I do not own the characters. No profit made off this ritzy biosuit.

Rated T to M

POV Janeway

Misplaced Six:

Come out, come out, wherever you are…

Noise disrupts my impromptu nap. Opening my eyes, I look around to see what is making such a racket, but all I see is darkness. Even the soft glowing green lights are shut off. The Queen must be punishing me for my parting remarks.

Oh, well. It's not like I needed to see her bitter face anyways. The one disadvantage to the darkness, is the inability to track the time. Without my chronometer and set ship routines, I'm lost.

What day was it when I was kidnapped? Yesterday, the day before? Only my growling stomach and stinking uniform can give me an idea. But, I'm still not sure if I slept for minutes, hours or for days; time all suddenly feels irrelevant. My throat feels horribly dry and my uniform is stuck to my back and sides. I try to wipe at my face, rub away the sleep from my lashes, but my wrists are still bound tight.

I sigh. "Dammit…It's hot."

"I know," a soft voice whispers from close by. "And I apologize."

I jump away in reaction.

"Awww." Bang. "OW."

I close my eyes against the sudden jarring pain in my left hip and shoulder, where I made contact with the floor. "Isn't this just fitting," I mutter, then pant as I try to wiggle around and get back up, but I'm not strong enough to raise myself back upright.

I open my eyes and see two black booted feet that I don't recognize, nor do I recognize the voice. It's probably the Queen playing tricks on me again, her needling me and being cruel.

"Are you all right, Captain?" the voice asks in the same whispered tone.

Captain?

Gentle hands grab my shoulders, and help to guide me off the floor and up to my feet. My eyes make out her tall shape but not any defining features. Inhaling the fresher air, I smell a faint trace of peaches.

Borg don't wear peach scented things.

"Seven?" I say, my voice deep and raspy even to my ears. I need water.

Almost as if she can read my thoughts, a cool cup touches my lips and she says, "yes. Now drink."

I almost fight her, just to cause her to argue back, but I don't have the strength and greedily gulp the cool water filling my mouth. Soon, the cup is drained and I sigh in pleasure. My throat is still sore, but not from dryness now. "Seven, what are you doing here? How…"

The mug is lowered and one of her hands once again, grips my shoulder, her long fingers squeezing me through the wool of my uniform jacket. "You must be quiet, I will answer your questions in a moment." Her hand slides down my arm to clasp my hand. Then she tugs on the restraints. I hear them break and then the metal clangs as it hit's the floor.

I move my arms forward for the first time since my Captain-napping and groan as my shoulder muscles complain at the movement.

Seven taps her commbadge and whispers, "Delta Flyer, two to beam aboard."

The darkness twinkles as spots of light dance before my vision. I grab onto to Seven's arm for support and close my eyes. I smile as her arm tentatively slides around my waist, her warm fingers clasping my hip in a reassuringly strong grip. I relax into the half-embrace and wait.

Cold air brushes over my sweat-slicked skin. I open my eyes and see Tuvok, B'elanna and Tom Paris all staring at me. I'm half annoyed and half grateful to see them all.

Clearing my throat, I say, "well, what are you all looking at. Let's get out of here."

Seven keeps her hold on me and guides me over to the bench at the back of the flyer, hanging onto me until I'm sitting down on it securely, then she takes the seat beside me and buckles me in. I want to laugh at her mothering, but know it might upset her, and that's the last thing that I want to do.

Easing my head back to rest against the bulkhead of the Flyer, I close my eyes and rest, hearing Tom giving commands to get us away from the Borg vessel and also the faint clicking of Seven's belt securing right beside me. I'm glad to have Seven beside me. Inhaling deeply, I relish her comforting scent.

"I am glad that you are okay, Captain," she whispers into my ear, her breath warm against my earlobe and cheekbone.

"Mmhmm. Me too, Seven. Me too."

"I also retrieved your mug for you."

I open my eyes, hearing her shift in her seat. The vision before me makes the hours spent in the Queens nest worth the pain. She is a few inches away from me, the blue of her eyes seem lighter than the last time I saw her, the pupils very dark and wide. I lick my lips, and gaze into her eyes. "You did?"

"Yes," she says, then sits back as the Flyer shakes and shudders, navigating the interstellar objects. Her eyes are still gazing at me. "I set it in the carryall bag."

"Thank you," I whisper, then gaze at her lips, so nearby yet so far away. They are shining in the soft lights in the Flyer, looking very tempting.

I start to lean, wanting with every fiber of my being to brush my lips against her skin, taking comfort in her solid presence. But, then stop before I give in and kiss her as I desire. My fear stops me from just confessing everything to her, every thought about her and every need I have in her presence. An image of dark and angry eyes floating before my minds' eye as I sit back and pretend to be just shifting around in my seat. The Borg Queen's voice haunting me still. "You love her too."

"You are welcome…Captain." She rests her hands on her thighs. "I was worried." She sounds mildly upset.

A quick glance toward the front to ensure that nobody is watching us, and then I give into the impulse to comfort her and grab her wrist, wrapping my fingers around and clasping tight.

She glances at the front of the Flyer also, a quick darting glance, then back to meet my gaze.

I whisper, "thank you for coming for me. I thought of you, wished that you'd come for me."

Her throat moves as she swallows her response, nodding rapidly, then flicking her eyes down and at my hand, still wrapped around her wrist. In a whisper equal to mine, she says, "me too."

I close my eyes, but keep my hand around her wrist. The rest of the ride will go smoothly. For once, I'm able to sit back and just enjoy being safe and happy for the next few minutes of the ride until we reach Voyager.

And, I intend to take advantage of Seven's presence, sitting so close to me.

I smile as I feel Seven's Borg hand covering my hand and wrist, the long cybernetic fingers, clasping my warm skin tightly in reassurance.