Dedication: Well, what was supposed to be one story ended up into a trilogy that takes forever. ::sigh:: Doing this only because my three daughters wont stop bugging me about this dumb story, and for Judes because she's the one that gave me the story idea, and for Gaeri because sometimes this sounds just like Liora Kim series, and I wouldn't bite off of anyone , especially her, and to Jessica because she gives me loooooong feedback with little grammar nits and to Joyce, who virtually ignores me, and to Shawn, just for being her.
*************************************
The strands in your eyes
Their color that always stop me
and steals my breath
And emeralds from mountains
Rush through the sky
Never revealing their depth
And tell me, that we belong together
Dress it up, with the trappings of love
And I'll be captivated, I'll hang from your lips
Instead of the gallows, of heartbreak that hang from above.
And I'll Be
Your crying shoulder
I'll be, Love's suicide
I'll Be better when I'm Older
I'll be, The greatest friend of your life
And rains falls, angry on the tin roof
as we lie awake in my bed
and you're my survival
you're my living proof
Our love is alive, and not DEAD
And tell me, that we belong together
Dress it up, with the trappings of love
And I'll be captivated, I'll hang from your lips
Instead of the gallows, of heartbreak that hang from above.
And I'll Be Your crying shoulder
I'll be, Love's suicide
I'll Be better when I'm Older
I'll be,The greatest friend of your life
And I'm dropped out, I'm burned up
I'm on my way back from the dead
I'm tuned in, I'm turned on
Remember the things that you said......
And I'll Be
Your crying shoulder
I'll be, Love's suicide
I'll Bebetter when I'm Older
I'll be,The greatest friend of your life
(I'll Be, sung by Edward McCain)
*****************************
Harry Kim checked his watched again with impatience. Seven had made a point of never being late for any appointment, as trivial as if may be. Trivial, Harry snorted. That's what she called this lunch appointment. Trivial. This was anything but trivial. Seven had the one quality that Harry needed right now. She was a woman, and she was his friend, and that made all the difference in the world. It had been a month since him and B'Elanna had shook hands on their "New Deal". And he had made no headway at all.
The doors to the mess hall slid open and he looked up expectantly. There she was, the stunning Borg, that made every man in the mess hall raise their heads and look with hunger in their eyes. And yet all Harry saw was his friend, good old Seven of Nine. He smiled inwardly at the revelation. When did that happen? Nine years ago, he was just as ga ga over her as the next guy. He chuckled to himself as he thought about the fiery woman that had captured his heart, and raising his hand, motioned for Seven of Nine to come over.
She acknowledged him with a nod, and proceeded to make her way through the crew through him. Harry noticed Ayala come and try to talk to her, but she bluntly told him she was busy and bee lined for Harry's table. Harry frowned. Seven had never brushed off her boyfriend like that.
Trouble in Borg land? He mused.
"Hey." He told her, motioning for her to sit.
"Lt. Kim." She said, sitting down softly. "I see you started without me."
Harry blushed at his tray of food. "I was hungry! And you're late!"
"Forgive my tardiness." She came close to shrugging as she found a loose wisp of blonde hair and put it back in her twist. "The captain would not let me leave as scheduled."
"Whatever," Harry said. "Get some food, then well talk."
"I'm afraid, my appetite is not well." She said, shaking her head. "Ill forgo lunch for now. As there a specific reason that you requested to see me today, Harry?" She said, raising an eyebrow.
Harry looked at her searchingly. To any other person, Sevensconversation would have been considered impersonal, and curt. Thankgoodness he knew her.
"Actually, Oh, Borg oh Mine, There was. I need some advice." He said, wiping his mouth quickly and putting down his fork.
Sevens eyebrow rose higher. "Advice?" She repeated.
"Yeah, advice. Look Seven, next to my wife, you're the only woman on this ship that I'm the closest to. I need you're advice on how to proceed."
"Proceed with what, Harry?" Seven looked thoroughly muddled.
"B'Elanna! How do I get her to trust me again? I'm still working out knots in my back from that dratted couch. I need to know how to get her back."
Seven sighed. "I'm afraid, Mr. Kim, I would be the last person to advise on any romantic endeavors."
Harry rose an eyebrow. "Would you care to elaborate?"
"I recently initiated a termination on my relationship with Lt. Ayala. " she said, after a moment.
"You dumped him?!" Harry's surprise was evident. "But he adored you!"
"He wanted to marry me. And I'm afraid that although I do have a certain degree of affection , as well as sexual attraction for him, it is not the caliber that one would require for a long-term commitment."
Harry looked at her for a moment.
"So, basically, you didn't love him." he said, translating for her.
"Correct."
"Oh." Harry looked at his friend. "Are you okay?" He asked, his voice gentle and concerned.
"I'm doing significantly better than Ayala." She said, giving him a smile for his benefit. "However, this is my first "Break up" , and I do miss his company. But not enough to suggest a realliance."
"Oh." Seven's perspective on relationships could be darn right amusing sometimes, but he was nice enough not to show it. "Well, if you need anything."
"No thank you, Harry. I'll be fine." She looked up at him expectantly. "Now, about your problem."
"Yes, Doctor Love?"
"The best advice I can dispense is to just be there for her. Lt. Torres is very muddled at this time and she needs to know that she can trust you. Don't try to rush things, just keep letting her know you're always going to be there."
"Slow and Steady wins the race?" Harry remarked. Seven almost rolled her eyes, but nodded.
"In a manner of speaking, yes."
"That's darn sane, advice, Seven. I should hug you!" He said,suddenly smiling.
"Not a good idea, Lt. Kim. I'm afraid Ayala is watching us with rather jealous eyes." Harry looked up and saw that, indeed, Ayala didn't look overtly friendly when he was looking at the two of them talking.
"Dope head. He knows I'm married."
"Dope head?"
"He's a dope head, Seven." Seven stared at him for a second, and then smiled.
"Indeed he is, Mr. Kim. Indeed he is."
********
"Mom? Can you help me?" B'Elanna looked up from her numerousprojects and smiled in spite of herself at the sight of her five year olddaughter, sitting in the middle of the floor, looking forlornly at the dismantled tricorder that she had managed to break.
"Well, let's see, what did you do?" she asked, getting up and kneeling down so she could see eye level with her daughter.
"Well, I was skipping down the hallway," Annika looked extremely vibrant as she began her long explanation, and her voice was full of mystery and aura. It only meant one thing to B'Elanna. Her conniving daughter was lying. "When all of a sudden-"
"Annika..." The warning in the young mothers voice was enough for Annika shrink and pause her explanation.
"I was throwing it up and it fell." She ended meekly. "Do you think Daddy will be mad?" B'Elanna fingered the damaged tricorder thoughtfully. Probably not, Harry had been spoiling her shamelessly, not that it wasn't understandable.
"Maybe if you promise never to touch Daddy's things again, and give him a big kiss and a hug, he might forgive you," B'Elanna said, a hint of a smile on her face.
Annika looked up at her thoughtfully. "How come you never give Daddy a kiss and a hug?"
Before B'Elanna could answer, the door swung open, and Harry stepped in.
"Hey!" He said cheerfully. Wife and daughter both looked up and smiled, but Annika's was significantly wider.
"Daddy, you're home!" She jumped up and giggled as he scooped her into his arms, hugging her tightly. B'Elanna smiled involuntarily, as she looked down at the tricorder. "Daddy you look so strong today!" Annika began, wrapping her small arms around his neck, and planting a big kiss on his cheek. Harry looked at her suspiciously.
"Thanks for the homecoming, Annika. Now what did you do?"
B'Elanna smiled as she got up and sat down on the couch to survey the scene. Annika's face fell.
"Well um you promise you wont get mad?" she said warily.
"Well that depends on what it is." Harry said, setting her down promptly.
Annika pressed her lips together, and looked to her mother for support.
B'Elanna sighed through her amusement. "Oh, no, Annika, you tell him."
"Okay." Annika took a deep breath. "Daddy I love you." He raised an eyebrow. "And I broke your tricorder."
Harry looked surprised, and B'Elanna inwardly chuckled as she tossed the tricorder to him.
"You've got a destructive daughter." She told him. Harry looked down at his broken tricorder.
"You did this to it?" He asked his daughter.
"Yes," she began meekly. "But I promise I'll never ever, do it again, and -"
"You know not to touch, Daddy's stuff. " Harry told her pointedly.
"I know." She said softly.
Harry stared at her, and suddenly smiled. "Its okay, Annika."
"Really?" Her face lit up.
"Sure. If I punished your mom for everything she broke-" He ducked from a cushion sent his way from B'Elanna.
"Don't listen to him Annika. Harry is Mr. Fix and Bust it." B'Elanna answered, getting up. "And I think that it's time for your class with Auntie Wildman." She said, motioning for the door.
Annika scrunched her nose, but nodded.
"Kay." She kissed her mother on the cheek, her father on the nose, and headed out the door. Harry and B'Elanna both sighed as they watched her leave.
"Your daughter." Harry said, pointing to his wife.
"Your's too." She said with a smile. In the past month, the two had grown comfortable with each other, enough to be able to talk amiably, and joke too. But the sexual tension, and the unresolved issues of the past year had kept them both at arms distance, and they both felt it as they stared at each other in silence. A beeping filled the air and B'Elanna jumped suddenly. Harry winced.
"What's that?" He asked, striding toward the couch to get away from the beeping. B'Elanna pressed something at her desk before sheanswered.
"The alarm. Its time for your medicine."
Harry inwardly smiled. He always liked his medicine time. That was when either B'Elanna or Annika would get some of the sweet smelling balm that the doctor had prepared for Harry and massage it into his back, and his chest. He could tell that doing it shook B'Elanna up, because she had Annika do it every week, the times she did it, Harry could barely concentrate.
"Oh." But he hid all those feelings to himself. Still hiding his grin, he went into the bedroom and stripped off his uniform, putting on a pair of pants instead.
B'Elanna willed herself not to notice that her husband was stripping in the other room. She had been dreading this all day. Usually, she was able to keep herself under control over her reaction to Harry. But the weekly massage was so intimate. She shivered. And through it all, Harry was always so damn professional through it all. Itangered her. Dammit, he should have been just as preoccupied as her!
"Okay, I'm ready." Harry entered the room wearing only a pair of pants,and B'Elanna caught her breath. Oh, goodness, he looked good. He stretched quickly, causing the muscles in his chest and abdomen to ripple slightly, and a primeval shudder ran through her. She shook herself and turned away from him, taking a deep breath before turning to Harry with the tube of balm. Why, oh why did the doctor that this had to be massaged in instead of injected, or in the form of a pill? Didn't he have any idea what he was doing to her?
Harry waited quietly, seated on the couch, while B'Elanna settled down next to him. As always, he turned her back to her, and waited calmly while she began to work the balm into his muscles, letting them relax under her gentle hands. Harry caught his breath, and unconsciously groaned with appreciation, causing her fingers to pause for a minute, before they continued softly.
"So, how was your day?" she asked politely, in a desperate excuse to distract herself from watching his muscles play against each other. "Nothing much," he answered, closing his eyes against the massage. "Worked my shift. I had lunch with Seven, that was . Interesting." B'Elanna paused, then shook her head. She was being ridiculous, she knew. Seven was not a threat to her. Her and Harry were just good friends, and she was her friend too. Still, it would have been easier if the Borg wasn't so beautiful.
"Oh?" she asked casually, but Harry began to wince when the massage suddenly got fiercer. What was she doing?
"Yeah, seems her and Ayala broke up." Thump, Thump. The hands beat on his back harder.
"Really? Why?"
"Apparently he wants to get married, and she doesn't." Thump.Thump.
"Why?"
"She doesn't love him." Thump, thump. "Ow! Can you not kill me, please? This is supposed to be therapeutic!" He said, turning to B'Elanna. She blushed, and nodded.
"Sorry." She said. "I'm done, turn around." He obeyed, and she began to rub the balm into his chest area.
"B'Elanna?" Harry looked at her seriously.
"Yes?" she answered, her voice cracking just a little as she felt the muscles ripple under his chest.
"Can I ask you a personal question?" She grinned in spite ofherself.
"Has it ever stopped you before?" she asked.
"I guess not. What I mean to ask is. There's something I don't get."
"What?" She asked, letting herself look into his eyes.
"When I got sick that second time around, and you said that what I said to you, that you needed to hear it, what did you mean?" B'Elanna looked a little stunned at the question, and her fingers faltered as she stumbled for an answer.
"I don't know I guess Doing what I did with Tom, knowing that you were watching, that you were alive during all that time. I felt like one. In some weird way, I wanted you to say it, to make me feel better about you. You forgiving me so fast it just didn't seem right."
Harry looked at her in amazement. "So, you wanted me to be a jerk?"
"Not really!" she smiled and punched him softly. "But it gave me a reason to get mad at you. To justify why I was so screwed up over you.Why I still am" she faltered, and looked away when his eyes locked onto hers. Harry swallowed, and reached up and gently enclosed her hand with his.
"B'Elanna, you know that I would never try to hurt you, like that. When those words came out of my mouth I wished I could take them back I wish that every day." B'Elanna looked at him and smiled half heartedly.
"I know that Harry." Her voice had a final twinge to it, and Harry smiled softly. He squeezed her hand lovingly, and attempted to pull her arm down gently to take her lips with his. B'Elanna stared at his inviting lips, and his shining eyes, and unconsciously leaned her head down. Just as their lips were millimeters apart, and she could feel his breath mingling with hers, her eyes snapped open, as she snapped her head back.
"Okay, I think were done with the treatment." She said quickly and jumped off the couch and into her room. Harry watched her panic attack in disbelief and as she shut the door, sighed and fell back on the couch.
"Its going to be a looooong night." He mumbled to himself.
*************
The Doctor sighed and massaged his temples. Simple theatrics, he knew, because he wasn't the least tired, and he knew that working this late into the night any normal person would have been bone tired. But he wasn't. But he had been reading up on his philosophy, his how to manuals on how to be a better person, and one of the great isms that he caught on to through his reading was the "I think, therefore I am." So, the doctor was thinking he was tired, and in concordance with that law, he was. Well, actually, he wasn't, but being the cranky doctor he was, he almost certainly wanted to believe he was. So he sat calmly in his office in the wee hours of the night, groaning and massaging his temples. After a few minutes he tired of this play and instead began to do various things that needed to be checked up on. He looked at the crews health list, paying particular attention to those that had had breakdowns recently. Shuffling through the records, Mr. Kim's caught his eye. Now, if there was someone with an interesting medical record, it was Harry Kim's. That young man had a wonderful history, eye candy for any doctor. Death happened quite frequently, not to mention spotty diseases and being eaten alive, and he STILL was alive. That was some trouper. The doctor chuckled to himself, and re read the schematics of his last checkup. Something caught his attention as he went through them one more times, and the doctor forgot all about his make believe aches and pains as his brow furrowed in an attempt to understand the readings. His smile froze, and he got up, finally realizing he had missed something dreadfully important. Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong.
B'Elanna had always had a love hate relationship when it came to conferences meetings. There were times,when the air would be thick with tension over some unknown crisis, and then B'Elanna would be caught to the edge of her seat, her mind whirling with possibilities and probabilities. And then there were times when the meeting was so boring, she had to stop herself from smacking her head on the table when she dozed off. Today, was quite obviously one of those days. Nothing of merit had happened to the ship in weeks, and so when conference time, came, the only thing there was to discuss, was boring, Starfleet protocol stuff that made Torres crazy. And what made it absolutely worse, was that Seven of Nine was talking. Now, normally, Seven was a great person and all, but when she went into one of her reports, every immaculate detail was told, down to the last decimal. The girl had never, ever heard of summing up. And what made it worse, was that it seemed that B'Elanna was the only person in the world that felt that way. Every other person in the room, was fixated on the Borg. And the captain was the only person that really seemed to be listening. Every other male was looking at her face or some other inappropriate body part. Well, Torres conceded, everyone but Harry, and he better not look. She mused to herself angrily. As if capturing her thoughts, Harry's eyes drifted to hers, and the corners crinkled when he smiled. Torres couldn't help but smile back. Lately things were seeming so easy. And Torres realized just how easy it was for her to forget all her deals with him, and all her platonic reasoning. She loved him. She knew that, he knew that. And he loved her. That was simple, direct. She loved simple, and direct. Everything that had seemed complicated just two months ago seemed so inconsequential now. And yet why had she panicked last night? It would have been so perfect, and yet she had still panicked. Why? Maybe there was something in her that still feared losing Harry. She had already almost lost him so many times. Inwardly, she groaned. She was a true psycho case. She loved Harry, she wanted him, but she knew that they would have to go slow. So slow too slow. Torres shook her head at that thought. Something was going to happen between them, she knew, it was only a matter of time.
"Lt.?" Torres shook herself out of her daydream to find that every member of the senior staff was looking at her.
"I'm sorry, did you say something captain?" She stammered, feeling the red come to her cheeks as she realized what she had been thinking of only minutes before.
"You shook your head, earlier. Do you not agree with something?"
Torres swallowed quickly. "No, captain, I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention."
Captain Janeway sighed. Neither was anyone else, well not on the meetings agenda to be sure. Either her senior males were either looking at Seven's rather accentuating curves, or if they were Mr. Kim, they were looking at BElanna's ever reddening face. She decided that they werent getting anywhere anyway.
"Never mind," she muttered. "Dismissed." She called out, a little louder.
B'Elanna got up slowly, and noticed with some trepidation Harry making his way over to her. She smiled her goodbye to Tom, who winked at her in a friendly manner, before heading over to intercept Seven. "Boy, that was fast." She muttered under her breath.
"Its not what you think." Harry said, now behind her, watching Tom and Sevens conversation. "Tom needs Seven to work on a project."
B'Elanna turned around and smiled. "Since when have you and Tom been buddy-buddy again?"
"Since we decided to be mature adults and not bratty teenagers." Harry answered with a grin.
"Uh-huh." Torres said. "I think we all stand accused of that lately." Harry chuckled as she walked him out the door. Torres took a deep breath. It was now or never. "Listen, Harry."
"Yes?" he muttered, a little absently.
"Do you want to have dinner tonight?" Harry looked surprised, and he had to force his smile from growing too wide as he pretended to consider his wife's proposal.
"Dinner? "
"Yeah, we can send Annika with Seven, you know shell never turn her down, and we can have a nice," she leaned toward him softly, smiling sexily, "close, long, dinner." Harry had to remind himself that he needed to breathe when he saw B'Elanna standing so tantalizingly close.
"Uh, yeah sounds good." He stammered, for the moment losing the ability to form a coherent answer.
Torres smiled. "Good. See you tonight." She turned on her heels and headed the other direction.
Harry smacked himself on the head. "Uh, yeah sounds good???" he muttered. "Yeah, that was witty. Good one, mister suave."
*********************************
"Daddy? I've been thinking." Annika looked at her father thoughtfully. Harry smiled. Torres was gone, working an afternoon shift, and he was baby-sitting, but he thought it was more of an amusing comedy act. Annika had reverted into her grown up mode, and in this mode she said some of the funniest things Harry had ever heard. He couldn't wait to hear what she was going to say now.
"What have you been thinking about, honey?" He asked.
"Well," Annika seemed unsure as how to proceed. "I've been thinking about the last month," she began finally. "And I finally realized that I believe that the current situation will just not do." She finished. Harry chuckled.
"What do you mean?"
"You and mom. I mean, before, when you and her kissed and hugged, and stuff, naturally I believed it yucky, but nowadays, I don't anymore. It seems that it provided a security blanket over my own affec-"
"Have you been talking to the doctor again?" Harry asked, in an effort to keep from cracking up.
Annika looked a little hurt, but she nodded. "Yes."
"Is there another reason that you don't like the current situation?" Harry asked her.
"Well, um yeah." Annika shrugged. "Every time I try to use the couch to watch the screen there's blankets and stuff all over it."
"Oh, so NOW the truth come out!" Harry said, grabbing his daughter and tickling her. She giggled and squirmed, and Harry finally let her down, but held her to him firmly.
"Well, I wouldn't worry." He whispered in her ear. "Well be fine, you Mom just needs a little time."
Annika squinted her eyes at him, before shrugging. "Agreed." She said, reverting back to grown up mode. Harry grinned.
************************************
The doctor massaged his temples, only this time he actually had reason to. He had been working non stop for the past twenty four hours, and with every passing hour, his apprehension had grown. The tests, the repeated tests he had done had only managed to confirm his growing suspicion and he felt a sudden fear grab hold of him. As he waited silently for the last test to show its results, the one that would confirm everything, he could almost feel himself sweating in apprehension. A beeping filled the air, and he looked up expectantly. Fumbling across his desk he grabbed the desk panel and looked at the results. His hand shook as he saw the results.
With a motion so quick it was humanly impossible, the doctor swiveled around and tapped his commbadge. "The Doctor to the Captain. Please come to sickbay as soon as possible."
Harry Kim had never been so happy in his life. The night had gone perfectly, the dinner was spectacular, replicated with love, the table set with candles and linen napkins, and his wife looked absolutely beautiful, in his favorite dress, a lovely number that highlighted her eyes and showed the line of her shoulders and neck with a grace that no other woman had ever paralleled. And now, here it was, the perfect ending to a perfect day, with the two of them dancing closely, moving in sweet comfortable movement to a jazz song that seemed perfect. Of course it was.
Harry smiled with happiness as he drew his wife in closer, loving the feel of her breath on his neck as she rested her head on his shoulder. "You know what?" he whispered. "What?" she asked softly, her eyes closed. "I've missed this so much. I've missed you."
She raised her head, and smiled hesitatingly at him. "I know."
Harry looked shocked at her smug admission, and in the end he just laughed.
"Whatever," he finally said, turning her in well timed precision to the change in the music. "You do have to admit we are perfectly suited for each other as dance partners." He said, swinging her around again.
"Yeah, I guess." Torres answered. "We've had nine years to practice." She said with a quick grin.
"Okay, then I have a question for you."
"Shoot."
"Why are you suddenly civil to me?" If B'Elanna was surprised by Harry's direct question, she didn't show it. She just shrugged. "I figured we've gone so much we probably will never have any problems again." She said finally.
"Oh, no, never say never, B'Elanna." Harry said, looking around the quarters.
"What are you doing?" B'Elanna asked.
"Looking for some wood, I need to knock on it."
"Harry!"
Harry laughed again, and pulled her closely. His laughter died in his throat as he looked at B'Elanna, and silence filled the room. B'Elanna saw the hunger, the passion in his face and the way he held her. And she felt it too. She knew that whatever she was waiting to happen, whatever she had wanted, it was happening right now. They looked at each other silently, and Harry drew her closer, until her body was pressing against him. He looked at her uncertainly, and she gave him her answer by reaching up and tenderly brushing his lips with the tip of her finger.
The small touch made him shiver with pleasure, and slowly, he reached up and took her hand in his, kissing each finger softly before intertwining her fingers with his. Suddenly, neither knew how, but their lips were only millimeters apart, and as their breath mingled together, Harry leaned forward and took her lips with his, softly and gently. Their lips melted together, began to move with each other, matching each move with a newone. The kiss ended after a long moment, and as Harry looked at B'Elanna,he smiled.
Their lips met again openly, and quickly passion began to take over the once gentle movement. Their bodies began to respond involuntarily, and without thinking Harry picked his wife up and laid her gently on the couch.
At first neither of them heard the comm badge when it chirped."The Doctor to Lt. Kim." The voice came more urgently the second time, and Harry raised his head in anger. He growled involuntarily,causing B'Elanna to laugh at his face. He smiled, kissed her once more, and answered.
"Kim here, Doctor."
"Report to sickbay immediately."
"Why-"
"Just come, NOW."
Kims eyebrows furrowed together, as he shrugged. "Lousy timing that doctor has, doesn't he?" he whispered to B'Elanna, who just shrugged, before moving out from under him and straightening her dress. Harry smiled, and gathered her to him.
"Don't do that."
She smiled. "Do what?"
"Fix your dress. I expect to come back and find you just like I left you." He muttered, nibbling at her neck.
"Janeway to Lt. Torres." Their eyes met in curious confusion.
"Torres here, captain."
"Report to sickbay immediately."
Their smiles faded.
"On my way, captain."
***************************
Captain Janeway's face was tight with worry when Harry and B'Elanna entered sickbay together. The doctor looked a little worse. B'Elanna suddenly felt her heart start beating faster. Something bad was going to happen, she knew it.
"Harry, B'Elanna." The captain acknowledged, as she leaned across the biobed, her hands crossed tightly against her chest. "I called you in here because there is something we need to tell the both of you, and it couldn't wait."
"Okay." Harry seemed to have a little more control over himself than B'Elanna did, and he unconsciously took her hand and squeezed it softly. "What is it captain?" he asked, after giving his wife a small supportive smile.
"Captain, with all due respect, I believe I should be the one to tell them." The doctor had straightened up, but his eyes were noticeably red.
Captain Janeway looked mildly relieved, and nodded, before walking to the other side of sickbay, her figure still. They swiveled their heads to the doctor, who was struggling with his words.
"Doc?" Harry Kim felt suddenly nauseated. "What's going on?"
The doctor looked like he'd rather be doing anything than what he was doing right now, but he bravely licked his lips and continued. "I'm afraid I made a dreadful mistake." he said, not being able to look at B'Elanna or Harry. "I uh... missed something I shouldn't have."
Unconsiously, B'Elanna reached out for Harry's hand, and her heart started beating faster.
"It's me, isn't it?" Harry's voice was soft and gentle, but the fear that escaped in the tremor in his voice revealed his terror. "There's something wrong with me."
The doctor looked at him, and nodded. "I'm afraid so, Mister Kim. About three days ago, I uh, discovered something in your body that shouldn't have been there."
"Something's in me?" Captain Janeway turned back to him.
"You're sick, Harry. Very sick."
Harry looked at them both in shock. "But I feel fine!"
"I know, this disease is something that I've never seen before. I'm assuming it started working itself the day we thought you had died, and kept going. The radiation that we used to bring you back only hastened the inevitable."
"And what's that?" B'Elanna demanded. "Doctor?"
The Doctor opened his mouth, but no words came out. "You're dying, Harry." He said finally.
Utter shock and silence filled the air. "So what's the cure?" B'Elanna broke in.
The doctor closed his eyes, and opened them again. "I'm afraid the only thing that can save Harry is lynthanel." Panic began to stir in B'Elanna's heart. Lynthanel was an element that wasn't hard to find... in the Alpha Quadrant. The element had a distinct quality about it that made it impossible to replicate. And as far as they knew, Lynthanel never existed in the Delta Quadrant, which meant....
"There's no cure." She whispered, her voice trembling.
Kathryn looked at her with red eyes. "I'm afraid so, B'Elanna." Harry let out a groan, and sank to the floor, his knees suddenly giving out on him.
"Well, there's gotta be some way to cure him." B'Elanna began, walking quickly to the doctor. "We can...f figure out a way to create the element, we can preform some sort of search-"
Kathryn shook her head and reached for B'Elanna's arm. "B'Elanna-" B'Elanna shook her off angrily.
"We CAN'T JUST LET THIS HAPPEN!" she snarled angrily. "There has to be something we can do."
"B'Elanna," the doctor said gently. "I'm a Doctor, I'm not God." The words seem to strike at B'Elanna, and she flinched. She turned to Harry, and walked to him slowly kneeling down to him.
"Harry?" she said softly, the tears forming slowly in her eyes. He looked up at her, his eyes glistening.
"I don't want to die, B'Elanna." he whispered, reaching for her. They held each other close, sobbing together. Kathryn looked away, hiding her own tears in her eyes. They had come so far, they had fought for so much, for nothing. B'Elanna had lost him, regained him only to lose him again. The doctor watched the couples desperate embrace and suddenly felt like he was weighted down with the world.
"This is my fault," he began slowly . "I should have caught this sooner." B'Elanna looked from her position, her arms wrapped around her husband, his head buried in his chest, the sobs racking through his body.
"No." She kissed Harry's forehead and let him go slowly, walking up to the doctor. "No, doctor. You saved him when no one else could. Don't ever think this is your fault." And with that she pulled the doctor to her and planted a gentle kiss on his forehead, seeing the hurt in his eyes. Seeing that she had comforted the doctor somewhat, she then returned to her husband.
"Hey." she said softly, gently cradling his face. Leaning down, she kissed him softly, then looked up at the doctor. "How long does he have," she said matter of factly.
The doctor looked at B'Elanna with a face of pure admiration. Her life was in shambles, and true to herself, she had lashed out angrily. But now that was gone. She was still and calm, and able to not only comfort her husband, but the man who had pronounced the death sentence on the man she loved. He had never realized how strong a woman this B'Elanna Torres really was. And even then, he would have rather done anything in the world than give her the news.
"Judging from the tests, three weeks at the most." Unconscious groans filled the air around him.
"Doctor.... I have a request to make." Harry spoke for the first time since the emotion had taken control of him.
"Of, course, anything." the doctor replied.
"i don't' want to spend my last few weeks here. I want to be at home, with my family, with Annika, and B'Elanna."
The doctor nodded. "I'll need to put you on a medical alert, I'll implant the chip in your body, and I can monitor you at all times, other than that, I don't think that will be a problem."
B'Elanna nodded, her mouth tightened and she turned to the captain. "Captain with all due respect, I'd like to ask permission to have the next three weeks off."
The captain nodded. "Of course, B'Elanna. Take as long....." she trailed off, and crossed her arms.
"Thank you. Doctor? Do you have the chip ready?"
"Of course." He went quickly to his desk and removed a hypospray. In a few minutes, it was done. B'Elanna smiled for Harry's benefit, and helped him up, his strength done with the news.
"Doctor, Captain, Good day." And with that she gently supported her husband and walked with him out of sickbay. The captain and the doctor looked after them.
"Tell me, doctor." the captain said after a minute. "If everything that has happened to B'Elanna and Harry happened to you, how would you react?"
"I don't know, captain." The doctor said, shaking his head slowly. "I don't know."
**********************************
"Annika is spending the night with Seven." B'Elanna said, turning on the lights in the bedroom.
Harry sank down on it, his heart heavy. "What do you think we should do ? Should we tell her?" B'Elanna looked at him, and her shoulders drooped.
"I don't' know. I don't' know if she can take anymore." Harry smiled weakly.
"And what about us? Do you think we can take anymore?" B'Elanna looked at him seriously, his soul naked before her eyes. His heart was bleeding, and she began to realize that all their squabbles, all their misunderstandings and arguments, they were nothing. Because when it came right down to it, all they ever had in this world, the only thing that they would be able to take with them with they left it, was love.
"I think." she walked toward him and kneeled in front of him. "I think that as long as we have each other, as long as we love each other, that's all we'll ever need." Harry looked at her through glistening eyes, and tenderly reach a thumb out, caressing her soft face.
"I'll never be able to grow old with you, B'Elanna." he whispered, his voice trembling. "I'll never be able to see Annika grow up, to see her fall in love.... and she'll never remember me."
"Oh yes she will!" B'Elanna whispered fiercely, grabbing his hand and holding it against her cheek. "Yes she will! Because you'll never die in our hearts Harry. I won't let it. And she won't either. And I'll always tell her about you, and how much you loved her, how you were the best father in the world, and the best husband. And how one day she's going to find a man who loves her just like you. And she'll be the luckiest woman, just like me, because even for one second, or three weeks, I knew that I could never love you more than I love you right now, and I know that you feel the same way. Don' you see?" she reached up and wiped a tear from his eyes.
"It doesn't matter how long you love someone, all that matters is that you did." They stared at each other in silence, and suddenly they both reached for each other, and their lips sought each other's hungrily, their tears mingling as their bodies pressed together. With a burst of strength, he pulled her up on the bed with him, holding her as if he never wanted to let go.
"I love you." he whispered, burying his face in her neck. "I love you." She kissed him again, the kiss wet and open.
"I love you, Harry."
*****************************************************
"Sandrine, another drink." The waitress nodded, and went to the bar. Tom ran his hands through his hair, and looked at the bar through his blood shot eyes. He couldn't believe it. He didn't want to believe it. Not again, not Harry dying again. Captain Janeway had to call that damn meeting, inform everyone on the ship. Hell, the only one who didn't know was Annika. But she would find out soon enough. Tom was losing his best friend. Sandrine wordlessly placed the drink in front of him and Tom reached for it blindly, tossing it down his throat desperately. He didn't even know why he was doing this, why he had brought up this old program that until know had laid forgotten in his records. Never mind, he knew why he did it. It represented the past, a time when Harry was young and innocent, and Tom had nothing worse on his mind than trying to get a double date, and B'Elanna was nothing but a good friend with a bad temper. He couldn't deal with this. He couldn't take any more pain. Pain. He spat at himself. Pain? What he was feelings was nothing. Harry was dying, and they all knew it. He felt a nausea seize hold of him and he fought against it, willing it to stay down. He licked his lips, and felt dizzy. Harry was dying... just when everything had come together, just when things were settling down, he was dying. Tom swallowed heavily. This wasn't right. They had beaten death. They had done it. It wasn't supposed to end like this. He looked at his empty glass, and felt completely useless.
"Sandrine, another drink."
**********************
Seven of Nine raced through the corridor , only one destination in her mind as she walked. Even though every impulse in her body told her that this was impossible, that she could never accomplish it, she still found her feet walking quickly, and her mind racing with possibilities. Resistance is Futile. The Borg saying jumped into her mind, and she almost stumbled with how it flashed. She shook her head, and kept walking. Resistance is NOT futile. She told her herself. I am Borg, Nothing is impossible. Deep within her heart began the stirrings of panic. Harry Kim was her best friend. He had proved that. B'Elanna needed him. Annika needed him. And Seven of Nine wasn't go to let him leave this world so easily. Not if SHE had anything to do with it. Tom was doing nothing but getting drunk, Torres and Harry had holed up in their quarters, wanting to spend his last days together with Annika. But Seven wouldn't allow herself the luxury of mourning. Or sleeping. Whichever came first. Mourning was irrelevant. Action was needed, because Harry had experienced something she never had. Love. And she wasn't going to let the only person in her short life who had ever been truly happy wither away. Not Seven of Nine. Because Seven of Nine was Borg, a Borg with a plan, and if anyone who knew Seven had one thing to say about how she worked, it was that Resistance Was Futile.
*******************************************************
Annika had never been happier in her life. Her parents were back together, and they loved each other so much, and they loved her. She squealed with happiness. For some reason the captain had led Mommy and Daddy off of work, and they spent all their free time with her. Everything was perfect, and nothing was ever going to take it away from her again, nothing. And that's what she had to keep telling herself when she began to notice the little things. Like when her mother and father thought she wasn't looking, the look in their eyes could have broken hearts. And the way every time she walked into a room, it seemed that everything always got quiet. And nobody scolded her. Everyone hugged her. And the way one day, when Mommy was home alone, she found her sobbing, her cries muffled by a pillow, but her shoulders racking. When Annika was trying to find out what was wrong, her mother said she had only been coughing. But Annika wasn't stupid. She saw the way her father got weaker and weaker. Uncle Tom did nothing anymore but be sullen and mean, even as he tried to be nice to her. And Seven didn't do anything at all but work in a little room. And as the weeks passed, a dreadful little doubt began to nit itself into her little heart. But she kept it hidden, even to herself, after all, she was only five. And she convinced herself to believe that everything was perfect, that nothing had changed expect that her parents had finally come to their senses.
But around her, people talked. They all whispered in the halls, debating over B'Elanna and Harry's request to keep him imminent death a secret from her until they were ready to tell her. They talked in the mess halls, talking over what a bright child she was. She would find out eventually, a part of the crew argued. The poor thing, maybe she won't, another part argued back. And what then? Wait until he dies and then tell her? That's just cruel, came another viewpoint. And the crew was in a silent uproar. Death had never been so tangible, and each crewman took it in his own way. Harry and B'Elanna got an influx of visitors, which usually resulted in uncomfortable silences. After all what do you say to a dead man? Harry's closest friends were the ones that stayed away. Tom and Harry talked once, and Tom was visible shaken up by what Harry said to him, because he holed up in the bar for hours and was late to a duty shift, at least that's what Ensign Dalby said, and he should know, cause he was on the bridge. Seven of Nine just became a workaholic, not that she wasn't before, but she became serious over kill. Lt. Ayala went repeatedly to try and talk her out of killing herself with the work, but even he couldn't get her out. Rumors began to circulate that Seven was secretly in love with Harry and that' s why she was so distressed. The Doctor immediately put that to death. As much as it made sense, he knew it was not true. Seven loved Harry, but in her own Borg way, and all platonic. And one by one, hour by hour, the visits to Harry became fewer and fewer, and the waiting began. It was painful, downright painful, Megan Delaney said, to see Harry so weak, he could barely walk, and when he did, you could see he had a very hard time doing it. Annika became agitated and concerned, and still her parents kept their mouths shut and told her nothing. They were in serious panic, Vorak said, their logic was unfounded, Annika should be told. Seven almost never left her science room now, and Tom, apparently swearing off drinking after he was late AGAIN and had to hear it from Chakotay., had begun to go in there with her, which started a whole 'nother rumor about the two of them, which also proved false. They mystery of the science room was almost as intriguing as Harry, but the approaching death of the beloved crew member was still in the forefront of everyone's mind. How Long? every one seemed to ask. How Long? How Long?
And the waiting continued.
***************************************************
"B'Elanna?" Harry Kim looked down at his wife, who was nestled snugly in his arms, her face turned away from his.
"Hmm?" she asked drowsily, opening one eye as she turned to look at him. He leaned down and caressed her brow, causing her to smile sleepily and kiss him softly. "What is it?"
"I think we should tell Annika." Her smile froze and her eyes were instantly alert.
"Are you sure?" She asked, sitting up on the bed. Harry lay back, not feeling the strength to sit up with her.
"Don't you think we should?" She sighed, wiping the strands of hair that had fallen into her eyes.
"The smart, non emotional side does." She shrugged, leaning back down and resting against his bare chest, hearing his heart beating slowly. It was slower today. She noticed that. Almost imperceptible, but she noticed. A deep wave of grief washed over her and she fought against it. She had promised to make Harry's last days enjoyable ones. Some how, they both needed that. She put the grief aside. She would have time for that later. "Yes I do have one." She said, a teasing grin flashed at him. He grinned back. "But whenever I get up the urge to tell her, I get all choked up, and I remember the look in her eyes when she found out the first time, and honestly, I don't think she can take that again." She looked at him in the eyes, her pain naked and open.
Harry looked at her quietly. "She can't, or your can't?" He asked gently. She flushed and looked away and Harry gathered her in his arms. "I think I should tell her. Just me and her." Torres gave him an inquisitive look.
"Do you want me there?"
"Oh, God yes." He said, holding her tighter. "but I think it should just be me and her for now. You should be close by though." Harry had come to accept his death quite placidly, more than he expected, more than anyone had expected. He remembered the look in poor Tom's face when he told him he wanted him to marry B'Elanna when he was gone. Poor Tom almost slid off his seat. In any other situation it would have been comical, but it wasn't. Tom was almost angry at being asked that. Harry still saw a trace of love for Kim's wife in Tom's eyes,a and realized that it was wrong of him to ask him to do that. Tom had put that aside, hadn't even thought of, and Harry had just worsened it for him. He was taking Harry's death harder than Harry was. Kim wasn't about to make the same mistake with Annika. "Just another father/daughter chat." he whispered, pressing his lips gently on B'Elanna's ridged forehead. "a c hat."
****************************
"Any news?" Tom asked as he walked into the huge science room. Seven looked up and shook her head before resuming to her work.
"Nothing so far. But I was able to come up with an advancement for the program, it will allow us to search not only to surfaces, but also the crevices and caverns underneath." Tom nodded at the beautiful Borg and looked down at her schematics.
When she had come matter of factly to him and demanded he stop drinking and help with this dreaded monumental task she was undertaking, he had but all spit in her face.
"Harry is dying!" He snapped. "Leave the poor guy alone. We should just accept it."
"I cannot and neither can you." Seven had said, raising an eyebrow. "As his friend you should be doing everything in your power to ensure that his death does not happen."
"Is that what you are, Seven?" Of course Tom was drunk at the time, and he said things he normally would have never said. "Or do you really have some sort of crush on him, and that's why you don't want him to die?" Seven was unfazed.
"Are you referring to the type of crush you have on Lt. Torres?" Tom winced. She had gotten him there. "I'm afraid such an alteration of feelings for Mr. Kim would be unproductive and irrelevant." Seven said, straightening her shoulders. "I feel nothing of the kind. But Lt. Kim was the first person not to give up hope with me and I will not show him any thing less. Now will you help me or will you continue to be an unproductive drunk?" When he didn't answer, she had walked away. It was the best thing she could have done, because the next day, Tom had stepped into her sanctuary, scrubbed, clean, sheepish and sober, ready and willing to help.
"Seven?" Tom asked after looking at the advancement of the program. She looked up.
"Yes, Lt. Paris?" Tom stared at her for one second. She was beautiful. Stunning. He had always thought so, but she seemed even more so today. Why? Oh stop it, Paris. he scolded himself. Your acting like a pig.
"I'm sorry. For those things i said when you came to ask me for help." She came as close as she could of to rolling her eyes and shrugged.
"That is irrelevant, Lt. Paris. You were merely being yourself. But for what it is worth, your apology is accepted. Now begin work, we are almost out of time." She gave him a half smirk before returning to work. Tom went over to his side of the console and slowly began scanning the sections that had been allotted to him by the ever efficient Seven of Nine. They worked silently for half and hour, and suddenly Tom gasped.
"Seven." She got up and walked over to his console. She looked at his finding, and then forced herself to blink. This couldn't be real.
"Is this correct?"
Tom shook himself and nodded. "Uh, yeah!"
Seven looked again. "Lynthanel. It's there." As she said it out loud, suddenly it seemed to sink in for Tom. He looked up at her, back at the console, back up at her, and then suddenly grinned.
"Whoooop!" He jumped up and pulled the stunned Borg in his arms, and swung her around the room, before he realized what he was doing, and let her go. Too embarrassed to see her flushed face and half smile, he instead walked back to console, gathering more information.
"Well, we know where it is," He said, to cover up the awkwardness that followed. "Now all we have to do is get it."
Seven walked to and looked over his shoulder. She studied the readings and her smile formed a tight line. "We've got a lot of work to do." Tom saw what she was looking at and his smile faltered.
"Yeah, you're right." he said grimly. "But first." he reach and tapped his commbadge. "Paris to the captain. Request your presence immediately."
Harry saw his young daughter come scampering into the room and felt his heart almost give out. There was a time when he could have jumped up to greet her and swing her up. Her big, strong pops.... but now? He could barely walk. But he showed none of that to his young daughter who had become the light of his life as he smiled to her from the couch.
"Hey, pumpkin!" He said with a grin, holding his arms out. Annika spotted him, and her smile widened. Quickly she ran and jumped into his arms, hugging him tightly, and kissing him firmly. Harry winched from the impact, but hid it well. He kissed her on the cheek and held her on his lap.
"So what'd you do today?" Annika frowned, nestled in her father's arms.
"Nothing. Auntie Wildman said that I didn't have to do any classes today, so I just came home. She wrinkled her nose at her father. "Everybody is acting so weird Dad." Harry's face froze for a second, and then he wound his arms tighter around her as he chuckled uncomfortably.
"Just a little." He murmured, kissing her forehead. She crunched her forehead, and then just shrugged.
"Well, I"m glad to be home, Daddy. You want to play?" She jumped of his lap and attempted to pull him to his feet, but Harry, as much as he wanted to play with his young daughter, had neither the strength nor the will to be able to get up. Instead, he shook his head morosely and smiled softly.
"Daddy's tired, honey. Maybe later."
"But you were asleep all day!" Annika whined. Something was wrong with her father, he was never this weak. But she didn't' let her mind dwell on it. Instead, she just tugged harder. "Come on!"
"Annika." Annika heard her mother's voice speak firmly from behind her, and she unconsciously winced. Turning around slowly, she saw her mother staring down at her with crossed arms. But surprisingly, when she spoke, her voice was warm and tender, not filled at all with the stern look that accompanied it.
"Your Daddy's tired, honey. How about you bring your toys in here and he can watch you play?" Annika looked at her mother for an instant, and then just nodded sagely, walking quietly into her room. B'Elanna looked at her husband with a sympathetic smile.
"Couldn't do it?" He leaned for with a large exhalation of breath, and rubbed his forehead.
"No. I just... I look at her .... I can't. As much as I want to be fair to her-"
"Harry." B'Elanna sat on the couch beside him, turning him gently, and began to massage his back. "Annika is a child. Sometimes we have to stop being fair and have to be parents." She stopped her gently massage and hugged his around his chest, resting her chin on his back. "You once told me that Annika' didn't need to be told the truth about everything, remember?"
Harry chuckled grimly. "Yeah, but I was talking about the tooth fairy."
"Well it still applies." She leaned up and stroked his hair. "Let her enjoy her last days with you in the childlike ignorance."
"And when I finally go?" He turned to watch his wife's reaction carefully. She sighed, and then caressed his check.
"When it happens, I'll explain. She'll understand." The sound of moving toys filled the room and the couple turned to watch Annika lug in a cart load old equipment.
"Harry, we gotta get her some real toys." B'Elanna said absentmindedly. Harry laughed.
"Janeway to Kim and Torres. Meet me in the conference room as soon as possible." Coal black eyes and chestnut brown ones looked at each other in surprise.
"On our way, captain." Torres answered. The comm cut off, and they both sat silently.
"I wonder what's up." Harry said softly. Torres shrugged, and then got off the couch.
"First things first, let's take Annika to her babysitter."
There were days when Captain Kathryn Janeway hated her job. On those days it was always nothing but decisions. She could never ever get away with an easy one, either. It was always, choosing the bad decision, or the worse one. And yet even then, she chose wrong. She looked around at her senior officers, and sighed. And this one affected all of them. Seven and Paris sat next to each other, each groomed and alert, looking at each other every so often in mutual respect. They had worked their butt's off, and it had paid off. Or had it? Tuvok sat next to her, his face expressionless, but she could almost guess his opinion on the subject. Way too much risk involved. Chakotay for the first time, was silent, she couldn't guess him at all. Torres sat next to Harry, one arm supportively around him. Harry looked like he was going to whither away any second. And that's what hurt the most. But he deserved to be here. It was after all, a meeting about him.
With a sigh, she decided it was now or never.
"I realize that you and Harry must be very curious as to why I called you two to this meeting." She began unsteadily. Harry and B'Elanna glanced at each other briefly, but nodded. "We have some news," Janeway continued, "But before I say another word let me make clear that this isn't in concrete yet. We have a lot of things to finalize... and a lot of variables to cover."
B'Elanna and Harry looked thoroughly confused now, but they both nodded hesitantly, before looking around the room. Everyone wore closed faces. What the hell is going on? B'Elanna thought to herself angrily. Can't they see how Harry is? Janeway, getting their approval looked toward Seven, who nodded before rising up.
"These past few weeks I have been working on a program that searches the quadrant within fifty lightyears for elements. I didn't want to tell you or Harry about it until I was sure it will work. And now...." She paused briefly. "It has." B'Elanna's eyes grew round as saucers.
"You mean-"
"We've located lynthanel on a planet ten light years from here." Seven continued, striding to a panel where a map of the quadrant. Janeway looked at the shocked couple.
"We're heading there at Warp Eight right now." She informed them gently. B'Elanna looked at them, not able to believe what she was hearing.
"Wait... you mean...... Harry-"
Tom couldn't help himself. He grinned widely and nodded. "Yeah 'Lanna. We can get it."
"What's the catch?" Everyone stopped and looked at Harry, who sat back in his chair in an exhausted manner, his sunken eyes gazing at Seven of Nine. Everyone, including B'Elanna seemed surprised at his sadist attitude, but if it was something Harry Kim had learned in his years of travel with the Voyager crew, it was if something sounded too good to be true, it probably was.
The excitement in the group immediately deflated, and the crew gave concerned looks to everyone. Janeway sighed, and leaned forward, as if speaking only to Harry.
"The catch, Harry, is that the planet it's on is very volatile. Extremely volatile. The lynthanel is located deep in the caves under the surface, and the planet is riddled with volcanoes, earthquakes, and underground rivers. We can't beam in and out. Just getting in there would be a struggle with a shuttle, and then the away team would have to risk numerous hazards to reach the element. And then it's twice as hard getting back."
"The chance of an away team of two to survive such a mission is ten to one." Tuvok finished, speaking up for the first time. B'Elanna's throat went dry. Now she understood the agonized look in the captain's face. This was a suicide mission. She would be risking two officers for one. She already knew what Tuvok was thinking, that was highly illogical.
"Don't worry about it, Harry!" Tom said, attempting to lighten the mood with a carefree smile. "Seven and I have volunteered for it, we're ready to go-"
"No." Harry looked up, and his eyes flashed. B'Elanna and Seven looked stunned.
"Harry-"
"No." He said more meaningfully. Painfully, he got up, and braced himself against the table. "Nobody is going on a damn suicide mission just to save my dying ass. Do you understand me? Ask Tuvok! Two of our best officers for one that's already might not make it as it is? No freakin' way." He looked near tears. "Now, I've accepted that I'm going to die. Let's leave it at that shall we?" He bit to the crew, and then he looked around, and carefully, he walked out of the room. The rest of the crew sat stunned, and they gave each other uncomfortable looks in the silence that followed. Torres broke it by leaning forward, her chin in her hands.
"How long will we be there?" she asked, her voice steady despite her trembling hands.
Kathryn looked at her, her gray eyes moist. "Eight hours is the ETA."
"We don't have much time to lose." B'Elanna began.
"B'Elanna." Chakotay looked up, his face a mask of concern. "If it's Harry's wish that none of us go-"
"Harry's being a damn noble officer, and you know that." she snapped. "He would never ask someone to give up their life for him but you know that he would do it for any one of you in a second." The room grew silent, and then Tom rose quickly.
"Captain, as long as we understand the terms of our mission, I think it's our choice. Now Seven and I-"
"You're not going, Tom." B'Elanna said quietly. "I am." Poor Janeway was going to have a serious heart attack if she didn't calm down her crew. But for once, she didn't' speak. This was a matter that they had to work out for themselves.
"Wha?" Tom began, and shook his head firmly. "No. No way."
"We need two engineers down there. Now you've taught me all you know about flying Tom, I can handle the shuttle, and Seven and I work well together. Well, when we try." she added as an after thought. "I'm expendable,"
"B'Elanna," Janeway said firmly. "None of my crew is expendable."
"Some more than other's, captain." B'Elanna said quietly. She looked toward Seven, who held her gaze silently. And unspoken message flashed between the two woman, and they both looked at the captain.
"We can do it, Captain." Seven said.
"You are asking to be sent on a suicide mission. Starfleet-"
"Damn Starfleet!" B'Elanna shouted to the Vulcan. "This isn't about Starfleet protocols. This is about a family. That's what we are, aren't we? And I may not be the expert, but I know that if it were anyone else, I would do the same thing. And so would you, and you" She pointed to Tuvok. "And you too, no matter how much you try to hide it." Tuvok didn't say a word. "That's what family is. Now we brought Harry back from the dead once. I think we can go two for two."
The crew grew silent, and then Seven rose.
"Captain, I am asking for your permission to allow Lt. Torres and I to take this mission." Captain Janeway sat silent, and she looked at the two woman on the opposite sides of the table. Eyes darting back and forth, she finally realized that she really had no choice in the matter. She was going to let them do it. She knew that. And so did they. Because, when it came to family, Starfleet could go to hell.
"You have it." The command stunned everyone, but B'Elanna didn't even blink. Quickly turning to Seven, she became all business.
"We don't have much time, Seven."
"I agree. Allow me to brief you." The two woman walked quickly speaking in hurried whispers as they exited the room.
Tuvok angled his neck as he watch them depart.
"They didn't have permission to leave." He mused.
Tom looked at him, his eyes shining. "Tuvok, don't you get it? Today, only for today, Starfleet doesn't exist. Family does."
It was all over the ship. People began to murmur, and everyone began to work. They found a way! They found it! Seven and B'Elanna... suicide mission.... Harry not knowing. Harry not knowing! But B'Elanna? I know....
They began to whisper furiously, working harder than ever, and each one of them couldn't help but wonder.... what the hell was going to happen when Harry found out?
"Harry?" B'Elanna rubbed her forehead tiredly, but forced a smile on her face as she walked quickly into her quarters, looking for her absentee husband who had been holed up in his room for the past four hours. It was now or never... she had to tell him, but she wasn't sure how he was going to react. She found him sitting in the dark, on a couch, his breathing uneven and ragged. He was getting worse.
"Lights." she called out, and walked to him quickly, examining him with concern. "Are you okay?" She asked, reaching out to touch his face gently. He moved his head. Staring at him with a blank expression, Torres finally saw the furious look in his eyes. "Oh. You know."
"Yeah. I know." He grabbed her wrist, and forced her to look him in the eyes. "You went behind my back-"
"You had already left."
"You disregarded my wishes-"
"I didn't, but you're not in a position to make a statement-"
"NOT IN A POSITION?" Harry's outburst made her jump. "B'Elanna, what the hell do you think I've been doing anything but thinking about for the past few weeks? I'm dying! I've accepted it!"
"But I haven't." B'Elanna began to get angry. "Damn you Harry, for not believing in yourself. And in me! You think your so noble, getting ready to die, thinking that life will go on-. You selfish bastard. Your the one that gets to die, what about me? What about Annika? What are we going to do afterwards?"
"It's life, I can't change it. We can't play God, Maquis." He said stubbornly. B'Elanna froze, and as she looked at him, she growled, straightening up, not quite believing what he said.
"So that's it? You're just going to quit? Just like that? The Harry I knew would never-"
"Harry died!" Harry coughed, but he continued his statement. "He's dead, B'Elanna. All that's left is an empty shell of a man who's only real anchor is the woman who spent her life with him and the daughter she bore him."
"Harry is not dead!" B'Elanna cried back, furiously, unaware of the tears of frustration that had begun to run down her cheeks. "He'll never die. Don't tell me that he's dead, Harry. Not when we have a chance to save him. You can't tell me that Harry's dead, not when I feel his love at night. Not when I feel it in his kisses, in his caresses, in his eyes when he looks at his daughter." She leaned forward, and grabbed his hand, holding it against her cheek. "I feel you inside, Harry. I know you're still there." Harry snatched his hand away.
"I'm not going to let you go and kill yourself! Not for me!"
"Oh, you prick this ISN'T FOR YOU!" B'Elanna shouted. "It's for me! Don't you get it? For me and Annika! Do you really think, that I would be able to make even a day without you? Do you?" She wiped the tears away with the back of her hand, and forced herself to calm down. "I can't allow that to happen." she began softly. "Not when I have even the slightest chance of saving you." And with that she looked at him, and turned her back to him.
"B'Elanna." Harry attempted to rise, but in his exertion of anger, his strength had left him. "B'Elanna!" She paid him no heed, but continued to walk to the door. "B'Elanna!" B'Elanna closed her ears to him, and forced herself to keep walking, until she was out the door. And it was the hardest thing she had to do.
The door opened, announcing her arrival, and Seven and Tom looked up expectantly, waiting for B'Elanna to say anything about what had happened, how Harry took it. But she didn't say a word. Glancing at the two of them, she merely nodded before heading into the shuttle. Seven gave Tom another look, and just shrugged, before following her in. Tom looked after the two women whom he had come to respect the most, and sighed. He might lose both of them, in one foul swoop. As he walked up the plank and observed them talking together as they settled into their seats, he felt his heart sadden. These two woman, these two lovely, strong, smart women, were both going to risk their lives to save one man. And it wasn't him. Tom looked down, and at that moment never envied Harry more than he did right then. Even if he was dying, at least it mattered to some people. The right people.
"Need any help?" B'Elanna and Seven looked up and shook their head.
"No, i think we're all set. Has the captain given the orders to prepare for launch?" Seven nodded.
"Our time is five minutes." B'Elanna took a deep breath, and then looked up to Tom, who stood silently, leaning against the doorway. Her face softened, and she got up and walked into his arms. Seven looked a little surprised, but turned away immediately. Tom held B'Elanna close for one long minute, and then as he let her go, she caught a trace of tears in his eyes.
"You know we're coming back, right?" she whispered. Tom chuckled, but nodded. "Take care of Annika, if this thing doesn't work. okay?" She ended, a little unsteadily. "And tell Harry that I've always loved him." Tom looked a little surprised, but nodded.
"You bet." He smiled at her, and then looked at Seven, who had turned in her seat once more. "Hey, Seven, get your butt back here, we make a good team." Seven raised an eyebrow, but let a hint of a smile come to her lips.
"Butts are irrelevant, Mr. Paris." And with that, she nodded, and turned away. B'Elanna chuckled, and let him walk down the plank, before she shut the door to the shuttle bay.
Returning to the seat, she gave Seven a long piercing stare. "You ready?"
"Are you?"
"Oh, yeah." Seven nodded, and they both turned to their panels.
"Seven to the Captain, we are ready for launch."
The doctor raced down the corridors, finding Harry's and sliding to a stop. He pounded on the door, and it was opened almost immediately, by a panicking Annika. She immediately jumped into his arms, and her tears started falling even more than before.
"He won't wake up!" she cried. "Daddy won't wake up!" The doctor swiveled her crying for to his waist and walked into the room. His eyes searched the room, and he found Harry, lying on the floor, his face ashen and gray.
"Oh, no." He whispered to himself. "No."
"Bridge to Seven. You are now authorized for launch." Janeway sighed heavily, and looked for support to Chakotay, her best friend and rock. He nodded. "Good luck."
"Some thing tells me they'll need it." Muttered Wildman, under her breath. But the captain heard her, and looked up to the opps panel.
"Oh they'll make it." She said, almost convince herself. "They have to."
"The doctor to the captain."
"What is it doctor?"
"I just found Harry Kim in his quarters. He's not dead, but he's getting there. How long is this mission supposed to last?" The captain's heart started racing, but she managed to retain her calm in her steady voice.
"I've given them as long as they need."
"Better make it three hours." The doctor said briefly. "If not, getting the lynthanel won't be much use." He cut the comm, presumable to continue his word with Harry. Janeway sighed and felt her head, suddenly aware of the huge headache that had taken over. Her eyes felt red, and tired, and she felt like she would rather do anything than do what she had to do right then and there.
"Janeway to Cargo Bay Two."
B'Elanna looked up. "Torres, here, captain." There was a pause, then-
"You've got three hours, that's how much the doctor's given Harry to live." B'Elanna felt her heart stop, and her head swiveled to Seven of Nine. Seven's facial expression didn't change, but somehow, she seem more determined than ever. Her belief in their success gave B'Elanna hope, and she answered calmly.
"No, problem, captain. Ready to go."
And the race for time began.
"Lt. Wildman to sickbay." Samantha looked surprised that she was being called from her station, and she raised uncertain eyes to the captain. The captain nodded, and quickly motioned another ensign to take her place. Samantha walked quickly to sickbay, her mind reeling with questions, but when the door opened, her questions flew from her. She understood why she had been brought to sickbay. Because there was no one else. And Annika had finally broken down. Samantha felt her heart break as she looked at the little girl who had experienced so much heart break in her short five and a half years. Seeing her curled up in a fetal position, her eyes seeing no one but her ashen gray father, brought back some painful memories for Samantha. Her marriage to Neelix had been all too brief, and though many people had questioned her ability to love someone who was so.... so... Neelix, Samantha knew the goodness in his heart, the capacity for love that Kes had always seemed to take for granted. She had loved him for his gift of cheerfulness and kindness. And she had lost him after only a few years of time together. Just as B'Elanna had lost Harry, her best friend. But no matter how heartbroken Samantha was, it broke her heart twice to see Naomi, lose the only father she had ever known, at a very young and tender age. And so Samantha had made up a story about Neelix being a guardian angel, and Naomi believed it. But Annika... poor Annika, she had lost, and regained, only to lose again. Samantha felt tears well in her eyes as she thought of her lost husband, and this little girl who had also captured her heart. Nodding to the doctor, who seemed to realize that Wildman understood, she walked slowly to Annika, and gently laid a hand on her pupil's shoulder. Annika looked up, and seeing her teacher's face filled with compassion and love, reached blindly for her. Samantha held her close, letting her warmth encompass the little girl.
"He won't wake up." Annika choked, sobbing. "Daddy won't wake up."
"Shhh." Samantha murmured, and slowly moved the child away from her comatose father. She had no comforting words for this girl who might lose her father and her mother in one foul swoop. And she had no intention of lying to the child. She gave an agonized looked from above Annika's shaking form to the doctor, and seeing his troubled eye's, feared the worst. And in the end, the only thing she could come up with, was... "Shhh."
"Are you doing Al right, B'Elanna?" Torres cast Seven a quick look before looking back at the control panels. That was the first time Seven had ever called her by her first name, well, in a nice tone anyway.
"I'm okay." She said flippantly. "We should be on the ground in a minute. Do you have the maps, the tricorder?"
"Everything is prepared," Seven said evenly, and then gave B'Elanna a quick look. "We will succeed, Lt."
Torres didn't' bother to catch her gaze as she nodded firmly. "Damn right we will."
Harry was in a fog. Somehow, he had expected that when he died, it would be painful. But it wasn't. It was nice.... because all the suffering seemed to be lifting away. How easy it would be... to just ... let go. He could almost feel himself loosing hold, and then he heard a cry. He struggled to see vainly because he knew who it was coming from.. his daughter... his life. And then he realized he would be leaving her alone.... if his foolhardy wife actually had gone through with this crazy mission.. God how he loved her. he had always loved her. Since he had first lain eyes on her in that Ocampan hospital, those big brown eyes full of terror, that skimpy gown giving him a good idea of what it hid. And he had liked it. he had never seen anything like her. So why had he been so stupid? Hanging on to Libby like that? When she was so much better. Ah! Because he was scared! He knew that now. He was scared of how much he could love her. Because he was scared of losing someone like that, someone like her. ..... And then he did lose her... to his best friend. And Harry never even fought for her... he just let her go, because he didn't' want to ruin their friendship. He was a coward. He didn't fight then, and well, dammit, he was going to fight now.
"You ready?" Seven paused to take a breath before she put the environmental helmet on her head. B'Elanna was impatient to leave, so she nodded curtly and opened the door, blanching at the terrible weather out side of the banged up shuttle. Seven followed her, gathering the things they would need for the trip down. B'Elanna stopped, and gazed at her tricorder, taking a quick look to see where they needed to go.
"Hey, Seven, quick question. You in love with Harry?" Seven looked stunned, but as she looked up at B'Elanna, she saw her eyes were twinkling. "Sorry, had to check. Come on, we don't have much time." The two women took a breath, and then went into the dark storm.
"They've been down there for more than an hour." Tom said, biting his nails from the helm. "How come we haven't heard from them?"
"We are not pyschic, Lt." Tuvok said from his panel.
"Rhetorical question, Tuvok." Paris muttered absently.
"I'm still getting their beacons that they are leaving." Dalby called out from Opps. "They should be okay."
"That's one good thing to hear." Chakotay said, glancing at Kathryn. Janeway hadn't said a word. And Chakotay for the first time noticed that Kathryn actually looked old. In all his years, first as her friend, then as her lover, he had noticed that she had never, ever let anything take away her aura of youth. But now, she just looked tired. Silently, and gently, he leaned forward, and clasped her hand softly. When she looked at him, he smiled softly.
It's okay, he mouthed. She stared at him for a long time, and then offered him a tight smile, squeezing his hand back, and this time, not letting go as she had done so often in the past. To hell with Starfleet, she reminded herself. Today is about family.
Family. More than anything in the world, that's what Harry had wanted, a family. But not just any family. He wanted a family with B'Elanna. He remembered, even as a green ensign, fantasizing about coming home from work, and finding B'Elanna smiling at him, and their children running to him, crying "Daddy, Daddy." And back then, he knew he couldn't have her. Because she was Tom's. He had lost his chance with her, and so he went for Seven. That was a mistake. Him and Seven couldn't make it. He knew that now. They had respect, and love, but platonic, and he knew that nothing compared to what he had for B'Elanna. And he had almost lost her. And then something happened to her. She suddenly broke up with Tom, and gone to him for support and friendship. Well, not really, he had gone to her, upset and angry that she HADN'T come to him. And then they became friends again. True friends, like they were before. Sure they had their fights, plenty of them. He remembered that their first kiss had come from their fifth fight. He didn't remember what they even fought about... oh, yes he did, it was about Tom. Tom had tried to use Harry's friendship with B'Elanna to get her back, and B'Elanna had thought Harry had done it. They were shouting at each other at the top of their lungs, in his quarters, and he remembered feeling the emotion in the room, the raw emotion, and then he saw her glistening eyes, and he realized that she was hurt. He had hurt her, really hurt her. Enough to make this strong friend cry. And that was when Harry realized he might have had a chance with B'Elanna. If she cared enough about him to let him hurt her... then that meant she might really like him. That maybe all that sexual tension that they had when they were friends before wasn't all in his imagination. And all this time he was still shouting, and she was shouting back and suddenly, without thinking, Harry just grabbed her by her arms, and pulled her to him until her heaving chest was pressed against his. It felt so wonderful to feel her breasts pushing up against his chest, he could feel their heat through his uniform, and he had to catch his breath. She had been stunned into silence, and he noticed that she had forgotten to take her breath. He stared into her eyes for one long second, finally letting her see his desire for her, that had lain in him for so long. And then, because he couldn't take it anymore, he didn't wait to see it she felt the same way back. He just slid his arms around her and pulled her in tighter, and leaned down and kissed her as roughly and passionatly as he could. And oh, God, it was like the whole place lit fire. Her lips were so soft, so moist, and yet so firm and tender, he could have died right there. And then the impossible happened. When he felt he had to forced himself to let go, her lips clung to his, not letting them escape. Now it was her that grabbed the lapels of his uniform and kept his lips on hers. And she began to kiss him back, moving her lips, manuevering his so that he finally opened then to her relentless pressure and then and oh, lord, the second kiss was better than the first. And he didn't even know how that was possible. He tasted her intimately, and because she wanted him to, because she let him, because she WANTED him, he explored her mouth and her body with his mouth and his hands finally able to feel every curve, every hollow that he had only until then dreamed about. And she was just as hungry for him, surprising, and oh how he loved that. She seemed to yearn for what he was doing to her, to need it, it was almost if... almost if she had waited for him her whole life. He knew she couldn't have felt the same way about Tom. It had never dawned on him that she had wanted him just as much as he had wanted her, but he knew better than to question his good fortune, but took the oppurtinity to do what he always had fantasized about. Because it was him that that was making her groan with pleasure, it was him that was causing her to moan and rake her nails down his back, and it was him that she was whispering to, in that sexy deep voice of her. It was him, good old, Read-me-like-a-Book Harry Kim, her green, scared, ensign best friend. And he finally knew her. All of her. And he loved her. And he knew that he would never love anyone else. This was who he wanted to have his children. This was who he wanted to belong to, who he knew belonged to him. And when it was over, she had looked at him, her hunger for him shining in her eyes, and she had said the one thing that still made him shake with laughter when he thought about it.
"Dammit, Starfleet, what the hell took you so long?"
"Dammit, what the hell is taking so long?" B'Elanna sounded impatient, and Seven wisely said nothing to her, only proceeded with her work. The trip down into these God forsaken caverns, though arduous and dangerous, had gone without incident, thanks in partly to the two women's apparent knack for working well together. It was a surprise to both of them, but they didn't comment on it, wisely.
"The mining should be done in five minutes." Seven finally said, and peered down the little hole in the ground where the little drill that Tom had designed was doing it's work. It had gone without hitch, everything had gone smoothly, but it's didn't stop B'Elanna from worrying.
"We only have an hour and a half." She muttered, her voice tight. "And we can't expect getting back out to be as easy as getting in."
Seven agreed with her, but she knew better than to get B'Elanna worked up. She had too many things on her mind as it was. She decided to distract her, and decided to ask her a question that had been in her mind since her and Harry had gotten together. Why not? It would kill two birds with one stone, and Tom always said.
"Lt." She began hesitantly, before turning to B'Elanna. "How did you know you loved Lt. Kim?" The question definitly caught Torres by surprise, but seeing the frank curiousness in Seven's eyes, and remembering Seven's recent break up with Ayala, softened.
"I don't know." B'Elanna began, her voice suddenly without malice. "I mean, if you had asked me if me and him would have ended up together.... I woudl have laughed. I always pictured myself with someone a little more like me." she chuckled uncomfortably. "You know, dangerous. Unpredictable. I guess that's what attracted me to most of the men in my life." Her eyes began to sparkle. "But Harry... he was so... so. .. solid. He was so naive, and yet... so mature. He always wanted to make everything better. And the way he would just let everyone see what he was feeling, what he was thinking. So open, so honest. There was nothing to hide. And I guess I loved him then. That first year. But I don't really think I knew it, even though I sort of knew, unconcouisly, that he loved me. I thought I loved him because he was my best friend. I remember thinking what it would be like, loving someone like Harry. And we did have this sexual tension. I was attracted to him... I knew that... but I didn't think a person like that could have passion." Despite herself, B'Elanna blushed, and she seemed to go off in her own world, leaving Seven behind to just listen and imagine. "But, ohmigod, does Harry have passion. After I broke up with Tom, Harry and I started seeing more and more of each other.... and I started realized how sexy I thought he was. I guess he just seemed older, less.... ensign. And I would notice little things about him. What a great smile he had. How he smelled. But at the time... I thought he was in love with you. I thought that maybe.... I had lost my chance with him. I mean, I had had a pretty intense relationship with his best friend! I should have been taboo to him. But he always wanted to be with me, to be my friend, and i realized how much i missed that from him. But we would always get into these huge fights, for no reason at all, and we had this one where Tom had done something, and i thought Harry had led him to it, and i was so hurt that he could have done that to me. I think it was then, when i realized how much i cared about him... So we got into this huge fight and then he just grabbed me, and kissed me. And all of a sudden, this passion, this thing inside of me.... oh I realized just how much i had wanted him to do that. Because I never would have, and I wanted him so badly. And he was so addicting. Something about him just reached inside of me and took hold of my heart, and squeezed it, and I remember thinking as he was about to let go, 'I don't want him to let me go. I don't want to let him go... not ever.' And I didn't. It was then, that I realized that I really loved him. That he was everything to me. But it took me a long time to say it." She stopped speaking, and almost shaking herself, turned to Seven, and what she saw surprised her. The usual stone cold Borg saw motionless, her body and face focused on B'Elanna. Her eyes were shining, her lips were quivering, and in her face, B'Elanna a trace of fleeting emotions, among then envy... and longing? And B'Elanna knew then never to be jealous of Seven again, because already she had more that Seven had ever experienced. And for the first time in what seemed like forever, B'Elanna pitied her.
A chime went off in the air, and the two woman jumped, their minds clicking back into place. Seven grabbed hold of the rope, and with Torres helping her, the two woman managed to pull the drill that held the canister, that held what seemed to both of them the most precious material in the universe.
"Test it." Seven said quickly. Torres quicly complied. After an agonizing second, a beep went off, confirming it was lynthonel.
"Thank, God." B'Elanna muttered. "Let's Go."
"After this," Seven said, walking after her on the tight ledge. "Harry better not even catch a cold."
***********
Annika was crying, Harry heard her. He didn't want her to cry. Oh, how he loved his daughter. She was everything to him. But it was getting harder and harder to hold on, and he felt his control slipping. His daughter. His wonderful daughter, with sparkling brown eyes in an almond shape, and a forehead that God had kissed little ridges on to. So much like her mother. And all because B'Elanna had agreed to marry him.
He had wanted it to be so romantic, and it had ended up catastrophic. Instead of a beautiful waterfall, in a tropical jungle that Harry had spent weeks programming,the holodeck had managed to malfunction on them, and the only thing that could be brought up was an Ice cavern. bad for a klingon. So Harry had taken her to his room, but by then they were both in a bad mood because in trying to get out of the ice storm, they had both gotten soaking wet, and B'Elanna was freezing, thanks again to the holodeck malfunctions. And she got sick, so they had to detour to sickbay, where the doctor began to council them on contraception. And then Harry realized he had lost the diamond ring he had borrowed all those rations from to get. He just decided to give up, and not ask her, and so was sullen and grouchy. By the time they had ended the date, B'Elanna was in such a bad mood she didn't even invite Harry in to her quarters. Harry was so depressed that he went to sulk on his bed, until he heard the door chime. And then everything changed. Because when he opened the door, B'Elanna was there in a beautiful black satin gown, that seemed to float on her. And in her hand was a box. And in the box was a note. And the note said, "It doesn't matter how cold it gets, I'm always warm when I'm with you." And then he looked down at her hand, and on her third finger, left hand, was his lost diamond ring. And then Harry realized what she was here for. She was saying yes. She would be his forever. She was his forever.
"It's gonna take us forever to get out of here." Torres shouted about the din of the cave. Usually caves were quiet, but this one had rushing water below them, and it seemed to fill the entire room with it's volume.
"No!" Seven shouted back to her, a few feet ahead, clutching the canister that was tied securely around her waist. She pointed ahead of her. "Look! That's where we came in!" B'Elanna looked and felt her heart grow lighter.
"We only have half an hour!" She began, and urged Seven to push the pace. Seven complied, and grappled with the hook that had secured into the wall. She climbed up, and then hit the beacon that had been attached there. B'Elanna began to climb up after, but suddenly the earth lurched and she lost her footing, her feet scrambled for a foothold , but finding none, she fell down again. Suddenly the rumbling got louder, and with horror, Seven, from her perch above saw what B'Elanna couldn't.
"A flood!" Seven cried. "Hurry, Lt!" B'Elanna turned, and stared at the huge amount of water that had been disrupted by the quick but violent earthquake. It was coming to fast. She wasnt' going to be able to make it. B'Ealnna reached blindly for the rope, and just managed to close her hand around it as the water hit her with such force it slammed her body against the wall.
"They've hit the last beacon." Dalby called out, his voice filled with relief. Janeway sighed. There was time. They would make it in time.
The crew cheered, and Paris, who until then had been drained of any color, now began to recover.
"Thank God." he whispered to himself. There was a silence, and then Dalby froze.
"Captain, there's just been an earthquake, very near the cavern." Janeway's head snapped up, and she looked at Dalby.
"Report."
"I don't know what to report, captain!" he called back, harassed. "The shuttle looks like it's been destroyed. I've lost all beacons, everything." The room grew silent, and all eyes turned to Janeway.
She pursed her lips, and then licked them. Time to think fast.
"Tuvok, Paris, take a shuttle and go down there. Get there as quick as you can and see if they are alright. NOW!" She roared and the two officers didn't hesitate. They raced for the cargobay. Janeway's saw the crew's admiration of her, but she didn't register it. This was a rescue now. Maybe there would still be time.
He was getting lighter and lighter. It hurt so much to fight it. It didn't seem worth it some how. Why not go back and forget the pain. And suddenly he knew why. Because B'ealnna and Annika never gave up on him. And he wouldn't either. He couldn't leave them. And so he fought, even when he began to lose.
"B'Elanna!" Seven fumbled for her helmet, and threw it off, allowing herself to get a better view of the bruised women below her. Seven reached down, and saw that despite the cascade of water that was pulling at B'Elanna, almost drowning her, she still held on, though she was fighting constantly for her conciousness.
Torres looked up weakly to see Seven staring down at her.
"Go!" She cried out weakly. "If you go, you can still get to Harry."
"That is not an option." Seven remarked flippantly, and calling on her Borg strength, she slowly secured the canister tighly to her leg and began to climb down the rope to B'Elanna.
"Seven you damn idiot!" B'Elanna roared, fighting the current that was treatening to take her with it. "If you dont' do what I tell you I'll kick your ass."
"Not a likely threat." Seven inched down slowly, and with one hand, reached down for B'Elanna. "I'm not leaving you, Torres. So just give me your hand." B'Elanna glared at her, but reached up. After a couple of tries, her hand caught Seven's wrist, and she inched up with Seven together. The water was getting stronger though, and B'Elanna began to see boulders in the current.
"Seven we have to get up there. There are rocks, and some of them might hit-" B'Elanna's sentence ended in a scream when she saw a rock fly up and strike Seven in the face. The force caused Seven to lose control and she fell back. Torres reached for her, and caught her wrist, holding on for dear life as she dangled helplessly with one hand, the other supporting a taller woman. Seven looked ready to fall any minute, but despite her pain, she fumbled with her leg, and with her free hand, produced the canister.
"Here." She held it up. "Let me go and take it."
"Oh, no, don't get noble on me Seven. You better hang on to that thing." B'Elanna said stubbornly, grimacing in pain as she fought to contain her hold.
"You cannot possibly-"
"I'll tell you what i can and can't support." B'Elanna snapped. "Look, I know you're in pain, but just let my hand go, and hold on to my legs. Seven!" Blood was streaming out of Seven's head, but she nodded weakly, and holding the canister to her body with one hand, allowed B'Elanna to lead her to her legs, where she curled her body.
"Today, is NOT a good day to die. Today is NOT a good day to die." B'Elanna chanted to herself. And with a groan, she began to use her straining arms to pull herself and Seven up the rope. "Okay, Mom, so I'm not a happy camper about being a Klingon." she muttered. "Time to show me what this blood in me can do. I've got more than one life that depends on it." And reaching up, she pulled them up a little more. She was almost there. Her strength began to ebb, and she felt Seven's hold weakening, but she forced herself to continue to climb. By now she was biting her lips, drawing blood from the pain, but she continued to work. One more, she thought to herself. One more. But she knew she wouldn't be able to. She just didn't have the strength. But she tried anyways. And suddenly her hand didn't strike rope, but another hand, a strong masculine hand that pulled her up easily. She opened her eyes, and she saw Tuvok, using his Vulcan strenght, to pull her over the cliff. She felt another body reaching below her, and then saw Tom dragging Seven over. And then the world went dark.
Tuvok hugged the body of B'Elanna to his chest as he raced to the shuttle, fighting the winds that threatened to rip and tear her away from him. He reached the safety of his shuttle, and settled her down gently. Tom came in a second later, pausing only a half second to look worriedly at the welt that marred Seven's unconcious face. Without have a thought, he rushed to the front of the shuttle, and sat in his seat, tossing the canister to Tuvok.
"Lifting off."
"Doctor to the Captain. We're losing Harry, is there any chance?"
Janeway felt her heart fall. "I don't think-"
"CAptain!" Dalby called out to her. " The shuttle has just appeared on sensors. They made it out of the planet."
As if on cue, Tom's voice cut through the comm. "Cochran to Voyager, we're beaming both the lt's, and the canister directly to sickbay." Janeway felt her heart ease just a little.
"Acknowledged."
There was a prick in her neck, and suddenly, B'Ealnna came to with a sudden sucking in of her breath. Her eyes flew open, and it took her a few minutes to realize she was in sickbay. And she was alive. The doctor looked down on her with obvious affection, and he smiled at her.
"Welcome, back, B'Elanna. We missed you." B'Elanna hardly heard him. She sat up quickly, and her eyes chased around the room. And then she saw the most beautiful sight in the world. Harry Kim was sitting up, across the room, holding his daughter in his lap. His color was back in his cheeks, and he was alive. She choked back a sob, and the sound caught his attention. Annika looked up, and seeing her mother awake, her mouth creased into a huge smile, and she jumped out of her father's arms and ran across the room into hers. B'Elanna held her daughter tightly, kissing her forehead.
"Mornin' Mom."
"I .. .uh... would have woken you sooner, but you were under tremendous strain." The doctor said. B'Elanna smiled at him, and then with her daughter in her arms, got up. Harry was already up and walking to her, his arms open. She put down her daughter and stepped into then quickly, feeling his strong arms around her again. His strenght. He was back.
"Omigod." she choked back a sob, as she allowed one tear to drop. "Are you okay? I mean-"
"I'm fine. It was touch and go, but the doc says I'm going to live. Thanks to you." Harry leaned down and kissed her gently, and pulled her in again. "Thank you, for never giving up on me." He whispered. "I love you."
"I love you too." she whispered.
"Now just what the hell were you thinking! You almost died down there!" Harry began, now the important stuff was said. B'Elanna looked mildly suprised, but her brow furrowed.
"Listen you arrogant-"
"Hey! Stop that!" Annika looked at them both, her little hands on her hips, giving them both a glare. Shocked looks passed between the two of them and they both laughed, and reached down simulteanously, picking her up.
B'Elanna looked up, and finally saw Seven and Tom across the room, gazing at them fondly, and a little wistfully. "Seven and Tom saved our lives, Harry." B'Elanna said, a little louder. At hearing this Tom grinned sheepishly, but Seven only shook her head.
"It was you who saved mine."
"Ah. So now we're even, right?" B'Elanna said, and then went over and hugged the Borg tightly. Seven was sill unused to hugs, but patted B'Elanna quickly and gave Tom an embarressed glance.
"Okay, now can we get back to normal please? Everything is so wierd!" Annika cried.
Harry gave her a melodramatic look. "Hon, let me tell you something that the captain told me when I was young. This is Starfleet. Weird is part of the job."
Harry Kim's heart swelled with pride as he saw his daughter walking down the aisle, painfully erect, yet enjoying herself immensely as she solemly tossed flower petals to her left and right. He grinned in spite of himself and glanced at Tom, his best man, who was also grinning ear to ear. Then came the voluptous and stoic Seven of Nine, who looked darn uncomfortable but also every solemn, in a beautiful dress. Harry glanced at Tom and found he was no longer smiling, but gazing at Seven as if he was seeing the maid of honor for the first time. Harry hid a smile. And then came the love of his life. His beautiful wife, B'Elanna, who had eyes only for him as she walked down the aisle. Harry stared at her, and his heart swelled again. He'd never get over how beautiful she was, and each time he would look at her, he would catch his breath, and he knew why. Because he loved her. Oh how much he did. Then she came to meet him, and he reached out and took her hand, and they faced the captain, and then they took their vows. Again.
"So, B'Elanna. How's it feel to be a married woman?" Tom joked, dancing with B'Elanna effortlessly. She smiled.
"I feel old. But I feel young. So much has happened, and yet so much will happen-"
"Okay, nevermind." Tom said quickly, and B'Elanna laughed.
"Oh, have it your way." She grumbled, and they both chuckled.
"You know I'm still depressed." he said, a little more seriously.
"Oh?" B'Elanna raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah." Tom blushed. "I mean I know my type now. Like you, and how many beautiful, strong, smart, dangerous woman do we have on this ship?" B'Elanna grinned and looked to her right, where her husband was laughing and dancing with Seven of Nine.
"More than you might think." She replied, and with that called out, "Switch!" Harry saw the twinkle in her eyes and responded immediatly, circling Seven and sending her flying into Tom's arms. She grasped him to right herself, and then flushed, releasing herself quickly. Tom also blushed, but then held out his hands. She gave him an uncertain look, and then stepped foreward, letting his hands circle her waist. After a moment, the two looked at each other, smiled uncomfortably, and slow began to sway to the music.
B'Elanna watched from Harry's arms. "So what do you think?'
He shrugged. "A match made in heaven." He teased, and then he froze. B'Elanna saw where he was looking and smiled. Megan and Bristow's six year old son was bowing and asking a solo Annika to dance. She automatically looked shy, but nodded, and the two children began to dance together, almost as akwardly as Seven and Tom. B'Elanna looked up at Harry's worried face, and let out a laugh.
"Don't worry about it right now." B'Elanna said, pulling him closer. "We've got the rest of our lives to think about that." Harry looked at her and smiled.
"You know, Maquis. I like the way you said that."
The End
YESSS!!!!!!!!!!! I'M DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOHOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
sorry, but you don't know how long it took me to get this thing written.