A/n: This new story is totally unrelated to my other ongoing C7 story "Fascination". Don't worry I'm going to be updating both of them pretty regularly. Please give this one a chance and review so I know whether to keep going!
The insistent buzz of the alarm clock pulled Chakotay from his pleasant dreams and he sat up suddenly, startling Seven who was still half asleep on his chest. "Computer, date and time!"
"Stardate 7356.9, Friday 23rd of July 2378. 0730 hours." Taking this in, he turned to Seven, who with her quicker reactions was already climbing out of bed.
"Don't you have your last medical appointment with the Doctor today before he goes to that three week medical conference on Trill?"
She walked to the balcony window of their bedroom, throwing open the curtains to allow the early morning San Francisco sunshine to flood in before replying. "Yes, during my lunch hour."
He wrapped his arms round her from behind as he approached. "You know, some people use their lunch break to actually eat lunch." He teased gently.
"It is inefficient to use a whole hour just taking nutrients while on duty."
"You're right if you say it like that!" he laughed. "The Doctor's going to kill me if you haven't regenerated enough again this month."
"Do not worry, I would deactivate him before he killed you." She said in her typical deadpan yet humorous tone, which made him laughingly reply "Thanks!" as she kissed him.
"I did regenerate last night, you did not notice because you were asleep when I left and when I returned."
"How very inconsiderate of me! Can I have a do over?" he said, only half jokingly.
"Not now, we're running late. Do you want me to make scrambled egg for breakfast?"
"Yes, please. I'm going to miss your cooking while I'm away."
Seven hid the sadness which crossed her face at the reminder of his leaving almost immediately but his well practiced eye caught it. "I'll be back on Monday; I have to go to try to persuade them to back my research somehow." He sighed, "Not that I have much hope."
"That is the wrong attitude. I have confidence in you. Your research is excellent."
"I hope people who don't live with me have the same opinion." He said with a wry smile.
They settled down to an as usual delicious breakfast, then travelled at together to the city centre only parting at the fountain in the square which separated the departments they were working in, with an embrace which warmed the hearts of the people watching.
Seven was at that time assigned to Starfleet Engineering, working on the Borg modifications on a new ship, the aptly named U.S.S. Resistance. The work itself was satisfying enough, but her colleagues constant questioning often left her feeling down hearted. She felt she had little to complain about though, as her relationship with Chakotay, which was now 14 months and nine days old by her calculation continued to flourish beyond her wildest expectations.
The morning passed relatively easily and when 1300 hours came she left for her appointment with the Doctor, who greeted her cheerily as she entered his state of the act offices in Starfleet Medical.
"Good afternoon Seven, how have you been?"
"There have been no problems Doctor."
"Good…good, did you have your menstrual cycle again?"
Seven flushed at the intimate question. "Yes."
"It's nothing to be embarrassed about Seven, I know it's still relatively new for you, I was as surprised as you were when that part of your human physiology reasserted itself. That emotion suppressing implant in your cortical node controlled more that I thought. I suppose there's some sick logic to it if you think about it."
"I have tried not tothink about it." She swallowed hard. The thought that she might be robbing Chakotay of the opportunity to have children filled her with guilt, but she seriously doubted that she had sufficient capacity, if any, to be someone's mother. Her concern for Chakotay however, as was almost always the case won out for now. "Do you think I would be able to carry a child?"
"Why? Have you been thinking about it?" The Doctor stared at her, being with Chakotay really had increased her emotional development rapidly.
"No! The subject has never come up in conversation…but I would like to know what would happen."
"Of course." Said the Doctor gently. "If you were to conceive, which even though you're young is far from a certainty, you would need to be watched very carefully because you have nanoprobes in your bloodstream."
Seven grimaced in horror. "My child would be assimilated?"
"If we did nothing, probably yes, but I perhaps could find a way around that by giving you a drug which would weaken the nanoprobes, form some sort of barrier." He went to screen and began to work on different theories with Seven watching.
The time when she was supposed to return to work came and she had to tear herself away. The Doctor felt he had to say something before she left. "Seven this is all very theoretical, it would be very dangerous for you even under the best of circumstances, don't make any rash decisions."
Seven assured him that she wouldn't and left hurriedly, his warning still ringing in her ears. As she left, feeling understandably distracted she narrowly avoided a collision with B'Elanna who was entering with Miral in a stroller. "Careful, Seven! Trying to escape from the Doctor's grasp?"
"I apologise…B'Elanna." It was still difficult for her to not call her Lieutenant, even after more than a year on more informal terms.
"It's okay, I wanted to speak to you anyway, you know that it's Chakotay's birthday two weeks tomorrow?"
"The 8th of August, yes I am aware."
"Tom wants to throw him a surprise birthday party."
Seven couldn't help feeling confused. "I wasn't aware that forty nine was a landmark birthday."
B'Elanna laughed. "It's not normally, but the crew haven't got together since the first anniversary celebrations."
"I am not averse to the idea." Although she had a feeling Chakotay would be.
"Great. You know not to tell him don't you?" B'Elanna had got used to Chakotay and Seven's relationship quicker than even she had expected, she could see it was making them both very happy.
"I know the principle." They said their goodbyes and went their separate ways.
While this was happening, Chakotay was wandering around at loss with what to do with himself during the lunch hour which he would normally have spent with Seven. He found himself being continually drawn to a large jewellery shop, and he eventually gave in and entered. Almost immediately a very simple ring, a single diamond set in white gold caught his eye. He thought of how perfect it was. Sometimes the spirits point you in the right direction, he thought happily as he called for the sales assistant.
They were reunited that night, he distracted by the box burning a hole in his pocket and she by the Doctor's warning repeating in her head.
"The family of esteemed immunologist Dr Alexander Stonetsky and his wife Ludmila made a another appeal for information tonight on the four month anniversary of their kidnap from a Moscow street by a group of unknown humanoid aliens…" The television blared in the background.
"Why would anyone want to kidnap an immunologist?" Chakotay mused, his arm round Seven on the couch.
"I don't know. It is unfortunate for the family." Seven replied, leaning over to turn it off. "Tom and B'Elanna are organising a birthday party for you, it was supposed to be a surprise but I did not think you would enjoy…"
"You're right! Get them to cancel it."
"I can't! They will realise I informed you."
He affectionately cupped her face in his hands. "Just tell them I explicitly told you, I wanted a quiet day, with just us."
"But…"
"No buts. It's my birthday, I get to decide." He cut off any further argument by kissing her passionately.
The buzz of the phone made Seven reluctantly pull back. "Computer, who is calling?"
"Admiral Kathryn Janeway."
Chakotay uttered a groan. "Just ignore her. She never calls for a good reason."
Despite his protestations she went into another room to answer the call. She sat down in front of the screen and answered the call. The Admiral's face appeared on the screen, her only greeting a cold "Seven."
"Good evening, Admiral."
"You've to come to Starfleet Headquarters on Monday for another debriefing."
Seven was upset and didn't entirely succeed in hiding it. "What? You told me the meeting three months ago would be my last!"
The Admiral was unfazed by the outburst. "Circumstances have changed."
"What circumstances? Why do they need me?"
"That is none of your concern!" said the Admiral in a peevish tone. "Just be there at 1500 hours." Without further ceremony she ended the conversation and the screen went blank.
Chakotay fought the anxious feeling growing in the pit of his stomach, Kathryn had been increasingly cold and distant recently, the promotion had obviously gone to her head, Seven never came back feeling good about herself after their conversations.
His worse fears were confirmed when she returned, looking distraught.
"What happened?"
"I am to be debriefed by Starfleet on Monday."
"Again? I thought they said…"
"I know what they said!" she snapped.
"Come here."
She sank gratefully into his open arms. She hated the debriefings, a better name would be interrogations, she had to prepare herself once more for boundless suspicion and unrestrained personal attacks.
Chakotay hugged her close and rubbed her back soothingly, he knew his question would have to wait as a melancholy air settled upon them.
A/n: So what do you think?