Tegan Chronicles STV Style 3:

What's Left of the Flag 3

"Was there something you needed Doc—" she caught herself, not bothering to look up as the other woman entered, "Tegan."

She had eaten a few bites after Kathryn left before cleaning up the captain's quarters and winding her way down to the astrometrics lab. "I just came to see how the other half lives."

"'The other half'? Explain."

"It's just a saying. I guess I just wanted to see some of the other workings of Voyager."

"Are you off today?"

"You could say that." She looked at Seven intently. "You work long hours, how come you are never forced to take time off?"

"I regenerate when I need to and I partake of nutritional sustenance when required. I do not require rest or relaxation like other humans do."

"I don't know, you seem to enjoy some recreational activities with B'Elanna." She looked up at the large view screen and the planets intermixed with the stars on it.

"Did you come here to discuss my sex life with B'Elanna Torres? Perhaps we should discuss your sexual activities with Captain Janeway."

She wanted to ask what sexual activities but refrained. "I apologize. I just came down here to… I don't know."

Seven watched her shake her head. "In other words you are bored."

"No." She turned and looked at the cool blue eyes that were regarding her. "I thought maybe we could talk, become friends."

"An inefficient use of our time."

Tegan wondered what had ever caused her to come to the astrometrics lab in the first place. It was obvious Seven was happy as she was. They had so much in common, minus once being Borg. They were both treated differently by the Voyager crew as a whole because they were outsiders and because they had extra hardware their flesh depended on. They both grew up basically without parents and both had a certain amount of social idiosyncrasies because of it. Though Tegan was certain she was more polished than Seven, she was also aware she'd had more time to hone her skills.

"Do you not already have friends?" Seven broke into her thoughts.

"I guess, a few. I mean B'Elanna is good company and we enjoy rock climbing together. Tom and Harry are nice enough." She wasn't sure she would classify them as friends yet but they were the closest thing she had to them right now.

"What about the Captain and Naomi Wildman?"

"Yes."

"Chakotay?"

Tegan laughed derisively. "No. He tolerates me. I doubt he will ever really like me."

"Because you are with Janeway and he isn't?"

Tegan shrugged not wanting to voice her agreement.

Seven was certain Tegan had already deduced that on her own. "Neelix?"

"Neelix likes everyone. But I'm not sure that he appreciates my help in the galley all that much."

"He is only worried about his job security and that others will like your cooking better than his." Seven offered her observation. "Tuvok?"

A small sarcastic chuckle bubbled out of her chest. "Tuvok doesn't know what to think of me."

"Chakotay to Seven."

Seven nodded to Tegan and tapped her badge. "Yes Commander."

As he spoke she watched Tegan take her leave. "We've been given the go ahead, meet Harry and I in the shuttle bay in an hour."

Janeway walked into the mess hall and looked around quickly spotting her dinner companion, a small frown pulled at her lips when she realized someone had preempted her. When she realized it was none other than the young Naomi Wildman she smiled and walked over placing her hand on Tegan's shoulder.

She leaned back into the touch ever so carefully that even someone who was watching closely and knew about their relationship would have to put the movement under a microscope to glean anything from it. "Captain."

"Ladies, how are you tonight?" She looked at Naomi as she pulled her hand away and stepped to the side of the table.

"I'm fine Captain, how are you?" The young girl beamed brightly.

"I'm very well thank you." She turned to look at Tegan who didn't have a tray in front of her. "You're not eating?"

"I was side tracked by someone who needs to eat her greens." Tegan pointed to the section of the tray that housed the vegetable in question.

"But mom said—"

"And what did your doctor say?" Both of Tegan's brows crept up her forehead.

"You're not my doctor." Naomi reminded her softly.

"No I'm not, but I do know what he said at your last check up and your mom agrees."

"Fine, I will assimilate my vegetables."

"Thank you." Tegan grinned as she stood up and followed Janeway to the serving area.

"You're not her doctor?" She asked curiously.

"No." Tegan shook her head and picked up a silver metal tray. "Unless it's an emergency the doctor is taking care of the kid."

"Really?"

"I don't do kids."

"That could be a problem." She watched Tegan pick out an entrée and two vegetables and did the same.

"Why is that?" Tegan waited until they were seated at a quiet table away from anyone who might listen.

"My career isn't exactly suited for raising kids, but I haven't given up the idea completely."

"It's a little early to be having this discussion, don't you think?"

Janeway shrugged. "You just seem to be a natural around her."

"I never said I don't like kids or that I don't want them. I can't carry a child and I don't do them professionally."

Somehow her brain skipped the latter statement when it tripped on the fact she couldn't carry kids and got hung up there. "You can't carry a child? Have you talked to the doctor about it? Surely medicine has advanced a great deal since you were born."

"It's not genetics." Tegan poked at the meat on her tray suddenly uninterested in eating. "I lost my uterus in a work related accident."

"The spear?" She watched Tegan nod. She had read what there was of the report. "That wasn't mentioned in the main report."

"Yeah, I guess my fertility or lack thereof wasn't really of military interest."

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to pry."

Tegan gave her a funny look and then stood up and took her tray to be recycled.

"You didn't eat." She admonished when Tegan returned to the table.

"I wasn't hungry and you have no problems prying into my dietary habits." She grinned slightly. "And you weren't prying about the other thing. We have a lot to learn about each other."

"And you aren't exactly an open book."

"No ma'am I'm not." She looked up at the crewman who approached. "I should go."

"Actually…" He looked at his finger nails to make sure there wasn't any engine grease on them as Janeway nodded professionally to give Tegan leave. She recognized the dark hair and blue eyes. It seemed he finally worked up the nerve to ask her out, she hoped Tegan would let him down easy. "I wanted to speak with you Doctor."

"If you have a problem, the EMH is on call tonight."

"No." He blushed deeply as she stood. "It's of a personal nature."

She nodded and led him to an unoccupied corner where she could still see Janeway who was watching them with keen interest. "Jones right?"

"Andrew Jones, yes." He nodded stiffly and swallowed hard. "I was wondering if you were available to, for dinner tomorrow night?"

"Tomorrow night?"

"Yes." He shifted his weight from one foot to the other and back.

She looked over at Kathryn who was looking at her through hooded lids as she sipped her coffee. "I'm sorry, I've already got plans with B'Elanna tomorrow and I'm not sure dinner is a good idea anyway. Maybe we could go snowboarding with Tom and Harry sometime?"

"I don't snowboard, I ski and not very well." She wanted to tell him he was a wimp but he kept talking and it would have been rude. "And Tom and Harry only ice skate."

"What a bunch of wusses." She laughed lightly. As her eyes caught the glare she was getting from Lieutenant Arkinson. "Did you date Arkinson?"

"No." He blushed and followed Tegan's eyes. "Do you think she's free for dinner tomorrow?"

"There's only one way to find out." She didn't wait around to see what Arkinson's response was, if it was a negative one then she had somehow figured out she was with Janeway and she was jealous, or she was actually glaring at Jones and not her because she had wanted to ask her out. Either outcome was not something Tegan wanted to ponder.