The stars had never seemed so bright, so right. So close to being perfect. Seven (Annika… she reminded herself) shifted, pulling the blanket closer around her, looking up at the dark sky.
She had spent most of her life in pursuit of perfection, the order and organization of the Borg driving her to do things which gave her nightmares now. Perfection had been the intense hierachy, no arguments, just one whole working. Voyager had shown her another side to rightness. Chakotay was showing her a completely new side of perfection, one full of passion and searing kisses in the night. A faint blush crept over Sev- Annika's cheeks as she remembered the things he had taught her that night. Being with him was most definitely not irrevalent.
Annika was alone outside, Chakotay talking to Captain Janeway on the screen in his small cottage. Seven had answered the call, the flush of sex still glowing on her skin, the blanket around her. There had been no mistaking the look of pain in the Captain's eyes, and the barely civil tone in which she asked to speak with Chakotay.
Seven of Nine would not have cared that she hurt the older woman's feelings, but Annika did. Kathryn Janeway had replaced the mother she had really never known- and the knowledge that she was responsible for some of her pain brought a long a feeling she had just learned to identify. Guilt.
Her musings were interrupted by the sound of the door opening. She turned and smiled to see Chakotay step out. Her smile faded when she saw the stormy look on his face.
"I take it, you and the Captain were not able to 'patch things up'?" Annika asked, standing.
"She's a stubborn woman." Chakotay grumbled, reaching for Annika.
She stopped him. "You too are stubborn."
Chakotay sighed. "She's hurt right now. And when I'm woken up in the middle of the night, I'm never at my most reasonable."
Annika favored him with a slight smile. "We weren't sleeping."
Chakotay couldn't help but grin at that. He kised her quickly, pulled her into the circle of his arms. He looked down. "We have to go back to San Francisco."
Annika frowned. "Why?"
"Reassignment." The word that the entire crew of Voyager had been dreading.
Annika nodded. "I'll go pack. But first…." Their lips met again, and Seven of Nine thoought to herself.
I have found perfection.