Part 3

Seven’s hands worked the console. She watched the results with satisfaction.

"Scans indicate all systems running within parameters."

Torres nodded approvingly at Seven’s report. They were on a Eutarian science vessel that was being tractored by Voyager. The vessel had been heavily damaged inside a nebula it had been studying. To their great fortune, Voyager had heard their distress call and had responded. The two vessels had been docked for almost two weeks while the Voyager crew had worked with the Eutarian crew to make repairs. It was a good experience for both crews as they freely moved between the ships, sharing the benefits and opportunities of the two vessels.

Seven had been drawn to Ketaria Omarahn, the wife of the ship’s captain. They had spent a significant amount of time talking and getting to know each other. Other than Captain Janeway, Ketaria was the first person with whom she felt completely comfortable. Her husband, Kahkar had developed a unique relationship with the Doctor, spending hours in the lab working on projects and trading medical knowledge.

"Well, I think they are ready to try it on their own," Torres finished entering data and turned from the console. "I think we can return to Voyager."

Seven nodded, oddly sad. Leaving this vessel for good would be hard for her. She was surprised to realize this. Ketaria and Kahkar had become good friends to them.

Them. It was still strange to think about. But the thought of it brought a smile to her face. Them. She did not think she had ever felt so happy or complete.

She helped Lieutenant Torres pack up the remaining tools and move them to the transporter platform. She tried not to be sad. She did not look forward to leaving this ship and the friends she had made here.

"Ketaria Omarahn to Seven of Nine."

"Seven of Nine here."

"Seven, could I see you in Science Lab One?

"I will meet you there." The invitation gave her a feeling of happiness. She turned to the Lieutenant, "I will transport to Voyager later."

"Suit yourself," Lieutenant Torres prepared herself to transport to Voyager. She stepped onto the transporter platform and soon shimmered out of sight.

Seven turned and started for Science Lab One. As she walked, she marveled at how familiar this ship felt to her. In the short space of two weeks, she almost felt as much at home here as on Voyager. She certainly had found acceptance here faster. She remembered the first time she had met Ketaria Omarahn.

She had been part of the away team that first boarded the damaged ship. It had been an unsettling experience. The ship had been heavily damaged and was running on not much more than life support systems. The crew was tired and tense, having spent weeks trying to keep a damaged and dying ship functioning. To say they had been grateful when Voyager appeared was an understatement. It had taken a lot of work to implement repairs.

It had been during the first few frantic moments of working to save the ship that she had come face to face with Ketaria.

She was at a workstation assigned her by Lieutenant Torres. Despite the fact that she was concentrating heavily on her work, she became aware of a presence in the room. She looked up and saw a female looking at her. Their eyes met, and immediately Seven felt a level of comfort and familiarity with her. Uncharacteristically, she stopped her work.

"I am Seven of Nine."

"And I am Ketaria Omarahn." A silence fell between them. Finally, she said, "You are beautiful."

Seven’s eyes opened wide in shock. She had been expecting to hear the words, ‘You are Borg.’ Only the Doctor had ever spoken the words ‘you are beautiful’ to her. "Thank you."

Then Ketaria said, "I have never met anyone else who has successfully separated from the Borg. That must have been very difficult. I would like to hear about your life."

If the first words had surprised her, these last words surprised her even more. She did not know what to say.

"You are uncomfortable. I am sorry. I would imagine you are more used to dealing with anger and hate in first contacts than with tolerance." Ketaria Omarahn crossed the room to stand in front of her, "That must be hard to deal with."

It was almost more than Seven could handle. Her breath was starting to come quickly when Ketaria Omarahn turned from her, almost as if sensing what Seven was feeling. "You are doing a wonderful job here. Kahkar and I are grateful." She left the room.

It had taken Seven quite a few minutes to bring her breathing under control. She was used to being met with hate and anger but never with understanding, tolerance and interest. Ketaria’s greeting had been unsettling.

The next time they had met, Ketaria had walked up to her and said, "Seven of Nine. It is good to see you. Are you well today?"

"I am fine. Thank you," Seven had replied. "And are you feeling well, also?"

Ketaria had laughed lightly, "Yes, Seven. I am fine. Thank you." She passed Seven, stopped and turned, "You would like to visit. I would enjoy that also. Please come to my cabin at fourteen hundred hours. Kahkar and I will have finished our midday meal by then, and I should be free. I will look forward to seeing you." Then, she turned and left.

Seven had stood there in stunned silence. How could she know? As she had done after their first meeting, she thought back to what she knew about Eutarians, species 4853. They were scientists. The Borg had assimilated almost five hundred of them on a vessel much like this one. Their scientific knowledge and ability had greatly added to the perfection of the Borg. She could not remember anything about Eutarians that would suggest they were empaths or telepaths. How could Ketaria seem to know what she was thinking and feeling?

At fourteen hundred hours, the computer announced her presence, and the doors to Ketaria’s cabin slid open. She walked into the living quarters and felt immediately comfortable. The area was bright and open, decorated with many beautiful and graceful works of art. Seven had never been able to appreciate art and pictures and models, but she found herself strangely drawn to the works in room.

"These pieces were chosen because they represent a perfect blend of form and function." She walked in from another room. "They satisfy both my need for artistic beauty and functional practicality."

"They are…alluring." It was the only word Seven could think of to describe them.

"That they are. I had never thought of them in that way." She moved around the room, pointing to each piece, talking about where it had come from, what purpose it served ,and what about it made it unique. For the first time, Seven understood the Doctor’s desire for pictures on the wall.

At the end, Ketaria had walked up to Seven, reached up and touched the ocular implant over her eye. "This piece is also…alluring." The word had a laughing quality in it. "It serves a need and yet, it is a graceful and delicate work." She had reached down and taken Seven’s left hand. "As is the exoskeleton on this hand. The metal work is so graceful, the webbing of it artful and yet, it adds strength and enhanced functionality. Beautiful."

Seven stood dumbfounded. She could not think. Finally, she backed up, "Who are you?"

A look of concern crossed Ketaria’s face. "I am sorry. I have frightened you. It is just that…." She stumbled over her words. "Let me explain. Please, sit down."

"I prefer to stand."

"I forgot. Borg do not like to sit." She smiled, hoping to put her guest as ease. It did not work. "Seven, I am only half Eutarian. My father was Eutarian. My mother was Batair."

Seven’s face showed her surprise. "Species 145, both empathic and telepathic. You are a very highly developed species with great mental powers. The Borg were never able to assimilate you."

"Actually, they did assimilate a few of us but it was not a successful venture. They managed to take over our bodies, but they were unable to completely take over our minds. The story goes, we had a rather unpredictable and unpleasant impact on the Borg."

"The assimilation of those beings significantly undermined the perfection of the collective."

"Yes. The Batair was one of the few species safe from the Borg."

"That explains why you know what I am feeling. Have you enjoyed studying me?" She was angry.

Ketaria’s eyes looked pained. "Seven, I have not been studying you. You must believe me. It is just that your feelings are so strong to me I find I cannot shut them out. I look at you, and it is as if your emotions are shouting to me." She turned and walked around the room, touching a particularly graceful work of art, one she had told Seven was designed to comfort and give peace. She turned back to face her, "I am able to shield myself from the emotions of most people, but not from you. You are a person of great emotion, and I find I cannot stop myself from responding to you." She walked back up to face her, "Please, don’t be afraid of me."

Seven backed away from her, not certain what to think. She had felt so drawn to Ketaria and, even now, still felt a bond connecting through the anger. She wanted to believe that Ketaria meant her no harm, but she was afraid of her. It almost felt as if being near Ketaria reconnected her to the collective. Even the way she admired the Borg implants set off danger signals in her head. Part of her wanted to turn and run, but she could not bring herself to do so. She turned away, trying to think. Then, she felt a hand on the back of her arm. She did not even have the time to turn before she felt something that felt like electricity flow through her body. Instantly, she turned back to face Ketaria and saw that she, too, felt the same thing. She also saw that Ketaria was as surprised as she. They both stepped back, breaking the connection. In that second, Seven knew that she had nothing to fear from Ketaria. In her head, she saw Ketaria flash bright in a warm glow. She caught her breath and looked to Ketaria, surprised to see that she was crying, her hand to her mouth, her eyes afraid. Ketaria sank to the floor, groaning.

Seven rushed to her side, but was afraid to reach out to touch her. "Are you damaged?"

Ketaria shook her head and fought to gain control. "No. It is just that your pain is so great." She reached out and grabbed Seven’s hand and held it, breathing in deeply and closing her eyes in concentration. Almost immediately, Seven felt a peacefulness flow through her. She looked at Ketaria in surprise.

"What did you do?"

"I gave you peace and comfort." She laughed lightly, "It drove the Borg crazy. I trust it did not do the same for you."

Seven smiled, "No. I am sane." She helped Ketaria off the floor and onto the sofa. She hesitated a moment and sat down beside her. She concentrated on the flow still coursing through her body, marveling at how it felt. "Thank you."

"You are welcome. It is my gift to you."

"I wish I had something to give you in return."

"But you do." Seven turned to her and Ketaria saw the question in her eyes. "I want your friendship."

"I would like that also."

And they had become friends. Seven found that she enjoyed the relationship, especially when the four of them were together. She could not remember when she had been able to relax and enjoy the company of people. She was sitting on the sofa beside the Doctor one night after the four of them had shared a meal together. She was watching the three of them, wondering if this was what it was like to live a normal life. Would this be what life would have been like for me if I had never been assimilated by the Borg? Suddenly, she was aware of Ketaria looking at her. She realized that Ketaria knew what she was thinking, and she smiled wanly.

Ketaria glanced at her husband who immediately turned to her. While not a Batair, they shared a special bond that allowed him to pick up on her moods and senses. She looked back to Seven, "Would you like for Kahkar to examine you?"

Seven was startled at her words. Then she spoke, addressing her question to Kahkar, "Do you think you could do anything?"

Kahkar shrugged, "It might be worth us looking at you."

The Doctor had become comfortable with the cryptic conversation that had become a pattern between the three of them, but he was not shy about letting them know they were leaving him out. He waved his hand at them, "Who wants to explains this conversation?"

Ketaria explained, "Seven is wondering if it might be possible for us to remove the rest of her Borg implants."

The Doctor looked at them in shock, then at Seven, and back to the couple. "Can you do that?"

Kahkar replied, "Maybe, maybe not. I would have to examine her first."

"Seven," the Doctor had taken her hand, "is that what you want?"

"I do not know," she responded, "but I would like to find out if the possibility exists for me."

Kahkar stood, "Then why don’t we go to the Science Lab now?" He started walking out, and the other three people found themselves following him.

When they reached the lab, he motioned Seven to an examination table and asked her to lie down. Once she was settled, he started his exam. It took almost an hour. Finally, he said, "You can get up now, Seven."

She got off the table, oddly stiff, and stood close to the Doctor. She realized she was nervous. Kahkar took Ketaria’s hand and spoke to the couple.

"I am sorry, Seven. I am afraid that the Borg implants that are left are vital to your survival. Doctor, you did an excellent job when you removed the implants. If you had removed any more, Seven probably would not be alive today." He continued, addressing his comments now directly to Seven, "Your body is now dependent on the implants that still remain. The implants serve as a kind of power source for your muscular system. With them, you not only function, you have superior strength. Without them your muscular system would shut down, and you would not be able to move. The same situation exists with the implants in your brain. Your thought processes rely on the energy of those implants to function. No, there is nothing I can do."

Seven’s disappointment was obvious, but she nodded her head, "Thank you. I appreciate your efforts. I did not think it was possible but I am glad we tried."

Now, as she walked to the Science Lab to meet Ketaria, she could still feel the disappointment from that night. She had not really expected that Kahkar could have done anything for her, but it had made her sorry to hear his words. When she walked through the open doors of the Science Lab she saw on the face of Ketaria that her emotions had been telegraphed again. She smiled apologetically, then noticed that the Doctor and Kahkar were standing with her.

"Seven," Ketaria held out her hand to her, "we have a wonderful idea."

"What?"

Ketaria glanced over to the two men beside her, and the Doctor walked up and asked, "How would you like to stay on this ship for a couple more weeks?"

Seven looked at him in confusion. "What? Is something wrong with the ship? Do we need to make more repairs?"

Kahkar stepped forward, "These two are anything but direct." He laughed, "We will be traveling with Voyager for the next two weeks, mostly to ensure that we have repaired all critical systems. The Captain has agreed for the two of you to travel with us. That is, if you would like."

The smile on Seven’s face told everyone that she would indeed like to travel on the science vessel for the next two weeks.

"It is settled then," Kahkar clapped his hands together. "I will inform Captain Janeway. Why don’t the two of you return to Voyager to pack and we will meet you back here in a couple of hours."

* * *

The Omarahns met them in the transporter room. Kahkar stepped forward and took the small bag from Seven’s hand. "Come, we will take you to the guest quarters." They walked ,and Ketaria could feel Seven’s excitement. She could not help but laugh inside at the innocence of it. She noticed that the Doctor had taken Seven’s hand as they walked. She knew how much the couple appreciated the freedom they had on this ship. She knew the next two weeks would be good ones.

"This is where you will be staying," Kahkar led the way into the guest quarters.

Seven caught her breath when she walked into the room. Ketaria had decorated the room with many of the pieces from their living own quarters. She allowed her delight to project to Ketaria and could feel her pleasure in return.

"Come," Ketaria had taken her arm, "we have a surprise for you." She pulled Seven into the bedroom.

Seven caught her breath when she looked at the bed, and she turned to Kahkar and Ketaria in amazement.

"Yes, it is what you think it is," Ketaria was thrilled at her reaction.

Seven walked up to the bed and touched the headboard. "How?"

Kahkar stepped forward, "I studied your alcove. While this is not as strong, it will allow you to regenerate here and will keep you from returning to the ship – well, at least you will have to return infrequently. Unfortunately, it is not strong enough to keep you from having to return to your regular alcove at all, but it will extend the period of time you can stay here without having to return to Voyager."

She was touching the headboard, appreciating the beauty of it. Yes, it was beautiful. Ketaria moved to stand beside her, "Kahkar designed it to be functional. I designed the appearance so it would be beautiful."

"A perfect blend of form and function?"

"Yes."

Seven impulsively reached for Ketaria and gave her a hug. Then she reached for Kahkar and hugged him. "Thank you. Thank both of you." She was surprised to find herself tearing.

Ketaria put her hand on Seven’s shoulder, "Come. You and I will begin to prepare dinner, and Kahkar and the Doctor can go to the lab and work." She shoed the men out the door, "You get out of our way, and go enjoy yourselves. We will call you when dinner is ready."

Seven and Ketaria were already involved with their plans before the Doctor and Kahkar could even get out the door.

Kahkar laughed heartily as they walked toward the lab. "Ketaria has been so excited about this. I am glad the two of you were willing to join us."

"This is a special opportunity for us." The Doctor was silent for a moment, "We feel almost…normal here. When we are here, we are not a hologram and a Borg. We are just Seven and the Doctor. We really appreciate what we find here."

Kahkar motioned the Doctor into the science lab and followed him in. "I would imagine it can be difficult for you."

"It has been, although the people on Voyager have been very supportive. They have been surprisingly accepting. As you might imagine, our relationship is a bit unique."

"Yes." Kahkar moved to a control console. "Doctor, may I ask you a personal question?"

"Of course."

"Would you like to be able to sleep?"

"Sleep?"

"I know from Ketaria that you cannot sleep. You must deactivate yourself to rest your program and that, if you are not deactivated, you are awake. I would imagine that can be…difficult."

The Doctor thought he would blush if he could. "Yes. It is a bit of a problem. Can you really write sleep subroutines for me?"

"I think I can, but I would need to examine your program. Would you like for me to do so?"

The Doctor thought a moment. To be able to sleep like a normal person; to be able to lie next to Seven without being online and awake; to be able to rest his program without deactivating himself. It would be a miracle. He did not have to think about it long. "I would like that."

"Good. Let’s get started."

* * *

He leaned his head down and kissed her bare shoulder, then he reached his hand up and pushed her hair back out of her face. "I love you."

She smiled sleepily at him, "I love you, too."

He glanced up at the headboard, "Is it working?"

"Yes. It is not as intense, but it is working. It allows me to drift instead of immediately going to sleep. I like it." She moved to snuggle with him. "Are you going to deactivate yourself?"

"No, I think not."

She pulled her head back slightly to see him, "Does that mean you are going to spend the night watching me sleep again?"

He pulled her to him and settled himself beside her, "No. I think I’ll just sleep."

She raised herself up on her elbow and stared at his face, "What?"

He chuckled, "Kahkar wrote sleep subroutines for me. We get to try them out tonight."

"Really?" Seven was amazed, "He did that? Can you sleep?"

"Really, he did that, but we’ll have to see if they work."

She kissed him before placing her head on his shoulder and said, "Sleep tight."

"Where did that come from?"

"It is something I heard Naomi’s mother say to her once before she went to sleep. It seemed appropriate."

She felt him nod and listened as his breathing subroutines became slow and long. She felt his body relax and smiled when she knew he was drifting off to sleep. She started to follow. Then, she heard a noise, and she jerked up. "Doctor."

"What?" His eyes opened, alarmed.

"What was that noise?"

"What noise?"

"That noise, the one that came from you."

"Oh, that," he pulled her back down and wrapped her in his arms, "I must have been snoring. I had Kahkar add snoring subroutines to my program. I thought it would make us even more normal."

Soon he drifted into sleep again. Seven lay there, fighting her sleep. She wanted to hear the snoring. It was not long before the sound came again. She listened and smiled to herself. All of this was so wonderful. The snoring was lulling her to sleep. There is only one other thing that would make us perfect, she thought. If only…and she was asleep.

* * *

Kahkar and Ketaria were working in the lab. When Kahkar had told her what he had found, she had insisted they immediately go to the lab to work. Her excitement had begun to build as she had seen what Kahkar had found.

"There will be a risk. You realize that, do you not?"

She nodded, "But there is always a risk."

"But this could be more significant than normal. There are too many unknowns."

"Still. It can be done."

"Just because something can be done does not mean it should be done." He was frowning at her.

She started to reply when she took a sharp breath.

"Ketaria!" He reached for her, concerned.

"No, I am all right." She breathed deeply for a few moments, absorbing the emotion running through her. She allowed the feeling to ebb away before she spoke, "Kahkar, the fact that we can means the offer must be made. They will have to decide for themselves. We will talk to them after the morning meal." She smiled, remembering the emotion she had just felt. She thought she knew what the answer from one of them would be.

* * *

They had just finished eating and Ketaria had moved them into the living area. Seven looked at her questioningly. She could tell that something was different. Ketaria sat them on the sofa and pulled her chair to sit nearer them. Without thinking, Seven reached for the Doctor’s hand.

Kahkar cleared his throat and sat down in his chair, leaning forward slightly. "Ketaria and I would like to talk to you about something."

"Certainly," the Doctor replied.

Seven was looking intently at Ketaria and Ketaria was smiling broadly at her. Something was about to happen.

"Yesterday, when I added the sleep routines to your program, I found something interesting imbedded in it."

"Oh?" The Doctor was starting to show concern.

"Don’t worry, Doctor, your program is fine. I did not find anything wrong with it."

"That is good to hear," the Doctor was obviously relieved. Then, his brow furrowed, and he asked, "What did you find?"

"What I found was a chromosomal pattern coded into it."

"What?" The Doctor was confused. "A chromosomal pattern? Whose?"

"I can only believe it is that of your creator."

"Zimmerman."

"Yes. I believe your program was patterned after him."

"It was."

"Then, Doctor, it is, basically, your chromosomal pattern."

The Doctor and Seven looked at each other, and then back at Kahkar. The Doctor said, "I do not understand. How is this significant?"

Kahkar leaned back in his chair, "With your chromosomal pattern, we have a model. With that model, we can take a cell from Seven, take the DNA from that cell, cut it apart and put it back together in your pattern."

Seven was looking back and forth between the faces of Kahkar and the Doctor. She saw the look of confusion disappear from the Doctor’s face and be replaced with wide-eyed recognition. She heard the Doctor speak.

"Are you telling me what I think you are telling me?"

"I am."

She heard the Doctor exhale. She saw the already broad smile on Ketaria’s face broaden even more. She saw the slightly worried look on Kahkar’s face. She was trying to replay what she had heard in order to understand what was being said and what it meant. Suddenly, she understood. Her grip on the Doctor’s hand tightened, "No." It was said softly, with great disbelief. "It is not possible."

"Yes, Seven," Ketaria reached for her free hand, "it is possible. We can do it. If you want us to."

She felt her head swim, and the Doctor grab her, supporting her. She was trying to focus. Ketaria moved to be by her side. "Seven, are you not pleased? Isn’t this what you wanted?"

When the Doctor heard Ketaria speak, he looked at her in shock, then turned his eyes to Seven, "What? Seven, is this what you want?"

"Please. I must think." She got up and shakily moved away from them. She kept her back to them until she could think. Then, she turned to face Kahkar, "Are you certain?"

"Am I certain I can do this? Yes. I am certain. Am I certain I should do this? No. Of that, I am not certain."

"Wait!" The Doctor stood and crossed to Seven. "Wait." He reached to gently turn her to face him. "Seven, you need to talk to me. Is this what you want? Do you want us to have a child?"

She put her hands up to his chest. Her mind was racing, running through a thousand thoughts. She was feeling as many emotions. She had to close her eyes to isolate the one thought and the one emotion she needed to hold onto to answer his question. Finally, she opened her eyes to answer his question.

He saw the answer in her eyes before he heard her voice.

"Yes."

A child. Their child. He took her face in his hands and stared deeply into her eyes. Her eyes were full of fear and desire. He pulled her to him, wrapping her in his arms. Then, he led her back to the sofa and sat her down. He stood and looked into her eyes again before he said to Kahkar, "Tell me everything."

* * *

They were in the science lab, and Seven was once again on the examining table. The Doctor was holding one of her hands and Ketaria the other. She was almost afraid to think. Soon, Kahkar finished and asked her to sit up.

"I think we could do it as soon as tomorrow. That is, if you wish."

She tried to say tomorrow, but the word would not come. It was, however, echoing through her mind.

Kahkar finished putting away his equipment and then approached the three of them, his face showing his concern, "Seven, I need to be certain you understand the risks so I am going to say this again. Please, listen to me.

"Your Borg implants and nanoprobes will treat a fetus like an alien invader and will fight it. In order to keep your Borg systems from killing the fetus, you will have to greatly restrict your regeneration cycle. You will have to starve your Borg systems. This will put a strain on your body. You can compensate, to a certain extent, by increasing your regular sleep cycles, by restricting your exertion and by supplementing your diet with increased consumption. The Doctor will have to monitor you carefully.

"You should be able to carry a baby to term. But you should also be prepared that your effort will not be successful. There are too many unknowns. You will have to live each day of the next nine months with the knowledge that success today does not guarantee success tomorrow. And you must know that there could be a danger in this for you. If your Borg systems fall below a critical energy level, they could shut down. You will be walking a very fine line during your pregnancy to regenerate enough to maintain your Borg systems, but not enough to risk your pregnancy.

"Seven, that is a lot to deal with. Before we do this, I want you to be as certain as you can be that you are ready for this, and that you can accept what may come with all consequences that are possible."

She could not answer him. Ketaria felt the emotions pouring from her and was almost staggering by them. It was taking all of her strength to hold the emotions away from her. Kahkar stepped forward, "Doctor, I think you and Seven need some private time to discuss this completely."

The Doctor nodded. He took Seven’s hand and helped her off the table. "We’ll go to our quarters."

They started to leave. At the door, Seven stopped, turned to look at them and said, "Thank you. Thank you for even giving us the opportunity to think about it."

It was a silent walk back to their quarters. Once inside, she went to touch the work of art that gave comfort and peace. The Doctor came up from behind her, taking her into his arms, and kissing the back of her neck.

She had to ask him, "Do you want a child?" She twisted in his arms so she could watch his face, "Do you want to have a child with me?"

The Doctor knew if there was ever time for complete honesty, now was the time. He just wished he knew, honestly, exactly what he thought. "Seven, the thought of having a child with you was more than I could ever dream. I don’t know what to think. Kahkar’s offer is a miracle. But the possible threat to you frightens me. I cannot stand the thought of losing you."

"This could be our only chance."

He could not think of what to say to her. He knew she was right. He could give her a child in other ways but he could not give them their child as Kahkar could. Once the two ships went their different ways, the chance to do that would go with this ship. Their child. It was more than he could ever have dreamed – but he had dreamed of it. He understood her need, her desire, because he shared it.

She watched his thoughts as they ran across his face. She saw the flicker and recognized it. She went to him and kissed him deeply. Then, with her eyes locked onto his, she took his hand and backed away, pulling him with her into the bedroom.

She knew what they would tell Kahkar.

* * *

It was o-three hundred hours, and she was wide-awake. The Doctor was snoring softly beside her. She slipped out of bed and went to look out of the window. She was scared. She had been so sure that she was doing the right thing but now, she was anything but.

She went into the living area. After considering her action for a full minute, she hit her combadge.

"Seven of Nine to Captain Janeway."

It took a few seconds, but the response came, "Janeway here."

Seven heard the immediate concern in her voice. "Captain, I am sorry to wake you, but I must talk to you."

"Is everything all right?"

"Yes. Nothing is wrong. I…I just need to talk with you."

"You may come to my quarters."

"Captain," she hesitated, "would you transport here?"

She almost heard the question in the silence. Seven held her breath, waiting.

"I am on my way."

"I will meet you in the transporter room."

"Janeway out."

When the Captain materialized in the science ship’s transporter room, Seven handed her a big mug of coffee. Janeway took the mug, gave herself time to take a sip, looked up at Seven and said, "Something tells me I might need more than one cup."

They walked back to Seven’s living quarters. Janeway looked around, "This is very nice." She noticed the closed door.

Seven answered her unasked question, "The Doctor is sleeping."

"Sleeping? He’s sleeping?"

"Yes, Kahkar added sleeping subroutines to his program." She paused, slightly blushing as she added, "He even snores."

"Well," Janeway said, the amusement obvious in her voice, "I am certain you did not have me transport over at three o’clock in the morning to discuss the Doctor’s snoring."

"No, I did not." Seven took a deep breath, "The Doctor and I are considering having a child."

Kathryn Janeway choked on her coffee. When she finally recovered, she managed to ask, her voice strained, "What?"

"The Doctor and I are considering having a child."

"That is what I thought you said." She coughed again, "How are you planning on doing this?"

"Kahkar found a chromosomal pattern in the Doctor’s program. He can take some of my DNA and reconfigure it to the Doctor’s and use that to fertilize an egg. The child would be our child and not a clone."

"He can do that?"

"Yes. He can. And right now, we are planning to do it this morning."

The Captain’s eyes went wide. "This morning?"

"Yes. This morning."

She carefully took another sip of coffee, more to give herself time to think than anything else. "It sounds as if you have already made up your mind. So what am I doing over here at three in the morning?"

Seven sat in the chair to face the Captain, placing her hand on the art object on the side table. She concentrated on the feeling of peace and comfort the piece gave. She gathered her thoughts before speaking, "I am certain I want to have the Doctor’s child, but I wonder if I would be fair to the child. One day, Voyager will return to earth. What will life be like there for the child of a Borg and a hologram? It will be bad enough for me as a former drone. I realize that my life is always under threat when we come into contact with new beings because I am Borg. The fact that I was separated from the collective and am an individual has little meaning to them. I am Borg. That is all that matters.

"My child will also be Borg." She noticed the look on the Captain’s face and hastened to add, "Not really Borg. Kahkar has assured us of that. The nanoprobes will not pass the uterine wall. The child will be safe. But she will be Borg because I am Borg."

"She?"

"Yes. It will be female. Since it will be my DNA that goes through the restructuring, the child will be female. That is acceptable to both of us."

"I am certain it is."

"Captain, am I being selfish? Am I putting a child at risk? Would I be putting my…our child at risk? I have not found this world to be a tolerant place." Her look was full of pain.

Where was she ever going to find the words for this? What was she going to say to Seven? What should she say to her? She took another sip of coffee.

"To be perfectly honest with you, I am not certain what to say to you. The act of having a child is a very selfish thing to do. You are perpetuating yourself. At the same time, it is an absolutely unselfish act because you are giving of yourself to bring another life into this world.

"There are so many reasons I should sit here and try to talk you out of this. But making the decision to have a child is a very private decision. It is a decision that only you and the Doctor can make. I do have to tell you that whatever you decide, I will support that decision." She stood up and walked around the room. She was trying hard to allow herself time to think this through. "I think I am correct in saying you would have support from the crew of Voyager. You probably do not realize this, but the crew is very happy for you and the Doctor." She smiled at the surprise on Seven’s face. "Oh, yes. They had been waiting for this relationship to happen for a long time."

"No, I did not realize."

"No, I know you didn’t. There were a lot of crewmembers that, quietly, tried to promote a relationship between the two of you. Then, when you got together, they worked very hard to support it. You have been a little too distracted these last few months to notice, but the crew is very happy for you and the Doctor.

"I think your child would be greatly loved, Seven. She will be surrounded by a number of people who will look out for her and care for her. You know how much Naomi is loved on Voyager?" Seven nodded. "Well, I think your child would be loved even more. This would be a child from a relationship nurtured by them.

"But, you are correct to be concerned about what will happen when Voyager returns to earth. You will probably have a number of…difficulties when you arrive. I will be there to support you, and so will this crew. Still, it will not be easy for you. That reality will be complicated by the relationship you have with the Doctor. I do not know how that will be received, and I can only guess how a child of such a relationship will be received.

"You are right, this world is not a very tolerant place and you have suffered for that. And you will continue to suffer for it. There is nothing you nor I can do to stop that. If you and the Doctor do have a child, she probably will suffer because her mother is Borg and her father a hologram. Look at what B’Elanna went through because her mother was Klingon and her father human. It would be no different for your child. But B’Elanna survived, not without wounds and some resentment, but she survived. And, she knows she was loved. That is what she remembers now. That she was loved.

"So, I guess I have to ask you this." She sat down, taking Seven’s hand, "Can you love this child enough to make up for the hate? Can you love this child enough to give her the strength of self she will need to live in this world? Can you love this child enough so that she will love herself? If you can honestly answer yes, well, I think you will have your answer."

The Captain’s intense gaze held Seven’s eyes. She made herself think about the words a long time before responding. Finally, she gave a small laugh, "The child is not even conceived, and I already love her more than I love my own life."

"Then I guess you have your answer." She sat back against the sofa. She allowed herself to think back to the first time that she had ever seen Seven of Nine. A vision of the Borg being released from the alcove flashed in her mind. Then, she remembered their confrontation in the brig and her promise to help her regain her humanity, to be there for her, to help her through it. Now, she looked at this person in front of her. This was such a different person ,but she still sensed her strength. It was that strength that had allowed her to be separated from the Borg, and it was that strength that would allow her to bring a child into this world. She knew this child would be greatly loved.

She moved from the sofa, kneeling in front of Seven, and gathered her in her arms.

"A baby."

Part 4