Shining Star

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to their respective owners.

A/N-I want to give a big THANK YOU to Scifiromance who beta'd this chapter for me, her input really made a huge difference. Without her I wouldn't have been able to post. Nikki :)

Part Seven

Chakotay let out a resigned sigh as he followed the Captain out of the shuttle and back toward the bridge. She strode before him, her back ramrod straight and her shoulders stiff, every line of her body showing her impatience. She hardly noticed the crew as they greeted her, she gave each a cursory nod but did not let them interrupt her stride. Janeway was fuming and it was Chakotay who had to deal with the fallout. She swept past the stunned crew on the bridge and headed straight for her ready room. Chakotay saw Harry and Tom exchange bemused glances and even Tuvok raised an eyebrow.

"What happened?" Tom whispered to Chakotay as he passed. "Did the Captain's shore leave go awry? I thought you both went over there to enjoy the Qomar's hospitality. I know B'Elanna and I sure did."

"Me too." Harry interjected. "I must thank Seven for getting the Captain to allow us some unexpected shore leave."

"Yeah, not just from Voyager, but the Doctor's insufferable singing and Neelix's new round of Leola root recipes." Tom quipped.

Chakotay hid his smile. He was still feeling the after effects of Neelix's latest experiments himself. "The Qomar have been insisting that we stay longer. They are building a special concert hall designed by the Doctor so he can showcase his talents to their best advantage. We've just had a tour and there is still much work to be done, we will be here for a while yet and the Captain is not pleased."

"And you're getting the brunt of that displeasure." Tom said knowingly.

Chakotay did not answer but merely gave him a subtle nod. "Back to work Paris."

Tom chuckled to himself as he checked the latest co-ordinates that Seven had sent down from Astrometrics.

"I cannot believe that we will be delayed another two weeks." Kathryn complained as Chakotay finally joined her in the ready room. "We have been here an extra month already. I only agreed to reschedule this ridiculous concert for Seven's sake, and look what I have achieved. Another unnecessary delay."

Chakotay frowned. "You cannot regret the shore leave that you granted everyone after what happened to Seven, surely? I have seen the change in the crew. A bout of relaxation was long overdue."

The Captain sat behind her desk and glared at him irritably. "I notice that you have been taking full advantage of the unexpected shore leave." She snapped.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Chakotay kept his tone as even as possible, although her attitude was beginning to irk him considerably. Kathryn was never one to remain still, and being in the same part of space for longer then expected was chaffing on her nerves.

"I am referring to the fact that you and Seven have been spending a lot of time on the surface of late." Kathryn said icily.

"I have only taken the time allotted to me, and so has Seven. I have fulfilled my duties in every respect." Chakotay retorted. "Seven has flourished in the last few weeks, being able to relax and allow herself to accept her human emotions has done her the world of good. Each member of the crew has seen the change in her."

"You especially." Kathryn muttered as she picked up one of the Padds scattered across her desk.

"I don't exactly know where you are going with this conversation, Kathryn." Chakotay used her first name because he knew how much it annoyed the Captain.

She glanced up at him, an angry glint in her eye. "Seven is needed here, Chakotay. Between you and the Doctor taking up all of her free time she has become distracted and..."

"And no longer at your beck and call." Chakotay leaned forward and put his hands on the desk.

"Seven has never been at my beck and call." The Captain refuted. "I am merely saying that maybe she needs to get her priorities in order."

"All work and no play, Kathryn." Chakotay shook his head in disgust. "She is not you." With those parting words he left the ready room before he said anything else he would regret.

The doors swept open to reveal Seven's new quarters, her normally confident stride faltered as she entered her new domain. She was still finding it difficult processing that she now had somewhere private to call home. Her old residence in Cargo Bay 2 was open to everyone, whether she was regenerating or not, none of the crew ever felt the need to let her know that they were coming in. It was something she had never questioned before and she wondered why it had never occurred to her to express a wish for more privacy. It was only a politeness after all. No one would ever think of sweeping into the Captain's ready room unannounced. So Seven wondered why she had never been given the same courtesy.

All this replayed in her mind as she corrected her stride and swept into the room. The sound of cursing could be heard coming from her new bedroom. Seven headed in that direction, already knowing what to expect. She found B'Elanna on her hands and knees, sucking on the end of her thumb where blood was running from a small cut. The half Klingon looked up a her, a harassed expression on her face.

"I have tried and tried but I cannot get your alcove to work." She complained as she struggled to rise, her face flushed.

Seven arched one eyebrow questioningly. "What part of the system is causing you so much trouble?"

"All of it." B'Elanna cried out in frustration. "I have rewired the whole thing to your exact specifications and nothing."

Seven studied her regeneration unit. She had been quite content with it remaining in Cargo Bay 2, but Chakotay had put his foot down, telling her that if she was going to have private quarters then that included moving all of her things inside, especially something as essential to her well being as her regeneration unit. Seven had to suppress a smile, he had been quite forceful about it. His face turning slightly red as he tried to get his point across to her on one of their many dinner dates. For the past month it had now become a regular occurrence for the Commander to join her after his shift on the bridge ended.

B'Elanna snapped her fingers in front of Seven's face. "Hello I'm talking here." She said irritably. "Where did you zone out to?"

A slight blush colored Seven's cheeks as she realized she had been daydreaming about Chakotay again. She really needed to get a handle on these new emotions. This was the second time someone had caught her out. She was just glad it hadn't been the Captain. "I apologize, B'Elanna. My mind was on other matters."

"Other matters?" B'Elanna said with a glint in her eye. "Or someone?"

Seven stiffened. "I assure you my mind was on the current problem." More red colored her cheeks as she realized she had told another white lie. This was getting out of hand. She couldn't seem to stop herself.

A crafty smile crossed B'Elanna's lips. "Sure it was."

Seven held B'Elanna's knowing gaze for a moment before sweeping past her and picking up one of the abandoned Padds on the table. She ran her fingers deftly over it for a moment before thrusting it into B'Elanna's hands. "There is your problem." She tapped the Padd with her human hand. "You need to reverse the trigger switch wiring. Then replace the..."

"I get it." B'Elanna grouched. "We all miss things at times."

"Maybe your mind was on other matters or maybe someone?" Seven said coolly, copying the half Klingon's jibe from earlier.

B'Elanna snorted derisively through her nose. "I preferred it when you still had the emotional fail safe in." She snapped. "At least I was spared your sarcasm."

A smile crossed Seven's lips as she arched her eyebrows again. "Indeed."

B'Elanna couldn't help giving the former Borg a return smile. Much as she might joke over regretting Seven's sharpened sarcasm, she'd seen a lot of change for the better in the former Borg drone, even in a matter of days. Quicker to smile, even laughing with relative ease, left with a much shorter fuse concerning the Doctor's whims if Voyager's rumour mill was to be believed, the removal of her failsafe had certainly freed up more than Seven's tongue. The shock of a near-death experience, and Chakotay's concern and affection, probably had more to do with it than the failsafe ever had."Now get out of here so I can finish off this job. I have a date with Tom to get to and you have a rehearsal session with Mr Ego in sick bay"

A grimace crossed Seven's face as she thought about the Doctor. B'Elanna's snide comment about the EMH had a ring of truth to it. His ego had certainly inflated somewhat since the concert had been rescheduled. They had come into conflict on several of the song choices already. He kept insisting that, as he had the far superior talent and experience, that qualified him to override every suggestion that she made.

Seven sighed as she heard B'Elanna chuckle to herself as she left her new quarters and slowly headed for sickbay.

"Figaro, Figaro, Figaro." The Doctor's baritone voice could be heard all the way down the corridor as Seven approached. Part of her felt like turning away and hurrying back to Astrometrics, but as always, her sense of duty overrode her new found human emotions. She squared her shoulders and swept into sickbay.

The Doctor was bowing up and down in front of an audience of one. Naomi Wildman, clutching onto a cuddly toy in the shape of a bear, was clapping weakly. "Thank you, thank you."

Seven locked eyes with the small child. "Shouldn't you be having a science lesson right about now, Naomi Wildman?" She said meaningfully.

Naomi grinned at her, jumping off the bio-bed she was sitting on. "Yes. I was on my way there when the Doctor called out to me and asked me to watch him practice. He needed a critical opinion."

"A critical opinion or just someone to agree with him?" Seven turned to face the Doctor who was blatantly ignoring both of them as he studied a Padd filled with music.

Naomi looked quizzically between Seven and the EMH, there seemed to be a bit of an atmosphere in the air that even she could sense. "Shall I go to my lesson then, Seven?" She checked.

"Yes." Seven smiled at the child. "I will be along at 1800 hours to resume our game of Kadiskot that we never got to finish yesterday."

"Oh yes." Naomi nodded her head eagerly. "That's when you got the emergency call to sickbay."

"Yes, quite." Seven's vivid blue eyes rested on the Doctor. "It wasn't a medical emergency though, more like a singing one."

Naomi looked up at her in confusion. "Huh?"

"Never mind. You better go." Seven urged the little girl.

Naomi shrugged her shoulders as she bid the Doctor goodbye and skipped out of sickbay, humming to herself.

When the doors closed Seven straightened her posture and glared at the Doctor icily. "You cannot interrupt Naomi Wildman's education just so she can hear you sing."

The Doctor finally looked up at her. "Really Seven, your ego is becoming quite inflated. I needed an audience, practicing alone does not give one the sense of satisfaction that comes from performing in front of a live audience."

Seven looked at him aghast. Was he really inferring that she was the one with the inflated ego? "I think your inference to my ego being larger then yours is incorrect, Doctor." She said bitingly. "I am not the one with a nickname."

The Doctor puffed out his chest. "Nickname? Do you even know what that is, Seven of Nine?"

"I assure you I always do my research thoroughly. Nickname is a descriptive term added to or replacing the actual name of a person, place or thing." Seven defined easily.

"Let me guess who the author of this nickname was? B'Elanna by any chance?" The Doctor huffed. "She really needs to get a hold on her temper."

"Maybe, but perhaps you should assess your own shortcomings." Seven snapped, getting increasingly irritated with the Doctor.

Before the EMH had a chance to issue a retort, the doors to sickbay swooshed open and a smiling Chakotay entered the room. The smile wavered when he saw the obvious stand off between the hologramme and the former Borg. "Have I come at a bad time?" He asked hesitantly.

"Not at all." The Doctor blustered. "Seven of Nine and I were debating the definition of nicknames."

"Nicknames?" Chakotay glanced over at Seven, she was glowering at the Doctor. He guessed that the Doctor was referring to B'Elanna's new name for him. "I see."

Seven tore her blue eyes away from the Doctor, they softened as they came to rest on Chakotay. "Is there something you need, Commander?"

Chakotay pulled his expression into a serious one. "Yes, Seven. You are needed in Astrometrics, a minor problem has come up that needs your immediate attention."

"You couldn't have just used the comm-system, Commander?" The Doctor asked suspiciously. "We are about to start our rehearsals."

"I have had a long day, Doctor. I felt the need to stretch my legs. I need to keep the weight off after all." Chakotay patted his flat stomach. "Remember you are always advising the crew to take regular exercise."

"Well if Neelix would stop adding such fattening sauce to his Leola root concoctions, then maybe I wouldn't have to." The Doctor complained.

"Yes." Chakotay rolled his eyes behind the hologramme's back, causing Seven to put a hand over her mouth to hide a smile. "I am afraid I need to steal your protégée away for a while Doctor."

"We will have to reschedule." The Doctor said grudgingly. "I will let you know, Seven."

Seven just nodded as she swept out of the room before she issued a retort. Chakotay hurried after her, having trouble keeping up with her long strides. "Are you okay, Seven?" He inquired.

"He can be so insufferable." Seven said in annoyance, her usual calm exterior slipping.

Chakotay chuckled. "I think we all feel that way about the Doctor at times. This concert has rather gone to his head."

Seven smiled ruefully at him, before smoothing her expression into a serious one. "What is the problem in Astrometric's, Commander? When I left earlier, everything was running efficiently."

Chakotay tapped the side of his nose and gave her a mysterious smile. "You'll see." He took her hand and led her toward the lab.

Seven gasped when she strode inside the familiar confines of Astrometrics; instead of the usual big screen showing all kinds of data plotting their course toward the Alpha Quadrant, a colorful image adorned the screen. She blinked a couple of times to get her human eye used to the brightness. On the floor was a picnic blanket, with a hamper filled to the brim with all types of food. A bottle of red wine stood beside it, two glasses already full with the red liquid.

"What is happening?" She asked in wonder.

Chakotay grinned at her, tugging her eagerly over toward the blanket. He helped her to sit down and then took his place beside her. "I have been planning this for a few days, but with the Captain keeping me on the bridge while she deals with the Qomar, I haven't had a chance to implement my plan. So I thought, why not be spontaneous and try my luck. I knew you were rehearsing with the Doctor today and you had already told me you had misgivings about it, so I decided to rescue you and set up an impromptu date."

Seven was overwhelmed. She gazed at him, an indefinable expression in her blue eyes. "Thank you, Chakotay." She could think of nothing else to say. She swallowed nervously as she tore her eyes away from his and gazed up at the huge view screen. "What is this?"

Chakotay took her hand and kissed the back of it, letting his lips linger on the smooth skin. "I was trying to recreate a cinema effect. What you see there is called a film."

"A film?" A small frown marred Seven's forehead as she looked at him.

"Yes, a film was often a place couples would go to on a date, it was especially popular in the twentieth and twenty first century. The film we are about to watch is from that time. It's called 'The Wizard of Oz.' It was my sister, Sekaya's favorite as a child." Chakotay explained.

Seven didn't question him further, she was feeling so overwhelmed. She took the wine glass he handed to her and stared up at the huge view screen. "Are you ready?" He whispered.

Seven nodded. "Yes."

"Computer, start the film and dim the lights." Chakotay called out. Immediately the huge room darkened making the vivid colors on the screen stand out even more. Seven's eyes were riveted to the screen as the film began to play out before her eyes.

The film ended and Chakotay ordered the lights back on. It took a moment for his eyes to get used to the brightness after being in the dark for so long. When he looked at Seven's animated face, he was alarmed to see tears welling in her eyes. "Seven, what's wrong?" He asked gently.

Seven wiped at a tear discreetly, her blue eyes huge as she gazed into his. "That was so beautiful. Chakotay, I think I finally know what I want to sing at the concert."

"You do?" Chakotay smiled in relief as he realized they were tears of happiness.

"Yes. I want to sing 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow.'" Seven told him, a light shining in her eyes.

Chakotay's smile grew wider as he leaned close and kissed her on the cheek. "I can't think of a more perfect song for you, Seven of Nine."

Seven returned his smile tremulously. "I concur." She replied softly.

A/N-thank you very much for reading!