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 Three

Alexa's thoughts ground to a halt when she laid eyes on this girl standing in front of her. She had four little spikes on her head, but they were cute. Whoever she was, Alexa now definitely had the hots for her. There were other teenagers as well. She recognized them but could not place a name. They had metal accents on their faces and what was showing on their bodies. Alexa still thought they looked pretty cool and was becoming annoyed that she didn't have them and apparently wasn't getting them as well either.

"I hate to break up this love fest but there is highly acclaimed medical work to be done." The Doctor interrupted.

Alexa turned once again to the hologram and made herself be brave.

"Do you ever shut up?" she questioned before she could even think about it.

B'Elanna roared with laughter and Seven allowed a smile.

"Well!" the Doctor said as he advanced on Alexa with a tricorder.

"What the hell is that?!" Alexa asked losing her confidence and ducking behind Seven again.

"It is only a medical device," Seven soothed. "It will not harm you."

Finding her Mama's eyes reassuring, Alexa allowed the Doctor to scan her and then watched as he scanned her Sos'Oy.

"Could I get my ridges back anytime soon?" an annoyed B'Elanna asked as the Doctor finished scanning Seven.

"This coming from the woman who hated them for so long." The Doctor retorted.

"Shut up Hologram and gimme them back." She said.

"Very well."

Alexa's eyes once again almost came flying out of her head when the Doctor began restoring B'Elanna's Klingon heritage. Seeing her daughter's face B'Elanna began to explain.

"We had to cover them to come get you." B'Elanna said with a grin. "I don't really think you would have let us talk to you with my head lookin' like this."

Alexa could only manage a slight nod of her head. She wasn't scared of her Sos'Oy, she actually thought the ridges were beautiful just like her Mama's silver stuff. What she actually couldn't understand was why she had neither.

"Alright wa'Hom." B'Elanna said, interrupting her thoughts. "Your turn."

"I'm gonna get… ridges?" Alexa was actually a little excited.

"I don't know baby." B'Elanna said. "But he's going to run a couple quickie tests and find out what's goin' on."

Alexa nodded her head and hopped up onto the biobed. Then for the first time she began to study the group of teenagers that had piled into the room earlier.

"Who are they?" Alexa asked finding her courage a moment later, gesturing towards the group of teens.

"I am Icheb…" the tallest boy answered. "I am… your eldest brother."

Alexa's eyes widened.

"I have a brother?"

"You have three." Said one of the other boys. "I am Rebi."

"And I am Azan." The other finished.

"So are you my sister?" Alexa questioned the girl that highly resembled her Mama.

"Yes." The girl said. "I am Mizoti."

"Are you my sister too?" Alexa questioned the spiky girl, a little dejected.

Naomi caught the disappointment in Alexa's voice and her heart soared a little.

"No!" Naomi said a little too excitedly. "I mean, no. I'm Naomi."

"So you are what to me?" Alexa asked.

"A friend, Mizoti and I are best friends." She clarified.

A small smile appeared on Alexa's face and B'Elanna and Seven exchanged a curious glance.

"Good to know." Alexa said, she then looked at the doctor and pushed his equipment away. "Enough."

"I'm not finished with my tests." The Doctor protested.

"Yes, you are." Alexa said defiantly crossing her arms. "I find this an unproductive waste of time, more importantly... my time. I'm sitting here when I could be learning about my new surroundings."

"You are... staying?" Seven asked, she wasn't sure if Alexa had a choice but she did want to know if her wa'Hom was becoming comfortable.

"No. You know I kinda liked being wherever I was all miserable and alone sitting in coffee houses building space ships instead of living on one." Alexa said, then catching the raised eyebrow from her Mama, she smiled. "Yes. I'll stay."

"Good." Was all Seven said.

"Damn right it's good," then Alexa shifted her focus back to the Doctor. "ALRIGHT ALREADY! I mean, come on man… thing… it... whatever! Aren't you done yet?!"

Another partially amused look passed between the three women in the room. Alexa was proving to be more and more B'Elanna and Seven's daughter with each passing moment.

"Doctor, is she alright?" Janeway asked.

"With the exception that she's obviously missing her coloring and ridges and that her nanoprobes have yet to be returned to their slightly dormant state again, she is fine."

"My what?" Alexa questioned, a little alarmed again.

"Your nanoprobes." Seven answered. "It is… a long story and they can wait."

Alexa arched an eyebrow and decided to leave it alone for now. While she hadn't been around her parents for very long she could already read their looks. Alexa then gathered all of her courage and looked directly into Naomi's eyes.

"So you gonna show me around?"

Naomi blushed all the way to her third spike, and then regained her cool Seven-learnt composure.

"I will accompany you and whoever else may come along."

This caused Alexa to quirk an eyebrow again. Maybe she wasn't supposed to be attracted to this girl. It wasn't exactly welcomed where she had just come from; she decided to give flirting with Naomi a rest until she was sure about it.

"Well then let's go." She said and hopped off the biobed.

"I've actually got to get back to the bridge but I'll see you all later." Janeway said as she followed the group out the door. "Alexa; it's good to have you back."

"Yes... Captain." Alexa nodded, wondering if she was supposed to salute or something.

Seven and B'Elanna then turned and went the opposite direction of Janeway and led Alexa to the Torres-Hansen quarters followed by the group of teens. Once inside they all sat on the couches and the floor.

"Alexa." Seven began. "Do you remember anything now?"

Alexa could only stare for a moment.

"I remember calling you 'Mama' and I remember calling B'Elanna 'Sos'Oy'. I recognize all of you, but can't really remember anything important." She paused and scrunched up her face, thinking hard. "I remember a stuffed animal. But I couldn't tell you what it was."

B'Elanna's hearts jumped. Toby. She remembers Toby. That's gotta be it.

"If you saw the animal, would you recognize it?" B'Elanna asked.

"I don't think I could forget a beast like that." Alexa answered. "I know it was purple."

B'Elanna got up off the couch and disappeared down a short hall, then into a room on one side of their quarters. She stood in the middle of the room collecting her thoughts. She hadn't known that it was going to be this hard bringing Alexa back. She walked over to the bed and sat down, picking up Toby as she did. B'Elanna and Seven had given Toby to Alexa when she was only two. It had helped calm her down when she had nightmares. B'Elanna now wondered if she still had them. During the time they had observed her, she hadn't seemed to have them. It hurt her that she didn't even know her own daughter anymore. Alexa no longer showed her ridges and wasn't even the same color as she had been when she left. The only thing that had seemed to stay were those riveting blue eyes she had acquired from Seven and the long chocolate brown hair she had from B'Elanna.

She was still tall for her age and every bit the mix of skinny and muscled as she had been when she had disappeared. But now she was different. Before she had left she was a hyper ball of energy and gave no thought to what she had to say. If Alexa thought it, she would say it. Now she was quiet and reserved it seemed. Through the month that B'Elanna and Seven had watched her they had come to know her a little better but it still seemed as though Alexa were a completely different person.

"Klingons don't cry." A voice came into her thoughts.

"Alexa." B'Elanna said, trying fervently to wipe away the tears. "How…"

"Mama and everybody else explained a lot while you were in here."

"How long have I been in here?"

"One hour, three minutes and point six seconds."

B'Elanna looked at her curiously.

"Did you really calculate that out?"

"No… it just sounded good." Alexa said. "I have found that I can tell when people's heart rate and respiration changes though. Is that weird?"

"For you? No." B'Elanna said. "Anyone else, maybe. Just chalk it up to your Mama's side of the family."

Alexa broke into a smile, a full smile. Now there was something that hadn't changed at all. Alexa had always had a contagious smile. B'Elanna couldn't help but smile as well.

"I came in to get that stuffed animal you were talking about." B'Elanna said.

"Mama said it's name was Toby." She paused. "and that it's called a… targ?"

"That's right." B'Elanna said as she handed Toby over.

Alexa hesitantly took the animal and looked it over. She looked at her Sos'Oy, brow furrowed, trying to contain unshed tears.

"They didn't tell me what happened." She said, a small tear sliding out.

"Klingons don't cry." B'Elanna said gently as she brushed away the tear.

"Neither do Borg." Alexa said quietly.

Apparently Alexa had learned a lot of her past in the last hour.

"You are not Borg." B'Elanna said. "Neither is your Mama or your brothers and sister."

"I have nanoprobes."

"That does not make you Borg."

"I know everything that Mama knows." Alexa said barely above a whisper.

B'Elanna froze. She hadn't known that.

"Everything?"

Alexa's head snapped up, searching the older Klingon's eyes. Did she not believe her? Did her Sos'Oy think that she was lying to her?

"Species number 6339, humanoid; from Grid 124, Octant 22; infected Borg with adaptive virus." Alexa said, having no idea where the information had come from. "Species number 10026, Humanoid, their weapons could penetrate Borg shielding…"

"Alexa, stop, please." B'Elanna choked out.

"I'm sorry." Alexa said, immediately humiliated but not knowing why.

Apparently this knowledge was not something to be proud of. Alexa vowed never to show it again.

"No, it's not your fault…" B'Elanna began, looking up into her daughter's eyes.

They were beginning to once again fill with tears. She knew Alexa was scared and confused but she didn't want her to think that her knowledge was necessarily a bad thing. Before she could say anything more, Alexa changed the subject.

"Was this my room?" Alexa asked looking around.

B'Elanna nodded her head, understanding her uneasiness.

"It looks like a six year old's bedroom." Alexa quipped wrinkling her nose at all the pink and flowers.

B'Elanna's breath caught in her chest.

"It was a six year old's bedroom." Seven chimed in from the door.

Part 4

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