I didn't realize until I uploaded it how short it was... it's two pages on Word, but I guess I wasn't taking word number into account. Anyway, I didn't want to go further, because I liked where I left it off, so we'll stay here for now. Thank you so much to those who reviewed- you guys are totally awesome. :)

Even though it's short, I hope you guys like the chapter, and I'll try to get the next one up soon. I have a bit of school work to catch up on, but I'll do my best.

Once B'Elanna was gone, Seven returned to her work, satisfied that there would be no more disruptions. Maybe she could even get some work done on her slipstream idea.

Yes, that sounded good. She turned to another computer panel and brought up what she had done so far. True, B'Elanna had helped her with this considerably, but Seven didn't want to be around B'Elanna until the engineer realized that Seven could take care of herself and was able to still function just fine.

-nighttime-

The only problem with working continuously, Seven decided, was that there just weren't enough people. While she wasn't really friends with most of the crew, she was used to having all those crewmembers walk around during the day, and she was feeling… dare she say it… lonely?

No, she didn't need other people. She could function just fine on her own.

…So why was she experiencing doubt?

-

The next day, she caught herself making many little slip-ups, and she became very frustrated. More imperfections… they would not do.

Seven had been up for 36 hours when her combadge chirped. She tapped it tentatively, expecting a concerned B'Elanna or Doctor.

"Seven of Nine here. Who-"

"Seven! Great to hear you!" It was Neelix. "I was wondering if you wanted to meet me in Airponics. There was something I wanted to show you."

Seven was surprised, but quickly recovered.

"I will comply. I will see you there soon. Seven of Nine out."

-

As she made her way to Airponics, she wondered what Neelix could possibly want to meet her for. They weren't what she would call friends, as they barely interacted, but it would be rude to decline an invitation without a valid reason.

When she arrived, she saw Neelix attending a group of pink flowers, a group of lavender ones lying next to him.

"Mr. Neelix? Why did you ask me to come here?"

Neelix smiled and picked a few of the flowers, adding them to the lavender ones.

"I wanted to show you the flowers, Seven. Aren't they pretty?"

Seven raised an eyebrow. "Yes, they are aesthetically pleasing, but is that the only reason for you bringing me here?"

"You don't always need an important reason to do something," Neelix replied. "Just stop to smell the flowers once in a while." He handed the flowers to Seven. "Here you go. They do smell nice."

Seven frowned, confused. "Why are you giving me flowers?"

"I want to be nice to you," Neelix said. "Like I said before, not many people are nice to you."

Seven was still confused, but didn't say anything. Sensing her discomfort, Neelix hastily added, "It's not for an ulterior motive, Seven, I just want to know something. Some people think you're feeling depressed, which is why you're staying up and not eating. I figured it was my job to make you feel better.

"There is no need to make me "feel better," Mr. Neelix," Seven replied. "I am functioning perfectly."

"That may be so, but there is a difference between functioning and being happy, Seven," Neelix protested.

"Happiness is irrelevant," Seven said stubbornly.

"No, it's not, Seven! Being happy is the best part of life! You- you just don't understand!"

"There is nothing to be confused about. I am functioning just fine, and you may tell the others who are worrying that there is nothing to worry about."

"But you're not okay, Seven!" Neelix was upset. "I just want to help you!"

"I do not need helping, Mr. Neelix."

The Borg's infuriating calmness was sapping the last of Neelix's.

"Yes, you do! Please, Seven! We care about you!"

"No, you do not!" The uncharacteristic outburst startled Neelix.

"Seven, relax-"

"None of you understand me! I am not the same as you, so you try to change me! You are always assuming something is wrong!" The Borg paused, startled that she had lost herself, and took a moment to restore her normal air of calm.

"I apologize, Mr. Neelix. Here are your flowers. You will enjoy them more than I could. Please do not bother me unless it is important- there is work to do."

And with that, she left Airponics, leaving Neelix more worried than before.