A/n: Dream sequences are in italics. This chapter is for xXTheGothicBumbleBeeXx because I know she likes this fic and I want her to update her new C/7 fic for me to read!
"One, two, three, blow!" Chakotay said enthusiastically to Max as the newly one year old gazed curiously at the single lit candle on his birthday cake but made no attempt to blow it out, his dark eyes following the movement of the flame with fascination. Chakotay cleared his throat as the group of children around the table began to shift impatiently in their chairs, Michael even starting to whine. "Come on son…" He continued to coax, "Look, I'll show you." Leaning over the table but distant from the cake, he blew hard to demonstrate, leading to all the children's brows furrowing in disapproval.
"Why?" Max asked suddenly, staring at his father as if he'd gone crazy, making all the adults watching laugh, even Seven had to stifle a giggle.
Aylen's eyes shifted to her younger brother and then back to the cake again, her thin arms crossing her chest as she made a snort of frustration and leaned across the table herself, "I show you Max." She told with authority and before anyone could stop her the candle was out in a single breath.
David Wildman, who'd spent the whole party looking at the cake with longing eyes, clapped his hands loudly in approval. "Yay Aylen! Now we eat cake!"
Miral Paris tugged lightly on her father's sleeve, "Daddy?"
Tom smiled indulgently down at her. "Yes angel?"
"Does this mean Aylen gets Max's wish? Cos that's not fair…"
"Don't worry honey; I don't think birthday wishes transfer!" He laughed as he watched Aylen get a gentle ticking off from her parents.
"Thanks." Tom said to Seven as she handed him a piece of cake and gladly dug in with his fork as the adults gathered in the corner, all carefully avoiding a rather riotous game of Pin the Tail on the Donkey. "You know…" He paused to swallow his mouthful sponge as everyone looked at him enquiringly. "Dad says the taskforce hasn't run into anything yet, the whole sector's normal so far, maybe this is all a false alarm and Harry, Icheb and Naira will all be home by the end of the month…"
Chakotay glanced with concern at both Debbie Kim, thankfully distracted by her daughter on a sugar high, and Seven before cautiously replying, "Some Federation delegates are already lobbying for a pull out and some geniuses at the holo-newspapers are calling it "The Phoney War"…"
Seven frowned angrily, "How can they claim there isn't a war when over 800 Federation citizens are dead or presumed so?"
B'Elanna snorted contemptuously. "Journalists said the same thing about the beginning of World War II, they never learn…"
"Be that as it may but Dad said if something doesn't happen to prove the Notsinians existence soon, Starfleet's going to pull the funding…" Tom said, pleased at the prospect of getting everyone home.
In contrast, Seven's face darkened significantly. "Believe me; we never want to give them the chance to prove their existence." This silenced everyone around her and Chakotay tried to reach comfortingly for her arm but she shook him off and distractedly headed into the melee of overexcited children to pluck the plastic donkey tail off Michael who was being mercilessly chased in circles by a cackling Miral and Aylen.
"The defences have been breached; I've been called up to fight Iza." No Father! The little girl thought from her place at the threshold of her small bedroom, secretly watching and listening in on her parents' conversation as they stood confrontationally at the front door.
"No Creb…" Her mother pleaded, "Your place is here, protecting your family! You know what the People of Ashes do to our soldiers! Did you think I'm just going to let you go?"
Her father's face stiffened painfully and she gasped. Seeing that her father had heard her, she backed into the bedroom but was too late, he grabbed her mother's arm angrily, "Don't call them that here Iza, you'll scare the children, the Notsinians…" He put emphasis on the word making the girl realise that was their enemies' proper name, "…aren't invincible, no one is, we just haven't found their weakness yet but we will…"
Tears now streamed down her mother's face. "Please don't do this Creb…" She was begging now. Silently he pulled her into a hug and gave her a soft kiss before disappearing out of the door and her mother collapsed against it, sobbing.
Some time later the familiar ear splitting whistle of the air raid alarm, spliced through the humid air and her mother wiped her tears and piled them all into the shelter, where they all crouched together but within a few minutes the girl heard her mother curse and grab her shoulders, the nails digging in as she peered into her daughter's frightened eyes."Listen Brenna, I need to go check if old Mrs Kopek is safe, I promised your father… Stay in here, look after your brothers and I'll be right back okay?"
"No Mother…" She began to plead tearfully, clinging to her but she was pushed away.
"No Brenna, I need you to be a big girl today." With that her mother disappeared outside the shelter.
Hours passed and her mother did not return. As anxiety turned to heart squeezing fear a new sound fills the air, an engine, and then a far off explosion. Forgetting her mother's orders the girl left the shelter, "Mother! Moth…" The cry stopped in her throat as the very air surrounding her imploded, a wave of fire, ripping over the lush land and turning it into dead desert, slammed into her house and made her black out…
Time passed, she didn't know how long, she didn't care, all she knew was that she was hungry and alone, cowering under the table. A green light filled the room, a strange man, covered in metal, appeared before her. "We are Borg. You will be assimilated." She could have run, should have, but all her energy was gone and she didn't want to be alone again so she allowed the strange tubes to sink into her neck without a murmur…
Seven jerked awake with a choked scream, her head thudding against the window her dozing head had rested on as she gasped desperately for air, the drone's memory releasing its grip on her mind with agonising slowness. Gradually she recognised her bedroom, the chair she had fallen asleep on, the starry view outside the window, but it brought her little comfort. Had the Notsinians attacks really been so horrific that the survivors had found sanctuary in assimilation? Gulping back open sobs but unable to stop her eyes from filming over with tears, she stared up at the sky, her old home, her eternal home, for composure. Collective memories haunted her more than she would even admit, even to Chakotay, they were frequently as vivid, if not more so, than her own. The stars winked at her teasingly, everything would be so simple, so uncomplicated, if she could just float freely among them as she sometimes daydreamed… "Seven? Seven, what's wrong?" Chakotay asked, pain gripping his heart as he walked into the room to see tears sliding down her face and he instantly came to her. "What is it sweetheart?"
Seven shook her head dismissively. "A nightmare." His dark, loving eyes peered at her disbelievingly and she smiled, thinking that her memories of other people's emotions reinforced her confidence in her love for him. "It's nothing more my love." She murmured, looping her arms tight around his neck.
"What can I do?" He whispered softly.
Seven sighed and kissed him deeply but gently before resting her head on his broad shoulder. "Hold me for a little while?" She felt him nod slowly before he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her up, carrying her to their bed and laying down close beside her.
The insistent ring of the phone pulled Chakotay from his light sleep but he rolled over, reluctant to answer it as Seven lay soundly asleep beside him, the most peaceful she had looked in weeks. The ringing continued and with a sigh he pulled himself out of bed and flung on some clothes, answering it with a quick press of a button but when the caller's face appeared on the screen he felt his heart plunge into his stomach.
A/n: A cliffy, don't hate me and please review! :D I'll try not to leave it for long but can you tell me which stories you'd like me to prioritise this week? It's going to be a very busy week for me so tell me what you'd really like me to update and I'll do that first when I have time to write, okay?