The BLTS Archive - Borg on Ice by karjens (karjens34@yahoo.com) --- Archive: P & P and anyone else. Just let me know. Also posted to my Live Journal. Disclaimer. All Characters belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a wee bit of entertainment. Authors note: My apologies. There's no plot to this story really. It's just a fluffish sort of scene that came to me while trying to get rid of some writer's block. --- "I am not going ice skating, Lieutenant Paris," Seven said calmly as she continued down the passageway. Tom Paris easily kept stride with the long legged blonde. "Why not?" "It is undignified," she answered simply. "You don't know how to skate, do you?" he said with a laugh He was one of the few people on Voyager who wasn't afraid to annoy the easily annoyed former Borg. "That is irrelevant." Seven refused to respond to the friendly helmsman's teasing, though she fought back a small smile. She'd never admit it, even under the threat of assimilation, but she liked Tom Paris and appreciated his efforts to help her fit in with the crew. There had been a few instances where his thoughtless words and actions had hurt her, but over the years he had…grown on her. "Come on Seven. We know how this is going to play out. I'm going to keep asking, you're going to keep saying no, until finally you get tired of my nagging and give in anyway. That's a pretty inefficient way of doing things, don't you think?" he prodded with a grin. "I am impressed with your rare demonstration of logic, Lieutenant," Seven responded all the while maintaining her pace down the hall, not looking at the chatty pilot. Tom laughed again, not the least bit offended. "So you'll come? B'Elanna will be there." He wondered how Seven had managed to not get whiplash at the speed at which she turned her head to glare at him. "Exactly what is the point of that statement?" she asked coolly. Tom just put on his best innocent expression and shrugged. "No point. I was just saying…" "The presence of Lieutenant Torres will have no effect on my attendance," Seven held up a hand to cut off whatever his next statement was going to be. "And no, that does not mean that I have agreed go." "Fair enough," Tom said, conceding the argument, but he knew the blonde better than she thought he did. "I'll see you at 1900 hours. Dress warmly." He skipped off before the former Borg could assimilate him. --- Seven of Nine had to hand it to Tom Paris and Harry Kim. When it came to holoprogram designs they were truly brilliant. She opened the doors to the holodeck and stepped from the drab gray corridors of Voyager into a remarkable snowy village. She had to admit it was indeed visually pleasing. There were various shops and restaurants on one side of the street and when she turned her head there was a large ice covered pond with a few people already skating upon it. She was briefly surprised to see the Captain and the Doctor among them and they appeared to be skating together. Intriguing, she thought before noticing the others. The trilling laugh caught her attention immediately and her eyes sought out the source. She couldn't explain the relief that filled her seeing the half-Klingon standing near Harry and Tom. Bracing herself, she walked over to join the others. "You're late," Tom said with a grin. "You're incorrect, Lieutenant. You said 1900 hours. It is exactly 1900 hours. That leads me to believe you purposely misled me about the time." "Okay, I admit it. I just wanted to show you the world wouldn't end if you weren't always so. . .punctual." Seven quirked her brow in the way that everyone on Voyager had become accustomed to. "I appreciate your kindness, Lieutenant. I trust I will be able repay your efforts someday soon." Tom's smirk faded, Harry hid a smile and B'Elanna laughed outright. "Are you ready to learn how to skate?" Tom asked quickly changing the subject. "No," was the succinct response. "Gotta love those 'to the point' answers," B'Elanna laughed. And she meant it. Though she and Seven butted heads on a fairly frequent basis, one of the things she liked about the former drone was that she didn't waste time. That could often be a pain in the butt during recreational hours, not that Seven attended many of those, but it did help them resolve work problems a lot quicker than if she were working with anyone else. "Come on Seven," she said. "Let's go get you some skates." Three sets of eyes swung toward the Engineer in surprise. "What?" she said in puzzled irritation. Seven lifted her lips at B'Elanna's reaction. Apparently the crew was still dubious of the tentative new friendship between herself and the Lieutenant. Though given the altercation they had had the day before in engineering, she could understand their doubt. "I appreciate your offer, B'Elanna," she stated, finally growing used to addressing the half-Klingon by her first name, "but I am here only in an observational capacity." "Yeah, yeah," B'Elanna said, taking Seven by the arm and leading her to the hut where they would pick up their skates. Harry and Tom watched in amused astonishment as the usually irritable Torres led the equally irritable Borg away as if she were Naomi Wildman's age. "If I even attempted to do that to Seven, I'd wind up pulling back a bloody nub," Harry groused good naturedly. "Nah. Seven's a pussy cat," Tom laughed and then a look of fear flashed across his face. "And for the love of God, don't tell her I said that." --- "You've got some big feet there, Seven," B'Elanna grinned as the holographic woman in the rental hut handed the blonde a pair of skates. Seven clenched her jaw, refusing to rise to the hybrid's bait. Apparently the older woman's newest past time had become trying to get Seven to lose her temper. "My feet are adequately proportionate to my body size." Not at all fazed by Seven's response, B'Elanna smiled even wider. "True. You are a tall drink of water." Seven was about to question what a container of liquid had to do with anything but the amusement on the beautiful bronze face stopped her. "Coming from someone of such diminutive stature, I shall take that as a compliment," she said coolly, resulting in a snort of laughter from the brunette. "I'm not that much shorter than you," B'Elanna pointed out pleasantly as they went to a bench and took a seat to put on their skates. "You look nice, by the way," B'Elanna commented as she took in the dark slacks and sweater Seven had decide to wear. "Thank you. I considered wearing my regular attire as it is designed to regulate my body temperature and Lieutenant Paris said to dress warmly." "But?" B'Elanna said as she finished tying her skates. "I didn't want to." B'Elanna just laughed again and shook her head. "You've been hanging around Naomi too long." "Perhaps," Seven offered another of her rare half smiles. "You look nice too," she added. She didn't feel the need to comment on how the dark slacks and snug turtleneck emphasized the athletic body to perfection. B'Elanna offered a surprisingly shy smile. "Come on." She held out her hand when Seven finished lacing her own skates and sat up. After a brief moment of hesitation, Seven reached out and took it, thrilling at the feel of the slightly calloused skin against her own. The narrowing of chocolate brown eyes told her the engineer had felt the same thing. As Seven stood fully, she wobbled and nearly fell over but a strong arm wrapped around her waist, steadying her. Only the desire to remain standing kept her from returning the favor. Instead she frowned at her uncooperative feet. "Please explain why propelling oneself around frozen water on boots with thin strips of metal attached to the soles is considered an enjoyable exercise?" "Well," B'Elanna thought for a moment , "because it's fun, if you know what you're doing. Why? I don't know. It just is." "If you say so, B'Elanna," Seven replied dubiously. "Finally. It only took four years to get you to say that." B'Elanna smirked and led the tentative woman onto the ice. Fortunately Tom had programmed a railing around the pond so she helped maneuver the awkward Seven to where she could grasp the rail until she got her bearings. When Seven was safely attached to the support, she told her she'd be right back and skated over to where Tom, Harry and other members of the crew were watching the display in amused shock including the Captain and the doctor. "Anyone laughs," she warned quietly, "and we'll be having a conversation later." She turned to the Captain. "With all due respect," she added quickly. Kathryn nodded and held her hands up, fighting back a smile. If anyone had told her that B'Elanna would threaten her own Captain over Seven of Nine, she'd never have believed it. "Not so much as a snicker," Kathryn assured her Chief. B'Elanna looked at the nervous nods all around and then went to join the tall blonde who was in exactly the same spot she'd been left in. Normally, just the thought of a figure skating Borg would send her into peals of laughter but now, watching the proud young woman struggle with something many people would have learned as a child, she felt a peculiar ache in her chest. "You don't need to do this," she said quietly as she skated up beside the anxious former Borg. Seven spun around and her feet slid out from under her. Her hands instantly reached out to grab the railing to keep from falling and B'Elanna instinctively put her hands on Seven's hips to steady her, finding herself pressed up against the spectacular body. "B'Elanna?" Seven's voice was shaky, but neither woman knew if was from the near spill, or from the close bodily contact. The brunette swallowed at the look she was receiving. It was a disturbing mixture of puzzlement and desire. "I admire your willingness to go along with this," she assured in a voice suddenly gone raspy, "but you don't really want to. Do you?" B'Elanna and Seven's faces were only inches apart. "No." B'Elanna was unable to help herself. She reached out a hand and cupped Seven's strong jaw. "I know how important your dignity is to you, Seven. No one, myself included, will think less of you for not doing this." The feel of the warm hand against her cool cheek almost caused her to miss what B'Elanna was saying. Almost but not quite. The kindness in the woman's actions confused and touched her. Her eyes were drawn to dark lips so close to hers. For the first time that she could remember, she did something without fully contemplating all possible outcomes. B'Elanna squeaked when full lips met hers and then she took charge. It was only when long legs threatened to tangle with her own that she pulled back. She was amused to see that Seven's hands had remained clutched to the railing. She loved a woman who could multi-task. "I admit there are other things I would rather be doing," Seven murmured huskily into the lovely ear so close to her. "Me too," B'Elanna said, shivering when teeth began nibbling at her jaw. "I do think we need to talk, don't you?" "Talking has not always worked in our favor," Seven whispered, relishing the sound of the older woman's chuckle in her ear. "Very true. But it may this time." B'Elanna reluctantly pulled away. "Now, let's get these skates off you." B'Elanna wasn't sure, but if she didn't know better, she would have sworn she heard a 'thank God', being muttered from the always composed woman. She thought it prudent to leave that alone. She had plans for Seven and arguing didn't figure into them in the least. Soon both women were back in their regular shoes and leaving the holodeck, a Borg enhanced hand firmly clasping the long tanned fingers of the Chief of Engineer. As they left, they passed Tom who was standing to the side talking to one of the many single holographic women Tom had added into the program. "Pussycats have very sharp claws," Seven muttered casually as they passed, noting with satisfaction the way he stiffened and his pale face went even paler. "You'll have to explain that to me," B'Elanna said as they left the frigid temperature of the holodeck and stepped back into the empty corridors of reality. "I'm sure I will," Seven replied, confidently pushing the smaller woman against the bulkhead. She was a lot more sure of herself now that she was firmly back on her own two feet and was finally free to slide her hands along B'Elanna's petite yet very strong body. "Good. I. . ." "You talk too much, B'Elanna," Seven murmured, just before she bent down and kissed her the way she'd wanted to from the very first. --- The End