Seven's lover

Tom Paris and B'lanna Torres drop their trays onto the table in the mess. Harry Kim joins them moments later. Their breakfast discussion often include a great deal of ship's gossip and this morning is no exception. Tom starts the conversation.

"So has anyone noticed Seven has been acting strange since she came back from her vacation?"

"I have," Harry agrees. "She seems preoccupied for some reason. And why did she need a vacation in the first place? It's not like she has any hobbies or anything."

"You mean besides working out and annoying me?" B'lanna asks.

Tom and Harry laugh at her.

"Seriously though," she adds, "Harry's right. She's been distracted, and she's been asking me the strangest questions."

"Like what?" Tom asks.

"Like about you and me. Dating things though she calls it courtship and mating. Like how did we know we wanted a mate, what does being in love feel like."

"Yeah! She asked me the same kinds of things," Harry says. "It was really weird. You guys think she has feelings for someone?"

B'lanna shakes her head. "That would be assuming she has feelings."

"Now c'mon B'lanna. That's not fair," Tom scolds her. "She's got feelings. She's just not good at expressing them. Maybe our little Borg is growing up?"

"You know," he adds, "I did see her when she got back from her trip. Ran into her in the hall. I even accused her of having a boy friend. I was teasing her at the time but maybe..."

"What did she say?" Harry asks, leaning forward onto the table.

Tom laughs at him. "Whoa. Down boy! She said she didn't."

"You know," B'lanna says, "she did ask me some other questions..."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. About sex."

"Yeah?" Harry asks again, a bit too interested in the answer.

"She asked if I ever had sex with a woman too."

"What did you say?" Tom and Harry ask at the same time.

"Not telling!"

"You don't think...?" Tom asks.

"It would explain a lot." Harry says with disappointment. Tom and B'lanna laugh at him. Just then Tuvok walks by their table.

"Lieutenants. Ensign." He nods his head in greeting. "What is the topic of discussion for this morning?"

"Seven has a lesbian lover!" Harry blurts out.

Tuvok glares at him. "Mr. Kim, I think that we would all appreciate you refrain from speculation on Seven's personal life."

"Understood," Harry mumbles but as Tuvok walks away, the three friends dissolve into giggles once again.

"So, what is today's gossip?" Kathryn Janeway asks her old friend as she slides into the seat at Tuvok's table. Tuvok sighs. "It seems that Seven and her love life are of a great deal of interest this morning."

"Seven has a love life?" Kathryn asks with surprise.

"Apparently so."

"And who is the object of her affections?"

"Unknown. The current theory seems to be that it's a woman."

"I see," Kathryn muses as she sips at her coffee.

The door to the Holodeck slides open to reveal a tall blonde wearing a tight red catsuit. Kathryn looks up.

"You wished to see me Captain?"

"I did. Don't just stand there, come in."

Seven steps through the door and it closes, dissolving into the image of daVinci's workshop. Seven watches patiently as Kathryn picks up a blob of green paint with her palate knife and spreads it onto the canvas in front of her. She squints at it then scrapes it off and back onto her palate. She mixes a bit of darker green and tries it again. Satisfied, she pulls the edges of the green outward to simulate the branches of a tree. She adds a sliver of white paint for accent then puts her knife and palate down. Without taking her eyes from her painting she begins to talk.

"I was wondering why you went to Nuevo Quepos last week?"

"I requested a shore leave. Is that not proper?"

"No it was fine. And is your right. I'm just wondering why? You've never expressed any desire for leave before nor have had any interest in that particular place."

"I wished to explore the human idea of a vacation."

Kathryn finally looks up and meets Seven's eyes.

"Bullshit! You had a reason for that particular place and that particular time. I want to know what it was."

"There was a person there I wished to meet."

"Ahhh!" Kathryn says triumphantly. "And who was this person?

"A StarFleet doctor. One who is an expert in Borg physiology. I had questions I wished to have answered.

"Things you couldn't ask the Doctor?"

"No."

"I see."

Kathryn goes back to studying her painting.

"Is there more Captain?"

"I'm not sure."

"I don't understand."

Kathryn sighs and stands. She goes to sit on the hearth next to the fire and gestures for Seven to join her.

"I'm concerned Seven. It seems as though you've been acting differently since you returned."

"I'm sorry Captain. I will pay more attention to my work."

"It's not that Seven. I'm going to just come right out and say it. This doctor that you went to meet, are you in a relationship with this person?"

"Is this something I am to share? Must others inform you when they form friendships?"

"No. But Seven, you're different. I worry about you, that someone may take advantage of you."

"I assure you Captain that Dr. Crusher has not taken advantage of me."

"Crusher?! So it's true then?"

Seven just looks at her with confusion.