Seven and Chakotay returned from Alaska on the 21st of April, ready to pack up their apartment for moving into their new house in Flagstaff on the 23rd. As Chakotay sat down the suitcases, Seven went to the phone to see if they had any messages. The Doctor's face suddenly appeared on the screen. "Hello Seven, I hope you both had a good time in Alaska. I'm just calling to tell you that I've taken Danielle to Jamaica and won't be back at work until Monday 27th. I'll schedule your maintenance for 1400 hours that day. Okay, see you then. Bye."

"Was that the Doctor?" asked Chakotay as he came into their bedroom from the living room.

"Yes, he left a message saying that he's taken Danielle to Jamaica and I won't have my maintenance until Monday. There's a message for you from your new boss, I'll go and make dinner." She left him at the phone and went to the kitchen. The phone call took longer than she had expected and their meal was on the table before he finally joined her. "What's wrong?" she asked in concern as he sat at the table looking irritated.

"They've asked me to attend a weekend conference on Vulcan…"

"That would be interesting. When?"

"It starts on Friday."

"This Friday?"

"I know, it's too soon, I'll say no…"

"I didn't say that. If it's vital to your work you must go. We will just have to move everything on Thursday."

"You don't mind? I won't be back until Monday…"

"I will be fine." She reassured him. "I arranged for Aunt Irene to come and see the house on Sunday so I won't be completely alone."

"Okay…that's settled then, I'm going. I have to write a speech though…everyone knows Vulcans are a hard crowd…" He stopped mid sentence when he realised how pale Seven's face had gone. "Are you alright, sweetheart? You've barely eaten a thing."

Now that she thought about it Seven did feel a bit off, with a nauseous feeling in the pit of her stomach and a strange sluggishness to her limbs. Despite this self acknowledgement she smiled off Chakotay's concern. "I'm fine, although perhaps a little tired. I'll help you write the speech."

"Thanks but are you sure you don't need the Doctor?" he asked not entirely convinced.

"I am sure; I participated in too many late nights during our honeymoon that's all." Since this was a plausible explanation Chakotay let the matter drop and they began to prepare his speech.

Distorted piano music filled her brain as her eyelashes fluttered open. She tried to call out for Chakotay but her voice was soundless. Familiar green light let her eyes adjust and she realised her alcove was not in the bedroom of their new home but in a cube. Her legs attempted to step out but faceless drones crowded into her and held her immobile, yet she could not hear their thoughts, she was cut off from them. Then two distinct unmistakable voices entered her brain, her parents. Their voices became unbearably loud as they approached her, mere cybernetic shells of their former selves. They stood before her, forcing one thought to echo around her brain. "We are the same. We are the same. WE ARE THE SAME!"

The drone that had once been her mother stepped forward and injected nanoprobes into her abdomen. "No!" she screamed wildly.

She was still screaming as Chakotay shook her awake, as soon as her eyes registered him she fell shaking into his arms and he held her close. He brushed the damp hair out of her face as he tilted her face up into his. "What happened? That flashback again? You haven't had that in months…"

"No…" There was no way that could be a flashback. "…a nightmare…"

"A nightmare? Do you want to talk about it?" he murmured, deeply concerned.

"No…" She had told him about her flashbacks and nightmares before but for some reason she couldn't bring herself to tell him the details of this one. She struggled to pull herself together, gently pushing back from his embrace. "You must go to your conference."

He looked into her dim teary eyes. "That doesn't matter right now…"

She sniffed and dried her eyes with the back of her hand. "Yes it does." Seeing him about hold her again, she stiffened her back, "You will be late for your transport." She told him more firmly.

He stepped back, "Okay…" he said quietly, trying to hide his anxiety and hurt at her shutting him out, but she saw it and kissed him lightly.

"I will be fine. Promise you'll call me to tell me how your speech went."

He smiled but by observing her knew the nightmare must have been bad, deciding to let her be, they had a quiet breakfast and then he left for his transport.

Seven spent the rest of the day completing the unpacking, making the house they had moved into the day before more familiar. It was much larger than their apartment, being detached with an open plan three bedroom layout spread over two floors. She loved the modern design, bright rooms and large garden but it felt empty with just her rattling around inside. As the evening drew to a close she lifted the last box upstairs, suddenly she felt unbalanced and almost fell, her vision blurry and her ears ringing. I just haven't eaten enough nutrition today, she told herself although that had been by choice, she hadn't had an appetite all day. Deciding to force something down she went to the replicator and slowly picked at a bread roll, but within half an hour she had vomited it all back up.

She was jerked violently back into wakefulness, coated in a fresh layer of sweat as she escaped from the dream once more. 0200 hours, she should try to regenerate more. Stepping back in she spoke to the computer, "Computer, begin regeneration cycle."

"Unable to comply."

Fear made her snap at the computer. "Begin regeneration cycle!"

"Unable to comply."

A hysterical sob rose in her throat as she stepped out and sank to the floor. It couldn't be happening again…the only time she had ever been left unable to regenerate was when her cortical node was failing. Was she really dying?

Throughout the day she became more and more convinced until all hope had drained from her soul. Saturday evening arrived and Chakotay's promised phone call came. She kept the conversation cheery and was sure she was hiding her inner turmoil from him, but he could tell something was up and came away from the conversation full of unease.

After another night of sleeplessness and sickness, Seven had another ordeal to suffer, her Aunt Irene's visit. Irene loved the house so it was two full hours before they settled down to their planned task of making strawberry tart. Irene couldn't help observing her niece who had been acting strange all day. Even chopping strawberries, normally Seven's favourite food made her feel nauseous and Irene saw her go pale. "Are you alright Annika dear?" she asked in concern.

"Yes!" Seven snapped before collecting herself. "I just haven't been sleeping well…"

"You're not pregnant are you?" asked Irene, a new suspicion entering her mind.

Seven felt like crying, "No…that is most likely impossible."

This was new information to Irene and she felt guilty, putting her hand on her niece's slim shoulder. "I'm sorry…but if you feel ill you should go to the Doctor and get checked out."

"I…have an appointment tomorrow…"

"Promise me you'll go." Seven weakly nodded her head in acquiescence.

Monday morning dawned with Seven feeling worse than ever, she couldn't tolerate it any longer and turned up at the Doctor's office first thing, unable to wait for her appointment. The Doctor was shocked to see her, white faced and shivering. "Seven? What are you doing here? Your appointment is not until this afternoon…"

"I…think…my cortical node is…failing…" she choked out through gritted teeth.

"What?" Fear filled his features. He grabbed a tricorder and guided her to a biobed. "Where's Chakotay?"

"At a conference…"

"I can assume he doesn't know about this, correct?" She nodded mutely as he ran the scan over her.

"Seven, what made you think your cortical node was failing?"

"I…couldn't regenerate…or hold down nutrients…"

"Ah…" He came round to face her. "Well, the good news is your cortical node is fully functional…" Seven exhaled and had to hold on to the edge of the biobed to stop herself from fainting, but was unable to completely relax as she saw that the fear and anxiety remained etched on the Doctor's features. "You're pregnant…"

Seven's breath caught in her throat. "That…that's impossible…"

"Oh it's possible, a certainty actually…this scan tells me you'll be three weeks along on Wednesday." He looked into her disturbingly blank eyes. "Now, Seven I think we can both agree this is better than your cortical node failing…"

"Yes…"

"But you now better than anyone that cybernetics and pregnancy don't mix, you're not the first woman to fall pregnant on your honeymoon and you won't be the last…we're just going to have to deal with it and look at the dangers…"

"Why can't I regenerate?" She asked in a somewhat hollow tone.

"It could just be hormonal changes…Look I'll pull an all-nighter and see what I can figure out. You and Chakotay come here first thing in the morning." He pulled out a small device and handed it to her. "An emergency medical beacon, if you have any cramp or bleeding activate it and it'll bring you straight here. Now go home and rest, understood?" Seven just nodded and left, her hand clamped around the beacon, her mind in shock.

Later she wouldn't remember how she returned home, she just found herself lying on her bed crying as if she was looking down on herself. Why did she feel this way, so irrationally anxious and petrified? She knew half the reason, memories of pregnant women being assimilated, their unborn children killed in that instant, visions of that horrible dream, whirled around her dazed brain like a hurricane. Why had this happened now? She thought angrily, before self hatred sunk in at her own hypocrisy for she had always worried about not being able to give Chakotay children, but now that the impossible had happened she wanted it taken away. Just then the voice she feared intensely at that moment echoed round the house. "Seven, I'm home! Where are you?"

A/n: To be continued of course! Please review!