Part 3

Feeling wistful, Seven stopped packing items in her bag and sighed, placing a hand above her heart. Inhaling, she thought that no matter how hard she tried, she could not stop the throbbing in her chest. She sadly gazed over at the dismantled regeneration unit and silently hoped that the portable one would be sufficient until she acquired a more permanent one. Of course, she still had no idea where she would put it. Swallowing hard, she resumed packing.

It was difficult to say goodbye to Voyager, the only place she had called home. She did not wish to leave, but now that they had safely docked on Earth, Starfleet was decommissioning the vessel, leaving her no choice but to move on.

Chakotay had kindly offered a place for her in Arizona with him and his family, but she would rather be among the stars, or in Indiana, but that was not to be. She gratefully accepted his offer and would do all she could to make it okay. It was certainly better than assimilating to Earth all by herself. But deep down she knew this was not at all what she wanted.

Sighing, she gazed one last time upon the green glow that used to provide her regeneration. It had provided her respite and recharge, and she could recall early on being aware of the Captain's presence, and how it gave her a sense of comfort and security knowing that she was being watched over by her. A lonely tear escaped her eye as she turned to leave Cargo Bay 2 for the last time.

…

Captain Kathryn Janeway stood near the docking port. Her belongings were already packed, and she gritted her teeth quietly to mask her irritation at being unable to do it herself. She was surprised that Starfleet had sent some cadet in training to do it for her. She had warned them that she would have someone's head if they broke or lost any of her things, but something in the way they responded made her question whether she had any authority left.

Starfleet had her in debriefing since the moment the ship docked, and this was the closest she had been to her vessel or her crew since returning home. Sadly, it was not her Voyager any longer, and her chest ached with grief at the reality of that.

She had spent all morning saying goodbyes to her crew. This wasn't just her crew, they had become family while stranded in space. It was just as difficult as losing her ship, and she struggled with feeling sad while these men and women were ecstatic to be home and reunited with their families. She should feel just as happy, but she wasn't. She was looking forward to seeing her mother and her sister, but she desperately wished she was taking a certain someone with her. Ever since the first time she told Seven about Indiana, she had dreamed about taking her there, and perhaps it is becoming Seven's home as well.

She tried desperately to push thoughts of a certain former Borg from her mind and focusing on saying farewell to each of the crew as they departed. She had yet to see Seven or Chakotay, but she knew they were together. She heard someone talking to them in the distance, and even turned her head to look over at the blonde, but they were surrounded by so many people that she couldn't get a clear look at her.

Kathryn was not prepared by how difficult it was to say goodbye to Naomi, and tears welled up in her eyes as she planted a kiss on top of the little girl's head. She was watching her walk off towards her mother, when she heard her rank being called.

"Captain."

Her spine snapped and she felt the chill run down it at the familiar voice. Gathering a sharp breath, she took a moment before turning around.

"Seven," she greeted cordially. Just like it seemed to always be lately, Chakotay was right by her side. "Commander," she nodded, with a forced smile.

"Not for much longer," he teased.

"Oh?" She kept her eyes on him, when all she wanted to do was look at Seven and tell her she loved her, how wrong she had been, and then pull her in her arms and never let her go. She felt like she was in a haze as she blinked a few times, smiled and nodded, and focused on trying to engage in friendly small talk.

"Kathryn!" Startled by the loud familiar voice, she turned and squinted in disbelief.

"Mark?"

"I came as soon as I heard," he happily grinned, as he practically ran towards her. As soon as he was close enough, he swept her up in his arms. "I'm so glad you are home. I've missed you so much!"

Confused by his eagerness and enthusiasm, Janeway quickly shrugged out of his embrace. "Okay, um," she began dizzily. "It's good to see you."

"Oh my," Mark breathed. "You look amazing! I can't believe you are really here. I thought for sure I'd never see you again."

Overwhelmed, Kathryn could only nod. Her head was spinning. This was too much, too fast. She thought she heard Seven's voice break through the haze in her mind, was she saying goodbye? It was difficult to discern with the chaos of emotional reunions. Mark was rambling on and on about how excited he was to see her. She finally had no choice but to hold up a hand to stop his ranting.

"Please, slow down. I still need to say goodbye to the rest of my crew," she told him firmly. She did not want to be rude. She once loved this man, but right now he was annoying her. So much for any lingering feelings she may have had.

He nodded and then swallowed awkwardly. "Yes, sorry, I knew that. I was just so…."

"It's okay. Let's try to catch up after things settle down. Right now, I just need to get through this," she said. She turned around, in hopes that Seven might still be nearby, but the blonde was nowhere in sight.

She frantically searched the area, ignoring the confused looks on the crew who were still waiting in line to talk to her. Finally, after a couple of minutes, she located Seven, who was standing in the line waiting for a shuttle to transport her to the surface.

Janeway desperately wanted to run to her, command her to stay. Tell her she loved her and beg her for a chance to work this out. But deep down she knew that would be a mistake. That was exactly what she had told Seven. That what happened between them was a mistake and that she should forget all about it. It would appear that despite her eidetic memory, Seven had indeed forgotten about it and moved on. What did Kathryn expect her to do?

She continued to gaze at the woman she loved…the woman who would always own her heart and her soul. Ignoring the stain of tears that burned in her eyes, she watched as Chakotay rubbed a hand tenderly down her back. He looked at Seven with such care and tenderness as he leaned down and whispered something in her ear. A gaping hole tore right through her chest as she watched Seven give him a soft smile and leaned into his touch. She looked so happy, and Kathryn was determined that she would not cause her any more pain. She would step aside and let her be happy with him, even if it was killing her.

Janeway could not bring herself to look away, her eyes watching the blonde step into the shuttle. She remained frozen in place until she could no longer see the glimmer of her bio suit. Finally, she cleared her throat and blinked the moisture out of her eyes, turning back to finish saying farewell to the rest of her crew.

Seven settled aboard the crowded shuttle and gazed out the window, hoping to get one last glance at the woman she would always love. She had held out hope that perhaps they would talk, maybe clear the air, but it never happened, as it seemed everyone wanted to speak to the heroic Voyager Captain. She didn't even get a chance to tell her goodbye, as that moment was stolen from her as well, thanks to the man who ran in to literally sweep Kathryn off her feet.

She watched Kathryn until she disappeared out of sight, then sighed softly as Chakotay settled in beside her.

"We can see Voyager again, you know. I hear they are going to make her into a museum on the grounds of Starfleet. We can also visit anyone you would like to see," he told her. Reaching out, he gave her hand a comforting squeeze. "I promise you, I will do everything I can to make this transition easier for you."

Seven offered him a tiny smile and nodded. "I know you will. Thank you, for everything."

"In time you will adapt, we all will," he breathed, holding her hand tightly in his.

…

Rain poured down from the dark clouds over Starfleet Headquarters. It was dark and gloomy, and seemed to match Admiral Janeway's mood perfectly. She had been promoted soon after returning to Earth, and even Kathryn was surprised at how quickly it happened. Publicly she had been lauded as a hero, but she was quite aware that Starfleet Command preferred to keep her grounded so she would not strand another starship. She was still adjusting to her new position, and although she had dreamed of being an Admiral, so far it hadn't exactly felt as good as she thought it would.

She wasn't just adjusting to her new duties, she was also mourning. She was grieving the loss of her crew and Voyager. Oh, how she missed her crew. She tried to convince herself that she missed each and every one of them, but deep down inside it wasn't Neelix or Harry that she longed for.

"Seven," she whispered, as she gazed out the window, watching the rain hit the ground. Her heart was heavy, and her chest hurt. She was trying to do what she had commanded Seven to do and forget about it, but she found that easier said than done.

She heard the knock on the door and a familiar voice call out to her.

"Captain."

Blinking rapidly, she quickly composed herself before turning around to greet her visitor.

"Lieutenant Paris," she smiled fondly.

"I apologize for stopping by unannounced, but I wanted to see you before I deploy," he told her, then his eyes widened as he noticed the new insignia indicating a new rank on her collar. "Oh, my apologies, Cap…. I mean, Admiral," he stammered, clearly embarrassed.

Janeway waved him off as she lifted her mug to her lips to take a sip. "When are you leaving?"

"In just a few hours, Ma'am," he paused, then lowered his voice. "I just wanted to let you know, and maybe ask if you wouldn't mind looking out for B'Elanna and Miral while I'm gone?"

"Of course, I don't mind. I would be happy to." She pointed toward the chair and he sat down immediately.

"You've come a long way, Lieutenant. I'm very proud of you," she told him honestly.

"Thank you, Admiral," he beamed. "That means a lot coming from you."

They engaged in small talk, and he told her about he and B'Elanna were adjusting. He also filled her in on how his family was doing, as well as what the rest of the crew had been up to since arriving home. She tried not to wince when he mentioned Seven.

"Oh?" she managed a bit breathlessly.

"I heard from Chakotay that they are living and loving it in Arizona. He also said she is adjusting really well."

Janeway was happy to hear she was doing okay, although if she were honest, a part of her was jealous and wishing Seven needed her. She quickly changed the subject. "Did you hear about Harry?"

"Yes, and I'm excited for him."

…

The desert sun was hot, and it reminded Seven of the heat of the planet she was once marooned on. She was wearing a new outfit that was actually not much an outfit at all, and although it cooler than her bio suit had been, she was still sweltering.

She was grateful for her nanoprobes, but lately they seemed to be malfunctioning as she did not have her customary energy or laser focus. In addition, every time she consumed nutritional matter, it just made her ill. She had deduced that the combination of the overbearing heat and the gravity of Earth were the cause of her deficiency. Earth. What a stupid planet. She was born here, but since Voyager returned, she felt more like an alien. Perhaps that was why she was behaving so uncharacteristically; she was living on an alien planet. She was finding it more and more difficult to be her normal productive and efficient self, when all she really wanted to do was lie around in the air conditioning.

As soon as they had arrived, she had been debriefed many times, by just about everyone in Starfleet Command. Although a few of them were initially wary of her connection to the Borg Collective, it didn't take long for her to win them over. The offers began to come in from all over, but Starfleet was the only one that appealed to her. She had yet to formally accept it, due to her lack of energy lately. It had nothing to do with fear of running into her former Captain.

Right now, she was stretched out on the comfortable sofa, dozing off in the comfort of the cold air coming out of the vents. She was in a light sleep when her acute hearing alerted her to her boyfriend's rumblings as he came through the door.

"Seven," Chakotay greeted happily as he entered his apartment.

"Hello," she returned, but didn't attempt to move from her position.

He entered the room, still smiling as he came closer to the woman, he had been sharing his home with for the last eight days. They had become closer but had not yet been intimate. He was a gentleman and would never push her. He was loving being back home and getting back into his old life, the life he had before he ever decided to join the Maquis.

He couldn't help but worry about Seven. He had assumed she would want to jump right into work, but she was not acting like herself. He had introduced Seven to most of his family, and they had been quick to embrace her as one of their own, even though they had not discussed marriage. She had spent a lot of time with his relatives and seemed to enjoy them as much as they loved her. He had hoped it would help her adapt to her new life, and it worried him that she was so tired and sick all the time. He would just keep giving her as much time as she needed.

"Guess what?" he asked, coming closer and taking a spot beside her.

"Let me guess, you want me to get dressed because we are going out again," she replied, with very little enthusiasm.

"Actually, we are staying in," he grinned.

Narrowing in on him, she lifted an eyebrow. "I am familiar with that look. You are up to something. Explain yourself."

He laughed. "You know me too well. My aunt is finally coming over tonight to meet you," he said, then his brow dropped as he gazed at the side table. He then snickered and picked up the empty package of frozen dessert. "How many have you had?"

"I have consumed two," she lied, then groaned. "Okay, I had five, but they are extremely pleasing to my palate. I could not refrain from indulging myself."

Chakotay barked with laughter. "I never thought I'd see the day when Seven of Nine would eat five containers of Coolato dream pops," he teased.

"They are my weakness, like some Borg kryptonite. Resistance was futile."

That made Chakotay laugh even more. "This new humor you have developed recently is great, I love it."

"I understand the concept of humor. It may not be apparent, but I have often found myself amused by human behavior," Seven told him. Offering a gentle smile, she blew out a tired breath before finally standing up. "I take it you would like me to assimilate some nutritional matter for us?"

Chakotay laughed once more. "You are funny, Seven," he acknowledged, and then shrugged. "If you would like to prepare dinner, go ahead. Or if you would rather, we could replicate something or just get take out. She told me she would arrive around six."

Seven gave him a hard, disapproving glare. "Replicate? Seriously?"

"Yeah, okay," he chuckled, holding his hands up as if surrendering. "You really do know my family, Seven." He now lightly smiled, before sneaking in for a quick kiss to her lips. "I would love it if you would cook. In fact, I will help. Just point me in the right direction."

Now Seven softly laughed. "Now you're the funny one. As I recall, the last time you tried to assist me you damaged the meat," she reminded, feeling a little nauseous at the thought of that burnt smell.

Right away he noticed how green she looked. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Yes, I am adequate." She swallowed the bile that seemed to protrude up her throat but was unable to contain it. She held up a single finger. "Oh no," she barely got out before running toward the lavatory.

Worried lines creased Chakotay's brow as he followed her, and softly knocked on the door. "Honey, are you…." He heard her violently throwing up into the toilet and cringed. "Do you need anything?"

"No," he vaguely heard, then the chime rang, indicating that someone was at the door.

"Hey someone is here, I'll be right back," he hollered through the closed door, then made his way to the front entrance. As soon as he opened the door, Aunt Violet crashed her arms around him.

"Ah my wayward nephew, so glad you are home." She drew back and patted him on the cheek. "You look great."

"You are early," he voiced, then swallowed with a grimace. "You look great too."

"Yeah my ride was early all the way around." She waved a hand in the air. "So lucky me, more time with you," she relayed, as she strolled by him into the room. "So where is this beauty I've heard so much about?"

"Um, Seven, yes, uh she is in the restroom, she'll be out in a minute. Would you like a drink?"

"Oh yes," she rasped. "Make it strong, and a double," she heaved.

They had just sat down with their drinks when Seven finally strolled out of the bathroom. She still looked peaked as she reached out a hand to greet their guest. "Hello, it is nice to meet you. I am…"

Violet got to her feet and shook her hand. "I know who you are young lady, and in this family we hug." She gathered Seven into her arms and held her tightly as Seven gave Chakotay an odd look over her shoulder, which only made him quietly laugh.

Violet drew back and gazed up at her, smiling as her hands still held the blonde's biceps. "You are a looker," she husked, then winked at Chakotay. She was being playful and when she turned back, she was going to voice it, but then her face went serious and her eyes widened.

"Chakotay," she snapped. "We need to talk, now."

Alarmed, Chakotay blinked. "What?"

"Alone," she swallowed, and then gave a smile to Seven. "It's okay, Dear. In fact, you should sit down. Put your feet up." She patted Seven's hand gently, then yanked her nephew's and brought him to his feet, pulling him into what she assumed was the bedroom.

"Okay," Chakotay griped as she shut the door. "What is going on?"

She poked him in the chest. "You need to make an honest woman out of that girl in there, and you need to do it now."

"What are you talking about?"

"Marry her now, put a ring on her finger, before she shows."

"Shows?" He blinked. "I think that spiritual retreat has went to your head," he breathed, and opened the door. "Besides, Seven and I are taking things slow. She is still trying to adjust to Earth, and it is way too soon to talk marriage."

Seven was already making her way down the hall, and her acute hearing had alerted her to what was being said. "What…." She barely voiced, before falling weak and leaning on the wall for support.

Chakotay immediately saw it and went to her quickly, just in time for her to collapse into his arms. "Seven," he gasped with worry as he held her limp body.

Violet rushed to his side as she put a hand on Seven's forehead. "You need to get her medical help."

"What's wrong with her?"

Violet shook her head, blowing out a breath. "I should let her tell you."

….

Seven blinked foggily as she narrowed in on a familiar face. "Doctor?" she rasped.

"Hello, Seven," the Doctor greeted.

She tried to sit up more, and that's when she realized she was in her bed at Chakotay's place. "What are you doing here?"

"Apparently you passed out, so in a panic Chakotay called me and told me I had to hurry and get here."

"How long was I out?"

"A few hours."

"Oh," Seven rubbed at her head. "So, why am I malfunctioning?"

"Well actually," he began then hesitated, sighing as he looked at his instrument. "I'm not sure how to say this."

Seven couldn't help but feel alarmed, especially with him not being very forthcoming. "Am I dying?" she blurted.

Stunned the doctor quickly rectified that. "No, Seven. Of course not, but honestly, I never thought this was scientifically possible. I mean, with you being Borg…. But as I examined you, there are parts of your body that have miraculously healed. It's remarkable."

"If I have healed, then why am I damaged?"

"Oh, stop it, you are not damaged. As I was saying," he continued, "it appears that your reproductive organs have inexplicably repaired themselves."

Seven gave him a bemused, yet perplexed expression, one in which the Doctor was sure he had seen before. "Excuse me, did you just say…."

"Yes, I did," he confirmed. "I'm at a loss as to how, in fact, I can hardly believe this myself. I even ran the test six times to make sure…" He hesitated again, which was starting to really annoy his patient.

"Explain, Doctor," she commanded.

"Seven, you are pregnant," he told her with a smile. "Congratulations, you are going to be a mother," he proclaimed, clapping his hands together. "I am so happy for you. You are going to be an excellent mother!"

"Wha…. what?" Seven yelped, as her face drained of any color. "I must be malfunctioning. My hearing is impaired. Perhaps I am hallucinating. Or maybe this is just a dream, a crazy dream," she vaguely whispered. Shell shocked, she turned over on the bed, completely ignoring the Doctor's ramblings.