A/n: Thanks to everyone for their reassuring reviews on the previous chapter, I feel a lot better about it now. I was going to write for one of my other fics today but my imagination seems to be addicted to this one at the moment. I hope you all enjoy. :)

"I'm sure we could arrange for a fully qualified doctor to come and attend to the girl if you wish to return to your ship Miss Seven of Nine." Dr Favor said confidently as he entered the cave, studying its interior with barely disguised disdain as well as academic interest.

Seven didn't look up from where she knelt by her Ventu friend, firmly keeping her back to the man she had quickly categorised as a pompous irrelevance. "That won't be necessary; I have already received precise instructions from Voyager's Doctor." She glanced gratefully over at the complete med kit the Doctor had beamed down for her; they'd decided between them that it might enflame the situation if he joined her. The Ledosians were already displaying possessiveness over the land they had just "reclaimed" and Seven could tell that they wanted her back on Voyager as soon as possible, to let them conduct their "research" in peace.

Favor gave a slight chuckle behind her. "Isn't Voyager's doctor a hologram of some sort? I doubt he can be programmed to deal with the unique physiology of the Ventu…"

Seven bristled at the man's superior tone but skilfully hid her reaction by smoothly picking up a dermal regenerator and inspecting the girl's burns as she replied icily, "The Doctor's programme is ceaselessly adaptive, he managed to reverse my assimilation process. Can your doctors claim such a record?"

She'd caught him. "Well…no, no." He took a deep breath, as if recovering from a blow, "I meant no offence ma'am, I'll leave you to your nursing."

Seven smirked as she heard the man back out of the cave, seeing the Ventu around her visibly relax as his departure and grin at her in approval. "Thank you." She responded with dry politeness before turning the girl's hand in hers and healing the last of her, thankfully superficial, burns.

The girl gave a soft sigh of relief as new, healed skin weaved over the fiery rawness of the burns, but even as she did so she stared at her hands in astonishment before beaming at Seven in amazed delight. Seven normally would have felt a twinge of pity that these people didn't know of such technology, but today she was only relieved, even charmed, by the response. "I have repaired the damage, you will be fine." She told the girl softly, quickly giving an older woman she now knew to be the girl's mother a reassuring glance before beginning to rise from her knees. "I will leave now." She said solemnly, repeating the gesture she'd seen Chakotay use before he left.

The girl's face instantly fell and she plaintively grabbed hold of Seven's arm, holding her back. Seven was about to try to make her point again when the girl's mother began to sign to her quickly, her face understanding but firm. For a moment the girl appeared querulous, but then Seven guessed that her mother must've made a suggestion for the girl suddenly smiled brightly and ran off to the back of the cave. She returned with a large blanket folded over one arm, which she promptly placed directly in Seven's lap, making several signs as she did so.

Seven frowned in concentration as she struggled to interpret what she was being told. "You want me to have this?" she asked, almost entirely disbelieving, as she uncertainly fingered the blanket. It was unsophisticated, there were of course none of the poly-fibres ubiquitous on Voyager, but it was luxuriously soft and thick, deftly hand-woven and delicately edged with amber like beads which caught the light spectacularly. Even as she admired it however, she knew it would be wrong to take it. She wouldn't require a blanket, even one as beautiful as this one, on Voyager and months of works had obviously gone into making it perfect and useful for someone. "Our heating system is fully regulated, you must keep this…" She started to say, carefully sliding the blanket from her lap.

All of the Ventu in sight shook their heads fervently, none more so than the girl herself, who stubbornly pressed the blanket into Seven's hands. A reticent smile passed over Seven's lips and she found her grip on the blanket tightening as she observed the faces around her, a sadness expectedly prickling at her heart. "I will appreciate it and remember you all." She murmured as she stood up, now holding the blanket tight against herself along with the med kit. "Thank you." She added sincerely, signing the word at the same time and watching them say, "You're Welcome" in return before she swiftly tapped her comm. badge. "Voyager, one to beam up."

The Doctor was buzzing around her with a tricorder within seconds of her materialising in Sickbay. He heaved a sigh of relief within a few seconds and stepped back, prising the med kit from her hands as he did so. "Well, it seems what the Commander told me was right, you were the one who came out better from the crash."

Seven raised an eyebrow at him, "If that hadn't been the case, I would've been transported back here with Commander Chakotay would I not?" she reminded him, ignoring his sigh of exasperation at that reply as she scanned the room for Chakotay, "How is the Commander?"

The Doctor smiled knowingly at the anxiety in her voice. "He's fine." He led her from his office towards the back of Sickbay, where Chakotay sat on a biobed with his ankle now restored to its natural position, the remains of the splint and bandages the Ventu had applied now cast aside by the Doctor. "I must say I'm impressed with the Ventu's medical acumen. The salve they applied certainly prevented infection and I didn't need to reset the bone."

Chakotay smiled warmly, "They were impressive in lots of ways Doctor." He replied thoughtfully before addressing Seven intently, "How are you Seven? Were you okay down there?"

"I am fine Commander." Seven answered quietly, "The Ventu girl recovered."

Chakotay shot her an empathic, supportive look which didn't go unnoticed by the Doctor. "That's wonderful news." He remarked sincerely, earning an immediate nod of agreement from Seven. "How about the Ledosians? Did they cause any trouble?"

Seven's poised expression became instantly pensive, as if a dark cloud had drawn over her. "My impressions of them did not improve with time." She said shortly, although she couldn't completely restrain a worried sigh which told Chakotay more than her words had.

"The Captain has asked to debrief us as soon as possible, how about we go now?" he suggested quickly, eagerly starting to swing his legs off the biobed before glimpsing the Doctor's look of disapproval, "That is, if I'm given permission to leave?"

The Doctor inclined his head at this acknowledgement of his authority, "Your ankle has fully healed Commander. You're fit to return to duty." Chakotay took this as permission to leap off the biobed, almost laughing at Seven's incredulous expression.

She recovered her composure soon enough though, "If the Captain wishes to see us then we should go." She agreed impassively, turning towards the door.

Chakotay was intrigued by the blanket in her arms and opened his mouth to ask her about it, but, as if she could sense what he was thinking, she awkwardly put the blanket aside without meeting his eye. This, of course, only piqued his curiosity further. He knew she must've received it from the Ventu but didn't know why she wouldn't tell him about it, and even seem ashamed of the gift. From her closed expression however, he could tell that was a conversation for another time. "Let's go then."

"…and I honestly think the Ventu have the right to be left alone, shield or no shield." Chakotay finished his argument emphatically as he stood in front of the Captain's desk in her Ready Room. "The Ledosians don't have the right to impose all of these decisions on the Ventu without their consent, and they can't give it right now."

The Captain nodded sagely, lips pressed tightly together in thought. "I understand your point Chakotay, completely. The Ledosians have given me the impression over the past few hours, while we were searching for the pair of you, that those aliens probably had the right idea when they put that protective shield around the Ventu, but that doesn't change the fact that it would be a huge step for us to intervene." She inhaled sharply and sank back in her chair as she tried to process her thoughts, "It could also be argued that we don't have the right to enclose the Ventu behind that shield."

Chakotay had expected her to make that point, "We'd be allowing them to develop at their own pace, in their own way Captain."

Janeway nodded again in acknowledgement, her eyes drifting over to Seven, who had yet to say a word regarding this issue, very unusual for her normally opinionated protégé and despite her resolutely stoic face, Janeway could tell she was troubled. "What are your thoughts about all this Seven? You've been awfully quiet."

Seven stiffened as she felt the eyes of both of her senior officers on her, her head jerking up defensively before she regarded the Captain levelly, "I do not believe I can give you proper advice on this matter Captain…" She swallowed slightly, becoming increasingly unsure. "I am uncertain as to what the right course of action would be." She admitted.

The Captain tried, and failed, to stop her eyebrows from shooting up. "It's not like you to sit on the fence Seven." She commented thoughtfully, "Do you mind me asking why now?"

Seven took a deep breath, trying not to feel disconcerted by the Captain's bemusement or how raptly Chakotay was studying her. A small part of her was irritated by the question, after all she'd just said she didn't know how she felt, but she knew that humans generally liked to explore such issues. "When we first found the Ventu, or more accurately when they found Commander Chakotay and I followed, I found them difficult to understand, let alone appreciate. I wanted to leave and was…frustrated by the entire situation." She paused to cast an apologetic glance at Chakotay, who answered by smiling encouragingly at her, "I did however, during my time there, come to recognise them as an intelligent, resourceful and compassionate people." She gave a tight, almost guilty, sigh, "When the Ledosians initially arrived, offering technology and advancements to the Ventu; I cannot say I was against it. They have a great deal of potential and deserve all resources they can get, such as education and medicine, but…"

"But?" The Captain echoed, sounding surprised.

"Yes, but." Seven answered in a brittle tone, her discomfort returning with the Captain's interruption. She knew she was going against expectations, she was generally the biggest promoter of technology and advancement, but as uneasy as refuting all her previous opinions made her, she knew she had to be honest. "I do not believe the Ledosians have the Ventu's best interests at heart, they may well exploit them and their forest, but more importantly I do not think the Ventu require any assistance. They have a fully developed culture of their own and are wholly self-sufficient. With the shield gone I fear they will lose that uniqueness."

She was surprised when she stopped speaking to find that the Captain was smiling widely at her, pride in her eyes, and even more disconcertingly that Chakotay was staring at her in an awestruck fashion. His gaze was so direct it made the blushes she thought she'd learned to suppress in his presence flare up on her cheeks. "That was a very impassioned argument Seven." The Captain said gently before her gaze moved to take in both Seven and Chakotay, "It seems clear, to me at least, that you both believe the shield should be restored."

Seven was startled at first by her conclusion, but found herself nodding along with Chakotay, voicing her thought had solidified in her the fact that she wanted the Ventu to be left in peace. "That doesn't change the fact that the shield is down now." Chakotay pointed out heavily, "I doubt the Ledosians will be convinced by our arguments."

"No…" The Captain muttered, leaning forward onto her desk as she pondered, "But it definitely goes against Starfleet regulations to leave shuttle wreckage on a non-Federation planet, so we have to remove it don't we?"

Chakotay paused in his approach to the doors of Cargo Bay 2, wondering if they had a doorbell; it would be rude to walk in unannounced… This thought passed through his mind even though he'd walked in unannounced for several years without a second thought. He grimaced, no wonder Seven had created holographic quarters for herself, this place wasn't exactly personal, or even truly private. Taking a breath, and trying not to dissect his reasons for coming down here, he stepped inside.

She was standing at the room's only console, completely erect as if strapped to a iron rod, hands neatly behind her back. He doubted Seven of Nine would ever be told off for resting her elbows on the dining table as he had in childhood… Her voice shattered his contemplations of her. "Commander?" Her tone was neutral, although her metallic brow was arched slightly. The focus of her gaze was still on her console however, and Chakotay couldn't help but wondering if looking at him always made her think of her simulations. Maybe that would explain why it was only in unguarded, emotional moments that she looked him straight in the eye.

"I thought you'd like to know that the shield is back online, Tom managed to beam back all of the shuttle fragments, including the ones you had to reconfigure."

Seven gave him a odd look, "Yes, I already knew. I've been monitoring the mission from here." Chakotay immediately cursed his stupidity, he should have known she'd do that, it was obvious! "I gather that Tom Paris is now completely banned from flying in Ledosian space. His instructor was not impressed by the manoeuvres he deployed to transport the shuttle."

Chakotay had to laugh heartily at that, and suspected for a split second that she'd added that when she'd noticed his unease. "I think he'll survive, I'm ready to give him a commendation for helping the Ventu."

Seven stiffened perceptively at the mention of the Ventu and shifted noticeably closer to her console. "Thank you for taking the time to inform me of developments Commander."

"It's a pleasure." Chakotay replied honestly, smiling at her, but seeing instantly that something had made her draw back into herself. He didn't even consider leaving, instead letting his eyes fall on the mysterious blanket from earlier, now carefully folded up on top of Seven's console. In a few of his long strides he was beside it, and her. "That's a beautiful blanket." He commented softly.

A muscle in Seven's jaw jumped before she shrugged noncommittally, "You can have it if you'd like, I have no use for it."

Chakotay saw through that but knew better that to bluntly call her out on it, instead gently pointing out, "If the environmental systems ever go down, you might get cold." Seven bit her lip in reply to that before silently nodded her assent, eyes low. Chakotay decided he'd get nowhere if he didn't try to dig a little deeper, "There's something bothering you isn't there?"

Seven flinched before openly staring at him in surprise, caught out when he held her gaze. "I am concerned for the Ventu's well-being." She admitted abruptly.

Chakotay regarded her reassuringly, "The shield is back up and you've seen they can look after themselves…"

Seven shook her head in frustration, "That's not what I mean. The Ledosians were there long enough to study the modifications I made to the shuttle, eventually they will be able to lower the shield themselves and the Ventu will be in danger."

"It's possible…" Chakotay conceded carefully, his heart sinking as he saw where her line of thought was leading her.

Seven's fists clenched on the console, her whole body hunching over. "If I had never made those modifications…" She whispered, her voice thick with guilt.

"We would still be stuck there!" Chakotay reminded her forcefully, realising too late that he had taken hold of her arm and was leaning into her face. Shaken by the jolt that closeness gave him, and by the sight of her eyes, glassy with unshed tears of fear and guilt, wide with shock at his touch. He stepped back a little too hurriedly, "I for one am happy to be back on Voyager." He admitted, trying not to notice how hoarse his voice suddenly was.

"As am I." Seven agreed sincerely, her shoulders relaxing a little.

Chakotay felt she needed a little more, though kept a respectful distance this time. "There's no guarantee that the Ledosians will figure out your modifications, nor was there one that they never would've figured it out if we hadn't been there. All we know for sure is that , for now, the Ventu is safe, and that we did right by them. We can't spend our lives worrying about what other people might do, all we need to worry about is doing the right thing ourselves, do you understand what I'm saying?"

Seven gazed at him levelly, suddenly much calmer. "Perfectly Chakotay." She murmured, her eyes dropping shyly at her use of his given name rather than his rank. "Thank you again for coming to speak to me."

"Anytime." Chakotay replied in the same tone, inexplicably lost for words and only able to mumble a quick goodbye before taking his leave.

A/n: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW! :D I really enjoyed writing this chapter, as you can probably tell by the 3000+ words, and I hope you all liked it too! :)