Three days later, the Doctor, Janeway and B’Elanna anxiously waited in Seven’s bedroom for the cycle to finish.

 

Regeneration cycle complete,” chirped the computer.

 

Seven of Nine opened her eyes and blinked twice. A small frown appeared on her brow as her nanoprobes made minute adjustments to her new optical node. As her vision cleared the frown vanished. She looked at the faces in front of her.

 

“Welcome back, Seven. How are you feeling?” asked the EMH.

 

“I am functioning within normal parameters with the exception of my right shoulder and arm. What is wrong?”

 

“We couldn’t repair the damage to your shoulder until you’d regenerated fully. Now that you’re on your feet again, we’ll schedule it for early next week if you like. In the meantime, I’ll need to stabilize your arm with this sling and stabilizer.”

 

B’Elanna was grinning from ear to ear. “Kahless, but it’s good to see you awake again! You had us worried there for a while you damn Borg. Oh yeah, and I’m gonna get you for those encryption codes you had on your door too!”

 

A faint smile appeared on Seven’s face. “You were able to penetrate them?”

 

“Took me half an hour, but I finally broke in.”

 

“Then obviously, I did not secure my quarters properly. If I had, you would still be outside. I will correct that immediately.”

 

Torres threw her head back in laughter and reached out to help Seven off the alcove dais. Janeway had hung back as the Borg awoke, smiling at the banter between the two officers. Now she smiled squarely at Seven as the Doctor and B’Elanna put the sling and stabilizing straps around her chest and over her good shoulder.

 

“Hello, Seven, I’m glad you’re back with us.”

 

Seven of Nine regarded her coldly. “Thank you, Captain. I trust you suffered no ill effects from what transpired in the Premier’s residence?”

 

Janeway’s smile wavered at the icy tone of Seven’s voice. She thought briefly of her still tender neck and the bruise that remained there.

 

“I’m fine, Seven. I…thank you…for what you did.”

 

“You are welcome, Captain.” The cold blue eyes dismissed Janeway and focused on the EMH. He frowned slightly at the apparent tension between the two women.

 

“Seven, let’s get you cleaned up and dressed, why don’t we? I’m sure you can’t wait to get out of our wonderful Sickbay pajamas. Lt. Torres, would you mind assisting Seven to dress after she’s had a shower?”

 

“No problem, Doc. I’ll get her cleaned up and fed and we’ll meet you in the conference room in a couple of hours. How’s that sound?”

 

“Excellent. We all need to discuss the situation as soon as possible. Captain? Why don’t you go get something to eat too and we can all convene at say, 1800 hours?”

 

He gently pushed an unresisting Janeway out of the bedroom and into the sitting area.

 

Janeway’s eyes were dull gray. “She hates me,” she murmured.

 

“Now, Captain, everyone has been through a difficult ordeal. I’m sure you’re mistaken. Let’s wait until we’re all fed and rested and calmly discuss what happened and what we’re all going to do about it. Come along now. Everything will work itself out.”

 

“No, it won’t. I’ve seen to that, believe me,” she said bitterly. She raised her eyes and said clearly, “Doctor, I need your assistance. Let’s go to Sickbay.” With that, she turned around and walked quickly out of Seven’s quarters. The EMH followed. When they arrived in the medical section, Janeway removed her uniform tunic and pulled off the turtleneck underneath it. The EMH scowled as he saw the fading bite marks and still ugly bruise.

 

“Where did you get this…and how long ago did it happen?” he demanded as he reached for a tricorder.

 

“Since the incident at the residence,” she said dully. “Seven marked me after she killed the two Ma’altareans. At the time, I didn’t realize it was a necessary part of the ritual. I’m afraid I reacted…badly… to it. And to her…”

 

“Well, thankfully it doesn’t look like she broke the skin. I can take care of this fairly quickly, although I must say, it’s a surprisingly deep bruise. I wouldn’t have expected it to look this fresh so long after it happened.”

 

“Seven was rather…had a lot of adrenaline after the fight. She probably wasn’t aware of how hard she…” Janeway looked down at the floor as she remembered.

 

“Well, turn you head that way and I can heal it,” the Doctor said, taking a dermal regenerator off his tray.

 

The shame of her anger at Seven returned. “No. Wait. I changed my mind. I don’t want you to do anything. Leave it as it is.” How could I have lost control like that? She was ready to give up her life to protect me. All I could think of was how it looked like I wasn’t in charge.

 

“But Captain, that has to be tender. I can fix it in just a moment.”

 

“No! I don’t deserve…just leave it alone. I’ll see you in the conference room at 1800.” Janeway grabbed her turtleneck and pulled it back over her head. She pulled on her tunic and walked out of Sickbay for her quarters.

 

The EMH gently shook his head. This was going to take far more than medicine to heal.

 

 

B’Elanna unfastened the brace and helped Seven remove the green Sickbay pajamas.

 

“Let’s get you into the shower. A sonic shower will clean your implants best, but you’ll probably want a hydro too to wash your hair. We had trouble getting the blood out of it.”

 

“I don’t have a hydro shower, B’Elanna.”

 

The Klingon grinned. “You do now. And a fully functional toilet too.”

 

Seven of Nine frowned. “Since when?”

 

“Since Janeway refused to leave you while you regenerated. She never left your side once the Doctor finished the surgery, and she moved in here to stay with you while you were regenerating. I installed it for her. And before you ask, no, she didn’t ask for it. It was my idea. I had to threaten to space Chakotay before he approved the requisition.”

 

Seven smiled. “It’s nice to see that your personality has not changed during my incapacitation.”

 

“I wouldn’t want to disappoint you. Come here, I need to cover the wound in your shoulder with this plastiseal dressing so it won’t get wet.”

 

Torres helped her into the shower and stepped out of the bathroom. Seven activated the sonic settings at the highest intensity. She could almost feel the vibrations cleaning her skin. When the sonic shower clicked off she activated the hydro shower, setting the temperature controls for fairly hot. The steaming water felt good flowing off her head and over her body. It was a bit awkward for her to wash her hair one-handed, but she managed. It wasn’t terribly efficient, but it was effective. She dried her hair, thankful that it was now short. B’Elanna had wrapped her in a large towel when she stepped out of the shower and helped her dry off. She ran a brush through her hair and sat on the bed to pull her clothes on. Seven frowned at how difficult things were with only one working arm. It was going to be extremely inefficient to dress until the Doctor repaired her shoulder.

 

“Don’t get all worked up. I’ll come here every morning and help you dress. Nobody has to know but us, I promise. We wouldn’t want anyone thinking the Borg were inefficient,” said B’Elanna when she saw Seven’s expression. She was gently covering the wound on Seven’s shoulder with a thick sterile dressing.

 

“Thank you, B’Elanna. You are a good friend.” Between the two of them, they got Seven clothed and the support brace back in place.

 

“C’mon, let’s eat. I’ve got your favorites: toasted cheese and tomato soup.”

 

Seven of Nine grinned. She could think of nothing in the universe better to eat. They sat down at the small dining table and removed the stasis lids. B’Elanna quickly outlined everything that had happened since Seven had collapsed. Even though she had been too busy to go back to the planet surface since the incident at the trade talks, B’Elanna had used her highly evolved interrogation skills on the crew to keep abreast of developments. There was a reason she was the Gossip Queen of Voyager.

 

“So you installed a higher capacity power conduit and ran the replicators off the warp core? There were no dangerous power fluctuations? The conduit held?”

 

“Yep, your idea worked like a charm. I think I’m going to leave it in place. That way, if we ever get in a tight spot, I can divert more power to the engineering replicators for repairs. In fact, I was thinking that if we spliced a diverter in at the right spot, we could use the warp engines to help increase power to all the replicators in an emergency. Do you think that will work?”

 

The two women discussed the engineering plans as they ate. Out of the blue, Torres switched subjects.

 

“So, you’re pissed at the captain,” asked B’Elanna between bites.

 

“Would you not be? You heard what she said to me when we returned to Voyager. The look on her face was terrible…B’Elanna, she hated me. I could see the disgust on her face when she flung off my ‘filthy Borg hand’.”

 

“Seven, shit, I know how you feel. And I know the captain took everything out on you. You’ve got a right to be pissed at her I suppose. But you need to remember that humans, well, we get angry for the dumbest reasons. And when we do, we don’t tend to think before we holler. And we take things out on the wrong people when we do.”

 

“Explain.”

 

“You know the captain has to always be THE CAPTAIN. She takes the burden of responsibility for Voyager and the crew. And you know she’s kind of a control freak. Well, you certainly took control down in the Residence. I don’t think she could handle the frustration of not being able to do anything to stop the fight or to protect you. I know she was terrified for you during the fight. When that monster hit you in the head Tuvok had to hold her back from running to you. And the look on her face when he drove that spike into your shoulder. Seven, she screamed. Captain Janeway…our Captain Janeway…who is always cool in a crisis; she screamed when you were hurt. And when you finished off that second one, the look of relief on her face would have lit up the Void. But when you…well…marked her; she was embarrassed. I’m sure she didn’t understand why you did that. Hell, I don’t understand why you did that. But that’s when she started to get pissed. Plus the fact that you just took over the trade talks; that was her responsibility and you just took it away from her. I’m sure that’s why she reacted the way she did when we got back to the ship.”

 

“But B’Elanna, it was necessary that I do those things!”

 

“Why, Seven?”

 

“It is a part of the Ritual. I told you that if Pal’quaar won he would rape her in front of witnesses to solidify his claim. If I did not ‘mark’ her as mine I would not have sealed my rights as her defender and the fight would have been for nothing. I forced the trade talks because we needed those ores and I could use my status as the ‘Victor’ to get them immediately. I did not know how the Ma’altareans would react to me killing their Warrior Prime, so I thought it best to secure what was needed and leave quickly. And now Captain Janeway hates me for what I did.”

 

“No she doesn’t, Seven. Didn’t you hear anything I told you? She refused to leave you once the surgery was over. She slept in a chair by your bed until we got you into your regeneration alcove. And she stayed here for the entire six days you regenerated. Believe me, those are NOT the actions of someone who hates you.”

 

“Are you sure, B’Elanna?”

 

“As sure as I can be. As for the Ma’altareans, I wouldn’t worry too much about them. As far as I can tell, right now you’re a hero. There were vigils for you when you were critical. They threw a celebration when they heard you’d live. And I understand that as soon as you can get down to the surface again, there’s a huge festival and some kind of ceremony planned for you.”

 

“Yes. We will need to discuss that tonight. I do not believe the captain will want us to take part in that particular ceremony.”

 

“Why not? Everybody on Voyager has gone to the other festivities.”

 

Seven of Nine looked strangely at B’Elanna as she answered, “Because it will be our wedding ceremony.”

 

“Yeah, that could be a problem,” sighed B’Elanna, “That’s going to be the main topic of conversation in the meeting. How do you feel about all this?”

 

“Forcing the captain to marry me was NOT the reason I beamed down to the Premier’s residence, although I knew betrothal was the outcome. My only concern was for her safety. My intent was to save the captain, return to Voyager with her and leave Ma’altara Prime as quickly as possible. Nothing more.”

 

“Seven, I think the captain is waiting for your input before she decides what to do. She’s told Chakotay that we needed to wait until you were back on your feet before deciding on a course of action. I know she doesn’t want to upset the Ma’altareans; I think she feels you might have more insight on how to appease them than the rest of us do. But I gotta tell you, some of the rumors that have been flying around would curl your toes!”

 

“Rumors? Does the captain know about them?”

 

“I’d bet not. If she did, she would have exploded like a breached warp core. Some of them are…well, a little much. And the captain is a very private person. She wouldn’t take it too well if her personal life was an open book for the crew.”

 

“What kind of rumors?”

 

“Let’s see, what was one of the better ones? Oh yeah, you and the captain have been having an affair since we removed all those Borg implants and exoplating. In fact, that’s supposedly why she severed your link to the Collective in the first place and why she keeps you on Voyager. Pal’quaar flirted with her at the state banquet and you got jealous. That’s why you went down to the planet and killed him.”

 

“How can the crew think that of the captain?” asked Seven in dismay.

 

“That’s why it’s called RUMOR. Deep down inside, everybody knows it isn’t true, but speculating on the captain’s personal life is common on any ship. This last incident, well, some of them have gotten swept up in the romance of it all.”

 

“Romance? Explain.”

 

“Seven, jeez, do you ever read anything but star charts and astrophysics texts? It is VERY sexy that you swooped in to fight to the death for the woman you love. To be willing to die to protect her. That’s a real common theme in those trashy romance novels everybody knows the captain reads in the privacy of her quarters.”

 

“B’Elanna, no one but you knows that I love the captain. You have not told anyone, have you?”

 

“No, I kept my word. I haven’t even had the chance to tell Tom and Harry yet. Tuvok heard you tell me right before the fight, but he won’t say anything. It’s still basically between you and me. But you can’t blame the crew for getting a little carried away with all of this. I mean, you ARE engaged to the captain because of what you did. They’re just embellishing the truth a little. It’s basically harmless.”

 

“It is not harmless if it demeans the captain. It is not harmless if it causes her hurt or humiliation.”

 

“OK, so don’t let it cause her hurt or humiliation. Use that brilliant Borg mind of yours to figure out what we can do so that the captain comes out of this looking like the commanding officer she is, not some pathetic damsel in a gothic romance. There’s just one question you have to ask yourself before we go into the meeting: do you still love the captain?”

 

“More than ever.”

 

“Then we need to come up with some plan to keep the Ma’altareans happy and keep the captain from being embarrassed. Looks like you’re going to be protecting her for a while yet.”

 

 

Senior Staff assembled in the Bridge conference room at 1800 hours. When Seven of Nine and B’Elanna entered the room, Tom Paris hollered “Our hero!” and started clapping. Their amused cheering and applause caused Seven to blush as the Doctor fussed with the sling and brace on her arm. Finally satisfied that she would do no further injury to her shoulder, she was allowed to take her seat.

 

“All right everybody, let’s settle down,” said Chakotay to open the meeting. Janeway had watched Seven’s welcome with a neutral expression, although she had joined in the applause.

 

“We need to decide how we’re going to respond to the Ma’altarean plans for the remainder of our stay here. They will be an important ally in this sector and we want to keep them happy. Is everyone clear on what the ramifications of Seven’s fight at the Premier’s residence are?”

 

Harry Kim shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “I’d like it explained officially. There are too many rumors floating around.”

 

Chakotay nodded to Seven. “Will you explain everything? You’re the one who did the research and probably understands it best.”

 

Seven addressed the group. “When Pal’quaar ‘claimed’ the captain, he was in effect issuing a marriage proposal. When I defeated him and sealed my place as her defender I assumed that marriage contract. By Ma’altarean custom, Captain Janeway and I are betrothed. In Ma’altarean society, the formal joining would take place almost immediately after the betrothal. The celebration and ceremony the Ma’altareans have planned is the captain’s and my wedding.”

 

“So if we take part in this ceremony, we’re marrying Seven and the captain?” asked Neelix.

 

Seven nodded. “By Ma’altarean law, yes.”

 

“We have to try to find a compromise between Ma’altarean custom and ours. Federation law provides reciprocity. Since we’ve established formal relations with Ma’altara Prime, any wedding that takes place here will be recognized by the Federation. Unless the captain and Seven want to get married, we need to find a way out of this,” said Chakotay.

 

“Do you, Captain?” asked Neelix.

 

“Do I what, Neelix?”

 

“Do you want to marry Seven?”

 

Leave it to Neelix to inadvertently cut right to the chase, thought Janeway. How the hell do I answer him? Do I want her? Yes, more than anything. But not like this. Not under these circumstances. Not forced to be with me.

 

“Can I interrupt here?” asked B’Elanna. “Seven and I were discussing this over dinner and I think we may have come up with a way to satisfy everybody.”

 

“By all means,” said Janeway.

 

“OK, as I see it, the Ma’altareans expect you two to marry immediately. But they don’t seem like they’d ignore our customs either. Captain Janeway, you come from a Traditionalist background where an engagement can last for quite a while before the actual marriage. We explain that to the Ma’altareans and suggest that instead of the formal wedding ceremony we have a celebration of the engagement. If the captain and Seven will agree to act like an engaged couple while we’re here in the system, Ma’altarean custom won’t be ignored and they can quietly break up once we get back into space. Everybody winds up happy. What do you think?”

 

The ensuing discussion was lively. Janeway looked over at Seven and found deep blue eyes full of warmth focused on her. The icy coldness she had seen in them earlier was gone. She raised one eyebrow in silent question and got an amused quirk of the mouth and a nearly  imperceptible nod in reply.

 

“Hang on, hang on here. We’re forgetting something,” Chakotay finally said. “Captain, are you and Seven willing to go along with this?”

 

“I believe it is the most efficient way to handle the situation,” said Seven.

 

“I agree,” said Janeway with a small smile. “Obviously, Seven and I have some things to discuss. Let’s meet back here at 2100 hours and we can contact the Premier then and see what he says. Agreed?”

 

The rest of the staff nodded and rose from the table. The Doctor interrupted.

 

“Captain, I want to take a look at Seven’s shoulder before she does anything else. I need her in Sickbay for a little while.”

 

“Certainly, Doctor. Seven? When you’re done would you mind joining me in my quarters?”

 

“I will comply, Captain.”

 

As they filed out of room, Seven told the EMH quietly “I will report to Sickbay in a few minutes Doctor. I must make a short stop in Engineering first.”

 

The EMH nodded and left for the medical section. B’Elanna turned to Seven.

 

“Why do we have to go to Engineering first?”

 

“I require your replicators one more time.”

 

 

“Well, it’s still a mess,” said the EMH as he irrigated the wound on Seven’s shoulder with an antibacterial wash. “The surgery to repair it is going to take a while and I’d rather you were stronger before we do it. How are we coming on the new brachial clamps, Lt. Torres?”

 

“I’ve got new ones replicated and ready to go. They’re in the sterile stasis pack over there. We can rebuild the joint whenever Seven’s ready.”

 

“Seven, how’s the pain? Will you be all right if we don’t repair the shoulder joint immediately?”

 

“As long as the arm is immobilized the pain is…acceptable. It is painful when I remove the brace however.”

 

“Seven, the pain in this kind of injury would bring most people to their knees. Are you sure you’re OK? I can give you a hypospray for it.”

 

“I will adapt, Doctor. The pain is manageable. I do not require analgesics at this time.”

 

The EMH neatly redressed the wound and he and B’Elanna helped Seven put her shirt back on. Once the sling and brace were in place the tightening around her mouth eased.

 

“I’ll need to see you twice a day until we operate to keep that wound cleaned out, Seven. The dressing should provide enough padding for normal activity, but be careful. I don’t want another infection in there. I want you to regenerate for at least two hours each day, in addition to whatever sleep you get. And eat as much as you can, it will help strengthen your organic systems.”

 

“I will comply, Doctor.”

 

“All right then. Off you go to see the captain.”

 

B’Elanna and Seven left sickbay headed for the turbolifts.

 

“Are you sure you want to do this, Seven?”

 

“It will enhance the effect for the Ma’altareans.”

 

“OK, you know what to do, right?” The lift door opened.

 

“Yes, B’Elanna, I know what to do.” Seven entered the lift and turned to face front.

 

“OK, then. I’ll see you in the conference room at 2100. Good luck, Your Borgness!” B’Elanna’s affection was clear. Seven gave her a small smile.

 

“Thank you…Klingon. Computer, Deck three.”

 

The turbolift deposited Seven in the corridor of the command officers’ quarters. Janeway’s quarters were at the end of the hallway past Tuvok’s, Chakotay’s and the VIP suite. Seven pressed the chime requesting entrance. After a moment, the door opened and Janeway regarded her.

 

“Please come in, Seven. How did the visit to the Doctor go?”

 

“He declared my shoulder ‘still a mess’, Captain, but it would seem the rest of me is functioning adequately.”

 

Janeway chuckled at Seven’s humor, grateful for her attempt to ease what was obviously going to be an uncomfortable situation for both of them.

 

“Would you like to sit down?” she indicated the sofa.

 

“Thank you. That would be…acceptable.”

 

Janeway noticed Seven’s mouth tense when she leaned back against the sofa. She’s in pain. God, her shoulder is still a gaping wound and the joint is destroyed. It must be agony.

 

“Seven, hang on a minute.” Janeway brought two pillows from her bed back into the living area. “Lean forward just a bit, OK?”

 

Seven leaned forward and Janeway eased the soft pillow behind the injured shoulder, cushioning it. She used the second pillow to cushion and support Seven’s arm.

 

“Is that better?”

 

Janeway heard a soft and very un-Borg-like sigh of relief and the tightness around Seven’s mouth relaxed. “Very much, Captain. Thank you.”

 

“How about some tea? Are you thirsty?”

 

“Tea would be acceptable.”

 

Janeway fetched the tea and a coffee for herself. She sat next to Seven, somewhat at a loss where to begin.

 

“So, we’re engaged…”

 

Seven smiled her small smile. “So it would seem.”

 

“You must be…I didn’t mean…” Janeway shook her head in frustration. “I’m doing this badly. Seven, I need to apologize to you. I was out of control when we arrived back here, and that was inexcusable. I said horrible things to you that I didn’t mean. I don’t even know where those words came from. I haven’t thought of you as a drone since we severed your connection to the Collective. It infuriates me when I hear someone else do so. You’ve learned so much since you came to Voyager; I’m so proud of you and who you’ve become. I am so terribly sorry for what I said to you. I know it will take time for you to forgive me, but…” Janeway gazed down at her hands, clasped in her lap. She watched as a metal and mesh Borg hand softly covered hers. It always amazed her that something that looked so cold and formidable could be so warm and gentle.

 

“Captain, there is no need. I understand. There is nothing to forgive. I behaved brutally to you and could give you no reason why. I ask your forgiveness for that.”

 

Janeway raised her eyes to Seven’s.

 

“You never have to apologize for protecting me. I know now why you did what you did. Why it was necessary. If I had taken the time to learn why at the time, I wouldn’t need to apologize now.”

 

“Then can we be efficient and merely forgive each other?”

 

Janeway felt tears fill her eyes and blinked them back. “I would like that very much.” The two women just smiled at each other. Janeway was thrilled that Seven did not remove her hand.

 

Seven cocked her cortical implant. “So, we are engaged.” Repeating Janeway's earlier words with nearly the same inflection as the captain had broke the tension. Janeway laughed.

 

“What do we do now?”

 

“We should discuss how I must behave for the next week. I do not know the correct way to be a fiancée.”

 

“Well, you’ll probably need to hold my hand a lot.” The little voice in Janeway’s head threw in its two cents. Holding hands! YES!!

 

“I will comply.”

 

“And I suppose it wouldn’t hurt if you put your arm around me once in a while.” Oh yeah, I LOVE that arm around you bit!!

 

“I will comply.”

 

“There will probably be a few times when we’ll have to kiss…”

 

Seven frowned slightly. “I have no experience in romantic kissing. Should I run a holodeck simulation and practice? I do not wish to be…inadequate.”

 

“That won’t be necessary. If you need to practice, you can practice with me.” The little voice in Janeway’s head was dancing its happy dance. Ho boy! Kissing Seven! It doesn’t get any better than this!! Well, actually, if the kissing goes well, it could get better…Don’t go there!!

 

The frown disappeared and the smile returned. “I will comply.”

 

“Oh, and Seven? When we’re alone here and when we’re on the planet? Would you call me Kathryn?”

 

“I will com-…Yes, Kathryn.”

 

“Anything else we’ll just have to wing it.”

 

“’Wing it?’ Explain.”

 

“Make it up as we go along.”

 

“I understand. Have you decided what you will tell the Premier?”

 

"Well, B'Elanna's idea should work. We will explain about my Traditionalist background and needing an engagement period."

 

“Is there anything that I will need to add?”

 

“Just stand by me and act like you’re a willing participant.”

 

“Yes, Kathryn. I will be. How would your engagement occur if you were on Earth? I have not had sufficient time to research the customs surrounding marriage there.”

 

“Well, first of all, you and I would have been involved in a romantic relationship for a while before we decided to get engaged. Then we would tell our families. Sometimes there are parties for the engaged couple. We would decide if we wanted a two-year contract or the old-style ‘til death do us part’ kind of marriage. I seem to recall an old earth custom of formally requesting the permission of the parents before becoming engaged. I guess that would mean you’d have to ask my mother’s permission to marry me.” Janeway grinned at Seven. “But don’t worry, she’s pretty friendly. I don’t think she’d hurt you too badly.”

 

“This would not be a good idea, Kathryn. Not only would your mother probably not be happy with an ex-Borg daughter-in-law, but think…you would have to ask the Borg Queen for permission to marry me. You do not do well around the Borg.” The smile on Seven’s face when Janeway howled with laughter could have lit a black hole.

 

Seven was still smiling when she gently disengaged her hand and stood up.

 

“Where are you going, Seven?”

 

“I am not going anywhere, Kathryn. There is a task I must complete before we contact the Premier.”

 

With that, she eased down on one knee in front of Janeway. She reached out and took her hand. Kathryn’s breath caught in her throat and her eyes widened.

 

Seven looked deep into the blue-gray depths and asked gently, “Kathryn Elizabeth Janeway, will you marry me?”

 

Captain Kathryn Janeway had no earthly idea why she responded as she did. Her awareness condensed to only the woman in front of her. Seven's gaze meeting hers became her entire universe. The words were out almost before she could consider them.  “Seven, I…Yes. Yes, I will.”

 

Seven of Nine reached into the breast pocket of her shirt and pulled out a gold band with a flawless solitaire diamond and slipped it on the fourth finger of Kathryn’s left hand.

 

“I…Seven…it’s beautiful! Where did you get it?”

 

“Kathryn, you do not want to know.”

 

“Seven, this ring is gorgeous. But I know…” Janeway’s eyes narrowed fractionally. “The replicators wouldn’t do anything this complex without…Seven?”

 

Seven tried to look innocent. She was not possessed of a very good poker face.

 

“You didn’t! Tell me you didn’t override the replicator protocols!!”

 

“Lt. Torres thought…”

 

“You and B’Elanna hot-wired the replicators?!?”

 

Seven clamped her mouth closed and refused to say anything else. It was the closest she could come to invoking her Federation rights against self-incrimination.

 

As hard as she tried, Janeway could not suppress her laughter. She laughed until tears rolled down her cheeks. When she finally caught her breath she regarded the young woman still on her knee in front of her.

 

“I think I liked it better when you and B’Elanna weren’t friends. The two of you are dangerous when you put your heads together.” She chuckled as she looked at the ring again. “But thank you, Seven. The ring is beautiful. And I’ve forgotten how good it feels to really laugh in the past couple of weeks. Thank you for that too.”

 

“You are not angry, Kathryn?”

 

“I should be. God knows, you two have violated about six different Starfleet security regulations that I can think of offhand. Just promise me that you will never override the protocols again. I assume the ring can be recycled back into the replicator system?”

 

“If the need arises, yes it can. And I promise not to initiate another protocol override.”

 

Janeway laughed again. “One thing’s for certain, Seven. Marriage to you would never be dull.”

 

 

When Janeway and Seven walked into the conference room an hour later it took less than a minute for jaws around the table to drop open. It was difficult to miss the glittering diamond on the ring finger of the captain’s left hand. There was a moment of total silence and then everyone started talking at once.

 

“Quiet down,” said Janeway. “I know you all have questions. Let me make it easy for you. In keeping with Terran custom, Seven formally asked me to marry her and I agreed. This way, we aren’t dealing from a false position with the Ma’altareans. Everything is above-board. Has anyone come up with any new wrinkles in our plan during the past three hours? Anything we haven’t considered?”

 

No one had. So they adjourned to the bridge and hailed the Premier. Janeway sat in her command chair with Seven standing next to her. As the Premier came on the view screen she greeted him.

 

“Good evening my lord Premier.”

 

“Captain Janeway! It is good to see you again. And Seven of Nine! We are so pleased that you have recovered! Are you feeling any ill effects from your ordeal?”

 

Seven gently rested her left hand on the captain’s shoulder. “Other than my shoulder, none, my lord. Thank you.”

 

“Our Doctor will undertake the repair of Seven’s shoulder once we get back into space. He thought it best for her to regain more strength before undergoing additional surgery.”

 

“A prudent choice. Well, Captain, Seven, we have much to discuss. May I invite you to breakfast in the morning so that we may begin?”

 

“We would be delighted, my lord. What time would be best?”

 

“My wife and I will expect you at 0830 hours. Is that acceptable?”

 

“Perfectly, my lord. We look forward to it. Voyager out.”

 

She turned to the rest of the command staff. “Well, that’s it then until morning. I think we’re going to be busy for the next few days. Chakotay, you have the bridge.”

 

As they entered the turbolift, Janeway asked the EMH and Seven to join her in her quarters. When they got there, she replicated coffee for herself and tea for Seven. If the Doctor was surprised when she eased the pillows around Seven’s injured shoulder he didn’t show it.

 

“Doctor, is there anything I need to know about caring for Seven’s shoulder? We might need to be on the planet surface for lengthy periods.”

 

“No, Captain. As long as Seven can see me twice a day she should be fine. Just always remember that shoulder wound is still an acute injury. It is not healed in the slightest. Treat it gently and she should be fine until we can repair it permanently. Seven, I’ll see you in the morning…say 0730 hours?”

 

“I will comply, Doctor.”

 

“Then ladies, I’ll wish you good night.” With that, he beamed himself back to Sickbay.

 

“I suppose you don’t need to regenerate again. You just came out of a week-long cycle a few hours ago. Can you sleep?”

 

“My sleeping habits are irregular at best, Captain. I do not require sleep at this time. There is work I can do until morning.”

 

“Seven, I don’t want you to tire yourself out. Will you be OK alone in your quarters or would you like to work here?”

 

“I will be fine in my quarters, Captain. I will leave you to sleep.” She stood up and moved toward the door.

 

“Seven, wait.” Janeway rose and walked to her. Her eyes twinkled. “It’s customary for engaged couples to kiss each other good night. We should get in the habit of doing those things so it looks natural and not awkward. But I’m afraid to touch you…I don’t want to hurt you.”

 

Seven smiled and touched her cheek. She leaned forward and gently pressed her lips against Kathryn’s. The kiss lasted a few moments; a few moments of bliss for Janeway. It was far more than adequate.

 

“Good night, Kathryn. Sleep well.” And suddenly she was alone.

 

YES!!!!

 

Part 02/03