Reachingtothefuture

Disclaimers: Same as always writing for the fun of it I make no money off this or any other of my Fan Fiction so don't sue I'm broke anyway.
Arciving: Please ask first.
Feedback: It's like fresh water to someone lost at sea! please the more I get the more I write.
Acknowledgements: The my wonderful beta reader and wife that with her you would not beable to understand what I have written :o) and to those that have emailed me and asked to keep working on this piece Thank you you let me know I'm doing a good job. :o)

REACHING TO THE FUTURE
PART 1
by: Jennifer Lee

I know you all have been waiting for this so here it is have fun!

    It has been three days since Commander B�Elanna Torres had been asked by Captain and Admiral Janeway to take the Chief�s Engineer position on the new Explorer-Class Voyager; and B�Elanna only had two days left before she needed to give Admiral Janeway her answer.

     B�Elanna sat in her chair in her office looking out over the city-scape below her and sighed softly and asked herself, �What now Lanna?�

     �What now indeed B�Elanna?�

     Startled, B�Elanna jumped up and out of her chair and spun around in one movement. When she saw who was there leaning at the doorway she gave a mock glare and said, �Steinburg I�m going to��

     Before B�Elanna could say what she was going to do to her friend Lt. Commander Jessica Steinburg smiled a big smile and said, �Uh huh later, so are you going to take it or what?�

     B�Elanna narrowed her eyes at her best friend and crossed her arms over her chest saying, �I have no idea what you�re talking about Steinburg.�

     Jessica gave her a dismissive wave of the hand and walked fully into B�Elanna�s office.

     �Save it Torres. Everyone knows you were offered the most sought after position in the engineering world. Hell! Everyone I know, well except you, have been creaming over it since we all found out about it.� Jessica wiggled her eyebrows is a very suggestive manner.

     B�Elanna couldn�t help herself Jessica always found away to make her laugh and today was no different.

     �Sit you nut!� B�Elanna said when she started to breathe again and sat down in her chair.

     �I don�t know Jessie!� B�Elanna said to her good friend while drumming her fingers on her desk.

     �Ok then, lets look at the pros to taking the position.� Jessica said trying to help her commanding officer and friend come to a decision.
     B�Elanna rolled her eyes at the half-Vulcan, but waved her hand signaling for her to continue.

     Jessica was odd for a half-Vulcan, B�Elanna thought to herself.

     Her father was Vulcan and her mother human, that in of its self wasn�t odd, but the fact that Jessica didn�t have any interest in suppressing her emotions was what B�Elanna found odd about her. Jessica was every bit as emotional as everyone else; if it wasn�t for her pointed ears no one would have known.

     Jessica smiled a bright smile and said, �Ok, let�s start with the most obvious, to be able to serve on the most advanced ship in the whole fleet. You�ll be it�s Chief engineer, be able to pick your own engineering staff, test the new transwarp engine you and Harry designed, you get to serve with the most decorated Captain and Admiral in Starfleet, need I go on?�
     Jessie ended with a smug smile on her face.

     �It�s not that easy Jessie. I have B�Tel to think about. I mean a starship isn�t a place for a child��

     �Hold it!� Jessica said putting up her hand. �Don�t even feed me that line of bull shit. Have you talked with her about it?�

     B�Elanna nodded her head but look away slightly, Jessie continued �And what done she have to say about it?�

     �She�s only four!� B�Elanna started

     �So.� Countered Jessie, �She still has a thought on it doesn�t she?�

     When B�Elanna didn�t answered Jessie said, �Well does she or not?�

     �Yes she does��

     �Well, What is it?� Jessie prompted

     �Lets just say if left to her, the only thing left to pack will be the Kitchen sink.�

     B�Elanna crossed her arms over her chest and just looked out the window and asked her friend, �How many projects do we have going right now?�

     �Oh no you don�t!� Jessica said putting her hands down on the Commander�s desk starring right into the other woman�s eyes.

     �You�re not going to use this job�s unfinished projects as an excuse! There�s always something in the works here!�

     Jessie laughed at the defeated look on her friends face and said, �Well it looks like you have some planning to do.�

     �Yeah it looks like it.� B�Elanna smiled at her best friend �Looks like so do you.�

     �Huh?�

     �I checked. You�re up for shipside duty soon and if I�m going to be chief of that circus, then I�m going to need someone to keep me sane and you�re it.�

     B�Elanna smiled larger when she saw the wide smile on her friends face.

     Jessica�s face just went from mildly surprised to �Oh my god!� making B�Elanna burst out laughing at the change in her friend�s expression.

     �You� you�re kidding right?� Jessica stumbled out.

     B�Elanna smiled and said, �No I�m not. I need the best on my staff and you and Harry are the best I know.�

     B�Elanna stifled a laugh as her friend dropped into the nearest chair and just stared at her CO.

     When Jessica found her voice she asked, �So you�re taking the position?�

     �Yes, as you said I have no real good reason why not, I�ve wanted to be the one to test the new Transwarp Drive, B�Tel really wants to go and really likes being around Captain Janeway��

     B�Elanna trailed off not wanting to say anything about the fact she wanted to be around Seven too.

     �Anyway, if you�re willing to take the assistant Chief Engineer�s position; I�ll accept the Chief�s and we can get started selecting our staff.

     Jessica just starred at B�Elanna and just said, �Are you kidding? Of course I�m going to say yes!�

     With that the two women set to work on finding replacements for their positions in Starfleet R&D.

                     *************************************

     Captain Annika Janeway was in her ready room working on some reports for the new command staff for the new Voyager. She knew she was going to miss her Intrepid Class Voyager.

     She had spent so many years aboard her, first as a newly rescued ex-borg and now as her Captain.

     The chime at the door derailed her thoughts and she called for the person to enter without looking up from her reports; thinking it was her first officer bringing her more reports to look through.

     Seven looked up and was surprised as Admiral Kathryn Janeway walked in followed then by the reason she had stayed away from Earth so long, and the one person that consumed most of her thoughts, Commander B�Elanna Torres.

     �B�Elanna!� yelped the startled Captain as she jumped up out of her seat. But in her surprise, she knocked down a stack of padds when her knees banged into her desk.

      �Shit!� Seven cursed as she knelt down to pick up all her fallen reports.

     Admiral Janeway rolled her eyes and sighed softly as her daughter bent down to pick up the dropped report padds off the floor.

     B�Elanna was stunned to say the least. This was the first time she had ever seen the ex-drone caught off guard by anyone for any reason.

     All B�Elanna could do was stair with shocked disbelief.

     Seven started to say that see was sorry for dropping the reports when as she came back up, and her head hit the bottom of the desk with a �Thump!�.

     To the Captain�s credit, not a sound came out and she rose to her full height disposing the reports on her desk on her way up and said:

     �What can I do for you Admiral, Commander?�

     It took all of her control to keep from looking at her mother who was trying so desperately not to laugh at how nervous her daughter was at seeing B�Elanna unexpectedly.

     Admiral Janeway recovered quickly and said, �Commander Torres informed me that she has come to a decision about our offer. I thought it best if she meet us here and told us at the same time.�

     Seven wasn�t sure she was going to like the answer that B�Elanna was going to give, there were still two days left to go and she wasn�t expecting her answer this soon.

     Nonetheless, she nodded in the direction of sofa for them to all sit.

     B�Elanna snapped out of her shock just as Captain Janeway nodded to sit down on the couch.

     As they sat down, B�Elanna didn�t see any reason to �beat around the bush� so to speak,

     �Thank you Captain. As Admiral Janeway said I have decided to accept your offer as long as I can have Lt. Commander Jessica Steinberg as my Assistant Chief Engineer. If that is agreed upon them the Lt. Commander and I have put together a list of officers and civilians that we would like to have on our engineering staff.�

     Commander B�Elanna Torres handed a padd to both the Captain and Admiral Janeway and waited patiently as they read over the list.

     Both Janeway�s looked at each other after reading over the list and then back at the Commander.

     �I�m surprised that Harry�s name is not down here.� Kathryn said as she leaned back.

     �He won�t accept.� Both Captain Janeway and Commander Torres said at the exact same time.

     Kathryn smiled a bit at the blushes that hinted at both their faces.
     �You�re right he never wants to go back. I don�t have any problems with anyone on the list do you Captain?�

     �No, I don�t see any names that are a problem, but you do know that you�ll need to have three times the officers and crewmen you have on the list?� Seven asked as she went back over the list.

     �Yes I know. These are just the people I know. I would need the list of people that have posted for engineering to finish the list.� B�Elanna answered calmly.

     There was a time when a question like that would have started and argument about whether or not Seven thought she was stupid, or unable to figure that out on her own.

     Now the way Seven casually asked with a light and friendly inquiry let B�Elanna know that Seven just wanted to know if she had realized how big the ship, let alone the engine room is.

     �That�s sound good Commander.� The Admiral said as she set the padd down on the table in front of her.

     �I agree Admiral. Here�s the list of officers, crewmen, and civilians that have posted for engineering, Commander.

     If you like I�d be happy to show you what you signed on to run.� Captain Janeway said as she handed the commander a padd with the list of officers on it.

     Taking the padd she stood and told, both Admiral and Captain,

     �Thank you. When could I see the engine room?�

     The Admiral stood and smiled at B�Elanna beaming with pride and love for her other daughter of a sorts, and then smiled at her adopted daughter and said, �I�ll have to leave the tour to you Captain. I have a meeting to get to.�

     Shaking B�Elanna�s hand she said, �Welcome aboard Commander, or should I say Captain Torres.�

     Smiling at the shocked expression on the new Captain�s face at revealing the new rank B�Elanna would have at taking the position, she left Captain Janeway�s ready room with that same self-satisfying smile.

     B�Elanna stood there for a whole minute just starring at Seven with stark disbelief before she was able to say anything, and then when she did it was a very profound, �What?�

     Seven laughed a big hearty laugh that B�Elanna had never heard out of the ex-drone before, and she found herself laughing along with her.

     Seven looked at the shorter woman thinking how beautiful she truly is and that she could only wish that she�d be more apart of her life.

     B�Elanna could see that for a moment it seemed as though Seven�s thoughts drifted, thinking of something that was sad, and then it was gone; this made the trip to the transporters a very quiet trip.

       (To be continued in part Two of Reaching To The Future)