A/n: Thanks so much to NikkiB1973 for starting an awesome new C/7 story, "Shining Star". I hope everyone enjoys this chapter as much as they will enjoy that story. :)
Seven took a slow, tentative step out of the turbolift and onto the Bridge, still feeling a little disorientated following the first operation on her cortical node which the Doctor had completed less than two hours ago. He'd strongly encouraged her to stay in Sickbay for the rest of the day, but Seven had resisted, only agreeing to don the cortical monitor before leaving. She needed time to process her decision, she'd didn't think the Doctor realised just how suddenly her resolution to deal with the problem had come upon her. She watched the small clutch of faces that made up the current Bridge shift react to her arrival, some, such as Ensign Kim and Lieutenant Paris were friendly and open, while a couple of others veiled their lingering hostility to her as badly as they ever had. Most however, appeared merely indifferent and she somehow found that more difficult to deal with. It made her think, as her head gave a stubborn throb and her fingers nervously grazed the monitor that she'd managed, somehow, to disguise under her skin tight biosuit, that even if circumstances had forced her to act on her cortical node the fears that had urged her to stay within its protective emotional limits certainly hadn't dissipated either.
One person who's reaction to her was definitively out of the ordinary was Chakotay. His eyes had locked on hers so quickly as she'd entered that she had the fleeting suspicion that he'd been watching the turbolift, awaiting her arrival. That thought, coupled with the wide smile that radiated across his face, made an oddly pleasant shiver run up her stiffly erect spine, but she hurriedly dismissed the idea as presumptuous. He was in charge of the Bridge, he had better things to do than check constantly on her arrival! Belatedly realising she'd been standing there, in the middle of the Bridge, staring at him as she tried to interpret his actions, she hastily nodded to him, swiftly stepping down to join him on the lower level by the command stations.
Chakotay stood up hurriedly from his chair as she finally approached him. He found himself once again admiring her gait as her long legs stepped down in one supple move and smoothly glided towards him. He distractedly caught Harry's distinctly intrigued gaze over her shoulder and realised his reaction to Seven was probably being considered weirdly disproportionate, his cheeks even hurt a little from his unconsciously large smile, the rare dimples of his full smile deepening. "You ready to speak to the Captain?" he asked her in what he hoped was a quiet voice.
Obviously not quite quiet enough, Seven immediately got some sharp, accusatory glances shot her way from people who were supposed to be absorbed in their work but seemed instead to be turning their attention to other people's conversations. He bristled at their negative assumptions but Seven's response was so slight, her face dipping away from his for a split second, people who'd spent less time with her than he had over the past weeks would've no doubt concluded that she didn't care. "Yes." She answered simply before twitching an eyebrow at him as she added, "That is why I am here."
Chakotay wondered for an instant if she were purposefully flirtatiously teasing him, if she was aware of the fact that a growing part of him wanted her to come here solely to see him, but soon discarded the notion as wishful thinking. She probably just considered his question too obvious considering they'd confirmed this plan together only this morning. "Yeah, of course." He replied clumsily before recovering his composure as he saw her eyes flicker uneasily to the door of the Captain's Ready Room. He gently reached out for her elbow and gave it a gentle squeeze, "It'll be fine Seven."
Seven felt her body relax, instinctively calming at his touch even before he'd cemented the effect with his kind words. She didn't think she was that transparent, but Chakotay was obviously somehow developing a skill for reading, not to mention settling, the wayward emotions she always battling to hide. "Thank you." She murmured, taking a deep breath before marching determinedly towards the Ready Room. Chakotay practically sprinted after her for a couple of steps before remembering to let go of her and follow at his own pace.
"What was that about?" Ensign Daltrey, a man not known for his positive attitude towards Voyager's attempts at 'Borg rehab' as he angrily christened Seven and Icheb rescue, muttered in bad-tempered bemusement, "She must've done something majorly wrong to warrant both Chakotay and the Captain's attention…"
Tom gave a loud, derisive snort, irritated by the other man's judgemental, even bigoted, stance. "Did it look like Chakotay was anything other than exceptionally…" He cleared his throat, "…pleased with her Ensign?"
A soft, knowing chuckle rippled through the whole Bridge as the more unbiased crewmembers admitted Tom's point. Daltrey reddened in offence as he cottoned onto the mild innuendo, "You're forgetting that he would've killed her via the airlock if it hadn't been for that fluke of her being away from the rest of the drones…" He grumbled bitterly.
"I think that makes it even more romantic…" Celes murmured dreamily from her post, blushing deeply, as easily embarrassed as ever, when everyone turned to stare at her. "I…I just think that being…close after that much hate in the beginning would be…poetic somehow." She stammered defensively.
Now it was Daltrey's turn to snort derisively, "How much drivel have you been watching on the holodeck recently Celes?"
"I do not think knowing details of Crewman Tal's holodeck privileges is pertinent to your current assigned tasks Ensign." Tuvok intoned coolly, having just come on to the Bridge to relieve Chakotay as the Commander had requested.
Knowing that the rumour mill had to shut up shop while Lt. Cmdr. Tuvok was in charge, the Bridge fell into silence, their curiosity left unsatisfied.
Captain Janeway was leaning so far over her broad desk that she was practically draped over it, intently trying to read the half dozen PADDs she had spread out in front of her all at once, her attention only occasionally diverted to swipe a strand of loose hair away from her strained eyes. Seven, walking with the natural silence of a cat, merely positioned herself in front of the desk and waited. She'd concluded long ago that it was simpler to just await her turn to be addressed rather than risk ire by interrupting. Chakotay was again struck by her passiveness, so opposite to her perceived demanding persona, but remembered their conversation from the night before and knew she'd learned the hard way how to navigate her complicated relationship with the Captain, he had no right to judge that. He however, although his own relationship with Kathryn Janeway was probably even more complex and fraught than Seven's, was unwilling to hang round in anticipation of her notice. Instead he politely cleared his throat.
The Captain's head snapped up, the reflexes unconsciously sharpened by battle revealing themselves. Her eyes widened in surprise at seeing the two of them together and she smoothly pushed aside the PADDs as she gave them her stock smile of distant pleasantness. "What can I do for the two of you?"
Seven froze with uncertainty and doubt as she picked up on the other woman's slight emphasis on the 'two' and shifted uneasily away from Chakotay, suddenly uncomfortable with her decision to bring him with her, although she couldn't pinpoint exactly why. She wasn't helped by the fact that the Captain's questioning frown over her own shoulder towards Chakotay wasn't quite subtle enough for her keen eyes not to catch, even as Janeway wiped the expression away as quickly as it had come as her gaze shifted from Chakotay to herself. Add that to the fact that she could clearly hear the curious babble about this very meeting on the Bridge through the Ready Room's closed doors and she was seriously considering dismissing this wishful idea altogether and returning to her proper place in Astrometrics.
Chakotay was close enough to, and focused on, Seven to be able to hear her tiny but sharp intake of breath at the Captain's question and felt his own frame stiffen in sympathy as he saw her shoulder blades tense and become even more visible through her tight navy biosuit. He opened his mouth to answer for her but quickly reconsidered, instead giving her a slight, encouraging push forward.
Seven managed to avoid stumbling but still felt a flush creeping up to her cheeks, unsure whether it was brought on by the Captain's confused expression or by the light pressure of Chakotay's hand on the small of her back, her skin still tingling from the touch long after he'd withdrawn. "Captain, I…" She swallowed, watching the Captain grow more concerned, "I wish to make a request."
The Captain smiled, trying to put her inexplicably nervous protégé at ease as her own curiosity mounted. "Oh?" She stated in surprise, languidly resting her chin on one hand and arching an eyebrow Chakotay's way even as she addressed Seven kindly, "Of course you can Seven, go ahead."
Seven nodded robotically in acknowledgement, her gaze fixated on her feet. "I wish to be allowed to wear a uniform." She said hurriedly, the words running together. "I realise that I can't wear the officers' uniform, not having been through Starfleet's rigorous acceptance procedures, but…"
She stopped her explanation abruptly as she registered the Captain openly staring at her in disbelief and heard her soft "What?" Seeing Seven, and Chakotay, both flinch in response to her unintentional exclamation, Janeway quickly stood up and strode over to the former, a tentative smile forming on her lips. "Are you sure that's what you want Seven?"
"Yes Captain." Seven replied quietly but firmly after a moment's pause.
Janeway caught her glancing briefly at Chakotay after this confirmation but her pleasure in the revelation made her file away that titbit for later analysis. "That's wonderful news Seven." She said empathically, now letting her smile beam as she grasped the younger woman's shoulders supportively, "I know that everyone will be delighted and moved that you've decided to take this step towards being a real, full-fledged, member of this Starfleet crew." She laughed happily, "Just so you know, you'd pass Starfleet's 'rigorous' standards quite easily, but for now I think you're right, a plain uniform is a great first step."
Seven returned the Captain's smile with a pensive one of her own, taken aback by just how enthusiastic the Captain was. She turned to look at Chakotay, unsettled by the distinctly troubled expression he wore as he watched the Captain. As if he felt her eyes on him, he met her gaze and gave her a reassuringly genuine smile as he warmly suggested to the Captain, "How about we give her that uniform right now Captain?"
Janeway's eyes brightened further, "Oh yes!" she agreed eagerly, rushing to her replicator and dialling in the commands as if afraid Seven would retract her consent at any moment. Chakotay would've been amused by her antics, but as it was she left him cold. He knew Seven had noticed his muted reaction and felt guilty over it, but he couldn't help the irritation that flared as the Captain had spoken. Seven had been a 'real' and 'full-fledged' member of this crew for years! Her emphasis on the Starfleet nature of Voyager irked him as much as it always had, the part of his heart that still clung to his time as a Maquis commander was threatened and offended for the sake of his people, were they still not Starfleet enough for their Captain? He snapped back to reality as the Captain said to Seven, "Why don't you go into the bathroom and try it on?"
Seven appeared a bit startled before nodding numbly as she took the uniform. "As you wish Captain." She replied softly before hastily disappearing into the Ready Room's en-suite as ordered.
When she returned, cheeks flushed and hair slightly mussed from the speedy change, her biosuit discarded over one arm, Chakotay felt himself step backwards, a rush of air leaving his chest. Seven, clueless, frowned at him in worried bemusement, her posture stiffening. The Captain, not so lost for words as her First Officer, exclaimed happily, "Perfect Seven!" Even as she declared that though, she moved forward to straighten the blue accented shoulders of Seven's new uniform.
As the Captain stepped close to Seven, Chakotay felt an unpleasant shiver run through him as he saw the sudden resemblance the uniform brought out in them. He knew part of the reason the Captain was so pleased was the long pursued ideal to remake Seven in her image, but that was the last thing Seven needed, or he wanted. He winced as he saw Seven notice his reaction, a hurt look passing vividly over her face before she hid it. "It suits you Seven." He murmured honestly to make amends, and it was true, not many people could make the unflattering square jackets look as good as Seven did.
"Thank you." Seven replied in the same tone before quickly turning back to the Captain, "Captain, I should return to my post, I've already delayed my duty shift today."
"Alright Seven." Janeway agreed easily, smiling at her in approval.
As Seven swiftly turned to leave, Chakotay impulsively reached out for her elbow, upset by the thought that he might have offended her. "I'll see you later?" he whispered.
Seven's carefully impassive face softened as she was met with his unexpectedly pleading expression. Uncomfortably aware of the Captain's presence, she answered with a gentle nod before continuing out of the door.
A/n: PLEASE REVIEW! :D It was such a relief to get back to fiction after a long week of writing assignments, but I feel that might have cramped my style a little. I hope you all enjoyed! :)