The BLTS Archive - Day Off
by ILuvKate

---

Kathryn came up behind B'Elanna in their quarters and circled her
waist with her arms, giving her a hug. B'Elanna put her hands over
Kathryn's and leaned back against her. Kathryn pressed her lips to the
side of B'Elanna's neck. She could feel her lover's tension.

"You need a break, my love," she remarked. B'Elanna sighed.

"It's been one of those weeks in Engineering," she admitted. "I know
I've been a bear the last few days, but hopefully there's light at the
end of the tunnel. Nicoletti has found the source of the power drain
in the secondary core relays."

"Good," Kathryn said. "I knew you and your department would find the
problem and fix it. Why don't you think about taking tomorrow off? Let
Nicoletti and Carey handle the problem."

"I didn't say we fixed it," B'Elanna pointed out. "I just said we'd
found the drain."

"Yes," Kathryn replied, "but you already know what to do to solve the
problem, and you're itching to get at it."

B'Elanna laughed. "You know me too well, Kathryn Janeway," she said.

Kathryn nodded, hooking her chin over B'Elanna's shoulder. "So, what
about it?" she said.

"Are you going to take tomorrow off, too?" B'Elanna asked.

"Yes. I take one day a month off to run my holonovel," Kathryn said.
"Tomorrow's the day." B'Elanna turned in the circle of Kathryn's arms
and kissed her lightly.

"You make it awfully tempting," she said, as though mulling it over.

"Come on," Kathryn said. "You could use the time off."

"And Engineering would probably be glad not to have me growling around
underfoot," B'Elanna said ruefully. "I've been kind of hard to live
with lately." She kissed Kathryn again, more lingeringly. "Okay. You
twisted my arm. I'll take tomorrow off with you."

"Excellent!" Kathryn said, pleased. "I've got a nice restful
holo-program I think you'll like."

---

They stopped beside the entrance to Holodeck Two. They were dressed in
comfortable civvies and B'Elanna carried a basket containing a picnic
lunch. Janeway keyed in the commands on the holo-controls and they
entered the holodeck. B'Elanna looked around appreciatively at a cool
green meadow. A bubbling stream meandered through it, and leafy oaks
cast a cool shade over the velvety grass.

"Nice," B'Elanna approved. "Is this home?"

"Yes," Kathryn said, her voice dreamy. "I can't come here too often,
though. It's a little painful." B'Elanna reached out to squeeze her
hand and Kathryn smiled at her. "But not today. Not with you here."
She leaned over and kissed B'Elanna tenderly. "I can't be unhappy when
you're around." B'Elanna cradled Kathryn's face in her hands.

"I never thought anything good could come from what happened on
Setor," she whispered. "But I was wrong." They embraced, hugging each
other tightly.

"Come on," Kathryn said, taking her hand and leading her across the
meadow. "I'll show you my favorite spot." She arrived at a huge
ancient oak and flopped down on the ground. "I used to lie here and
dream of being in Starfleet when I was a little girl," she said,
propping her head on one hand and looking up at B'Elanna. B'Elanna sat
down beside her and Kathryn laid her head in her lap. B'Elanna stroked
her hair.

"I used to dream about being in Starfleet, too," B'Elanna said. She
gave a rueful laugh. "I never thought things would turn out the way
they did." Kathryn turned her head to look up at her.

"Maybe that, too, was for the best," Kathryn said. "If you had
remained in Starfleet, you wouldn't have been on Chakotay's ship,
wouldn't have been thrown into the Delta Quadrant...."

"True," B'Elanna said. "All things considered, getting kicked out of
the Academy was a blessing in disguise."

They talked, ate lunch, and made love by the burbling stream. Kathryn
told B'Elanna stories of her childhood. B'Elanna, after some urging,
told Kathryn some of her life on Kessick IV. Kathryn hugged her
tightly.

They dressed and walked hand in hand through the meadow, Kathryn
pointing out various birds and flowers. B'Elanna walked over to a
clump of daisies and knelt to pick a bouquet. Kathryn leaned against
the gnarled trunk of an oak and watched her indulgently. This had been
good for B'Elanna. Kathryn had rarely seen her so relaxed. Most of the
time she was a whirlwind, moving from station to station in a blur of
movement in Engineering. Now she brought the bunch of daisies over to
Kathryn and handed them to her with a flourish.

"Thank you, sweetheart," Kathryn buried her nose in the flowers,
wishing for a brief instant that they had a smell. She reached out and
drew B'Elanna to her and they kissed, a long, slow, sweet kiss neither
wanted to end.

---

Copyright 1998 ILuvKate

---

The End