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B'Elanna stood by the turbo-lift portal, her eyes stinging with unshed tears trying to fall. She had just come from what was probably the worst thirty minuets of her life, 'quite possibly worse than my father leaving, my time at Starfleet, and in the Cardi – prison camps combined,' she thought ironically. Now all she wanted was to get to her quarters without anyone seeing her.
The doors to the lift hissed open, and she found Seven of Nine about to disembark. When she saw the look of concern in the former drone's eyes, her resilience left her, and she launched herself at the blonde.
Though she would never admit it; Seven of Nine was bored. It was late into the Beta shift, and it had been a tedious day. Travelling through an uninteresting bit of the Delta Quadrant, with nothing worthy of note, to scan, or pip her scientific curiosity. She had a couple of design ideas, but she needed input from the Chief Engineer, Lt Torres however was not on duty, in fact she had been rostered off for the next few days, and as a result Seven found herself with nothing to do.
It was at that precise moment she received a hail from the Captain, informing her to report to her quarters.
Leaving absolutely nothing to do, in the capable hands of Tal Celes, the tall beauty made her way from deck eight to three.
'Why was the Captain not on the bridge?' she mused to herself, as she waited, uninterrupted for the turbo-lift to carry her five decks. She was just about to disembark when B'Elanna launched herself at her.
It was lucky for Seven that various Borg implants, and her lightning Borg enhanced reflexes, managed to stop the two ladies from collapsing onto the floor.
"Computer, send turbo-lift three to maintenance and log Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres and Seven of Nine as the maintenance crew. Do not open the turbo-lift door unless authorized by Seven of Nine or Lt B'Elanna Torres, authorization Seven Nine Gamma." Seven ordered, as she held onto the sobbing Klingon.
As the lift came to stop in a maintenance bay, Seven lowered B'Elanna and herself to the floor. She gently stroked the top of B'Elanna's head in a soothing manor, as she tried to comfort her best friend.
After a few minuets B'Elanna stopped, and looked at the bio-suit of the concerned blonde. "Sorry Soch, I did not mean to ruin your best bio-suit."
"Concern for my bio-suit is irreverent. My concern for my best friend is not. What has he done this time?"
"I finally caught him cheating on me," she sobbed, as another bout of tears fell down the young Klingon's face.
Seven pulled her further onto her lap, and started to stoke her hair again. "Oh B'Elanna, I am so sorry."
"I had just come off duty, after repairing the faulty conduit in Jeffries Tube five. It had taken longer than expected, and it was in the middle of the Beta-shift. I was dirty, tired and hungry. All I wanted to do was go home, clean up and see my daughter."
B'Elanna took a shuddering breath and continued. "I got back, and my dear husband and our daughter were not there. I asked the computer where they were, and it informed me that they were in the holodeck."
"I thought that it was one of those programmes that you and Naomi had created. I cleaned up, had something to eat, and decided to join them."
B'Elanna started to cry again, and Seven had an inkling of what happened. She was correct.
"I found Miral being looked after by a holo–barmaid, and that nap vo' DeghwI' (idiot of a helmsman), having a threesome, with a slut from hydroponics and a holo-character."
"Knowing me Soch, you probably thought I would have killed or maimed one of them!"
"B'Elanna Torres, the low esteem that you regard yourself sometimes is illogical. Yes you are passionate and yes you are emotional, but since coming onboard Voyager, you have learnt not to allow your emotions to take control, the fact that you are not currently confined to the brig, is evidence of you being 'cool, calm and collected,' at this point."
"Portions of the crew, including my former husband, believe otherwise."
"They are ignorant and arrogant, and do not know you. The people who know you believe in the complete polar opposite! – Wait did you say former husband?"
"Yes after I discovered what he was doing, I grabbed Miral, and hailed Kathryn, requesting a meeting in her quarters. She agreed, and I told her what had happened. I asked for a divorce. She started the paper work immediately, but she warned me that she needed to hear his side of the story."
Seven had started to notice that B'Elanna couldn't even say his name; she suspected that the story would get worse.
"I could have gone, as Kathryn suggested, but I need to defend myself. I asked Neelix and Spike to look after Miral, and he started just as soon as he walked into the Captain's quarters."
"He accused me of being an unfit mother and wife. Never being there when he wants me too, always looking after my precious engines, and not him! He wanted complete custody of Miral."
"I have to admit I lost my temper at that point. I told him he was a SoH 'oH quv latlh Sop (you are an honour less pig), and continued with SoH ta' ghobe' deserve DaqtaH wIjloDnal (you do not deserve to be my husband). The sound that was made when I back handed him was quite satisfying!"
B'Elanna looked at Seven, and realised what she had done, what everyone had thought of her; a violent Klingon. "I'm sorry Seven I must have gone down in your esteem," and she pulled away from her friend.
Seven lightly grabbed B'Elanna's arm and pulled her back into her. "Not at all wIjnIH jup (my honourable friend). Not only did he besmirch your character, parenting skills and honour, he was also unfaithful. Even a Vulqan (Vulcan) would have difficulty suppressing his or her emotions. You divorced him in a typical Klingon way."
"That is what Kathryn said when Tom tried to get me arrested for assault. She also called him a misogynist, and accused him of living in the 1950's. She was still berating him when I left, I couldn't stand it anymore, I had to get out, my will power was failing, and now here we are."
B'Elanna once again started to cry. "Soch what's going to happen, history is repeating itself, Miral is going to end up like me!"
"And what's so bad about that B'Elanna Torres? From where I am sitting, I see a fantastic jup, jonwI' je SoS (friend, engineer and mother)."
"But she will end up alone!"
"Ghobe' (no)!" Seven exclaimed emphatically. "GhaH SoH, ghajtaH DajqorDu' je tuq Voyager (She has you, her family and house Voyager)! And she has me!"
She dried B'Elanna's eyes, and kissed her on the top of her head. "Now shall we go and retrieve my God Daughter from Mr Neelix, and have some dinner?"
B'Elanna sniffed, and nodded in affirmation. "Computer, return this lift to service, and re-route to Deck 9, Section 12, authorization Torres Pie Gamma."
As the turbo-lift's doors opened on Deck 9, B'Elanna turned to Seven, and looked into her eyes, and saw the love radiating from them "Soch, perhaps Miral will have a family after all."
Seven grabbed B'Elanna's hand, and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I would like to be part of that B'Elanna."
"In time Soch, in time," and she led the blonde to her quarters.
The End