Title: Two B'Elannas
Author: Brigid
Email: brigidandmike@juno.com
Rating: [PG]
Series: Voyager
Part: 1/1
Synopsis: B'Elanna finds herself lost in an alternate universe
where things are very awkward.
Disclaimer: Paramount owns the characters. I thank them for
letting me play with them.
Posting:
Date: March, 2001
Thanks to BR, I wouldn't have had the nerve to try it without
you.
TWO B'ELANNAS
The crew of Voyager had encountered a small m-class planet.
Their scans showed no advanced life forms but it was rich with a
variety of plant life Lt. Tom Paris was in charge of the mission
to gather the edible plants and replenish Voyager's dwindling
supply of fresh food. It had been a successful but uneventful
mission. In fact the last couple of weeks had been uneventful,
at least for most of the crew.
Tom and his wife B'Elanna, Chief Engineer, had just found out
that they were expecting a baby, their first. They were
thrilled, but B'Elanna's Klingon/Human physiology was moody at
best. With the addition of pregnancy her moods had become highly
unpredictable. This morning's replicator malfunction had led to
Tom's peanut butter toast being plastered to the wall, while last
night's choice of music (Brahms - one of the doctor's
recommendations) had precipitated a night of passion. Not the
usual reaction to Brahms. Tom had considered asking the captain
to take B'Elanna off the away team but there were ore samples
there that Engineering needed to analyze and B'Elanna was the
best person for the job.
The crew had almost filled the cargo hold of Tom's shuttle when
B'Elanna called him on her communicator.
"Tom, I'm taking the shuttle to investigate the debris
field we passed by on our way down here. There were some signs of
trilithium and we could use all that we can get."
B'Elanna was a competent pilot so Tom shouldn't have been
worried, but he still reacted as a mission commander should.
"Okay, who do you have with you?"
"No one." B'Elanna was laughing now, "I don't need anyone
else. All I am going to do is scan the debris and collect
anything that looks useful. Even a green ensign could accomplish
that."
"Yes," Tom answered patiently, "but wouldn't it be more fun if
we did it together? Why don't you wait until I'm finished here
and I'll go with you."
But B'Elanna was already in the shuttle and on her way. "Sorry,
Flyboy, you have to finish with the vegetable brigade. Stop
worrying so much, I'll see you in the shuttle bay in an hour."
Vegetable brigade, she'll pay for that later, Tom mused as he
watched his wife fly off. A brief frown crossed his handsome
features but he shook it off. She'll be fine.
As B'Elanna gathered some small mineral samples with her tractor
beam and stored them in the cargo bay, she noticed a spatial
distortion, but her sensors were unable to determine its origin.
She decided to go in for a closer look. Suddenly she felt the
ship begin to shudder and realized she was being pulled into the
distortion. B'Elanna frantically worked the shuttle controls to
regain control and reverse course. The distortion continued to
pull the shuttle towards it as a shrill, piercing sound left
B'Elanna unconscious before she could send out a call for help.
****
B'Elanna woke up in Voyager's sickbay with a terrible headache
and found Harry Kim hovering over her. She tried to sit up but
Harry gently pushed her back down on the biobed, "Just lay there
and rest, B'Elanna. Don't try to get up yet."
"I think you're right" B'Elanna answered weakly... "Where's Tom?
Isn't he back yet?"
Harry looked a little surprised as he answered, "He's on the
bridge. Why do you need to see Tom?"
The doctor interrupted before B'Elanna could answer. "Lt. Kim,
would you please excuse us? I would like to talk to my
patient."
Harry, now looking very concerned, answered, "What do you need
to talk to B'Elanna about that you can't say in front of me?"
The doctor took him reassuringly by the arm and escorted him to
the sick bay office, "I will get back with you in a minute, Mr.
Kim. I would just like a few words with Lt. Torres in private,
please." He then returned to the area where B'Elanna was really
struggling to sit up and regain her equilibrium.
"Doctor, what is going on?" B'Elanna gave him a questioning
look, "and did you just call Harry 'Lieutenant'?"
The Doctor seemed startled by her question and carefully asked
her, "Just what do you remember, Lieutenant?"
"I was looking for mineral samples in the area of a debris field
and I saw what looked like a spatial distortion, so I went to
investigate it. I heard a loud piercing noise and I must have
passed out. What is going on?"
The Doctor had another question now, "Are you aware that you
are pregnant?"
"Of course," B'Elanna replied, and then her voice caught in her
throat, "is there something wrong with the baby?"
"The baby is fine, Lieutenant., but my DNA scans show that the
father is Lt. Paris," the doctor coldly replied.
"Who else would be the father, and why isn't Tom here?" It was
only then that B'Elanna realized that Tuvok had entered the sick
bay area, and that he and Harry had overheard the conversation in
spite of the doctor's precautions. Harry had a look of disbelief
on his face, and Tuvok actually raised an eyebrow.
The doctor greeted Tuvok, "Captain, I'm glad you are here. Lt.
Torres seems to be quite... disoriented."
Before Tuvok could answer, B'Elanna tried to get off the biobed,
catching herself as her feet hit the floor and the dizziness
returned. "Tuvok, this isn't funny, what kind of joke are you
playing? Why is he calling you Captain, where's Captain Janeway
or Chakotay, and where's Tom?" she pleaded as the blackness
overcame her again. The doctor caught her before she hit the
floor, and with Harry's help returned her to the biobed.
Harry by now was frantic, "What's wrong with her, is it amnesia?
Why doesn't she remember that that Tuvok is captain and Janeway
and Chakotay were left on a planet four years ago?"
"Amnesia would explain some of her confusion, but it would not
explain her pregnancy and the fact that the baby she carries has
the DNA of Lt. Paris." Tuvok offered this reply as the doctor
was scanning B'Elanna once again.
"I have given her a mild sedative. She should be awake in an
hour or so and hopefully less confused." The doctor offered
what little assurance he could.
Tuvok nodded and touched his com badge. "Tuvok to Paris. Please
come to sickbay at once." "On my way, Captain," was the
reply.
Tom Paris loped into the sickbay a few minutes later to face
three seriously unhappy people. "What's wrong, is B'Elanna
injured? I thought you said she would be okay when we tractored
her shuttle on board."
"Mr. Paris," Tuvok began, "Lt. Torres seems somewhat
disoriented."
"Is it serious?" Tom asked, looking worriedly at Harry, "Is
she going to be okay?" For some reason that Tom couldn't
understand his best friend looked like he wanted to smash his
face in. Worry was replaced by confusion in the pilot's face.
Again it was Tuvok who answered, "Our chief concern is the fact
that the Doctor has discovered that the lieutenant is pregnant."
"That's wonderful! Isn't it? Congratulations, Harry. Is the baby
okay?" Tom seemed genuinely happy for his closest friends.
Beginning to lose patience, Tuvok answered again, "The baby is
fine but according to the doctor's scans, you are the father, not
Lt. Kim."
Tom's blue eyes got huge, "What? That's impossible! B'Elanna's
married to Harry. I never... we never... I mean, it's impossible."
Now he understood why his friend looked so stricken. "Harry, you
have to believe me, I don't have an explanation, but the obvious
one just isn't so. I promise you."
"I don't know what to believe," Harry murmured.
Captain Tuvok took command of the situation. "Lt. Paris, as
Executive Officer I must ask you to begin an investigation. Lt.
Kim, I suggest you let the doctor look after your wife while you
see what kind of information you can gather from the shuttle
itself. Lt. Paris can begin his study with the sensor logs.
Doctor, when Lt. Torres awakens, please call me. I would like to
question her myself."
The officers all replied with a subdued "Aye, Captain." Tom
left sickbay immediately when he saw that Harry was not even
going to look him in the eye. Harry went to stand by B'Elanna
holding her hand for a moment and then bending to kiss her ridged
forehead before he left to investigate the physical evidence.
Three quarters of an hour later, B'Elanna was again struggling to
consciousness. The doctor hastened to her side and notified Capt.
Tuvok that his Chief Engineer was again awake. Tuvok walked in
to find a quickly recovering and now very angry half Klingon
threatening to scatter the doctor's program throughout the Delta
quadrant if he didn't let her off the biobed and out of sickbay.
"Lt. Torres" Tuvok began, " would you mind answering a few
questions for me?"
"Of course not, Commander Tuvok, if you don't mind answering a
few for me," she hissed at him.
The eyebrow raised again but Tuvok proceeded calmly. "What is
the current stardate?"
"54472." She answered impatiently.
"That is correct."
"Do I get a prize or something?" B'Elanna asked sarcastically.
Tuvok ignored her question and asked another. "Where is Voyager
located?"
"Last time I looked we were in the Delta quadrant where we have
been for the last 6 years trying to find our way home. Now, it's
my turn. Where are Captain Janeway and Chakotay and Tom? If I'm
being held prisoner in sickbay can't I at least see my husband?"
Tuvok looked as surprised as a Vulcan can look as he answered
her, "Lieutenant, Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay were
marooned on a planet because of an incurable virus over 4 years
ago. I am the Captain of this vessel and Lt. Paris is my
executive officer. You were married three months ago to Lt.
Harry Kim who is the Operations Officer of this ship. Do you not
remember any of this?"
B'Elanna looked horror stricken as she said, "No, I don't, at
least not that way... we rescued the captain and Chakotay and with
the help of the Doctor's friend, Denara Pel, they were cured. I
married Tom four months ago and we just found out last week that
we're expecting a baby. Tuvok, why would my memories be so
different from yours?"
"I do not know," the Vulcan answered. "Tell me what you
remember about today."
"No, I'm not saying another word until I see Tom." B'Elanna was
adamant, so Tuvok called Tom and Harry back to sickbay. B'Elanna
waited impatiently for them, pacing back and forth in the small
area like a caged animal. As they entered sickbay the relief on
B'Elanna's face was quite apparent but it was also apparent that
the relief came from seeing Tom, not Harry. However, anxious not
to cause any more confusion, B'Elanna did not throw her arms
around Tom when she saw him. The three of them stood awkwardly
staring at each other for a handful of seconds, Tom looking
uncomfortable and Harry searching B'Elanna's face for any sign of
recognition.
B'Elanna broke the uneasy silence, "Tom, you were on that
mission with me, what do you remember?"
After looking at Tuvok for affirmation, Tom described the
morning's mission. "We checked out the planet and collected the
minerals and food stuffs we needed. I had Neelix with me and a
cargo bay full of perishables so I headed back here. You saw a
debris field that looked interesting and said you were going to
check it out. When you didn't come back we went out looking for
you. We found the shuttle and you were unconscious. We brought
you back and beamed you to sickbay. When you woke up, you seemed
... confused."
"Tell me what you remember, B'Elanna." Tom was gentle but
firm, the epitome of an executive office.
B'Elanna, calmer now, began her narrative, which paralleled Tom's
until she reached the part where she wanted to investigate the
debris field. "Do you remember arguing with me, telling me to
wait until you could go with me?"
"No, I don't remember that."
"Okay, when you found the shuttle, where was it, and was there
anything strange about it? I had run into some kind of spatial
anomaly, was there any sign of a radiation leak?" B'Elanna
asked.
"No, but Harry was checking it out. Did you find anything,
Har?" Tom was anxious to include a now smoldering Harry in the
conversation.
"There was some debris in the shuttle but it didn't seem to be
of any value. In fact it was really hard to analyze. It was
unstable and I haven't finished determining why. But the sensors
didn't detect any sign of a distortion or any radiation
residue."
"I'll help" B'Elanna offered. "I can go to astrometrics and
see if Seven can find anything on the scanner to explain that
spatial distortion. Maybe there's a clue in the debris field."
"Seven, what is Seven?" asked Tuvok.
"Seven of Nine, the Borg who rules the Astrometrics lab with an
iron fist." B'Elanna tried to make it sound like a hint but her
attempt at humor failed and her fear was starting to overtake her
again.
"We captured a Borg 3 years ago but it was impossible to
stabilize her condition and she was returned to the collective in
an escape pod as soon as we felt we were out of danger from an
attack." Tuvok answered.
B'Elanna was visibly shaken by this news and the Doctor reached
out to steady her. She shook his hand off and faced Tuvok again,
"Alright, you do have an astrometrics lab don't you? At least I
can get a look at the area of space where I saw an anomaly or
something." At Tuvok's lack of response B'Elanna looked
frightened. "You don't believe me, do you? You think I'm crazy!"
"B'Elanna," Harry reached out his hand to calm her. "We're
trying to believe you, trying to figure out what is going on."
His hands gently held her arms as he reassured her. B'Elanna
looked at Tom who was obviously not uncomfortable with this and
it frightened her even more.
"Lt. Torres, please calm yourself. We will continue our
investigation. Until we have completed that investigation I
recommend that you remain in sickbay." B'Elanna looked crushed
but Tuvok appeared not to notice as he left sickbay. Tom smiled
his most charming detached smile and left behind Tuvok.
Harry obviously had plenty he wanted to say, but looking at her
and not being able to hold her was getting pretty tough. He
desperately wanted her to remember the life that they shared,
wanted to remind her of it in any way he could. But she seemed
to consider him almost a stranger, certainly not a husband. She
was still B'Elanna though and he would still walk through fire
for her if he needed to. "I'll go see if I can make sense of
those readings on the debris you collected."
"Yeah, okay, thanks" was all B'Elanna could offer. She knew
it wasn't what he needed but she couldn't give Harry what he
needed. Only his B'Elanna could do that. His B'Elanna
B'Elanna turned to the doctor and stated firmly, "I need your
terminal, we're going to do some research of our own." The
doctor considered protesting but since he was now looking at
her back he figured she wasn't going to pay any attention anyway.
B'Elanna studied the logs she had pulled up to see what records
there were of alternate universes or time warps. Unfortunately
there were hundreds, and she had to figure out just what the
circumstances surrounding her problem were. She found what she
was looking for just as Captain Tuvok sent Lt. Ayala to escort
her to the briefing room.
B'Elanna acknowledged the officer and said to the doctor, "Come
on, you're going with me, and bring a tricorder... You do have a
mobile emitter, don't you?"
"Of course," the Doctor stiffly replied as he secured the
necessary piece of equipment from his office and followed her to
the bridge.
*****
In the briefing room, Harry and Tom sat opposite each other
looking absolutely miserable, while Tuvok was actually sitting in
the Captain's seat. Ensign, now Lieutenant, B'Elanna noticed,
Vorik seemed to be occupying the chair of the Chief Tactical
officer. B'Elanna took what was normally the chief engineer's
seat and hoped there was nothing else she had missed in the
"transition". She looked at Tom who immediately blushed and
looked away. That hurt. Then she looked at Harry unprepared for
the pain in his eyes. She had to turn away.
Tuvok tried to begin with Harry's report but was interrupted by
B'Elanna. "I think I have an explanation and I asked the doctor
to come to tell me if I'm correct. I think I belong in a
different universe." Harry looked up, shock and hope running
together on his face. He quickly turned to share that hope with
Tom whose reactions mirrored his. They exchanged the looks that
friends share when a new idea has just taken them both by
surprise. B'Elanna continued, "There are two Voyagers out here.
We must have gotten mixed up in that spatial distortion and
somehow my shuttle wound up here. Your B'Elanna must be in an
alternate universe. I want the doctor to scan my DNA for a
quantum flux."
Tuvok nodded, "That is a logical possibility. Doctor, please
conduct your scan."
The doctor, looking highly skeptical, conducted his scan, and
after checking his tri-corder closely, he conducted another scan.
"Well," he began, "it seems Lt. Torres may be correct in her
assessment of the situation."
The DNA scan showed a different quantum resonance signature.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Tuvok instructed Harry to
begin a scan of the area where B'Elanna had been found and look
for fissures. At a look from Tuvok, Tom followed Harry to help
with the mapping. Lt. Vorik and the doctor were dismissed also,
leaving B'Elanna alone with the Captain.
"Lt. Torres, I would like to question you about the last four
years. You have indicated that the Captain and Commander
Chakotay were rescued. Please tell me how." B'Elanna gave him
a thumbnail sketch of the rescue and the last four years. They
found both ships to be closely paralleled in races encountered
and battles fought. Both ships seemed to be at the same place in
their journeys.
After an hour or so Tom Paris returned to the briefing room with
their findings. "We have an area of space where the quantum
resonance seems to be in a state of flux, we're scanning it for a
warp signature right now, but as I see it, our next problem will
be timing. If we're going to get Harry's wife back, we are going
to have to plan the transfer down to the second."
"The deflector array can be reprogrammed to emit a resonance
beam with the same signature. That should give us an idea of
where we are headed. We'll have to rig a means of communication.
Both shuttles will have to come through the fissure at the same
time." B'Elanna's thoughts were coming faster and faster now.
"But they will have to be looking for us, too. What if they
don't know anything is wrong and have left that area?"
"B'Elanna, they are just as anxious to find you as we are. And
they probably have the best engineer in the Delta quadrant
working on the deflector array and the communication problems
just like we do." Tom was calm and reassuring. "So all we need
to figure out is what you would do in a situation like this, and
do it." The absurdity of it all made her laugh just a little.
"Lt. Kim, please begin your efforts with communications."
Tuvok nodded to Harry and he left to remodulate the
communications array with the quantum resonance signature that
B'Elanna had brought with her. "Lt. Paris, you and Lt. Torres
need to go to Engineering and begin the reconfiguring on the
deflector. Then I suggest that you continue your scans and look
for a warp signature from the shuttle as well. We will need to
know the exact location of the fissure if we are to coordinate
our efforts with the 'other' Voyager." Even Tuvok seemed
optimistic, a good sign.
As Tom and B'Elanna made their way to Engineering, B'Elanna took
the opportunity to ask him a few questions. "Tom, this sounds
really weird but I would like to know... was there ever an 'us'?"
Tom smiled, B'Elanna's directness was one of her most endearing
traits.
"No, there wasn't." He answered.
She was slightly offended now and asked "Didn't you ever
consider it?"
Tom slowed his pace and said "Not really. We've always been
friends, B'Elanna, but in the beginning we were all trying to
find our way in this strange new world. And then there was Kes.
She and I were... we had... something special. When she left I
thought my world was going to come to an end and I wasn't sure I
cared, but you and Harry really helped me pull out of it, kept me
going. By then, you and Harry were a team and I was the
Executive Officer. I was happy for you, but the Exec has to be
really careful where he starts looking for love. It could easily
be misinterpreted!"
He was trying to make light of it now, but B'Elanna remembered
how much Kes had meant to all of them and it didn't surprise her
that this Tom had had that special relationship with her. She was
surprised, though, at the knots that formed in her stomachs. How
could she still be jealous of Kes after all these years? Tom had
told her of Kes's vision, several years after Kes had left
Voyager. Kes and Tom together.... No, B'Elanna, don't go there,
this isn't your Voyager. He's your friend not your husband. She
shook the thoughts out of her head and refocused her attention on
Tom.
Stopping, she touched his arm, "Tom, don't sell yourself short.
Any girl on this ship would be lucky to have you. You've earned
their trust, and from what I've seen, you're a good XO. Give
them a chance, just slow down and smile and let one of them catch
you."
They were laughing as they entered Engineering. The department
looked the same, and the crew looked the same, so B'Elanna
started barking orders just like nothing had changed. At a
discreet nod from Tom they all started following those orders.
B'Elanna ignored the nod, but she was grateful for his support.
Several hours later all modifications had been made, and
exhaustion was starting to set in. Tuvok sent everyone to their
quarters to get a couple of hours of sleep, but it became
apparent very quickly that 'their' quarters was a relative term
at this time. Tuvok suggested that B'Elanna go back to sickbay
and rest there. Ever the gentleman, he offered to escort her
when the silent challenge between Tom and Harry became awkward.
****
The bridge was a busy place when B'Elanna reached it the next
morning. The communications signal was being broadcast on a wide
band frequency but had yielded no results. Harry was at the
science station and Tom was in the XO's seat. Both looked glad
to see her but Harry looked a little like a beaten puppy.
B'Elanna wanted to comfort him but not as much as she wanted Tom
to put his arms around her and assure her that everything was
okay. Actually, she knew exactly how Harry felt.
Suddenly there was a familiar voice coming through the static and
Captain Tuvok directed that the signal be sent to his ready room.
The bridge crew was surprised at his order, all except Tom who
nodded in understanding and moved to the science station to make
sure that Harry was having no trouble transferring the signal.
B'Elanna wanted to scream but Tom's calm acceptance forced her to
accept Tuvok's strange actions and devote her attention to the
engineering station.
In his ready room Tuvok recognized Captain Janeway's voice and,
with a little more adjusting to the frequency, was able to
communicate with her face to face. "Captain, I am... pleased to
see you."
"And I, you, Captain Tuvok," Janeway replied with an enigmatic
smile. "I hope you're looking for me to tell me you have my
chief engineer."
"Yes, Lt. Torres is here."
"Is she all right, Tuvok, and is the baby all right?" There
was a definite catch in her voice.
"Yes, Captain. Lt. Torres and her baby are fine, although her
husband was a little disconcerted to discover that it wasn't his
child." As usual Tuvok was succinct and factual in relating the
trauma that Harry suffered.
"I'm sure he was." She tried to sound light but there was
certainly relief in her voice. "I assume we both have the same
plan to exchange officers."
"We have identified the fissure, and Lt. Torres believes that
sending the shuttles through at precisely the same time with an
inverse warp field should return both officers to their
appropriate timelines and seal the fissure that allowed them to
be exchanged." Tuvok quickly highlighted the plan that B'Elanna
had formulated.
Janeway nodded, "Yes, that's the plan that B'Elanna had
developed here too." But Tuvok was entirely too neutral for
Janeway. "What is it, Tuvok? You seem uncomfortable. Are you
afraid that the plan won't work?" Janeway suspected what the
problem really was.
"It is disconcerting to talk to you after all these years. Lt.
Torres told me of your rescue and cure. I am pleased." He
didn't sound all that pleased, just neutral.
Janeway leaned closer to the view screen. "Tuvok, please don't
feel any regret for your actions. You had to leave us on that
planet."
"Captain, I have reason to question that decision when I see you
at the helm of Voyager in an alternate universe where obviously
my counterpart had the courage to rescue you." His remorse
resonated even in his carefully modulated Vulcan voice.
"My friend, you did the right thing. Your captain and first
officer are safe and... happy in their new world. I promise you."
Janeway was embarrassed to admit it even to her old friend but
she knew in her heart that 'New Earth' had been a place where she
and Chakotay would be content to grow old together, and have no
regrets.
Janeway cleared her throat and became all business again. "I
suggest we synchronize our efforts and make this exchange before
my pilot and your operations officer stage an all out rebellion."
"I agree. Can you be ready by 0900 hours?"
"Yes, we are almost ready now."
****
In the shuttle bay, the Doctor gave B'Elanna an inoculation which
should help her stay oriented during the transfer from one
timeline to another. Harry said his good-bye first, wishing her
well, but anxious to get his B'Elanna home. As Harry left Tom came
over with that million dollar smile that she loved.
"Your plan is perfect, it's going to work, B'Elanna. You'll be
home soon. He's a lucky guy, tell him I said so." He gave her
a hug that made her heart ache for her Tom, and left the shuttle
bay.
Tuvok was obviously waiting until everyone had left to say his
farewells. "Lieutenant, I wish you well on your journey. Your
plan is sound." He hesitated for a moment.
"Tuvok, there's something else isn't there?" B'Elanna asked.
"Yes. There is a question I would like to ask. Your captain
assures me that my Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay are
content to be on the planet where we abandoned them, but I am
troubled over my inability to rescue them and find a cure for
their disease."
B'Elanna thought for a moment before she carefully formed her
answer. "Tuvok, when we rescued the captain and Chakotay from
that planet we, the crew, were ecstatic. But there was something
different about the two of them. There was a sadness behind
their gratitude. They seemed happy to be back on the ship, to be
safe, but something was gone from their relationship, some
promise that they were never going to be able to keep. I can't
explain it, but something was different." B'Elanna shook her
head, she didn't usually give that much thought to relationships
but this was something that had bothered her for some time. "I
think Captain Janeway is right; they were happy there and would
have been content to stay."
"Thank you, Lieutenant, Now you must leave if you are to make
your rendezvous and return to your universe. I wish you well."
B'Elanna nodded and thanked him for his help. She started to
enter the shuttle but turned back to him to add with a smile,
"Live long and prosper." Tuvok gave her a brief nod as he too
left the shuttle bay.
As the shuttle lifted off and moved out of the shuttle bay
B'Elanna felt the tension knotting her neck, and her stomachs
becoming queasy. Pregnancy was wreaking havoc even on her
Klingon physiology, and her desire to get back to her universe -
to Tom - was making her anxious and uncertain. She watched the
chronometer on the conn as the shuttle headed for the fissure.
At the precise moment necessary, she activated the inverse warp
field and proceeded into the fissure. For a moment she was aware
of another ship coming through from the other side. The loud
piercing noise began again and B'Elanna recited to herself over
and over, "I will not pass out, I will not pass out, I will
not..." and then the blackness overtook her.
****
She was slowly climbing out of the darkness when she heard her
name being called by a very familiar voice. She opened her eyes
to the piercing light of sickbay to see Tom hovering over her
anxiously. Her arms reached out to embrace him and make sure he
was real. His arms answered hers and she knew she was home.
Suddenly she pushed away from Tom to ask anxiously, "The baby?"
"She's fine, she's fine and so are you." Tom answered her as he
gently cupped her face and kissed her before returning her to his
embrace.
Captain Janeway had been watching quietly from the door of
sickbay. As soon as she was assured of the safety of her chief
Engineer and the peace of mind of her chief pilot she turned to
go, touching her Executive Officer on the arm. Chakotay
understood her signal immediately and followed her out of sickbay.
****
Two days later, Tom and B'Elanna had just finished breakfast when
they saw Harry sitting alone in the mess hall. B'Elanna sent Tom
to the bridge with a very public kiss and a reassuring smile, and
went to sit with Harry.
"Hey, Starfleet. How are you?" she began.
"Hi, B'Elanna, are you doing okay?" Harry looked a little
uncomfortable but he continued, "back on duty yet or still
lazing around?"
"Back on duty, light duty." B'Elanna laughed lightly then
sobered. "I wanted to talk to you for a minute. This has got to
be a little awkward for you but Tom said you were wonderful while
I was gone and the other B'Elanna was here."
Harry answered "It was really weird. I gotta tell you. Who
would ever have thought..." his voice trailed off.
"Yeah, it seems a strange combination doesn't it?"
"Oh, I don't know about that." Harry began a little
defensively, "We were always friends but I guess I knew that you
and Tom were meant for each other from almost the beginning.
That, and I was planning on getting home to Libby. I'm glad they
- I guess we - got it worked out in their timeline though. This
is confusing." Harry shook his head.
"Well, you're a wonderful guy in both universes." B'Elanna
assured him.
Harry smiled shyly "Thanks, I'm glad you're back with Tom. He
was lost without you. I never want to watch my best friend in
that kind of pain again."
"I'm glad I'm back too, and I hope the other B'Elanna is back
where she belongs. I'm headed for the bridge, are you coming?"
B'Elanna stood up to leave.
"No, I had gamma shift so I just got off duty. Why are you
headed to the bridge instead of Engineering?" Harry asked.
"Someone has to run a diagnostic on the bridge engineering
station and Tom is still a little paranoid about letting me out
of his sight. I thought it might be easier on him if I took the
bridge station today." B'Elanna was blushing as she finished.
Her Klingon side did not care for the sentimentality she was
guilty of. Harry laughed and took her arm to walk her to the
lift.
On her way to the bridge she felt a strange sensation and
wondered if it was a prelude to the dizziness and nausea she had
felt on the shuttle. But then the sensation came again, more
like butterflies in her stomachs. It took a few seconds before
she realized she was feeling the baby move. As she placed her
hands on her abdomen B'Elanna thought about her daughter and how
happy she was to be home, here, with Tom. When she reached the
bridge that same Tom was rewarded with the warm smile that he had
grown to love so much over the last seven years.
The End
Author: Brigid
Email: brigidandmike@juno.com
Rating: [PG]
Series: Voyager
Part: 1/1
Synopsis: B'Elanna finds herself lost in an alternate universe
where things are very awkward.
Disclaimer: Paramount owns the characters. I thank them for
letting me play with them.
Posting:
Date: March, 2001
Thanks to BR, I wouldn't have had the nerve to try it without
you.
TWO B'ELANNAS
The crew of Voyager had encountered a small m-class planet.
Their scans showed no advanced life forms but it was rich with a
variety of plant life Lt. Tom Paris was in charge of the mission
to gather the edible plants and replenish Voyager's dwindling
supply of fresh food. It had been a successful but uneventful
mission. In fact the last couple of weeks had been uneventful,
at least for most of the crew.
Tom and his wife B'Elanna, Chief Engineer, had just found out
that they were expecting a baby, their first. They were
thrilled, but B'Elanna's Klingon/Human physiology was moody at
best. With the addition of pregnancy her moods had become highly
unpredictable. This morning's replicator malfunction had led to
Tom's peanut butter toast being plastered to the wall, while last
night's choice of music (Brahms - one of the doctor's
recommendations) had precipitated a night of passion. Not the
usual reaction to Brahms. Tom had considered asking the captain
to take B'Elanna off the away team but there were ore samples
there that Engineering needed to analyze and B'Elanna was the
best person for the job.
The crew had almost filled the cargo hold of Tom's shuttle when
B'Elanna called him on her communicator.
"Tom, I'm taking the shuttle to investigate the debris
field we passed by on our way down here. There were some signs of
trilithium and we could use all that we can get."
B'Elanna was a competent pilot so Tom shouldn't have been
worried, but he still reacted as a mission commander should.
"Okay, who do you have with you?"
"No one." B'Elanna was laughing now, "I don't need anyone
else. All I am going to do is scan the debris and collect
anything that looks useful. Even a green ensign could accomplish
that."
"Yes," Tom answered patiently, "but wouldn't it be more fun if
we did it together? Why don't you wait until I'm finished here
and I'll go with you."
But B'Elanna was already in the shuttle and on her way. "Sorry,
Flyboy, you have to finish with the vegetable brigade. Stop
worrying so much, I'll see you in the shuttle bay in an hour."
Vegetable brigade, she'll pay for that later, Tom mused as he
watched his wife fly off. A brief frown crossed his handsome
features but he shook it off. She'll be fine.
As B'Elanna gathered some small mineral samples with her tractor
beam and stored them in the cargo bay, she noticed a spatial
distortion, but her sensors were unable to determine its origin.
She decided to go in for a closer look. Suddenly she felt the
ship begin to shudder and realized she was being pulled into the
distortion. B'Elanna frantically worked the shuttle controls to
regain control and reverse course. The distortion continued to
pull the shuttle towards it as a shrill, piercing sound left
B'Elanna unconscious before she could send out a call for help.
****
B'Elanna woke up in Voyager's sickbay with a terrible headache
and found Harry Kim hovering over her. She tried to sit up but
Harry gently pushed her back down on the biobed, "Just lay there
and rest, B'Elanna. Don't try to get up yet."
"I think you're right" B'Elanna answered weakly... "Where's Tom?
Isn't he back yet?"
Harry looked a little surprised as he answered, "He's on the
bridge. Why do you need to see Tom?"
The doctor interrupted before B'Elanna could answer. "Lt. Kim,
would you please excuse us? I would like to talk to my
patient."
Harry, now looking very concerned, answered, "What do you need
to talk to B'Elanna about that you can't say in front of me?"
The doctor took him reassuringly by the arm and escorted him to
the sick bay office, "I will get back with you in a minute, Mr.
Kim. I would just like a few words with Lt. Torres in private,
please." He then returned to the area where B'Elanna was really
struggling to sit up and regain her equilibrium.
"Doctor, what is going on?" B'Elanna gave him a questioning
look, "and did you just call Harry 'Lieutenant'?"
The Doctor seemed startled by her question and carefully asked
her, "Just what do you remember, Lieutenant?"
"I was looking for mineral samples in the area of a debris field
and I saw what looked like a spatial distortion, so I went to
investigate it. I heard a loud piercing noise and I must have
passed out. What is going on?"
The Doctor had another question now, "Are you aware that you
are pregnant?"
"Of course," B'Elanna replied, and then her voice caught in her
throat, "is there something wrong with the baby?"
"The baby is fine, Lieutenant., but my DNA scans show that the
father is Lt. Paris," the doctor coldly replied.
"Who else would be the father, and why isn't Tom here?" It was
only then that B'Elanna realized that Tuvok had entered the sick
bay area, and that he and Harry had overheard the conversation in
spite of the doctor's precautions. Harry had a look of disbelief
on his face, and Tuvok actually raised an eyebrow.
The doctor greeted Tuvok, "Captain, I'm glad you are here. Lt.
Torres seems to be quite... disoriented."
Before Tuvok could answer, B'Elanna tried to get off the biobed,
catching herself as her feet hit the floor and the dizziness
returned. "Tuvok, this isn't funny, what kind of joke are you
playing? Why is he calling you Captain, where's Captain Janeway
or Chakotay, and where's Tom?" she pleaded as the blackness
overcame her again. The doctor caught her before she hit the
floor, and with Harry's help returned her to the biobed.
Harry by now was frantic, "What's wrong with her, is it amnesia?
Why doesn't she remember that that Tuvok is captain and Janeway
and Chakotay were left on a planet four years ago?"
"Amnesia would explain some of her confusion, but it would not
explain her pregnancy and the fact that the baby she carries has
the DNA of Lt. Paris." Tuvok offered this reply as the doctor
was scanning B'Elanna once again.
"I have given her a mild sedative. She should be awake in an
hour or so and hopefully less confused." The doctor offered
what little assurance he could.
Tuvok nodded and touched his com badge. "Tuvok to Paris. Please
come to sickbay at once." "On my way, Captain," was the
reply.
Tom Paris loped into the sickbay a few minutes later to face
three seriously unhappy people. "What's wrong, is B'Elanna
injured? I thought you said she would be okay when we tractored
her shuttle on board."
"Mr. Paris," Tuvok began, "Lt. Torres seems somewhat
disoriented."
"Is it serious?" Tom asked, looking worriedly at Harry, "Is
she going to be okay?" For some reason that Tom couldn't
understand his best friend looked like he wanted to smash his
face in. Worry was replaced by confusion in the pilot's face.
Again it was Tuvok who answered, "Our chief concern is the fact
that the Doctor has discovered that the lieutenant is pregnant."
"That's wonderful! Isn't it? Congratulations, Harry. Is the baby
okay?" Tom seemed genuinely happy for his closest friends.
Beginning to lose patience, Tuvok answered again, "The baby is
fine but according to the doctor's scans, you are the father, not
Lt. Kim."
Tom's blue eyes got huge, "What? That's impossible! B'Elanna's
married to Harry. I never... we never... I mean, it's impossible."
Now he understood why his friend looked so stricken. "Harry, you
have to believe me, I don't have an explanation, but the obvious
one just isn't so. I promise you."
"I don't know what to believe," Harry murmured.
Captain Tuvok took command of the situation. "Lt. Paris, as
Executive Officer I must ask you to begin an investigation. Lt.
Kim, I suggest you let the doctor look after your wife while you
see what kind of information you can gather from the shuttle
itself. Lt. Paris can begin his study with the sensor logs.
Doctor, when Lt. Torres awakens, please call me. I would like to
question her myself."
The officers all replied with a subdued "Aye, Captain." Tom
left sickbay immediately when he saw that Harry was not even
going to look him in the eye. Harry went to stand by B'Elanna
holding her hand for a moment and then bending to kiss her ridged
forehead before he left to investigate the physical evidence.
Three quarters of an hour later, B'Elanna was again struggling to
consciousness. The doctor hastened to her side and notified Capt.
Tuvok that his Chief Engineer was again awake. Tuvok walked in
to find a quickly recovering and now very angry half Klingon
threatening to scatter the doctor's program throughout the Delta
quadrant if he didn't let her off the biobed and out of sickbay.
"Lt. Torres" Tuvok began, " would you mind answering a few
questions for me?"
"Of course not, Commander Tuvok, if you don't mind answering a
few for me," she hissed at him.
The eyebrow raised again but Tuvok proceeded calmly. "What is
the current stardate?"
"54472." She answered impatiently.
"That is correct."
"Do I get a prize or something?" B'Elanna asked sarcastically.
Tuvok ignored her question and asked another. "Where is Voyager
located?"
"Last time I looked we were in the Delta quadrant where we have
been for the last 6 years trying to find our way home. Now, it's
my turn. Where are Captain Janeway and Chakotay and Tom? If I'm
being held prisoner in sickbay can't I at least see my husband?"
Tuvok looked as surprised as a Vulcan can look as he answered
her, "Lieutenant, Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay were
marooned on a planet because of an incurable virus over 4 years
ago. I am the Captain of this vessel and Lt. Paris is my
executive officer. You were married three months ago to Lt.
Harry Kim who is the Operations Officer of this ship. Do you not
remember any of this?"
B'Elanna looked horror stricken as she said, "No, I don't, at
least not that way... we rescued the captain and Chakotay and with
the help of the Doctor's friend, Denara Pel, they were cured. I
married Tom four months ago and we just found out last week that
we're expecting a baby. Tuvok, why would my memories be so
different from yours?"
"I do not know," the Vulcan answered. "Tell me what you
remember about today."
"No, I'm not saying another word until I see Tom." B'Elanna was
adamant, so Tuvok called Tom and Harry back to sickbay. B'Elanna
waited impatiently for them, pacing back and forth in the small
area like a caged animal. As they entered sickbay the relief on
B'Elanna's face was quite apparent but it was also apparent that
the relief came from seeing Tom, not Harry. However, anxious not
to cause any more confusion, B'Elanna did not throw her arms
around Tom when she saw him. The three of them stood awkwardly
staring at each other for a handful of seconds, Tom looking
uncomfortable and Harry searching B'Elanna's face for any sign of
recognition.
B'Elanna broke the uneasy silence, "Tom, you were on that
mission with me, what do you remember?"
After looking at Tuvok for affirmation, Tom described the
morning's mission. "We checked out the planet and collected the
minerals and food stuffs we needed. I had Neelix with me and a
cargo bay full of perishables so I headed back here. You saw a
debris field that looked interesting and said you were going to
check it out. When you didn't come back we went out looking for
you. We found the shuttle and you were unconscious. We brought
you back and beamed you to sickbay. When you woke up, you seemed
... confused."
"Tell me what you remember, B'Elanna." Tom was gentle but
firm, the epitome of an executive office.
B'Elanna, calmer now, began her narrative, which paralleled Tom's
until she reached the part where she wanted to investigate the
debris field. "Do you remember arguing with me, telling me to
wait until you could go with me?"
"No, I don't remember that."
"Okay, when you found the shuttle, where was it, and was there
anything strange about it? I had run into some kind of spatial
anomaly, was there any sign of a radiation leak?" B'Elanna
asked.
"No, but Harry was checking it out. Did you find anything,
Har?" Tom was anxious to include a now smoldering Harry in the
conversation.
"There was some debris in the shuttle but it didn't seem to be
of any value. In fact it was really hard to analyze. It was
unstable and I haven't finished determining why. But the sensors
didn't detect any sign of a distortion or any radiation
residue."
"I'll help" B'Elanna offered. "I can go to astrometrics and
see if Seven can find anything on the scanner to explain that
spatial distortion. Maybe there's a clue in the debris field."
"Seven, what is Seven?" asked Tuvok.
"Seven of Nine, the Borg who rules the Astrometrics lab with an
iron fist." B'Elanna tried to make it sound like a hint but her
attempt at humor failed and her fear was starting to overtake her
again.
"We captured a Borg 3 years ago but it was impossible to
stabilize her condition and she was returned to the collective in
an escape pod as soon as we felt we were out of danger from an
attack." Tuvok answered.
B'Elanna was visibly shaken by this news and the Doctor reached
out to steady her. She shook his hand off and faced Tuvok again,
"Alright, you do have an astrometrics lab don't you? At least I
can get a look at the area of space where I saw an anomaly or
something." At Tuvok's lack of response B'Elanna looked
frightened. "You don't believe me, do you? You think I'm crazy!"
"B'Elanna," Harry reached out his hand to calm her. "We're
trying to believe you, trying to figure out what is going on."
His hands gently held her arms as he reassured her. B'Elanna
looked at Tom who was obviously not uncomfortable with this and
it frightened her even more.
"Lt. Torres, please calm yourself. We will continue our
investigation. Until we have completed that investigation I
recommend that you remain in sickbay." B'Elanna looked crushed
but Tuvok appeared not to notice as he left sickbay. Tom smiled
his most charming detached smile and left behind Tuvok.
Harry obviously had plenty he wanted to say, but looking at her
and not being able to hold her was getting pretty tough. He
desperately wanted her to remember the life that they shared,
wanted to remind her of it in any way he could. But she seemed
to consider him almost a stranger, certainly not a husband. She
was still B'Elanna though and he would still walk through fire
for her if he needed to. "I'll go see if I can make sense of
those readings on the debris you collected."
"Yeah, okay, thanks" was all B'Elanna could offer. She knew
it wasn't what he needed but she couldn't give Harry what he
needed. Only his B'Elanna could do that. His B'Elanna
B'Elanna turned to the doctor and stated firmly, "I need your
terminal, we're going to do some research of our own." The
doctor considered protesting but since he was now looking at
her back he figured she wasn't going to pay any attention anyway.
B'Elanna studied the logs she had pulled up to see what records
there were of alternate universes or time warps. Unfortunately
there were hundreds, and she had to figure out just what the
circumstances surrounding her problem were. She found what she
was looking for just as Captain Tuvok sent Lt. Ayala to escort
her to the briefing room.
B'Elanna acknowledged the officer and said to the doctor, "Come
on, you're going with me, and bring a tricorder... You do have a
mobile emitter, don't you?"
"Of course," the Doctor stiffly replied as he secured the
necessary piece of equipment from his office and followed her to
the bridge.
*****
In the briefing room, Harry and Tom sat opposite each other
looking absolutely miserable, while Tuvok was actually sitting in
the Captain's seat. Ensign, now Lieutenant, B'Elanna noticed,
Vorik seemed to be occupying the chair of the Chief Tactical
officer. B'Elanna took what was normally the chief engineer's
seat and hoped there was nothing else she had missed in the
"transition". She looked at Tom who immediately blushed and
looked away. That hurt. Then she looked at Harry unprepared for
the pain in his eyes. She had to turn away.
Tuvok tried to begin with Harry's report but was interrupted by
B'Elanna. "I think I have an explanation and I asked the doctor
to come to tell me if I'm correct. I think I belong in a
different universe." Harry looked up, shock and hope running
together on his face. He quickly turned to share that hope with
Tom whose reactions mirrored his. They exchanged the looks that
friends share when a new idea has just taken them both by
surprise. B'Elanna continued, "There are two Voyagers out here.
We must have gotten mixed up in that spatial distortion and
somehow my shuttle wound up here. Your B'Elanna must be in an
alternate universe. I want the doctor to scan my DNA for a
quantum flux."
Tuvok nodded, "That is a logical possibility. Doctor, please
conduct your scan."
The doctor, looking highly skeptical, conducted his scan, and
after checking his tri-corder closely, he conducted another scan.
"Well," he began, "it seems Lt. Torres may be correct in her
assessment of the situation."
The DNA scan showed a different quantum resonance signature.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Tuvok instructed Harry to
begin a scan of the area where B'Elanna had been found and look
for fissures. At a look from Tuvok, Tom followed Harry to help
with the mapping. Lt. Vorik and the doctor were dismissed also,
leaving B'Elanna alone with the Captain.
"Lt. Torres, I would like to question you about the last four
years. You have indicated that the Captain and Commander
Chakotay were rescued. Please tell me how." B'Elanna gave him
a thumbnail sketch of the rescue and the last four years. They
found both ships to be closely paralleled in races encountered
and battles fought. Both ships seemed to be at the same place in
their journeys.
After an hour or so Tom Paris returned to the briefing room with
their findings. "We have an area of space where the quantum
resonance seems to be in a state of flux, we're scanning it for a
warp signature right now, but as I see it, our next problem will
be timing. If we're going to get Harry's wife back, we are going
to have to plan the transfer down to the second."
"The deflector array can be reprogrammed to emit a resonance
beam with the same signature. That should give us an idea of
where we are headed. We'll have to rig a means of communication.
Both shuttles will have to come through the fissure at the same
time." B'Elanna's thoughts were coming faster and faster now.
"But they will have to be looking for us, too. What if they
don't know anything is wrong and have left that area?"
"B'Elanna, they are just as anxious to find you as we are. And
they probably have the best engineer in the Delta quadrant
working on the deflector array and the communication problems
just like we do." Tom was calm and reassuring. "So all we need
to figure out is what you would do in a situation like this, and
do it." The absurdity of it all made her laugh just a little.
"Lt. Kim, please begin your efforts with communications."
Tuvok nodded to Harry and he left to remodulate the
communications array with the quantum resonance signature that
B'Elanna had brought with her. "Lt. Paris, you and Lt. Torres
need to go to Engineering and begin the reconfiguring on the
deflector. Then I suggest that you continue your scans and look
for a warp signature from the shuttle as well. We will need to
know the exact location of the fissure if we are to coordinate
our efforts with the 'other' Voyager." Even Tuvok seemed
optimistic, a good sign.
As Tom and B'Elanna made their way to Engineering, B'Elanna took
the opportunity to ask him a few questions. "Tom, this sounds
really weird but I would like to know... was there ever an 'us'?"
Tom smiled, B'Elanna's directness was one of her most endearing
traits.
"No, there wasn't." He answered.
She was slightly offended now and asked "Didn't you ever
consider it?"
Tom slowed his pace and said "Not really. We've always been
friends, B'Elanna, but in the beginning we were all trying to
find our way in this strange new world. And then there was Kes.
She and I were... we had... something special. When she left I
thought my world was going to come to an end and I wasn't sure I
cared, but you and Harry really helped me pull out of it, kept me
going. By then, you and Harry were a team and I was the
Executive Officer. I was happy for you, but the Exec has to be
really careful where he starts looking for love. It could easily
be misinterpreted!"
He was trying to make light of it now, but B'Elanna remembered
how much Kes had meant to all of them and it didn't surprise her
that this Tom had had that special relationship with her. She was
surprised, though, at the knots that formed in her stomachs. How
could she still be jealous of Kes after all these years? Tom had
told her of Kes's vision, several years after Kes had left
Voyager. Kes and Tom together.... No, B'Elanna, don't go there,
this isn't your Voyager. He's your friend not your husband. She
shook the thoughts out of her head and refocused her attention on
Tom.
Stopping, she touched his arm, "Tom, don't sell yourself short.
Any girl on this ship would be lucky to have you. You've earned
their trust, and from what I've seen, you're a good XO. Give
them a chance, just slow down and smile and let one of them catch
you."
They were laughing as they entered Engineering. The department
looked the same, and the crew looked the same, so B'Elanna
started barking orders just like nothing had changed. At a
discreet nod from Tom they all started following those orders.
B'Elanna ignored the nod, but she was grateful for his support.
Several hours later all modifications had been made, and
exhaustion was starting to set in. Tuvok sent everyone to their
quarters to get a couple of hours of sleep, but it became
apparent very quickly that 'their' quarters was a relative term
at this time. Tuvok suggested that B'Elanna go back to sickbay
and rest there. Ever the gentleman, he offered to escort her
when the silent challenge between Tom and Harry became awkward.
****
The bridge was a busy place when B'Elanna reached it the next
morning. The communications signal was being broadcast on a wide
band frequency but had yielded no results. Harry was at the
science station and Tom was in the XO's seat. Both looked glad
to see her but Harry looked a little like a beaten puppy.
B'Elanna wanted to comfort him but not as much as she wanted Tom
to put his arms around her and assure her that everything was
okay. Actually, she knew exactly how Harry felt.
Suddenly there was a familiar voice coming through the static and
Captain Tuvok directed that the signal be sent to his ready room.
The bridge crew was surprised at his order, all except Tom who
nodded in understanding and moved to the science station to make
sure that Harry was having no trouble transferring the signal.
B'Elanna wanted to scream but Tom's calm acceptance forced her to
accept Tuvok's strange actions and devote her attention to the
engineering station.
In his ready room Tuvok recognized Captain Janeway's voice and,
with a little more adjusting to the frequency, was able to
communicate with her face to face. "Captain, I am... pleased to
see you."
"And I, you, Captain Tuvok," Janeway replied with an enigmatic
smile. "I hope you're looking for me to tell me you have my
chief engineer."
"Yes, Lt. Torres is here."
"Is she all right, Tuvok, and is the baby all right?" There
was a definite catch in her voice.
"Yes, Captain. Lt. Torres and her baby are fine, although her
husband was a little disconcerted to discover that it wasn't his
child." As usual Tuvok was succinct and factual in relating the
trauma that Harry suffered.
"I'm sure he was." She tried to sound light but there was
certainly relief in her voice. "I assume we both have the same
plan to exchange officers."
"We have identified the fissure, and Lt. Torres believes that
sending the shuttles through at precisely the same time with an
inverse warp field should return both officers to their
appropriate timelines and seal the fissure that allowed them to
be exchanged." Tuvok quickly highlighted the plan that B'Elanna
had formulated.
Janeway nodded, "Yes, that's the plan that B'Elanna had
developed here too." But Tuvok was entirely too neutral for
Janeway. "What is it, Tuvok? You seem uncomfortable. Are you
afraid that the plan won't work?" Janeway suspected what the
problem really was.
"It is disconcerting to talk to you after all these years. Lt.
Torres told me of your rescue and cure. I am pleased." He
didn't sound all that pleased, just neutral.
Janeway leaned closer to the view screen. "Tuvok, please don't
feel any regret for your actions. You had to leave us on that
planet."
"Captain, I have reason to question that decision when I see you
at the helm of Voyager in an alternate universe where obviously
my counterpart had the courage to rescue you." His remorse
resonated even in his carefully modulated Vulcan voice.
"My friend, you did the right thing. Your captain and first
officer are safe and... happy in their new world. I promise you."
Janeway was embarrassed to admit it even to her old friend but
she knew in her heart that 'New Earth' had been a place where she
and Chakotay would be content to grow old together, and have no
regrets.
Janeway cleared her throat and became all business again. "I
suggest we synchronize our efforts and make this exchange before
my pilot and your operations officer stage an all out rebellion."
"I agree. Can you be ready by 0900 hours?"
"Yes, we are almost ready now."
****
In the shuttle bay, the Doctor gave B'Elanna an inoculation which
should help her stay oriented during the transfer from one
timeline to another. Harry said his good-bye first, wishing her
well, but anxious to get his B'Elanna home. As Harry left Tom came
over with that million dollar smile that she loved.
"Your plan is perfect, it's going to work, B'Elanna. You'll be
home soon. He's a lucky guy, tell him I said so." He gave her
a hug that made her heart ache for her Tom, and left the shuttle
bay.
Tuvok was obviously waiting until everyone had left to say his
farewells. "Lieutenant, I wish you well on your journey. Your
plan is sound." He hesitated for a moment.
"Tuvok, there's something else isn't there?" B'Elanna asked.
"Yes. There is a question I would like to ask. Your captain
assures me that my Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay are
content to be on the planet where we abandoned them, but I am
troubled over my inability to rescue them and find a cure for
their disease."
B'Elanna thought for a moment before she carefully formed her
answer. "Tuvok, when we rescued the captain and Chakotay from
that planet we, the crew, were ecstatic. But there was something
different about the two of them. There was a sadness behind
their gratitude. They seemed happy to be back on the ship, to be
safe, but something was gone from their relationship, some
promise that they were never going to be able to keep. I can't
explain it, but something was different." B'Elanna shook her
head, she didn't usually give that much thought to relationships
but this was something that had bothered her for some time. "I
think Captain Janeway is right; they were happy there and would
have been content to stay."
"Thank you, Lieutenant, Now you must leave if you are to make
your rendezvous and return to your universe. I wish you well."
B'Elanna nodded and thanked him for his help. She started to
enter the shuttle but turned back to him to add with a smile,
"Live long and prosper." Tuvok gave her a brief nod as he too
left the shuttle bay.
As the shuttle lifted off and moved out of the shuttle bay
B'Elanna felt the tension knotting her neck, and her stomachs
becoming queasy. Pregnancy was wreaking havoc even on her
Klingon physiology, and her desire to get back to her universe -
to Tom - was making her anxious and uncertain. She watched the
chronometer on the conn as the shuttle headed for the fissure.
At the precise moment necessary, she activated the inverse warp
field and proceeded into the fissure. For a moment she was aware
of another ship coming through from the other side. The loud
piercing noise began again and B'Elanna recited to herself over
and over, "I will not pass out, I will not pass out, I will
not..." and then the blackness overtook her.
****
She was slowly climbing out of the darkness when she heard her
name being called by a very familiar voice. She opened her eyes
to the piercing light of sickbay to see Tom hovering over her
anxiously. Her arms reached out to embrace him and make sure he
was real. His arms answered hers and she knew she was home.
Suddenly she pushed away from Tom to ask anxiously, "The baby?"
"She's fine, she's fine and so are you." Tom answered her as he
gently cupped her face and kissed her before returning her to his
embrace.
Captain Janeway had been watching quietly from the door of
sickbay. As soon as she was assured of the safety of her chief
Engineer and the peace of mind of her chief pilot she turned to
go, touching her Executive Officer on the arm. Chakotay
understood her signal immediately and followed her out of sickbay.
****
Two days later, Tom and B'Elanna had just finished breakfast when
they saw Harry sitting alone in the mess hall. B'Elanna sent Tom
to the bridge with a very public kiss and a reassuring smile, and
went to sit with Harry.
"Hey, Starfleet. How are you?" she began.
"Hi, B'Elanna, are you doing okay?" Harry looked a little
uncomfortable but he continued, "back on duty yet or still
lazing around?"
"Back on duty, light duty." B'Elanna laughed lightly then
sobered. "I wanted to talk to you for a minute. This has got to
be a little awkward for you but Tom said you were wonderful while
I was gone and the other B'Elanna was here."
Harry answered "It was really weird. I gotta tell you. Who
would ever have thought..." his voice trailed off.
"Yeah, it seems a strange combination doesn't it?"
"Oh, I don't know about that." Harry began a little
defensively, "We were always friends but I guess I knew that you
and Tom were meant for each other from almost the beginning.
That, and I was planning on getting home to Libby. I'm glad they
- I guess we - got it worked out in their timeline though. This
is confusing." Harry shook his head.
"Well, you're a wonderful guy in both universes." B'Elanna
assured him.
Harry smiled shyly "Thanks, I'm glad you're back with Tom. He
was lost without you. I never want to watch my best friend in
that kind of pain again."
"I'm glad I'm back too, and I hope the other B'Elanna is back
where she belongs. I'm headed for the bridge, are you coming?"
B'Elanna stood up to leave.
"No, I had gamma shift so I just got off duty. Why are you
headed to the bridge instead of Engineering?" Harry asked.
"Someone has to run a diagnostic on the bridge engineering
station and Tom is still a little paranoid about letting me out
of his sight. I thought it might be easier on him if I took the
bridge station today." B'Elanna was blushing as she finished.
Her Klingon side did not care for the sentimentality she was
guilty of. Harry laughed and took her arm to walk her to the
lift.
On her way to the bridge she felt a strange sensation and
wondered if it was a prelude to the dizziness and nausea she had
felt on the shuttle. But then the sensation came again, more
like butterflies in her stomachs. It took a few seconds before
she realized she was feeling the baby move. As she placed her
hands on her abdomen B'Elanna thought about her daughter and how
happy she was to be home, here, with Tom. When she reached the
bridge that same Tom was rewarded with the warm smile that he had
grown to love so much over the last seven years.
The End