Yes, I know he's never going to leave me… Seven breathed a choked sigh as her answer to Chakotay's words ran through her mind again, but yet, as resolute as her belief in him was, she couldn't bring herself to say the words to him, even as she continued to lie slumped over his knees. Chakotay must've heard her struggling breaths as his hand moved over her back again, trying to soothe her, but in fact his warm, living touch, unthinkingly given, pained her almost as much as indifference would have. Yes, she knew he cared for her welfare, would protect and shelter her, but he couldn't promise what he'd just said. Hadn't he tried to leave her alone once? It had been her who'd followed him to the Maquis, against his wishes. She didn't wholly regret that choice, it had seemed the only one open to her at the time and Kolopak's death had given her a need for retribution and justice just when that had become Chakotay's sole purpose in life. Still, the events of the past few hours and days had shaken her to the core, and she realised now that the vileness of the Cardassians, the fate of the colonies and the intrigues of the Federation were utterly irrelevant to her if Chakotay was dead. This revelation was the one which froze her tongue, for if she truly believed that he'd never leave her, whatever happened or what she did, she'd cry into his lap, beg and plead for him to abandon this futile fight and go and find peace with her somewhere. She wouldn't though; it was a fantasy that he'd leave the Maquis at her will. If she broke her commitment to it he'd reject her for certain. She should have stopped him going down the road of revenge, but instead she'd joined him on it, the Maquis was his life now and it was pointless to wish otherwise.

So, she forced her head up from his bed and instead propped herself on her elbows with a resigned sigh as she tried to hide her tear stained cheeks with her hands. A shaky smile of relief flickered across Chakotay's face as he saw her recover, but somehow seeing her regain some of her Borg stoicism so soon after a breakdown by her standards unsettled him. Sometimes her ability to bounce back so quickly after trauma disturbed him, it dehumanised her. "Feeling better?" he asked softly.

Seven's oddly glinting blue eyes shot him a questioning look. "I was not injured in the plasma storm." She told him stiffly, although he heard the tiniest sniff in her voice that made him belatedly recognise the unshed tears in her eyes with a painful jolt.

"I'm glad about that honey." He murmured sincerely as he took her chin in his good hand to turn her face towards his and give her a pointed look, absently tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear for her as he did so, "But you know I didn't mean physically." He saw fear flash through her pale eyes and withdrew from her, hurt. "Talk to me Seven." He asked firmly.

Her gaze wavered, the colour draining from her face until the faint paths of the few tears she hadn't been able to hold back were starkly obvious on her skin. "Chakotay, I…"

Seska, who had been watching the latter half of this exchange completely, almost rudely, unnoticed, decided now was the moment she had to interrupt and rapped loudly on the door. "Chakotay?" She called loudly.

Seven jerked as if Seska had shot a bullet at her, immediately bolting upright and keeping her eyes downcast, dread filling her as she remembered the Bajoran's accusations. "I apologise, I will leave…"

Seska's lips twitched in a way that clearly showed she didn't accept the apology. In face her nose turned up slightly as she replied coldly, "Yes, I think that's a good idea."

Chakotay stared at the two women in disbelief as Seven obligingly moved away from him and then hurriedly towards the door. He'd always known there was animosity between the two women, but he felt as if the room temperature had just dropped ten degrees. He could hear the threat laced through Seska's tone and see that Seven was cowed by it, which truly perplexed him. He'd never seen Seven outwardly frightened of someone before. "No Seven, don't go, we weren't finished talking…"

Seven glanced back over her shoulder at him, her eyes unreadable. "Chakotay, you are recovering and I have expressed my relief, anything else is irrelevant right now." She murmured resignedly, giving Seska a hard stare before disappearing out the door.

Chakotay saw a triumphant smile radiate over Seska's face for an instant as Seven left, it lasted barely for a second, but it was enough to embitter him towards her. "Was that really necessary?" he asked darkly, "Are you going to turn B'Elanna or Celes out of my room next? Are you that jealous?"

Seska laughed sharply, "Someone's got a big opinion of themselves!" she retorted, offended, before slinking seductively over to his bedside. "I don't have to be irrationally jealous of some drone to want some alone time with you Chakotay." She said softly, running a hand up his injured right side that made him grimace. "I was just so worried about you I couldn't stay away from you on the Valjean any longer…" She whispered, pressing her lips to his cheek for a lingering kiss.

"I was worried about you too, about everyone." Chakotay admitted as he accepted the caress, although at that moment he found the kiss a little theatrical and her husky tone, which normally aroused desire in him, was irritating him.

"I know, you care about everyone, even that Borg." Seska said airily, "It's one of the things I love about you…"

Really? A new voice of doubt asked loudly in Chakotay's mind, how often have you tried to convince me to give up on a traumatised recruit or not perform humanitarian missions for the colonies when we could be killing Cardassians? "I hope so." He murmured sadly in answer, shifting as the pain in his chest and arm worsened. "Seska…" He began slowly, indicating the wound, "I think this proves just how much I've given to the Maquis, how much I'm going to have to focus on keeping us all alive…"

"You've done that so far." Seska interrupted.

"What about Pateli and Dobson?" Chakotay sharply reminded her of their latest losses.

Seska began to backtrack, "Well of course that's tragic, but still…" She paused thoughtfully, studying him intently, "It's natural to have doubts about everything after such a close call Chakotay…"

"Maybe." Chakotay muttered unhappily before meeting her gaze firmly, "But I still think my sole focus right now should be the Maquis Seska, I can't get distracted."

Incredulity settled on Seska's features as she read into his words. "Do you consider me a distraction now?" she hissed disbelievingly, the confidence of just moments before floundering. "I thought you loved me…" She choked out brokenly, eyes wild.

"I do." Chakotay whispered thickly, the pain in his heart confirming the words. He did love Seska, her vivacity and her charm, there were so many things about her he loved, but other things about her repulsed him and he couldn't deny that either. The fire within her burned him more often than not, and he couldn't handle it any more, not now when he'd just looked death in the face. "But we're just not good for each other right now." He continued, his voice saddened but firm.

"And I'm just supposed to agree with that am I?" Seska spat out resentfully.

"Yes." Chakotay answered with barely a pause, "I'm starting to think that no relationship could work under our circumstances."

Seska actually laughed at him, bitterly and scathingly, "It's not my fault I can't be your perfect little housewife Chakotay, you chose this life!"

"I did." Chakotay said heavily, flinching as she turned away from him. "Seska, I'm sorry…"

"Don't!" she snapped before twisting back around to glare at him. "You know what Chakotay, if you're going to dump me as a distraction I suggest you deal with your bigger one, that Borg slut of yours."

Chakotay flinched angrily at the insult towards Seven, though almost laughed at how of the mark it was, Seven was the most chaste young women he knew. "Don't make this about Seven, because it's not…" He began in frustrated exasperation.

"It will be when you hear what she did." Seska replied, her eyes glittering. "Did she tell you how she got those Cardassian codes?"

Chakotay hated that her words got to him, making his stomach sink to the floor in foreboding as he remembered what Seven had said, forgive me… "She just told me the crew used them to get past Terok Din…"

"Well, she was the one who got them, from Gul Ishek himself." Seska stated smugly without elaborating.

"How?" Chakotay growled, hating himself for getting dragged into another of Seska's games.

Seska's mouth twisted into a superior smirk, "How else would a woman get something off a man-whore like Gul Ishek? By being one herself that's how." She saw his jaw stiffen into a snarl and pressed her point open as she turned towards the door again, "There's nothing more efficient for a woman than opening your legs to get what you want and what else does she care about?" She gave a sour laugh, "If I did already know you had better taste in women I'd believe the rumours that that's how she gets around you too."

"Shut up Seska!" Chakotay roared in rage, starting to try to scramble out of bed, "If you think I'd believe any of that crap then you've never known me at all!"

"Maybe not." Seska murmured, "But who's to say you know Seven any better?" With that she departed Sickbay, leaving her ex-lover with the turmoil he'd brought on himself.

A/n: Oh, this chapter was difficult but it was enjoyable to write my take on the Chakotay/Seska break up. I know that in the show Chakotay just said "We both decided a long time ago this wouldn't work" but I decided to make it less mutual, this is ultimately a C/7 fic after all. PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW! :D