Just Between Friends 
G. L. Dartt

Lying on the deck of the astrometrics lab, arm fully extended as she groped under the console for the padd she had dropped, Janeway gradually became aware that she was no longer alone. She reversed the position of her head, getting a close up view of high-heeled boots covered with a brown, mesh-like material. With one eye, she peered up the six foot length of her astrometrics officer, over the incredible curvaceous body, and proud bosom, to the fine blonde features staring quizzically at her.
"Captain?" Seven of Nine raised her left eyebrow, thereby raising the metallic implant around it as well, a stark reminder, along with the star-shaped implant on her cheek, of her eighteen years as a drone in the Borg Collective.
"Seven," Janeway said, with appreciation, withdrawing her arm and rising to her knees. "I dropped my padd in behind the console. Can your longer arms reach it?"
"I will try," Seven allowed and gingerly lowered herself to the carpet, stretching out full length beside the kneeling Starfleet captain.
She reached in and from the way her muscles flexed in her shoulder, Janeway could tell she was having a bit of difficulty reaching it as well ... possibly because she was in the wrong area.
"No, further to the right, Seven," she instructed, and leaned over again, reaching across her back to try to guide the young woman to the spot where she knew the padd had lodged.
At that moment, the door to the astrometrics lab hissed open, and Lt. Harry Kim, Voyager's young operations officer walked in, took one look at Seven stretched out on the floor, with the captain lying on top of her, blanched, and made an immediate about-face.
"My apologies, Captain," he stammered, staring at the door he had just entered, back firmly turned to the two women lying on the floor. "I didn't know you and Seven were....uh..."
Janeway, her puckish humor piqued, turned and rested her elbows on the Borg's back as she reclined against her partner, who was now trapped between the captain and the console. "What, Lt. Kim?" Janeway asked in a dangerous voice. "Seven and I were ... what?"
"Uh...." he temporized like mad. "You don't owe me any explanations."
"Well, I'm glad we agree on that," Janeway said coldly, though her eyes were twinkling a bright blue. "But I would like to give you one, Lt. Kim ... a detailed, explicit explanation."
A pause, as his back muscles visibly twitched through his tunic. She could only imagine his expression. "That really won't be necessary, Ma'am," he said weakly.
"I believe it is, Lieutenant," she said, trying not to snicker. She made the mistake of glancing down at Seven who was eyeing her tolerantly over her shoulder, and she had to bite her lip, holding back the laughter rising in her throat. With an effort, she managed to control the amusement in her voice. "Very well, Lieutenant. Seven is lying on her face to retrieve a padd I lost beneath the console, and I was attempting to direct her to exactly where it was."
"Uh, yes Ma'am," he said, clearly not believing her.
"I assure you, Mr. Kim," Seven said, wiggling out from under the captain and holding the padd aloft. "That is indeed what is occurring."
Tentatively, he glanced behind him, seeing the two women now sitting side-by-side, with Seven brandishing the padd. He blushed furiously and turned to face them. "I'm sorry," he stammered. "I didn't mean to misconstrue your ... uh, the way you looked when I came in...." Flustered, he stopped completely.
Seven raised a brow. "I do not understand, Lt. Kim," she asked blandly. "Why would my attempting to retrieve a misplaced padd cause such discomfort to you?"
"Seven, I....." Defeated, he placed the stack of padds he was holding onto a nearby console and said in a rush, "Here'stheoperationsreportIpromisedyou. Youcanstartyournewcalibrationsonthesystems. TalktoyoulaterSeven." And fled.
Captain Kathryn Janeway collapsed to her side on the deck, and howled.
"Are you aware," Seven said, when Janeway had finally trickled off to a few less than dignified snorts, "that your sense of humor is something that B'Elanna Torres thinks is positively 'sadistic' at times? It is a trait she admires very much."
Janeway smiled widely at her, sitting back up and wrapping her arms around her knees. "My sense of humor?" she said, nudging her in the side with an elbow. "You helped. You knew very well what he was thinking."
"That we were initiating copulation," Seven agreed promptly. "Which was incorrect. That positioning would prohibit such an act."
Janeway leered at her gently. "Not necessarily," she said.
Seven eyed her uncertainly, then regarded her lover with affectionate forbearance when Janeway laughed again. "You are being facetious.”
"Always," Kathryn said, and leaned over, kissing Seven. It was quick, a mere brush of lips over hers, but for the captain of the starship Voyager, it was quite daring indeed.
Lost for four years in the Delta Quadrant, Captain Kathryn Janeway had molded her complex crew of Starfleet officers, Maquis outlaws, and a couple of alien civilians into a tightly knit family. They had faced all kinds of spatial abnormalities, hostile aliens, and their own internal conflicts with her unflinching and passionate leadership. Yet, she had always held herself aloof from them, relaxing certain protocols between captain and crew on one hand, yet maintaining her isolation from them on the other. It was a precarious tightrope necessary to keep her command sacrosanct.
Getting involved in a war between the Borg Collective and Species 8472 shook her off that tightrope with astonishing results. When it was all over, Voyager was 10,000 light years closer to the Alpha Quadrant, a key member of their family, the Ocampa telepath, Kes was gone, and a new member was added to Voyager's crew.
Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct to the Unimatrix 01.
Formerly Annika Hansen, she had been the daughter of two unconventional scientists pressing the final frontier in order to study the Borg, who ultimately assimilated them. Seven had been assigned to act as Janeway's liaison during the temporary alliance with the Collective, and circumstances forced Seven's link to be severed from the hivemind. Suddenly, the young woman was now a member of Janeway's crew, carried along with them as they sought their home in the Alpha Quadrant. As Seven's cybernetic implants were removed and her Humanity began to reassert itself, it quite often took the form of confrontations with the woman who had taken her from all she had known, spirited clashes that challenged and tested Kathryn Janeway to her very limits.
Then, they fell in love. No one could have predicted it. No one could have stopped it.
In trying to return Seven's Humanity to her, Janeway rediscovered her own, and where once she walked apart from her crew, by the very nature of her relationship with Seven, Janeway was forced to join the community rather than merely lead it. To the captain's surprise, it did not weaken her position as she had initially feared. Instead, her crew developed a new loyalty to their captain based on more than the mere chain of command. It became one based on a new perception of her Humanity, of her compassion and personality, and where once her crew would have followed the Starfleet captain into the most dangerous situations, now they would follow Kathryn Janeway to the very pits of Hell itself.
Yet, for all that, Kathryn saw Seven was surprised to be kissed while on duty. She knew the younger woman did not realize how profound the changes were that Janeway had gone through, especially recently. There had been a time only a month ago where Janeway had believed Seven dead, lost to her forever, and the young woman's safe return had forced her to realize that there was more she required from life than just being a starship captain, such as the simple need to kiss her partner in the astrometrics lab.
With another smile, more impish this time, Kathryn leaned forward, and wrapped her partner up in a loving embrace, kissing the young blond intently. After some initial hesitation, Seven returned the kiss eagerly, her lips parting beneath Janeway's demanding, yet tender mouth.
"This is different," she said huskily, after they parted, resting her forehead against Janeway's. "You do not normally allow affectionate gestures while we are on duty."
"No I don't," Janeway admitted. "But I've decided that once in awhile, I'm going to remind you of how very much I love you."
Seven considered that. "I have an eidetic memory," she said uncertainly. "I do not have to be 'reminded'."
"So you're saying you don't want be kissed?" Janeway teased gently.
"No, I am not saying that. I am merely confused now that your behavior has changed. I wish to know why."
Janeway tilted Seven's chin up so she could look into the pale blue eyes. "I love you, Annika," she said seriously. "I'm never going to let anything get in the way of that again. If I feel like kissing you, I will, all right?"
"Very well," Seven allowed. A pause. "What if I wish to kiss you?"
Janeway took a breath. So she would have to define the parameters after all. But then, was that really so surprising? Seven's unfamiliarity with Humanity was second only to her unfamiliarity with romantic situations. Janeway would never forget the time shortly after they first recognized their relationship when Seven had come onto the bridge and before the whole command staff, told her she was ready to make love now. Since Janeway had not immediately died from the profound humiliation at that moment, it was her belief that anything else Seven came up with would be fairly easy to handle in comparison.
"All right, space is pretty quiet right now, and you and I are alone together in relative privacy. If such circumstances arrive, even while on duty, then affectionate gestures are acceptable. But when we are in the company of others while on duty then no, there will be no affectionate gestures. Off duty, they are acceptable at anytime." She paused, thought about that, and realized she better be more specific. "Within limits. We are never going to make love when we have an audience. There is a difference between affection and desire." 
"I am aware of the difference," Seven said coolly and Janeway realized that she had been quite condescending, which had insulted Seven. She had to remember that just as she had grown into the relationship, Seven had as well, in some ways more quickly and completely than the captain.
"I know you are. I'm sorry Seven. I just don't want there to be any misunderstandings. Can we, perhaps, create a sort of signal between us so that if you're ever unsure about whether I am in a position to accept an affectionate display, we can utilize it?"
"That would be acceptable."
Janeway laughed suddenly, and Seven looked at her quizzically. "I was just struck by the absurdity of me sitting on the deck in the astrometrics lab discussing what are, and are not, acceptable affectionate gestures while on duty," the captain explained. "They never covered this at Starfleet Academy. Maybe they should have."
"Perhaps," Seven allowed. "Is it customary for Starfleet captains to become romantically involved with Borg drones?"
Janeway eyed her, then realized that humor was tinting the pale eyes. "Not really," she allowed dryly, smiling.
"It is highly unlikely it would be on the regular curriculum," Seven noted.
"Though it would be a class everyone would want to join," Janeway said with a wide smile. "So tell me, what should our signal be?"
"You cannot simply tell me that it is not time for such things?" Seven asked.
"I prefer a little more subtlety," Janeway admitted.
"Perhaps you should tell me what the signal should be," Seven said.
Janeway thought. "During times where the situation isn't clear, put your hand on my elbow," she offered. "If I ignore it, then you should back off. If I turn to you, then the affectionate gesture, whatever it is, will be acceptable."
"Very acceptable," Seven said, and promptly put her hands on both of Janeway's elbows, pulling her to her.
 
Seven positioned the last place-setting on the table with great care. She was in the quarters she shared with Janeway, preparing for the arrival of Lt. B'Elanna Torres, Voyager's chief engineer, who had been invited for dinner this evening. It was an attempt by the captain to cheer her up since the Klingon/Human hybrid had recently broken off her relationship with Lt. Tom Paris, the ship's helmsman. Seven knew that Kathryn was hoping a quiet dinner would provide her the opportunity to talk with B'Elanna, to try to smooth things over on behalf of the fair-haired young man.
Seven had other intentions. She had invited Commander Chakotay to the meal, aware that the ship's first officer was concerned about B'Elanna. Unlike Kathryn, the Borg felt the feisty engineer needed someone much stronger than Tom Paris as her lifemate, and with the trio's recent foray to the Alpha Quadrant, Seven had discovered just how well Chakotay and Torres functioned together. She knew that she had neglected to discuss this with the captain, but since Janeway had not discussed her intentions clearly either, Seven decided that neither took precedence over the other.
Setting down the plate, Seven hesitated as she felt a wave of dizziness wash over her, and she leaned heavily on the table. For a moment, she was afraid that she might actually fall, but gradually, it passed, and she was able to stand upright once more. That, undoubtedly, was one of the symptoms the Doctor had told her to be on the alert for. Tomorrow, she would call sickbay and inform him that, while she was not anticipating undergoing the procedure he apparently believed she now required, the symptoms had begun. The procedure would leave her incapacitated for a specific amount of time, and Seven was very concerned about the aesthetic qualities of it. Would Kathryn still look at her the same afterward? For that reason, she had not discussed this topic with her partner, either.
Seven took a breath as the door to the quarters hissed open, and she was gratified to see Kathryn enter; on time for a change. Though the young woman would be forced to admit that, since her return from the Alpha Quadrant, the captain had been scrupulous about maintaining her punctuality. Perhaps Kathryn had indeed changed her habits. Still, they had yet to face a crisis situation in this empty part of space, and Seven knew all bets were off in that circumstance. She wondered where she had acquired that phrase; 'All bets were off?' It must have been something she had picked up from one of the crew.
"Kathryn," she said with pleasure as her partner immediately crossed the room to be embraced.
"Hello, love," Janeway murmured, hugging her gently. "All ready for this evening?"
"Yes," Seven replied, looking down into the eyes which were shaded a vivid blue. "I have programmed the main course into the replicator, Neelix has delivered the requested supplements, and I have uncorked the wine as per your instructions, so that it may 'breathe'."
Janeway smiled. "You make the perfect Starfleet captain's wife," she said dryly.
Seven noted the tone. "Is that good?" she asked suspiciously.
"For tonight at least," the captain said with a short laugh. She regarded Seven fondly. "You don't miss certain inflections anymore, do you?"
"Not yours," Seven said. "I do not always know when you are joking, but I am aware that you are more apt to be facetious when we are off duty. I have learned to note the subtleties of your voice."
"I guess I'll have to watch what I say then," Janeway said lightly. She seemed to notice the table for the first time. "Four place settings? Seven, you didn't invite Tom, did you?"
Seven raised an eyebrow. "No," she responded. "That would have been ... unwise."
Janeway let out a breath. "Yes, it would have," she said. She looked at Seven curiously. "Who else is coming?"
"Commander Chakotay," Seven said. "I invited him this afternoon."
"Why?" Janeway asked, puzzled.
Seven considered her words carefully. "He is B'Elanna's friend," she said finally.
Janeway nodded. "Yes, he is," she said. She rested her palm warmly against Seven's cheek. "That was very thoughtful, Annika."
Seven hoped she still thought so when it became obvious that Chakotay, and not Tom Paris, was the more suitable romantic match for B'Elanna Torres. She knew that Janeway held a fondness for Lt. Paris that went beyond a captain's concern for a crewmember, the young woman believing it had to do with Admiral Owen Paris, Tom's father. She had the opportunity to observe the admiral in the Alpha Quadrant and had been less than impressed with the man. Not that Seven would ever presume to tell Janeway that, keenly aware that for whatever reason, Janeway admired the man greatly. Seven decided it was because of Kathryn's past, when Paris had acted as Janeway's mentor and advisor. Privately, Seven thought that Kathryn far outstripped him in every category, and that the admiral would do very well to have looked to the captain as his mentor, instead of the other way around. She also wondered if Janeway knew B'Elanna had struck him just before leaving DS9.
"I'm going to get changed." Janeway kissed her once more, before pulling away from the warm embrace reluctantly.
"Do you require assistance?" Seven asked evenly.
Janeway shot her a glance over her shoulder, smiling charmingly. "I think not," she said, with gentle humor. "Your assistance usually keeps me from getting dressed at all."
"Only on the occasions when dressing is not the primary goal," Seven reminded her.
She watched Janeway disappear into the bedroom, and swayed slightly as another surge of dizziness went through her. This was most inconvenient. She hoped that she could get through the rest of the evening without requiring the Doctor to attend her. Perhaps, with determination and Borg willpower, she could control her contrary body, and be able to concentrate fully on the dinner party.
The chime at the door indicated the arrival of at least one of their guests, and carefully she went over to it. Either they were early, or Janeway had been a bit late arriving after all. Seven made a note of the time, and discovered it was neither. She frowned, disturbed. How had she missed that? It was not her nature to lose moments of time.
"Hi, Seven." B'Elanna Torres was at the door. "Am I early?"
"No," Seven replied. "You are exactly on time."
She stepped aside to allow the chief engineer to enter the quarters, and showed her to the living area. The door chimed again, and she left B'Elanna on the couch to return to the entrance. She keyed it open to see the tall, dark, handsome Chakotay who was holding a bottle in his hands. Seven accepted it with some bemusement. A tradition she was unaware of, she thought as she took it over to the table rather than point out to the first officer that they already had a bottle of wine. She turned and was gratified to see that Chakotay had joined B'Elanna on the couch rather than taking a chair apart from her. On the coffee table before them, Seven had laid out plates of Neelix's supplements that the Talaxian assured her were the perfect compliment to the meal she had planned. Since neither the first officer nor the engineer saw fit to spit them across the room, Seven assumed that was a correct assessment.
She heard Janeway enter from the bedroom, glancing over to see the captain pause in the doorway long enough to observe her two guests whose heads were bent close together, deep in conversation. Frowning once, Janeway replaced it with a charming smile before going over to them, taking her place in the chair near the couch, joining the conversation smoothly. Seven greatly admired her partner's ability to become a part of any situation so easily. It was not something the Borg was adept at in the slightest, despite all the tutoring she had received at the hands of both the captain and the Doctor.
Seven observed their interaction for a while, then interrupted during the first lull in the discussion. "May I offer you something to drink?" she asked.
Chakotay and B'Elanna looked at her with surprise, Kathryn, with approval.
"I think our guests would appreciate some wine from the bottle Chakotay has brought," Janeway offered. She nodded at the other two. "Excuse me while I help Seven." 
"Have I've missed something here?" Janeway asked in a low voice as she joined Seven at the table. The captain was dressed in a simple, dark blue sheath that showed her eyes to their best advantage as well as her firm body. Seven found it quite pleasing.
"You look very beautiful," Seven told her.
Janeway shot her a sharp look. "That wasn't the question," she noted, as she tried to open the bottle of wine, struggling a bit with the cork. "But thank you. Did you have something else in mind when you invited Chakotay, Seven?"
"'Something else'?" Seven dissembled, raising an eyebrow as she retrieved the glasses from the place settings. "Could you be more specific?"
Janeway cast her a considering glance from beneath lowered lashes as she handed Seven the wine bottle. Seven immediately opened it, disdaining the use of the cork screw, and pulled the cork directly from the slender neck with the metal-covered forefinger and thumb of her left hand. Janeway accepted the bottle back with a faint smile.
"Never mind," she said. "I'm being silly accusing you of matchmaking. You've probably never even heard of it." The captain poured the wine into the four glasses, and scooping up two of them, she returned to the living area where she handed them to Chakotay and B'Elanna.
Seven took a breath, reminding herself that it would not be as easy as it seemed when she had first come up with the idea to provide the opportunity for the first officer and the chief engineer to become romantically involved. Kathryn's intention to reunite Paris and B'Elanna would be difficult to divert, and would take some careful maneuvering on her part.
Picking up the other two glasses, she joined Janeway, perching on the arm of the chair beside the captain, and gave her one of the glasses, keeping the other for herself. She sipped the wine, found it too strong for her liking, and contented herself with merely holding it as the conversation covered the various encounters Chakotay, B'Elanna and Seven had experienced on their recent trip to the Alpha Quadrant.
"You should have seen the look on Chakotay's face when that pile of goo he had been stepping over for the last hour, suddenly rose up and arrested him," B'Elanna completed her story with a laugh, elbowing the burly first officer who grinned sheepishly.
"It wasn't quite the end to the adventure I had anticipated," he agreed. He looked at B'Elanna. "It was just like old times for a while, though, wasn't it?" he added in a gentler voice.
She smiled, eyes softening perceptibly. "We did make a good team, didn't we?" she said.
"Still do," he said, smiling back at her.
For a moment they stared at each other, and Seven felt a great deal of satisfaction.
Janeway cleared her throat, interrupting the moment. "I understand that you saw your cousin, Chakotay," she said.
"Yes," he replied, nodding. "He came from Arizona on Earth to tell me exactly what happened with the Maquis." His face sobered as he considered his homeworld. "They didn't stand a chance against the Jem'Hadar."
The conversation turned to the war being fought in the Alpha Quadrant. Seven could tell there was an edge of frustration in their tone. It was hard for the Voyager crew to be stranded in the Delta Quadrant while the Federation, along with their allies, the Klingon Empire and the Romulan Republic, fought against the Cardassians and their Gamma Quadrant allies, the mysterious Dominion. They felt helpless, as if they could somehow turn the entire war around in favor of the Federation if they were there, rather than here. Seven considered that Janeway had faced down all adversaries, from the Borg Collective to packs of Hirogen Hunters, so perhaps that was not as irrational as it sounded. Seven had little doubt that this Dominion would fall quickly before Janeway's indomitable will and determination.
After a short period of time, Janeway invited their guests to move the conversation to the dinner table, where Seven helped Janeway serve the main course; a pasta covered with a light tomato sauce, filled with chunks of vegetables, chicken-flavored protein, and spices. It was a dish created from a recipe by Janeway's mother, Gretchen, and Seven had been quite daring when she programmed it into the replicator. She was glad that the recent upgrades and enhancements B'Elanna had been able to do on the ship's systems had brought the main replication system back on line. Most of the crew, surprisingly, still preferred Neelix's creations in the mess hall, but for those who wanted a taste of home, it was a godsend, perhaps just in time.
Seven was very interested in what Kathryn's reaction would be. The captain tended to pay less than close attention to what she was eating at the best of times, and Seven didn't think Kathryn had even noticed what the dish was ... until she took her first bite.
She stared at Seven. "Annika?" she said in a wondering voice.
"Your mother gave me copies of her recipies, and I programmed them into the replicator buffer," Seven explained. "I trust that I was able to duplicate this one successfully."
"This is great, Seven," B'Elanna said. "I never thought you'd learn how to cook."
"It really is delicious," Chakotay chimed in. He gave her a gentle smile. "I wouldn't mind having the recipe myself."
Janeway just looked at her with warm, shining eyes that filled Seven with a pleasure so great, the young woman thought she would never require any external food source again. She would be able to live simply on the memory of that expression on Kathryn's face.
Which would be wonderful if it were at all possible, Seven thought as she poked at her food unenthusiastically. She was not hungry at the moment even though it was time to ingest her nutritional supplement, and she had to force herself to take a few bites of her pasta, tasting it gingerly. It had an acceptable flavor, but for some reason, it made her uncomfortable when she swallowed. Still, one did not waste food on Voyager, and she made herself finish the small portion she had taken for herself.
The conversation continued in the same vein as it had been in the living area, with the Voyager members discussing the various changes which had occurred in the Federation the past few years. While Seven did not offer much in the way of anecdotes, she enjoyed listening to the rest speak. They lingered over the meal for some time before returning to the living area, where coffee and dessert were served; caramel brownies that were given out by the captain as if they were gold-pressed latinum. Seven did not think the two guests realized how very precious the small, sweet squares were to Janeway, but they seemed reasonably appreciative of the treat. The Borg also received many accolades for the caffeine brew she had prepared, and Seven thought that, if nothing else, she had acquired a few useful skills during her brief time in the Alpha Quadrant. Certainly Kathryn seemed to rank them higher than the Borg's considerable competence with the ship's systems.
Seven supposed that was because her abilities in astrometrics and engineering were somehow assumed of her, whereas her new aptitude with food preparation was completely unexpected, especially considering she had spent the last eighteen years prior to coming to Voyager not eating at all. Instead, her body had received its energy directly from the Borg cube in her regeneration cubicle. Even for the first nine or ten months of her arrival on Voyager, she had regenerated directly from the ship itself. Recently however, she had been forced to change over to solid, organic food as her Human biology asserted itself over her Borg implants.
As the evening progressed, Seven found herself grow increasingly detached. It was with disinterest that she nodded to Chakotay and B'Elanna as they said their good-byes, though she did manage a certain amount of gratification to see that they left together, apparently acquiring a new closeness. She wondered if it would continue in the future, and how she could encourage it.
"I suppose you're quite pleased with yourself," Janeway accused gently as she helped Seven clear the dishes from the table and place them in the recycling unit.
Seven took a breath. "I am unsure as to what you are referring," she said. She felt very strange. It was hard for her to respond properly.
"Making Chakotay and B'Elanna a couple," Janeway said dryly. "It was my intention that Tom and B'Elanna would get back together."
"You will fail," Seven said.
Startled, Janeway stopped what she was doing, her hands full of plates as she regarded Seven with a disturbed expression. "There's a phrase I haven't heard from you in a while," the captain said, suddenly quiet. "Can't say as I've missed it either. Seven, I appreciate that you, for some reason, think Chakotay and B'Elanna are suited to one another, but Tom and B'Elanna did have a good relationship."
"That is irrelevant," Seven said. She did not mean to be saying these things in quite the manner they were being expressed. She could tell that last bit, in particular, angered Janeway.
"Seven, I don't think you should get involved here," Kathryn advised, and there was a coolness to her voice to match Seven's flat tone.
"Irrelevant," Seven repeated. None of this was what she wanted to say but for some reason, she was unable to generate much beyond the clipped responses from her past. She was definitely feeling odd. Dizziness swept over her again, and she rested her weight heavily on her left hand, which was pressed against the table top. The glass in her right, she carefully set down ... or at least she thought she had. Instead, it slipped off the edge and dropped to the floor, shattering.
"Annika." Janeway was beside her. Seven could not remember seeing her move. "Are you all right?" Her voice was no longer annoyed. Instead, concern colored her tone.
"No," Seven replied honestly. She swallowed, her mouth seemingly full of moisture suddenly. "I am ... uncomfortable." She was forced to swallow again, with difficulty. 
Janeway put a supportive arm around her waist. "Seven, what's wrong?" she asked. She placed her other hand on Seven's cheek. "You're burning up."
Seven supposed that was not good. She felt a strange sensation about her mid-section, an odd sort of tightness within her, a spasming of sorts, and reflexively, she swallowed again, gulping audibly.
"Oh boy," Janeway said, and was suddenly urging Seven to move, to walk though the younger woman really did not wish to. "Come on, darling. Come with me."
Dazedly, Seven realized Janeway was forcing her into the bathroom, helping her kneel beside the biological waste receptacle unit. She didn't know why, other than the fact that these awful spasms in her midsection made her feel as if her insides were insisting on being on her outside. She kept swallowing and swallowing, and then finally, she couldn't any longer as fluid, thick, and very unpalatable, expelled from her mouth into the bowl.
"It's all right, love," she heard Janeway saying beside her.
Seven thought that was the single, most inaccurate thing the captain had ever said to her. It was not all right, at all.
She wanted to tell Janeway that, but she was unable to, being fully occupied with the fact that her dinner was now leaving her digestive tract in great shuddering heaves. Not only her dinner, she decided,  because she could not remember having consumed the amount of organic material that was now splashing thickly into the porcelain bowl. It was impossible for her to control her body, making her very frustrated ... and not a little frightened.
"K..Kathryn," she managed as the spasms paused briefly, before resuming their grip on her.
"It's a reaction, darling," Janeway said soothingly, pressing her hand against the back of the Borg's neck as Seven heaved again. "You're vomiting. Your dinner must not have agreed with you." Seven could hear the thread of worry in her voice, however.
Finally, after what seemed an eternity, Seven completed this rather distasteful, and extremely unpleasant, lesson in Human frailty. She leaned weakly against the bowl, shuddering as Janeway flushed the mess away, and gently wiped the Borg's face and mouth with a damp cloth.
"I am not functioning properly," Seven said, breathing hard. Trembling, she grasped Janeway's wrist, looking at her beseechingly.
"I know, darling," Janeway said calmly. "Just be still for a moment." She touched her comm badge. "Janeway to sickbay. Doctor, I need you in my quarters immediately."
Seven took a breath, suddenly aware of what that meant. Kathryn would not be pleased when she found out what the Doctor would have to tell her.
She thought she might just 'vomit' again.

​

Janeway held Seven tightly as the young woman knelt on the cold tile floor of their bathroom. She knew that the Borg was scared, and wished she could allay her fears, but the truth was, she was a little frightened, herself. Years of training just made her better at controlling and hiding it. She could not remember ever seeing Seven so weak, not even when they had first began removing the implants from the Borg Drone. Even then, Seven of Nine had been antagonistic and cantankerous, full of rebellious spirit, taking the first opportunity she had to try to contact the Collective. Janeway had been forced to confine her to the brig, and the woman, stalking the small room like a caged animal, had taken a wild swing at the individual she blamed for her situation before collapsing, lost and alone, rejecting Janeway's attempts at reassurance.
It was a far cry from the woman now huddled in the captain's arms, shaking as she sought all the assurance she could from her ... consolation Janeway did not know how to give, and she hugged her lover, rocking her gently as she stroked the blonde hair, and murmured nonsense words of comfort. It was with profound relief that she heard the hum of the transporter in the outer living area.
"Captain?"  Janeway heard the puzzled tone belonging to her chief medical officer.
"In the bathroom," she responded tersely.
"Hmm, I guess I don't need the dermal regenerator after all," the Doctor said as he entered the bathroom. "I thought you two were having sex, and Seven overstepped her romantic boundaries again."
Janeway took a breath, counted to ten, forcing herself not to lash out verbally as the Doctor ran his medical probe over Seven, staring at his tricorder intently. A slender, sparse form beneath the black and blue uniform, the Emergency Medical Hologram had been forced to function constantly since Voyager had entered the Delta Quadrant, fulfilling the duties as their CMO. As a result, he far exceeded his initial programming, and had actually become what many could call sentient, though one of the hologram's continued failings was a distinct lack of tactful bedside manner.
"What's wrong with her?" she asked edgily as she helped Seven sit up on the side of the tub.
"It's the abdominal implant," he explained, frowning over his readings. "I'll have to remove it sooner than I had anticipated." He favored the captain with a reproving look. "Next time, don't let B'Elanna do Seven's maintenance." He pulled a vial from his medikit, inserted it into his hypospray, and pressed it against Seven's neck.
"What are you talking about?" Janeway demanded as Seven immediately started to look better, her breathing easing as the queasiness was blocked.
The Doctor blinked at her. "The adaptations Lt. Torres had to make in the Alpha Quadrant to allow Seven to bypass her regeneration process," he said in a tone that indicated he thought she knew, or at least, should know. "However, by bypassing the abdominal function, and making it possible for Seven to exist solely on organic food, her body is now starting to reject the implant. It was only a matter of time."
"Why didn't you tell me this?" she said, staring at him accusingly.
"I told her," he responded, somewhat defensively.
They both looked at Seven who returned their regard with a wild stab at her customary control. It did not succeed, and instead, she just appeared mussed, and very distressed. Anxiously, Janeway cupped the young woman's face in her hand, tilting her head up so that she could look into the ice-blue eyes.
"Seven, you knew you were ill?" she asked, dismayed.
"I am not ill," Seven protested weakly. "I was not ... he told me I did not have to have the implant removed yet."
"Well, I've changed my mind," the Doctor said as he continued to take readings from her. "Your body is definitely rejecting the implant. It will have to be removed as soon as possible. I'll schedule the operation for tomorrow morning, and in the meantime, don't eat anything. Try to get as much rest as possible between now and then." He injected her with two more hyposprays. "This will reduce the swelling, and the other will stop any further dizziness."
He stood up, and together with Janeway, they helped Seven to her feet. "I feel unclean," Seven said unsteadily. "I wish to shower."
"Hmm, yes, well, I'll be returning to sickbay then," the Doctor said, fidgeting as he clearly wanted to make his escape.
"Not yet," Janeway said, her voice in its lowest, most dangerous register. "Wait in the living area while I help Seven. I want to talk to you further about this."
The Doctor gave Seven a significant look as he released her. "I hope you realize you got me in trouble," he sniffed as he left the ensuite.
Seven looked after him, then looked at Janeway. "I think I can manage on my own," she said in a small voice.
"Perhaps," Janeway said unrelentingly. "I'm going to help you, anyway." She kept a supportive arm around Seven's waist as together, they removed the skin-tight outfit the younger woman customarily wore. Janeway caught her breath as she saw that the grey ribbing covering the better part of Seven's torso had sunken into her flesh, which was now swollen, the scarred skin puffy and red.
"Seven, you should have told me about this," she said, horrified.
"It was unnecessary," Seven responded, as she hesitantly stepped into the shower cubicle. "Until now. I was functioning properly prior to this evening."
"That's not the point," Janeway said as Seven turned on the hydro-setting, the water washing over her slender form. "You knew this could happen. Seven, I have to know if things aren't all right with you. Why didn't you tell me about B'Elanna having to bypass your implant?"
Seven moved sluggishly under the cascade, leaning heavily against the side of the cubicle. The captain kept a judicious eye on her partner, ready to step and catch her if she looked like she was about to fall.
"Why did you not ask?" the Borg replied shortly. "I was required to regenerate every 96 hours prior to being transported to the Alpha Quadrant. I could not there. Since I did not die, obviously, a way around it was discovered. "
Janeway took another breath, counted to fifty slowly as anger and hurt rushed through her. "Seven, I'm trying very hard to be a better partner for you," she said quietly. "But I need your help, too."
Seven was silent for a long while, obviously hearing the distress in her voice though Janeway had tried to mask it. "I am sorry, Kathryn," she said contritely. "You are correct. I should have told you. I ... I was afraid."
Janeway blinked. "Of what?" she asked. She hesitated. "Of me?"
Seven turned off the water and still dripping, walked carefully over to the sink, leaning heavily on the counter as she drew on a variety of oral cleaners and fresheners from the small shelves recessed into the wall below the large mirror, rinsing her mouth several times in a effort to get rid of all remaining traces of her bout with vomiting. Janeway picked up a towel and began to dry her off, being very gentle in the area around the implant, trying to be patient as she waited for Seven to respond to her question.
Finally, Seven looked at Janeway's reflection in the mirror, her eyes sad and perplexed. "This all must be removed," she said, gesturing slightly to the implant covering her midsection. "I will no longer be as I am. I will be different." 
Janeway took a long blue flannel robe from the hook and draped it over Seven's narrow shoulders as she attempted to figure out what was causing this anxiety in her partner. "Annika," she said softly. "Any changes created by removing your implant will be external only. You'll still be the same person."
"That is incorrect," Seven said. "I will no longer be able to remain awake for days. I will no longer be able to draw energy directly from the ship. I will no longer have as much immunity to many types of radiations and disease. I will no longer be as physically strong. I will no longer be as efficient. I will be different. I will be less than I am."
"Seven, why are you frightened of that?" Janeway asked, trying hard to understand.
"I am afraid...." Seven bent her head, looking at the floor. "I do not know if you can love a different me. A lesser me."
Janeway caught her breath, feeling tears sting the back of her eyes. "Oh, Annika, you will not be 'lesser'," she said huskily. "If I were to become ill, if I were unable to continue as captain of this vessel, would you stop loving me?"
Seven raised her head with a jerk, looking at the captain's reflection with startled eyes. "I will never stop loving you," she told her.
"And I will never stop loving you," Janeway said, putting her hand on Seven's cheek, urging her face around so that she was looking fully at her. "Annika, my love for you is just as strong as yours is for me, please believe that."
Seven eyed her uncertainly. "You require a mate who is strong, who is capable," she said.
"I require you and only you," Janeway replied firmly. She drew Seven's head down so that she could kiss her gently on the forehead. "Don't you ever do this again," she commanded in an irrefutable tone. "Don't you ever keep things from me that you know might hurt you."
"I will not," Seven replied softly. "I promise." She rested her head against Janeway's, closing her eyes. "I am afraid that this will hurt me, Kathryn. I do not want to be hurt."
Janeway took a breath. "I know," she said, hugging the narrow shoulders gently, cupping the flushed cheek in her palm. "We'll do everything in our power to see that it doesn't. I'm right here with you, Annika. You're not alone."
Seven did not reply. Instead, she entwined her arms around Janeway's neck and hugged her tightly, eyes closed as she rested her cheek against the smaller woman's temple. Janeway held her gingerly, but lovingly, not wanting to cause her partner any pain. For long moments they stood in their embrace, Janeway trying to give Seven as much reassurance as she knew how to give.
"Come on, love," Janeway said finally. "I want you to get into bed. I need to speak with the Doctor about this."
Seven nodded and allowed Janeway to lead her out into the bedroom where Janeway pulled back the covers on the bed and helped Seven get in, drawing the blankets up over her as she bent down to kiss her forehead. "I'll be back shortly," she murmured. "Try to sleep." She stroked Seven's cheek gently with her fingertips before leaving her.
The Doctor had just finished cleaning up the shattered splinters of glass on the floor by the table when Janeway came out. He put the crystal shards in the recycling unit and faced her, raising his hands defensively.
"I couldn't tell you," he said.
"Why not?" Janeway responded coldly. She was furious, but she was not going to allow that to control her responses here.
"Captain, either Seven is an responsible, independant member of this crew, or she is not," he explained. "If she is an adult, if it does not directly endanger the ship, and she requests that I not share the results of her medical exam, then I cannot breach that confidentiality for anyone, not even the captain."
"What about for her partner?" Janeway said tightly.
"I'm sorry, Captain" he responded. "It had to be her decision."
Janeway took a breath and walked away, pacing about the room. "What are we looking at?" she said.
"The entire implant must be removed," he explained solemnly. "This is not how I would have chosen to do it, however. My plan was to remove one band at a time over a space of months as her body adapted to utilizing organic food to get its energy. Her impromptu trip to the Alpha Quadrant, and Lt. Torres's need to alter the implant, altered the time factor considerably."
"Is this more dangerous than your original plan?" she said, turning to face him, hands on her hips. Unbidden, a muscle jumped in her jaw, her gaze, a solid grey slate behind which she tried to hide her worry and fear. "Removing it all at once?"
"Yes," he admitted. "Considerably so. It's massive surgery, and very time consuming. I will require someone to monitor her vitals at all times, while I remove all the connections to her digestive system." He sighed. "It's times like this that I really miss Kes. I don't think Mr. Paris is really up to this sort of thing."
Janeway nodded. It occurred to her that she should have made others in the crew train with the Doctor. His abrasive manner made him a difficult person to work with, but the fact was, the ship needed more in the way of medical personnel. As much as she had faith in the piloting abilities of Lt. Paris, she would not have chosen Tom to participate in such a delicate operation, either. She completely understood the Doctor's dismay over Kes's loss, regretting the Ocampa's absence bitterly.
"Any other options?" she asked. "Is there anyone else who can assist you?"
He hesitated.
"Doctor?" She raised her head, eyes narrowing.
"I do have one idea," he said slowly. "One I've been considering for a while. Kes's profile is in the computer. I would like to create a holographic medical assistant based on her knowledge, her skill and her familiarity with working in sickbay. However, it would require a great deal of power from the ship to create her, though, if we could bring the ship to a stop, and with the assistance of Lt. Torres and Lt. Kim, I think the emitter upgrades Voyager got from the Alpha Quadrant could have the hologram up and running by tomorrow morning."
Janeway looked at him, eyes dark. "Kes?" she said.
"Well, it wouldn't exactly be her, of course," he offered. "Utilizing the last profile we had on Kes, would give us a useful matrix however, and if we base it on my algorithms, allow it to access the medical data base, then perhaps we could create a hologram that could begin assisting me right away, and have the capacity to learn, just as I do."
Janeway took a breath and walked away. She didn't know how comfortable she was with the idea of having a holographic matrix based on the woman who was no longer with them ... the woman who had been a dear friend ... even if it could be done. She leaned against the windows that dominated one side of the room, looking out at the black depths of space, seeking inspiration there, some sort of sign to help her make a decision like this on such short notice.
Would they be any worse off if they tried and failed?
She touched her comm badge. "Helm, bring the ship to a full stop," she said quietly. "Maintain station-keeping here until further notice." She turned and looked at the Doctor. "Let me change into my uniform. I want to help."
He nodded, and she went back into the bedroom. Seven was sleeping uneasily on her side of the bed, though she woke as Janeway was pulling on the uniform she had discarded earlier in the evening.
"Kathryn?" Seven blinked sleepily.
Janeway came over and sat on the edge of the bed next to her lover. "Seven, the Doctor's come up with an idea to make tomorrow go a little smoother," she explained, resting the back of her knuckles lightly on Seven's cheek. "But I need to help him."
"I will help as well," the Borg said, attempting to sit up.
"No, Annika," the captain instructed in the firm resolute voice that Seven had learned not to argue with. "If you wish, you can go to sickbay where you can sleep on a biobed, or you can stay here, in our bed, but you will sleep. Do I need to have the Doctor administer a sedative?"
Seven shook her head. "No," she replied. "I will sleep here. I do not require a sedative."
"All right," Janeway said. She leaned over and kissed her gently. "I'll return as soon as possible, my love. Call me if you need anything."
She kissed her once more and quickly she left the room to join the Doctor. She touched her comm badge as they left her quarters. "Lt. Torres, Lt. Kim, Lt. Paris, general alert. I require your presence in holodeck one."