"Are you feeling any pain or numbness anywhere?"

"No, none Doctor." Seven replied clearly, trying to meet the hologram's eyes to convey assurance to him but he shifted back from her awkwardly, keeping his eyes fixed on his tricorder's results. Seven had to bite back an exasperated sigh, why did he continue to avoid her? His face still hadn't lost that pleading, guilt stricken look it had had when she'd first woken up and it disturbed her. Perhaps she'd just need to confront him over it, "Doctor, I…" She began shakily, but was almost immediately interrupted by the decisive swish of Sickbay's doors.

Chakotay walked confidently in with Celeste in his arms, "Good morning…" He murmured near her ear as he put a wriggling Celeste into her mother's eager arms. "How are you feeling?"

Seven leaned forward and gave him a prolonged kiss before answering, her fingers still affectionately caressing his jaw line, which was tense with worry, "I believe the Doctor has returned me to my previous level of health." She told him softly, shooting the Doctor a grateful look which she hoped would calm him, but instead he looked down at the floor shamefacedly.

"That's great!" Chakotay replied enthusiastically before slowly lowering her hands from his face and squeezing them in relief, as if to reassure himself she was there, and then turned to the Doctor. "When do you think you'd be happy to let her leave Doctor?"

"This afternoon I should think." The Doctor mumbled before beginning to retreat towards his office, "I'll just run these test results again." He added quickly before disappearing behind his office's door.

Chakotay frowned at the scene then said to Seven in a low tone, "So he's still not forgiven himself?"

Seven breathed a frustrated sigh and stoked Celeste's hair as the little girl huddled into her. "No, it doesn't appear so. I don't understand, I'm not angry with him, I absolved him of guilt as soon as I regained full conscious in fact, why doesn't he believe me?"

"Sometimes guilt is a hard thing to shake, you know that, and I was maybe a little too hard on him when you were first came back aboard, but your life was in danger and I needed him to pull himself together…"

"I know that you were also under strain, if I'd seen you like that…" Seven's voice trailed off as she swallowed painfully, "Perhaps I should speak to him again, reiterate the fact that I understand what it felts like to have no control over your actions…"

Chakotay smiled at her, proud of her thoughtfulness. "I'm sure he'd appreciate that." He said sincerely before allowing himself to move on to another topic, "Hey, if you're getting out of here later today, how about I book us some holodeck time for tonight?"

"That is a wonderful idea; these walls are becoming a somewhat monotonous outlook." Seven said with a wry smile. "Can we take Celeste with us? The crew have been doing more than their share of babysitting duties lately and I've hardly seen her…" She saw Chakotay's face fall and backtracked, "Of course, it's your decision…"

"No, this is your night Seven…" Chakotay assured her firmly, ignoring his disappointment and the ring still burning a hole in his back pocket as he smiled at Celeste, "Somewhere relaxing but child-friendly it is then."

"I look forward to it." Seven replied happily, rewarding his chivalry with a beaming smile.

"I'll see you later…" Chakotay gave her a quick peck and reached down to retrieve Celeste, "I'll take her to visit Neelix while I'm doing my shift…"

Seven gently pushed his arms away. "Just leave her with me Chakotay." When she saw anxiety and disapproval flash across his handsome face she breathed an incredulous laugh, "Really Chakotay, do you think the Doctor would be discharging me in a matter of hours if I wasn't well enough to care for my own daughter?"

"No, I guess not." Chakotay conceded reluctantly before heading for the door, "I'll see you soon."

"Bye, bye!" Celeste called after him, the words accompanied by enthusiastic hand waving.

Seven and Chakotay exchanged smiles at that and Seven kissed her daughter as soon as they were alone, "That's so clever baby! Did Papa teach you that?" Celeste nodded rigorously and Seven tickled her ribs until the baby was rolling around in her lap, giggling breathlessly.

"Your test results were fine Seven." The Doctor said suddenly from the corner of the room, feeling loathe at having to interrupt the sweet scene.

"That's good Doctor, thank you." Seven replied with a soft smile, stiffening as the Doctor turned away from her like a dejected puppy. "Doctor, I think we need to have a talk." She said decisively in a tone that brooked no refusal.

He turned back to face her, his face white and guilt ridden, "You don't have to say anything Seven, I know how you must feel…"

"No, I don't think you do." She stated firmly. "Doctor, please believe me when I say your guilt is needless. I don't want it to cause estrangement between us…"

The Doctor blanched, "Of course I'd like your friendship Seven, but how can you tell me not to feel guilty? I tortured you for God's sake…" His voice cracked in pain.

"I remember." Seven stated clearly, making him flinch, "I also remember that you had no control over what you did, so it is irrelevant to our relationship now."

"You don't understand, what if someone manages to do that to me again? I'd never forgive myself if…"

"Doctor, I trust you. You're forgetting that you're speaking to someone who killed and assimilated an unknown number of people while under the control of a malignant force for over eighteen years, I understand."

The Doctor sighed, "I know you do, but I'm just so scared it happens again…"

Seven pondered this dilemma for a moment, "What if I permanently embedded your ethical subroutines as a permanent part of your programme? Then no one could manipulate you in that way again."

"Really?" The Doctor choked out, hope dawning on his face, "You can do that?" When she nodded confidently they beamed at each other, their bond of friendship restored.


Seven felt her mouth drop open slightly in amazement as she stepped into Holodeck 1 carrying Celeste. Chakotay stood, dressed in a cool white shirt and lightweight trousers, in the middle of the most spectacular beach she'd ever seen. It was a sheltered cove, protected from the sea wind by towering cliffs, the white sand gently lapped by turquoise water and dotted with rock pools filled with fish. "It's beautiful Chakotay…" She breathed in stunned disbelief, "Did you create all this?"

He laughed softly as he climbed over the sand towards them, "My imagination isn't that good Seven, but real life is. This is Crescent Moon Cove in Australia, I was lucky to see the real thing years ago when my parents took me on holiday."

"Well, your holographic recreation is impressive to say the least…" Seven told him as he reached them, raising her eyebrow at him as he handed her a tall cocktail glass filled with exotic coloured liquid.

He laughed at her expression and lifted his hands up defensively, "Don't worry, its non alcoholic, just fancy fruit juice. I got a kiddie version for Celeste." As if on cue, the little girl grabbed the offered sippy cup and began to drink greedily, making both her parents laugh.

An hour or so later, after watching the fish in the rock pools with Celeste for a while, a tired Seven took up Chakotay's offer to play with her while she retreated to a deckchair to watch the sun go down. "No Celeste, like this, see?" Seven watched in amusement as Chakotay piled sand up in front of their daughter, sighing in frustration when the baby took great delight in knocking it over.

"Chakotay, what are you doing?" She asked in bemusement.

"Building a sandcastle." He replied, smiling when he saw her even more confused expression, "It's traditional to teach your kids how to build them." He explained.

"But why build them at all?" Seven asked as she curiously walked over, "Sand isn't a reliable building material, the tide would wash it away."

"Watching it disappear is half the fun." Chakotay replied with a smile.

Seven took his word for it as she studied the structure. "It would be better to make it rectangular rather than square…" She commented, bending down and beginning to determinedly mould the sand.

Chakotay watched her, a smile pulling at his lips as he noticed how much sand covered her face and hair. "Seven…" He asked suddenly, continuing before she'd even lifted her head to look at him, "I'd like you to marry me."

Seven almost fell forward into the sandcastle in shock, but instead managed to look at him, "You…you want me to be your wife?" she asked in a dazed whisper.

"Yes!" He confirmed passionately, hastily pulling the ring box from his pocket and opening it in front of her, "Will you marry me?"

Slowly, unbelievingly, Seven reached out and let her fingers brush the ring, a simple antique gold band with a single solitaire diamond in the centre, "Yes…" She mumbled dreamily.

"Well then, aren't you going to put it on? It's yours now!" Chakotay's laugh was one of joy and relief.

"I can't! I'll get it covered in sand!" Seven exclaimed.

"We'll get it cleaned." He replied as he took her human hand and slid the ring on. "There, it fits…"

"Perfectly…" Both he and Seven finished in unison. Seven laughed then, as if reality was finally hitting her and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him until they both fell back into the sand. "I can't believe you want me…" Seven mumbled tearfully as she pressed her face into his chest.

"I love you." Chakotay corrected significantly.

"I love you too…" Seven replied, her voice thick with emotion as she bent to kiss him again, but was interrupted as Celeste threw handfuls of sand in their faces.

"Celeste!" Chakotay laughed in disbelief, coughing up sand.

Seven laughed too and pulled the little girl into their joint embrace, "We love you too baby…"

"But don't do that again!" Chakotay joked as he kissed both his daughter and fiancée in quick succession.

A/n: I hope you liked this, especially the engagement scene! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW! :D