This is set after the episode Extreme Risk when B'Elanna attempts to feel some emotion or pain by running dangerous holodeck programs without safety protocols. And I'm sorry I fail so miserably at updating regularly. I really have no excuse; someone should just come hit me. But anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Thanks for sticking by me. Here's a new chapter. I'm going on vacation, but I promise I will get another chapter up as soon as I get back! Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Obviously I am not Gene Rodenberry and I don't own Star Trek or any of its characters.


It was B'Elanna and Seven's third day attempting to successfully recalibrate the shields. The nebula they were due to encounter in just two days time was unlike anything they had seen before. Even Seven's Borg knowledge provided little assistance. Every simulation of the new calibrations ended with the ship being corroded and torn apart by the gases that made up the nebula.

B'Elanna had arrived early to her shift, but as usual, Seven was already there.

"Do you ever sleep?" questioned B'Elanna.

"I could ask you the same question Lieutenant. The bags under your eyes seem to suggest that you have not slept an adequate amount," observed Seven.

"Yeah, it's this nebula, it's driving me crazy. If we don't find a way through it, we'll spend the next year and half going around it," said B'Elanna.

"I understand, this nebula is most…frustrating," said Seven.

They spent the next several hours hashing and rehashing ideas. Oscillating frequencies, harmonious frequencies, unharmonious frequencies, frequencies nobody had even heard of. Nothing worked.

They were so adamant about solving this puzzle, Seven and B'Elanna worked right through lunch. Something that did no go unnoticed by the Captain and Chakotay. About an hour after lunch, he came to find her.

"B'Elanna, I didn't see you at lunch today. Did you forget about the agreement we had?" he asked in a friendly tone that was anything but friendly to B'Elanna.

"No, Sir, we were just so busy I guess I didn't realize what time it was," said B'Elanna.

"Well, see that it doesn't happen again, B'Elanna, I don't want to be the bad guy, but this is for your own good," said Chakotay before walking out the door.

B'Elanna leaned over her console, resting her head on the piece of machinery.

"Sometimes, I hate that man," said B'Elanna.

Seven smiled but B'Elanna couldn't see her.

"Well, Lieutenant, I believe we should procure nutrients before that man returns to force feed you," said Seven.

B'Elanna laughed. She had no idea Seven had such a sense of humor. She almost regretted being so hostile to the blonde drone when she first arrived on Voyager. B'Elanna saved the idea she had been working on and followed Seven to the mess hall.

When they arrived in the mess hall Neelix had already cleaned up that day's lunch, and from the smell that lingered, B'Elanna felt that was a good thing. She went over to the replicator where Seven was replicating her usual nutritional supplement. As usual these days, B'Elanna didn't really feel like eating, but she knew that a close eye would be kept on her since she failed to show up for lunch. In the end, she replicated a sandwich and a small bowl of soup.

B'Elanna was about half way through her soup when Tom wandered in, with the Ensign she had seen him with yesterday. At that moment she wished she could just blend into Voyager and disappear.

Blend in.

That was it! A light clicked in her head.

"Blend in," she said out loud.

"Lieutenant?" questioned Seven.

"We've been trying to repel the gasses with the shields and that kept cause reactions, we need to remodulate the shields so they blend in with the gasses," said B'Elanna excitedly.

"Blend the shields into the nebula so they do not react with the gasses. Clever," said Seven.

She smiled at B'Elanna. And while Seven was smiling at her, B'Elanna felt like she was the only person in the room. She forgot about Tom and the giggling Engsign. She forgot about the hovering Chakotay and Captain Janeway. She forgot about all the things in her life that she hated. Seven had a beautiful smile.

"This plan may prove correct," said Seven.

"Glad you approve, lets go test it out," said B'Elanna as she started to stand.

"I believe we should finish lunch first, Lieutenant," said Seven.

"Oh, yeah," said B'Elanna sinking back into her chair.

She looked down at her meal with disdain. She didn't want anymore, but with her luck, if she didn't eat Seven would report her to Chakotay or Captain Janeway. B'Elanna managed to eat a bit more soup and half her sandwich. Seven seemed satisfied with this, as she made no protests when B'Elanna rose to dispose of her tray.

As Seven got up to dump her tray, B'Elanna saw Tom heading toward them.

"You guys solve that shield problem yet? Because as good a pilot as I am, even I can't fly if the ship corrodes," joked Tom.

"We're working on it, though I don't see you being useful at all, apparently you're too busy seducing poor unsuspecting Ensigns," said B'Elanna.

"At least I find more productive things to do with my time then trying to kill myself on the holodeck because I can't deal with reality," said Tom.

B'Elanna was appalled. She couldn't believe he'd just said that to her. She raised her arm to hit him, but was beaten to the punch, quite literally, by Seven.

Tom fell to the ground, his lip bleeding profusely.

"What the hell? I'll have your ass in the brig for that one you Borg bitch!" Tom spat.

Seven merely raised her eyebrow for a moment and walked away. B'Elanna looked down at Tom before quickly following Seven. She caught her by the turbo lift. B'Elanna looked down at Seven's hand. There was blood on it and B'Elanna wasn't sure whether it was hers or Tom's.

They made their way back to Astrometrics in silence. Seven immediately went to work on the new shield idea. B'Elanna simply watched her for a moment.

"Is something wrong?" asked Seven after B'Elanna had stared at her for a full minute.

"Thanks for that, back in the mess hall, I really appreciate it," muttered B'Elanna.

"Some things cannot be solved with words, especially when dealing with those of inferior intelligence," said Seven calmly.

B'Elanna smiled, "Is your hand okay?"

Seven looked at it. There was blood, but it appeared to be drying.

"I appear to be fine. Nothing life threatening," Seven replied.

B'Elanna smiled at her. It felt nice to have someone stand up for her for a change. Not like Tom, who was nice when she was around, but agreed with all the bad remarks made behind her back. Seven had defended B'Elanna, something Tom would never do just for her sake. Seven was so…incredible. She was strong and confident. She would do whatever she had to to get what she wanted. Something B'Elanna had always found attractive, probably a Klingon thing

"Whoa. Stop the train. Did I just think of something about Seven as attractive? Where the hell did that come from," thought B'Elanna.

She'd never thought of Seven in that way before. Hell she'd never thought of any woman that way before. It wasn't that she had anything against liking another woman, it had just never happened before, so B'Elanna didn't think too much about it.

She couldn't be thinking clearly. It was just leftover glee from seeing Tom bleeding on the floor. It was temporary insanity from not being able to make herself feel properly last night. She couldn't really be attracted Seven, could she? Attraction was a feeling, and B'Elanna couldn't feel. She was numb. Seven couldn't be the reason she was maybe, just maybe, feeling something again.

"Shall we work on the shields, or would you like to continue staring at me until the vessel corrodes in the nebula?" said Seven with a raised eyebrow.

"Lets get to work, I'd like to finally have an idea that works for a change," joked B'Elanna.

They had been getting fed up with the constant failure of the past week. It was nice to have an idea that seemed hopeful.

They worked the rest of the afternoon without interruption. It seemed as though Tom wasn't going to follow through on his threat to have Seven in the brig. B'Elanna suspected it had something to do with the things he'd said to her before Seven hit him.

By the time their shift was over Seven and B'Elanna were feeling pretty positive about their new plan. Barring any major problems with the holodeck tests tomorrow they were set to get through that nebula.

"Well, it looks like we made some good progress today," said B'Elanna.

"Yes, it looks as though your plan will get us through the nebula," replied Seven.

They walked out of Astrometrics together. It wasn't until they reached the turbo lift that Seven asked B'Elanna to join her for dinner.

"Lieutenant, would you care to accompany me to dinner," asked Seven.

B'Elanna was shocked. Seven was asking her to dinner.

"Um, well, I'm kind of…" started B'Elanna. Then she remembered the look on Tom's face as he laid on the floor. "I'd love to have dinner with you," said B'Elanna finally.

They arrived in the mess hall right at the dinner rush. It was pretty crowded. B'Elanna scanned the room and saw Harry sitting by himself. She and Seven headed toward him with their food.

"Hey B'Elanna, haven't seen you around here in a while," said Harry as they sat.

"Yeah, I've been eating in my quarters," said B'Elanna, "trying to avoid the nausea." She looked pointedly at Tom and his harem of Ensigns.

"I don't know what they see in him, it astounds me, " joked Harry.

"He has his charms, they're just far outweighed by his disgusting piggish tendencies," said B'Elanna.

"So, I take it you were the one behind his fat lip," said Harry as he poked the purple vegetable that was tonight's main course.

"Actually no. That was Seven's handiwork," said B'Elanna.

"Oh yeah?" said Harry. He looked impressed.

"He was treating Lieutenant Torres with blatant disrepect, he was…asking for it," Seven replied as though it was nothing.

Harry just laughed. "It's about time someone knocked him down a peg," he said.

They ate and B'Elanna got caught up with the ships happenings that she had missed since her self-imposed confinement over the past few weeks. Seven merely observed, jumping in occasionally with an observation. The trio stayed long past dinnertime chatting and joking. Once the dinner rush was over, Neelix even joined them.

For the first time in what seemed like a long time, B'Elanna went back to her quarters and didn't add any new wounds to her arms. She fell into her bed and went right to sleep. And all night she dreamed of Seven.