She was alone by choice. She had shut out the world through sheer strength of will, of which she had an abundance. If she denied it's existence then it became unreal. Perhaps she was merely part of a memory in the collective. Perhaps she was in her alcove. In the background she was aware of the droning voice of the Doctor. It rose in pitch, varied in inflection, but the content was always the same. She destroyed everything, everyone she touched. Including herself. Seven had her arms wrapped around her knees once more and her face buried in her lap. She was aware that the door had opened, that someone had entered. She gave no indication that she knew. When the Vizier spoke to her again, the words buzzed in her ears like an electrical imbalance. "Are we going to be more co-operative now, hmm? Have we managed to persuade you yet?" Then Kadith made his voice heard. "Perhaps our next object lesson should be a little more blunt? Now?" "No, I'm hungry. Worked up an appetite for some reason. When I've relaxed a little. Until later, drone" Their steps faded out and she heard a thump. She did not investigate until she heard the door close. Opening her eyes she noted that they were, once again, three. She crawled over on hands and knees, then stopped, a safe distance from Harry's prone form. He was still breathing, she could see that he moved. "Ensign?" Her voice was as strong as ever, but quiet. He opened one eye, the other appeared to be glued shut with blood. Awkwardly he propped himself upright, using the smooth wall for support and leverage, still saying nothing. Without thinking she touched his cheek, metal surfaced thumb lightly stroking the bruise, as her fingers slipped under his jaw. "Oh that is so sweet" The Doctor interposed his face. "But I'm sorry Seven, If you're still feeling that way inclined, I don't think he's in any shape to accommodate you" He injected venom into the words he spat. Seven cast her eyes at the floor and Harry's jaw dropped. She snatched her hand back. "Sev?" He noted the fresh bruises, finger like on her, the Doctor's insinuations, and her actions. "What-?" Her head flicked up, and she stated almost calmly "I copulated with the aliens." "Two of them. Mister Vizier in his fancy robes, and his yellow bellied toady, Kadith. She just lay back and thought of-" "Shut up!" said Harry, "Seven are you okay" "It was not overly uncomfortable. I will" she looked at him quickly "I will adapt" "You seemed to have adapted well enough already. I didn't hear you tell them to stop. Were you enjoying it do you think?" The Doctor rose to his feet once again, arms behind his back and his expression quizzical. "I do not believe their intent was reproductive, or denoted a sexual interest" said Seven quietly. Her posture was curious. Her legs were folded underneath her and her hands rested now in her lap, in a position reminiscent of the Geisha. The pins from her hair were all gone, and the blonde mass reached down her back. Her eyes wavered between world weary and accepting and those of a frightened child. She wore a sad smile; a human expression that Harry had never wanted to see on her face. "It was to demonstrate that they had power over me." "And you loved it, admit it, Seven, they got more of a reaction out of you than I ever have-" "Doc!" Harry snapped. The EMH gave up on that particular line of assault and tried again. "Did you even try to stop them, Seven? Did you fight? Did I hear you mention, even once that you weren't interested? Hmm?" He was once more on the same level as the two humans. "Yes, I told them, but" she bowed her head again and her voice was now so quiet that it was a struggle to hear it. "Their terms were persuasive." "You haven't even given me a name yet, but I have a few more for you, sweetie. How about slut? Bitch? Whore? Do you like those better than sugar- Let go of my emitter, ensign!" The Doctor was conveniently located within Harry's arms length. He didn't think he'd have had the strength to get up and grab it. "What are you doing, I demand that you-" "Are you going to shut up?" "I have the right to speak as I-" "No? Fine!" Harry flicked off the projector. He thought that the locating signal was still being produced but right at the moment didn't care. He put the small scruffy black device in the knee pocket of his pants. Seven stared at him. "Sorry" he said "I guess I should have done that sooner" She responded with a weak smile. "Thank you. I had not considered that course of action" "What did they threaten you with?" He asked curiously, since it seemed to have caused so much discomfort. At her initial silence he mentally kicked himself, and said "Sorry, I shouldn't have asked. I'm always asking dumb questions, I-" "You" she said. "They informed me that they would harm you unless I co-operated. I refused initially, I-" she drew a deep breath "I apologise for having caused you harm, ensign." "That's not, I mean, you don't have to apologise, Sev, it wasn't your fault" "I could have given in immediately. I found the idea distasteful, but I should have ignored my human instincts. My weakness, my individuality" she continued painfully "has hurt you." "If you'd have still been Borg, you'd have let them kill me yesterday" he said reasonably, still not knowing what to say. "You do not understand!" She said forcefully. "I have demonstrated a weakness. They will manipulate that to make me co-operate. I do not intend them to succeed, but I do not want you to-" Her confusion stopped up her voice, and she tried to hide the tear that ran down her cheek, every millimetre of its progress causing Harry further pain. "Please, don't cry" he said softly, using his thumb to wipe the tear away. "You die or they win" she said bitterly. "Or, we leave. Four of his guards, Kadith and him. I get the impression this is a small place, so-" "Are you always so optimistic? How can you remain so cheerful? The probability of success is-" "Yes. I'm always optimistic. I have to be. If I wasn't, I'd be dead now" "You have been classified as dead on more than one occasion. This does not merit optimism." "And I'm still here." he said patiently. "Have you any idea when they're coming back?" "Anything from minutes to hours." In Voyager's Sickbay, the Doctor paced, inconsolable. His overactive imagination spawned thousands of images, all of which he found abhorrent. He had spent the morning making calls through his two way link, unable to gad about as he had pleased. His emitter had not been found on board the shuttle, and Lieutenant Torres had informed him, in no uncertain terms, that installing additional holo-emitters around the ship was one of her last priorities. The Captain had backed up the surly engineer, much to his disgust, and, in his professional opinion was in dire need of relaxation. This was supposed to have been a restful week or so, she should not have been inflicted with yet another headache, and propped up on caffeine because she hadn't slept since she heard the news. Sourly, and in his own head, the Doctor expressed the wish that Harry wouldn't come back at all. The ingratitude, he thought, how many times have I saved his skin, pulled off yet another miracle to get him back on his feet, only for him to be so deceitful. Not one person believed Harry to be capable of it, but he had wheedled his way into Seven's affections in the guise of friendship, poisoning her mind against the Doctor. She is mine. He thought to himself. I moulded her, guided her, taught her all I have learned of humanity. Jealousy, that is why they all support him. They have never wanted me to reach my full potential, I am more than human, more than they are, I have the potential to do anything. I save lives daily, with not even a thank you, because it is expected of me, I fight continually for my right to exist and grow. They do not appreciate me. Kes, sweet Kes, she was almost mine, she fought for me, but Seven, untouched, perfection, and she belongs to me. They are beneath her, I am the only logical choice for her mate, how could she contemplate others? "Did you say something?" asked Tom curiously. He had heard the doctor muttering at the other side of the sickbay, uninterested in the few patients that had come in, not even in Naomi and her toothache. "When is Seven coming home?" She asked around the hypo, unaware that the shuttle was missing. They had decided not to tell the small girl, until they knew what had happened. "And Harry promised to play Cass-Cot with me" "In a few days, trouble. You'll just have to plague Neelix until they come back" Said Tom easily. The Doctor scowled. "Well, will you play with me, uncle Tom?" "Yeah. I'll check with your mom, okay?" "Okay. Bye now" And she skipped off. "Are you okay over there, Doc?" Said Ensign Paris, when Naomi had left. He approached the sullen hologram. "As well as can be expected, given the circumstances." The Doctor jabbed at he computer display, causing the screen to blank. "This attitude isn't too healthy" he remarked almost jovially. "Which attitude would that be?" Responded the other, sarcastically. "Umm, the virulent strain of jealousy?" "I am not jealous. I am simply concerned about my girlfriend." "Why did you hit Harry?" Asked Tom suddenly. The Doctor motioned him to silence. "Who else knows?" He asked worriedly "You didn't tell the captain?" "Well, B'Elanna wanted to, but Harry told her not to." "He deserved it, I suppose he came bleating to you about-" "No, I cleaned his face up before we went into that meeting so that the captain wouldn't know. Are you sure your database isn't corrupt again?" "That's right, blame it all on a bad file. That's the first thing you humans ever think of. It hasn't crossed your mind that my suspicions might be justified?" "I know Harry." Said Tom stubbornly. At least he'd always thought he'd known Harry. Elsewhere, Seven wiped the blood, effectively but not necessarily gently, from Harry's face, with a piece of T-shirt that she'd torn from the corner. She'd moistened it in the bowl of water they'd been given the day before. "Is your vision still impeded?" She asked sternly "No, that's better, thanks Sev." "Do you wish me to clean your other injuries?" "I've stopped bleeding, you might as well leave them alone" He prodded at his left arm experimentally. It ached. He wasn't entirely sure what they'd done with it but it was numb and unresponsive. How exactly something could ache and be numb at the same time, escaped him. He had not been watching when they had stuck a small pronged device onto the nape of his neck. His arm had already been pinned down, he had been immobile. Unable to struggle, but still capable of feeling pain. They had used the pain to track nerve signals, then made a series of cuts and gashes down his arm, very precisely. He tried to drag his mind away. Seven hovered, uncertainly. Abruptly she sat down, and shuffled closer to him. "I am afraid" she said quietly "I am afraid to die here and I am afraid to return to Voyager" "Isn't fear irrelevant?" He tried to lighten the mood "When I am safe, yes." "Why are you afraid? I thought you'd be glad to get home, sleep in your own bed, clean clothes, food-" "The Doctor's opinion may be widespread. I do not wish to tolerate that-" "The Doc's attitude is far from common, Seven. I know you look up to him, but he isn't always right. He can have some pretty radical views. No-one's going to judge you for-" "They already have, for being Borg, which was unavoidable. They will also condemn me for this" "You haven't done anything to be ashamed of. Who's going to tell them if you don't want anyone to know?" "The Doctor. I believe that when he finds out, he will continue to- I thought he loved me. Why did he say those things? I have failed him, I-" she gulped, sobs shaking her. "I have failed everyone. The captain will be disappointed in me, and, and" Without thinking, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer, until she was nestled against his chest. She did not protest, and moved in of her own accord. "Nobody will be disappointed in you, Sev. Trust me?" Her head was still bowed down, and her voice was muffled. "What they did to me was unpleasant, but I will adjust. It was a mere biological process, it meant nothing, but, what he said, how he looked at me when he spoke, as if I were nothing, as if I was no longer worthy of his attention. He stated that he loved me, why did he do that to me?" "I don't know." was all he could say. "I am unworthy of love. My parents claimed to love me but they let the Borg take me because I had failed them, the queen stated that she loved me in a fashion, but I became unworthy to be Borg. The Captain said she held great affection for me, but I disappoint her constantly, and the doctor, he said he loved me. He claimed that I was the most important thing in his life, but he rejected me because I failed him. I do not understand love" She said dispassionately. "Sev, It'll all make more sense when we're out of here, you know?" "You understand the concept of love. Tell me!" She was imperious again. "What?" he said startled into incoherence "Seven, you can't just-" "Please? I need to know." She tipped her face up to look at him, and her eyes for once, though tinged with sorrow, were open, waiting. Her full lips parted slightly. He gulped, not knowing what to do or say. If he lied to her now, she would break, but his denial had grown so instinctive that he struggled. Looking directly at her, he said hoarsely "You want me to tell you?" She nodded slowly, expecting a revelation about human behaviour. "I" the words wouldn't come out at first. He started again, stressing the first word "I love you" Now that he had finally said it,od iwas afraid. She did not react, this not having been what she had anticipated. Somewhere deep inside, however a warm knot unravelled and a smile softly drew itself across her face. Carefully he leaned forwards and kissed her forehead, finally resting his cheek on her hair. "Thank you, Ensign" She calmed and rested her eyes on the door. She made no further comment about his admission, felt no need to respond. If she had, she would have been unable to express her feelings in primitive words anyway. "I believe that the probability of escape is far greater if we are together. They think that they have cowed us sufficiently. They have grown overconfident. From their intimations, they mean to elicit information from me with you present." "Have you got a plan?" He said slowly, the rapid change of subject slightly confusing. "We shall improvise" she stated. For some peculiar reason, she felt no need to extract herself from her current position. "We need to cause a distraction." Harry nodded, thinking now. "We can't hear when the door is going to open. They'll be wary of ambush when they come. It's only a few minutes walk between here and where they take us. We won't have long" His voice was slightly muffled by her hair. Now that Seven was a little more calm, he should have let go of her. He didn't. "When we go round the corner, if one of us distracts them, the other might be able to surprise the rest" "I believe that I should be the attacker" Said Seven. "I do not think that you are in an appropriate condition to fight. And my reflexes are faster than yours" she said apologetically. "Borg enhancements, Huh?" He said. "I'm not that keen on you taking on four of them, but I can see your point" Some men would have had a problem with relying on Seven to fight for them. Harry wasn't one of them. Everyone did what they did best, and if his talent at the time was more suited to falling over or pretending to have a seizure of some sort then that's what he'd do. Fortune favoured them, for once, thought Harry, noting that his usual lucky stars must be elsewhere. Only Kadith and two armed guards were waiting for them. "Your - presence is required. Where is the being of light? He would not wish to be absent from this occasion I am sure" "His emitter was damaged" said Harry. Which wasn't entirely a lie. He felt uncomfortable having turned the Doc off like that, like a machine, an artefact, something not real. Then again, being human was something you had to work at and the Doc hadn't been doing a creditable job at that point. If he'd been human then Harry would have hit him. Very hard. "So. Come along." Seven made a point of hauling Harry to his feet. He ached all over, and wasn't sure that he could have stayed up without her assistance anyway. She was insistent on helping Harry along, arm over his shoulder, his around her waist. Kadith found it amusing, keeping up a running dialogue on the various flaws of humanity. As they approached the corner, Harry prepared to go limp and fall down. Instead he felt her fingers grip where they touched, tightly and his legs gave way. He collapsed to the ground for a moment, blacking out rather convincingly. The two guards and Kadith were foolish enough to look, and as they both bent to haul Harry to his feet, Seven broke the neck of one with a firm thump of her fist on his exposed neck. As she fought with the other, Kadith raised his weapon. He too dropped like a stone. Seven quickly dispatched the guard with a long legged kick to the face, crunching bones and sending them into the brain case. She turned finally to see Harry on his knees and with a staff-like weapon from the guards outflung arm. "Vulcan nerve pinch" she said, presumably by way of explanation. She gave a little smile. "I think he called for help, we'd better go" He hauled himself to his feet, using the wall for support, but not relinquishing the weapon. "Agreed". Sevens bare feet made pattering noises as she half ran down the corridor, in the opposite direction that they had been heading, Harry keeping up with her.