I've been watching VOY again lately, and I've always been irritated by the 'missing scene' we hear about in The Voyager Conspiracy. Given the general obsession with the Janeway and Seven relationship, I find it odd that we never actually see Seven thank Janeway. Here's my take on it. Enjoy, and concrit and feedback always welcome!

Thanking the Captain

"Captain!"

Kathryn Janeway groaned and shifted awkwardly, repressing a yelp of pain as the hand that still held her coffee cup knocked against the low table. She put the cup down with more care than it warranted, and leaned her head against the back of the sofa in order to look up at the speaker.

Seven of Nine's metallic brow twitched. Janeway stared at it with some fascination; it continued to be a source of amazement that the former drone was able to be so expressive with that single piece of hardware. On anyone else, the eyepiece would be an abomination, but Seven made it seem.... almost a desirable accessory.

"What is it, Seven?" Janeway rasped, and grimaced. She hated how her voice sounded after being roused from sleep.

"It is 0500 hours," Seven responded with a hint of reproof. "You are due on the bridge at 0700 hours, and it seems that you have not gained sufficient rest."

The Captain passed a hand over her eyes. "I rarely get 'sufficient rest'," she returned crabbily. "If you're going to point out that it's inefficient, you can forget it. I've already got plenty of people complaining about my sleeping habits. I don't need you at it as well, especially when you can regenerate."

"Regeneration is more efficient," Seven agreed with more than a hint of complacency.

Janeway rolled her eyes. "So you keep telling me." She yawned and stretched, groaning again as several muscles protested. "You weren't kidding about the time, were you?"

The eyebrow went up again. "I never 'kid'."

The Captain's lips twitched. "Of course not. Well, in that case I'd better stir my stumps and make myself look respectable before heading to the bridge. No excuse for a grimy captain when space is as quiet as it is at the moment. Now what have I said?" she asked as the former drone's shoulders slumped infinitesimally.

"I wished to speak with you. Perhaps over breakfast?"

Janeway narrowed her eyes at the younger woman. "First you complain about my sleeping, and now you're hinting about my eating habits. Did the Doctor put you up to this?"

Seven looked uncomfortable. "No." Her eyes fell on the empty coffee cup on the table. "Perhaps you would like more coffee first? Neelix will be stirring soon."

Kathryn grinned. "And he will be hurt if I demand replicated coffee instead of his latest 'even better than coffee' brew. A pre-emptive strike. I like the way you think!" She moved to rise, but her young protégée forestalled her by reaching for the cup and going to the replicator.

"Coffee, black," she heard Seven say, and sat back against the sofa again, a smile tugging at her lips.

"Thanks," she said as Seven handed her the coffee. She took a swig, and nursed the cup on her lap, treasuring the warmth. She knew she wasn't really cold – Voyager's environmental controls prevented that – but the heat was comforting. She took a deep breath, relishing the scent of the coffee fumes, and looked up at Seven again, feeling properly alert for the first time that morning.

"Aren't you having one of your nutritional supplements?"

Seven gave a little sigh. "I do not require nutrition at this time."

"Oh no. If you can nag me about eating properly, I can do the same. What's sauce for the goose is sauce for – er – another goose."

"Captain?" Seven queried, clearly baffled.

Kathryn nodded towards the replicator. "Go get some of nutritional supplement number whatever-you-like. That's an order. After all, you were the one who wanted breakfast."

Seven stared at her for a long moment before turning to obey. In a moment she was back, together with the glass of liquid that Tom Paris called 'Borgshake' – strictly out of Seven's hearing. The young helmsman had a sense of humour that was sometimes unfortunate, but his captain knew he would never deliberately try to hurt the former drone's feelings.

Kathryn nodded towards the low seat at the other side of her table. "Sit, Seven. Good. All right, spit it out."

"Not literally, I hope. Neelix would not like that."

The Captain laughed. "Very good, Seven, but you're prevaricating. Clearly, you wanted to talk to me. What is it?" She looked quickly at the younger woman and frowned. "There's nothing wrong, is there -?"

Seven took a deep breath and put her half-finished glass on the table. "No. It is just…. I realised this morning that it is now more than two years since you severed me from the Collective."

"Yes." Something twisted deep in Kathryn's gut. When Seven started talking about the Borg, the results were rarely good.

"Six months ago I told you that Voyager is my collective now."

Janeway looked down to hide the tears that had come to her eyes. That moment had been a great personal triumph for her.

Seven hesitated before continuing. "The Doctor has been teaching me about human etiquette, and I have come to see that I have been … remiss."

Kathryn looked up again. "How so?"

The younger woman held her gaze. "He says that when one has been granted a favour, it is customary to say 'thank you'. Captain, I wish to thank you for liberating me, and for all your guidance and support since. I know that I have not always made it … easy."

Janeway blinked, and one hand came to cover her mouth.

"Captain?" Seven sounded slightly panicked.

Janeway dropped her hand and gave Seven a smile – not her usual quirk of the lips, but a full-on megawatt smile. "Thank you."

"Captain?"

Janeway rose and put her hand on Seven's shoulder. "As you said, liberating you has not always been easy. You are a stubborn individual, Seven of Nine – almost as stubborn as I am! I must confess that sometimes I've wondered whether I've done you more harm than good … not in freeing you from the Collective, but in how we've integrated you into our family here on Voyager. I know now that there's things we could have done better, ways we could have made it easier on you. Knowing that you appreciate it the fact that we tried makes it all worth it, even if we could have done better."

"I would not have accepted 'easy'," Seven said bluntly.

The Captain grinned. "Don't I know it." The doors opened and Neelix bustled in, and she grimaced. "I'd better go, or I'll be late. But… thanks, Seven. You've made my day and it hasn't even started yet!"

-fin.