Rating: PG-13
Codes: P/T, Tu/T
Date Posted: 22 November 2000
Summary: The answer to two questions raised by "Body
and Soul."
Author's note: We never saw B'Elanna in "Body and Soul." Where was she? And surely they don't expect us to believe that holosex got Tuvok through pon farr! :-P
Spoilers through "Drive."
Characters and situations owned by Paramount/Viacom. Used without permission. No copyright infringement intended.
|
by Shayney "Four millimeters. Only a Vulcan would notice four lousy millimeters," Tom muttered to himself. He entered the hololab and called up the holoprogram he had created for Tuvok. Despite his grumbling, he was pleased. His program had actually helped Tuvok. Saved his life, possibly. Tom wished he could bring it up, the next time someone dismissed his holoprograms as "frivolous," but of course, he was bound by honor not to mention it. Medical confidentiality, and all that. Tuvok probably wouldn't use the program again. But just in case, Tom wanted to fix it. He was a perfectionist when it came to his holoprograms, and he wanted it to be right. He honestly hadn't meant to pry. But when he accessed the program's parameters, he couldn't help noticing that it had been run only very briefly. Tuvok had been on leave for two days, but the program had run for only a few minutes. Well. Tom was a bit miffed. If his program hadn't gotten Tuvok through pon farr, what had? Had someone else written him a better program? Tuvok had been monitored by the computer throughout his "illness," so Tom could find out...if he asked. He hesitated. He knew it was none of his business, but in the end, he couldn't resist. "Computer, whereabouts of Commander Tuvok, 0800 to 2200 hours, stardate 54186.4?" "That information is restricted." He gave his medical clearance code. "Authorization Paris 4-Gamma-6-Delta-Rho." "Commander Tuvok was in his quarters." That was odd. Unless.... "Was he alone?" "Negative." "Who was with him?" "Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres." B'Elanna slept. When she woke, she wasn't sure why as first. She had been so deeply asleep, so utterly relaxed. She hadn't slept so restfully in months. She'd almost let it go too long this time.... Then she heard it again. A voice saying her name. "B'Elanna." Tom. Her husband. She turned toward him, smiling. But his face was grim, not loving or welcoming. "What is it?" she asked, uneasy. She'd never seen him look so cold. "I haven't seen you for over two days, B'Elanna." He stood in the middle of the room with his arms crossed, not approaching the bed. She sat up, pulling the blanket around herself for protection. "I hope absence makes the heart grow fonder," she tried. "Where were you?" "Working." "I'll bet," Tom spat. "What's that supposed to mean?" Her tone was angry, but underneath, she was oddly calm. Sad, but calm. "You were with Tuvok." He knew. Well, she'd always known he would find out eventually. "Well?" Tom demanded harshly. "What do you want me to say, Tom?" "An explanation would be nice." "He would have died otherwise." "I made him a holoprogram. Of T'Pel, his wife." There was a not-very-subtle emphasis on the last word. "Tom, that would never have worked. It didn't work for Vorik, and it wouldn't have worked for Tuvok." Vorik. Oddly, it was Vorik who had first given her the idea. In his pon farr, when he declared that she was a match for him. And when, even weakened by the blood fever, he had almost beaten her. Oh, she would never have approached or accepted Vorik. He was so young. And unbonded. Plus she was his direct supervisor. But there was another Vulcan on the ship.... "Why?" Tom was saying. "It was a great holoprogram." "Tom. Vulcans are telepaths. They need a mental bond, and they can't get it from a hologram!" "So why'd it have to be you?" Tom demanded. "There are 147 people on this ship. Why'd it have to be you?" "I'm nearly a match for his strength," B'Elanna said. "A human woman would not be. Pon farr can be a little rough." Tom's voice was anguished. "Did he hurt you??? Force you?" "Of course not! Don't be ridiculous." Hurt her? Far from it. He satisfied her, in a way a human man, no matter how beloved, could not. Tom turned abruptly away, his usually graceful movements awkward with anger. "I can't believe you would do this to me." "And I can't believe you're making such a big deal about it," B'Elanna returned. "We agreed to get married. We didn't agree to monogamy. I mean, it is the 24th century." She said the words casually, but it broke her heart to say them. Tom was so old-fashioned, with his quaint 20th century ideals. He turned back to face her. "So that's the way it's going to be for us?" B'Elanna steeled herself. "If I can save someone's life with sex, I am not going to withhold it." Whore. The word was on Tom's lips. If he spoke it, it was over between them. Marriage vows or no. He didn't. Silently, he turned and stormed out. She had an idea where he was going. Poor Harry. He'd worked a double shift today, on top of his recent ordeal as a prisoner on that alien vessel. The last thing he needed was Tom banging on his door in the middle of the night. Tomorrow, she'd have to try to make sure the kid got light duty. She sank onto the bed, clutching the blankets around her. "Oh, Tom," she whispered. He would accept it, she told herself. He had to. She shut her eyes. "Tom," she breathed again. But it wasn't Tom she saw in her mind's eye. It was Shon she remembered. Skinny, freckled Shon, who had lured her into the woods with promises and caresses when she was thirteen. He had kissed her mouth, her barely budding breasts, her belly, until she felt desire for the first time. It ripped through her, shockingly intense. Everything else faded before this fiery tide of joy. The feel of his body, the taste of his skin, the scent of his blood. More, she had to have more. Urgent, irresistible, it drove her on and on, to heights of pleasure she'd never even imagined. Until she'd come to herself again, limp and exhausted - and found Shon's broken body beneath her, cold and already growing stiff. Screaming and sobbing, she ran home to her mother. Her memories after that were a blur. Angry adults, grim patrolmen, social workers, doctors, lawyers. All telling her she had done it, though she didn't remember. Her mother was sad but stern. "It's like that for some of us, Lanna. You must never let yourself go with a fragile human. Never. If you do, he will end up like Shon." Miral wanted her to find a Klingon mate. But time and again, it was human men B'Elanna fell in love with. Men she could not risk complete arousal with, for fear of killing them. Men she had to reject eventually, as the passion built, and the danger increased. But here on Voyager, she had found the answer. Tuvok, a Vulcan. Stronger than any human - strong enough that she could not hurt him. Married, so he did not mind that she loved another. Dispassionate enough to see the logic in their odd relationship. Tom didn't understand, and B'Elanna would do her best to make sure he never found out. But she was doing it for him. To make it safe for her to love him. |