one of them.

Still she persevered and over a number of drinks (Seven was careful to sip and the discard as slowly as possible) they learnt what they needed to. There were three guys at the bar, all of whom wished to play cards later for ‘high stakes’; the first was Jerry, owner of the lounge.

Jerry was about 50, he was bald with a carefully positioned comb-over and a thick black moustache that looked like it was trying to take over his face. He wore a carefully pressed charcoal grey suit, and a simple gold watch, understating his wealth in a very appealing manner. He laughed often, and loudly, particularly at Seven’s dry humour. Though he may have found her attractive, he kept his hands to himself. It was hard to imagine that this dignified, refined gentleman might be capable of acting in anything other than a civil manner. Still Seven suspected that much of his wealth didn’t come from solely legitimate means, or people.

Standing next to him was the man nicknamed ‘Domino’ he however made no effort to disguise his massive inherited wealth, or restrain his wandering hands, they were everywhere, skittering up Seven’s bare arms, wrapping around B’Elanna’s shoulders, constantly pushing into their personal space. His expensive aftershave mixed with the smell of the whiskey he drank, and hung heavily in the air around them.

Domino was 32, or so he declared loudly along with the comment that he was "Young enough to have fun and old enough to know exactly what he was doing" with an accompanying leer. His thick brown hair hung down to his shoulders, atypical for the age, he was clean shaven and his unmarred features looked almost innocent, until he smiled, for that exaggerated motion looked much like a shark exposing its teeth before the kill. His black tailored suit was handmade as was the velvet red shirt he wore. B’Elanna wasn’t sure what was more nauseous, his bragging, his constant shouting in a loud booming voice to anyone that walked passed, or the comment that his "pretty clueless little wife" was waiting at home. It was the leers, B’Elanna decided eventually, mainly because she was subjected to most of them.

In complete contrast as if that wasn’t a universal necessity, was Bran Bonnington, he introduced himself quietly and then stayed towards the edge of the conversation, listening, observing, he spoke rarely, Seven found him tedious, B’Elanna however realised the sharp mind that hovered just beneath the circle of conversation. Taking the time to talk to him (and to try to hide from Domino) she discovered that Bran was a banker, 40, widowed, with short cut blonde hair and nails that were neatly trimmed and manicured. His wife had died in a car accident eight years ago, and his voice caught every once in a while when he said her name. The lack of a woman in his life showed in his clothing choices, a dowdy cut brown suit that did little to flatter his slight frame.

The evening passed swiftly in a cloud of cigar smoke, and posturing conversation, until at last Domino declared loudly, "I’m tired of all this waiting, show us to the game Jerry!" B’Elanna was invited as "my lucky prize" she rolled her eyes and edged away from Domino.

Seven on the other hand took a direct method, striding into the room, sitting at the semi-circled oak card table and picking the cards straight out of the dealers hands and shuffling them one handed with such speed no-one’s eyes could follow. When they all stopped gaping she was invited to play, with a new deck of cards of course.

After the players were seated they were each presented with a pile of chips, each player having paid $5000 at the bar (Seven had done so when her and B’Elanna had first walked in, and just neglected to mention it to anyone). B’Elanna had grinned widely at that.

"Always thinking ahead huh?" she whispered into Seven’s ear as she returned from the bathroom and took the seat next to her, and as far away from Domino as possible. Seven smiled demurely, "Let us hope we can get what we came for?" B’Elanna took a moment to think about that, "What are we here for?" she asked, Seven having remained cryptic on the meaning of Voyager’s note.

"Those" said Seven, as the dealer laid the chips in front of them, each plastic circle adorned with an imprint of a nanoprobe.

"Oh" said B’Elanna quietly.


* * *

"Trust me Harry it I’ll work" Tom looked up from where he was kneeling into the disbelieving eyes of his best friend, "Does anyone know more about holodecks than me?" He asked grinning charmingly.

"Yes. ME, that’s why you needed MY help Mr Paris." The Doctor looked disparagingly at the helmsman, "This might have been you’re idea but it was my extensive understanding of holographic technology that allowed the modifications to be made."

Harry rolled his eyes; they had been at this for almost an hour. He had been working quietly in the holodeck, checking and rechecking to see if there was any indication whether or not the message he’d sent had got through when in a whirlwind Tom and the Doctor had swept in arguing loudly. They proceeded to tear the control panel apart scattering tools everywhere from his meticulously organised toolbox and at last declaring their success had both stood and revealed a box with a small pixel screen attached into the holodeck imaging circuitry. Harry prayed nothing had been broken.

"What is it?" he asked as Tom and The Doctor continued to grin inanely at him.

"It’s a TV of course," they said, in almost perfect concert.

 

"A TV" Kathryn sat behind her desk in the now less cluttered ready room, having showered, changed and cleaned, if not slept. She tilted her head to the side slightly and continued to look slightly puzzled as the three men in front of her exchanged glares over who would get to break the news. "Tom" Kathryn got bored, "What TV? What is a TV?" she asked, calmly.

It’s a 20th Century invention Captain" Tom explained, as Kathryn rolled her eyes in understanding, "Its designed to show recreational or factual ‘programmes’ kind of a caveman version of a holodeck"

"But with electricity" pointed out Harry.

The Doctor cut in, determined to get a piece of the limelight. "My extensive holographic knowledge allowed Mr Paris to integrate his toy into the holodeck system," he explained.

"So we can see them." Jumped in Tom before the Doctor could finish. "The TV is receiving images from the holodeck, so we can look on at B’Elanna and Seven to see how they’re doing, we might even be able to send them a better message then."

Kathryn grinned wildly at the prospect, ignoring the crack about the cryptic message she had sent. "When can you have it ready?" she asked.

"Its ready now" Tom grinned in anticipation, "Want to come see the premiere show?"

"Of course, good work Gentleman" Kathryn rushed from the room, a little to fast to still be considered dignified, the others scrambling after her.


* * *

"Are you sure you know what you’re doing Seven?"

They had been playing for around an hour now and B’Elanna had in turn been both amazed and concerned by Seven’s playing style. It was so bold, decisive though not reckless--uncompromising and even a little hardheaded, she didn’t let go, she played each hand as if it was the last with gritted determination and profound concentration.

What concerned B’Elanna was not the passion with which Seven played--but the fact she was loosing, hand after hand that should have gone her way she was beaten, her bluffs while inscrutable to the watching audience were still called and now almost all the money had gone.

B’Elanna remembered then, with a sudden shocking clarity that just three days ago she had accused Seven of cheating at cards. She wandered if her assumption about her friend’s lack of skill in cards was justified--even if her personality assassination was grossly unwarranted.

Seven was beginning to feel the strain, her face had become harder set, her grip on the cards was now vicious, almost curling them as she directed all her subconscious attention to not sweating--they were almost lost. Without this hand this game they could conceivably be stuck here for months--Kathryn’s message in itself had revealed that the solution had to come from within the program.

Seven looked over her shoulder at the worried face of the Klingon, she tried to smile re-assuringly but somehow it just looked watery.

"Perhaps we should take a break" whispered B’Elanna surreptitiously into Seven’s delicate coral ear--noting the slight shudder that ran through the ex-Borg’s frame as her hot breath dusted over the delicate coral curve.

"Under what pretence?" whispered Seven in return, this time it was B’Elanna who shivered as Seven turned her face towards B’Elanna’s neck, her breath caressing the slender tendons with aching gentleness.

"Huh look at the floor show!" Boomed Domino. Seven and B’Elanna looked up guiltily realising the intimacy of the scene playing out (Seven idly realised that intimate was a word she had used a lot in the last few days, particularly in reference to B’Elanna)

"Well boys" purred B’Elanna, "We can’t give everything away before the finale." She ran her hand up Seven’s arm and brushed the long blonde hair of her neck, bending down she paused with her lips just millimetres from the pale skin and tilted her face slightly towards Domino, "Perhaps you need to cool down?" she suggested.

"Indeed" said Jerry decisively--"An effective distraction my dear" he remarked dipping his head at B’Elanna and Seven, "I believe we should adjourn for five minutes until cooler heads and bodies prevail." With a smirk he rose and led the other two players out to the bar.

B’Elanna moved to take the seat next to Seven, but she grabbed the Klingon, using her strength to pull the unresisting form onto her lap. B’Elanna found herself straddling Seven’s leg, her high heels just brushing the floor as Seven lifted her leg up slightly, resting it on the bar at the base of the chair, using the angle to allow B’Elanna to slide even closer too her. The tension between them was electric.

"Seven" breathed B’Elanna her face flushed, breathing heavily, "What about..." she trailed off unwilling to break the moment and deny herself this chance.

Seven reached forward and seized her mouth. Gentle lips playing against each other and silken tongues, molten heat and their hands roamed. Seven’s long fingers entwined in B’Elanna’s hair, forcing her head back so she could bend to kiss the elegant neck presented to her. Drawing the tender flesh into her mouth Seven sucked the delicate skin hard enough to leave a mark, driving B’Elanna mad...

The Klingon’s hands gripped onto slender hips and without conscious thought she began to rock slightly--the passion overwhelming any control she had left. A strong hand sneaked under the hem of Seven’s dress and this time it was the Borg who threw her head back in rapture, sliding her own hands down to rub B’Elanna’s breasts as caramel fingers slipped closer to their goal...

Seven cried out, lost to all propriety, driven by instinct, and clouded by memory..."Kathryn" she breathed as the Klingon’s mouth engulfed her earlobe sending a flood lower, "Oh Kathryn please..." Seven’s voice cracked and B’Elanna’s eyes shot open. The moment was broken.

"Seven" B’Elanna scrambled off the Borg--panting from desire--staring at her in a mixture of passion and horror, regret and fear.

"I’m sorry she stammered, I’m so-o sorry Seven, I..."

Seven rose up, ruffled and unsure--but reacting to the pain in her friend’s voice.

"B’Elanna" she whispered, reaching to encircle the shaking engineer, "Shh, I am sorry too, you were so beautiful, you are so beautiful" Seven’s voice was sincere, her touch gentle as she looked into watery brown eyes, struggling to calm herself enough to verbalise the emotions flowing through her.

"But your heart is Kathryn’s" whispered B’Elanna brokenly.

Seven paused, knowing what a decision this was, her lover, her partner, her confidante was a lifetime away, her friend, her equal, her passionate and cherished companion stood offering her heart. How could she feel so much for a woman she had claimed to hate three days ago?

That was the key Seven realised she had never hated B’Elanna,

"I’m scared," whispered the fragile blonde

"Of what" asked B’Elanna locking onto eyes burning with blue fire?


* * *

"Huh?" Asked Tom as the picture faded in and he, Harry and the Doctor and Janeway took in the tender scene being played out in the card room.

Kathryn’s face looked very pale--the Doctor who noticed was however wise enough not to comment. Tom’s ears were going red.

"What are they doing he hissed?"

In hope, and fear Harry made a suggestion, "Listen"


* * *

"Of what?" repeated B’Elanna as Seven hesitated, trying to organise her thoughts--unaware that this choice was being watched by the two people out there who would have most to loose...

"That, that I am no longer the same" whispered Seven, tears threatening to roll from her eyes too, "That I have found what I was scared off--loosing myself, my control of the situation, of my life, of my loves. I am scared I can’t go back to the world I left."

If B’Elanna doubted what she must do next--it was inevitable, but still she didn’t hesitate, both for her friend and her honour and for the little voice inside her that whispered she could never trust a choice made here--so far from the real world.

"We can sort this out later." Said the Klingon--knowing in her heart that this might be her only chance, even if it was a falsely conceived one.

Seven knew it too, and also everything she would loose

She grinned ruefully, "I think, I think too much right now..."

"How do we win the game then Seven?" asked B’Elanna, focusing the conversation back on the necessities--pushing the memory of the blonde’s lips and touch too the back of her mind.

"With love?" joked Seven--"It is meant to be the answer"

"Yeah and Diamond’s are a girl’s best friend" chipped in B’Elanna, recalling the old adage from a movie she and Tom had watched.

"DIAMONDS" exclaimed Seven, hugging B’Elanna exuberantly, "That’s the answer." Picking B’Elanna off her feet she swung the engineer around, as she emitted a startled squawk. Seven set her down, afraid she might have hurt B’Elanna, running her hand down the Klingon’s sides and loosening her hold a little.

For a moment B’Elanna looked confused (and a little distracted), then a smile split her face, "The girl in the hospital" she exclaimed, "And the waitress!!!"

Seven smiled in memory--"I won every hand I played with Tom and Harry and the Doctor when I had diamonds"

"You did ch..." exclaimed B’Elanna, then stopped herself, "But you wouldn’t would you?"

Seven smiled and wrapped her arms back around the Klingon, the obvious delight at B’Elanna’s trust in her lighting up her features with joy.

"Let’s go home," she whispered.

 

"God damn blasted technology" yelled Tom, banging the TV set as the picture started to go fuzzy.

"Its very delicate Mr Paris" snapped the Doctor, "you’ll..." he trailed off as the picture disappeared into a little bright spot, then the screen went black,"...break it."

Kathryn gritted her teeth, her finger nails digging into her palms, wondering both what had happened before the screen came on, and what was now happening as it had gone off.

 


 

 

Chapter 8

 

B’Elanna and Seven stood in the card room, still wrapped in each other’s arms, both hesitant over their next move.

"Ladies, if you’re done can we get back to the game?" queried Bran in a quiet tone, breaking the silence, and making Seven and B’Elanna realise they had been re-joined by the other players.

"Though if you want to go on with the show..." leered Domino, grasping a tall drink of whiskey in one hand, waving his other expansively in a bid to convince them too continue.

Seven smiled graciously at Bran, having been surprised by his earlier skill she had gained a cautious respect for the unassuming man, and she could detect no hostility, or ‘sleaze’ in his tone. "I believe we are ready to continue" she said, taking her seat again, "I apologise if you thought I was intentionally creating a distraction--it was not my intention, though it will be to my advantage." She admitted quietly.

"Well, Lady Luck must smile on us all", commented Jerry wryly.

Seven and B’Elanna smiled at each other and watched as the dealer shuffled a newly opened pack of cards.


* * *

"Can’t you get the picture back?" asked Tom, his voice getting louder, "I want to know what that Damn Borg freak is doing with my girl!"

"Enough" yelled Kathryn--struggling to control her own reactions, "We’ll find out when we get them back, that is still the priority."

"Got it," said Harry, his relief evident, "I’ll just, uh, check the signal" he suggested, standing so his frame obstructed the others view of the screen. He sent a quite wish to whoever was listening on flicked on the screen; sighing in relief at the far more platonic arena they were now in.

"Look" he said moving away, revealing the screen to the assembled others.


* * *

It was the third hand since the restart, Seven had one two in decisive fashion, having withdrawn from the other even though she held four jacks. B’Elanna had looked open mouthed at that decision; only to see Bran calmly lay down four Queens.

Around them the holodeck façade was changing--becoming less distinct as Seven’s pile of chips increased. As she won each chip, the nanoprobe stamped on top of it disappeared.

"At least three must be Diamonds," explained Seven in a quite voice, in answer to B’Elanna’s still puzzled gaze.

"Why Diamonds?" B’Elanna asked in confusion, having not noticed the chips, Seven’s hands were far more interesting to look at in the end...

"It is a symptom of the nanoprobes adapting the environment to us," explained Seven, ignoring the heat in B’Elanna’s gaze. "They have been adapting to aid us, using the resources of the holodeck as a solution to the problem, rather than just raw data to draw on. That is why we got jobs with no effort and not just random jobs, but ones that were perfectly suited to us. Why we received an advance before we even started work, how we found somewhere to live so easily. Even the clothes we found fitted us personally, the people who guided us, the food we liked and..."

"The showing us the way home" cut in B’Elanna.

Seven nodded in conformation, "Since the nanoprobes could not directly re-integrate themselves to me,"

"They adapted the surroundings to your requirements," said B’Elanna, her gaze turning introspective, "So as you come into contact with them they are in a recognisable, and re-absorbable form." She said, gesturing to indicate the growing pile of chips in front of Seven, and finally noticing the changes in them. "The more chips you win..."

"...The more nano’s are absorbed back into my body, so undoing the sub-program we are trapped in." said Seven, in a slightly distracted tone as she picked up her fourth hand.

"Clever little things aren’t they?" Grinned B’Elanna--spotting the slight ‘fading’ of the holodeck surroundings, for a moment she could have sworn she saw Tom and Harry watching them from through the window, along with two indistinct figures behind them.

Seven smirked--having spotted them too, and then turned her attention back to the game.

"I think we can win this," she said quietly after looking at her cards.

"Be careful," cautioned B’Elanna, "We’re so close now..."

Seven smiled...

She sat quietly, surveying the other three players at the table, two black spiralled backed cards lay face down in front of each player, three cards face up in front of the dealer. The eight of hearts, each heart deep red and almost three-dimensional, somehow mocking in its elegance and beauty. The King of clubs his dark goatee beard setting off a sneer that marked the figure as a dark scoundrel a comic villain. Lastly the Ten of diamonds, not crudely shaded in red or orange, but instead each coated in sparkling varnish that caught the light and shone up reflecting against the metal that adorned each player, on chains, buttons or other ornamentation.

The real life scoundrel, wearing a platinum chain seemed nervous, his hands drummed relentlessly on the uppermost of his cards, staring intently at the deck as if willing his luck to change. His pile of chips was the smallest.

Next to him sat a fresh-faced young looking man, his pile of chips was only slightly bigger. Still he didn’t fidget, his hands were clasped together in front of him, a worn fedora pulled down to obscure his eyes and the innocence that might betray him.

Opposite sat a middle-aged man, middle aged in the way that some people are born that way. His age was immaterial it was his fussy manner, his smug smile and sense of innate self-confidence that marked him, he stared at each player in turn, before stopping to reassure himself that his hand was as good as he remembered.

"I’ll raise one hundred" the angel spoke distinctly.

I’ll match you and raise another twenty" The middle-aged player straightened his already impeccably placed tie.

"Too rich for me" the scoundrel looked petulant, turning his cards face up and throwing them disgustedly at the dealer. A two of clubs and a seven of realistically shaped spades were revealed.

"I’ll live to fight another day," said the boyish young man as he too revealed his cards, a neatly aligned four of hearts and a six of diamonds, then them slid across the table calmly.

"I will ‘see’ you" the lanky woman declared, placing the rest of her chips in the centre, she lifted her card from the table but held them in such away that they were still concealed from the other player’s views.

The bald gentleman nodded his ascent, and thrust his chips into the centre as well. The dealer turned the last three cards. A King of Diamonds, resplendent in white robes. A nine of diamonds, glittering in the subdued lounge light and a four of spades, arranged in a central cross.

"Hah, Full House." He said, revealing the King of Spades, his hands worn by labour as reached out to the edge of the card and an understated eight of clubs, with slightest of red tinges on each on each of the studded wooden clubs.

The angel smiled, her face stretched wide as a single golden wave laid down the side of her face, "Royal Straight" and she tilted her hand displaying a Queen of Diamonds, looking almost as striking as her and a Jack of Diamonds grinning mischievously.

"Damn Seven, that’s the third hand in a row!" Domino sulked, drinking deeply from his tankard, "I give up, I’m going home too my wife."

"We should all be so lucky" smirked Jerry.

"Hey get your own" sniped Domino, as he wrapped his arm round Jerry’s shoulders and slapped him across the back of the head. Jerry winced then clambered to his feet, resetting his hat and brushing some non-existent dirt of his double breasted deep brown suit, "I think I’ll head home too, ma’am" he quirked an eyebrow at Seven and headed for the emerging holodeck doors.

"Yes well" mumbled Bran, "The best machine and all..." then he vanished, his matrix disappearing as the holodeck became re-aligned.

Seven smiled, shooting a triumphant glance over at B’Elanna, "Computer end program" she gathered up the stack of nano-chips she had won just as the table they were resting on vanished, as did the rest of the 1920’s saloon lounge in which they had been playing...

What happened next could have been messy, it could have been marked by recrimination or distrust, the partners waiting, the friends looking on and the simmering tension between the two woman who were now emerging into the black and yellow grid room.

They faded back in, almost as if it was an effort to appear back in the real world looking tired and drawn, B’Elanna’s arm was wrapped round Seven’s shoulders, Janeway bristled--but Harry laid a remarkably perceptive hand on her shoulder, flicking his eyes to indicate that B’Elanna was in fact wrapping her tunic round Seven’s shoulders, as her elegant cocktail dress disappeared in a shimmer of photons, leaving B’Elanna herself clad only in the grey uniform top, that barely covered anything.

Tom, with typical perception rushed at B’Elanna,

"Lanna" he exclaimed wrapping his arms around her, before remembering some etiquette was required and shrugging of his uniform top to help cover his rather cold wife, while insistently dragging her towards the now visible and open holodeck doors.

Harry excused himself quietly, the Doctor, (knowing when to run) mumbled something about "full medicals for gallivanting and irresponsible crew members." Before he transferred back to sickbay.

Janeway and Seven stood, looking intently at each other--a gap of less than a metre and a thousand mile between them.

"Kathryn"

"Seven"

They spoke together--and B’Elanna looked back just as the holodeck doors shut.


 

 

The End?