Title: Fever
Author: Khylaren
Contact: Khylaren@yahoo.com
Series: VOY - AU
Rating: [R]
Codes: Vorik/Nicolletti, P/T

Summary: My version of Blood Fever. Vorik has always been a favorite character of mine and I hated the way Blood Fever turned out – at least for Vorik.  I always wondered what would have happened if Vorik had been waylaid by someone and never made it to the surface of the planet. 

< > < > < >

This is an illogical endeavor, the rational, coldly logical side of Vorik insisted.  This cannot be expected to work.

However, it was his only option at this point.  His superiors had denied him the one, truly logical solution to his condition, and now he was expected to resolve his pon’farr using this.

Vorik’s handsome face contorted briefly into an expression of rage.  The holographic rendition of the Vulcan female in front of him, his mate his fevered brain practically screamed, did not react to this sudden and violent change in expression, but continued to regard him calmly, awaiting his interaction with her.  He felt the rage flow through him, firing his blood to a near-boiling heat, causing his hands to tremble at his sides.  Clenching his long fingers into fists, Vorik took several deep breaths and closed his eyes, initiating a calming ritual, straining to bring his fevered brain into focus once more.  

After several long minutes, he opened them once more to stare at the woman in front of him.  

Aesthetically, he noted, she was as pleasing a mate as one could want.  Her brown eyes were large and bright, her black hair shining and silky in appearance, her physical form in perfect proportion.  But behind the eyes, Vorik knew, there was no mind to touch, no soul to reach.  She was an empty shell.

And that was the problem.

Despite the overwhelming urge to mate, Vorik could find no interest in him for this holographic representation.  In fact, the more he regarded her programmed countenance, the angrier he became, and the urge to strike her, to hurl her across the simulated cabana into the far wall, to spill her holographic blood….Vorik’s hands clenched once more.  

He should be down on that planet with B’Elanna.  She was his!  He knew Tom Paris was down there with her, and the thought of the other man touching B’Elanna was enough to send Vorik’s blood to a boiling point once more.

There had to be a way to reach her.  If only he could find a way to get down to the planet without alerting anyone.  Once he got to her, he would make B’Elanna see that she was for him, and he for her.  He would take B’Elanna for his mate, and no one would interfere.

If I convince the doctor that I have resolved my pon’farr through his simulation, there will be no reason for him to continue to monitor me.  I will be free to leave the ship, Vorik thought, bringing his index fingers up under is chin meditatively.  The thought calmed him somewhat.  He knew the only way to convince the doctor he had resolved his pon’farr would be to reduce his symptoms to the barest detectible levels.  His eyes rested on the hologram once more and he contemplated his options.

Perhaps T’Pera would have her uses after all.

=^=  =^=  =^=

Vorik was sitting in a chair, hands folded with the index fingers meeting in a point, meditating quietly when the doctor arrived.

“You called, ensign?  Is there a problem?”  The doctor came around the corner to stand across from Vorik, his expression slightly worried.

Vorik turned his head slightly, looking up at the holographic doctor.  His expression was relaxed, almost pleasant. “Not at all.”

“You seem much improved,” the doctor noted, smiling.

“Yes. Your holodeck therapy was very effective.  I must compliment you on an innovative solution.”  His tone was light.

The doctor was surprised and obviously relieved. “I’m pleased to hear that.”  His eyes lit up in contemplation. “This could be a viable alternative to space-faring Vulcans.” His voice took an excited edge. “When we get back, I’m sure that Starfleet Medical will,” he paused, seeing the look Vorik was giving him and hastily amended what he was going to say. “Never hear about your personal experiences from me,” he finished, slightly deflated.

“Thank you, doctor.” Vorik stood, unfolding his lean frame from the chair. “May I return to duty?”

“Soon enough, ensign. I need to run a few cortical scans,” the doctor replied, following Vorik out of the holodeck.

Vorik walked beside the doctor, inwardly pleased at his success so far.  As they walked to sickbay, Vorik only partially listened to the doctor’s inane chatter.  His mind continued to evolve a plan that would succeed in getting him to the surface of the planet that revolved beneath Voyager, back to his mate.

=^=  =^=  =^=

Tom Paris cast a worried look at his partner before returning his concentration on moving the rocks that blocked the passageway. B’Elanna was getting worse, if looks were any indication. She sat huddled, knees to chin on the ground against the rock wall, dark eyes burning brightly in the gloom of the cave.  He was several feet away from her, but he could swear he could feel the heat of her body rolling over his skin.  It would be faster if she was helping him, but at this point he felt the further away she was from him, the better.

The temptation to give into what she was offering was nearly overwhelming. B’Elanna’s blood burned with unnatural lust, the fevered desire to mate, brought on by Vorik’s attempt to bond with her during his pon’farr.  Tom didn’t know if she truly desired him in her heart, or if it was just the chemical imbalance in her body talking. He knew if he took her up on her repeated offers she would hate him afterwards, and that was something he most definitely did not want. 

He cast another look at her as he moved a rock out of his way. She was shivering, literally shaking with her need.  Tuvok said the condition could kill her if it wasn’t resolved somehow. Tom realized, as he gauged the amount of rock left to move, that he might have to rethink his position.

Tom was startled when B’Elanna appeared beside him, reaching with both hands for a nearby rock. She worked silently, panting with the effort to move the rocks that blocked their exit. Tom didn’t speak, not wanting to break the temporary truce between them. Together, they managed to clear the blockage enough for them to crawl through into the open passageway on the other side. Tom could see light ahead of them.

“Come on!”

He grabbed her hand, and nearly dropped it when he felt how hot it was, and pulled her towards the exit of the cave.  He could tell it was taking all she had to get to the outside, and once at the mouth of the cave, she collapsed against the rock, panting with exertion.

“Lieutenant Paris, Lieutenant Torres!”

Commander Chakotay spotted them, relief etched plainly on his face. Tuvok’s expression was more reserved, but even he looked relieved to have found them both alive and well. 

“We’ve got to get her to sickbay,” Tom said, moving towards them. “She’s barely holding on as it is.”

“We can’t,” Chakotay said, clearly frustrated and worried. “Transporters are offline and we can’t contact the ship.”

“What are we going to do?” Tom ran a hand through his hair, looking at B’Elanna, who was rocking back and forth.

“Lieutenant Paris,” Tuvok spoke finally, his expression as grave and solemn as Tom had ever seen it. “There is but one possible resolution if you are to save B’Elanna’s life.”

Tom swallowed, feeling his heart beat faster. He didn’t need Tuvok to spell it out for him. B’Elanna had to mate or she would die.

He moved back to where B’Elanna was sitting, feeling very unsure.  Chakotay and Tuvok had already left the area to give them some privacy.

“B’Elanna, I know this is a bizarre situation and all, and, well, I know this isn’t how we probably would have wanted things to go.”  He stopped, flustered and unsure of what to say.

B’Elanna turned her head to look up at him, her expression finally calm. 

“Be quiet, Tom.”

B’Elanna stood, reaching for his hand once more, and pulled him into the trees that surrounded the clearing.

< > < > < >

Vorik moved stealthily towards the transporter room, his mind focused on achieving his goal. He had already disabled the communications between Voyager and the away team. Now it was a simple matter of setting up a timed algorhythm that would disable the transporters as well, once he was already on the planet.  He was so intent on his goal that he didn’t see Susan Nicoletti step out of the corridor in front of him until it was too late.

Before he could react, she had already pressed the hypospray against his neck and released the sedative into his system. His last sight was her calm brown eyes staring down at him before his own eyes closed and he lost consciousness.

Susan reached down and pulled out the medical tricorder the doctor had given her. She scanned Vorik’s prone form and then tapped her combadge.

“Nicolletti to the doctor.”

“Go ahead.”

“Vorik is out for the moment.  Initiate stage two?”

“Affirmative. I’ll inform the captain.  Good luck.”

Susan spared a glance down at the unconscious from at her feet before initiating a site-to-site transport from the corridor to the holodeck.

< > < > < >

Vorik’s eyes fluttered opened and for a moment, he was confused by his surroundings.  He was lying on the stone floor of a temple that looked familiar, and his head hurt abominably.  

He sat up slowly, wincing as the movement caused his head to throb, and gained his bearings.  He had been on his way to the transporter room, he remembered, when someone stopped him.

That someone was sitting across from him on a stone bench, regarding him calmly.

“You!”  Vorik lurched to his feet, anger coming easily to the fore.  His handsome face contorted in fury. 

Susan continued to regard him calmly, although her heart felt like it was in her throat. 

“Wait!” she said, getting to her feet slowly, moving carefully towards him.  “Please listen, Vorik.”

Her soft voice and demeanor had its intended affect, and Vorik calmed somewhat.  

“Please don’t be angry with me,” she pleaded softly. “I did what I thought I had to do for you – what you were going to do was wrong, and Lieutenant Torres would never have forgiven you for it.”

Vorik scowled. “And how would you know what I was going to do?” he asked suspiciously, anger beginning to build once more at the thought that the doctor or Tuvok or anyone had betrayed his very private secret.  “Who told you?” he growled his question.

Susan continued her slow and careful approach. “No one told me, Vorik.  I put it together myself.  I saw the change in you before anyone else, including you, did.  I watched you, but I wasn’t able to stop you from approaching B’Elanna.”  She stopped and looked at him, her expression saddened somewhat. “Did it never occur to you that someone else might be willing to be your mate?”

Vorik regarded her with open surprise. It had never occurred to him that Susan Nicolletti, fellow engineer and co-worker, might ever regard him in that light. He had focused his mind and energy on B’Elanna, believing only she had the qualities suitable for him. Now as he considered the woman standing before him, he realized that he had blindly pursued what he believed was his only option, and had not considered that there might be more than one woman who might suit his needs.  

“I did not consider any other options,” Vorik replied, his anger visibly weakening. “It did not occur to me to do so.”

Susan did not smile, but her eyes brightened. “This is your first time.  You did what you thought you were supposed to do.”

Vorik nodded, his mind finally grasping what he believed she was offering. He knew Susan from working with her and talking with her on those few social occasions when he mingled with the crew.  She was calm, quiet, and not given to emotional outbursts.  Tom Paris, he recalled, had labeled her “cold-hands, cold-heart Nicolletti”.  Vorik knew that the label was inaccurate. Compared to someone with B’Elanna’s temperament, or with the Delaney’s exuberance, she might appear cold, but Vorik found her quiet and composed demeanor quite agreeable to work with.  

Susan could see he was working through her offer, logically assessing her merits, as it were.  She did not find the process disturbing.  Her relationships with human males had always been unsatisfactory – most had overwhelmed her and left her standing quietly in their shadow.  Vorik had appealed to her ever since she had first worked with him restoring the impulse engines. He was quiet, thoughtful, logical, respectful, and physically appealing.  It had been her own reticent and shy nature that had prevented her from approaching him before. She had watched from the sidelines as he obviously attempted to win B’Elanna’s affections. She could have told him that it would have ended in disaster.  B’Elanna was far too hot-blooded to ever be interested in somewhat as reserved as Vorik.  She had been waiting for him to come to the realization on his own, however, and had been too late to intervene when he approached B’Elanna to be his mate.

Vorik was looking at her with an expression that made her skin flush.

“You are offering to become my mate?” he asked with quiet intensity, his dark eyes never leaving hers.

Not trusting herself to speak, she simply nodded.  Vorik closed the distance between them in two steps.

Slowly, carefully he cupped her face with his hands, fingers aligning themselves on the meld points of her face. He hesitated before initiating the meld that would bond them.

“Are you certain of what you are offering?” he asked softly, privately aware that it would be almost impossible for him to go on if she denied him.  

Leaning forward slowly, so as not to dislodge Vorik’s carefully placed hands, Susan pressed her lips against his, softly, her heart hammering wildly in her chest.

Vulcans do not kiss each other as a general rule, but Vorik had observed it many times in his human counterparts and had always wondered why the experience was so important to them.  As Susan’s lips touched his, the fire that had been building within him flared anew and with it came the understanding of why humans kissed.  Without conscious thought, he returned her kiss as best he knew, and the bond between them was opened.

< > < > < >

Wow.

It was the only coherent thought that Tom could form.  He lay sprawled on his back, eyes closed, feeling bruised, bitten, exhausted, and exultant.

“Wow.”

He hadn’t realized he had spoken aloud until the reason for his euphoria poked him none to gently in the ribs.  He opened his eyes and grinned up at B’Elanna, who was smiling in a rather feral fashion he found disturbingly sexy.

“The great Tom Paris is reduced to monosyllables.  I like that.”

Tom chuckled and attempted to sit up, groaning when a cracked rib gave a twinge of pain.  He reached for his uniform top and shook the leaves out of it, wincing in pain from the lacerations on his shoulders.

“Are you all right?” she asked quietly, looking slightly abashed as she took in his injuries.

Tom smiled up at her, his blue eyes glinting in amusement and affection. “Oh yeah. I’m most definitely all right.”

B’Elanna resisted the urge to smack the silly grin off his face, not wanting to injure her mate any further.

Her mate.

The thought stopped her cold for a moment. That’s what he was now, she realized. Her mate.  She wasn’t certain how she felt about that.  Quietly, she gathered her clothes about her and dressed, watching him through lowered lashes as he did the same.

Tom could sense the change in her and felt a pang of worry in his chest. She wouldn’t just go back to the way things were, would she?  There was only one way to find out.

“B’Elanna,” he began hesitatingly, fiddling with his combadge before attaching it to his uniform. He took a deep breath. “We have to talk.”

She turned towards him, brushing a few leaves out of her tangled hair. “Yes,” she agreed. “We do.”

The both stood in silence, staring at one another, before the sound of a twig snapping in the distance startled them both.

“Lieutenants?”  

It was Commander Chakotay.  The moment was gone for now.  

“Over here,” B’Elanna called.

Tom looked at her, the pain in his eyes had nothing to do with his injuries.

B’Elanna stepped closer to him and reached out, grasping his hand in hers.  “We’ll talk later, Tom.”

He was surprised and hopeful at her gesture. Together, they walked towards the sound of Chakotay’s voice.

< > < > < >

It was like nothing she had ever experienced before. 

Susan sighed contentedly and rolled to her side, curling her body against the sleeping form of Vorik, wincing slightly at the soreness between her thighs.  Even in slumber she could sense him, feel his presence in her mind. It was wonderful and terrifying all at once.

Vorik had been gentle, and through the bond she could feel that he was holding himself in check as much as possible so as not to hurt her. She had sent her feelings back through their link to reassure him – she was not as fragile as she looked. He could not hurt her.

The passion and fire that had opened thereafter between them had washed over her, through her, and she found herself rising higher and higher above it, feeling glorious, exhilarated, and animal in her desire as she gave her body willingly to him.  She could feel his own need burn within him as he attempted to quench the flames in her, feel him reach the pinnacle of his desires and leap willingly over the edge.  She had felt his satisfaction afterwards as he held her with a tenderness she had never expected.

Lying next to her afterwards, he had held his hand out towards her, two fingers extended. She could sense what he wanted and she held her own hand up, mirroring his gesture. He touched her fingers gently, bringing them down the length of hers slowly, and she felt his affection for her and his pleasure at having her for his mate.

Parted from me, but never parted.

Vorik slept now, the fire that burned so brightly within him had been momentarily quenched.  Susan could feel him, though, and knew that the fire was far from gone.  Curling her body as close to her mate as she could, Susan closed her eyes and let sleep overcome her.

< > < > < >

The EMH finished his scan of B’Elanna with a pleased smile.

“All traces of the hormonal imbalance are gone, Lieutenant. But you need to take a few days off to rest. Doctor’s orders.”

B’Elanna grimaced, disliking the thought of being away from her engines for that long, but agreed.  Besides, she thought, catching Tom’s eyes with her own, there were other things that could keep her mind off them.

The doctor was finding humor in healing Tom’s numerous injuries. “A broken clavicle on the wedding night is good luck, you know,” he said cheerfully as he ran the bone-knitter over Tom’s ribs.  “Ribs are equally lucky, I’m sure.”

Tom scowled, hopping off the biobed. “Despite what happened on the surface, which was only to save B’Elanna’s life, for the record B’Elanna and I are just dating.  Please feel free to spread the word.”

The doctor raised an eyebrow, looking at B’Elanna is askance.

The half-Klingon engineer nodded. “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t let the details of our encounter on the surface slip out.  It’s nobody’s business.”  Her glare was effective, and the doctor held his hands up defensively.

“I wouldn’t dream of speaking of this to anyone,” the doctor replied sourly. “Now, if you two love-birds will excuse me, I’ve got to monitor Vorik’s condition.”

Despite herself, B’Elanna’s curiosity was peaked. “Vorik?”  She was still angry with him for trying to force himself on her, but she was concerned – having a much better understanding of what he had been going through, she almost – almost – couldn’t blame him for his actions.

The EMH looked slightly happier. “Well, yes. Vorik had a solution of his own offered to him. I believe, from the readings that I received earlier from the holodeck, that the solution has had its intended affect.  Lieutenants,” he said in dismissal, turning to return to his office.

Tom grinned, holding his hand out for B’Elanna to take.  “Thank’s doc.”

As they left sickbay together, Tom found himself marveling at the turn of events in the last few hours.  After beaming back aboard Voyager, Tom had cornered B’Elanna in the turbolift and they had finally had their talk.

“B’Elanna, I need to know if this is just going to be a one time thing.”

“Why?” she had demanded, crossing her arms in front of him. “Didn’t you get enough on the planet?”

“No,” he replied just as crossly. “I didn’t. In fact, it would take a lifetime of that for me to get enough.”

B’Elanna’s arms dropped to her sides as she looked at him in surprise. “What are you saying?”

Tom sighed, tempering his anger. “What I’m saying is, that I would like for us to have a relationship. A real one. Not just a one-time deal, or even just for sex.” He reached out and took her shoulders in his hands. “I’m in love with you, B’Elanna. I have been for some time now. But you never gave me any hope that you returned my feelings in the slightest.  Until today, when you were under the influence of rampaging hormones. Even then, I wasn’t sure if it was just the hormones talking.”  He dropped his hands from her shoulders and ran one hand through his hair, looking up at the ceiling of the turbolift for a moment before sighing. “I guess what I’m asking is whether or not you actually feel something for me, or if it was just the hormones.  Do you want to be with me?”

B’Elanna backed away slightly, feeling uncertain.  She liked Tom a great deal, more than she would ever have admitted to herself before today.  But she wasn’t certain she was ready to settle down for domestic bliss just yet.

“I want to be with you,” she began hesitantly. “But I think we need to take this one step at a time.  Yes, I was out of control down there – but it wasn’t just the hormones doing the talking for me, Tom.  I’ve pushed you away because I’ve been afraid – none of my relationships have been good ones, and you just seemed to be the type of guy that would break my heart if I ever gave it to you. I always took you for the kind of guy that would take advantage of a situation like we were just in. But you didn’t – you respected me, even though you knew I was dying from the need. You didn’t want me to hate you afterwards, because you wanted something more?”  At Tom’s nod, she continued more bravely. “Then I’m willing to give you that. But I think we need to start simply.”

“Even though we’ve already,” Tom paused, nodding slowly. “Yes, I think you’re right.”  He stood up straighter and smiled his most charming smile.

“Lieutenant Torres, would you like to accompany me to the holodeck after your appointment with the doctor?”

B’Elanna eyed him suspiciously, but a smile of her own was forming. “You better be on your best behavior, helm-boy.”

“Aren’t I always?”

< > < > < >

“You are awake?” Vorik’s voice came softly in the semi-darkness of his quarters.  They had left the holographic representation of the Vulcan temple shortly after awakening from their nap and had used the site-to-site transport to relocate them here.

Susan had been a bit surprised to feel the fire burning within him once again, but it was softer this time – the keen edge had been taken from the blade.  He had taken her once again, this time slower, exploring her body more fully, delighting in the reactions he could elicit from his tender caresses. It was amazing, she thought, being with a lover who could know what you needed exactly when you needed it. No human lover had ever brought her such pleasure.

“Just barely,” Susan replied, rolling over so she could look at him. His hair, usually so neatly kept, was mussed from their lovemaking. She decided she liked him looking a little mussed – especially if she was the reason for it.

He could sense her amusement and contentment through their bond and was pleased.

“How are you feeling?” she asked, lightly touching the contours of his collarbone.

He placed his hand over hers, holding it against his chest as he looked at her, lying peacefully in the dark next to him.  He found her face incomparably beautiful.

“I am feeling fortunate.”

Susan sat up slightly, leaning on one elbow so she could look down at his face. “Fortunate?”

He did not smile, but she sensed the emotion from within him. “I am fortunate to have you as my mate, Susan.”  His eyebrow quirked upwards. “I am fortunate that you chose to wait in the corridor and sedate me before I compounded my error with Lieutenant Torres with an even greater one.”  He felt her chest move with her quiet laughter.

“I too, am fortunate, Vorik.”  She sighed, stretching her body in a fashion that Vorik suddenly found very fascinating. “I am happy.”  She felt the fire build slowly within him again and smiled inwardly, satisfied knowing that she was the cause for it.

The End