DISCLAIMER: Paramount, they're all yours, just borrowed them. No money earned.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: More nonsense. You know, it's hard to wonder where it all this drivel is coming from! So here's the latest tormented little story. And if any of the cannon facts are wrong, just ignore them, OK? And this Klingon has just one. (That'll become clear later)!!!
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.

Turbolift Torment Five
By alastria7

"What the hell did I ever do so wrong that I got caught in this situation with you anyway?" The Engineer was fuming. After nearly one hour trapped in a turbolift with her arch enemy, she could have punched a duck.

"Calm yourself, Lieutenant. It will do our cause no good if you…"

"Look, Borg. I'm tired, I'm hungry, I'm thirsty and I'm mad. OK? All good reasons to leave me well alone."

Seven fell silent for the fourth time in the hour. It seemed the easier option as an enraged Klingon was clearly not a good thing.

"Voyager, please!" whined the Engineer in exasperation, hitting the wall of the turbolift with a curled up fist. "What the hell are they doing out there anyway?"

"What they are doing, Lieutenant," preached Seven in her patient superiority, "is fighting for all our lives." As if to emphasise the point, the turbolift shuddered, for about the fifth time during their incarceration.

"Janeway to Torres."

"Captain, what's going on?"

"We're still a little busy up here, B'Elanna. I'm afraid the lights are going to have to go out next. Emergency lighting too."

"WHAT?"

"We're going to shut down all systems Lieutenant. Should last about five minutes if we're successful."

"And if we're not?"

There was a pause, the Captain of Voyager not willing to tell anyone they were in real trouble if this didn't work - this enemy was strong, and mad. "We've just taken cover in a nebula. With everything powered down they won't find us, and the nebula should cover our emissions. We might be able to lose them for just long enough to nudge back out and jump to warp. I'm sorry, the two of you, I know you've been trapped in there for some time but it can't be helped. Janeway out."

The two interns looked at each other, Seven simply observing the half- Klingon and B'Elanna building up to a further explosion. In fact if anyone had aimed her at the enemy, she might have solved the problem for everyone. Except herself.

"Well, that's it," informed B'Elanna with gusto. "I'm not staying in here a moment longer. Damn it, if I'd known it was going to be this long, I'd have gone through the hatch earlier but, oh no… `any minute now, Lieutenant,' `won't be long, Lieutenant.' Well, it's been long," shouted the angry woman, thumping the wall again, "And I need a bathroom, soon."

Seven felt obliged to point out the obvious, whatever the wrath. "The Captain said that the lights…" Seven paused as the turbolift suddenly went dark. "How do you suggest we climb out without our wrist beacons? We would be severely impaired."

"I KNOW THAT! Shush, I'm thinking." B'Elanna took to pacing the lift and it was really only a matter of time before, "Oof. Seven? You're in my way."

"I am sorry, Lieutenant," Seven deadpanned, "would you like me to leave?"

"Wise ass. Didn't the Borg ever assimilate anyone who could escape turbolifts in the dark?"

"We shall just have to trust the Captain's judgement and the crew's skill and wait." Seven heard a sigh in the dark, nearby.

"Well, huh, you might be able to wait lady, but my bladder is feeling very impatient right now."

"Ouch," said Seven as her foot was trodden on in another pacing session from B'Elanna. "You were not pacing when the lights were on. What possible difference does it…"

B'Elanna threw both hands upwards, "Why me?" she begged of the dark before turning to where she thought Seven was standing and yelling, "Will you hold your damned comments and apply your logic to this situation! Please!"

Seven wondered how long a half-Klingon's bladder might hold out until it declared its own kind of war. "All right," she resigned, "we will attempt this in the dark. You will put your foot in my hands and I will elevate you to the roof. It is the logical choice as I am the stronger and more easily able to bear weight."

There was actually no argument from the Lieutenant, who was primed and ready to go. "OK. Where are you?" An arm, which had been flailing around in the dark, found it's target and B'Elanna hung on, feeling the arm then drop to the floor as Seven's two hands made a stirrup for her to stand in.

Putting her right foot in place, B'Elanna was lifted up by Seven's excessive strength, Seven's hands coming to rest at her own waist level. "Can you reach the trap door?" she queried.

"Finding the damned thing would be good." B'Elanna repeatedly hit the roof around the area where she expected the trap door to be, but nothing was giving way. "Try a little to the left," she suggested. Seven moved over. "Ah." B'Elanna felt the roof move under her next assault and carefully pushed the panel to one side; she didn't want it falling down the shaft. "I'm going up," she told her ladder.

Seven pushed B'Elanna's foot up a little higher and then felt the weight disappear as B'Elanna pulled herself up and cleared the gap.

"You coming?" It was totally dark and B'Elanna could neither see nor hear anything from below. "Well?"

"Lieutenant, I must point out that if the lift should start up when we are outside, it could be fatal."

"And if I stay down there with this bladder…"

"Point taken. I will join you."

"Stretch up your hands as high as you can, Seven. I'll try to pull you up." Seven did as she was bid and, sure enough, the sturdy hybrid flailed around in the dark, located the hands and was able to pull Seven up enough for her to get her own grasp on the trap door and hoist herself free. Both women stood upright, balanced on the top of the turbolift.

"There's gotta be a ladder here somewhere. Feel for it, OK?" They both leaned outwards in different directions and felt around the walls until, "It's here," called B'Elanna to the dark.

Seven made her way to the Engineer's voice, colliding with a hand B'Elanna had outstretched to guide the woman to her. The hand, however, collided with the Astrometric's Officer in a rather personal area of her upper anatomy and, without thinking, Seven clasped the hand to her in the dark before pushing it away as she realised their dilemma.

B'Elanna's heart missed a beat. How long had she wanted to reach out and touch Seven like that? And it had to be here. By mistake. With a full bladder. In the dark. In a turbolift shaft. Stranded. Under attack from an enemy. "Sorry," she muttered quietly as she pulled Seven's hand in front of her and placed it on the ladder. "You first."

"Why?"

"Look, I'm afraid of the dark, OK?" quipped B'Elanna. "You go first. I'm better following."

Seven moved past the Engineer to place her feet on the ladder, B'Elanna following, and the two inched their way up the turbolift shaft in the dark, both wondering silently how far they would have to climb to find a door they couldn't see.

"Anything?" called up B'Elanna from below.

"Nothing," replied Seven, feeling around the walls beside the ladder, alternating the hand she held on with.

B'Elanna fell to thinking as she followed, allowing Seven to do the `donkey work'. She knew that being confined with Seven in this way was dangerous if she intended to keep her growing feelings for the blonde a secret. Antagonism seemed the best defence. So far it was working but it had a side effect: frustration. "You think you could actually step up your attempt to get us out of here, huh? I mean, I don't want to rush you but…"

"Are you of the opinion that I shall locate the doors more quickly if you shout at me, Lieutenant?" B'Elanna sighed heavily and then decided on silence, broken quickly by Seven's voice calling, "I have them!"

"Good! Can you find the manual suction pad? Feel around for the metal pocket it sits in. It should be just beside the door."

After a short time, the answer "No" made its way to B'Elanna's ears and she decided to lend a hand. "OK, I'm coming up. Move over the to the left of the ladder." B'Elanna moved her body over to the right and pulled herself up, the two women now level and very close to each other.

"Are you suggesting I have not searched efficiently, Lieutenant?"

"Look, two hands are better than one."

"Four are better than two."

"Seven, please! Just keep searching. We'll go up one step at a time, OK. Search left." It wasn't too long before Seven found the manual door release and she handed it to B'Elanna, as the door was on the hybrid's side.

"This is a damned odd angle to be pulling from," commented the Engineer as she slapped the release down hard onto the door, hearing it suction itself to the surface like a limpet. She pulled hard but had been correct – the angle was difficult. "You'll have to help me."

"How may I assist?"

"Reach around me and pull on my arm, at the wrist. Give me some extra pull." B'Elanna knew this wasn't actually going to make much difference but, what the hell, she probably wouldn't get another chance like this. "These things always work better if you push them away from you, not pull them. I guess they didn't expect too many people to be using them from in here."

B'Elanna jumped obviously as she felt Seven wrap around her and stretch an arm around to her wrist. "I apologise, Lieutenant, but you were expecting me," said Seven with an obvious smile in her voice.

In the darkness, the Engineer smiled in return, unseen, as they both applied themselves to the awkward angle and pulled. Slowly the door they were working on moved, automatically moving the other, which encouraged them both to pull harder.

Soon B'Elanna was climbing out of the shaft and into the corridor. Instantly she turned around and reached back in for Seven, gripping her by the hand to guide and steady her as she exited. Lingering too long before she let the younger woman go, B'Elanna realised too late that she had passed unspoken signals of her desire to the ex-Borg. Closing her eyes in the dark, she grimaced and let go.

Seven stood brushing her clothing down and, although no one could see the effect, it gave her mind something to concentrate on while her brain processed the information that her senses had just received. She knew she was a little flustered – and she knew why. It had a lot to do with B'Elanna just holding her hand. It had even more to do with her liking it. "Do you recall where we were when the turbolift stopped?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah, Deck 5. We'd just passed it."

"So this is Deck 4. I think you will find that what you are looking for is at the end of this corridor, on the right."

"What are you doing?" hissed the Engineer, her bladder's signals temporarily overridden by the sound of metal clanging nearby.

A voice from down low to the left side of the corridor informed, "I am accessing the emergency panel in the wall. You will need a wrist beacon."

B'Elanna Torres found herself in the awkward position of owing thanks to the ex-Borg. "Thanks," she told her shyly as she felt the torch being pushed into her hand. She pushed it into position on her right wrist and turned it on, and screamed. "What the…"

The sound of Seven's laughter gently pervaded the corridor, as she stood there, highly amused, looking at the Engineer: the woman looked like something from a bad Holodeck horror programme. "It might work better if you turn it around," she suggested helpfully, still snickering. B'Elanna did so and aimed it up at the ceiling for maximum illumination.

She looked across at Seven - looking at the relaxed, smiling face (not the side of Seven she was used to seeing) and she smiled back at her. "Wait for me?" she asked hopefully.

"I will," said Seven in a very different voice to normal, which startled the Engineer who looked at her carefully, as though seeing her for the first time. "You are staring, Lieutenant."

"I guess I am," agreed a woman who showed no sign of moving.

"Go, before your staring embarrasses me, or your bladder embarrasses us both!" Seven's face remained open and smiling and B'Elanna took a step towards her, watching the acceptance in the blue eyes as she did so.

Something in B'Elanna finally let all the barriers down as she looked at that face, realising that she didn't have to hide anything any more - Seven knew now, knew that she cared. As she looked from one blue eye to the other she knew the feelings would be returned.

Reaching out without caution, B'Elanna let her left hand curl its fingers around the back of the blonde's neck, resting her upper arm against Seven's upper body; simply resting it there without attempting to pull the woman towards her. "You know I want you," she said, her voice a low growl.

Seven rested her arm against B'Elanna's, her hand wrapping itself around the smaller woman's wrist. "Your body language has adequately transmitted that fact to me, Lieutenant."

"And?"

The silence was deafening in the torchlight as two sets of eyes searched each other, each finding a home for themselves in a most unlikely place. "I find that I am not adverse to the information. In fact, I may even require that you kiss me."

"Are you sure?" questioned the Engineer, unsuccessfully hiding her surprise.

"I believe I have held this subconscious wish for some time. I am sure, B'Elanna Torres, unless you care to try to talk me out of it?" Lightly, the two women touched their lips together, leaving them lingering for long moments before applying a little more pressure and movement.

They parted with B'Elanna looking into Seven's eyes, a look of wonder on her face. "This is turning out to be one interesting day," the Engineer observed as her bladder reminded her of their current mission. "Look, I gotta go… Will you be here when I get back?"

"Go!" urged Seven firmly, smiling as she pointed along the corridor in the direction of the convenience they had come here to seek. "I'll wait."

"Hey," grumbled B'Elanna, "I'm not getting into this thing with you if I can't be the bossy one," the Engineer grinned. She turned and walked briskly up the corridor, turning once to shine her wrist beacon back at Seven, who had taken up a position beside the open turbolift doors and was now closing them with the suction device, to make it safe.

`Who'd have thought it?' thought B'Elanna as she walked on down the corridor. `I get stuck in a turbolift with a full bladder and an ex- Borg in the dark and I find my future!' She walked on, humming a little tune to herself in the torchlight.

Somehow all the pain of her early life and the pain of being the misfit that she had become all fell away. From this day on she knew it would all change.

The End

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