A Life Ends, but Also starts Anew Disclaimer: Paramount owns all, except story and characters I created. Dedicated to everyone that has ever lost a loved one. _______________________________________________ "They've hit us! Damage to all decks! We have lost contact with Engineering!" yelled Lt. Commander Tuvok over the chaos that reined on the bridge. Sparks flew from consoles and conduits leaked deadly gasses. "Tom! Get down to sick--" Tom Paris heard the captain, Kathryn Janeway, yell from behind him. She was cut off by a scream, coming from the science station. Lt. Gredet was thrown from her chair, as her console exploded. Tom immediately rushed over to her. "Tom!? How is she?" Janeway yelled, coming toward him, but as another shot rocked the ship, she was thrown to the deck. "She's dead. I'll get down to sickbay." Tom said, hurriedly, lying Lt. Gredet's head, gently down on the deck. "It is already too late, Lt. Deck 8 has already lost life support. Sickbay has been moved to the mess hall." Lt. Tuvok reported. "Well, then that's where I'll go!" Tom yelled, pounding on the door control for the turbolift. *** All B'Elanna could feel was pain. Great pain. Her face burned, and her neck felt cracked. She couldn't open her eyes, but the pain would not let her slip into darkness. A pair of arms hoisted her and she felt herself being lifted. Carefully, but hurriedly, she was taken out of Engineering, that was almost destroyed. "Lt. Torres. Can you hear my voice?" The voice belonged to... B'Elanna couldn't place it. Half metallic, but with a touch of compassion. Seven of Nine looked down into the scarred face of her superior, then up into the face of Harry Kim. His face was etched with concern and he gently pushed a piece of hair out of B'Elanna's face. B'Elanna stirred, but her eyes remained shut. Her mouth was slightly ajar, but no sound came out. Her bulging stomach heaved heavily, but other then that, nothing stirred. "Will the baby be alright?" Harry asked, worriedly. "We cannot find out here. We must get to sickbay." Seven told him, heaving B'Elanna into her arms. Harry put his arms around B'Elanna too, and he touched Seven's arm. She looked up, her eyes filled with worry. "We must hurry, Ensign Kim." *** The Mess Hall was ablaze with activity. Fires burned from the kitchen, and crew members scrambled to put them out. The doctor was leaning over a young man, scanning him with a medical instrument. He laid down the instrument, and glanced up at a waiting woman. He shook his head, and she collapsed to the floor. "DOC!" Tom yelled, and rushed toward him. "What can I do?" The doctor let out a annoyed sigh. "What do you think you can do Mr. Paris? CURE PEOPLE! More wounded are coming from Engineering. There was an explosi--" The doctor's words were muffled, as the ship rocked another blast. All of a sudden, the doctor disappeared. Tom felt his heart tear as he heard the word Engineering. He hoped to god, that she was okay. B'Elanna and Tom had been seeing each other for about sixth months. In that time, she had become pregnant, due to the fact of the aliens that had invaded the ship about sixth months ago. The baby was due in about 3 months. The baby had caused some trouble between Tom and B'Elanna. Shortly after B'ELanna had found she was pregnant, she left Tom. She still wouldn't talk to him, and it ripped him apart seeing her every day. A noise came as the Mess Hall doors whooshed open. In rushed the remaining Engineering staff. "WE HAVE WOUNDED!" yelled Harry from the door. He left Seven and B'Elanna to help someone behind him. Tom jerked out from reality and rushed toward the door. "What happened?" he yelled over the commotion. Harry looked up and shook his head. "I'm not sure, Tom! I think the core almost blew!" Tom shook his head too, and rushed into the commotion. "Where's B'Elanna?" "She's with Seven. Over there." Harry pointed to Seven, who was bent over a limp form. Tom pushed past somebody, and got to her side. "Seven. How is she?" "I am uncertain, for I am not trained in the field of medicine." she said, straightening up, and pushing her hair, that had fallen down, behind her ear. "Stay. I might be needing your help." Tom said, bending over B'Elanna and looking into her face. She heaved a heavy breath, but didn't move. *Come on, B'Elanna. Pull through. I know we have had trouble lately, but for this baby, god help it!* He silently encouraged her. Holding out his hand to Seven, she handed him a medical tricorder. Flipping it open, he aimed it at her abdomen. The babies life signs showed up weakly. He didn't have much time. Three choices. Let the baby die with its mother, give a pre-mature birth, or transfer the child. "B'Elanna. I don't know if you can here me, but please speak. I know we have had problems, but I need you. Our baby needs you, please! Speak!" In the darkness of a void, in which B'Elanna floated, came a voice that filled her heart. It was the voice of a man, who knew her very well. She was not sure how, but it matched the feel of the baby growing, struggling to stay alive inside of her. It filled her soul with hope and compassion, but she could not lift herself from the dark void. It swirled around her, enveloping her in its power. No matter how hard she fought, it stayed. Klingon anger spitted from deep down inside her. Anger at the darkness, anger at herself for being stupid enough to let this happen. In B'Elanna's mind, sparked red flames. It over powered the darkness, pushing, prodding to let her mind function. Tom looked down into B'Elanna's face, and he could see her brow furrow. He took this as a sign of hope. "B'Elanna! Please! Listen!" The voice came again, pounding through B'Elanna's head. The Klingon anger hit again, shoving the darkness further away. Her body screamed in pain, but the darkness was gone. All that was left, was the throbbing pound of her heart, inside her chest. And the babies small mind, whirling around, trying to comprehend something it couldn't. "B'Elanna!! Open your eyes--" Tom called again. Seven placed a hand on his shoulder. "It is no use. She is dying. Do what you must--" "NO!" B'Elanna sat bolt upright, her eyes flashing. Tom pulled back, surprised, but then shot forward again. Grabbing B'Elanna by the shoulders, he hugged her close. "Tom! Don't let this baby die! Save it!" B'Elanna screamed at him and she pulled back. Tom hesitated, unsure of what to do. "But if you give birth now, it will die and so will you. B'Elanna! There is nothing to do! I...I don't know what to do!" "Give me the drug that will make me go into labor. Tom! I have no choice. This baby has a chance to live, and I plan on giving it to it." "B'Elanna. I can't. I just can't." "Tom! Do it! Do not be the selfish pig you are, just inject the damn drug, you ignorant bastard!" Seven lurched back, not expecting the amount of power that was in B'Elanna's voice. Tom stood up, shaking his head. "B'Elanna. I can't. The baby will die. We have got to do something else." B'Elanna fell back, exhausted. The darkness was returning, and she was too weak to fight it off. "Do it, Tom." Tom looked from B'Elanna to Seven. Seven nodded slowly. Closing his eyes, Tom loaded the hypo. Putting it next to her neck, he pressed down. B'Elanna lapsed into darkness. There was nothing to do. Though the darkness was not the darkness that was there. It was not of pain, but joy. A wonderful feeling came over her for a moment, but then the pain started again. "B'Elanna! You are going to have to push! I mean PUSH!" Tom shouted over the rumbling in her ears. B'Elanna pushed. She could feel the babies mind, small and wondering what would happen, but trusting her to bring it safely into the world. B'Elanna pushed again, this time her scream shot through the darkness. It gave her strength, and she pushed again. "B'Elanna! Two more pushes and your--I can see the baby! Yes! I can see the baby! Push!" She could feel the presence of her child leaving her body. It called out out her in the darkness, uncertain of what to do next. She silently encouraged the little mind, and pushed again. She gave all her strength the baby's small mind, left her forever. "It's a girl, B'Elanna! A baby girl!" Tom hollered. But she did not hear him. Wit her dead down, B'Elanna silently died, a look of pain etched onto her face. And Tom wept. He wept for his ship, for his daughter that would never know her mother, but most of all, for B'Elanna. The woman that he had loved, and the only one that had brought her true happiness. She had been born into a world of pain, and she died with the pain she had carried. But she had left behind, a gift. A gift she would always carry with her, proud and faithful. A daughter. Jewels ;O)