A/n: The "Gluttony" chapter of "Seven's Sins" is up. My co-author and I would really appreciate it if you all read and reviewed if you haven't already, thanks! :D

Even as Astrometrics' scanners revealed a daunting and desolate asteroid field in Voyager's direct flight path, Seven of Nine's good mood didn't waver. She did after all realise, as she explained to the Captain earlier, that this course was still the easier and most efficient route through this sector, with plasma storms or territorial conflicts on either side. This knowledge alone might not have given her particular pleasure, rather resignation, but the fact that she was once again at her proper post in Astrometrics filled her with satisfaction she'd at one point feared she'd never feel again, that of doing productive, interesting, unhindered work. Add to that the dreamy cloud of memories from her evening with Chakotay the night before and Seven couldn't help but be pleased with her day so far.

The vibration of her reconfigured comm. badge dragged her reluctantly from her reverie. Tapping the receiver with one hand and holding the small screen, a new addition, in the other, she spoke, "Seven of Nine here." The tiny comm. screen flashed the name of her hailer in writing, "Lt. Tom Paris." In anticipation of what concerned him, she pulled up a detailed map of the asteroid field on Astrometrics' viewscreen. "I have prepared a proposed flight path as you requested Lieutenant." She reported down the comm. line.

New words flickered across the screen in reply, "Great, I'll just come down and have a quick look."

Seven smirked in amusement as she imagined his tone. "I think it will take more than a "quick look" to interpret this data Lieutenant." She replied. His only response to that, according to her comm. screen, was, "(laughter)". She smiled at that, though couldn't help but feel a prickle of regret that laughter was only an alert on a screen for her now. Despite its somewhat soulless way of reporting conversation, this little device really had proven liberating; she doubted the Captain would've returned her to full duties without it and other such modifications. Part of her even wished she'd always had the luxury of being notified when someone intended to enter Astrometrics, she'd rarely appreciated it when crewmembers just "dropped in", Chakotay excluded of course. Now she was informed beforehand, in order to avoid being startled by someone's sudden presence behind her.

She had just turned around to face the doorway when Tom Paris entered. "Good Morning Lieutenant." She greeted him, her good mood warming her polite address.

"Hi Seven." He replied with a friendly smile, indicating the comm. device still in her hand. "B'Elanna will be glad to know your pager works."

Seven's brow furrowed at the unknown word speeding over his lips. "My what? I don't know that word."

"DON'T WORRY." Tom signed apologetically before adding in speech. "Most people in this century don't." He carefully finger-spelled the word, "P-A-G-E-R" and smiled when she nodded, her expression now questioning rather than confused. "It was a comm. device used in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, people sent text messages by them, or they changed speech in words. I saw one in a Smithsonian display once."

"Then it would bear clear comparison to my device." Seven replied in amusement, the image of a young Tom Paris with his face hovering over a display forcefield peering at obsolete technology with childlike glee lingering in her mind. "How is Lieutenant Torres?"

Tom chuckled, "Fine. She's ready to decompile the Doctor if he gives her one more breathing exercise to practise though."

"She may contact me if she needs any assistance with that task." Seven remarked with a wry smile as she turned back to the console.

Tom joined her, grinning widely. "Be careful, she might just take you up on that." He teased as he began to focus on the maps and planetary scans on Astrometrics' viewscreen. "What are we up against today?"

"A large asteroid field. I have proposed what would be the least perilous path through it, but we will still need to avoid the strong gravitational pull certain asteroids exhibit." Seven explained to him as his eyes expertly assessed the trail she'd set out on the map.

He pointed to one particular asteroid situated at a curve in the route. "Can you show me more detailed scans of that one? If the shields can be adapted to suppress the gravity we might not need to take this detour."

"Of course." Seven answered obligingly, but almost as soon as a picture of the planet appeared on the viewscreen she tensed in disbelief, her eyes immediately fixating on the scans fluctuating over her console.

Tom had to tap her hard on the shoulder to get her attention on him again. "What is it?" he asked urgently when her gaze finally concentrated on his face.

"I'm reading…Talaxian lifesigns on this asteroid." She answered him slowly as if uncertain whether to voice her discovery. "Several hundred in fact, it would appear to be a settlement."

"A Talaxian settlement?" Tom repeated, his incredulity obvious in his features. Seven glanced down at her console again momentarily and then nodded firmly. Tom immediately hit his comm. badge; the movement jerky with the excitement Seven was certain would be in his voice as she watched his lips form the words, "Paris to Neelix, I think you'd better come to Astrometrics."


"Do you think the Captain will agree to assist the Talaxians?" Seven asked Chakotay as they sat down together for lunch in the Mess Hall together later that day.

Chakotay's chest moved in a small sigh as he lowered his cup of tea from his lips, casting a glance around the busy room before meeting her eyes again. "I REALLY DON'T KNOW." He admitted to her in the privacy of sign then smiled at her reassuringly when her face creased in concern. "The Captain will try to make the best decision in regards to this crew's safety, but I'm sure Neelix will be lobbying her to do all she can for them."

"It is Neelix's feelings I am concerned for." Seven stated tersely. "He has not interacted so fully with members of his own people in many years; he will be upset if we do nothing for them." Chakotay winced in silent agreement and Seven took that as a cue to continue thoughtfully, "I'd equate this experience for him to the rest of this crew returning to Earth, a "home" of sorts."

Chakotay looked at her surprise, still thrown off sometimes by her sudden bursts of emotional insight. "I hadn't thought of it like that, it must be…" He trailed off, lost in his own memories for a second, then reached over and squeezed her hand affectionately. "I'm sure Neelix would be glad to know that you understand. Have you come up with anything in Astrometrics that would help the settlers yet?"

A dissatisfied frown crossed Seven's face. "Nothing of much significance as yet…" She began, halting midsentence when Chakotay suddenly signed Neelix's name sign to her and indicated the doorway behind her. Quickly she twisted around in her chair to see Neelix headed towards them with a pretty and smiling Talaxian woman and a young boy Seven could only assume was the woman's son. The boy appeared awestruck by his surroundings, beaming from ear to ear as Neelix pointed things out to him.

"Hi Neelix, how are our new arrivals getting on?" Seven saw Chakotay greet them warmly.

Neelix's mouth moved in a visibly cheery but otherwise unreadable manner in reply before he turned to her with a toothy grin. "SEVEN, this is D-E-X-A…" He introduced the woman with obvious affection on his face, then pointed to the boy, who was already trying to speak to Seven at an excitably fast rate, "…and this is her son, D-R-A-X."

"I am Seven of Nine; you may address me as Seven." Seven replied simply as both Drax and Dexa looked at Neelix's slowly signing hands in confusion. Neelix opened his mouth again, presumably to explain, but Seven beat him to it. "I am deaf. I'm sorry to say that I cannot for the moment understand spoken Talaxian."

Shock and awkwardness passed across Dexa's face only for a moment before she smiled warmly in reply, the best form of communication, but Drax continued to talk. Chakotay touched her arm gently, "Do you want me to interpret or do you want to use your comm. device?" he asked her kindly.

Seven smiled at him gratefully, "I'd appreciate it if you'd interpret please. I am still adjusting to my comm. device."

"HE'S ASKING IF THE BORG MADE YOU DEAF AND ALSO IF YOU REALLY HAVE A BORG LAB." Chakotay interpreted what Drax was saying honestly, even though he could hear Dexa telling her son not to be so rude.

As Chakotay had thought, Seven didn't take offence, instead studying the boy's curious face for a moment before replying, "No, a recent accident deafened me, but I do work in a "Borg lab" you call it, its proper name is Astrometrics. Would you like to see it?" Seven didn't need Chakotay's interpreting skills to know his response was "Yes", the youngster's beaming grin along with his delighted jump in the air told her enough. "Come with me then." She urged him as she stood up from the table, only pausing as Dexa flushed in embarrassment. "If you are uncomfortable…" Seven started, but the other woman shook her head rigorously, glancing at and asking Chakotay for help. Seven couldn't help but flinch, just because she had an interpreter, doesn't mean people shouldn't look at her when they were talking!

"SHE SAYS SHE DOESN'T WANT HIM TO INTERFERE WITH YOUR WORK." Chakotay explained helpfully, not noticing Seven's unease.

"His presence would not disturb me." Seven assured her hurriedly, now that she understood. Neelix murmured something to Dexa and she relaxed, laughing when Drax pulled Seven and Chakotay along and falling in step behind them with Neelix.

"Thank you for your assistance." Seven whispered in Chakotay's ear during a small gap in Drax's incessant questioning as they walked along. She swallowed awkwardly as he waved off her thanks dismissively. "I hope it does not irritate you, having me rely on you in such situations."

Chakotay squeezed her hand that he was holding tightly, not replying any further until they reached Astrometrics, when he knelt down to Drax. "Here's Astrometrics Drax, why don't you go and get your mom and Neelix and see what's taking them so long?"

Drax nodded, "Yeah, they're being really slowpokes!" He agreed, almost bubbling over with impatience. "I'll go get them Mr Commander!"

Chakotay waited only until Drax had disappeared around the corner out of sight and earshot before he wrapped his arm firmly around Seven's waist and leaned into her face, almost forcing her to press her back into the bulkhead. "Irritate me?" he echoed, his face so close Seven could feel his warm breath against her skin and stare fully into his eyes, burning intensely with hurt. "I don't mind doing anything for you, why would I? It's you who seems to be uncomfortable relying on me, or anyone else for that matter…" His head lowered away from hers bitterly, until that is, Seven brought her own down on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry. It is pride and nothing else. Certainly not a lack of trust…" She murmured into his neck, before forcing herself to look at his face again, rather than retreat into the safety of not seeing his reaction. "I have rejected help to varying degrees ever since I was freed, even though I am adapting to my new circumstances, it was still…unsettling for strangers to witness my flaws…"

"Seven, it's not weak of you to ask for help in something you just can't do, just like it's not weak for me to ask you for help explaining physics or something similar, okay?" Chakotay told her, his grip around her tightening in frustration.

"Okay." Seven agreed, kissing him lightly and breathing a self-deprecating laugh as he relaxed. "You must think me hypocritical, pleading adaptations from others at one moment and rejecting their help at another…"

Chakotay laughed, "No more hypocritical than the rest of us Seven." He assured her before pulling her into a hug.


"Your Commander and his wife are very sweet together." Dexa commented to Neelix as they strolled down the hallway together, taking the route to Astrometrics at a more leisurely pace than the other three.

Neelix jumped momentarily, "His wife?"

Dexa blushed a little at his obvious surprise, "Seven of Nine, the Borg woman? I'm sorry, they seemed so caring towards each other, I was wrong to assume…"

Neelix backtracked with an embarrassed chuckle. "Oh they do care for each other, that's as clear as the sea of Talax, but married? No, not yet anyway." He smiled to himself at the thought, "I'd like to be here for that wedding day though. They've both had…lonely times I think, so they deserve what they have now and in the future."

"Lonely? On this ship?" Dexa asked incredulously. "How can that be?"

Neelix couldn't help but sigh, garnering a concerned look from Dexa. "You'd be surprised. Seven and Chakotay aren't perhaps the best examples, both a little reserved, but even the most extrovert of us can feel a little alone…" He trailed off regretfully, then gave Dexa a gleaming grin, "I am the Morale Officer after all, I'm privy to those sorts of things."

Dexa looped his arm securely through hers and leaned into his side. "Yes, I'm sure you do know." She replied softly.

A/n: I hope this was okay, I'm down with a bad cold and wasn't sure what to write until I eventually thought of adapting "Homestead" for this story. PLEASE REVIEW! :D