(A/N - Standard disclaimer)
I stand, hands behind my back, looking up at the stars as the wind blows past me, jostling the knee-high grass around me. My home is gone. I look up into the stars and try to imagine the panic my people felt as the Cardassians came down and killed them one by one. I tried to imagine how my sisters gathered in the corner of the kitchen, the fire lighting their frighten faces as they met their end. The silence that consumed the air was once again awakening with the sound of wind, though it was stronger this time.
As soon as the Maquis were pardoned for our so-called "crimes", I came here. To think, to make peace with my land. The few remaining survivors of the devastation still lived here, the Cardassians had been banned, and though that should comfort me, it didn't. It was like trying to say sorry and expecting that to clear everything up. It didn't bring my mother and father back, and it didn't bring Renee back either.
But now wasn't the time to be angry, my conscience told me. Now was the time to forgive my enemies, take away my inner demons and move on. The sound of grass brushing someone's legs drew my attention away, and I turned to see Seven of Nine walking towards me, a small smile across her face.
"Seven," I say, surprised she'd actually come outside of a sanitized building. "I didn't know you were coming here."
"I know you had previously requested an allotted amount of time to yourself here, but after two weeks of no communication, I began to ..." She was looking for the right word in that Borg dictionary of hers. " .. worry." I was taken back by this, since it basically admitted the first weakness ever from her directly.
"I'm sorry, but my people don't really have a comlink to Earth," I say, looking over her shoulder and into the woods where I can see the flickering fire dancing shadows on the trees. She steps closer and slowly we bridge the gap and embrace. The wind blows again and I feel her loose strands of hair whisper across my face. "I missed you too," I whisper. She tightened in my grasp, and pulled away, her face looking as if she may cry. "Seven what's wrong?" I ask, trying to suppress my natural concern.
"I required contact with you before I..." Seven looks to the side, out into the fields. My heart was beginning to ache - what was tearing her up inside? I laid a hand on her arm, but she pulled away. "I am getting my implants removed."
"That's great news, Seven," I say, enforcing my words with a bright, confident smile.
"There could be..." She looks at me, worry painted across her smooth face, her eyes glowing vibrant. ".. complications." I paused, putting my words together. I loved Seven so much, what could possibly happen to her?
"What type of complications?" I ask, putting my hands in my pockets.
"I could.. die," she says, her voice growing quiet, and her head looking downward. "With such integrated systems, there is a 54% possibility of my survival." I too find myself looking downward now. What devastating low numbers... she could really die. The only thing I can do is take her back into my arms, and comfort her. I know how much she wants to cry, but her emotions are so pent up within her, they seem as though they will never come out. She struggles to push away for a moment, but I hold her close. I can't lose her now, not like I did Kathryn oh so many light-years ago.
"I love you, Seven, no matter what happens. I will always be here for you. Always, you have to understand that," I whisper into her ear as she calms down. She rests her head on my shoulder, and I catch myself nuzzling into her soft hair, running my hands down her back.
"I did not arrive here to deliver just this news, Chakotay," she says, her voice so low I can barely hear her. It's a new light of Seven, to see her act somewhat remotely human. "I must... end this relationship." My hands freeze, as does the world around me. The grass seems to lie still now around my knees. For a second, I think she may have not really said it. But before I can react, she breaks free of my weakened embrace, and runs off into the dense woods. "Seven!" I call after her. But it's too late. She's gone.