Disclaimer: Voyager and all who sail in her belong to Paramount. I own the story, but won't make any money off it. This fic depicts women loving women, so if you have a problem with that, you don't have to read it.

Genre: Romance, Drama
Code: B/7 (main), J/7, J/B (mention), J/Tu
Rating: PG-13
Constructive feedback welcome.

Lost and Found

Seven of Nine laid in bed next to Kathryn Janeway, feeling tired, but restless. The captain had fallen asleep after pleasuring her, but Seven still felt... unsatisfied. She stood and activated the site to site transport she took to the cargo bay every night. She slipped into a biosuit and prepared to regenerate, her mind drifting in boredom.
Kathryn woke up and looked at the empty spot beside her, cursing it. This was the only thing about being the captain that she hated. The fact that she couldn't publicly declare her love or hold a relationship. It was straining to her and her partner and had been what eventually drove B'Elanna away from her.

Something she would never forgive herself for.

She loved Seven, but there was always something missing when they were together. With B'Elanna it had been amazing. But in the end, she had let her love go free. It was the least she could do. She had a brief fling with Chakotay, but it hadn't lasted because they worked too closely together. In the end, they had mutually decided to part as lovers and just be friends. She never regretted that. Only B'Elanna.

But she knew that B'Elanna had never really loved her.

Just as Seven didn't now.

Tears fell as she thought of how, no matter how much she loved someone, they always seemed to be taken from her; either by death, distance or the simple fact that they just didn't love her. She hugged her pillow, wishing for just one person to love her as much as she loved them. Someone who would love her and not leave. Someone to hold her at night and be there when she woke up. Anyone at all...

B'Elanna woke up alone. She and Tom had fought again and it just seemed to become clearer, day after day, that they were on different paths in their lives. T'Lina began crying and B'Elanna immediately was up and holding her, rocking and singing. She thought of all she and Tom had been through during her pregnancy, especially on deciding a name, and started laughing as she remembered that it had been Seven of Nine's suggestion for a name that they had chosen. Seven had pointed out that it was the Klingon combination of the parent's names and the logic just seemed to fit. Plus, it was pretty.

She had been born only a few days before, early, as the doctor predicted. Already, she and Tom were fighting, arguing about how she would be raised. B'Elanna still didn't want to have anything to do with her Klingon heritage and Tom wanted T'Lina to experience a little of both cultures. B'Elanna had finally consented, but when Tom had started talking about the female Right of Ascension, it was too much for B'Elanna, who had rejected and refused her own.

So they had fought. B'Elanna had let loose with everything she had been holding in and Tom had left. The last words that they had spoken to each other were of divorce.

She joined T'Lina in crying.

Tom sat on Harry's couch, unable to sleep, drawing up the divorce papers. The only thing he asked was that he be able to visit T'Lina and have her visit him as she grew up. Harry sat beside him, asleep. He had stayed awake comforting Tom as long as he could on the triple shift he had just worked. Tom didn't want comfort, though. He just wanted his wife.

But he couldn't keep going through this, day after day, week after week. And he certainly wouldn't put his daughter through the pain of having parents that couldn't quit fighting, no matter how hard they worked at their differences.

It was because B'Elanna didn't love him. He finally realized that she never really had. Her heart had belonged to someone else the second she set foot on Voyager and B'Elanna's love for him had waned until she was only grasping at it, trying desperately to hold them together, not be abandoned. But she had abandoned him in her heart. She just didn't know it.

He stood and walked into the bathroom, did his business, then looked at himself in the mirror as he washed his hands and face. He didn't like what he saw. Staring back at him, his reflection had seemed to gain weight, due to the bags under his eyes and the lines that were appearing here and there, from the stress that he had fought the past seven years. His hair was thinning and he realized that he looked older than he was. He had easily aged ten years in the seven that Voyager had been away from the Alpha Quadrant.

And just as he thought he could grow old with a wonderful wife, he was hit with the realization that she didn't love him anymore. That she loved anotherSeven of Nine. He didn't know if B'Elanna realized how she felt or if Seven returned the feelings, but he did know that he wouldn't stand between them or in the way of the happiness of the only woman he had ever truly loved.

So he returned to the divorce agreement, his hand shaking as he signed his name at the bottom.

Seven raised her ocular implant adorned eyebrow at the wriggling baby in her hands. B'Elanna had asked her to hold T'Lina for a few moments, so she could eat. The divorce between Lieutenants Torres and Paris was ship wide news by now and Seven had come to offer her condolences to B'Elanna. In return, B'Elanna had offered her small offspring for Seven to hold. Seven had to admit the girl was cute.

Her blonde hair curled down over the miniature ridges decorating her tiny forehead and she kept sticking her little pink tongue out. Seven felt an unusual sense of amazement as she examined the perfectly formed, tiny fingers on each of the baby's hands. They curled reflexively around Seven's finger, much pinker than the ex-Borg's own skin. The baby's huge, dark blue eyes stared into Seven's pale blue eyes with interest.

B'Elanna sat down with her food, watching Seven interact with the baby. For the most part, Seven just held her, looking down at the baby in curiosity. B'Elanna felt startled for a moment as she realized that the baby could easily be mistaken for Seven's, with the matching hair and deep blue eyes. The Doctor told B'Elanna they would change color eventually, but for now, they were a dark, rich blue.

Famished, B'Elanna ate her meal in only a few minutes, then took the baby back from Seven, who looked both reluctant and eager to part with her.

Tom watched the women from across the Mess Hall and a plan began forming in his mind. Neelix was buzzing around, telling everyone about the Valentine's party he was planning in a few days and Tom realized that it would be the perfect chance to give his now ex-wife a final Valentine's gift. One no one could ever top. He just hoped that he read their feelings correctly.

Otherwise, it would be a disaster no one could ever top.

For the first night in a long time, Kathryn was alone. Seven had not shown up as she usually did and the captain began steeling herself for what she had seen coming since the first time they had made love that Seven had cried out B'Elanna's name.

She had been expecting it the moment that she saw the divorce papers that Tom had delivered to her in the form of a data padd. But she had hoped that perhaps Seven's crush had faded and she would continue to visit her at night. Kathryn had been increasingly aware that no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't please Seven as she had at first.

Why was everything perfect in the beginning, but ruined over time?

Tuvok read the letter over and over. No matter how many times he read it, the words could not change. His wife was dead. Despite the fact that she had gone peacefully in her sleep, he was little comforted. Years alone on Voyager had been eased only be two things: the knowledge that his wife would wait for him and greet him upon his return and the closeness of his dearest friend, Kathryn Janeway.

Now he had only one comfort left, which gave him pause in its simultaneous, contradictory torment. He knew that he was overprotective of her for more than the reason that she was his closest friend and captain, but he had never admitted to himself why that was, in deference to his wife.

Now he was a widower.

His grief was masked in his usual Vulcan discipline, as well as his other conflicting emotions; that he denied, totally. He could not admit, even to himself, that he felt so deeply. His face, having never been wet by tears, may have seemed cold to most, but Kathryn Janeway had always seemed to know what he was thinking, as he did with her. At the beginning of the voyage, Mark had held Kathryn's constant love and thoughts, as Tuvok's wife held his and made their friendship solid and unchanging. It wasn't even a passing thought. But now...

He refused to think beyond that. His wife had only been dead a month and he knew that Seven of Nine shared the captain's bed. A bed that he did not need but once every seven years. Admittedly, Vulcans did not remain celibate within those years if married, but it did not seem proper, even if Kathryn didn't love Seven, or if his wife had been dead a year, for him to pursue her.

Something inside him argued with his sense of propriety.

Tom snuck into B'Elanna's quarters, knowing that she was out eating lunch with Seven. They had spent every day together since he and B'Elanna had divorced and he felt that they needed a little encouragementjust a little.

He reread the note, making sure that he had reproduced Seven's elegant writing as best as he could, his forgery skills being a little rusty.

"Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres, I request your presence as my date for the Valentine's Day party hosted by Mr. Neelix. If you would care to join me, I shall 'pick you up' at 18:00.

Yours, Seven of Nine"

He was proud of his idea as he slipped the note onto her coffee table, knowing that B'Elanna would be going straight to dropping the baby off with him after lunch, on her way to Engineering, per the schedule they had worked out. He and the captain had protested her working so soon after having the baby, but they had reached a compromise that she would only work a half shift every other day, leaving the T'Lina with him during that time.

This had made his plan perfect. He finished delivering the note and headed to Cargo Bay Two, hoping that Seven would do as B'Elanna did and go straight to work after lunch. He trusted that she would and so he dropped the note off on his way to his quarters. If his plan worked, then Seven would believe that B'Elanna had dropped the note off after her shift, which ended well before Seven's and B'Elanna would believe that seven had dropped off the note on her way to Astrometrics.

B'Elanna's handwriting had been easier to forge, but he had worked extra hard, knowing that if he crossed one 't' or dotted one 'i' incorrectly, Seven's keen eyesight would pick it up. He set the not in the active alcove and barely made it to his quarters before B'Elanna.

Seven picked up the note she found in her alcove that night and read it.

"Dear Seven, I'd like you to be my date for the Valentine's Day party in the Mess Hall. If you're interested, meet me at my quarters at 18:00.

Love, B'Elanna"

Seven felt her heart leap into her throat as she reread the closing, over and over. She had not been planning to attend the party until that moment. Then she suddenly felt the urge to study the holiday, knowing that it was for love and lovers, wanting to know how to dress, how to behave, et cetera.

B'Elanna flung dress after dress onto her bed, trying them on and discarding them, one by one. She finally decided on a blood red, sleeveless, backless dress for her first date with Seven. She had to read the note several times before she really believed it, then she was frantic. She wasn't planning on going, so she didn't have an outfit picked out. Now she suddenly had to find the perfect thing to wear, worry about what kind of chocolates to get for Seven, or roses, and find a baby sitter.

The last part was what she anticipated as being the hardest. The entire crew was planning to either go to the party that Neelix was planning in the holodeck or their own personal parties throughout the ship. Her first choice was Tom, but she figured that he, of all people, would already have a date and a party set for that night. So it came as a surprise when he agreed to take their daughter for the night, claiming not to have any plans.

It was a night that B'Elanna looked forward to with all her heart.

Seven broke the news to the captain gently. To her surprise, Kathryn seemed to be expecting it. When Kathryn confessed that she had, Seven asked why. Maybe it was because she desperately needed someone to talk to, maybe she was just tired of being strong all the time. Whatever the reason, Kathryn spilled her story onto Seven's strong shoulders. Seven held her as she cried, apologizing and stroking her hair.

Eventually, Kathryn shooed Seven away, telling her that it was alright and Seven hurried back to the cargo bay to prepare for the party that night. On her way, she stopped by Tuvok's quarters and felt an odd urge to visit him.

He opened the door and gave her permission to enter. She told him of her date with B'Elanna and asked him advice on what she should do. The Doctor's lessons had only told her what to expect on a date with a man. She had no idea how different the rules were with a woman and she felt strangely uncomfortable asking the Doctor, fearing that he wouldn't know for sure. She hoped that her other friend aboard Voyager would know, so she called on him.

He knew that the captain had never taken Seven on a date, so he understood her query. But first, he asked how Kathryn had taken the breakup. When Seven told him, she detected the change in his mood. Upon hearing her say the captain's first name, his pupils dilated slightly. It was enough of a sign for Seven, who already knew the fate of her friend's mate.

After receiving her advice and thanking him, she left Tuvok's quarters and walked back to her own space, mulling over what she could do to get the captain to see her old friend in a new light. As she finished preparing for her own date, she realized that she was not skilled at the art of subterfuge and decided that she would attempt her usual approach at the party and hope that all went well. If it did not...'Then the captain will continue to take lovers on the ship that leave her until she becomes jaded and Lt. Tuvok will continue mourning his wife in silence and solitude. Both will be alone and therefore their situations will be no different than they are now. Nothing will be lost nor gained.' She concluded logically.

The night of the party, Seven showed up on B'Elanna's doorstep at exactly eighteen-hundred hours. B'Elanna was waiting with a single, long-stemmed rose and a realistic, immensely soft, plush golden retriever puppy. She had debated on chocolates and finally decided against them, having never seen Seven eating chocolate and unable to decide what kind she might like. She knew that the puppy was silly, but she had tried to think of something that she would enjoy and the idea had just come to her.

Seven greeted B'Elanna with eleven white roses and one red, tied with a red velvet bow and a heart-shaped box of the assorted chocolate candies that she had discovered B'Elanna liked best by asking Harry Kim.

They stood there a moment, admiring each other's beauty, before they thought to exchange gifts. Seven looked at the puppy and felt a smile tug at the corner of her mouth. She had owned a stuffed toy similar to it when she was a child, not that anyone on Voyager knew, but she just considered it a sign that they were meant for each other, a strange thought for her.

B'Elanna almost went crazy forcing herself to put the box of candy on the table, to eat later. She quickly put the white roses in the water and took the red one to carry with her. Seven held out her arm and B'Elanna took it with a smile. They went straight to the holodeck, arm in arm and Seven carrying the stuffed puppy under one arm.

"I am glad that you asked me to this function, B'Elanna." Seven said, smiling for the first time in public. B'Elanna stopped where she was.

"Huh? Don't you mean you're glad that you asked me?" Seven faced B'Elanna questioningly.

"I found a note in my alcove, addressed to me, from you."

"I found one in my quarters, too. From you to me..." B'Elanna and Seven stood there a moment, trying to figure out what happened when Neelix suddenly popped in, tying a red, heart-shaped, helium-filled balloon to each of their wrists, smiling.

"And for you, Lieutenant." Neelix handed B'Elanna a bouquet of yellow roses with a white card in the middle. She took the card out and read it aloud:

"I'll love you until the last one dies, which will also be the day that I interfere with your happiness. Please don't remember me unkindly,

Tom"

B'Elanna noticed the silk rose in the middle for the first time, and tears welled up in her eyes. "Thank you, Tom," she whispered, then turned to Seven, offering to dance to the music playing all around them. The program was running an evening party outside, with a marble dance floor surrounded by Grecian columns and stairs leading down to an area with tables for couples to sit at and eat, or just gaze into each other's eyes.

Seven took the offer, then asked B'Elanna to wait just a moment as she spotted the captain and Tuvok, standing a slight distance from each other. She walked up to the captain and took her by the arm. She then led the protesting captain to Tuvok and took his arm as well. She directed them to the dance floor and arranged them in a position for a slow dance. Kathryn looked, startled, into Tuvok's face, then her expression melted as she saw what only she could see in her friend's eyes.

Tuvok nodded his thanks to Seven and she walked back to B'Elanna, who had watched, stunned, as Seven put the couple together and as they started dancing, apparently losing track of everything around them. B'Elanna looked at Seven, amazed at how observant she had to be to recognize what was obviously going to turn into a wonderful couple and she kissed Seven, feeling a rush of love travel through her body.

Leaning into Seven's embrace, she declared, "Now there's an unlikely couple." Seven looked at the captain and Tuvok. "I bet no one saw that coming."

"I would wager that many of the crew would say that of us, as well." B'Elanna looked up into Seven's sparkling eyes and smiled, beginning to glow like she never had in her life. Finally, something felt... right.

"You know, Seven? I think you're right." She closed her eyes and leaned her head on Seven's chest as they swayed to the music.

"Happy Valentine's Day, B'Elanna."

"Happy Valentine's Day, Seven."

The End...

(yeah, they lived happily ever after :o)