Tegan Chronicles STV Style 4:
Canis Major 5
Tegan felt the warm moist breath on her cheek as she woke up and instinctively took a deep breath. "OH!" She threw her hand over her mouth and nose and rolled away from it. "Kathryn you've got puppy breath."
Kathryn laughed as Tegan rolled back toward her to see that Maverick had situated himself between them.
"Off!"
"Oh let him be, I told him he could get up here."
"Why would you do that?"
"He was lonely."
She cocked her head to the side. "He told you this?"
"Yes." Kathryn smiled.
She wanted to remind Kathryn that she had made him her responsibility, that in essence he was her dog. "You do realize he is going to get bigger and if you let him sleep on the bed now you can't tell him he isn't allowed to in six months or a year."
"She's right." Kathryn spoke to Maverick who lifted his head and looked at her. "Off."
Maverick twisted his head and moved his eyes as he considered the request. Finally he looked at Tegan.
"You heard the woman, off." As soon as the word was out of her mouth he stood up and walked over Kathryn to hop off the bed. Tegan quickly praised him. "Good boy."
"I would have given him a T-R-E-A-T." Kathryn spelled the word out.
Tegan stared blankly at her for several seconds before sitting up and grabbing her sweatpants. "I need to use the bathroom, take him for a relief walk and a run on the holodeck before I hand him off to Tuvok for his training session."
"Don't forget you're off duty today." She watched Tegan wave over her shoulder as she headed into the bathroom. When she came back out several minutes later Kathryn continued. "You're supposed to take it easy today."
"I will." Tegan slipped her prosthetic on without putting on her protective sleeve and picked up Maverick's leash and clipped it to his collar.
"Good morning Doctor."
"Tuvok." She held out the leash for him as she explained he had just gone to the bathroom and for a run and eaten his breakfast.
"How are you this morning?"
"I'm well, thank you, and you?"
"I too am well." He looked down at the gray and black dog. "Have you chosen a name for him?"
"Maverick. It was the first name out of my mouth and the only one he will respond to."
"I see."
She knelt in front of him and rubbed his ears before taking both sides of his face so he was looking at her. "You behave and follow Commander Tuvok's instructions."
"He will be fine." Tuvok spoke when she hesitated to leave.
Tegan nodded. "If you need me…"
"I will let you know."
Tegan knew Kathryn was already on duty so she returned to her quarters to shower and change into her uniform. She stepped back into the hall not knowing what she was going to do with her day. She felt fine and didn't see why she couldn't work. With that thought she headed to sickbay and argued with the holoman for twenty minutes until he finally threatened to call security if she didn't leave.
"Fine." She huffed and walked out. She realized it was harder to fight with him than someone who had emotions she could read. Aside from his facial expressions she really didn't know how annoyed he was until he had reached his breaking point, which only proved to her she was letting her normal powers of observation slip in favor of her new found talent.
She stepped into the Astrometrics lab to find Seven and Tal Celes working. She could feel a mixture of calm and annoyance coming from one side of the room and frustration with just a touch of fear from the other side. It did seem it was easier for her to narrow down who was emitting which emotions, as long as the group remained around half a dozen or less. She felt the annoyance grow seconds before Seven addressed her. "How may I help you Dr. Kiser?"
"You can't." She looked over at Celes who gave her a small smile over her shoulder.
"You only come down here when you are forced off duty and bored." Seven stated her observation.
"I'm not bored." Tegan clasped her hands behind her back as she looked back at Seven who never once stopped inputting information into her console. "And it's kind of hard to slip down here when I am supposed to be working in sickbay, unless I'm making a medical call."
"I see." Her fingers paused hovering over the touch screens. "Was there something you wished to see? Sometimes Captain Janeway comes here to look at the local star charts, other times she wishes to pull up the 3D representation we have of earth."
"Earth." Tegan breathed the word out on barely a whisper.
Seven's enhanced hearing picked up the murmur and her fingers danced across the console until the blue and green ball appeared in front of them.
Tegan looked up, her eyes wide.
"Where is your home?" Seven had turned and was studying Tegan's expression. Seven's own mood had softened considerably. "I can pinpoint its exact location for you."
Tegan shook her head. "My home is here."
"Here?"
"Voyager." She did a precision military turn before she marched out the door and right into B'Elanna. "Sorry."
"Hey! Watch where you're going," B'Elanna growled.
"Or what you'll kick my ass?" Tegan raised both eyebrows.
"I might." B'Elanna put both hands on her hips trying to gauge her own anger. "Look, just stay away from me and we won't have any problems."
"I don't have a problem with you." She felt B'Elanna tilt into the red zone.
B'Elanna knew Tegan was still struggling with her new gift and despite Tuvok talking to her the day before she took advantage of what she knew and stepped well into Tegan's personal space. She knew Tegan well enough to know she wasn't as protective of her space as Seven was, but she also knew Tegan was uncomfortable when most people invaded it. "No, but I do with you, petaQ."
Tegan felt B'Elanna put her hand on her arm, her fingers tightened around the thin limb as if she could snap it like a twig. "Don't touch me."
A feral grin peeled B'Elanna's lips back. Logically she didn't want to throw the first punch since she could use self-defense as her motive. "Or you'll what?"
Tegan took a deep breath and twisted her arm free. "You and me, holodeck two at 2000 hours. We can finish this there."
B'Elanna growled, "You'd better not be late."
When the chime for her door sounded Tegan didn't need to ask who it was. Her empathic ability seemed to be getting stronger, now she couldn't even completely get away from others emotions when she was in her quarters. It made it especially hard when Lieutenant Arkinson was horny and couldn't sleep because then she would get frustrated and since their beds were against the same wall Tegan ended up feeling horny and frustrated as well. It didn't help that Arkinson was trying this whole new abstinence streak. Tegan wondered how much of it was self-imposed and how much of it was she had just run out of willing partners in the small crew.
"Come in." It was 1400 hours and she was sitting on the couch in her quarters with the lights at 50%. As the doors slid open Maverick charged in all legs with his ears flopping in the air. "Sit."
He put his butt on the floor but his forward momentum continued and caused him to flip tail over head before he was able to upright himself and sit again. He looked at her awaiting her next command.
Tuvok cocked his head slightly as he observed the behavior. "I cannot get him to respond to any of my commands, yet he willing obeys you."
"I don't know Tuvok. He won't listen to Janeway either." She shrugged. "Maybe I can work with you both."
"You are on medical leave today, are you not?"
"I am, but we could meet up tomorrow evening."
"That would suffice." He glanced quickly around her quarters. "It would appear you are hiding."
"What makes you say that?"
"You do not normally just sit in your quarters."
Her eyebrow twitched. "Like you said, I'm on medical leave."
"I do not believe that is the reason."
"Everyone is working and it's not like they want me around anyway."
"I do not understand." He waited for her to give him more information.
"Nothing, forget I said anything."
"I would like to be of assistance if I can be."
"I'm fine Tuvok, really." She forced a smile as she stood up and moved to the replicator where she ordered Maverick's lunch.
He watched her carefully. "Have you been meditating?"
"No." She sat Maverick's bowl on the floor next to his water. "Not in the last week anyway."
"Perhaps we can work on that after we work with Mr. Maverick tomorrow."
One corner of her lips curled up slightly at the title. "Sure."
"I will see you then."
"Have a good evening Tuvok."
She was back on the couch an hour later when she picked up on a hyperactive happiness that felt like a box of gigantic jumping beans. The door chimed several seconds later. "Come in."
The little girl burst through the door and ran up in front of Maverick, she stopped just short and stood ram rod straight looking like a little version of Seven except for her physical attributes. "May I pet him Doctor?"
"I'm off duty." Tegan grinned softly as she felt an awkward reticence tinged with fear.
"Naomi?"
"Neelix." Tegan smiled at the man who stood in the open doorway with his hands tucked safely behind his back. "You can come in."
Neelix stepped in just enough to let the doors slide shut behind him.
"Tegan?" Naomi asked afraid her request had been forgotten. Maverick sat in front of her perfectly still aside from the occasional thump of his tail.
"You may." Tegan watched her fingers stretch out and bury into the fur.
"He's so soft." Her face was engulfed in the largest smile Tegan had seen in a while. "Seven said I should research dogs before I came to see him. I've been reading about them all day."
"And what have you found out?"
Her brow furrowed creating small wrinkles between her spikes. "That they like lots of attention and need to be exercised to get rid of excess energy. Some of them can be aggressive and bite people or other dogs, because they are domesticated from wild animals, but usually their aggressive behavior comes from how they are raised and not from their breeding. Seven says he is only eight months old and still learning how to behave properly, like me."
Tegan grinned at her. "It does sound like you have been doing your research." She looked up at Neelix. "You are more than welcome to touch him if you wish."
"I'm fine right here." He shook his head his eyes never leaving Maverick. "He is a beautiful creature though."
"Have you ever seen a dog before Neelix?"
"Only pictures of the Captain's dog."
Tegan nodded in understanding.
"Are you going to train him to bite?" Naomi made a face when he wiggled forward and reached out his tongue to swipe it across her cheek.
"No." Tegan answered and Maverick turned and looked at her. "It's ok boy."
"That's what Seven said." She wiped at her face. "Did he just taste me?"
Tegan laughed. "I guess in a way he did. It's his way of greeting you."
"Like a kiss?"
"Exactly, like a kiss."
"We should be going Naomi, your mom will be worried if she can't find you when she gets off duty." Neelix nodded his appreciation to Tegan before backing out of the room.
Tegan changed into shorts and a t-shirt before showing up at the captain's quarters at 1930. "You're in."
"I was just replicating dinner, can I get you something?"
Tegan wrinkled her nose. "No."
"Did you just take him for another run?" She looked down at Maverick who sat tiredly at Tegan's feet.
"No, I took him to go potty. I think Tuvok wore him out." She bent down and took his leash off. "Ok."
Once he heard her say 'ok' he trotted over to the replicator to smell the pasta and red sauce that had just materialized there before he went into the bedroom and found his stuffed kitty. He hauled it out by its tail and curled up with it in front of the couch.
Janeway looked over at him and chuckled as she moved her food to the table. "I heard that didn't go so well."
"No."
"It appears he'll only listen to you."
Tegan shrugged. "It's only been a day, give it some time."
"Make yourself at home." Janeway gestured toward the couch.
"Actually I was wondering if you would mind watching him for about an hour, hour and a half. I'm meeting B'Elanna on the holodeck."
"You're not rock climbing are you?"
"No." She fidgeted slightly.
"Go on then." She smiled. "We'll be here when you get back."
"Thanks." Tegan mirrored her smile before she slipped out the door thinking that went far easier than she thought it would.
When she turned onto the corridor heading to the holodeck she could see B'Elanna and Seven outside and they appeared to be arguing. As she got closer she could hear them exchanging words.
"You don't think I can beat her? Just because she made you cry uncle you think she can beat me too?"
Seven's ocular implant rose slightly. "It seems like a logical assumption. And I did not 'cry uncle', I merely ended the session before one of us got hurt. If given the opportunity she would not 'beat' me again." Seven lifted her head as she noticed Tegan's approach. "I do not think this is wise."
"I won't hurt her too bad." Tegan plastered a grin on her face even as she felt the anger seeping out of B'Elanna's pores. She had been hoping B'Elanna had calmed down since earlier in the day but it appeared her discussion with Seven had only rekindled her anger.
"I am not sure who I am more worried about." Seven looked between the two women.
"Don't you even think about going to Janeway, Borg." She often used 'Borg' as a pet name for Seven but her stress on the word currently didn't go unnoticed.
"It would be the logical action to take." Seven regarded B'Elanna for a minute. "But I will not."
B'Elanna watched her turn on her heel and head off down the hall. "What I don't get a kiss?"
"You do not." Seven continued to walk.
"Oh." Tegan's mouth hung open for a second too long.
"'Oh' what?" B'Elanna punched the door sensor with her thumb and grabbed Tegan's arm pulling her inside with her.
"You and Seven." Tegan shook her head as she tried to back away from B'Elanna.
B'Elanna grabbed her other arm and held her in place ready to shake the answer out of her. "What about us?"
"She's holding out on you." Tegan felt the flare about the same time she went flying backwards into the holo-grid. She reached up and rubbed the back of her head. "I think I hit a nerve."
"Seven and I are fine. This is about you and me."
Tegan leaned back and felt the skin cells on B'Elanna's knuckles brush the ones on her chin. Had she connected, Tegan was pretty sure she would have broken her jaw. Still, she wasn't ready to throw back any punches. She circled around her so she couldn't easily be backed into the wall.
"Stop trying to read my mind." B'Elanna's pushed her with open palms.
Tegan took a calculated step back and managed to keep her balance, but she didn't move fast enough when B'Elanna planted an uppercut into her abdomen. She rolled forward hugging her abdomen. B'Elanna wasn't just sparring, she was out for blood.
"What you didn't see that coming?" B'Elanna lunged toward her.
Tegan grabbed her fist midflight with her biomechanical hand and brought her other fist up into B'Elanna's rib cage with just enough force to knock the air out of her lungs. "How many times do I have to tell you I can't read minds?"
B'Elanna bounded around her. "I'm tired of talking."
"And I don't want to fight you."
"Too bad." B'Elanna threw another punch connecting with Tegan's side.
"I think you and Seven just need a good hard…" She didn't get to finish the statement as B'Elanna's fist connected with her mouth.
"Fuck!" B'Elanna looked down at her bloodied knuckles that had scraped against Tegan's upper teeth when they cut through her lower lip.
Tegan spit a mouth full of blood onto the floor glad the holodeck ran an auto sterilize between uses. "Seriously B'Elanna."
B'Elanna ignored her attempts at communication and stepped into Tegan's space backing her up into the grid behind her. "Come on hit me."
"I told you I don't want to hit you."
"Shut up and hit me."
Tegan took a deep breath. This wasn't one of her better plans. She had really hoped they could talk things out and work through this. Instead the angrier B'Elanna became the harder it was for Tegan to separate it from her own emotions. Finally she growled deep in her chest and pushed B'Elanna away.
"That's it," B'Elanna yelled. "Hit me."
Tegan pulled back and slammed her balled fist into the side of B'Elanna's face. As they continued to exchange blows Tegan refused to use her biomechanical arm for anything other than to block B'Elanna's strikes. If she were completely honest it was her biomechanical arm that had helped her against Seven and in this case she knew she could do extreme damage to B'Elanna by engaging it's use.
B'Elanna noticed she was starting to falter, a few times Tegan had swung at her and completely missed despite her not dodging her. She thought she finally realized what was happening when Tegan swung around and kicked her in the ribs. She cried out in pain certain she cracked a couple and went in for a one-two strike. She knew Tegan wasn't using her biomechanical arm to fight back, so she attacked with her left first and as soon as Tegan grabbed her with her human hand, the pain in her chest dissipated. She grinned savagely as she put all of her weight behind her second punch.
Tegan let go of her and stumbled backwards a combination of taking B'Elanna's pain away from her as she had been since the beginning and the blow to her chest. If she could figure out how to stop taking B'Elanna's pain away she might actually be able to beat her. "I need a break."
"What do you think this is; a game of velocity? There are no breaks." B'Elanna ran at her.
Tegan spun around and tossed B'Elanna onto the floor straddling her before she could get up. She grabbed her wrists and pinned the floundering woman to the hard metal deck beneath them. "What the hell is your problem?"
"You are." B'Elanna pushed up against her, her hips pressing hard into Tegan's groin. Her breathing was ragged. "You think you know everything about me."
"I barely know shit about you." Tegan's grip on her right wrist increased while the strength in her human hand started to ebb.
"Get the fuck off me." B'Elanna bucked up against her.
"Are you ready to call it quits?" They'd been at it for an hour already and she needed to get back to Kathryn and Maverick.
"No." B'Elanna spat back a second before Tegan's body collapsed like a house of cards on top of her. She flipped them over and pried Tegan's biomechanical hand off her wrist. She slapped her hard. "Come on wake up."
When that didn't work she started frantically searching for a pulse in her neck. A string of Klingon profanities that would have made her mother proud tumbled over her lips as she hit her combadge. "Two to beam directly to sickbay."
In Janeway's quarters Maverick started to whine and pace. "It's ok. I'll take you to the bathroom."
When they got in the turbolift he refused to get off on the level his relief area was set up on. She pulled him, tried to coax him out with a treat, pushed on him from behind, but he refused to budge. She went to each deck until he finally decided to get off on deck five.
