A/n: Thank you to my beta, NikkiB1973, for reassuring me about this chapter after such a long case of writer's block for it. Thank you too to cojack for completing your amazing C/7 story 'Healing Wounds', everyone should read this so that cojack continues the series soon! :)
"Hmm…" The unusually tall, lanky Talaxian sniffed the new, artificial air as his eyes speculatively whipped around Transporter Room 2, "I was expecting something a little more…impressive."
"Phalix, hush!" His female companion hissed in embarrassment as, instead of focusing on the mechanics of the room itself, she looked apologetically at the human who had been awaiting their arrival, "Please excuse my husband, Mr…"
"Chakotay, Commander Chakotay. I'm Voyager's First Officer." Chakotay told the obviously nervous woman reassuringly as he chivalrously extended a hand to help her step down from the transporter pad. "I'm sure Voyager will impress you in other ways Mr Phalix, Captain Janeway is already arranging a tour of the ship for our Talaxian guests, tomorrow before we leave."
A much stockier, muscular Talaxian with a familial resemblance to Phalix's wife elbowed the taller, more ponderous Phalix aside impatiently, "But the main event tonight is a party, right?" He questioned anxiously.
"Don't be boorish Grantax!" Phalix demanded imperiously, "We're partaking of these people's hospitality and…"
"We'd have been 'partaking of your hospitality' a lot earlier Commander if my dear brother-in-law didn't still cling to the idea that being fashionably late draws approving attention from everyone else." Grantax retorted sarcastically.
Chakotay bit back a sigh, trying his best to be more amused than exasperated by his diplomatic charges. "Really, it doesn't matter. The party isn't in full swing yet, but we really should get moving to clear the Transporter Room…"
"Of course, of course Commander…" Phalix fluttered affectedly as he finally stepped down from the transporter pad. A frown of discontent marred his long, thin face momentarily as he realised that Chakotay was significantly taller than him, and he unconsciously jerked his head back to compensate as he addressed him airily, "I was under the impression that this vessel was run along military lines, and yet you're not wearing a uniform Commander…"
Chakotay felt his eyebrows rise at that, especially when he tried to absorb Phalix's own clothing, about as far from casual as he could possibly imagine, a riotous costume of golden fabric that despite its undeniable luxury, even taking it's moth-eaten patches into account, reminded Chakotay most strongly of a dressing gown. "Under normal circumstances the crew wear the approved Starfleet uniform, regular or dress, whenever they're on duty, but Neelix requested casual dress for his going away party. His opinion was that Talaxian society isn't generally fond of uniforms…"
Grantax gave a loud grunt of approval, "And Neelix would be right, after all we went through with the war!" His bloated face took on an angry red tinge at the memory, "Phalix is just a snob!" He turned sharply to his sister, "I'm still wondering why you couldn't see that when you agreed to marry him Bexia…"
"Hush Grantax!" Bexia cried out, merely exchanging her husband's name for her brother's. Chakotay was getting the growing impression that it was her regular refrain.
Phalix continued as if his brother in-law, and Chakotay for that matter, hadn't spoken. "I mean no offence, I am merely pointing that uniforms do maintain a certain standard…"
"I'm sure many people would agree with you." Chakotay politely but firmly interrupted, glad that the grinding of his teeth wasn't audible as he spoke. It was just his luck that he'd be bogged down with the only remotely pompous Talaxian he'd ever known on the one night where a diplomatic function actually was a party in more than name. His body was trembling with the urge to go find Seven and start their evening together, although part of him selfishly wished that she'd been in the Mess Hall when the Captain had arbitrarily given him escort duty, he would've been quicker to find an excuse if she'd been there. Or she could've been assigned to this trial with him and naturally lightened it up, the thought of Seven of Nine effortlessly deflating this blowhard…
"Commander, is something I said amusing to you?" Phalix asked sharply as he eyed Chakotay's suddenly widening smile suspiciously.
"Not at all." Chakotay replied smoothly, "I'm just excited for the party, which we really should be heading off to now…"
Phalix gave a satisfied nod and sailed confidently past both his family and Chakotay to step into the corridor. "Yes, we've been delayed for long enough. Come on Bexia."
Bexia grimaced sheepishly as she slid past Chakotay to follow her husband. "I apologise Commander, as you can probably tell, my husband and brother don't get off the asteroid very often."
Chakotay gave the long-suffering woman a kind smile, "Don't worry; I've faced many worse conversationalists in my time." He was gratified as he stepped out in front to lead them to the Mess Hall to hear Bexia chuckling to herself behind him.
"Am I particularly boring tonight Seven?" Nixin, one of the leading engineers with whom Seven had been working with throughout the day, asked teasingly as he studied his new friend's distant expression.
"Yes dear…" His equally pleasant and even more perceptive wife Loxina joked, "But I think Seven is just looking for someone of special interest to her." She nudged her husband knowingly in the ribs.
"That particular 'someone' is most likely Commander Chakotay." Icheb supplied quickly.
Seven gave a start upon hearing Chakotay's name, a blush dusting her cheeks as she felt three sets of expectant eyes on her, yet Chakotay was still nowhere to be seen. "I apologise for my inattention." She told the Talaxian couple stiffly, unable to stop her eyes from glancing towards the door one last time even as she added, "I was distracted." She sighed to herself as both Nixin and Loxina smiled at her knowingly, and she shot Icheb a reproving look, which he answered by simply arching one eyebrow. She'd taught him bad habits.
Loxina laughed warmly as she saw the little exchange, "Don't worry Seven we know what it's like, Nixin and I were young once…"
"A very long time ago." Nixin quipped.
He got a light whack on the back of his furry neck for that one before Loxina continued, giving Seven's hand a light squeeze, "Don't worry, he'll be here, and not for Neelix, as good a friend as he's been to all of us."
Seven took a deep breath as she smiled wanly at the older woman, drawing reassurance from the sight of her and Nixin, married for thirty six years and still having fun going strong. "I know…but thank you for saying so."
Nixin then uttered a short but despairing groan, his gaze having turned to the door while Seven's attention was engaged by his wife, "Oh no, look who is here, Phalix."
Seeing Loxina's face fall in distaste, Seven allowed herself to look the newcomer's way, just as the other Talaxians were trying to avoid him, and was struck dumb for an instant by his ostentatiousness, not only in clothing but also reflected in his domineering manner. "I take it that his personality is as unwise as his appearance?" she queried.
"That's an understatement." Nixin muttered, "He's on the Governing Council, and doesn't he know it, lording it over the rest of us. He was the one who held out against the installation of your security measures and communication system."
"If no one likes him 'lording' over them, then why does he continue to hold a position of influence?" Icheb asked in curious bemusement.
Loxina chuckled at the boy's bluntness, "He's not all bad, he actually can represent us pretty well when he gets the bit between his teeth, but he also can't shake off the spoiling his parents obviously gave him as a child and young man before Talaxia fell."
"Just because he was once privileged does not mean that he automatically merits entitlement now." Seven pointed out coolly.
Nixin looked between the two ex-drones appreciatively, "The two of you could help us learn so much more than engineering techniques." He remarked thoughtfully.
"Thank you…" Icheb began, taking his words to heart, but stopped as he heard Seven's soft gasp beside him, following her gaze right to where Chakotay stood, supposedly ushering more Talaxians inside but so distracted that they had to push past him to enter. Even Icheb could now see how completely and hopelessly enthralled the man was, and turned to his mentor with a fond quirk of his lips, "It appears as if you have successfully stunned the Commander once again Seven."
Loxina smiled as she saw the young woman's wistful, devoted face. The crowd that had made Seven so uncomfortable minutes before now seemed to have disconnected itself from her senses, as had everything else except the object of the spell. "You'd better go to him dear, you've struck him dumb."
Seven nodded robotically as she started towards Chakotay cautiously. "Apparently so." She murmured with a hint of disbelief in her voice before glancing quickly back at the Talaxian woman," He is really very intelligent…"
Loxina chuckled indulgently at the misunderstanding, "I never thought he wasn't." She assured her, her smile widening as she realised that Seven wasn't listening to her, having refocused on approaching Chakotay.
As for the man himself, the conflicting simplicity and complexity of his thoughts and emotions when he'd entered and see eyes on Seven can scarcely be described. The attraction that flooded his senses was both visceral and tender as he recognised that red dress clinging to her figure. Tension plucked at his gut as memories of that life-altering time in the holodeck burned in his mind's eye. Regret and gratitude over his actions back then, only weeks ago but so distant, still battled within him and he suspected they always would as long as what he'd found in Seven as well as what he'd done to her remained with him. No matter the complexity of these lingering doubts, at that moment he was overwhelmed by the sweet simplicity of the feelings that banished the others to the darker recesses of his mind, admiration and love.
He shook himself as he realised she was coming towards him and hastily strode to meet her, his vision clearing to see that she didn't look exactly as she had that night on the holodeck; her heels were more modest, her hair had not been left to flow freely but was partially pinned back in a more restrained fashion, and a red shawl was held across her shoulders and over her chest. These changes didn't lessen the femme fatale effect on Chakotay, but they did bring home to him how much things had changed. He couldn't help but see the inclusion of a part of her, in some ways now their, fantasy as a sign that she truly had forgiven him, though he knew better than to think of it as merely a message to him. If anything, like her adoption of the uniform, it showed how much progress she'd made in embracing her real life. "You're beautiful." He whispered in reverent awe as they met in the middle of the room, Seven reaching for his outstretched hands rousing him to speech.
Seven smiled, the blush that came in response feeling pleasant rather than uncomfortable as she saw the unrepentant sincerity shining from his deep brown eyes. He hadn't even made the distinction between the dress and herself, it was almost as if he'd stated a fact rather than made a compliment. "Thank you." She breathed, her voice catching slightly as she looked up at him, "I…I thought you'd be here to point out my lack of punctuality, but it appears you were also delayed." She teased him, blinking hard as she felt his hands on hers, caressing the chilled implants as easily as the warm human skin.
"Oh no, I was here waiting, believe you me." Chakotay assured her, the words carrying a husky note before he cleared his throat, "But I was drafted in to ferry in some of our late-coming Talaxian guests…"
Seven smirked at his exasperated expression. "Mr Phalix would be chief among them."
"You've met him already?" Chakotay groaned, "Can you do me a favour and find a way to check his self-importance…"
"No, his reputation merely precedes him." Seven replied in amusement, "Are you suggesting I administer a dose of Borg perfection to counter his ego?" She joked wryly.
Chakotay burst out laughing, "That might just prove the best medicine…"
Captain Janeway's throaty chuckle interrupted him from behind, "I suggest that you direct any medical problems the Talaxians may have to the Doctor Chakotay." She quipped before casting a backward glance at Phalix, who was drifting alarmingly close to his detractors. Having giving her subtle warning in order to keep the peace, she turned determinedly to Seven, "Seven, everyone seems to be here now, I think it's time for you to make the announcement about the communication system."
Chakotay blinked at her, "Seven make an announcement?" he echoed.
Seven shifted uncomfortably, "The Captain believes it would be…appropriate for me to declare the communication system operational."
Understanding now, Chakotay smiled at her encouragingly, "The Captain's right Seven, if you're comfortable doing that of course. You did lead the majority of the work and organisation on this."
"I am uncertain that Lieutenant Torres, or the majority of the Engineering department for that matter, would agree with that assessment." Seven responded seriously, "It was a collective effort in its entirety."
"Believe me as someone who's known B'Elanna for over a decade, she doesn't like public speaking any more than you do. Mix in her pregnancy hormones and she probably likes it a lot less." Chakotay replied.
"Yes Seven, B'Elanna doesn't mind, I asked her." The Captain said confidently, "Are you ready?"
Seven nodded, "I am confident that the system will operate successfully, yes."
"Alright then." Captain Janeway promptly cleared her throat before expanding her powerful voice throughout the room. "We have an announcement to hear about the colony's new comm. installation."
The milling crowds stopped to turn expectantly to the Captain, but many of the Talaxians and even some of the Voyager crewmembers moved away uneasily when Seven instead came to the fore, anticipating the worse. Tom Paris wasn't about to leave her marooned like that and impatiently clinked his glass for attention, "Speech please!"
Seven gave him a grateful nod as she stepped forward on shaking legs to face everyone's solemn attention, although she couldn't help casting a sidelong glance at the now cracked glass in his hand. Why use a fragile glass as an impromptu hailing tool? Taking a deep breath, she latched onto Tom's words as a cue, "This is not a speech but a conclusion. Given the parameters and goals we sought to achieve, namely connecting the asteroid's Talaxian colony to a wider communication network via the Midas array, our work has been very complex, requiring…" She took a gulp of air, rocking back and forth on her heels as she realised she was merely repeating the very dense content of her work report and that she was always losing many of her glassy eyed listeners. "To be succinct, our most recent data strongly indicates that our project has been an unqualified success. The colony is fully connected to the array." She jumped at the room burst into applause, the air reverberating around her. "We will run a few secondary tests before Voyager leaves…" She cautioned, "…but this is a cause for celebration. We, Voyager crewman and colony residents alike, should be proud of our work together. Voyager's detachment showed dedication and ingenuity but it is the commitment of the Talaxian settlers, which I have witnessed, which will support the success of this project in the long term." Applause and cheering broke out then, and Seven wondered for an instant if there was an appropriate way to end such a speech, 'thank you' seemed a little contrite. To her relief, the heightened party atmosphere the celebration created meant that soon enough the crowds closed around her and she could blend in again, although she did suddenly become the target of several slaps on the back.
Her stance relaxed as she saw Chakotay searching for her, his smile filling his sculpted face as he found her. "That was perfect!" he enthused, grasping her shoulders and impulsively leaning in to kiss her, only just in time remembering to keep it to a congratulatory peck on the cheek, through Seven heard his loud sigh of regret as he loosened the brief embrace without quite letting her go.
"Chakotay…" She started softly, any reminder about their public setting dying on her lips when she perceived the desire, the lust, burning in Chakotay's gaze that showed no sign of fading.
"You'd better watch your back Chakotay; from the looks of things you've got some competition for Commander." Janeway remarked wryly as she came on them, forcing the couple to part to a more sterile distance. Their Captain didn't seem to notice, drawing another conclusion altogether from Seven's slightly flushed face. "I couldn't have said it any better Seven." She assured her proudly.
Seven bowed her head respectfully, the depth of the praise affecting her even in the throes of embarrassment. "Thank you Captain."
Janeway grinned at her, then flashed her smile happily around the whole room. "You're welcome." She replied easily before she saw B'Elanna insistently urged her towards the nearby group of the other senior officers with Neelix and obligingly headed towards them.
Chakotay chuckled as he caught the conspiratorial wink his old friend sent in his direction as Janeway joined her, taking the hint and taking Seven by the arm to lead her away. "Come on, let's take a break from the party."
Seven looked around uncertainly, "Shouldn't we stay…"
"Seven, one thing you'll learn when you're a Commander is that you can sometimes find a way to get out of these things." Chakotay teased as they reached the door.
Seven arched an eyebrow at him, "I was able to avoid 'these things' as an ex-drone crewman, I merely avoided attending at all." She pointed out, though they could both hear the ruefulness in the remark.
They remained quiet for a few minutes after that, arm in arm, drifting through the deck's corridors until they'd left behind the party's stragglers and were alone; the wandering suited their contented thoughts. Chakotay only broke the easy silence when he saw the edge of Seven's shawl trailing on the floor and gathered it up. "You don't need that sweetheart." He told her firmly, his gaze so knowing yet gentle that Seven nodded shyly and allowed him to slip the fabric off her shoulders and instead sling it over the crook of his free arm as he tightly laced the fingers of his other hand with her cybernetic ones.
Seven watched him take her in through lowered eyes, strangely gratified that he'd seen through her attempt to minimalize the impact of her implants, since her dress certainly didn't help that cause. This was most likely the most he'd seen of her disfigurement, unless he'd seen more in Sickbay, but yet the desire she could see in his eyes only seemed to be escalating. She remembered the Doctor's suspicion that she'd only worn this outfit to satisfy Chakotay, she could admit it was one reason, but neither did she want Chakotay to believe she was so entirely shallow. "I…I was not thinking only of my holodeck programmes when I chose this dress…" She shakily began to explain.
"I knew that." Chakotay interrupted, gazing at her affectionately, "Honestly, I would've appreciated that dress on you under any circumstances, so you certainly don't need to explain anything to me." He suddenly stopped walking, his voice lowering an octave, "We both know this is real."
"Yes…it is." Seven whispered, turning into him and curling her arms around his neck, planting a tender kiss on his lips. His warm sigh tickled her face as she pulled back a little. "Don't you owe me a real congratulatory kiss for my speech?" she asked in a smoky voice, eyebrows once again elegantly arched.
"I hadn't forgotten." Chakotay answered, emboldened by her confidence and pulling her into a powerful embrace and a much deeper kiss. They were breathless and carefree by the time he pinned her lustfully against the curving wall of the corridor's bulkheads.
"Oh…" Seven moaned out as his lips expertly flitted from her lips to the base of her throat then the top of her cleavage and back again. Her nails sunk through his shirt for support, but as the distant sounds of the partygoers began to encroach on them again she remembered herself and lowered her head into the crook of his neck. "We should inform the Captain…" She mumbled shakily.
Chakotay gently moved the support of his shoulder so he could look into her face, still rosy from the interrupted exhilaration of their make-out session. "If that's what you want, if you're ready, then okay." He agreed seriously.
Seven gulped in the face of his understanding, "I do not like being deceptive…" She choked out, ashamed of the tears that clogged her throat.
Chakotay hugged her before answering. "I know that, did she say something that made you feel particularly uncomfortable?
Seven laughed raggedly, "I think she attempted to pair me with Ensign Kim, now that I am more socially interactive that is."
Chakotay's calm expression faltered, "Pair you…"
Seven placed a firm hand on his chest, almost as if she were pressing a button to deactivate the jealousy she now knew he was prone to. "It is not what you think, he was very well mannered about the disruption. Ensign Kim was the one who told me that you were escorting some of the Talaxians and would return to me."
Chakotay allowed himself a small shake of his head as he calmed down. "Disruption…" He muttered to himself in amusement before he became serious again, "I'm happy to tell the Captain Seven." He smiled ruefully, "Especially if it'll keep her from playing matchmaker on you." He took a deep breath, "I'd be honoured to be in an open relationship with you, but only if you're ready for that."
Seven looked up at him, her eyes piercing and clear. "I love you."
Chakotay exhaled in relief as he kissed her forehead, "Then we'll be fine because I love you too."
A/n: PLEASE REVIEW! :D