The BLTS Archive- Turmoil
by Riss (usc_mam@yahoo.com)

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Note:  There is a sequel to this story, Aftermath: The Box, which is
being posted the same time as this.  You don't have to read the other
story to understand this and vice-versa.

Disclaimers - Paramount owns Star Trek. I'm just borrowing the
characters for a little spin. However, the situation is my own so ask
permission before using it.

© 1998

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B'Elanna stormed into her quarters, picked up a small sculpture that
was sitting on her table and threw it at the wall by her bedroom. Tom,
who had been fixing a replicated dinner near the wall console looked
up in surprise.  "Somehow I don't think that was meant as Klingon
foreplay."

"No, I'd be throwing it at you. Right now I just want to kill her."

Tom had a pretty good idea who she meant, but just wanted to be sure
before trying to calm B'Elanna down. "Who?"

"That blond, perfect body, Borg bitch!"

"Oh, her." Just the person he had though. Tom really didn't want to
get into a discussion about her, so he tried to calm B'Elanna down
with a change in the subject of the conversation. "How about a nice
dinner and then an hour on the holodeck. You'll forget all about
today's problems."

By this time, Tom had moved close enough that he could wrap his arms
around B'Elanna. Unfortunately, he had underestimated the depth of her
foul mood. Rather than accepting his embrace, she quickly pushed him
away from herself and began pacing around the room like a caged
animal.

"I wish we had just dumped her on some planet and let the collective
pick her up. Right now I just want to take her into a room and show
her exactly how much strength my Klingon side has." A very evil smirk
broke across B'Elanna's face. "I would love to see her bloody and
crawling around on the floor begging for mercy. Then she would need my
help!"

Tom wasn't quite sure what to say. While he did enjoy seeing
B'Elanna's Klingon side, this was a little more than he could handle.
Even though this anger wasn't directed at him, he was afraid. Deciding
that neither leaving nor speaking were options, he just sat down on
the floor and observed her tear around the room.

"That cat-suited witch waltzed into engineering today and took over
the place." B'Elanna paced the quarters, barely avoiding Tom and the
furniture which were littering her way. "No hello, no excuse me, not
even one damn reason why. She just comes in, pushes Sue away from the
EPS flow regulator and takes over. She came within seconds of
overloading the core!"

"And when I complained, did she even get in trouble? NO! Did she even
hear one word from the Captain about her behavior? NO! B'Elanna's
lethal tone almost caused Tom to call security. Just when he thought
it couldn't get any worse, she let out the kicker, her voice dripping
with sarcasm and something else.

"I was the one who my 'friend' Chakotay put on report and relieved
of..."

In the space of one word, her entire manner changed. If Tom had not
been staring at B'Elanna the entire time, he would have sworn it was a
different person. For almost a minute, she froze in place only her
labored breathing and conflicted expression betraying life. She was
waging a war inside herself.

Just as suddenly as the turmoil started, there was a resolution. The
Klingon strength which had powered her outburst disappeared. As
B'Elanna's knees gave way underneath her, she finished her thought.
Softly, almost unheard around the sound of her body collapsing toward
the floor, "relieved of duty."

Before she collapsed all the way, Tom was underneath her body breaking
her fall. Her anger dissolved, she clung to him for dear life. They
sat there on the floor, arms wrapped around each other, moving only
with the gasps of air in between B'Elanna's sobs.

Tom knew that neither the anger nor the hurt were directed at him.
Unfortunately, he also knew that he could do nothing to erase their
pain. The only thing he could do was make sure she didn't have to face
them alone.  That's why he didn't run in fear of her anger nor her
shame. He just held her close, suffering with her, supporting her,
loving her.

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The End