Seven lay on the bed, listening avidly to every detail Chakotay was able to give her about their babies but all the second hand description did not ease the knot of fretful tension within her. She looked over at Chakotay, his eyes gleamed with happiness and relief but the nervous edge his manner took on when she caught the concerned glances he thought he kept hidden told her that all was not completely well, something her gut already told her as something she could only assume was separation anxiety tore at her heart and made Chakotay's attempts to truly pacify her futile.

"Chakotay, go and see them again."

Chakotay looked at her uneasily, "I don't want to leave you alone…"

"I'll be fine!" she snapped before recollecting herself, "Just go and check on them please…"

Chakotay heard the plea in her voice, squeezing her hand as he stood up. "I'll be back soon…"

He was interrupted by the Doctor's sudden entrance. Seven immediately froze up, "What's wrong?"

"They're fine." He told her understandingly. "Relax; I'm here to check on you."

Seven frowned at him, "You should reconsider your priorities." She said coldly.

"I'm the Doctor, I decide that. Your health is important too." He replied as calmly as possible, beginning to scan her. "You're more stable now, that's good."

"So I can see them now?" she asked with impatient hope.

"I don't think that's such a good idea right now…"

"Why not?" she asked, emotion making her harsh, "What's so wrong with them that you're scared for me to see…" She managed to stop the tears escaping from her eyes but both Chakotay and the Doctor heard the sob she couldn't suppress.

"Nothing…" pleaded Chakotay, not exactly true as he remembered how tiny and weak they were but he blocked the images out of his mind.

The Doctor decided to be frank, realising that his policy of protection was making the inevitable shock worse. "Listen Seven, they're not in any danger right now but they're far from well and they need care, care you're going to find distressing to see…"

"You…you think I'm not distressed now?" she choked, staring directly at him with tear soaked eyes.

The Doctor caught Chakotay's pleading glance and gave in. "Alright, but you go in a wheelchair and you're regenerating when you get back." Seven nodded her head dutifully, something which surprised Chakotay who never thought he'd hear Seven agree to go in a wheelchair.

The visit took longer to arrange that either Seven or Chakotay had thought, by the time she had all the scans that needed taken was fitted with a bio sensor and given enough painkillers for her to tolerate being out of bed it was late afternoon. Seven sat in silence as Chakotay wheeled her in but she couldn't hold back a strangled sob when she entered the NICU. Chakotay squeezed her shoulder but she didn't respond staring blankly ahead as she tried to mentally prepare herself. The wheelchair came to a halt and the sight before her eyes shattered her heart so completely that it hurt physically and she instinctively curled in on herself, her mind shutting down. Chakotay, who had left her for a second to look in at his son and daughter came back to see her with tears flowing relentlessly down her cheeks. "Oh sweetie, it's not as bad as it looks. They're nice and warm in there and they can concentrate on growing…" Those words made memories click in Seven's mind, of maturation chambers filled with semi assimilated children, of being in one herself. She closed her eyes tightly as she tried to shut out these horrible visions, feeling herself start to panic. "You can touch them if you want." Chakotay told her and it took several seconds before she understood him enough to nod her assent. As she ran her shaking hand up Aylen's side she shivered. This wasn't right. They shouldn't be trapped in there, so separate and unreachable. She withdrew her hand, the action just making her ache to hold them unbearable rather than being in any way comforting.

The Doctor approached them now, observing but not commenting on the tear tracks staining Seven's cheeks. "How long will they be in here for?" she asked suddenly, the first words she'd uttered since leaving her own room.

"I'd estimate around six weeks." The Doctor said softly, this was a shock for both parents but it was Seven who spoke again.

"My cybernetic systems haven't damaged them?" Even in her grieving state she could see her question had hit a nerve, The Doctor tensing up and Chakotay swallowing repeatedly before coming to face her.

"Not damage no…" began the Doctor tactfully. "…nanoprobes are in their bloodstreams but we've been running tests and I don't think there will be any problems…"

Seven had stopped listening. Her breath came as uncontrollable hyperventilation and she couldn't stop her body shaking as she sobbed between gasps for air. She could feel Chakotay grasping to hold her but the release of unconsciousness came before he could conjure up any words of comfort.

She jerked awake, her eyes scanning the room like a trapped animal but the Borg cube of her dream was gone, replaced by a dark hospital room. 0207 hours, what had happened to her? The flood of remembrances crashed into her and she inhaled sharply. She had lost consciousness, right in the middle of the NICU; they must have brought her back here. Why did these flashbacks always have to plague her? The Doctor said there were would be no ill effects for the twins so why did she feel this torturous grief within her? Her hand travelled to her abdomen, but no reassuring kick greeted her, they were separated from her forever. They could be suffering right at this moment and she wouldn't know. She turned slowly round onto her side, weeping softly, why couldn't these emotions stop? Suddenly she heard a sound and her eyes searched for the source only to find Chakotay spread out on a pull out bed on the floor. He had stayed with her. A lump rose in her throat as she examined his features, he was frowning as he slept and looked strained and ill. Was he feeling as she was, fearful, guilty and above all helpless? If he is he's been feeling it a lot longer than I have, at least I had the babies within me as motivation, but he's been helpless the whole time and without me for much of it…I couldn't have coped without him. Careful not to wake him she reached out and brushed his face with her hand. She would have to be brave now and tolerate the bad emotions for the man who had shown her so many good ones.

Chakotay dragged himself off the small pull out bed he'd spent the night on and glanced over at Seven who now looked relatively peaceful, thank God. He stepped out of the room hoping to find the Doctor but instead finding the corridor crowded by Tom, B'Elanna and Harry. He stared at them in shock for a moment before Tom clapped him on the back. "Congratulations, we came last night but the Doctor told us what happened so we left you alone…"

"How's Seven now?" asked Harry.

Chakotay bit his lip. "Still asleep this morning…but yesterday, I've never seen her so upset…"

"She's entitled to be upset Chakotay, I'd have been hysterical if I'd seen Miral like that…" B'Elanna said quietly, her voice thick with sympathy.

Chakotay couldn't respond and Tom spoke again, "Look Chakotay, you know that no one learns how to cope better than Seven…she just needs some time to adjust that's all."

As he watched Harry and B'Elanna nod in agreement Chakotay was touched. "I hope so…"

"Chakotay…" At the sound of Seven's voice their friends excused him and he went into her and she immediately began to speak. "I apologise for my behaviour yesterday…"

Chakotay shook his head vigorously, "It was perfectly understandable Seven…"

She sighed and lowered her head. "Could you please take me into see them again?" When she saw doubt cross his features she spoke in a stronger tone. "I am emotionally stable this time I promise."

Chakotay wasn't sure but he didn't feel it was within his rights to deny her and got the wheelchair Seven lowering herself into it without help. He was deeply apprehensive as they entered but he needn't have feared for although he saw the same spasm of pain cross her face that he felt when he saw them she didn't cry and began talking to each of them quietly.

After some time a nurse approached them. "Would you like to hold them? The Doctor said it would be fine for a few minutes."

"Really?" whispered Seven. Chakotay was speechless.

The nurse nodded. "Which one would you want? Or one of you could hold both of them?"

Seven and Chakotay exchanged glances and Chakotay spoke first. "You hold both of them Seven."

Seven wanted to argue for a moment before she allowed herself to accept the offer with gratitude and watched nervously as the nurse lowered Michael and then Aylen onto her where she immediately held them as close as she could, careful to avoid the wires. She felt all the tension leave her as she felt their warmth and movement against her, Aylen pressing her face against her throat and Michael closing his tiny fist around the collar of her top. Tears slid slowly down her face and onto their heads. Kissing them she murmured in their ears but loud enough for Chakotay to hear her, "Let's let Papa see you my loves." He sat down in the chair and she slowly and carefully gave each of them to him.

After a couple of minutes Chakotay lifted his head up from the babies to look at Seven with a mixture of love and wonderment. "They're so real…We're going to have to get better at passing them over."

Seven laughed softly as she tucked one of Michael's feet back under the blanket. "Thank you…for all of this…" He held her hand tightly and when the babies were put back in the incubator he kissed her deeply, both of them enjoying the new level of love they had found.

A/n: VERY VERY soppy! I hope you don't hate it, please review!