A/N: Thanks so much for reading this story. I hope you're enjoying it as much as I am. Also – I really appreciate all of the reviews, I had no idea how much they really do matter! I've always scoffed a bit at other authors begging for reviews but now I get it! Still not begging, though…

Rated M: Part of this chapter gets a little…sexy…so, if that's not your thing, peace out now!

Chapter 12

"Everything under control, Neelix?" The Captain asked happily.

"Of course, Captain Janeway! This is so exciting! I've spoken to Samantha and Naomi Wildman and they are both truly looking forward to participating. We replicated a new outfit for Naomi in the Saravai colors of innocence for the ceremony and I've done what I can in terms of food that the Saravai will like. I think, Captain, that if we simply asked, the Saravai would share whatever they have on their home world with us. They're probably the nicest species we've encountered in a year!"

"I think you're right, we should at least ask how far away their planet is," Captain Janeway agreed.

Leaving the mess hall, Janeway bumped into Tom and Harry.

"Hi, Captain, all ready for tonight?" Harry asked.

Janeway smiled and nodded in affirmation. "See you at 2000 hours, gentlemen," she said as she continued on to sick bay.

Janeway could hear the doctor talking to someone as the doors slid open. Looking around, she saw Chakotay lying awake in a bed across the room listening to the doctor. He noticed the movement and spotted Janeway waiting at the sickbay entrance.

"Hello, Captain," Chakotay said quietly. He wasn't quite sure what to expect. Though his memories of the past few days were murky, he knew he had behaved badly. Janeway could be feeling magnanimous and decide to let it go or she could be feeling angry and decide to punish him severely. He was quite anxious about it.

"Hello, Commander," the Captain answered solemnly. Janeway wasn't quite sure what to expect. Chakotay had been irrational and impulsive the last few times she had seen him. Was he okay or was he going to lash out at her and verbally attack Seven?

"Captain Janeway," the doctor interrupted, "I'm glad you came by. Commander Chakotay has offered to share all of the information about his recent medical condition with you. Let me start by saying that we removed the tags from his DNA and his dopamine and testosterone levels immediately began reducing and are now at a normal rate. While we can't really test the inhibitors in his brain, he does seem to be acting more rationally and less impulsively. The worst part about this is really the psychological trauma that has been inflicted on Commander Chakotay while he was basically being emotionally hijacked."

Janeway bristled at the last part. The worst part is Chakotay's psychological trauma? What about the psychological trauma of all the people he abused?

"Doctor, really, I don't think my psychological trauma is the worst. Think about the way I've treated other people. The crewmen that work the lower decks have no idea that anything was even going on; they have no idea why I've been treating them so badly. While Seven of Nine and I certainly don't see eye to eye on anything at all, I still should not have said all those terrible things about her. I basically forced my way into the Captain's quarters and yelled at her. I doubt my trauma was the worst. At least I have the comfort of knowing I didn't mean any of it. The rest of them just have to trust that I was being manipulated."

"Well said," Janeway finally spoke.

"Now, Captain, you must understand that Commander Chakotay wasn't himself when he behaved that way."

"So, you think I should just let it go?" Janeway asked the doctor. She was clearly on edge, her head was tilted, her arms were crossed and she was leaning into the doctor's personal space.

"Of course, Captain," the doctor answered.

"After all," Chakotay joined in, "I know you've never punished Seven for all her assimilations. Even when all those personalities were coming out and hurting the rest of us."

"I just want to be absolutely clear on what I'm hearing; you're a mindless drone?" Janeway asked the man lying in the biobed.

"Not anymore, but I was. I couldn't control myself."

Semantics… "Okay, so you were a mindless drone?"

"Yes."

"Now you're not a mindless drone?"

"Of course, not. I've already said how badly I feel about the trauma I inflicted on everyone."

"What I'm asking is do you now have control of your emotions and impulses?"

"Yes."

"You shouldn't be punished for what you did when you weren't in control of yourself?"

"Of course, not. You just said yourself I wasn't in control."

"I'm fine with that, Chakotay, if you apologize to the people you've hurt. I hope now you'll understand better what Seven's gone through and I'll never have to hear anything more about your ridiculous obsession with what she did as a borg – a mindless drone." Janeway smirked in a way that made it clear she had gotten exactly what she wanted. "Also, I'd like you to stay here overnight and we'll talk about you returning to light duty tomorrow after the Alpha shift."

When Chakotay and the doctor nodded, Janeway turned and left, heading back to her ready room to wait for her Seven.

"Why do I feel like I just fell into a trap set by the captain?"

"Because we did, Commander, because we did."

A few short hours later, Janeway finished yet another personnel report as her door chime sounded. How is it Chakotay managed to get sick just in time to avoid personnel reports?

"Enter," Janeway called.

Seven of Nine walked in and smiled slightly when the smaller woman stood upon seeing her. Kathryn walked around the desk and reached her hand out to Seven without even realizing she had done it. Seven smiled wider and took the offered hand following Kathryn to the couch.

"Computer, what time is it?"

"The time is 1930 hours."

"We should go in a few minutes, Seven, but would you like a drink first?"

"I do not require liquid refreshment at this time. Thank you for offering," Seven said formally.

Both women sat awkwardly for a few moments before speaking at the same time.

"Seven-"

"Kathryn-"

They stopped and looked away.

Kathryn spoke again, "Seven, this feels so awkward right now. Is it something I did?" Kathryn wrapped Seven's hand inside both of hers. She looked so vulnerable, so different than her typical larger than life stature.

"No, Kathryn, I think we are both attempting to become more comfortable with our new closeness. You have done nothing wrong," Seven finished by leaning slowly toward Kathryn and kissing her sweetly.

When she pulled back and looked into the slate blue eyes before her, both women smiled before Kathryn leaned in and kissed Seven. The taller woman reached up and ran her fingers through the auburn tresses of her lover, holding Kathryn against her. Kathryn released Seven's hand and wrapped both arms around the taller woman's shoulders. Pulling Kathryn into her body, Seven felt the other woman move to straddle her thighs. Sitting astride Seven put Kathryn's face slightly above Seven's and the smaller woman took control of their passionate kiss. As their lips connected over and over, both women allowed their hands to stray. With her hands massaging Seven's breasts and the younger woman's tongue in her mouth, Kathryn hadn't realized that Seven's hands had drifted down until she felt the tremors start in her own body. The larger hands clenching and rubbing her butt cheeks, rhythmically spreading and releasing them combined with their hot and heavy kissing sent Kathryn over the orgasmic edge. She had never in her life – even as a teenager – released so quickly without direct stimulation. Spine arched, head thrown back, Kathryn growled out Seven's name as her hands squeezed the beautiful breasts tighter and the younger woman felt the beginning of her own release. She knew she was much more sensitive than Kathryn and had expected that she could orgasm from Kathryn playing roughly with her chest.

"The time is 1940 hours," the computer interrupted.

"Oh, my God. I can't believe we just did that in my Ready Room. My Ready Room! This is so unprofessional. We have to go," Janeway was nearing hysteria as she quickly clambered off of Seven's lap and headed toward her desk. "Now I need to shower and I literally have to meet B'Elanna in five minutes. This is so unprofessional."

"Kathryn?" Seven said quietly from the top of the stairs.

Kathryn paused her frantic movements and turned to look at the other woman, finding tears in those big, blue eyes. God, Kathryn, way to go. You totally lose it one way then totally lose it another and poor Seven thinks she should pick up the pieces.

She took a deep breath and spoke calmly to Seven, "Darling, I'm sorry, I'm not upset at you. I just lose my head when your lips are on mine and I need to be more careful in the future not to do what we just did in my ready room. I should have left for my quarters and changed before you finished regenerating and now I'm going to be late."

"Okay," Seven said uncertainly.

"Computer, initiate site to site transport, Janeway and Seven of Nine to the Captain's quarters."

Janeway knew she shouldn't use ship's resources like that, but she also knew she could not be late to the function that evening.

"Captain?" Seven asked once they had materialized in Janeway's quarters.

"Yes?" Janeway answered as she headed to her bedroom, stripping off her uniform to get in the shower.

"Can we not simply tell B'Elanna we will meet her at 1955 instead of 1945 hours?"

"Could you, darling? That would make this easier. Thank you!" Janeway finished as she closed the bathroom door. She hated to do it but she utilized the sonic shower to save on time. In thirty seconds she was putting on replicated underwear and pulling a summery sundress out of her closet. "Seven?" She called out

"Yes, Kathryn," Seven called back from the couch where she was resolutely keeping her eyes away from Kathryn's bedroom – and body – so as not to be tempted.

"Are you going to wear your biosuit or did you want to replicate something else for the celebration tonight?"

"Would my biosuit be inappropriate?"

"No, your biosuit would be acceptable. I just wondered if you were interested in acquiring other articles of clothing. I know you don't really have room in the cargo bay for personal items but you could always use my closet if you wished to," Kathryn had finished dressing and was applying just a light touch of makeup before they left.

"I would not have any idea what to replicate and I do not wish to waste time asking the doctor. I shall endeavor to dress more suitably at future functions," Seven would have sounded cold and impersonal to anyone else but Kathryn heard the underlying uncertainty.

"Well, what would say if I had, perhaps, already replicated something I thought you might enjoy wearing?"

"Did you?" Seven looked at the other woman with wonder in her wide, blue eyes. She took in the pale yellow dress Kathryn wore. It had a boat neck that offered a hint of what lie beneath, three quarter sleeves, and fell to just below her knees. On her feet were straw wedges, giving her more height than Seven was used to seeing.

"I did. It's just a simple sundress but I think it will look beautiful on you," Kathryn blushed and glanced away as she spoke, "I got it as close to the color of your eyes as I could."

"Kathryn, I do not know what to say. Thanking you does not seem to be enough in this situation," Seven said wonderingly as she rose from the couch.

"It's on my bed. If you want to change, I'll wait for you out here."

The two women stood together in the bedroom doorway for a moment, looking into one another's eyes. They kissed chastely and moved apart quietly. After only a few moments Seven came back into the living room, barefoot, wearing the dress. It was a swirl of blues that had her eye color mixed in here and there, the asymmetrical cut of the top and bottom balanced so beautifully with her metallic implants that Kathryn couldn't look away. She looked painfully shy and had a hard time meeting Kathryn's gaze.

"Darling," the older woman breathed, "look at me." She moved to stand in front the suddenly self-conscious younger woman. "Please, look at me," Kathryn asked again.

Finally, Seven looked and found tears in the blue eyes looking back at her. Kathryn's hands slowly reached behind Seven's head and took two long pins out of her hair. The soft, golden locks fell gently around Seven's face in waves any woman would envy.

"I felt silly in my boots."

"You look stunningly innocent with bare feet but shall I replicate you some sandals?"

Seven just nodded, still mesmerized by the look in Kathryn's eyes. She saw love, desire, protectiveness, joy, excitement, hope and so much more. She saw a future for herself.

Kathryn blushed again and got the shoes for Seven. The women left then, after sharing, of course, one more kiss and a brief embrace.

"Do I want to know what time it is?"

"We will arrive precisely on time," Seven informed the smaller woman.

Janeway blew out a frustrated breath before coming up with a solution. Slapping her commbadge, she called Torres.

"Torres here."

"B'Elanna, I'm sorry, I lost track of time and I will not be arriving early. I had just wanted to explain the plans for tonight's gathering but I'm going to go to the transporter room and meet the Saravai. Can you ask Neelix to explain?"

"Of course, Captain. Don't worry about it. I hope everything's okay with Seven?"

"Yes, we'll be there shortly. Janeway out."

"That was an efficient idea. That way we will not be late, we will be escorting our guests."

Kathryn merely smirked and raised her eyebrows in a smug gesture.

The stunning pair arrived at the transporter room mere seconds before their guests.

The six of them greeted one another but the Saravai surprised Janeway by not asking about Seven's appearance. Perhaps they had known all along how to bring her back, but, then again, perhaps they were just too polite and did not want to risk the infamous wrath of Janeway.

As the group neared the mess hall, the visitors were surprised at the subdued sounds. They had expected a party and did not understand why the group inside might be hushed. When the doors swished open, they were shocked into comprehension.

A/N: Oops, I guess there will be at least one more chapter…probably two…maybe this will end up a long series…I'm not quite sure, I just write what comes out and then try to go back and edit things later. I hope this is all flowing well enough and making at least some sense. I really do love Seven and Kathryn and I'm just having so much fun taking them out to play!

Enjoy!