Title: Words Mean Nothing 8/?

Author: quew

Disclaimers: To all the lawyers out there - Paramount owns Voyager, I don't. I'm just doing this for fun, not profit, so please don't sue me. Please?

Rating:

Archiving: PM, if wanted. Anywhere else is fine, as long as I know where ;)

Warning: T/7…if f/f bothers you, please don't read.

Notes: Just a very short chapter.

#

B'Elanna didn't register the pain for a moment, but when it did make itself felt she had to bite her lip to stop a wave of expletives a sailor would've blushed at.

'I…Fu…Oh…' She managed, hopping around and trying to bend down and grab the foot while not pulling too much at her injured shoulder.

Anna stared at her for a full twenty seconds before bursting out laughing. 'Are...you ok?' She managed between breaths.

'Me? Oh, yeah.' B'Elanna tried to complete ignore the pain coming from her foot and made it to the blanket, bringing the basket with her. 'I'm fine, didn't feel a thing.'

'Really?' Anna reached out, placing a comforting hand on the half-Klingons' foot. B'Elanna flinched in pain. 'Not a thing?'

Realising the other woman was teasing her, B'Elanna allowed herself to grimace in pain. 'Who knew sandwiches could weigh so much?'

'I told you: anything could happen if you were in charge!' Anna exclaimed, rubbing B'Elanna's foot.

Even thorough her boots, B'Elanna felt the comforting movement of Anna's hand, and she felt a slight flush colour her cheeks. 'Hey, I made it here didn't I?

Anna smiled. 'Yes, you did.'

They shared a silent moment before B'Elanna started to feel uncomfortable. She opened the basket and started fishing out all the food she and Sarah had prepared.

'Are you sure you made enough?' Anna asked, hiking up an eyebrow. The expression reminded B'Elanna so strongly of Seven that for a moment she was overcome by homesickness, but she shook it off.

#

/Is this what Seven would have been like? If she hadn't been assimilated?/ The thought took B'Elanna by surprise as she watched Anna eat, the blonde checking the filling of each sandwich before she bought it to her lips. /If she'd of had a chance to grow up normally?/

Anna looked up and caught her watching. 'Penny for them?'

'It's nothing.' B'Elanna took a bite of a ham sandwich.

'Come on, you can tell me,' Anna said.

'It's just…you remind me of someone,' B'Elanna felt a wave of sadness pass over her as she thought about how far away she seemed from her beloved ship. She'd give anything to get back there, and with that realisation a pall suddenly marred her enjoyment of her food, and the company. So far, she'd - pretty successfully - managed not to think about her predicament.

'An ex?' Anna asked softly, as if sensing B'Ealnna's growing discomfort.

'What? No! I mean…I can barely stand her most of the time…' The half Klingon sighed, looking up into the face so familiar, yet so alien.

'Oh…' Anna smiled at her. 'Ohhhh…' And then she started laughing, something that took B'Elanna completely by surprise.

'SO you think it's funny?' B'Elanna snapped, her temper getting the best of her. She threw her half eaten sandwich down and started to stand, ready to leave.

'No! No, I'm sorry,' Anna said, still not being able to disguise the laughter in her tone. 'I didn't mean to laugh like that.'

B'Elanna was already standing at this point, her back turned, ready to stride away. She heard Anna move behind her and then an exclamation of pain. Whirling, she saw the blonde frozen mid-way in the action of standing, pressing her hand against her side, groaning.

She moved forward, kneeling down and helping Anna to sit back down. 'You okay?' She asked, grudgingly sitting down once more.

'Yeah, just a twinge,' Anna replied, her breathing returning to normal and colour returning to her cheeks.

They sat in silence once again until B'Elanna said, 'look, I'm sorry, okay? I thought you were laughing at me.'

'I was…but not for the reason you're thinking,' Anna said, smiling.

B'Elanna couldn't help but move the corners of her mouth upwards in response. 'So why were you?'

'Because…the expression on your face. If you hadn't of had a little tantrum, my next question would have been 'How long have you liked her?''

'I told you, sometimes I can't even stand her,' B'Elanna said confusedly.

'No…not like, /like/.'

'I /said/…' B'Elanna paused as her brain caught up with her ears. 'Sorry, what?'

Anna's eyes widened. 'You mean you don't know? It was written all over your face not five minutes before,' the woman said.

'I…Err…Sorry, what?'

'Are your ears malfunctioning?' Anna laughed at the shock on B'Elanna's face. 'Do you want me to shout it?'

As she opened her mouth to retort, a huge explosion rocked the compound, a column of fire and dust exploding from the building on B'Elanna's left. 'I heard that just fine!' B'Elanna exclaimed, helping Anna to her feet as quickly as she could.

Faintly, in the ringing silence that followed the explosion, a voice cried out. 'We're under attack!'