Authors Note: I don't own the ships, the characters, or anything at all.

Chapter 15 – Love

Elizabeth arrived in engineering, only a few minutes late. She apologised and followed B'Elanna into the Jeffries tube at the rear of engineering, near the warp core. God, she had forgotten just how much she hated these small, cramped tubes.

B'Elanna stopped after passing several junctions.

"We have to realign these power couplings" she grinned at Elizabeth. She hoped she could get to know her, while they worked.

"Right", Elizabeth replied, with a smile.

After half an hour talking about the academy and B'Elanna explaining why she quit, B'Elanna's curiosity got the better of her.

"So, Tom said you were adopted. Do you know anything about your real parents?" she asked, trying to be delicate, but her klingon nature failed her again.

Elizabeth stiffened and felt the tears well in her eyes. Taking a deep breath she steeled herself for the endless questions.

"My mother died, when I was two. I don't know what happened to my father", she said quietly.

"Oh, how did she die?" B'Elanna pushed a little further, curious.

"In a shuttle crash, the same way Toms mother died, two years later", Elizabeth said, quietly.

"He loves you a lot doesn't he?" B'Elanna said, attempting to lighten the mood.

"Yes, he does", Elizabeth still seemed upset about everything.

B'Elanna decided to tell her about her own childhood, "My father walked out on my mom and I when I was 10. I haven't seen him since. My mother and I don't get on and so in a way our situations are similar."

Elizabeth appreciated B'Elanna's effort to lighten the mood.

"I guess. At least you got to know your parents though. I wish I could remember them, I don't even have a photo", she whispered a stray tear making its way down her cheek. B'Elanna shook her head, and put her arm round Elizabeth.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have….", she began.

"No, its okay. I needed to talk about it, it's tearing me up inside. So many questions unanswered. What I wouldn't give for five minutes with my parents", she said a little shakily.

B'Elanna smiled, "Maybe you'll get your wish."

Elizabeth laughed, "You believe in ghosts and spirits and things?"

B'Elanna just laughed, and returned to the power couplings.

Elizabeth sat and watched for a minute, and then began to help her. Her mind wasn't really on task she was working on autopilot. Her emotions were running high, she remembered the times she would lay in bed and think that her mother was in the next room and she could go and see her, touch her, hug her anytime. Then she had to face the reality and spent the night crying herself to sleep. People often said she looked like her mother, which she liked, but they never said anymore not even when she asked. No one ever mentioned her father; she wondered about him often, what was he like, what had he done that was so terrible. The one question that was always paramount was, were her parents married? Did they love each other, did they really love her or want her, or was she just an inconvenience. Such confusion tinged with regret and eminent sadness.

"Elizabeth", B'Elannas voice cut through her thoughts.

"Oh, um sorry. I was thinking."

B'Elanna nodded sympathetically, "I should get back to engineering, can you handle the last bit?"

"Yeah, sure", Elizabeth smiled.

B'Elanna shifted past her and crawled down the Jeffries tube.

Elizabeth walked down the corridor towards the mess hall. Tom had been adamant that she join B'Elanna and him for dinner. She had been less enthusiastic, still feeling tired; all Elizabeth wanted to do was go to bed. B'Elanna had had her working on problems all over the ship this afternoon, and she was about ready to collapse from exhaustion.

She entered the mess hall, with a fake smile plastered on her pale face. Spotting Tom and B'Elanna at a table in the corner with the captain, she walked over. Smiling she slid into the place they had left for her.

"Nice of you to join us", B'Elanna said teasingly.

Elizabeth smiled; her gaze directed more out the window behind B'Elanna than at her.

"I was just passing through and Tom invited me to join you", the captain answered Elizabeth's silent question.

"Oh, well its nice to have you", Elizabeth said politely. Looking around she noticed that people were watching the four of them. She reasoned that it must be the first time they'd have seen the captain in a week or two.

"So, what are we all going to have?" Tom asked.

"You know, I'm not that hungry. I'm just going to go back to our quarters", Elizabeth said, tiredness evident in her voice.

Tom opened his mouth to tell her he wouldn't be long, but the captain cut across him, "Have you eaten anything today?" she asked, concerned.

Elizabeth thought about lying, but she decided against it, she respected the captain too much for that. Getting up she looked at the captain, "No. I'll get something later."

Captain Janeway wasn't going to let it go that easily. She stood up too, and the two of them came eye to eye over the table.

"I'll walk you back to your quarters", she said, noting the confused look on Elizabeth's face.

"Uh….okay", Elizabeth said taken aback.

As the two of them left, Tom and B'Elanna shared a confused look. It wasn't like the captain to stand down from a fight.

As they walked through the corridors, Elizabeth glanced sideways at the captain, "I thought you were going to make me stay."

The captain smiled, "No. Your tired, we both are. We can relax and have something to eat", she was worried, there was no mistaking the tone of her voice.

"I'm fine. I promise", Elizabeth said reassuringly.

"You wont be if you don't eat", the captain said.

"Okay, I give in", Elizabeth said, tired of the discussion.

They arrived at the Paris quarters; Elizabeth keyed in the door code, and entered the captain behind her.

The captain appeared to be watching her, again. Elizabeth sighed and flopped onto the sofa under the window, the captain sat down next to her.

The captain then got up and went to the replicator, "Coffee black, and chicken soup."

Elizabeth sighed,  "Captain, you don't have too. Your probably tired yourself, after what you've been through the past week."

The captain stopped in her tracks and looked at her thoughtfully, before carrying on to the sofa, and handing Elizabeth the soup.

"Don't be silly. I want to help you settle in on voyager", the captain smiled, putting her arm round her, in a gesture of friendship.

Elizabeth sipped the soup thoughtfully, "Captain."

"Hmmm."

"Thank you for being here for me, it means a lot", Elizabeth said quietly.

The captain squeezed her tightly, "Shhhh, Its what I'm here for."

"No, its not. It's not fair on you; I shouldn't need you to look after me. I'm 15 I should be able to take care of myself," Elizabeth sobbed.

"Shhh", the captain whispered into her hair, as she rubbed Elizabeth's back in an attempt to soothe her.

"It's okay, I want to be here."

"Q saved my life for you Captain. Why?" she asked, still sobbing.

"Because he knew how much I cared about you. I promise you everything will be okay, if Q won't take you home, you can stay here. Tom would be delighted to have you, and I'd be just a happy", she said, trying to reassure Elizabeth.

Elizabeth sobbed choking, "He said you love me more than I could ever imagine. I don't understand."

The captain held her tightly to her chest, "Shhhh. He's right I do love you, I loved the time we spent together, I only wish we could have spent more time together", she said rocking her tired body back and forth. She knew how confused Elizabeth must be, but right now, wasn't the time to tell her. She had had enough emotional upheaval in the last few days and weeks. Elizabeth needed her, and she wasn't going to let her down, not again. 

After several minutes, Elizabeth stopped sobbing. The captain looked down at the girl in her arms and smiled Elizabeth was asleep. She let the few tears she had been holding in drop, landing in Elizabeth's hair. She clung to her tightly, protectively; no one would ever take her away ever again. Placing a kiss in Elizabeth's hair, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

-Fin-

Please review. Your thoughts and comments are welcome. I would love to hear your theories. If you haven't read the message I put on the review page, I want you guys to know this story doesn't have anything to do with Mosaic, not even remotely.