DISCLAIMER: Alexa is mine; born right from my head as for the others; I don’t own ‘em, I just like ‘em… A LOT. And as someone (don’t remember who) said before… they have more fun in my world than they ever had in Paramount’s world!
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.

Split Seconds
By The Other Liz

Part Fourteen

Alexa slowly rose out of her deep sleep. The first thing she noticed was that her pillow seemed to be breathing… and it had a… heartbeat? That couldn't be right. She tried to shift but found her efforts impeded by… something.

"Mmmmph." That… something moaned when Alexa tried to shift again.

'What in the hell?' Alexa thought.

She slowly peeled on eye open, it focused on something blue. Something blue and very familiar.

'Oh. My favorite blue shirt.' Alexa thought. 'But… why does it have a heartbeat… and why is it breathing?'

"Go back to sleep Lex." Naomi mumbled.

'NAOMI!?' Alexa sat bolt up right in bed. "Why are we in the same bed?"

"Because you fell asleep on me and your parents said I could stay here." Naomi said fervently trying to sound nonchalant about it.

"Oh…" Alexa said. "So… now what?"

"Lex, calm down, it's not like we… did anything." Naomi said her heart sinking a little.

"Right," Alexa looked around and then found Naomi's eyes again. "So… do you wanna eat?"

"Yeah, sure." Naomi said. "I'll just change."

"Just leave those clothes on the bed, I'll Febreze them later."

"You'll what them?" Naomi asked.

"Febreze… It's from the 21st Century." Alexa said pulling the squirt bottle out of her closet. "You spray it on and let it dry… it's kinda like washing your clothes but not… I'm really not sure how it works… it just does."

"Right." Naomi said with an arched eyebrow. "You know you can just recycle them and replicate new ones right?"

"Yeah, but I kinda like my clothes being my clothes… and not the recycled threads of someone elses. That's why there's a washer and dryer in our heaven."

"O..kay." Naomi just shook her head and smiled.

Alexa went out into the living room and leaned against the wall. She was rubbing her ridges trying to figure out what had just happened when her Mama's voice broke into her thoughts.

"Are you… alright?" Seven asked on seeing her youngest doing the same thing B'Elanna did when she was stressed out or tired.

Alexa jumped a mile before seeing her Mama settled on the couch.

"Yeah I'm… fine."

"Indeed." Seven said.

Seven wished Alexa would open up all the way to her. She didn't want her wa'Hom to think that she was ever too busy for her. Seven tapped the spot next to her gesturing for Alexa to come sit. Alexa smiled and chose to sit in a far better place than next to her Mama, she curled up into her Mama's warm lap and arms.

"I have good news and… bad news." Seven said. "Which would you prefer first?"

"Good news… I can't think of anything that could be really bad." Alexa smiled.

"You should be aware that you can talk to me about anything you wish, I am never too busy for you."

Alexa opened her eyes to find her Mama nearing tears. She reached up and brushed a stray one away.

"Kah'less Mama, I know that. I just didn't want to interrupt your mind. Astrometrics is really important ya know? I didn't want to take your mind away from your work with my stupid problems." Alexa smiled.

"wa'Hom. Your problems or questions are never irrelevant or… stupid."

Alexa nodded her head making a mental note to pick her Mama's brain next time she had a question. This now meant she had two astonishing minds to give her advice.

"So what's this bad news?" Alexa asked.

"Captain Janeway has confined you to quarters pending the conclusion of the investigation."

"God what a… bitch." Alexa sighed. "Wait, does this mean I can't even go to Engineering?!"

Seven nodded her head in the positive and braced herself for the onslaught of curses that seemed to be programmed into Alexa's blood by B'Elanna's DNA. To her surprise the younger hybrid just closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Dammit." Was all Alexa said.

"That is all?" Seven asked cautiously.

"Yeah." Alexa said. "I mean, what can I do? She's the Captain."

"Indeed." Seven said. "She did not, however, say you could not have visitors."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing at all wa'Hom." Seven smirked. "Just something to think about."

Naomi chose this time to come around the corner.

"Good morning Naomi." Seven greeted.

"Hi." Naomi said. "I guess I'll get going."

"Without eating first?" B'Elanna asked as she wandered out of hers and Seven's bedroom.

"Oh… I mean, well..." Naomi stuttered.

"You didn't think that they'd let you out of here without stuffing you did you?" Mizoti giggled from behind her best friend.

"Jeez! Is sneaking up on people like a familial trait or something?" Naomi asked.

"No. we're just good at it." Alexa laughed as she stretched her lengthy legs out on the couch, settling back into Seven's embrace.

"So what sounds good?" B'Elanna asked.

"Banana pancakes." Mizoti and Alexa said together.

"You see what you have started?" Seven asked B'Elanna smiling.

"Hey. That's okay." B'Elanna smiled wickedly. "I never heard you complaining while I was starting it though."

Seven blushed an entirely new shade of red and quickly changed the subject.

"The Captain has confined Alexa to our quarters."

"That's so stupid." Naomi said before she could stop herself.

"Yeah… well…" Alexa sniffed, nostrils flaring.

"So banana pancakes it is?" B'Elanna asked starting to replicate some of the stuff she'd need to make them.

"Yeah, a ton of them." Alexa laughed.

Alexa stretched once again and then got up so Seven could help B'Elanna. Naomi, Mizoti and Alexa talked idly about the band and when they could actually perform for the ship for a few moments until the smell of pancakes wafted toward them.

"Mmmm." Alexa smiled. "I love that smell."

"Indeed it is a 'pretty' smell." Mizoti smiled.

Naomi nodded and was going to add her input on pretty smells when the door chime beeped. Alexa arched an eyebrow wondering who would be brave enough to ring their bell this early.

"Enter" she called from the couch.

The doors swished open revealing her three brothers. Alexa smiled remember what Naomi had told her about Icheb.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Alexa asked getting up and hugging each of her brothers.

Icheb arched his brow.

"You are in a much better mood than we expected." He said.

"Yeah, well… Sos is making banana pancakes, so why not?"

"We know." The twins said at the same time.

Alexa arched an eyebrow then smiled.

"Ah, Borg enhanced olfactory senses?"

The boys blushed and Alexa began to laugh.

"You'll have to wait, ladies first." Alexa grinned devilishly.

At this B'Elanna snorted.

"Ladies… yeah… that's it."

"Sos'Oy, you would not call us ladies?" Mizoti asked.

"Not the way you three wield guitars and drums."

"Indeed." Naomi chimed in smugly.

"Guitars?" Rebi asked as he quirked an eyebrow.

"Drums?" Azan followed suit.

"Your sisters plus Naomi started a band, though we haven't been told the name of it yet." B'Elanna said looking pointedly at the trio of girls.

"Anyway, yeah, we were just talking about where we could play our first 'gig'." Naomi said.

"What's the name?" B'Elanna asked smiling.

"I just remembered something I have to tell you… Naomi." Alexa said pulling Naomi back through the living room and into her room.

"What the hell?" Naomi asked laughing.

"I told Sos to ask Mizoti that way if she does get pissed… we aren't in the room."

"You left your sister out there to burn?" Naomi howled with laughter. "She's going to kill you."

"Well I figure she's older and stronger than me, so she fares a better chance."

"Do you think she told her already?" Naomi asked still laughing.

"I don't know. I didn't hear any warfare so I guess it's safe to go back out."

The two not even noticing that they were still holding hands walked back out into the living area.

"Oh my god yer still alive!" Alexa laughed.

"What'd you run for?" B'Elanna asked smiling devilishly.

"Run, me?" Alexa laughed and then adopted a cheeky smile. "Nah, just had to go make out with Naomi."

Naomi's eyes widened and her entire being tinged pink.

"Oh yeah, I'm so sure." B'Elanna laughed. "Look, the name of your band does not bother me, maybe it would've when I was a kid, or even all the way up until I met your Mama, but not now."

"That's good, we just didn't want to insult anyone." Alexa gave her Sos'Oy a hug. "We think that it's being halves of things that make us the best at what we do."

"That's a good way of looking at it."

"You know, I think Neelix might be able to put together a party or something and then we could play at that." Naomi said, finally coming out of her initial shock of what Alexa had said. "What do you think?"

"That is a superior idea Naomi." Seven said.

"Okay, I hope you guys are hungry because there's like enough pancakes here to feed us all the way back to the Alpha Quadrant." B'Elanna said bringing a massive plate of pancakes over.

"Don't even think about it boys." Alexa said. "You can just take your Y chromosomes to the back of the line."

"Sos! She is not being fair." Rebi stated.

"You don't remember the last time you tried to come between your sisters and their pancakes?"

Rebi took on what could be called a Borg pout.

"I remember. Clearly."


"Mooove 'Ebi!" Alexa shrieked.

"Precisely." Mizoti grinned. "Please remove your Y chromosome to the back of the line."

"Yeah! What she said." Alexa said defiantly.

"No! I was here first."

That was definitely the wrong thing to say. Mizoti crossed her arms and stood her ground ready to argue until Rebi gave up, like she knew he would. But Alexa wasn't in the mood to argue today. She was in the mood to move her brother. Alexa did her best imitation of a frustrated B'Elanna then leapt at her brother.

"Then you shall be atickleated!" Alexa laughed. "Resistance is footile."

"Indeed." Said Mizoti and then began helping her little sister tickle Rebi into very un-Borg like squeals.


"Hey… I remember that." Alexa smiled again. "You nearly p…"

"I see no reason to discuss this issue further!" Rebi said quickly.

At this Mizoti and Alexa dissolved into giggles.

"If you don't start eating, you'll be late for classes and shifts." B'Elanna said trying to hold in a smile.

"Girls, leave your brother alone." Seven smirked. "It is not his fault he was born male."

Icheb and Azan followed Rebi in his pouting demeanor.

"Oh but we still love you." Alexa smiled pulling her brothers into a group hug.

"Indeed." The three boys said.

Unbeknownst to the family just sitting down to eat their morning meal, across the ship the Captain and Lt. Cmdr. Tuvok were having a not so pleasant meeting.

"I have cross-examined Klingon laws with Federation ones extensively." Tuvok said.

"And what were your findings?" Janeway asked.

"Alexandra was well within her rights as a Daughter of the Empire."

"Which means…" Janeway asked Tuvok for elaboration.

"While she did commit assault and created a disturbance she cannot be held on murder as Mr. Paris is alive." Tuvok said. "Although on grounds of assault and disturbance I would recommend three days in the brig as well as counseling for her temper."

"And what have you found on the accusations to Ensign Paris?"

"My team is still searching for more facts." Tuvok raised an eyebrow. "With the altercation in the Holodeck, there are many witnesses that say Mr. Paris provoked Alexandra. Some have said he went as far as to claim responsibility for her disappearance. As to her disappearance, many things have been found pointing to the Ensign as a guilty party as well."

"Such as?"

"There are witnesses to threats the Ensign made to Lt. Torres and Seven of Nine as well as their child. We are also looking into sensor tampering."

"Very well." Janeway sighed. "Thank you Tuvok. If that is all…"

Tuvok nodded his head in curt nod.

"Dismissed."

Part 15

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