Chapter Twenty-Seven
Seven stretched her arms over her head and rolled over, expecting to find Chakotay fast asleep next to her. Instead, she found a PADD the nightstand propped up against a glass of one of her nutritional supplements. With a small smile, she propped herself up on her elbow and picked up the device, reading the note hastily typed across the screen.
You looked too peaceful to wake. I went down to the cargo bay and got you some of your clothes before I reported to the bridge. I'll stop by around lunch to check on you. Remember to take it easy.
Despite the fact that the note was short, Seven found it incredibly sweet. Chakotay didn't have to retrieve her clothes for her; he really was going above and beyond in an attempt to make her as comfortable as possible. She sat up properly and dutifully drank her nutritional supplement, although it wasn't nearly as good as yesterday's breakfast. Even so, she drank the thick liquid and nestled back against the pillows comfortably and tried to think of what she would do today. There was only so much time a person could spend sitting around before they got restless, and she was already starting to get to that point. With any luck, perhaps Naomi would stop by again, although Seven was prepared for that to not happen and needed to find ways to keep herself occupied while staying off her feet. She would have to find a way to entertain herself.
After drinking her breakfast, Seven climbed out of bed and padded over to the closet. Sure enough, there were a handful of her bodysuits neatly folded on one of the shelves. For some reason, the appearance of her clothes next to his unnerved her. She had intended to only stay here for a day or two at the very most, but the sight of her clothes gave it a slightly more permanent vibe, like she was expecting to be here for a while. On the other hand, she liked the thought of staying here. Previously, she thought that her cargobay was all she needed; it had a place for her to store what few personal belongings she owned, a computer station to work at and an alcove for her to use to regenerate. Technically, it did have everything she needed, but now that she was spending time in Chakotay's quarters, she realized there was so much more that a person needed. There was something wonderful about having somewhere to relax and read a book or spend some private time with Chakotay. Since she shared her cargobay with Icheb, however, her privacy was extremely limited, which meant any time the couple wanted to spend together, it had to be here, which was already starting to get a little old. Maybe when all of this was said and done, she would talk to the Captain about getting some private quarters for herself. If anything, she'd learned from Icheb's little blow up that there needed to be some distance between them, which wasn't going to happen as long as they shared a cargobay.
Seven ran her fingertips over the stack of bodysuits but ultimately decided to stay in the clothes she'd borrowed from Chakotay. They were far more comfortable than the confining bodysuits she normally wore, and, as far as she could tell, he didn't seem to mind. She grabbed a fresh set of sweats and shed the ones she currently wore and pulled on the clean ones. The dark grey pants nearly fell off her narrow hips, prompting her to pull the drawstring tight and tie them off to keep the garment in place. She practically swam in the dark green sweatshirt, but she didn't mind. The article of clothing comforted her as Chakotay's smell, a combination of sweat, aftershave and the spices he often used in his cooking. Her fingers instinctively went to pin her hair back in its usual French twist but instead decided to leave her hair down. Since she wasn't reporting to Astrometrics, she saw little point in pinning her hair back. She was meant to be on vacation, which meant she could wear her hair down and not wear her usual bodysuits, at least until she reported back to duty again.
On the bridge, Kathryn couldn't help but glance at Chakotay out of the corner of her eye. She quickly averted her gaze, but not quick enough. He saw her, flashing her a confused look. She'd been giving him strange glances all morning, and he couldn't for the life of him figure out why.
"What?" he finally asked.
"Nothing," she replied quickly, a little too quickly to be believable. He raised an eyebrow in amusement and continued to stare at her, waiting for her to come clean. She was terrible at keeping secrets. "Okay, I couldn't help but notice that you look very well rested." She kept her voice low so nobody else on the bridge could hear their conversation. After all this time, they had become adept at having private conversations in one of the most public areas of the ship.
"What's that supposed to mean?" He had gotten a significantly better night's sleep last night than he had in the past, but that didn't mean Kathryn needed to point it out so bluntly.
"It means that you're starting to look like your old self again. You were a mess, Chakotay, and I don't think you realize how bad a shape you were in."
"I do," Chakotay confessed. At the time, it hadn't dawned on him that he was a mess, but now that he looked back on his behavior, he was surprised that she didn't relieve him of duty. He wasn't eating or sleeping, and anyone with eyes could see that. "And I'm starting to feel like my old self too."
"Well, I'm glad to see that you're happy and back to your usual self. I may stop by and see Seven today if she's up to it."
"I'm sure she'll welcome your visit. I think she's starting to get restless."
"It's only been one day," Kathryn pointed out with a laugh. Her laughter was contagious and caused him to smile as well, flashing him that dimpled grin of his that told her that he really was starting to feel better.
"You know how she is. Sitting around is inefficient." Kathryn rolled her eyes. She didn't know how Chakotay did it. He certainly had his hands full trying to make sure Seven rested and got her strength back while making sure she also stayed off her feet; Seven was a notoriously difficult patient, at least according to the Doctor.
Seven felt conflicted. She was tired, but she was also restless. Whenever she sat down, she felt the pull to get to her feet and do something productive. Within fifteen minutes, however, she was tired and needed to sit down and regain her energy, only to repeat the process all over again. The result was her doing a little bit of work around Chakotay's modest quarters before laying down to rest for a little while before getting up and cleaning a little bit more. Accustomed to always feeling at her peak physical prowess, she found that it was a highly inefficient use of her time. Deep down inside, she knew he told her to rest, and she was resting, just between bouts of cleaning and productivity. She couldn't wait until she was back to normal, and she could not only return to duty but also just feel like her usual self.
Thankfully, the doorbell ringing caught Seven's attention. Grateful for a break from the monotony that was starting to wear her down, she put the book she was trying to read while regaining her energy to the side and glanced in the direction of the door.
"Come in," she called. The Doctor breezed into the quarters with his usual upbeat manner that annoyed but also comforted her.
"I'm surprised to see that you've managed to stay off your feet," he teased as he made himself comfortable on one of the chairs next to her.
"I am doing my best to comply with your orders, no matter how difficult they are. I am also attempting to rest so I can regain my energy." She purposefully left out the part where she cleaned up the mess in the bathroom from Naomi's visit yesterday, made the bed and did a little bit of light cleaning around the small quarters.
"Is there anything in particular you are trying to regain your energy for?" the Doctor pressed. Seven looked highly unamused by the question and the inappropriate insinuation that could be drawn from his question.
"I am simply attempting to return to my usual physical capabilities. In my current state, I am inefficient." The Doctor flipped open his medkit and produced his tricorder. Without bothering to ask for permission, he scanned Seven's body.
"Your body is continuing to recover. So far, everything appears to be going as planned, your nanoprobe levels are continuing to rise, but they aren't exactly where I'd like them to be." Seven figured as much, but it was definitely a step in the right direction.
"Can I return to duty?" There was a hint of hopefulness in her voice at the prospect of finally being able to return to duty and stop being a drain on Voyager's resources. He looked unamused at the suggestion. His expression spoke volumes and told her the answer to her question. It appeared that she would have to be subjected to several more days of her so called "vacation".
"As long as you are aware of your limitations and still get plenty of rest, I guess I can release you from bedrest," the Doctor hesitantly relented. "But I want you to make sure to take it easy. If you start to feel tired, you need to rest. Don't push your body to its limit or else you may end up back in sickbay."
"So I am free to resume my usual activities?"
"As long as those activities don't involve returning to duty or any strenuous activities." It wasn't everything Seven wanted to hear, but at least now she wasn't limited to bedrest anymore. The only problem was the fact that she was feeling so tired after completing the most basic of tasks.
"Reporting to duty is my usual activities," she argued incredulously.
"I'm sorry, Seven, but I want you resting for a few more days. I'd much rather play it safe and have you rest for a few more days than risk any damage to you or your implants."
"Very well, I will comply," she grumbled. As much as she hated to admit it, she knew the Doctor's heart was in the right place, and it made sense. Had she been in the Doctor's place, she would have said the exact same thing. She would find a way to adapt. At least now she was cleared to be up and moving;s he was no longer confined to bed anymore. The Doctor put away his tricorder but gave no indication that he was ready to leave yet.
"Other than fatigue, how are you feeling? Are you settling into Commander Chakotay's quarters comfortably?"
"There is no need for me to settle in, this is a temporary situation," Seven stated bluntly. "Once I feel like myself, I will return to my cargobay." Skeptical that that would actually happen, the Doctor raised an eyebrow in amusement. "You don't believe me. Explain."
"It's not my place to comment on the personal lives of my patients," he said as grabbed his medkit and stood up to leave. That was probably the biggest lie she'd ever heard in her life. The Doctor was always heavily involved in his patients' lives, especially her life. He seemed to know more about her than she knew about herself sometimes.
"Doctor," Seven attempted to argue as she stood up as well. "Explain yourself." She sounded desperate, which was the only reason he didn't walk out of the room and put an end to the conversation. "Do you think it is inappropriate for me to be staying with Commander Chakotay?"
"It doesn't matter what I think, Seven, or what anyone else thinks for that matter. I just think that you may find that you like staying here much better than your cargobay and may want to stay if the Commander allows it."
"That would be highly improper. Commander Chakotay is First Officer of Voyager."
"What did you expect to happen when you started exploring your romantic feelings for Chakotay?" the Doctor pressed. She opened and closed her mouth several times as she attempted to think of an answer, although nothing came to mind. He had an excellent point there. Based on her research on human romantic relationships, cohabitation was usually the end result. She hadn't given much thought into what would happen between her and Chakotay in the long run, but this was something that was probably inevitable. Glaring at him, she crossed her arms over her chest.
"That is irrelevant," she snapped. Usually she had no problem talking to the Doctor about anything in her life, but this also had to do with Chakotay, and since he was such a private individual, she wouldn't disrespect him by talking about such issues. As far as she was concerned, this only had to do with the two of them, and she didn't appreciate the Doctor's line of questioning. "And I think you should go."
"Very well. Just remember, you have to do what's right for you." With his advice still hanging in the air, the Doctor turned to leave. As much as she hated to admit it, she knew he was right. She had to do what was best for her and for this relationship. Her biggest fear was that Chakotay would reject her if she dared bring up moving in together. Based on her research, such a bold move didn't happen until significantly later in a relationship. Even Tom and B'Elanna waited several years before moving in together.
The second he opened the doors to his quarters, Chakotay was greeted by the smell of dinner being cooked. Confused, he headed straight for the kitchen, where he saw Seven standing with her back to him. He took a moment to admire her and her undeniable beauty that she always exerted. Even in a set of his sweats hanging loosely off her delicate frame, she looked absolutely gorgeous. Her golden hair tumbled just past her shoulders, just begging him to run his fingers through it, and she was completely absorbed in her task that she didn't even realize she wasn't alone anymore.
"I thought you were supposed to be on bedrest," he commented gently as he approached her. Seven had been so wrapped up in her cooking that his voice startled her. She jumped and turned around with a flash of guilt on her face.
"The Doctor said that I am free to start resuming my normal activities, although I am not to report to duty or do anything too strenuous for a few more days," she explained in an attempt to explain away her actions.
"So you're making dinner."
"I wanted to be helpful." He wrapped his arms around her from behind and nuzzled her neck affectionately. She instinctively tilted her head to the side, giving him better access while shivers shot through her.
"You know, if you like my clothes so much, I can replicate you some," he murmured tenderly.
"I hope you do not mind."
"No, not at all. I think those clothes look much better on you than on me." Temporarily abandoning her cooking, Seven turned around and rested her hands on his chest.
"Is that to say you think you are not attractive to me? Because that is not true. I find you very attractive." His fingers trailed along her side and fingered the hem of her shirt, tugging it up ever so slightly to reveal the milky flesh underneath that just begged him to stroke it.
"No, I just think that my clothes look far better on you."
"You are a little biased." He stole a quick kiss.
"Just a little bit," he whispered before pulling away and turning his attention to the food she was preparing. "What's for dinner?"
"I am preparing hamburgers." Chakotay opened his mouth to remind her that he was a vegetarian, but she cut him off. "Don't worry, I have ensured that they contain no meat, although my research has told me that the vegetarian option does not taste as good." The very name of the dish implied that it contained meat, but she wasn't going to disrespect his dietary choices.
"I'm sure they'll be delicious." He reached to grab cherry tomato out of the salad sitting in a bowl, but she immediately slapped his hand away.
"That is for dinner, not for now," she scolded. "If you are hungry, you will have to wait." The doorbell rang, momentarily distracting her long enough for him to snatch up a small tomato and pop it into his mouth. She glared at him disapprovingly, although he looked quite pleased with himself as he went to answer the door.
With Chakotay answering the door, Seven turned her attention back to the food. Her eyes widened as she realized that Chakotay's little interruption had caused her to nearly burn the hamburgers. She quickly snatched up the spatula and flipped them over. When she examined them closely, she did notice that they were singed a little bit but otherwise salvageable; she hoped they still tasted fine. She mentally scolded herself for allowing herself to be distracted, even if she found the encounter wonderful and exhilarating. While she knew Chakotay wouldn't mind if his food was a little burned, she desired to make this meal perfect; it was her chance to show him that she was more than capable of returning to some of her usual activities. The next hamburgers she made would have to be perfect to compensate for her mistake.
Cheerful voices and laughter caught Seven's attention. She had been so wrapped up in examining her cooking that she didn't hear who had entered Chakotay's quarters. For that reason, she was caught off guard when she turned around and saw Kathryn standing next to Chakotay, laughing at something he said.
"Captain!" Seven exclaimed. Although she'd felt perfectly comfortable with her appearance just a few minutes earlier, she suddenly felt self-conscious. She might be in the privacy of Chakotay's quarters, but she still thought it was completely inappropriate to be caught wearing the First Officer's clothes by the Captain, despite the intimacy of their relationship. She tugged nervously at the bottom of her shirt before her hands flew to her hair in an attempt to smooth it down, although every hair was in place as it hung in waves around her shoulders. "I was not expecting you to visit."
"At ease, Seven," Kathryn said with a laugh as she held up her hand to get the young woman to stop her uncomfortable fidgeting. "I told Chakotay that I was going to stop by." Seven glared at Chakotay, who shifted sheepishly from one foot to the other. He'd only been back in his quarters for a few minutes and had been so caught up in spending a few minutes with her that it completely slipped his mind. In his defense, he didn't expect Kathryn to stop by so quickly after the end of their shift.
"He neglected to inform me of this," she stated.
"I was a bit distracted." Now it was Kathryn's turn to feel uncomfortable as she caught the playful glimmer in her First Officer's dark eyes. Clearly she'd interrupted something private between the two of them. As happy as she was for Chakotay and Seven, she still had to adjust to the fact that they were in fact a couple; she never saw this relationship coming, and she was still trying to wrap her mind around it. Refusing to allow herself to ruin even more of the food, Seven turned back to the hamburgers to ensure she didn't burn them further.
"I thought you were supposed to be resting," Kathryn observed, eyeing her standing in the kitchen suspiciously; it looked like she'd been working here for a quite a while. Her tone gave away her displeasure with seeing Seven up and about like this.
"The Doctor has cleared me to start resuming some of my normal activities, as long as I don't over-exert myself," Seven explained in an attempt to assuage the Captain's concerns.
"I know, he updated me on your progress. I just don't want to see you wear yourself out." With the exception of herself and B'Elanna, Kathryn knew that Seven was one of the Doctor's more difficult patients, which was one of the reasons she wanted to be kept abreast of her condition, that and the fact that she was always concerned about the condition of members of her crew.
"I am aware of my body's limitations. Preparing dinner isn't a difficult task." Despite her argument, Seven was starting to feel a little bit worn out, but it wasn't anything she couldn't handle.
"Maybe not for you, but you've never been subjected to the Captain's cooking," Chakotay teased as he threw himself down at the kitchen table so he could keep an eye on Seven, just in case something went wrong. He didn't intend to hover, he just worried about her.
"My cooking isn't that bad," Kathryn argued with a playful laugh as she took a seat at the table as well.
"Speak for yourself." She leaned over the table and smacked his arm, which caused him to laugh as well. Seven ignored the playful banter as she flipped over the hamburgers in front of her. After all this time, she knew that her boyfriend and the Captain had a special relationship that she'd never quite understand, but she found something comforting in their relationship as well. They always teased each other, an action she didn't quite understand as it seemed disrespectful, but they always seemed to know that it wasn't meant to be malicious.
As she assessed the food she prepared, Seven realized that she had made far too much food than necessary for her and Chakotay. She had been so wrapped up in the preparation process that she had miscalculated the amount of food she needed to cook. She should have been more careful with preparing an appropriate amount of food for just the two of them, but there was a simple solution to the problem.
"Captain, would you like to stay for dinner?" she offered as she turned around to face the Captain and Chakotay. Both of them looked caught off guard, immediately causing her to feel self-conscious about the request. Instantly, she knew she had overstepped her bounds; these weren't her quarters, and she had no right to simply invite someone over for dinner, especially if that person was the Captain. It didn't matter that the Captain and Chakotay were close friends and were known to have weekly dinners together in her quarters, these were still his quarters, and he should be the one to make that decision.
"Oh, no, I couldn't impose," Kathryn replied, trying to shake off the suggestion as politely as possible.
"It's no imposition," Chakotay insisted, realizing that this would be a wonderful opportunity to share a meal with the two most important women in his life. "There's plenty of food."
"Chakotay, I couldn't-"
"Kathryn, please," he requested softly, his dark brown eyes pleading with her. Sighing, she looked at Seven. Although the young woman looked hesitant about her offer, there was still a glimmer of hope in her light blue eyes that told her that it would disappoint her greatly if she turned down her offer.
"Fine," she finally relented. "As long as you insist it's fine."
"Of course it's fine. Plus it's better than any culinary monstrosity you'll replicate in your quarters." Kathryn rolled her eyes. Despite Chakotay's comments, her cooking wasn't as bad as he claimed it was. She always managed to make something edible...eventually. She might actually be better off eating here, the food smelled delicious.
Not only relieved that Chakotay was willing overlook her boldness but that the Captain agreed to her invitation, Seven turned her attention back to preparing the meal. She'd been caught up in the moment when she invited the Captain to join them, but now she felt the pressure of preparing the perfect meal for their guest bearing down on her. She felt nervous, which was a strange phenomenon for her. Cooking was still a slightly unfamiliar task to her, and she knew Chakotay would be forgiving of any imperfections, but the Captain was another story. Of course, there was no way Kathryn would dare criticize her cooking, but Seven still felt pressure from within to prepare the perfect meal. There was a lot of pressure that came with such an innocuous invitation.
As if sensing her new apprehension, Chakotay materialized at Seven's side. He put a reassuring hand on the small of her back, rubbing it slightly, trailing his fingertips along the gentle dip. His presence instantly helped calm her down, even if it was just a little bit, but she still wanted to prepare the best meal possible.
"What can I do to help?" he offered softly. He hated just sitting around while Seven did all the work. Even if she wasn't still recovering, he would find the situation uncomfortable, he didn't think she should be doing all the work. This was the twenty-fourth century, he wasn't going to sit around while his girlfriend did all the work.
"I do not require any assistance," she replied tersely.
"There has to be something I can do." She sighed with frustration. She could hear in his voice that he wasn't going to give up that easily.
"If you insist on helping, you can set the table," she finally relented. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing, and it would get him out of her way while she put the finishing touches on the food. He retrieved three plates, glasses and sets of silverware and dutifully began to set them out on the table.
"What can I do to help?" Kathryn offered as she jumped to her feet. Without waiting for an answer, she helped Chakotay set the table. She knew he was perfectly capable of taking care of the task on his own, but, like him, she wanted to feel useful. Just like Seven, sitting around didn't suit either of them.
"You are our guest, it is unnecessary for you to do anything," Seven replied, although clearly Kathryn had made up her mind to help. The Captain ignored her response and continued to help set the table. When Seven turned around, she was less than pleased when she saw what she was doing; she was their guest and should be treated accordingly. "Captain-"
"I'm just helping to set the table, Seven, it's hardly the end of the world. If anything, you should be sitting down while Chakotay and I prepare a meal."
"You both have been working all day, it would not be right to expect you to prepare a meal as well." As she spoke, Seven placed the large bowl of salad on the table, quickly followed by the hamburgers and a plate of buns. A scrutinizing eye, she carefully examined the food spread out on the table. "We need knives." Kathryn and Chakotay exchanged quick glances. Clearly, in all her research she had overlooked one important detail about hamburgers.
"Umm, Seven, you eat hamburgers with your hands," he informed her as gently as possible. It took a few moments for the information to sink in, and a quizzical look flashed across her face as she tried to make sense of the revelation.
"That hardly seems sanitary. Why are utensils not properly utilized?"
"It's just how it is. If you want to get the full experience, you need to eat a hamburger with your hands," Kathryn replied as Chakotay replicated small bottles of ketchup and mustard to accompany the meal; another small oversight by Seven, but he wasn't going to mention it.
"I guess I will adapt." Seven sounded less than pleased with the news. She knew several foods were eaten with bare hands, but she always ate with silverware, no matter the strange looks she got from other members of the crew in the mess hall. Perhaps she should have been more thorough in her research before selecting this meal.
"Have a seat," Chakotay gently prompted as he pulled out a chair for Seven. Everything was ready, there was no need for her to run around the kitchen anymore. He noticed that she was starting to look a little tired from all her effort; she looked slightly paler than usual, and her blue eyes flitted back and forth, implying that she was having some trouble focusing He knew he was right when she didn't protest but instead immediately sat down. Now it was his turn to play host. He filled the water pitcher and then filled each of the glasses on the table.
"Seven, this looks delicious," Kathryn complimented as she served herself and passed the platters to Chakotay once she had enough food on her plate. Everything looked far more appetizing than anything she could have prepared in her quarters, and she was grateful she had decided to stay.
As soon as she took a bite of the hamburger, Kathryn knew she made the right decision staying here for dinner. The food was just as delicious as it smelled. The vegetables in the salad were fresh and crisp, which perfectly complemented the hardy taste of the hamburger. The hamburgers were perfectly prepared, cooked all the way through and expertly seasoned. If she didn't know any better, she would think that Seven was an expert chef with years of training and experience, not someone who had just started eating food a few years ago. She looked at Seven, who held her hamburger uneasily in her hand, trying to determine how she felt about eating without proper utensils. She and Chakotay could sense her apprehension.
"Something wrong?" Kathryn asked before taking a sip of water.
"I was unprepared to eat this meal with my hands," Seven confessed uneasily.
"Just take a bite out of it, muñeca," Chakotay prompted, giving her knee a reassuring squeeze in the process.
"I don't understand why I cannot use a knife and fork." She sounded frustrated with the ordeal. It was so simple, she should be able to eat her meal in a way that made her feel most comfortable, even if that went against social norms.
"Then you wouldn't get the full experience," Kathryn pointed out. "Just try it, and if you're still uncomfortable, then use a knife and fork." It seemed like a reasonable enough compromise. With some trepidation, she took a small bite. Both Kathryn and Chakotay openly stared at her, which only made her feel more self-conscious as she slowly chewed. The food was very well prepared, she had to admit that much. She took another bite, ignoring her discomfort that came with eating with her hands.
"See, it's not the end of the world," Chakotay commented. He was right. Perhaps eating with her hands wasn't the end of the world, as long as it didn't become a habit; utensils had been invented for a reason after all. While she did find the habit unsanitary, now that she bit into the hamburger, she understood that it would be difficult to eat it using a knife and fork.
Seven couldn't help but smile as Kathryn laughed and told her story; her laugh was contagious. Even Chakotay chuckled and shook his head as he contributed to the story. This meal was going far better than she anticipated. She thought it would be a formal, sit down meal, with polite conversation, not a chance for her to see the intimate side of Chakotay and Kathryn's friendship.
"So I show up to her quarters, and the doors open, and this giant plume of smoke comes spilling out into the corridor. I'm surprised she didn't set her quarters on fire." Kathryn rolled her eyes and took a sip of her water.
"I was so upset. We'd been on Voyager for a few weeks, and this was my first real meal with Chakotay; I wanted to make a good first impression because I knew we'd be working together for a while," she continued. "And he shows up, and I've completely ruined the eggplant parmesan I made."
"Is that what that was supposed to be? I had no idea." She didn't look amused by his comment while he flashed her his boyish, dimpled smile that told her it was all in good fun. Although, when she looked back at the meal, it resembled little more than a charbroiled disaster.
"So all I had to offer him was peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Our first weekly dinner, and I fed him a sandwich."
"It was a much better choice than that monstrosity you prepared," he teased. "I probably would have ended up in sickbay for a week." Kathryn swatted at his arm, which only encouraged him to laugh more. Even Seven couldn't help but smile as well.
"You're cooking is much better than mine, Seven. I must admit that I'm impressed."
"Cooking is relatively easy. It is simply mathematics and following directions."
"It may be easy for you, but Kathryn is a lost cause."
"Speak for yourself. I don't see you preparing gourmet meals in the mess hall," the Captain retorted.
"Oh, I know my limits, and they include cooking. I'll leave that to Chell and Seven." Seven felt her heart swell with pride. Despite the fact that she had burned some of the hamburgers a little bit, she felt confident that she could classify this meal as a success. The food was delicious, and now that she was familiar with the preparation and consumption of hamburgers, she knew she would be able to improve upon the recipe for future dinners. The thought initially caught her off guard. Future dinners implied that she would be staying here, making this a regular occurrence. When she returned to her cargobay, there would be no need for her to prepare meals like this, she would get her nutritional supplements from the mess hall, rendering meals like this unnecessary. If this were to continue, she would have to stay here with Chakotay. The more the idea came up, the more she came to accept it as a possibility.
Chakotay glanced over at Seven and noticed that she appeared to be spacing out, which was rare for her. She was always on point and fully with it, no matter what the conversation was. Given the past few weeks, however, strange behavior could be expected as she continued to recover and get back to her old self.
Still concerned that something was wrong, he put his hand on her arm and asked, "Are you alright?" His soothing voice and touch was enough to snap her back to reality.
"I'm fine," she assured. "Is everyone done eating?" Without bothering to wait for an answer, she jumped up to collect the dirty dishes. As soon as she was on her feet, however, dizziness consumed her. It felt like the ground beneath her feet was tilting, first in one direction and then another, causing her to stumble as her hand shot out to grab something, anything to save her balance. Without even realizing it, her hand latched on to Chakotay's shoulder and her fingers dug into his flesh, although it did little to help with the unpleasant sensation.
"Seven?" With a concerned look on her face, Kathryn got to her feet. Chakotay took a hold of Seven's arm and stood up as well.
"What's wrong?" he asked as he did his best to hold her upright.
"I am undamaged. I just stood up too quickly," Seven assured, although she sounded less than convincing. Her voice trembled slightly as she did her best to assure both Chakotay and the Captain that she really was fine. She latched onto his arm, afraid that if she let go, her knees would give out from under her. The color had drained from her face, and dark circles were starting to form under her eyes.
"You did too much tonight," Kathryn observed as she stood on the other side of her, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "You need to rest."
"I can rest after I take care of the dirty dishes," Seven argued as she attempted to reach for the dishes scattered across the table, but Chakotay grabbed her hands and began to steer her in the direction of the couch.
"I'll clean up the dishes later," he promised. "Right now, you need to rest." Kathryn hovered next to Seven as he guided her to the couch, ready to jump in at a moment's notice to support her.
"Chakotay, I'm undamaged." She didn't sound at all convincing, prompting him to ignore her.
"No, you're tired, and you need to rest." As gently as possible, he forced her to sit down on the chaise and put up her feet. When she tried to sit up again, he gave her a firm look that spoke volumes and told her that she better stay where she was. Sighing, she sat back. The last thing she wanted to do was get in a fight with the Captain there.
Seven had to admit that after being on her feet all evening, it did feel nice to relax a little, even though she wanted nothing more than to show both Chakotay and the Captain that she was capable of taking care of herself without all their well-meaning hovering. The only thing she hated was the fact that she had to relax because her body was still recovering. She wanted to be able to choose if she wanted to sit down for a little while, not be forced to by situations out of her control. In all honesty, that was what bothered her the most about her current situation. She desired to be in control of her body and how it acted, which wasn't happening right now. Hopefully, she would only feel like this for a little while longer, and then things truly would be back to normal for her.
Chakotay pulled up a chair next to Seven and rested his hand on her leg. She looked down at his hand; for a second, she thought about pushing his hand away, but she was comforted by his touch and therefore decided to ignore it for the time being. For the time being, it didn't matter that the Captain was standing just a few feet away from them, no matter how improper it might be.
"I think I've overstayed my welcome," Kathryn remarked, instantly putting an end to the joyful evening the trio had shared.
"Kathryn, you don't have to leave," Chakotay argued in an attempt to keep her around for a little while longer.
"No, it's time for me to leave. I have an early start in the morning, and I still have some things to take care of before I call it a night." He could see in her eyes that there was no deterring her; she had it in her mind that it was time to leave. The last thing she wanted to do was cause Seven any more unintentional harm. It was clear that her impromptu visit and the fact that she stayed for dinner had worn the young woman out. She was glad to see that she was feeling better, but she could see that she still had some recovering to do before she was going to be back to her old self. Astrometrics would have to survive without her for a little while longer. "Seven, the hamburgers were delicious," she complimented as she put a hand on Seven's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. She could easily feel her bones jutting out beneath her shirt, reminding her of all the weight she'd lost while stuck on that planet. "Thank you for inviting me."
"Thank you for joining us." Chakotay got to his feet to walk Kathryn to the door like the good host he was. At the door, she wrapped her arms around him and rubbed his back reassuringly, silently telling him that there was no need for him to worry. Before pulling away, she paused and cupped his face in her hand.
"Make sure you take care of yourself," she ordered gently. He was so focused on himself, and her biggest fear was that just when he was starting to get back to his old self, he'd fall to pieces once again.
"I will," he promised. She smiled and patted his cheek gently before stepping back. She nodded at Seven to say goodbye before disappearing out the door and heading back to her quarters. She had only intended to stop by for half an hour at the very most, not for dinner and socializing, which put her a little behind on her work for the evening, but she was used to late nights, as long as she had some coffee.
Once Kathryn was gone, Chakotay turned his attention back to Seven, who was still lounged across the chaise. While some of the color had returned to her face, she looked absolutely worn out from cooking and entertaining the Captain for dinner. Bracing himself against the edge of the chaise, he leaned over and kissed her cheek softly.
"I'm going to clean up from dinner, okay?"
"That's fine." She even sounded tired. He smoothed her hair back from her face and ran his fingertip along her jaw. "I'm just going to rest." He expected as much from her. With one last affectionate look, he stood up and went to clean up the dishes.
As she watched Chakotay clean up from dinner, Seven remembered last time they'd shared a meal together like this in his quarters right before they left on the disastrous away mission. Everything about that night had been wonderful; they'd shared a delicious meal, playfully cleaned up together and then had a spectacular night together in bed. It had been the best night of her life, and she wanted nothing more than to repeat it again. Given the fact that she was so exhausted after doing something as simple as cooking dinner, she doubted another evening like that would happen for a while, no matter how much she wanted it to happen again. Some things were worth waiting for, so, in a way, she didn't mind waiting.
Chakotay finished washing the dishes and did his best to dry his hands before returning to Seven's side. His hands were still slightly damp, prompting him to wipe them on his pants as he sat down next to her, precariously perched on the edge of the chaise while he rubbed her leg reassuringly.
"How are you feeling?" he asked.
"I think I am ready to go to bed." There were no complaints on his part. After a long day on the bridge, he was ready to call it a night as well, despite the fact that it was still fairly early.
"Me too." He paused for a moment. "Do you need help getting to bed?"
"I am capable of getting to bed by myself," she replied in a slightly annoyed tone as she stood up. Despite her assurances, he held on to her arm tightly to help stabilize her. She teetered back and forth for a few moments before she gained her footing and broke free of his grip and slowly walked towards the bedroom. Even though Seven insisted she was fine, he could help but hover behind her, ready at a moment's notice to grab a hold of her if she couldn't make it to the bedroom in one piece, although once she got moving, she seemed fine.
When they got to the bedroom, Chakotay rushed ahead to adjust the blankets on what was starting to become Seven's side of the bed, a realization that he found oddly comforting. She smiled at him gratefully as she climbed into bed, and he immediately pulled up the blankets around her before going to change into his pajamas. As soon as he climbed into bed next to her, she rolled over and rested her head on his chest. It felt so second nature to her, as if their bodies were meant to be together like this. His arm slid around her, holding her close, and he pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
"I'm glad that you were up and moving around today," he said as he stared at the ceiling above him. "But I hope you didn't wear yourself out."
"All I need is some rest, and I will be fine," she assured. "Thank you for your concern."
"It's my job as your boyfriend to look after you." The word boyfriend caught her completely unprepared. She propped herself up on her elbow and looked down at him. "Did I say something wrong?"
"I just didn't know that you considered yourself my boyfriend." One Chakotay's arms draped along the top of his head while the other rubbed her arm gently.
"Of course I am, or at least I hope I am. Does it bother you"
"No, of course not," Seven quickly assured with a shake of her head. "I just hadn't had the time to research the next steps in our relationship or discuss their parameters with you. It caught me unprepared." In all honesty, she'd been mentally referring to Chakotay as her boyfriend for some time now without even realizing it. In a way, it comforted her knowing that he felt the same way about her.
"So does the change in our relationship status bother you?" A beautiful smile spread across her face as she shook her head and kissed him softly.
"No," she replied. When she pulled away, however, he could see that something was bothering her, even in the limited lighting.
"Then what's on your mind?" he asked as he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
"Nothing." She laid back down and settled back in Chakotay's arms, prompting him to mindlessly comb his fingers through her hair. He wasn't buying it, not for a second. He could tell that something was wrong based on the look in her eyes and the stiff way she was laying with him, despite his attempts to get her to relax. There was something still on her mind.
"Muñeca," he pleaded. She sighed. She should have known better than try and keep something from him.
"I am bothered by the Captain's behavior at dinner," she finally admitted.
"The Captain's behavior?" he repeated with a chuckle. As far as he could tell, Kathryn's behavior had been perfectly normal at dinner. She'd been her usual cheerful self, teasing him and engaging in jovial, upbeat conversation. While most members of the crew never saw that side of her, Chakotay was quite familiar with it, so that might explain why Seven felt unnerved by Kathryn's laid back attitude with them. She had been acting like she normally did when she didn't have to worry about anything going on onboard Voyager. So often, people forgot that she was human just like the rest of them.
"Not once did she comment on us. I thought that she would want to discuss the logistics of our relationship."
"Logistics?" His chest rumbled as he chuckled at the notion. "What logistics?"
"You are my superior, according to Starfleet regulation-" Chakotay rolled over to face her properly and pressed his finger to her lips to silence her. He should have anticipated such a conversation to eventually pop up, but Seven, as always, was overthinking things.
"Forget Starfleet regulation. I've already talked to Kathryn about our relationship, and there's nothing we need to worry about. She was slightly displeased that we didn't tell her about it sooner, but other than that, everything is fine."
"You are willing to forgo Starfleet regulations?" He shrugged. He knew there was some sort of Starfleet regulation that had to do with dating superiors on the same ship, but since they were still tens of thousands of lightyears from Federation space, he wasn't exactly worried about it. Besides, technically neither of them were official Starfleet officers.
"I simply can't handle any disciplinary actions pertaining to you, which I don't think will be a problem. This isn't the first time a First Officer has had a relationship with a crewman on a Starfleet ship." Confusion flashed across her face. As thorough as her research had been, she never bothered to look in the Starfleet records to see if others had had a relationship similar to theirs.
"Explain."
"Are you familiar with Commander Riker?"
"I have come across his name in Starfleet files over the years, but I have never researched his personal life."
"Well, Commander Riker is a First Officer on the Enterprise, and his ex-girlfriend, Deanna, was the ship's counselor. It was a similar situation to ours, and it wasn't a big deal for them, so it isn't one for us either." Knowing that there were others in Starfleet in whose relationship had started out similarly to theirs made Seven feel more relaxed. It was reassuring to know that she wasn't alone when it came to having feelings for the First Officer of a ship; it told her that she hadn't done anything wrong. "Feel better now?"
"Yes, that is quite reassuring." Satisfied, she laid back down and resumed her previous position with her head on his chest. He kept a tight grip around her, holding her close with his cheek against the top of her head. He was glad she felt better, especially since this felt so natural to both of them.
Chakotay rolled over and blindly groped for Seven. Even though they'd only shared a bed a handful of times, he was already starting to grow accustomed to waking up to a warm body next to him. When his hand stretched out across the bed in his half asleep state, however, he found that he was alone. The realization was enough to immediately jolt him awake. Not only was the bed empty, but the sheets were cold, telling him that he had been alone for a while.
"Seven?" he called as he climbed out of bed and padded into the main room to see if she was there. As far as he could tell, she wasn't. When he returned to the bedroom, he found the pajamas Seven had been wearing folded neatly at the end of the bed. "Computer, is Seven of Nine located in these quarters?" Although he already knew the answer, he still felt compelled to ask. The computer beeped as it analyzed his quarters and scanned for Seven.
"Negative." The answer wasn't what he wanted to hear. His heart sank all the way to his feet when he realized that Seven was gone, and he had no idea where she was.
Author's Note: I hope you liked it! Leave me a review and let me know.