A/n: I know everyone was having problems with their alerts when I posted a chapter of "Listen to Your Heart" on Thursday night, hopefully the system will be working for this chapter. I hope you all enjoy! :)

"I've brought the report from Engineering you requested Commander." Tal Celes said quietly as she reached Chakotay's chair, but the normally attentive man she knew appeared to be completely lost in his own thoughts and she was loath to intervene. She shifted the PADD she was holding apprehensively in her hands as she awaited a response, even after almost seven years being on the Bridge still intimidated her. Finally, she placed a cautious hand lightly on Chakotay's arm. "Commander? Are you alright? I can come back later…"

Chakotay jumped slightly at her touch, pulled back to awareness of where he was. He turned in his chair to give a nervous Celes an apologetic smile, "I'm sorry Celes…" He took the PADD from her then ran a tired hand through his hair, "I'm just a little…distracted today." Against his will, his eyes automatically moved to the source of that distraction, the doors of the Ready Room that Seven of Nine had entered a matter of minutes ago with the Captain.

"It's okay Commander…" Celes mumbled shyly, resisting a curious urge to follow the direction of his gaze. "Even the Prophets get distracted sometimes."

"Yeah, I guess we all do." Chakotay agreed, a little too quickly. He was just about to force himself to tear his attention away from the door when his patience was rewarded. Seven strode out of the room and across the Bridge as she had many times before, but he felt his jaw clenching involuntarily as he watched her head for the turbolift a little too fast, her eyes downcast and her shoulders hunched over, as if she wanted to curl in on herself. He knew, at least partially, what she had just faced, had expected this in a way, but her reactions still unnerved him even as she disappeared from the Bridge on the turbolift. Even after the most contentious of arguments, and Seven had had them with most of the crew at some point including himself, he'd never seen her looking so defeated before. She always exuded some form of confidence, or perhaps given what he'd seen of her the past few days it was defiance, that had enabled her to stare her detractors down and maintain an impassive, detached stance that Tuvok would be proud of. Now though, that unshakable impassivity had gone. Her expression was still unreadable, he couldn't pinpoint any particular emotion on her face, but for once he knew for a fact they were there, storming under the surface. He sighed audibly at his own train of thought, maybe he was reading too much into all this…

"I wonder what she's done now?" Chakotay heard Ensign Calderon, at the comm. since Tom had left for his night off, mutter loudly to his friend Crewman Jackson.

"Well, just then with the mines was a near miss." Jackson speculated, "But I heard she was doing some weird Borg project on the holodeck and nearly blew up Deck Six…"

Chakotay had had enough even before the mention of the holodecks but now he began to lose his temper. "Does this conversation have anything to do with the duties I've assigned either of you?" he asked sharply, his tone unexpectedly heated. Both crewmembers immediately fell silent, shell-shocked by the force of their Commander's disapproval. "Good." Chakotay told them tersely, standing up hurriedly as he saw the Captain re-enter the Bridge out of the corner of his eye, looking just as grim as Seven. He headed over to her impulsively when she pointedly avoided him, "What did you say to her?" he asked, hopefully out of earshot of this gossipy Bridge shift. He was surprised by the accusatory tinge to his own question, Seven had most certainly been in the wrong this time by neglecting her duties after all.

The Captain didn't seem to pick up on it though as she heaved a dissatisfied sigh. "I just told her not to neglect her duties again." She answered shortly before continuing, "I just don't get it this time Chakotay." She admitted, her unease evident. "God knows I've gotten used to people lying to me about their indiscretions over the years…" At these words she shot him a coldly pointed glance which in an instant told Chakotay that Seven hadn't told the Captain anything, and in turn that Janeway half-blamed him for the current situation. "I just never thought I'd need to go through the lecture about duty with Seven of Nine…" The Captain confided disbelievingly as she regarded Chakotay again, "That's the one concept of humanity I always thought she understood from the beginning." Sadness and apprehension flicked briefly over the Captain's controlled features, "It makes me doubt if anything we teach her really gets through that Borg armour in the end."

Words sprang to Chakotay's mouth, about how Seven's actions stemmed from growing humanity rather than a retreat into Borg indifference, but he found he couldn't voice them. "I don't know Captain." He answered finally, "Come on, we've still got a dangerous route on our hands here." Janeway nodded hastily in agreement and then went to her chair to deal with more pressing concerns, Chakotay soon followed her lead.

Seven walked hurriedly into Astrometrics, ready to bury herself in the work she'd been so shamelessly shunning, but found that fate had not offered her the complete peace she needed at that moment, Icheb stood already working busily. Guilt assaulted her as irritation prickled her. Normally she loved working with her protégé, he was as efficient as she was, the Doctor had once commented that they were "on the same wavelength", but he also brought an innocent eagerness to work with him that always brightened her outlook in tandem. Still, it upset her to have to face him now, when her shame was so evident and deserved. Icheb of course didn't notice her discomfort as he turned promptly to greet her. "Good Evening Seven. I have continued with your sensor modifications as you began them, but I think you have had "best save" of the day, as the human saying goes."

Seven winced as she heard his pride in her in his voice, obviously he didn't realise how close her actions had come to getting them all killed. "Yes…" She murmured distractedly, instinctively rubbing her forehead in a typical human gesture as pain shot momentarily but sharply through the skull. She supposed if she was ever going to develop a tendency for stress headaches today would an opportune day. "I believe the saying is " best catch of the day" Icheb." She corrected as she reached the console. The Doctor had recently introduced Icheb to some common human platitudes and he was trying to incorporate them into his conversation at every opportunity.

"I apologise." Icheb said regretfully.

Seven tensed guiltily, "There is no need." She assured him softly.

Icheb began to nod when he saw the second grimace of pain cross Seven's features in as many minutes. "Are you alright Seven?" he asked anxiously.

Seven took a deep breath and let the console take some of the weight as she glanced over at him. "Do you know of a saying which can alleviate guilt Icheb?"

Icheb's brows furrowed in deep thought. "I cannot recall one immediately." He admitted apologetically, peering at her worriedly, "But I'm sure I can find one if I searched through the database…"

Seven felt a powerful surge of affection for him as she shook her head. "No, that is unnecessary Icheb." She assured him firmly, pausing for a long moment before asking another question, "Will you remain at this post for me until I come back?"

Icheb gave a bemused nod. "Yes, of course, but where are you going?"

"To correct an error." Seven replied stiffly as she left.

Seven swallowed hard as she looked around the darkened holographic quarters she had known as her own. It was irrational for her to even be here now, keeping a date with the Chakotay hologram, but she hadn't had the strength to call out anymore than "Activate programme" when she'd entered the holodeck, it felt wrong to do otherwise. She caught her reflection in the floor length mirror still there from before her first date and was disquieted to see that was unconsciously wringing her hands in the human manner. Scolding her arms to stay by her sides, she walked shakily over to the couch, unable to stand any longer but not allowing herself to relax either, perching herself on the seat like a bird on a perch ready to take flight at any given moment. She stared down at her lap as she waited, pulling at her hem of her red dress, suddenly she felt ludicrously overdressed, embarrassed by the sight of her knees. It would have been more honest to dispense with the deception and come here in here biosuit, implants present, but the holodeck had presented her this way and she hadn't resisted, had even loosened her hair again to complete the distorted picture…

She was pushed out of these thoughts by the soft swish of the doors opening and her head jerked up to see the Chakotay walking calmly in, balancing a covered dinner plate in one hand and beaming warmly at the sight of her in a way that made her heart melt and freeze up in fear at the same time. "Hey…" He greeted easily as he set the plate down on the nearby kitchen counter. "I thought I'd cook for you tonight." He unveiled the dish with a jokingly theatrical flourish, "Roast chicken, then strawberry cheesecake for after…" He tempted, "I slaved over the replicator for the whole day." He paused, obviously expecting one of her usual wryly affectionate comments, but Seven remained ominously silent. "What's wrong?"

The gentle way in which he asked this made Seven's gaze travel involuntarily to his face, but that made it even harder to force her reply out, "I just…wanted to tell you that I have enjoyed your company…immensely." She stopped as her chest tightened further and next words were somewhat breathless as well as thick with emotion, "You'll never know how deeply this experience has affected me…"

"I know." Chakotay interrupted softly, stepping towards her, "Seven, I wouldn't change what we've had so far for the world." He gave her his most charming, heart-warming smile, his dark eyes shining in the half-light of the room as dimples of pleasure formed on his cheeks. He reached out and took her hand, "I know we'll just keep making each other better and better…" Seven felt him freeze and drop her hand as she flinched at his words. When she met his eyes again they were full of hurt and confusion. "You're ending this?" His voice was harsh with disbelief. Seven forced her paralysed muscles to nod robotically in reply as she stood up hurriedly, ready to walk past him, but he seized her arm. "Why? Seven, the last few weeks have been life-changing for both of us, I'm not just going to let you walk out of here without a word!"

Seven cringed painfully but kept her back to him stubbornly, staring at the floor. "It would be better if you would…" She whispered thickly, shivering as he dropped her arm in anger. "Our…relationship has led to me neglecting my duties on Voyager, I…cannot allow that to continue…"

That explanation sounded hollow, trite, even to her ears, and Chakotay took in a sharp intake of breath as if she'd slapped him."I can speak with the Captain, get her to change your duty shifts…" The desperate, pleading catch in his voice as he said this made Seven's chest tighten until she had to fight for every breath.

"It's impossible…" She pleaded, shocked by the tears she felt forming in her eyes and struggling to fall as she gave him one last look.

She was startled to see his expression harden as he looked back at her. "Ask yourself why you want to end this, is it just duty or something else?" He challenged harshly, doubtingly. His voice rapidly became a frustrated shout as she didn't answer, "Every time you let yourself get closer to your emotions, you back away, just like with the metronome!"

"That's not true…" Seven barely registered her own, half-moaned words as she jerked away from him. She stumbled as her world swayed, her vision suddenly blurred by more than just tears, she felt as if searing hot needles were being shoved into her through her eyes.

Chakotay ignored her words, striding forward to close the gap between them. "You're not Borg anymore! You're human!"

"Stop!" Seven cried out as she pushed him away, the movement causing her increasing uncoordinated body to slump forward, she was barely able to catch herself on the table with one arm.

Chakotay's voice behind her changed instantly from rage to crippling fear. "Seven? What's wrong?"

"Ahh…" She groaned, her head was being crushed and twisted in a vice of agony and now she was completely unable to catch her breath, panting in desperation as she tried to force her lungs to work. "Doctor…" She managed to force out, "Medical…Emergency…"

The ringing in her ears that had changed to a scream almost blocked out her hologram's panicked cry of her name and frantic attempt to go to her as she collapsed to the floor.

A/n: PLEASE REVIEW! :D