Chapter Three

The computer beeped, Mezoti's light brown eyes fluttered open. Her regeneration cycle was complete, prompting her to step down from the alcove. The dark, unfamiliar basement made her feel uneasy, as if someone could be hiding in the shadows. It was completely irrational, but she couldn't help it. She darted up the steps quickly and suddenly skidded to a stop at the top. The sun's faint rays crept across the horizon, telling her that it was still fairly early. Feeling like she was intruding on somewhere she wasn't supposed to be, she headed straight upstairs to her bedroom where she knew she was allowed to be. For a moment, she thought about seeing if Seven was awake, but then she remembered when she walked into her and Chakotay's bedroom yesterday. Not wanting a repeat of that, she ultimately decided against it and instead retreated to the safety of her bedroom, leaving the door half open behind her.

The first thing Chakotay felt when he woke up was confusion. For a moment, he forgot that Seven was there and couldn't figure out who the warm body was curled up next to him belonged to. It felt like it had been a lifetime since he'd woken up to someone else in his bed, but he wasn't complaining. Instead, he tightened his grip around Seven as he curled his body around hers; their bodies fit together perfectly, as if they were meant to lay like this. She mumbled something incoherent under her breath but didn't wake up. Her blonde hair tumbled across her shoulders, partially obscuring her face. Chakotay brushed her hair back from her face and ran his fingertip along her jaw. She remained fast asleep, giving him the opportunity to appreciate how beautiful she was. He loved the way she parted her rosy lips slightly as she slept. When paired with the gentle blush that crept across her cheeks and the stark difference between her dark lashes and pale flesh, she thought she was absolutely gorgeous in every sense of the word.

Unable to help himself, he kissed behind her ear softly, and murmured, "I love you." Figuring that he might as well get up, he gave her one last kiss before climbing out of bed and heading downstairs.

As he passed by Mezoti's room, Chakotay saw that the door was partially open and heard noise inside, indicating that she had finished regenerating and emerged from the basement. Temporarily forgetting about going downstairs for his morning coffee, he decided to see how Mezoti was doing. Rather than just walk in, he knocked on the door politely.

"Come in," Mezoti called. When Chakotay entered her room, she jumped off her bed and stood up properly.

"Mezoti, there's no need for you to do that," he insisted, although he knew it was an old habit from their time on Voyager.

"Yes, Captain." Sighing, he sat on the edge of her bed and patted the spot next to her. She immediately sat down. Her back was ramrod straight as she sat about half a meter away from him and looked at her hands folded neatly on her lap. It didn't take a genius for him to figure out that she was uncomfortable.

"Mezoti, are we on a starship?" he asked gently. She shook her head.

"No."

"Then there's no need for you to call me captain."

"Then what should I call you?" He stopped to think. With all the planning he'd done with this move, he hadn't really thought about what Mezoti would call him. He'd honestly been more focused on getting the house ready for her and Seven that personal issues like that slipped his mind.

"You can just call me Chakotay." She looked uneasy about the informal designation, but she would find a way to adapt just like she always did. Chakotay glanced around the bedroom. While the room certainly was more chaotic than it had been just twenty-four hours earlier, he liked the personal touches. "You've done a great job in here." He stood up and began to look around. The drawings tossed across the desk caught his attention. He picked them up and looked them over. "Did you draw these?" Mezoti stood up and nodded meekly.

"I couldn't analyze many bugs in our apartment, so Mama could get me books about bugs, and I drew those."

"They're excellent. You're very talented. You should hang these up." As he spoke, he motioned towards the empty wall above the side of the desk and next to the window. Mezoti's eyes lit up with excitement at the notion.

"Can I?" she blurted out.

"Of course you can. This is your room. As long as you don't knock down the wall or draw all over everything, you can do as you please." She was starting to get the feeling that Chakotay would let her get away with a lot more than Seven. She wasn't complaining, because it meant that she was free to decorate her room however she wanted.

When Seven awoke, she was alone in bed. Not in any particular rush to get up this morning, she stretched her arms over her head and arched her back. Without Chakotay next to her, this bed seemed monstrous. She had no idea why in the world he thought they would need such a huge bed; nobody needed this much space to sleep. If anything, it seemed like an inefficient use of space to have a bed this large. On the other hand, the bed was incredibly comfortable, far better than the bed she'd left behind in her apartment. Between that and the company throughout the night, it was the best night's sleep she'd ever had. Hopefully, there would be many more nights like this to come.

Downstairs, Chakotay sat at the kitchen table reading the daily news on his PADD and drinking a cup of coffee while Mezoti sat across the table from him eating a bowl of cereal and reading one of her entomology books. One of her knees was bent, wedging itself between her torso and the table. It looked incredibly uncomfortable, but she seemed completely unfazed as she kept her eyes firmly locked on her book. It was the picture of domestic bliss, or at least that's what Seven thought as she entered the kitchen.

"Good morning," she greeted as she lightly touched Mezoti on the head affectionately before leaning over Chakotay from behind and kissing his cheek.

"Good morning yourself." He put down his PADD and gave her hand a quick squeeze. "How did you sleep?"

"My sleep was satisfactory," Seven replied as she replicated herself a nutritional supplement. "I am more concerned with Mezoti's regeneration cycle." At the sound of her name, Mezoti's head shot up. She'd been so wrapped up in her book that she didn't hear what they were talking about.

"Huh?" Seven pursed her lips. She hated when Mezoti used such informal utterances that she picked up from various members of the crew, Tom Paris being the main offender.

"How was your regeneration cycle?" she repeated, clearly frustrated that she had to repeat herself.

"I didn't detect any problems during the night. It was successful. Lieutenant Torres did a good job at assembling the alcove."

"I'll be sure to tell B'Elanna next time I talk to her," Chakotay commented before taking a sip of his coffee. "So, Mezoti, what do you have planned for today?" The little girl shrugged.

"I have to complete my studies for the day," she replied. "Other than that, I don't know."

"It's supposed to be a nice day outside, maybe you can go outside and play for a little while."

"Maybe," Mezoti said with a shrug. She hadn't really thought about playing outside, although she could see that Chakotay had gone out of his way to ensure she had enough activities to keep her entertained in the backyard. It was definitely something that she could consider, after she completed her studies of course.

Once he was done with his breakfast, which was little more than a cup of black coffee, Chakotay headed upstairs to shower and get dressed for the day. As he stumbled through the bedroom, he shed his pajamas and tossed them carelessly on the bed with the afterthought that he'd put them away later, although he knew that that probably wasn't going to happen.

"Computer, activate sonic shower," he ordered. The computer built into the house beeped as it complied with his command. The low frequency waves bounced off the partially enclosed shower, giving them an almost ethereal sound. The sound temporarily amplified as he stepped into the shower and closed his eyes to spend a few minutes alone.

In an attempt to relax, Chakotay tilted his head from side to side. The tight muscles stretched, and the joints popped, instantly releasing some of the tension. When he opened his eyes, a fleeting movement in his peripheral vision caught his attention and nearly caused him to jump out of his skin. Out of instinct, his hand shot out to grab the nearest towel to cover himself up until he realized that it was just Seven, who was also in the process of getting ready for the day. Accustomed to showering and living alone, he'd forgotten about her.

"Damn, Seven, you scared me," he exclaimed over the noise of the shower. Unbothered by the exclamation, Seven continued to stand in front of the mirror and pin her hair back in its typical French twist with a calm expression on her face.

"That was not my intent."

"I know, but still." With her hair appropriately styled, she crossed the bathroom and stood in front of him, completely unfazed by the fact that he was naked.

"Do you want me to leave so you can shower in peace?" He took her hand in his, and their fingers laced together.

"Let's not do anything rash," he murmured affectionately as he pulled her into the shower. As soon as Seven crossed the threshold of the shower, sonic waves washed over her, instantly relaxing her as well. "I like the company." He took her face in his hands and pressed his lips against hers in a passionate kiss, which she gladly returned without a moment's hesitation.

In a surprisingly fluid movement, Chakotay spun Seven around so she was pressed up against the side of the shower. The tile felt cold against her back while his strong body felt warm against her touch. She snaked her arms around his neck, and her human hand tangled in his hair, holding his lips firm against hers. One of his hands released her from his grip and trailed along the curves of her bodysuit and along her thigh until he got to her knee. He grabbed her leg, hoisting it up to hook around his hips. His other hand slid to tangle in her hair the best he could given the fact that it was tightly fastened back, not that that deterred him. Chakotay tore his lips away from hers, but only for a moment before turning attention to the gentle slope of her neck. As soon as his lips brushed across the sensitive flesh, she inadvertently moaned and tugged on his hair, which only encouraged him to continue. It took him a few moments, but he finally found the one spot that drove her crazy just below her ear. Seven gasped in surprise, but it quickly turned into a moan as he nibbled and sucked at the soft flesh, determined to get even more of a reaction out of her.

Both Seven and Chakotay were so caught up in the moment that they didn't hear the first knock. It wasn't until the second, louder knock did they realize that Mezoti was calling them.

"Mama?" It sounded like she was in the bedroom searching for them. Chakotay pried his lips from Seven's neck and stumbled backwards as he ran his hand over his face. Wide eyed, Seven's eyes immediately shot over to the bathroom door. Thinking they were safe in their bedroom and capable of having a few private moments, she hadn't bothered closing the door, which meant Mezoti could wander in without any warning and catch them in an even more precarious situation than yesterday.

"At least this time she knocked," Chakotay commented bitterly as he attempted to take several deep breaths to calm himself down. He really had been hoping to have some private time with Seven.

"I should see what she wants." Seven stumbled out of the shower. As she exited the bathroom, she attempted to fix her hair so Mezoti wouldn't catch on to what they had been doing, pausing only to close the bathroom door firmly behind her so Chakotay could finish his shower in peace.

"Computer, increase pitch of shower," Chakotay commanded gruffly. The computer beeped as it complied. After his lustful encounter with Seven, he was going to need the highest pitched shower he could to calm himself down again.

Having learned her lesson from yesterday, Mezoti stood in the doorway to the master bedroom with the door cracked open so she could call out for her mother. It was a definite improvement over yesterday, but she still had awful timing. Seven continued to tuck her hair back in its French twist, her fingers mechanically going through the motions as she crossed the bedroom.

"What do you need?" she asked, her voice coming out a bit edgier than she intended.

"You haven't given me my academic assignments for the day," Mezoti replied innocently. Seven couldn't help but sigh. Of all the things to be interrupted for, it had to be something as trivial as today's lessons.

"Very well." She ushered Mezoti towards her office so she could transfer the lessons from her computer to her daughter's, which she thought she had done last night before going to bed. Had she done so, all of this could be avoided.

Seven couldn't help but feel frustrated. It wasn't Mezoti's fault, and she certainly didn't blame her, but it was incredibly frustrating. When she agreed to this living arrangement, she knew that she and Chakotay wouldn't be able to spend every waking moment together, but there was something about Mezoti, she always seemed to have the worst timing. All she wanted was an uninterrupted half hour with him so they could enjoy each other's company. They'd recently started exploring the more intimate side of their relationship the past few month, something she was definitely enjoying. At first, Seven thought that sex was little more than a mating ritual that humans engaged in. With Chakotay, however, it was so much more than that, it was sensual, romantic, passionate and something she craved. There was something indescribable about his touch, the way he knew exactly what she wanted without her having to speak up; she never expected any of that during sex. It caused her to want more, which had been incredibly difficult given their previous living relationship. She'd hoped that moving in together would give them a little bit more time to explore their private relationship. As of right now, however, that didn't seem to be happening.

After a few hours of completing her mandated studies from her mother, Mezoti was starting to feel restless. She looked at the drawings scattered across her desk underneath the books and PADDs she'd previously been studying. After her conversation with Chakotay that morning, she'd replicated a handful of pushpins with the intention of taking his advice to hang up some of the drawings. Deciding to take a break from her studies, she gathered up her artwork and began to arrange them on the wall, creating a layer of drawings of bugs and insects. Some were basic outlines, just meant to show the general shape and makeup of the bugs, while others were more detailed. A handful just showed zoomed in aspects of various insects: a leg, an antenna, a wing; giving the viewer a better appreciation of the delicate intricacies of the bug. No detail, no matter how small, had been overlooked. With a scrutinizing eye, Mezoti carefully analyzed each drawing, looking for the perfect placement on the two perpendicular walls to display each drawing.

Downstairs, Chakotay grabbed his book and headed outside. The weather outside was perfect and irresistible. The sun shined brightly overhead, and a gentle breeze rustled the trees. It was a comforting sound layered on top of the birds singing and the distant sound of children playing somewhere in the neighborhood. Today was the perfect day to go outside and enjoy the weather; to stay inside would be a crime. Chakotay stretched out in his hammock and opened his book. The tight ropes beneath him swayed slightly, rocking him as his eyes skimmed across the page. He was quite enjoying this long weekend, it gave him time to enjoy himself, a rare luxury given his chaotic work schedule at Starfleet Headquarters. At least for a few days he'd be able to relax a little bit.

It was silent in the house, eerily so as Seven sat behind her desk looking over her lesson plans for her first week at the Academy. It had to be the third or fourth time she'd looked over the lessons, carefully looking for any imperfection so it could be rectified immediately. There was something about teaching at the Academy that tied her stomach in knots. She'd only ever taught Icheb and the children before; they were a small group, and it hadn't taken much to impress them. In all actuality, her lessons for the Academy were vastly different from the lessons for the children on Voyager. With the children, her lessons had to be highly interactive, masking learning in engaging activities. With the Academy, on the other hand, her lessons were full of content; it was of the utmost importance to relay as much information as possible into the limited amount of time they had together. As a result, Seven found herself struggling to determine what to include in the lessons. Everything seemed so important, and she didn't want to risk leaving out something. The Borg were unpredictable, and the cadets were relying on her for the most up to date information. The last thing she wanted to do was leave out something that could end up saving a life in the future.

Needing a break from her work, Seven put down her PADD and leaned back in her chair. Unlike the rest of the house, which was warm and inviting with personal touches scattered all over the place, her office was sterile and simple. It didn't fit in with the rest of the house, but it certainly fit with her personality, Chakotay had made sure of that. It was a small room, just a little bit bigger than Mezoti's bedroom, but it was all the space she needed. A plush circular black carpet took up the center of the room. The far wall housed two white bookshelves with a black panel sandwiched between them. In front of the bookshelves sat Seven's desk. It had a large, oval glass surface. The body of the desk was a black shape that curved backwards before branching off into two legs to support the rest of the desk. It was simple and functional, and yet, artistic in an abstract way. There was nothing else in the office, not that Seven needed anything else. She knew Chakotay had a penchant for decorating walls with paintings and other works of art, which was something she didn't quite understand, but at least her office provided her some sort of reprieve from all of that. Sometimes simplicity was best.

When she attempted to go back to work, Seven found that she needed a longer break. Her lessons were as close to perfect as they were going to get for the time being. She could hear Chakotay's voice in her head, urging her to take a break, to step away and let the lessons be. There was only so much she could stare at the same information before she went crazy. She put her PADDs to the side and headed downstairs to see where Chakotay was. She found him lounging in his hammock with his book. He was so caught up in his reading that it took him a few moments to realize that he wasn't alone. Finally, he glanced up from his book.

"I thought you were working," he commented as he marked his place and closed his book.

"I have decided to take a break and join you," Seven said as she folded her arms behind her back and sized up the hammock. "Although I fail to see the pleasure you derive from some a primitive device."

"Oh, Seven, it's not that bad." He tossed his book to the ground carelessly and reached out for her hand. "Come on, join me."

"There isn't enough room," she argued.

"Yes there is. Come on, babe, it'll be nice. Just the two of us, laying out, enjoying this beautiful day." He winked playfully. "Just a for a few minutes." He flashed her one of his cheeky, boyish grins that highlighted his irresistible dimples; it was enough to make her heart melt, it was her one weakness with him. There was no way she could say no to such a charming smile.

"Very well," she consented with an annoyed roll of her eyes. She leaned over awkwardly as she attempted to figure out the best way to proceed. She'd seen hammocks before and knew they required a great deal of balance to be utilized properly, which was made more difficult by the fact that Chakotay was already laying in it.

"Here." As carefully as possible, he inched over. It didn't give her a whole lot of room to work with, but she carefully sat down, leaning her hip against Chakotay's side in order to maintain equilibrium. His arm closest to her stretched out along the hammock, not only to help with balance but also to serve as a makeshift pillow. Seven swung her legs up and nearly jumped out of her skin when the hammock began to tilt to the side, nearly sending the two of them tumbling to the ground. He shifted his weight slightly, instantly balancing out hammock.

"This is highly inefficient for a relaxation device," she griped as she laid down on her side with her arm draped across his waist and her legs tangled with his. He looped his arm behind her, drawing her close. His fingers brushed against her side, mindlessly drawing small circles.

"That may be so, but you have to admit that it's comfortable." The twists in the rope dug into her back as they cuddled together, but she kept that comment to herself. She was more concerned with spending time with him. Perhaps she would grow to appreciate this hammock over time, although she seriously doubted it.

As they laid together, Seven rested her head on Chakotay's shoulder, giving him the ability to press his cheek against the top of her head. Unable to help himself, he kissed the top of her head softly, causing her to smile slightly at the tender affection. Neither one of them spoke, instead focusing on relaxing and enjoying a few stolen minutes of time together.

"Seven, can I ask you something?" The past few minutes had been consumed by comfortable silence as they were each consumed by their own thoughts. Mindful of the precariousness of their current position, Seven was hesitant to shift her weight and look up at him properly.

Instead, she simply nodded and replied, "Of course." She continued to stare out across the yard, watching a butterfly dancing across the grass in search of a flower to land on.

"Are you happy here?" With her free hand, she groped for his hand. Once she found it, their fingers laced together. It was an automatic response for both of them that they found comforting.

"Seeing as I have only been here for a little over twenty-four hours, it is difficult to ascertain my true happiness here. I can tell you that I find this living arrangement a significant improvement over our previous one. You have gone out of your way to ensure Mezoti and I are comfortable, for which we are both grateful. I don't know how to repay you." He scrunched up his nose and shook his head in disagreement.

"There's no need for you to repay me, my love. I'm just glad to have you and Mezoti here with me." He kissed the top of her head once again. "I love you."

"I love you too." She continued to hold his hand, mindlessly playing with his long, strong fingers as she watched the butterfly until it finally bounced over the fence surrounding the perimeter of their property. It was a strange realization, this was her property as well as Chakotay's, something they shared and could enjoy for many years to come together.

Mezoti glanced out her window and saw her mother and Chakotay laying in the hammock together. Despite the fact that they were in the middle of the backyard, she felt like she was intruding on some sort of private moment between the two of them and looked away. Thankfully, her computer perched on the edge of her desk underneath the discarded sketches that didn't make it up on the wall began to chirp and ring, telling her that someone was trying to call her. Mezoti's heart fluttered with excitement, there was only one person who called her. She shoved the papers to the side and wrenched open the computer, instantly pressing the appropriate buttons to answer the call. Naomi's beaming face appeared on the screen.

"Mezoti!" she exclaimed excitedly as she waved with both hands and seemed to bounce up and down in her seat. Before Mezoti could properly greet her friend, she continued, "How are you? How's the house? What's it like living with the Captain? I bet it's exciting. I wish I lived there or nearby, I bet it's exciting." Mezoti was about to point out that Naomi kept describing it as exciting but ultimately decided against it, as she didn't want to cause her friend to get upset; it had been over a week since they'd last talked, and she missed her greatly.

"The house is decent. The Captain...I mean Chakotay has gone out of his way to ensure Mama and I have everything we need to be comfortable. I do have to admit that it is nice to have my own room."

"Let me see it. I want to see it." Mezoti complied. She picked up her computer and slowly turned in a circle, giving Naomi a complete view of her room and the mess that she'd already made. "Wow, that's really nice. I'm jealous. My room isn't that nice."

"I'm sure your room is sufficient for what you need it for," Mezoti commented as she returned the computer to its proper place on the desk and took a seat. Naomi shrugged.

"It's okay, I guess. You know how Federation housing it, it's just like Voyager, boring and all the same with grey walls and grey carpets and grey everything." Perhaps Naomi was being a bit over-dramatic, but Mezoti knew that that was how she was. "So tell me, what's it like living with Captain Chakotay? I bet it's so much fun, he's always been so fun and laid back." Mezoti shrugged indifferently.

"I've only been here for one day, so it's hard to determine how it is. Like I said, he's gone out of his way to make me feel comfortable…." She trailed off as she tried to find the right words to describe how she was feeling. There were aspects of living here that she liked, such as having her own bedroom and the large backyard that she couldn't wait to explore. On the other hand, she knew she'd already committed a serious transgression (or at least serious in her mind) but walking in on her mother and Chakotay in their bedroom yesterday.

"But?" Naomi prompted.

"It is difficult sharing my mom with him. I am used to being able to talk to her whenever I desire, so yesterday I walked into their bedroom." Naomi's eyes grew wide. She may be just a little girl, but she had a pretty good idea where this was going. Try as she might, she simply couldn't suppress a giggle. In all honesty, she'd done the exact same thing when she and her mother were first reunited with her father. For five years it had just been her and her mother, and then she had to adjust to her father being in the picture. In a way, it was a very similar situation to what Mezoti was going through. "I fail to see how that's humorous," Mezoti snapped in an annoyed tone.

"I'm sorry. I did the same thing to my parents when we first got back also. It's really hard, but at least you know Chakotay, I didn't even know my dad when we got back. The only things I knew about him was what my mom told me and a few quick conversations on Voyager; he was a complete stranger."

"Were you nervous?" Naomi nodded.

"Yeah, but also excited. I mean, he's my dad, and I love him."

"Chakotay's not my dad though," Mezoti muttered under her breath, just barely loud enough for Naomi to hear. She glanced out the window to see if her mom and Chakotay were still in the hammock together. From where she was, it appeared that they both had fallen asleep despite the fact that it was the middle of the day. The backyard hardly seemed like the best place to take a nap in her opinion.

"But he may be one day. Who knows, maybe Chakotay and Seven will get married, and then you'll be a real family." Marriage had never occurred to Mezoti. That would officially make them a family, which wasn't something she was prepared for. Naomi could see the pained expression on her friend's face. "Did I say something wrong?"

"I never considered the fact that they might get married one day," she admitted softly

"Of course they might, they're in love, everyone can tell." Mezoti chewed nervously on her bottom lip and glanced away from the computer screen. "You don't want them to get married, do you?"

"Of course I do," Mezoti argued. "At least I think I do. I'm uncertain."

"Why?"

"What if they don't want me here anymore? I already feeling like I'm intruding. They're so happy together, and I'm simply here. I don't feel comfortable here."

"Well make yourself comfortable," Naomi chirped optimistically. "It's your house too." Mezoti sighed. If only it were that easy. She wanted to feel more comfortable here, but she had no idea how. It was something that was far easier said than done.

Author's Note: There you go, chapter 3! Make sure to leave a review and check out my other fic: Coming Clean. It's a Chakotay/Seven story, but it's vastly different from this one.