Chapter Twenty-Nine
Seven wasn't sure what was worse, the fact that she was back in sickbay or the fact both Chakotay and the Captain stood over her as she stretched out on the biobed in the surgical bay, carefully scrutinizing every facial expression the Doctor made and every piece of information that came up on his tricorder in an attempt to figure out what he was thinking. It was absolutely humiliating in every sense of the word. Being in sickbay, even for a checkup like this, was bad enough, but was made worse by the fact that she felt like she was a small child incapable of making decisions for herself right now. She was more than capable of handling a trip to sickbay on her own, rendering Chakotay and the Captain useless. That didn't stop both of them showing up though, just like helicopter parents. While Seven had struggled understanding the phrase earlier, now she understood it. Here was was dealing with it for only a few minutes, she couldn't imagine growing up with parents like this for her entire life. Clearly, her parents hadn't been helicopter parents, but now Chakotay and the Captain were making up for that in spades. Although she knew their hearts were in the right place, it made her feel like a science experiment, not a person.
"Hmmm…" Lines creased the Doctor's forehead as he carefully analyze the information on his tricorder. Seven felt nervous. It was impossible to read his expression and figure out what he was thinking, which only added to the frustration building up inside of her. All she wanted to know was if she could return to duty, she didn't need any of these games as the Doctor drew out her prognosis. The Doctor closed his tricorder and put the small scanning portion back in its appropriate slot on the top for safe keeping. Seven hated everything about this. She hated being in sickbay. After the Doctor always coming to her to check on her welfare, it felt strange and oddly formal to have to report here. Now she could understand why those house calls were far more appealing. While it was inefficient for the Doctor to report to his patients, it was far more comfortable being in Chakotay's quarters while he checked on her, not in sickbay.
"So Doctor, how is Seven doing?" Kathryn finally asked. Just like Seven, she wanted to know how she was doing, which was why she was here. Usually she was fine with getting the reports sent to her PADD whenever the Doctor checked on her, but this was an important checkup.
"I see no reason why Seven can't return to duty..." Seven's heart soared. She was so sick and tired of sitting around Chakotay's quarters with little to do and even little interaction with other members of the crew, which she found she missed as well. Yes, the reports from Astrometrics and her little project with Tom both kept her occupied for most of the day, but she was ready to return to duty. "Tomorrow." Just like that, her heart sank, and her dreams of returning to duty immediately from sickbay were dashed. She was fully prepared to return to
Astrometrics right away and put all the work she'd done in Chakotay's quarters to good use. While she only had to wait until tomorrow, she was still disappointed. This meant one more day of sitting around and trying to be a productive member of the crew. Suddenly, it dawned on her. She knew why the Doctor wasn't clearing her to return to duty tomorrow. She glanced over at the Captain, who seemed to understand as well. The Doctor really did feel that she was ready to return to duty, he was just giving her what she wanted because he knew what she was planning, Tom must have said something during one of his shifts here. It infuriated her, although she kept her emotions concealed, as she didn't want Chakotay to find out and ruin the surprise she'd been working so hard on. Despite the fact that the Doctor was trying to help her, she still wanted to return to duty as soon as possible.
"Doctor," she protested. He gave her a stern look that instantly told her that she shouldn't argue with him, as his mind was already made up.
"Just humor me with one more day of rest. It won't kill you, I promise." She knew he was only looking out for her, but she still felt frustrated and ready to return to Astrometrics, even if she and Icheb still weren't speaking.
"Fine," she snapped as she stood up.
"Thank you, Doctor," Kathryn said. She turned to Chakotay. "I'll see you on the bridge when you're ready." She rubbed his arm for a split second and gave Seven's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. He nodded and watched as she exited sickbay and headed back to the bridge where she'd left Tuvok in charge.
"I'll walk you back," Chakotay offered to Seven. She was about to argue that she was fully capable of walking back to his quarters on her own, she could see in his dark brown eyes that he desired to spend a few more minutes with her before returning to duty. There was no way she could turn down those eyes. Just looking into them made her go weak in the knees.
"Very well," she relented. In actuality, she wanted to spend a few minutes with him as well. Over the past three days, she'd been so wrapped up in her project with Tom that she'd barely had time to spend time with him when he returned from duty. Even if it was only a few minutes, it was better than nothing.
As they walked down the corridor, Chakotay and Seven's hands inadvertently brushed against each other's. The faint touch was brief but enough to send shockwaves through both of them. They'd touched each other dozens, if not hundreds of times, but there was something about that time that was different. It was accidental but reminded them of how close they were to each other. She took the opportunity to slid her hand into his larger one and laced their fingers together. The implant that stretched the width of her palm felt cool against his skin. While he'd touched her implants before, there was something different about holding her implant encrusted hand in his. It was strange to feel a combination of metal and human flesh clutching his hand, but it was something he knew he could get used to. The action surprised him. While they more than comfortable displaying affection towards each other in the privacy of his quarters, this was the first time they'd ever done something like this out in the open. His eyes sparkled as he gave her a small smile, causing his dimples to appear. The sight of them caused her heart to flutter with desire, although her outward appearance gave off the impression that nothing had happened between them. Every crewman they passed in the corridor, however, noticed that something was going on. Several did double takes as they passed, while others openly gaped at the First Officer and Seven. Accustomed to the staring, she ignored them. Chakotay, on the other hand, felt a little self-conscious. He always made sure to maintain a certain sense of professionalism onboard, which meant keeping his private life behind closed doors. Now, however, everything was out in the open, both literally and figuratively. It was bound to happen, and he figured he might as well face it head on. He wasn't doing anything wrong anyway, just walking down the corridor with his girlfriend. He wasn't sure he'd ever get tired of saying that.
When they returned to Chakotay's quarters, Seven expected him to report directly back to the bridge. He had a job to do, and she didn't want to get in the way. Instead of returning to duty, however, he lead her over to the couch and silently pulled her down to sit next to him. Confused, she complied and kept her hand firmly clutched in his while she tried to figure out what was going on.
"Aren't you going to report to the bridge?" she asked in confusion.
"I am, but I wanted to talk to you about something first." He looked and sounded serious, the twinkle in his eyes and the dimples both gone, which made her nervous. She knew from her research that when one part of a couple said they needed to talk, it wasn't a good sign. She couldn't figure out what she had done wrong. She'd tried her hardest to stay off her feet and relax as much as possible over the past few days, but it was incredibly difficult for her. She'd also done her best to stay out of his way and be the best guest possible. She knew that these were his quarters, and she was just visiting, so she tried to keep the place looking presentable and do everything in her power to make herself useful while simultaneously abiding by the Doctor's orders to relax. Suddenly, it dawned on her, it all made sense to her.
"I've overstayed my welcome," she stated bluntly, sure she had figured out what was bothering him. "I'll remove my belongings and return to my cargobay immediately." She attempted to pull away and stand up, but he kept a tight grip on her hand, refusing to let her go.
"What?" The admission caught Chakotay off guard. He tried to process the statement and figure out if he had inadvertently given any sign that he felt that way, because it couldn't be further from the truth. "Of course not." He ran his thumb over the back of her hand, stroking the implants that stretched out across her porcelain flesh. "I wanted to tell you that I hope that you'll consider staying here for a little bit longer. I know the Doctor has cleared you to return to duty tomorrow, but I'd like if if you stayed here, at least for a few more days." Intrigued and confused, Seven raised her eyebrow and tilted her head to the side slightly. "You don't know how you'll feel tomorrow after a full day of duty, and I'd feel a little more comfortable if you were able to go somewhere where you can rest if you need to." Seven carefully thought over the request. It certainly was reasonable enough. If she looked at it from a medical standpoint, it made sense to stay here for a few more days. Her body might need to recover from being on her feet all day.
"I think that that is a reasonable request. I would like to stay for a few more days. I just want you to promise me something."
"Of course."
"Let me know when I've overstayed my welcome." He brought her hand to his lips, kissing the cool, metal covered knuckles softly.
"I will." He doubted that she would overstay her welcome, but if that's what he had to promise to get her to stay a few more days, then he was more than willing to do it. In a way, he'd grown accustomed to it, and he found that he enjoyed it greatly. There was something wonderful about coming back to his quarters after a long day on the bridge to someone who he cared about deeply. Previously, he loved the solitude of his quarters after the chaos of the bridge, but now he loved coming home and having someone to talk to and share the details of his day. No matter how boring it may be, Seven always listened to his day with unending patience.
As much as he hated it, Chakotay knew he had to report back to the bridge. Kathryn had given him some time to see Seven back to his quarters, but he still had a job to do. At least now he knew that when he returned to his quarters tonight, she would still be there waiting for him. He kissed her softly.
"I have to return to the bridge," he said as he pulled away. Disappointment filled his voice. When he looked at her, he could tell that she shared some of his sentiments about returning to the bridge.
"I understand." She sounded disappointed as well, but not the same extent that he was.
As he stood up to leave, he said, "Try to enjoy the last day of your vacation." She doubted she would be able to enjoy herself, as all she wanted to do was return to duty and make herself feel useful again. Even so, today would be the last day she could be able to dictate her schedule, and she wanted to make the most of it.
When Chakotay returned to the bridge, he immediately took a seat next to Kathryn in his chair. She was honestly surprised that he was back so soon, she expected him to be gone for a bit longer. She gave him a knowing look, which confused him. He hadn't done anything wrong, just a little hand holding on their way back to his quarters. While news traveled fast on Voyager, he doubted that it traveled that fast.
"What?" he finally asked. Normally he could tell what she was thinking just by looking at her, but right now she was an utter mystery to him. It was strange, it had been a long time since he hadn't known what she was thinking.
"I just thought you'd be gone for longer," she replied innocently with a small shrug.
"You told me to report to the bridge, so I did." He looked at the console between his and Kathryn's chairs, tapping at it and looking over the information on the small screen. Having been so wrapped up in Seven's checkup in sickbay, he hadn't had the chance to bring himself up to speed with the status of all the ship's systems for the day. Of course, he expected everything to be fine; it had been very slow the past few days. Not that he was complaining, it was always nice to have some down time around here.
"I thought you would want to spend some time with Seven."
"We'll have plenty of time for that tonight." The words just slipped past his lips without him even realizing it. Intrigued, Kathryn leaned closer to him with a knowing sparkle in her eyes.
"Exciting plans for tonight?" she pressed in a low voice so no one else could her. After seven years together, they were aware of how low to talk on the bridge so no one else could hear. At this point, conversations like this were second nature to them. It also helped that crewmen on the bridge were used to their semi-private conversations and were experienced at blocking them out when necessary.
"No," he replied a little too quickly to sound convincing. "But I've talked Seven into staying in my quarters for a few more nights, just to play it safe." Kathryn had to admit that that surprised her. She didn't expect their relationship to move so quickly, even if this living arrangement was just for a little while, although she couldn't be happier for the couple. It was clear that they were comfortable with each other and becoming very happy with each other's company.
"Is this going to be a permanent thing?" she asked. Normally she didn't get so involved in the personal lives of her crew, but this was Chakotay and Seven she was talking about. She didn't view them as crewmen but instead as close friends. In her mind, she should ask about her friends and their relationship.
"It's just temporary," he replied, although he wasn't sure if he was telling Kathryn that or himself so he didn't get used to the living arrangement. "There's nowhere for Seven to rest in her cargobay. It's really for her own health and wellbeing."
"Oh, of course." Not buying it for a second, Kathryn smirked knowingly as she patted his arm. She knew better, he asked her because he enjoyed the company more than anything else. He ignored her comment and rolled his eyes. He really was doing it in the best interest of Seven, even if the Captain thought otherwise.
Realizing that if she was going to stay with Chakotay for a little while longer, she would need to get some more fresh clothes, Seven left his quarters and headed down to her cargobay. With a few small exceptions, such as meeting with Tom or going to sickbay and the Captain's quarters, this was the first time she'd really been out and about since before she left for the away mission. Although she wasn't one to wander around Voyager for the fun of it like other members of the crew, it was refreshing to walk around on her own. As she passed several crewmen, they all smiled and nodded, silently greeting her and letting her know that she had been missed over the past few weeks. Some even commented on how good she looked and asked about her welfare. Seven couldn't help but think back to when she first arrived on Voyager. Almost everyone on board avoided her at every cost, giving her a wide berth in the corridors or even going so far as to turn the other way when they saw her coming. Now, however, they all seemed overjoyed that she was back on her feet, even if she wasn't allowed to return to duty quite yet. It was quite a change of pace and showed her that she was a valued member of this crew.
When Seven arrived in the cargobay, she was caught off guard when she saw Icheb still there. As he adjusted his shirt, it appeared that he just finished getting dressed and was about to head out. If she had just waited a few minutes longer, then he probably would have been gone, and this entire uncomfortable encounter could have been avoided. She had expected him to be in Aastrometrics, which is why she came down when she did; she didn't know what to say to him to try and make amends.
"Are you here to stay?" Icheb asked in a strained voice. His tone gave away his extreme displeasure with her. Even though she'd given him space for several days, he still wanted nothing to do with her. It was a sobering realization for her; they'd never had problems like this before.
"No, I am here to retrieve some extra clothes," Seven replied. While he may let his emotions get the better of him, she was trying her best to give the outward appearance of calmness, even if was all a lie. "Commander Chakotay has requested that I remain in his quarters for a few extra days to ensure I'm fully recovered. I will be able to return to duty tomorrow though."
"I am sure Commander Chakotay is relieved to have the company," Icheb snapped as he walked past her stiffly. His arm bumped hers as he passed. If she didn't know any better, she would have thought that that action was intentional.
"Icheb," she pleaded desperately as she turned to face him. He glared at her. Never before had she seen him give her such an icy stare. Caught off guard, she took a step backwards and tried to think of what to say. She opened and closed her mouth several times, but nothing came out; she had no idea what to say to him to make amends. He took the opportunity to turn on his heels and stalk out of the room without saying anything to her. He was so mad at her still, he didn't even want to be in the same room as her. He needed time to think.
After checking in with Kathryn, Chakotay retreated to the peacefulness of his office to catch up on some work. While he'd been back on Voyager for nearly two weeks now, he hadn't exactly been working at his peak efficiency for his first week back. Because of that, he was still catching up on some of the work. Had Seven not been staying in his quarters, he would simply work late to catch up on his work, but he wanted to spend his evenings with her instead of being stuck in his office. With any luck, he'd finally be caught up today and would only have to focus on current work. Thankfully, Kathryn understood the workload he was dealing with right now and didn't mind if he disappeared for a few hours to his office to work. He knew that if something came up, she would summon him back to the bridge. The doorbell rang.
"Enter," he called formally without looking up from the PADD in his hand. The door opened and closed. Caught up in his work, it took him a few moments to look up. He glanced up and did a double take when he saw Seven standing in front of him.
"Everything alright?" he asked as he tossed the PADD to the side and got to his feet. That was when he noticed the bag on her hand. Confused, he came out from behind his desk. He had no idea what was going on.
"I went to get some clothes from my cargobay," she replied. Her voice was heavy with emotion. When he approached her, he saw that tears brimmed the her crystal blue eyes. "And Icheb won't even look at me. I tried talking to him, but he wants nothing to do with me." She swatted angrily at the tears that started to roll down her cheeks. She wasn't sure what got her more upset, how Icheb treated her or the fact that she was feeling so emotional about it that she felt the need to interrupt Chakotay while he was working. Her visit to his office went against everything she believed in.
"Hey, it's okay." Unable to resist, he gathered her up in his arms in an attempt to comfort her. He rubbed her back and pressed a reassuring kiss to the top of her head. He knew Seven was upset not only because she showed up in his office like this but because she didn't protest when he consoled her but instead relaxed into his comforting arms. Apparently all thoughts of keeping their personal and professional lives separate had flown out the airlock. "I can still talk to him if you want." He hated seeing her like this; she'd already been through so much and didn't deserve this. She shook her head.
"I don't know why I came here." She started to pull away, but he kept a grip on her arms, ready at a moment to hold her close once again. "You're working, and I need to prepare to return to duty tomorrow."
"It's fine, muñeca. Crew issues are under my purview anyway." He hoped the little joke would help lighten the mood, but he could tell by her expression that it wasn't working. She looked at the PADDs on Chakotay's desk and immediately began to compose herself. She sniffled and attempted to smooth down her hair.
"You're busy, I shouldn't have bothered you." She turned to leave, but he moved to block her exit.
"Seven, it's fine," he assured. There was no way he was going to let her leave in this current condition. She needed to talk, and he was more than willing to listen. He'd do this to any crewman who showed up in his office with a problem, not just her. "Come have a seat." He put a guiding hand on her back and steered her in the direction of the small couch under the window. While his office may be significantly smaller than the Captain's ready room, it still afforded him the privacy he needed to perform his duties as First Officer, such as comforting distraught crewmen.
Seven silently complied and sat on the couch next to Chakotay. He clutched both her hands in his and looked at her with his usual calm, soothing brown eyes. Already, she was starting to feel better just by being with him, there was something about him that was always calming.
"Tell me exactly what happened," he prompted. She took a deep breath to collect herself.
"I returned to the cargobay to retrieve some extra clothes so I can stay with you," she started slowly. "Icheb was there, but I wasn't expecting him, I thought he would already be in astrometrics. He asked me if I was returning to the cargobay, and I told him that I would be staying in your quarters for a few more days. He got upset at that news. I tried to get him to stay, but I could see in his eyes that he was furious with me. I thought you said he would be fine after a few days. It's been over a week, and he's still mad at me." Chakotay listened carefully to the story, nodding understandingly at the appropriate times, as was his way. Now that it was his turn to offer advice, however, he found himself struggling. He thought he'd given reasonable advice before, but clearly that wasn't the case.
"This is the first big fight the two of you have had, so it may take longer to get over how he feels. It's common for teenagers to fight with their parents." Her gaze immediately hardened at the comment. She might have a close relationship with Icheb and more or less be in charge of his upbringing as his own parents sacrificed him to the Borg, but that didn't make her his mother. Not once did she ever think of herself as that.
"I'm not Icheb's mother," she snapped haughtily.
"No, you're not, but you might as well be. Your relationship is very maternal to him. You're the closest thing to a mother that he has, so it's expected that the two of you will have some disagreements eventually. Hell, even you and I have disagreements. You can't take it personally. I can talk to him about it if you want. Your job will be far more difficult tomorrow if you and Icheb aren't on speaking terms."
"I am fully capable of taking care of my problems on my own. I, I don't know why I came to bother you and interrupt your work." Chakotay reached out and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
"You needed someone to talk to, and I'm glad it's me you came to talk to." She had to admit that she did feel a little bit better getting her emotions out in the open, even if she still didn't have a solution to her problem. There was something about having Chakotay be aware of her problems that helped her feel slightly more relaxed. If only he'd been able to offer her some sort of solution past the fact that she and Icheb needed to repair their relationship in order to work properly in Astrometrics.
The doorbell chimed, instantly ending the tender moment the couple shared. Chakotay sighed, there always seemed to be someone who needed him. He looked at Seven. At least she'd stopped crying, although he could tell that she was still visibly upset from her fight with Icheb. He wanted to tell whoever was at his door to come back later, but he knew he couldn't do that. He'd put his emotions before his professional responsibilities on the away mission, and he couldn't do that anymore. He had a job to do, whether he wanted to or not.
"Enter," he called. The door slid open, and Tuvok entered. In a flash, Seven was on her feet and attempting to mask the fact that she had been crying, although her puffy eyes and ruddy cheeks instantly gave it away to anyone who saw her. Guilt consumed her. She'd been hoping to get in and out of Chakotay's office without being seen by any members of the crew, as it was highly improper for her to be here, especially in this emotional state. If anything, it would cause members of the crew to gossip with even more ferocity than they already were. It didn't matter that they had been walking down the corridor hand in hand just a few hours ago, this was something entirely different, it looked like she was sneaking into his office for some illicit fun while he was supposed to be doing his job.
"Am I interrupting?" Tuvok inquired. The last person he expected to see in Chakotay's office was Seven, as he was under the impression that she was still relieved of duty for medical reasons for one more day.
"No, I was just leaving," Seven replied in a formal voice in an attempt to chase away any impropriety that crossed Tuvok's mind. She was about to walk out the door, when she looked over at Chakotay for a split second to show him that she was perfectly fine even though it was clear that she wasn't. He took advantage of the split second to plant a loving kiss on the top of her head. It just happened without him even having to think about it. When he pulled away, he saw the disapproving look on her face that told him that that had been a mistake; they needed to keep things formal, especially with Tuvok standing right in front of them. As far as they could tell, he didn't seem to mind, although he was a Vulcan and didn't express any emotions. Chakotay had no regrets, and he'd do it all over again. "Commander," she nodded formally at Chakotay and once again at Tuvok before leaving to return to his quarters, making sure to grab her bag containing her clothes from the cargobay on her way.
That evening, Chakotay entered his quarters and found Seven setting the table for another intimate dinner for them to share. With a scrutinizing gaze, she adjusted the neatly folded napkin and made sure it was perfectly perpendicular to the edge of the table. As always, everything needed to be perfect for her. Once she made sure the napkins were exactly where they needed to be, she rearranged the small platters of food.
"Looks like you were busy today," Chakotay commented. She really had gone above and beyond with her cooking this time, there were five small platters of food scattered across the already crowded kitchen table.
"I can't take credit for this, Chell sent up the food." Now that he got a closer look, Chakotay recognized the food as some of Chell's culinary masterpieces. It was fine with him that she got food from the mess hall. In fact, he preferred that, as it meant that Seven hadn't spent the entire day cooking or replicating food when she should be resting and enjoying her last day off. She stood up and carefully analyzed the table, looking for anything that might be out of place. To her, everything looked perfect. "Dinner is ready," she announced proudly as she motioned for him to have a seat. Rather than just sit down, however, he pulled out the chair for her. She gave him a small smile as she sat down. While it was such a small action, it made her heart flutter with flattery and a small bit of desire. He was always such a gentleman.
As he ate, Chakotay slid his hand across the table on top of Seven's, clutching it gently. She glanced at him for a split second before turning her attention back to her food. It was an innocent enough touch, but she felt strangely uneasy after being caught in his office by Tuvok that afternoon.
"I'm sorry for interrupting your work this morning." Right away, he put down his fork and instead turned all his attention on her. He saw the conflict in her eyes, this was something that had been bothering her all afternoon. "It was highly unprofessional, and it won't happen again."
"Don't apologize," he urged. He couldn't understand why this was such a big deal to her. Plenty of members of the crew came to him with problems; just because they were dating didn't mean she shouldn't do the same. "You were clearly upset and needed someone to talk to. I just wish there was something more that I could do. I hate seeing you upset like this." She shook her head.
"This isn't your problem, it's mine, and I'll deal with it when I return to duty tomorrow."
"But it is my problem." Confused, she looked up at him, momentarily forgetting about the plate of food in front of her. She raised her eyebrow and tried to figure out what he was talking about.
"Explain."
"You're my girlfriend, Seven, which means I'm here to support you through all your problems, no matter how difficult they may be. It's a part of the job description."
"I was unaware there was a formal job description for significant others." He cracked a smile, causing those irresistible dimples to appear, which momentarily distracted her from how she was feeling. For the majority of the day, she was kept busy enough to forget about how Icheb treated her, but now she had to face the problem head on again.
"It's a joke. It means that it's my job to help you, even if that means taking a few minutes out of my day to support you through a difficult time. I don't want you to feel anxious when you return to duty tomorrow."
"I am Borg, I don't feel anxious," Seven snapped. "And I need to finish eating, because I'm meeting Tom in twenty minutes."
"Again?" Chakotay blurted out. Every evening for nearly a week she'd been running off in the evening to meet with Tom, taking away from the time he'd come to enjoy with her in the evening. Before the away mission, the two of them barely spoke, and now they were doing some super secret something that took up quite a bit of their time. He couldn't figure out what it was; he didn't think they had anything in common, well not enough to spend this much time together.
"It's the last night we're meeting," she informed him. "Is that alright with you?" Suddenly, she felt unsure about meeting with Tom. While she'd previously accused Chakotay of being jealous as a joke, now she wondered if he was in fact jealous. She should have been more cognizant of his feelings, especially since their relationship was still in its early stages.
"No, I'm just curious about what the two of you are doing."
"It's a surprise." She sounded unsure about herself, almost as if she wasn't sure if she was using the word correctly, which only caused him to become more intrigued.
"A surprise?" he repeated. He'd never known Seven to be one to go out of her way to plan surprises. The thought of her planning one, however, piqued his interest, and he couldn't find out what it was. He just hoped that it wasn't something he'd come to regret, which was usually the case when it came to Tom and his shenanigans.
In the hololab, Tom looked over the changes Seven had made to the holoprogram they were writing. While her changes were more or less acceptable, there were a few tweaks that needed to be made in order to ensure that the program ran smoothly. As he made the changes, the door slid open, and Seven entered.
"I apologize for my tardiness, Commander Chakotay and I were having dinner, and it took a little longer than expected," she explained as she sidled up to him and looked at the changes he made to her program. His keen eye had caught a mistake in her calculations that she'd somehow overlooked.
"It's fine," he assured. "How's Chakotay doing?"
"The Commander is fine," she replied as she folded her arms behind her back and looked at the rest of the changes he'd made to the program. As far as she could tell, everything appeared acceptable. "Although he is growing suspicious of our nightly meetings."
"Well it's a good thing this is our last night meeting." The last thing he needed was for Chakotay to get angry with him because he was monopolizing his girlfriend. He continued to tap at the console and look over the program algorithms. "Everything looks good here, Seven. It's impressive for your first holoprogram."
"It's hardly anything impressive. There are no characters, and it's a basic holoprogram."
"It doesn't matter how basic the program is, it's something you created just for Chakotay. I know he'll love it." Seven was about to point out that how Chakotay felt about the program was irrelevant, but how he felt about this program was actually everything to her. More than anything, perfection was essential here.
Tom did his best to stand back and let Seven make the necessary final alterations to the holoprogram. He wanted this program to be hers, he was just here to make sure it all ran smoothly. In all honesty, Seven didn't even really need him here. The few mistakes she'd made were so minor that they'd have no actual effect on how the program ran. In all honesty, there was no reason for him to be here, but he still enjoyed himself. Writing holoprograms was one of his favorite things to do in his free time.
"Well, Seven, everything looks fine," he announced as they entered the hololab from the holodeck where they had done a quick run through of the program. As far as they could tell, it all looked like it was running as planned. "It should all be ready to run."
"Everything must be perfect," Seven emphasized as she turned her attention to the console. There were still a few things she wanted to change. "This is a very special program."
"I promise, Seven, everything will be fine. You've done extensive research and meticulously recreated every last detail. It looked fine when we walked through it." She didn't look convinced. "Plus, it won't matter to Chakotay if there are any flaws in your program."
"Explain."
"You wrote this program from the heart, and that's all he'll care about." Tom's words were oddly reassuring.
"Thank you." Seven temporarily abandoned her task and turned to face him properly. "Lieutenant, I never formally thanked you."
Tom glanced up from the PADD in his hand for a moment before saying, "It's no problem, Seven, I'm glad to do something for Chakotay."
"Not for that, although I am grateful for your help the past few days. You saved my life, Lieutenant. Had it not been for your care in the caves, I would not be here right now. I owe you my life." Caught off guard, Tom put down his PADD. He never expected her to thank him. Everything he did was because he's a decent person and a medic. There was no way he was going to let any member of the crew down, especially someone like Seven, who he often regarded as his friend.
"I was just doing my job. Plus I knew Chakotay would throw me out of the nearest airlock if anything happened to you." Seven had to admit that that was probably true. As calm as Chakotay was, he was still incredibly protective of her, a trait she both adored and detested. "I'm also glad that you're alright. I'm not gonna lie, Seven, but I was scared shitless the entire time. I thought you weren't going to survive."
"Neither did I," she admitted. The admissions from the usually private woman surprised him. That was something he expected her to say to Chakotay or the Captain, or maybe even the Doctor, but not him. "But I did, and it was thanks to you. It seems wrong that I have asked you for more help with creating this program when you've already done so much for me."
"I enjoy creating holoprograms. Honestly, I'd probably be doing this in my quarters anyway." What little down time he had he spent working on holoprograms, much to B'Elanna's chagrin. Everyone had to have a hobby, and she should be glad that his was relatively harmless.
"My understanding of human relationships tells me that it is important to offer some sort of compensation for assistance with tasks such as this."
"That's not necessary." Tom couldn't figure out what Seven had to offer him anyway.
"I would like to volunteer to look after Miral for an evening." Apparently he was wrong, she did have something to offer him. A night out with B'Elanna, perhaps on the holodeck, sounded perfect to him. God only knows she needed a break, and he wouldn't complain if he got one as well. On the other hand, he wasn't entirely sure how well Seven would do with his incredibly high maintenance daughter. She'd done a wonderful job with Icheb and the rest of the children, and Naomi worshipped the ground she walked on, but Miral was a different case entirely. She was a quarter Klingon, which meant she was quick to grow frustrated and incredibly vocal about it. She'd definitely inherited her mother's temperament. Still, he wasn't about to turn down such an offer.
"That sounds great," he said with a smile. He wasn't sure how much B'Elanna would like leaving their daughter with Seven for the evening, but he'd talk her into it. With everything that had gone on for the past few weeks, they both definitely deserved a break and some precious couple time together.
When Tom walked into his quarters an hour later, he found B'Elanna sitting on the couch facing the door with her arms crossed over her chest as she glared at him. The second he saw her, he knew he was in deep trouble. He didn't need to be familiar with his wife's mannerisms to know that she was absolutely furious with him, but he couldn't figure out why. Normally, he knew when he made a mistake, not that that stopped them from fighting anyway.
"I thought you were only going to be gone for an hour," she snapped.
"Things ran a bit longer than expected, I'm sorry babe." He leaned over to kiss her, but she pushed him away and got to her feet. Sighing, he spun around to face her. It was far too late to deal with things like this. He'd been working all day, only to meet up with Seven.
"Don't sorry me. You've been running off every evening to do I don't even know what with Seven." Normally B'Elanna just got frustrated when he spent too much time in the hololab, but she never got as mad as she was right now. This didn't make any sense to him at all.
"Are you jealous?" he blurted out. As soon as he asked, he knew he'd made a mistake. He shouldn't have said that, it would only make matters worse.
"Should I be?" B'Elanna challenged with fire in her dark brown eyes. Now he was in deep water. He should have just kept his mouth shut.
"Of course not!" he exclaimed, momentarily forgetting that Miral was sleeping, and they had to keep their voices lower so they didn't wake her. Thankfully, the infant was still fast asleep in her crib. "You'r my wife, the mother of my child, and I love you more than anything else in the galaxy."
"Well you have a funny way of showing it. You leave me for a week on some away mission, and you come back and immediately start spending every evening with Seven the second she bats her eyes and asks for your help."
"She's a friend. You don't see me acting like this when you play hoverball with Chakotay or spend the evening with him. It is possible to have friends of the opposite gender without there being any romantic feelings. I'm crazy about you, just like Seven is crazy about Chakotay. You're being ridiculous. Don't you trust me?" She opened and closed her mouth several times as she tried to think of what to say. Somehow, she'd backed herself into a corner, and now she had to find a way to talk her way out of it.
"This isn't about me, this is about you," she argued once she figured out that there was no way she'd be able to talk her way out of this. "I want to know what the hell have you been doing with Seven? You barely said two words to her, and then you go on this away mission, and now you're spending every evening with her. All I want to know is what you're doing."
"It's a surprise." Tom knew that there was no she would buy his story, even though it was the truth. Had he been working with any other member of the crew, he knew they wouldn't be having this conversation; it was the fact that he was spending so much time with Seven that drove her crazy. Still seething with anger, B'Elanna stormed into the bedroom and grabbed his pillow.
"Fine, keep your secrets," she sneered. "You can sleep on the couch tonight." She threw the pillow at him, hitting him squarely in the face.
"B'Elanna," he pleaded as he walked towards her. She spun around and pointed a menacing finger at him, which was enough to get him to stop dead in his tracks. He knew that look, if he didn't stop right now, he'd be sleeping in the Delta Flyer.
Author's Note: Only 3 more chapters left!
