A/n: I know I've already got 5 ongoing fics but I've decided to start this one anyway. (None of you mind when I start a new fic, do you?) It's set immediately after "Homestead". Thanks to Sweetdeath04 for supporting this idea!
Seven frowned slightly at the Astrometrics console as her third scan of the upcoming sector of space once again threw up results that didn't quite add up. Jerking her head up in frustration she glanced over at Icheb, who was also pouring over the readings, his young face a picture of bemusement. "I presume that you also cannot find a reason for these erratic results?" She asked him quietly.
"No…" He muttered, "It is quite a puzzle…" He mused, tapping the edge of his console thoughtfully.
The sound of the doors opening smoothly behind them interrupted them as did a deep, warm voice, "What's the puzzle Cadet?" The new arrival, Commander Chakotay, asked in curiosity as he approached both former Borg.
Icheb flushed with pride at being referred to by his new rank and stood to attention in front of his senior officer. "The puzzle to which I was referring Commander was the unusual readings we're getting from Sector 5486.3."
Chakotay smiled at Icheb but his eyes moved, with questioning raised eyebrows, to Seven. "What's so unusual about them Seven? The scans Harry ran on the Bridge scans didn't reveal anything."
Seven swallowed nervously under his penetrating gaze. "That does not surprise me, only the Borg enhanced scanners read the slight difference in field variance between this section of space and the area surrounding it, basically it seems to be slightly out of sync with the rest of space and we cannot find a reason for it."
Chakotay frowned in thought for a moment. " Maybe it's some sort of shield around the territory which would knock it out of sync."
Seven shook her head lightly. "A logical conclusion but none of the planets in this sector have been inhabited for millennia."
"Then it's a natural phenomenon, do you think it poses the ship any danger? It'd take at least a week to go around it at full warp." Chakotay was interested, but he still couldn't risk the ship to satisfy his curiosity.
Seven smiled half heartedly. "None that I can see Commander, we should proceed as planned, unless something new is uncovered…" She couldn't keep a sigh from seeping into her voice and to her surprise Chakotay, already standing close to her, put a comforting hand on her arm.
"Sometimes we never know the reasons for certain things Seven, it's frustrating I know, but it's the way life works sometimes." He told her softly.
"That is a reasonable view to take…" Seven murmured, before avoiding his eyes entirely and changing the subject, "Can we do anything to assist you Commander? I have yet to complete my daily report…I became distracted…"
"No!" Chakotay shook his head vehemently and stepped back from her. "Don't worry about the report, I can get it later…" He fought the urge to colour under her confused gaze but failed miserably. "I actually came to ask if you were coming to the party tonight…"
Seven tensed up against the console, "I hadn't planned to… What was it to celebrate again?"
"The Bajoran Gratitude Festival." Chakotay answered.
"Neelix never celebrated that…" Icheb began.
Chakotay smiled sheepishly, "I know, but with Neelix gone , I thought the crew could use a morale boost and Tal Ceres suggested we celebrate one of her holidays. It's a time to be grateful for what we have."
"A wise suggestion." Seven complimented quietly, causing Chakotay to smile at her.
"You should go Seven. Your shift ended half an hour ago, I can stay here and keep an eye on the situation. I'm sure the Commander would appreciate your companionship." Icheb pressed, his eyes moving knowingly between his guardian and the First Officer to such an extent that Seven blushed even more but couldn't reprimand him for his forwardness with Chakotay right next to her.
"I would appreciate it Seven, really." Chakotay urged carefully.
Seven bowed her head, sufficiently cornered. "As you wish."
"Then let's go." Chakotay said smilingly and gallantly indicated for her to leave Astrometrics in front of him, which Seven, her legs shaky, duly did.
"Have fun!" Icheb called after them, finding himself irrationally pleased by this new development.
As they walked side by side towards the Mess Hall, Seven searched her brain for a topic of conversation, finally she asked, "Is your ankle fully healed?"
Chakotay was pulled from his own fretful thoughts by her question, relieved that she had broken the awkward silence. "Oh, yes. It's been better for a while now, the Doctor hardly had to do anything in the end, the Ventu really knew their ointments."
Seven smiled at the memory. "Yes, and many other things also."
Chakotay nodded in agreement before peering at her anxiously, "You feel better about how we left it now?"
Seven looked at him, surprised by his lingering concern. "Yes, a great deal better." She replied after a minute or two of thought, "You were right, we did everything in our power to protect them and still return to Voyager."
Chakotay let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. "I'm glad we've come to the same conclusion…" He stopped when he realised they'd walked straight past the Mess Hall's entrance and backtracked quickly, Seven following suit and they walked in to a heavily decorated Mess Hall, lit with large taper candles which were surrounded by crewmembers burning small scrolls.
"What are they doing?" Seven asked curiously, fingering one of the blank scrolls which were lying out on a table to be taken.
"It's a Gratitude Festival tradition. You write down what you're grateful for and what you wish you had on one of these scrolls and burn it as you pray to the Prophets to grant the wishes for you in the coming year." Chakotay explained as he too picked up a scroll and a pen.
"What I wish I had?" Seven murmured thoughtfully as she unrolled her scroll.
"It's private, you don't tell anyone." Chakotay clarified, not wanting to breach her privacy.
Seven thought in silence for several minutes and just as she had tentatively written the first word on her scroll, the ship was rocked by a violent shudder. Everyone began to look at each other in fearful confusion before Icheb's voice exploded fearfully through Seven's comm. badge. "Seven! Please report to Astrometrics!"
"On my way!" Seven replied, setting off at a run with Chakotay only just behind her.
The floor of Astrometrics had a disturbing tilt to it as Seven and Chakotay ran in. "What's happening?" Chakotay asked Icheb urgently.
"I don't know Commander! Space is warping, we're being knocked out of sync!" He replied frantically as Seven ran to her console.
"Impossible…" she began as she tried to read the results but didn't get any further as when she placed her hands on the console an incredibly powerful shock of some sort surged through her and the last thing she was aware of was hitting the hard floor.
"Seven… Seven…" Chakotay's distant whisper on the edge of her consciousness forced Seven's creaky lids to open, her head thumping with a resounding headache, but when her eyes focused all she could she was a non-descript ceiling above her, which she knew belonged to neither Astrometrics nor Sickbay. Where am I? she thought dreamily, her confusion deepening as she realised her head lay on a soft downy pillow and heavy duvet half covered her. Why am I in a bed? I don't sleep… Her adrenaline finally kicked in and she sat up abruptly. She was in a bed, in an unfamiliar sunny bedroom! Her gaze flicked around frantically and found a window which looked out onto a bustling human city. Am I dreaming? She considered as she glanced down at herself, no longer in her biosuit but in some sort of nightdress, her loose hair brushing her shoulders… Gulping violently she tried to catalogue her surroundings, only to be hit with an even bigger shock, an unknown and half naked man lying asleep in the bed beside her!
A/n: I hope this has piqued your interest so far! Please review!