The BLTS Archive - The Kissing Game by Zenece (zenece@gmail.com)

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Disclaimer: I own nothing but my imagination.

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"Welcome to Le Coeur de Lion!  I am Catherine.  The first round is
with my compliments, on one condition: you leave the war outside!"

From her table in the far corner, Brigitte could see her lover playing
the role of generous owner of this little establishment.  And she did
it so well.  They all did. Smiling and drinking wine with the officers
of the Third Reich in the evening, plotting schemes and aiding the
allied troops during the day.

Le Coeur de Lion housed the heart of the local French resistance.  The
members risked their lives every day, fighting against the occupation
by the Nazi's.  And they did it with a smile.

Brigitte was proud to be part of this group.  She'd joined from the
beginning and was determined to force out the enemy troops.  She'd
made a lot of sacrifices over the years. She'd crossed a lot of lines.

Brigitte reflexively placed a hand on the unborn life she carried.
The baby was half German.  All is fair in love and war.  But lately
she'd felt like this war had gone on long enough.

Brigitte tore her gaze away from Catherine and forced herself to smile
at her German 'boyfriend', a Nazi Kapitän who was telling her all
about the beautiful village in Germany where he'd grown up.  "After
the war we will move back there.  I will enjoy seeing our child play
in the fields behind my parent's farm."

The very thought made Brigitte sick to the stomach.  "That would be
wonderful!"  She smiled with as much false delight as she could
muster.

The blond man in front of her took her hand.  "I know it is difficult
for you that we can't see each other very often. But the neighbors
make your life hard enough already because we're together."

"I'll be alright."  Brigitte said softly, getting fed up with
pretending all the time.  Cocking her head with a seductive smile, she
moved slightly with the music. "Would you dance with me?"

Anything to stop him from talking.

They moved to the dance floor and Brigitte's eyes again lingered
momentarily in the direction of her lover. Tonight, just like every
other night, Catherine was just Catherine, owner of Le Coeur de Lion.

But later, after all the people had gone...

Brigitte closed her eyes briefly, wishing she didn't have to play this
game anymore, then swallowed and, smiling at the man who was holding
her close, she danced the night away.

---

It was many hours later that night when Brigitte sat on the bed,
little by little unbuttoning her blouse.  She watched Catherine hang
her white blazer over the back of a chair and go over to the mirror.

"Did the good Kapitän have anything interesting to say tonight?"
Catherine asked in a clipped voice while untying her white bowtie with
brisk movements.

Brigitte slid the blouse from her shoulders and put it down next to
her on the bed.  She shook her head slowly.  "No..."

Standing up, she opened the catch and zipper of her skirt and with a
little difficulty slid it down over her protruding belly.  "All he
could talk about was taking me and the baby back to Germany after the
war."

"Hmm," Catherine grunted. "I didn't have much luck either. Although I
did meet the new Kommandant."  She put the bowtie aside and started
unbuttoning her blouse with nimble fingers. "Not to be underestimated,
I believe.  Seemed like the cunning type."

"He really wants to be a father for this baby," Brigitte whispered
softly as she donned her nightgown.

Catherine took off her pants and grabbed her own nightwear. "I have to
keep this Kommandant on my good side," she mused. "Maybe if I set up a
performance by Mademoiselle DuNeuf every time he's here.  He seems to
like her.  And drinks will be on the house of course."

Brigitte suddenly shook her head in disgust and placed her hands on
her belly protectively.  "If he ever puts as much as a finger on my
baby I will scratch his eyes out!"

Surprised Catherine turned around, only now paying attention to what
her lover was saying.  When she saw the upset look on Brigitte's face,
she moved to her and took the woman in her arms.  "Sshh, it's
alright."

"What happens if the baby is born before the war is over?" Brigitte
whispered vehemently.  "I don't want him to ever TOUCH this child."

"It won't come to that, darling,"  Catherine soothed her lover.
"American troops are due to invade any day now.  The war is almost
over."

Brigitte snuggled deeper in the warm embrace.  "I'm so tired of it,
Cathy."

"I know ma chère.  You just have to hold on a little longer."
Catherine pulled back a little, looking the other woman in the eye and
placed her hand on her belly.  "When it's all over, the three of us
will make a new life for ourselves."  She leaned forward and placed a
soft kiss on Brigitte's lips.  "Now, let's go to bed.  It's late."

Under the covers, Catherine spooned against her lover, placing one
hand protectively on the woman's belly.  She felt Brigitte settle back
in her arms as sleep overtook her. "I love you."  Catherine whispered.
"Both of you."

---

Brigitte and Catherine, along with some members of the local
resistance, stood next to the radio, deciphering the code that British
Intelligence was sending masquerading as a weather report.

Catherine read the encrypted message from Allied Command out loud.
"American Fourth Infantry to invade Saint Claire Tuesday dawn.
Require assistance.  Disable enemy communication.  End message."

She tapped a pencil against her lips.  "The German radio transmitter
is housed at their Headquarters.  That building is heavily guarded."
Catherine glanced around the small group of people around her.  "Any
ideas?"

"Maybe I can help,"  Brigitte spoke up.

"How?"  Mademoiselle DuNeuf, the singer slash weapon's expert," asked
in clipped voice.

"I could pretend to be upset,"  Brigitte clarified.  "I would need to
see my 'special friend', even if it means bothering him at the
office."

"A reconnaissance mission,"  DuNeuf stated, liking the idea.

Brigitte nodded.  "I could locate the radio, see where the guards are
posted, examine the locks, gather enough information to get us
inside."

"It's too dangerous,"  Catherine countered, not wanting to expose her
lover to unnecessary risks.  "If you're caught, you'll be tortured for
information."

"You don't know 'my friend'."  Brigitte tried to convince her.  "He
would never do anything to harm his own child."

While locking eyes with her lover, Catherine slowly nodded. However
much she wanted to protect this woman and the life she was carrying,
desperate times called for desperate measures.

"Encode a response to Allied Command.  Confirm that we've received
their message.  Tell them we're proceeding according to plan."

---

After Brigitte's successful infiltration of the German Headquarters, a
small party of the Resistance stood hunched over a map of Saint
Claire, devising the best strategy to take out the radio transmitter.

"You'll maintain position here, twenty meters from the front doors,"
Catherine ordered one of the operatives.  "Arm yourself with a
submachine gun and watch for any sign of trouble."

The man nodded.  "Understood."

"Now," Catherine continued, looking at DuNeuf, "we've observed a
twenty second break in the guard rotation at four fifteen a.m.  That
should give you and me enough time to enter the building through the
storm window on the eastern wall."

Brigitte sketched a layout of the building on a piece of paper.  "When
I was there yesterday, I saw guards posted at all three stairways.
You'll have to reach the second floor through the elevator shaft.  The
command post is at the main gallery at the end of the hall."

Catherine nodded.  "Once inside, we plant the charges, blow the
transmitter."  She looked at Brigitte.  "You'll remain here.  If
something goes wrong  and we're caught, destroy all evidence of the
Underground.  Our contact list, decryption codes, everything."

"Right."

Catherine looked around.  "We leave in one hour."

Everyone nodded and scattered out to prepare for the mission.

Brigitte stepped closer to her lover who was folding the maps.  "Be
careful out there."

Catherine turned around and placed a hand on the other woman's cheek.
"I will be.  I promise."

---

Kathryn Janeway felt a little confused.  As the sharp pain in her
skull subsided, she realized she was holding an ancient looking weapon
and pointing it at Seven of Nine.

Lowering it, she looked around, not recognizing where she was.  There
were sounds of gunfire.

"Captain?" Seven drew her attention.

"What...?"

Before she could finish her question, Seven gave her a brief sketch of
the situation.  "We are on the Holodeck.  Hirogen hunters have taken
over the ship.  They have the crew participating in various violent
simulations, using neural interfaces to make them believe they're a
part of the program.  Yours and mine have been disabled by the
Doctor."

She made a vague gesture, indicating her surroundings. "This is a
recreation of World War II.  We're at Nazi Headquarters."

Kathryn caught up quickly, remembering Voyager being overtaken by the
Hirogen hunters.  She brushed past Seven to access the Holodeck
controls the young woman had uncovered moments earlier.

"Internal sensors are picking up thirteen Hirogen on this Holodeck."

All of a sudden the shooting noises became a lot louder and the
building shook under the assault.

"The Americans have arrived,"  Seven stated dryly.

"I can't access the ship's systems," Kathryn informed her, still
tapping the controls.  She was in full Captain-mode, her mind plotting
schemes on how to rescue her crew and regain control over the ship.

A particularly loud bang resonated just then and Kathryn looked up,
frowning.

"Didn't you say this was Nazi Headquarters?"  she yelled over the
noise.

"I did,"  Seven replied.

Kathryn nodded briefly.  "Then it would stand to reason this building
is being targeted.  Let's get out of here."

Both women hurried out of the building. Just as they cleared it, a
large explosion took place, leaving a huge hole in the Holodeck grid.
It exposed several of Voyager's decks.

"Come on!"  Kathryn pulled Seven up from the ground and they made a
mad dash for the gaping hole, exiting the Holodeck and finding their
way back to the twenty-fourth century.

They moved through the corridors with care, trying to steer clear of
enemy troops which were obviously capable of moving through the hole
as well.

"Looks like the Hirogen have been busy.  This entire section has been
equipped with holo-emitters,"  Kathryn half-whispered. "Let's go to
Astrometrics."

They made their way into the lab, quickly taking out a German soldier
who was trying to make sense of the technology.

Seven headed for the console.  "There are eighty-five Hirogen on
board, concentrated on decks two through nine."

"What about the Bridge?"  Kathryn inquired.

"Four Hirogen and Ensign Kim,"  Seven stated.

Kathryn breathed a sigh of relief.  "Well, at least he's alive.  Now.
The neural interfaces... you said they're controlled through Sickbay."

Seven nodded and tapped the console.  "There is only one Hirogen in
Sickbay with the Doctor.  But the corridors outside are heavily
guarded."

"That's our first objective, disable the interfaces.  But we'll need
help,"  Kathryn planned.

"We did have allies in the World War II simulation.  The French
resistance,"  Seven pointed out helpfully.

A grin broke through on Kathryn's features. "It's time we mount a
resistance of our own..."

---

Kathryn and Seven crawled through the Jefferies tubes, back to
Holodeck One.  Opening the hatch, they emerged one after the other
only to find themselves looking down the barrel of a gun.

"Hold your fire!"  Kathryn put up one hand.

"Catherine, you survived."  It was Tuvok who spoke.

And there was Chakotay, and Tom, and B'Elanna, and Neelix.

Kathryn was relieved to see the members of her crew unharmed, but then
she realised they didn't recognize her.

"Are you surprised?"  she asked Tuvok, quickly playing along.

He raised one eyebrow.  "Very.  Nazi Headquarters was destroyed.  We
assumed you were killed in the explosion."

Neelix pointed at the open hatch.  "What's that, some kind of escape
route?"

"Precisely,"  Seven answered, more familiar with the specific plot and
its characters than Kathryn was.  She gave a brief explanation about
their adventures, finding herself surrounded by an attentive public.

As the group discussed these recent developments, Brigitte took
Kathryn aside.

"I knew you'd make it."

To Kathryn's surprise, the pregnant woman pulled her close and gave
her one of the most passionate kisses she'd ever experienced.

When they parted, there was nothing she could do but stand there, eyes
closed, mouth slightly open, for one eternity forgetting everything
but B'Elanna's soft lips on her own. But this wasn't B'Elanna kissing
her.  This was Brigitte kissing Catherine.

Before Kathryn could wrap her head around it and react in some way,
Tuvok and Chakotay called for her, asking for her input, as leader of
the resistance, on how to proceed. Together with Seven she devised a
strategy to get to Sickbay and disable the neural interfaces,
explaining it so that it fit in the World War II scenario.

Kathryn did her best to ignore Brigitte as she prepared everything.
Much to her own surprise, her heartbeat quickened when the young woman
came up to her.  "Are you sure we shouldn't just bomb this new Nazi
complex?" Brigitte asked defiantly.

Kathryn swallowed.  The close proximity to this woman made her
nervous.

Seven stepped up.  "We should attempt to neutralize it from inside.
There are many new technologies we could use to our advantage."

Brigitte looked at her lover for confirmation.

"She's right."  Kathryn nodded.

As Brigitte moved to the other side of the room, Kathryn turned to
Seven.  "What's her story?"  she asked, both eyebrows raised.

"The child she is carrying is from a German Kapitän. However I believe
she has the intention to raise it with you," Seven supplied helpfully.

"Right,"  was all Kathryn could think of to say.

"This is a program created by Lieutenant Paris,"  Seven offered by way
of explaining Brigitte's behavior.

Kathryn just rolled her eyes and pursed her lips.  "I guess I
should've seen it coming."

From the window, Chakotay shouted a warning.  "German forces are
advancing on our position."

There wasn't much time.

Kathryn opened the hatch.  "Let's get moving."

---

With the Hirogen off the ship and her crew back to being themselves,
everything was back to normal, Kathryn mused, sitting at her desk in
her Ready Room.  As normal as things could be on this particular
starship anyway.  There would be no lasting damage.  The hole in the
Hologrid could be repaired in a matter of weeks and the crew luckily
didn't experience any side effects of the neural interfaces.

This was just another event for the logs.  Archive and forget.  But
not all of it was forgotten so easily.

Kathryn Janeway had trouble forgetting the kiss she'd shared with
B'Elanna.

It made her feel embarrassed.  Captains didn't go around kissing
members of their crew.  Even if the member in question wasn't exactly
herself at the time and didn't recall a thing about it now.  It was
definitely not done.

What bothered her more though were the lingering feelings. They
confused her to no end.  She'd never thought of B'Elanna in that way
before, never imagined what it would be like to kiss her.  But since
that kiss she'd found herself wondering about the half Klingon...

Leaning back in her chair, Kathryn sighed deeply.  There was also the
possibility that she was projecting years of pent up needs on the
younger woman.  Needs that had been brought to the surface by an
unexpected kiss.

In which case B'Elanna was only the catalyst, not the one she actually
harbored feelings for.

Kathryn buried her face in her hands.  This wasn't going to work, she
decided.  Her mind was going round in circles. Checking the
chronometer she saw it was almost time for the lunch date she had with
Chakotay.  Hopefully that would give her the diversion she needed. The
Commander had this way about him; his presence usually calmed her.
She hoped it would do so now as well.

When Kathryn entered the Mess Hall, she saw Chakotay standing at the
counter, talking to Neelix and B'Elanna. Kathryn hadn't spoken
directly to her Chief Engineer since the neural interfaces had been
disabled and wasn't quite prepared to see the woman, who'd been
running through her mind since their adventure on the Holodeck, in the
flesh.

"It was so heavy.  And you wouldn't believe how real it felt."
Kathryn heard her saying in wonder.  "It even kicked!"

A mild blush appeared on Kathryn's cheeks as she remembered just how
the holographic pregnancy had felt when B'Elanna stood pressed up
intimately against her.  This was all so very confusing.

Tucking her insecurity neatly under her command mask, she stepped up
to the counter, smiling and nodding hello to all three of them.

"B'Elanna was just describing how it feels to be pregnant," Chakotay
chuckled lightly.

"Yes, I remember seeing you a little thicker than usual, Lieutenant,"
Kathryn replied kindly while her insides were slowly turning into
jelly.

"Let me tell you it's a strange sensation to suddenly find yourself
eight months pregnant in what seems like the blink of an eye."
B'Elanna grinned.  "I can honestly say that this is something I'll
remember for a long time."

"You're not the only one," Neelix stated, putting lunch on plates.  "I
became myself again next to two very intoxicated Klingon warriors
singing drinking songs.  I can assure you it gets your blood pumping!"

"I can imagine." Chakotay smiled, taking a plate and turning to
B'Elanna.  He gestured at one of the tables. "The Captain and I were
going to have lunch.  You're welcome to join us if you want."

At that suggestion, Kathryn experienced a slight feeling of panic.
This was not the kind of diversion she'd had in mind.

"I wou..."  B'Elanna started to accept, but then saw the brief flash
of alarm in her Captain's eyes.  B'Elanna stood there for a moment,
mouth slightly open, thinking that maybe the Captain wouldn't really
appreciate it if she stayed if her now carefully concealed first
reaction was any indication.

"You know what, I'd love to, but I already have plans," she stated,
nodding to both officers.  "Enjoy your lunch!"

As she made her way out of the Mess Hall she wondered why the Captain
seemed so relieved she'd declined Chakotay's offer.

Kathryn's eyes followed B'Elanna across the room, while relief and
desire were fighting a frustrating war inside her.  As the Mess Hall's
door closed, she redirected her attention to  Chakotay, who was busy
putting their plates on the table.

"So, what about you Kathryn?" he asked as both of them sat down.  "Any
bizarre memories on that Holodeck?"

Kathryn grinned at him cheekily.  "Oh you're forgetting, Commander,
that while the rest of you were having fun playing soldier, I was busy
taking back the ship from the Hirogens."

"My mistake."  Chakotay flashed his dimples at her.  He gestured at
the meals in front of them.  "Well, bon appétit!"

---

Kathryn stood in front of B'Elanna's quarters that evening, her hand
hovering over the chime, searching for a reason not to press it.  It
was late and the younger woman might be asleep.

But then Kathryn thought of going back to her own quarters, lying in
bed with nothing but the turmoil in her head to focus on.  That wasn't
very appealing.  This was the only way to get some answers.

So Kathryn pressed the doorchime, requesting entrance. There was a
muffled 'come in' and the doors slid open.

"Captain," B'Elanna stated more than a little surprised when she saw
who was outside.

"I hope I'm not disturbing you," Kathryn said, nervously smiling.

B'Elanna shook her head.  "Not at all.  Please, come in."

Kathryn walked in, wondering what she was doing there.  What was she
going to say? 'You kissed me on the Holodeck and now I think I have
feelings for you but I'm not sure?'  It sounded so ridiculous.

"So," she started lightheartedly, "I hope you've recovered well from
the horrors of sudden holographic pregnancy?"

B'Elanna nodded.  "Yeah, I'm alright."  Surely, she thought, the
Captain wouldn't come here just to ask that?

There was a bit of an awkward pause where both women were unsure how
to proceed.

"Eh, why don't you sit down?"  B'Elanna asked, remembering her
manners.  "Can I get you anything?"

"Vulcan spice tea please."  Kathryn answered, quite relieved that the
other woman was breaking the silence.

"No coffee?"  The engineer asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, it's late," Kathryn clarified with a half smile. She was warped
up enough already.  No need to add caffeine to the mix.

Moving over to the sofa, Kathryn sat down.  She let her gaze drift
around the room a bit and finally let her eyes rest on B'Elanna's
back.  Again she felt the powerful tug of some unidentified
attraction.  'I can't handle this.' she thought.  And the idea of
getting up and sprinting out of the room briefly flooded her mind.

B'Elanna turned around, holding two cups and walked to the sitting
area.  She placed the drinks on the side table and joined her superior
officer on the couch.  Again, she couldn't help but wonder why the
woman was here.  Nor could she figure out why the Captain was acting
so strange; first with the weird look at lunchtime and now the way she
was almost fidgeting in her seat.

"So I suppose you're wondering why I'm here?"  Kathryn voiced
B'Elanna's thoughts.

"A little," B'Elanna admitted, getting more curious by the minute.

Kathryn sucked in her bottom lip and nodded, but stayed silent,
internally summoning up courage.

B'Elanna still couldn't make heads or tails of her behavior.
"Captain," she asked, slightly leaning closer in concern, "is there a
problem of some kind?"

Kathryn looked up and locked onto B'Elanna's eyes, feeling a certain
calm come over her, the kind of calm you get when you've just decided
you're going to dive in, head first, not caring about the
consequences.

"There is." She nodded slowly, allowing emotion to slip in her
demeanor. "A bit of a problem, I mean."

B'Elanna noticed the change in the woman immediately.  It was like the
Captain had literally disappeared in the blink of an eye.  There was
something very different about this woman sitting next to her.
Ironically, by showing the vulnerability lying underneath her command
mask, she now seemed more formidable than ever.

"It's a rather... personal... problem actually," Kathryn carefully
continued, now almost relishing the thrill that came with diving in
the deep end, feeling a rush of adrenalin flow through her veins.

"It's about our recent little war simulation on the Holodeck," she
elaborated.  "Did you know that our characters were..." She paused for
a second, looking for the right word, "involved?"

The slight widening of B'Elanna's eyes and the faint tilt of her head
told Kathryn that this in fact was a piece of information the woman
hadn't been privy to.

"I know this," Kathryn continued, "because at one point, when my
neural interface was already disabled and yours wasn't, you, or rather
your character," Kathryn waved her hand dismissively, "kissed me."
She paused.  "Rather intimately."

"Right," B'Elanna said after a beat, a little surprised by the
revelation, but not quite sure what the problem was. "Even though I
wasn't exactly in control of my actions, I am sorry, Captain,"
B'Elanna started with a questioning frown, thinking that maybe that
was why Janeway was here.

Kathryn smiled.  "I didn't come here for an apology, B'Elanna."

"Oh,"  B'Elanna stated, confusion gaining the upper hand again.
"Then...?"

"I came here because I think I liked it," Kathryn softly uttered.

Brown eyes widened in understanding this time.  "I see..."

For a moment, neither woman really knew what to say or do.

"You think you liked it," B'Elanna repeated the words after a beat.

"Yes."  Kathryn sat perfectly still, wondering what the other woman
was thinking.

"So you're not sure?"

Kathryn pondered that for a moment.  "No, I guess I'm not."

"Right."  B'Elanna nodded pensively.  "And why is that?" She grinned.
"Maybe you think I'm a bad kisser?"

"No!" Kathryn replied quickly, a little too quickly.  She blushed.
"No, you're actually a very good kisser."  Then she noticed B'Elanna's
grin and realized the woman was teasing her.  She made a face in
B'Elanna's direction.

"I enjoyed the kiss in a way that surprised me," Kathryn said, her
expression again soft and serious.  "But I'm not sure whether that was
just because I hadn't been kissed in a long time, or because it was
YOU doing it."

"And not knowing this troubles you," B'Elanna stated.

Kathryn nodded.  "It does."

"Well," B'Elanna continued, "there's really only one thing you can do
here to find out."

"What's that?"  Kathryn asked, slightly tilting her head, wondering
what B'Elanna's solution could entail.

"You'll have to kiss someone else and see if it has the same effect,"
The half Klingon stated matter-of-factly, with matching hand gestures.

Kathryn's eyebrows rose to her hairline.  "Excuse me?"

B'Elanna shrugged noncommittally.  "It would make sense in a way.  If
you kissed, say, Chakotay, and it didn't feel the same then..."

"Chakotay?"  Kathryn interrupted her with a chuckle.

"I thought maybe you liked him?" B'Elanna backtracked, suddenly,
remembering that she was talking to the Captain.

"I do.  Very much, in fact.  But as a friend, or like a brother,"
Kathryn clarified.

B'Elanna nodded.  "Okay, so Chakotay is off the list.  I'm sure he's
devastated."  She grinned as Kathryn threw her a look.  "Let's see,
that leaves..." B'Elanna mentally made up a list, ticking the
candidates off on her fingers. "Tuvok?"

"Oh please."  Kathryn played along.

"Young ensign Harry?"

Kathryn made a face.  "Like kissing your son."

"Seven?"

"Kissing your daughter."

"What about the Doctor?"

"Too boring."  Kathryn made a yawning gesture.  "Next!"

"Tom Paris?"

"Too cocky."

"That leaves...  Neelix?" B'Elanna said innocently.

Kathryn scrunched her nose.  "I'm sure his whiskers would make me
sneeze!"

B'Elanna laughed.  "Well, aren't you the picky one!"

"Well, would YOU kiss any of them?" Kathryn defended herself,
grinning.

"I have kissed Tom on a few occasions," B'Elanna reminded her superior
officer.  "I guess he's not a bad kisser.  The spark just wasn't there
though."  She shrugged.  "But to answer your question: no, bar Tom, I
wouldn't kiss any of them."

"Would you kiss me?" Kathryn blurted out without thinking and
immediately froze on the spot, suddenly terrified the answer would be
'no' and even more terrified it would be 'yes'.

B'Elanna blinked as she processed that unexpected question. She
started nodding slowly.  "Yes, I think I would."

An unidentifiable noise escaped from Kathryn's throat.

"Would you want that?" B'Elanna asked softly, wondering why she
suddenly felt so courageous.  "Would you like it if I kissed you?"

"Yes," Kathryn breathed, her entire world suddenly occupied with that
thought and the feelings it evoked.

B'Elanna stretched out her hand, gently tucking a strand of Kathryn's
hair behind her ear.  Then placed her palm softly on Kathryn's cheek,
feeling her lean in on the touch.  "Then maybe I will..." she
whispered, caressing the woman's lower lip with her thumb, "kiss
you..."

Kathryn placed a little kiss on the tip of the thumb and then took the
hand in her own, gently kissing it on the knuckles.  Her eyes closed
as she enjoyed the soft touching of lips and skin.  She turned the
hand around and nuzzled into the palm before tenderly placing another
kiss there.

As Kathryn felt the brush of a thigh against her own, she opened her
eyes and noticed that B'Elanna had moved closer, her face now only
inches away.

Slowly, Kathryn reached out to touch the smooth skin of B'Elanna's
cheek and trailed her fingers over her face, the feel of it still
foreign.  She felt the subtle Klingon cranial ridges on her forehead
and traced them, committing the pattern to memory.

Her fingers then followed the other woman's strong jaw line, reaching
her delicate chin where they stopped for a moment. Then they traveled
up a bit and with her index finger Kathryn appreciatively traced the
bow of B'Elanna's slightly parted lips, like the other woman had done
to hers only moments earlier.

As B'Elanna grew a little bolder, her pert little tongue softly teased
Kathryn's digit and she noticed how the woman's breathing hitched for
a moment.  She opened her mouth a little further and engulfed a part
of the finger with her lips, then slowly, teasingly, let it slide out
again.  Kathryn let out a soft moan as she did so and her shoulders
slightly slumped forward.  It felt like her whole being was on
overload with all that had just transpired.

Sensing that Kathryn needed a moment, B'Elanna put an arm around her
and leaned back against the couch, arranging it so that the woman's
head was resting on her shoulder.  In the relative silence that
followed, she placed a small kiss on Kathryn's hair, then let out a
contented hum and smiled.

Kathryn stirred slightly, moving her head so that she could see
B'Elanna's face.  It felt so good to be held like this. She couldn't
remember the last time someone had just wrapped their arms around her
and simply held her.

"Are you okay?" B'Elanna asked gently, already seeing the answer in
those deep blue eyes.

"Yes, I am," Kathryn replied in a soft voice.  She shifted a bit,
getting into a more comfortable position and put her arm around
B'Elanna's waist in a sort of return hug.  "Can we just sit like this
for a little while?  I'd like that..."

B'Elanna smiled at her.  "Sure."

"Thanks."  Kathryn whispered and snuggled deeper in the embrace,
feeling a kind of warmth settle into the deepest of her bones.

---

"Deck Eleven," Kathryn briskly ordered as the doors of the turbolift
swished shut.  It obeyed her command and began its descent before its
sole occupant had time to change her mind.

It was perfectly natural for a Captain of a Starship to take an
interest in Engineering, Kathryn told herself.  No reason why she
couldn't just stroll in and look around for a bit. The warp core was
the heart of this ship after all.  As head of the ship she had to be
aware of how its heart was doing.

Getting out of the turbolift, Kathryn made her way to Main Engineering
with confident strides.  Ship's business this was: matters of the
heart.

The doors opened as she approached, revealing something that quite
resembled a bee hive.  With the buzz of the warp core in the
background, people were moving around, seemingly at random, collecting
data from consoles as if it were nectar from flowers and delivering it
to the queen bee: B'Elanna Torres herself.

Kathryn shook the image out of her head and observed the heightened
activity of a level six warp core diagnostic in progress.  B'Elanna
and her staff were performing their tasks expertly.  Kathryn  smiled,
proud to be commanding such a competent crew.

"Captain," Ensign Ashmore greeted her politely as he passed his
Captain.

Kathryn nodded.  "Ensign."  She moved over to a nearby console,
intending to check on progress.  She didn't really want to disturb
B'Elanna in the middle of a diagnostic.

Looking up from her own console next to the warp core, B'Elanna
spotted the figure of her commanding officer moving around with an air
of natural authority.

"Captain."  She drew the woman's attention.

Kathryn turned,around and headed in B'Elanna's direction, feeling
deliciously lightheaded. "Lieutenant."

"We've almost finished the level six diagnostic."  B'Elanna tapped her
console and showed her the relevant data. "Preliminary results are
quite satisfactory, although we have uncovered a slight decrease in
the plasma flow in the secondary injector ports," she reported.  "It's
possible we'll have to take them offline and give them a decent
overhaul."

Kathryn nodded, only half hearing what the woman was saying. Instead
she was looking in her eyes, trying to find that special spark that
she had seen the evening before when they'd been sitting on the couch
together.

"It shouldn't really affect the rest of the ship's operations though,"
B'Elanna continued.  "The primary injector ports could take over
completely for the time necessary."

She looked up as Lieutenant Nicoletti came down from the upper level
and handed her superior officer a PADD.  "It looks like the magnetic
constrictors are slightly out of alignment again, Ma'am.  You might
want to take a look at this," the woman informed her.

B'Elanna looked at the readout on the PADD.  "Seems like you're right,
Susan.  Give me a hand with them, would you?" She turned to the other
woman standing next to her.  "I'll have the report on your desk by
tomorrow, Captain.  Now if you'll excuse me..."  She pointed in the
direction of the control panel she needed to work from.

"Of course," Kathryn said briskly.

She watched as B'Elanna gave orders to her staff and tried to suppress
the feeling of disappointment she was currently experiencing.

'Well what did you expect, Katie?'  A little voice inside her head
sneered.  'That she'd drop everything, take you into her arms and
magically freeze time so you could spend eternity looking into each
other's eyes?'  Kathryn ignored it.

But there hadn't even been a hint of personal recognition. Had she
misread B'Elanna's feelings the evening before? Kathryn willed herself
to see reason.  B'Elanna's behavior had been professional, nothing
more; a very busy Chief Engineer reporting to her Captain.

A little surprised at her own unexpected tendency to dramatize,
Kathryn turned around and exited Engineering.

---

Suppressing a yawn, Kathryn put the PADD she was reading on her desk.
Neelix's provisions report turned out not to be the most interesting
reading material, especially not this early in the morning.  Next time
she'd ask him to summarize. Surely the phrase 'We have  enough food to
last for another x months' would be all the information she needed,
she grinned.

Her door chime sounded.

"Come in," she said crisply.

Chakotay stepped inside her Ready Room, holding a short stack of
PADDs.  "What's so funny?"

Kathryn shrugged.  "Provisions report," she said, indicating the PADD
in front of her.

Chakotay raised an eyebrow.  "Well, I'm glad you're enjoying that,
because there's more to come."  He placed his PADDs one by one on her
desk.  "Provisions report update, analysis of the ship's tactical
status, progress report of repairs on the hologrid of Holodeck two and
an astrometric survey of the sectors in front of us."

Groaning, Kathryn looked up at him, gesturing at the PADDs. "Well,
since I obviously have a lot of other responsibilities, I've been
thinking that maybe it would be a good idea to have Mister Neelix
report directly to you?" she tried.

Chakotay just grinned at her.  "Enjoy." He winked when she made a face
at him and then left the Ready Room.

Kathryn got up and headed over to the replicator.  "Coffee, black."
If she was going to be stuck in her Ready Room reading reports all
day, she'd need the extra boost.  She selected the most interesting
looking PADD, the astrometric report, and got comfortable on the
couch.  Time to see what was ahead of them.

As she'd read through the first page, the door chime sounded,
indicating someone was requesting entrance.

"Come in," she said, thinking it would be Chakotay again. Much to her
enjoyment it was B'Elanna.  "Good morning Lieutenant." Kathryn smiled.

"Captain."  B'Elanna smiled back and stretched out her hand, extending
the PADD she was holding.  "My report on the warp core diagnostic,"
she clarified.

"Great.  More work," Kathryn muttered with twinkling eyes. She
accepted the PADD and quickly scanned its content.  She nodded.
"Thanks, I'll read through it in detail later."

"Busy day?" B'Elanna asked sympathetically.

Kathryn rolled her eyes.  "Just the fun part of being a starship
Captain, I suppose."

B'Elanna grinned.  "Where are the Borg when you need them?"

"They're not out there."  Kathryn held up the astrometric report.  "I
checked!"

"Does that mean you're free for dinner with me tonight?" B'Elanna
asked coyly.

Kathryn's eyes lit up.  "Yes, that would be great," she answered with
a shy smile, feeling a slight flutter in her stomach.

"Great."  B'Elanna beamed.  "My quarters, say... 1930?"

"I'll be there," Kathryn confirmed.

"Great," B'Elanna repeated, taking a step back and indicating the PADD
Kathryn was holding.  "I'll leave you to it then."

She headed for the doors and turned around just before they opened.
"See you tonight."

Kathryn watched her exit the room and smiled.  This day wouldn't be so
boring after all.

---

After her duty shift, Kathryn made her way over to her quarters.  She
wanted to freshen up and dress in something more casual for dinner
with B'Elanna.  She quickly took a sonic shower and slipped into a
pair of jeans, put on a black sleeveless turtleneck top and simple
black high heeled sandals.

In front of the mirror she applied light touches of make up and
selected small pearl earrings to complete the outfit.

She took a step back and appraised her image.  Looking good, without
overly trying to.  Kathryn grinned at herself, trying to remember the
last time she'd gone through the ritual of getting ready for a date.
She came up empty and shrugged.

A quick glance at the chronometer told her she still had fifteen
minutes.

Kathryn sat down on the bed and thought about B'Elanna.  She genuinely
liked the younger woman.  They shared the same love of science, the
same desire to 'grasp' it.  She also admired B'Elanna's perseverance
and enthusiasm, traits Kathryn valued in herself as well as in others.

And she also secretly liked the fact that B'Elanna was as headstrong
as she was.  They were both just stubborn enough to be called
'difficult' at times, but not so much that they became unmanageable or
impossible.

There were plenty of differences between them too, of course.
B'Elanna's half Klingon blood made her a very fiery, passionate woman
whereas Kathryn was often more controlled and careful.  B'Elanna also
wasn't a firm believer in following the rules, or doing  things by the
book.  Hers was the more creative approach, usually with varying
degrees of success.

It was a good mix of differences and similarities, Kathryn surmised:
enough correspondence to connect and enough points of diversity to
keep things interesting.  B'Elanna was a valuable friend in her life
and Kathryn was glad that they'd become so much closer these last few
days.

The idea that maybe they had a future together as a couple was
certainly appealing.  But she wasn't about to rush things and,
apparently, neither was B'Elanna.  She was quite happy to just go with
the flow and see where this would lead them.

Smiling, she got up and headed for the door.  If she didn't hurry, she
was going to be late.

Kathryn received a few curious glances from crewmembers as she reached
Deck Nine.  It wasn't often that the crew saw a casually dressed
Captain walking around in the crew quarters area of the ship.

She gave a friendly nod to all of them, vaguely wondering what they
were thinking.

She was a bit relieved though that the corridor was empty when she
pressed B'Elanna's door chime.  The last thing she needed was more
speculation about her personal life. Kathryn had heard a few
assumptions that were circulating through the grapevine from Chakotay
and she'd learned that her crew had a very lively imagination indeed.

There was a faint 'come in' and the doors in front of her opened,
granting her access once more to B'Elanna's living quarters.  The
younger woman, wearing a flattering stone red top on loose white linen
pants, was standing at the replicator relaying a series of commands
via its interface.

She paused as Kathryn entered the room and went over to her, giving
her a light hug and a kiss on the cheek.  "Hi, come on in."

"Hi."  Kathryn grinned and gestured at the replicator. "Been slaving
over dinner?"

"Just programming a few changes in the pasta salad.  This replicator
never puts in enough blue cheese to my liking." B'Elanna smiled.

"Ooh, yum," Kathryn approved.  "It certainly sounds good to me."

"I didn't have the time to set the table yet.  I've been in
Engineering a bit longer than expected."  B'Elanna opened a cupboard
and took out plates.

"I'll help,"  Kathryn said, taking them from her and carrying them to
the table.  "Problems in Engineering?" she asked over her shoulder.

B'Elanna shrugged.  "We've had difficulties disengaging the secondary
injector ports from the system.  We probably should have overhauled
them sooner.  They're quite badly damaged," she explained.  "They
always take quite a beating in the event of a power surge and that
last little thing with the Hirogens..."

"Didn't help," Kathryn finished for her.

B'Elanna nodded.  "Exactly."  She placed the cutlery next to the
plates.  "So, are you hungry yet or would you like a drink first?"

"I wouldn't mind some of that blue cheese pasta salad," Kathryn
stated.  "Unless you'd rather wait a little."

"No problem," B'Elanna said and went over to the replicator again.  "I
had an early lunch so I'm practically famished."

She replicated a big bowl of the salad and handed it over to Kathryn.
"Do you want a bottle of white wine to go with it?" she asked.

Kathryn put the bowl on the table.  "Sounds great."

As B'Elanna put the glasses on the table and poured the wine, Kathryn
filled their plates.  They both sat down and clinked their glasses.
"Cheers."

With an amused look on her face, Kathryn noted the other woman's
almost voracious appetite.  "You really are famished," she stated
dryly.

B'Elanna looked up, blushing slightly.  "Sorry.  It's because I've
been running around Engineering all day," She explained.  "It works up
an appetite."  She grinned. "Unlike sitting on the couch reading PADDs
for hours."

"Well, if you want to switch jobs, say the word," Kathryn offered
good-naturedly.

"No way."  B'Elanna shook her head.  "This engine is my baby.  Hands
off."

Kathryn raised her eyebrow with a smile.  "Don't you trust me?"

"It's nothing personal really," B'Elanna said cheekily. "More like...
Well... Would you let me sit in that captain's chair?"

Pursing her lips, Kathryn pretended to be considering it. "Hmm...  I
could be persuaded..."

B'Elanna squinted at her for a moment before replying.  "I'm sure you
could."  She raised her fork.  "Do you like the pasta?"

"I do."  Kathryn nodded.  "Care to share your replicator specs?"

"Maybe we can arrange something," B'Elanna teased.

"Okay," Kathryn played along, "what do you want in return?"

A com-signal interrupted them just then. "Engineering to Lieutenant
Torres," Lieutenant Carey's voice sounded.

Slightly annoyed, B'Elanna tapped her combadge.  "Go ahead Carey."

"Sorry to disturb, Ma'am, but we have a little problem down here.
We're attempting to get the secondary injector ports back online, but
there's a point five phase variance that keeps slipping into the
antimatter stream.  It would destabilize the core if we tried to use
them in the system."

"Have you tried to correct the variance manually?" B'Elanna suggested.

"We have, but it only works for about five seconds.  Then it goes
critical again."

"Great," B'Elanna muttered.  "That means the containment field is
unstable.  Joe, it looks like you'll have to disassemble the unit and
recalibrate the field matrix."

"I figured as much, but I wanted to check with you first."

B'Elanna could hear him sigh over the com-channel.  "Let me know if
you run into any other problems.  Torres out."

"You want to go down there?  We can do this another time," Kathryn
offered.

"No, they can handle it."  B'Elanna smiled.  "I'm having dinner with
you tonight."

Kathryn raised an eyebrow.  "So Lieutenant...  Do you always put
personal matters before ship's business?"

"Do me a favor, will you?"  B'Elanna winked.  "Don't tell the
Captain."

"My silence can be ensured in exchange for the recipe of this pasta
dish," Kathryn replied, having enjoyed every bite.

"Deal."  B'Elanna nodded.  "Now, some more wine?"

"Only a little bit then."  Kathryn held out her glass.  "I don't hold
my liquor very well."

B'Elanna stopped pouring.  "You're not an aggressive drunk, are you?"

Kathryn laughed.  "Not at all.  I just fall asleep!"  She bit her lip.
"Well, usually I do anyway."

"What happens when you don't fall asleep?" B'Elanna asked with a
curious grin.

"I once started singing," Kathryn said, looking the tiniest bit
embarrassed.

"Singing?"

Kathryn nodded.  "Singing."

The mental picture in B'Elanna's head was quite hilarious, but she
half succeeded in keeping a straight face.  "Which song?"

Kathryn was positively blushing now.  She looked down at her food,
closed her eyes and sighed.  "This will haunt me for the rest of my
days."

"I'll try to make sure of that."  B'Elanna grinned.  "So, which song?"

Ah what the hell, Kathryn thought.  "Somewhere over the rainbow."

Both women held each other's gaze for a moment, then they both just
doubled up, laughing.

"It was years ago," Kathryn started, still snickering, "when I was
still in the Academy.  I'd done quite badly on a Cultural Anthropology
exam and my friends wanted to cheer me up by taking me to a party."

"I take it alcohol and twentieth century music are not exactly a good
mix for you!"  B'Elanna laughed.

"That depends on how you look at it."  Kathryn grinned. "Someone made
a recording of me while I stood singing on the table and somehow that
footage found its way to my Anthropology professor."

B'Elanna's mouth dropped open in amused shock.  "And that's a good
thing?"

"Well, it's been rumored that my impromptu performance is the reason I
passed the exam..."  Kathryn said cheekily.

B'Elanna shook her head and took a sip of wine.  "You know, I'd love
to see that recording..."

Kathryn put her hands up.  "To my knowledge it's been destroyed."

"Right."  B'Elanna wiggled her eyebrows.  "Wait 'til we get back to
the Alpha Quadrant.  Someone out there must still have a copy."

"Let's hope not."  Kathryn made a face and drank the last bit of wine.
She put the empty glass on the table in front of her.

"Do you want some more?" B'Elanna asked innocently, holding the bottle
up.

Kathryn chuckled and shook her head.  "Best not, don't you think?"

B'Elanna smiled and shrugged.  "Can't blame a girl for trying."

"Oh, I am NOT singing, Lieutenant.  Not going to happen. Not now, not
ever."

"Okay."  B'Elanna grinned, her mind still stuck on the image of a half
drunk, young Kathryn standing on a table.  She didn't need to see the
real thing.  Her imagination was entertaining enough.  Then a thought
crossed her mind. "Hey, I almost forgot.  Are you ready for dessert?"

Just as Kathryn wanted to answer, a com-signal interrupted the evening
again.

"Carey to Torres."  The man sounded a bit frustrated.

"Yes Joe?" B'Elanna replied.

"We recalibrated the field matrix with surgical precision, but there
is still a point two phase variance in the antimatter flow.  We don't
know what's causing it."

B'Elanna thought for a second, but then sighed.  "Ok Joe, good work
anyway.  I'll come down in a minute and take a look at things.  Torres
out."  She got up and cast an apologetic look at her companion.  "I'm
sorry.  It'll only take five minutes.  There's probably nothing I can
do right now, but I need to go down there and check."

"No problem."  Kathryn smiled.  "Take your time.  We'll have dessert
when you're finished."

"Thanks."  B'Elanna placed a quick kiss on Kathryn's head. "In that
case, I'll hurry back."

Kathryn watched her scurry out of the room and sat back in her chair.
She saw the empty plates on the table and got up to clear everything
away.

Having done that, she glanced at the chronometer: 21:25. B'Elanna
would be back soon.  Kathryn went over to the couch and sat down,
leaning back.  She felt  the warm buzz of the wine flowing through
her.  It made her feel a little drowsy.

Suppressing a yawn, she decided to close her eyes for a minute.

---

B'Elanna walked down the corridor to her quarters, feeling a little
guilty.  It was well after 2200 hours and she was sure Kathryn
wouldn't be very happy.  In fact she'd probably left ages ago.

When B'Elanna entered her quarters, she noticed the lights were still
on.  The dinner table was cleared.  And Kathryn was still there, lying
on the couch fast asleep.

B'Elanna walked over and crouched on the floor next to her. She didn't
stir.  The wine, B'Elanna remembered, was probably responsible for
this.  What should she do now?  She didn't really want to wake Kathryn
out of what seemed like a deep sleep.

Getting up quietly, B'Elanna went into her bedroom and came back with
a blanket.  She gently draped it over Kathryn's sleeping form, tucking
her in.  Then she sat down on the floor looking at her.  Kathryn's
features were softer in sleep.  B'Elanna had to resist the urge to
reach out and touch the woman's face.

She sat there for a while, enjoying the opportunity to study the
Captain without her noticing.  But eventually fatigue claimed B'Elanna
and she decided she'd better go to bed herself since she had to get up
early.  A brief check on the computer console on her desk told her
that Kathryn also had the early shift the next morning.  She'd wake
her up then.

B'Elanna ordered the lights to 5% of full illumination and entered her
bedroom.

---

It was a shame she had to wake the woman sleeping so peacefully on her
couch, B'Elanna thought.  A faint smile was playing around Kathryn's
lips and her eyes were moving behind her eyelids, which seemed to
indicate that she was dreaming.

Already fully dressed, B'Elanna sat down on the floor next to her and
softly stroked Kathryn's tousled auburn hair.

"Kathryn..." she whispered.  "It's time to wake up."

The woman stirred, but didn't wake.

"Kathryn..." B'Elanna tried again, a little louder this time.

After the second urging Kathryn slowly opened her eyes.  A lazy smile
appeared on her face when she saw who was waking her up.  "Hey..." she
croaked.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," B'Elanna replied, clearing a few strands
of hair from Kathryn's face.

Kathryn stretched her body for a moment and then frowned slightly.
"What time is it?"

"0730,"  B'Elanna replied.  "We have a briefing at 0800.  I thought
half an hour was enough time for you to get dressed."

"Thanks."  Kathryn yawned and sat up, realizing she'd slept in her
clothes.  "I didn't mean to fall asleep last night."

"No problem," B'Elanna said.  "I stayed in Engineering a lot longer
than I planned and when I came back you were snoring on my couch.  I
thought I'd just let you sleep."

"I don't snore," Kathryn stated.

B'Elanna grinned and got up, walking to the other side of the room.
She came back with a cup of hot coffee and held it out.  "Oh you
snore, lady."

But Kathryn didn't pay attention to her anymore.  She was now staring
lovingly at the cup and its alleged contents. "Oh dear...  You just
read my mind."

"Enjoy," B'Elanna said as she watched with raised eyebrows how Kathryn
went through her morning coffee ritual.

First she wrapped both hands around the cup and brought it to her
mouth.  But she didn't drink yet. She sniffed the coffee first, slowly
inhaling its aroma while her eyes closed. Then the tip of the tongue
darted out, moisturizing her lips before she put the cup against her
bottom lip tilting it gradually until the hot liquid touched the upper
one.  She drew away slightly, licking the coffee from the lip with her
tongue and made a throaty appreciative sound. Only then did she have
her first actual sip.

B'Elanna had half a mind of dropping on her knees in front of Kathryn
and join in.  Too bad she didn't really like coffee.  "Well," she
grinned, "I'll leave you two alone then."

Kathryn looked up.  "Why?"

"I want to stop by Engineering before the briefing.  Check on progress
with the injector ports," she clarified.  "You can shower and
replicate a uniform here if you want to."

"Thanks, I will."  Kathryn said as she got up from her makeshift bed.
"I'll see you at the briefing then."

"Yeah, see you then."  In the spur of the moment, B'Elanna leaned
forward and softly kissed Kathryn on the lips.  She scrunched her nose
playfully.  "I figured as much: you taste like coffee."

Then she turned around and casually walked out of the room, grabbing
her uniform jacket from a chair as she passed it.

Kathryn licked her lips as she watched the doors close behind
B'Elanna's back and felt a grin spread on her face.

---

Kathryn Janeway was sitting at the head of the briefing room table,
trying very hard not to grin like a madman.  From her left, Chakotay
kept throwing questioning glances her way and she knew she was being
far too obvious.  But she couldn't help it really.

She could still feel the soft warm lips of her Chief Engineer on her
own and risked a glance in B'Elanna's direction.  A hot surge ran
right through her as she saw that the woman was observing her as well.

With her heart trumpeting in her chest, Kathryn flashed B'Elanna a
brief smile and then directed her attention to Tuvok, who was
finishing up his weekly security report.

Easily slipping into Captain-mode, Kathryn approved his request for a
shield modification that he and Seven had come up with and then turned
to B'Elanna.

"Lieutenant, what's the status in Engineering?"

"We think we've corrected the problem with the secondary injector
ports."  B'Elanna reported, trying not to let her eyes linger on
Kathryn for too long and only half succeeding.

"Preliminary test look good.  I'd like to hook them up to the system
and see if we can get a stable plasma flow."

Kathryn looked around to see if there were any objections, but saw
none.  "Sounds good," she spoke.  "Let us know when you're ready."

B'Elanna nodded.  "Yes Captain."

Kathryn placed both hands flat on the table and looked around.
"Alright, that's all for today.  Dismissed."

The members of the senior staff got up, but, as Kathryn had suspected,
B'Elanna didn't seem to be in a hurry.

As the others filed out of the room and the doors closed, Kathryn
watched the half Klingon collect her PADDs and slowly get up as well.
When B'Elanna looked at her, she grinned back and casually walked over
to her Chief Engineer, planning on teasing her a little.

Taking B'Elanna's face in her hands, she leaned closer and placed a
chaste kiss on the Lieutenant's lips, much like B'Elanna had done to
her earlier that morning.  Then she backed off and grinned enticingly.
"Have a nice day, Lieutenant."

She'd planned on just walking out of the briefing room, leaving
B'Elanna a bit flustered, just like the woman had done to her.

But that was not what B'Elanna had in mind.

She grabbed Kathryn's wrist and spun her around, pressing her body
intimately against her own.  Kathryn gasped in surprise as she
suddenly found herself in a tight embrace, looking into B'Elanna's
dark eyes.

For about two seconds the air around them was filled with anticipation
until their heads moved closer together and the electricity that had
been building between them for days now discharged in a deep kiss that
made Kathryn's toes curl. She moaned as B'Elanna pushed her against
the table and pressed a thigh between her legs.

With superhuman effort, Kathryn drew her head back a little. "Oh
honey, not here, not now," she whispered under labored breathing.

B'Elanna had to look around to remember where she was.  She swallowed
hard and rested her forehead against Kathryn's. "You're right."

Kathryn wiped traces of her own lipstick off B'Elanna's mouth with her
thumb.  "Tonight," she promised the other woman with a sultry look.

"You've got yourself a date, lady."  B'Elanna grinned and then stood
back, allowing Kathryn to straighten her uniform.

As they exited the briefing room, Kathryn playfully squeezed
B'Elanna's buttocks and whispered 'have a nice day' in her ear before
making her way to the command chair on the Bridge, grinning wide.

---

"Torres to Bridge."

Kathryn tapped her combadge.  "Yes, B'Elanna?"

"We're ready to bring the secondary injector ports online," came
Torres's voice over the comline.  "But we'll have to go to impulse for
a moment to do that otherwise the warp field will destabilize."

"Acknowledged."  Kathryn nodded, at the same time silently giving the
order to Tom who was looking over his shoulder.

"Proceed," Kathryn ordered.

Harry Kim reported the readouts that were appearing on his console.
"The injector ports are online; matter/antimatter flow is stable;
plasma flow is constant."

After a moment B'Elanna's voice sounded over the comline. "We're
hooked up.  We should be able to go to warp again."

"Do it, Tom," Kathryn ordered.  "Warp two."

"The warp field is forming, no fluctuations," Harry reported
dutifully.  "No, wait..."  He tapped his console to verify what he saw
before saying it.  "There's a phase variance in the plasma flow...
Point zero five, point two..."

"B'Elanna, what's happening down there?"  Kathryn asked, alarmed.

"The phase variance will cause the warp coils to overload. I can't
disengage them!  Controls aren't responding!" B'Elanna half shouted.
"I'll try to shut the plasma flow down manually!"

Harry Kim was still tapping furiously on his console, trying to help
in any way he could.

There was too little time, he saw, a power surge was imminent.
B'Elanna would be too close.

As he tried to warn her over the comchannel, there already was an
explosion in the bowels of the ship and Voyager lunged sideways, the
inertial dampeners too slow to correct for the sudden movement.

Everybody scrambled to their feet and Harry tapped his console to open
a channel.

"B'Elanna?"  he yelled.

There was no answer.

---

"Get me 3cc of cordrazine, now!" the Doctor ordered Crewman Jurot, one
of the part time nurses.  She complied, directly administering the
dose to the lifeless body of B'Elanna Torres.

Seconds stretched out for an eternity before the constant flatline
sound turned into unsteady beeps, indicating a weak heartbeat.

A collective sigh of relief went through the room, but the battle was
far from won.

The whole left side of B'Elanna's body was covered with second and
third degree plasma burns from the explosion. Her left hand would need
extensive reconstructive surgery.

If she survived, that is.

A huge chunk of metal had wedged itself into B'Elanna's chest as the
conduit next to her had exploded.  Then, as Voyager had taken an
inelegant lunge to the left, B'Elanna's body had smacked into a
bulkhead, driving the piece of metal even deeper as a result. It had
punctured her heart as well as done severe damage to two of her lungs
and her liver, and caused massive internal bleeding.  The strain on
her body was so extreme that her heart wasn't able to cope for much
more than a few seconds.  By the time she'd been beamed to Sickbay, it
had already stopped.

The Doctor had worked as fast as he could to repair the damage.  Time
and precision were of the essence.  If the heart could still leak
blood into the pericardium when they'd try to make it start pumping
again, it would fill with blood and B'Elanna might still die.

Fortunately the readings indicated that everything was going well.
B'Elanna's diastolic blood pressure was a little low but steady,
indicating that her heart was indeed pumping blood around like it was
supposed to.

Now that his patient was technically alive again, the Doctor focused
his attention on B'Elanna's damaged lungs.  Two of the three had been
punctured and were filled with fluid and the remaining one was having
difficulty supplying enough oxygen to the  bloodstream.

Concentrating and thinking of nothing but the task at hand, the Doctor
worked meticulously and steadfast, trying to save the life of his
friend and colleague.  Jurot and Tom Paris assisted him in any way
they could.

From a corner, well out of the way, Kathryn didn't really notice the
buzz of activity around B'Elanna.  She could only see how the beaten
body was lying so very still on the table.

B'Elanna's face was ghostly white and expressionless.

And Kathryn could do nothing but watch, the cold grip of fear keeping
her heart in a tight, morbid embrace.

She watched as B'Elanna flatlined again and how the Doctor brought her
back.

Kathryn stood there and watched them work for god knew how long before
the Doctor finally turned around and made his way to her.

"It's a miracle she's still alive," He said, shaking his head.  "She
owes that to the Klingon side of the family.  I doubt any human
would've made it this far."  He paused for a second.  "She's fighting
with everything she's got."

"What's the prognosis?"  Kathryn asked, her voice raw with emotion.

The Doctor raised his eyebrows.  "Hard to say.  Physically I think the
worst is over.  Her heart is beating steadily, two of her lungs are
working now, and so is her liver.  But there is a risk of brain damage
from the lack of oxygen she suffered when she was in cardiac arrest."
He sighed.  "I'm going to begin repairing the damage to her hand and
lower arm.  You should get some rest Captain, there's nothing you can
do here anyway."

Kathryn swallowed, feeling tears prick behind her eyes. "Let me
know...?" she croaked.

The Doctor placed a reassuring hand on her arm.  "I will," he said
with a comforting voice, then walked back to his patient.

With one last look at B'Elanna, Kathryn walked out of Sickbay, feeling
literally sick.

---

When she arrived at her quarters, Kathryn didn't dare go to sleep,
even though it was well past midnight.  The image of B'Elanna's
injured body was etched on the inside of her eyelids.  And seeing it
still made her stomach turn.

She sat down on the couch, unzipping her uniform jacket but not taking
it off, and leaned back, covering her face with both hands.  "Don't
die," she whispered into the quiet air.

Thoughts and feelings were rumbling through her head and she made no
conscious effort to control them.  She sat like that for an hour or
two before she got up again.  She wanted to be in Sickbay, close to
the woman she'd come to love so much.

--

The Doctor looked up from his desk when Kathryn entered Sickbay, but
made no effort to get up.  B'Elanna was lying on the biobed on the far
side of the room, still unconscious.

Kathryn wanted nothing more than to go to her, but stopped by the
Doctor's office first.

"Captain, I thought you were getting some rest," the Doctor said
disapprovingly when he noticed how tired the woman still looked.

"I couldn't sleep," Kathryn replied quickly.  "How is she?"

"Still in a coma," he reported.  "Although she seems a bit more
responsive than before.  I'm taking that as a good sign."

"Can I go see her?" Kathryn asked, not actually prepared to take no
for an answer.

"Of course."  The Doctor nodded.  "I'll be here if you need me."

"Thank you, Doctor."  Kathryn half smiled, feeling immensely grateful
that he wasn't coming with her.

She walked over to the biobed where B'Elanna was lying, seemingly
asleep.  The new skin on her left side where the plasma burns had been
was pinkish, even in the dim light. It would take a while for it all
to heal properly, Kathryn knew.  But at least B'Elanna looked like
herself again.  The image of the  burned and battered body was rapidly
receding in Kathryn's mind, something she was very grateful for.

She grabbed a high stool and sat down next to B'Elanna.  "Hi there,
sleeping beauty..."  Kathryn whispered, softly stroking the other
woman's cheek.

She glanced briefly in the direction of the Doctor's office and noted
that he wasn't paying attention to her.  Kathryn bowed down.  "I
thought I'd come wake you with a kiss," she whispered before softly
pressing her lips against B'Elanna's.

B'Elanna's eyes remained closed, as Kathryn had suspected they would.
But that didn't matter.  She could sense that B'Elanna was there and
chose not to question that feeling.

"You know," Kathryn continued, still stroking B'Elanna's face lightly,
"this isn't exactly how I imagined our first night together would be
like."

In her mind she could hear B'Elanna chuckle.

"I'm beginning to see a pattern here.  You weren't exactly aware of
our first kiss and now you're unconscious during the first night we
spend together."

Kathryn paused, suddenly no longer seeing the humor in it.

"Come back to me," she whispered, barely audible, and then sighed.

She bent forward and rested her head on her arm so that her face was
right next to B'Elanna's.

Even though the younger woman wasn't conscious, Kathryn drew comfort
from studying her face, hearing the steady breath and picking up the
vague scent she was so fond of.

After some time, her eyelids grew heavy, and feeling safe in the close
proximity of the woman she loved, Kathryn surrendered to her fatigue.

---

A faint beeping on a nearby console made the Doctor look up from his
work.  A trace of alarm briefly crossed his holographic features.
Surely B'Elanna's condition hadn't deteriorated?  Upon closer
inspection of the data being displayed he quickly determined that it
was quite the opposite.  B'Elanna seemed to be on the verge of
regaining consciousness.

immediately he made his way over to the Klingon's bedside and noted
absently that the Captain was still fast asleep, her head perched on
the biobed and her body balancing on the chair.  She'd have a hell of
a back ache when she woke up, he mused.

B'Elanna stirred slightly and made a low noise.  The Doctor stood next
to her, stroking his patient's hair with a comforting hand, a soothing
smile on his face.

When B'Elanna opened her eyes, he witnessed the panic in her eyes, but
then it changed into a confused frown and her mouth opened to ask for
information.

"You gave us quite a scare, Lieutenant," The Doctor whispered, trying
not to wake the Captain.  His tricorder scans showed  that his patient
was doing quite well considering what she'd been through.  "Are you in
any pain?"

"Head hurts,"  B'Elanna rasped.  "What happened?"

The Doctor shushed her, warning her to take it easy before answering
her question.  "There was an accident in Engineering.  A conduit
exploded and pieces of it were wedged in your chest.  You're quite
lucky to be alive."

"I'm too stubborn to die."  B'Elanna grinned weakly, her eyes
inadvertently shifting to the sleeping form next to her.

The Doctor followed her gaze.  "In your case, I would be too," he said
softly, his gentle smile indicating that he'd put two and two together
and was pleased with the outcome.

"Let her sleep some more, she needs it," he advised.  "In fact, I'd
strongly suggest you try to get some more rest as well.  Your
neurological scans seem to indicate that there is no brain damage, but
your body has been through quite a lot.  You definitely could use some
more rest."

B'Elanna nodded, feeling the fatigue deep inside her bones, and
suddenly understood fully how close she'd come to never waking up
again.

Once more her eyes fell on the sleeping form of Kathryn and she
smiled.

---

In her sleep, Kathryn moved a bit and groaned when her muscles
protested against the impossible position they'd found themselves in
for hours.

For a brief minute, Kathryn wondered what the hell had happened to her
bed but then she suddenly realized where she was: in Sickbay with
B'Elanna.

As she sat up, she was surprised to find brown eyes looking up at her.

"You're awake..."  Kathryn stammered, not sure if she was imagining it
or not.

"So are you," B'Elanna stated dryly, her eyes twinkling.

"How are you feeling?" Kathryn asked, wincing as she tried to ease the
strain on her back muscles.

"Better than you, from the looks of it," B'Elanna replied. With some
effort, she scooted over to the edge of the biobed, patting the small
space she'd created next to her.

"Here, lie down for a minute."

One eyebrow climbed upwards on Kathryn's face, then it descended again
and Kathryn grinned.  Using the chair for leverage, she managed to get
onto the biobed with relative ease and snuggled into the narrow space,
lying on her side facing B'Elanna.

"Better?" B'Elanna asked.

"Much better," Kathryn replied, stroking the other woman's cheek with
her hand, getting reassurance from the contact. The idea that B'Elanna
almost didn't make it was suddenly very present in her mind.

"I'm so glad you're okay..."  she whispered.

B'Elanna swallowed hard as she saw the intensity of Kathryn's emotions
in her blue eyes.  "Me too," she whispered back, getting hold of
Kathryn's hand with her good arm, guiding the knuckles to her lips and
kissing them lightly.

The beeping of a tricorder interrupted the quiet moment.

"Oh don't mind me," the Doctor said smugly, as Kathryn looked up at
him.  "I'm just checking on my patient's hormone levels."

B'Elanna chuckled, then winced at the surge of pain that coursed
through her chest.

"Alright, that's it," The Doctor said in his best authoritative voice.
He pointed at the Captain, then at the door. "You, out. This is a
Sickbay, not a honeymoon suite. She needs to rest."  He just glared at
Kathryn when she opened her mouth to protest.  Surprisingly, it
worked.

Kathryn moved off the biobed, her back still sore, and leaned over
B'Elanna, softly stroking her hair.  "We'll continue this later," she
started, looking up at the Doctor, "without the chaperone."

"It's a date," B'Elanna whispered.

Kathryn dipped her head a little lower, placing a soft kiss on
B'Elanna's lips.  "Get some rest."

B'Elanna nodded with a smile.  "You too..."

Before Kathryn was out of Sickbay, B'Elanna had already fallen asleep,
the smile still dancing around her lips.

---

B'Elanna winced as she lowered herself on the couch in her quarters.
The trip from Sickbay had exhausted her more than she liked to admit.
She doubted very much she would have been able to make it without
Kathryn's help.

The noise of cupboards opening and closing in her bedroom distracted
her for a moment.  She was just about to ask Kathryn what on earth she
was doing in there when she saw her emerge from the bedroom carrying a
huge stack of pillows and soft cushions.

"You picked a lousy time for a pillow fight," B'Elanna commented
dryly, indicating her left side.

Kathryn grinned.  "From your perspective maybe.  At least, with you
incapacitated I stand a chance."  She dropped all but one of the
pillows on the other futon.  "Here, let me put this behind your back."

B'Elanna didn't protest and obediently leaned forward, allowing
Kathryn to position a big, soft pillow behind her. "That's much
better.  Thank you," she uttered softly when she sat back against it.

Kathryn continued to provide extra padding wherever she thought it
would benefit and then sat down on a small side of the couch.  "You
look tired," she observed, stroking B'Elanna's hair soothingly.

"I am," B'Elanna admitted with a slight smile.

"You should eat a little.  Get your strength back," Kathryn suggested.

A look of worry crossed B'Elanna's features.  "You're not going to
cook for me, are you?"

Kathryn grinned.  "And here I was thinking NOTHING scared the brave
Lieutenant Torres."

"I'm just saying that if this is going to be a 'love me, love my
cooking'-deal, then we should rethink this whole business."  B'Elanna
smirked.

Kathryn pursed her lips.  "How about we compromise on 'love me, love
my replicating'?"

"Hmm."  B'Elanna thought for a moment.  "Deal, but only if you stick
to proven recipes.  No adding things, no tweaking!"

"I can live with that," Kathryn said, eyes twinkling.  She leaned
towards B'Elanna, placing a teasing kiss on her lips before murmuring,
"I'm particularly interested in the 'love' part of this deal."

B'Elanna's breathing quickened.  "It does sound more interesting than
the food part."

She moaned quietly as Kathryn moved in closer and started nibbling on
her neck, then placed feathery kisses on her jawbone and chin before
coming to a halt a hair's breadth away from B'Elanna's lips.

B'Elanna eagerly closed the distance, kissing her lover with all the
pent up passion she felt and Kathryn responded enthusiastically.  In
the need to get closer to her lover, B'Elanna made a wrong move and
fell back on the couch with a groan.

Kathryn instantly got off her.  "Are you alright?" she asked
worriedly.

B'Elanna nodded, breathing hard.  She smiled apologetically. "I guess
it'll be a while before I'm up to this."

"Well, we've waited this long, what's a few more days..." Kathryn said
with a lopsided grin.  "Come here..."  She settled in next to the
younger woman and put her arm around her ever so gently so as not to
hurt her further.

Nuzzling Kathryn's neck, B'Elanna made a sound that sounded much like
a kitten purring and then yawned unceremoniously as fatigue caught up
with her.

"Why don't you sleep for a while?" Kathryn whispered, stroking
B'Elanna's hair.

She responded with an unintelligent mumble that indicated she was well
on her way to dreamland already.

Kathryn smiled and softly placed a kiss on B'Elanna's temple.
Feelings of gratitude to be there with this very special woman flooded
her senses.

She lowered her mouth to the sleeping woman's ear. "I love you," she
breathed.

In her dreams, B'Elanna slowly kissed Kathryn before replying, "I love
you too..."

---

The End