Title: Forgotten Author: Khylaren Contact: Khylaren@aol.com Series: VOY Part: NEW Short story Rating: [PG13] Codes: K/7 Summary: This is an answer to a challenge I found in the RiF database from Hera. Disclaimer: Paramount owns the rights to these characters. The story line is mine. Any constructive feedback is greatly appreciated. Direct all comments to Khylaren@aol.com. Now the memories of a man are haunting her days And the craving never fades She's still dreaming of a man long forgiven But not forgotten. -Forgiven, Not Forgotten; The Corrs "I think I loved you, once." Harry sat across from Seven, bitterness in his throat. "You did." His fists were clenched tightly under the table where she couldn't see, fingernails digging deeply into the soft flesh of his palm. She shook her head, light reflected off her silver ocular implant and danced across the walls. "It is regrettable that I have no recall of these events." Her cool voice held no emotion. "It would seem the logical course for you to continue with your life and pursue other affections elsewhere." He leaned forward, anguish twisting his handsome features. "How can you say that to me? How can you expect me to forget the last three years of my life as if they'd never happened?" He gripped the edge of the table. "I don't have the luxury of a neural implant breakdown to erase my memories." Seven raised her eyebrow, watching the man across from her become a victim of his own emotions. "While it is unfortunate that this is happened..." she began. "Unfortunate???" The word burst out of its own accord. "I am sorry, Harry." He looked at the woman across from him, her beloved features as familiar to him as his own. He wanted to reach across the table and kiss her until her memory came back. He wanted to hit her for hurting him this badly, for being so cold and empty. He closed his eyes against the pain. He heard her chair scrape against the deck as she stood up, and left the table. He heard the doors to their - no, now his quarters, swoosh shut behind her. "Its over." The words were bitter ashes on his tongue. He buried his head in his hands, and wept. Seven of Nine, former Borg drone, stalked down the corridor to the turbo lift. She tersely gave the order for the appropriate deck, exiting when the lift stopped and the doors opened for her. The doors to cargo bay 2 opened for her and she entered, stopping when she reached the regeneration alcove. She looked up at it briefly, frowning. Her most recent recall of events did not include why the alcove was turned off. She quickly ran the sequence of commands on the console and the alcove surged with power once more. The green light was comforting to her and eased the tension that had been gathering since her encounter with Ensign Kim in sickbay. ***Her eyes opened and she took a moment to orient herself to her surroundings. She was in the sickbay of Voyager. The holographic doctor was hovering nearby. He saw that she was conscious, and moved over to her bedside. "Ah, Seven. You're awake." He said, stating the obvious. Her head ached and she grimaced with discomfort. "Why am I in sickbay?" She demanded. He frowned at her, and began to run a scan using the medical tricorder. "You're neural implant went off line. We nearly lost you. If it hadn't been for the wonders of modern medicine, you would have died." He smiled smugly. "I bypassed the implant's circuitry using a new technique I learned from the Vidiians. I'm grateful to see that it worked." He patted her arm. "Its good to have you back, Seven." He looked up as sickbay's doors opened. "Ah, there's someone here to see you. He's been wearing holes in the carpet of my waiting room with his pacing." He smiled down at her. "He's been worried." Seven stared at the doctor in confusion. "Who?" Ensign Harry Kim came into view, smiling down at her with relief and warmth that belied their professional relationship. He took her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing it tenderly. She looked up at him in complete bafflement. "Ensign. Why are you kissing my hand?" Ensign Kim grinned. "Because I love you, and I'm glad you're ok." His smile faded as he took note of the blankness in her expression. It was a look he used to get from her before they had become true friends, then lovers. He dropped her hand back onto the bed. "Doc?" The EMH frowned, running a neural scanner across Seven's forehead. "I don't understand. The surgery went without any complications." The scanner chirped at him, and he took it to the main medical console, plugging it into the outlet so it could download its information. He read the scan, and his frown deepened. He sighed heavily and looked at Harry and Seven. "I was afraid of this." He shook his head, regret lacing his features. "When Seven's implant was taken offline, for some reason, a portion of her short term memory was also taken. When I bypassed its circuitry, I bypassed those memories." "What are you saying, Doc? That Seven has no memory of the last few days?" Harry's voice held the edge of panic. The EMH shook his head. "No, I'm afraid its worse than that. Seven most likely has lost the memories of the past few years." He looked at the woman in question, who was accepting this new information with a stoic expression that had been so familiar to them all years ago. "Seven, what is your most recent recollection of events?" Seven thought quietly for a moment. "The destruction of the Omega molecule. After it was destroyed, and I finished the rest of my duties for the day, I went to my alcove to regenerate. I woke up here, in sick bay." Harry looked stunned. "That was a little over 3 years ago, Seven. You don't remember anything else?" Seven frowned at him. "I have an eidetic memory. It is unlikely that my recollection is incorrect." She could see he was becoming more and more upset. "Mr. Kim, before you get yourself completely worked up, I do have some good news." The doctor interjected smoothly. "Good news?" Harry bit out, his throat beginning to close up. "The memories are still in Seven's brain. They were bypassed along with the neural implant, but they are still intact. There is a 4.3% chance that her own biology will reconnect those pathways and she will regain her memory." The doctor tried to sound hopeful. "That's good news?" Harry asked bitterly, looking at the woman he loved, the woman he'd spent the last 3 years with, building a lasting relationship. He'd been thinking of asking her to marry him. "I'm sorry Ensign. She would have died otherwise."**** Seven stood in front of her alcove, still frowning. Those events had occurred two days ago. She had attempted to access her lost memories and failed. Logically, she had concluded that the best sequence of events would be to terminate her relationship with Ensign Kim before he was further emotionally damaged. Their conversation is his quarters had not quite gone the way she had expected. However, she put that behind her. She, also, needed to continue with her existence. She set the sequence for a regular regeneration cycle and stepped into the alcove, closing her eyes as the cycle began. ****"I love you, Harry." She kissed him sweetly on the mouth, wrapping her arms around him tightly. "Have a good day." Harry returned her embrace, smiling down at her before releasing her to grab the padd he needed for his morning shift. He gave her another quick kiss before heading out the door. "You'll be late if you don't hurry." He grinned at her before the doors shut behind him. Seven chuckled quietly to herself. As if she would ever permit herself to be anything but punctual. She grabbed her work padds and a piece of fruit and left their quarters. The scene faded, replaced by another... Harry's lips at her throat, sucking hungrily as he removed his uniform. She was tearing at her own clothing in similar haste. Naked, she resumed her exploration of his body, pressing herself against him, kissing him with heated passion. He groaned, pulling her close to him as his mouth began its familiar seduction of her senses. She gasped when he lifted her, holding her up so he could reach more interesting and sensitive areas of her body. She growled and bit his shoulder, moving against his body provocatively, frustrated, needing more of him. ...fading, replaced by another... Hands covered her eyes. "I can't see, Harry!" She protested, laughing. His laughter joined hers. "Almost there, keep them closed." His warm body was close behind her, his breath in her ear. She shivered with anticipation. "Here!" He said triumphantly, removing his hands. "Oh!" She gasped, eyes wide with delight. On the grassy hillside before them, overlooking a sparkling blue lake, was a blanket with a picnic basket and a bottle of champagne chilling in an ice bucket. The beauty of the setting momentarily took her breath away. "Oh, Harry...how did you know?" She turned and kissed him. He returned her kiss, hungrily tasting her lips, folding his arms around her. He released her lips but held her close, smiling tenderly down at her. "I remember everything you tell me, sweetheart. That's what love is." He kissed her again, sweetly and slowly, showing her his love for her. "Happy Birthday, Seven." He whispered softly in her ear. ...and another begins in its place... She lay quietly next to him, listening to his respiration, watching his chest slowly rise and fall with each breath. She watched his mouth, relaxed, twitching occasionally in his sleep. It was these moments that she loved, being near him, watching him sleep, loving every small detail she could discover; like the way she could get him to smile in his sleep by brushing his cheek with her hand. Details that no one else could possibly know. Hers alone. His eyes fluttered open and he looked up at her in the darkness. She could see that he was smiling. "I'm sorry. I did not intend to wake you." She said softly. He reached up and cupped her cheek gently. "I was having the most wonderful dream." He whispered. "Oh? What was it?" She smiled down at him. "I was in love with the most beautiful woman in the entire universe, and she loved me too. We were very happy together." He said, running his thumb softly over her lips. "Should I be jealous of this dream woman?" She teased, placing a small kiss on his thumb. He shook his head solemnly. "She can't hold a candle to you." ...and fades... "Regeneration cycle complete." The computer informed her in cool, precise tones. Seven stepped out of her alcove to begin her day, trying to ignore the strange and empty ache inside her. The End