Title:  Forgotten/Unforgettable
Author:  Khylaren
Contact:  Khylaren@aol.com
Series: VOY
Part:    1/1
Rating:  [PG-13]
Codes: K/7

Summary:  This story follows the events of "Forgotten".  If you haven't read that
first, you can find it at http://hometown.aol.com/summer73/k7home.html or at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ASCEM-S .  Seven has lost her memory of her
relationship with Harry.  Can Harry win her heart again?  

Disclaimer:  Paramount owns the rights to these characters. The storyline is mine. 
No infringement is intended. 

Feedback is greatly appreciated. Please direct all comments to
Khylaren@aol.com .


Unforgettable
In every way
And forever more
That's how you'll stay.
That's why, darling, it's incredible
That someone so unforgettable
Thinks that I am 
Unforgettable, too.  

-Unforgettable, Nat King Cole


Harry Kim sat in his quarters, his fingers moving over the keys of his clarinet, his
gaze intently focused on the sheet of music in front of him.  Playing always
soothed him and gave his mind focus.  He had chosen a familiar, simple piece,
one that he enjoyed playing, and one that he played well.  He concentrated on the
notes, making them sound pure and mellow.  

"Geez, Harry, why don't you just play the blues and get it over with?" Tom Paris
remarked sarcastically from his place on the couch.  

Harry stopped playing and frowned at him.  "What do you mean?"

Tom sat up and leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees.  He looked at
Harry, seeing the dark circles under his eyes, the paler than usual complexion. 
Tom couldn't recall ever seeing Harry look worse, and sighed.

"Well it's just that I've never heard 'Ode to Joy' sound like a dirge before, that's
all."  

Harry began taking his clarinet apart and putting it back in its case, his
movements were stiff with anger.

"I'm sorry, Harry," Tom stood up and walked over to his friend. "I didn't mean..."

"No, you're right."  Harry sighed, taking the reed from the clarinet's mouthpiece
and putting it in the case.  "I guess I haven't been very good company lately."

Tom watched his friend finish putting the clarinet away.  He had come over to
Harry's this evening to help cheer his friend up, and instead had made matters
worse.  He tried to lighten the mood.

"Well, you have been worse.  I remember the time when you were going through
withdrawal from being with Tal.  You were downright horrible company then."

Harry managed to smile at that.  "Yeah, I guess I was."  He sat down in the chair
across from Tom.  He could feel his friend regarding him intently.  "This is
worse, Tom.  Worse than that by a thousand times."  Harry shook his head,
smiling morosely.  "At least with Tal we knew from the beginning the
relationship would be temporary.  With Seven..." He trailed off, feeling his throat
tighten again.

"I know, man," Tom said softly. "I know."

Neither man spoke for several moments, each lost in thought.

"Well, as I see it, there are two things you can do," Tom finally said, looking
sharply at Harry.  

"Two?" Harry asked, his eyebrows rose in interest.

Tom nodded.  "You could either continue to mope around, feeling bad, until
eventually, maybe, you got over her.  Or," he paused, a slow smile beginning to
cross his face. "You could win her back.  Remind her why she fell in love with
you in the first place."

Harry blinked at his friend, and then shook his head, a smile of his own beginning
to tug at his lips.  "Man, why didn't I think of that?"

               < > < > < >

Seven completed the level two diagnostic on the sensor array in preparation for
the end of her shift in Astrometrics and moved to calculate the latest changes on
her console.  She heard the doors to the Astrometrics lab open but didn't look up
from her console to acknowledge the presence of her replacement for Gamma
shift.  

"I will be finished in approximately 48 seconds, Lieutenant," she said coolly, her
fingers tapping out the information on the touch keys of the console.  

"Seven?"

Startled, Seven looked up from her work.  She was surprised.  It hadn't been Lt.
Sharpe she had heard arriving in Astrometrics.  It was Ensign Kim.  

"Ensign," she acknowledged coolly, returning to her work. "How may I assist
you?"  She felt an uncomfortable tightness in her midsection in his presence. She
had not been in his proximity for approximately 3 weeks, ever since she had
terminated the romantic relationship between them. Seven wasn't certain if
Ensign Kim had been avoiding her presence, or if she had been avoiding his.  She
frowned at that thought as she finished her computations.  It wasn't like her to let
an irrelevant event dictate her behavior.  

Harry watched her work, sensing the barrier she had erected between them.  In a
way, it was worse than the time before when they had been just colleagues.  He
couldn't recall her being this distant.  He swallowed nervously, determined not to
let her aloof attitude stop him.

"Have dinner with me tonight," he stated, surprised at how calm his voice
sounded.

Seven looked up from her console, frowning.  "Ensign," she said with as much
kindness as she could muster. "I do not wish to cause you any further emotional
distress.  Having dinner with you would be unwise."  She was surprised to see
him smile at her reply.

"I appreciate your concern, Seven." Harry replied carefully.  "However, I would
still like to have dinner with you."

Seven stared blankly at him, trying to fathom his reasoning.  Finally, she merely
asked, "What purpose would that serve?"

"I miss your company," Harry smiled gently. "I would like for us to be friends."

"Friendship is..."

"Irrelevant," Harry finished for her, still smiling.  "You used to say that
everything was irrelevant if it didn't fit neatly within your Borg thought
processes."  Harry stepped closer to her, his brown eyes kind.  "You learned that
not everything related to human emotion was irrelevant."

Seven frowned, feeling suddenly less certain.  

Seeing that Seven was momentarily without words, Harry pressed his advantage. 
"I would like to teach you those things again," he said softly, looking for some
sign in her eyes.  "I remember you were a quick study, once you finally decided
to listen to me."

Seven studied the man in front of her, feeling a familiar tightness, and empty ache
in her stomach that had nothing to do with food and everything to do with
hunger.  The memories she had of her relationship with Ensign Kim were prior to
the Omega incident, and were plentiful.  At closer examination, she had to admit
she found his presence to be pleasant, no matter how irrelevant his 'small-talk'
had been.  Seven also had to admit she missed his company these past three
weeks.  

"You are attempting to re-establish our previous relationship?" she queried
finally, "even though I have no recollection of it?"

Harry nodded.  "Even if it means we are only friends."

His reply was the deciding factor. "Very well, Ensign. I accept."

Harry offered her his hand. Hesitantly, she placed her own in his, feeling his
fingers thread themselves between hers. She looked down at their hands,
studying them.  Seeing their fingers overlapping gave her an odd sense of déjà
vu, but it was so brief she dismissed it as a processing error.  She couldn't dismiss
the sudden warmth that spread through her at his touch, however, and she
shivered involuntarily.

Harry felt her shiver and looked at her with concern. "Are you all right?"

Seven nodded, not certain what had occurred. The sensation of his fingers
entwined with hers was pleasant, and the way Harry was looking at her right now
was causing her body to react in some interesting ways.  Her mouth suddenly felt
like it was unable to produce enough saliva.  "I am functioning properly," she
said finally.

Harry studied her a moment longer. Only his familiarity with Seven's emotional
responses allowed him to spot the flush to her otherwise pale complexion and the
slight increase in her respiration.  Inwardly he smiled.

Together, they left Astrometrics for the mess hall.  Harry would have preferred
having a meal with Seven in the privacy of his quarters, but he didn't want to
push her too quickly.  Harry was pleased that she had agreed to eat dinner with
him.  He was ecstatic that she was considering his offer of friendship.  

Neelix greeted them warmly, hiding his surprise at seeing them together.  "Good
evening, Seven, Ensign Kim."  He smiled, showing his slightly pointed teeth. 
"Would you like to try the special tonight?  It's Talaxian Goulash."  He held up a
spoonful of the reddish-brown concoction.  "Mr. Tuvok said it was
indescribable."  

"I'm sure Mr. Tuvok was correct," Harry replied with a straight face.

Seven eyed it dubiously, holding her tray out for him to place a portion of the
casserole style dish on her plate.  Harry followed suit, trying unsuccessfully to
hide his smile at Seven's all-too-human expression of distaste.

"Oh, and you have to try this."  Neelix ladled out a generous portion of a green
pudding.  He placed a generous dollop of something white on the surface of the
pudding. 

"Dare I ask?" Harry asked, eyeing the pudding substance with suspicion.  

Neelix beamed. "Leola-root pudding with real whipped marsh-willow cream."

Finding a table next to the view port, Seven and Harry sat across from each
other, Harry poking experimentally at his goulash.

"I may regret having taken you up on your offer of dinner, Ensign." Seven said
dryly, preparing herself for a taste.

Harry chuckled. "I have extra replicator rations we can always use if it's
inedible."  He took a bite of the goulash, bracing himself for the taste. 
Surprisingly enough, it wasn't that unpleasant.  

Despite the leola-root pudding, dinner was not the fiasco Harry feared it might
be.  He and Seven discussed various topics, from the latest star charting in Stellar
Cartography to the latest betting pool Tom Paris had arranged.  Carefully, they
both avoided any reference to their previous romance: Harry, because he didn't
want to push Seven any further tonight; and Seven, because she honestly didn't
know what to say on the matter.  Seven found his conversation stimulating, and
enjoyed his sharp mind.  Against all logic, she found herself regretting the
necessity to leave Ensign Kim's company for regeneration.

They placed their trays in the recycler and left the mess hall together.  Harry
reached for her hand and she allowed him to hold it once more, knowing the
pleasure she derived from his touch should be irrelevant, but enjoying it
nonetheless.  Harry walked Seven to the doors of cargo bay two before releasing
her hand.

Seven paused before entering the cargo bay.  "Thank you, Ensign," she said,
feeling suddenly somewhat awkward and uncertain.

"Goodnight, Seven," Harry said, smiling.  "I'll see you tomorrow."  He turned,
leaving her to watch him walk away down the corridor.

Seven watched him until he was no longer in her line of sight, and then entered
the cargo bay.  She entered the sequence to initiate her regeneration cycle on the
console and stepped backwards into the alcove.  Seven closed her eyes and felt
the cycle begin.

***Seven sat on the couch in their quarters, holding a padd in her lap, pleasantly
distracted by the handsome man sitting in the chair across from her.  Harry's gaze
was intent on the computer screen and he didn't notice her scrutiny immediately. 
Her eyes traveled from his tousled black hair, to his determined eyes, following
downward to rest briefly on his lips.  She smiled when she realized he was
muttering to himself, and continued the visual exploration of her lover.  Seven's
gaze traveled to the broad shoulders beneath the blue of his t-shirt, the muscles of
his chest evident beneath the thin material.  His waist narrowed, the t-shirt tucked
neatly into a pair of blue jeans.  She admired the length of his legs, how they
tapered to his muscular calves, ending in his bare feet.  

"Do I pass?" Harry's bemused voice interrupted her.  Startled, her blue eyes met
his darker ones, and she blushed.

"How long have you been watching me?"  Seven demanded, trying to sound
outraged and failing.

Harry grinned. "About the time you started looking at my chest."

...the scene faded...and was replaced by another...

Seven moved from her console in Astrometrics to the panel behind her, studying
the screens with interest, studiously ignoring the Ensign working next to her. 
She could sense the heat from his body through the thin material of her biometric
suit, and could hear his steady respiration as he finished the last entry.  She was
extremely conscious of his proximity, and was even more conscious of the
strange signals her body was giving her.  Ensign Kim leaned closer, his arm
accidentally brushed against her chest as he reached for a control.  Her skin
tightened at the contact and she shivered.

Ensign Kim looked at his friend questioningly.  Over the past few months, as
Seven reached outward for her humanity, they had become more than
co-workers or shipmates. Their professional relationship had given into a mutual
respect for each other, and finally blossomed into true friendship, as they each
discovered pleasure in the other's company.   Now he was in love with her, but
didn't know how to tell her. His mind kept recalling the dreadful incident in the
mess hall when Seven confronted him about his body's involuntary responses. 
Now, he was aware of *her* involuntary responses to him, and knew the moment
he had been waiting for had arrived.

Seven stared at Harry as he deliberately brushed against her skin once more. She
was unable to suppress her shiver, feeling her skin tingle at his touch. 
Cautiously, she reached out and touched his cheek, feeling the smoothness of his
skin beneath her fingers.  It was like touching an open electrical conduit, the
tingling sensation raced upwards from her fingertips to her brain.  She closed her
eyes as Harry turned his head into her touch and placed a kiss upon her palm.

...the scene faded again...Seven twitched slightly in her alcove as her
subconscious brought her yet another memory...

"Do you know why I fell in love with you, Harry?" Seven asked softly, her finger
tracing designs on his bare chest as they reclined in post-coital satisfaction.  Her
ear rested on his chest and she could hear the steady beating of his heart and the
gentle sounds of his breathing.  She felt Harry's arm curl around her shoulders
and squeeze her gently.  

"Tell me," he demanded softly.  

Seven sighed softly in content. "You were my friend and stood by me when
others did not.  You took the time and effort to discover the person I was, and
helped me develop into the person I have become.  You are kind hearted, loyal,
and the most honest human I know."  She felt him squeeze her gently once more. 
"You fell in love with me and waited patiently until I was able to return the
emotion.  You taught me that love, friendship, joy, and laughter are not
irrelevant.  You have taught me the true meaning of humanity."

Seven straightened up, leaning her arms across his chest so she could look at
Harry.  He seemed slightly embarrassed by her proclamations.  Unable to resist,
she continued.

"You also have an enormous..."

"Seven!" Harry laughed.

She frowned, raising an eyebrow, "...heart.  What did you think I was going to
say?"  She continued to watch, puzzled, as Harry laughed heartily.  

Finally, his laughter subsided, though his eyes still showed his mirth.  "Oh,
Seven," he smiled, reaching up to cradle her cheek tenderly.  "How I do love
you."

...and faded...***

"Regeneration cycle complete," the computer informed her.  For the 22nd time,
Seven felt an unsettling emptiness within her as she stepped down from the
alcove.  She frowned as her mind made the connection between the length of
time she had been experiencing this feeling and the length of time since the
doctor had performed the bypass of her neural implant.

Seven tapped her combadge. "Seven of Nine to the Doctor."

"Doctor here," he replied. "What can I do for you Seven?"

"I need you to perform a diagnostic on my systems.  I seem to be suffering from
some residual effect of the implant bypass procedure." 

"Very well, proceed to sickbay and I'll begin the diagnostic at once.  Doctor out."

Seven exited the cargo bay at her customary pace, a swift and efficient walk. She
wasn't scheduled for duty for another four hours.  She hoped the doctor would
be able to pinpoint the problem and implement the treatment before her shift
began.

She exited the turbolift and walked to sickbay, its doors opening automatically to
her presence.  The EMH looked up from his console at her entrance.

"Ah, there you are." He walked towards her, holding the medical tricorder in
front of him, running preliminary scans.  His forehead furrowed in concentration
and he frowned.
"Tell me the symptoms you have been experiencing."  He gestured for her to
have a seat on one of the biobeds.

Seven sat stiffly, her hands resting on her thighs.  "I have experienced an -
unsettling sensation upon awakening from regeneration.  It is an empty, almost
aching feeling *here*." She pointed to her stomach.

"Mm-hmm." The doctor ran the tricorder over her midsection.  "How many times
has this occurred?"

"22."  She replied, turning her head to follow his progress.  

The EMH entered a few commands into the tricorder, and then resumed
scanning. "Are you experiencing any other symptoms?"

Seven hesitated before replying. "I have also noticed a tendency to be distracted. 
On 14 separate occasions I have caught myself staring off at nothing.  I cannot
say what was occupying my thoughts during such times."  Her normally cool
voice was strained.  

"And when did you first experience these symptoms?" the EMH raised the
tricorder from her midsection towards her head, raising an eyebrow at the
readings.

"Approximately three weeks ago."

"Ah!" The doctor snapped the tricorder shut.  "I believe I have a diagnosis."  He
placed the tricorder on his console and transferred the readings into the medical
database.  He scanned the results, a small smile quirking about his lips.

"What have you discovered, doctor?" Seven was feeling far from patient. 

"Your nanoprobes are trying to re-establish your memory engrams that were
bypassed during the surgery.  It's incredible, really.  The chances of this were
extremely slim.  In fact, I would have to say that if it wasn't for your Borg
technology, this couldn't be happening at all."  He sounded pleased.

"Are you saying that my memory will return?"  Seven sat up straighter, her
expression one of shock and disbelief.

The EMH nodded. "There is that distinct possibility.  However, I must point out
that there is only a one in five chance you will regain all of the bypassed
memories."

Seven frowned. "How does regaining my memory translate into the symptoms I
have been experiencing?"

The doctor smiled, pleased to have the opportunity to expound on the subject.
"The moments of distraction were no doubt caused from portions of your
memory reasserting itself.  The empty, aching feeling you experience upon
regeneration is most likely a side affect of emotional residue.  Until you lost these
memories, you were well on your way to having experienced all of your human
emotions.  Your body is merely re-establishing those emotions during the
regeneration cycle."

Seven sat, silently assimilating the information.  The explanation bothered her. 
There was something obvious missing.  "If my memory engrams are being
re-established, if I am indeed regaining my memory, why is it that I have no
further recollection of events than what I had immediately after the surgery?"

The doctor frowned.  "You don't have any 'new' memories?"

Seven shook her head.  "I do not."

Puzzled, the doctor picked up the tricorder once more and scanned her. After a
few moments, he stopped and looked at her.  "There is one possible answer."

"Proceed," Seven demanded, her posture stiff.

The doctor's expression was pained. "You could very well be suffering from a
form of amnesia.  Your brain is refusing to access the memories.  They are there,
buried in your subconscious. You just have not been able to tap into them."  He
sighed. "Possibly, when your neural implant went offline, your brain perceived it
as an emotional trauma.  Often, trauma victims suffer a mild amnesia.  Unpleasant
events are placed in their subconscious memory where they aren't accessible by
the conscious mind."

"Do you have a treatment that would allow me to access these memories?" Seven
asked quietly with a frown.

The EMH sighed, "I should be able to come up with something in a day or so.  I
should inform you that the recommended treatment for memory loss is usually
some form of shock therapy.  Sometimes a momentous event or extreme emotion
can cause the victim to regain their memory.  It will take me some time to
formulate the best course of treatment."

Seven slid off of the biobed in a fluid motion. "Very well," she said coolly. "I will
proceed as usual until you contact me with your plan of treatment."  She turned
and moved towards the exit, stopping just short and turning back toward the
doctor.  "I would appreciate if you kept this information confidential," Seven said
quietly.

The doctor nodded. "Of course."  He watched her exit, the doors of sickbay
swooshing shut behind her.

               < > < > < >

Almost a week had passed since the doctor's discovery and Seven was finding it
more and more difficult to concentrate on her work. She continued to feel
strange when her regeneration cycle ended, and now she could add an unusual
lethargy, a weighted feeling in her limbs that had not been present the week
before.  When Harry stepped through the doors of Astrometrics and made his
way purposefully to where Seven was still working, the former Borg drone didn't
bother looking up from her work.

"Is there something I can help you w rem Ensign?" Her normally cool voice held a
hint of irritation.  

"Actually I was hoping I could help you with something.  Captain told me you
were working on re-aligning the sensor array.  I thought perhaps you could use
an extra set of hands."  Harry smiled at her when she looked up.  "Your shift
technically ended an hour and a half ago."

Seven paused, staring blankly at him for a moment.  

"Seven?" Harry moved closer, looking concerned.  "Are you all right?"

She seemed to recover, blinking rapidly in surprise.  "I-I'm fine, Ensign."

"Are you sure?  You seemed kind of distracted there for a minute."  Harry's keen
eyes caught her quick look of dismay before she could completely hide it.

Seven stiffened under his scrutiny.  "I stated I was fine."  She returned to her
console, avoiding his gaze.  "I do not require any assistance at this time."  Her
voice was cold.

Harry blinked, trying to hide his hurt.  "Fine."  He turned, moving towards the
exit.

"Ensign!" Seven called, the tone in her voice causing him to turn in surprise.  "I
apologize for my abruptness," she said quietly.  "I am not myself lately."  She
looked away for a moment, and then met his eyes.  

Harry studied her a moment, then nodded. "Very well.  I accept your apology." 
He noted several things at once; the dark shadows under Seven's eyes, and the
general pallor of her complexion.  "Seven, are you feeling all right?" 

"I am...not functioning at peak efficiency," she admitted. 

Harry was surprised she had admitted that much.  "When did you regenerate
last?"

"14 hours ago."  Seven felt like it had been much longer than that.

"And when did you eat last?" Harry demanded, his concern growing as Seven's
fatigue became more apparent each passing moment.

Seven shook her head, opening her mouth to reply and was overcome with
dizziness.  "My ocular implant must be malfunctioning.  This room is spinning,"
she muttered.

Harry saw her eyes roll back and stepped forward in time to catch her before she
fell.  Gently he lowered her to the floor of Astrometrics, his fingers sliding up her
neck to find her pulse.  He tapped his combadge immediately.

"Kim to Sickbay.  Medical Emergency, two to beam over."

               < > < > < >

"What's wrong with her, doc?"  Harry demanded, worry making his voice harsh.

"I should have known this would happen," the doctor apologized, his holographic
features drawn with regret. 

Harry took a deep breath and restrained the urge to strangle the EMH.  "Please
explain what you mean, exactly."  He was surprised at how calm he sounded.

The EMH sighed. "When I bypassed Seven's neural implant, I took into
consideration the effect it would have on the rest of her implants.  I knew
eventually that without the neural implant regulating the functions of the other
implants, they would shut down by themselves, and her human biological systems
would take over.  Once that occurred, I would be able to remove the non-active
implants.  However, what I did not anticipate was her body simultaneously
rejecting all of the implants *before* her biological systems were ready.  I had
projected several months before I needed to remove them, not several weeks." 
The doctor looked genuinely distressed.

Harry's face paled. "Can you stop the process?"

The doctor shook his head, "I don't know, Ensign.  This is an entirely new field
of medicine for me.  I'm using all my resources, but I cannot make any
guarantees."

               < > < > < > 

Seven lay on the biobed, her eyes traveling over the ceiling of sickbay, trying to
discern a pattern in the tiled surface.  

"Ah, Seven, you're awake." The EMH's face came into her line of site. "How are
you feeling?"

Seven blinked slowly, focusing on his face.  "I feel strange," she replied honestly.
"I feel...lighter." She shrugged, not knowing a better word.

A smile tugged at the corner of the doctor's mouth. "You should feel
considerably lighter.  Your abdominal implant alone weighed 12.2 pounds."

His face was sharply focused now, and she could feel her mind beginning to
shrug off the last of the sedative he had given her prior to the surgery.  "You
were successful, then?" she inquired with a graceful lift of an eyebrow.

The EMH's smile was slightly smug. "Your own human systems are functioning
now in place of your cybernetic implants.  You need to rest here a few days, and
you may feel a bit unsteady at first.  But I think you'll make a complete
recovery."

Seven smiled with relief. "Does Harry know?"  She didn't understand the
expression that crossed the EMH's face.

"Seven, what was your last memory?" he inquired gently.

She looked blankly at him for a moment, not certain why he was asking. "You
told me you needed to operate and remove my cybernetic implants because they
were no longer functioning," she replied.

"Before that?"

Seven thought briefly. "Harry bringing me here from Astrometrics."  She could
see the agitation on his face.  "What is wrong, doctor?"

"Nothing is wrong, I'm merely trying to establish how much of your memory has
returned," the hologram said, smiling. "Tell me what else you remember."

"Returned?"  Seven tried to sit up on the biobed, but the doctor's firm hand on
her shoulder pushed her back gently.  She looked up at him and sighed,
frustrated. "I don't understand. Please send Harry in, I want to see him."

"I know, Seven. Please be patient.  I will have Ensign Kim join us in a moment,
but I can see I need to explain a few things first." 

"Proceed," Seven demanded, fixing him with a firm glare.

"After the surgery to bypass your neural implant, you lost your short term
memory.  You had no recollection of events beyond what happened over three
years ago," the doctor explained.  

Seven paled, knowing immediately how that must have affected her relationship
with Harry.  She listened, dismayed, as the doctor explained the events of the
past several weeks.  As he spoke, her mind cleared the last of the post-surgical
fog that had been clouding it. She recalled what had happened between her and
Harry after the neural implant bypass. Her heart ached with the thought of
causing him pain.

The EMH noted her distress, his eyebrows rising in alarm. "Please, Seven. I
didn't mean to upset you."  He picked up the hypospray that was loaded with a
mild sedative and pressed it against her neck. "This will help you sleep, but it will
take a few moments before it takes hold.  I will send Ensign Kim in to see you
before you fall asleep."  He smiled down at her and patted her shoulder gently,
before moving away.  Seven closed her eyes and felt the sedative begin to take
hold.

"Seven?"  Harry spoke tentatively to the figure laying peacefully on the biobed. 
Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled drowsily.

"Hello, Harry," Seven said softly.  "I missed you."  She felt him reach for her
hand, his fingers twining with hers.  His smile of relief was beautiful to her.  

"I missed you, too," he said huskily, his throat so tight with emotion he could
hardly speak.  He couldn't stop looking at her, seeing that look in her eyes that
she had only for him. He felt a wetness on his cheeks and realized he was crying.

Seven reached up with her other hand and touched his tears.  "Thank you,
Harry," she said, her hand cupping his cheek as her thumb gently wiped his tears
away.

He smiled, turning his face into her hand so he could place a kiss on her palm. 
"For what?" he asked, still full of amazement that *his* Seven was back.

Seven smiled and dropped her arm gracefully back down beside her.  "For not
giving up on me.  For trying to be my friend even after I lost my memory."  She
sighed, feeling the sedative wearing her down.  It was difficult to keep her eyes
open.

Harry leaned down and placed a kiss on her closed eyelids, seeing her smile
sleepily in response.  "You're welcome," he whispered.  "Get well soon."


               < > < > < >

Two nights later, Seven lay in the darkness of their quarters, listening to the soft
respiration of her partner.  She rolled to her side, propping herself up on one arm
so she could gaze down at him while he slept.  His features were almost boyish in
slumber, she noted, her gaze traveling from his dark lashes to his full and sensual
mouth.  She reached out to brush a stray lock of raven black hair off his forehead
when she noticed his eyes were open and he was watching her.

"I'm sorry," she whispered softly in the darkness. "I didn't mean to wake you."

Harry reached up and caressed her cheek. "I was having the most wonderful
dream," he whispered back, enjoying the familiar game.

"Oh?  What was it?" She kissed him softly on the forehead, letting her lips linger
on his skin.

"I was in love with the most beautiful woman in the entire universe, and she
loved me too," he reached up to cup the back of her head, loving the feel of her
body pressing closer to his.  "We were very happy together."  He ran a thumb
over her lips and chuckled when she nipped at it.

"Should I be jealous of this dream woman?" she teased, placing a small kiss on
his thumb.

Harry rolled Seven beneath him and covered her lips possessively with his own. 
His hands moved down her shoulders, reaching for her hands.  His fingers
entwined with hers, he brought her hands up and around his shoulders before he
relinquished her mouth.  "Darling," he whispered huskily, looking down at her
with love and passion, "she can't hold a candle to you."

               
               The End