Fallen Star
Disclaimers: Voyager and Xena belong to Paramount and Universal respectively. I'm not making money out of this - just having some fun with the characterrs. This story contains love between women so if that offends you or it's illegal where you live, go read something else (or move). There's also angst and some violence.
Feedback: is welcome at [email protected]
SPOILER WARNING: You might want to skip this if you haven’t seen the Xena finale.
I’m dedicating this one to Jean for being the best beta reader – couldn’t have done this without you, thanks. :) I'd also like to thank Sonja for the ever so pretty graphic.
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Part 4
B'Elanna was drifting in a pleasant haze, a warm, fuzzy pleasant haze. 'I must be in heaven' she thought idly. Her eyes opened slowly and she found herself staring at the soft curve of a breast. 'Not heaven,' she corrected herself happily, 'Seven.' She sighed in contentment and stretched, careful not to disturb the sleeping beauty beside her. A lock of blonde hair had fallen over Seven's face and she gently brushed it aside. A giddy smile spread over B'Elanna's face as she thought back to the previous night, after a long session of lovemaking, they'd fallen asleep in each others arms whispering declarations of love. Now it was almost midday, it had been a wonderful night's sleep, made all the better by waking up next to this beautiful woman. It was the first time B'Elanna had seen Seven while she was sleeping. All the other times, Seven had woken up when she did, and it just wasn't the same when Seven was regenerating - she didn't have the same look on her face, that peaceful, sweet, serene expression that B'Elanna felt an irresistible urge to kiss. She didn't though, not wanting to wake Seven. 'Our 'activities' must have tired her out.' B'Elanna thought with a smirk. She carefully extricated her leg, which had been trapped between Sevens' and gently moved the arm that had been draped over her shoulders. Calling on extreme willpower, she forced herself to climb out of the warm furs. Quickly pulling on her clothes, B'Elanna decided to try and catch their lunch before Seven awoke, hoping to surprise the borg with breakfast in bed. Then she scrawled 'gone fishing' on the dirt floor with a finger, gave the sleeping woman one last glance, and hurried off to the river.
Seven awoke, feeling vaguely uneasy. B'Elanna was not with her; she should be with her... why was she not there? She looked around in the dim light of the cabin, and saw 'gone fishing' scratched into the floor. How long ago was that? She touched the furs beside her, they were still warm - B'Elanna must have only recently left. Seven felt slightly better at knowing where B'Elanna was, but was still a little worried. 'This is irrational.' She tried to reason with herself, but the uneasy feeling persisted. Knowing that it wouldn't go away until she was beside her lover again, she decided to go find B'Elanna.
It was a lovely morning, Seven noted as she made her way down to the river along the familiar trail. The sun was high in the sky, and Seven wondered at how she could've slept for so long. Perhaps it was a side effect of their lovemaking, she thought, but then reasoned that it was most likely due to not being able to regenerate. She frowned at how fast the effects were catching up with her. The borg was broken out of her reverie by sounds of harsh laughter and jeering. She broke into a run, berating herself for not bringing the phaser.
"What are you, freak?"
Seven reached the riverbank in time to see a man kick B'Elanna in the stomach, causing the woman to double over in pain. The half Klingon had armed herself with a stout-looking tree branch and was trying her best to defend herself. Half a dozen mean-looking men surrounded her, trying to get close enough to disarm her but too cowardly to rush her by themselves.
"Do you like the pain, bitch?" Snarled a man in perverse joy as he slipped past B'Elanna's defenses and smashed a mace into her ribs. It was the last thing he would say. Seven had reached the group by now and plucked him up with her borg enhanced hand, cold fury in her eyes as she snapped his neck and flung him aside. She reached for her next victim, who cowered, shrinking away before her mesh-covered hand. He squealed in pain as she kicked him and crashed into a nearby tree, causing it to shake with the force. At the same time she'd grabbed another by the neck as was in the process of squeezing the life out of him.
"Seven."
Seven didn't hear, intent on destroying the weasel of a man who would dare to hurt her beloved. His eyes had begun to bulge, a terrified expression frozen on his face.
"Seven!"
B'Elanna's voice finally cut through her rage, and she dropped the man. The others had all fled before her attack. She turned to find the half Klingon holding her side with a pained expression on her face.
"Lanna," Seven whispered "are you hurt, my Lanna?" She caught hold of the injured woman, cradling her in protective arms. "B'Elanna?" She couldn't stand the thought of her beloved being damaged.
"Shh," B'Elanna soothed "I'm okay." She hugged the frightened borg awkwardly with one arm, then winced "Just a little sore." She closed her eyes for a second before smiling bravely, trying to reassure Seven, "They got in a few hits there, but I'll be fine."
"You are damaged." Seven said with a disapproving tone, "Where are your injuries?"
"I think my shoulder is dislocated, and my ribs hurt." B'Elanna winced as she gingerly pressed the area where the mace had caught her.
"Can you walk? We must return to the cabin." Seven paused. "I will carry you." She said decisively, then added "Resistance is futile." when she saw B'Elanna about to protest. This made the half Klingon giggle.
"Ow." B'Elanna complained, "Don't make me laugh, Seven."
"Yes dear." Seven leaned down to kiss her on the nose, then gently picked up her injured companion.
The walk home was long and arduous; taking almost ten minutes as Seven walked extra slowly, careful not to jolt B'Elanna. The women sighed with relief as they entered their hut, which already felt like both a haven and a home to them. Seven carefully laid B'Elanna down and knelt by her.
"I will set your shoulder, this may hurt." Seven said, then grabbed hold of B'Elanna's arm and pushed it back in place before the other woman had time to react.
The half Klingon blinked in surprise. "Whoa, it's done?"
"Yes."
"It ...didn't hurt."
"Good." Seven replied, "I've noticed that the human brain often does not register senses when it is surprised. My hypothesis was correct, it seems." She looked at B'Elanna who was staring at her. "What is it?"
"You."
"Me?" Seven asked, puzzled.
"Yes, you. You're beautiful."
"You are incorrect, I am not aesthetically pleasing."
"You are, Seven." B'Elanna insisted, taking up Seven's hand and kissing the cool mesh. "I love everything about you. To me, you're the most beautiful woman in the world." B'Elanna gazed into Seven's eyes. "I love your nose," she put the tip of a finger on Seven's nose, "and your lips," she kissed them, "your ears" she nibbled a lobe, "eyebrows", she ran her thumb gently over one eyebrow and then kissed the implant that framed the other. "I love all of you."
Seven looked expectantly at her. "The rest of me is waiting."
B'Elanna eyed the borg's body suggestively, then sighed. "I'd show the rest of your body how much I love it, but I don't think my ribs would like it very much."
"Do not hurt your ribs!" Seven was alarmed, "I love them!"
B'Elanna chuckled softly, "My ribs love you too, sweetie. And don't worry, they'll get better soon."
"Acceptable."
B'Elanna's stomach growled.
"Is your stomach jealous because I love your ribs? Please assure it that I love it just as much."
B'Elanna laughed, then sucked in her breath as her ribs protested at the sudden movement. "My stomach is assured-" she began to say, but was cut off by another loud growl from the vicinity of her abdomen. She glared at it. Seven quirked an amused eyebrow.
"I'm hungry, okay?" grumbled B'Elanna.
"I see." Seven stood up. "I will go secure our afternoon nutritional supplement."
"Is it safe?" B'Elanna frowned, "Take the phaser... just incase those men come back."
" I do not require a phaser, they are easily dealt with." Seven argued, "You should keep it, you are damaged. You will be unable to defend yourself if they come here."
"But-"
"You may come after me with the phaser if I do not return within half an hour."
"But-"
Seven turned and crossed her arms over her chest, a stubborn look on her face. "Yes?"
B'Elanna sighed, "Nothing." She knew when to make a tactical retreat. It was no use trying to argue with a borg, especially when that borg had learnt how to be stubborn from Janeway herself.
B'Elanna needn't have worried though; Seven was back before 10 minutes had elapsed, holding two large fish in her hands.
"Honey, I'm home!"
B'Elanna winced. "You sound like Tom when you do that."
"That is only logical seeing as I learnt the phrase from him." Seven replied, as she briskly began to prepare the fish for cooking. "However, I will no longer use it if you dislike it."
"Anything you say is music to my ears, BangwI, I just... I don't like being reminded of Tom or Voyager at the moment." B'Elanna sighed. "What if they never find us?"
"They will," Seven reassured her, then bent down to kiss B'Elanna's forehead ridges. They smiled at each other for a moment before B'Elanna sniffed the air and wrinkled her nose.
"You smell like fish."