Second Nature

With the exception of Commander Tuvok and Seven of Nine, the entire crew of the Intrepid-class starship Voyager was on shore leave. While Tuvok continued his quest for Vulcan inner peace through meditation and silence, I continued to take steps that insured my life would never be the same.

After months and months of denial, it had taken my almost losing Seven to acknowledge my feelings for her. With the crew partaking in a wide variety of recreational activities, we fashioned our own R&R. Throwing routine and the supposed maturity of a forty-four year old Captain to the wind, we ate and slept and made love whenever we felt like it. I was sure that I would pay for this youthful indiscretion but I was also quite sure that it would be worth it. And it was.

While my crew swam or hiked or skied, I learned more about my Borg than I had in the previous eighteen months. I knew exactly what sound would be elicited from a fingernail drawn slowly along her spinal column. I learned what low throaty growl would form when I planted kisses in her ear or nibbled on the back of her kneecap. With my hands and occasionally my mouth, I committed her body to memory, spending hours tracing the curve of her hips, the softness of her thighs, the sweetness of her lips. Although it wasn't the first time I ever watched her, I found myself simply gazing at her while she slept. My heart ached at the sight of her, tears sometimes finding their way down my cheeks as I made mental note of the abuse her body had taken at the hands of the Borg. But true beauty can never be marred and despite the optical implant over her left eye, the star-shaped metal protruding from her right cheek and the layers of implants that laced her abdomen, she was a profoundly exquisite woman. In her sleep, with the day-to-day mask no longer in place, I was often stunned by how young she appeared.

Of course, Seven had her own recreational agenda, too. Watching, learning, tasting, touching - she drew on her eidetic memory, expanding her knowledge of me, playing my body like a musical instrument.

Sometimes, we would sit quietly, just barely touching when we'd turn toward each other and make eye contact. Then, we couldn't move fast enough, barely making it to the bedroom. I have no idea from where that intense passion came nor do I intend to spend time processing it. All I know is that it existed and it would crop up without so much as a warning. Other times, we would move ever so slowly, taking hours just kissing, wrapping ourselves up in each other, as if time and space no longer existed or had any effect on us.

Having experienced countless years of restless nights fraught with insomnia, I was more than a little surprised to find that I no longer had that problem. In fact, I had no trouble falling asleep on top of Seven. With her right hand on the small of my back and her left arm wrapped around my neck, there was a profound sense of safety, a cocoon of comfort and love that enveloped us both. I was loathe to remove myself from it.

There is a difference between time spent together with the crew on shore leave and time spent together with them on board Voyager. I sensed that Seven was worried, her unspoken concerns that I would want to hide our relationship.

"I love you." I whispered in her ear, trying to remind her that things had changed dramatically, I couldn't go back to the way things had been. Why would I? I had experienced true misery while in denial of my feelings for her.

"What about the crew?" she asked, finally verbalizing her thoughts aloud. They would shortly be returning to Voyager en masse.

"Well, I care about them, too" I teased "but not to the same extent."

Gently, she rolled me off her and leaning on her side, searched my face.

"That was a joke, Kathryn. Very funny." Her exaggerated monotone speech left me giggling. I was learning that at times, she reverted to Borg drone-speak to make a point. Sometimes, she did it to tease me, the nearly imperceptible twinkle in her blue eyes finally tipping me off.

I knew that I had to address the subject and once we were out of Argyllian orbit, I would find a way to tell the members of my senior staff.

When I told her I was proud to be in a relationship with her, she favored me with a smile that made her whole face light up. I tried taunting her, attempting to convince her that I would simply make a ship-wide announcement. But, Seven knew me better. She knew I would not mix our personal relationship with our professional one. If I made that announcement at a senior staff meeting, I would be crossing the line. It wasn't something I would ever do.

"We need to get up, Kathryn."

I loved to hear her call me by my name.

"Mmmm?" I mumbled into her right breast.

"The crew will begin beaming back on Voyager in less than an hour."

I groaned, knowing she was right, knowing that I wanted to stay in bed with her.

"Time to be Captain, again." I mused.

"Yes. But now, when your day is over, I will be waiting for you."

I favored her with a kiss, the kind that starts slowly and builds so that for a brief few moments, nothing else exists. There was no crew, no starship, and no delta quadrant.

"That was wonderful, Kathryn. But, we still need to get up." She whispered, huskily. And the warmth that emanated from her body assured me that it had indeed been wonderful.

There was no sense in my trying to deny my role. I needed to greet the crew.

Showered and dressed, I replicated a mug of coffee and prepared to start my life as Captain and partner. Before we left my quarters, Seven reached over, adjusted the pips on my collar and gently brushed her lips over my cheek.

"I think I could get used to starting my days like this."

"It is much better than merely stepping off the regeneration platform in Cargo Bay 2." She said, her comment reminding me that regeneration was something we needed to discuss with the doctor.

"Do you think you can you survive without it?" I asked, knowing that I was entering yet another phase in formalizing our relationship. I stumbled for a few moments before finally adding, "If you can be weaned from it, I want you to move in with me, Seven. I know that's a big step but…"

"Yes, Kathryn." She interrupted. "I would like that, too."

And there was that smile again, lighting up her face and warming my heart.

By the time we got to Transporter Room 1, Tuvok was already standing at the control panel. He nodded to us and began the lengthy process of beaming the one hundred forty three members of Voyager's crew back on board.

Seven stood next to me, probably just a hair-length closer than was usual. I could just barely feel the warmth from her body. It was, however, a feeling that I enjoyed immensely. With arms behind her back and head cocked slightly to one side, she assumed what was her usual stance. We were back in Voyager-mode.

The only time I saw Seven change her demeanor was when Naomi Wildman returned. Seven unceremoniously knelt down and gave the little half-K'taarian, half-Human a welcome hug.

I knew that they had their own unique relationship, one that I was not always privy to. Seeing her drop her Borg composure for a five year old touched my heart. Truth be told, at this point, just about anything she did would have that affect on me. Still, it was a special moment and I knew she was sharing her feelings with me.

As was custom, the senior staff was responsible for making sure that everyone was back before they could beam up. After thirty minutes of non-stop transporter activity, Chakotay, Neelix, Tom Paris, Harry Kim and B'Elanna Torres were back, all looking tanned and well rested. The ship was re-stocked with new foods, raw materials and even some new technology.

I informed them that once we were headed toward the alpha quadrant and no longer orbiting Argyl, I wanted to meet them at Sandrine's. I saw Seven's ocular implant raise a notch and I was sorely tempted to chuckle. But, I didn't. I was starting to feel a little nervous about telling the staff.

By 1900 hours, command of Voyager was relinquished to beta shift and I rushed to my quarters. I was eager to change into something appropriate for dinner and drinks at the ship's favorite holo-program. Moments after I showered and donned a pair of black slacks and matching v-necked blouse, my door chimed, signaling Seven's arrival.

I have no idea when she managed to replicate that low-cut plum colored satin dress. Instead of her hair pulled back in a perfect bun, her hair was down, softly framing her face. All I know is that her appearance left me breathless and more than a little light-headed. I reached for the back of my couch to steady myself, barely mustering a "Wow!"

Apparently, that was enough. I saw her whole body relax, my response more than eliminating her fears that I would somehow not like her outfit.

"Really, Seven. You take my breath away."

"Thank you, Kathryn." She smiled and regained her composure. "Are you ready to go to Sandrine's?"

The Sandrine's program was already running and in full swing when Seven and I neared the holodeck. When the doors slid open, I spotted Tom and B'Elanna playing pool. Chakotay was at the bar and Harry was paying careful attention to the man on the clarinet. The EMH was seated at the piano, attempting to play an old Gershwin tune.

I turned toward her, peered into those incredibly huge blue eyes and without hesitation, took Seven by the hand. As we stepped into the holographic smoke-filled room, B'Elanna caught sight of us. She appeared to be visibly stunned, her eyes widening, her mouth dropping open rather dramatically. Clearly unable to hide his disappointment, Harry scuffed the toe of his shoe, staring blankly at the floor. Chakotay nodded to us, suddenly understanding why all of his recent advances toward me had been repeatedly rejected. The doctor simply stopped playing and relinquished his seat to the holographic pianist. I saw him touch the unit on his arm and he vanished. I knew he had a serious crush on Seven and I'm sure his holographic heart stopped when he saw us holding hands. I knew I'd have to deal with him some day.

"I guess I know what you were doing while we were on Argyl." B'Elanna commented, regaining her composure.

I smiled, wondering how far she would go in questioning us about the past five days. Instead, she moved closer to me and said, "Congratulations, Captain. It's about time."

I looked to Seven who whispered, "Apparently, Kathryn, B'Elanna has been aware of my feelings for you."

"Not just you, Seven. The Captain, as well." B'Elanna noted. "I was starting to think the two of you would never get together."

"That had occurred to me as well." Seven responded.

I could be so thick headed sometimes. I decided then and there that I would make this up to Seven. It might take some doing, but I was capable of it.

Realizing that I had been holding my breath, I exhaled audibly. Acknowledging my nervousness, Seven gently squeezed my hand. We had survived a major hurdle.

The rest of the evening went remarkably well. We all dined together, with Seven and I contented to listen as they shared stories of their shore leave. As the evening drew to a close, there was one more thing I wanted to do. I don't know what surprised me more, my being bold enough to ask Seven to dance with me, the ease in which she moved over the dance floor or the way my body responded to her being in my arms. Perhaps it was all three.

But I am fairly certain that by the time we left Sandrine's, the entire crew of Voyager knew that their captain was in love.

* * *

"According to the doctor, I can progressively wean myself from the regeneration unit." Seven reported. "That means I will require more solid food and additional sleep."

We were sharing a quiet pre-alpha shift breakfast when she volunteered that information. I sipped from an immense mug, making sure that adequate amounts of caffeine were circulating in my blood stream prior to reporting to the bridge.

"He suggested that I decrease the time every two days starting with eight hour cycles then six hours, then four, two and on the last day, a single hour."

"Nine days." I winced, doing the math and not happy at the prospect of nine nights without my beloved Borg. As if reading my mind, Seven added that she could regenerate during the beta shift, then join me in my quarters. It was a good solid plan and there was part of me that was overjoyed that she had already figured out how to be in two places in one evening. It also dawned on me that I could move a chair into Cargo Bay 2 and wait for her.

That, in and of itself, was quite a revelation. It was interesting to see how much I had changed and in such a relatively short period of time. After so many years alone, so many nights sharing my bed with a book, I had firmly convinced myself that I was better off. I was convinced that I was too set in my ways and too difficult to deal with on a one on one basis. As it turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong. After a handful of days, our being together felt natural, as if our relationship was meant to be. Waking up in Seven's arms was on of my life's greatest experiences - this said by a starship captain that had seen the beauty of the stars, witnessed all manner of nebulae, double sunrises over blue-hued mountains, incredible comets - I could go on but I think you get the picture. It seemed like one second I was contented to have my own space and the very next, I couldn't stand to be alone. Where I used to spend minutes leaning on the walls watching Seven regenerate in Cargo Bay 2, I was now ready and willing to spend hours.

"When will you start the process, my love?" I asked, reaching across the table to take her hands in mine.

"Tonight, Kathryn."

It was the answer I hoped for.

* * *

By the time we were at day six in Seven's weaning process, I was more than ready for her to move in. I had spent the past five evenings either poring over PADDs or attempting to read an old, twentieth century novel. Neither was as satisfying as having her in my arms and I told her as much the moment the regeneration cycle ended. Her smile was more than enough compensation for the time I spent huddled under a blanket in Cargo Bay 2. Now that she was down to 4 hours, life began to normalize as we were even able to dine before retiring.

Still, I kept a close watch on her, making sure that the rapid weaning didn't hurt her in any way. And much to her consternation, the doctor insisted on daily examinations. Once completed, she would report his findings to me.

"Yes, Captain, I am unharmed by the process." Her voice came over my comm badge. She only used my first name when I was off-duty. I rarely found myself calling her Annika for despite it being her given name, she seemed to prefer Seven. Of course, calling her 'my love' never failed to elicit a smile and it flowed easily from my mouth. Although I was especially careful not to respond that way while on duty, I will admit that it was tempting, if only to hear her attempt a Borg-like reaction. Instead, I thanked her for the daily doctor's report and signed off.

We were approaching the Rados system, a long, narrow section of space that contained a single white sun and six planets, each with a number of moons. One of the planets was "M" class, capable of sustaining humanoid life. The other five were considerably less friendly.

"Two are considered "H" class, containing variable atmospheres with geologically active land masses, Captain. The other three are young planets, closest to class "F" with an oxidizing atmosphere." Harry reported.

With a Mutara-class nebula capable of wreaking havoc to the left and an area rife with ion storms on the right, being able to traverse Rados was extremely important to us. Long-range sensors fed us up to the moment information and we set a course that would take us through the safest portion of space. I gave Tom the order to move us through Rados on quarter impulse power and we slowly began the journey that would take thirty days. We had only just entered the system when we came to a jarring halt. The inertial dampeners kept us steady but we were in an unknown energy field and unable to move.

"It is similar to a tractor beam but instead of pulling us toward something, it is preventing us from moving in either backward or forward." Tuvok stated.

B'Elanna immediately reported on the status of the warp core.

"Warp core is heating up rapidly, Captain. I will need to shut it down or we will be facing a core breach."

Within moments, a second energy field appeared. Despite our shielding, we stood by helplessly, watching as it moved through the ship.

"We are being scanned, Captain." Tuvok reported. "There does not seem to be any damage to ship or personnel."

I immediately sent out a message, letting the scanners know that we were not a threat to them, all we wanted to do was take a short cut. If we had to skirt the Rados system, the detour would add nearly five years to our journey. That was something I wanted to avoid at all costs.

"There's a message coming in." Harry reported.

I asked him to put it on the screen.

"I am T'arik, Prime Minister of Rados."

T'arik was not quite humanoid, possessing bony ridges along his jaw and over his brow. He was an immense individual with narrow slits surrounding pupil-less black eyes and several prominent fang-like projections where canine teeth would be. His attempts at smiling did nothing to quell my unease for there was something clearly feral about his mouth. His nose was, well….non-existent. There were air holes providing some form of gaseous exchange. I decided that I didn't want to meet T'arik without Tuvok and a major contingency of security guards.

"According to our scan, there is a Borg drone aboard your ship. Furthermore, the scan indicates that this Borg is capable of assimilating members of our species. We will not allow you to enter our space until the Borg is eliminated. End transmission!"

The screen went black.

I heard the door to the bridge slide open, knew exactly who it would be.

"Seven of Nine, report."

"Species 1219, the Radosians. A highly technical race, warp capable. One hundred and fifty years ago, 2.5 million members of their species were assimilated by the Borg. It was reported that a small group of Radosians were on an away mission. The Borg did not search for them. It would seem that these individuals are the descendants."

I thanked her for the information.

"One other thing, Captain…"

I looked up, nodded for her to continue.

"They are known to be deceptive, considered untrustworthy."

"Noted."

I sent T'arik a series of messages, explaining our predicament. I told him that Seven was severed from the Borg collective and had been on board Voyager for eighteen months. I added that no one had ever been in jeopardy because of her past, that she was an individual no longer following the dictates of the Borg queen. No manner of cajoling on my part changed his mind. T'arik simply re-sent his original message.

I tried another tact, inviting them to transport onto Voyager, hoping that once they met with Seven, they would allow us free passage. I had the EMH transmit information about Seven to their own physicians. All of this proved unproductive. Having lost so many members of their species to the Borg, they were nearly rabid in their desire to prevent its reoccurrence. The Radosians were adamant. No Borg or no passage. In the meantime, our engines were in danger of overheating and our shields were being drained.

"Captain Janeway?"

Much to my surprise T'arik was hailing me.

"I have explained your predicament to the Parliament and we have an alternate plan."

I urged him to go on.

"We will allow your ship to pass if you transport your Borg to a our planet. We will keep her isolated, away from the general populace and will return her to you once you reach the other side of our galaxy."

In disbelief, I turned and looked at Seven.

"If this insures Voyager's safe passage, Captain, I will comply."

I shook my head. This was not a viable option.

I felt the eyes of every member of my senior staff, searing into my back.

"Captain, if we…."

I glared at Chakotay, causing him to stop in mid-sentence.

"Into my Ready Room. Now!" I barked, not happy with the general mood on the bridge.

Within seconds, my senior staff was seated and looking to me for answers to this dilemma.

"First off, I would not put any of you in an unsafe situation. If you're making an assumption that it's my relationship with Seven that is keeping me from agreeing to T'arik's demands, get that out of your heads right now."

"I didn't mean to suggest that, Captain." Chakotay apologized. "I thought we could send Seven with an away team. "

"It is not an option." My words were like acid, ripping at my throat. I was that upset. I knew first-hand what atrocities had been committed by the Borg. There were times that I was amazed at how well Seven handled it. I was fairly certain that lesser individuals would have not survived. The notion of sending her down to an unknown alien race on a planet that had been ravaged by the Borg…well, it was patently absurd. If they were looking for a scapegoat, it wasn't going to be Seven.

"There's something entirely wrong about this and based on Seven's report, my gut instinct is not to trust anything T'arik says." I finally mustered.

"Um.... you might want to take a look at this, Captain" Harry interrupted.

He had tapped into a Radosian broadcast showing what appeared to be a highly populated area, with tall multi-storied buildings and above ground transport. Harry locked into the audio and videa of what was probably some form of news report. There was a Radosian addressing a crowd comprised of hundreds of placard-carrying individuals. One of the posters loosely translated to "The only good Borg is a dead Borg. There were banners with similar sentiments hanging from poles and storefronts.

"Guaranteed safety, indeed." Tuvok stated.

What little color she had immediately drained from Seven's face.

"Captain, we cannot remain in their force field." B'Elanna reminded me. "Our shields are down to 52% and at this rate, we'll be defenseless in under an hour."

"Perhaps they would allow Voyager to pass if I agreed to be placed in stasis." Seven suggested.

"It is a logical solution." Tuvok echoed. "Seven would be able to remain on the ship and would not be in a position to pose a threat to the Radosians."

Although it was not common knowledge, I hated stasis chambers. The coffin-like tube and the total loss of control did not sit well with me. Despite my own personal feelings about stasis, I begrudgingly agreed to her plan.

I transmitted Seven's suggestion to T'arik and waited. Not so much as an eyebrow was raised when I told Seven to prepare the stasis chamber in my quarters. In anticipation of an agreement, she left my Ready Room to make arrangements for her thirty days in stasis. Then, the irony of her suggestion hit me. I had been eagerly looking forward to three more days of shortened regeneration cycles. Instead, I was facing an even longer period. Still, with Seven's plan in place, we would be avoiding five years of detours in uncharted space. And, it was certainly more agreeable than anything the Radosians proposed.

Shields had dropped to 49% when T'arik re-appeared on the view screen.

"That would be acceptable, Captain. As soon as your Borg is in stasis, we will allow you safe passage through our solar system."

Handing command off to Chakotay, I hurried back to my quarters, knowing that Seven would already be there. I was hoping to call it our quarters but even that would take a little more time. Once the door closed, I let my guard down and rushed into her arms.

"It is just a month, Kathryn. It will be over before you know it."

I buried my face in her neck and held on for dear life.

"Before I get into the chamber, I must finish one last thing." She said, gently breaking away.

I watched as she programmed the stasis chamber, entering a number of coded sequences. With fingers flying over a PADD at incredible speed, she added the data for one last program.

Out of habit, I played with the stasis chamber On/Off switch, watching as the lid moved back and forth. I thought back to my Starfleet Academy days, how I had postponed the ten day period in stasis until the last year, recalling how my Advisor had to remind me that I wouldn't graduate without successfully completing the exercise.

"I am ready, Kathryn." Seven's voice brought me back to the present time.

The clear chamber lid was open and she eased herself onto the small mattress. Despite my distaste for the chamber, I wanted to climb in with her. Of course I knew that wasn't an option. Instead, I bent over and kissed her, wanting to capture the feel of her lips on mine one last time.

'I love you." I whispered, hoping to keep the sadness out of my voice. I failed miserably.

"I know you do. Please, Kathryn, remember what I told you."

I nodded and watched as the lid snapped into place. Within seconds, the chamber air grew cooler as the environment immediately responded to the program. Her temperature, pulse, respiration and blood pressure would be continually monitored. The chamber would also take readings of moisture levels, oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide. There were only had a few seconds before her state of awareness would be altered. The last thing Seven did was mouth "I love you" and she smiled at me. Then, her eyes closed, she lost consciousness and she was gone.

* * *

Despite my concerns, the Radosians kept their promise. Within moments of Seven's being placed in stasis, the force field dissipated and Voyager was free to travel through their solar system. We sent them our flight plan and I gave the order for us to proceed.

During the journey, I spent most of my days in my Ready Room, reviewing Chakotay's staff reports and B'Elanna's requirements for keeping the warp core at peak efficiency. Seven prepared astrometric projections for our course of travel once we left the Rados system. Admittedly, with Seven in stasis, I was somewhat less than easy to get along with. My normally short fuse was nonexistent. To keep from snapping at Tom, who had a tendency to provoke me on an average day, I stayed away from the bridge and avoided any needless confrontation.

Once my shifts were over, I sequestered myself in my quarters. I will admit that I spent considerable time just watching Seven, gazing at her angelic face as she held up her end of the deal. Much to my consternation, I found that unless you watched for more than a few minutes it seemed like her breathing was stopped.

It wasn't. It was just so slowed down as to be nearly non-recognizable. When it frightened me, I checked the read-outs. When I was overly concerned, I had the EMH re-check them.

As the doctor pointed out to me on several occasions, Seven was fine. I was not.

Five days into the trip, my door chimed, announcing the arrival of a pajama-clad Naomi Wildman, blue Flotter doll clutched in her arms.

"I miss Seven, Captain. Is it ok if I say goodnight to her?"

As if I would say no to her. It was Naomi that suggested several creative ways to recover Seven from our run-in with the Borg queen. She was a unique child. I nodded. In her own way, Naomi had been astute enough to recognize the child in Seven and loved her without reservation. I watched her peering over the side of the stasis chamber, looking at her friend.

"Can you see her alright?"

"Yes, Captain." She stood there for several minutes then thanked me and left.

One week into the trip, I got to my Ready Room early, only to find a dozen red roses sitting in the Replicator unit. In search of a card, I practically tore the white ribbon used to hold them together. Imagine my surprise when I found a note. The envelope read:

Day 7.

Inside, I found a small, cream-colored card and recognized the small, perfect handwriting.

Although I do not fully comprehend the human gesture of presenting decaying, biological matter to someone, it is my hope that these will please you. I want you to know that you were my last thought before I went into stasis. I am glad that I had the time to enter a program in the replicator.

I love you. - Seven.

It's probably a good thing that the ship was running smoothly and that I was not needed. I locked the door, sat at my desk and cried.

I found day ten to be particularly difficult. I'm not sure why. I just know that I wanted Seven out of that damned chamber. I moved my couch closer to it and at that very moment, made the decision to sleep next to her until she was out of stasis. I programmed some quiet music, lowered the lights and sat back, my hand resting on the lid. When my door chimed, I was sorely tempted to shout 'go away' but thinking I would probably be upsetting Naomi, I controlled myself and called for her to enter.

"This has to be making you crazy, Captain."

It was B'Elanna, a bottle of wine in one hand and two glasses in the other.

"More than you can imagine." I acknowledged.

In a way, I was grateful for her company and even more grateful that she understood how difficult this was for me.

"To finally realize that you love her then not be able to touch her…."

"Thanks for cheering me up, B'Elanna." I teased her, watching guiltily as her face reddened.

"I'm sorry, Captain. I…"

"Kathryn." I corrected. "I believe this is far from duty-related."

I had to admit that B'Elanna's presence came as a surprise to me. I knew that there was no love lost between her and Seven. Seven's almost cocky self-assuredness, her Borg bravado often aggravated B'Elanna beyond belief. All I could do was hope that they would find a way to exist peacefully. And yet, here she was, bold enough to enter my quarters and try to help me through this period. Perhaps my feelings for Seven made me seem more human to my crew. I replicated some food and convinced B'Elanna that I wanted her to stay. For a while, I was even relaxed enough to make small talk. And, when it came to ship gossip, no one knew more of it than B'Elanna. We ended up finishing the wine, coming up with just about every toast we could remember.

"To twenty more days." She finally said.

I agreed. Twenty sounded a lot better than thirty.

* * *

By day sixteen, we were close enough to Rados to establish orbit. Harry continued monitoring their broad band frequency, occasionally finding a report or two about Voyager's progress and the unconscious Borg drone. I was pouring myself a second cup of coffee when the ship lurched to one side, the immediate blare of a klaxon horn, a 'red alert' breaking the morning's silence.

"Intruder alert!" The ship's computer announced.

Rushing to the bridge, I found myself nearly face-to-face with a dozen Radosians, none of which were nearly half as good looking as T'arik.

"You have invaded Radosian space." Their leader announced. "We have been sent to take your ship. You will be transported to our planet and face charges."

"Wait a minute. We're here with T'arik's understanding. Our flight path was submitted and cleared over two weeks ago. Th…."

"T'arik is no longer in charge therefore all dealings with him are null and void. I am V'uxxor. I am in charge"

He cut me off, turned to his henchmen. "Find the stasis chamber and destroy it. I want the Borg drone eliminated, once and for all."

Before his words could sink in, two Radosians rushed from the bridge in search of my quarters.

I felt sick to my stomach, the combination of complete and utter dread mixed with too much caffeine. Seven would be attacked, helpless and totally unable to defend herself. Her partner and Captain failed to protect her from the Radosians. I reached for a nearby railing, if only to support myself. In an instant, I was in agony and on the deck. The pain in my shoulder was so intense that when I looked down, I half expected to find a gaping hole. Instead, there was a burn in my jacket and the unmistakable odor of charred flesh. My flesh. The rest of my body felt like I had been beaten repeatedly with a blunt object.

"You are no longer in charge, Captain Janeway." V'uxxor warned. "Do not move again or I will kill you."

"Captain, stay still." Tom whispered.

As if I could move, I thought to myself.

V'uxxor, having shoved Harry away from his computer station, instructed another Radosian to enter landing coordinates.

I watched as several lights flickered on the computer screen.

"Ship sensors indicate that a phaser burst has occurred onboard, Captain." Tuvok reported.

I knew what that meant and I was unable to prevent the groan that escaped my lips. Despite Tuvok's comment, I didn't want to believe that Seven was dead. Denial is a powerful tool. Unfortunately, when the two Radosians returned to the bridge, my worst fears were confirmed. I'm not sure what was more painful, my burned shoulder or my grief. Rather than give in to the tears that threatened to spill, I willed myself to lose consciousness. I was unsuccessful. To make matters worse, I could feel the ship turning about, heading back to Rados.

V'uxxor had the temerity to sit in my chair, watching as his men congratulated themselves on their successful mission. Their cheers stopped immediately when a multi-tiered voice came over the ship's comm.

"We are Borg. You will be assimilated. Resistance is Futile."

"What?" I saw V'uxxor rise from my chair, absolute and total panic registering in his face.

"We are Borg. You will be assimilated. Resistance is Futile."

The bridge door slid open, revealing a fully functional, very much alive Borg drone, her phaser rifle aimed directly at V'uxxor.

Seven wasted no time, her amazing reflexes coupled with perfect vision made her a force to reckon with. With the element of surprise clearly in our favor, Tuvok, Harry and Tom disarmed the rest of the Radosians. The intense pain and emotional shock finally caught up with me. I passed out.

* * *

When I regained consciousness, I found myself on a biobed in Sick Bay. As the fog of an anesthetic hypospray wore off, I became aware of two weights. On my right, a large gel pack was healing the third degree burns on my shoulder. On my left shoulder, lay the head of a Borg drone. My Borg.

"Seven?" I croaked. I tried to touch her but my arms lay uselessly at my side, my body totally uncooperative.

She picked her head up slowly, her face registering immediate relief at the sound of my voice.

"Kathryn."

She didn't have to say anything. Her expression said it all.

Gently, she ran her hand down my cheek. Despite her formative years spent in a maturation chamber, Seven was adapting. Much to my delight, she was becoming physically demonstrative.

"Well, you're back." The EMH chirped as he moved into view.

I hated it when he tried to sound cheery.

"The burns are healing nicely. The rest of your body took quite a shock. The Radosians use a complex weapon - intense heat and a disruptor beam fired at the same time. Lucky for you V'uxxor missed hitting anything vital. A few inches to the left and you would have been killed."

I nodded. Something awfully powerful knocked me on my butt.

"You'll be up before you know it."

More cheer.

I looked to my Borg.

"I thought I lost you when the Radosians destroyed your stasis chamber." I whispered, unable to keep my voice from trembling.

"Do you remember my entering several sub-routines into the computer?"

Her normally flat voice was incredibly soft and soothing to me. I tried to concentrate. And I remembered. It was right before she climbed into the stasis chamber. I thought she only had enough time to send me flowers but I was mistaken.

"Yes, my love. I remember."

"According to my calculations, the odds of the Radosians keeping their word were not in our favor." She explained. "The moment the ship went to red alert, my sub-routine went into effect. My stasis chamber was transported to Cargo Bay 2 and the sequence for ending stasis began. A second chamber containing a doll-like figure clad in a blue biosuit was transported to your quarters. The Radosians were successful in destroying a stasis chamber. However, I was not in it."

She bent down, brushed her lips against my cheek.

"You need to rest, Kathryn. Please get better. And do so quickly." She informed me, very seriously.

I begged the doctor to let me beam directly to my quarters but he was adamant.

"As soon as the shoulder has healed and your metabolism has stabilized. Not before."

"We can wait a few more hours, Kathryn." Seven said.

Waiting was not one of my strong suits.

* * *

The next time I opened my eyes, Chakotay and Tuvok were standing at my side. "Report." My voice cracked from disuse. "The Radosians were disarmed and beamed back to their planet's surface. They appeared to be in a state of shock after seeing and hearing our Borg." Chakotay said. So, now she was the ship's Borg. And here, I thought she was mine alone.

"Seven used an audio recording from a previous encounter with the Borg. That's why the Borg threat sounded so authentic. They were terrified." Tuvok added. "It was a logical way to approach them."

"The ship? The crew?"

"No injuries, Captain. However, instead of impulse, we're at maximum warp. The faster we leave Rados space, the happier we'll all be."

I agreed. We had played by their rules. Now, we were playing by our own. I heard the door to Sick Bay swish open and out of the corner of my eye caught the flash of Seven's bright blue biosuit. I overheard her talking to the EMH and wondered if my condition had worsened, if somehow they were keeping information from me. "Seven can be very persuasive, Captain." The EMH announced. She convinced him that I would be much better off recuperating in my own bed, that she would see to it that I did not leave my quarters until he authorized it. I mouthed a 'thank you' to her and within seconds we were transported to my bedroom.

"Finally." I said.

And then I watched Seven change, her entire demeanor visibly altering. Her body language was less rigid, her voice softer, her facial expression relaxed as she went from self-assured Astrometrics officer to the woman I loved. I suppose I did the same when I came off duty and I wondered if she was aware of the incredible transformation. She pulled the bedcovers back and gently eased me onto the pillows. It amazed me to think that she had been a member of a brutal, unfeeling cyber-enhanced collective.

"Do you have any idea how much I love you?" I asked, as she tenderly placed a blanket around me, ever so careful not to bump my shoulder. She sat on the side of the bed and looked at me, her eyes filling with tears. "Yes. I think I do." She responded. "But, it never fails to amaze me." I asked her why, only to watch a tear spill down her cheek. "I do not believe that others would consider me to be lovable. And, it is not always easy, knowing that I am feared and hated… not just by Radosians. I know that there are still members of Voyager that wonder if my presence is a threat to their safety." I nodded, finally comprehending that she had been keeping her sensitivity bottled up, the Borg cockiness a mask to hide her own feelings. "What's important, my Seven, is that I love you, possibly beyond anything you or I can comprehend right now. As for the crew, it will take time but they will adapt." I intentionally used a 'Seven' phrase. "In the meantime, I will provide you with more than enough love." I said. Ah, that smile. If I could bottle it up, take it with me. Seven leaned forward and kissed my cheek. "You reside in my heart, Kathryn."

I watched as she slipped out of her biosuit and climbed into bed with me. She lay on her left side and gently pulled me toward her until I could feel her soft breasts up against my back, her legs behind mine, her right arm wrapped around my waist. Just before I fell asleep, I heard a tiny voice in the back of my mind. It whispered one word. Home. * * *

Having been frightened into believing that they were in danger of being assimilated, the Radosians continued to monitor us from a distance but allowed us to pass without any further interference. Despite being confined to quarters, I was kept informed of our progress through hourly communications from Chakotay, Tuvok and B'Elanna. Seven returned to Astrometrics once she was absolutely certain that I was feeling better and following the doctor's orders by staying in bed. It drove me crazy but I stayed put. Seventy-two hours later, the holographic EMH pronounced me fit to return to work and released me. Of course, by the time he did that it was nearly 1800 hours. Rather than rush to the bridge, I decided that I could put the day's last few hours to better use.

I lowered the lighting in my quarters and replicated a dozen scented candles. Once they were lit and placed in various locations, I programmed quiet music and some new foods for Seven. Now that she was on solid nutritional matter, as she often referred to it, I was happy to introduce her to a wider variety. Within a short period of time, I learned that fruit, crackers and cheese were among her favorites. She didn't eat large meals, preferring instead to nibble. I chilled a bottle of wine and changed into a pair of light weight drawstring pants and matching shirt. Then, I relaxed on the couch and waited for her arrival.

"I was informed that you were no longer confined to quarters." She said, as she entered the room. "I expected you to return to the bridge." I explained that given the ship's current status, there really was no reason to waste an evening. I patted the seat beside me, urging her to join me. Taking note of the little spread set out on the table, she asked me if we were celebrating a special occasion. "Yes. You could say that." I watched as she turned her head slightly toward me, her ocular implant inching up a notch. "Explain." "I've been waiting for this day for a long time, Seven. I'd like you to officially consider this 'our' quarters. Please, move out of Cargo Bay 2." A slight pink color flushed her cheeks, her eyes deepened in color. And she nodded, that oh-so-slight head move that signaled her acceptance. I took her hand and kissed it, starting at the palm and working my way up to her fingers. "While you were recuperating, I learned to appreciate several new human feelings, Kathryn." She said, her voice lower and deeper, a sure sign that my lips were having their desired affect. "Oh?" "Wanting and yearning." I suggested that we might be able to find an immediate cure for both and gently took her in my arms. It didn't take but a second before our mouths sought and found each other, before lips parted and tongues danced. I was glad that I wasn't wearing much, that I could feel the heat of her body through my clothes. Seven surprised me by breaking the kiss, standing and taking me by the hand. "Aren't you hungry?" "Yes." She said, and led me into the bedroom. Within seconds, I was back on the bed. This time I didn't mind it. Seven's mouth recaptured mine while her hands reached for my shirt. I don't remember how we managed to get undressed. We just did. Nothing could compare to the feeling of our bodies intertwined. Legs wrapped around, breasts nestled between each other. I couldn't tell where my body ended and where Seven's began. And, it really didn't matter. We spent an indeterminate amount of time kissing. It was one of my favorite things to do. Seven didn't complain, either.

"Are you feeling weak, Kathryn." She pulled away in order to ask.

"Not nearly as much as you'd think." I teased.

Then she wasted no time in rolling me onto my back. Weak is one thing. Foolish is quite another. There was no way I was going to admit that I tired easily. And with that, I became the recipient of wondrous soft kisses and gentle caresses, a myriad of tender expressions of Seven's love for me. Every act was a loving reminder of her complete attention to detail, her expanding knowledge of what pleased me and her desire to do just that. The woman who once apologized for her limited vocabulary managed to have no trouble conveying the intensity of her feelings toward me. I reveled in the way my body responded to her, ultimately abandoning all rational thought and losing myself in her. It seemed like one moment I was aware of my thought processes and the very next, my body was suffused with pleasure and I was being cradled in her strong arms. I floated in some nether-region of diminished sight and sound where I was neither Captain nor mentor. There was no rank or hierarchy. I belonged to Seven.

As soon as I could, I returned the favor. I wanted to share that intense experience with her.

Every time I kissed her, the incredible sweetness of her mouth caught me by surprise. Tiny noises escaped, little, wordless outbursts of passion from the woman most people believed to have ice water running through her veins. I let my hands roam, trailing down the side of her hip, running across her stomach, knowing that regardless of whether it was soft skin or cool metal, I loved every inch of her. I took a breast in my mouth, ran my tongue over and around a pink nipple, nibbling gently and listening for her audible reaction. By the time my hands brushed the tiny triangle of blonde curls, they were met with an abundance of warmth and moisture, a low moan. Moving through warm, silky folds, I sought out the tiny nub of flesh, gently running my fingers over and around it, feeling her body's response to my ministrations. The wave of spasms flooded through Seven, a sob caught in her throat. No amount of wine nor any drug could duplicate this heady sensation.

Gently nuzzling her neck, I held her tightly, close enough to feel her heart pounding against my breast. "It's ok. You're safe" I whispered. "I'm not letting go of you." "Never?" Her small voice clutched at my heart. I didn't have to think about it. Loving Seven was second nature to me. "Never."