Disclaimer: The author is not stealing from Paramount but merely 'borrowing' as described by the "Handbook of Playground Possession". A fictional document in which it states"If I was playing with it five minutes ago: it's mine. If you aren't holding it tight enough: it's mine. If it looks like mine: it's mine. If I like it: it's mine. If it's mine; it must never in any way appear to be YOURS." Therefore, seeing Paramount as the big bully who wrote this handbook I acknowledge that only the STORY and none of the characters or ships are mine. On the other hand I haven't got any milk money so don't beat me up for playing with your toys!

Code: T/7.
Rating: PG
Feedback welcome and appreciated.

When I Grow Up, Part 12

"This is just a precaution, B'Elanna," the holographic physician soothed. B'Elanna glared at him.

"What if the same thing happens to Annika?"

"I assure you, I've corrected the problem and it won't. Now, Vorik will be monitoring you, since he was the primary Engineer in charge of creating the tachyon device-"

"And so you have someone to blame if I wake up an eighty year-old woman," B'Elanna growled back. The EMH sighed and shook his head, then looked at Vorik.

"She's all yours," the Doctor told the Vulcan Engineer. Vorik nodded and moved into position. B'Elanna looked over at Seven, who was in the surgical bed next to her, being talked through the procedure by the doctor. They hadn't been apart in the last day, even sleeping in the quarters that captain Janeway had assigned to Annika and she, since they were both adults now.

Nothing had happened beyond their studying like there was no tomorrow, since both had voracious appetites for knowledge that they had to fill, if they were to become the officers they wished to become. The doctor returned to B'Elanna and began attaching small cortical monitors to her temple.

"What are those for?" B'Elanna demanded. The Doctor sighed again.

"Due to the unpredictable nature of this experiment, I'm temporarily using the transporter's pattern buffers to store your memory engrams. That way, if something goes wrong, we'll be able to restore your memories."

"What do you think is going to go wrong?" B'Elanna asked, suddenly on the verge of panic, thinking 'If I move to a nice planet, I'll never be traveling at warp, so I won't have to be exposed to the temporal flux and...'

"Ideally, nothing will go wrong. I just wish to be prepared for any contingency."

"Oh, I feel so much better," B'Elanna growled sarcastically, earning an annoyed look from the hologram, who picked up a hypo and aimed it at the nervous teenager's neck.

"Good-night, Lala. I will see you when we wake," Annika called as the sedative hissed against B'Elanna's neck.

"'Night, Nika. See you soon." Then everything went dark for the half-Klingon. Seven watched the doctor return to her side then returned her gaze to her sleeping friend.

"Are you going to store my memories?" Annika asked. The EMH nodded his head as he attached the cortical monitors to her temples. "Will they be reintegrated as soon as I wake up?"

"That all depends. If you, say, age in reverse, the I won't be able to restore your memories until after I've restored your age. That is the only instance I'm preparing for, since, if you age as you have been, you shall retain your memories as always." Seven nodded her understanding and lay back on the bed, waiting for the hiss that would let her know that the procedure was finished. She didn't wait long.

Seven opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was the device suspended above her. The next was Vorik. She raised her ocular implant and sat up.

"Where is the Doctor?" she asked, looking around. She didn't have far to look to find him hunched over B'Elanna's bed. He emitted a curse that sent a bolt of near-panic through Seven. She sprung from the biobed and ran to stand next to the doctor. Laying on the biobed was B'Elanna, sleeping peacefully; but she was two years old.

To be continued…