Perfect Bloom
By ralst
Seven sat looking at the beautiful lilac flower, her eyes captivated by the perfection of this alien species. The away mission had as far as she was concerned been a total waste of time, the planet contained nothing of real value only a few types of edible vegetation to restock Mr Neelix's pantry. Then just as she was about to re-enter the shuttle Seven's spied the flower, her cortical implant allowing her to measure the precise dimensions of the flower and come to the odd realisation that every petal was symmetrical and the distance between sections of a geometric progression of 2 pi.
"What you staring at?" Came B'Elanna's inquisitive voice.
"This native species of flora is mathematically perfect." Seven's voice held an unusual tone of awe, as her eyes stayed riveted to the bloom.
"It is kind of pretty." Peering over Seven's shoulder B'Elanna got her first taste of the flowers scent, and with it her eyes began to water. "What is that stink?"
Rising to her full height and brushing the dirt from her knees Seven turned to leave, "The flowers scent is of an unpleasant and imperfect nature, it has failed to meet requirements."
"What requirements?"
"Perfection."
"So let me get this right, just cos the things not perfect you're no-longer interested?" The earnestness with which B'Elanna asked the question betrayed her enquiry went beyond just the flower. "What's so great about perfection anyway?"
Ignoring the question Seven entered the shuttle craft leaving an annoyed B'Elanna Torres to pinch her nose and place the flower into a specimen jar.
Once back aboard Voyager B'Elanna set about creating the perfect scent to match Seven's perfect flower. Her efforts were mostly futile, as she was unsure what the ex-Borg would consider a perfect smell, but still she persisted. For several weeks, when not engaged with her engineering duties B'Elanna worked on the flower, her thoughts during this time were constantly centred on Seven, trying to imagine what would please the young woman and with each try at perfecting the flower B'Elanna began to hate the idea of perfection, because even if she didn't know what a perfect scent would be she did know that she herself was not perfect, and as such the determined young blonde would classify her as failing the requirements, in this case the requirements of a lover.
Entering Astrometrics B'Elanna made a quick check that no-one other than herself and the ex-Borg were in attendance before ordering the doors locked.
"Lieutenant?" Seven questioned coming to stand infront of the other woman.
"I have a present for you." B'Elanna began pulling her right hand from behind her back to display the lilac flower.
"It is the flower from the planet." Reaching out Seven took the flower, her implant rising when she detected the delicate scent that arose from the bloom. "The scent is..it is perfect?"
"Yes." B'Elanna appeared saddened by Seven's appreciation of the flower. "I had the computer synthesise an aroma consistent with a mathematical combination of different molecules easily recognised by the olfactory nerves."
"It appears perfect." Seven smiled, more pleased that the other woman had taken the time to make her this gift than the actual perfection of the flower. "Thank you."
Shifting from one foot to the other B'Elanna debated with herself whether or not to give Seven the second gift, or more accurately afraid of the explanation that would accompany it. Straightening her back, and chastising herself for being a coward, B'Elanna brought her left hand out from behind her back, in her grasp was a deep blue flower, its leaves entwined with its petals in a mess of beautiful imperfection. "This is a M'Larn Rose, my mother had them in our garden at home, it is a hybrid, a combination of the Klingon M'Laardna V'qir and the Human English Rose. Just like me its not perfect." B'Elanna stopped for a moment unable to continue. "And, and I know you will only settle for perfection."
"It seems perfect to me B'Elanna." Reaching forward Seven wrapped her hand around B'Elanna's as it held onto the flower. "Just as you are."
"Really?"
Stepping closer Seven brushed her lips across B'Elanna's. "Yes Really."
The End