A/n: WARNING: This story is underTragedy for a reason, it's sad almost from the outset and is only going to get more so. Now you can't say I didn't warn you. Please review. Thanks to DestinChild and SweetDeath04 for the help and support.
The desolate Class L planet almost completely filled the Astrometrics view screen. Seven looked down at the scans and sighed deeply, they gave her even less information than the ones Icheb had run on his trip to the surface the day before, throwing no further light on the mysterious alien technology encased within the planet's solitary structure. Thinking back she knew it had been unwise of her to give the Captain hope that this device could aid Voyager in their mission to return to the Alpha Quadrant. Chakotay had been right when he'd warned her that the Captain could be "like a dog with a bone" in such cases, but she supposed it was that reckless determination that had got Voyager through the last ten years. That was small consolation to her, she would still need to go down to this planet and work relentlessly until the Captain's slim bit of hope had given out and Voyager could move on. She couldn't stop herself from sighing again at the prospect of how long that would take. "Good Morning Crewman, I don't think I gave you a duty shift for this morning."
Seven's mood immediately shot up several notches but she didn't turn to face the source of the deep soft voice, only smirked and replied in the same teasing tone, "Apparently some wives get terms of endearment in the morning, not that I have any personal experience of it, all I get is "Crewman"."
Chakotay chuckled good-naturedly, they both knew the use of ranks as pet names was a long standing joke between them, ever since they'd started dating three years before and the tradition still lingered even after two years of marriage. Contritely he walked to her side and put his arm round her waist, coiling her body against his as he kissed her lovingly and deeply. Eventually pulling back slightly to look in her eyes he murmured huskily, "Better?"
Seven looked at him flirtatiously through her eyelashes. "Most satisfactory." She replied softly before lightly resting her head against his neck with a small sigh.
"What are you doing in here so early? I really didn't give you a duty shift." He asked into her loose hair, rubbing her tense shoulders as he did so.
"I am preparing for my visit to the planet's surface."
"What? You told me last night Icheb didn't find anything particularly promising…"
"The Captain told me an hour ago she still wishes to continue, she has ordered me to examine the device myself…"
"No offence Seven but if Icheb didn't find anything after eighteen hours down there you're probably not going to find anything either."
"I know, I told her as much but you know the Captain…"
Chakotay's shoulders sagged slightly, he did know the Captain. Distractedly he twisted a strand of her hair around his finger. "Don't worry, if you don't find anything it's not the end of the world. If you become a worrier your hair will turn grey like mine."
Seven ran her hand through his thick black hair with only a sprinkling of white hair at the temples. "There is no evidence that there is a psychological reason for greying hair." She kissed him affectionately, "The age gap between us remains the same." She reminded him gently.
"Hmm…" he mumbled distractedly as his lips moved down her neck.
"Chakotay…I'm working…" Seven half-heartedly reprimanded, although she was rapidly becoming breathless.
"You don't have to be."
"Later…" She hit his arm when he groaned, "I promise!"
He reluctantly straightened back up and asked more seriously, "When do you go?"
"1100 hours."
"Who's going with you? Do I have a chance?"
"Lieutenants Kim and Paris, which is a good thing because much as I love you your piloting skills leave much to be desired and the proton field in the atmosphere makes the transporter unusable."
Chakotay took her hands and held them tight. "Insulting my piloting skills is a rare privilege, don't over use it!" he laughed. "Do you have time to have breakfast with me?"
Seven glanced back at her stack of work before lifting her eyes to his with a smile. "I'll make time, let's go." With that they left Astrometrics hand in hand.
"Any luck yet Seven?" Tom Paris' voice echoed through to where she knelt within an access panel beneath the huge device of unknown origin.
Wiping the beads of sweat from her brow she couldn't help but be a little sharp with her reply, since it was the fifth time he'd asked her in a thirty minute period. "No, Lieutenant."
"For God's sake Tom, didn't your mother ever tell you patience is a virtue?" asked the newly promoted Harry Kim.
"Dad did, I get my impatience from my Mom. You're one to talk Harry Kim; you've been burning my ear off for the last couple of days about how big a breakthrough this could be for us."
"We think it creates wormholes, of course I'm excited!" he retorted.
Seven used her aching, tired knees to crawl out into the room. "Unfortunately having a theory and putting it into practice are two very different things."
"Got something you need to be home for Seven?" asked Tom teasingly.
"Yes and so do you I believe, Chakotay told me it's B'Elanna's birthday tomorrow and you have yet to plan anything."
"Don't remind me! I haven't even replicated a present yet! We probably should be going back, we've pulled eight full hours and the weather's getting bleak out there."
Harry's head popped up from behind the console, looking disappointed. "Alright you win. We can always come back tomorrow. I'll just run one last scan." He ran his specialised tricorder over the console, a curious frown forming as he looked at the results. "Seven, come look at this. Part of it's been activated!"
Seven rose up into a standing position and joined him at the console, looking at his results. "It must be programmed to react to certain atmospheric conditions. If I can…" Her words stopped in her throat and became a horrific scream as suddenly a huge beam erupted from the console and hit her at full force, throwing her against the wall like a ragdoll.
"Seven!" cried Tom and Harry in petrified unison, running to her blindly despite the danger. At the sight of her injuries their eyes widened in shock and fear. Tom knew that his medic training wouldn't help this, there was a huge gaping hole in her torso and an even larger exit wound in her back, in a matter of seconds blood had already completely drenched her and the surrounding area. Tapping his comm. badge Tom called out urgently to Voyager, "Emergency medical transport!"
Seven, staring straight ahead, her eyes wild with pain, choked out, "They can't…the…proton field…"
Tom swore under his breath and began to lift her. "What are you doing?" cried Harry as Seven uttered a ragged groan at the movement.
"Taking her to the shuttle. Hold her head." Tom ordered.
Harry hurriedly did so and they began to move as fast as they dared back to the shuttle. Seven felt her eyes begin to roll to the back of her head. "Chakotay…" she whimpered fearfully.
Harry heard her and lowered his head to her. "It's Harry and Tom here Seven. We're taking you back to him, you just stay awake okay?"
Chakotay sitting languidly in his chair in the Bridge when Tom's voice reverberated round the room. "We're coming back, tell the Doctor to meet us in the shuttle bay."
The frantic edge in Tom's voice made him sit up. What could be so serious that the Doctor had to go to them? The Captain must have been thinking along the same lines for she immediately asked, "Who is it Tom?"
A sickening pause. "It's Seven. Get Chakotay down there too won't you?" The extra sentence wasn't needed, Chakotay bolted towards the door, shivering as if he'd been immersed in ice water, his breathing shortening to hyperventilation as he ran, his brain screaming in denial the whole way.
"Understood Tom." Said the Captain shakily before calling the Doctor. "Doctor, it's Seven. Go to the shuttle bay now."
"Understood Captain." As soon as she heard the Doctor's reply, the Captain followed in Chakotay's footsteps to the shuttle bay.
Pain. Hot and searing and yet she felt so cold, unnaturally so. Out of the corner of her rapidly receding vision she could she her implants sparking as they destabilized one by one. The Borg warnings rang in her ears, making her whole skull hurt. Her lungs weren't functioning properly, as if they'd turned to stone, but they were filled with fluid she couldn't seem to expel. Were her legs gone? She couldn't feel them…With shocking bluntness the realisation came. She was dying. A sob became a cough and the sweet taste of blood filled her mouth. An image floated above her head, Chakotay. He would miss her, his suffering would be great, she didn't want that. She should tell him. "Chakotay…"
"You'll see him soon Seven." Her eyes, with a great deal of effort, focused on Harry sitting before her and Tom in his pilots' chair.
"Harry…Tom…" More blood. "You will…look…after him…won't you?"
"We all look after each other on Voyager Seven, like we're looking after you now." Tom told her with shooting pains of grief spiralling up his heart.
That wasn't enough. "Tell…him…that…I love…"
Harry seized her arm. "Don't do that Seven! You'll tell him that yourself okay?" He turned angrily to Tom as he saw Seven's eyes grow even dimmer, her face grey and contorted. "For the love of God Tom, hurry up!"
Chakotay ran into the shuttle bay and into the shuttle almost before it was safe, before even the Doctor or the Captain. The sight that greeted him made his heart leave his body, twisting his stomach into cruel knots. "Chakotay…" Harry started, holding him back but he pushed him aside and ran to where Seven lay, kneeling down and pressing his hands over her still face.
"Seven…" he croaked out pleadingly.
Miraculously her eyes fluttered open and after a few seconds the light of recognition lit her dull eyes and she breathed out his name. "Chakotay…" He saw sure he saw the ghost of a relieved smile pass over her lips as she said it.
He valiantly tried to force back his sobs but they were only thinly veiled in his shaking voice. "Oh sweetheart…"
"C…cold…" she managed to whisper out, he felt his chest buckle in fear but blindly following instinct lifted her into his arms and onto his lap, gently cradling her, hoping his warmth, his life, would somehow seep into her.
The Doctor finally appeared, his face drained of all colour, his grip tightening on his medical kit until his knuckles turned white. Regaining control he joined Chakotay on the floor, running a scan over her and then muttering "Oh God" under his breath before setting out to stop the tide of death. "Seven, can you hear me? I'm going to help you okay?"
She seemed utterly unaware of his presence, her eyes fixed on Chakotay's face. "Hurts…" she whispered, her head lolling against Chakotay's chest.
Chakotay had to gulp hard to enable speech. "I know honey…I know…the Doctor…he's helping you…"
Her fingers suddenly clutched his sleeve in an iron grip. "I'm…sorry…for…give…me…"
An angry frightened sob broke through now. "Seven, there's absolutely nothing to forgive! Don't say things like that please…"
Seven shuddered as the Doctor did something to her, but she found the strength somewhere to speak again. "I…love…you…"
Tears began to course down his cheeks. "I know…I love you so much…that's why you have to stay here with me my love…" He felt the Doctor begin to work even more frantically beside him but Seven's lips parted again. "No…no don't talk…you're not well…" The sound of the cortical stimulator's alarm cut mercilessly through the air and Seven instantly went completely limp in his arms. "Seven…Seven!" His panicked shout made everyone gathered in the shuttle bay run to the shuttle.
"60 kilojoules..." No effect. "70 kilojoules…80…" Chakotay didn't know how long he sat there listening to the Doctor's commands but he was aware of when the Doctor's shoulders slumped, when he turned to a sobbing Captain with a shake of the head.
"Do it again!" he shouted angrily at the Doctor, wrenching his eyes away from Seven for a moment.
"Chakotay…"
"Do it again! I'm ordering you!" he screamed hysterically.
The Doctor put a heavy hand on his shoulder. "It wouldn't matter. She's gone…"
He wrenched himself away and gazed desperately down at Seven's face, rubbing her cheek with his thumb as he had done so many times as she slept to wake her. "Seven…wake up…come back my love…please…" His eyes found the smudge of blood his thumb had left on her face, that wasn't right. She would have wiped that away, she couldn't stand imperfection after all and yet she ignored it, remained still and unmoving. It was then that it hit him and his heart and soul crumpled with his body into grief.