Date Number One
"Why I'll be…" Neelix had seen some interesting things in his self-appointed position of morale officer on Voyager. The list of bad situations they'd run into and alien species they'd met was too long for him to account for off the top of his head. He'd also witnessed small things like Naomi growing up, Tom and B'Elanna falling in love, and all the subtle changes in the crew as they settled into their life together. Yes, Neelix had seen a lot, but this one really surprised and gladdened him.
Tucked in a corner of the mess long after the evening rush sat Seven and Chakotay. Normally this wouldn't have caught Neelix's attention, but there was something different in the way they looked and acted together this time. Neelix wasn't entirely sure he would have noticed if the rush hadn't been over and he hadn't looked up from chopping vegetables in time to glimpse the brush of Chakotay's hand on Seven's.
They were too far away for Neelix to hear their conversation, but he watched as Seven said something and Chakotay smiled widely in response. The Commander's eyes hardly left Seven's face, which seemed to be rosy with a blush. It was a tender and endearing moment to witness and Neelix puffed up, smiling to himself with pride in both of them as he returned to slicing peppers for the next morning. He hoped dearly they would continue whatever relationship they had clearly started. He admired both of them greatly and his own social nature had often mourned that they were like little islands unto themselves despite being surrounded by the rest of the crew.
Initially oblivious to the couple in the corner, B'Elanna and Tom chose that moment to enter for a late dinner. Tom leaned over the counter. "Good evening, Neelix."
"Oh, hi Tom. Hi B'Elanna. What can I get you?"
Confused by his distraction, the duo looked over to where Neelix's eyes had previously been fixated. Tom, always quick to sniff out gossip perked up with interest at the sight. "Well hello."
"What are they doing having dinner together?" B'Elanna had to blink a few times to prove it wasn't a trick of the light.
"Oh," Neelix thought quickly, "they're talking about the mission. I'm going with them you know so they came down here so I could help."
"Well, then they won't mind some company." Tom grinned and headed over, leaving Neelix to sigh and hope his little lie wouldn't be found out.
"Good evening, Commander. Seven." Without asking, Tom took out a chair and sat. B'Elanna followed, but with hesitancy. Chakotay was still her friend after all and she didn't want to cause him trouble.
"Tom. B'Elanna." Chakotay forced a welcoming smile, but inside he was seething. It had to be Tom Paris who saw them having dinner together. Seven, of course, didn't appear phased. She nodded to them as usual.
"So," Tom eyed them, "what brings you down to the mess at this hour?"
Seven, who had in fact heard his interaction with Neelix thanks to her Borg hearing, held up a PADD she'd brought just for this purpose. She wasn't stupid. Having dinner in the mess with her commanding officer would require a cover story if they wanted their fledgling interest in each other to remain private.
"That's—"
"We were reviewing plans for retrieving the dilithium and obtaining biological and geophysical samples."
"Oh."
Chakotay was smiling for real now.
"Would you care to assist?" Seven's serious expression betrayed nothing.
"Oh, no, I wouldn't want to intrude." Tom stood and ushered B'Elanna with him, not eager to sit through such a conversation. "We were just going to grab a quick bite and go to bed actually."
"If you're certain…"
"Yeah, you two have fun with that."
"Goodnight Lieutenant Paris, Lieutenant Torres." Seven bobbed her head politely and Chakotay waved, trying to contain his mirth as Tom all but ran, dragging B'Elanna with him.
"You know," said Chakotay when they were out of earshot, "I don't know if I should be relieved or a little insulted that they would so easily abandon me."
"It is a good thing I am not a hostile invader."
"Not this time. What happens when Voyager gets boarded?"
"Then I will protect you."
"Excellent. I'll do my best not to scream too much."
A small laugh escaped her. She glanced up and was startled to see Chakotay smiling at her with a tenderness she couldn't remember ever seeing before. "What?"
He wanted to point out that it was the first time he'd heard her laugh, but he just placed his hand on hers, leaving it there as she blushed and smiled. "Nothing. I'm just glad we did this."
[Shuttle]
Voyager arrived at the flourishing and green planet in the single star system without any trouble and less than an hour later, Chakotay's team headed out for the second planet, which was following an orbit only slightly closer to the star.
No signs that the area had been touched made it a remarkable find, but Voyager's crew had too many bad experiences to take it for granted that they were alone.
Tuvok and Icheb ran continuous scans on Voyager, keeping an eye out for signs of advanced life or approaching ships.
Seven did the same from her spot on a shuttle with Ensign Kim, Commander Chakotay, Neelix, and Lieutenant Joseph Carey.
The second planet proved just as verdant as the first, sporting a warmer climate in general. They landed in a clearing on a rocky plateau above the canopy and managed to set up the basic tools for their mining efforts before they settled in for sleep on the shuttle.
[Alien Planet]
The days settled into a rhythm pretty quickly with mining and exploration. Carey and Harry primarily supervised the mining with Chakotay and Seven assisting. Seven set up the ship's scanners to run while they worked and alert her to the slightest anomaly.
Neelix's job was almost solely to explore the flora and fauna, but since he couldn't go out alone, Seven and Chakotay took turns going with him. It was all so calm and mundane that it was almost boring.
On day three it was Chakotay's turn to help with the mining so Seven joined Neelix on his daily hike through the jungle. Since her normal shoes were inappropriate for hiking in the humid terrain, she was forced to adapt.
Luckily, she had predicted the need for a change in wardrobe and packed accordingly. Leggings and long-sleeved shirts designed to keep her both cool and dry along with sturdy hiking shoes were not Starfleet's normal outdoor wear, but she was rather smug when she returned from exploring with Neelix and was still relatively fresh while Chakotay had returned cranky and soaked in sweat.
"So," said Neelix as they crouched over a clump of flowering bulbs by a river, "it's rather warm out today."
"It has been approximately forty degrees every day," Seven replied automatically, distracted by the readings she was getting from the little crocus-like flowers. The bulbs were packed with nutrients and the flowers… she plucked one and tasted it. It was sugary and light. "We should collect these. They will be excellent in Voyager's aeroponics bay."
Neelix nodded. "I'll pack them up."
Seven moved on to a tree this time with bulbous fruit hanging low on its leafy branches.
"It is very warm."
Seven glanced over. Neelix was eyeing the river with hope. "If you wish to swim, I will continue our scans."
Relieved with her agreement, Neelix wasted no time peeling off his shoes and socks to dip his feet into the edge of the clear water. Little fish darted up to tickle his toes, wondering what this strange creature was doing in their world.
Seven plucked some of the fruit and placed them in one of the storage containers they'd brought.
"You know, my feet are getting a little tired of this. I'm on my feet all day on Voyager, but it's quite different from hiking in jungle."
"Indeed." The container's lid clicked closed. Neelix waved her over, seeming to settle into his seat further. Already pleased with their findings, Seven joined him, sighing in pleasure as the cool water soothed her own feet.
"Do you mind if you take over for me tomorrow?" Neelix asked.
Seven eyed him suspiciously. Neelix continued, looking out over the water.
"I could use a rest and I think Commander Chakotay said he'd like to explore a little further than I'm really up for."
"If you wish to assist with the mining tomorrow, that is an acceptable plan."
"Oh, you know me. I know a little about everything. I'm sure I can help there no problem."
"Very well." She smirked a little, not at all fooled by his nonchalant suggestion, but very grateful for his kindness.
[Alien Planet]
The area around the shuttle wasn't so much a camp as a recreation area with chairs and tables for the group to enjoy eating outside instead of the cramped ship. Chakotay and Harry had taken the time to collect firewood and set up a fire ring.
Sunset was coming on by the time Seven and Neelix returned. Dinner was already prepared and the others were just sitting down around the small fire.
"We were almost thinking we'd have to go look for you two," said Carey. He cheerfully handed Neelix a bowl of stew and dug into his own.
"Thank you." Neelix sat on the camp chair with a groan of exhaustion. "Any more walking and you would have had to carry me back too."
"Getting tired already? That's not very adventurous of you." Carey chuckled. He really was in a good mood. The mining was going well and he was beyond delighted to be off Voyager for a bit.
"Oh, I'm just not used to all this physical effort." Neelix patted his belly, made a little larger than it used to be thanks to being Voyager's chef. "And I'm not what I used to be."
"Ah, none of us are." Carey patted his own stomach, which was only a little softer than it once was.
"Actually, I was hoping I could stay here tomorrow and help with the mining. Commander Chakotay, you and Seven could keep exploring if you like."
Chakotay, needless to say, was very amenable to this plan, but not looking forward to such a long trek in his uniform.
"I can assist." Seven led the way inside the shuttle, Chakotay right on her heels. That they were alone – even just slightly – for the first time in days was not lost on either one of them.
"What do you have in mind?" Chakotay leaned a little closer than was appropriate as Seven busied herself at the replicator. Seven smiled at him.
"Something that will help you smell better at the end of our hike."
Chakotay gave a mock gasp. He was liking this playful side of her more and more. "Are you saying I smell bad? I'll have you know my natural musk is highly admired."
Seven crinkled her nose. "Then you and your admirers can all sit together tomorrow night."
He laughed. "All right. What do you have?"
"It's not Starfleet approved," she warned.
"I'm okay with that."
"Good." She finished punching her orders into the replicator and an outfit appeared. It was essentially the same material as her own, but the design was suggested by the computer, a standard workout design for males.
Chakotay took the clothes, expecting it to be the usual stretchy material used for exercise wear, but it felt softer and lighter with almost a metallic feel on the underside. "Thanks. What is this?"
"It was designed by the Doctor." She held up her left hand. "It is designed to keep human and Borg physiology cool and dry and not snag."
On impulse, Chakotay took her hand, running a finger along the metal with absentminded interest. "You really do have to be careful, don't you?"
"Yes."
He looked up and realized just how close they were and just how intimately his hand held hers. They were alone, only the imperceptible humming of the computer breaking the silence. Her eyes were wide, watching him.
"Hey, guys," Harry's voice echoed through the shuttle. "Your food's getting cold."
Moving away quickly, Chakotay called back. "Coming."
Seven blushed and followed him out. She wasn't sure just what would have happened if Harry didn't interrupt. It wasn't easy for her to imagine things she had no experience with, but she wished Harry had waited just a few minutes more.
[Alien Planet]
The day was warm and bright, the temperature climbing quickly. A mist hung over the canopy and birds welcomed the strangers into their home.
They started early and made good time. They didn't speak much, each thinking about their interrupted moment the night before. As tends to happen when people focus too much on one small event, their thoughts and feelings about it resembled a kaleidoscope.
At some points Chakotay thought he'd made a mistake and gone too far too fast, and yet she hadn't given any hint that she wanted him to stop. Rather, her wide-eyed expression had seemed hopeful at the time.
Like Chakotay, Seven had her own doubts, but they were of a different nature. There was nothing remarkable in their interactions the rest of the night or even the next morning. Rather than reassure her, however, this impersonal treatment left her wondering about herself. Had her Borg implants been too much for him? It didn't seem likely. She'd understood the look in his eyes to be desire, known it because Axum had looked at her like that, and because she recognized it in herself. Logic and her own appreciation for efficiency told her it was ridiculous to expect anything other than the usual impersonal interaction while they were under the watchful eye of the others and then as they performed their duty exploring the jungle. Still, logic was of little comfort.
It wasn't until their first stop for water, their first proper rest, that the tension broke.
The river wasn't deep, bubbling and skirting over rocks to pool in small recesses on its downward slope to whatever final resting place it would make. Scans proved it was clean enough.
Sitting with a sigh, Chakotay took his shoes off to enjoy the cooling water while he filled his canteen. He glanced back and was surprised to see Seven also removing her shoes. She smiled and sat next to him.
Seven gave no indication, but her feet weren't the only thing relieved for the break. She'd never admit it, but a slight headache had started. It began to dissipate with the coolness of the water and the calm of the riverside.
"Can I ask you something?"
Seven nodded.
"Was this your idea or Neelix's?"
"Neelix's." Her smile widened. "It was a good idea."
Chakotay smiled widely. "One of his best."
Seven nodded and for a few minutes they sat in companionable silence, enjoying the sound of birds and the wind in the trees.
They could have continued on at any time, but Seven had been mulling over an idea to relieve the pressure of dating. Hopefully it would be acceptable to both of them. "You do not date often."
"No." Dating options on Voyager were limited, especially if you had an introverted personality and no interest in any other members of the crew.
"Neither do I."
Chakotay nodded, but this was again information he already knew. By her lack of eye contact, he knew she was shy or embarrassed to reveal whatever she wanted to say. Though she wouldn't look at him, he tried to smile encouragingly.
"I understand it is unconventional, but can this count as a second date?"
"Oh." This was a surprise, but a good idea. They were just doing their jobs, but they were alone and enjoying themselves. It would certainly put less pressure on them. He pretended to think seriously about it. "I don't see why not."
"Good."
They lapsed once more into a pleasant silence, but Seven again broke it.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Of course." Hungry, Chakotay pulled out a ration bar and handed her half.
"Thank you."
"Your question?"
"Does this," she held up her left hand, "bother you?"
It could not have surprised him more if she'd reached out and assimilated him. Still, he recognized it as a moment when actions would win out over words. He took the metal-enhanced hand in his own and held it up as though examining an fine antique. He frowned over it, watching the sunlight glint on the silver.
"Commander—"
Chakotay held up a hand, stopping her and continued to pretend to examine the metal. "It's Chakotay and, no, you have lovely hands. I don't see why that would bother me."
Seven smiled at his playfulness. She tried to tug her hand back, but he held tight to prove his point. "You know what I meant."
"Does it bother you?"
Seven hesitated. "Yes."
"You realize it bothers you more than it does anyone else, don't you?"
Seven gave a partial shrug. "Not everyone sees things the way you do."
He frowned, but couldn't outright deny it. "Well, my answer remains the same. You have beautiful hands."
Seven, her hand still held by him, could only smile and shake her head in amusement.