Captains have very strict rules. Rules like diplomacy comes first, and the captain always goes down with the ship. Rules she has no problem following. Rules she believes are just. But another is that she can't become romantically involved with an officer under her command. And intellectually she understands it. Because then they become a liability. A weakness. An angle.

So she won't say it. Won't ever show her true feelings. Because captains don't have the luxury of falling in love. So she'll bite her lip and hold her tongue, never letting anyone know how she feels about B'Elanna.

Even though it pains her.

Burns her.

Kills her.