I Quit
Part 2
By: Sparx
B’Elanna got ten feet down the corridor before her arm was grabbed and she was spun around to face a very serious ex-drone.
"What do you mean by attracted lieutenant?" She asked.
"Lemme go." B’Elanna growled as she yanked her arm out of Seven’s grip. "I mean I’m attracted to you."
"That is not possible. We are both female. I will escort you to sick bay, the doctor can repai..." she was interrupted by B’Elanna’s laughter.
"It’s more than possible, Seven." B’Elanna said once she stopped laughing. Seeing the protest forming she continued. "I’m going to guess that the concept of same-sex relationships was never brought up in your ‘lessons in humanity’."
"There was no mention of it." Seven confirmed.
"Look that up when you’re looking up Klingon aggression. Same-sex attractions and relationships are quite normal, but generally less common than opposite gender pairings." B’Elanna said with a small grin, as a look of understanding suddenly passed Seven’s features.
"I am not attracted to you lieutenant. Until this moment, I had not realized that other females could be considered as potential mates." Seven stated calmly. "Will I now have to fend off your advances?"
This time, B’Elanna laughed so hard she had to hold onto the wall for support. The strange looks from a pair of ensigns walking along the corridor made her laugh all the harder.
When she finally caught her breath she answered, "You won’t have to fend off my advances. Being attracted to you doesn’t mean I have an obligation to act on it. I just thought you deserved to know where some of my aggression toward you is coming from."
With a gesture she indicated the corridor ahead and the two began to walk. At the end of the corridor was the observation deck. They entered and stood looking out each end of the wide window.
During the short walk they had both had the time to think about this strange twist.
B’Elanna was not surprised to find that, with the pressure of dealing with Seven in a working environment now gone, she suddenly had more control of her other, more basic reactions to the woman. She also realized that letting Seven know about her attraction made her feel a lot better. No matter the response, Seven deserved to know. She didn’t expect her feelings to be returned and had in fact suspected all along that Seven probably had no idea that same-sex relationships could even exist. Her knowledge of human behavior was what a holographic doctor and an overprotective ‘married to her ship’ Captain could provide. It was a miracle she even knew that relationships of any type could exist.
Seven was amazed that she had been able to have a conversation of any kind with the normally volatile hybrid. Except for necessary ships business, they rarely spoke and being civil to each other was a greater rarity. To find out that part of the ongoing aggression she’d experienced for so long had in fact been attraction, Klingon style, left her shocked.
She had also learned more about human interaction in the last few minutes talking with this fierce woman than she had in the last year from Kathryn. She vowed that from now on she would pay more attention to what the smaller woman had to say.
"Is this one of the ways in which you accuse the Captain of ‘coddling’ me?" Seven asked.
"Yes." B’Elanna agreed. "It probably never occurred to the Doc or the Captain to explain something that most people think of as a fairly basic bit of human knowledge. If you weren’t so unapproachable you’d have probably encountered the information from another source by now."
"I don’t understand." Seven admitted.
"If Kathryn would quit being so overprotective of you, you’d learn a lot more about people from the people themselves and they’d quit being so wary of getting close to you." B’Elanna explained.
"She is concerned because she does not want my differences to keep me apart from the rest of the crew." Seven stated.
"Bullshit." B’Elanna grated. "We have beings from fourteen species aboard this ship. The federation is made up of thousands of planets with hundreds of species. Everyone on this ship is used to dealing with people who are different. How do you think my staff can tolerate my Klingon temper? The fact that you behave differently doesn’t really matter that much to any of us. You were Borg, the enemy. That’s what we had trouble adjusting to. Janeway hovers over you like a mother hen and that just makes it worse."
B’Elanna shifted so she could lean against the window and get a better look at the ex-drone. Seven simply stared unseeing at the passing stars as she thought over what had just been said.
"I am still Borg." she stated quietly after long minutes of silence.
"Yes you are." B’Elanna agreed calmly. "There was a time when you would have done anything to rejoin the collective."
"I no longer wish to rejoin the collective. I would rather die than become a drone again." Seven grated out. There was nothing that could hide the anger in that tense statement.
"I know that Seven. You’ve used your knowledge of the Borg to help us defeat them more than once. If it weren’t for you, most of us would either be dead or assimilated by now. You are no longer the enemy. If a Borg cube were to show up right now, you’d fight just as hard as the rest of us." B’Elanna stated.
"Then why do I not ‘fit in’? If the crew are accustomed to dealing with those who are different why am I not accepted as someone who is merely different?" Seven asked frustrated. B’Elanna’s laughter surprised her.
"Because you’re a spoiled brat." B’Elanna answered cheerfully as leaned closer to see Seven’s shocked look.
"Brat is a term reserved for unruly children." Seven responded stiffly.
"In many ways you are an unruly child." B’Elanna rejoined with a smile. "You behave as you see fit without regard to how your actions affect those around you. You don’t understand the consequences of your actions because for the most part, the Captain has seen to it that there are no consequences."
While Seven considered this information, B’Elanna moved over to Seven’s side of the window. When she was mere inches away she reached out and grinning, tapped the end of an aquiline nose. "You are, by all definitions of the term, a brat." and with that she turned and headed for the door.
"If my behavior is so horrible, then how is it that you claim to be attracted to me?" Seven blurted just before B’Elanna reached the door.
"I’m attracted to you because you’re smart, brilliant actually. You’re also honest and loyal. Your innocence is also appealing" B’Elanna answered truthfully. When Seven said nothing she continued "You’re strong, probably stronger than me, which is a big turn on for Klingons as well. Of course, the fact that you’re also insanely hot has its merits too." she finished with a grin as once again, Seven was treated to the sight of doors closing behind a hybrid engineer.
