Title: Memory Loss Blues 1/4
Author: quew
Disclaimers: Paramount owns Star Trek: Voyager. I’m doing this for fun, not profit, and also if the idea of two woman in lurve offends you…why are you on this list? Kidding. Please don’t read.
Rating: PG-13?
Warnings:
Archiving: PM if wanted; P&P if wanted. Anywhere else is fine too, just let me know.
Notes: Pretty much free-written – started 15:11pm. Finished – 19:38pm. I had to beta it though – my spelling just went downhill about halfway and ended up so bad at the end I could barely read it : ) I would have posted right after I finished but I had to have something to eat; I missed lunch ;) This is a late response to the Memory Loss challenge on VJB , a very cool list for readers and writers of T/7. It's meant to be one story, but I had to break it up to post and it seemed a bit long as one thing, so I left it as four. And the title sucks.
#
‘She’s lost her memory?’
‘Yes,’ The Captain confirmed, looking around the meeting table. ‘So you must all treat her with the utmost tact, please.’
‘Tact, right,’ Tom Paris said, nodding seriously.
B’Elanna snorted, ‘Yeah, ‘cause that’s your strong point.’
‘You two…’ the Captain warned.
Tom Paris had the good grace to look mildly apologetic, but B’Elanna merely rolled her eyes and mumbled an apology. The Captain was not amused.
‘B’Elanna…how would you feel if you lost any memory of who you were? I have spoken to Seven, and she is, I assure you, quite different to the Seven that any of you remember.’
‘You mean she’s actually nice?’ B’Elanna mumbled under her breath – or so she thought.
The Captain bought the flats of her hands down on the table with two loud claps, making everybody jump. ‘Lieutenant Torres! I cannot believe you do not have more respect for a fellow crewmember in this situation!’
B’Elanna was silent, staring resolutely at the table in front of her, until the Captain made her freeze with her following speech.
‘As I was saying, apart from her memory loss Seven appears to be fine, and Neelix has suggested a small party to be held in her honour, three days from now. The senior officers will all be present, as well as Neelix, The Delaney sisters, Sam and Naomi Wildman and the Astromestrics crew. I want you, B’Elanna, to escort Seven to the party. I think it would be a good opportunity to turn over a new leaf. Get off on the right foot, so to speak.’
The assembled officers gasped – they were as shocked by the suggestion as B'Elanna was, and it seemed, judging by the muffled groans and incredulous stares, that more than one of the senior officers had been hoping to be the one to take Seven themselves.
B’Elanna opened her mouth and then shut it with a snap, unable to think of anything to say until she managed a strangled, ‘But why me??’
‘I just told you. But…If she really feels that she would rather go with someone else, she may decide not to be accompanied by you,’ The Captain replied, trying to keep the small smile from her lips – she did enjoy trying to bring her crew together, even if it did step on the toes of the plans she’d had to take Seven herself.
#
‘Stupid Captain, stupid ship, stupid, stupid, stupid…’ B’Elanna was muttering to herself, wandering back toward engineering. She was about to step into a turbo-lift when she heard a voice call her name.
‘B’Elanna!’ The voice repeated, and the engineer turned.
Sam Wildman was hanging out of her quarters, wearing a stunning gown of a deep green material. ‘Do you think this’ll look alright for Seven?’
‘Uh, yeah,’ B’Elanna called just as the ‘lift arrived and she stepped inside. Wow, it looked like a lot of people were taking the party seriously. B’Elanna would have preferred to be in engineering, catching up on all her work, than to be going to a party for the ex-drone.
And hadn’t Sam meant to say ‘for Seven’s party,’?
#
‘…and then I was going to get some roses and a bucket of champagne and-’ Suddenly Harry stopped talking as B’Elanna walked around the corner, he and Tom looking like naughty school-children caught making diabolical plans by their teacher.
‘What are you guys doing?’ She asked, perplexed. She leant against the corridor wall, noting that the doors to sick-bay were within sight.
‘Uh, nothing?’ Tom said, pulling Harry’s elbow, and together they scampered off down the hall.
‘What the hell is going on?!’ B’Elanna muttered to herself. She was about to carry on her way when the doors to sick-bay swished open, and she caught snatches of conversation from inside.
‘So I hear you’re being escorted to the dance by Lieutenant Torres?’ That was the doctor, and B’Elanna ground her teeth at his supercilious tone of voice.
‘Yes,’ a light, feminine voice replied, and it took B’Elanna a moment to realise that it was Seven of Nine, only her tone held none of its usual aloofness…it sounded normal. ‘I’m really looking forward to it, actually. I haven’t met this ‘Lieutenant’ yet. I hope he’s nice.’ He?
‘Yes, well. I feel it’s only my duty to inform you that you and Lieutenant Torres did not get along very well before your accident. Wouldn’t you rather go with someone you’re familiar with?’
What was going on? The Doctor hadn’t corrected Seven’s slip up, and everyone was acting like this was going to be the greatest party the delta quadrant had ever seen!
Unfortunately, before B’Elanna could peek inside, the doors closed once more, and she missed Seven’s response. Her foul temper had not been helped by the succession of strange happenings that morning, and she was determined to get to the bottom of it.
#
On the morning of the day of Seven’s party, B’Elanna was no closer in retrieving the answers she wanted from the rest of the crew. Whenever she bought up the subject of Seven’s party, Seven or anything remotely to do with the ex-drone, she’d been faced with crewmembers suddenly degenerating into simpering, apparently almost love-struck puddles of goo.
Finally, she gave up. She’d tried talking to Neelix, but within five seconds of her mentioning Seven’s name he’d gone off into feverish fits of hyperactivity, claiming that ‘everything had to be perfect for that perfect woman!’ and crashing, banging and generally making so much noise in his kitchen that B’Elanna was finally ready to believe he was dismantling the ship piece by piece, starting with the cold-meat locker.
She was sitting in the Mess-hall, poking her food with her fork when she felt a tugging on her jacket.
‘May I sit down, Lieutenant?’ Naomi asked, and B’Elanna couldn’t help but grin at the young child’s formal mode of speech.
‘Of course,’ she nodded to the sit opposite her. ‘What can I do for you?’
‘Nothing,’ Naomi replied with the characteristic bluntness of the young. ‘You looked upset, so I thought I’d come and talk to you. Aren’t you happy about Seven’s party? I think it’s nice that everyone is welcoming her back.’
B’Elanna rolled her eyes but refrained for growling – the youngster was obviously excited and B’Elanna didn’t want to ruin her mood. ‘You’re right, Naomi – I should be excited. Everyone else seems to be.’ The last part was said darkly while she stabbed her leeola root with her fork.
‘My mum says everybody’s jealous because you get to take Seven to the party,’ Naomi confided, leaning forward, ‘Even her. She says that now that Seven isn’t Borg anymore, she’ll be much more approachable.’
B’Elanna stared at the child, her mouth hanging open. Out of the mouth of babes! Of course! It all made sense! She tried very hard not to laugh and just grinned at Naomi instead. ‘Thanks, kid,’ she said. ‘Say…would you like to come with me and take Seven to the party?’
‘Really? Could I?’ Naomi smiled broadly and B’Elanna couldn’t help but feel her own smile deepen, but then Naomi's expression fell suddenly, ‘It’s just…I’m afraid she won’t be the Seven I remember…that she won’t be my friend anymore…’
B’Elanna swallowed – she was a little out of her depth here, but seeing the sad look on Naomi’s face she took the girls hand in her own and said, ‘Look, she’s not going to be the Seven you remember,’ she said, and then immediately regretted it when she saw Naomi’s face fall further. ‘But I’ve heard that’s she’s much nicer now.’
‘I don’t want her to be nicer; if she were nicer she won’t be Seven.’
B’Elanna laughed, ‘Do you know, that’s exactly what I said?’ She gripped Naomi’s hand tighter. ‘What I meant was, this Seven doesn’t remember who she used to be; she doesn’t remember her time with the Borg and she doesn’t remember how she used to act. What we have to do now is make her our friend all over again.’
‘But you two weren’t really friends though,’ Naomi said innocently, and B’Elanna was once again surprised at the insight Naomi displayed.
‘No,’ B’Elanna said slowly, ‘We weren’t. But perhaps we can do something to change that now.’
‘But won’t that be like lying to her? Pretending that nothing ever happened before?’
‘Not if I tell her what happened before straight-away…or you can, seeing as you’re going to be her other companion for the evening. Now-’ she held up a hand, forestalling anything else the young girl was about to say ‘-I want you to go and ask your mother if it’s ok that you come with Seven and I tonight, ok?’
With that, Naomi leapt out of her seat, nodding furiously, and sprinted out of the door.
B’Elanna chuckled into her food and thought over what the girl had said. ‘…Much more approachable…Hmmmm…Kah’less!’ She’d finally figured it out! The reason why everyone was going so nuts! Everyone thought that now Seven had lost her memory, she'd be open to...dating a member of the crew!