Seven looked over the data displayed on the counsel in Cargobay 2 with a curious tilt to her head and a slight frown on her brow.
/Valentine's Day (the 14th day in the Old Earth standard month of February), is an earth festival in celebration of St. Valentine, one of the Christian martyrs of the Third Century. The festival has earlier links with the traditional Roman holiday to celebrate the Queen of the Roman gods and goddesses, Juno. It was repackaged in the early Twentieth Century by the greeting card business to bring in large annual revenues./
Seven's frown only deepened as she read that though she continued on in the hopes of understanding why Captain Janeway had ordered each of them to join in the practice of this ancient and obscure festival.
/During the Twentieth Century remodeling of the festival it became common practice to exchange small tokens of love and later friendship with those who you feel closest. Among those gifts there were often flowers (typically red roses), candy (usually in a heart shaped box), and greeting cards with a simplistic form of romantic poetry. The festival was modified further during the mid Twenty-first Century when it was condemned as being heterosexist by a then largely non-heterosexist society. After that time Valentine's Day became an international holiday during which no one was forced to work and everyone was welcome to sleep in past noon and spend their day loving or pursuing the one they wanted./
Seven's frowning brow deepened even more as she thought to herself, 'what am I going to do, I have no one?'
She looked out over the vast containers of the cargobay to allow her Borg enhanced memory to recall what she had read and apply it to her situation. The words, 'pursuing the one they wanted,' played back though her mind repeatedly.
Seven shook her head slightly to clear it before trying once again to think of a suitable man just as the Doctor had suggested when she had first approached him for advise.
"Doctor, I am unsure of what to do concerning this Valentine's Day celebration. What would you suggest?"
The doctor grinned largely knowing much of Seven's predicament was based on the fact that she had such little experience with romance and love. "Well, Seven, I think you should consider the basic idea behind Valentine's Day and then given that it's in your nature, you should chart your interests and rule out all of the male crew members that seem unsuitable to your tastes before picking one of the few that do."
Seven's mind had wandered back into the past before once again replaying bits of the information she had just researched, 'Pursuing the one they wanted … heterosexist.' Seven blinked in surprise, 'Valentine's Day had been de-heterosexized in the mid Twenty-first Century which meant that the human race was de-heterosexized as well.' Seven's frown deepened and she set her jaw. 'If this is true then why have I been told that I must choose from the males of the crew?'
Seven spoke. "Computer, is Earth still a non-heterosexist society?"
/The planet Earth and all of the Federation planets are non-heterosexist./
Seven nodded. "Computer, why has this information not been included in my sexual education?"
/Doctor Zimmerman, the creator of the EMH program, did not see fit to include this information in to the matrix of the program. The EMH is unaware of this and could not take it in to account when working devising a sex education program./
"Computer, create update to EMH program including this and all relevant information regarding sexuality."
-Beep-
/Update complete. The EMH program now includes all available and relevant data regarding homosexuality among all of the Federation planets and many non-Federation worlds./
Seven looked thoughtful for a moment before deciding to test the new information in the EMH's database.
"Seven of Nine to EMH. Doctor I have been considering the female members of the crew for a Valentine's romance. What is your opinion?"
"Ah, that's excellent Seven, I was just going to call and suggest a few lovely ladies who seem to have an eye for you."
Seven's brow rose in amusement. "Proceed Doctor."
"Well, Samantha Wildman always seemed to have a great interest in your backside when you were leaving the room. And there's always Ensign T'Lara who talks of you all the time from what I hear."
Seven's brow rose even further up her forehead. "Ensign T'Lara is Vulcan, I was unaware that they showed sexual interests."
"Well, between you and me, the TIME has come for Ensign T'Lara to take a mate."
"Ah." Seven nodded. "Thank you Doctor. I will consider your advise to the best of my ability."
"That's nice Seven. I can't wait to see you get the girl." The Doc said with a happy little laughter in his voice.
"Doctor, I am curious, what do you have planed for the festivities?"
"Well, I was thinking of asking you but just before you called I had a moment of clarity and decided upon Mr. Harry Kim with his cute little smile."
Seven smirked, "That's nice Doctor, I will see you there." She then tapped her combadge before laughing softly and turning back to her work.
Several hours later and still with no date for the dance, Seven took a break from her research to have lunch in the mess hall, well or at least a kind of break. She had several data padds of information tucked under her arm as she moved to an empty table near one of the view ports to set the padds down before moving. Setting them down she moved across the room to pick up an oddly colored meal from Neelix, who was excited to see her though far too busy to talk for the moment.
From her table Seven heard Harry's excited voice. "I've got a date!" Seven turned her head just slightly to see Harry sitting half in his seat, half leant over the table towards B'Elanna, who was smiling in amusement at the young man's excitement.
B'Elanna was happy for her friend and it showed, but she was also becoming impatient with his dramatic pause. "Well, come on already, who are you going with?"
Harry smiled and leaned closer whispering in a soft voice that only B'Elanna and Seven, with her enhanced hearing, could hear. "The Doctor."
B'Elanna's jaw dropped.
Seven almost laughed at the sight of B'Elanna in complete shock but held it and continued to listen.
"Harry, I didn't know you liked men." B'Elanna spoke softly in a raspy voice.
"Does it matter?" Harry looked worried as he asked the question of his friend.
"Well, yes. No. Well, no but yes because I wouldn't have set you up with women all those times if I had known you liked men. Especially when I know a few guys who adore you."
Harry smiled and bit his lip before leaning even closer. "Who adores me?"
B'Elanna laughed and slapped him on the arm before continuing to give him the lowdown on the ensign in Engineering who got all puppy-eyed when Harry came around.
Seven continued to watch out of the corner of her eye as she ate and read from the data padd about "The Lesbian Traditions Among Federation Worlds." She had just started the history and was still on the Andorrans when Captain Janeway came into the mess hall and spotted her.
Captain Janeway smiled schemingly at Seven's preoccupied form and after retrieving the standard meal moved to visit with her.
Seven looked up to see Kathryn Janeway standing over her table, patiently holding her tray of food and raised a brow. "Captain, would you like to sit down?"
Kathryn lowered herself into the opposite chair and set her tray on the table. "Thank you, Seven."
Seven set her data padd down, turning it off and waited for the conversation she knew was coming.
Kathryn looked up from her plate to find Seven's eyes fixed on her waiting. "So, Seven, how is the love hunt going?"
Seven raised a brow in amusement. "Far more productively then it went the last time."
"Ah, that's great. So have you got a date?" Kathryn pried.
"Not yet. However I have narrowed down the field and have a few people in mind."
Kathryn smiled patting her lips with her napkin. "Any one I know?"
Seven's brow rose once again. "Captain on a ship this size I don't believe there is anyone you do not know."
Kathryn smiled. "True, but I was really asking for names."
"Ah, yes, well. These is Ensign John Johnson from bio-sciences. However I believe that he may be too imaginative for me."
Janeway smiled. "Yes, I heard about what happened in the holodeck with Ensign Winters. That was a riot."
"A riot?"
Kathryn smiled. "Really funny."
"Ah." Seven smiled, she just loved to lead Janeway on into thinking she was clueless, it gave her an angle. That way she wouldn't have to act like everyone else because she didn't know better.
Kathryn looked down at her empty plate. "I suppose I should let you get back to the man hunt." She then rose from her seat and returned her plate before leaving the mess hall.
All the while Seven kept an eye on her and held in the soft laugh that she let loose when the doors whooshed shut behind her.
B'Elanna heard a soft musical laugh and it caught her attention and lead her eyes over to Seven of Nine's table where Seven sat chuckling under her breathe. B'Elanna's lips curled into a smile of their own as she watched what she had never been aloud to see.
Seven noticed B'Elanna out of the corner of her eye and was surprised to see a deep smile gracing her lips though even more surprised when she realized that it was she was who B'Elanna was smiling at. Seven turned her head and raised a brow at B'Elanna while smiling at her and was even more amused to see B'Elanna blush before quickly retreating from the room leaving her empty plate sitting at the table.
Seven shook her head in wonder before standing up with her tray and walking to B'Elanna's table to pick up her tray as well. 'I wonder if Tom will be taking B'Elanna to the dance.' Tom Paris hadn't been spending much time with his wife lately and it made Seven wonder how B'Elanna could put up with someone who treated her so badly.
B'Elanna returned to her quarters quickly from the mess hall, rushing through the half opened doors breathing heavily. "She knows." B'Elanna looked around the half empty apartment, which felt like being gutted as she had at that moment and fell to her knees crying. "Even Seven thinks I'm a failure as a wife."
"Ensign Johnson." Seven stood before Ensign John Johnson in the small bioscience lab. She was quite a bit taller than the long haired brunet who was a Marquis by birthright and affiliation.
Ensign Johnson looked up into Seven's eyes and smiled charmingly. "Hello Seven. Please call me John."
Seven nodded. "John, I would like to inquire if you would accompany me to the Valentine's dance?"
John smiled. "I'd love to Seven." John nodded knowingly, "how about I pick you up around 1650?"
Seven nodded and forced an uneasy smile. "I will be ready."
John smiled as straightened his red bow tie in to place while standing before the mirror. "Now all I have to do is make it look like I've swept Seven off her feet." He knew exactly what he was doing and why it was important to make this night extremely special to Seven.
John arrived right on the mark to pick Seven up. Seven was in a long form fitting lavender dress that bowed out around her calves and John smiled happily. 'This is working perfectly.' Nodding chivalrously to Seven, John smiled. "Shall we be on our way My Lady?"
Seven smiled in amusement and laced her arm though his before answering. "We shall."
The party started with a bang, literally as the band took stage and the drummer got overly excited and hit the peddle of the large drum so hard it almost went through the thing. There were many couples dancing and exchanging gifts and a few already making out in the corners. B'Elanna stood with her back to one support and her side against the darkly lit expanse of space through the window. She was near the band, her arms crossed under her breasts and her legs crosses in front of her, the only thing sociable about B'Elanna was the well fitting white tux with lavender lapels she was wearing.
The whole room seemed to stop and a murmur of apprehension ran though the crowd as Seven and John arrived, both looking dashingly stunning though somehow seeming to clash with one another.
B'Elanna noticed this silence and followed everyone's eyes to Seven in her lavender dress and her jaw dropped. "Beautiful."
Seven was very nervous as the crowd looked her over and John led her to the dance floor where he slow danced her across the room. Seven smiled as she realize that this dance was going quite well compared to the last one she had experienced and she relaxed into John's arms for several more slow dances.
B'Elanna was watching them like a hawk. 'His hands better stay right where they are or I'll rip them off.'
B'Elanna continued to watch until almost thirty minutes later when John, who had been watching her face from the corners of his eyes and smirking mischievously, cupped Seven's rear end and kissed her full on the lips, much to her surprise. Seeing this B'Elanna bounced off the wall and was there grabbing him by this shoulder before the three-second kiss was finished.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" B'Elanna yelled while decking John.
There was a silence that seemed to last forever as the crew watched the brawl, transfixed and shocked by the turn of events.
John fell to the floor and landed on his butt. He looked up at B'Elanna while wiping his bloody lip with the back of his hand. "Only what I had to do."
B'Elanna growled. "What the Hell are you talking about?"
John smiled wickedly up at B'Elanna. "Come on, Lanna, I know that you love Seven and so do you…at least you do now anyway."
B'Elanna's eyes widened in shock as her mind wandered over the events of the day, from John's suggestion on this beautiful tux, to the words he had just said to her. "You planed this all along you jerk. I can't believe you set me up like this."
John smiled. "Lanna, I know you, sometimes better then you do. It was time you knew this."
B'Elanna shook her head and leant down reaching a hand out and helped John up.
John smiled and leaned in to whisper in her ear quietly. "Go for it B'Elanna, you have nothing left to lose."
B'Elanna nodded at that and took a deep breath before turning to Seven who stood stock still staring at the pair with a look of shock embedded on her face. "Seven, are you ok?"
Seven shook herself out of it and nodded slightly. "Is it true?"
B'Elanna lowered her eyes
…here it comes…
You're worthless B'Elanna…
Nothing but an angry Klingon…
You'll never be able to love someone, you're dead inside…
Rejection was the one thing B'Elanna truly knew and this was how it always started.
"Yes, Seven, it is."
Seven moved closer to B'Elanna's bowed form.
B'Elanna braced herself for the slap that never came.
Seven gently placed her fingertips on B'Elanna's chin and lifted her face to look her in the eye.
B'Elanna would not make eye contact.
Seven smiled and whispered. "I know you're scared…" before continuing in a full voice, "it's ok I love you too."
B'Elanna looked up in shock before her expression broke and she smiled softly as tears welled in her eyes and fell down her bronze cheeks. "Dance with me Seven?"
Seven nodded and stepped into B'Elanna's arms, finding a prefect fit in the short curvy body of the Klingon.
Seven and B'Elanna swept across the floor of the Mess hall like it was a true dance hall, flowing into a new and better future.
The End