"What the hell are they doing?" B'Elanna said, waving her hands for emphasis.

"Didn't you hear them?" Chakotay said, voice serious. "They thought we were dead. For three months they've been operating on the belief that we died in the shuttle explosion. They had no hint that we had been transported somewhere else."

B'Elanna finally let that sink in. "Oh," she said in a small voice.

Seven had not moved, still standing between them, fingertips resting on the screen where Janeway's face had last appeared, now showing Voyager hanging in space, though a quick glance through the fore windows would show the real thing looming over them like a stern mother over a disobedient child.

"She is in pain," she said with wondering, disturbed eyes.

Startled, B'Elanna looked at her, then nodded, taking a breath. "Yeah, the captain didn't look good, did she?" she noted quietly. She frowned. "Tom looked all right though." She crossed her arms over her chest and assumed a grim expression.

"I noticed Tuvok is now the first officer," Chakotay said. He leaned back in his seat, shaking his head slightly. "They moved on without us."

The thin whine of the transporter caught their attention, and they all stood up as the Doctor appeared in the cockpit. He looked them over and offered his tight little smile. "Hmm, you all look rather lively for corpses," he said, pulling out his medical tricorder and scanning them. "Next time, leave a forwarding address, why don't you?"

"We are who we say we are," B'Elanna said with annoyance.

"Well, your DNA and bio-readings match," he allowed, intently studying the data being brought up on his tricorder. He eyed them briefly. "The uniforms are like the ones worn by the Starfleet personnel I encountered on my brief trip to the Alpha Quadrant." He shrugged. "I believe you."

Chakotay took a breath. "That's good," he said. "Now can you tell them? We've been stuck in this runabout for a week, and the quarters are starting to get a little close."

The Doctor sniffed pointedly. "I can tell," he said, and touched his badge. "Doctor to Voyager. One to beam over." He promptly disappeared in a burst of sparkles.

B'Elanna looked down at her uniform, lifted her arm and sniffed delicately. "He's got some nerve," she said in disgust. She sighed. "Tell me again why we wanted to come back?"

Seven raised her head. "Because, this is our home," she said.

 

The conference room was full. Seven could not sit next to Janeway ... Tuvok and Chakotay had taken the chairs on either side of the captain ... so instead, she chose to sit at the farthest end of the table. That allowed her to see Janeway clearly as Chakotay and B'Elanna briefed the command crew on everything that had happened to them in the last three months during their incursion to the Alpha Quadrant.

Occasionally, Seven would be compelled to clarify a point here or there, but for the most part, she was content to let the other two talk while she studied Janeway closely, dismayed at the physical changes that had occurred in her absence. Kathryn was so thin, almost fragile, and her face had developed distinct hollows, her eyes dark and deep. Her uniform hung on her rather than was worn by her, and her hands ... those lovely, elegant long-fingered hands ... were folded before her, tense and tight, the knuckles seeming unusually large. Her hair lacked its normal glossy softness, appearing thin and brittle beneath the harsh lights of the conference room, and her skin was without the delicate rosy tint she normally enjoyed.

Swallowing hard against the lump that rose in her throat, Seven glanced around, looking at the other people in the room. Susan Nicoletti, she realized, now held Harry's position, and Harry had taken over as tactical officer. Nicoletti looked a little lost, unsure, not certain if she belonged there anymore. Harry meanwhile, wore the extra pip of a junior lieutenant proudly, and she hoped he wouldn't be forced to give it up when people resumed their former positions.

Tom sat next to B'Elanna, reaching over to touch her arm or shoulder occasionally, as if to reassure himself that she was really there, that she actually existed. When that happened, she would glance back at him and smile before returning to the narrative occupying her attention. Lt. Carey, sitting across from them, was wearing an expression of profound relief on his face. He looked as if he hadn't been getting much sleep lately. The Doctor was leaning back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest, appearing totally relaxed, as if sure that now, finally, everything was going to be all right. Seven wondered what made him so certain, or if he merely wanted to believe it.

Neelix was the only one from the senior staff missing. He was joyfully occupied in his kitchen, busily preparing huge amounts of food in anticipation of the celebration. A party had hastily been organized once the news that the three Voyager crewmembers, once thought dead, had returned hale and hearty, and bearing lots and lots of gifts. Seven wondered if he had a fattened calf,  and then frowned as she wondered where that thought had come from.

She looked once more at Janeway, startled when she saw her looking back. For a brief moment, Seven drank her in, absorbing that gaze into herself as the patched earth receives the rain soaking in after a drought. Then, Janeway had to look away, returning her attention to Chakotay as he told of all the family and friends who had made the trek to DS9, wanting to reach out and hoping somehow that the three would be able to convey their love and good wishes once they returned. He looked strange in his uniform, the different styles more striking here, both he and B'Elanna standing out in the crowd of reds, blues and golds.

Seven had not changed in appearance though she certainly had inside. Kathryn's family had accepted her. Had loved her. Even if Annika Hansen never managed to make a connection with her own blood relatives, she now knew she had a place in the Alpha Quadrant. A home. The thought of returning there no longer frightened her or made her apprehensive, and instead, she vowed to work harder on adapting the Borg transwarp, or slipstream technology to Voyager's own. If it were at all possible for them to use any of it to get home faster, she would find a way.

"So, Captain," Chakotay said, smiling a little. "I know it's asking a bit much, but I don't suppose I could get my old job back?"

"I look forward to turning the duties back over to you," Tuvok said quickly, before she could answer, causing a laugh and even inspiring a bit of a smile, wan though it was, from the captain.

"Why, Tuvok," she said. "Didn't you like working for me?"

The laugh that generated was much louder, louder than it perhaps should have been, and Seven realized suddenly that they had all been worried about the captain. This must be the first sort of humor she had shown for some time. Not like Kathryn at all.

"The engine room's all yours, Torres," Carey said. "Now, maybe I can get some shuteye."

B'Elanna eyed him with a big smile. "C'mon Carey, don't tell me you blew your big chance," she said. "You were the one who wanted the job in the first place."

"I changed my mind," he countered. "Who needs the headaches. Or the wrinkles it inspires."

B'Elanna's head went back a little at that. "Wrinkles? If I figure out that was some sort of insult," she warned, but she was laughing and so was everyone else.

The mood was lightening, almost a tangible force that brightened eyes, curved lips into grins, and lifted shoulders that had been slumped without the bearers being aware of it. The entity formed by the crew began to relax, to understand that the part of it ripped away was now healed, making it whole once more. Even Janeway, to a certain extent, appeared livelier, though Seven could tell she was far from her normal self. Perhaps she needed to speak with the Doctor and find out exactly how bad this was.

Janeway looked around. "I want everyone to know that even though our lost family members will be resuming their duties, I promise, no one will lose what was gained." She favored Harry with a small smile. "I guess that means you're still a lieutenant, Harry."

He grinned back, eyes bright though whether it was from her promise or the smile he had received, Seven couldn't tell.

"In the meantime," she went on, "I understand Neelix is preparing a welcome home dinner. I wouldn't want to keep him waiting." She looked at them all with a commanding, yet fond gaze. "Dismissed."

With a surge of happy chatter, and laughter, they got up and left the room. All except Janeway who moved over to the large windows behind her chair, looking out onto the streaks of light, the stars distorted by Voyager's warpfield.

And Seven of Nine, who remained in her seat until the door shut behind the last of the crew, leaving her and the captain alone. She got up and moved over to Kathryn, reaching out to put her hand on the slender shoulder.

"Don't." The voice was raw, graveled, unbelievably bleak.

Startled and hurt, Seven dropped her hand to her side, looking at Janeway with wide eyes. The captain never took her eyes off the starfield, never looked at her. She was breathing slowly, deliberately, and Seven noticed suddenly that the elegant hands resting on the wide lip of the plexiglass hull frame were digging fingertips into the unyielding metal, white as the blood was forced from them, almost on the verge of splintering her nails.

"I can't do this now," Janeway said tightly. "Because if you touch me." She took a breath. "I'll fall apart." And another. "I can't afford to fall apart." And another. "Not yet."

Seven raised her head, examined Janeway closely as the meaning of that became clear to her. "All right," she replied quietly. "Do you wish for me to wait in our quarters?"

"No," Janeway instructed firmly, shaking her head slightly. "We have to go to the party. Make an appearance. The crew requires it. Then we can ... leave."

Seven did not quite understand the reasoning behind that, but it was what Kathryn wanted. And it was what she needed. That was all Seven had to know.

"I will comply," she answered softly.

Janeway closed her eyes, beginning to tremble, and Seven needed every bit of discipline she had not to disobey Janeway's order. But she knew she had to obey. This time, more than any other in her life, she had to respect this one command. She understood that with an instinct that went beyond intelligence or knowledge.

"Let's go to the party," Janeway said finally, regaining her composure.

"Agreed," Seven said, standing close but never touching the captain.

Together, they left the conference room.

 

Janeway looked at the glass she was holding, unsure of what was in it but wishing fervently that it was alcohol. A nice stiff whiskey or brandy, anything that might take the chill off. She had no idea why she was still so cold, no idea why this chunk of ice remained inside her, filling her with a bleakness so deep it was as if space itself had taken up residence within her. What if that was all that was left? The love, the passion, the warmth ... what if that was gone, and all that was left was this bitter, bitter cold?

She forced herself to take a sip from her drink, finding it tasteless and bland, and with a frightened tremor, she glanced around. The mood was festive, excited, with the lost Voyager trio surrounded by people who wanted to hear all about the Alpha Quadrant, what had happened, who they had spoken with, and what had been going on the past five years. The captain had no doubt that the ship would be living off this little adventure for weeks, if not months. She found herself staring at Seven who was standing next to the Doctor and Tuvok, talking with them intently. Occasionally, they would glance at the captain covertly, then look away, and Janeway had little doubt what the topic of conversation was.

Her fingers tightened on her glass, painfully so. She couldn't take it any longer. It was too much. Too many people, too much noise, too much to think about. Too much to feel. She simply couldn't stay here. She drifted over to where Chakotay was standing with a large group, catching his eye. He excused himself for a moment, coming over to her and leaving B'Elanna to take up the slack in his absence. The two officers were working together very well, she noted idly, just as they had when they had first arrived on Voyager before time and respective duties had drawn them apart. For some reason, there was little call for the first officer and the chief engineer to mesh as a single unit. A shame in this case.

"Captain?" he said. "Enjoying the party?"

"I am," she lied gently. "But it's been a long day."

"I understand," he said, and she suspected he really did. "Why don't you turn in? B'Elanna and I have more than enough material to keep this party hopping."

She smiled then, wearily, and nodded gratefully. "Thanks," she said. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Or maybe not?" he suggested gently. "You might want to take a few days off. Hey, I had my vacation. Maybe you should try one of your own?"

She raised an eyebrow. "I'll take that under advisement," she said softly. She put down her glass and slipped away from the party.

She walked into her quarters and stopped in her tracks as the lights came up to show the dinner table set with fine china, the coffee table next to the sofa loaded with brightly wrapped gifts. All covered with a fine layer of dust. Dear God, she had forgotten. The three days she had prepared and planned for Seven's homecoming. Well, Seven was finally home, albeit three months late, and Janeway had to take a breath, feeling a slight shifting within her as she walked into the bedroom where the bed was made up with silken sheets and several candles scattered around, unlit, waiting, empty. Cold.

She closed her eyes, standing at the foot of the bed, drawing in the air which held the faint trace of stale perfume that she had sprayed the morning she had made all her preparations. She could only imagine what would have been the result had she returned here at any time during the three months Seven had been gone.

Had been dead.

"Computer, where is Seven of Nine?" she asked suddenly, urgently, crossing her arms over her chest, holding onto her biceps, fingers tight as they dug into the flesh.

"Seven of Nine has exited hangar deck one," the voice said evenly, "and has now entered turbolift five."

Janeway didn't even wonder why Seven had returned to the hangar, only that Voyager had answered, had noted her presence. Had responded with a real location.

"Computer, locate Seven of Nine," she asked again.

"Seven of Nine is in turbolift five, passing deck ten," the voice answered promptly. It did not matter to the ship how many times the question was asked. It would answer every time.

"Computer, locate Seven of Nine," she said, head back, eyes closing as she hugged herself, feeling the chills go through her.

"Seven of Nine is on deck three, section one."

Janeway slowly inhaled, deeply, shivering.

"Computer, locate Seven of Nine."

"Seven of Nine is in her quarters."

Feeling the presence which seemed to wrap itself around her, even from across the room, Janeway slowly turned her head, opening her eyes to look through the open bedroom door, across the living area where Seven of Nine stood just inside the entrance. She was so very alive and real, and only a few steps away. Janeway felt a trickle inside her as the ice abruptly cracked and shattered, melting to reveal her heart where it had always been, held frozen for just this moment.

"Annika," she whispered.

Seven carefully put the containers she was holding down on the floor and walked over to Janeway, stopping a mere breath away. Reaching up with her right hand to touch Janeway's cheek with exquisite care, she cupped it in the warm palm, and the trickle inside Janeway suddenly became a torrent that raged and overflowed, hot tears spilling over to slide down her cheeks. Seven's other arm came around her, pulling her close, as her right hand slid around to the back of Janeway's head to tangle in her hair, pressing her face into the soft comfort of Seven's neck and shoulder. Seven cradled and coddled her, drew her lovingly into the shelter of her embrace, and it was more than Janeway could bear, the sobs wracking her as she surrendered to the warmth surrounding her, shuddering as Seven held her close.

She listened to the soft words being whispered over and over in her ear, an affirmation, and a promise.

"I am right here, Kathryn. I will never leave you again."

 

Seven didn't know how much time had passed as she held Kathryn in her arms, trying to comprehend what she was experiencing. She had never seen Kathryn like this. Once, she had stood beneath the silvery illumination of two moons and saw tears slide down Janeway's face, and then again, one time in cargo bay one, she had seen her cry. But those had been dignified tears. Composed tears. Even prideful tears. Never had Seven witnessed this helpless, hopeless sobbing, never felt the desperate way Kathryn clung to her as if terrified, never saw her captain lose control as she did now. It frightened Seven yet, at the same time, made her feel fiercely protective. She rubbed her cheek against Kathryn's temple, trying to wrap herself around her, and save her from all the pain and the hurt inside, yet knowing she could not.

Finally, after an immeasurable amount of time, the shudders slowed and stopped, the tears lessening and finally ceasing, though not the half sobs that shook Janeway now and again. Still, Seven held her tightly, not wanting to let her go, and it seemed that Kathryn did not want that either, continuing to cling to her, until finally, lifting her head from Seven's shoulder, she looked up at her with eyes clouded thunder grey, dark and stormy, frightened and so alone.

Seven bent down, kissing Kathryn hard, and it was exactly the right thing to do as Janeway kissed her back, hungrily, making a sound in her throat unlike anything Seven had ever heard, one of fear and loneliness, of urgent need. Then Janeway's hands were in the Borg's hair, clawing at it to loosen it from the bun, and then pulling at the back of her neck to release her outfit. Seven picked her up, carrying her to the bed, and pulling off the restraining clothing quickly to leave them naked and free, skin on skin, flesh against flesh. Warm, then hot, melting into each other with multitudes of little hurts, kisses that bruised, teeth that scraped and bit too hard, hands that moved too abruptly, that clutched too strongly, nails that scratched and dug in with desperate need. Yet, somehow, it was all right because each tiny pain was like reaffirming their existence, reminding them they were alive and that they existed in this moment of time meant only for them. If it wasn't particularly romantic, or tender, or even especially loving, then at least it was real and honest, and exactly what they both wanted and needed to prove that they were there and in each other's arms once more.

Afterward, they lay in a warm tangle of arms and legs and satin sheets, finding each hurt and smoothing over it with gentle lips and tender fingertips, looking at each other without words, kissing softly and sweetly, communicating on a level that defied explanation, and knowing that finally, truly, it was over and somehow they had made it through.

That they were exactly where they should be.

Janeway sighed, snuggling close and fell asleep for the first time in three months without the need of a sedative, just the steady heartbeat beneath her cheek, held possessively in Seven's arms. And Seven watched her sleep, stroking the auburn hair, brushing her lips over the smooth forehead now and again, aware that somehow, the relationship had changed in a way that was not necessarily better or worse than what they had before, but definite in its difference, and how they would face the future.

Together.

 

Janeway woke abruptly, confused at where she was, and what had happened. This was not the first time she had been roused this way throughout the night, jerking into startled consciousness with fear an acid taste in her throat before feeling Seven's body warm against her. Seven had always been awake to gently stroke her, to murmur soothing words of love and comfort, lulling Janeway back to her uneasy sleep. This time, however, Janeway found no one beside her, and she immediately sat up, gasping for breath as anxiety filled her.

It took a few seconds to realize the lights were up to signify morning watch, her heart racing as she scrambled out of bed to peer through the bedroom door to where Seven sat cross-legged in the center of the living area floor. Seven was clad in that ridiculously brief robe she had insisted on purchasing in a market on a planet light years back, a silken bit of black material trimmed in silver, which Janeway always claimed was far too small for Seven ... but secretly adored because it showed the entire length of those lovely long legs, and looked so good with the blonde hair spilling over it to help conceal the expanse of cleavage it so proudly displayed. Surrounded by wrapping paper and presents, Seven was busily unwrapping the next one with an expression of sheer pleasure and unadulterated joy on her face, oblivious to the captain's panic.

Intensely relieved, Janeway reached over to the lounger where her robe lay, a much more sensible and modest pink terrycloth, covering her to the ankles as she pulled it on. She paused in the doorway where she watched Seven with yearning eyes that unbeknownst to her were a most vivid blue, drinking in the vision of her lover that filled her with a warmth so deep, it left her aching.

"Good morning," she said softly, throatily.

Seven looked up with a wide, delighted smile. "These are all for me," she said, eyes sparkling. "My name was on them, and they are all from you. You did remember my birthday."

Janeway took a breath. She could've told her the truth that moment, could have explained how she had indeed forgotten. That all those gifts had been a pathetic attempt to make up for what she should never have missed in the first place. But the smile was too wide, the expression much too happy, and that had been the old Janeway anyway, so she smiled quietly and lovingly, feeling tears sting the back of her eyes.

"Do you like them?" she asked huskily.

"Oh yes," Seven said. "They are all so wonderful."

She looked over the assortment of booty she had received; jewelry and trinkets, and all sorts of other things that she did not really require because every crewmember was issued shampoo and other necessities as needed. These were special, however, because they weren't standard issue, specifically replicated and personalized with Janeway ruthlessly using command privilege to far exceed her replicator rations because, just this once, Seven was going to be more important than the ship. Seven had come to Voyager with nothing, and if anyone begrudged her these things, they could just bring it up with Janeway if they dared. And if the effort was three months late, it didn't really matter. In fact, considering all they had been through, it was so much better now than it would have been then.

Seven reached out a hand, and Janeway pushed off the door frame to move over to her. Seven pulled her down to the floor in front of her so that Janeway was leaning back against her, Seven's arms encircling her from behind to hug her tightly.

"Thank you," Seven whispered into her hair.

"You're more than welcome, my love," Janeway said, resting her head back against Seven's chest, enjoying the feel of the arms wrapped around her so much, the legs underneath her knees, the firm body pressed against her back. With a sigh of pure bliss, she snuggled into the warm embrace, beginning to feel whole once more as the raw edges inside her slowly healed under the loving attention.

"I have something for you, too," Seven said. "Many things actually, but this one thing is the most important."

"You didn't have to do that," Janeway protested. "I have everything I could ever want, right here."

Seven kissed her temple. "I know, but you will enjoy it, nonetheless." She reached behind her on the floor, and brought forth a padd, not the traditional personal handheld version, but one of the larger, full screen units similar to the one Janeway had in her ready room. Seven rested it on the captain's lap, flipping it open and touching the controls.

"Hello Kathryn," Phoebe said from the screen, and Janeway felt her heart catch, her eyes flooding so quickly that she had to blink furiously to clear them.

"Oh, Annika," she whispered, reaching out and touching the screen, feeling Seven smile against her cheek.

"As you can see, I'm doing this on Deep Space 9," Phoebe went on, spreading her hands out to show the unmistakable angularity of Cardassian architecture behind the couch she was sitting on. "Mom and I came here as soon as we heard about your three crewmembers coming home." She grinned suddenly and it was that wild half-grin Janeway knew so well, and missed so much. "Of course, they weren't home, they were lost and ready to go back, but don't worry, we did get the chance to meet Seven of Nine, and tell her just how big a mistake she's making. Despite our best efforts, however, we couldn't quite manage to scare her off."

"She is being facetious," Seven explained gravely, and Janeway gave a laugh that was a half sob, putting a hand to her mouth.

Phoebe moved over on the couch a little, and Janeway caught her breath again as her mother came into the image, sitting down beside her youngest daughter and looking into the screen intently. "I hope you're taking care of yourself, Kathryn," Gretchen said gently, and it seemed her warmth and love reached right through the data stream as she smiled. "Of course, I suppose I don't have to worry so much, because I know Annika will take good care of you from now on."

"Yeah, we just adore her, Kathryn," Phoebe contributed. "She's a heck of a lot more interesting than those other idiots you brought home, even if she doesn't know what dogs are. How you managed to finally luck out, I'll never know. Of course, you did have to go all the way to the Delta Quadrant to find her. You'd better be nice to my little sister, Kathryn, or I'll go there myself, and kick your behind."

Gretchen put an admonishing hand on her daughter's knee to quell the teasing which to Kathryn, after so long, was like food to a starving woman. Janeway's mother looked directly into the screen, and it felt as if she was looking directly at Janeway, directly into her soul. "Kathryn, we know you're doing your absolute best to bring your ship and your crew home as quickly as you can. Until we can be together again, just know that our hearts and thoughts are always with you. We miss you, Kathryn. We love you. Completely and forever."

Kathryn was silent as the screen went dark, her fingertips still resting on the screen, not sure what it was she was feeling at the moment, only that it seemed too much for her heart to hold.

"There are others," Seven said then, dropping several data chips onto the captain's lap. "Logs on all they have been doing the past five years, and what has been happening on Earth, but they wanted you to view that one first. They asked that I be with you when you played it."

Janeway tipped her head back so she could look into Seven's eyes. "You met them," she said wistfully.

"Yes, and was fortunate enough  to be able to spend a great deal of time with them while we were on the station," Seven said. She took a breath. "I also met my grandparents. Both sets. Two aunts, an uncle, and three cousins." She paused and shuddered a bit with delicate horror. "I like your family so much better."

Janeway smiled, closing her eyes and resting her temple against Seven's chin. "I guess there's a lot you still haven't told me about your visit to the Alpha Quadrant," she said.

"Yes," Seven agreed. "There is so much I must tell you. So many people I met and spoke with, so many things that I want to share with you."

"We have time, now," Janeway said, hugging Seven's arms against her. "All the time you need."

"No," Seven said. "Not this morning. This morning we will make love."

"That would be wonderful, as well." Janeway laughed softly.

"First, however, you will eat," Seven instructed, and was abruptly rising to her feet, pulling Janeway along with her.

Surprised, Janeway protested. "I don't..." she tried, as she was propelled to the table, which was still set from months before. "I'm not really hungry."

"Unacceptable," Seven said crisply, taking the dinner plate and a wineglass and carrying them over to the replicator where she programmed some instructions before returning.

Janeway looked at the two eggs, bacon, mound of hash browns and toast loaded on the plate placed before her with some dismay. "Darling," she said. "I can't eat all this."

"Try," Seven ordered sharply, and then softened. "What you cannot eat, I will finish. Nothing will be wasted."

Reluctantly, Janeway surrendered and picked up her fork, taking her first bite gingerly. To her surprise, it went down easily, and she took another and before she knew it, she was famished, plowing eagerly through the rest of it and washing it down with orange juice. As she ate, she watched Seven who stood at the captain's desk, intent on some unfathomable task which utilized unfamiliar equipment. Janeway idly enjoyed the way the short robe rode up over Seven's buttocks. Honestly, Janeway thought fondly, that robe is really too small. Never once considering that it was designed that way. Then, an unmistakable aroma assaulted her nostrils, and with a dazed wonder, she watched Seven bring over a mug, the contents steaming slightly.

"Oh, Annika," she said, taking her first, ecstatic taste.

"Phoebe taught me to make it," Seven said as she returned to the replicator. "She made me promise to never reveal the secret, because you would then kill me and take it for yourself."

Janeway chuckled as she took another drink of the coffee, savoring the rich, smooth blend that was the absolute best she had ever tasted. "She was kidding," she said. "I could never manage to make it this well even knowing the secret. This is incredible."

Seven looked back, smiling that glowing smile over her shoulder. "I'm glad you like it," she said.

She returned to the table with stacks of blueberry pancakes, covered with syrup and Janeway did not even argue, sliding aside her now empty plate, and accepting the new one as Seven joined her in tackling the mound of food. Then, finally replete, Janeway leaned back in her chair sipping from a second cup of the wonderful brew, looking at her love across the table, and realizing suddenly that times like these had been too few and far between. To sit and have breakfast together, to spend a lazy morning in each other's company... She had not just been denying Seven valuable lessons in Humanity, she had been denying herself these simple pleasures that were much too important to miss in life.

There would more of this, she vowed silently. More leisurely breakfasts, or walks in the holodeck, or taking moments to pause in the workday to look out at the stars just because they were there. She had been given far too many opportunities that she had failed to take advantage of. Had neglected small, but oh, so important things in her drive to return to the Alpha Quadrant, to get her ship home. She had been offered a wonderful gift, something she never had before. A second chance. She would not waste it.

"Phoebe sent ten kilos of coffee back with me," Seven explained as she mopped up the last of the syrup from her plate with the last bite of pancake. Janeway had never seen her eat so much. Apparently, she had advanced further in her Human physicality while in the Alpha Quadrant than the captain would have expected. "As well as some cuttings. She thinks if we can get them to grow, we will be producing our own beans within five years. I believe I can decrease that time."

"Many people have tried," Janeway offered gently, overwhelmed at the gift. "That's why it's so hard to get a decent cup of coffee in space."

"I am not many people," Seven said with assurance.

"No," Janeway allowed with a smile. "You aren't."

Seven dipped her head. "In any event, I have no intention of still being in the Delta Quadrant five years from now," she said with complete confidence. "I will find a way to return to the Federation sooner."

Janeway had no doubt she would succeed, because once Seven really set her mind to something, it could almost be considered a guaranteed result.

Seven looked at her curiously. "Are you full?"

"Stuffed," Janeway said, patting her tummy. "That was wonderful, Seven. Thank you."

"You need to eat," Seven replied, and there was a hint of rebuke in her voice.

Janeway wondered exactly what the Doctor and Tuvok had told her. Well, she would deal with that later, or maybe she would let someone else take care of her for awhile. She regarded Seven with loving eyes.

"There are other things I need, too," she said softly, sensuously.

Seven raised an eyebrow. "I can fulfill all needs," she replied evenly, though the hint of humor in her eyes let Janeway know she was aware of what exactly was being referred to. "At all times."

"Now?" Janeway inquired hopefully.

"I believe so," Seven said.

Smiling, Seven reached out to take her hand.

 

"I have to admit," Janeway said huskily as she tugged at the belt of Seven's robe. "I tease you about how small this is, but I really like it."

Seven looked down at her with a faint smile, hands resting lightly on Janeway's elbows as they stood next to the bed which was still tousled from the night before. "I know," she said. "I have always known."

Surprised, Janeway stopped, looking up at her with that expression. The same one Seven had seen in a brig on a ship taking them back to Borg space when she had offered a joke to her captain as they attempted to escape. Startled, a little shy, but clearly pleased by what she had heard ... and deeply touched by Seven's display of Humanity.

"You knew?"

"Yes," Seven responded. "Even when you complained it was too small, I was always aware that you enjoyed watching me in it. That is why I purchased it in the first place. I knew you would like it."

Janeway blushed, laughed and slid the robe from Seven's arms, dropping it onto the bottom of the bed. "I guess you know me better than I do," she said. She drew her fingers gently over Seven's neck and shoulders, leaning forward to kiss her breastbone. "I also enjoy watching you out of it too," she added slyly, glancing up through lowered lashes.

"I am aware of that as well," Seven said placidly. She removed the captain's robe, dropped it beside the black one, and pulled Kathryn into her arms, delighting in the feel of her body against hers, but disturbed at how thin it was, the way the ribs jutted beneath her exploring fingertips. Janeway seemed so fragile, so light in her embrace. She had not understood before that just as Janeway was necessary for Seven to function better, she, in turn, was necessary for the captain to function properly. It was a frightening, yet somewhat gratifying, realization.

"Though," Seven added casually, "I am aware that I am not aesthetically pleasing in form."

Janeway paused in her lip's gentle exploration of Seven's chest, looking up at her with startled eyes. "Is that what you think?"

Seven raised an eyebrow. "I do understand that many see me as attractive, but they are deceived by the outfit which gives my body a pleasing shape while concealing the better part of my implants," she explained calmly. "You, discounting the Doctor, are the only one who has seen my body in its true form. I think many others would be revolted by the sight."

"Perhaps," Janeway said slowly, not really wanting to agree, but familiar enough with human nature to know Seven was probably accurate to a certain degree. "That would make them fools."

Seven shook her head. "It is irrelevant what others think," she said, trying to clarify her meaning. "It is enough that you are not repulsed."

Janeway glanced down the abdominal mesh which framed the bottom of the full breasts before spreading around her back, almost to Seven's shoulder blades, noting the scarred and whitened flesh between each soft grey band. Then, she leaned forward and gently kissed the starburst shape embedded just below Seven's left collarbone.

"You are beautiful," she said softly. "Every bit of you. I absolutely adore looking at you, and touching you. Sometimes I feel I can never get enough of you."

Seven lowered her head, closing her eyes, feeling the pleasure Kathryn's words inspired spread through her. "I love you," she whispered. "I think I always have, from the first moment I saw you."

Janeway laughed softly. "I could debate that."

Seven thought a moment. "You are correct, it was an exaggeration on my part," she allowed with a bit of a smile. "However, I do know I always appreciated being in your presence, even when we disagreed. Sometimes I even challenged your opinions just so I would have your attention. I felt sometimes, that you were more cognizant of me when we 'butted heads', as you called it, than when I functioned as you expected. So I endeavored not to be..." She paused, searching for words. "As you expected."

Janeway looked at her once more, smiling her gentle smile as she continued to run loving fingertips over Seven's chest, along the swell of her breasts to her nipples, over her corseted midsection and hips, up her back to her shoulders then down her arms before retracing the path. It was pleasantly soothing, almost hypnotic, yet definitely arousing. Seven kept her head close to Kathryn's, holding her waist easily in her hands, breathing in the soft fragrance of her hair and the scent of her body, its warmth surrounding her as she quietly accepted the caresses.

"I admit," Janeway said thoughtfully as she continued to stroke her. "You always intrigued me. Even on the cube in the middle of the battle with Species 8472, I wanted to know more about you. I wanted to know how you thought, what you felt about everything that was happening, what you thought about me." She brushed her lips over Seven's chin, along her jaw. "There was something that attracted me to you. The physical aspect was only part of it, and came much later."

Seven smiled again, something she realized she had been doing more and more as time passed. It was an instinctive reaction, she thought. A natural extension of all the pleasure and happiness this woman in her arms brought her. She carefully tightened her embrace and found Janeway's mouth, kissing her sweetly, passionately. She did so enjoy kissing Kathryn, the feel of her lips and the way she responded. The taste of her inspired a hunger in Seven no mere nutritional supplement could ever hope to satisfy. The soft sound Kathryn made in the back of her throat, a contented purr, vibrated sensually within Seven to the very bone marrow.

She felt her pull away slightly, and she obediently released her, watching as she crawled onto the bed, and stretched out on her back, reaching up a hand to draw Seven down beside her. Seven lay down on her side, propping her head in her left hand as she pressed warmly against Kathryn, leaving her right hand free to explore the body next to her which she did, slowly, with thorough intent even as Kathryn continued to stroke her with those elegant long fingers.

This was nothing like the night before. Then, it had been need, a desperate demand, more release than pleasure, and far from this slow, pleasant exploration to familiarize themselves with each other, as if it were all new and strange. Though in truth, the physical changes Kathryn had forced upon herself from not eating and sleeping, had altered her body in significant ways. Seven frowned, analyzing the differences in shape and texture with keen precision.

"You must never do this again," she instructed softly, looking down at her with dismay. "You must never harm yourself in this manner. You are too necessary for my well-being. You are too necessary for the function of the ship."

Janeway opened her mouth to answer, stopped, and thought about it. "I didn't mean to ... well, be so self destructive," she admitted finally. "It just hurt so much, Annika. I knew I had to keep working, but other things like eating and sleeping, I ... they weren't important anymore. I knew the Doctor and Tuvok were quite upset with me but it didn't seem to matter. I missed you so much." She looked up at her shyly. "Are you angry?"

"I am frightened," Seven corrected, kissing her. "I do not want to lose you."

"I thought I had lost you." Seven caught her breath as she heard the ragged note in the voice. "Forever. I didn't want to go on without you."

"You must always go on," Seven insisted, distraught. "Even if I am dead, you must do so. Promise me you will continue to function properly in that event."

"You must promise me the same," Kathryn responded promptly, and rather unfairly to Seven's mind.

"It is less important that I survive in your absence."

"It's not less important to me," Janeway said sternly, capturing her in a fathomless blue gaze. Then she smiled. "If you don't promise to continue to function without me, then I can't promise you, either."

Seven took a breath. Somehow she had lost track of this argument, something that happened quite frequently with this woman. Then, Janeway chuckled and slid her arms around her neck, pulling her down for a long burning kiss.

"Let's not worry about this now," she whispered when they had finally parted. "You're exactly where you belong, here in my arms. I know I belong in yours. I'm certain you'll take excellent care of me from now on, my darling, and it'll be no time at all before I'm functioning properly again. And I swear I'll always take care of you."

Seven considered that for a moment. "Acceptable," she said, a bit reluctant because she knew Janeway was deliberately diverting her from the topic. Then she felt Kathryn's hands cover her breast, squeezing it gently as she rubbed over the nipple with the palm, and she was suddenly quite amenable to the change of subject. Startled, she looked down to see Kathryn regarding her with a raised brow, the corners of her mouth curled in a grin.

"Are we done talking about this?"

"I believe so," Seven allowed, a bit breathlessly. "What do you wish to talk about?"

Kathryn reached up and gently nipped Seven's chin. "About what I'm going to do to you," she said huskily. "About what you're going to do to me."

"I am going to do many things to you," Seven responded quietly as she ran her hand over Janeway's tummy in slow circles, steadily increasing in circumference until she was cupping the small fine breasts, using her fingers to tease the nubs into hardness. "Such as this. Is it acceptable?"

"Oh, very." Kathryn arched into the caress, encouraging her. "On the other hand, we don't have to talk at all."

"It is difficult," Seven allowed. "When one's mouth is otherwise occupied."

"In what way?" Janeway asked archly, then must have realized immediately, exactly which way as Seven covered her other breast, swirling her tongue around to stimulate her nipple, flicking it gently. "Fine, I'll shut up now," she added happily, with a low, throaty laugh.

Seven smiled, her teeth raking gently over the soft skin that responded so sweetly to her. Kathryn always had to have the last word. Fortunately, she loved Kathryn's voice, the low huskiness of it, the way she could interweave so much meaning around simple words with just an inflection, a certain tone. Command, desire, compassion, anger ... yet the voice never rose, never grew louder. It was just a different emphasis placed on a word or two. A most fascinating skill, and one Seven wished she could emulate. Janeway could make people react in the most extreme ways just by the tone of her voice. Seven knew for a fact, that Kathryn's voice did the most wonderful things to her.

As did her hands which were caressing her with more intent now, more specific in their motion, seeking out those places that Kathryn knew were pleasing to her. Seven caught her breath as they stroked her body, distracting her, making her dizzy until finally, Seven captured the wrists in a gentle grip, raising them above Janeway's head and pinning them to the bed.

"Allow me," Seven requested, pressing down on Janeway with her entire body though careful not to allow her full mass weigh on her. It was an interesting display of physics, of gravity versus the various points of contact with the bed to support herself, and one Seven had become very adept at over the months. She especially did not want to grind any metallic part into Kathryn's now rather delicate physique. It was important that Kathryn feel the warmth of Seven's entire body against her, the delicious touch of skin on skin, but not be trapped by a suffocating force on top of her.

"Can't concentrate?" Janeway asked blandly, an impish look shading her eyes to blue.

"You make it difficult." Seven took the opportunity to brush her lips over Kathryn's.

"I don't see how," she murmured innocently. "I'm just playing."

Seven smiled. They played together yes, but more often they competed. In the holodeck with games like Velocity or hoverball, in the astrometrics lab when the captain would attempt to arrive at a solution quicker than her Borg partner ... and frequently here, trying to see who could make the other loose control quicker. Even now she could feel Kathryn testing her grip, seeing how completely her wrists were captured. Janeway's competitive fire was strong, and one that Seven admired greatly. It was part of what made her such an excellent captain, but it was not always something Seven appreciated here in the bedroom. Recently however, she had learned how to dampen that fire by using indirect, yet very effective methods. She began to kiss Janeway, tenderly, gently, using her mouth with blissful intent, long moments of gentle rapture passing as Seven presented her appeal.

"Let me, Kathryn," Seven said softly, persuasively, between the long, slow, melting kisses. "Please, Kathryn ... I want to love you so much ... let me make love to you ... I want to love you ... .please, let me love you...." She felt any resistance crumble before the irresistible assault on her senses.

Taking a deep breath, Janeway moaned as she surrendered. "Annika," she whispered the request, a gentle plea rather than a command. "Make love to me, my darling. Please."

"I will, Kathryn," Seven promised without triumph, only gratitude. She continued to kiss her, so gently, passionately, tasting her, running her tongue over Kathryn's lips and teeth, touching against her tongue, teasing it, drawing it into her own mouth.

"You are such a great kisser," Kathryn noted in a low, pleased voice as Seven finally released her, trailing over her chin and along her jaw, seeking out the soft lobe of her ear, seizing it between her teeth.

"Mmmphh," Seven responded, not disagreeing necessarily but wanting Kathryn to know it was she who inspired her, who had taught her such a useful skill. From the soft chuckle, Seven knew she had got her meaning across. Somehow.

She gently explored Kathryn's ear, mesmerized by its delicate shell-like beauty, then moved along her neck, nuzzling its length to the shoulder and warm hollow of collarbone. Her teeth nibbled gently at the hard ridge, then her lips traced the gradual swell of breast, licking at the swollen, velvet-soft nipples, knowing how very erotic Kathryn found this, how much she enjoyed having her breasts attended to with such loving devotion. Seven spent a considerable amount of time lingering over the small, firm mounds before reluctantly moving away, down over the belly still rounded from the morning's repast, feeling the fine hairs scattered about the navel tickle her lips until they gave way to the longer, coarser thatch of auburn which Seven nestled her face in, taking the time to breathe deep Kathryn's intoxicating scent, the heavy muskiness of desire and need awaiting her.

Carefully, she drew her mouth down to the inner thigh, the heat of baby-smooth skin and the moisture gathering there, overflowing from a crease already separating, parted even more by Seven who gently opened Kathryn, penetrating with two fingers slowly, tenderly, welcomed by a secret embrace of silk-slick walls which clasped them intimately. She heard Kathryn's groan, felt her hips arch slowly against her, pulling her deeper inside, and she flexed her fingers, gratified at the instant response, the surge that ran through the beloved body.

Seven began to feast on Kathryn's ardor, tasting the rich flavor of her, so powerful, yet delicate, a complicated flavor, so much like the woman herself. Using her lips and tongue with precise skill, she coordinated her movements with those of her hand, drawing out Kathryn's pleasure slowly, gradually building it, then easing off before building it once more, higher, stronger, increasing it ever so slightly each time until finally, she knew it was time and she pressed sweetly on Kathryn's inner center, releasing her lover to the spasms that swept her up, carried her along on a tide of delight. She felt her lover's hands tangle in her hair, pressing her tighter against her, the helpless cries of joy filling Seven with such love and happiness that she had to close her eyes from the sheer intensity of it.

Then, after making sure Kathryn was completely sated, Seven crawled up into her arms, into an embrace which enfolded her lovingly, to a mouth that eagerly welcomed her with a kiss so deep and pure, she thought she could probably die from it, but for the fact that she now knew how damaging that would be to this woman she so completely adored. She thought that no matter how vast the universe was, her destiny would always bring her here, to Kathryn, to her lover, her friend, her partner. Her captain.

Would always bring her home.

 

Epilogue

​

"I think you'll enjoy this program," Janeway told Seven as they left their quarter. For the first time in three days.

Seven, dressed in her black outfit, silken like the first silver one, but less obtrusive in its design, nodded briefly. "I'm sure I will," she said, eyeing her gently. "Since it is the place you were raised."

Janeway rested her hand on the small of Seven's back, no longer concerned that it might not be entirely proper for the captain to be touching her astrometric's officer so affectionately in public. She was truly looking forward to this. The holo-program of her home in Indiana was not one she had accessed since Voyager had been lost in the Delta Quadrant, too fearful that the feelings of longing and homesickness it would inspire would be far more than she could bear. However, with Seven's visit to the Alpha Quadrant, running the program was somehow acceptable to her now.

Now that Seven had met the Janeway family, interacted with them, and come to love them as they grew to love her, it seemed proper that together, she and Seven could share this walk through the cornfields behind the house where Kathryn was raised. If it would be unwise to go into the house itself, which would echo with a sad emptiness, then it would still be enough just to walk hand-in-hand along a dusty county road beneath Earth's azure sky, and feel the breeze blowing amid the lush green corn stalks.

They exited the turbolift, heading for the holodeck on deck six when Lt. Tom Paris abruptly made an appearance in front of them, propelled across the hall from an open doorway of his quarters, into the bulkhead where he collided with an audible thump. As he attempted to peel himself off the metallic wall, several objects followed his impetuous flight path, impacting on the bulkhead and his body with indiscriminate aim.

"Ah," Seven observed calmly. "The intent is to actually hit your target. I did not realize."

Janeway had stopped dead, watching this with dismay, and not a little trepidation. On one hand, she expected her people to act with a certain dignity, even when off-duty, but clearly, this was a personal matter between two members of her crew, and did not concern her in the slightest. Other than the fact that both parties were her friends.

"B'Elanna ... please," Tom was saying as he cowered and ducked against the wall, not very successfully at times.

Seven raised an eyebrow. "He lacks your agility," she noted with professional regard.

"Damn you to hell, Tom Paris!" B'Elanna howled from somewhere inside her quarters. Both Janeway and Seven deemed it unwise to risk a glance inside the door to determine exactly where, since the articles flying from the room did not decrease in profusion. "How could you have sex with Jennifer Delaney?"

Janeway winced, and Seven raised her head in surprise.

"I'm sorry, B'Elanna, believe me," he begged. "It didn't mean anything. Besides, I thought you were dead."

"Is that like being on a break?" returned the snarl from within along with a metal dish, which ricocheted off Tom's head with a metallic twang.

"B'Elanna, please," Tom said. Both seemed unaware that they had an audience who were watching this with fascinated, if somewhat embarrassed, regard. "I'd rather die than hurt you."

"That can be arranged." The next thing that came through was a blade, a Klingon dagger that impaled itself into the bulkhead with a pointed force, vibrating a little in the shocked aftermath.

Tom's face paled, and finally, judging that discretion was the better part of valor, especially when an enraged chief engineer was concerned, he hastily made tracks for elsewhere, leaving the two women standing in contemplative silence amid the scattered debris of a romance torn apart.

Gingerly, with prudent caution, Janeway eased herself around the lip of the door.

"B'Elanna," she said, ready to pull her head back instantly. "Are you all right?"

A heartfelt wail greeted her words, and with a regretful glance at Seven, who indicated by dipping her head that she understood the holodeck must wait for another day, Janeway disappeared into the quarters. The door slid firmly shut behind her, leaving Seven to survey the mess with a judicious eye.

Chakotay came around the corner, dressed for the holodeck, apparently drawn by the noise, and he stopped short, staring at Seven.

"What the hell is this about?" he asked.

"I believe that B'Elanna Torres and Tom Paris have terminated their relationship," Seven responded, trying to pry the knife from the bulkhead, and not finding it easy.

"Yeah?" Chakotay said, and the note of ... interest? ... in his voice caught Seven's attention. She observed him surreptitiously as he helped her clean up the corridor.

"You have an opinion on this?" she asked.

Chakotay shrugged. "Well, you know, just between you and me, Seven, I think maybe this has been coming for awhile. B'Elanna needs someone a lot stronger in her life."

"Indeed," Seven said.

As he bore the shattered remains off to be recycled in the ship's disposal unit, she considered his words ... and wondered if the 'someone stronger' might be a certain first officer.

​

The End

On to JB 04