Part 5

Seven looked at her hands as they once again betrayed her will and failed to do what she wanted them to do. Her fingers had gone numb some time ago as she worked in the freezing shuttle environment, but she had more space and easier access to the instruments and equipment she needed if she was to find a cure for the virus that was raging through B'Elanna Torres' body.

After determining that it was a combination of human and Klingon blood that provided the pathogen with the perfect breeding ground, Seven then re-checked all her results to confirm that it was the snow tainted with mud that was the origin of the engineer's condition. When she was certain that she had collated all the data available, Seven then correlated the results and set about trying to manufacture a cure. Unfortunately, there was not enough power available to enable access to the ship's database so the Astrometrics officer had to rely on her eidetic memory and scientific background as a basis for her research. It was a frustrating process, and her progress was not helped by the harsh conditions within the shuttle.

The blonde woman flexed her fingers in a vain attempt to restore both circulation and feeling to her numb digits. She then clutched her hands under her armpits to try and draw warmth from her own body. She used the enforced break to review the progress she had made so far. Nothing she had attempted so far had even partially affected the pathogens. It was an insidious infection and Seven was getting frustrated at her inability to defeat it.

She was also concerned that she had left B'Elanna alone in the shelter for some time. Seven knew that she had secured the woman so that she couldn't leave the shelter and freeze to death, but while she was continuing her experiments in the shuttle, Seven had no idea how the Klingon was faring. She fervently hoped that B'Elanna's condition hadn't deteriorated but her lack of medical knowledge meant that she had no way of gauging the progress of the pathogen and what sort of time frame she had to try and come up with a cure. The young drone was torn between continuing her work and returning to check up on B'Elanna. She knew it was a futile gesture that would ultimately just be an exercise in time wasting but Seven found that her concentration span had reduced drastically over the last hour as she worried over the engineer's condition. Perhaps if she returned and set her mind at ease, she would be able to focus on the task for a longer period of time.

Coming to a decision, Seven got up quickly and gathered the equipment she had been using, reluctant to leave anything on the shuttle should it be affected by the extreme temperature. Once her holdall was fully laden she slung it over her shoulder and braced herself for the bitter temperature of the outside. Despite her preparation, the blonde still gasped as the cold wind bit into her face, blasting her with icy needles as it blew hard pellets of snow across the tundra. Seven bent down slightly to protect her face against the ferocious storm and headed back to the shelter.

Seven monitored the horizon continuously, squinting through her sunglasses as she irrationally looked for any sign that B'Elanna might have broken her bonds and wandered out into the snow. She tried to hurry through the terrain but the howling storm had deposited a huge amount of snow that made the ground soft and energy draining. The Astrometrics officer was exhausted by the time she reached the entrance to the shelter, and colder than she had ever felt before but her first concern was still for the engineer. She glanced quickly at the sleeping area and exhaled with relief when she saw B'Elanna still restrained.

The ex-drone threw her holdall onto the opposite ledge and closed the distance between her and the Klingon. Rapidly, she waved a tricorder over the still-restless woman and viewed the results with concern. There was no let up in the progress of the virus and B'Elanna's temperature was still rising. She was perilously close to cellular breakdown. Seven could hear B'Elanna's breathing becoming more laboured and her pulse was erratic and weak.

Seven felt her own pulse rate accelerate as she studied her findings. The blonde was feeling a palpable fear for only the second time since she had been freed from the Collective. The first time had been when One had died. Seven was scared that B'Elanna was going to die and that once again, there was nothing she could do to stop it. She was frightened that she would not get the opportunity to tell B'Elanna how she felt about her and that they would not get the chance to explore her emotions together. She also desperately wanted B'Elanna to repeat the words she had said in her delirium and mean them.

Seven was also honest enough to admit that she did not want to be alone on the planet. She had experienced such torturous loneliness when she left the Borg Collective and she did not want to go through that again. Seven knew that if B'Elanna left her, she would indeed experience that bitter isolation again.

Determined not to dwell on her own predicament, Seven grabbed a canteen of water and fumbled with the lid as she attempted to open the container. She tried to pour liquid over the Klingon's cracked and parched lips but nothing came out of the flask. Realising that the container was empty, Seven awkwardly gathered some clean fresh snow, cursing her hands for operating inefficiently and then ran a familiar set of tests to check that it was safe for B'Elanna to consume. Satisfied that the source was free from the harmful pathogens, Seven quickly melted the snow and then dribbled water over the other woman's lips. She was disheartened as B'Elanna made only the barest attempt to capture the liquid and swallow the water, despite her obvious dehydration. Seven persevered until she was satisfied that B'Elanna had taken on a reasonable amount of water, but by the time she had finished her task, she had no sensation at all in her hands or feet and her body was shaking. She tried to touch each finger of her hands with the thumb from the same limb. She could only close her hands enough to make contact with her index fingers and middle fingers, and despite even that amount of dexterity, she could not feel what her fingers were doing. Seven realised that she would be unable to perform anything but the most basic functions on a tricorder and would be unable to drive any other equipment she needed to continue her work.

The ex-drone was at an impasse. She desperately wanted to continue researching ways to combat B'Elanna's infection but knew that her body would not be able to tolerate much more exposure to the extreme temperature. She was also frightened that if she decided to take the time to warm up, B'Elanna would deteriorate or die. She stared at the prone body of the ailing Klingon as her mind circled round the options open to her. In the end, she approached the feverish woman and leant over her body in order to extract the survival bag she had left there from earlier. As she pulled the bag free from the bindings, B'Elanna moaned incoherently at the disturbance, but Seven took heart that the brunette still had the strength and self- awareness to make a protest at Seven's movement.

She brushed an errant strand of hair off the Klingon's face and looked at her tenderly, feeling a lump form in her throat as she continued to worry. "Today is not a good day to die B'Elanna Torres," she whispered softly. "Please do not leave me alone," she begged quietly.

She didn't expect a response so was not surprised that B'Elanna did not react to her words. With a quick flick of her wrists, she spread the survival bag on the opposite shelf and quickly stripped off her environmental suit that was soaked through. After removing her shoes, she wriggled into the survival bag, gasping at the initial freezing temperature of the material. As she got in, she could feel various pieces of equipment dig into her body and felt decidedly uncomfortable but was grateful for the painful sensations. She did not want to fall asleep inadvertently. The sole purpose of using the bag was to warm up sufficiently so that she could work efficiently. She used the chronometer function on a tricorder to initiate an alarm signal after one hour just in case her body betrayed her and she fell asleep anyway and placed the instrument by the side of her head.

She could feel the bag beginning to work almost immediately and Seven snuggled down, craving the warmth she had been denied for so long. Her body shuddered as she tried to quicken the warming process and her hands and feet felt like they were burning as blood slowly returned to areas long denied body heat. She set her cobalt eyes on the restless engineer and studied the woman as she felt her body continuing to warm. Seven recalled the first time they had combated the cold and shared a survival bag. Much as she wanted to share B'Elanna's heat again, she couldn't take the risk of loosening her bonds in case B'Elanna escaped and took refuge in the cool snow. Instead, her eidetic memory allowed her to practically experience the situation again, and the young Borg felt her lips tighten into a faint smile as she recalled all the sensations that her body had encountered.

Against her will, Seven found her eyelids getting heavy and begin to close. Despite her best efforts to keep her eyes open, and moving her body so that she was uncomfortable again, exhaustion finally won and she sunk into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

B'Elanna stood on the gangplank that lead to the gates of Grethor and frowned. She had no idea how she got from lying on the deck to standing on the edge of a piece of wood. The last thing she recalled was trying to explain her feelings to the ex-drone but getting little or no response from her. Now she was staring at tall, imposing gates that had the Klingon insignia embossed in the top of the archway. She could feel the heat radiating from the gates and her eyes widened as she watched the entrance to Grethor open, the area exposed glowing a burning orange.

The engineer turned back towards the Barge. Seven stood there blocking the way in a familiar stance, standing straight with her arms behind her back.

"Resistance is futile Lieutenant," the ex-drone commented blandly. "Today is not a good day to die. But then, you already knew that." Seven whipped a Bat'leth from behind her back and closed the distance between her and B'Elanna menacingly.

B'Elanna backed up slightly but stopped when her heels found the edge of the wood. She looked down and saw the swirling waters beneath her, and could feel the heat of Grethor on her back. "Now, hang on a minute," she began, holding her hands out in a placating yet defensive gesture.

Seven took no notice and with a swift flick of her wrists, used the Bat'leth to push the shorter woman off the Barge and to her fate.

B'Elanna's head snapped back and she choked on a surprised scream as she fell back but the sound stuck in her throat as she suddenly found herself lying on a biobed in Sickbay.

The Klingon wasn't fooled for a second this time. The candles and dim lighting once again hinted at what was going on, so B'Elanna sat up quickly and looked around. The rest of Sickbay was deserted but the engineer knew that it would not be long before someone turned up to continue her torment.

From the corner of her eye, she saw the Doctor stride towards her but jumped when she heard Neelix's voice right next to the biobed. He had appeared out of nowhere.

"Welcome to Grethor, B'Elanna. I'm your guide," he told her conversationally and gestured for her to get off the bed.

B'Elanna snorted derisively. "This happened last time, Neelix. It's not exactly an original response. What's going on?"

"I just wanted you to enjoy a small fraction of familiarity before I introduce to another aspect of Grethor," Neelix replied amiably.

"Oh please. Get on with it if you want to shock me. I've dealt with my demons. Or at least, I've tried to. I shouldn't be here," the engineer replied confidently, though she could feel her heart race even as she spoke the words.

Neelix looked at her knowingly. "You're still trying to convince yourself B'Elanna. I can sense that and I'm not even trying to read you. Come on, there's plenty to see." The small Talaxian gestured for B'Elanna to get off the biobed and follow him to the exit.

"I know Voyager inside out. Far better than you do, Neelix. There's nothing you can tell me about her that I don't already know." B'Elanna strode along purposefully, forcing the orange-haired man to trot in order to keep up with her.

"Who says I'm going to be your guide for Voyager?" he questioned breathlessly.

"That's what happened last time," B'Elanna shot back, continuing to power-walk down the corridor. She had no idea where she was headed but she was determined not to fall victim to the tricks of the Klingon underworld.

Somehow, with no real effort shown on his part, Neelix was once again ahead of B'Elanna and he came to a halt in front of a turbolift. It hissed open and he made a sweeping gesture with an arm to indicate that she should step inside.

B'Elanna hesitated for a fraction and then realised that it probably wouldn't matter if she ran headlong down the corridor. She would still end up where ever Neelix wanted her to be. With a resigned sigh, the brunette stalked into the lift and waited for the little Talaxian to follow her in. As he barrelled in after her, he called out the destination for the turbolift. "Cargo Bay Two."

B'Elanna rolled her eyes when she heard where they were headed but refrained from commenting.

When the lift doors parted, Neelix hurried forward and headed towards Cargo Bay Two. He didn't wait for B'Elanna to follow him and did not look over his shoulder to check if she was moving. B'Elanna paused but decided to go after the small furry Ambassador. It wasn't as if she had much choice. However, when the doors to Cargo Bay Two opened, she couldn't help but gasp at what she saw. A dim green glow illuminated the whole of the area and was only broken by the elongated shadows cast by a number of Borg drones, busy working in the area. B'Elanna's eyes widened as she studied the drones working. They were exclusively female, exclusively human in origin and all of them looked like Seven.

* * *

The alarm from the tricorder startled Seven. She tried to sit up suddenly but the survival bag hindered her progress and she ended up lurching to one side and falling off the edge of the sleeping area. The blonde grunted as she landed and lay stunned for a few moments. As Seven struggled to free herself from the constraints of the survival bag, she silently berated the merits of sleeping. She had never fallen out of her regeneration chamber and always stepped from the cycle alert and ready to work. Now, her head felt muzzy and thick, and her limbs felt heavy.

Seven inspected her environmental suit and discovered that it was still soaked through and freezing cold. There would be no point in putting it back on; it would reduce her body temperature more swiftly than if she remained just in her biosuit. B'Elanna's suit was in no better shape so Seven decided to brave the cold.

Now that her head had cleared slightly, Seven snatched the tricorder to examine B'Elanna. She didn't need to read the findings to know that the Klingon had deteriorated again. Her breathing was coming in short, painful gasps and her skin was waxy and pallid. The readings confirmed that B'Elanna was worsening. Seven's heart sank as her feelings of helplessness returned. She had to work quickly and she had to find a solution to the virus.

The Astrometrics officer kicked the survival bag into the back of the shelter and grabbed the equipment she needed to continue her research. She took a few moments to review the work she had already done, hoping that she could formulate another `hunch' but her mind remained resolutely single-tracked. It was frustrating. How B'Elanna managed to run Engineering and solve a myriad of problems that beset Voyager using this type of thinking was a total mystery to her.

She couldn't force herself to think laterally and she was getting annoyed that she was wasting time trying to force a hunch from her logical thought process. She also knew that reading the same information repeatedly would not help but she couldn't help but keep returning to the start of her findings and reading them again. Seven found herself staring at the tricorder readings and barely blinking.

Without realising it, her eyes stopped focusing on the data displayed in front of her and her thoughts drifted away from the linear style she was so used to. For a few moments, she was totally absorbed in the problem, her surroundings disappearing into the fog of her peripheral vision. It was at that moment that inspiration struck again. Seven refocused on the tricorder and tapped in a set of observations so that she wouldn't forget her thoughts or theory. As soon as she finished recording the information, Seven grabbed the other equipment in order to prepare an antidote for B'Elanna.

Sparing a few concerned glances at the unconscious engineer, Seven began to run another series of tests on the pathogen that resided within the dirty brown snow of the planet. Satisfied that her solution would indeed destroy the virus that resided in B'Elanna's bloodstream, Seven then worked to find a way to regulate the introduction of the antidote and then a way of controlling its affects on B'Elanna's systems. Seven concluded her research by determining if there were any adverse side effects or unacceptable dangers to introducing the antidote to B'Elanna's body.

Her research took time, and once again, Seven found herself beginning to feel the effects of the cold. Her teeth were beginning to chatter and her hands shook as she continued to punch commands into her tricorder but now that she was making real progress with the problem, Seven was determined not to let the environment stop her from saving B'Elanna's life.

Satisfied that she had done everything she could to determine both the success and consequences of introducing her solution into the stricken engineer's body, Seven was left only with the problem of how to put the cure into B'Elanna's bloodstream.

She got up and stood next to where the brunette lay. B'Elanna was still, her chest barely rising as her respiration rate continued to diminish. Her skin was slick with sweat and her eyelashes flicked with the tiniest of movements. Seven wondered if the Klingon was still suffering delusions brought on by her fever. She grabbed a cloth and wiped the diminutive woman's face again in an effort to ease her discomfort. Seven knew she was introducing delay into administering the antidote, but she was scared that it would fail. And if her solution failed, she would have no time to come up with another one.

Seven took a deep cathartic breath. Wondering about the unknown was only harming the engineer.

Knowing that B'Elanna would hate it, but realising that she had no time to come up with another option, Seven decided to introduce her modified nanoprobes into the Klingon's system the traditional way and extended two tubules from her enhanced left hand to pierce the skin at B'Elanna's neck. The black needles pushed through the skin easily and the modified nanoprobes were transposed easily. Now all she had to do was wait.

* * *

B'Elanna took a step back involuntarily and then looked at Neelix in confusion. Her words died in her throat as she saw implants break out on the orange-haired man's face.

Within seconds, he had transformed into a drone and looked at her coldly. "Is this more like your idea of Hell?" he asked, his voice distorted by a vocal sub-processor.

"It's a nightmare, but it's not Hell. I've been assimilated, remember?" B'Elanna was perplexed. She could admit to herself that she was uncomfortable here, but it wasn't Hell to her. Her biggest worry was that all the drones other than Neelix appeared to be clones of Seven. There had to be a clue in the scenario somewhere but it was eluding the engineer. "Well if I'm here for eternity, I might as well find out what they're doing here," she told Neelix conversationally and stepped down into the main Bay area. She could hear Neelix scurry after her and grinned humourlessly. She might be stuck in Grethor but she was determined not to play by the rules and react predictably.

The Borg workers ignored the Klingon's presence totally, often stepping round her as they continued with their own tasks. B'Elanna stepped up to a workstation and studied the information displayed. "What the hell are they building?" she mused out loud, prompting Neelix to close the distance between them again.

"Probably something you're not going to like at all," he suggested vaguely.

"My, that's a surprise," she replied laconically. Neelix merely looked at her, the ocular implant flashing blips of light intermittently. B'Elanna wasn't used to Neelix being a drone yet and shuddered as she took note of the borg implants that scarred his face.

Turning back to the console, B'Elanna punched in a number of demands and scanned the screen again. "They're building a central nexus," she breathed, astonished at the size of the Borg project, and the speed at which the matrix was being built. "Voyager can't possibly provide enough power to sustain this," she complained, indignant at such blatant disregard for the ship's systems.

"This isn't the Voyager you know. This is Grethor," the Talaxian drone reminded her.

B'Elanna stood back from the console, her hands clenched in frustration. "I don't get it. Why build a central nexus?" She shivered as a drone walked past, engrossed in the data displayed on a padd it held. It was disconcerting to see a carbon copy of Seven in her drone guise and B'Elanna also admitted to herself that she was hurt that there was not a flicker of recognition from the drone. Perhaps the Borg hive might not be her idea of Hell, but being surrounded by a crew of Seven drones that had no interest in her whatsoever was a closer approximation of her image of Purgatory. It had been bad enough on the Barge of the Dead when Seven dismissed her apologies and explanations with scorn. B'Elanna had finally had the courage to admit her feelings and face up to Seven. It appeared to have been for nothing though, and now that she was surrounded by Seven clones, she would be perpetually reminded of the fact that she had waited too long and was now paying the ultimate price.

"Uncomfortable?" Neelix asked.

"Yes," she admitted candidly. "But I'm sure I'll get used to it."

"You should know better than that. Why should your time in Grethor become comfortable?" Neelix somehow managed to sound bland yet sinister at the same time. B'Elanna took an involuntary step backwards, trying to increase the distance between herself and the assimilated Talaxian.

Her movement took her straight into the path of another Seven clone and the two women stumbled as they collided. B'Elanna looked at the drone, shuddering slightly as the fully Borg version of Seven stared straight back at her with an unrecognising gaze. "Er, sorry?" the brunette offered apologetically.

The tall drone cocked its head slightly, as if listening to a command and then suddenly shot out an arm to grab hold of B'Elanna. The brunette tried to leap back and break the grip, but she was held firm and could not get free from her captor.

The Seven doppelganger turned and began to drag the engineer deeper into the cargo bay, unimpeded by B'Elanna's futile attempts to struggle free. The Klingon squinted into the darkened area, illuminated by dim green lighting and the beams emitted from the drones' eyepieces.

B'Elanna didn't know where she was being taken, but her fear was rising exponentially. There was something deeply disturbing over what was happening and she felt powerless to stop the chain of events. The temperature was also rising as she approached the shadowy depths of the cargo bay and B'Elanna could feel rivers of sweat running down her face and back. Perversely, every time she took a breath, her lungs were stabbed with a fierce cold sensation and it was beginning to hurt her to breathe. She took shallow breaths to try and avoid the pain and although the cold subsided somewhat, the chill in her lungs remained.

As her vision became accustomed to the lower luminance, B'Elanna could make out the outline of the central nexus. Great loops of cable and conduit hung round the area, and many panels flickered with an eerie glow. Workstations around the hub were utilised by yet more drones, once again all copies of Seven.

The drone that held B'Elanna captive stopped when she reached the nexus. It released her as quickly as it captured her and then turned to head back to its original task.

B'Elanna looked round and inspected her surroundings. Some of the equipment was familiar, after all, she had spent a number of years analysing borg machinery and adapting it to aid Voyager. There was a great deal that she had never seen before and, despite the hostile surroundings and deep-seated fear that lodged in her stomach, B'Elanna found herself attracted to one of the consoles to examine what exactly was going on around her.

The hybrid had barely touched the console when a familiar voice sounded from behind her.

"Your curiosity is your undoing." Seven's cold voice stopped B'Elanna in her tracks.

The engineer turned again and her eyes widened in surprise. Seven stood before her, in the guise of the Borg Queen. She prowled around the smaller woman as if stalking her, looking B'Elanna up and down as she apprised her. Her movements exuded sexuality, and her proximity was unsettling.

"You're the reason for the central nexus," B'Elanna commented, trying to bite down on the cold fear that was settling in the pit of her stomach. Seven appearing as the Borg Queen was more upsetting than the many Seven drones that were patrolling the Cargo Bay.

"Correct. But your expertise will be needed to complete the modifications to the ship."

B'Elanna laughed mirthlessly. "If you think I'm going to do anything to help the Borg, you are seriously mistaken."

"You do not have a choice B'Elanna Torres," Seven retorted.

"Meaning?" B'Elanna wasn't sure where the conversation was headed but feeling of dread that she had felt when she was first taken into the Cargo Bay.

"Your unique individuality will be added to our own," Seven continued simply.

"I don't think so," B'Elanna demurred, taking a step back.

"You talk as if you have a choice."

"You are not assimilating me," the engineer objected, her eyes darting everywhere as she looked for a way to distance herself from the Queen. She could see several Seven drones closing in on her position. "This is not happening," B'Elanna muttered to herself. This wasn't her idea of Hell. She had already begun a reconciliation with Seven. This just wasn't fair. It was as if the last few days had counted for nothing. This representation of Grethor was nightmarish but not a reflection of what she had done. There was something wrong, but B'Elanna could not determine what it was.

"You've been assimilated before. Or are you afraid because this time you have no back-up plan to rescue you?" The Queen reduced the gap between them again and pulled her lips into a knowing half-smile.

B'Elanna swallowed convulsively. She had the impression that she was being hunted down and that she had no choice in the matter. "Seven, this isn't right. You're not a Borg Queen and I have woken up to what an idiot I've been. I'm sorry for how I've treated you." Seven showed no sign of recognition or compassion as she stepped in closer again.

As B'Elanna moved back again, her retreat was halted by two drones standing right behind her. She looked at them and then back at the Queen. She was running out of places to go. "You are not assimilating me," B'Elanna repeated, but with far less conviction this time.

The Seven Queen stepped closer once again. "You will be a valuable addition to our Collective," she commented. With fluid grace, she moved her arm up and ran a hand along B'Elanna's jaw-line, smiling a half-smile once again. As her fingers brushed along her neck, she extended two tubules and injected B'Elanna with the nanoprobes needed to assimilate her.

Part 6

Seven stared at B'Elanna's prone form, willing her to show any sign of improvement after injecting her with the modified nanoprobes and yet knowing that the action was futile. She carefully monitored the brunette's vital signs, using a tricorder to note respiration rate, pulse and temperature. The Astrometrics officer recorded all signs at periodic intervals, looking for any sort of trend, positive or otherwise. She also ensured that she was aware of how much time had elapsed since the introduction of her solution to B'Elanna's infection. She had no idea how promptly the borg nanoprobes would work on the engineer's systems, and was uncertain as to how their success would be reflected in B'Elanna's vital signs. The ex-drone had deliberately injected a minimal amount of nanoprobes into the Klingon hybrid's body, so that they would only spend a short time in her system. The blonde hoped that she had judged the amount correctly.

The only thing Seven tried to discount was the effect of the cold. Her feet had already numbed as the bitter chill of the environment was steadily taking its toll on her. Seven resolutely ignored the painful cold creeping up her legs and towards her torso, resolving to get warm once she knew that B'Elanna was safe. She was already having difficulty driving the tricorder as her hands felt clumsy and stiff. It wouldn't be long before she lost the sensation in her fingers altogether and she would be unable to continue monitoring her patient. She shook her head slightly, trying once again to disregard the cold and the effect it was having on her.

Seven wondered if she should leave the engineer and return to the shuttle to continue repairs. The communications system still had massive repairs to be undertaken before a distress signal could be transmitted from the planet. Then there was the question of supplies. Should B'Elanna regain consciousness, no, when B'Elanna regained consciousness Seven corrected herself, she would need to eat as soon as possible. Between them, they would deplete the food supplies within a few hours and would then have nothing to consume unless a foraging trip was successful. From what Seven recalled of the data they had accumulated regarding the location of possible food supplies, it would take two days just to locate and retrieve the food. And that was an optimistic estimate. Seven had no idea how well B'Elanna would recover from the infection. If she were weak, it would take a lot longer. Though Seven knew that it was more logical for her to undertake the food hunt by herself, she had already promised B'Elanna that she would not go alone. The ex-drone was determined not to break that promise unless absolutely necessary.

Despite the massive undertakings still needed if they were to survive any length of time on the planet, Seven remained rooted to the spot. Her primary concern was B'Elanna's health. She wanted to be present when the Klingon regained consciousness so that she could explain what had happened, and reassure the older woman that she was not alone.

Seven tucked her hands into her armpits, trying to delay the steady onslaught of the cold. Her environmental suit was still wet, and would only accelerate the onset of hypothermia. However, retreating to her own sleeping bag was not an option. Seven knew that the minute she lay down, she would fall asleep. She was physically and mentally exhausted, drained from the furious work she had put into finding a cure for the brunette and her emotional turmoil at both the Klingon's condition and the thought that she might end up alone on the planet.

Seven had suffered terribly when she had piloted Voyager alone through a dangerous part of space. The feelings of isolation and irrational vulnerability had taken a long time to dissipate, even after the rest of the crew had rejoined her. She tugged her lips into a tiny smile when she recalled that it had been B'Elanna that had invited her to join Tom, Harry and herself in the mess hall once they had been revived. The brunette had looked at her, and instinctively knew that she was suffering from the enforced isolation and had tried to alleviate her discomfort. It had been another act of consideration scattered amongst their legendary disputes. But it was those acts that made Seven realise that B'Elanna wasn't simply arguing to be difficult. Their conflicts were because they both believed that they were right, not because they were being deliberately provocative.

Seven's smile widened slightly as she admitted to herself that on occasion she had deliberately set out to instigate an argument just to revel in the closeness of the other woman, who insisted that their shouting matches take place when they were standing just inches apart. Seven also loved to see the wide variety of emotions B'Elanna went through displayed so openly.

Seven controlled her feelings rigidly, but had recently started to reveal more of them. She had been amazed and flattered that B'Elanna had begun to read her emotions, particularly so during the mining operation. B'Elanna had told her to `come out of her shell' more and display more of her humour instead of trying to maintain her impression of cold perfection. B'Elanna had also pointed out that humanity was littered with mistakes, weaknesses, frailties and inefficiencies. It was what made humans human. The Klingon hybrid also pointed out the old adage that the person who never made a mistake, never learnt anything. Seven realised that her goal to achieve perfection was Borg driven, and although the desire was admirable, it should not consume her to the detriment of her development.

The tall blonde smiled slightly again. She might now begin to admit her imperfections and apologise for not interacting with the crew seamlessly, but she would not give up her arguments with the Chief Engineer. She enjoyed them too much to relinquish them.

Her internal musings had kept Seven diverted from the painful feelings of cold ravaging her body. But they had also distracted her from paying attention to what was happening to her patient, so the small moan that escaped from B'Elanna's lips startled her.

Quickly, Seven looked at the engineer's face, noticing that her eyelids were fluttering as the Klingon began to move her lips again. "B'Elanna, can you hear me?" She leaned forward eagerly, hoping that B'Elanna would answer before realising that the brunette's throat would probably be parched and it would be painful for her to speak. Acting swiftly, Seven snatched a water canteen and dribbled the contents over the older woman's dry lips gently, her smile widening in relief as she watched B'Elanna greedily lick her lips, chasing every errant drop. Seven's heart began to hammer furiously as the Klingon opened her eyes and looked directly at her.

"Thank God. I'm alive." B'Elanna whispered the words, unconsciously repeating the same phrase she had used when she returned from the Barge of the Dead after restoring her mother's honour. The dark woman tried to sit up in order to hug Seven but found herself unable to move. Looking down, she saw a rope pinning her down to the sleeping area. Recalling the events from the barge, she let out a short blast of laughter. "You tied me down?" B'Elanna asked incredulously.

Seven looked down at the Klingon's bonds in mortification. "I'm sorry. Sorry," she apologised, fumbling with the knots from the rope as she struggled to free B'Elanna.

Despite still feeling decidedly hazy and confused, B'Elanna was alert enough to see the open display of emotion blazoned across the younger woman's face. It was obvious that whatever had happened while she had been on the Barge of the Dead, it had alarmed and scared the blonde. As Seven leaned across to free her, B'Elanna noticed how pale she looked and how blue her lips appeared. It was apparent that the ex-drone was freezing cold, and the shaking of her hands as she picked at the bonds underlined B'Elanna's suspicions. Not wanting Seven to berate herself for her actions, the Klingon tried to make light of the situation. "I didn't realise you were into kink Seven."

The younger woman stiffened instantly and stood back, leaving the bonds only partially loosened. A combination of extreme fatigue, painful concern for the woman she believed she loved, and the oppressive thought that she might be left alone on the planet had made Seven's composure very brittle. B'Elanna's glib comment tipped her over the edge. "I tied you down to stop you from wandering off and freezing to death. I had to leave you here while I tried to find a way to stop you from dying. I had no choice. I did not incarcerate you on a whim." Seven's voice shook with barely restrained emotion and she could feel a burning sensation behind her eyes. She realised with horror that she was about to cry and tried to back away further from B'Elanna.

The brunette fought to get free from her bindings. She realised immediately that she had said the wrong thing and wanted nothing more than to comfort the taller woman but was unable to get to Seven. Unfortunately, the fever had left her weak and her struggles were useless. "Seven I'm sorry. I was just joking. Can you untie me please?" She looked imploringly at Seven, astonished to see the stricken look on the blonde's face.

For a few seconds, Seven merely stared back, trying to regain her composure so that she could function efficiently. Swallowing repeatedly, she blinked back her tears and stepped back to where B'Elanna lay. Her hands trembled as she attacked the rope again and she worked in silence, knowing that B'Elanna was staring at her and probably wondering why she had suddenly lost control.

Once the rope had been loosened, the Klingon rolled her shoulders and sat up cautiously, fighting off a wave of nausea as she wiped her face. B'Elanna still felt as if she was boiling hot and she tugged the covers off her. Looking carefully at Seven she spoke gently. "Are you alright?"

"I should be asking you that. You are the one who is recovering from a deadly infection."

"Seven, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I can't even imagine what it's been like here." B'Elanna could feel her own voice begin to shake. It was the third time Seven had described her condition as life threatening. The brunette wasn't sure if her visit to Grethor had been a fever induced hallucination or had actually occurred, but either way, she had cheated death yet again. And that sobering thought was putting a lot of things into perspective, not least her feelings about the ex-drone. "Did I die?" she asked in a whisper.

"No. But it was a close thing," Seven replied in an equally quiet voice. Seconds later, she found herself being hugged tightly as B'Elanna wrapped her arms round her. Without a second thought, she returned the embrace, relishing the heat that the older woman was radiating. She felt the burning sensation behind her eyes again and buried her face into B'Elanna's neck, willing herself not to cry in front of the engineer, while rejoicing that B'Elanna was alive and safe.

B'Elanna was also elated to be alive and to be sharing a hug with Seven. She resolved in her mind to be honest with the ex-drone and admit how she felt about her. However, her most pressing concern was how cold Seven was. B'Elanna knew that the contrast between them would be more marked as she was still combating a fever, but Seven felt icy cold, and the engineer was worried.

After a few long moments relishing the intimacy of their contact, B'Elanna pulled back slightly and released the other woman. She then began to pull the covers off her body so that she could get up.

"No, get back in. If you cool too quickly, you'll suffer from hypothermia." Seven fussed round the brunette and tried to tug the emergency blanket back up and around B'Elanna.

B'Elanna stilled the other woman by gently taking her hands in her own. Seven's hands were like blocks of ice and it was then that she noticed the Borg's lack of survival suit. "Seven, I'm roasting. And I'm conscious. You've already told me that you found a cure, and it's sort of obvious that it worked." She smiled slightly. "I'd like to hear about what you did. But not while you're turning yourself into an icicle. Why the hell aren't you wearing your survival suit?"

"It is still wet. It would not have been of any benefit to me. I elected to work without it." Seven felt her voice waver as her teeth began to chatter again.

"Well, here's what we're going to do. I'm boiling hot; you're freezing cold. We both need to find a happy medium. So get in here and warm up. As you clearly aren't going to let me get cold by getting out of this sleeping bag, I'll just have to leech the cold from you so I can feel better." B'Elanna lifted the covers up and gestured for Seven to get into the survival bag.

Seven hesitated. "I am not sure B'Elanna. You still need water and monitoring…"

"Get in," the smaller woman ordered, her tone brooking no refusal. "You're exhausted and probably hypothermic, judging by that delightful `cyanosis blue' your lips have turned. Take some time to warm up. Besides, while you're lying down, you can tell me what you did."

Seven paused for a few more seconds before kicking off her shoes and boosting herself up onto the sleeping edge. She looked at the other woman dubiously again.

"Look Seven. Don't make me get out of here to make you get in." Despite B'Elanna's threatening words, her tone was soft and weary.

The ex-drone realised that despite the fact that B'Elanna appeared to have begun her recovery, it would take some time for her to regain full strength. She also knew that the Klingon had a point about her own condition. Seven was suffering initial stage hypothermia as well as exhaustion. Logically, they would achieve nothing while still in this state. It made sense to take time to rest. She wiggled into B'Elanna's sleeping bag, instantly relaxing into the heat. Conscious of how cold she must feel to a feverish Klingon, Seven tried to keep herself from touching the other woman, and turned away from her.

B'Elanna was instantly drawn to the cooler touch of the younger woman. She closed the gap between them without a second thought, and spooned her, wrapping her arms round Seven and grasping icy hands in her own. "I know you're worried and want me to cool down naturally, but it's more important that you warm up now."

Seven's heart rate surged at B'Elanna's proximity but she was too tired to object. For an instant, she stiffened, but then relaxed into B'Elanna's arms and sighed, luxuriating in the heat B'Elanna radiated.

B'Elanna felt her pulse quicken as she pressed herself behind the taller woman, sighing as the cold touch of Seven's biosuit cooled her fevered skin. She felt Seven go rigid for a second and prepared herself for rejection of the closeness, but smiled when she felt Seven settle. Her smile widened as she felt Seven's fingers interlace her own and squeeze them gently. In response, she pulled the blonde in closer and hugged her more tightly. Seven's body was beginning to warm slowly, and her own temperature was starting to fall. B'Elanna felt her eyelids droop and a wave of fatigue wash over her. Belatedly, she realised that she had invited Seven to tell her what had happened. Without a second thought, she buried her face into Seven's neck. "Are you feeling better?"

"Mmmm." Seven's response was barely an acknowledgement. She had settled into B'Elanna's arms and was content to let the heat from her warm her up. Exhaustion had claimed her finally and she wanted to do nothing more than sleep. To be held in B'Elanna's arms was a bonus she would not give up. She barely had the strength to concentrate on what B'Elanna was saying but decided that if it was urgent, the Klingon would repeat herself.

B'Elanna smiled at the languid response, and realised that Seven was fighting a losing battle against sleep. Deciding that it was better for them both to rest, B'Elanna let her eyes shut and let her fatigue consume her. The dark hybrid knew that she still had to speak with Seven to find out what had occurred. She wanted to tell the taller woman about her own experiences too. But it could all wait until they could concentrate.

Hearing no further words from the woman holding her, Seven steadied her breathing and stopped trying to focus her thoughts. In seconds, she was asleep.

* * *

Seven woke up feeling warm and rested. She did not feel disoriented this time, but relaxed and content. Waking up in B'Elanna's arms was an infinitely more pleasurable experience than being startled by the alarm from the tricorder. She felt the engineer's steady breathing tickle her neck rhythmically and realised that B'Elanna was still asleep. Looking down, the blonde saw that their hands were still interlocked and that the feeling had returned to her fingers. Seven smiled as she squeezed the other woman's hands softly, noting how B'Elanna's temperature appeared to have returned to normal parameters. She would have to conduct a series of tests with a tricorder to prove her suspicions, but Seven was certain that B'Elanna was well on the way to recovering from the infection.

There was an almost imperceptible deepening of B'Elanna's breathing and the ex-drone knew that she had woken up. "Have you finished `leeching' the cold from me?" she asked quasi-imperiously.

"Well now that you're all nice and warm, I'd say that was a yes," the brunette muttered, her voice thick with sleep.

"Does that mean you wish to relinquish your hold on me?" Seven felt a dread fear as the question slipped out. She did not want B'Elanna to release her, but neither did she want her to feel uncomfortable at the intimacy they were sharing. Seven wanted so much to reveal her feelings for the shorter woman but was petrified of rejection. However, she did not want B'Elanna to feel obliged to do something she might not want to do. The Astrometrics officer frowned in confusion. She was bewildered by the situation she was in and had no idea how to order her thoughts and deal with it.

B'Elanna's head cleared as soon as she heard the question. She detected the catch in Seven's voice and interpreted the insecurity the younger woman was feeling. She wondered if Seven realised that she felt equally caught in turmoil over what was happening between them. She recalled what she had gone through on the Barge of the Dead and took courage from her actions, whether they had been as a result of an illness induced hallucination or not. She would reveal her feelings for Seven, but she did not want the ex-drone to be ill at ease. "Are you uncomfortable with me this close?"

"Not at all." Seven's words shot from her mouth to hastily reassure the brunette. "I just don't want you to feel obliged to continue to act as a portable heating system."

B'Elanna smiled, realising that they were both trying to ensure that they were doing nothing out of obligation. Her smile widened as she recognised that she wanted to stay wrapped round Seven and appeared that Seven was comfortable with the arrangement. The engineer switched topics immediately. "Tell me what happened. The last thing I remember was following you back to the shuttle."

Seven sighed with relief. She didn't know how she would have reacted if B'Elanna had tried to put any distance between them. As it was, it appeared that the Klingon was quite happy to continue holding her. She just hoped that the embrace would continue while she recalled the events leading up to them lying here.

"I turned round to check on your progress back to the shuttle and saw you collapsed in the snow…" she began.

B'Elanna listened intently as Seven described what happened, her heart pounding as she begun to understand how isolated the blonde must have felt. She admitted to herself that she would have been petrified at the thought of existing alone, waiting for rescue or death.

Seven tensed when she told how she had come to the decision to bind B'Elanna so that she could continue her research. She omitted how she heard the hybrid cry out as she left the shelter and continued with the story, relaxing again as she described the more neutral subject of isolating the pathogen. Her voice then became more hesitant as she explained her solution.

B'Elanna listened spellbound to the narrative. She was going to interrupt Seven and tell her about her own experience of being tied up, but wanted the blue-eyed woman to recount the whole story. Her sharp insight kicked in as Seven hesitated to describe the cure.

"You injected me with nanoprobes didn't you?" she asked gently.

"I'm sorry B'Elanna, I could think of no other solution." Seven tensed immediately, anticipating rejection, anger, indignation or a combination of emotions to come spurting from the chief engineer. Her eyes widened slightly when she felt B'Elanna hug her tightly.

"Thank you," B'Elanna whispered softly. "Thank you for not giving up on me and letting me die." Her voice was harsh with barely constrained emotion.

The words slowly filtered through Seven's consciousness. "It was for purely selfish motives," she mumbled honestly.

B'Elanna perked up slightly. "Selfish motives?" she probed, her voice slightly surer.

Seven registered the enquiry and stared blankly at the other sleeping area, trying to comprehend the older woman's reaction. The empty survival bag was twisted in an untidy heap and pieces of equipment were still lying on the floor below after being disturbed when she fell from the ledge. Sighing, she shifted round so that she could face B'Elanna.

The Klingon released Seven's hands when she realised that the blonde was turning round. She relaxed the grip she had on her but did not relinquish it completely and once Seven had turned, she traced small circles on the ex-drone's back. B'Elanna raised an inquisitive eyebrow as she waited for Seven to respond.

The tall Borg felt the skin on her back tingle as B'Elanna randomly caressed her. She was almost distracted from answering B'Elanna completely as she revelled in the intimacy of their embrace, but when the engineer narrowed her eyes to elicit a response, she focused on the reason she turned round. "I didn't want to be alone," she confessed. When B'Elanna nodded in understanding, she was prompted to elaborate. "I did not want you to leave me alone." Her voice was barely audible and yet raw with emotion.

B'Elanna studied the younger woman's face and the honest emotion that was displayed on it. There was no mask of cold aloofness or smug superiority. Seven had lain open her true feelings on what had happened to her. The least she could do was return the gesture.

"I was on the Barge of the Dead, headed for Grethor again," she told the blonde. "I objected to being there, but was told that I had to look again at my honour, and then you turned up."

"B'Elanna, you are the most honourable person I know," Seven interrupted.

B'Elanna shook her head slightly, disputing the claim but made no vocal protestation. "I had to explain my behaviour towards you, apologise for my treatment of you." She swallowed nervously. "I told you that I loved you," she continued, now focusing on some distant object over Seven's shoulder so that she didn't have to look the blonde in the eye.

Seven inhaled sharply but forced herself not to comment, not wanting to interrupt the woman again and distract B'Elanna from her story.

B'Elanna waited for a negative reaction from Seven but continued when the Astrometrics officer made no comment. She licked her lips nervously. "It wasn't enough. Telling you that I loved you wasn't enough."

This time, Seven opened her mouth to protest, but the brunette switched her gaze back to Seven's face and stopped her. "No, please let me finish." She sighed in relief as she noted that Seven's face did not display any sign of anger or disgust, just confusion and compassion.

"You knocked me off the barge and I found myself back on Voyager. Neelix took me to cargo bay 2 where I found a hive of Borg drones building a central nexus. Every single drone looked like you. And then I met the Borg Queen." B'Elanna tugged her lips into a tiny smile. "And she looked like you too. It was then that I realised that as far as I was concerned, you represented every facet of the Borg. I blamed you individually for every Collective act of assimilation and war. I had not given you any opportunity to be yourself, or given you any credit for your own incredible talent. And that was at the heart of my dishonour."

B'Elanna smiled wanly. "Then you assimilated me," she finished quietly.

Seven studied the woman lying next to her intently. B'Elanna had just revealed some very raw emotions. Seven knew that the Klingon was a very private person and yet she had managed to leave herself open and exposed, and she had done that in response to Seven's own emotional retelling of events. The Borg was going through a gamut of emotions now and she was unsure how to respond.

B'Elanna sensed the turmoil Seven was experiencing and decided that it was now or never.

"Seven, it might just have been a hallucination, but what I said was true."

The tall blonde frowned, confused at what B'Elanna was referring to.

The engineer took a deep breath before speaking again. "Seven, I love you."

Part 7

Seven could feel her heart rate accelerating and no amount of adjustment from her Borg circuitry could slow it down. She felt light-headed with euphoria and she wanted to respond in kind to B'Elanna's words but her throat was too tight and her mouth too dry to speak. Instead, she took advantage of their proximity and moved her hand up to caress B'Elanna's cheek, smiling softly as she felt the Klingon press into her touch. She stared deeply into the chocolate-brown eyes of the engineer and saw raw, honest emotion reflected in them. It made her pulse quicken again, and if the blonde hadn't been completely sure of her reaction before, she was now.

Slowly, Seven moved her head just enough to brush her lips over B'Elanna's, steadying the older woman's face with her hand. Her mind screamed at her to repeat the touch. Their lips made contact for a second time and Seven's eyes closed as she increased the pressure slightly, enjoying her own body's reaction to the kiss even as she sensed B'Elanna's response. When she felt B'Elanna return the caress, Seven realised that her feelings were spiralling, but she didn't care. The young woman had waited a long time for this moment and she wanted to experience every facet of it.

B'Elanna was lost. One moment, she was staring into the azure eyes of the woman she loved, hoping silently that she hadn't made a mistake in revealing her feelings. The next had B'Elanna reeling as Seven cupped her cheek and kissed her. The first touch was almost non-existent, just a feather-light contact, but Seven kissed her more surely on the second caress, and B'Elanna felt her eyes flutter shut and her heart begin to hammer furiously as she understood that this was Seven's reply to her declaration. She pulled the taller woman closer and relished the feel of Seven's body crushing into her as their lips pressed more firmly together. B'Elanna opened her mouth, wanting to deepen the kiss and explore Seven's mouth thoroughly.

Seven was acting purely on instinct. She had only limited experience of romantic encounters and right now, she couldn't recall a single detail from those dalliances. All she wanted to do was lose herself in B'Elanna's touch. As she felt the brunette's lips part, she did the same and brushed her tongue over the engineer's lips. She was delighted by B'Elanna's reaction to her touch, feeling the woman press even closer to her body and her fingers dig possessively into her back. Struggling with the limited room, Seven somehow managed to work an arm underneath B'Elanna's body so that she could pull her close and eliminate any remaining space between them. Her fingers played with the hem of B'Elanna's tank top at the base of her spine, before brushing the skin that it covered.

B'Elanna felt Seven manoeuvre her arm underneath her body and lifted herself slightly to accommodate the move. All she wanted to do was explore the blonde's mouth and as soon as she felt Seven's tongue paint her lips, she met it with her own and then gently probed deeper, playing with Seven's tongue even as she mapped the hollows and crevices of the ex-drone's mouth. Seven was the sweetest thing she'd ever tasted, and she couldn't get enough.

Together, the two women set up an easy rhythm as they became intimately acquainted. There was no rush, no desperate, lust fuelled urgency to their embrace. Instead, both women took their time, building up their ardour slowly and inexorably, savouring each touch and new sensation. B'Elanna could feel the mesh of Seven's left hand as it pulled up the back of her tank top. Then, Seven's fingers were drawing intricate patterns over her back while all the time, Seven continued to kiss B'Elanna soundly. It was only as B'Elanna began to feel her lungs burn that she realised that the giddy sensation she was experiencing could also partially be attributed to lack of oxygen. With great reluctance she broke the kiss, gasping heavily as she moved her head slightly to rest it against Seven's shoulder.

Seven drew in a ragged breath of air. She hadn't even realised that she needed to breathe so urgently. As she struggled to control her respiration, she was gratified to sense B'Elanna having a similar reaction and she smiled as B'Elanna buried her head into the crook of her neck. Seven could quite assuredly say that she had never felt this way before. It was the diametric opposite to the intense feeling of grief she had experienced when One had died. B'Elanna's hot, panting breath was tickling her neck, and sending amazing sensations straight through her body. Seven waited until they had both steadied and then used the hand trapped between them to lift B'Elanna's chin.

"In case that demonstration failed its purpose, I will tell you that I love you too B'Elanna," she whispered softly, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

B'Elanna smirked and opened her mouth to reply and then sobered slightly, recalling how Seven had reacted to her teasing before and decided not to be flippant. "The demonstration was definitely *not* a failure," she told the ex-drone seriously, stroking her back gently as they continued to lie comfortably in each other's arms.

Seven's smile turned wicked. "So you do not require a second demonstration, just to be sure?" she asked innocently.

B'Elanna pretended to think about it, but failed miserably, unable to resist the temptation of the taller woman's lips. "I always get a second opinion," she mumbled, a fraction of a second before crushing her mouth into Seven's.

Their embrace was less controlled this time, though B'Elanna deliberately tried to keep hold of her pent up ardour, not wanting to rush Seven or scare her off with the ferocity of emotion she felt.

Seven could feel her passion rising, and wanted nothing more than to be as close to the brunette as possible. She worked her fingers underneath B'Elanna's top and moved it up slowly, taking her time to explore the valley marking the Klingon's spinal column and noting how pronounced her spinal ridges were. She felt the engineer gasp into her mouth as she continued her mapping and deepened the kiss, pulling hungrily on the brunette's tongue as she managed to bring her other arm around B'Elanna so that they were both hugging each other.

As Seven moved her other hand, B'Elanna felt the taller woman's breasts crush into her own and groaned again. She could no longer keep track of every sensation she was experiencing and was only vaguely aware that her cognitive processes were still working. She moved her hand up Seven's back, taking the time to trace the blonde's shoulder blades before resting it behind her neck and lightly stroking the area, not only to concentrate on the erogenous zones just behind Seven's ears but to also locate the clasp of her biosuit. The Klingon moved her fingers slowly, and made sure that each reaction she got from her lover was a positive one, even going so far as to just hold the clasp for a while before attempting to lower it.

Seven felt B'Elanna's hand move to the fastening of her clothing and her mind spun. She wanted nothing more than to have the brunette touch her skin, but was nervous as to how B'Elanna would react to the remaining Borg implants that marred her body. As she continued to kiss the woman voraciously, Seven realised that B'Elanna's hand was still, as if waiting permission to continue. The young woman marvelled at the Klingon's self-restraint, comprehending that she was determined not to hurry Seven. The engineer's consideration merely fuelled Seven's desire and as she lost herself to the sensation again, she forgot her own concerns and pulled her mouth away from the kiss. Without hesitating, she kissed the skin just in front of B'Elanna's ear, and whispered between each touch. "Please."

B'Elanna missed the contact of Seven's soft lips the instant they were taken away, but before she could emit any sort of protest, she felt them press onto her cheek in a series of butterfly kisses headed towards her ear. As she heard Seven's hushed plea, B'Elanna couldn't help but moan, her desire escalating exponentially as she heard her lover give permission to remove her clothing. Swiftly, the brunette rolled Seven on top of her, and smiled lovingly as she felt the taller woman continue her caress, not put off in the slightest by the change of position. B'Elanna tugged up the emergency blanket round them before starting to disrobe the taller woman. She knew that they were both feverish with passion, but they had already had too many close calls with the extreme weather conditions, and the engineer was determined not to fall foul of them again.

Satisfied that Seven was suitably covered, B'Elanna then lowered the clasp of her biosuit, unable to stop the slight tremor in her hands as they began to feel the smooth skin of her back. She heard Seven gasp into her neck, and stilled her hands, determined not to rush. When the blonde nipped her neck lightly with her teeth, tugging the skin slightly before soothing it with her tongue, B'Elanna took it as a sign to continue and pulled the fastener further down, easing her hands underneath the garment and spreading it apart as she continued her exploration of Seven's back. As her fingers brushed over the hard surface of one of Seven's implants, B'Elanna felt the woman stiffen slightly. Guessing that Seven was both self-conscious and sensitive about the circuitry, the engineer used the pads of her fingertips to trace their outline, amazed at how warm they felt and how they blended into Seven's skin. "Never be ashamed, Seven. It's part of who you are," she murmured, knowing that those words could equally apply to her own feelings regarding her mixed heritage. B'Elanna smiled slightly. She may have been unconscious for much of the time marooned on this snow-covered planet, but it hadn't stopped her from learning a number of valuable lessons.

"Thank you," Seven mumbled into the crook of B'Elanna's neck, reddened by the interest she had paid it. Seven could feel herself relax again and found that not only did she not mind B'Elanna paying attention to the circuitry that marred her body, she realised that they were particularly sensitive to each caress, and she could feel her arousal intensifying. Seven wanted to remove B'Elanna's top but found that her hands were pinned by the weight of the Klingon lying on them. She tried again and was rewarded with B'Elanna arching her back enough to release the pressure on her hands. Seizing the opportunity, she yanked the grey shirt up, raising her own body slightly to get it as far as B'Elanna's arms. "You'll have to release me if I'm to remove this garment in one piece," she told her lover.

B'Elanna grumbled good-naturedly but she was just as eager to remove her clothing and feel Seven's hands on her. She reached one hand back and pulled her top over her head before squirming slightly to remove it. Without a second thought, she threw the offending item away from them, far more intent on continuing the release of Seven's clothing.

Seven raised her body onto her elbows so that she could look at B'Elanna's body. She studied the swell of the Klingon's breasts still encased in her bra and noted the wonderful coffee coloured skin, glistening with moisture generated by the heat they were emitting. Seven's breath hitched, glorying in the vision below her, before dropping her head to nip and lick B'Elanna's collarbone, relishing the taste of her lover.

The engineer gasped as Seven continued her assault and moved her hands back up the ex-drone's body in order to work Seven's biosuit off her shoulders. Her fingers caressed the Borg's alabaster skin as it was exposed, watching in rapt fascination as tiny goose bumps rose at her touch. As B'Elanna continued to pull down Seven's clothing, she realised that she would need the blonde's help in getting the material past her arms. Gently, she pulled each arm up in turn and managed to free the taller woman from the uniform. Once past Seven's arms, B'Elanna continued to roll the biosuit down, over the pronounced curve of the ex-drone's breasts before temporarily ceasing it's descent. Seven was wearing nothing under the garment, and B'Elanna felt her mouth dry as she admired Seven's half-naked form. The Klingon felt Seven still, and instinctively she knew that the Astrometrics officer was waiting for a verbal reaction, concerned over displaying more of her borg implants.

"You're so beautiful." The brunette could barely form the words, yet she knew that Seven had heard them as she felt the taller woman nuzzle her neck again. B'Elanna knew that she had already been marked there, but Seven was obviously drawn to the spot, and B'Elanna was quite happy for the attention to continue.

Slowly, and carefully, B'Elanna drew a hand round to caress Seven's breast, tracing steadily decreasing circles round the flesh until she brushed the rosy dark aureole, feeling the skin react to her touch. Gently, she brushed her thumb over the already taut nipple, and as Seven lifted her head to gasp in pleasure, used her other hand to guide the woman's lips back to her own.

Seven pressed hungrily into the dark woman's embrace, her tongue probing deeply as her passion rose to yet higher heights. Instinctively, she moved her thigh to separate B'Elanna's legs, applying a gentle pressure to the Klingon's core even as she pressed down onto B'Elanna's thigh, trying to ease the persistent throbbing that pounded more and more urgently with every touch to her breast. She moaned incoherently as B'Elanna pushed back and as they continued to kiss, the two women began to rock steadily against each other.

Slowly, Seven began to increase the pressure, groaning into B'Elanna's mouth as the Klingon continued to grind her hard, muscular thigh into the apex of her legs. Her heart rate was rising again, and Seven felt as if she was on the edge of a precipice, though what she was about to fall off, she didn't know.

B'Elanna could feel the tension mounting in Seven's body as she arched into every touch. She continued to caress one of the blonde's nipples with her fingertips as she drew her other hand down Seven's body, taking the time to examine her abdomen and the largest of Seven's implants. The silvery grey remnant of Borg technology felt malleable and warm, and B'Elanna was fascinated by its texture and its purpose. Taking her time, she allowed her fingers to drift further down Seven's body, running them up and down the outer part of Seven's thigh as the younger woman continued to thrust against her.

Steadily and confidently, B'Elanna took hold of the blonde's clothing and continued to pull it down her body, allowing her knuckles to graze over the skin she exposed. Unable to push the suit completely off Seven with her hands, B'Elanna used the friction from her legs to continue its descent, rubbing her calves and the arch of her foot sensuously up and down Seven's long legs as she worked the biosuit free.

Seven assisted as best she could, but was uncoordinated, lost in the sensations she was experiencing. As B'Elanna nudged her thigh against her core once again, the blonde emitted a suppressed groan as her need for release built.

B'Elanna heard the cry from her lover and she pressed into her again, running her hands more and more frantically up and down Seven's back as she did. The engineer could feel Seven's slick arousal coating her own thigh and the sensation was driving her crazy with want.

Gradually, the Klingon eased her hands down Seven's body, once again running feather-light caresses along the blonde's outer thighs before drifting in more centrally towards the baby soft flesh of Seven's inner thighs. B'Elanna growled softly as she felt the slick skin and slowly, she eased one hand towards Seven's centre, lightly brushing the damp tangle of curls that covered her sex while her other arm snaked round the ex-drone's back, ensnaring her possessively.

Seven arched into the contact, wanting a more intimate caress and she tore her lips away from the engineer's, gasping for breath and moaning incoherently as she began to get swept away by B'Elanna's ministrations. She wrapped thick strands of the brunette's hair round her fingers and tugged slightly as she continued to undulate against her lover.

Returning once again to the crook of B'Elanna's neck, Seven attacked the Klingon's flesh avidly as she felt her fingers get closer.

B'Elanna held off as long as she could, wanting to make absolutely certain that the blonde was ready and relaxed for her. Finally, she could wait no longer and pressed intimately into Seven gently and slowly. She heard the ex-drone gasp in pleasure and smiled lovingly as she stilled her hand, waiting for Seven to get used to the intrusion. B'Elanna pressed her lips into the Borg's neck, returning the gift of a hickey that she knew Seven had already placed on her neck before starting a steady rhythm with her fingers.

Seven rocked against B'Elanna's hand, thrusting further and further with each motion, wanting the Klingon to push deeper inside her as the tension built up exponentially.

B'Elanna, sensing Seven's need, positioned her leg behind her hand to exert more force, increasing the tempo in response to Seven's reactions.

Seven arched again, shuddering as her climax shattered through her body. Spent, she collapsed on top of the smaller woman, panting raggedly as she tried not only to collate and remember every sensation she had experienced, but return her heart beat and breathing back to within normal parameters. All the time, she could feel B'Elanna's hands rubbing soothing circles on her back, trying to calm her.

Gradually, Seven came back down from her high. "That was amazing Be'nal. I have no way of describing how I feel." She faltered, feeling inadequate because of her perceived lack of eloquence.

"Something like that shouldn't be described with just words. I could never do justice to how I feel about you with mere words, BangwI," the Klingon murmured back, continuing to caress Seven's back absently.

Seven smiled and relaxed, luxuriating in the warmth of her lover's arms. She ran her fingers up and down the engineer's side, following the dip of her waist and rise of her breasts and hips. She stilled her hand as she touched the material of B'Elanna's shorts. "You're still clothed," she commented, almost accusingly. "I've neglected your needs." Her voice rose with concern.

"Shhh, shhh." B'Elanna hushed the taller woman and made no effort to move, other than continue her lazy tracing on Seven's back. "It was more than enough to see and feel your reaction. I don't think I've ever been part of something so… so…" she shrugged slightly before grinning. "I can't find the words either," she confessed.

"But I want to touch you too, I want you to feel what I felt," Seven replied, her fingers dipping underneath the waistband of B'Elanna's shorts.

The brunette moved one of her hands and caressed the ex-drone's face adoringly. "I want that too," she whispered before gently pressing her lips against Seven's. "I could stay like this forever," B'Elanna murmured, pulling away slightly.

"So could I," the younger woman agreed readily, her hands reaching further underneath B'Elanna's clothing. The two women's passion rose again, moving rhythmically as they sought out fevered skin. Seven, already swept away by the feelings B'Elanna had awoken in her, found that the Klingon's response to her touches was intoxicating. The shorter woman arched and reacted to every caress Seven bestowed upon her and the ex-drone marvelled at the trust B'Elanna obviously placed in her.

B'Elanna had lost all sense of time and location. The only thing she was aware of was the deft and loving ministrations of her lover. Her heart was threatening to explode from her chest and she couldn't remember the last time she took anything other than a short gasping breath. The experience was heightened by the knowledge that she was doing the same to Seven. B'Elanna could feel the younger woman's reaction to her own ardent caresses and it served to magnify her arousal.

They climaxed within moments of each other and Seven felt her eyes sting with tears as she was overcome with emotion. She had no idea that she could evoke such an incredible reaction from B'Elanna and to share the experience, and react in such a similar way to her lover's touch was almost too much to comprehend. As she collapsed once again on top of the brunette, Seven relished the security and love B'Elanna radiated. As her body stilled, she felt her eyelids droop. "Why did it take a shuttle crash and a near-death experience for us to find each other?" she mused thoughtfully.

B'Elanna snorted at the enquiry. "Probably pig-headedness on my part and your love of logic," she reasoned with a glint in her eye, confident that she could tease Seven now.

"Well, perhaps the first part is true," the ex-drone speculated mischievously. "But I cannot concur with the second reason."

B'Elanna shook her head as she ran her hands over Seven's back. "You're lucky I'm in such a good mood, or there's no way I'd let you get away with saying that," she responded, her voice languid. She stroked Seven's golden hair for a few seconds. "I hate to break this mood, but we really have to think about our situation here."

Seven sighed heavily into the crook of B'Elanna's neck. "I know," she agreed. "Our nearest food source is over a day's trek away. Do you think you're well enough for the journey?"

"Well you're not going by yourself, so I'll just have to be," B'Elanna replied firmly.

The two women made no move to release each other or get up from their sleeping area, enjoying the intimacy of their position too much to relinquish it. After a few moments Seven smiled, snuggling deeper into B'Elanna's embrace. "Perhaps we should just have a few more minutes rest, just to ensure that we are ready for the task," she muttered, her eyelids already closed.

"Mmm, I agree," the half-Klingon replied lazily. "I've been unconscious for the majority of our time on this snowball. A few minutes more isn't going to make much difference." Her final words were slurred as she felt her limbs get heavy with sleep. She adjusted her position slightly so that Seven lay partially on top of her still, unwilling to break any further apart. She tilted her head in an effort to look at the blonde's face, but it was obscured by a cascade of hair. She knew by the steady rhythm of her partner's respiration that Seven was already asleep and she smiled adoringly at her. Within a few moments, B'Elanna followed the taller woman into the bliss of slumber.

Part 8

Seven squinted up at the wall of ice in front of her. There were very few clues to assist her in finding a way to scale the mountain. She was having difficulty in even deciding on a start point.

"Is this just an extremely difficult pitch or do we put it straight into the impossible category?" B'Elanna asked as she stood behind her lover.

"It is not impossible. But I have grave concerns over our chances of success," Seven conceded, not looking away from the face.

B'Elanna offered a drinking canteen to Seven, nudging her with it when she got no initial response. The ex-drone turned and gratefully took a deep draft of water before handing it back to the Klingon hybrid and returning to the problem at hand. "I can see two possible routes up B'Elanna. With care, we should be able to ascend."

B'Elanna assessed the ice for herself, screwing her eyes into narrow slits to reduce the amount of light dazzling her retinas, despite the anti-glare visor she was wearing. "The sun doesn't help much," she grumbled irritably. "I can hardly see a thing."

The two women had finally emerged from their shelter only when they could ignore bodily requirements no longer and had to visit the latrine. Once up, they had drunk greedily, knowing that now at least, there was no shortage of drinkable water, and had eaten the remainder of the rations, determined to use the energy boost to find supplies. B'Elanna was still not completely recovered but she was steady on her feet and determined to accompany Seven on the search for food.

Clad in their environmental suits, Seven and B'Elanna discovered that the weather had at last broken and the raging snowstorm was no more than a memory when they left the shelter. In its place, the planet's twin suns were burning fiercely, and the light they emitted was reflected painfully over the white vista.

Hurriedly donning anti-glare visors, the two women began the long trek to the mountains. At first, B'Elanna was quite happy to follow Seven's lead, but after noticing the tall blonde turn round almost continually to ensure that she was all right, B'Elanna changed position and they continued the journey side-by-side.

It was hard going. The heavy snowfall had made the ground very soft and the two women had to force their legs through knee-deep powder. By the time they reached the mountain face, Seven and B'Elanna were exhausted, but did not allow themselves to take a break. While Seven assessed the ice face, B'Elanna unpacked the rucksacks and prepared the harnesses, ropes, pitons, claws and karabiners they would need to scale the mountain.

Now, taking on more fluids, the ex-drone and engineer silently contemplated the objective before them. There was no guarantee when they finally scaled the face that they would find the food source that had been detected by the shuttle scans. B'Elanna buoyed herself with the thought that they had survived against great odds so far. She believed that their luck would continue.

"You want to get started?" she asked after a few more moments' contemplation.

"There is no reason why we should delay any longer. The weather is with us, we should capitalise on the situation," Seven replied.

Once secure in their harnesses, they began their ascent. Seven took the first stage, choosing the path carefully and testing each crevice and shear before entrusting it with her body weight. When she found an appropriate place to anchor down, she then belayed for B'Elanna as the Klingon copied her route up.

They continued scaling the precipice in this manner, making steady progress. As they got higher, the wind began to pick up and howl around them. It blasted thick flakes of snow into their faces, reducing visibility and their ability to hear one another. It made the going harder and more treacherous and Seven automatically reduced the distance between pitches to accommodate the change in environment.

The temperature dropped noticeably. The Astrometrics officer questioned the logic of continuing in the poor conditions but B'Elanna called up to her and insisted that they persevere on together before she got too cold to climb. Seven admired her lover's courage but could not help but worry about her condition. She did as she was directed and continued to pick her way up the precipice.

Some areas were easier going as there were several craggy outcrops to get a purchase on. Other parts of the climb meant ascending almost sheer walls, utilising the tiniest of cracks or their ice picks and brute strength to get past them.

Despite the roaring wind, all Seven could hear was her own breath rasping as she exerted herself. She had no doubt that B'Elanna too would be struggling. They still had a way to go, but Seven decided to pick up speed slightly. It made more sense to recover at the top in safety, than continue slowly as their energy drained away.

It was a good plan and they gained height rapidly until Seven forgot to take account of B'Elanna's slightly shorter frame and eventually took a route that extended past the engineer's reach. As she looked down the mountainside, she could just make out the Klingon struggling to find an alternative path, unable to safely traverse using Seven's course.

"Hang on. I will come back down and attempt a different path," she called down.

"Don't be ridiculous. That'll just waste more time. Give me a minute while I work out what to do," B'Elanna yelled back up.

Seven looked down anxiously and was about to repeat her earlier suggestion, knowing that the engineer would never make the traverse, but she didn't take B'Elanna's strength and determination into account. With a small back swing, the Klingon leapt across the gap and hung on to the outcrop she had aimed for with just one hand. Using an ice pick, she secured her grip on the ice face and took a few moments out to recover before searching for footholds. Satisfied that she was back on the right track, the brunette called up that she was safe.

Seven sighed with relief. "Come up just a bit further and then dig in. We're nearly there," she called down. Hearing B'Elanna's yell of understanding, Seven looked back up the mountain to evaluate her route. It was only then that she saw the huge block of snow descending silently, hugging the ice face as it continued its collision course with her.

The ex-drone didn't even have time to react. As soon as she registered the massive slab was going to hit her, it did just that and she found her body ripped away from the precipice and tumbling towards the ground hundreds of metres below. It was the last thing Seven was aware of before the inky black oblivion of unconsciousness enveloped her.

B'Elanna was about to begin her climb again when she felt her safety rope slacken. She looked up in confusion and opened her mouth to call out to Seven when she saw her limp body sail past her. The engineer's mind went into overdrive. Seven had been the one who was secure on the ice face. B'Elanna had just a fraction of a second to try and get something into the ice to stop her from being pulled off the mountain once the rope reached its limit, or they would both plummet to their deaths.

She took her ice pick and wrapped its holding loop securely round her wrist before taking a massive swing at the ice and burying it. She tugged at it slightly to test to see if it was secure but that small pull changed suddenly to a substantial yank as she felt Seven's weight pull at her harness.

Instantly she lost her footing and the engineer was wrenched away from her precarious perch. B'Elanna felt her shoulder dislocate and a scream of pain was forced from her lungs as her body protested at the treatment. She was no longer gripping the ice pick, but the loop handle held her securely by her wrist, even if she was in excruciating agony. Her weight, Seven's weight and the weight of the ropes that tethered them together were being supported totally by the ice pick and her left wrist. Her body swung with the pendulous weight as B'Elanna stared at the ice pick, hoping that it would stay embedded in the rock face. "We can't catch just one fucking break," she muttered angrily.

Satisfied that her anchoring was secure, the Klingon peered down through the swirling snow, trying to catch a glimpse of Seven, but she was unsuccessful. Judging from the weight on her arm, Seven was still hanging at the end of the rope. B'Elanna was deeply worried over her lover's condition, but there was little she could do about that for the time being.

Knowing that she could not pull at all on the limb that was keeping them alive, B'Elanna took deep, calming breaths as she forced herself to think logically about the situation and work out what she was going to do. The pain that tore through her arm was an unwelcome distraction, but B'Elanna found that if she stayed very still, the agony wasn't quite so extreme. Knowing that Seven's life depended on her also gave focus to her thoughts.

The Klingon's first priority was to set up a secure fixing. Gingerly, she felt around her harness for a piton, karabiner and safety loop. She sited the piton level with her own harness so that there would be minimal movement, and then secured herself to the new mooring. B'Elanna pulled on the loop as best she could to test its viability, and then dug her boots into the snow to get a better purchase.

The real test was to release her arm from the loop of the ice pick. Taking her weight on her boots, B'Elanna forced her body to rise slightly and freed her wrist, screaming again as her arm fell to hang uselessly by her side. She was panting with the effort that had taken, but the brunette continued to concentrate, knowing that much more needed to be done if she was to keep the two of them alive. The only consolation was that her mooring had held and now the karabiner and piton, and not B'Elanna's body were holding Seven's weight.

"Seven, can you hear me?" The Klingon yelled, cocking her head in an effort to hear anything other than the wind that howled around her. She waited for as long as she could stand before calling out again. After hearing nothing after three shouts, B'Elanna resigned herself to the knowledge that Seven was probably unconscious. She refused to consider that Seven had suffered any fate worse than that. She knew that she would get no help from the ex-drone so whatever happened next was up to her. As far as she could tell, B'Elanna was left with just two choices; whether to continue up, or to return to the base of the mountain.

B'Elanna was determined not to act rashly. She would not let Seven down after the woman had saved her life. More importantly, she did not want to lose Seven so abruptly after their dramatic change in relationship.

The dark woman squinted up the precipice, trying to judge how far they had to ascend. Despite trying to look at things logically, B'Elanna felt that to descend would be to admit defeat. She also knew that it would probably take just as long to get down safely as to continue climbing, now that she only had the use of one limb.

Her mind made up, B'Elanna set up two footholds for her to utilise. Then, agonisingly slowly, she continued to ascend, taking Seven's weight on her legs as she pushed on up. Every ten steps, she gave herself a break and set her harness to take Seven's weight. Her thighs burned and quivered with the exertion and her arm throbbed horribly, but the engineer continually repeated to herself that she had no choice but to conquer the ice face and get to the top.

The first sensation Seven experienced was the feeling that she was going up. Her head was pounding and she had difficulty opening her eyes but she persevered and forced them open, screwing them shut again as she realised that she had lost her visor. Even in that short time however, she had surmised that her initial presumption was correct and that somehow, she was still going up the mountain. The safety rope that was attached to her harness yanked her up a few centimetres at a time. Fortunately, she was still in a reasonably upright position. The ex-drone waited for her head to clear and then orientated herself. When there was a lull in the ascent, Seven took the opportunity to assess the ice face to see if she could grab it and take her own weight. On the first occasion, it was impossible, as she had halted in front of a sheer sheet of ice. The second time was more fortuitous and she took hold of a crag and grabbed onto the mountain.

The wind was roaring in her ears, but she heard B'Elanna's panicked voice shouting down at her. "I am here, B'Elanna," she shouted back up as loudly as she could. When she heard the engineer continue to shout, Seven realised that she could not hear her. In order to try and reassure the Klingon that she hadn't become detached from the rope, the Borg yanked it firmly twice. To her immense relief, she felt the rope being tugged in reply and the blonde smiled. Seven regretted the action as her lip split again and began to bleed. She felt the rope pull again and could only guess that it meant that B'Elanna was about to start climbing again. She took a deep breath and began to work her way up with the engineer.

By the time she could see the summit Seven was exhausted and breathless. She reached up and grabbed B'Elanna's outstretched hand to assist her over the edge and she fell into her lover's arms. Seven lay panting in the soft snow, trying to recover after the exertion, yet wanted to do nothing more than hold on to B'Elanna and never let go.

"Are you okay? What happened?" B'Elanna stroked her head gently before awkwardly reaching round to her backpack with the same hand to locate a drinking canteen.

Seven drank greedily before answering. "I was struck by a falling block of ice. I do not recall anything else until I regained consciousness and realised that you were pulling me up the mountain. My head hurts but I do not think I have sustained any serious injury."

"Well, your face looks a bit battered, but you're still beautiful," B'Elanna replied, tucking a loose strand of blonde hair behind Seven's ear gingerly before kissing her on the lips softly.

When Seven pulled the brunette closer in the embrace she felt her flinch and realised that B'Elanna had been injured. "You're hurt!" Instantly, the ex-drone sat up and attempted to examine the brunette.

B'Elanna hissed and pulled away from Seven's probing hands, unable to take the pain of the ex-drone's scrutiny. "It's my shoulder. I think it's dislocated," she admitted through gritted teeth.

Seven looked at the engineer steadily. "It will be less painful if I reset it," she informed her gently.

"I know. But it's going to hurt like hell to put it back. I'm not sure I want to go through that."

Seven stared at her lover affectionately. "B'Elanna, do you trust me?"

"Of course." The brunette's answer was automatic, and Seven's heart sang at B'Elanna's response.

Seven stood up and then helped B'Elanna to her feet. "Stand straight," she instructed softly. The engineer did as she was told, tense and nervous over Seven's next move.

The Borg cocked her head slightly. "You need to relax before I perform the manoeuvre," she commented, keeping her voice neutral. She rested her hands either side of B'Elanna's injured joint and continued to talk. "It is a simple and quick procedure, that needs to be carried out promptly so that your circulation is not impaired any longer than necessary," Seven explained, looking straight into B'Elanna's chocolate brown eyes. "The biggest complication is to trap nerves into the ball and socket joint. In order not to do this, the movement of the limb…"

Seven moved rapidly, manipulating B'Elanna's shoulder suddenly and taking the engineer totally by surprise. There was an audible pop as the bones were returned to their correct location and B'Elanna bit down on a yelp of surprised pain. Her cry turned to a sigh of relief as the agony she had been experiencing subsided, and she looked at Seven gratefully. "Thank you."

"You are welcome. Do you have sensation in your fingers?" Seven wasn't quite done with the procedure.

B'Elanna touched each of her fingers experimentally. "Yes," she responded.

"And do you have mobility in your shoulder?"

Once again, B'Elanna answered affirmatively after tentatively rolling her shoulder. It was stiff and sore, but no longer agonisingly painful.

"Then we should continue with our mission and locate whatever food supplies are present here," Seven suggested.

B'Elanna turned round and squinted into the vista before them. There was no obvious vegetation or food source visible. However, they had made it to the top and the scans from the shuttle had told them that food was here. They just had to find it.

Once all the climbing equipment was stowed, Seven and B'Elanna used their tricorders to sweep the area. Initially, there was no indication of anything other than snow and both women looked at each other nervously, wondering if they had been wrong. They then set off steadily away from the precipice, doing sweeping scans as they moved. Both were determined to search the area thoroughly. Seven concentrated on the tricorder readings, as it was too painful to squint into the horizon without protective eyewear. Instead, she relied on B'Elanna to lead the way as they made slow progress.

After almost an hour of heavy trudging, the tricorder readings suddenly went off the scale, detecting a massive amount of potential food. Both women stopped and looked at each other, hope etched on their features for the first time since they ascended the ice face. Swiftly triangulating the readings, they located their source and forced their way through the snow towards their target. There was nothing to see on the surface, so they knew that they would have to dig for sustenance.

"I hope this is worth the effort," B'Elanna muttered as she threw her backpack down and dropped to her knees before assessing the area.

"So do I," Seven concurred fervently. She hunched down next to the brunette. "Although keeping warm is no longer a problem, I would like to have more energy to expend."

B'Elanna's head snapped round, her face openly displaying her shock at her lover's implication. Noticing the look on the blonde's face, B'Elanna grinned lasciviously. "Can't argue with that."

Together, the two women dug into the snow, working rapidly to uncover whatever it was that was lurking beneath. Moments later, there were flecks of dark green and red visible in the ice and they managed to expose the vegetation that was indigenous to the planet.

"How the hell does this stuff grow?" B'Elanna mused as she managed to extract a large clump of leaves and a long tuber.

Seven inspected the dark red vegetable she had managed to free from the snow. "The plant has a complicated and very deep root system, extending to the ground buried under the snow. The tuber has a thick protective skin that allows it to survive under the snow, but the pulp inside appears edible."

"For you maybe," B'Elanna commented glumly. When Seven looked at her quizzically, the engineer continued. "If the root system extends to the earth, then the vegetation contains the same pathogens that almost killed me." She sighed heavily. "I'm screwed."

"Not yet," Seven contradicted firmly. "We will collect as much as we can carry and take it back to the shuttle. The pathogen may not be present in the vegetable. If it is, there may be a way of killing the pathogen without destroying the vegetable so that you can still eat."

"That would involve a change in luck," the engineer replied darkly. However, she began to harvest the vegetation in earnest, filling up her rucksack and several other strong bags that they had bought specially. She might not be able to eat, but she was determined that Seven would get her fill.

"Do you really think that they'll survive the drop down the mountain?" B'Elanna questioned dubiously as she filled the last of the bags they had brought with them.

"I think it is worth the risk. If the vegetables are crushed, then we will make soup," Seven replied confidently. She hoisted her rucksack on her back and gathered several other bags. "How is your shoulder? Are you able to carry any of the bags?"

B'Elanna rolled her eyes in amusement at Seven's concern. "Would I admit it if I couldn't?" she retorted.

"Probably not," Seven conceded. She picked up two of B'Elanna's bags. "In which case, I will take these just to be sure."

The Klingon shook her head but smiled. There was no point arguing with the ex-drone, she would not hand over the bags now. B'Elanna had to admit that she would probably behave in exactly the same way if their positions had been reversed.

They headed back to the ice face, both hunched against the wind that swirled anti-cyclically around them. "So, assuming that I am going to be able to eat this stuff, how long do you reckon this little lot will keep us going?"

"I need to do more detailed tests on the nutrient values but there should be enough here to sustain existence for another week."

B'Elanna nodded approvingly. "That should be long enough to repair the communications systems on the shuttle. It'll then just be a question of how long it takes Voyager to come and retrieve us."

Seven looked at B'Elanna uncertainly. "What happens when we get back on board?"

"We book the holodeck and run a tropical island program," the Klingon replied decisively. She had obviously given the idea a lot of thought.

Seven hesitated, unsure if she should mention her fear that their fledgling relationship might disintegrate once they returned to the macrocosm of Voyager. The blonde worried that once the crew put them under the microscope and they were exposed to the gossip circuit, the close bond that had forged between them would be put under too much pressure to survive. Her apprehension was assuaged when B'Elanna spoke again.

"Don't worry Seven. You're stuck with me now. Nothing and nobody will come between us."

Seven sighed in relief. It was as if the Klingon had read her mind. She threw her cargo down near the mountain ledge with vigour. "In that case, I no longer fear Voyager's return," she admitted candidly.

B'Elanna dropped the bags she was carrying and stood behind her lover, pulling the straps of Seven's backpack off her shoulders before wrapping her arms round her and hugging her tightly. "I'm not in love with you because you're the only other person here. And I'm not going to stop loving you just because there are other people around. I don't want anyone else. And I certainly don't care what anyone else thinks unless it hurts you." She squeezed the woman more tightly for a few seconds. "I love you, Seven." She emphasised each word carefully, wanting to banish the younger woman's insecurities, and at the same time her own. Giving voice to her sentiments made them more concrete and immovable.

Seven moved her hands up to cover B'Elanna's. She applied a gentle pressure in answer to the engineer's heartfelt words. "I love you too. Forgive me for behaving illogically."

B'Elanna snorted a short bark of laughter. "Being in love is supposed to make you behave irrationally," she replied, enjoying their intimacy, despite her exhaustion.

Seven leaned back in the embrace, grateful for a respite in their harsh timetable. However, she noticed how cold it was, now that they were not working and she could feel B'Elanna begin to shiver despite being wrapped round her. Reluctantly, she broke free. "We must get back to the shelter Be'nal," she told her. "We have been exposed to the cold for too long."

The women worked quickly and threw their food sacks over the edge, propelling them as far away from the ice face as possible to reduce the number of impacts on the way down. The abseiling rig was then swiftly set up and Seven and B'Elanna followed the food down as rapidly but as safely as possible. Fortunately, there were no accidents on the way down but by the time their feet touched the ground, B'Elanna's teeth were chattering, despite the vigorous workout.

Seven looked at the brunette anxiously. "Are you alright?"

"I'll be fine as soon as we get back. Let's just get moving." B'Elanna couldn't help but be curt. She felt the cold seeping through her environmental suit and all she wanted to do was get warm.

Seven did not take offence at the brunette's demeanour, she knew that B'Elanna was suffering, and was right to press on. Only one of the sacks had split on the journey down, its contents scattered in tiny pieces over the snow. Seven gathered the majority of the bags and then gestured for B'Elanna to lead the way so that she could keep a careful watch on the suffering Klingon.

B'Elanna grunted and picked up the remaining sacks before trudging back towards the shelter.

By the time they reached the shelter, B'Elanna was stumbling, barely able to pick up her feet. Her fingers had frozen in position round the sacks she was carrying and could no longer feel her feet. Seven had grabbed her on a number of occasions to stop her pitching into the snow, and was practically pushing the Klingon on.

Once inside the shelter, B'Elanna stood helplessly as Seven threw her sacks to the back and then took B'Elanna's hands in her own and prised the woman's fingers apart so that she too could release the bags. Seven then removed the engineer's environmental suit and assisted her into the sleeping area before quickly shrugging off her own clothing. B'Elanna had stopped shivering and now looked lethargic and blue. Seven was also affected by the cold, shivering uncontrollably after such long exposure. Analysing the food would have to wait, despite her ravenous hunger. Seven would not eat anything until she knew that B'Elanna could eat it too. It would be cruel in the extreme if she ate when B'Elanna couldn't, and Seven did not want to watch B'Elanna starve while they waited for rescue.

The tall blonde wriggled quickly into the survival bag and wrapped her body round the brunette's. She knew that her own body temperature had begun to drop, despite her Borg circuitry trying to compensate and that it would take some time to warm up. B'Elanna was in a far worse state. She was breathing shallowly and had not spoken at all. Seven pulled the blankets up around them and over their heads in order to stop any more unnecessary body heat loss. Far more quickly than she thought possible, Seven felt her eyes close, exhaustion closing in on her after the incredible exertions of the day. Her last waking thought was one of concern for B'Elanna. She was determined not to expose the woman to the cold for so long again.

* * *

When Seven woke, she discovered that B'Elanna had somehow managed to turn round and curl into her embrace. The dark Klingon had tucked herself right into the ex-drone's body in order to glean the most heat from the contact, her hands folded into her body tightly. Her respiration had returned to normal and Seven could feel that the older woman's body temperature was much warmer than it had been when they fell asleep some hours ago. The blonde smiled as her lover fidgeted before burying herself deeper into Seven's arms. Languidly, she played with strands of B'Elanna's hair, pretending to herself that she was not trying to deliberately awaken the engineer, yet yearning to look into her chocolate-brown eyes and drown in the emotion they contained.

At first, she thought that it was B'Elanna's movement that had disturbed her own slumber. She felt rested but not enough to be convinced that she had woken naturally. She continued to twist strands of hair around her fingers even when she heard B'Elanna's breathing pattern change, indicating her return to consciousness. Despite that knowledge, she still jumped when B'Elanna spoke suddenly.

"Can't sleep?" Her voice was gravelly and thick.

"Who would want to sleep when they had you in their arms?" Seven replied guilelessly.

"Sweet talker," B'Elanna accused good-naturedly. "Though I must admit it's a pretty good feeling being here." She lifted her head and closed the distance between their lips, kissing Seven lazily but thoroughly. The ex-drone was more than happy to reciprocate and they spent long minutes intimately entwined before Seven broke off suddenly.

"What?" The half-Klingon frowned at her lover in confusion.

"I heard something," Seven replied, turning her head in an attempt to locate the interruption.

"Probably an avalanche," B'Elanna suggested, turning her attention to Seven's long, slim neck. She nibbled at the younger woman's pulse point gently, savouring her taste and aroma.

The Astrometrics officer was distracted by the caress and moved her neck slowly to allow B'Elanna greater access. Her eyelids flickered shut as she felt her body respond to the touch.

Seven sat up the instant she heard the noise again. "It is not an avalanche," she told B'Elanna, her eyes wide in comprehension. "Our communicators are operating."

Her declaration made B'Elanna sit bolt upright. "Voyager?"

"Until we locate our communicators and set up a link, I cannot be certain, but it seems the most likely source," Seven responded, her mouth turned slightly in amusement.

B'Elanna shook her head. "I seem to have lost the ability to think logically," she groaned as she swung her legs over the edge of the sleeping area and jumped down.

"I did not realise that I had that much of an effect on you," Seven teased as she too left the sleeping area. Her environmental suit was flung in her face as a reply. She dressed quickly, shuddering as the cold material passed over her fevered skin. B'Elanna had done little more than kiss her, yet she was feeling as aroused as when they had first made love. It was difficult to welcome the interruption when she felt so frustrated. The tall blonde turned quickly when she heard an exclamation of triumph from B'Elanna.

"Found one." She held the little gold emblem towards Seven exultantly.

"Then I suggest you return the hail," Seven prompted dryly.

B'Elanna grinned again, amused by her inability to function normally. She tapped the communicator. "Torres to Voyager. Please respond."

Both women waited, unconsciously holding their breaths while they listened for a response. There was a crackle and hiss of an open channel, but nothing more.

Unable to hold off any longer, B'Elanna tried again, seeing in her mind's eye Harry's hands flying over his Ops console on the Bridge as he attempted to set up a link. "Voyager, this is Torres. Respond."

There was a louder crackle this time and then, almost drowned out by the static of the transmission, a familiar smoky voice answered her hail.

~Good to hear your voice B'Elanna. Are you both okay?~ Janeway sounded both relieved and concerned but the contact made both Seven and B'Elanna smile.

"We are both functioning, though I could not say that we are within `normal parameters'," Seven interjected, leaning into B'Elanna's personal space so that the communicator would pick up her voice. She had yet to locate the other comm. badge. The brunette looked at her and grinned, rolling her eyes at Seven's use of language.

~Acknowledged. We're still ten hours out of transporter range. If it hadn't been for the distress buoy you left, you'd be stranded for a lot longer.~ The Captain sounded positively cheerful now that she had heard from both of the crew.

B'Elanna smirked. "I take it Harry was bored on the night shift and was scanning again?"

~You'd be freezing your butt off for a lot longer if I hadn't been, Maquis.~ The two women heard the Asian ensign comment. ~Well, be that as it may, you still have to last another ten hours before we're in range. Is that going to be a problem?~ Janeway took control of the transmission once again.

Seven moved to stand behind B'Elanna and wrapped her arms round her possessively. "I think we should be able to generate enough heat to keep us comfortable for the next ten hours," she replied blandly, earning an open-mouthed stare of astonishment from the woman she was holding.

~We'll contact you once we're in range. Do try and stay out of trouble in the mean time.~

"Don't worry, we're staying right where we are," B'Elanna reassured her, turning in Seven's arms and smiling rakishly.

~Understood. Janeway out.~

There was a brief pause as the two lovers looked at each other before B'Elanna frowned slightly. "Does this mean we got those damned vegetables for nothing?"

Seven laughed softly, before playing with the fastener of B'Elanna's environmental suit. "I know you have only just put this on," she commented, completely ignoring B'Elanna's previous statement. "But we have less than ten hours left of total isolation."

B'Elanna wrapped a hand round Seven's and then yanked the fastener down rapidly. "Clock's ticking," she replied before crushing her lips against Seven's.