Yet another mug of coffee slowly cooled down as Raffi sat anxiously at the large oak dining table within the Chateau Picard vineyard as she anxiously sat waiting for the two women to emerge. She had glanced at the ancient clock upon the stone walls repeatedly, cursing it for its slow announcement of the passage of the past hour. Elnor and Soji had grown tired of the continual tapping of her mug interspersed with her loud, repetitive sighing, and left to 'Get some fresh air' around the rows of vines. Rios and Agnes had retreated to their bedrooms to escape the air of tension, leaving Jean-Luc to babysit the anxious woman.

"They're still in there JL. I mean, that's a good thing? Huh?" looking in the direction of the doorway, talking to the air.

"Well," he said with a sigh of his own. "The lack of raised voices or the sound of breaking objects is somewhat reassuring." he quipped, pacing a fresh mug beside her.

"Raffi. I'm sure they are both absolutely fine", he added, sitting down beside her. "You spoke to Kathryn just before she went in, didn't you?"

Raffi nodded in acknowledgement.

"Yeah," she replied, taking a mouthful of warm coffee with a grateful groan. "I just told her she feels bad for not answering her messages. And that she does want to see her, really."

Picard smiled, placing a frail, ageing hand upon her hers.

"You, Ms Musiker, are one of life's truly good people," he said, patting her hand, and earning a snort of disbelief in return.

"Yeah!" she laughed, "try telling that to my ex-husband. Or to my son. I think they would have a whole armoury of counter-arguments to that one JL."

A small, sorry smile crossed his lips, knowing her past as he did, Jean-Luc had little recourse to her statement.

"You are still a good person Raffi."

She signed once more and returned to her watch over the doorway.

=/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\= =/\=

The two women had finally retreated to the large sofa in the study, tears having subsided and composure having returned.

"I'm sorry that I let you down." Seven finally spoke.

Kathryn looked at her with confused eyes.

"Why do you think that you let me down?" she asked.

"You, you didn't want me to join the Fenris Rangers." she said, "you said that they were above the law, that they were nothing more than vigilantes."

Kathryn sighed gently, taking a moment to gather her response.

"That is true. I did believe that." she began, keeping her tone low. "At the time I did believe that. I only had Starfleet's intel on the Rangers. And, let's just say, that it was less than impartial."

She reached out to Seven's metal laced had and carefully took hold of it in her own, desperate to maintain contact with her.

"I was under the belief that Starfleet had done what was right. By pulling out of the rescue operation. Over time, I began to see, to realise, that it was wrong. Wrong to abandon those people. People who the Federation were supposed to protect, to help."

"I was disappointed, I will admit when you said you were going to Fenris. I understood that you wanted to help. I didn't agree with your methodology," she said, raising her brow with a smile, "let's just say that they wouldn't have been my first choice for you."

She earned a small hint of a smile from the blonde.

"Sweetheart, " Seven's heart warmed at the phrase, " but if anything disappointed me more, it was the thought of losing you." Kathryn paused, trying hard to maintain her emotions as she felt the sting of tears threaten once more. "All I wanted was the best for you. Seven, you ... " Janeway hesitated, " … I love you. And I have not stopped loving you sweetheart. You mean to so much to me," she laughed, "like the daughter i never had." she finished with a smile.

"Maybe i should have responded differently at the time."

Seven thought for a moment, "I was angry. Angry that you disagreed with me,"

Kathryn laughed "that was a frequent occurrence."

Seven smiled, knowing she was right, "I think that I was easier for me to hold onto that anger. I would see your messages and, I would feel frustrated, I felt as though you were - attempting to dissuade me from what I felt was right. You had your chosen path with Starfleet, however, you didn't agree with mine. So it became easier to ignore those messages."

She stole a glance towards Kathryn, fearful of seeing hurt, or further disappointment in her eyes. Yet all she was was care. Seven could feel a warm tear escape and slowly trail her cheek.

"I am sorry Kathryn."

Janeway slipped an arm around the woman beside her, guiding her to her side.

"So am i"