summary:

Author: halfofone
Rating: Over 13 Status: Complete
Description: Valentine challenge story only I lost the Valentine somewhere
Feedback: Constructive feedback welcome.
Archiving: If you want ... I would quite like to know where.
Disclaimer: TPTB are Paramount/Viacom.
Date added: 2001-02-25 Alternative rating: PG

disclaimer:

TPTB are many. In a perfect world I would be one of them but it's not and I'm not. No infringement of copyright/trade marks or other intellectual property is intended. This story was written for fun and not profit.

warnings:

Warning: This story includes same sex relationships between women. If you are offended by this or it is illegal where you live or you are underage then please read no further.

Full warnings, credits and disclaimers can be found in the contents page and chapter 1.

text:

"I'm not listening Seven. Nothing can make this right."

B'Elanna was walking so quickly that even Seven, with her long strides, had difficulty keeping up.

"B'Elanna Torres, you are being foolish."

That got B'Elanna's attention and she skidded, too quickly, to a halt. Seven stopped and faced her.

"What did you say?"

"I do not believe your hearing is deficient Lieutenant although your manners certainly are."

B'Elanna clenched her fists and glared at her but was too angry to form words. She started walking again. A passage devoid of people formed in front of them, and the mess hall emptied as wary looking crew began to take their leave, suddenly remembering urgent paperwork.

B'Elanna stalked to the counter.

"What's on the menu today Neelix. And if it's anything to do with hearts or flowers then I would consider taking your break now."

Neelix started and then looked a little shifty, fearing for the future of the large purple Valentine's day heart hanging glittering above the food counter, the half-Klingon was eyeing it with some disfavour.

"Not to worry Lieutenant I have some of your favourite Khil'Tar beans left from the day before yesterday, somewhere around here, I hope." His voice faded anxiously as he started to burrow about in the nether reaches of the kitchen looking for the promised food.

Seven, her arms folded, watched the Klingon impassively but there was something about her stance that made the few remaining crewmen in the mess hall edge themselves further away. This row looked to be shaping up to be legendary.

"I don't know why you are still here?" said B'Elanna without turning round.

"I do not wish or need to be elsewhere." replied Seven stonily. "B'Elanna do not take out your ill-temper on Neelix, your quarrel is with me."

A muffled cry of triumph announcing the successful discovery of B'Elanna's meal distracted them. Neelix put the plate on the counter but his beaming smile was soon gone. B'Elanna poked at the less than inspiring and somewhat dusty looking repast with a fork. She methodically put the fork down beside the plate, folded her arms and proceeded to glare with considerable ferocity at the small Talaxian.

"It's a little old," he said defensively, " but it will look better when I reheat it."

"Better than week old targ manure?" inquired B'Elanna brightly her dark eyes glittering and she picked up the plate.

Neelix smiled weakly and then again with relief as he saw Tom Paris enter the mess hall. The blonde helmsman took in the scene. B'Elanna holding a plate, bristling aggressively with her back to the obviously equally angry Seven of Nine. He breathed out slowly and started to make his way over. 'Here we go again.' he thought.

"B'Elanna, Seven, Neelix." He said in the friendliest tone he could manage.

"Tom, don't bother," said B'Elanna, "she has gone too far this time."

Trying not to lose patience Tom said firmly "Listen to me, both of you, this can't go on. You know what Janeway said the last time. She'll throw you both in the brig and anyway it is not fair on your friends or anyone else."

"Lieutenant Paris," interrupted Seven, "mind your own business. If B'Elanna chooses to make a fool of herself then that is between her and me."

B'Elanna spun on her heel to face the Borg. "I'm the fool?" "Is that so?" she continued when Seven inclined her head in agreement. The half-Klingon took a threatening step towards the Borg.

Tom decided to try one more time. "Please, one of you, tell me what has happened."

Never taking her eyes from the ex-drone's perfect face B'Elanna gritted out an explanation.

"She destroyed my Targ."

"Toby!?" Tom looked at Seven horrified, this was worse than he thought. "You destroyed Toby."

"It was attacking me" said Seven shortly.

"We are still talking about Toby, the stuffed, fluffy, toy Targ." said Tom with the sickening feeling that he had just stepped through the looking glass into wonderland.

B'Elanna yelled in frustration "It wasn't attacking anyone, I was playing with him, just trying out the remote control unit."

"If you had informed me that you had installed a remote control unit I would not have perceived it as a threat." said Seven her voice rising.

"Who in hell perceives a 12 inch purple toy as a threat?"

Seven was silent but raised the implant over her eye a few millimetres as though amused by the half-Klingon's outburst. The implied superiority was too much and B'Elanna's temper boiled over, she hurled the plate of beans at the far wall. It shattered with a satisfying crack and she immediately felt better in the absolute quiet that followed. A short lived relief. A gravel edged voice broke the silence.

"I hope you intend to clear that up Lieutenant." Captain Janeway looked hard at B'Elanna and the Chief Engineer could almost feel the air around her begin to burn.

Tom closed his eyes. Now there was going to be trouble, he steeled himself to try and deflect the captain's righteous fury.

"Captain I know this looks bad but B'Elanna is not herself."

"Mr Paris. Shut up." She returned her baleful attention to the two women. "I do not want an explanation for your behaviour. I have no interest in any ludicrous little feud that you have cooked up between you. This has to stop and until it does you are both confined to quarters."

B'Elanna had paled but she recovered enough to exclaim "Captain, that is not necessary .... and we are really busy in Engineering."

"For the next two weeks they will just have to cope without either of you. We all will." pronounced the Captain with a barely visible smirk. "You will return to your quarters now and Mr Neelix will send your dinner in. I am told the 'Dream of Love' meatballs are to die for. Dismissed." The Captain dismissed her troublesome Chief of Engineering and Head of Astrometrics from her mind and walked up to the counter smiling, she looked at the festive offerings and seemed to flounder a little but recovered to continue smiling politely at the Talaxian. "Actually I'm not very hungry Mr Neelix. Some coffee and toast in my ready room would be fine." She moved away to the far side of the room to speak to Lieutenant Ayala.

B'Elanna stepped backwards and bumped into Seven who placed her hands on the woman's shoulders to steady her. The tired half-Klingon leaned against the taller woman who wrapped her arms around her and rested her hands protectively on the Klingon's stomach, B'Elanna tilted her head back on her lover's shoulder.

"I'm sorry Ani, I just wanted today to be perfect and now we are stuck at home. As usual I have messed up. You could never say living with me was easy."

"Stuck at home with each other," corrected Seven pensively, "I understand this is not a typical Valentine's Day tradition but it could be our tradition, could it not? I am sure we can occupy the time efficiently." She tightened her embrace and nibbled the beloved Klingon ear.

B'Elanna grinned and turned to face the Borg, drawing her head down to kiss her. "One of the many things I love about you Ani, is your efficiency."

"You know I am going to have to camp outside their door until the damn baby arrives." grumbled Tom as he watched them leave the mess hall hand in hand. "Or they will kill each other."

Neelix was more sentimental "No they won't, I have never seen two people more in love, but I must say it was unexpected that Seven would suffer such empathic mood swings. If there is any suggestion of having another child anytime soon, I rather suspect that the Captain will maroon them both."

Tom grunted. "Hmm. She'd have to beat me to it, if they have another child before we get back to the Alpha Quadrant ....... " He grimaced, the prospect of another nine months like the last nine was too horrible to even contemplate.

THE END