A/n: Hi, I'm finally back with this, sorry it took so long. Mtwapa has a great new C/7 one-shot called "Human Comforts". I highly recommend it!
As the white static of the Bajoran transporter cleared from her vision the first thing Seven was aware of was dry, throat clogging dust followed in quick succession by Max's frightened whimpering in her arms. Squeezing him tighter against her she murmured in his ear, "You're safe Max, its okay…" She only had time for a quick glance at Chakotay beside her before, predictably, Michael jumped off the transporter pad and set off running. Thankfully their blushes were saved before they could even cry out, Icheb, standing as part of a group of Bajorans, grabbed the toddler with lightning quick reactions and hoisted him up.
"Nice save Icheb! Thanks." Said Chakotay gratefully as he led a slightly less excitable Aylen off the transporter pad.
Icheb smiled lightly, "You're welcome." He replied easily before inclining his head towards Seven. "You're punctual."
Seven nodded to him in acknowledgement and silently indicated for him to put Michael down, which he rapidly did as Seven transferred a still crying Max to an obliging Naira. Kneeling down to her son's height, she admonished him in a low tone, "Michael, you are not to run away from Mama and Papa, it's very dangerous. Apologise please."
"Sorry Mama." He mumbled forlornly, thumb half up to his mouth before his mother gently but firmly lowered it.
Naira meanwhile was peering at a still tearful Max with concern. "What's up honey?" she asked him softly. "Aren't you happy to see us?"
Max rubbed at his dark eyes with his small hand as he held her gaze sorrowfully. "Bad buzz buzz." He muttered by way of explanation. Naira of course still looked blank.
"He doesn't like the transporter." Chakotay explained. Naira's face softened in understanding and she gave the child a comforting cuddle.
Aylen suddenly tapped Naira's leg for attention, her blue eyes gazing up at her seriously. "Who they?" She asked pointing to the watching group of Bajorans.
The furthest forward in the group, a stout and hearty looking older man, chuckled. "Go ahead Naira answer the little girl's question, you haven't exactly introduced us."
Naira blushed at the reprimand, however joking. "Sorry Father. Chakotay, Seven, this is my father Vittari Kantor." The couple returned the man's welcoming smile as a thin, sharp featured looking woman stepped forward. "And this is my mother, Vittari Delora."
Kantor stepped forward spritely despite his girth and grasped Chakotay hand to give it a strong shake. "Welcome to Bajor and Gilara village. We've heard a lot about you, Voyager's story even managed to get heard all the way out here you know, and…" His voice dropped to a lower tempo, "…as to what we feel about the Maquis, I think that goes without saying…"
Chakotay began a gracious reply but was interrupted by Naira's mother's sharp rebuke to her husband. "Don't be starting your rants on the state of the quadrant Kantor, the temple's not even half done for the ceremony…"
Kantor however remained easy going. "In just a moment Delora, we haven't even introduced them to the family yet have we?" What followed was a long winded inspection of the new arrivals by Naira's numerous extended family, all having turned up to take a measure of the adoptive family of the exotic stranger Naira had brought had brought home from Starfleet Academy.
The small talk had moved on to the recent drought by the time Delora finally lost her temper and succeeded in rounding them all up to head to the village temple. "Right, if we don't go now it'll be time for evening prayers and my daughter will be getting married in a shoddily decorated temple! Let's go!"
Accordingly, the whole group, now joined by several former members of the Voyager crew, began to troop to the temple. Kantor sighed in exasperation as his wife began giving out tasks for everyone from a very long list. "Honestly! I love my wife but sometimes she can be worse than a Vulcan drill sergeant!"
Chakotay gave a dry chuckle. "I know exactly what you mean."
The temple from the outside was a relatively small, but still beautiful, building. It was shaped so perfectly into domes and curves from smooth Bajoran volcanic stone, its red sheen almost like marble, that it had an almost dreamlike quality for Seven, which only intensified upon entering the warm dim of inside, lit only by the light of the rapidly sinking sun through the small slits of window and the huge glowing candles which dominated the space. Her eyes immediately stopped their wandering observations as Tom Paris noticed examples of the traditional Bajoran wedding robes. "That's what the two of you will be wearing tomorrow huh?" he asked politely, heroically, by Tom's standards, managing to keep the smirk off his face as he took in the loose fitting burgundy robes and slippers.
Naira gave an agitated sigh. "My mother keeps putting those out! I've told her we're getting married in normal clothes, not those fusty old things! She's so old fashioned…" She turned pleadingly to Icheb, "Promise me you won't give into her Icheb, you said you'd wear your formal uniform…"
Icheb's face stiffened. "I do not wish to offend your mother Naira; I am indifferent about such things…"
Naira, highly stressed, took this the wrong way. "You're indifferent about our wedding day?"
Icheb thankfully realised he'd said the wrong thing and backtracked. "It's not that, but as long as you're actually there to marry me then everything else is irrelevant." Her face immediately relaxed as she realised the stupidity of the question and kissed him in reply, glad that this hadn't erupted into a marital argument before they were even married.
Seven sighed audibly and brushed her head against the bed's headboard that night as she deleted another sentence from the pad in her hands, her frown deepening as she realised the depth of the document's imperfection. Suddenly she heard Chakotay's breathing become shallower just before he drowsily turned his head to face her, his eyes looking up at her blearily. "Seven, it's…" he checked the clock on the nightstand, "…four in the morning, what can you possibly be researching this early? Especially when you're supposed to be asleep."
Seven lowered the pad down into her lap and glanced at him somewhat sheepishly. "I'm not…researching anything, I'm writing my speech."
"What speech?" Chakotay asked, confused.
She sighed again, more heavily this time. "The speech Icheb requested I make at his wedding reception."
Chakotay smiled widely at this information. "Icheb asked you to speak at his wedding? You never said anything…"
Seven chewed her bottom lip. "I was hoping he'd retract the request."
"Why? It'll be sweet to hear you talk about him…"
"Nothing I write seems adequate!"
Chakotay sat up and put his arms lightly around her waist, removing the pad from her hands and setting it aside. "I don't think that'll matter, when the time comes the right words will come don't worry." He gave her a peck on the cheek. "Now, I've always found the best cure for nerves is sleep, okay?"
Seven looked at him lovingly for several seconds before giving him a much deeper kiss on the lips. "I know a much more efficient form of relaxation." She whispered huskily.
Chakotay got the message but raised his eyebrows. "Do you?"
"Yes, and I also know that as soon as the wedding's over we'll be travelling back for the next ten days on a tiny transport and its most likely we'll be sharing our bed with three children, again."
He laughed huskily and pulled her against him. "Well, we should always do the most efficient thing shouldn't we?"
The day of the wedding dawned clear and bright and while Chakotay fought to get Aylen and Michael into their outfits, flower girl and ring bearer respectively, Seven was alone with Icheb in the small room at the back of the altar. She felt herself smile with pride as he appeared wearing his full formal Starfleet uniform. He noticed but couldn't get his hands to stop shaking as he struggled to pin his single gold pip to the collar. "Here." Seven murmured, handing him her small clutch bag as she took the pip from him and pinned it helpfully to his collar.
"Thank you." He said quietly as he rubbed his sweating palms hastily on his trousers.
"I see you decided to go against Delora's advice." Seven commented.
"Oh yes, both Tom and Harry advised me not to side with the future mother in law against the future wife, and I kept imagining how Mezotti and the twins would laugh at me in those robes."
"Yes." Seven replied with a slightly sad smile as she thought of "her" other Borg children, unreachably far away on this important day. "They would be proud of you, for everything, as I am."
"I hope so." He said with a soft sigh just as the temple's gong began to ring out to call everyone to their seats.
"I must go now, I will see you soon." Seven told him, turning to leave but was surprised when he hugged her, impulsively and tightly.
"Thank you Seven." He whispered. Seven could only give a short, yet heartfelt, nod, words were beyond her. With a quick shared smile she disappeared into the heart of temple and Icheb followed to stand next to the priest at the altar, immediately assaulted by the heady smell of katterpod oil incense and the lingering scent wafting from the darilwood panelling as much as he was by the sight of the packed temple, the Voyager crew was everywhere, almost outnumbering the Bajorans. The chatter which had filled the hall suddenly drained out as the bridal gong as it was known rang out and Naira's slim silhouette appeared at the top of the aisle, her attire almost completely human in style excepting the large single earring. If Icheb had been in his normal state of mind he would have noticed the wave of shocked chatter this caused on the Bajoran side of the aisle but as it was he could barely take in her beauty, the floor length strapless dress in champagne silk with the emerald ribbon at the waist which highlighted her green eyes… Suddenly she was at his side and the priest began to intone the wedding chants in ancient Bajoran, thankfully his photographic memory worked enough on automatic pilot enough to answer adequately when he was asked to promise himself to the service of the Prophets but his mind didn't really return to him until he was at last allowed to face Naira in the final part of the ceremony.
"You have promised yourselves to the Prophets, both individually and together, now you must promise to each other." The priest told them in a formal, solemn tone.
Their eyes met and in perfect unison they said, "We promise."
A/n: The next chapter will be the reception, it didn't feel right to add it on to this. Please review! I hope you weren't disappointed after such a long wait.