DISCLAIMER: Star Trek is the property of Paramount, this story depicts a loving/sexual relationship between women...okay, disclaimer done.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
Feedback: T.J.
In Vino Veritas
By T.J.
B'Elanna shouldered her way into the holodeck. Sandrines was running and there was nothing she needed more in the galaxy right now than to get good and pissed. Her lackluster romance with Tom Paris, the helmrat with an enormous Peter Pan complex, had been fizzling for months, but it certainly ended with a bang…so to speak…. when she caught him in the act with an ensign from earth sciences, in her quarters no less! The only reason she wasn't in the brig is because Paris was too embarrassed to press charges.
Add to that lovely pile of crap several battles and engines in need of serious overhaul, with no aid in sight, well, you can pretty much add up why she was so desperate to get legless.
She bellied up to the bar and ordered a beer—it only lasted as long as it took for her to tip her head back and drain the bottle. She ordered two more and a scotch back and headed to the back of the bar to drink in peace. Thank Kahless most of the crewmembers were too afraid to dare approach her on a night like this.
She liked the music that was playing and so she put her feet up on the chair opposite her and leaned back, closing her eyes and losing herself in the sound. She finished the second beer and was only starting to calm down when the doors to the bar slid open and Seven and the doctor came in. Damn, must be time for another social lesson. Just her luck. She had long ago stopped fighting with the drone; she learned it was best just to keep her distance, let the Borg do what she would. Things were a lot less complicated that way.
She twisted in her chair so she wouldn't have to see the gorgeous blonde learning how to make small talk with the hologram. That was really the problem wasn't it? She was in love with Seven of Nine, and there wasn't a damn thing she could do about it, except keep her distance and hope it wore off. She thought maybe getting involved with Paris would help, but it only made it worse, thinking about how different things could be if she were with Seven and not Tom. Screw it….wasn't worth thinking about. She finished the third beer and tossed back the scotch, motioning to the bartender to bring her the same again.
Kahless but she was gorgeous, smart too, that really stung. If she was just some blonde bimbo B'Elanna could've dealt, but throw in those brains and that cool as ice demeanor…how was a girl ever supposed to get over that!
She was starting to feel pretty good by now…the music was fast rock twentieth century style and B'Elanna felt like dancing. She took to the floor, moving her body to the music. People were staring, not in a bad way, she looked awesome out there, her athletic body swaying to the beat, eyes closed, completely lost in the moment. She danced until the sweat poured down her face, and her body finally stopped vibrating with all the nervous energy she'd built up through months of double shifts, little sleep, and less satisfaction.
She headed back to her table, but not before she stopped at the bar for another beer and chaser. She noticed Seven's eyes follow her from the dancefloor to her table. 'Wonder what was up with that…she usually acts like I don't exist.'
She dropped back into her chair and sipped her beer. Finally she was feeling relaxed. She looked around the bar. It wasn't like she didn't know everyone in there, but there just wasn't anyone she felt like talking to, she didn't know how to connect casually like this…give her something to break, or fix and she was in her element, but small talk left her baffled.
Leaning back in her chair she just decided to watch. She watched that beautiful blonde head nod in answer to a question the doctor must have asked. She watched those beautiful lips form into a slight smile. She smiled herself as she saw that trademark ocular implant quirk that used to make her so angry until she realized that it was all just a cover for how crazy she was about the Astrometrics officer. That was when she stopped arguing with the former drone, that day in engineering when she finally saw through the façade to the shy beautiful spirit that was hidden beneath a veneer of icy cool efficiency. In a way she missed the arguments, because there had been a strange kind of closeness to them. At least the anger was an emotion, a point of connection, but that was all gone now. Replaced with a polite distance that drove her mad.
The beer just kept coming in a steady flow until even her Klingon physiology cried 'enough.' It was time to go. She took a last longing look at the beautiful woman across the room, and then with a nod to the bartender she left the room. She thought she was walking alright, but she figured she must be mistaken when she caromed off the bulkhead and nearly landed on her butt in the corridor. She stopped to lean against the wall for a second as her vision blurred and the ship seemed to spin around her. 'Damn, its been a long time since I've had that much to drink…guess I can't take it like I could in my Maquis days,' she thought ruefully.
"Lieutenant Torres, may I be of assistance," came that cool collected voice from somewhere behind her.
"No ma'am, I'm jus fine…jus gotta get home and pass out." B'Elanna straightened up and attempted to walk in a straight line. She failed miserably and once again nearly landed on the floor.
Seven could see that this was shaping up to be a pointless and inefficient conversation so she decided to take matters into her own hands, quite literally. She took hold of B'Elanna's arm and hoisted her over her shoulder in a fireman's carry and strode off in the direction of the inebriated Lieutenant's quarters.
B'Elanna was a little shocked to find herself looking upside down at Seven of Nine's gorgeous behind.
"Nice view," she muttered. "Did I just say that out loud?"
"Yes Lieutenant, you did….thank you." Seven replied, a little shocked to hear that the Chief Engineer appreciated the view of her behind.
"Hey, I jus call 'em as I see 'em." B'Elanna mumbled before lapsing into an embarrassed silence.
When they reached her quarters B'Elanna gave Seven the entrance codes and they entered the room. Seven went straight to the bedroom and set B'Elanna down gently on the bed. The inebriated young Klingon just sat there for a moment with her arms resting on her knees before falling back onto the bed.
Seven removed her boots and lifted her feet up onto the bed. She undid the uniform jacket and lifted B'Elanna up just enough to remove the constrictive garment. She gently lowered the young woman back onto the bed, surprised to find the engineer's arms around her neck, holding her gently.
"I love you Seven. Did you know that?" B'Elanna whispered softly her eyes drifting closed as she fell into the arms of Morpheus.
Seven could only stare in disbelief at the now sleeping Lieutenant. If she didn't have an eidetic memory she would doubt that she ever heard those words. But she had heard them hadn't she?
B'Elanna woke in the morning feeling strangely refreshed given how drunk she had been the night before. She had a vague memory of Seven of Nine being here in her quarters….there was something else but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Oh well, best to just get up and get on with the day. She sat up in bed, swinging her legs to the floor. She was still fully clothed and as she sat up she saw Seven sitting in a chair watching her.
"Seven, you're still here," she was a little shocked to see the younger woman sitting there so calmly in her bedroom. Something was niggling at the back of her mind…what had she done last night?
"Yes, I, we need to talk."
The memory came flooding back and B'Elanna's face was suddenly burning with colour.
"Do you really love me Lieutenant Torres?"
"You don't pull any punches do you Seven?"
"Please answer the question."
"Yes, god help me I love you Seven, are you happy now?"
In one swift movement Seven was on her knees in front of B'Elanna. She took the young Klingon's face in her hands. "Yes, I believe that now I am indeed happy."
She leaned closer to the beautiful young engineer's face, just as their lips met she whispered,
"I love you too B'Elanna."
The End