Nine Months – With Child 1
By Kudara
Disclaimer: Star Trek Voyager and all who sail in her belong to Paramount/Viacom and no infringement of copyright/trade marks is intended.
Rating: Mature
Feedback: Always welcome, feedback is what encourages me to keep writing. Please let me know what you like and what you dislike about the story.
Revision History: 12/27/05
Summary: Seven and B'Elanna come to terms with Seven's pregnancy.
Chapter 24 – Stardate 52798.37 (October 19, 2375 9:48am)
B'Elanna watched Seven, trying desperately not to smile, much less snicker, at the blonde's expression. Seven was in the process of changing Heather's diaper, and the look on her face was a mixture of intent concentration and… B'Elanna couldn't decide whether or not Seven was actually holding her breath, or just trying not to breathe in too deeply. Whichever, it was clear that the blonde did not consider the fragrance arising from the infant to be a pleasant one.
Mary, Elizabeth and Maria's oldest, was sitting near Seven and watching with an openly disgusted expression. Mary had been fascinated with Seven since their first day, and B'Elanna knew that the two of them frequently played together. The half-Klingon thought that their relationship was similar to that which Naomi had with Seven when they had been on Voyager.
"Just wait, someday you will have one of your own, and you won't be able to sit over here watching." Janice Young said next to her ear, as she sat down beside her. "Hmm, actually now that I'm thinking about it, it's not really fair for her to be learning everything. I'm sure you aren't planning on treating her like the little wife, and letting her take care of all the child raising?" the raven haired woman asked with a raised eyebrow, and a hint of challenge in her tone.
B'Elanna felt an immediate surge of anger at the suggestion, "Of…" she paused noting her tone and took in a calming breath. "Of course not," she answered with forced calm, feeling slightly ill at the thought of what could have happened had she not caught herself. B'Elanna looked down at the table, certain that Janice's eyes would hold censure for her momentary lapse. Instead she felt a warm hand grasp her shoulder, and gently squeeze it reassuringly. Meeting the dark eyes, she only saw understanding and concern in them.
"You need to be over there with her," Janice said in a gentle tone. "It's very easy to just go along with everything, and not realize what the roles are you're settling into, but you're the one with the freedom to choose how supportive you will be. If you don't want to play some type of stereotypical head of household, it's up to you to make the effort to you to show Seven that your equal partners."
As she finished speaking, Janice's dark brown eyes flickered past her toward the wall of the room where the infraction indication panel was located, and she breathed out a relieved sigh. Suddenly B'Elanna realized, with an inward chill, just what the Janice had willingly risked by being so honest with her; she had to have known that there was a good chance that her words might be taken as a protest against their treatment. The half-Klingon's eyes searched out Janice's partner, Brenda Allen. The weapons specialist was holding Jessica, their child in her lap, and there was no mistaking the relieved look on her face.
Glancing around quickly B'Elanna realized that several people, including Elizabeth and Maria, Christina and Nancy, and Amy and Lee were watching them as well. It didn't take a genius to realize that they all knew, or guessed what Janice was talking to her about. She almost asked the raven haired woman why she had been the one to talk to her instead of Maria, when her eyes fell upon Janice's dark haired child Jessica. Jessica who was only three, and then it made too much sense. All the others had children who were already implanted with the pain inducers; Janice was the only one of the three counselors who would be risking only herself, instead of herself and her child.
B'Elanna still distinctly remembered the day she had found out that her suspicion that the children were used as hostages in addition to their mothers was correct.
Christine had not been her usual self for a few days, usually she was fairly upbeat, but she had been particularly solemn, even depressed lately. B'Elanna had asked her what was wrong during a quiet moment.
"Carol's turning five in a week," Christine had answered bleakly.
B'Elanna had stared at her, confused; before she could ask anything more, Lisa Stewart had come over and pulled her away. In a low tone, the red-headed former Mountie had informed her tersely, "Five's when the pain inducers are implanted. Fortunately until the children are older, their only activated for five seconds at a time."
B'Elanna shook her head, pulling herself back to the present. "Thank you," she said in a low voice to Janice, trying to convey deep appreciation for the risk the woman had run to make her aware of what she had been doing. Janice was right, she had been sitting back and letting Seven learn everything, as if the half-Klingon had no need for the same information.
So much for telling Seven that they would both adapt, she had been hanging back and letting the blonde do all the adapting, B'Elanna thought to herself harshly. Her eyes were drawn toward the other side of the room where Seven sat now holding the freshly changed infant. The blonde was watching the half-Klingon with a slight frown upon her face, and B'Elanna didn't know whether or not the blonde's enhanced hearing was good enough for her to have overheard the conversation, or whether Seven was just curious as to what she and Janice were talking about. B'Elanna got up, planning to go over to Seven, apologize for her behavior, and ask the blonde to teach her what she had learned.
"Hey, B'Elanna," Janice's voice made her pause for a moment, "Don't be too hard on yourself, I don't think many of us managed to escape falling into that habit at one time or another. How do you think we knew to look?"
She turned, looked back at the raven haired woman and nodded, her face softening once again in gratitude. It did help to know that others, people she was coming to respect, like Elizabeth and Christina, had done the same. Striding quickly across the open area she gave Seven a self-conscious smile, as she sat down facing her, straddling the bench seat of the table. "Hey," she said softly to the blonde.
Seven raised her optical implant and smirked at the half-Klingon as she replied, "You have come over to learn more about the care of infants?"
B'Elanna had to fight the impulse to squirm, "You heard."
"Yes," Seven replied. "And Lee and Janice have discussed the subject with me previously. As I informed them then, I have very little memory of my own parents relationship, and only was aware of your and Lt. Paris's relationship on Voyager. Thus, I have no standard against which I can form any judgment of the nature of our relationship. I was not even aware of the roles they described to me, until they informed me of them."
"Oh," B'Elanna replied briefly, still considering what Seven had just told her. "Well, I should have been doing more than I have been. I don't want to have that type of relationship, I…" she trailed off, rather confused herself about how easily she had fallen into such an old fashioned stereotypical role.
"Have you ever held an infant before B'Elanna," Seven asked after a long moment of silence.
B'Elanna stared at her for a moment in surprise, and then shook her head slightly at herself. It shouldn't really surprise her anymore that Seven was willing to forgive and move on; it was one of the character traits she admired most in her lover. She could guess that Seven had decided her silence meant the discussion was finished, and it was now time to remedy the stated problem. "No, I haven't. Naomi's really the only child I've ever been around for a long period of time as an adult, and I didn't have any close contact with her."
Seven nodded, "Karen," she addressed Heather's mother who was busy playing with her older child Evelyn. "May B'Elanna hold Heather? I will instruct her in the proper method."
"Of course," replied Karen. A smile formed on her face, and she shifted so that she could watch the proceedings.
B'Elanna recalled most of the discussion that Seven had gotten into with Lee and the others over how to hold a child, and was able to persuade the blonde to skip over most of the lecture. Finally, Seven instructed her to move very close, and once the half-Klingon was standing almost toe to toe, transferred the infant into B'Elanna's arms.
"Expecting her to make a break for it?" asked B'Elanna, amused as Seven stepped back.
"She has become very active in the past week, and this is the best method to ensure her head is supported properly at all times." Seven replied calmly.
Almost as if to helpfully prove Seven's point, Heather choose to stretch at that moment, pressing her head and heels down and almost lifting her entire body, then she relaxed and gurgled. Suddenly, B'Elanna could see the point to Seven's care; it would be very easy to make a mistake if the child chose to do that while changing hands.
This was the first time B'Elanna had seen an infant so close, fascinated she examined the tiny hands and fingers that waved and grasped the air. "I think she's looking for you," she commented to Seven, noting that the child seemed to be looking in the blonde's direction.
"Doubtful, her eyes are not developed enough," answered Seven. "She can only focus on objects eighteen inches away or less."
'Great watch the kid start yelling at the scary looking Klingon,' B'Elanna thought as she tentatively lifted the child and lowered her head. Immediately Heather turned her head and looked up at her, verifying the blonde's words. "Hello there," she tried out softly, finding it somewhat startling to realize that the child hadn't been able to see her face before; she hadn't known that very young children were so near sighted.
Heather stared at her and B'Elanna got the distinct impression that the child was evaluating her, maybe making up her mind whether or not she was interesting or scary. B'Elanna couldn't help but smile at the serious look on the child's face. To the half-Klingon's fascination, the child took in a deep breath and let it out, smacked her mouth open and closed twice, then suddenly smiled up at her sweetly and raised her arms toward B'Elanna's face. Curious as to what the child would do, she lowered her face toward the waving hands.
The warning, "B'Elanna," from Seven came a moment too late; Heather had already grabbed two handfuls of wavy brunette hair.
Reflexively B'Elanna tried to lift her head, only to figure out that the child had an amazingly good grip on her hair. Heather gurgled in delight. "Oh you think this is funny do you?" B'Elanna asked the infant, amused herself at the predicament she found herself in.
Seven's metal wrapped hand appeared in front of her face, fingers waving gently. Heather immediately focused on the new object within her field of vision, and after only a few seconds released the half-Klingon's hair in favor of trying to grasp Seven's fingers.
"Infants are attracted to shiny or brightly colored objects," Seven stated. "I should have warned you that she enjoys grasping hair, I have learned to keep mine out of her reach."
An uneasy quiet descending over the room caused them to look around. It only took a few seconds for them to notice the robot that had just entered the room.
"Brenda Allen and adult hostage, B'Elanna Torres and hostage, you have one minute before you must accompany this unit." It stated.
"I'll take her," Karen came up with Evelyn following her closely.
B'Elanna was busy looking at Seven who was staring at the robot with an odd expression. Hearing Karen's voice the blonde turned back around and watched as B'Elanna handed Heather to her mother, then stared at the half-Klingon's face keenly. "Seven?" B'Elanna asked, confused as to what was going on, and why the blonde was reacting this way. Off in the other corner of the room she could hear Brenda and Janice reassuring their daughter as they left her in Maria's care.
"It is time, I am to be impregnated," Seven stated, her voice calm. Only her stormy blue eyes betrayed that she was not as composed as she appeared to be.
B'Elanna stared at the blonde dumbly, and then looked around only to receive confirming nods from those near them. The half-Klingon didn't doubt that they were right; this would be a procedure whose pattern they were familiar with.
"We must go B'Elanna," Seven tugged on her hand gently.
B'Elanna stared at her frozen, it hadn't really been real up to this point, it had been something that was going to happen in the nebulous future, not now, not today. She wasn't ready to think of herself and Seven as future mothers.
"B'Elanna, I cannot carry you," Seven whispered urgently and gently placed her hands on the half-Klingon's face.
With an initial lurching movement B'Elanna grabbed one of Seven's hands and started walking, joining Brenda Allen and Janice Young who were already standing near the robot.
Her shock lifting, B'Elanna looked curiously at the other couple who were to go with them. There were three other women pregnant at this time, and apparently Seven would not be the only woman joining their ranks, Janice would be as well.
Brenda Allen was as striking looking as her partner, straight black hair, dark brown eyes, high cheekbones and a darker complexion like Maria and B'Elanna's. The half-Klingon had heard that the woman was of Native American descent, but had not talked much to the leader of the second rifle squad.
As they came up Janice held out her arms, and Seven unhesitatingly accepted a brief hug from her. B'Elanna was surprised; she hadn't realized Seven and Janice were so close. "Don't worry we will all be sedated for the entire procedure," she reassured them.
B'Elanna nodded to her, letting out a relieved breath; all types of nightmarish scenarios had been running through her mind ever since she realized what was going on.
The robot began moving and the two couples followed it out the double doors.