Seven of Nine had been standing in the captain's quarters holding the baby in her arms when she felt the familiar sensation of being transported. She heard Neelix call out but there was nothing he could do. When she appeared in the Borg Queen's chamber she looked around to find Kathryn, their eyes meeting for a moment before she found herself face to face with the Borg Queen once again.
"Welcome home, Seven." The Borg Queen greeted.
"Leave them alone." Janeway growled. She went to move closer to Seven and their child but suddenly found a force field stopping her.
Seven looked towards Kathryn again before turning her gaze on the Queen. "I will not allow you to have this child."
"You will." The Borg Queen purred. "You will give her to me or you will watch me assimilate your lover. You will give her to me or you will watch as my new drone kills the child."
"That course of action would have no benefit for the Collective." Seven said as she moved away from the Queen but kept her eyes on her. They circled the room with Kathryn in the middle. "Your actions are personal. Clarify."
"Everything I do is for the benefit of the Collective." The Queen replied. "The child is just another way of adding to our perfection."
Seven shook her head. "There is more to this than that."
The Borg Queen smiled. "You're very perceptive, Seven. Yes. There are other reasons for what I have done."
"What are they?" Seven demanded as she kept the baby close to her chest.
The Borg Queen turned to face Janeway. She took several steps closer to the auburn haired woman. They were so close that she knew Janeway could feel her cold metallic breath on her skin. "You stole from me Captain. You raided my ships, scavenged my drones, you seek us out rather then run away from us. You teased me, you tempt me, you tempt fate, those are qualities that will make the child unique." The Queen's voice, which had been soft and seductive as she spoke, suddenly became hard and angry. Her hand shot up and wrapped around Janeway's throat. "You are an imperfect being and yet she choose you every time. You stole her from me. So I took from you."
Janeway looked into the Queen's cold, hard, metallic eyes and suddenly she understood. She gripped at the hand around her throat and just as suddenly as it was there it was gone. "You're jealous." Croaked out in a horse voice as she rubbed her throat.
Anger burned in those metallic eyes. "Jealous of you? Hardly. I am perfection and you are not."
"And yet Seven choose to be human rather then return to the Collective." Janeway replied, her voice low and husky, a lopsided grin on her face. "Seven choose me over you."
The Borg Queen suddenly jerked to face Seven as she yelled, "You could have been Queen!" Then, as if someone flipped a switch, she was calm again and pouring on the maternal charm. "I had chosen you, Seven. You were going to be my successor but you refused. Your corruption runs too deep. So I created the perfect heir." She moved slowly towards Seven and held out her arms. "Give me the child, Seven."
"Seven!" Janeway said from where she was. "Don't!"
Seven looked between the woman she loved and the monster between them. She held the baby a little tighter as she began to cry softly. She looked down at the baby's face and then up at the Queen.
"Choose again, Seven." The Queen taunted. "Give me the child and you and Kathryn and her ship are free too go with my vow to never bother you again. Or refuse and watch as Kathryn is assimilated."
"Try it, bitch." Kathryn called out defiantly.
Seven raised an eyebrow at that. It was so unlike Kathryn to swear.
"You have the design for the womb, Seven. You have the files on how she was created." The Queen continued after deciding to add a little to the emotional charge in the room. "You and Kathryn could have another child. One not tainted by our implants. One who would not be scorned for who she is."
Seven's icy eyes blazed. "My thoughts are my own!"
The Borg Queen smiled. "A mother's concern is universal, Seven." She stepped close to Seven and placed a hand on her cheek. "Give her to me Seven and go with your love with my blessings."
Janeway couldn't understand what she was seeing in Seven's expression. Was she really allowing herself to buy into what the Queen was saying? She knew in that instant what the Queen was doing. No matter what choice Seven made Janeway would pay the price. She would be hurt so deeply that nothing would ever be the same in her life. "Seven. Annika, please, get the baby back to the ship! Please."
For several long moments Seven looked into Kathryn's eyes. She was well aware that the Queen was watching them and that she was taking pleasure from what she was doing to them. Finally, after what felt like an eternity she looked at the Queen. "Send the order to the Collective. Voyager and her crew are never to be assimilated or destroyed. Show me that you mean it, that Voyager will be safe."
The Queen was smiling so brightly it lit up the dark room. She titled her head slightly and then a moment later she said, "It is done."
Seven looked at Kathryn a moment before leaning close to the baby and whispering something to her. When Seven looked up at Kathryn again she said, "I am sorry my Kathryn."
Kathryn watched in horror as Seven gave their child to the Borg Queen. Tears streamed down her pale cheeks as she watched the Queen cradle her daughter her arms. She was in such shock she didn't see the drones closing in on them. Nor did her mind really register that as soon as the Queen's back was to her, Seven turned to a computer on the central alcove and punctured it with her assimilation tubules. Her heart was breaking in her chest and the sound of it falling to pieces drowned out Seven's voice as the tall blonde came towards her. When Seven tried to reach out to her Kathryn pulled away from her. She stared at her lover with such hurt and betrayal in her eyes as she felt the tingle of a transporter beam take hold of her.