A/N: I hope everyone had a good holiday season. Another short chapter but I figure more frequent short chapters is better than slower longer ones.

Time Enough Chapter 11

"Harry, tell me something good." Janeway frowned at the expanse of ionized gases in front of them.

"Wish I could, ma'am," Harry replied. "It's shorter to go over it but there'll be very few star systems."

"So. We could find ourselves without supplies or we could go the much longer route and have more supply choices but also more chances of meeting hostile forces. Or we can go through it."

"The ionized matter will interfere with sensors and deflector shields," Tuvok chimed in.

Janeway looked around the bridge. "All three options have a downside. I'm inclined to take the shortest route but I'm willing to be persuaded otherwise. Tom, plot courses for all three routes and I want a risk analysis for each. We'll all meet and make a decision at the afternoon briefing. Get Seven up here to help. Tom, you have the bridge."

Janeway strode out purposefully but once inside the lift, she sagged against the wall. She knew she was running away to avoid seeing Seven. Just thinking about the Borg set off an entirely too pleasant wave of sensations that… Well, it was distracting. She needed to not be distracted.

Janeway briefly considered indulging in her fantasy in the holodeck. That plan was set aside quickly since Seven, as well as several other crewmembers, were excellent holodeck programmers. One of them might get the idea to look into the Captain's file.

"Perhaps if I went into the Captain's quarters and disabled the lock so she could not leave?" Seven asked. "Then she would be forced to talk to me."

Janice fought to suppress a cringe. "Ma'am, I really don't think that's a good idea. I understand that it's frustrating but you cannot force the Captain to do anything she doesn't want to do. Or that she's not ready to do," she amended.

Seven tapped her hand against her leg. "I do not like this," she declared. "I am unsettled and I do not find this condition acceptable."

Janice tried with minimal success to suppress a smirk. "I'm afraid you had better get used to it, Ma'am. Being in love with someone makes us all unsettled. It's normal," she added.

"You were unsettled when you decided to fall in love with Ensign Sato?" Seven asked curiously. Perhaps if she understood the chemical reaction she could develop and antidote.

Janice felt an oversharing headache coming on. "Well, Ma'am, it wasn't something I decided. We went out on a date and we liked each other. I mean 'liked' in a way that made us want to be intimate. Sometimes it happens fast like that and sometimes people who are friends find that they have developed stronger feelings for each other over time. I think it's scarier when it happens to people who are friends first."

"You were not 'friends' first?" Seven asked. Janice shook her head. "But you consider the Captain to be my friend?" she continued.

"Well, yes," Janice said, a bit surprised. "It's obvious she thinks very highly of you and likes you personally."

Seven raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps then she does wish a redefined relationship but is merely 'scared.' Fear can be overcome."

Janice was a bit worried by the look of determination on Seven's face.

Janeway looked around the briefing room. "It seems we are faced with three equally bad options. In the absence of any clear good choice, I'm inclined to take the fastest option."

"Pardon, Captain," Chakotay objected, "but the risks of going through the nebula are worse than going over. We'll be half-blind and vulnerable."

"So will anyone else in there," Paris countered.

"Assuming they haven't developed technology that is immune to the nebula's effects," Harry chimed in.

"I agree with the Captain," Seven declared. "We cannot base our decision on unknown technologies. Species 9465 developed in a nebula with technology similar to Federation sensor devices. I believe I can make adjustments to improve the ship's sensors to 85% efficiency."

"What about deflectors?" Chakotay asked.

"Species 9465 did not have deflector technology," Seven replied evenly. "This made their assimilation far more efficient."

Paris turned away to hide his look of disgust. "Let's be sure we're efficient," he muttered.

Seven was used to negative reactions to her factual statements, especially those regarding the Borg Collective. "I believe the Captain's preference has similar risks to the other options. I believe we should proceed through at maximum speed."

"Outrun any hostile forces?" B'Elanna shook her head. "We can't sprint through that mess. Our engines will need an overhaul once we're out."

"Going over is the best option," Chakotay insisted. "We can run the engines full out and our supplies are good. We could make it easily before we had to worry about resupplying. There are so few star systems on the over path that the odds of meeting anyone are miniscule. At best speed, going through would save us less than a month. Ma'am, for almost no risk, a month seems worth it."

Seven bristled. Part of her understood and even agreed with Chakotay's assessment but the other part, well, he was opposing the Captain. She forced herself to remain calm.

Janeway sighed. "As I said, I'm willing to be persuaded. Who else agrees with Chakotay?" She nodded when everyone other than Seven indicated support for Chakotay's option. "Very well. I want first level rationing put in place just in case. That includes non-essential power consumption. Dismissed."

Seven lingered until she was alone with Janeway. "Why did you relent?" she asked. "Your plan was the better option."

"Maybe," Janeway said, "but my impatience should not expose the crew to additional risk. In the grand scheme of things, the additional time isn't worth it." She flashed a wry smile. "With restrictions on holodeck usage, it's going to be a boring few months. I think it's time for a ship-wide clean-up and full system diagnostic to keep the crew busy. I want you to take charge of the diagnostic and see if you can't improve our efficiency."

Seven nodded reluctantly. The assignment would take quite a lot of her time. She wondered if the Captain was finding "busy work" to keep her away. Seven resolved to be patient.

"Happy anniversary," Janice said as Mio entered their quarters. "Since we can't go to the beach, I tried to bring the beach to us. John gave me the fronds and Neelix made us a nice platter of snacks."

Mio laughed and hugged Janice. "Just like old times. I think I'll enjoy this vacation more, holodeck or no."

"It'll have to be a quick vacation, I'm afraid," Janice said with a sigh. "I've been assigned to another clean-up crew. I swear, they've got the entire crew working overtime."

"Rumor is they are keeping us busy so we won't get upset about the rationing," Mio said. "Personally, I'd be willing to deal with the shortages and not work myself to the bone."

Janice offered a plate filled with bite-sized pieces of fruit, raw vegetables, and cubes of something akin to cheese. "I can think of all kinds of ways to fill the time," she said with a grin.

"Another diagnostic scan will reveal the systems are performing at optimal efficiency just as the previous scans have shown," Seven objected. "I have not been made aware of any malfunctions to warrant repeated scans."

Janeway smiled enigmatically. "I have my reasons, Seven." She held up a hand to stop the retort she could see forming on the ex-Borg's lips. "Just do the scans, please. Dismissed." Janeway wanted to keep the crew busy but she also wanted to keep Seven occupied. With nothing to occupy Seven, Janeway would have no choice but to deal with Seven's crush. Janeway had worked hard to convince herself that Seven's affection for her was a crush and that encouraging it would lead to disaster. She hated herself a little for not having the decency to talk with Seven about it. She was terrified to talk about it because it would break her heart.

Seven narrowed her eyes. After a moment, she turned and stalked out. She was fairly certain this "busy work" was nothing more than the Captain avoiding talking to her. Seven was certain she had read the indicators correctly. The Captain was attracted to her. She had responded favorably. Perhaps it was a test to see if Seven could keep their professional and personal lives separate. She had been accessing the library on the perils of relationships that mixed the two. Seven vowed she would not fail this test.