A/n: A big thank you to for not only giving me this fic idea but also for making her first fanfic be about C/7. It's called "Intro: Meant to Be" and it's off to a great start! :D This story is set just after "Natural Law".
"Happy Birthday Naomi!" Chakotay greeted the little girl warmly as he entered the Mess Hall, already packed with partygoers congratulating the little girl. "I'm sorry I'm late, there was another malfunction on the Bridge…" He began to explain, but Naomi shook off his apology.
"That's okay Commander, Voyager has to come first." She said seriously.
"You really are serious about being the Captain's assistant aren't you?" Harry remarked with an affectionate smile at the girl.
Janeway broke in with a chuckle before an eager eyed Naomi could reply, bending down to wrap an encouraging arm around Naomi's shoulder. "Of course she is Ensign, she'll outrank both of us one day I'm sure." She declared confidently as Naomi gasped in delight at the support of her role model.
"Oh for sure." Harry quickly agreed with a grin as Neelix joined the small group, holding a tray of nibbles aloft.
"Are you ready to perform the song you've been practising for today Naomi?" The Talaxian asked pleasantly, "I know everyone would love to hear you." His warm, paternal smile widened as the crewmembers in the room all nodded in anticipation.
Naomi bit her lip nervously, "I'm not ready for that yet Neelix…" She began apprehensively.
The Doctor looked down at her kindly, "I'd be happy to warm the crowd up for you Naomi with an operatic aria or two…"
"Or three, or four or five arias knowing you Doctor." Tom commented wryly, the Doctor's enthusiasm for the sound of his own voice was well known among the crew.
The Doctor huffed slightly, offended. "And what talents exactly would you have to grace Naomi's show Mr Paris? Waxing lyrically about 20th Century…" He searched around for the term, "…B movies?"
Seven, who'd been observing this conversation with a degree of disbelief, decided it was time to intervene on her young friend's behalf. "If Naomi Wildman does not wish to perform, then she need not." She pointed out stiffly, earning a grateful hug from Naomi in return.
"I'm not saying that she does Seven…" Tom clarified with an understanding glance at Naomi, "But I'll have the Doctor know I was a whizz on the harmonica at one point, I'm sure I'd be up to any challenge…"
"Harmonica?" The Doctor echoed incredulously, "I wouldn't call that a fair challenge to some of the greatest vocal pieces even written…"
"Boys…" A heavily pregnant B'Elanna stood between her husband and the hologram, an amused smirk on her face, "Let's just agree to disagree for now, okay?"
Most of the other people in the Mess Hall laughed in agreement with the Chief Engineer's statement, but Neelix was off in a world of his on. "A challenge…" He muttered to himself, a beaming smile spreading rapidly across his face as the fragments of an idea clicked into place in his mind, "We could hold a talent show!" he exclaimed excitedly, "Not just the Doctor and Tom, but Harry on his clarinet, Celes on the Bajoran harp, Chell on the Bolian drums, me and my chopping skills…" He broke off with an awkward chuckle as he felt the crew's eyes zeroing in on him, "Participation wouldn't be obligatory of course, I just thought it would be fun!"
He gave a start of surprise as Janeway patted him encouragingly on the shoulder. "Yes, it would be fun Neelix, a distraction from all the stresses of the Delta Quadrant. I for one give the idea my full support."
Neelix looked even more excited than Naomi as she flung herself into his arms, happy that she'd now get to share the spotlight with her crewmates and friends. "Well then, with the Captain as a benefactor, I'm sure I'll be able to organise Voyager's very own "Talent Extravaganza" for a week today!"
Chakotay unobtrusively pulled the Captain aside as people began to split into groups to discuss their own additions to the talent show's programme with varying degrees of eagerness and optimism. "Are you sure this is a good idea Captain?" he asked her quietly, studying her face.
The Captain sighed, "Over the years I've realised it's better to go with the flow in regards to Neelix's plans Chakotay, he is Morale Officer after all and you were just telling me yesterday that some people are feeling a little down, this could be the perfect pick me up…" She paused as she read his unconvinced expression, "What Chakotay? You have talents don't you?" she teased.
"Talents that are demanded by something like this?" Chakotay gave a dry laugh as he shrugged his shoulders, "I honestly don't know…" He trailed off as a scene by the doorway caught his eye. Seven was mumbling something obviously apologetic to Naomi, who smiled at her in understanding and gave her a brief hug before the former Borg practically bolted from the room. Unbidden, worry clenched his gut. Seven could be so detached from the crew, it wouldn't have worried him a few months earlier but after he'd had the opportunity to spend time with her on Ledosia he knew she had so much more to offer than just serving as the ship's resident Borg expert. If only he could get her to open up as she had to him then… He cringed to himself, disconcerted by the track his thoughts were taking him down, who was he to lecture her on what to do? It wasn't as if he himself wanted much to do with this talent show idea either… He realised the Captain was waiting for him to continue and quickly gathered his thoughts into a similarly teasing rebuke, "What were you thinking of submitting as your talent Captain?"
She laughed, lifting her empty coffee cup to eye level and scrutinising it, "How to brew the perfect cup of coffee perhaps?" she joked, "I'd count that as a stellar talent!"
Seven was at a loose end as she left the Mess Hall. She'd promised to leave Astrometrics in Icheb's hands for the day in order to give him the experience he felt was required for a prospective Starfleet cadet so her normal work pattern wasn't really an option. This had been fine while she'd intended to spend the afternoon at Naomi Wildman's birthday celebrations, but since that had degenerated into a discussion of "talents" applicable to an audience, something she had never contemplated in her life, the party had lost all appeal to her and now she stood unoccupied and alone. Suddenly as rather jarring music boomed through the bulkheads from the Mess Hall, a remedy to her agitation presented itself and she promptly headed off for Holodeck 2. The looming doors of the holodeck opened immediately on her approach as she ordered, "Computer, disguise my presence here from sensors."
"Sensors blocked." The Computer intoned obediently.
Seven smiled to herself, privacy! "Run programme Seven of Nine Beta Three."
Chakotay sighed in relief as he walked away from the Mess Hall several hours after entering it, having been repeatedly called back in to judge one rehearsal or another every time he'd tried to sneak out. Finally, he'd declared that he had duty shift rotas to complete in his quarters and they'd allowed him to leave, but now that he was free he found that the last thing he wanted to do was tackle his pile of paperwork. Maybe he'd head off to the holodecks, do a good workout in his boxing gym programme to let off some steam…
He reached Holodeck 2 to find that it was already running. Disappointment prickled his heart as he asked the Computer, "Who's in Holodeck 2?"
"There are no registered users in Holodeck 2." The Computer answered matter-of-factly.
Chakotay frowned, access codes were needed for every function of the holodeck, did they have an intruder? That thought sent his hand flying up to his comm. badge but then his reason reminded him that it was perfectly possible that someone had left the holodeck without shutting down their programme, or someone could be ill inside. Realising that it would be better to check inside before jumping to more sinister conclusions, he hastily stepped inside.
The environment he found within surprised him, he was standing in a theatre. It was far from grandiose; in fact it looked comfortable rather than opulent with the rows of tiered seating hugging the small stage in an intimate semi-circle. He smiled wryly to himself as he noticed the obviously holographic audience members chatting animatedly among themselves, some making an impatient exclamation. It seemed he'd been fooled; someone was obviously coming in here to practice their talent show performance on a stage, with an audience to top it off! Endearingly though, the audience could certainly not be called a full house, they filled barely half of the fifteen rows of seats; the performer wasn't too overconfident. Now that he had a sense that there was noting untoward going on, he knew he should take his leave and stop intruding, but curiosity kept his feet glued to the floor as the holographic orchestra struck up. Bemusement filled him as he recognised the music, the overture from Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker". What in the world was someone planning to perform to this? It didn't exactly scream talent show…
Then she glided onto the stage, a young woman, a ballerina judging by the shoes, in a flowing red dress which showed off every contour of her tall, lithe figure. She proceeded to dance on the spot, prancing from pointed toe to pointed toe, her back stubbornly turned on the audience, including Chakotay, even as they clapped. She was blonde, her hair plaited neatly in a bun at the back of her head, but even as Chakotay watched her he knew he shouldn't be searching for identity, this woman, this angel, was a hologram. No one on Voyager could dance like that…
Even as that denying thought ran through his brain she pulled the veil away from his eyes. As the music changed tempo she did a swift half turn on one foot, the other leg held straight behind her, revealing one side of her face to the audience. "Seven…" Chakotay choked out disbelievingly, not only because he knew she wouldn't do this but because this ballerina hadn't a trace of any implants on her. He shook his head, distrusting his eyes as she did rotation after rotation, pirouette after pirouette. No, it couldn't be Seven of Nine! What was he thinking… Then, of course, defying him again, the dancer jumped easily forward, now facing the crowd but not pausing to bask in their applause, that view of her face, blue eyed, resolutely focused and flushed with exertion, proved she was Seven, lacking implants or not. The spell she'd held Chakotay under snapped as she looked over the crowd. Mortified by his intrusion, he hid behind the other spectators, but soon realised she hadn't seen him or any of the crowd, she was utterly lost within herself in a way he'd never witnessed before. Why? Why was she doing this? The question resounded in his mind until his own memory answered him, she'd once confided in him that her childhood dream had been to be a ballerina, was this her way of exploring that? Even if that were so, that didn't explain her lack of implants… It's a holodeck, the rational side of his brain, slightly less dazzled by the woman before him than the rest of his brain, reminded him, she can make herself look however she wants…
As she landed the final leap she'd challenged herself with, hitting the stage in time with the music's final crescendo, Seven was sure she heard a beep, but as she whipped her head around to investigate she saw nothing except the congratulatory holograms in front of her, she must have imagined it… "Computer, deactivate holographic characters." She ordered breathlessly, observing her feet and arms critically as the holograms disappeared and she was once again alone. Having an audience reaction had not improved her performance at all, in fact it had proved an unnecessary distraction. She'd barely managed that leap, she knew she'd pay for that unbalanced landing in feet and ankle pain later. As for her arms, they'd been at least half a degree out of alignment with her legs for most of the routine. Still, she admitted to herself as she sat down on the edge of the stage with a glass of water, she'd progressed a great deal in the six months since she'd decided to teach herself her childhood passion. Although she used the holodeck to hide her implants for the sake of vanity, after all Tchaikovsky hadn't imagined Maria or the Sugar Plum Fairy covered in implants, she was well aware of the fact that without the Borg enhancements to her body she really would have had to train from the age of six to reach this level of ability. She heaved a sigh, her mind mulling over her lost opportunities. As always, her thoughts returned to the point two months ago when her ballet simulations had given way to simulated relationships, it had taken her a few weeks to bring herself to enter the holodeck again without longing for the Chakotay hologram and despising herself for feeling like that. Only the fact that ballet was a skill, one she could engage in without losing sight of her duties, had stopped her from sacrificing that part of her too.
Chakotay felt the blood rushing through his ears as he stumbled from the holodeck, wincing when he heard the door beep as it closed and bracing himself to face an angry Seven of Nine storming out behind him. She never came. Guilt and relief overwhelmed him in a dizzying mix, and confusingly disappointment. He found that he wanted to be able to tell her how good she was, how proud he was of her for trying something so out of her comfort zone. As he retreated back to his quarters, knowing that this secret must remain untold, sadness enveloped him.
A/n: Oh, is she going to find out he saw her? You'll just have to wait and see! PLEASE REVIEW and thanks again to for giving me this idea, remember to check out her C/7 fic!