The BLTS Archive - Soul Mates
by JanitaMB, a.k.a. Blackcat (janitamb@aol.com, blackcat66@email.com)

---

Disclaimer: The characters, except for the brief mention of Tallas and
the Rahnans are the property of Paramount. I just like playing with
them a little. Neither I nor Paramount are making any money off of
this story. Also, I'm not very "technology oriented", so pardon my
attempts at adding technology if they don't make sense. Virtual hugs
and kisses to Stef, Joanne, Joni, and Ruth Ann for beta reading for
me. If you find any errors, I'm to blame, not them.

WARNING: This is a story involving an intimate and sexual relationship
between two female characters. If this offends you, makes you cringe,
doesn't float your boat, etc..., don't read it. Simple? I think so. If
you are under the age of 18 years old, leave while you still can.

---

I could hear the chirp of the chronometer. "I can't believe it's
morning already," I thought. Not being a morning person, I attempted
to ignore it with very little success. Finally realizing it wasn't
going to do any good, I hit the button to shut it off and grudgingly
sat up -- attempting to figure out just who I was. Rubbing the sleep
out of my eyes, I glanced at the chronometer -- 0530. *I hate getting
up this early,* I thought to myself as I crawled out of bed, padded to
the bathroom and started my shower. Shedding my night shirt, I stepped
into the shower, letting the warm water hit my body, which helped me
wake up. *So many things to do today,* I thought as I showered.
Normally I wouldn't have to get up for another hour to start my shift,
but a starship was due to dock this morning -- the USS Voyager.

I'd been assigned to work with Voyager's engineering team to help fine
tune the science station and to learn a little more about its
biological technology. The ship was due to dock at 0615 hence I
wanted to be on schedule, meet with Voyager's captain and get started
on my work so I could finish in time to use my reservation in the
holosuite. Kira and I were going to spend some time on Bajor, but
since neither of us had any shore leave in sight for a while, a few
hours in the holosuite would have to do. I had to use one of the many
favors that Quark owes me in order to get the reservation so I didn't
want to miss using it.

I stepped out of the shower, dried myself, pulled a crisp, clean
uniform out of the closet and put it on. Then I stood in the mirror
and tried to decide how I wanted to wear my hair. I decided on one
long braid. When I was sure I looked 'regulation', I left and headed
for Landing Pad C where Voyager was due. I arrived just in time to
watch the docking clamps attach themselves to Voyager.

"Good morning old man, how are you?" said Captain Sisko.

"Still wishing I were in bed sleeping, although I guess getting up
this early was worth it. Have you seen the new ship, Benjamin? It's
beautiful," I said, as I looked out the window at the new vessel. The
ships are getting better and better. I thought they outdid themselves
with the Defiant, but the engineers at Utopia Planitia had been
surprising everyone these days.

"I have some friends at Utopia Planitia who sent me the schematics and
a picture of the finished product, but it just doesn't do it justice.
I bet you can't wait to start work on her," Benjamin stated with a
twinkle in his eye.

"I am a little anxious, but not solely for the purpose of getting my
hands on Voyager,"

Before I could finish my sentence, the airlock opened and a woman
stepped out. Short and very athletic, she appeared to radiate
authority and confidence. "I'm Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Starship
Voyager."

"Captain Benjamin Sisko of DS9 and this is my Science Officer, Lt.
Commander Jadzia Dax".

"Welcome aboard DS9, Captain Janeway. I understand there is some work
to be done to Voyager's science station."

"That's correct, Lieutenant. My Chief of Engineering will be here
shortly to fill you in on the details. As soon as you're done with the
modifications, my crew and I will be on our way. In the meantime, I
would like to be briefed on what you know of the Maquis," voiced
Captain Janeway.

"Of course Captain, right this way," said Captain Sisko. As they
headed down the corridor, I was met by Voyager's Chief of Engineering
and Science Officer and they began going over the work for the
science station.

Voyager turned out to be a very sleek ship, completely battle ready,
but with a slight touch of comfort. It was even equipped with
holodecks -- obviously a ship built for long exploration missions --
(probably 3 to 4 months at a time) as well as battle. The mess hall
was simple -- a cooking station with three replicators, men's and
women's rest rooms, tables and chairs, a recycling center for dirty
dishes, all the necessary things. The sickbay was fully staffed, and
in case of an emergency, Voyager had an Emergency Medical Hologram, or
EMH for short. All in all, a very impressive star ship. I did note
however, that it could use some color. In that way, Voyager wasn't
much different from DS9.

Finally, we entered Engineering. Everyone was busy at different
stations, checking and rechecking operations to make sure the ship was
ready for its first combat situation. "Well, let's get started," I
said, and we immediately began working on the modifications to the
science stations.

With all of my work done, I made my way back to the station. I caught
the tail end of a conversation between two officers - a somewhat young
looking, probably fresh out of the academy ensign of Asian decent, and
a another man with no rank insignia, who looked vaguely familiar. I'd
seen him before, I know I had, but I couldn't remember where or why
he looked so familiar.

"How did you know that Ferengi bartender was trying to run a scam?"

"I used to be a hustler. What he attempted to do to you was common.
He saw you coming a mile away. A young ensign, fresh out of the
Academy - he probably figured he could take you for everything you
had, and you'd be halfway across the galaxy before you even knew what
happened."

"So, is this what I have to look forward to during my tour of duty in
Starfleet?"

"Just stick with me and I'll keep you out of trouble." Their voices
trailed off as I went down the hallway. I still couldn't remember
where I'd seen him before. " Oh well," I thought, as I headed down
the corridor to my quarters.

My shift was over and I was really looking forward to my holosuite
time. I had just enough time to enter my quarters and unzip my uniform
when my communicator chirped. "Sisko to Lieutenant Dax."

"Dax here, go ahead,"

"Dax, Captain Janeway has run into a problem. Could you meet us in my
office?"

"On my way, Dax out." *Damn, there goes my holosuite time.* "Dax to
Kira,"

"Kira here, go ahead,"

"There's a problem with Voyager and they need my help. I'll have to
cancel our holosuite outing. I'll see if I can get Quark to reschedule
our time for tomorrow."

"Ok, although I must say I am disappointed. I've been looking forward
to this all day."

"Me too, Kira, but it's an occupational hazard - you know how it is.
I'll call you as soon as I'm done."

"Ok, Kira out."

I zipped my uniform and left my quarters headed for Benjamin's office.
*What could have possibly gone wrong with the modifications?* I
thought as I rounded the corner and into the Captain's office.

"Lieutenant, Captain Janeway needs your help..." began Benjamin.

"Our Science Officer, Lt. Tallas has been called away on an emergency
and must take the next shuttle back to Bajor. We are scheduled to
depart in the next 45 minutes." said Captain Janeway.

"Lieutenant, I would like for you to fill in for Voyager's science
officer on their first mission. They should be returning within a
week, at which time, Lieutenant Tallas should return from Bajor and
relieve you on Voyager," stated Sisko.

"Aye sir." Turning to Captain Janeway, I said " I will report on
Voyager in 20 minutes."

"Very good," she said.

I left the Captain's office and went to my quarters to gather some of
my things for the trip. I packed a few clothes, a couple of books and,
after contacting Kira and letting her know the situation, headed for
the landing pad.

Captain Janeway introduced me to the rest of the bridge crew and
shortly afterward, we departed DS9 on our way to the badlands -- a
remote area of space near the Cardassian boarder where they were told
to intercept a Maquis ship. I made it a point to make no judgments on
anyone, let alone any species, however, to be honest, I don't really
like Cardassians. They caused so much death and destruction, and in
many ways I understood the Maquis. But my loyalty was with Starfleet,
so I put my feelings aside and did as ordered. While on the ship, I
discovered the identity of the two gentlemen I passed in the hallway
earlier: Ensign Harry Kim, fresh out of the Academy (just like I
thought), and Tom Paris -- supposedly the best pilot in the quadrant,
brought on board officially as an observer. *That's where I know him
from.* I thought to myself. Tom Paris, the son of Admiral Owen Paris
was tried and convicted of treason due to his involvement with the
Maquis. Captain Janeway had him brought aboard because of his
knowledge of the Maquis, and he agreed to do it to shorten his prison
sentence in the New Zealand penal colony. I imagine that there are a
lot of people on the ship that don't approve of him serving on
Voyager. I, however, was determined not to make judgments until I knew
him, although I wouldn't have a lot of time for that. After this
mission I was due back at DS9.

---

That day truly changed my life forever. Four years later, I find
myself in the Delta Quadrant with Voyager as part of her crew. Our
voyage has been interesting, to say the least. It has been a long four
years between that fateful day where we met the Caretaker and the
Kazon, to now, adding to our crew "Seven of Nine" - the Borg whose
link was severed from the collective by Captain Janeway, with the help
of Commander Chakotay, and losing Kes, a dear friend to everyone on
the ship. We all are beginning to make lives for ourselves on Voyager,
although our primary mission right now, and always, is to get back to
the Alpha Quadrant. We have come a long way since the day both crews,
Federation and Maquis combined.

Chakotay is my best friend on the ship. He has this calming nature
about him, and he's also been helping me to find my animal guide. I'm
sure he helps others as well. Tom Paris was made a Lieutenant and
ordered to pilot the ship shortly after both crews merged. He's the
best pilot I've ever seen, certainly the best one on Voyager. And I
never would have guessed it, but Chakotay and Tom are friends -
Chakotay seems to have an overwhelming respect for Tom now...
something Tom has definitely earned. I also have a feeling it goes a
little beyond friendship in both of their minds, but so far nothing
has developed outwardly.

Captain Janeway is the strongest leader I have ever had the chance to
serve under. Not that Captain Sisko wasn't a good commander. He is,
but I've never witnessed someone as dedicated as Janeway is about
getting us home. She feels our happiness, sadness, disappointments,
... she is completely in sync with Voyager and her crew.

Neelix, our morale officer has proven to be a great asset to our crew
as well, and Tuvok being a "non-emotional" Vulcan even has his more
"human," moments. Ensign Kim has become a dear friend to me. He
reminds me of my little brother and I always have this feeling I
should be protecting him. He has this unique way of seeing the good in
everyone, which in a way, makes him a little naive, but he is strong
willed and once he makes up his mind about something, he stands his
ground about it.

The doctor, who incidentally has yet to choose a name for himself, has
come a long way in the last four years. He has changed drastically
from that self absorbed, obnoxious individual with a superiority
complex to a friendly, empathetic person with a nice bedside manner
and a bit of a sense of humor.

And then, there's B'Elanna - the beautiful half human half Klingon.
When she first came aboard Voyager she had a major attitude --
questioning Captain Janeway before she even knew who she was. Since
then, however, she has mellowed out significantly, although that
attitude does sneak out from time to time. Being half human and half
Klingon appears, at times, to be very difficult for B'Elanna. As a
child, she never liked the fact that she was so different from the
other children she grew up with on the mostly human colony she and her
mother lived on. She felt, and to some degree still does feel, self
conscious about her Klingon attributes. She seems to be afraid of her
Klingon side in that she has to use a lot of self control to keep from
going off on anyone who irritates her. That is not easy to do by human
standards, let alone Klingon. More than once I've seen her working out
her frustrations on holodeck characters. But even though she never
finished Starfleet Academy, she has proven to be an excellent
engineer. Janeway knew what she was doing making B'Elanna the Chief of
Engineering. She has worked to get us out of more jams than I can
count and has earned the respect of the entire crew - both Starfleet
and Maquis. Before I met B'Elanna, I felt that there would be no place
in my life for relationships beyond that of friendship. But as I got
to know her, I began to admire her strong will, strength and bravery,
as well as her intelligence. Unlike many Klingons I've met, she is
very passionate regarding issues that affect others, which to me means
she can be loving. To be with her, in my opinion, would be like having
the best of both worlds, someone strong and courageous but with a
tenderness and loving heart. She is also very beautiful, and to me,
extremely sexy. I find myself growing more attracted to her each day.
The only one that knows of my feelings toward her is Chakotay. Maybe
one day, but for now, we're just friends.

Tom, Harry, and B'Elanna are "hanging buddies" so to speak - an old
Earth saying that Benjamin told me meant the friends you spend time
with the most. I miss Benjamin a lot. He was such a good friend to me
and I could tell him anything.

---

"Hey Jadzia, after dinner we're all going to Sandrine's for a drink
and to play pool. Wanna join us?" asked Tom, "Harry and B'Elanna are
going to meet us there.  Can I count you in?"

"You know I wouldn't miss it for the world," I said. It had been
almost two weeks since I had gone to Sandrine's. We have all been
working like dogs lately. Between our last bout with the Borg and
stopping at neighboring planets to gather supplies, we were all due
for some real R&R. Sandrine's was the closest thing to that right now.
We had entered a system where the planets didn't seem to have
breathable atmospheres, so we couldn't get shore leave. Janeway
promised the Senior officers that as soon as we came to a M-Class
planet with hospitable surroundings, she would grant shore leave for
everyone.

I had just enough time to go to my quarters and change. During our
many stops at different planets, I was able to acquire quite a
wardrobe. I decided to go very casual - black denim jeans along with a
white blouse. It was long sleeved, so I rolled them up. I slipped on a
pair of earrings that were given to me from a friend that I knew at
the academy. We were best friends. My communicator chirped.

"Torres to Dax."

"Dax here, go ahead."

"Jadzia, are you going to Sandrine's tonight?"

"Yes, why?"

"I wanted to talk to you before we left. Could you stop by my quarters
on your way?"

"Sure B'Elanna, I'll be there shortly, Dax out."  I put on my shoes,
unbraided my hair from its usual style and brushed it down, then
headed out the door to B'Elanna's. She sounded uneasy, so I picked up
my pace a little. I rang the chime to her door. "Come in," she said.

The door opened and I stepped in. I always liked her quarters. She
preferred rich colors - purple and burgundy, and she had this soft
side to her. She loved flowers - Earth roses are her favorite,
although she is terribly allergic to them. Once, for her birthday, I
saved my replicator rations and replicated a bouquet of them for her,
minus the pollen. They were all white with one red that symbolized her
uniqueness. She loved them. She preserved them in a glass case and had
them on a shelf in the corner of her living room.

She came out of her bedroom. "Just a second, I'm almost ready," she
said, and stepped into her room again.

"So B'Elanna what's up? You sounded sort of anxious - is everything
all right?"

"Everything is fine with me. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry you. I
was just feeling ... well...my ego hurts a little - that's all."

"Ok, this should be interesting - why is your ego hurt?"

"Well, you know how Tom has been after me. You know, to be in a
relationship with him?"

"Yeah, "

"Well, it's silly, I - forget I even said anything. Are you ready to
go?"

"Wait a minute. I hate it when you do this - start to tell me
something and then change your mind.  Come on, tell me what's going
on."  I said, as I crossed the room and seated myself on her sofa.

"Ok, but it's nothing I should even be concerned about. Tom seems to
have lost interest."

"Oh really? And this bothers you? I thought you weren't interested in
him anyway."

B'Elanna stepped out of her room and I had to stop myself from
staring. She had on this beautiful purple and red dress.  It had thin
straps across her shoulders, a plunging neckline and it fit her body
like a second skin. I'd never seen her look so sexy before in my
entire life.

"I'm not interested in him. He's my friend and I don't want it to go
any further than that. It's just that I enjoyed the attention I got
from him, you know? I guess I got comfortable knowing there was
someone mooning over me, even if I didn't feel the same way."

She turned away from me as if she were embarrassed by her confession.
She never was able to completely open up to anyone, although every
once in a while, like now, she would to me. I always got the
impression that she had been through traumatic experiences. She's
always protecting her feelings.

"B'Elanna, Tom has been after you for a long time. I guess being
turned away by you so often finally made him realize that anything
other than friendship was out of the question. He probably figured
that backing off would be the best thing."

"Yeah, well there's more. I think he's interested in someone else -
someone whom he may have less of a chance to be in a relationship with
than I am."

That got my attention. "Who?"

" You'll never guess in a million years."

"I don't want to guess - tell me!" I said, dying of anticipation.

"I think he's interested in Chakotay." said B'Elanna.

She was right in a sense.  I would have guessed he was interested in
Chakotay, I just wouldn't have guessed in a million years that she
would figure it out. Then again, someone once told me, 'never
underestimate a Klingon.' "How can you be so sure?" I asked, wondering
if she heard something she wasn't telling me. Gossip spread like
wildfire on Voyager. There wasn't a relationship, or even a possible
relationship happening that at least one person, other than the
specific couple in question, knew about.

"Have you seen the way he looks at Chakotay when we're in staff
briefings, or in the mess hall? He's, if nothing else, infatuated with
him. I asked him what, if anything, was going on with him and
Chakotay, but he kept changing the subject."

She's more perceptive than I gave her credit for - Chakotay and Tom.
Well, I knew for a fact that Chakotay was definitely interested in
Tom. He swore me to secrecy saying that he had feelings for Tom, but
was hesitant because he wanted a relationship and he didn't know if
Tom was capable of having one.

"Well, I don't think it's such a bad thing..."

She cut me off abruptly and said "How can you say that? Chakotay isn't
interested in Tom. He's in love with the Captain, or at least he was.
Remember how he would sit on the bridge and moon over her? And even if
he weren't in love with the Captain, he certainly has feelings for
you! Besides, when Chakotay first discovered that Tom was on Voyager
-- well you remember.  He publicly announced that he didn't like Tom -
called him a traitor and a coward and....."

"And Tom, in turn, saved his life on Ocampa." I said.. " Since then,
Tom has proven himself over and over again to both Chakotay and this
crew. Don't think Chakotay hasn't noticed. And for the record, the
only feelings Chakotay and I feel for each other are friendship -
nothing more."

"Oh, sorry." she stated, a little embarrassed. "I'm just concerned
that Tom will get hurt and I don't want that to happen," she said as
she put the finishing touches to her already flawless outfit.

"Don't worry, B'Elanna. Tom's smart and he'll be able to handle
anything that's thrown his way. You know, for someone who didn't want
to be in a relationship, you seem awfully concerned about who he may
end up with."

There must have been a hint of sadness in my voice because she said
with a sly grin, "You sound disappointed, are you?"

"Maybe. Why have you been putting Tom off anyway? Don't you get lonely
out here in the Delta quadrant?"

She turned to me and said, "I could ask you the same question. C'mon,
let's go to Sandrine's - Harry and Tom are probably wondering what
happened to us."

Sandrine's was packed. Tom and Harry had already started playing a
game of pool. Chakotay and the Captain were at the bar drinking and
chatting about who knows what. After exchanging pleasantries with
Chakotay and Captain Janeway, we went over to Tom and Harry at the
pool table.

"What took you two so long?" asked Tom

"Yeah, we were about to give up on you two," Harry commented as he
made a shot and missed the ball by a mile.

"Just chatting - you know, girl talk," I replied, with an innocent
smile.

"Uh oh, that can be dangerous," said Tom as he made his shot. "I hope
I didn't come up in any of your conversations...."

B'Elanna blurted out "NO! -- uh no, you didn't." obviously not
convincing Tom one bit.

He gave us both this scrutinizing look and said, "All right you two -
spill it. What were you saying about me?"

Just as I was about to change the subject, Chakotay walked up. "Excuse
me. Tom, may I speak with you for a moment?"

"Sure Chakotay.  Ladies, we'll continue this conversation later."

"Tom, what about our game?" asked Harry.

"Later Harry, I want to see what the commander wants." he said, giving
him a knowing look.

Harry took the hint and said to us, "Would either one of you like to
take his place?" Before either one of us could respond, the doors to
the holodeck opened and in walked Seven (the Captain convinced Seven
of Nine to let the crew call her Seven). Harry forgot all about the
pool game and said, "Never mind the game. Ladies, the pool table is
all yours." He handed me his pool stick and went over to talk to
Seven.

"It seems that Harry has taken an interest in Seven." I said.

"Yeah, so it seems," uttered B'Elanna somewhat surprised at how the
evening was turning out.

B'Elanna and I played pool for a while, keeping track of the activity
in Sandrine's. Tom and Chakotay sat at a table in a dark corner for
most of the evening. Later, they left together. Harry and Seven seemed
to be getting along just fine. I think Seven was doing her best to try
to fit in with the crew, but because she use to be a Borg, not too
many of the crew members were willing to befriend her. Harry, however,
was more than a little interested in helping her. Eventually the two
of them left. After we finished our game, I asked B'Elanna if she
wanted to come to my quarters to watch a vid. "No," she replied, "I
have to get up early tomorrow. We are doing some modifications on the
warp core and I need to be there on time."

As we walked to her quarters, I decided to go out on a limb and said
"B'Elanna, you look gorgeous this evening." The shocked look on her
face when I said it wasn't exactly the reaction I was hoping for. "I'm
sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable."

"No, you didn't," she said, "You just caught me off guard."

"Why? Just because I'm a woman doesn't mean I can't appreciate another
woman's beauty, and you are beautiful, B'Elanna." I had never seen
B'Elanna blush before, but she did. She was so very lovely to me, her
bronze skin, her deep brown eyes that seemed to looked deep into my
soul - I don't know why I hadn't noticed it when I first met her. We
arrived at her quarters first, and quietly stood there for a few
moments.

"It's so silly, but if I didn't know any better, I'd say this felt
like the end of a first date," she said.

"It does seem that way, doesn't it." And with that, I threw caution
totally to the wind, put my hand on the side of her cheek and kissed
her on the lips. It was a slow, tentative kiss, not too demanding,
just enough to show her my interest in her. She moved her body closer
to mine and wrapped her arms around me as the kiss quickly changed
from tentative to passionate. It was as if that kiss was the key to
unlock this unbridled desire in both of us. She moaned, which sent
chills down my spine. As the kiss ended, she said goodnight and went
into her quarters. It seemed that I rode on a cloud all the way to my
quarters.

My quarters were next to Chakotay's, and as I climbed into bed, I
began hearing these noises. The walls on this ship seemed to be paper
thin. I could actually hear conversations taking place through them at
times. The noises were getting louder and more urgent, and then it hit
me. Chakotay wasn't alone. I wondered who was in there causing him to
make such passionate sounds. I almost asked the computer, but thought
it wasn't any of my business. Listening to him didn't help calm me
down any. I felt like I was intruding on a private moment, so I
slipped out of bed and went into the living area of my quarters.

While in the living area, I wondered if kissing B'Elanna was the
wisest thing to do. Too late for second guessing - the damage had been
done. Have I been wanting to do that all this time? She has always
been a good friend to me. But somewhere on our voyage home my feelings
had changed. I began to reminisce about how wonderful it felt to hold
her in my arms, to feel her lips against my own, to taste her
tongue... God, this wasn't helping my mood any. I stepped back into
my room and heard silence. Chakotay and his company must be done. I
went to take a shower - a cold one, and went to bed.

---

My chronometer chirped. I'm really not a morning person. *I've got to
start going to bed earlier,* I thought to myself. I glanced at the
clock - 0630. Just enough time to get dressed and get some breakfast.
As I showered, I remembered what transpired between myself and
B'Elanna. I decided I would ask her to breakfast. I was hoping I could
catch her before she went to engineering. Fully dressed in my
Starfleet uniform, I headed out the door of my quarters just in time
to see Chakotay and Tom kiss each other goodbye. They were so
engrossed in each other they didn't notice me, or the stupid, amazed
look I had on my face. I quietly tiptoed down the hallway toward
B'Elanna's quarters, careful not to disturb the two in their loving
embrace. Thinking about the two of them together made me smile. I was
wondering how long it would be before they got their act together.

I rang B'Elanna's door chime. "Come in." she said. I walked into her
quarters and she look somewhat startled.

"Oh, Jadzia. I didn't know it was you."

"I'm sorry, did I come at a bad time?" I said.

"No, not really," she said, acting like a nervous child on her first
day of school. She looked as if she wanted to run and hide. Not a good
sign.

"B'Elanna, what's wrong?" I asked as she began pacing the floor like a
caged panther.

"Jadzia, about last night... "

"That's one of the reasons why I stopped by - to talk about what
happened. I just wanted you to know that..."

She interrupted me and blurted out "that we should never have let it
happen. We were just caught up in the moment and... Well, let's just
pretend it never happened."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Had I missed something?
"B'Elanna, what are you saying? Something did happen last night. It
was more than just..."

"Jadzia, please. Let's just forget about it, all right? I'm late for
my shift," and she headed out the door, leaving me standing alone in
her quarters.

---

I didn't speak to her any more that day. I was so confused. Two weeks
went by and even though I tried on several occasions to talk to her,
B'Elanna was doing her best to avoid me at every turn. She avoided me
on the bridge and at briefings, having someone else fill in for her.
When I walked into the mess hall and she was there, she
left immediately. Harry and Tom were wondering what was going on and
probed me more than once for answers. Then one day, as I was sitting
alone in the mess hall, brooding and trying to figure out just what
this purple blob was on my plate (another one of Neelix's creations),
when Chakotay walked up.

"May I sit here, Jadzia?"

"You know you don't have to ask, Chakotay".

"I don't know," he said, "these days you aren't in a very friendly
mood. So are you going to tell me what's wrong or am I going to have
to guess?" he asked while taking the seat across from me.

"Are you asking as the ship's counselor or as a friend?" I inquired
giving him a scrutinizing look.

"Both, but mostly as a friend," he voiced, looking concerned.

"Well, you know I told you how I felt about B'Elanna,"

"Yeah," he replied, as he looked like he was trying to decide whether
to try some of the purple stuff on his plate or toss it and use some
of his remaining replicator rations.

"Well, two weeks ago, after leaving Sandrine's, I walked her to her
quarters and kissed her good night."

"That sounds like a good thing," said Chakotay,

"It does to me too - and I thought it was until the next day when I
went to see her. She told me she wanted us to forget it ever happened.
And on top of that, she hasn't spoken to me or let me get close enough
to speak to her since. I just don't understand it. I mean, the kiss
wasn't just 'physical', there was more to it. I could feel it. I don't
know what to think."

"Sorry to hear that, Zia. I wish there were something I could do to
help. Maybe if you give her some more time she'll at least talk to
you. Word to the wise, however. If you don't improve your response
time on the bridge, the Captain is going to say something."

"I didn't realize it was that obvious, Chakotay. The Captain must be
furious with me."

"Not yet, but if you don't do something soon, she will be."

"Thanks for the warning. On another note, how are things with you and
Tom? You seem blissfully happy these days."

"He's the most wonderful person I've ever had a relationship with.
There is so much more to him than that 'flyboy persona' that he gives
off to others."

"So, when are you going public with your relationship?"

"Soon, Zia. Real soon," Chakotay replied.

"You two get any louder at night, you won't have to go public -
everyone will know just from the sounds coming from your quarters,"
I expressed, with a smile.

Chakotay flushed a deep shade of burgundy and asked, "Are we really
that loud?"

"Yes you are. In fact, the two of you have driven me out of my room
many a night. Mostly because I feel like I'm intruding, sometimes
because it turns me on so much it makes me ashamed of myself," I
admitted.

He laughed and said, "Sorry, we'll try to contain ourselves. Maybe
I'll speak to the Captain about soundproofing the walls."

The ship-wide con chirped and the Captain's voice announced, "All
Senior officers, please report to the briefing room." So much for a
leisurely lunch.

We all entered the briefing room and took our seats around the table.
Chakotay and Tom sat next to each other, each had a hand under the
table. To anyone who didn't know what was going on, they seemed
normal, but it was obvious to me they were holding hands. I stifled a
smile as Lt. Carey entered the room. "Where is Lt. Torres?" demanded
the Captain.

"She has been detained," replied Lt. Carey.

"Not this time. Janeway to Torres."

"Torres here, Captain."

"Lieutenant, please report to the briefing room. This meeting requires
no representatives. I need you here."

"Yes Captain, on my way."

A few minutes later, B'Elanna entered the room and did her best to
avoid my eyes. The Captain began to speak. "We have entered an area of
space called, according to Mr. Neelix, the "Xavier" system. From what
we can gather it's a very populated area of space with several
flourishing M-Class planets." She continued, "We have been in contact
with Ambassador Zana, who is in charge of the three planets that have
the supplies we need - dilithium, galacite and food. They have agreed
to provide these things for us in exchange for help with repairing one
of their planet's power generators, and some medical supplies. Once we
have repaired their power generator located on the Xavier I, the first
planet in the system, we will head over to Xavier II and III to gather
the supplies we need and to take that much needed shore leave I
promised." Smiles began spreading across everyone's faces. Everyone's
except mine and B'Elanna's.

"Jadzia, you and B'Elanna will beam down immediately to begin repairs
on the power generator. Their technology is very similar to ours. It
shouldn't be a difficult problem to fix," said Janeway.

Fear streaked across B'Elanna's face, but before she could say
anything in protest, the Captain dismissed us and we all began filing
out of the room. Before I could get out the door, the Captain asked
B'Elanna and me to stay behind. She got up out of her chair and began
pacing the length of the briefing room.

"As Captain, I make it a point to know everything that is happening on
my ship." She stopped her pacing and she began walking around the
conference table toward B'Elanna and me. "But, for the life of me, I
can't figure out what is going on between the two of you. B'Elanna,
you've been going out of your way to avoid Jadzia to the point of
missing important meetings and Jadzia, you haven't been very
responsive on the bridge for the past two weeks. That's why I'm
sending you on this away mission together. I try very hard not to
interfere in the personal lives of my crew. But when their personal
lives began to affect how things are handled on Voyager, it's time for
me to intervene. Whatever problem you two are having, take this time
to work it out so this crew can get back to normal. Understood?"

"Yes Captain," we said in unison, both of us looking more than a
little embarrassed. She dismissed us and we quickly left the briefing
room. We entered the turbolift. B'Elanna stated the destination, "Deck
11." and the lift began to move.

"Well that was somewhat embarrassing," I said hesitantly.

"Yeah, it wasn't exactly one of my finer moments," uttered B'Elanna.

"You're speaking to me now, huh?" I asked.

"I'm sorry, Jadzia. I guess I deserved that. I just needed time to
think."

"You wouldn't even speak to me, " I voiced, beginning to become angry
at her and frustrated with this whole situation. "Looks like you got
shutting people out down to an art form."

She gave me an angry glare and said, "Look, we have to work together
on this mission. Let's just get it over with and go our separate ways,
ok?"

"Our separate ways? That's going to be difficult considering the size
of this ship. Why won't you talk to me? Did I do something wrong? Tell
me!"

Just then the doors to the turbolift swished open to reveal Deck 11.
B'Elanna bolted out of the lift and headed for Engineering. I went to
my quarters to pack, feeling more frustrated than I was before. I was
determined, however,  not to let this ruin my shore leave. I was
packing a few things when my communicator chirped.

"Torres to Dax,"

"Dax here, go ahead."

"Meet me on the transporter pad in 15 minutes. The Captain wants us to
get started as soon as possible."

"Ok, Dax out." *She still sounded angry. What a mission this was going
to be. Well, at least there was shore leave to look forward to when we
were done with our work. Maybe I'll catch up with Chakotay and see
what he's got planned.*

---

I met B'Elanna at the transporter pad and we were beamed down to the
surface of Xavier I. It was a beautiful planet, full of life and
diversity. It reminded me so much of Bajor - with its rolling hills
and beautiful sapphire lakes. The planet was inhabited by a race of
humanoids called the Rahnans. They were very tall people - the
shortest among the ones we were with being 2 meters tall. Slender,
athletic, all with blond hair and green eyes. They seemed fascinated
by B'Elanna and me. They had never seen a race of humanoids with brown
hair, much less one with spots and one with ridges on her forehead.
One of the males of the species even asked me how far down my spots
went. You should have seen the look on his face when I told him they
went all the way down.

The power generator was fixed in less time than we anticipated. There
was no major problem, really. Personally, I thought the Captain came
up with this elaborate ruse just to get B'Elanna and me to talk to
each other. But before we could leave, the generator had a system wide
failure, which left the continent completely without power, including
our work area. We set up portable generators from Voyager to give us
the light we needed, just in case we didn't get done before sundown.
The Rahnans had a back-up generator to power the computer in the event
that something like this happened. We ran several diagnostics before
we could figure out what the problem was. Figuring out the problem was
one thing, fixing it, however turned out to be completely different.

Several hours later B'Elanna, who after reciting a pretty impressive
string of Klingon swear words, finally said, "This is the most
exasperating thing I have ever had to deal with! Every time we fix one
problem, another one comes up totally out of the blue! I just don't
understand it!" she shouted, hitting the computer console.

"That's right, break it even more by hitting it," I quipped, feeling
more than a little annoyed myself, although not for the same reasons
as she.

"I don't need your smart-ass remarks, Jadzia. Don't start."

She looked genuinely hurt by my comment, and I immediately regretted
saying it. "I'm sorry, B'Elanna, I'm frustrated as well. Just like
you, I've never worked with a system with so many repetitive problems.
Let's just try to calm down." After an awkward silence, I said, "Why
don't we take a 15 minute break to clear our minds for a moment. It
couldn't hurt."

"Ok, and apology accepted," she replied, as a smile crept across her
face. That was the first time in over two weeks she smiled at me.

I went over to where I had laid my pack and pulled out a thermos with
two cups. "Would you like some raktajino?"

"I didn't know you liked Klingon coffee," she said with genuine
surprise on her face.

"When I was on DS9, I was able to convince Quark to serve it," I said.

"Quark?" B'Elanna inquired.

"The Ferengi who owned the bar on DS9. I've grown to like it over the
years." I stated, as I took a sip of the rich coffee, savoring its
flavor.

"Yeah, it is good." She took another sip and then asked, "How come you
know so much about Klingons?"

"Because I was - or should I say Curzon, my previous host, was the
diplomat who helped negotiate the Khitomer treaty that brought peace
between the Klingon Empire and the Federation. Curzon was honored
among Klingons because of those negotiations. During that time he
learned all about Klingon culture and their high regard for honor and,
as a result of all he learned, I speak fluent Klingonese, and can
swing a bat'leth with the best of them." I admitted, trying not to
sound too egotistical.

B'Elanna looked at me as if she were amazed that I was actually proud
of my Klingon attributes, which saddened me. She detests everything
about herself that is Klingon -- characteristics that I find
captivating. "B'Elanna, why did you shut me out the way you did?"

She quickly looked away from me and said, "I panicked. I had to face
my feelings about you, and I wasn't ready for that."

"What feelings do you have for me?"

"I don't know, but I do know that they go beyond friendship. That's
why I'm so frightened. You see, I've been in relationships before,
with men, but every time I let myself get close to someone, I end up
getting hurt. Everything would be fine as long as I could keep my
Klingon side under control, but once it came out, they would feel
intimidated. They couldn't deal with the aggressiveness, so they all
wanted out eventually, usually after I had fallen in love." She
stopped for a moment, reliving the unhappiness of those events and I
immediately felt compassion for her. Some people have a good thing,
right in front of them, and they don't even see it.

"With you," she continued, "well, we were already good friends. I
thought if we crossed that line and became lovers, and it didn't work
out, I'd have lost a very dear friend. Things wouldn't be the same
between us and I couldn't live with that."

After absorbing everything she said to me, I began to understand how a
relationship with me, with anyone, would be frightening to her.
"B'Elanna, I do want a relationship with you, but I don't want you to
do anything you don't want."

"But we are so different!" she replied. "Jadzia, you have lived over
300 years. You've had so many more life experiences than I have.
You'll never look at me as a mature adult."

"Hold it B'Elanna, that's where you're wrong!" I interjected. "When I
look at you, I see a strong, courageous, loving woman. I don't
consider myself superior to you because I'm older. I look at you as
my equal. And unlike your previous lovers, I don't frighten easy.
You'll have to do much more than have your aggressive nature surface
to scare me off. I'm not easily intimidated, and frankly, I can handle
anything you throw my way. And besides, I love aggressive women. They
are such a turn on," I voiced with a broad smile. "In actuality we
aren't that different, and the differences we do have we can work
through." I rationalized, taking her hand into mine.

"Why don't we take it one day at a time - this time, not shutting each
other out, and see what happens. Ok?"

"Well, what about the rest of the crew - when they find out?"

"Are you worried how it will look to others because we are both
female?"

"No... well... yes, maybe a little,"

"B'Elanna, 450 years ago, society wouldn't be able to handle a
relationship like this one, but we've come a long way since then. Most
people just want to see others happy - it doesn't matter what gender
you are or what you prefer, or what race or species you are."

"You're right, I'm just being silly I guess, " she said, tightening
her grip on my hand. "This has been the longest two weeks of my life.
I missed you."

My heart began to melt away as she spoke. "I missed you too. Promise
me you will come to me next time something is wrong, or if you are
feeling any anxiety from our relationship, ok?"

"Ok," she answered, "I promise."

I looked deep into her beautiful brown eyes and knew she was telling
the truth. I tried to fight back the urge but lost the battle. I
gently touched her face and kissed her lips. Afterward, we sat there
for a few minutes, unspoken thoughts going through our minds. Then she
broke the silence and said, "We better get back to work if we ever
want to go on shore leave."

"Yeah. Wait a minute, didn't we have a problem like this a few weeks
ago in engineering?  You know, when you were trying to correct the
modifications the Borg made to the ship?"

"Yeah we... " I could almost see the awareness flooding her brain --
as if the answer was so obvious. "If we reroute this coupling with the
main computer buffer and...." she trailed off, as she ducked under the
computer console with a laser wrench. "Jadzia, I rerouted the coupling
to the main computer buffer. Now initiate a link between conduit 147
and the buffer." My hands began moving swiftly across the controls,
and suddenly, the generator began to work. Lights came on and
computers chirped all over the building. The Rahnans began receiving
reports from all over the continent that the power was on again.
B'Elanna and I were so happy, so relieved that our work on this
blasted computer system was finally over, we hugged each other. God,
she felt good in my arms.

After receiving many thanks from the Rahnans, we packed up our gear
and transported back to Voyager. The Captain was pleased with our
work. She gave the coordinates of Xavier II to Tom and the ship
cruised over to the planet at impulse power.

The Captain allowed for two weeks of shore leave. We took our shore
leave on Xavier III after picking up our away teams and supplies from
Xavier II. During the days, B'Elanna and I would go shopping after
breakfast. For a Klingon, she was extremely conscious of her looks and
was always looking for something to add to her wardrobe. I often
wondered if she would be that way if she could see herself through my
eyes. One day, we came to this dress shop (if you could call it a
dress shop -- the clothes that the Rahnans wore were very scant pieces
of clothing because the climate on the planet was so comfortable).
B'Elanna saw a beautiful purple sheer dress, trimmed in red satin.
Attached inside the dress was a lace bodice (meant to keep everyone
from seeing through the sheer part of the dress). She fell in love
with it immediately, however she couldn't buy it because she didn't
have anything to trade. Later, while she was napping, which, by the
way, was a rare occurrence for her, I went out and purchased the
dress. I would surprise her with it later.

We ate lunch with Chakotay and Tom. So far, we were the only two that
knew of their budding relationship and they of ours, although ours
hadn't reached the level of theirs. We all had a wonderful time
talking and laughing about different crew members, and Tom blushed
crimson after hearing that he and Chakotay had been entertaining me
some nights.

In the evenings after dinner, we would take long walks in the parks,
or along the shores of the beach. The three moons of the planet being
reflected off the water. It was a breathtaking sight. And romantic. We
would hold hands and talk while we walked. I told her about the
memories I had of my different hosts. She thought Curzon Dax was a
pig. I had to laugh at that because Curzon could be obnoxious at
times. But I told her he really was a good man and he was a wonderful
mentor to Benjamin. She told me all about her life as half human, half
Klingon. It wasn't easy. I guess her father left her mother because he
couldn't deal with her aggressiveness. I told her not to blame her
mother for that because sometimes men have trouble with their wives
being the aggressors in all aspects of a relationship. She told me she
loved her father and despite the fact that he and her mother were
separated, he was a very intricate part of her life. She adored him.
She loved her mother as well, although she told me it took her a while
to realize that. Her mother was simply being what she was -- a Klingon
-- and she was a good Klingon mother.

On our last night on the planet, before we went to dinner, I had the
dress I bought for her wrapped in gold paper and delivered to our room
with a note that said <Something to enhance your beauty. Jadzia>. I
was in the shower when it was delivered. I came out of the bathroom
wearing a robe and toweling my hair dry, when B'Elanna greeted me with
a hug and kiss. "It's beautiful Jadzia," she proclaimed. "How did you
know I wanted it?" asked B'Elanna, holding the dress against her body
while looking in the mirror.

"I saw you admiring it in the shop. I knew you wanted it, and I
certainly wanted to see you in it, so..."

"Nothing gets past you, does it?" she replied, giving me another hug.
"Thank you so much! I'll wear it tonight."

We had a romantic, candle light dinner at one of the restaurants in
the village. I wore a black satin dress, with thin straps, and a black
silk shawl draped over my shoulders. B'Elanna wore the dress I gave
her, and she was absolutely gorgeous in it. Heads turned as we entered
the restaurant.

The dress fit her form too well. The color brought out the tone of her
exquisite bronze skin, and the lace bodice left a hint of mystery as
to what was underneath. I spent most of the evening gazing into her
eyes, and admiring her beauty. I'm not even sure what she was saying
during dinner, I was so enamored by her.

After dinner we sat on a bench in the park overlooking a lake. The
stars were reflected off the water. We talked about having children --
whether or not we ever wanted to have any.

"I was a husband and a parent twice in my lifetimes as Dax, but I
failed both times" I admitted. "I'd like to have children again
someday. I feel like my instincts are better now. What about you?" I
asked B'Elanna.

"I don't think I would mind having children, as long as I don't have
to be pregnant to do it."

That made me laugh. "Well, it might be a little hard then," she
started laughing as well .

"No, it's just that I don't relish the fact of my body going through
all those changes -- my stomach swelling, morning sickness, hormone
surges... the whole thing sounds scary to me, " she admitted.

"I think you're more worried about your looks changing than anything,"
I said. I looked deep in to those brown eyes "I wish you could see
yourself through my eyes. You're smart, strong, sensitive - you are so
beautiful now, I know you would be beautiful if you were pregnant," I
said as I traced the ridges on her forehead. I loved her and that
realization hit me while I was looking into her eyes. I didn't say
anything to her though -- I didn't want to scare her off.

She put her hand on my cheek and said in a soft, barely audible voice,
"I love you Jadzia. You've made me fall in love with you. I don't
know when it happened, but I do love you."

I cupped her face in my hands and rested my forehead on hers. "You
don't know how happy that makes me," I said as tears rolled down my
face. "I love you too. I think I always have." and with that, I kissed
her.

---

We walked back to our hotel on the planet. Once the doors closed
behind us, we were in each other's arms. I moved my hands slowly down
her back as my face nuzzled her hair. I heard her sigh as I touched
the sensitive areas of her back. "God, you smell so good."  I
whispered, as I began moving my face and lips down her neck, moving my
hands under the sheer portion of her dress. Her skin felt like silk to
me, as I planted wet, passion filled kisses up and down her neck,
taking my tongue and licking her ears as she gasped and moaned with
pleasure. I cupped her breasts in my hands, finding the nipples with
my finger and circling them, feeling them grow hard underneath the
fabric of her dress. "I've wanted this... wanted you for so long..." I
murmured to her as my lips found hers again, our tongues exploring
each other's mouths.

She pulled away from me and whispered, "Now Jadzia, I want you now...
please."

We went to our bed and undressed each other in the faint light that
the moon cast through the window. She was even more beautiful than I
imagined. We lay down on the bed and I climbed on top of her,
desperate to feel her skin against mine. I could feel her hands thread
through my hair and run down my back as I kissed her neck, working my
way down her chest and settling on her left breast. I held it with
both hands and sucked her nipple into my mouth, taking my tongue
around it over and over, enjoying the sounds she was making. "Oh yes
Zia, that's so good..." she moaned, as she raised her arms above her
head as if giving me more access. I couldn't forget about the other
one and proceeded to do the same to it, marveling at how good it felt
in my mouth and how aroused I was getting.

Then I kissed my way down her stomach, lingering at her navel for a
few minutes. Her legs parted, and I kissed and ran my tongue up and
down her inner thigh while my hands rubbed the silky hair between her
legs. I could smell her scent... a mixture of soap and musk as I
parted the lips to the soft pink area below. She was so wet as I slid
two fingers deep inside her. She gasped as she felt me enter her and I
watched her clitoris swell as my fingers pushed in and pulled out of
her body over and over again. She began moving her hips in time with
my fingers and I couldn't wait any longer.... I had to taste her. I
took my fingers out and put my tongue where they had been, tentatively
tasting her at first,  then licking her center from top to bottom.

"Oh Kahless, "  I heard her moan as I continued my assault, replacing
my fingers and concentrating on the sensitive nub with my tongue. I
began sucking it with my lips and tongue as her hands held my head in
that spot. I could tell she was on the brink of orgasm. Her moans
became louder and longer and I could feel her tighten up on my
fingers.

"That's right," I managed to say, "I want to taste all of you..." as I
continued licking and sucking her.

"Oh yes... yes.... yes!" she exclaimed and  the muscles tightened on
my fingers as her climax rippled through her. I felt her juices flow
and I licked as much as I could, reveling in the taste of her body. I
was so turned on as climbed back on top of her and began kissing her.

"You're incredible, Jadzia," she said to me between kisses. All of a
sudden, she became very aggressive and flipped me over. She sat
straddled me and began roughly caressing my entire body. "I don't want
to hurt you..." she expressed, her breathing heavy, "but you feel so
good..." she growled, and I felt the sharp pain of her teeth going
into my cheek, and then felt blood trickle down.

She lay on top of me and began smelling my scent behind my ears, my
neck, panting and ravishing me with kisses. Her kisses became more
urgent and hard on my neck as I raised my head to give her better
access. The feel of her tongue and teeth on my ears, neck, throat,
was simply incredible!

She instructed me to turn over on my stomach. As I did, she said, "Umm
your spots really do go all the way down," and resumed her assault
down my back. "I've been doing some reading on Trill anatomy and
erogenous zones. How does this feel?" she asked as she took her
tongue and licked down the entire length of my spots.

"Oh, that's wonderful..." I gasped, gripping the bed sheets as my body
was overwhelmed with the sensations coursing through it.

She got down to where the spots ended at the base of my spine then
began massaging my rear with her fingers and nails. Chills went
through my body as she spread my cheeks apart and began to lick my
tight pucker. "Oh my... B'Elanna where did you learn that from," I
said, as my mind began reeling at the thought and feel of what she was
doing.

"You are so wet," she said, as she began rubbing the soft folds of my
center. When her fingers were slick with my wetness, she slid one
finger inside my anus slowly, not wanting to hurt me. She continued
sliding her finger in and out of me and I thought I might explode from
this alone. She must have been able to sense that I was close because
she removed her finger and said, "Not yet, I want to taste you."

"Oh B'Elanna, you are so good at this - you must have done this
before," I voiced, as she instructed me to turn over.

"Never." she said. She covered my body with hers, giving me a long hot
kiss on my lips. Our lips parted and our tongues swirled, exploring
each other's mouths. Then she moved to my breasts, taking one nipple
into her mouth. I could feel her tongue as she licked and sucked my
nipple, making me moan at the feel of it. She moved to my other
breast, doing the same, then she pushed both together and licked them
at the same time.

"Oh yes, Lana, yes" I moaned, as my center throbbed with every stroke
of her tongue.

She proceeded to plant wet kisses down my stomach and sides until she
was between my legs, spreading my lips apart. "Love me B'Elanna,
please. I can't wait much longer. Please, please...." I pleaded with
her.

"I can't wait at all." she said, and I felt her tongue caressing my
vulva from top to bottom, then back up, lingering on my clitoris. I
felt her tongue go inside me and I thought I would burst. Then I felt
her fingers pushing in and out of me as she stroked my clitoris,
expertly using her tongue and lips until I lost all sense of reality.
I couldn't hold it any longer - I could feel my orgasm building.
"Oh...I can't...Ohhh Yess!"  A scream of ecstasy tore its way out of
my throat as wave after wave rushed through my body.

As my orgasm subsided, she climbed on top of me and began softly
kissing my lips. I wrapped my arms around her warm supple body,
returning her kisses and sharing in an intimacy I hadn't experienced
in a long time. She looked at me and whispered, " Jadzia, I love you
so much."

At that moment I couldn't imagine living another day of my life
without her. "I love you B'Elanna, body and soul". We grabbed the
covers and fell asleep in each other's arms.

---

The next morning, I woke up at the chirp of our comm badges. We were
being instructed to report to Voyager no later than 1200 hours. I sat
up and felt the pain from my cheek and neck where B'Elanna had bitten
me the night before. I looked over at her and she was still sleeping.

"B'Elanna, we have to get up. Voyager just called," I whispered to
her.

She grinned, then stretched leisurely. "Good morning, love."

"Good morning," I replied with a smile.

She reached over to caress my cheek, and that's when she noticed the
scar. "Oh Jadzia!"  She sat up and immediately began examining the
area. "Does it hurt?"

"It hurts a little.

"I'm so sorry. I guess I had a little trouble controlling the Klingon
in me," She admitted.

"Hey, it's okay. And I certainly didn't mind it or even feel it at
the time it was given."  I said with a smirk.  "Do we have a dermal
regenerator? I don't think it would be wise to return to Voyager with
this scar. You know how inquisitive the doctor is on the sexual
behavior of the crew."

Giggling, she replied, "No, I didn't think to bring one."

"Maybe Chakotay and Tom have one. I'll ask them. In the meantime, you
should get up and take your shower first," I said, snuggling closer to
her, not wanting to get up myself.

"Do I have to? You feel so good. I don't want to leave you," she said
as she settled deeper into my embrace.

"Yes, you do, but I know how you feel." We lay there enjoying the feel
of each other for a few blessed minutes. I began thinking how painful
it was when she wouldn't speak to me those two weeks and knew I could
never feel that anxiety again.

"B'Elanna, when you wouldn't talk to me, I thought someone had taken a
part of me away. I don't ever want to feel like that again."

"I know, and I'm so sorry. From now on, I will talk to you when
something is bothering me. I promise. That was the worst two weeks of
my life. I was fighting my feelings for you and I shouldn't have been.
But those two weeks and last night made me realize something," She
turned to face me, and looking deep into my eyes she uttered, "I don't
want to live without you, Jadzia."

Tears of joy began to form in my eyes again. "I want to spend the rest
of my life with you B'Elanna, and I don't want to hide our
relationship any longer. But I understand if you aren't ready for that
just yet." She looked at me with so much love and her eyes began
filling with tears as well.

"You're crying, B'Elanna. I thought Klingons didn't have tear ducts,"
I said, wiping the tears from her face.

"Oh," she said, smiling through her tears, "my human side." Then she
looked at me very seriously and voiced, "I don't want to hide our
relationship either. If people can't get used to seeing us together,
then it's their problem." Then she took my hand and squeezing it into
her own said with a low, yet authoritative growl, "jIH dok!" - the
Klingon word for devotion.

I brought my hand to rest gently on her cheek, looked deep into those
beautiful brown eyes and replied, "maj dok."

"We've tasted each other's blood... We are mated," she said, as she
rested her forehead against mine.

"We are one, body and soul, until death separates us," I replied,
after which a kiss sealed the promise we had just made to one another.

---

Th End

1998 Blackcat