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ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
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Hope Dies Last
By jay357
"Leave!"
"No, Lieutenant, I can not just leave you here to cry your eyeballs out, no one would." Lifting her head, the Lieutenant confronted the person in front of her with red, swollen eyes, yet she was still able to look angry nonetheless.
"Why, Seven? Is it not convenient for you that I am sitting in YOUR Cargo Bay 2 to cry? Shall I go somewhere else?"
"No, that is not what I mean, and you of all people should know that." One could see that Seven actually was nervous and annoyed at the same time, treading from one foot on the other, a very un-Borg-like thing to do. There was concern in the blonde's eyes, yet she remained in the middle of the room, not daring to get closer to the crying Lieutenant.
"So you are telling me that you're concerned for my well-being?" That at least got her a reaction from Seven, jerking for the longer part of a second, the figure retreated a few steps, only to step closer again.
"Yes, I am. Who would not?"
"Could you please stop talking about other people's opinions?"
This time Seven even sighed, finally deciding to sit down on the floor next to the brunette.
"I will stop doing that, but you have to tell me what is going on. You never behave this way."
"I know, it's just… You know, I'm kinda nervous around you right now."
"Why?" Wiping away the tears, Seven again resumed her normal straight sitting position.
"I… I don't know."
"But Lieutenant, you should be happy and… smile, tomorrow is your wedding after all. I heard it is called the most wonderful day in the life of a woman, although I do not understand why a marriage to someone you already lived with for years should be exciting, it is only a formality."
Smiling sadly, the smaller person wiped away nonexistent tears, straightening nonexistent wrinkles in the yellow uniform.
"Seven, we've known each other for… what is it? Two and a half years already? Don't you think you should call me B'Elanna by now?"
"I would be honored to do so… B'Elanna."
"See? That sounds just so much nicer than just the formal Lieutenant all the time."
"B'Elanna, are you trying to change the subject? I found it to be a thing humans often do when confronted with something they do not want to speak about."
"And if I were? Would you still want to know why I can't be happy?" And to her surprise the blonde lifted her left hand and softly stroked B'Elanna's back, massaging her shoulders with soft caresses.
"Yes, B'Elanna, I would. And I need to know why you can not be happy. Is it because of your soon-to-be-husband?"
"No, actually it's not even about him, it's someone else…"
"Are you implying that you are in love with someone else although tomorrow is your wedding day?" First there was nothing, and the brunette even turned her head away from Seven, hiding her expression of pain and sadness. Then, just before Seven wanted to ask again, a tiny little whisper reached her ears, instantly closing her lips again to listen to the pain wracked body next to her.
"Yes. Yes I am. I'm so in love that I didn't even realise it until I saw he… him… the person today, walking into Engineering in their usual stride, hands clasped behind them, instantly ordering people around and arguing with me… Kahless, you should have seen me, I made such a dork out of myself when that person was nearby. I burnt two wires that connect gel packs, scrunched one gel pack so hard that the gel came out of it, and even threw a spanner at an Ensign who was unfortunately walking by after I burned my hand… I'm so fucked…"
"B'Elanna?" Seven had been quiet all the time that B'Elanna told her story, but now she couldn't stand it to be quiet anymore, she needed to know, wanted to be sure…
"Yes."
"I need to ask you one question. May I…"
"Yes!"
"Please let me finish, I will only ask one thing, it…"
"Yes, Goddammit!", and standing up hurriedly she shoved away the stunned Seven, and instantly started to pace through half of the Cargo Bay.
"Yes! Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes! Yeah! Ja! Oui! Da! Si! Hai! In how many goddamned languages do you want to hear it?!" Turning away from Seven she finally started crying, letting the tears fall freely now, now that she lost everything.
"I did not even ask my question yet, how do you know you are answering the right question?"
"Because there is only one thing you can ask after what I told you." Calming down a little, B'Elanna smiled sadly, turning around to face Seven again.
"You know Seven, somehow you're still a child…"
"Why?"
"You're so innocent. You really don't have a clue what I was answering to just a few seconds ago?
"I believe I understand, but on the other hand I was going to ask another question.
"You were?"
"Yes."
"What question?"
"You already said yes, so no matter if you like it or not, you are bound to act honorably, right?"
"Yes, Seven. Now tell me!"
"Would you like to have dinner with me in your quarters this evening?"
The End