Get Over It

by absedarian

Challenge/prompt fic: Janeway/Seven. In the aftermath of "Dark Frontier", Captain Janeway and Seven of Nine get together with some help from their friends.

Disclaimer: The characters belong to Paramount/Viacom, not me, and I promise to put them back on the shelf when I'm done with them. They will be unharmed. Well, mostly.

A/N #1: This was first posted under my old Star Trek pen name, Crewman Beep.

A/N #2: This is a J/7 story, and there's love between two women. If that's not your thing, how did you even find this?

Disclaimer #3: This is a response to a challenge a few years back. The beginning of the story was given – namely a dramatized version of the end of the episode "Dark Frontier" – the rest was up to us.

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"Captain's log, stardate 52619.2. We got another twenty thousand light years out of the transwarp coil before it gave out. I figure we're another fifteen years closer to home."

Janeway sauntered into cargo bay two smiling when she saw Seven of Nine tapping steadily away at the controls of her console. "I see you've picked up some bad habits," she observed walking up next to the younger woman and leaning into her personal space.

"Captain?"

The smile never left her face as Kathryn rested her hands on the console and looked up at Seven through lowered lashes. "The doctor told you to regenerate for at least two days. You're violating a direct medical command."

"I will comply when my work is completed." The younger woman's fingers never stopped moving on the console controls.

Janeway brought an elbow up onto the console and rested her chin on her palm as she looked down at the display. "Borg tactical data?"

"During my time at Unimatrix One I acquired a vast amount of knowledge. It may prove useful in our future encounters with the Borg." She glanced up at the captain and then back down at her console. "I am downloading it into Voyager's database."

A troubled expression came over the former drone's face and she looked back up at the captain. For a moment she hesitated as though weighing her words. When she did speak her voice was soft and unsure. "The Borg believed I was unique. That I understood humanity. They were obviously mistaken."

"How so?"

Seven raised her optical implant and it was clear she thought the answer should be obvious. "I betrayed the crew of Voyager, threatened you with assimilation. I did not expect you to return for me."

The soft smile returned to Kathryn's face, but her voice was just as gentle as before. "Looks like you've still got a few things to learn."

Seven nodded once in acceptance of that statement.

"Time to regenerate," the captain pointed out.

Seven's response was immediate. "When I am finished."

Amused, Kathryn's smile grew and she answered, "No…now."

Seven's smile, although small, was huge for her and lit her features. She quirked her eyebrow and responded in a soft tone that bordered on flirtatious, "Yes, Captain."

For a moment the younger woman continued to stare at Janeway before she turned and stepped up on the dais in front of the regeneration alcove. She pivoted, backed into the alcove contacts and looked down briefly as the captain walked over to the control interface. The captain entered the parameters of the regeneration cycle with easy familiarity and a second later Seven's eyes snapped closed.

Kathryn looked up at the younger woman knowing the smile on her face revealed too much; her feelings clear for anyone to see. "Sweet dreams," she said softly.

Stepping away from the alcove the captain headed toward the bay doors. Halfway across the room she said, "Computer, lights one eighth." The cargo bay darkened instantly and Kathryn stopped then turned back toward the unconscious woman. In the safety of the shadows Kathryn was finally able to say what she had wanted to all along. "Welcome home, my love."

Cerulean blue eyes opened and watched her every move, but in the darkness Janeway didn't notice. She turned and left the cargo bay headed back to the bridge secure in the belief that all was right in the universe and the woman she loved was safely back where she belonged. The blue eyes closed again, this time above a smile as the regeneration cycle resumed.

=/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\=

Kathryn Janeway made it all the way back to the turbolift before she started berating herself for showing so much of her feelings. If anyone had seen you with Seven just now, they'd have known. A blind man could have seen it ... You have to get this under control. It was a good thing that Seven was too straightforward to read anything into her behavior.

But the truth was that the past few weeks had scared her like nothing ever had. So much, in fact, that she was forced into facing her feelings instead of being able to quietly shove them deep down inside her heart and ignore them. The thought of losing Seven, to the damned Borg no less, had opened a pit of despair inside her that only immediate action could fill. She had been determined to get Seven back or die trying, which had told her more about her feelings for her friend than any amount of self-analysis ever could.

Captain Janeway had given up lying to herself a long time ago because it was futile. Futile. She tasted the word with a smirk. At the Academy, a fellow cadet had told her "Lie to everyone else if you must to get what you want ‑ but never lie to yourself. In the end, it'll cost you more than you'll be willing to pay."

It was one of the few pieces of advice that she had kept close to her heart, and now her half-grin broadened as she was thinking about it. She stopped the turbolift with a terse command to the computer, not yet ready to face the bridge crew. She was still feeling too much.

"I love her," she whispered, trying the words on for size.

It actually felt good to say it, she realized, even if it was just to the empty turbolift. "I love her. I love her. I'm in love with Seven of Nine." For a moment she imagined herself telling Seven and being swept up in the blonde's arms in reply but then the reality of the situation asserted itself. She hit her head against the bulkhead a couple of times before resting her forehead against it. "Damn, damn, damn," she whispered. "Two days. You have two days to get over it."

Two days of Seven regenerating in her alcove, unaware of what was going on around her. Unaware of whoever might be watching over her ... watching her. Suddenly, Janeway raised her head. "Computer, restrict access to Cargo Bay Two to Seven of Nine and–" She hesitated for only a second. "To myself for the next 48 hours. Authorization Janeway pi-one-one-zero."

If anybody had a problem with that they'd just have to come to her about it. She nodded to herself and then promptly rolled her eyes at her own behavior. With a sigh she straightened her shoulders.

"Bridge."

=/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\=

It was halfway through beta shift before the captain found her way to her quarters. She thought about eating something, then just decided on having another cup of coffee. She shrugged out of her uniform tunic and threw it on the sofa before letting herself fall into her favorite chair as gracelessly as she dared with the coffee in her hands. She grinned, feeling better than she had in weeks.

"I'm in love," she whispered again. She had come to terms with her feelings, had even started to embrace them – if only for the sake of feeling something – during a shift spent mostly in her ready room. She had hidden away in there, needing the time to start rebuilding her control. She was afraid that anyone could tell from one look at her what she was feeling, and she didn't trust her command mask enough to spend an entire day on the bridge. Not around Chakotay who knew her quite well, or around Tuvok who knew her even better.

Especially not around Tuvok. She knew he would be completely logical while he told her that her feelings were not appropriate in her position. On the other hand, he was her oldest friend on the ship, and he was very devoted to his wife in his entirely logical, Vulcan way. Maybe he'd understand. And maybe he'd agree to teach her how to control these emotions. Yes, she'd go to him for help.

For now, however, she wanted to bask in the simple joy of being in love and knowing it. No matter what happened in the coming days, weeks, and months, this feeling was a rare pleasure. And she wanted to enjoy it for as long as she could before reality would come smashing it to bits with brutal inevitability. After all, the woman she loved probably thought love was … irrelevant. Still it felt good, at least for now.

"I'm in love."

She finished her coffee with a small grin and stood, grabbing her uniform tunic in one smooth move. Time for a late night stroll.

=/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\=

Cargo Bay Two was dark except for the greenish glow of the Borg alcoves. Seven of Nine opened her eyes and for one second she believed herself to still be on the Borg cube. Then she heard a voice that was very much unlike the voice of the collective.

"Regeneration cycle incomplete."

Seven frowned. She had no idea what had interrupted her regeneration cycle, and she walked over to her console to run a diagnostic routine. Six hours, thirty-four minutes? She was supposed to regenerate for two days. Her brows furrowed. What had interrupted the cycle?

She would have to see the doctor about that, just to make sure nothing was really wrong, although she felt she was working within acceptable parameters. She turned to make her way to sickbay when an image suddenly appeared in her mind and stopped her in her tracks.

Captain Janeway standing before her, smiling and saying "Welcome home, my love." Almost unnoticed, a smile crept over Seven's face. Then the captain took her in her arms and …

And then what? Seven closed her eyes, trying to focus on what happened next but couldn't. The scene in her mind simply ended where it did, leaving Seven feeling curiously empty and unsatisfied. The smile slipped from her face. What would the captain do next?

Seven knew with absolute clarity what she wanted the captain to do, she suddenly realized. She wanted the captain to touch her, to lay claim to her body and soul. But something told her that the captain might not do that. Captain Janeway was always unpredictable, so why would she react like Seven wanted her to?

Her Borg hand curled around the top of her console, denting the edge. This was frustration, Seven realized. And that was probably what had interrupted her cycle. She turned back to the console and opened the ship's database, putting in string after string of search parameters and commands. She skimmed the results and shut down her console after a few minutes.

The computer couldn't help her. It knew nothing about the captain's behavior in romantic matters.

No, she needed to talk to someone who could understand the situation and who could maybe give her advice on how to proceed. And it needed to be someone she could trust. Her research had indicated that this issue was private, and would be even more so for the captain. That didn't leave her many options, she realized, as she went through the senior staff in her mind. Not many at all. She sighed.

She had to go and see the doctor.

=/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\=

The doctor stopped in the middle of his aria when the door to sickbay opened. With a frown he closed his mouth when he saw Seven of Nine enter.

"Seven, shouldn't you be regenerating? I told you to regenerate for at least two days for a reason, you know."

"I am sorry, Doctor. My regeneration cycle was interrupted prematurely. That is why I am here."

"Couldn't sleep, hm?" he teased his favorite patient. Then, seeing her serious face, his voice lowered in concern. "I take it you ran a diagnostic on your alcove?"

"Yes. It is functioning within expected parameters." Seven hesitated. "I think I was … awakened by a dream."

The doctor started scanning her. "I am not surprised that the recent events left you with nightmares, Seven. That is a perfectly human response." He closed his tricorder with a satisfied nod and looked at her. "Everything is working just fine," he told Seven. "Were the images disturbing? What was the dream about?"

Disturbing? Yes, one could say she was disturbed by what had not happened in her dream. "The dream was disturbing, Doctor, but it had nothing to do with my recent experiences with the collective," she replied truthfully.

"Oh?" Now the doctor was really curious. "So what happened?"

"I was standing in the Cargo Bay and I saw myself and the … a member of the crew. We were talking. Then this person said "Welcome home, my love", walked towards me, and began to embrace me."

When nothing else was forthcoming, the doctor asked. "That's it?"

"Yes."

"I don't understand," the doctor said gently. "That sounds like a very nice dream to me. Most people would enjoy that. Having someone to welcome you, and telling you that they love you." I know I would. "What did you find disturbing about it?"

"This was not the disturbing part, Doctor," Seven calmly replied. "I did indeed enjoy the dream up to that point."

"But?"

Seven took a breath. "I do not know what happened next and I find myself … wanting to know. However, I do not know what the other person in my dream was planning to do next. If anything."

The doctor thought about this for a second. "Well, seems to me that the natural progression for anyone would be to kiss you." That's what I would do. "Don't you agree?"

Seven mentally ran through the data she had acquired on human mating rituals by watching the crew. "I agree, theoretically."

"But?"

Seven ignored the doctor's question. "You are positive that everyone would do that, given the same parameters?" She really liked the thought of the captain kissing her. Touching her. Hope was taking hold of her, and her heartbeat picked up slightly.

The doctor smiled, a little bemused at where this conversation was headed. "No, Seven, of course I can't guarantee that every single person on this ship would act in the same manner. There are so many different people on board – people who come from different worlds, backgrounds … species." He shrugged. "But I would say it was the most logical way to proceed. For most of them."

The doctor looked at his friend for a second, almost as if lost in thought, then he asked. "Seven, do you know the other person in your dream well?"

Seven nodded.

"And you like that person."

Seven nodded again.

"Seven, do you have feelings for that person?"

"Feelings?" Seven had feelings about many members of the crew, not just the captain. But they were all different kinds of feelings.

"Do you have … romantic … feelings for that person?" the doctor clarified, wishing Seven would just come out and say who they were talking about. It would make this discussion so much easier. With a heavy heart he realized that his friend was most certainly not talking about him. He had a feeling that in that case, Seven would have gone to the captain with these questions. The captain? Hmm …

Seven was quiet, examining the feelings she had for the captain. She knew the captain was the most important person in her life. She would give her own life to save the captain, had in fact just been doing that when she was staying with the Borg. She ran her observations of the crew through her head and imagined herself and the captain in some of the situations she had seen others in. Kissing, holding hands, walking along the corridor arm in arm … Her respiration picked up by several percent, and her cortical node, most alarmingly, stopped analyzing data.

Yes, she most definitely had romantic feelings for the captain.

"Seven?" The doctor sounded worried when his friend remained silent.

Seven realized she had ignored the doctor much too long. "Yes, I do have feelings of a romantic nature for the … person," Seven said finally. "I think I am … in love." She hesitated. "But I am unsure how to proceed."

She looks almost shy , the doctor thought, realizing that Seven had indeed fallen for someone. His money was on the captain.

Seven continued, not seeing the small grin on the EMH's face. "As you know, the Borg consider emotion to be irrelevant."

"Maybe I can help you?" The EMH was acting out of a real desire to see his friend happy but he was also hoping for more information. Mostly he wanted to see if his assumption was correct. Who else but Janeway was close enough to Seven for her to fall in love with?

"I would appreciate your assistance," Seven said, sounding relieved and uncertain at the same time.

=/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\=

Captain Janeway ambled down the corridor, trying to be inconspicuous as she made her way to Cargo Bay Two. When she rounded the corner, she saw B'Elanna Torres kneeling in front of an open panel next to the cargo bay door. She stopped with her hands on her hips and watched her chief engineer. After a few seconds she felt a grin playing around her lips.

"Can't open the door?" she asked in a conspiratorial whisper as she walked closer.

"No," growled B'Elanna without looking up or recognizing the captain. "Access has been restricted."

"By whom?" Janeway whispered innocently and looked over the engineer's shoulder.

"According to the computer it was the captain." B'Elanna never stopped fiddling with the panel.

Janeway straightened to her full height and asked in a normal voice. "And you think trying to get around my orders is a good idea, Lieutenant?"

B'Elanna tried to get up and turn around at the same time, ending up on her ass before her commanding officer. "Kahless, Ca … Captain …," she stammered. "I …"

Janeway stopped her with a level five glare. "Just tell me what you wanted in the cargo bay."

B'Elanna hesitated for a moment. It's not too bad, she thought, and the captain would probably call even the tiniest fib … She sighed. "Tom and I have a date tonight, and it's kind of a special night for us. I managed to stash away a box of great wine that I got from Kurul IV when we were on shore leave there. I really wanted a bottle for our dinner."

Janeway looked at the cargo bay door with interest. "That red wine, the nice and fruity one?"

"Yes, that's the one," B'Elanna said a little too enthusiastically for the captain's taste.

"All right, Lieutenant," Janeway said with a smirk that B'Elanna didn't see. "I'll open the door for one of those bottles."

"But, Captain, …"

"Two bottles. Deal or no deal, Ms. Torres. It's your choice."

"Okay, then," B'Elanna grumbled, knowing when a battle was lost.

Janeway turned towards the cargo bay door, happy that she was able to deflect her chief engineer from the fact that she was also standing in front of Seven's domain, access to which she had restricted. That was when she heard the low rumble from Torres. "I wonder what you're doing here."

"Excuse me?" Janeway faced an embarrassed half-Klingon. "What did you just say?"

B'Elanna girded her mental loins, and decided there was no point on deviating from the path she was on now. Besides, there was information to be gained here; she could feel it down to her bone marrow. "I was wondering what you were doing here, Captain," she soldiered on. "After all, you must have put the privacy seal on the door for a reason."

Just for a moment Janeway was caught in an unfamiliar situation: she didn't know what to say. Then she simply went with the truth: "I wanted to check on Seven."

Riiiight , B'Elanna thought. Aloud she said, "Shouldn't she be regenerating for another two days or so?"

"Yes, I know." Janeway hoped her voice wasn't giving anything away. "Still, I wanted …"

B'Elanna couldn't stop herself from snorting loudly.

"You have something to say, Ms. Torres?" The steel was back in the captain's voice.

"Permission to speak freely, Captain?"

"By all means, Lieutenant," Janeway acquiesced. You mean you weren't until now?

B'Elanna took a deep breath before she looked her captain right in the eyes. "Could we drop all this crap and just call it like it is, Captain? Just between us?"

"I'm not sure I know what you're talking about, Lieutenant."

B'Elanna stood her ground. "Let me tell you how I see it." She waited for Janeway's slight nod before she continued. "There's no way to put this more delicately: you want Seven. That's as plain as the Vulcan desert to me. The way you look at her, and the way you just risked everyone and everything for her, prove that beyond a shadow of a doubt. You're in love with her. So …"

"Yes, I am," Janeway quietly said, hoping to interrupt B'Elanna before she really got going.

"… don't try to deny it." B'Elanna obviously hadn't heard her. "It's no use when any-" Her voice trailed off. Janeway just looked at her, more at peace with her decision to be honest than she could ever have imagined. She waited patiently for a reaction. Three, two, one, here we go, she thought as she watched the Klingon's jaw drop.

"Did you just say what I thought you said?" B'Elanna asked after a moment. "You're not denying it?"

The captain shook her head.

"Wow." B'Elanna seemed to be speechless. "I didn't think you had it in you, Captain." There was a good bit of admiration coloring the engineer's voice. "I'm impressed."

"Thanks." Janeway's voice was drier than the desert on Hasara Prime. "So glad you approve."

B'Elanna watched the captain's face for a second. "Do you need my approval?"

Janeway was stunned for a second but she tried to shake it off quickly. "No, I … I don't." She stammered and cleared her throat. "I'm not … I don't …"

"Wait, let me guess," B'Elanna interrupted. "You're not planning on telling Seven. Am I right?"

Something in B'Elanna's voice caught Janeway's attention. "You don't agree with that, I assume?"

Torres realized that she had a chance here of paying back some of the debt she felt she owed the captain. Carefully, she put a hand on the captain's arm. "Captain … Kathryn … I think you should tell her."

The arm below her fingers tensed. "Why would I want to do that to myself? All I need is the two days that Seven has to regenerate now, so I can get over this. Can get over the intensity of it."

B'Elanna wanted to slap herself over the head. So typical of the captain not to realize … "Captain, you don't have to believe me but I'm positive that Seven feels the same way about you."

Janeway shook her head. "No, she doesn't even know what love is. She's only been human again for such a short time." She started pacing in front of B'Elanna, repeating to herself all the old arguments. "I can't tell her." She stopped in front of the engineer. "You see, B'Elanna, I don't want her to do something just because she thinks she's supposed to do it … or feel it."

B'Elanna didn't agree with the captain's assessment of Seven, which greatly surprised her. It was no secret that she didn't get along well with the Borg but it certainly wasn't because she thought Seven wasn't human enough to feel. She had to hold back another snort but couldn't stop herself from commenting. "Yeah, right."

The captain started pacing again.

"Captain," B'Elanna said with a grin, "have you ever seen Seven do something she didn't want to?" She shrugged. "She only ever does what she thinks is right anyway, damn the consequences. And you know that."

Janeway stopped and looked at B'Elanna. "So?"

"So, I think you should go in there, say goodnight to her or whatever it is you're doing when you stop by here during gamma shifts …" She stopped when she saw her captain's face. "Oh, come on. Did you really think nobody would notice?"

B'Elanna chuckled as she began to enjoy herself immensely. "Anyway, go in there, kiss her goodnight, and when she comes out of regeneration, be there waiting for her. Then tell her. Or better yet, wake her up. I think you owe it to her. She has the right to make her own decision."

"I have the same right, Lieutenant," Janeway quietly replied. "By the way, your amusement just cost you another bottle." She injected a bit of command into her voice, although she felt more amused than angry at the moment. It was hard to get angry, she realized, when someone was trying to be helpful and, given the chief engineer's relationship with Seven, jumping over their own shadow.

B'Elanna knew when to take a hint and kept her mouth shut.

"Computer, release lock on Cargo Bay Two. Authorization Janeway pi-one-one-zero." The doors opened with a swoosh, and the two women walked towards them side by side. Kathryn wanted to feel the anticipation as long as she could and closed her eyes as she walked into the cavernous room.

"Captain." The urgency in B'Elanna's voice made her open her eyes. "Shouldn't Seven be in her alcove?"

Janeway whirled around, facing the empty alcove. "Where …? Something must be wrong …" She raised her voice. "Computer, locate Seven of Nine."

"Seven of Nine is in sickbay."

Janeway looked at B'Elanna, then turned and hurried towards the turbolift. B'Elanna followed hot on her heels, her date with Tom forgotten.

She wasn't going to miss this for the world.

=/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\=

The EMH studied his friend. Seven appeared calm, and quite content to accept this new level in what he considered her development towards humanity. He was going to help her, no matter how hard it might be on him, and he nodded to himself.

"Doctor?" Seven had noticed that her friend seemed to have come to some sort of decision. "Have you determined a way to assist me?"

"Yes, I have," the hologram replied lightly. "I think the best way would be to proceed from the point where your dream left off."

Seven considered that. "There is a flaw in your idea," she finally said. "The person is not present at the moment."

Well, that answers that. "I know, Seven," the EMH said with a sigh. "I will be standing in for that person."

"What?" The syllable erupted from Seven in a squeak and she berated herself for producing such an undignified sound.

"You will be you, and I will pretend to be the other person," the EMH patiently explained. "That way you can practice what to do with the real object of your affections."

Seven didn't look convinced. "You cannot pretend to be someone you are not, when you do not even possess the knowledge of that person's identity."

"Well, it would be easier if I knew who we were talking about …" The doctor's voice had more than a tinge of hope in it.

"No," Seven quickly replied. "You will proceed without that information. It is not necessary. I believe we will have a successful experiment without it."

"Experiment? Seven, we're not trying to find a cure for the Kreturhyan plague here." The hologram suppressed a smile. "We're trying to recreate a romantic situation so you can approach‑"

Seven interrupted him, clearly impatient to begin with her lesson. "Proceed."

"All right then."

The doctor moved into Seven's personal space and was not surprised when his friend took a step back. He stepped back, and Seven relaxed. "Seven, you need to pretend I'm the … person you have feelings for." He barely caught himself, sure as he was of the person's identity.

Seven looked contrite but it was very hard for her. The EMH was nothing like the captain. She swallowed.

"Seven." The doctor's voice was compassionate. "It will help if you close your eyes and just imagine yourself back in your dream."

Seven nodded. That she could do. She closed her eyes and recalled the image of the captain opening her arms to her, embracing her. She felt arms go around her and she tried to relax into them, although they didn't feel right to her. She sighed, almost giving up and opening her eyes. Then Borg determination won, and she consciously made a decision to put her head on the doctor's … no, the captain's shoulder.

She felt hands cup her face, guiding her head up. She realized that the doctor was moving his head closer to hers and she tensed in expectation. Of what, she wasn't quite sure.

The doctor guided Seven's face to his own, planning to give her a chaste kiss, maybe on the nose, he decided. He was puckering his lips when suddenly the sickbay doors opened with a swoosh.

Impossibly, he felt his stomach drop to his knees when he saw who had come in. He let go of Seven immediately but not before seeing the stormy expression in the captain's eyes. Seven swayed slightly, before opening her eyes and holding onto the biobed behind her with one hand. She gasped when she saw the captain and B'Elanna, and noticed the doctor did the same.

"What's going on here?"

=/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\=

Kathryn Janeway was silently begging the turbolift to go faster. Her mind was coming up with all sorts of problems Seven could have had. What if her implants had a problem? What if she couldn't regenerate any longer? What if her human side had the problems? She didn't even realize she was pacing in the small area of the turbolift until B'Elanna stopped her with a hand on her arm.

"I'm sure there's a simple explanation, Captain," the Klingon said, injecting her tone with a good dose of optimism.

Kathryn stared at the engineer for a moment before she nodded. Then, the turbolift stopped and both women were on their way to sickbay.

The captain stormed through the doors as soon as they opened and stopped dead in her tracks when she caught sight of the EMH and Seven in what looked to be an intimate embrace. Her stomach twisted painfully, and she had to swallow hard. Oh, hell, she thought, I should have just gone to bed.

B'Elanna looked at the pair with an unreadable expression on her face. It was almost funny, the way the doctor had jumped when he saw them enter, or how Seven had swayed after losing her balance after that. B'Elanna had a feeling that this was not what it looked like. She was certain that Seven was in love with the captain, otherwise she would have never said anything to the captain. But one look at the captain's face told her that Janeway was taking this situation really, really badly.

"What's going on here?" Janeway was surprised at how controlled her voice sounded, unaware that this was what scared everyone else in the room.

"Captain, it's not …"

"Captain, the doctor was …"

Both Seven and the doctor were stopped by the captain's raised hand. "It's really none of my business, Doctor." She curtly nodded at the EMH, then vaguely in the direction of Seven. "Seven." She had a hard time looking at the Borg. It hurt in her chest, and she decided to extract herself from the situation as professionally as she could.

"I was just worried when I realized Seven wasn't regenerating in her alcove." She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, any life had gone out of them. "Apparently, that worry was unfounded." With that, she turned towards the door and walked out.

There was a moment of silence, while everyone looked at the door. Then B'Elanna walked up to Seven and the doctor and studied them. "All right," she finally said, "what is going on here?" She looked into Seven's eyes. "I don't believe for a second that you were actually going to let the doctor kiss you."

"Hey!" The EMH bristled visibly at the comment.

"No offense, Doctor …"

"None taken, Lieutenant."

"… but Seven kissing you is just about as realistic as her kissing Chakotay." B'Elanna continued.

"Now I am offended, Lieutenant!" the doctor huffed.

Both women ignored him and kept staring at each other. Finally, Seven shook her head. "No, B'Elanna Torres. I was not kissing the doctor. It was merely a lesson to provide me with the means to approach the … person I am really interested in."

B'Elanna relaxed, relieved that her hunch had been right. "Let's stop beating about the bush. We're talking about the captain, right?" When Seven hesitated, she continued. "I have eyes, Seven. I've seen you look at her when you thought nobody was looking."

Seven's eyes widened at the thought of being so easily found out. The doctor was pumping his fist in a silent celebration of being right.

"B'Elanna Torres," Seven began, then hesitated. She realized that she had the chance of talking to an expert on human interaction, now that 'the cat was out of the bag'.

"Yeees?" B'Elanna drawled.

"How should I proceed now?" Seven was clearly uncertain. "It appeared as if the captain was not as clear in her understanding of the situation as you were."

"That's because …" B'Elanna stopped herself. Her instinct was to explain the circumstances to Seven but could she really betray the captain's secret like that? "Em … er …" she stammered, trying to win some time.

"Is it because the captain has romantic feelings for me as well?" Seven asked with her customary bluntness, interrupting the engineer's furious thought process.

"You know?"

Seven nodded. "I was 93% certain up to now but your question confirmed my thoughts." She even smiled a little at that, just a twitch of her lips but it was enough for B'Elanna to recognize it.

The engineer groaned. "That's so typical." She threw up her hands. "She's running away," B'Elanna pointed vaguely in the direction of the door, "because she doesn't want you to know that she loves you, and here you are, knowing already. And now she's probably in her quarters, hurting like hell because she thinks you have feelings for the doctor!" Suddenly she laughed. "That's practically Cardassian opera!"

"Oh, really?" The doctor sounded interested, not having yet tried any of those.

B'Elanna looked him and nodded, remembering he was still there. Then she recalled how they had ended up having this discussion and she glared at the EMH. "Whose idea was it anyway to have this kind of lesson in the middle of sickbay?"

The doctor felt a blush crawling up his cheeks and onto his forehead, mortified and bewildered that his programming apparently allowed for him to be so obviously embarrassed. But he straightened his spine. "It was my idea, Lieutenant."

B'Elanna sized him up from bald head to Starfleet boots and back. "I really hope you weren't doing it to satisfy your own … wishes, Doctor."

The way she emphasized the last bit made it clear to him that the Klingon was indeed quite adept at reading people … and holograms. But his interests hadn't been that, at least not primarily, and he wanted to clarify that for his sake as well as Seven's. "I can assure you, Ms. Torres, I only wanted to help Seven." He smiled at his blond friend. "I knew, after all, that it's someone else she's interested in."

B'Elanna decided to let it go and get back to the business of clearing up this mess. "Seven, I suggest you go see the captain right now. She might not want to speak to you but don't take no for an answer. It's important that you two talk. Now."

Seven was hanging onto B'Elanna's every word, a situation that was quite uncommon for the engineer. She decided she liked it, and she could see what had drawn the captain in. To have that kind of attention focused on you every second of every day … She sighed.

"What should I say to the captain? And what if she will not agree to talk to me?"

"She will talk to you, Seven," B'Elanna reassured her, even though she knew it could very well be a struggle to get Janeway to listen. "If she won't let you in, access her quarters anyway and make her listen to you. Just remember your attitude towards resistance, Seven."

"But what should I tell her?"

"Tell her that you love her," B'Elanna quietly and carefully said. "Tell her what she makes you feel … that she makes you feel things you don't feel with anyone else. Let her know she's the most important person in the world to you."

Seven nodded but B'Elanna knew even without that confirmation that she was right about Seven's feelings. She couldn't imagine the ex-Borg doing anything by half. "She might try and tell you that she doesn't love you or that you can't be together …"

Seven interrupted. "Why would the captain do that?"

The doctor took over. Gently, he put a hand on Seven's forearm. "Seven, as captain of this vessel she has many responsibilities and she feels them heavily. She might think that she doesn't deserve happiness when her crew is stranded here in the Delta Quadrant. Also, Starfleet regulations frown upon relationships between officers of different ranks."

"That's bullshit, of course," B'Elanna interjected, "but unfortunately, the doctor is probably right in his assessment. But you're not a Starfleet officer, which sure helps."

Seven looked confused and B'Elanna continued. "For now, just go to her and tell her what is in your heart. You can't do much else anyway. It's up to her to accept it or not." She patted Seven on the arm, and gave her a little push towards the door.

"Seven, wait!" The ex-Borg stopped at B'Elanna's call and turned around. "Let your hair down."

Seven looked at the doctor who nodded enthusiastically. She shrugged and pulled the hairpins from her French twist. When she shook her head to settle her hair in waves around her face, B'Elanna could have sworn she heard the EMH sigh. She grinned and gave Seven a thumbs up. Seven uncertainly returned the gesture, then walked out.

As Seven left sickbay, B'Elanna and the doctor looked on like proud parents. Then they gave each other a curt nod, and B'Elanna followed Seven out the door.

Maybe I can still salvage my date with Tom, she thought as her hand touched her combadge to call him. "Although I'd much rather see how this ends."

=/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\=

As soon as the doors to her quarters closed behind her, Janeway sank against the bulkhead next to the door, a shaking hand covering her eyes. She was glad she hadn't met anyone on her way from sickbay, aware of the fact that her command mask was definitely not in working order at the moment.

She slowly straightened and walked over to the replicator. "Double Scotch," she ordered, then manually entering a command string that would give her the real thing rather than synthehol. She ignored the replicator's health risk warning and waited for the drink to appear. Her hand closed around it as soon as it materialized, and she emptied it in one gulp, relishing the way it burned its way down through the cold spot in her chest.

"How can you feel so good one minute, and so utterly wretched the next?" she asked her empty quarters. She resisted the urge to replicate another drink and walked over to her couch instead, gracelessly plopping down with a groan.

"Two days," she said quietly into the dark room. "All I wanted was two days to enjoy this feeling." She curled up on the couch. "Just two damn days."

Well, you said there was no chance in hell for you two, and you wanted to get over it anyway , her little voice mocked her inside her head. "Yes, I know," she ground out. "But not like this!"

She realized what was bothering her even as the tears she couldn't stop started rolling down her cheeks. You never really wanted to let this go, did you? You wanted to hold onto this feeling, waiting and hoping for Seven to find her place in this world. And then maybe, just maybe she would realize that she could love you, too.

"Yeah, right," Janeway snorted, feeling twice as old as her forty-one years. She rolled onto her back and wiped the tears from her face. "Why would she want me anyway? I'm old, I'm a captain, and I can never be fully hers." Her whisper sounded harsh to her own ears. But why would she fall for the doctor? the voice inside her head asked in a reasonable tone. He certainly isn't any more desirable than you are.

=/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\=

Seven exited the turbolift on deck three and walked slowly towards the captain's quarters. Absentmindedly, she rubbed her palms on her thighs, noticing that they seemed to be wet. She stopped, running a short diagnostic routine, and was relieved and dismayed when she realized she was simply, and quite totally, nervous.

"I am Borg," she muttered under her breath. "I will not fail." But B'Elanna and the doctor had shaken her confidence when they had agreed that the captain might not want to be with her, no matter what she was feeling. Up to that moment, that had not occurred to her at all.

She would have to make the captain see that a romantic relationship with her was a good thing. "I am Borg," she repeated, remembering B'Elanna's advice. "Resistance is futile."

She pressed the door chime and waited.

=/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\=

Janeway knew who was at the door. It could only be Seven. Still, she quietly asked the computer, and the modulated voice confirmed her fear. For a long moment, she hid her face under her forearms, bent on avoiding anything and anyone.

The chime was pressed again. Was there a touch of impatience behind the chime this time? Deciding her own anxiety was causing her to hear things, Janeway shook her head and sighed. "Computer, lights one half." She rolled to her feet and walked over to the door, taking a slow, deep breath, and wiping at her eyes before she opened it.

"Hello, Sev‑" The captain looked up and forgot what she was saying or doing when she caught sight of the woman standing before her. Oh my God, she looks great with her hair down. She had to fight the urge to jump Seven and bury her hands in the blond hair. She cleared her throat instead. "What can I do for you?" she finally managed, proud that her voice sounded steadier than she felt.

Seven had watched the captain, registering the effect she had on the woman. Her confidence grew a bit, fanned by the look she had seen on Janeway's face before the older woman had managed to compose her features. Seven saw that the captain was far from being the aloof commander at the moment. Apparently, the scene in sickbay had really shaken her up. There was an aura of vulnerability about Janeway that made Seven want to take her in her arms and keep her safe.

"I would like to talk to you, Captain," Seven said politely, trying a small smile to make her offer more enticing. For a fleeting moment, she wondered if it would be helpful if she just undressed but decided against it. Humans were so unpredictable where nudity was concerned.

Janeway looked at her for a long moment, then nodded and let Seven enter. She followed her to the couch, guiltily enjoying the excellent view of her backside. "Would you like something to drink?" she asked out of pure habit, anticipating Seven's response in her head as soon as the question had left her mouth. I do not require‑

"I … would appreciate a glass of water, thank you," Seven replied to Janeway's surprise.

"Okay, one water coming right up." She walked over to the replicator and returned a few moments later with a pitcher of ice water and two glasses.

"You will not have coffee?" Seven asked when Janeway poured them each a glass.

"No, I'm keyed up enough already," the captain said before she could stop herself.

"You are nervous," Seven stated gently. When Janeway refused to look at her, she went on. "I am also experiencing nervousness, Captain."

Janeway looked at her visitor then, just catching a palm being pressed into a thigh. "So you are," she said. "Want to tell me why you're here at this time of night?"

"I believe you know why I am here." Seven's voice was calm, despite her nervousness. "I wish to talk about what you think you saw in sickbay."

"What I think I saw?" Janeway's eyebrows shot up. "I think it was pretty damn clear what I saw. You and the doctor-‑"

"He was trying to assist me," Seven interrupted quietly.

"Yeah, right," Janeway snorted, wishing fervently for some control. "Why don't you tell me what he was assisting you with," she said after a few seconds, her tone only slightly sarcastic. "It sure didn't look like a medical exam to me."

She grabbed her glass and took a long gulp of the ice water, trying to cool down before she fully erupted. Her hands were shaking, her body insisting on an outlet for her emotional turmoil. In this moment Kathryn Janeway realized two things. First, that the woman sitting next to her on the couch would always be able to drive her completely out of control, entering the world behind the command mask with ease. And secondly, that she would not get over her feelings for Seven any time soon.

In fact, she doubted it would ever happen. Kathryn closed her eyes, suppressing the new tears she could feel rising all the way up from her chest.

When she opened her eyes, she found herself staring directly into a very concerned blue gaze, just inches from her face. Somehow Seven had managed to get up from the couch and kneel down in front of her without her noticing it. Kathryn almost reared back in surprise but forced herself to stay where she was.

Seven put her hands onto the captain's knees, resisting the desire to rub the inside of lean thighs with her thumbs. The muscles under her hands twitched but the older woman did not move away.

"So, why … what …" Kathryn stopped to clear her throat, caught as she was in the blue eyes before her. She blew out a long breath and tried again, her voice low and husky. "What's going on here, Seven?"

Seven felt a sharp pang in the vicinity of her heart at the resigned note in the captain's voice. Her resolve to clear the air strengthened. However, she was still uncertain how to proceed.

"Would you prefer that I start at the beginning or that I begin with the most relevant part?" she finally asked.

"Are you telling me that this is a long story but there's actually only one important point to it all?"

Seven nodded, appreciating the captain's deductive reasoning skills.

"Then by all means start with the relevant point," Kathryn replied with a one-sided shrug. "If I need the whole story later, I'll let you know."

"Acceptable," Seven simply said, then hesitated.

"Well?" The captain's sounded almost amused at the ex-Borg's unusual hesitancy. It must be something big.

When Seven straightened and cupped Janeway's face in her hands, the captain began to realize just how big this could turn out to be. Then she stopped thinking and started to panic as Seven pressed their lips together, gently, lightly, for a moment.

The sweet, short touch was enough to make Seven afraid for her cortical node. It seemed to stop functioning the second her lips had come into contact with the captain's. It was a strange feeling, not analyzing things, not thinking at all, and Seven quite enjoyed it.

So she kissed the captain again.

Janeway hadn't recovered from the first, short kiss when their lips touched again. This time Seven's touch was firmer, more assured, and lasted a lot longer. Janeway knew somewhere deep down that she should stop this but the truth was, she couldn't. All she could do was to hang on and enjoy the ride.

When Seven's lips left hers after long moments, Janeway voiced her disappointment in a moan and did the only thing she could think of. Her hands flew into blond hair, burying themselves into the silken strands, and pulling Seven head back to her own for a passionate kiss.

Seven's eyes flew open, then fluttered close again. This was different. She got lost in the sensation of the captain's lips moving demandingly over her own. Tentatively, she parted her lips and flicked her tongue against the center of the captain's upper lip. Janeway groaned deep in her throat and pushed her tongue deeply into Seven's mouth in return, then retreated, inviting Seven to follow with her own tongue. This time it was Seven's turn to groan as she experienced the taste and texture of the captain's mouth fully for the first time.

Kathryn felt herself losing ground, losing perspective. All she wanted was to keep on kissing Seven and hanging onto her for the rest of the night and into forever. She tightened her grip on Seven, trying to pull the woman even closer. Panic had long since made way for pleasure and the worries flitting through her brain were gone almost as soon as they appeared.

After long, delicious minutes Seven felt Janeway pull away, an unreadable expression on her face. Seven let her go, knowing that the captain would most certainly want to talk more now. The need for communication at this point frustrated her but she also realized that if she wanted the captain to consider a relationship between them, they'd have to stop now. From the look on Janeway's face, she assumed she still hadn't managed to make her intentions clear enough. She just hoped she could find the right words.

Janeway untangled her hands from Seven's hair and stared at them as if she had never seen them before. She swallowed hard, trying to get some moisture back to her mouth from parts down south. Seven had retreated a bit, she was happy to note, giving her the space she needed to come to her senses.

Seven leaned back, just watching the captain. She saw her swallow, and she tried to read the expression on her face as Janeway stared at her own hands. She missed the feeling of them against her scalp already, and she ached to be wrapped around, entangled with the captain again. She sighed and got to her feet, recognizing the futility of her wish for now, and sat beside the captain on the couch.

Finally, the captain spoke. "This …" she gestured between them, an uncertain motion with her hands. "This was the relevant point?"

Seven took the captain's hands in her own, holding them lightly. She was pleasantly surprised when the captain didn't pull them away. "This is the only thing that matters, Captain."

"What does 'this' mean?" Janeway asked, confirming Seven's suspicion that she'd have to clarify her intentions. "And please, Seven, call me Kathryn." Her blue-gray eyes met Seven's. They were vulnerable. "I don't feel much like a captain right now."

Seven wanted to ask what the older woman was feeling but she decided to focus on answering the question first. She tried to show all the feelings in her eyes when she did. "This …" she stopped and reverently touched the captain's lips with her fingertips, "this means I love you."

Oh my God. Kathryn's hormones perked up and danced the mambo at those words and the gentle touch on her lips. Her fingertips tingled like crazy. I must be dreaming. If I'm not, then this is a dream come true. Kathryn shook her head. No, this is much too good to be true. Nobody's that lucky, not even me.

"What do I do now?" she whispered. She didn't realize she had voiced her thought until she heard Seven's answer.

"Accept my feelings for you, Kathryn. That is what you should do now." Seven's mouth curled into a smile that took Kathryn's breath away in its sincere simplicity. There was no way that these eyes, that smile … this woman was anything but honest and sincere about her feelings, she knew.

Kathryn believed her, and it made her own situation so much harder. How hard can this really be?, her inner voice taunted her. You love her, she loves you, and your bedroom is only 15 feet in that direction.

She was torn, between her feelings and between what she knew she should do in compliance with Starfleet regulations. Fuck Starfleet, her inner voice erupted in a voice that sounded suspiciously like her chief engineer. They're worlds away, literally. Kathryn thought of the talk she had with B'Elanna earlier, and how the Klingon had pushed her to approach Seven. You don't even have to make the first move now. All you have to do is accept this gift and be happy.

Kathryn wasn't sure she could. Oh, she wanted to. God, how I want to. But did Seven even know what she was offering, what she was walking into? The thought of Seven always going to the doctor for help on relationship matters made her squeamish. You could help her instead of the doctor, the voice inside her head interrupted her musings. It would be much more fun for Seven and you, and so much more … efficient.

For the first time, Kathryn found herself really considering the thought of a relationship with Seven. She knew she had to enter it with an open heart and mind, ready to let parts of herself go that she had never opened to anyone before. She just knew that any kind of relationship with Seven would be intense, very intense, and there would be no way back once they'd started. Oh, who are you kidding, Katie? For you, there's already no way back.

Did she really want that? Could she do it? Those were the real questions. And was that what Seven wanted, too?

Seven watched the captain struggle with herself, content to let Kathryn work things out in her head, sure in the knowledge that she had made her point. And despite the cautionary words of B'Elanna and the doctor she was relatively certain that the captain would give them a chance. Maybe it was the way Kathryn's eyes moved over her body, although Seven doubted the older woman was really seeing anything. Or maybe it was the way the captain's hand had – quite unconsciously, Seven assumed – moved onto her thigh and was making small circles that were driving her insane with the urge to simply grab the captain and kiss her. Or maybe it was the look of hope that she could see in the blue eyes that met her own now.

Whatever it was, it took Seven's breath away, making her heart expand enough to push out the air in her lungs. She couldn't wait to see what would happen next.

It wasn't what either of them expected, however, judging by the way they jumped when they heard the door chime. And if Seven understood the Klingon swear words correctly, the captain was not pleased at the interruption either. Her heart throbbed a little faster at that thought, and her hope blossomed.

"Computer, who's at the door to the captain's quarters?" Janeway growled.

"Commander Chakotay is at the door to the captain's quarters," the computer evenly replied.

Kathryn let her head fall into her hands. She knew he wouldn't just go away and that he probably wanted to talk about her latest decision to go after the Borg. I so don't need this right now. The chime sounded again. She looked at Seven and came to a decision.

Impulsively, she leaned closer to Seven and gave her a quick kiss. "Don't go anywhere," she said quietly, already leaning in for a second brief kiss. Then she got up and walked to the door, feeling Seven's eyes on her back. It made her feel good instead of self-conscious, and she knew her decision was right.

"Yes, Commander?" she asked when the door opened, her voice carefully neutral.

"Hello, Kathryn," he greeted her with a smile and complete disregard for her professional greeting. "I wanted to see how you were doing after our mission … I thought we could share a night cap." He pulled a bottle half filled with some golden liquid from behind his back.

The captain inwardly growled at his presumptuous greeting but wasn't in any mood to fight with him. Instead she tried to come up with a way to send her second in command on his way without being too obvious. Her mind, however, was busy thinking much more prurient thoughts about the other person in her quarters.

She drew a blank.

"You seem tense," he continued when she didn't react to his offer. He took a step towards her.

Damn right, I'm tense. I'm standing here talking to you when I want to be over there kissing Seven. "I'm just tired, I guess," she simply said, using his comment as a way out. She moved so he couldn't enter her quarters, trying to keep him from seeing Seven. "Can I give you a rain check?"

He studied her for a few moments, then nodded. "Of course." He handed her the bottle and turned to go. "Good night, Captain."

"Good night."

Kathryn turned around and walked away from the door. "Computer, initiate privacy seal on the captain's quarters. Emergency override only." She slowly made her way to Seven who was smiling at her from the couch. "Computer, also initiate privacy seal for my combadge and Seven of Nine's combadge for the next 12 hours."

Seven looked up when the captain stopped to stand in front of her looking down with a pensive expression on her face. "Captain?"

Kathryn smiled at the multitude of feelings she could discern from just that one word. She reached out and took Seven's Borg hand into her own, rubbing her thumb over the ridges of the implant. Then she pressed the hand against her stomach and met Seven's eyes that were wide and very blue. "What do you want, Seven?" she asked, her voice gentle and husky.

Seven forced her hand to remain still against the captain's stomach, although it took a considerate amount of her focus to resist the urge to … just move it. She wasn't sure what the captain was asking. Hadn't she made it clear yet? "Capt … Kathryn?" she repeated, amending the name when she saw the older woman frown.

Kathryn took Seven's hand again and sat down next to her, much closer than before. "You say you love me, Seven," she explained patiently. "But what is it you expect from me, from us?"

Seven didn't need to think about that, she knew the answer deep down inside her. "I want to be with you, Kathryn," she replied, her eyes never leaving the captain's. "I want us to be together," she stumbled slightly over the unfamiliar and vague terms that she had heard the other crewmembers use. "I would like for us to enter into a romantic affilia … relationship."

Kathryn appreciated Seven's attempt at using appropriate vocabulary when talking about love but she didn't need Seven to be anyone other than who she was. "Yes," she finally said. "I would like that, too."

"You would?"

"Yes, Seven," Kathryn said with a warm smile, her hand softly stroking Seven's hair at her temple. Then she moved it to trace the lines of the ocular implant. "I would like to enter into a romantic affiliation with you, too."

Kathryn only had a second to enjoy the look of joy and the vivid blueness of Seven's eyes before her Borg was on her, covering her mouth in a passionate kiss. When they parted for air long moments later, Kathryn erupted in sheer joyful laughter, and was delighted when Seven joined her scant seconds later. The Borg's laughter was quiet at first, and sounded a little rusty, but together they managed to laugh themselves into a hysteric fit of the giggles, successfully reducing the tension between them to a more manageable level.

Kathryn leaned back against the back of the couch taking a few deep breaths to regain full control again. She pulled Seven down with her until the Borg was lying halfway across her lap, her head on Kathryn's left shoulder. Her eyes full of wonder, Seven looked up at her, and Kathryn leaned down and trailed gentle kisses down her eyes, her nose, and finally her lips.

"I love you, Seven of Nine," she murmured quietly, and the tear that trailed down Seven's cheek told her everything she needed to know about the Borg's feelings. "God, do I love you."

=/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\=

They cuddled on the couch for a long time, simply enjoying the fact that they were together, and that they had time. It was quite a bit later, as she thought back to the events that had brought them here, that the captain remembered that Seven should be regenerating in her alcove for almost another two days.

A sigh escaped her before she could stop it, and Seven looked at her questioningly. "What is it, Kathryn?"

Kathryn ran her hand through Seven's hair, tenderly tucking a long strand behind an ear. "I just remembered that you should be regenerating right now."

She kissed Seven quickly, then began to get up but she was held back. "I don't agree with the doctor," Seven explained when she saw the question in Kathryn's eyes. "I rarely do."

"That's true," Kathryn said with a laugh. "But still, if he thinks it would be good for you, I think we should get you to your alcove now." She smiled. "I'll even tuck you in again."

Seven smiled, too. "I would like for you to tuck me in," she said in a low voice, "but not in the alcove."

Kathryn's lower abdomen clenched at the voice and the look Seven gave her, and at what they implied. She swallowed. "I … I'm …"

A fingertip on her lips silenced her ineffective mumblings. "Please?"

Oh God, not that. Not please and that look in her eyes. Kathryn felt herself melt even more and she had to gather all her resolve to say what had to be said. "But I need you to be safe and well, now more than ever."

Seven seemed to think about that. "Acceptable," she replied as she hit her combadge. "Seven of Nine to the doctor."

"What can I do for you, Seven?" The EMH's cheerfulness sounded slightly forced. "I tried to contact you but there's a privacy seal on your combadge-‑"

"Doctor," Seven interrupted him, gently. "Would it be possible for me to start my regeneration cycle in the morning?" She looked into Kathryn's eyes. "And perhaps make it shorter?"

Kathryn shook her head in amused exasperation but it was the doctor who replied. "I thought that the two days in your alcove would be the quickest way for you to get over the recent events. But it looks like you're not feeling any adverse effects, and at the moment I don't see why you can't start tomorrow. However, I do want you to regenerate the full two days." He paused, then added, almost as an afterthought. "If that is all right with the captain."

Kathryn grinned. Subtle, the EMH wasn't. "It's perfectly all right with me, Doctor," she replied. "Thank you and good night," she ended the call before he could respond. She turned to Seven. "You heard what the doctor said," she said seriously. "Will you do as he says?"

Seven scowled. "I will set my cycle for 48 hours." Then she smiled. "However, I will not be responsible if something or someone wakes me up again."

"What did wake you up earlier? You never told me."

"I did not tell you because that was part of the long story, and you preferred that I go straight to the most relevant point."

"And I'm very glad I did," Kathryn said with a smile as she turned in Seven's arms and laid her head on a conveniently located shoulder. "Will you tell me now?"

Seven considered the request as she watched the captain get comfortable in her arms. She realized that however much she, or maybe both of them, wanted to take this to the bedroom, the captain needed this time to connect, just to be together. And she had to admit, it felt really good to be this close to the captain, just to talk or be silent together, to hold her and be held by her, to just be. "Very well," she finally said and explained how she ended up in sickbay.

"Now let me ask you," Seven said when she was finished. "What were you doing in Cargo Bay Two?"

Kathryn blushed, a sight that Seven found absolutely endearing. "I wanted … to see you."

"Ah, one of your gamma shift visits," Seven said knowingly.

"You know about them, huh?"

"Yes, Kathryn. Regeneration is not like sleeping," she explained. "It is more like an altered state of consciousness. I am not fully cognizant of everything that goes on but I am also not unaware of them at the same time." She blew out a breath. "It is difficult to explain."

"I think I understand." Kathryn kissed her neck. "You don't know how or why but you always just knew when I was there."

"Yes," Seven said, and turned her head for a kiss, which Kathryn happily provided. "So, what were you doing in the cargo bay tonight?" Seven asked after a few delicious moments.

"You're not going to let this go, are you?" Kathryn's voice was resigned. Then she became serious. "I realized today, or maybe over the past few days, how deep my feelings for you are. I think I've loved you for a long time but tonight I couldn't run away from it any more." She looked away from Seven. "My plan was to enjoy being in love for two days and to try and get over it at the same time."

She stopped Seven who opened her mouth to say something. "Wait, please. Let me say this." Seven nodded. "Seven, I'm a Starfleet captain, and I grew up the Starfleet way. Regulations are important, I've always believed that. And those regulations do not exactly encourage captains to have relationships with subordinate officers."

Seven nodded again. "Yes, the doctor and B'Elanna tried to explain that you would most likely say that."

"They did?"

"Yes … so why did you accept my advances in such an … uncomplicated way."

Kathryn laughed at Seven's attempt at diplomacy. "Threw you for a loop, huh?"

"Kathryn?"

"I surprised you tonight," Kathryn explained.

"Yes, you did," Seven confirmed. "I had expected you to argue with me, to tell me that it was impossible. This was more … efficient."

"Yes, it was," Kathryn said with a smile. "Maybe that's why I did it."

"Explain."

"I knew that I loved you, and had just begun to experience the joy that comes with being in love." She stopped to kiss Seven for a long moment, satisfied only when she felt the pulse under fingers pick up considerably.

"I guess you came to me at just the right moment," she continued, slightly breathless herself. "My walls were down, and when I realized that you return my feelings, I knew there was no way I would ever get over it. No way. It would have slowly killed me inside, and that would have been far worse for this crew than any relationship with an officer I might have."

"I am happy that you realized the futility of your plan," Seven said with a small grin.

For a moment they just sat there, grinning. Then the grins slipped from their faces and suddenly they were tearing at each other's clothes, kissing passionately. Hot, hard, wet kisses that left them breathless and excited. Kathryn felt shivers running through her body, and when she felt Seven's hand against the small of her back she realized that she had been, somehow, divested of her tunic and t-shirt. Confused, she tore her mouth from Seven's to look for them but she barely managed to register her torn clothes on the floor before Seven decided to move her kisses to Kathryn's throat.

Oh my God, Kathryn thought, right for the jackpot, as Seven's lips teased the spot on her neck that drove her wild. She turned her head and went for Seven's lips again, licking the full lips, then nipping at them and teasing them until Seven grabbed her head and pulled her into a firm contact. Kathryn's hands slid down to Seven's shoulder and around her back as she tried to find a way to get Seven out of her biosuit. She growled in frustration when she couldn't get it open, her focus challenged by the absorbing kissed they shared.

"Off! Now!" she growled, and when Seven stopped her kiss and looked at her she repeated the command. "Take this off!" Her voice was breathless. "Seven, I need to … feel your … skin!" She continued to tug impatiently and ineffectively at the biosuit.

Seven took Kathryn's hands and stopped their fumbling. She tenderly kissed each palm before letting go of them and taking a step away from Kathryn. She reached back to her neck and tapped the hidden closure to her suit, her eyes never leaving the captain's. The suit lost its cohesion and started to drop but Seven held onto it with one arm across her breast. At that, the captain let out a low growl that would have made any Klingon proud, or so Seven thought.

"Seven, please," Kathryn was not too proud to beg. She desperately wanted to see what was hidden under the skintight suit. Her voice turned gentle when she realized that Seven suddenly seemed to be slightly nervous. "I really want to see you, Seven," she implored the other woman. "I need to see you."

To make things easier on Seven, Kathryn removed the rest of her own clothes, and stood naked before the woman she loved within seconds. It took all Kathryn's control not to hide her older body behind her hands but she managed to stand there, hands at her sides, and look straight into Seven's eyes. I hope she likes what she sees.

Seven loved what she saw. Kathryn's body was more beautiful than she could have ever imagined it. To her, it was flawless, perfection. Better than Omega because this perfection she could touch, taste, and smell. She reached out to the body that she knew asked to be touched, and let her bodysuit fall down in the process.

Kathryn gasped as the mesh material slowly slid down Seven's body, revealing perfect breasts, a tight abdomen covered in silvery bands, soft golden curls, and finally endless legs. Then Kathryn couldn't focus any more as Seven's hands found her breasts and she lost herself in the sensations. All she managed to do was reach out to Seven at the same time.

Together, they touched and caressed, nibbled and kissed until neither of them thought they could stand up for much longer. Kathryn was barely held up by Seven's hand in the small of her back, and even that hold turned extremely precarious when Seven accidentally pushed her thigh between Kathryn's legs.

Kathryn moaned loudly and felt her knees actually buckle. She dug her fingers into Seven's shoulders to steady herself and broke their kiss. "Bed … room," was all she got out before Seven covered her lips again, quite happy to keep her captain incoherent for now. She opened one eye to ascertain where she was, then slowly but firmly started to push the captain in the direction of the bedroom. With the way the captain's tongue was delving deeply into her mouth, tasting her down to her soul, she thought it prudent to find something to lie down on quickly.

They stumbled into the bedroom, never once stopping the mind-blowing kisses, and tumbled right onto the blue sheets that covered the bed. Kathryn's breath escaped her in a loud gust when Seven's greater body mass landed on top of her, but instead of pushing her off she wrapped her legs around the lanky body and pulled her closer.

Seven let out a groan, seeing stars behind her eyelids. Even if she had been able to speak at that moment, she would have been unable to describe the way it felt to feel the captain's warm, firm body trapped beneath hers. Their breasts were perfectly aligned, hard nipples rubbing against each other, and Seven could feel every ripple and twitch in the captain's body.

Kathryn removed her legs from Seven's body and turned both of them with a skill that thoroughly surprised Seven. She looked up into Kathryn's eyes, seeing love there, and something she had only ever seen in other, mostly male, crewmembers' eyes: desire. It was turning the captain's eyes almost indigo, with just tiny clouds of gray swirling in their depths, and Seven could have gladly become lost in the passionate gaze. There was tenderness as well, which could also be felt in the soft, fluttering kisses Kathryn now rained upon Seven's face and neck, as she slowly made her way downward.

Kathryn sucked on the pulse point on Seven's neck, enjoying the fluttering beneath her tongue and lips that told her just how much she was exciting the other woman. She detoured and bit down on the nearest earlobe, making Seven moan in an as yet unheard tone. Kathryn gently licked the tiny mark her teeth had left before returning once more to the full lips. She delved into the hot mouth with her tongue, deep and fast, for a moment before retreating just as quickly.

The second her lips closed around a nipple, Seven's head slammed into the bed and a drawn-out hiss escaped her lips. The scientist in Kathryn wanted repeatable results and went for the other nipple, eliciting the same hiss. Immediately, Kathryn decided to make it her life's work to cause as many sounds of pleasure as she could from this woman writhing beneath her. Her hands took over from her mouth, twisting and pulling the nipples until they were hard, and a deep, raspberry red.

Her mouth wandered down the flat abdomen, her tongue tracing the Borg implants that covered it in a three-striped V-pattern. Seven's hand flew into her hair and she stopped for a second. "Does that bother you?" she murmured, unable to resist pressing a kiss against Seven's sternum. "Are the implants too sensitive?"

"Sensitive … yes," Seven groaned, almost completely incoherent by now. "Do not … stop," she pleaded between gasps, "so … good."

The hand in Kathryn's hair tried to position her head where it was needed the most, and the captain went along willingly. She could smell Seven's arousal and was surprised to feel a sharp twitch in her lower abdomen in response. Her own arousal was slowly threatening to overwhelm her, a fact that would have surprised her had she had the ability to think clearly at the moment. As it was, it took all her control not to just ravage Seven and take what she wanted, hoping to be ravaged in just the same way afterwards. She pressed her lower body into the bed, trying to relieve some of the tension between her legs but that only made it worse.

Kathryn took a deep breath, trying to gain some control, but Seven's musky odor hit her full force, and she felt her arousal level spike dangerously. She forced herself to focus on Seven, wanting to offer her a good experience for her first time, something she could remember fondly later.

Seven couldn't focus on anything but the woman who was doing so many wonderful things to her. She had thought it couldn't get any better than the feeling of Kathryn tenderly nipping and sucking on her nipples but then the captain had moved lower to taste her abdominal implants. Seven's heart rate had hit the roof then, and she was dangerously close to exploding. This was a feeling she never wanted to end, she managed to think, until Kathryn had moved even lower.

When Kathryn's lips covered her swollen clitoris, Seven cried out in wonder, the first tremors of her orgasm running through her body. She felt the captain withdraw and tried to push Kathryn's head back to where she really needed it.

"Now!" she commanded in a rough voice that she herself had never heard herself use. "Please, Kath…ryn."

Kathryn smiled against the rough hair she was being pressed against and ran her tongue in a long sweep from Seven's opening to the hardened bundle of nerves and back. "God, you're wet," she murmured, making Seven twitch with the vibrations of her mouth. "So wet," she repeated for good measure, feeling her own wetness spreading against her inner thigh.

She traced the deeply pink and swollen labia with her tongue, then pushed it as deeply inside Seven as she could. She could feel the muscles inside flutter against her tongue, and she was aware of the answering flutters inside her own body. She knew it was time.

Seven cried out loudly when Kathryn entered her with her index finger, then groaned in protest when the finger was removed quickly again. Kathryn entered her again, using two fingers this time. Seven felt her eyeballs roll back into her head and she could have sworn her cortical implant shut down with a small electrical hiss. Then all she knew were the colors of the rainbow and fire running through her body in waves. She tried to hold onto something, afraid she would just float away on one of the waves, and her hand tightened in Kathryn's hair, instinctively pulling her upwards.

Kathryn gladly followed that call, needing to be close to Seven just as much. Her fingers never ceased their pumping motion inside Seven as she moved up her body until they were face to face again. Her kiss was hard, her tongue mimicking the movement of her fingers, and her reward was a guttural cry and the clenching of muscles around her fingers.

Kathryn stilled her hand, guiding Seven through her first orgasm with soft motions with her thumb on the sensitive nub. She pressed her own mound against the top of Seven's thigh, moving in short staccato bursts against the firm muscle. Once, twice, and then she was there, joining Seven in a world of bliss and exploding colors. Kathryn cried out, loudly, as she felt Seven's hands on her lower back pushing her down even harder, making her orgasm longer and stronger than she had anticipated.

Seven almost blacked out during her orgasm from lack of oxygen but the captain's insistent rocking against her thigh brought her back quickly. She was drawn to the look of utter abandon on the captain's face, and without thinking about it, she raised her leg and used her hands to pull the smaller woman tighter against her.

Kathryn's head reared back and she let out a sound somewhere between a moan and a sigh, deep and long, a sound unlike any Seven had ever heard. She loved it, and she wanted to hear it again, so she pressed herself against the captain's body, wrapping herself around the smaller woman as much as she could. Her human hand moved between their bodies, and driven by instinct and what she had just experienced, she pushed two fingers deeply into the captain.

"Oh, yes," Kathryn groaned. "God, yes … more, Seven." She rocked faster. "More … harder … yes … yes …"

Seven wasn't completely sure what to do so she went with instinct again. She removed her fingers slowly and pushed back hard with three fingers, repeating the motion again and again. Slowly out, fast in, watching the captain the whole time.

Kathryn's body was shaking, sending wave after wave of crashing orgasm through her. When Seven pushed inside her, harder than before, her brain shut down and she let out a cry of sheer animal pleasure. Then she collapsed on top of Seven, her own hand still cupping Seven intimately.

Seven pressed a tender kiss against the captain's hair and gently withdrew her fingers from their warm, wet haven. She could still feel the muscles fluttering against them, and she positioned her hand just outside, mirroring the hold the captain's hand still had on her. She could feel a tightness in her chest and realized, just as the first tear was rolling down the side of her face, that she was crying.

She looked down at the captain's face and found herself captured in a tender blue gaze, from eyes that were also filled with tears. She smiled in pure reflex at the warmth in those eyes, and stopped worrying about her own tears. If the captain was crying as well, it was okay, she thought.

Kathryn pushed herself up a bit until she leaned over Seven with her head propped up by one hand. "Are you all right, Seven?" Her voice was warm and husky, and sent shivers down Seven's spine. All she could do was smile and nod.

Kathryn leaned over Seven's face and tenderly kissed away the tears, before pressing a kiss to Seven's lips. The kiss was tender and slow, and lasted for a long, long time.

"I love you," Kathryn said softly when she managed to tear herself away. "You're the best thing that's happened to me in a long time."

Seven's smile could have lit up the inside of a black hole, and Kathryn could feel a new rush of tears coming. She didn't really mind. Showing this woman exactly how she felt seemed right, especially if she got a smile like that in return.

"Can you tell me how you feel, Seven?" Kathryn asked after a few moments of staring into each other's eyes. "Did you enjoy yourself?" Kathryn groaned inwardly as soon as the question left her mouth. Why don't you just go ahead and ask if your performance was adequate?

Seven pulled Kathryn down and arranged them so that the captain was resting half on top of her and half on the bed, her head resting on Seven's breast. She ran her fingers through the auburn hair as she formulated her reply. "I cannot adequately express how I feel, Kathryn," she admitted after a while. "It was unlike anything I have ever experienced before. It was … more than I ever expected."

"More?" Kathryn couldn't help herself.

"Yes, more." Seven didn't seem to mind. "More … beautiful, more intense … just more." She stopped, looking slightly disgruntled at her inability to express her feelings better.

Kathryn nodded, understanding perfectly. "It was the same for me, love," she added. "Just more. More than I ever expected, more than I could have ever imagined." And boy, did you imagine, her little voice managed to add before she could stop it.

"I am glad," Seven simply replied.

"So am I, love, so am I."

Kathryn chuckled and when Seven looked at her questioningly, she explained. "This was not how I thought the day would end but I'm not complaining."

The corner of Seven's mouth curled upward. "This morning I thought I would be a drone by this time, so this is a definite improvement."

Kathryn laughed. "Was that a joke, Seven?" She sounded delighted.

Seven let her wait a few seconds before she nodded. "Yes, it was." She kissed Kathryn. "It is … I am just happy."

"I'm glad," Kathryn echoed Seven's earlier statement. "I want you to be happy." The captain grew serious. "It's not going to be easy, you know," she murmured. "You and me, together."

"I know."

"There will be some members of the crew who will not comment favorably on our relationship." And that was putting it mildly.

"I know," Seven repeated. "But B'Elanna will help with that."

Kathryn thought about that. "Yes, she might. She practically pushed me into the cargo bay earlier so I could tell you how I feel." She grinned and shook her head.

"Would you have?"

"Would I have what?"

"Would you have told me how you feel if it had not been for my experiment with the doctor?"

Kathryn sighed and cuddled closer to the lanky body next to her. "Honestly? I don't know. Right now I think I would have told you anyway, although maybe not tonight. But eventually I would have realized that I couldn't run away from my feelings, and I couldn't repress them constantly. They're too big a part of who I am, of how I work as a human being, and as captain." She met Seven's eyes. "As I said before, I think it would have slowly killed me inside."

"Then it is a good thing that our feelings are … out in the open now."

"I can't wait to see B'Elanna tomorrow morning," Kathryn said dryly. "She's going to enjoy herself at my expense." She mock-glared at Seven. "And you will be regenerating while I have to field all her curious questions."

"You could always tell her to come to me with her questions, Kathryn," Seven reasonably suggested.

"No, it's not a problem really. I never for a second assumed we could keep this relationship hidden or private, especially not if B'Elanna was involved in its inception, however peripherally."

Seven was quiet for so long that Kathryn thought the Borg had dozed off. She closed her eyes herself, perfectly ready to give herself over to the pleasant lethargy that pervaded her body, turning her bones to jelly. Then Seven's voice pulled her back. "Do you mind that we cannot keep this relationship hidden, Kathryn?"

Kathryn's gut reaction was to deny any problems she might have with that but she bit back the spontaneous response. "I don't mind that people will know that I love you and that you love me," she said. No, never that. "But I don't know how the senior staff will react, or the crew, and I would mind very much if some crewman felt the need to express his … adverse reaction to you or me, or anybody else on this ship." She blew out a breath.

"You could …"

"No, I can't send them all to you, love," she interrupted Seven. "However much I'd want to."

"That was not what I was going to say, Kathryn."

"Oh?"

"What I was going to say was that you could order B'Elanna and the doctor to not say anything so we can keep this … secret." Seven was quite unsuccessful in hiding what she thought about such a solution.

Kathryn laughed. "Oh God, Seven, I love that you said that but do you really think we could hide our feelings for each other?" She kissed Seven. "Especially now that we've expressed them and have experienced what touching each other feels like?"

Seven looked relieved as she shook her head.

"No, Seven," Kathryn said as her hand began trailing along the silvery bands of Seven's abdominal implant. "I don't think we can hide it." Her hand moved in ever-larger circles on Seven's stomach, and she felt her lover's breathing pick up. "And what's more," she added between kisses to Seven's neck, "I don't want to hide it."

Seven's breath caught at the firm tone and the hungry look in the captain's eyes as they looked at each other. "I do not want to hide either," was the only thing she could think of saying as she watched the captain's eyes grow darker with the now familiar look of desire.

"Is that decided then?" Kathryn asked.

"Yes," Seven replied, not exactly sure what the captain was talking about and not really caring.

"Good." Kathryn bit down on Seven's earlobe. "Because I think we could be doing so much more pleasurable things than talking right now." Her hand cupped Seven's mound and she grinned at the Borg's moan. "I want you, Seven," she said huskily. "And I think I'll want you for a long, long time."

She kissed Seven with all the passion she felt for her, and felt the emotion mirrored in the answering kiss. They were both panting when they parted for air, and their hands were liberally roaming over every body part they could reach, exciting, teasing, arousing.

The last thing the captain thought before she was swept up in their love had a ring of finality to it. The others will just have to get over it.

The End?