Disclaimer: Voyager and all it's persons belong to Paramount and Viacom. I promise to return them with just a little damage. Nothing irreversible. Just the same this story and Sini belong to me. As I have said before you can borrow any persons I invent if you ask nicely and remind everyone that they belong to me.
Note: Takes place in the sixth season.
Synopsis: B'Elanna finds Hope in a chance meeting.
*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§**§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*
Chance Meetings
They had questioned her for an hour and now they were dragging her along some dark hallway. It was stormy and the away team had crashed on the wrong part of the planet. The people they were supposed to meet with were on the other side of the planet and were warring with these people unbeknownst to Captain Janeway or any one else on Voyager. Tom had mentioned that they were here to see the Pantors and these people had begun to question them. Tom, Harry and B'Elanna had been split up. The three of them had been sent on a peaceful trade mission gone wrong.
"Oomph! You could be a little more gentle!" She shouted at the guard who had just thrown her in a dark cell. She growled in anger. She wouldn't let him see how scared she really was and how much she wanted to know were Tom and Harry were. She reached in her pocket to check and make sure she still had her Comm badge.
She examined her surroundings all she could see was a little bit of light leaking in at the front of the cell no doubt because the hallway had no ceiling. 'That explains why I'm damp. There's no ceiling and it's raining no storming.' There was also a small, bared window on the far side of the cell that let in almost no light if any. All in all it was very dark and she could see almost none of her surroundings.
Suddenly there was a bolt of lightning that hit almost right outside the window and the clap of thunder that accompanied was almost simultaneous. It shook the building hard making her wish even more that she were back on Voyager. She could have sworn that she heard a child shriek when it hit though.
Another flash of light from the lightning let her see the whole room lit up for a split second. The only other 'thing' in the cell was just what it had sounded like. A scared, wet, cold, and shivering little girl on the far side of the room, huddle in a corner. Her eyes hidden she had most likely not seen B'Elanna but had probably heard the cryptic remark she had thrown at the guard. She looked so scared B'Elanna forgot for a moment anything else was going on and focused on the shivering ball of skin, bones and rags.
'Poor thing must be terrified. I wonder where the hell her parents are. I think... is she hurt?' B'Elanna slowly moved towards the girl anger forgotten. Suddenly her head snapped up in fear. The child's face was tearstained but still beautiful. Her eyes curved up slightly at the corners and they were a wild yellow green. She had medium skin and dark hair. It was hard top tell though because of the array of cuts and bruises covering her face and hands. 'Gods she's beautiful!' B'Elanna thought, 'These Ba*****s how could they do this to a helpless child!'
B'Elanna hadn't recognized the child's markings at all. Curiosity took her over and she knelt down to the little girl's level. She was sure the poor thing was mixed up in this for no reason like the awayteam. By now she was right next to the girl. So as not to seem to threatening B'Elanna sat down on the floor completely and pulled her legs up in an Indian style position. She leaned up against the wall next to the girl's 'corner'. The child just watches curiously.
"Are you nice?", The girl shyly asked.
B'Elanna couldn't help but smile the child had the sweetest voice, "Yes, I'm very nice."
The girl looked very suspicious; "You weren't very nice to the man."
B'Elanna didn't know if she should be amused or insulted she let out a small smile. "Your right, but he's mean, too." She paused unsure of what to say next and quit aware of how childish her last remark had sounded. "My name is B'Elanna. What is your name?"
The girl hesitated but answered, "Sini, My name is Sini."
"Well Sini, are you cold?" The answer to this question was already obvious to B'Elanna. She was cold and she had shoes, pants, and sleeves. Sini was small and had on only a small sleeveless dress.
Sini only nodded. "Well come here." B'Elanna put out her arms, a universal invitation.
The girl hesitated and then slowly crawled towards B'Elanna. She was cold and this lady seemed nice enough. Finally she stopped right in front of B'Elanna.
B'Elanna could now see how small she was. Her people were no doubt a small people because Sini had the make of a four or five-year-old but was only about two and a half feet tall. B'Elanna pulled the girl into her lap and Sini curled up in a small ball. She was indeed tiny. Perhaps a little too tiny. It acquired the B'Elanna for a moment that maybe she had better start to try and contact the ship or maybe attempt to locate Tom and Harry. She was to tired however to really concentrate on the thought and the feel of Sini's even sleep induced breathing was all it took to convince her to not bother for now. Sleep sounded nice and came easily.
*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§**§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*
B'Elanna woke up the next morning shortly after dawn. She could see the suns rising over the hills. It would have been prettier if there'd not been bars blocking the view. She noticed right away that sometime during night Tom and Harry had been brought into the cell. She also noticed that Sini was now curled up on her side sleeping soundly. Harry was asleep sprawled across the side wall and Tom was leaning against the bars staring at her.
"What are you looking at?" She joked with a smile trying to ignore the cut on his forehead. She knew exactly what he was looking at. They'd been arguing for the longest time at to why they couldn't have children. He wanted a baby but she wasn't sure. She kept saying she wasn't good with kids.
The silly grin on Tom's face turned into a full-fledged smile. And not just any smile, one of those that always melted her. "I just wish I had the doctors holoimager so I could record this as evidence. Who is she?"
She looked down at her lap again and was reminded of all the things that this girl had told her the night before. "Her name is Sini. Her and her parents got mixed up in this the same way we did. She couldn't tell me much more than the fact that she was on her way to another planet and had to stop for fuel. She didn't know much else."
"Where are her parents?" Tom inquired raising an eyebrow. She was leaving out something.
"The same place we're going to be if we don't get out of here." They had all been threatened to tell all or they would be executed. Only problem was they had told all and the authorities were convinced they still knew more.
That's what she'd left out. Tom shuttered at the thought. Suddenly he wanted to wake up back in his bed on voyager.
Harry had woken to see his friends talking. He hadn't move. He'd wanted to see what they were talking about first. Now he just remained still.
B'Elanna brushed a stray strand of Sini's hair behind her ear and stared intently at the tiny girl. She had a bruise on her check. "Tom I think she may be hurt. I'm no doctor but you know something so will you look at her."
Tom eased himself up and walked across the room. The movement woke Sini. She didn't know who Tom was so she started to cower up against B'Elanna. "Sini, it's ok. This is my friend Tom. He wants to see if you're hurt."
Sini looked up at B'Elanna with her intent green-amber eyes and then back at Tom who now sat right across from B'Elanna. She let go of B'Elanna's uniform jacket reluctantly and turned around in her lap. Looking at Tom she gulped and got up and walked over to him. B'Elanna had to bite her lip not to laugh. It was an almost comical tableau. Sini shivered. She had been pressed up against B'Elanna's legs all night and had been very warm. Tom picked her up under the arms and put her in his lap.
Harry smiled, also trying not to laugh. He didn't dare say it but he had suspected for a long time that his two best friends would both make fine parents. Of course they'd never have admitted it.
*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§**§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*
"Were are they?" The captain wondered out loud almost at a whisper.
Chacotay had been wondering the same thing for a long time now. They had found the shuttle but the only sign of them was a splotch of Tom's blood on the helm.
"Captain, We are being hailed by someone on the planet." The Ensign taking Harry's place at Ops was a little nervous.
Janeway had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. Unfortunately those pit feelings were usually right. "Put it through." The screen quickly went from that of the stars to that of the inside of a cell. They saw B'Elanna and Tom sitting side by side with.... Was that a child stretched out on their laps? They also saw Harry in the corner. They were all asleep except for B'Elanna who was silently stroking the hair of the child whose head was on her lap. She was obviously lost in thought oblivious to whatever camera was sending them the picture. 'Probably trying to think of a way out.' Janeway mussed. Tom had a large gash on his forehead, that was probably were the blood on the console of the shuttle had come from. Janeway suddenly felt hopeful. They all still had their commbadges.
There was a voice playing over this enchanting scene. "Captain, we know you are here to do trade with to Krownites. We are the Ronins. Supply us with all you know about the Krownites including tactical information. Also leave weapons and medical supplies on the surface at the specified coordinates. Don't think we won't hurt them. Oh and something to think about, We'll through in the girl as well for extra supplies. We have no use for her. If the supplies are not here in twelve standard hours we will be forced to retaliate against your crewmen until the supplies arrive." With that the transmission ended.
Janeway didn't like this at all.
*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§**§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*
Tom opened his eyes slowly. His head hurt badly. He didn't move for fear of disturbing the scene going on beside him. B'Elanna was stroking Sini's hair while starring of into space. 'Gods she is beautiful.' The scene looked so natural to him. 'I always knew she would be a good mother despite what she says.' He couldn't help thinking about what would happen to this girl if they didn't get out of here soon. The girl was seriously injured. She had no doubt been tortured like everyone else they had met so far. They were basically just waiting for them to come with the racks. She had some internal bleeding and a broken arm. Her cheekbone was broken and badly bruised along with a broken clavicle. He thought her species was similar but different still. He was so mad at those Sob's for hurting an innocent child. They didn't even have a reason. They had done it to hear her scream.
B'Elanna turned to him. She noticed he was shivering a little. She was cold too and she had a jacket. Tom had taken his of to cover Sini who was on the verge of pneumonia.
Harry coughed loudly getting the couples attention. They looked first at him and then, at his instant nod, up to the cell door just in time to see the guards unlock it. They came over and picked up Sini and tossed her off to the side. Then they grabbed B'Elanna.
"Hey, be nice to her." B'Elanna said as they grabbed her arms, "What are you doing?"
Tom slowly moved toward the terrified girl huddled in the corner. He took her into his lap. She was sobbing sacredly.
B'Elanna went on with her ranting. "If you hurt her I'll rip your heart out you P'tach." Guard was somewhat larger than her and didn't feel like hearing this. He gave her a forceful shake forcing her to shut her mouth long enough to not scream. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of that. She tried to get loose, kicking and flinging her arms. She put up quite a fight that was accompanied be a long string of klingon curses. Finally the guard got her to the end of the hall and out the door. Once she was out the door they couldn't hear her anymore.
Tom tried to hide his fear for her life. If he new her she'd be the one to annoy the guards to the point that it could threaten her life. He attempted to loosen up the moment, "Just be glad she's on our side, Sini. B'Elanna has quite a temper and can rake care of herself quite well if she must."
His attempt flopped with the girl but got a lighthearted chuckle out of Harry who added "Yea, she's proven it to you enough times." Tom only frowned.
*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§**§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*
B'Elanna was dragged into a small room. In the center of the room was a table with arm and leg restraints on it. 'If they think they their going to get me tied into that *thing* they have a surprise coming.' She mused as she continued to kick and flail her arms wildly.
Even if they did she wouldn't give them the satisfaction of hearing her scream. 'Not on their pathetic little lives.' She was startled by the feel of something, a lot like a hypospray, being pressed into her neck. She suddenly felt very tired and went limp in the guard's arms.
*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§**§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*
When she awoke again she was back in her cell Tom was kneeling next to her. He was examining her with a worried look on his face.
"What happened?" she questioned.
"I'm not sure. They took you out kicking and putting up a real fight so I didn't expect them to bring you back unconscious. It looks like the tried to use some nurogenic drug on you. It probably didn't work on your hybrid body systems so they resorted to physical violence." Tom was obviously worried.
She tried to sit up but the wave of pain that shot through her body quickly convinced her she was better of sprawled on the floor.
She tried not to wince in pain but Tom noticed. "Stay still you have a few broken ribs and I don't want you to puncture a lung." He saw her start to scan the room from her half-cocked position; "Harry has Sini asleep on his lap over there. Don't worry about them."
He smiled at her relieved look. Why did it not surprise him?
*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§**§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*
"Captain, I think I have their position but Torres' lifesigns are faint! "Ayala shouted from the Ops station.
"We never did find out exactly how long their 'standard hours' were. Time may be up. Let me see what you've got." Janeway made her way around the bridge and up to the nervous Ayala. "It looks like we could contact them."
*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§**§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*
Sini was curled up in the lap of a sleeping Harry Kim when his combadge beeped. Tom and B'Elanna were also asleep. Sini just wasn't tired anymore seeing as she had slept most of the time her new friends had been here. Curiosity overcame her and she began to wonder were the button was on the gold pin that made that noise. Finally she gave up looking for it and just swatted the badge lightly in frustration. "Mr. Kim. This is captain Janeway. Harry are you there."
Harry woke up right at this moment,"Captian, I'm here. How did you get the communications to work."
Sini watched curiously. This pin could talk, too; "Nevermind Ensign just appraise me of the situation."
Sini choose this moment to pipe up, "I thought your name was Harry."
"It is Sini but I'll explain later. Captain, B'Elanna has been hurt and they have Tom right now. I don't trust them. "He answered them both but neither were satisfied.
Sini whined, "I want to know now. Harry your not making any since."
"Quiet Sini, I'm trying to get us out of here." That quieted her very quickly. She wanted out as much as any other POW would. "Captain If you got the communications working can't you use the same method on the transporters."
The captain was quick to answer "We plan on it. When Tom gets back and it's safe to contact me let me know. We'll cut of communications then and use the rerouted power to beam you up."
Now Sini was really confused, "Can I come" she blurted out before remembering what Harry had said. Janeway however had already decided she would be coming, too even if only to find her parents.
"Yes, you're coming, too." She couldn't help but be amused at the child's curiosity and amazement.
"Kim out." Harry had heard the sound of the interrogation room door opening. He tapped his Comm badge and shhed Sini. The guards drug in the unconscious form of a bruised and battered Tom Paris and didn't waist time being gentle. They threw him on the cell floor and locked the door behind him.
As soon as the guards had returned to ...wherever it was they went Harry tapped his badge and updated the Captain.
Sini didn't hear. She was busy at Tom's side examining the unconscious form.
A second later the entire awayteam vanished and reappeared in sickbay. Sini looked up in time to see Captain Janeway come in the door then she was scooped up and sat on the biobed. The sudden change startled her at first but she quickly realized she was safe here.
"Sit hear and be quiet. "Harry instructed her before joining to the rest of the group in the back of the room. She was bored almost immediately. She began to look around.
She was suddenly very curious about something she was seeing across the room. They had Lanna on the bed in the back and the doctor was doing something while off to the side Harry was talking to the Captain. Chacotay on the other hand wasn't paying very much attention to the conversation he was watching the tiny girl on the other side of the room. She reminded him of, of all absurd things to think of, a cat.
He watched as she silently and stealthily moved over to right behind the Doctor. Her curiosity manifesting itself in the form of intrigue she then moved over to the other side of the bed still staying low. As soon as the doctor moved over to the other biobed to focus on Tom she popped up right beside B'Elanna's head and began to scan the unconscious form of her new friend. It was then that Janeway noticed the, to her sudden, shift in positions that the tiny girl had made.
"Oh, there she is. How did she get over there from there." The Captain questioned while making gestures with her hand to get the point across. "I didn't see her move."
"She does that, Captain. I don't know how she gives me a start every time. "Harry answered somewhat amused at the Captains confused look.
"I saw how she did it. She moves silently and slowly like a cat when no one is watching her and she makes a sudden move she catches your attention and it looks like she just appeared there." Chacotay explained. Sini chose this moment to pop out from behind Harry. "Like that.
"What's wrong with Lanna?" Sini asked this quietly because she was actually rather shy and the only reason she had had the courage to ask in the first place was because Harry was there and she was genuinely concerned for B'Elanna's welfare.
Janeway was amazed at how beautiful this child was up close. Although bruised and a little worse for the wear she still had that innocence that children are so renowned for. She knelt down so as to get at eye level with the child. "She got hurt but she'll be O-K soon. Our doctor is very good and very smart. He'll fix them both up and you in no time at all."
With that promise of hope reassuring her, Sini made her way back to the bed and began to watch The Doctor, who having stabilized Paris had returned to B'Elanna. "Were are her parents?" The captain asked as she moved herself back into a standing position.
"Captain, her parents are dead." Harry then proceeded to tell the captain everything B'Elanna had told him before.
*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§**§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*
"Mr. Paris was not injured very severely only sedated. Lieutenant Torres on the other hand had several broken ribs, which punctured numerous internal organs and caused heavy internal bleeding. I had to operate and she will need to spend the night in here. Mr. Paris will be relieved of duty for the next 24 hours. Miss. Torres will return to her quarters tomorrow and be relieved of duty for the next 72 hours. The child had a broken wrist, broken cheekbone and more than her fair share of cuts and bruises. She is already healed just sore. Mr. Kim managed to escape with only a light head ache and can return to duty as soon as you need him." the doctor seemed quite proud of himself as he gave his report to the Captain and Chacotay. Meanwhile Tom and Harry sat with Sini next to B'Elanna's biobed.
Sini hoped up from Tom's lap ran over and hugged the hologram's leg. "Thank you for fixing Lanna." She stated before suddenly looking very shyly up at the Captain and asking, "I almost forgot. What's your name?"
"Your welcome Sini. This is Captain Janeway and Commander Chacotay." The doctor smiled enjoying the small girl's affection, "I don't have a name but everyone calls me Doctor."
"That might be a bit of a mouthful for such a small girl. Call me Captain and this is Chacotay." Janeway smiled at what appeared to be the newest member of the crew. She had knelt down again to be at eye level with the girl. It seemed to make the child more comfortable.
Sini, looked thoughtful for a moment as if she were processing this new information then nodded and blushed a little before running back over to hide in Tom's lap.
"She really is precious don't you think." Janeway stated while standing back up to her full height. "Did you see the way she hide behind the doctor the whole time."
Chacotay nodded. "We ought to introduce her to Naomi." He answered her with a chuckle and a nod as they headed out of sickbay on their way back to the bridge.
*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§**§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*
Tom and Harry had been sitting there for a long time waiting for B'Elanna to wake up. They were in her quarters now. Sini was asleep on Tom's lap. Well mostly on Tom's lap. Actually it was just her shoulders and up but still. Tom and Harry had been waiting for a long time. Sini starred and looked up and then smiled.
"It was real. I thought I dreamed it and I was still back in that awful prison again." Sini observed out loud.
Tom smiled "No, Sini, it wasn't a dream your safe now." He could see why B'Elanna had called Sini her little Angel. She had also called her, her little shadow and that made since too because it took about ten seconds for her to pop up off the couch and make her way sleepily into B'Elanna's bed curl up and fall asleep.
"They certainly are close." Harry observed the sweet smile on Tom's face and interpreted it right. "You ever wish you had any kids of your own?" It was almost a rhetorical question.
Tom looked suprisedly at Harry, were had that come from, "B'Elanna, would make a better mother than she thinks."
Harry thought he had better change the subject, "Why don't you go check on B'Elanna and see if Sini woke her up."
"You can come, too. I don't think she'd mind seeing Starfleet right now." Tom smiled at the comment.
Harry recognized the referral to his and B'Elanna's nicknames for each other. When they had first gotten stuck hear she had been rather insulted at being stuck on a Starfleet vessel and had started to call everyone 'Starfleet' that wasn't Moquis. 'He' had responded by calling her Moquis. He had been determined to befriend her just because she looked like she needed a friend. The same reason he had been so adamant at befriending Tom. He was 'Voyager's finder of lost soles' as Tom had named him. The nicknames had stuck like glue and were now affectionate rather than harsh and cruel as B'Elanna had originally intended it to be.
He got up and followed Tom into the bedroom in time to see Sini sit up in a fit of laughter. "No...fair...No...fair." She huffed out between breaths then they noticed B'Elanna was tickling.
Tom and Harry smiled at the pleased look on B'Elanna's face when she stopped and turned toward them. For a moment she looked kind of embarrassed that she'd been caught not resting. Then she remembered she could whip them in a second.
"What are you look'n at Starfleet you look like you've seen a miracle and what's flyboy doing out of bed." Everyone laughed. She must be feeling O-K she had called Tom flyboy. That was her affectionate nickname for her boyfriend. No one really wanted to know exactly what she meant by FLYboy but they all hopefully assumed it was a referral to his being a pilot because she also called him helmboy.
"No not a miracle, Moquis, but close." Harry's smartalick response did not go unnoticed by the somewhat relaxed woman still only half sitting in bed.
"Well, You see, I've had practice. Helmboy over there is ticklish, too." She answered as Tom turned a deep red. Harry shot him a weird look and they all started to laugh.
*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§**§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*
A week later they were all settled in comfortably especially Sini who hadn't had this much to explore in a long time. Everyone seemed to think she was the sweetest thing they had ever seen. Seven didn't mind teaching her, which, a miracle in itself didn't compare to the comment the comment she had made the other day. Something along the lines of "Sini is a capable young child with much competence and I believe she could soon catch up to Naomi in her study's"
B'Elanna lay on the couch in her new quarter's she now shared with Sini *and* Tom. 'How could I ever think that this is not what I wanted?' she questioned herself as she gazed at Tom and Sini asleep in the chair across from her an activated PADD in Tom's hand. They'd no doubt fallen asleep reading. To her it looked like heaven. 'Why did I avoid this for so long?'
She gently picked up Sini and carried her into her new room. Tucking her into bed when she got back from engineering late at night was one of the splendors so new to her that she so loved. 'Kahless how did I get so lucky?' A lot of questions she couldn't answer and didn't need to.
She heard Tom come up behind her as she leaned in the doorway. He put his hands on her shoulders a silent request for her to come to bed. It was late, and if she wanted to be able to play with Sini in the morning she needed sleep. Before she fell asleep B'Elanna thanked every god she knew the name of for her little angel of hope.
*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§**§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*
*Finis*
I hope you liked it. Please R&R.
Note: Takes place in the sixth season.
Synopsis: B'Elanna finds Hope in a chance meeting.
*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§**§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*
Chance Meetings
They had questioned her for an hour and now they were dragging her along some dark hallway. It was stormy and the away team had crashed on the wrong part of the planet. The people they were supposed to meet with were on the other side of the planet and were warring with these people unbeknownst to Captain Janeway or any one else on Voyager. Tom had mentioned that they were here to see the Pantors and these people had begun to question them. Tom, Harry and B'Elanna had been split up. The three of them had been sent on a peaceful trade mission gone wrong.
"Oomph! You could be a little more gentle!" She shouted at the guard who had just thrown her in a dark cell. She growled in anger. She wouldn't let him see how scared she really was and how much she wanted to know were Tom and Harry were. She reached in her pocket to check and make sure she still had her Comm badge.
She examined her surroundings all she could see was a little bit of light leaking in at the front of the cell no doubt because the hallway had no ceiling. 'That explains why I'm damp. There's no ceiling and it's raining no storming.' There was also a small, bared window on the far side of the cell that let in almost no light if any. All in all it was very dark and she could see almost none of her surroundings.
Suddenly there was a bolt of lightning that hit almost right outside the window and the clap of thunder that accompanied was almost simultaneous. It shook the building hard making her wish even more that she were back on Voyager. She could have sworn that she heard a child shriek when it hit though.
Another flash of light from the lightning let her see the whole room lit up for a split second. The only other 'thing' in the cell was just what it had sounded like. A scared, wet, cold, and shivering little girl on the far side of the room, huddle in a corner. Her eyes hidden she had most likely not seen B'Elanna but had probably heard the cryptic remark she had thrown at the guard. She looked so scared B'Elanna forgot for a moment anything else was going on and focused on the shivering ball of skin, bones and rags.
'Poor thing must be terrified. I wonder where the hell her parents are. I think... is she hurt?' B'Elanna slowly moved towards the girl anger forgotten. Suddenly her head snapped up in fear. The child's face was tearstained but still beautiful. Her eyes curved up slightly at the corners and they were a wild yellow green. She had medium skin and dark hair. It was hard top tell though because of the array of cuts and bruises covering her face and hands. 'Gods she's beautiful!' B'Elanna thought, 'These Ba*****s how could they do this to a helpless child!'
B'Elanna hadn't recognized the child's markings at all. Curiosity took her over and she knelt down to the little girl's level. She was sure the poor thing was mixed up in this for no reason like the awayteam. By now she was right next to the girl. So as not to seem to threatening B'Elanna sat down on the floor completely and pulled her legs up in an Indian style position. She leaned up against the wall next to the girl's 'corner'. The child just watches curiously.
"Are you nice?", The girl shyly asked.
B'Elanna couldn't help but smile the child had the sweetest voice, "Yes, I'm very nice."
The girl looked very suspicious; "You weren't very nice to the man."
B'Elanna didn't know if she should be amused or insulted she let out a small smile. "Your right, but he's mean, too." She paused unsure of what to say next and quit aware of how childish her last remark had sounded. "My name is B'Elanna. What is your name?"
The girl hesitated but answered, "Sini, My name is Sini."
"Well Sini, are you cold?" The answer to this question was already obvious to B'Elanna. She was cold and she had shoes, pants, and sleeves. Sini was small and had on only a small sleeveless dress.
Sini only nodded. "Well come here." B'Elanna put out her arms, a universal invitation.
The girl hesitated and then slowly crawled towards B'Elanna. She was cold and this lady seemed nice enough. Finally she stopped right in front of B'Elanna.
B'Elanna could now see how small she was. Her people were no doubt a small people because Sini had the make of a four or five-year-old but was only about two and a half feet tall. B'Elanna pulled the girl into her lap and Sini curled up in a small ball. She was indeed tiny. Perhaps a little too tiny. It acquired the B'Elanna for a moment that maybe she had better start to try and contact the ship or maybe attempt to locate Tom and Harry. She was to tired however to really concentrate on the thought and the feel of Sini's even sleep induced breathing was all it took to convince her to not bother for now. Sleep sounded nice and came easily.
*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§**§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*
B'Elanna woke up the next morning shortly after dawn. She could see the suns rising over the hills. It would have been prettier if there'd not been bars blocking the view. She noticed right away that sometime during night Tom and Harry had been brought into the cell. She also noticed that Sini was now curled up on her side sleeping soundly. Harry was asleep sprawled across the side wall and Tom was leaning against the bars staring at her.
"What are you looking at?" She joked with a smile trying to ignore the cut on his forehead. She knew exactly what he was looking at. They'd been arguing for the longest time at to why they couldn't have children. He wanted a baby but she wasn't sure. She kept saying she wasn't good with kids.
The silly grin on Tom's face turned into a full-fledged smile. And not just any smile, one of those that always melted her. "I just wish I had the doctors holoimager so I could record this as evidence. Who is she?"
She looked down at her lap again and was reminded of all the things that this girl had told her the night before. "Her name is Sini. Her and her parents got mixed up in this the same way we did. She couldn't tell me much more than the fact that she was on her way to another planet and had to stop for fuel. She didn't know much else."
"Where are her parents?" Tom inquired raising an eyebrow. She was leaving out something.
"The same place we're going to be if we don't get out of here." They had all been threatened to tell all or they would be executed. Only problem was they had told all and the authorities were convinced they still knew more.
That's what she'd left out. Tom shuttered at the thought. Suddenly he wanted to wake up back in his bed on voyager.
Harry had woken to see his friends talking. He hadn't move. He'd wanted to see what they were talking about first. Now he just remained still.
B'Elanna brushed a stray strand of Sini's hair behind her ear and stared intently at the tiny girl. She had a bruise on her check. "Tom I think she may be hurt. I'm no doctor but you know something so will you look at her."
Tom eased himself up and walked across the room. The movement woke Sini. She didn't know who Tom was so she started to cower up against B'Elanna. "Sini, it's ok. This is my friend Tom. He wants to see if you're hurt."
Sini looked up at B'Elanna with her intent green-amber eyes and then back at Tom who now sat right across from B'Elanna. She let go of B'Elanna's uniform jacket reluctantly and turned around in her lap. Looking at Tom she gulped and got up and walked over to him. B'Elanna had to bite her lip not to laugh. It was an almost comical tableau. Sini shivered. She had been pressed up against B'Elanna's legs all night and had been very warm. Tom picked her up under the arms and put her in his lap.
Harry smiled, also trying not to laugh. He didn't dare say it but he had suspected for a long time that his two best friends would both make fine parents. Of course they'd never have admitted it.
*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§**§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*
"Were are they?" The captain wondered out loud almost at a whisper.
Chacotay had been wondering the same thing for a long time now. They had found the shuttle but the only sign of them was a splotch of Tom's blood on the helm.
"Captain, We are being hailed by someone on the planet." The Ensign taking Harry's place at Ops was a little nervous.
Janeway had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. Unfortunately those pit feelings were usually right. "Put it through." The screen quickly went from that of the stars to that of the inside of a cell. They saw B'Elanna and Tom sitting side by side with.... Was that a child stretched out on their laps? They also saw Harry in the corner. They were all asleep except for B'Elanna who was silently stroking the hair of the child whose head was on her lap. She was obviously lost in thought oblivious to whatever camera was sending them the picture. 'Probably trying to think of a way out.' Janeway mussed. Tom had a large gash on his forehead, that was probably were the blood on the console of the shuttle had come from. Janeway suddenly felt hopeful. They all still had their commbadges.
There was a voice playing over this enchanting scene. "Captain, we know you are here to do trade with to Krownites. We are the Ronins. Supply us with all you know about the Krownites including tactical information. Also leave weapons and medical supplies on the surface at the specified coordinates. Don't think we won't hurt them. Oh and something to think about, We'll through in the girl as well for extra supplies. We have no use for her. If the supplies are not here in twelve standard hours we will be forced to retaliate against your crewmen until the supplies arrive." With that the transmission ended.
Janeway didn't like this at all.
*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§**§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*
Tom opened his eyes slowly. His head hurt badly. He didn't move for fear of disturbing the scene going on beside him. B'Elanna was stroking Sini's hair while starring of into space. 'Gods she is beautiful.' The scene looked so natural to him. 'I always knew she would be a good mother despite what she says.' He couldn't help thinking about what would happen to this girl if they didn't get out of here soon. The girl was seriously injured. She had no doubt been tortured like everyone else they had met so far. They were basically just waiting for them to come with the racks. She had some internal bleeding and a broken arm. Her cheekbone was broken and badly bruised along with a broken clavicle. He thought her species was similar but different still. He was so mad at those Sob's for hurting an innocent child. They didn't even have a reason. They had done it to hear her scream.
B'Elanna turned to him. She noticed he was shivering a little. She was cold too and she had a jacket. Tom had taken his of to cover Sini who was on the verge of pneumonia.
Harry coughed loudly getting the couples attention. They looked first at him and then, at his instant nod, up to the cell door just in time to see the guards unlock it. They came over and picked up Sini and tossed her off to the side. Then they grabbed B'Elanna.
"Hey, be nice to her." B'Elanna said as they grabbed her arms, "What are you doing?"
Tom slowly moved toward the terrified girl huddled in the corner. He took her into his lap. She was sobbing sacredly.
B'Elanna went on with her ranting. "If you hurt her I'll rip your heart out you P'tach." Guard was somewhat larger than her and didn't feel like hearing this. He gave her a forceful shake forcing her to shut her mouth long enough to not scream. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of that. She tried to get loose, kicking and flinging her arms. She put up quite a fight that was accompanied be a long string of klingon curses. Finally the guard got her to the end of the hall and out the door. Once she was out the door they couldn't hear her anymore.
Tom tried to hide his fear for her life. If he new her she'd be the one to annoy the guards to the point that it could threaten her life. He attempted to loosen up the moment, "Just be glad she's on our side, Sini. B'Elanna has quite a temper and can rake care of herself quite well if she must."
His attempt flopped with the girl but got a lighthearted chuckle out of Harry who added "Yea, she's proven it to you enough times." Tom only frowned.
*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§**§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*
B'Elanna was dragged into a small room. In the center of the room was a table with arm and leg restraints on it. 'If they think they their going to get me tied into that *thing* they have a surprise coming.' She mused as she continued to kick and flail her arms wildly.
Even if they did she wouldn't give them the satisfaction of hearing her scream. 'Not on their pathetic little lives.' She was startled by the feel of something, a lot like a hypospray, being pressed into her neck. She suddenly felt very tired and went limp in the guard's arms.
*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§**§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*
When she awoke again she was back in her cell Tom was kneeling next to her. He was examining her with a worried look on his face.
"What happened?" she questioned.
"I'm not sure. They took you out kicking and putting up a real fight so I didn't expect them to bring you back unconscious. It looks like the tried to use some nurogenic drug on you. It probably didn't work on your hybrid body systems so they resorted to physical violence." Tom was obviously worried.
She tried to sit up but the wave of pain that shot through her body quickly convinced her she was better of sprawled on the floor.
She tried not to wince in pain but Tom noticed. "Stay still you have a few broken ribs and I don't want you to puncture a lung." He saw her start to scan the room from her half-cocked position; "Harry has Sini asleep on his lap over there. Don't worry about them."
He smiled at her relieved look. Why did it not surprise him?
*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§**§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*
"Captain, I think I have their position but Torres' lifesigns are faint! "Ayala shouted from the Ops station.
"We never did find out exactly how long their 'standard hours' were. Time may be up. Let me see what you've got." Janeway made her way around the bridge and up to the nervous Ayala. "It looks like we could contact them."
*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§**§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*
Sini was curled up in the lap of a sleeping Harry Kim when his combadge beeped. Tom and B'Elanna were also asleep. Sini just wasn't tired anymore seeing as she had slept most of the time her new friends had been here. Curiosity overcame her and she began to wonder were the button was on the gold pin that made that noise. Finally she gave up looking for it and just swatted the badge lightly in frustration. "Mr. Kim. This is captain Janeway. Harry are you there."
Harry woke up right at this moment,"Captian, I'm here. How did you get the communications to work."
Sini watched curiously. This pin could talk, too; "Nevermind Ensign just appraise me of the situation."
Sini choose this moment to pipe up, "I thought your name was Harry."
"It is Sini but I'll explain later. Captain, B'Elanna has been hurt and they have Tom right now. I don't trust them. "He answered them both but neither were satisfied.
Sini whined, "I want to know now. Harry your not making any since."
"Quiet Sini, I'm trying to get us out of here." That quieted her very quickly. She wanted out as much as any other POW would. "Captain If you got the communications working can't you use the same method on the transporters."
The captain was quick to answer "We plan on it. When Tom gets back and it's safe to contact me let me know. We'll cut of communications then and use the rerouted power to beam you up."
Now Sini was really confused, "Can I come" she blurted out before remembering what Harry had said. Janeway however had already decided she would be coming, too even if only to find her parents.
"Yes, you're coming, too." She couldn't help but be amused at the child's curiosity and amazement.
"Kim out." Harry had heard the sound of the interrogation room door opening. He tapped his Comm badge and shhed Sini. The guards drug in the unconscious form of a bruised and battered Tom Paris and didn't waist time being gentle. They threw him on the cell floor and locked the door behind him.
As soon as the guards had returned to ...wherever it was they went Harry tapped his badge and updated the Captain.
Sini didn't hear. She was busy at Tom's side examining the unconscious form.
A second later the entire awayteam vanished and reappeared in sickbay. Sini looked up in time to see Captain Janeway come in the door then she was scooped up and sat on the biobed. The sudden change startled her at first but she quickly realized she was safe here.
"Sit hear and be quiet. "Harry instructed her before joining to the rest of the group in the back of the room. She was bored almost immediately. She began to look around.
She was suddenly very curious about something she was seeing across the room. They had Lanna on the bed in the back and the doctor was doing something while off to the side Harry was talking to the Captain. Chacotay on the other hand wasn't paying very much attention to the conversation he was watching the tiny girl on the other side of the room. She reminded him of, of all absurd things to think of, a cat.
He watched as she silently and stealthily moved over to right behind the Doctor. Her curiosity manifesting itself in the form of intrigue she then moved over to the other side of the bed still staying low. As soon as the doctor moved over to the other biobed to focus on Tom she popped up right beside B'Elanna's head and began to scan the unconscious form of her new friend. It was then that Janeway noticed the, to her sudden, shift in positions that the tiny girl had made.
"Oh, there she is. How did she get over there from there." The Captain questioned while making gestures with her hand to get the point across. "I didn't see her move."
"She does that, Captain. I don't know how she gives me a start every time. "Harry answered somewhat amused at the Captains confused look.
"I saw how she did it. She moves silently and slowly like a cat when no one is watching her and she makes a sudden move she catches your attention and it looks like she just appeared there." Chacotay explained. Sini chose this moment to pop out from behind Harry. "Like that.
"What's wrong with Lanna?" Sini asked this quietly because she was actually rather shy and the only reason she had had the courage to ask in the first place was because Harry was there and she was genuinely concerned for B'Elanna's welfare.
Janeway was amazed at how beautiful this child was up close. Although bruised and a little worse for the wear she still had that innocence that children are so renowned for. She knelt down so as to get at eye level with the child. "She got hurt but she'll be O-K soon. Our doctor is very good and very smart. He'll fix them both up and you in no time at all."
With that promise of hope reassuring her, Sini made her way back to the bed and began to watch The Doctor, who having stabilized Paris had returned to B'Elanna. "Were are her parents?" The captain asked as she moved herself back into a standing position.
"Captain, her parents are dead." Harry then proceeded to tell the captain everything B'Elanna had told him before.
*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§**§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*
"Mr. Paris was not injured very severely only sedated. Lieutenant Torres on the other hand had several broken ribs, which punctured numerous internal organs and caused heavy internal bleeding. I had to operate and she will need to spend the night in here. Mr. Paris will be relieved of duty for the next 24 hours. Miss. Torres will return to her quarters tomorrow and be relieved of duty for the next 72 hours. The child had a broken wrist, broken cheekbone and more than her fair share of cuts and bruises. She is already healed just sore. Mr. Kim managed to escape with only a light head ache and can return to duty as soon as you need him." the doctor seemed quite proud of himself as he gave his report to the Captain and Chacotay. Meanwhile Tom and Harry sat with Sini next to B'Elanna's biobed.
Sini hoped up from Tom's lap ran over and hugged the hologram's leg. "Thank you for fixing Lanna." She stated before suddenly looking very shyly up at the Captain and asking, "I almost forgot. What's your name?"
"Your welcome Sini. This is Captain Janeway and Commander Chacotay." The doctor smiled enjoying the small girl's affection, "I don't have a name but everyone calls me Doctor."
"That might be a bit of a mouthful for such a small girl. Call me Captain and this is Chacotay." Janeway smiled at what appeared to be the newest member of the crew. She had knelt down again to be at eye level with the girl. It seemed to make the child more comfortable.
Sini, looked thoughtful for a moment as if she were processing this new information then nodded and blushed a little before running back over to hide in Tom's lap.
"She really is precious don't you think." Janeway stated while standing back up to her full height. "Did you see the way she hide behind the doctor the whole time."
Chacotay nodded. "We ought to introduce her to Naomi." He answered her with a chuckle and a nod as they headed out of sickbay on their way back to the bridge.
*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§**§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*
Tom and Harry had been sitting there for a long time waiting for B'Elanna to wake up. They were in her quarters now. Sini was asleep on Tom's lap. Well mostly on Tom's lap. Actually it was just her shoulders and up but still. Tom and Harry had been waiting for a long time. Sini starred and looked up and then smiled.
"It was real. I thought I dreamed it and I was still back in that awful prison again." Sini observed out loud.
Tom smiled "No, Sini, it wasn't a dream your safe now." He could see why B'Elanna had called Sini her little Angel. She had also called her, her little shadow and that made since too because it took about ten seconds for her to pop up off the couch and make her way sleepily into B'Elanna's bed curl up and fall asleep.
"They certainly are close." Harry observed the sweet smile on Tom's face and interpreted it right. "You ever wish you had any kids of your own?" It was almost a rhetorical question.
Tom looked suprisedly at Harry, were had that come from, "B'Elanna, would make a better mother than she thinks."
Harry thought he had better change the subject, "Why don't you go check on B'Elanna and see if Sini woke her up."
"You can come, too. I don't think she'd mind seeing Starfleet right now." Tom smiled at the comment.
Harry recognized the referral to his and B'Elanna's nicknames for each other. When they had first gotten stuck hear she had been rather insulted at being stuck on a Starfleet vessel and had started to call everyone 'Starfleet' that wasn't Moquis. 'He' had responded by calling her Moquis. He had been determined to befriend her just because she looked like she needed a friend. The same reason he had been so adamant at befriending Tom. He was 'Voyager's finder of lost soles' as Tom had named him. The nicknames had stuck like glue and were now affectionate rather than harsh and cruel as B'Elanna had originally intended it to be.
He got up and followed Tom into the bedroom in time to see Sini sit up in a fit of laughter. "No...fair...No...fair." She huffed out between breaths then they noticed B'Elanna was tickling.
Tom and Harry smiled at the pleased look on B'Elanna's face when she stopped and turned toward them. For a moment she looked kind of embarrassed that she'd been caught not resting. Then she remembered she could whip them in a second.
"What are you look'n at Starfleet you look like you've seen a miracle and what's flyboy doing out of bed." Everyone laughed. She must be feeling O-K she had called Tom flyboy. That was her affectionate nickname for her boyfriend. No one really wanted to know exactly what she meant by FLYboy but they all hopefully assumed it was a referral to his being a pilot because she also called him helmboy.
"No not a miracle, Moquis, but close." Harry's smartalick response did not go unnoticed by the somewhat relaxed woman still only half sitting in bed.
"Well, You see, I've had practice. Helmboy over there is ticklish, too." She answered as Tom turned a deep red. Harry shot him a weird look and they all started to laugh.
*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§**§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*
A week later they were all settled in comfortably especially Sini who hadn't had this much to explore in a long time. Everyone seemed to think she was the sweetest thing they had ever seen. Seven didn't mind teaching her, which, a miracle in itself didn't compare to the comment the comment she had made the other day. Something along the lines of "Sini is a capable young child with much competence and I believe she could soon catch up to Naomi in her study's"
B'Elanna lay on the couch in her new quarter's she now shared with Sini *and* Tom. 'How could I ever think that this is not what I wanted?' she questioned herself as she gazed at Tom and Sini asleep in the chair across from her an activated PADD in Tom's hand. They'd no doubt fallen asleep reading. To her it looked like heaven. 'Why did I avoid this for so long?'
She gently picked up Sini and carried her into her new room. Tucking her into bed when she got back from engineering late at night was one of the splendors so new to her that she so loved. 'Kahless how did I get so lucky?' A lot of questions she couldn't answer and didn't need to.
She heard Tom come up behind her as she leaned in the doorway. He put his hands on her shoulders a silent request for her to come to bed. It was late, and if she wanted to be able to play with Sini in the morning she needed sleep. Before she fell asleep B'Elanna thanked every god she knew the name of for her little angel of hope.
*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§**§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*§*
*Finis*
I hope you liked it. Please R&R.