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“You asked him to stay aboard?” B’Elanna couldn’t believe what she’d just heard her lover say. “Your excuse being that you’d appreciate having someone around who likes Tchaikovsky?”

“What? I had to say something.” Kathryn tried to defend her actions.

“I don’t understand how you could even ask him to stay. The guy gives me the creeps. And I don’t like the way he looks at you either.”

At that last remark, Kathryn cast her eyes down.

B’Elanna sensed there was more to come and braced herself.

Kathryn’s voice was low and a little hesitant. “Well, if you don’t like the way he looks at me, you’re certainly not going to like what I’m about to say right now either…”

Brown eyes were piercing right trough her and Kathryn swallowed. This was not going to be easy. “He kissed me too…”

Trough clenched teeth, B’Elanna hissed. “Did you kiss him back?”

At first Kathryn didn’t respond, but her demeanor told B’Elanna all she needed to know. A loud, angry growl reverberated off the walls.

“And I suppose you just had to do that as well? Kahless, Kathryn!”

B’Elanna turned around to get herself under control. She was aware of the fact that Kathryn sometimes flirted a little, in order to get what they wanted. She didn’t like it, but had little choice in the matter. This, however, had gone way too far. The idea of that P’thak kissing her lover, made her blood boil in her veins.

Behind her, Kathryn swallowed convulsively. She could understand B’Elanna’s reaction. If it had been the other way around, she probably would have responded in the same way.

“I’m sorry.” She whispered. “I shouldn’t have let it come that far. I misjudged the situation.”

Angrily, B’Elanna turned to face her. “Next thing you’re going to tell me you didn’t see it coming?” Kathryn cast her a pleading look, but B’Elanna ruthlessly continued. “Well, you should have! The rumor mill on you two has been going haywire from the second he set foot on this ship. He practically kissed the ground you were walking on. And you let him, you even encouraged him! You want to walk the line? Fine! But this time you crossed it and you know it! So don’t even bother to try and weasel yourself out of it!”

Kathryn’s tone was even when she replied. “Are you done now? Because I’d like to say some things as well. First of all, it was never my intention to hurt you like that. I know I made a mistake and nobody is sorrier than me, I can assure you. At that moment lives were at stake and in my opinion the rational to do was kiss him back. It was a tactical decision to manipulate him like that. It didn’t mean anything at all. I know it was one step too far and you have my word it will never, ever, happen again.”

She took B’Elanna’s hands in her own.

“I know you can't stand the idea that I kissed him. Hell, I admit that it repulses me too. But it wasn’t an act of love, merely one of opportunism. My heart belongs to you, and that will never change.”

She cast a pleading look at B’Elanna, almost begging her to understand. “Please, tell me that we’ll be okay.”

B’Elanna’s anger had cooled down a bit. Kathryn had a point and B’Elanna didn’t want to lose the best thing that had ever happened to her over this. She softly kissed the knuckles of Kathryn’s hands. And looking in endless blue eyes, she smiled faintly.

“We will be. I promise…”