STARDATE:  54893.5

PROLOGUE

The doors of Sickbay silently slid open as Seven of Nine strode through the door.

“Please state the nature of the…oh, hello Seven. What brings you to Sickbay this morning?”

“I wish to discuss the surgical reconfiguring of my cortical node to remove the failsafe neural inhibitor. You said you had the medical means to do so. Is that still the case?”

“Yes, in fact, anticipating your change of heart, I’ve refined the procedure down from a series of operations to just one. Granted it will be fairly long, but since I never tire and my attention to detail never wavers, that isn’t a concern.”

“How soon would you be able to perform the procedure?”

“There are more concerns than just when I can perform the procedure, Seven.  You will have to undergo a minimum of an eighteen-hour regeneration cycle afterward. That might require some rescheduling to cover Astrometrics.”

“Icheb can perform the duties of Astrometrics Officer in my absence with the help of Tal Celes. I will speak to her about assisting him and to Ensign Kim about checking in on Icheb occasionally. When can you perform the surgery?”

“I can be ready to go this evening at 1800 hours. Will that give you adequate time to make your arrangements?”

“Yes. Thank you, Doctor. I will be here promptly at 1800 hours.”

“Excellent. I’ll notify the captain and we’ll do it then.”

Seven’s forehead wrinkled slightly over her optical array. Her frown was so rare that the Doctor became concerned. “What’s wrong?”

“I do not wish Captain Janeway to know the nature of the surgery.”

“But Seven, she always takes an interest in your health. She’s concerned about you. She’ll want to know.”

“Regardless, I do not wish her to. You may inform her of the fact that I am undergoing a surgical procedure so that Astrometrics will be adequately covered, but you may not tell her the nature of the surgery you are performing. I am entitled to Doctor/Patient confidentiality, am I not?”

“Yes, you are. As is every member of this crew. Very well, I won’t tell the captain the nature of the surgery.”

“Thank you, Doctor. I will return at 1800 hours.” With that, the statuesque former Borg drone turned on her heel and strode out of the medical unit.

* * * * *

STARDATE:  54897.9

“Oh, God, yes, darling…oh, please, don’t stop…”

“I will not, Kathryn.” Seven’s lips continued pressing warm kisses down the elegant throat as she eased her way down Janeway’s body. The film of sweat that covered her lover left a salty tang on her tongue as she licked in concert with the kisses. As the softness of Kathryn’s breast brushed her cheek, Seven dragged her tongue across the hardening nipple and followed that with a puff of air. Janeway gasped and clutched the blonde head firmly against her as Seven covered the pebbled nub with her lips and began to suck gently.

Wetness smeared against Seven’s belly as Janeway’s hips began to thrust in primal rhythm. Her Borg hand drifted to Kathryn’s other breast and caressed it, stroking its nipple erect as her lips and tongue continued their ministrations on the other. Lost in the exquisite feel of those breasts beneath her lips she suckled deeply.

Janeway’s breathing was ragged and her hips grinding against Seven’s belly feverishly. Her gasps and moans spurred Seven as she lifted her head and pushed herself up over her lover. Janeway shuddered at the sudden coolness as Seven lifted her body away from her. Then a molten tongue gently traced the outer shell of her ear.

“Tell me what you want, my Kathryn, tell me how to love you,” the soft whisper demanded. “Tell me, my love…”

“Your mouth,” sobbed Janeway, beside herself with heat and desire, “I want to come in your mouth. Please, darling, please…now…please…,” she begged.

Seven did not hesitate, caressing and kissing her way down Janeway’s body.  Fitting herself between Kathryn’s legs, she could feel her lover’s heat and smell her arousal. Glistening, velvet folds beckoned her and without hesitation she buried her lips in them wrenching a sob from her lover as she did.

‘Sweet, so very sweet’ she thought as her tongue swept through the wetness and over Kathryn’s center eliciting another moan.  Kathryn’s hips thrust faster as her need rose.

“Please, oh please…now, darling… please…”

“Regeneration Cycle Complete,” chirped the computer as it ended the cycle and shut down the alcove.

Seven murmured “Kathryn!” softly as her eyes popped open. Extremely aroused and disoriented she nearly stumbled as she stepped forward from the contacts and realized that the object of her erotic dream was standing in front of her with a worried look on her face.

“Seven? Are you all right?”

“Captain! Why are you here?” Seven snapped, acutely embarrassed at her erotically charged state.  Her nipples were painfully erect and she could detect the scent of her own arousal. She stepped off the dais and strode toward her workstation, a confused Janeway in pursuit.

“I wanted to be here when your cycle ended to see if you were all right. I was concerned when the Doctor told me he’d operated on you and that you needed such a long regeneration cycle afterwards. Are you all right?”

“I am functioning within normal parameters. The surgery was an elective recalibration of my cortical node, nothing more. I do not require your concern.”

Janeway was taken aback. “Seven, have I done something to upset you? If I have…”

Seven swung to face the smaller woman. “You think nothing of entering this Cargo Bay while I am regenerating. Do I enter your bedroom while you are sleeping? Do I invade your privacy with so little thought?”

Stunned, Captain Janeway searched for the right words to calm the angry young woman. “Seven, I… I guess I never thought about it. I just wanted to make sure you were all right.” Janeway desperately wanted to change the subject. The fact that she often slipped into the Cargo Bay to watch the beautiful woman regenerate and the reasons that drove her to do so were her deepest secrets.

“You would never presume to enter even the lowliest crewman’s quarters unless it was an emergency, yet you and the rest of the crew think nothing of entering this Cargo Bay at any hour whether I am regenerating or not.”

“Seven, I’m sorry…”

“You push me to embrace my humanity fully yet you treat me like a mindless automaton; like the drone I was. You do not afford me the basic rights of privacy that any other crewman is entitled to!”

Janeway was becoming more upset, not at her actions, which had been innocent in intent, but at the intensity of Seven’s reaction and the points she argued.

“Seven, I didn’t know…I didn’t think…”

“That is crux of the problem, Captain. You. Did. Not. Think. No one thinks. I am just the drone. I will never be considered a member of this crew while you hold me in such low regard! The crew takes its cues from you, Captain!”

“Now just a minute, Seven. I’ve always required that…”

“Required what? That they not mock me to my face? That they wait until my back is turned before they make jokes about the way I speak? That they not leer at my body where I can see them do it? That they notify the bridge before they enter this Cargo Bay and ogle me while I regenerate?”

By this time Janeway was getting a little angry herself. If those things had gone on she should have been notified of it and she would have put a stop to it immediately. No way would she have allowed anyone on Voyager to treat Seven so cavalierly. It really was not fair that Seven unload on her. It wasn’t her fault that…

But in reality, it was. It was her fault and it was her responsibility. She had decreed that Seven be accepted as a member of the crew and then ignored any indications that she might not have been. The thought of what Seven must have endured over the past four years made her feel even worse than before. And she responded as most starship captains would. She acted decisively.

“Enough! I will look into your allegations. List the incidents and the personnel involved and I will discipline each and every one. I’ll expect your report by the end of alpha shift tomorrow.”

Janeway spun on her heel and stormed out of the Cargo Bay, her emotions in turmoil. Something was terribly wrong and she was going to get to the bottom of it.

* * * * *

“What the hell have you done to my Astrometrics Officer?”

“I beg your pardon, Captain. I don’t understand.”

“I was waiting for her regeneration cycle to end so I could ask her how she was feeling but I never got the chance. No sooner had she opened her eyes than she tore into me for violating her privacy! And it went downhill from there. Seven has never been this angry before no matter what the provocation and I want to know what is going on. So, Doctor, I repeat: what the hell have you done to my Astrometrics Officer?”

“I can’t tell you. Seven has invoked Doctor/Patient privilege and asked me not to reveal that and I can’t. I’m bound by my oath not to violate patient confidentiality even if I wanted to.”

Janeway glared at the hologram as if her look could alter his matrix. “I can delete your ethical subroutines and ask you again,” she growled in the quiet, low voice that her crew had come to dread.

“Why go to all the trouble of deleting my ethical subroutines when you’re within your rights as Captain to simply read my personal logs?” snapped the EMH. His tone sounded sarcastic, but the pleading look on his face conflicted with it greatly. Janeway turned and stalked out of Sickbay headed for her Ready Room. Once there, she got another cup of coffee from her replicator and began to pace, debating the aspects of the EMH’s statement.

He was correct; it was within her command purview to read the personal logs of any crewmember in an emergency or if there was a possibility that the crewmember in question was a danger to himself or others. In this case, Janeway’s concerns about Seven of Nine might be addressed by reading the doctor’s logs. She replayed the confrontation in Sickbay over in her mind, focusing on the differences in the doctor’s tone and the look on his face. He definitely wanted her to know something, and she strongly suspected that what he wanted her to know was in his personal logs. Deciding that the welfare of her Astrometrics Officer was the most important fact, Janeway settled at her desk and using her command codes, brought up the EMH’s personal logs for the past seventy-two hours. She hailed the duty officer and ordered that she not be disturbed until further notice, then sealed the Ready Room doors.

Reading the logs, she discovered the existence of the failsafe neural inhibitor and reviewed the surgical procedures to remove it. A reference by the EMH of Seven’s initial refusal to have the inhibitor removed gave her the timeframe of when it was discovered. She realized it had been discovered when Seven had collapsed in the holodeck, a fact of which she had not been aware. Realizing that she was going to have to dig a lot deeper, Janeway called up the holodeck logs for the forty-nine hours Seven had spent there and transferred them, under her encryption, to the holo-imaging lab. Merely reading the master logs would not suffice; in this instance, she was actually going to have to watch what Seven had done in the holodeck. She downloaded Seven’s personal logs for the timeframe in question to a PADD and took the turbolift down to Deck Six and the holodecks.

Securing the holo-imaging lab, she ordered up Seven’s programs and watched as an implant-free Seven of Nine interacted freely and easily with the crew.  Watched as a fully integrated crewmember Seven of Nine moved into and decorated her new quarters. And, finally, her heart breaking, she watched as that same fully human Seven of Nine loved Chakotay.

With growing dread she read Seven’s personal logs along with the holographic programs of the same dates to reconcile what was happening to her officer. Her worst fears were confirmed as she watched Seven of Nine sleeping in the holographic Chakotay’s arms. She fought for control but one errant tear slipped down her cheek. She dashed it away quickly, but the pain in her heart nearly felled her. Still, she did not stop, determined to know the truth of what had happened to Seven.

She watched as Seven argued with the holographic Chakotay and collapsed; her personal logs filling in the details of what had been discovered in Sickbay. She watched as, finally, Seven deleted the constructs and closed the program files, determined not to allow something so human as love to distract her from her duty again. In despair, Janeway shut down the holo-projectors and closed the logs, sealing them with her command encryptions.

Glancing at the Padd she still held, she realized there was still one last log file to review. She sighed then forced herself to listen to the final log entry.

“Personal log, Seven of Nine. Stardate:  54684.2”

“I have abandoned my research into human romantic relationships. My pursuit of knowledge in this area has brought me only confusion and pain. Once again, the Borg have reached out from my past to keep me from fully regaining my humanity. The EMH has discovered the cause of my cortical node failure. There is a neural inhibitor fail safe implant that will shut down my cortical node should I begin to feel strong emotions.”

“The EMH says he can remove the implant with a series of surgical procedures, but I have refused to allow the operations. My reasons for doing so are also a result of my experiments in the holodeck.”

“During my time there, I attempted to follow the captain’s example. I did what Captain Janeway did: I programmed a perfect lover.  I built a construct of Chakotay, including all the admirable qualities he imbues. But I could feel NOTHING for it. Try as I might, I could not summon the all-consuming passion associated with human love.”

“At first I attributed this lack to the neural inhibitor, but I discovered it was not the cause. During one of my last stays in the holodeck, I brought along a PADD with some reports I was working on. One of them was in response to a request from Captain Janeway.”

“I was fatigued at the time and my thoughts drifted to her. Suddenly, I was aware of how her eyes changed color with her mood and how her wry grin makes my heart beat faster. I thought of the glints of red in her hair under the bridge lights and how her laugh inspires me to work even harder to please her. I realized then that I could summon no love for my holographic construct because I am already in love with Captain Janeway.”

Kathryn’s knees nearly gave out at the sound of those eight words. I am already in love with Captain Janeway.

And Captain Janeway was already in love with her. Kathryn was never sure when her feelings for Seven had moved beyond fondness for a friend and become love. She knew only that neither of the men she had been engaged to marry elicited the feelings she felt for Seven of Nine.

And Seven loved her!

Kathryn forced herself to focus on the final entries in the log. Seven explained that since Captain Janeway could never allow herself to love a crewmember that Seven would rather keep the inhibitor in place. A cross-reference to a more recent log entry brought Janeway up short. An offhand comment of Janeway’s after her kidnapping had motivated Seven to have the inhibitor removed. Kathryn had said, “Something like this makes you rethink a lot of things.” Her words and Seven’s fears for her safety during the kidnapping had given Seven hope that perhaps Janeway could love her after all. To that end, Seven had the inhibitor removed so nothing would interfere with her feelings for the captain.

Janeway checked her chronometer and realized that not only had she missed dinner but also that it was already gamma shift. Securing the lab, she returned to her quarters. She had some decisions to make.

* * * * *

Captain Janeway was not the only one disturbed by the earlier altercation in Cargo Bay two. Replaying the confrontation again in her eidetic memory, Seven of Nine was shocked at the intensity of her response to the captain’s presence. Intellectually, she knew that her overreaction was the result of the confusing dream and her embarrassment over her state of arousal in front of the captain. But Seven had no experience with losing control and the vehemence of her verbal assault on the captain worried her. If the removal of her neural inhibitor was going to allow her to overreact in that manner at the slightest provocation, she would need to learn to control her emotions far more tightly than she apparently could now. She queried the computer for Commander Tuvok’s location and secured her boards. At least she knew whom to ask about learning emotional control.

Tuvok was sitting in the command chair for beta shift. When Seven requested to speak privately with him, he ushered her into the privacy of the conference room. She sat and took a few moments to form her questions.

“Tuvok, I require assistance. Earlier today, during the end of a regeneration cycle I experienced an unusual psychological phenomenon.” She hesitated again and Tuvok spoke up.

“Do you require an explanation? If so, perhaps the EMH would be a better counselor.”

“No, I require your assistance. But first, let me explain about the surgical procedure that was performed.” Seven proceeded to tell Tuvok about the neural inhibitor and her decision to have it removed. When she finished, she moved onto her primary area of concern.

“Tuvok, explain the significance of erotic dreams in the human psyche to me.”

Tuvok took a moment to organize his thoughts. “The primary functions of dreams are to maintain sleep and prevent the brain from emotionally overheating. Dreams therefore are often concerned with resolving problems and restoring emotional equilibrium. Dreams can be a way to deal with unfulfilled desires from waking life. A person's desire for greater fulfillment may be expressed in erotic dreams. Erotic dreams usually occur at times when a certain amount of release from tension is required. They are a safety valve that lets out pent-up frustrations and sexual inhibitions. They may compensate for unfulfilled sex.”

“So an erotic dream is a manifestation of unresolved sexual tension?”

“Essentially correct. They are, as I understand it, a normal manifestation of human sleep and are no great cause for concern.” Not wishing to pry or further embarrass Seven, he folded his hands and waited for her to continue.

“I had an erotic dream while regenerating last night. It was…interrupted…when my cycle was completed. I found myself uncomfortably aroused because of the dream and I overreacted emotionally as a result.”

“I take it you regret this overreaction?”

“I do. The… subject… of the dream was standing there when I awoke from my cycle and my embarrassment at my aroused state caused me to argue more harshly than I normally would.”

“And how did Captain Janeway respond to your angry outburst?”

“I didn’t say that it was the captain!”

Tuvok said softly, “Seven, the captain has always taken a keen interest in your well being. She informed me herself earlier that she was going down to the Cargo Bay to be there when your cycle ended. She was concerned about your condition after your surgery. As for her being the subject of your dream, it is not surprising. Your relationship with her is the closest of anyone on Voyager. That you would transfer that into a romantic relationship in an erotic dream is not unusual.”

Seven looked at him with a bleak expression. “What if I wanted the romantic relationship while awake?”

“Are you saying that you are in love with Captain Janeway?”

“Yes, Tuvok. I love Captain Janeway. I do not know if she returns the feelings or if she would even consider a relationship with a woman. But I love her.”

“I have known the captain for nearly twenty years. Nothing in her behavior during that time would lead me to believe that she would be adverse to a relationship with a woman, but I must remind you that the two primary romantic relationships in her life to date have been with men.”

“If she cannot love me then I will adapt. However, Tuvok, my reactions were inappropriate to the situation. Would you help me in learning to control the emotions freed by the removal of the neural inhibitor?”

“Certainly. First, we will need to review the meditation techniques we studied last year…”

An hour later Seven left the conference room feeling significantly better than when she had entered it. Tuvok’s meditation techniques had helped calm her mind. He explained to her that she would learn to control her newfound emotions just as anyone would gain proficiency in a skill with continual practice. She also felt better about his personal advice.

He had noted that it appeared the personal bonds between the captain and Seven had lessened in the past few months. Seven agreed that they had. Tuvok had counseled patience and a low-key attempt to re-forge those bonds. She decided she would challenge the captain to a game of Velocity. There was a time when no matter the hour she would have presented herself at the captain’s door and made her request. She had since learned that even while the captain had never refused her, it was considered rude to disturb someone during recognized sleep hours. Tomorrow morning would be soon enough. She returned to Astrometrics and began a complicated sensor array recalibration.

* * * * *

Kathryn had spent the night thinking hard about beliefs she had long held sacred. She remembered ethics classes at the Academy and at Command College. For a senior officer to have a romantic relationship with a junior officer was construed as an abuse of command authority. It was forbidden to have one with an enlisted crewmember. The Academy and Command College tended to think in black and white and always in the context of standard Starfleet protocols. A standard deep-space mission lasted between four and five years. It was always within the Alpha quadrant. Other Starfleet vessels were close enough that, even if not in the immediate vicinity, they could rendezvous with sister ships in a matter of hours in most cases.

But Janeway also remembered a conversation with her father after a particularly thorny ethics problem had come up during her Academy years.

“Never forget, Kathryn, that the regulations are designed for most of the commanders in Starfleet. Because most of them will never be completely cut off from their chain of command. They’ll never be as isolated as Jim Kirk and Enterprise were. The regulations are written ambiguously in the areas of personal relations for a reason. Because there is always the chance that a ship will be cut off and her captain will need to make the decisions that are right for that ship in that particular place and time. And that may not always gybe with Starfleet regulations.”

She thought too of the lessons learned from Boothby at the Academy. To always dot your ‘I’s and cross your ‘T’s whenever you can. To do it by the book as much as you can because there would always come a time when you couldn’t do it by the book. And having done it right when you could would be the only thing that might save you.

Voyager had been on her own for seven years. Janeway had been forced to throw the regulations out many times to survive, but, for the most part, Voyager was a ship-shape Starfleet vessel. She had already let it be known that if crewmembers paired up, senior staff would not concern themselves. Moreover, she had communicated the same thing to her senior staff. Why did she continue to hold herself apart? Why did she continue to cling to regulations and guidelines designed for ships on the far side of the galaxy? Fear? Uncertainty?

Shortly before the start of Alpha shift she made up her mind. Captain Janeway, CO of Voyager might not require companionship to stay the course of this long journey home, but Kathryn Janeway the woman certainly did. And it had been Kathryn Janeway who won the long internal debate that night. However, Captain Janeway had a few things to take care of before they could act on that decision.

She showered and donned a fresh uniform. Emerging from the ensuite of her quarters, she requested a fresh mug of coffee and headed out her door to the turbolift. When she stepped into it, she suddenly felt hungry and decided to stop by the Mess hall for a quick breakfast. Since Neelix had left Voyager last month, Crewman Chell had taken over the Mess Hall to mixed reviews. Mostly favorable, there had been a couple of downright disasters.

Neelix always maintained that breakfast was the most important meal of the day and insisted on heavy cooked cereals, pancakes, omelets and breakfast entrees that weighed you down until dinner. To Janeway’s delight, Chell seemed to grasp the notion that a light breakfast was better than no breakfast and she eagerly ate a bowl of fruit and some toast before heading to the Bridge.

She stepped off the turbolift on Deck One with a spring in her step and with a cheerful ‘Report!’ she settled into her command chair to hear the overnight logs. When she was up to speed on Voyager’s current position, course, speed and general condition, she satisfied herself one more time that there were no viable threats within fifteen light years. Then rising from her chair, she asked Tuvok and Chakotay to join her in her Ready Room.

Settling everyone on the upper level with their drink of choice, she took a deep draught of her coffee and began.

“Gentlemen, we’ve been seven long, hard years fighting our way back to the Alpha quadrant and home. We’ve made fantastic progress and I have every confidence that we will continue to do so. But recent events have caused me to re-evaluate many things.” She took a long, steadying breath and continued.

“Despite my best efforts not to, I’ve developed… I’ve fallen in love with a member of the crew. Up to now I’ve not acted on those feelings. But being kidnapped made me stop and wonder why I haven’t. I’ve thought long and hard on it and I can’t come up with a single viable reason why. The rules that apply in the Alpha quadrant just don’t apply here. Our mission isn’t going to be four or five years. Our mission has already been seven years and could likely last the rest of our lives. And I have discovered that I do not wish to spend those years alone.”

“I am going to pursue a romantic relationship with this crewmember. I called you in here to notify you in advance so we can be ready to deal with any problems within the crew that might arise as a result of my actions.”

“Do you anticipate problems, Captain?” interjected Tuvok.

“I’d like to think that our crew is close enough and wise enough to accept a relationship of mine – but we all know crew morale is a funny thing. The smallest ripple can upset it. I just want to be ready in case this does.”

“If I might inquire, who’s the crewmember?” asked Chakotay. “Is it an officer or enlisted crew? We’ll have more fallout from this if he’s enlisted.”

Janeway hesitated briefly. “It’s not a member of the enlisted crew and it’s not a ‘he’”.

Chakotay looked stunned for a moment then realization dawned. “Seven of Nine.”

“Seven of Nine,” verified Janeway. “Mind you, I don’t really know if she’s interested in a relationship. Hell I’m not entirely sure she even has more than an intellectual concept of what love is. But I can’t – I won’t – ignore these feelings any longer. I have to try.”

Chakotay thought aloud. “Well, at least it won’t come as a huge surprise to the crew. They’ve all been aware of your special bond with her. They’ve seen you helping her return to her humanity. I don’t think it’s going to cause a huge uproar that you’ve taken things to the next level.”

He looked squarely at his captain and continued. “But, Kathryn, are you sure about this? As you said, there’s no guarantee she even knows what love is. How can you be sure that she’ll even know how to respond to you?

“I don’t. And if she doesn’t know what love is then we’ll learn about it together. She’s the one, Chakotay; she’s the one my heart chose. Get used to the idea.”

“Seven of Nine is cognizant of far more than most of us give her credit for. She will adapt – and the crew will adapt. I realize that it may be premature, but congratulations, Captain. Seven is a lucky woman. You both are.”

“Thank you, Tuvok. Well then, I’ve said my piece. Having done so, I’m taking today and tomorrow off to try and figure out what my next move is.”

The men rose and Chakotay grinned. “Kathryn, you’ve got your work cut out for you. I don’t think anyone has tried to woo a former Borg drone before.”

“I always did like a challenge. Chakotay, you have the CONN. And thank you, gentlemen. Computer, log Captain Janeway off duty; personal priority for the next forty-eight hours.”

“Acknowledged.”

Showing the men out she refreshed her coffee and sat at her desk contemplating what to do now.

Chakotay wasn’t kidding. How do you woo a former drone? None of the usual things will do.

Flowers and candy? Seven would comment on the nutritional inadequacy of the chocolates and the impracticality of dead foliage as a gift.

Skywriting “I LOVE YOU”? That’s out of the question at Warp Seven.

Serenade her? I can’t carry a tune in a bushel basket.

What does that leave me? Dinner and a movie? The dinner is okay, but a movie will involve Tom’s holoprogram and I definitely do not want to involve him.

So, dinner it is. Simple. Intimate. In the holodeck – no! In my quarters. Seven can be shy and I don’t want the entire crew gawking at us as we get all dressed up and walk into the holodeck together. Maybe later when we’re both more sure of ourselves. Okay, dinner in my quarters it is.

With that, she queried the computer for Seven’s location, left her Ready Room and walked to the bridge turbolift. Stepping into it she requested Deck Eight and the Astrometrics lab. A few moments later, the doors whirred open to reveal Seven of Nine about to step into the lift.

“Computer, halt turbolift one.”

“Acknowledged.”

“I was just on my way to see you, Seven. Do you have a moment to talk?”

“Yes, Captain. In fact, I was on my way to see you.”

“What about?”

“I wished to challenge you to a Velocity match.”

“Velocity, eh? We haven’t done that in a while. What suddenly made you want to play Velocity?”

“I have… missed… our interactions. Our off-duty interactions.”

“So have I. In fact, I was on my way to see if you would have dinner with me sometime. There are actually three or four things I can replicate without danger.”

“I would enjoy that, Captain. Did have you have a specific date and time in mind?”

“Er… actually, no. I just wanted to… Seven, I’m sorry about yesterday afternoon. I wasn’t trying to invade your privacy; I was worried about you. I was concerned when the doctor told me about your surgery and I wanted to make sure you were all right. Really, I did not mean to intrude.”

“I know, Captain. I wish to apologize to you for my anger. It was an unexpected side affect of the surgery and it will not happen again.”

“I’m not worried about that. But are you all right? The surgery went as planned? No problems?”

“No, Captain. There were no problems.”

“So, when do we do this? Would you maybe like to play Velocity and then have dinner?”

“That would be acceptable. We now need only decide on the date and time.”

“I can get the holodeck tonight at 1730 hours. Would you like to play then? We could have dinner afterwards.”

Seven hesitated a moment before replying. “That is acceptable, but may I make one request? Could we have dinner in the holodeck? Crewman Chell is trying a new recipe in the Mess Hall tonight. I do not wish to eat his first experiment with ‘Red Alert Chili’. I was just getting used to Neelix’s cooking.”

Janeway laughed. “I know what you mean. But let’s go one better. We can play Velocity, get cleaned up and then have dinner in my quarters. How does that sound?”

“Acceptable, Captain.” The doctor’s social lessons ran through her mind quickly. “Is there something I can bring?”

“How about a bottle of wine? Something white.”

“Velocity at 1730 hours then dinner in your quarters. I am to bring white wine. Thank you, Captain, I will be there.”

“Great! Then it’s a date. I’ll see you later.” Janeway stepped back into the lift and commanded it to return to the bridge.

As the doors slid smoothly shut on Janeway’s smiling face, Seven felt a quick jolt of unease. A DATE! I have a date with Captain Janeway. I do not do well on dates…

* * * * *

Janeway took care of several administrative details in her Ready Room then shut down her board and left for her quarters. She had a lot to do to get ready for tonight. She normally kept her quarters neat but hadn’t run the auto-clean in a couple of weeks. Plus, there was the dinner and… and the…the date to prepare for.

Arriving in her quarters, she programmed the autoclean and turned it loose. Then, she addressed the problem of what to eat. Everyone on Voyager knew of Janeway’s replicator skills; or more accurately, her lack of replicator skills. Tales of incinerated and liquefied pot roasts would most likely follow her to the end of her days. However, she had learned several simple dishes and Seven’s Borg systems could probably deal easily with them.

Janeway thought back to the stories she had heard of Seven’s first and only date. The dining had been problematic. Lieutenant Chapman had arranged for a marvelous lobster dinner. Unfortunately, Seven had no experience with lobsters and had a great deal of difficulty dealing with their exoskeletons. As Janeway had heard the story, Chapman wore most of Seven’s lobster that night.

Okay, nothing with shells. Something simple and easy to eat. Pasta would probably be best.

Janeway grinned because one of her ‘acceptable’ dishes was fettuccini Alfredo. But as she thought about it, she realized that Seven might have problems winding the long noodles and changed the pasta program to penne instead. She added scallops to the Alfredo sauce and programmed simple, fresh greens salads with balsamic vinaigrette to accompany the main dish.

Her mind wandered as she contemplated what to have for dessert; the possibilities of the evening suddenly filled her thoughts. She and Seven together on the couch, talking quietly, touching softly, revealing the secret longing they both felt. A wicked grin grew on her face as she made her dessert selection; something they could feed each other. She requested a tray of chilled fruits and cheese; sweet grapes, ripe strawberries, pieces of succulent cantaloupe with bite-sized cubes of a fresh spring cheese.

Finished with the dinner plans, Janeway moved into her bedroom and tried to decide what to wear for the evening. Forty-five minutes later, she had tried on everything in her closet and had replicated and recycled several additional ensembles. She gazed in frustration at the pile of clothing tossed on her bed and realized that she was probably over-analyzing the situation.

You’re being silly. Seven won’t consider this a real date. She wouldn’t notice if I wore one of Neelix’s gaudiest suits. I was never this nervous with Mark of Justin. But then again, I never felt this way about them either.

She decided on simple and elegant. A snowy white silk shirt with a deep ‘V’ neckline that showed off more than just a hint of décolletage and fitted, black silk slacks. Some black sling back heels to give her a little more height. She would wear her pearl stud earrings and a glittering silver necklace with a single brilliant pearl.

Leaving the selected items on the chaise, she re-hung the other clothing in her closet. There was no sense showering before a Velocity match, so she selected fresh underclothing and laid them out with her outfit. Turning to make sure her bedroom was ready for company she wondered idly if she should change the sheets. Not very likely there would be any need, but still…

Grinning sheepishly, she stripped the bed and replicated fresh sheets. As she made it up again she impulsively grabbed a vial of her favorite scent and sprinkled several drops on the pillows and bedding.

I’m out of my mind. Not only will this date probably never make it to the bedroom, Seven wouldn’t notice even if it did. But that didn’t stop her from replicating two dozen holographic candles and setting them around the bedroom, ready to ‘ignite’ with a simple voice command.

Finishing with her preparations in the bedroom, Janeway changed into her Velocity outfit and packed her bag. It was far too early to go to the holodeck, but the activity kept her from becoming too nervous. Even as she told herself that Seven wouldn’t notice the preparations or care about the ambiance or the food, Janeway felt her heart pound with the thought of possibilities. What if she was wrong? What if Seven did notice the preparations and the food and the ambiance? What if the date did make it to the bedroom?

Without pausing to examine her motives, Janeway replicated a dozen more holocandles and set them around the living room. She replicated a linen tablecloth and fine china place settings. Sterling flatware, a low dish of flowers and twin holographic tapers completed the table arrangements.

Standing in the center of her living room, Janeway surveyed her quarters. They were sparkling clean and as ready for a date with the woman she loved as they could be. The only question now was if she was. Glancing at her chronometer again, Janeway grabbed her bag and headed for the holodeck. She could use the extra time to practice.

* * * * *

Seven of Nine stood in front of the mirror and nearly growled in frustration. Her life was far less complicated when the neural inhibitor had kept her from feeling emotion. She had left Astrometrics early to prepare for her date and the frustrations had begun almost immediately.

She had nothing to wear. Seven did not want to wear one of her biosuits on her date with the captain. She wanted to make it very clear what her feelings for the captain were and that she considered their date a very special occasion. However, she had no experience in choosing human clothing. Remembering the files the EMH had shown her prior to her abortive first date, she regarded the designs in it and brought up the specifications of the dress she had worn that night. Lieutenant Chapman had told her she looked beautiful, so she decided that style of dress would be acceptable. But she did not wish to wear the same dress for the captain. Changing the color parameters, she opted for black and requested a pair of strappy silver heels to wear with it. She decided she would wear her hair down for the evening; the thought of Captain Janeway running her fingers through it caused her respiration speed up by twenty-eight percent.

At least the wine had been easy. She chose a pinot grigio-like offering from a system they had passed through several months ago. Neelix had arranged for delivery of three cases of the wine and hidden them in her cargo bay. When he left to join the Talaxian colony last month he had taken her aside and shown her the wine, telling her he was leaving it in her care and mentioning that Captain Janeway was fond of it. She’d put two bottles into the carryall she packed for her evening clothes.

The Velocity game was a blur in her mind. She had lost, not badly, but by more than usual because she could not stay focused on the match. She kept thinking of the dream that had so aroused her and watching Janeway’s body as she flew around the Velocity court. When the match ended, they had agreed to meet in half an hour in Janeway’s quarters. Seven took her bags and went into the locker room adjacent to the holodecks to shower and get dressed.

I do not recall it being this difficult to dress for my previous date. She fussed with the neckline again and then ran her fingers through her hair. Why am I unable to focus on what needs to be done? I am nervous, she realized. The arrival of another crewmember in the locker room caused her to breathe deeply and attempt to calm herself.

“Hi, Seven! WOW! You look amazing… you’re a knockout!” blurted Lieutenant Karri Jameson.

“Thank you, Lieutenant. I was unsure if this choice of dress was adequate.” Seven’s hands again rose to her neckline to fuss with it. Lieutenant Jameson stepped behind her.

“Here; let me.” Her fingers quickly refastened the back of the dress and smoothed it down. “There you go. It was hooked the wrong way. This should be fine now.” She paused for a moment then spoke again.

“So…big date tonight? Who’s the lucky guy?”

“My dinner companion is not male.”

“Even better,” grinned Jameson roguishly, “Who’s the lucky gal?”

“Captain Janeway and I are having dinner.”

Karri’s eye widened and her jaw dropped. “You’ve got a date with THE CAPTAIN?”

“Yes, Captain Janeway assures me that she can replicate several dishes acceptably.”

“You’ve got a dinner date with the captain in her quarters?”

“That is correct, Lieutenant. Why do you keep seeking clarification? Is there some problem?”

“No problem. Nosiree! No problem at all. Well, good luck, Seven. Have a good time!”

“Thank you, Lieutenant. And thank you for your assistance.”

“You’re welcome. ‘Bye now!” Jameson darted out of the locker room with her head spinning.

Who do I tell first? Got to be B’Elanna! Wait! If I get down to Deck Fourteen, I can get a bet down in the Exobiology pool before B’Elanna  spills the beans to everybody.

She headed for the turbolift at a sprint.

* * * * *

Kathryn nervously checked over her quarters one last time. The meal was held ready in stasis containers, there was an ice bucket ready for the wine, the table was set and she was freshly showered and dressed. She took a shaky breath and activated the holocandles placed around her living room and bedroom. Realizing that the bedroom preparations could be seen from the living room she gave the extinguish command to the bedroom candles so it remained in darkness.

She dimmed the ambient lighting in her quarters by one-third, which left plenty of light to eat by but allowed the soft glow of the candles to set the mood as well. Just as she was wiping her damp palms on her slacks, the door chime sounded. Seven was, as always, precisely on time.

“Enter,” she called. The door whirred open and Seven stepped into the room carrying two bottles of wine and a bouquet of red roses. Janeway’s breath caught in her throat at the vision in front of her.

“Hello, Seven. You look… you look… so beautiful. You astound me. Here, let me take those bottles from you.”

Janeway covered her nerves by taking the wine and getting it situated in the ice bucket. When she turned back to her guest, Seven smiled shyly and held the roses out to her.

“You look beautiful as well, Cap…Kathryn. These are for you. I have removed the thorns from them so you will not be harmed while handling them.”

“Thank you, Seven. They’re gorgeous.” Janeway accepted the lush bouquet and fumbled with the replicator for a vase. When she finally got one, she filled it with water and arranged the deep crimson roses and greens in it. She placed the arrangement on a side table and smiled at Seven.

“It’s been a long time since I got flowers. It was sweet of you to bring them.” Janeway reached out to touch Seven’s arm with her thanks.

The same frisson of desire that stirred in her belly at the contact must have affected Seven as well because the beautiful young woman covered Janeway’s hand with hers and stared deeply into her eyes. The moment stretched endlessly.

Looking back on it, Kathryn never knew what prompted her to step up to the woman she loved, but something did. Reaching up with her free hand to cup the exquisite cheek she stood on tiptoes and gently pressed her lips against Seven’s. After a second she drew back, desperately searching the face before her for a clue of her feelings. As the long moment stretched on, fear began to rise, but her mind stayed clear. No! Don’t panic. Seven doesn’t know how to lie. If she said she loved you she loves you. Just pray you haven’t frightened her off.

Seven gazed at her and slowly a smile bloomed as realization lit up her face.

“You love me too,” she whispered.

Janeway’s knees nearly gave out as the enormity of that statement hit home. This was real – it was no longer just a dream. “Yes, darling, I love you too. I’ve loved you for so long…”

This time Seven leaned down and captured Kathryn’s lips in a soul-searing kiss as she wrapped the smaller woman in her arms. Drawing together, Kathryn’s arms snaked up and around Seven’s neck as the kiss deepened. They never made it to the table.

Hours later, Seven opened her eyes in the darkened bedroom, a soft, warm and very naked Kathryn Janeway asleep in her arms. Her internal chronometer told her it was 0422 hours, deep in what would normally be deemed ‘night’. She had no words to describe the overwhelming sensations and emotions of the past hours. Savoring the warmth of the bed and the woman nestled in her arms, she allowed her eidetic memory to replay moments from the evening before as her Borg hand gently pulled the covers over her lover’s shoulders.

They had paused in the bedroom doorway as Janeway sheepishly activated the candles scattered around the room. Seven had smiled at the sight and asked if Janeway was trying to seduce her. “Is it working?” Kathryn had replied with a twinkle in her eyes; Seven had answered the query non-verbally and in the affirmative.

She smiled as she thought of their ‘carpet picnic’ when hunger had finally driven them from their bed. Seven had spread a fleece throw on the deck carpeting and, naked, they sat on the deck and fed each other dinner. The icy wine had refreshed them and when their hunger pangs had been satisfied, they brought the fruit and cheese platter back into the bedroom. A short while later, Seven had been delighted to eat pieces of the juicy melon off some very sensitive areas of Kathryn’s body. And Kathryn, for her part, had discovered how marvelously sensitive Borg implants could be to the coldness of fruit and the heat of a lover’s mouth.

But the most vivid memories of that night had been the differences between her erotic dream and the reality of making love with Kathryn. She had thought herself aroused during her dream; she discovered the reality of what arousal was. Of wanting so badly her belly clenched and her hands shook. Of needing Kathryn’s touch so much she pleaded for her lover’s caress. Of loving so profoundly she could see to the depths of her lover’s soul in her eyes.

She discovered that the tang of salt on her tongue as she swept it over Kathryn’s sweat-slicked body was far more intense than she had dreamed. That Kathryn’s hardened nipples tasted sweet against her fevered lips. That the sound of her lover moaning her name as need rose could arouse her just as much as a touch. That there really was no comparison to the heat and wet and scent of Kathryn’s arousal as she buried her face in her most intimate folds. Seven discovered that exquisite moment of stillness right before Kathryn’s orgasm exploded within her. And Seven learned the meaning of joy as she held a sated and still-sobbing Kathryn in her arms after their lovemaking, knowing she had brought her love to ecstasy.

Kathryn stirred in her sleep and murmured incoherently. Seven pressed a butterfly-soft kiss on her temple and Kathryn nestled closer, settling back into deep slumber. With a contented sigh and a smile on her lips, Seven of Nine closed her eyes and joined her.