Really? Do I still have to say it at this point? Doesn't everyone know it by now? Ugh, fine.

I don't own Star Trek. I will NEVER own Star Trek, except in my dreams.

Picard's POV

He said yes! And he thought I'd never ask! He must've only now realized the full extent of what he means to me. Just as I knew it would, the ring slid perfectly onto his small finger, where it sat perfectly, as if it was always meant to be put there. I had to use his left hand, since his right hand was the Borg prosthetic. Not that I had any problem with that, I'd be putting another ring there soon enough.

I had never seen Hugh look so happy before. He was practically glowing, and he had the biggest smile on his little face. It was beautiful.

And then it was cut short because Riker, being Riker, was drunk and chose that moment to pass out right on the table. I started to try and lift him up, but Dr. Crusher shook her head.

"We'll take care of him." she assured me, "This is a special night for you two. Go have some fun and enjoy it." So that's how we ended up in the station's observation lounge, on a bench staring out the window, my arm around Hugh, who still couldn't stop smiling, though it was downright adorable to watch him try. To be honest, I don't think I stopped smiling either.

"I told the Cooperative," Hugh said, "Well, I told Sennex and Athena, but knowing Sennex, he went for a victory drink and probably told an entire bar." We chuckled at the mental image of the old Borg drunkenly bragging in a bar on their home planet, or perhaps the one on Harmony Station.

"He's a good man." I said. Hugh nodded.

"He's more intimidating than a Klingon with his threats, though. Like when he told me to go with you and join the crew of the Enterprise."

"He was looking out for your wellbeing. He was just doing his job, albeit in an unconventional way." I smiled at him, "Besides, it obviously worked out better than he planned on."

"That it did, Jean-Luc. That it did." He laid his head on my shoulder with a contented sigh and I hugged him closer as we both stared out into the stars.

We had a wonderful shore leave. Window shopping (which was really just us talking to each other and walking along rows of shops), watching Hugh win every bet he placed on a dabo table that was rigged in favor of a Ferengi player (who stormed off swearing), and attending a couple standup shows. On the last night of our stay, we all went to dinner again. This time it was a loud tavern Riker had frequented. I saw some men leaning over tables and immediately tensed, remembering the last time I was in a bar with Hugh and drunk men. He convinced me to go just by pleading with his one eye! How was that even possible! I could never resist that big, soft, watery brown eye.

I was beginning to think we'd been alright when I heard a voice from another table.

"Daimmt, a man can't go anywhere anymore without damn aliens around." I didn't recognize the voice, but it continued, rather loudly.

"First, it was those green blooded hobgoblins, then those Klingon savages, and now the goddamn Borg!" My teethe gritted at that.

"What next," he went on, "robots that turn into old cars? Look, there's even one of thos hive minded mechanical bastards here!" Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a finger stab at Hugh, who just sat there looking both pained and helpless at the same time.

Why can't people just leave him alone? I thought. I put a hand on top of Hugh's.

"Pay them no mind, Hugh," I said softly, "Remember, they don't know you." He nodded, but I could tell they were getting to him.

"There's gotta be an ulterior motive. They're gonna make friends and then assimilate everyone. Isn't that right, Borg?" Hugh said nothing "Hey! Borg! Are you deaf? Or dumb? Both? I'm talking to you!"

"I know." Hugh answered quietly, "but I do not wish to talk to you. Please leave me alone, sir."

"And if I don't?" he slurred a little, "You'll assimilate me anyway, so come on and do it! Oh wait, I forgot. You're too stupid to know when someone's talking to you, so of course you're too stupid to assimilate someone! Haha!"

"Leave my crewman alone, sir." I warned, eyes on Hugh, who looked close to tears. The rest of the crew was trying to break up Riker and some other patrons who had started fighting.

"THAT'S a CREWMAN?! From a STARSHIP?! Boy, Starfleet really lowered the bar. Now, even the stupid aliens can join! Ugly, too!" He snorted loudly. "If it were up to me, I'd get rid of all the ugly mechanical devilspawn. Blow up their station, gas their whole damn planet, burn 'em all alive, somethin-" Hugh couldn't take it anymore. He slammed a fist down on the table and turned to the other man.

"SHUT UP!" Hugh cried, "JUST SHUT UP! My people have gladly DIED rescuing YOURS from the Collective! There are still so few of us, we struggle to survive! There is nowhere we can be safe except our planet, even though we are full members of the Federation! You have no idea what we've been through! I led my people through a BLOODBATH WAR against our OWN KIND so we could try to live in peace and rescue people from the Collective! And that is how you would thank us?"

"Thank you?" The man laughed, "You really are stupid. Nobody wants your kind anywhere. We celebrate whenever Borg die! Hell, there's people who HUNT Borg! For fun! I might even take it up! Mount the heads on a wall. Or dissect 'em while they're alive, since they can't feel anything." Hugh's face had changed to one of horror and disbelief. I could actually see tears in his eye.

"Hugh-" I reached for his hand, but he moved.

"You monster." Hugh whispered. Then he turned and made a beeline for the door, face in his hands. I heard one little sob before he was gone. I felt my face burn as I stood up to face the man...and I was stunned to find out who he was.

It was Admiral Leonard H. McCoy. The medical officer from James Kirk's Enterprise.

"Admiral. I am ASHAMED of you!"

"What for, Captain? Getting rid of that embarrassment you called a crewman? It's your fault for letting it out of its cage and off its leash. Damn thing'll probably kill itself and save you the trouble." I lost it then. No one talked about MY Borg like that.

"What for? WHAT FOR?! YOU ARE A GODDAMN F*CKING RACIST ASS AND A PSYCHOPATH! You would commit genocide on innocent people, families with children and babies, simply because YOU don't like their species! How the hell did you become an admiral?! And that Borg has a name, Hugh. He's one of my chief engineers and one of the finest Starfleet officers I have ever had the privilege to serve with. He's also a Federation ambassador and leader of an entire world! And he's TEN TIMES the man YOU'LL ever be, sir!" I stormed out, past the shocked faces of my crew. Once out the door, I bolted for our quarters.

I could hear him the second the door started to open. He was crying hard. I shut and locked the door, then headed to the bedroom. Hugh was laying facedown on the bed (we'd traded our two for one, since we always ended up holding each other until we fell asleep). I slowly walked over and gently touched his shoulder. He looked up and the sight broke my heart. His eye was already red from crying, his face soaked with tears. The pillow was wet where he'd been laying. I sat down and pulled him into my arms, laying his head against my shoulder. For a good while, I just let him cry in my arms, occasionally drying his tears, gently rocking him back and forth. When he could finally speak, it was a shaky, gasping whisper.

"I-I'm s-s-sorry...Jean-L-Luc." he sniffed.

"Don't be." I assured him, "You did nothing wrong. No one deserves to be treated that way."

"Is it t-true? Those th-things he said?"

"No." I answered, "Even if there are rogue hunters out there, they are very few. And the Borg Cooperative homeworld is far too deep in Federation space for anyone to risk any sort of attack on it. Your people are safe, Hugh." I kissed his face softly.

"You are c-cert-tain?" I nodded.

"And not a single thing he said about you is true. You are anything but stupid, Hugh, and you are one of the best Starfleet officers I have ever known of. You are kind, loyal, and very dependable. I would trust you with my life. And as for that 'ugly' nonsense, that's exactly what it is. Nonsense. You are-" I struggled to think of the right word 'Pretty' was a term for young girls, and 'cute', while accurate, sounded like I just met him. Even 'handsome' didn't do him justice. I would just have to try the closest thing I knew of.

"-you are the most beautiful person I have ever seen." He gave the tiniest little smile in the midst of a sob.

"And even if you were the ugliest thing in existence, Hugh, I would still love you just as much as I do now. I would still want to spend forever and beyond with you and only you."

"R-Really?" He asked. I nodded and gave him a loving kiss.

"Yes Hugh. Really." He was silent, looking down for a moment, then,

"Would you like it better if I were...not Borg?" That took me by surprise. Did the constant reminder of my time in the Collective unsettle me? Of course. I'm sure it always will. Would I like to not be faced with Borg every day? Yes I would. But could I ask Hugh to change all that? To try and become something we both knew he wasn't and never would be?

No. I couldn't ask that of him. It wouldn't be fair, nor would it be right. He was a Borg and always would be a Borg. It was who he was inside. It was what he and his people had fought and died to preserve for themselves. How could I ask him to give that up. I knew he'd do it to make me happy, but in truth I wouldn't be. Because I'd know he was unhappy. And anyway, what right did I have to tell him what to be? What right did I have to say who he was and try to make him into something he wasn't? He was happy as a Borg. And I wanted his happiness more than anything. If being a Borg made him happy, then I'd gladly have him remain a Borg.

"No, Hugh, I wouldn't. The Hugh I fell in love with is a Borg and is happy as a Borg. I would only want you to change if the change would make you happy. I love you no matter what." By now his sobs had died down to quiet weeping. My shirt was wet, but I didn't care. He needed this. "I know you're thinking about my disdain for Borg, but I would rather have you than satisfy that disdain any day. It's actually because of you that I haven't acted on it. I look at you and remember that day I first confronted you in my ready room, when you said you would not assist in the assimilation of the Enterprise. The fire in your eyes as you defied the Collective in defense of Geordi...that's not something I can forget. Every time I have any thoughts of a Collective takeover, I see you standing against them. When I start to fall into the same dark thoughts as that man in the bar tonight, I look at you and see a flame of hope that brings me back from the edge. You have saved me so many times, none of which you even knew about, and it was always because you were a Borg. Because you weren't Third of Five, pawn of the Collective anymore. You were Hugh, a blazing sun shining in the midst of darkness. A mighty warrior who freed his people from slavery. My dear sweet Hugh, you are probably the strongest, bravest person I have ever met, and I love you just as you are." I hugged him close against me as I spoke, letting all my feelings come out. He needed to know how much I needed him, how much I admired him and how lucky I was to even know him, let alone to be able to love him.

"A Borg?" he asked. I shook my head.

"No. Not as A Borg. As MY Borg."

By now his tears had stopped completely. He was smiling again.