Tegan Chronicles STV Style 3:
What's Left of the Flag 30
She walked into the still relatively empty mess hall and looked over the food. Neelix gave her an eager expression as he waited for her request. "Tegan?"
She pulled her eyes up to meet his, already feeling his dismay. He knew what she was going to say before she ever opened her mouth but still he held onto the hope that he was wrong. "I'm sorry Neelix, I'm not hungry."
"You didn't eat dinner last night."
"I know." She nodded and turned around to find Seven getting up to recycle her tray. "Seven?"
"Doctor?"
"Tegan." She corrected her and watched her nod slightly. "I was wondering if you were up for some hand to hand?"
"There is a program on the holodeck that would suit your needs."
"I lost my privileges." She gave her a cocky smile. "Besides, there's nothing like the real thing."
"Meet me in cargo bay two in one hour."
"Come in." Janeway lifted her eyes from the book she was reading and tried not to smile when she saw the doors open to reveal Tegan standing there.
"Hey." Tegan stepped inside.
"Hey." Kathryn stood up and moved to the couch. She patted the cushion next to her in invitation.
Tegan walked over and sat down beside her. "How was dinner with Chakotay?"
"You know the usual, burnt meatloaf and conversation."
Tegan nodded.
"What did you do tonight?"
"Seven and I got together."
"You and Seven?"
"Yeah, it's not like I could go rock climbing with B'Elanna or hang out with the boys at Sandrine's."
She knew Tegan wasn't blaming her so she didn't dwell on it. "Did you two hang out in Astrometrics?"
Tegan looked at her curiously. She hadn't said anything but Tegan knew it, she could feel it. "You're jealous."
"No." She shook her head as if that would make her denial more believable. Tegan's denial had at least been plausible, but Kathryn felt she had a lot of reasons to be jealous of Tegan spending time with Seven. For one she was younger and in somewhat better shape than she was. Still she trusted Tegan. "I'm glad you are making friends."
"Yeah." Tegan shrugged. "Anyway, we hung out in cargo bay two."
"Really?" This time it was her tone that betrayed her jealousy.
"We just practiced some self-defense." She smiled at Kathryn. "You're beautiful when you're jealous."
"I'm not jealous." She continued to deny the accusation.
"You're still beautiful." Tegan felt a shift from jealously to joy and embarrassment. Why am I feeling this way?
"What kind of self-defense?"
"Hand to hand." Tegan licked her lower lip pausing to touch a still tender cut on the inside where her tooth had punctured it. "B'Elanna and I converse better. Seven and I…"
"Seven is Seven, it'll take time." Kathryn put her hand on Tegan's back.
Tegan flinched at the contact. "Yeah."
"Tegan?" Her tenor dropped.
"I'm fine." She forced as much innocence into her voice as possible.
"Hand to hand?"
"It's nothing." Tegan brushed off her concern.
"Seven's stronger than she looks."
"I'm insulted." Tegan spoke before she could stop herself. So you do think I'm weak. She shook her head. She wanted to be mad at her. She was used to people underestimating her strength which usually came in handy. She just didn't want her crew or her captain thinking she wasn't strong. She closed her eyes feeling indignant over the comment but also feeling a sincere regret that she couldn't entirely place until Kathryn spoke.
"I didn't mean…"
"I know." Tegan turned and leaned into her lightly touching her lips to Kathryn's.
Kathryn gave into the kiss for a minute until her brain processed what was going on. Seriously! It was a dirty game to play. She grabbed Tegan's shoulders to push her back but before she could Tegan was on her feet trying to suppress a moan in her throat. "Strip."
"What?" The anger that surrounded her threatened to drown her in a sea of red. Suddenly she knew it wasn't all her anger, but she still couldn't grasp it.
Janeway stood with her hands propped on her hips, her voice commanding. "I said strip."
"It's just a couple of minor contusions."
"If they are so minor, you won't mind showing me."
She knew it wasn't a request and unzipped her uniform jacket; she pulled it off and tossed it haphazardly onto the empty couch. Next she gingerly pulled her shirt off and threw it aside.
Kathryn lifted her hand to the cut on her collar bone.
"Seven's exoskeleton." Tegan spoke as Kathryn moved her hand to the bruise on her shoulder feeling the shift in the hues of emotion. "It's nothing."
Kathryn pulled the hem of Tegan's tank top up and saw a large discolored area spreading from her side around to her back where the capillaries had been broken and dark red blood had pooled just beneath the skin. "Seven beat you?"
"Actually," Tegan smiled slyly. "I beat her. She cried uncle first."
Kathryn shook her head. "You're going to see the doctor."
"It's just a bruise."
"It's not a suggestion."
"I already saw him," she informed her as she held her head a little higher. "He said I'd live."
"Why didn't he treat it?"
"I asked him not to."
"Why?"
Tegan shook her head and picked up her shirt. "If you don't believe me you can ask him."
"Me asking why, isn't me not believing you." She watched her pull on her shirt followed by her jacket. "Tegan?"
"I'm tired. I need to go."