I'm a Doctor

"Stop doing that," Janet Fraiser said annoyed to the EMH. "I'm a doctor, not your nurse."

The silence that followed was deafening. Then, from the biobed behind her, Tom Paris who was treating Harry Kim for some minor cuts and bruises, piped up: "Yeah, or a decorator."

"Or an engineer," Harry said.

Janet, wondering what that was all about, looked from the two back to the EMH who had gone very still.

"Or-"

"We have work to do, Mr. Paris," the EMH interrupted. "You picked a poor time to complain, Doctor Fraiser," he addressed to Janet. "We have a room full of people waiting to be treated."

"None of which have any serious injuries. A perfect time to explain your instruments," Janet rebuffed. "I could actually help now if you hadn't avoided me like the plague or treated me like a nurse."

The EMH gave Janet a side glance. "I haven't been-"

"Doctor Fraiser?"

Janet silently ground her teeth and then turned to look at Seven of Nine who stood at the other side of the room.

"I require your – help, please."

Janet nodded and with a last look – and without another remark to the EMH – she went over to Seven. She put her hands in the pockets of her lab coat. "I find it hard to believe that you need my help," Janet said to Seven. "I've seen you help the Doctor on several occasions."

Seven cocked her head. "You have been the leader of your medical facilities," she said. "Is it your intention to become the leader here as well and have the Doctor activated during emergencies only?"

Janet felt her jaw slacken.

"Your team mates are quite vocal about you being an accomplished medic."

"One who's about 400 years out of date!"

"There has been mentioning of you being a - Napoleonic power monger," Seven said and the implant above her eye lifted. "I have done some research in our Database."

Janet rubbed her forehead while Seven recited her findings. "Thank you, Colonel," she muttered under her breath. Then, with a deep inhale, she looked up. "In my – medical facility, I had the right and the obligation to overrule any decision for medical reasons," Janet explained. "How does your doctor react when he has a particularly stubborn patient who won't listen to reason?"

"Are you referring to Captain Janeway?"

Widening her eyes, Janet lifted one shoulder. "If she fits the description," Janet said non-committedly.

"Or maybe Lieutenant Torres?"

"Don't get me started," Janet mumbled and sighed, thinking about the many times she had tried to get B'Elanna Torres to keep her appointments for her check-ups.

"The Doctor has that right as well," Seven said, interrupting Janet's thoughts. "He refers to it as the 'ace up his sleeve', is the correct phrase, I believe."

Janet snorted. "Indeed, it is," she replied. "But it doesn't make you always very popular when you have to pull this card."

"Understandably."

Janet gave Seven a long stare – that did nothing to impress Seven. "Are you one of these particularly stubborn patients as well?"

The corner of Seven's mouth twitched. "That would depend on the situation."

"Of course," Janet said dryly. "It always does."

Seven lifted her chin. "I never miss my routine check-ups."

"Well, there's that." Janet nodded, then tilted her head. "Why did you ask me here?"

"I believe the Doctor fears that you are supposed to replace him and that he will be deactivated."

"You can't be serious?" Janet glanced over to the EMH who was now treating another patient.

"He's been activated since the medical officer was killed during the transport into the Delta Quadrant."

"So I've heard," Janet said. "And if I understood it correctly, he's since expanded way beyond his original programming."

"Yes, he has."

Janet looked back at Seven. "Even if – and I want to stress the if here – even if I had the ambition to run this place, I'm only human. I can't be on duty 24/7. Then there's still the fact that I need an update for – " Janet shook her head. "Way too long," she said quietly. It was still hard to wrap her head around the fact that they were several centuries ahead of their time. "To cut a long story short: Voyager could easily use two doctors. I don't want to work against him. I'd like to work with him," Janet said. "And as much as I like to brainstorm with Sam… she's not a medic."

Seven inclined her head. "Very well." She brought her hands forward which had been behind her back. There was a tricorder in one hand and a scanner in the other. She held both out to Janet.

It was then that Janet noticed the deep bruise on Seven's hand. "Seven, why didn't you say something?" She reached out. "Let me have a look."

"You will have to get accustomed to let the scanner be your eyes." Seven said and held the scanner up.

"After I've had a look with my eyes," Janet said, took the scanner and let it fall into the pocket of her lab coat before gently taking Seven's hand.

"Your eyes won't tell you-"

"Judging by the colour that this bruise already has, it must have been quite a blow," Janet murmured and turned Seven's hand. "I can also tell you that back in my time you wouldn't have much fun for a while." Janet looked up. "How's the mobility? Can you move all your fingers?"

Seven sighed. "My mobility is within acceptable parameters, including the mobility of my fingers."

"Do you still have sensation everywhere or are there spots that feel numb? Any tingling in the fingers?"

"Yes, no and no tingling."

"Good." Janet released Seven's hand and pulled the scanner from her pocket. "I'm all ears," she said. "And eyes," she added, holding up the scanner.

Seven handed the tricorder to Janet as well and for the next half hour, Janet got a thorough explanation while treating Seven's hand in the process with yet another instrument.

They were just about to go over to one of the patients when the doors to Sick Bay opened and B'Elanna came in with another crewman. They made a beeline for the EMH.

"Doctor Fraiser?"

Janet looked up at Seven, who cocked her head.

"It was Lieutenant Torres who came in."

Trying not to look over again, Janet nodded. Then she did a double-take. Seven stood with her back to the door. "How- how did you know?"

"Because of your physical reaction."

Janet scoffed. "Yeah, right."

"Your pulse increased, your pupils dilated and your temperature rose 1.3 degrees – and is rising as we speak."

Her face now positively on fire, Janet gaped at Seven.

"I have made you uncomfortable."

"No kidding," she mumbled in the direction of the tricorder in her hand.

"My advice to get Lieutenant Torres' attention-"

Janet snapped her head back so quickly, she was afraid she had given herself a whiplash.

The implant above Seven's eye rose and her expression turned slightly – amused?

"We… we're talking about my interest in her as a physician, right?"

Now Seven's eyebrow went up as well.

"Dammit!"

"Ignore her for now," Seven said. "And may I suggest for you to make your next attempt to approach her not during the main shift in Engineering?"

Janet glanced over to where B'Elanna was, then back at Seven. "Too busy?"

"Precisely." Seven gave a curt nod. "There will always be one or the other test or repairs underway. Or one of her engineers will come to her for questions."

"Noted."

"She does have the late shift tomorrow."

Once more, Janet's gaze shifted to B'Elanna.

"May I also suggest that you don't wear your lab coat?"

"My lab coat?" Janet looked down at herself.

"I assume you would prefer for Lieutenant Torres to be at ease in your presence."

"Yes, of course."

"You're rarely seen without the coat," Seven said. "It's almost like-"

"Work clothes? A uniform?" Janet suggested dryly.

The implant above Seven's eye rose. "An armour."

Crossing her arms, Janet looked away. "Maybe you have a point," she conceded after a moment and sighed. "Maybe I'm using the lab coat as a tangible connection to my time and reality." She lifted her chin and looked back at Seven. "But it's also plain practical. It does have pockets and I can put things in it." With a small smile she unfolded her arms and stuffed her hands into the pockets. "Or put my hands in there when I don't know what to do with them."

Seven inclined her head. "Understood," she said. "Shall we proceed and see your first patient, Doctor Fraiser?"

"Janet."

Seven looked questioningly at Janet.

"You've just dissected my physical reaction to B'Elanna and gave me tips on how to approach her," Janet said. "You may just as well call me Janet."

"Very well.

"By the way…why did you tell me in the first place?"

"That is for me to know and for you to find out, Janet Fraiser." There was a tiny smile before Seven turned away and headed towards a bed with a crewman on it.

Janet looked after Seven and then shook her head with a soft laugh, before she followed.

When Janet walked into Main Engineering the next evening, she made it only a few meters before she slowed and then came to a complete stop. Unlike the times before, the place was deserted and very quiet – except for the low hum of the warp core. Fascinated, Janet let her gaze travel up the swirling blue light. It wasn't only an impressive sight but also very beautiful.

"Who's lurking in my engine room?"

Janet pursed her lips, then moved towards the niche that served as B'Elanna's office and from where her voice had come. She peeked around the corner and when she saw B'Elanna sitting at a console, Janet stepped inside and leaned against the bulkhead.

B'Elanna glanced up. "Yeah, lurking all right," she said. Then her gaze moved down Janet's body and shot up again.

Out of habit, Janet wanted to put her hands in the pocket of her lab coat. But she had followed Seven's suggestion and wasn't wearing one. So instead, Janet slid one hand into the pocket of her uniform pants.

"You can tell Seven that I'll rip her heart out," B'Elanna said. "Oh, don't bother, I'll just do it," she added and leaned back in her chair.

"Why is that?"

"Because she talked to you."

Janet let out a laugh. "Let me get that straight. You want to kill Seven because she talked to me?"

B'Elanna jolted in her seat. "Well… no. Not because she talked to you," she said hastily. "But she talked to you about me."

"Actually, it started with Seven interrogating me." Janet scrunched up her face thoughtfully. "Something about me and my Napoleonic power mongering ways and overtaking Sick Bay. I've thankfully forgotten most off her findings on Napoleon but I'm sure you get the picture."

B'Elanna pressed her lips together but that didn't keep her eyes from shining with humour. "That does sound like Seven."

"Once I was able to convince her that I had no intention on overtaking Sick Bay, Seven began explaining some medical instruments and proceedings to me. That you came up in the conversation was a coincidence."

"Oh… it was?"

"Yeah." Janet nodded. "And it only started when you came into Sick Bay."

"So, it's my fault now?"

"More like my own," Janet said. "Not that I think anyone is at fault here."

B'Elanna harrumphed and crossed her arms. "How was it your fault?"

Janet studied B'Elanna for a moment, then took a deep breath: "Seven knew you had come into the room without having seen you."

For just a moment, B'Elanna's eyes widened, then she narrowed them. "How-" She pushed a lock of hair behind an ear. "How did she know?"

"Funny, I asked the exact same question," Janet said. "Imagine my surprise when she told me it was because of my physical reaction to you."

B'Elanna's lips parted but she didn't say anything.

"But you already knew that, didn't you?"

"I didn't," B'Elanna said, then added: "I might have thought of it as a possibility at first."

Janet nodded. "Was it the implication of what it means that had you dismiss the thought again?"

With a sigh, B'Elanna nodded slowly, just before jerking upright. "Hang on a minute, what implication are we talking about exactly?"

With a small smile, Janet said quietly: "My interest in you."

"Because I'm a new species you've never encountered before?"

Janet arched an eyebrow. "There might be no Klingons, Vulcan or Borgs in my reality, but you're hardly the first alien I've seen," she said. "So, no, that's not what gets my blood pumping," she added.

"So you haven't been pestering me out of professional curiosity?"

"I have been pestering you for professional reasons," Janet said. "These routine check-ups happen for a reason."

B'Elanna made a scoffing sound – that Janet ignored.

"But it was unprofessional of me to hope that I could get you to talk to me." Janet sighed and for a moment looked to the floor before lifting her gaze back to B'Elanna. "I- I just didn't have the guts to ask if you'd like to have lunch with me, or dinner."

"It's a bit late for that."

"What?" Janet tilted her head questioningly.

"Well, lunch has been over for hours and even the dinner crowd will be gone by now," B'Elanna said matter-of-factly. "But I'm sure Neelix would fix something for us."

Janet pushed herself from the bulkhead. "I… didn't mean today."

"Are you saying that you don't have the guts to spontaneously have dinner with me?"

Janet felt her mouth drop open – and that for two reasons: first was the fact that B'Elanna did seem to want to go and have a meal with Janet. And secondly the cheek with which B'Elanna had delivered her comment. For the moment, Janet found it much easier to deal with the cheekiness. She crossed her arms, ducked her chin under and looked at B'Elanna from underneath furrowed brows. There was still a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth though, when she said: "You just wanna rattle my cage."

"Yeah."

B'Elanna's admission caught Janet off-guard and she let out a laugh. "Why?"

B'Elanna cocked her head and gave Janet a thoughtful look. "You're not afraid of me, are you?"

Janet blinked. "Why would I be?"

Waving one hand dismissively, B'Elanna said: "I'll leave the history lesson for another time. Suffice to say, Klingons have an excellent sense of smell. And you… you have a nice scent. But it gets even better when your – how did you phrase it? When your blood is boiling? No, when your blood is pumping."

Not quite sure if she had understood correctly, Janet cleared her throat. "You- you like my scent?"

"Seven didn't tell you?"

"She didn't tell me squat," Janet said. "Well, except for not approaching you during a main shift and losing the lab coat."

"Maybe I'm not gonna kill her after all."

"Okay," Janet said slowly. "What could she have told me?"

B'Elanna chuckled. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Yeah, I would." Janet grinned.

"I bet." B'Elanna looked onto the console. "I might answer that question in about 15 minutes – if you have the guts for dinner with me."

Janet put her head in her neck and laughed.

"Okay, I think it's time for you to leave," B'Elanna said with a half-smile.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, you're starting to smell really good," B'Elanna said. "And shallow breathing gets me only so far in here."

"In my time we sometimes had to perform mouth to mouth in an emergency," Janet said and was rather satisfied with the surprise in B'Elanna's face. "I could offer-"

"Out!" There was no heat in B'Elanna's voice. "Now," she added and made shooing gestures with her hands.

"All right, all right, I'm going," Janet said and with a last smile at B'Elanna turned around. "I'll see you in the Mess Hall?"

"Yeah," B'Elanna replied. "I just need to finish this report."

Was it her imagination or did B'Elanna sound distracted? She was probably already back to work with her thoughts. Janet turned her head a little more, expecting to see B'Elanna bend over the console. But instead, B'Elanna was leaning back in the chair with her nose in the air. The sight was unexpected but now that Janet knew about the scent thing, it was quite sensual to see – and intimate. Quickly, Janet stepped around the corner. Despite the fact that B'Elanna had been more relaxed and open than in any other of their encounters before, Janet doubted she wanted to be seen like this just yet.

Slowly, Janet made her way to the Mess Hall. But then thought better of it. She hurried to her quarters first to get some reading material. She could use the time she had to wait and study some of the texts, Seven had provided her with. It would keep her occupied as well and maybe stop her from getting nervous. Or excited, her inner voice added. And don't forget even more curious.

"Oh hush," she muttered to herself as she briskly walked down the corridors.

She had just reached her quarters and picked up two PADDs when the intercom on her chest chirped.

"Torres to Doctor Fraiser."

Janet touched the little gadget. "Fraiser here."

"Listen, um… would you mind if we met on the Holodeck instead of the Mess Hall?"

"On the Holodeck?"

"Yeah, I need a bit more space around me."

Janet's eyebrows lifted. "I don't pretend to understand the concept of holodecks or holoprograms but if you say it will offer you more space… of course we can meet there."

"Okay, thanks," B'Elanna said.

"No problem."

"I'll see you shortly."

"Um… B'Elanna?"

"Yes?"

"How- how do I get there?"

There was a soft chuckle. "I assume you're already in the Mess Hall."

"Err… actually, I'm in my quarters."

There was a brief pause. "All right," B'Elanna said slowly.

"Yeah, I thought I could pick up some reading material to – um bridge the time."

Another pause. Then: "You went to your quarters to pick up some reading material to wait for 15 minutes in the Mess Hall?"

Janet looked to the floor. "Yeah." She was glad that B'Elanna couldn't see her right now.

"You realize that you wouldn't have had more than a couple of minutes to actually read after your little detour?"

"Um…no."

There was a thoughtful hum before B'Elanna cleared her throat and then explained Janet how to get to the Holodeck.

A short while later, Janet walked down the corridor that led to Holodeck 2. When she came around a corner, Janet saw B'Elanna pacing in front of a door, who came to a stop when she turned and saw Janet.

Then B'Elanna moved to a panel beside the door and tapped in some commands. There was a beep and the doors slid open. Janet stepped up beside B'Elanna and followed her inside as she began to move.

"Where are we going? I mean, I know we're entering a holodeck but…"

B'Elanna chuckled. "It's a legit question."

"Okay, so where are we going?"

They turned around a corner.

"Welcome to Sandrine's," B'Elanna said.

"A bar?"

"Yeah, a couple of years ago we used to spend a lot of time in here in our free time. Usually there are a few characters as well but I deactivated them."

Janet walked past the pool table and let her fingers run across the green velvet. "It feels so real." She looked to B'Elanna who was heading behind the bar. "I'm glad it doesn't smell like a bar, though."

"Oh good, so you can't smell it."

Janet blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Do you want something to drink?"

Janet walked to the bar. Bracing her arms on the wood, she looked at B'Elanna. "Are you saying you can actually smell…" Janet shrugged. "The bar?"

"Yeah." B'Elanna turned around to face Janet. "As I said, I needed a bit of space to move around," she explained. "And I figured that adding a bit of the dank smell to the program would um… help me keep a clear head."

Janet narrowed her eyes thoughtfully and then understood the implication. She cocked her head. "Because of me or rather my scent." She remembered B'Elanna in her office with her nose in the air.

"Yeah." B'Elanna nodded. She put two glasses with what seemed to be water on the bar. "But before this flirtation gets any further, there are a few things you should know."

"So, you have been flirting with me."

B'Elanna gave Janet a scathing look – which made Janet lift her hands.

"I'm sorry," she said. "It's obviously important enough for you to subjugate yourself to the stank of an empty bar."

B'Elanna pushed herself from the bar and walked around it. "Klingons are a warrior race; they're all about fighting and honour and whatnot."

"So are the Jaffa."

"Maybe. But I guess they don't have a saying that indicates that the wedding night must have been without passion if not at least one of the couple has a broken bone afterwards."

"Um… not that I know of." Janet turned slightly to follow B'Elanna with her gaze as she paced.

"It's quite common to tease newly weds with this among Klingons," B'Elanna said and turned on her heels. "They consider it a blessing if a clavicle gets broken."

"That sounds…"

"Painful?" B'Elanna suggested dryly.

"Yeah, you could say that."

"Now… I've never injured a partner," B'Elanna said and came to a stop a few feet away from Janet. "But…" She sighed.

"But?"

"Kahless, you're just so…" B'Elanna lifted her hands.

Janet cocked her head. "I'm what?"

"Small."

She had expected a lot of things, but not a reference to her height at this point. That it was coming from B'Elanna was even more bizarre. "That's rich coming from you," Janet said dryly with an arched brow. "As far as I know there aren't that many people on board Voyager who are shorter than you are."

B'Elanna crossed her arms. "I'm still stronger than most of them thanks to my heritage."

Janet connected the dots and nodded. "So your previous partners have all been Klingons."

That made B'Elanna frown. "No, I haven't been with a Klingon before."

Confused, Janet lifted her shoulders. "Then why is my size a concern?"

"You know what? You're right." B'Elanna barked out a laugh. "This whole conversation is ridiculous. I mean, we haven't had a civil conversation yet and here I am trying to tell you that I might leave a bruise because I'm holding on too tight."

The thought of B'Elanna caught up in passion and holding on tightly made Janet's pulse speed up and she swallowed dryly. "Then why are we here?" She asked quietly.

"Good question. You tell me."

"I'm here because I have a soft spot for snarky, brilliant brunettes," Janet said and took a few steps towards B'Elanna. "Your turn."

B'Elanna crossed her arms. "That's a compliment."

The corner of Janet's mouth twitched. "Yeah, it is."

"Well, the brilliant part at least."

"Oh, I don't know." Janet shrugged a shoulder. "You often have this little smirk on your face when you deliver one of your snarky comments," Janet said. "I find that to be very attractive."

"You like being at the end of my sharp tongue?"

"Oh my." Janet let out a laugh.

"I mean being the butt of my joke," B'Elanna corrected hastily but it was too late.

"I don't know if I like being at the end of your tongue yet," Janet said. "But I'd like to find out."

B'Elanna's arms dropped to her sides and for a moment B'Elanna just stared at Janet. Then she turned her head away.

"Why are you here, B'Elanna?"

Pulling her lower lip between her teeth, B'Elanna looked at Janet. "Because I'm curious," she finally said. "About you," she added.

"Why?"

B'Elanna sighed and then locked onto Janet's eyes. "You're a fascinating mixture of control and passion."

Janet nodded. "And you're wondering which one has the upper hand when it comes to sex?"

With a snort, B'Elanna crossed her arms. "I think that's a safe bet."

"Or so you believe," Janet said with a half-smile.

"Are you saying otherwise?"

Janet cocked her head. "You are a scientist, right?"

There was a perplexed hesitation, then B'Elanna nodded. "Well, technically, I'm an engineer."

"Even better," Janet said. "As a scientist, wouldn't you agree that there is some chemistry between us?"

One corner of B'Elanna's mouth lifted into a half-grin. "Yeah, I can agree to that."

Janet nodded and then – with her pulse quickening – walked up to B'Elanna. She looked up. "As an…" Janet swallowed. "As an engineer wouldn't you like to get your hands-"

B'Elanna's nostrils flared and she inhaled sharply. "Kahless," she whispered and took a step back.

Janet's shoulders sagged. "I- I don't know how else to tell you that I want you," she said quietly. "Or that it's okay for you to want me."

"But don't… you want a date first? Dinner or something?"

"How about breakfast afterwards?"

B'Elanna let out a laugh and shook her head.

"Look, we agreed to have dinner but you thought you might get distracted by my scent," Janet said. "What makes you think that the next attempt will be any less distracting?"

Worrying her lower lip, B'Elanna shrugged a shoulder.

"Maybe once you have my scent all over you-"

There was a low moan and B'Elanna's crossed arms moved to her midsection.

"All right." Janet lifted her hands and backed off. "Let me know how you want to proceed – if you even want to." She turned on her heels and headed towards the exit.

"Wait."

Janet closed her eyes and stopped. "Please, I don't want to play games with you," she said quietly.

"No games." B'Elanna came closer. "Just… I just need to finish saying what I started earlier." There was a tentative touch on Janet's shoulder. "Why I asked you to come here in the first place. I- I need you to know."

Slowly, Janet turned around. "Know what?"

"You need to know what you're getting into."

Janet arched her brows. "That sounds ominous."

B'Elanna pushed her hair behind an ear. "I mentioned that I might hold on too tight and maybe even leave marks."

"Yes, you did," Janet said and then remembered B'Elanna commenting on her, Janet, being so small. "Is this about my height?"

B'Elanna nodded.

"Just because I'm shorter than average doesn't mean I'm any more or less fragile than others." Janet gave B'Elanna a small smile.

"I- I might also bite."

A flare of excitement shot through Janet and she inhaled sharply – so did B'Elanna, before she looked away with a laugh. "Okay, scratch the 'might'. I will bite. I like biting," B'Elanna said and looked back at Janet. "But I might break the skin on occasions."

Cocking her head, Janet swallowed. Her whole body seemed to be thrumming with desire. "Good thing I'm a doctor then."

B'Elanna's gaze moved to Janet's neck. "Is that an invitation?"

Janet's laugh was low. "If you need another one."

"A written one would be nice," B'Elanna said with a half-smile. "You know, so I could check every once in a while."

Janet patted down her pockets. "Sorry, I don't have anything to write with me."

"Damn," B'Elanna muttered.

"B'Elanna, if I approach or touch you… will you back off again?"

B'Elanna shook her head. "No."

With her heartbeat in her throat, Janet stepped up to B'Elanna and reached up to touch her face. B'Elanna put her hands on top of Janet's and for a moment Janet thought B'Elanna would pull them off again. But all that B'Elanna did was turning one of Janet's hands slightly. Closing her eyes, she pressed her nose against Janet's wrist and inhaled deeply.

"You know, before I saw you down in Engineering, I never thought that someone sniffing me could be so sensual," Janet said quietly.

Without opening her eyes, B'Elanna turned to Janet's other wrist and took another deep breath. "I don't sniff. I'm not a dog," she said. "I'm scenting you." B'Elanna looked at Janet with hooded eyes.

"Sorry," Janet whispered.

"You saw me in Engineering?"

"Just briefly." Janet moved closer to B'Elanna so that their bodies touched. The soft hiss from B'Elanna's inhale was almost drowned by Janet's low hum.

B'Elanna let go of Janet's hands and instead put her arms around Janet. Pulling her closer, B'Elanna bend her head.

Janet moved her hand to the back of B'Elanna's neck and stretched up.

After the prelude that had led to this; B'Elanna's tale about Klingons, bruises and biting; Janet had expected the kiss to be more – heated. But it wasn't. Not that Janet felt like complaining. Oh, no. B'Elanna kissed Janet with a slow burning passion that left nothing to desire – except the desire for more.

"I don't think I can stand it much longer," Janet whispered against B'Elanna's lips after a while.

B'Elanna lifted her head to look at Janet. "Stand what much longer?"

"What?" Janet frowned. "What did I say?"

"That you can't stand it much longer."

Janet's mouth dropped open. "I meant stand," she said. "I don't think I can stand much longer."

It was a futile attempt from B'Elanna to try and hide her grin but she gave it her best. "What happened, Doctor? Lost the ability to talk?"

Janet laughed. "You happened, Lieutenant."

"You're saying it's my fault?"

"In the most positive sense, yes."

"I don't mind taking the blame for that," B'Elanna said with a smug smile.

Janet pulled her hand from B'Elanna's neck and traced the laugh-line around B'Elanna's mouth with a finger. "I see you're also very attractive when you're smug," she said – which made B'Elanna's smile widen.

"I don't suppose there's something a bit more comfortable to sit on than the chairs?"

"Um… I don't think so," B'Elanna looked up and around. "You could sit on the pool table."

Janet snorted. "The pool table?"

B'Elanna shrugged. "Probably not the most comfortable."

"Yeah. And isn't it the place where you try to put things into holes?"

For a moment, B'Elanna just gaped at Janet. Then she closed her eyes. However, they popped open just a heartbeat later. "Computer, add a couch to the interior of this bar," she said triumphantly.

"Please specify. There are several variations in the Database."

The expression of utter disbelief on B'Elanna's face had Janet lower her head to keep her smile hidden.

"I just want a damn couch," B'Elanna grumbled.

"There is no 'damn couch' in the Database," the computer voice announced and Janet lost it. She burst out laughing while the computer began listing different kind of couches.

"You're not helping," B'Elanna said close to Janet's ear.

Janet shook her head slightly. "No, I guess not." She looked up, still smiling broadly. "But it is pretty hilarious."

B'Elanna harrumphed and Janet cleared her throat.

"Computer, is there an ottoman in the Database?"

"Affirmative."

"One where three people can be seated?"

"Affirmative."

"Please add one of those to the-" Janet frowned and looked questioningly at B'Elanna.

"Add one of those to the interior of the current setting."

There was a beep and a moment later the ottoman appeared beside them.

"Much better," B'Elanna said and let go of Janet. She took her hand instead and together they went to the couch where they sat down – now facing the door.

"Um… could other people come in here?"

"Good point! Computer, seal the doors."

There was another beep and Janet assumed that the doors were now locked. With a smile, she turned to B'Elanna and reached out.

"Oh, wait. Computer, when is the next reservation for the Holodeck?"

"The next slot begins in 54 minutes."

"Damn." B'Elanna sighed.

"How… how about we enjoy ourselves for the next little while and then move to a more appropriate location if we feel like it?"

B'Elanna's expression brightened. "I like the way your mind works, Doctor."

Janet put a hand on the back of B'Elanna's neck. "I'm glad you do, Lieutenant," she said and pulled B'Elanna with her down on the couch.

FIN