~f&i
disclaimer: not mine
~~f&i~~
"Come in." Kathryn called as the door to her Ready Room chimed.
The door opened and Tuvok strode purposefully up to her desk and handed her a padd. The Captain looked it over briefly, finding the expected report on the altercation between her two officers. Leaning back with a sigh, Janeway looked up at her old friend imploringly.
"What's your take on this mess, Tuvok?" she waggled the padd briefly in his direction.
The Vulcan Security Chief answered promptly, "I have been aware for some time of a growing hostility from Lt Torres, and was expecting a physical altercation may result." Tuvok paused to tilt his head briefly and raise an eyebrow, "However, I had not anticipated that Seven would initiate it, as the witness's reports indicate. Seven has shown little outward hostility to the Lieutenant so this development seems… illogical." The eyebrow dropped back down, "As I can only speculate on the motives behind the incident, I am unsure how to resolve the matter."
Kathryn gazed blindly at the report she was absentmindedly tapping on the edge of her desk, before focusing back on her Chief of Security. "And what do you speculate about their motives?"
Eyebrows drew together in a Vulcan frown, "I have observed Lt Torres' increasing hostility since the beginning of your public relationship with Seven. I believe that Lt Torres objects to the relationship, most likely due to her own feelings towards you, Captain."
"And Seven?"
Tuvok raised one eyebrow briefly in a gesture vaguely reminiscent of a shrug, "I am unsure what prompted Seven's actions. She has shown considerable tolerance for the Lieutenant's verbal altercations in the past, and reportedly showed no outward signs of malicious intent when she confronted Lt Torres in Engineering directly before the encounter in Holodeck 1."
The Captain fiddled nervously with the padd, feeling like she used to when she'd done something wrong as a little girl, waiting under her mothers accusing stare. Tuvok wasn't actually staring accusingly, just inquisitively, at Janeway's unusual fidgeting. Still, the Captain felt like that guilty little girl, part of her desperate to confess and have someone tell her it wasn't as bad as she feared and that everything would be okay. Unfortunately Janeway knew it probably was as bad as she feared and it was largely her fault.
"There was… an incident… a few weeks ago… that's probably responsible for this recent situation." She kept her gaze fixed on her desk as she spoke.
When the Captain seemed reluctant to continue, Tuvok prompted with an inquisitive "Indeed?"
"B'Elanna showed up at our quarters one night when Seven was regenerating…" Kathryn began explaining haltingly, "She had been hitting the bloodwine rather hard and confessed her feelings for me and kissed me…" Tuvok's eyebrows jumped in surprise at where this appeared to be going, "I guess I… when she- I didn't send her away. I was just so shocked at first, and then…" Kathryn brought her hands up to hide her face for a moment before forcing herself to drop them and continue. "B'Elanna was gone before Seven came home the next morning, but Seven knew what had happened immediately."
"I told B'Elanna it couldn't happen again, she didn't take it well. But Seven and I talked about it and she seemed… remarkably okay about everything…" Kathryn blushed and played with her fingers for a second, "She actually suggested I continue to see B'Elanna."
The embarrassed Captain dared a glance at her Head of Security and discovered his eyebrows attempting to disappear into his hair. Quickly masking an inappropriate and undignified snort of amusement by coughing into her fist.
"That is indeed an unusual reaction for a human." Tuvok conceded, choosing not to comment on the rest of the emotional minefield the Captain had just dropped on him. There were times he was glad to be a Vulcan.
Kathryn sobered, "That's just it though, she's as much Borg as human." A tired sigh "Sometimes Seven's so alien I have no idea what to do with her. Why would she confront B'Elanna after all this time? After offering to let me continue sleeping with her!" The Captain threw her hands up in consternation.
"Seven is a unique individual. I often find her logic to be similar to my own, but she occasionally acts on emotions rather than logic. I suspect this is one of those times." Tuvok concluded. Janeway couldn't decide if there was a hint of sarcasm in that last sentence.
"And I suspect we won't get any answers till those two get out of the brig." The Captain concluded wryly.
~~f&i~~
Kathryn took a deep breath, absently smoothing her shirt before walking confidently into the brig.
After 15 minutes had passed with the two combatants silent in their respective corners, the Ensign on security had informed the Captain. Janeway had decided to let them stew a little longer and waited an additional 15 minutes before coming to the brig herself.
Seven was the first to notice her entrance, as she was facing the door. The security officer noticed next, quickly straightening up at the sound of the doors, even though he wasn't really slouching in the first place. Seven, realizing from B'Elanna's lack of movement that the Klingon hadn't noted the Captain's silenced arrival, turned to inform her.
"Lieutenant, the Captain has arrived."
B'Elanna jerked upright to look outside the cell, before standing and striding over to stand moodily at attention next to Seven.
Kathryn observed both women for a moment before motioning the Ensign to lower the shield. "So, have you two reached an understanding?"
B'Elanna scoffed lightly, drawing Seven's gaze, before the ex-borg turned her cool gaze back to the Captain and answered. "We have discussed the situation. A resolution has yet to be determined, but I bear no ill will toward Lieutenant Torres and do not foresee problems in the immediate future."
Janeway pursed her lips and turned to Torres, "What about you Lieutenant?"
B'Elanna's eyes met Kathryn's briefly before flitting away. "What she said, we talked. I'm still not sure how I feel about things but I'll make sure it doesn't interfere with my work."
The Captain frowned as she studied them. Seven was her usual impassive self, B'Elanna looked… subdued. There was certainly less hostility but Kathryn wasn't sure she felt any better with this new ambiance. Deciding there was little she could do at the moment, the Captain dismissed them. B'Elanna left quickly, but Seven showed no sign of having heard.
Kathryn watched Seven watching her until after B'Elanna had left the brig. "I believe we need to have a talk."
Seven inclined her head in acknowledgement.
"Not here." With that, Janeway turned and strode to the exit, Seven trailing demurely behind.
~f&i
