Title: Stuck in the Middle
Author: Greg Mawson
Rating: PG-13
Codes: K/7, P/T,  J&C & Neelix 

From: "Gregory Mawson" <gjgmawson@hotmail.com>



Disclaimer:  All you see before you, the story notwithstanding, is the 
property of Paramount.  Not me.  I'm not making any money off of this, 
don't you worry.


The doors to the Astrometrics lab swished open, and Ensign Harry Kim 
strode in, trying to look confident and being largely successful at it.  
He saw Seven of Nine at her work station, her back turned to him, and 
was just about to address her when she spoke.

"Ensign Kim, what do you want?"  She didn't turn around to see if it was 
actually Harry that she was addressing.

Harry smiled.  Her words may have sounded harsh to others, but he knew 
her well enough to know that there was no malice intended in her blunt 
words.  "How did you know it was me, Seven?"

"The pattern of your footfalls is distinctive, Ensign.  After a year of 
working with you, I have naturally learned to identify them."  She 
continued her work, still not bothering to turn around.  "What do you 
wish to speak about?"

Harry cleared his throat.  "I was hoping you'd join me for dinner 
tonight, but when I went to the messhall you weren't there.  So I came 
to see what you were doing, and if you weren't too busy to join me 
anyway."  He hoped his voice didn't betray any anxiety.  He thought he 
had been getting better at acting calmly around her, but he just found 
her so beautiful that it was still a struggle at times, especially when 
he was asking her things she considered 'irrelevant'.

"You could have spoken to me over the comm, Ensign.  It is inefficient 
to make an unnecessary journey."  Before he could interrupt her with a 
response, she continued, "However, as you are here, if you assist me in 
taking these readings, we should be done in approximately twelve 
minutes.  Then I will join you for dinner, as I have not eaten in 
several hours and require sustenance."  She turned to look at him to 
gauge his reaction.

Harry grinned.  She was becoming more comfortable in his presence, and 
they had been dining together semi-regularly in the messhall for several 
weeks now.  He had yet to ask her to a private dinner in his quarters or 
the holodeck, but was going to soon.  He wanted to take things slowly 
with Seven so she wouldn't be scared off, or worse, totally misinterpret 
him like she had that evening in the messhall a year before, something 
they had not discussed since, much to his eternal relief.

"Sure, Seven.  Move over, and I'll give you a hand."

A hint of a smile passed over her lips when she saw him grinning.  She 
knew that his happiness was irrelevant, or would have been in the Borg 
collective she used to belong to, but a part of her enjoyed seeing him 
grin anyway.  That part of her caused her to smile, something she rarely 
did, and only seemed to do in response to the Ensign.  It was 
unnecessary, but she couldn't help it.  He always smiled even more when 
he saw her face soften.  She liked his smile, despite herself.

As they worked, Harry began another of his 'irrelevant fraternizations' 
which his companion objected to less that she used to.  Seven would deny 
she was becoming more 'human' when asked, but would offer the reason 
that she was adapting to the ways of Voyager.  That was good enough for 
Harry.

"So, Seven, why are you working late?  Did something come up, or were 
you just not as efficient as you expected during the day?"  He grinned 
at her.

She gave him a hard look that would have made Harry think he offended 
her had he not noticed the twinkle in her eye.  "Hardly.  Lieutenant 
Torres asked me to assist her in engineering today, so that is why we 
are working late.  I am efficient as always."

"Of course."

They finished their work in Astrometrics in the time Seven of Nine had 
predicted, and were just turning to head to the messhall when B'Elanna 
Torres burst in.  Voyager's Chief Engineer marched furiously up to the 
former Borg and began shout at her.

"Why the hell can't you just do what you're told, Seven?  I give you 
specific orders to adjust the power flow to Astrometrics *only*, and you 
go and mess with my whole damn power system!"

Seven's voice was cool calm as she responded, but just as full of venom 
in her own way.  "I did not 'mess with' the power system, Lieutenant.  I 
increased our power efficiency by point seven percent."

B'Elanna's Klingon temper began to take over.  She went from being 
merely furiously angry at Seven to seething with rage at the former 
Borg.  "Yes, and your damned 'efficiency' would have blown out the 
entire replicator system if hadn't noticed it before I completed the 
other modifications I planned!  It took me two hours to undo what you 
did!"

Seven was not going to back down.  "If you had informed me of the other 
modifications you were planning..."

"Ha!  I am the Chief Engineer!  I don't need to 'inform' you of what I'm 
doing!  When I tell you do make a specific modification, you make it.  
If you want to do anything else to my ship, you ask me."

"It is not *your* ship, Lieutenant.  It is the Captain's."

B'Elanna gave Seven a look of death and was about to shout something at 
her when Harry intervened.  "Now, Seven, B'Elanna is in charge of the 
engineering functions of the ship, so when you want to go beyond her 
orders, maybe you should..."

Seven didn't let him finish.  "This does not concern you, Ensign."

"It's always my concern when my friends fight."  Seven softened a little 
at this.  She knew that he and Lieutenant Torres were friends, but Harry 
had never actually called Seven a friend before, although she considered 
him her best friend on board Voyager.  "And B'Elanna, you know how Seven 
likes to take the initiative.  Maybe if you would just tell her more of 
what you intend, you two wouldn't have this... this friction."

"Harry, you can't reason with this drone!"

Harry and Seven responded simultaneously.

"I am not a drone."

"She's not a drone, B'Elanna.  You know that."

B'Elanna gave Harry a fierce look.  "Sure, Harry.  Defend that Borg 
bimbo over one of your oldest friends."

Seven raised an eyebrow.  "'Bimbo'?"  She didn't recognize the term.

Harry did, however.  He learned it from the same place B'Elanna had - 
his best friend, and her lover, Tom Paris, the pilot of Voyager and a 
historian of the twentieth-century.  It referred to Seven being blonde, 
buxom, and beautiful, and implied a vacuous quality that both Harry and 
B'Elanna knew was completely wrong.  It had been said to hurt, although 
it did not hurt Seven, who was oblivious to its pejorative use, even if 
she understood the tone of voice that the half-Klingon woman used.  It 
hurt Harry, as B'Elanna intended.  He hated it when anyone attacked 
Seven, for whom Harry had some very strong feelings.  Strong feelings 
that were obvious to those around him, and that B'Elanna was totally 
opposed to.  She didn't want to she her friend get hurt by someone she 
saw as an unfeeling automaton.

"Don't call Seven a 'bimbo', B'Elanna," he said in a low, even voice.

B'Elanna's anger was piqued.  She let out a sharp laugh at her friend.  
"Harry, it's so *sweet*", she said venomously, "the way you defend 
Seven, and your little crush on her would be even more nauseating if 
there was any chance she'd even return it.  When are you going to see 
she's an drone through and through, who's never going to think you're 
anything other than an irrelevant inefficient annoyance, or a lab rat 
for her little experiments in 'human interaction'?  You're in love with 
a machine!"

Harry's face turned to a mixture of hurt and anger, and B'Elanna 
immediately regretted her harsh words, something she rarely did when she 
got angry.

"I can't believe you." Harry said quietly.

Seven saw how he was hurting and decided she had to defend him the way 
he defended her earlier.  "I would never use Harry as a 'lab rat'."  She 
noticed how his first name had slipped out, but barrelled on anyway.  
Her face took an a cloudy expression as she continued, and her voice was 
far more uneasy than it usually was.  "And Ensign Kim does not have a 
'crush' on me, Lieutenant.  He specifically denied to me that he was in 
love with me the night I asked him to copulate in the mess hall."

B'Elanna laughed inadvertently at this, and Harry's eyes went wide as he 
spun to face Seven.  "How could you tell her about that?" he shouted. He 
then turned and marched out of Astrometrics, shouting, "I cannot believe 
you two!"

"Ensign Kim!" Seven shouted after him, but he continued walking away.  
She turned to B'Elanna, forgetting their argument, and asked evenly, 
"Why did Ensign Kim leave so abruptly, Lieutenant?  We were going to go 
to the messhall for dinner."

B'Elanna just stared in horrified amazement at the ex-Borg.  "You really 
don't get it, do you?"  She then turned and stomped off as well.

Seven of Nine was left standing alone in Astrometrics, trying to 
understand what had just gone on.  She seemed to have a knack for 
annoying Lieutenant Torres, but up until this point, had never had a 
similar effect on Ensign Kim.  She found she didn't like the way he 
looked when he left her.  She decided to contemplate this as she went to 
dine in the messhall, although she did not expect to find Ensign Kim 
there waiting for her.

If there were anyone else in Astrometrics at the time, they would have 
been surprised to hear the ex-Borg, Seven of Nine, let out a small sigh.

***


Harry Kim was still fuming when he entered his quarters and collapsed on 
his couch.  He found he was unable to stay motionless for long, however.  
He was so angry at the both of them that he could taste it, and to work 
off some of that anger he got up and began slowly pacing across the 
room, and back again.  His pacing did little to abate his anger, 
however.

Things were just starting to go well with Seven, too.  That was the 
ironic thing.  Just when he thought there was some hope in sight for him 
and Seven, that stupid fight between her and B'Elanna had to happen.

He never enjoyed it when B'Elanna and Seven fought, as he always felt 
stuck in the middle.  Normally, though, he could handle it.  Tonight, he 
actually put himself in the middle of it, and paid the price.  B'Elanna, 
his dearest friend on the ship other than Tom, had taken her temper out 
on him when he tried to help her and Seven coming to some kind of 
working agreement.  And she belittled him in front of Seven, and told 
her he loved her.

It was true, he knew, although he hadn't really thought of it that way 
before.  He knew he liked Seven, and wanted to romance her, but he 
hadn't thought of it as love.  Love, real romantic love was something he 
had only felt for Libby.  He didn't any more, and though he was saddened 
somewhat when the message from his parents via the array had mentioned 
Libby's new engagement, he wasn't crushed.  He was actually relieved, 
glad that Libby had moved on with her life.  He didn't want the woman he 
once loved, was once his fiancee, to live her life waiting for him to 
come back to her, when there was not much chance that would happen 
before he was an old man.  He didn't want her to use him as a reason not 
to try and be happy.

Now, however, Harry thought about it.  'Of course I'm in love with 
Seven', he realized.  He loved spending time with her, and was always 
finding new excuses to do so, although he had to do considerably less 
work to enjoy her company now that they were regular dinner companions 
in the mess hall.  He wanted to protect her, to keep her out of harm's 
way.  That was impossible on Voyager, and it ate away at his insides 
like acid sometimes, but he still wanted to keep her safe.  He knew he 
would die to protect her.  He also thought one of the ways he had to 
protect her was to not let her know his feelings for her.  She was too 
new to humanity, too new to her emotions, for any kind of revelation on 
his part to be easy for her.  She needed time to adjust to her new life, 
and she needed a helping hand along the way.  She needed a friend, the 
kind of friend Harry knew he could be.  He hoped one day that she would 
let him be the lover, the companion, and the soulmate that Harry also 
knew he could be, but not yet.  He loved her, and for her sake, she 
couldn't know that.  Not yet.

The Voyager rumour mill, however, had loudly claimed for a year that he 
was madly in love with Seven.  Harry was quite aware of this, and the 
looks he got from his crewmates whenever he was with Seven made him 
completely uncomfortable.  He had hoped that Seven was too unfamiliar 
with human interactions to pick up on that, but the rational side of 
Harry's mind told him, 'yeah, right, Harry.  Her Borg-enhanced senses 
can detect your pupils dilating.  They'd be able to notice the snickers 
of your crewmates'.  But he could comfort himself with the belief that 
the rumour mill probably didn't reach Seven, and she might be unaware.

But B'Elanna changed all that.

Of course, Harry realized, she was right.  The chances of Seven having 
any affection at all for him, other than as a comforting 'predictable' 
crewmate, were infinitesimally small.  'Of course, if I ask, Seven could 
tell me just how small those chance are, and to what astronomical degree 
it was irrelevant' he thought bitterly.  At least they had been friends, 
even if he never actually told her he considered her a friend.  And 
now...

Now she knew how he felt.  Now she would consider him a burden.  Now she 
would never let him close to her.

As Harry's mind raced through his deepest fears, another part of him, 
the part that lived in hope he would return home sooner than later, the 
part that smiled at everyone he met, the part that befriended the 
outcasts, told him a different story.  'She cares about you, Harry.  She 
tried to defend you to B'Elanna.  You are the only one she's ever smiled 
at.'

Harry's hope, however, was drowned in his mind by the ongoing torrent of 
his fear.  The woman he loved was going to hate him.  She told B'Elanna 
about the night in the mess hall.  It would be all over the ship in the 
morning, and then -

** Torres to Kim ** B'Elanna the intercom, interrupting his stream of 
consciousness.  Harry ignored it.  He didn't want to deal with B'Elanna 
at the moment.  Not after what she had done.

** Torres to Kim ** she repeated after a few minutes.

Continuing to ignore her, Harry went to his dressed, took his clarinet 
and began to play, continuing to pace all the while, as therapy for his 
troubled soul.  Making music had always calmed him down, and he felt 
like he needed calm more than eve before at this moment.

B'Elanna, however, was persistent.  Her voice came over the intercom 
again.  ** Harry, I'm so sorry.  I didn't mean to blurt out... what I 
said to Seven.  I was just so angry I couldn't control it.  I know you 
probably need to cool off, but please talk to me.  Torres out. **

Harry was taken slightly aback.  B'Elanna was rarely apologetic, and 
this was one of those moments.  He was considering hailing her, but them 
he remembered what she said.  What she told Seven.  He went back to his 
music.

About half an hour later, he was hailed again.  ** Seven of Nine to 
Ensign Kim **.  He couldn't talk to Seven.  He just couldn't.  She 
hailed him again, but he ignored her just like he ignored B'Elanna.

Five minutes after that, his doorbell rang.  The voice he longed to and 
dreaded hearing spoke to him through the door.  "Ensign Kim, please open 
the door.  You did not meet me in the mess hall like you said you 
would."

Realizing Seven could easily override the privacy lock on his door and 
march in, he walked over to it and shouted, "Leave me alone, Seven."

Her Borg focus carried her on.  Her voice, however, was sounded less 
confident than it usually did.  "You are behaving irrationally, Ensign.  
Perhaps-"

Harry cut her off.  "I don't want to talk, Seven.  Please go away."  He 
expected to her to march right inside anyway, but he heard boots walking 
away from his door, instead.

He hated himself for treating her this way, but he knew he couldn't deal 
with her at the moment.  He couldn't let her in and hear her destroy his 
hopes and dreams by telling him she didn't feel anything for him.  He 
knew those hopes were ruined, but he didn't want to hear it.  Not yet.

He stayed up playing his clarinet for a long time trying to work out his 
pain.  Ensign Baytart's occasional poundings on the wall were studiously 
ignored.

***


Seven of Nine contemplated many things facets of her existence in Cargo 
Bay two that evening.  She contemplated her friction with Lieutenant 
Torres.  She contemplated how to further improve the efficiency of the 
Astrometrics sensors.  She contemplated the collapsed Hirogen 
communications array and what it meant for Voyager.  She looked at the 
alcove One had regenerated in and contemplated her lost 'son'.  She 
contemplated the Doctor's latest efforts to improve her social skills.

Most of all, she contemplated Ensign Kim.  She contemplated his refusal 
to speak with her, and the events that caused it.  She contemplated 
Lieutenant Torres' claim that he loved her.  She contemplated how he was 
the only crewmember who made her smile.  She contemplated the 
possibility that he would avoid her in the future.

As she regenerated in her alcove, her face did not bear the expression 
of an efficient Borg drone, confident that all problems could be 
overcome with efficiency and that order could be brought to the 
universe.  It bore the expression of a troubled young woman, wracked 
with fear at what she might lose.

---



***

The next morning, a very tired Harry Kim walked into the mess hall to 
get breakfast.  He saw Tom and B'Elanna sitting at their usual table, 
eating.  B'Elanna waved at him to come over and join her and Tom, as 
Harry usually did.  Harry, on the other hand, was still annoyed at 
B'Elanna for her fight with Seven, and subsequent fight with him, last 
night.  He wasn't as mad as he was last night at her, but he didn't 
really want to have to deal with her at the moment.  Instead, he just 
waved back at his friends, and went to see Neelix to get something to 
eat.

Neelix, Voyager's Talaxian morale officer, chef, and ambassador, greeted 
Harry in his usual cheerful manner.  "Hello, Ensign, and how are you 
this fine morning?"

Harry gave Neelix a little smile.  It was hard not to do so around the 
perpetually happy chef.  "Awful, actually."

"Care to talk about it, Harry?" Neelix inquired with genuine concern in 
his voice.

Harry shook his head.  "Thanks, Neelix, but I really don't want to talk 
to anyone about it."

"Some other time, maybe."

"Maybe.  What do you have for breakfast?"

Neelix showed Harry his breakfast selections.  "We have scrambled eggs, 
an assortment of fruit from Vehar II, and my breakfast specialty, 
whipped pilarbra tubers au gratin."  He looked dejected for a moment.  
"No one seems to want the tubers."

Despite his foul mood, Harry wanted to cheer Neelix up a little.  His 
concoctions were often bizarre, and some were downright inedible, 
especially those which involved the words 'leola root', but Neelix 
always put a lot of effort into his cooking.  It could be surprisingly 
good.  "I'll try the tubers, Neelix."

The Talaxian cheered up immediately.  Handing Harry a plate full of 
whipped tubers and a glass of juice, he patted Harry on the arm and 
said, "I'm sure you'll enjoy them Harry.  Have a good day!"

Harry took his tray, and now had to decide where to sit.  He really 
didn't want to go and sit with Tom and B'Elanna.  Vorik was sitting 
alone, reading a padd, but Harry wasn't really in the mood to engage in 
the conversational curiosities Vulcans sometimes got involved in.  He 
saw Sue Nicoletti, the Delaney sisters, and Crewman Jeffrey Schmidt from 
Security sitting together and chatting.  Sue Nicoletti caught his gaze 
and smiled at him, something she had been doing a lot lately at their 
music practices.  Other than himself, she was the most accomplished 
musician on the ship, her instrument being the oboe.  Sitting with them 
would be a change of pace, but it might make B'Elanna think he was 
trying to spite her, and he wasn't.  He knew he really wanted to eat 
alone, so he flashed a smile at Sue, and sat at an empty table on the 
other side of the mess hall from Tom and B'Elanna.

He tried a mouthful of Neelix's tubers.  There were coloured a bright 
royal blue, which Harry found a little disturbing.  The consistency was 
not terribly enjoyable, being similar to mashed turnips, but the taste 
was something else.  The tubers themselves tasted similar to cinnamon, 
which combined in a strange but pleasing manner with the cheese Neelix 
added to make a really enjoyable dish.  He turned around and tried to 
catch the Neelix's eye, and when he had done so, gave him a hearty 
'thumbs up'.  Neelix beamed at him, and Harry heard him tell his next 
diner, to "try the tubers, Ensign Kim really likes them".  Attacking his 
breakfast with renewed vigour, Harry thought that maybe this day 
wouldn't be so bad after all.

The doors to the mess hall opened with a swoosh, and in stepped Seven of 
Nine.  She saw Harry sitting alone and made a beeline straight for him.

Harry looked up, as if towards the heavens.  'Just had to prove me 
wrong, didn't you?' he thought.

"Ensign Kim, may I join you for breakfast?" she asked in her level 
voice.

'Yes!' screamed his heart.  'Yes, of course you want her to join you!'  
His mind refused to listen.  "Actually, Seven, I'm nearly finished my 
food, and was just about to go on duty."  It was the first excuse to say 
'no' he could think of.

She turned and looked at the messhall chronometer.  "It is 0720 hours.  
Alpha shift does not begin until 0800 hours, therefore you have forty 
mids ts."  There was an unsettling pause before she resumed, "I would 
like to discuss something with you, Ensign."

He looked down at his half-eaten tubers.  "I'd really rather eat alone, 
Seven," he said quietly, and looked up to her, almost pleading.

She looked at him strangely.  "You have never wished to eat alone 
before, Ensign."  Looking at him, and seeing no response forthcoming, 
she continued.  "Very well, Ensign.  I will let you eat alone.  Good 
day."  She turned away and walked over to Neelix to get some food of her 
own.

'Fool!' shouted his heart at his brain.  'You myopic fool!'  Harry 
suddenly lost his appetite, and toyed with his food.  He overheard 
Neelix use his 'Ensign Kim really liked them' line to plug his tubers to 
Seven, and heard Seven agree to try them.  He watched her sit down at a 
table between where Harry was sitting and where Tom and B'Elanna were, 
and couldn't help notice her reaction to her breakfast.  Her right 
eyebrow raised after the first bite, and she ate them with a slightly 
more enthusiastic bent than she did most other foods.

Harry knew the only reason he noticed this was due to the time he had 
spent with her.  Time he was convinced would end if he let her have a 
conversation with him.  He was certain than since B'Elanna had let it 
slip to Seven that he was in love with the ex-Borg, Seven would 
terminate their 'association', which was a friendship that Harry highly 
valued.  Part of him thought Seven valued it too, but he still believed 
she would end it as an irrelevant burden.

He toyed with his tubers some more.

He was interrupted from his fidgeting by a shadow passing over his 
plate.  Harry looked up.  It was Tom Paris, his best friend on board.  
"Mind if I sit down?"

Harry hesitated.

"I'll be brief, Harry," Tom continued, sitting down.  He looked over at 
Seven of Nine, sitting alone, finishing off her tubers.  "So, she eats 
the same breakfast as you, eh Harry?"

"Tom..."

Tom held up his hands.  "All right, all right."  Continuing to look at 
Seven, he said, "At least B'Elanna doesn't feel like the only one you're 
rejecting.  She told me what happened, Harry.  She's sorry, you know.  
She didn't mean to tell Seven -"

Harry shot Tom a look.

Tom saw his friend's warning. " - what she did.  You don't hate her, do 
you Harry?"

The younger man set down his fork and looked Tom straight in the eye.  
"Of course not, Tom.  B'Elanna's my friend."  He dropped his gaze again.  
"Just because she ruined my life doesn't mean I don't like her any more.  
I just need some time."

"She didn't ruin your life, Harry."  Tom looked apologetic now.  "Look, 
you know how she gets.  In some weird, misguided, confrontational 
Klingon way, she was trying to protect you, Har."  He sounded almost 
wistful at that.  Tom liked B'Elanna's 'weird confrontational Klingon' 
half more than she herself did.

"Yeah, I know, Tom," Harry replied.  "But did she have to do it in front 
of Seven?  Now Seven's going to want nothing to do with me!"

"If that were the case, would she still come over and talk with you this 
morning?"

"Maybe."

Tom sighed.  He was having a hard time reaching his friend.  "Just talk 
to B'Elanna sometime.  Same thing with Seven.  O.K.?"

Harry gave in and looked at his friend.  "All right."

Tom smiled at that.  It was a start, at least.  "Pool at Sandrine's, 
tomorrow, 2000 hours?  Just the two of us?"

It was Harry's turn to smile.  "You know it, buddy," he said, mimicking 
Tom's voice.

Tom got up and walked over to his lover, but looked back at Harry and 
said, "You know I'm right, don't you?"

Harry just nodded, and went back to his tubers.

***

He filled his day with work.  Using procedures as a suit of armour, he 
tried to be the perfect officer on the bridge that day.  He was crisp 
and efficient.  He did what he was told, offered suggestions when they 
were necessary, but never said anything frivolous, not even his usual 
banter with Tom.  Tuvok approved of this side of Ensign Kim.

It never occurred to Harry that he was doing exactly was Seven of Nine 
did to protect herself from her emotions.

***

That evening, he managed to forget his trouble with an intensive 
practice session with Sue Nicoletti.  He turned to his music for release 
again, and convinced Sue to extend their session by a full hour.  He 
then returned to his quarters and took his frustrations out with his 
clarinet again.  Baytart next door resolved to switch shifts to try and 
work the night shift for the next little while.

***

The second morning in the messhall after his confrontation with B'Elanna 
and Seven went more smoothly than the first.  B'Elanna waved and smiled 
at him, and he waved and smiled back.  He was glad she knew he didn't 
hate her (how could he? she was too good a friend), and also glad she 
seemed to accept he needed some time to himself.  Neelix's special was 
leola hash browns, so Harry just had fruit that day.  He did request 
that Neelix make whipped pilarbra tubers au gratin sometime soon.  Sue 
Nicoletti came over with some suggestions for their next performance.  
Pablo Baytart came over and asked him to "work out his damned problems 
with something other than that bloody clarinet."  Four years as Harry's 
neighbour had made him aware of Harry's form of therapy.  Baytart's 
suggestion was origami.

Seven of Nine did not show up in the mess hall while Harry was there.  
For that, Harry was grateful.

***

That afternoon, Seven of Nine was crouched under the main control 
console in the Astrometrics lab, wiping the sweat from her brow.  Trying 
to increase power efficiency under Lieutenant Torres' "parameters" was a 
frustrating job.  She thought the job would be easier if she had some 
help.  Only one name came to mind.  The only person she enjoyed working 
with on Astrometrics problems.  Ensign Kim.

"Enjoyed."  She wouldn't have phrased it that way out loud, but it was 
how she felt.  Her Borg mind could rationalise by claiming that she 
merely "enjoyed" the efficiency that resulted when she worked with 
Ensign Kim, who was intelligent, competent, and knew Astrometrics better 
than anyone on the ship other than Seven herself.  Commander Chakotay 
was right she he said they made a good team.  But she also realized it 
was more than just efficiency she enjoyed about Ensign Kim.

Seven liked the fact that he went out of his way to help her.  She liked 
that he would always make time for her questions, and rarely seemed to 
get offended.  She even liked his fraternizations, something she would 
have considered impossible a year before.  She liked his smile, and the 
smiles he brought out of her in response.  Most of all, she liked the 
attention he paid to her.  She could tell he went out of his way to 
spend time with her, and in that he was unlike anyone else.  Oh, the 
Doctor, Lieutenant Commander Tuvok, and Captain Janeway all went out of 
their way to help her, but they did so as mentors as much as friends.  
Ensign Kim was not a mentor.  He was her age, and though he was of 
superior rank, being part of Starfleet's hierarchy and head of the 
operations department, he never held that over her.  He treated her as 
an equal.  Seven liked the attentions he paid to her, as an equal, and 
as a friend.  He was pleasant to be around, and she knew that were it 
not for him, Voyager would not have become a home to her nearly as 
quickly as it had.

Seven felt comfortable around Ensign Kim, as well.  Many of the other 
men on the ship would leer whenever she passed by, giving her looks 
inviting a sexual encounter.  Seven ignored them, but found their looks 
vaguely unsettling.  She saw the Ensign's pupils dilate when they looked 
at her body, and recognized his increased respiratory rate, but he 
didn't leer.  Seven took that to mean he was not attracted to her in the 
way she saw some of the others were.  That was what she had tried to 
tell Lieutenant Torres two days previous when Torres stated that Ensign 
Kim was in love with her.  Why else would he have refused her when she 
asked him to copulate last year?

That incident still left Seven feeling somewhat annoyed.  She learned 
subsequently that human women were not usually so open with sexual 
invitations, even though men sometimes were.  She was still a little 
regretful that Ensign Kim had turned her down.  He couldn't have meant 
it as an insult - if he did, why were they friends? - but she really had 
wanted to try copulation.  It was an aspect of humanity that seemed - 
intriguing.  There were no other males on Voyager that were as 
acceptable as Ensign Kim to her, and as she studied the databases on 
human sexuality after the 'mess hall incident', she realized that 
sexuality was a matter that humanity still did not take lightly.  She 
still wanted to experience it, but as there was no one else acceptable, 
and as Ensign Kim obviously did not find her attractive, dilated pupils 
notwithstanding, she had refrained from propositioning anyone else.  
There was no one else who would have made her feel as comfortable.

But why did Lieutenant Torres insist that Ensign Kim was in love with 
her?  And why did he react so poorly when she insisted he was not?  And 
why was he avoiding her?  And why did it seem to *matter* so much?

Her frustration at the impasse with Ensign Kim and the problem with 
increasing power efficiency increased her frustration even more.  She 
needed help with her task.  Not because she was incapable of completing 
it, but it would be easier to have help.

It would also, as the phrase Ensign Kim had taught her, "kill two birds 
with one stone".  For a species that claimed to be peaceful, humanity 
had a preponderance of violent metaphors.

She tapped her commbadge.

***

Captain Kathryn Janeway was sitting in her ready room, reading padds of 
daily reports, and drinking her third cup of coffee that afternoon, when 
she was hailed over the comm system.

** Seven of Nine to Captain Janeway **

"Janeway here.  How can I help you, Seven?"

** I require assistance in Astrometrics, Captain. **  There was a  
hesitation on Seven's end, then she continued.  ** Is Ensign Kim busy? 
**

Captain Janeway smiled.  She knew that there was no one Seven preferred 
working with over Harry.  She also knew Harry jumped at any chance to 
work with Seven.  There was an undercurrent between the two, although 
the Captain doubted they were acting on it.  That undercurrent helped 
make Seven and Harry one of the best teams on Voyager for completing 
assignments, so whether it came to anything or not, she was in favour of 
it.  For the good of the ship, of course.  Janeway told herself that the 
fact that she viewed Seven as the daughter she never had, and that Harry 
was about the nicest and most responsible young man she had ever met, 
had nothing to do with her approval of their working relationship, no 
matter it's consequences.

She did not entirely convince herself.

"No, Seven, it's been pretty dull up here today.  I'll send Harry down 
right away."

** Thank you Captain.  Seven out. **

Janeway smiled again and exited her ready room onto the bridge.  "Ensign 
Kim," she called.

"Aye Captain."

"Seven needs a hand in Astrometrics.  There's not much happening here 
today, so I told her you'd go and assist her."

At that moment, Harry looked like he would prefer to battle the Borg 
Collective on his own than go and work with the solitary Borg in 
Astrometrics.  The moment passed, however, and Harry responded with a 
distracted but professional, "Aye, Captain."  He then left for the 
turbolift.

Captain Janeway was surprised.  Normally Harry leapt at the chance to 
work with Seven.  She exchanged a look with her first officer, Commander 
Chakotay, who also noticed Harry's reluctance.  Chakotay just shrugged 
at the Captain.

As she returned to her ready room, Chief Pilot Tom Paris tried his best 
to become invisible.  It didn't work.  It never did.

***

Trying to understand why the universe was against him this week, Harry 
Kim entered the Astrometrics Lab.  Seven was crouched underneath the 
main console, working away at its underside.  Harry didn't want to deal 
with her at the moment, but it was his job.  Deciding that 
professionalism was once again the way to go, he cleared his throat and 
said "You asked for my assistance, Seven."

Seven got out from under the console and stood up at the sound of his 
voice.  Harry couldn't help but look at her.  She was so damned 
beautiful.  He knew Seven could see his pupils dilating, so he looked 
slightly away from him.  He certainly didn't want to come into eye 
contact with her.

Seven noticed his reactions, but decided not to comment on them just 
yet.  She had noticed that Ensign Kim usually waited until partway 
through an assignment to try and make conversation.  She decided she 
would do the same.  "I am trying to increase the power efficiency.  
Working under Lieutenant Torres' parameters makes it a more 
time-consuming task than I had anticipated.  I need your assistance, 
Ensign."

"All right.  What do you need me to do?" he responded.  They set about 
working on their assignment, standing beside one another, much closer 
than Harry would have liked at that point.

After about twenty minutes, Seven decided it was time to address the 
second issue she wanted Ensign Kim to deal with, her argument with 
Lieutenant Torres, and the Ensign's subsequent avoidance of her.  
"Ensign Kim, I have a question about the events of two days ago."

He shook his head.  "I don't want to talk about it, Seven."  Harry 
continued to avoid looking at her.

This was not going as Seven had hoped.  Trying a different approach, she 
stopped and looked at him, and asked, "Why have you been avoiding me 
these past two days, Ensign?"

"I haven't been avoiding you."  It was a complete lie, and they both 
knew it, but Harry hoped it would deflect the issue.

"Yes you have.  You did not have dinner with me after the arguments with 
Lieutenant Torres and asked me to leave you alone afterwards.  The next 
morning you did not want to eat with again, and once again wanted to be 
alone.  This is out of character for you, as previously -"

Harry interrupted her.  "I thought on-duty fraternizations were 
inefficient and irrelevant."  He hoped throwing her words of months ago 
back at her would make her stop.  He didn't want to deal with this at 
the moment, and was afraid she would wear him down if he let her 
continue much longer.  It was harder for him to say 'no' to Seven than 
almost anything else.

Seven did not respond for nearly a minute.  She had never heard such a 
sentiment from Ensign Kim before.  She looked downwards at her hands and 
said, "I have not found our workplace conversations nearly as irrelevant 
over the past couple of months."

Harry stole a glance at her.  She was weakening his defences, and the 
only way he could keep things professional was to just ignore her.

They worked in silence for nearly an hour more.  Harry once again drew 
his job around him like a cloak to protect himself, and managed to be 
very efficient.

Seven, on the other hand, was weighed down by her emotions.  Ensign Kim 
had never treated her this way before.  She found that troubling, and 
was nowhere near as productive as usual.  Ensign Kim being comparatively 
more productive would have been her primary concern at any other time, 
but its importance was clearly secondary at that point.

When they were finished, Harry smacked his hands together to clear them 
of dust, and said to Seven, "If we're finished here, I'm going to back 
to the bridge."  He then turned to leave.

Seven reached out to his shoulder with her Borg enhanced left arm to 
stop him.  "Am I to assume, Ensign, that you wish to dine alone again 
this evening?"

His response was so quiet Seven could barely hear it.  "That's right."

She let go of his shoulder, and tried a technique to soften him that she 
had often observed humans use.  'Other takens', a part of her thought.  
"Perhaps we could dine again sometime soon, Harry?"

At her use of his first name, he turned around and couldn't help but 
look in her huge blue eyes.  They did not bear the ice-cold look he 
usually saw her give, or even the playfully friendly one he had been 
more of in recent months.  They seemed almost sad.

Mustering every last milligram of emotional strength within him to avoid 
giving in, he answered quietly, "Sometime, Seven, sometime.  Just not 
today."  He then left the mess hall.

***

Seven of Nine just stared at the door from which Ensign Kim had left.  
She was completely bewildered by his actions, which were extremely out 
of character from the Harry Kim she had known for a year.  He was 
avoiding her, but she could tell it was almost a reluctant avoidance.  
The look on his face when he said 'Sometime, Seven' was clearly one of 
confusion and sadness, but she did not understand what he had to be sad 
about.  She believed that normally he would have eagerly complied with a 
request to eat together.  She had never asked him before, and so she 
briefly considered that he was taken aback by that.  He had been 
avoiding her before this, however.

Her own reactions to the situation were confusing her.  Over the past 
two days, Ensign Kim's reactions to her, and her search for their 
meaning, had occupied a progressively larger amount of her thoughts.  
They were now impeding her efficiency on duty.  That was unacceptable.

She needed to speak with someone about this situation.  Her attempt to 
resolve things by speaking with Ensign Kim had been a failure, so 
perhaps someone else could provide her some answers.  She resolved to 
bring it up with Captain Janeway or Commander Tuvok the next time she 
worked with one of them.

***

That evening, Tom and Harry were playing pool at Sandrine's.  Harry had 
been silent all evening, as he was still engaged in a mental war with 
himself over his actions with Seven, especially this evening.  He 
regretted being so curt with her, but he had felt it was the only way he 
could protect himself from getting hurt by her.  He now knew, however, 
that Tom had been right.  If Seven had wanted nothing to do with him, 
she wouldn't have asked him to dinner.  Seven was direct enough that if 
she didn't want the be friends any more, she would have told him.  She 
didn't have the finesse to do that sort of thing over a meal.

Harry's mental distraction made his pool skills even less than they 
usually were.  Tom noticed this, and knew what it was that was 
distracting his friend.  As he sunk the eight ball, winning his fourth 
game in a row, he decided to broach the subject.

"Care to talk about it, Harry?"

Harry sighed.  "Not really, Tom."

It was Tom's turn to sigh.  "You can't keep it bottled up inside you 
forever, Har.  You have to talk to them sometime."

"I know, Tom.  You should have brought B'Elanna along.  I really want to 
make up with her.  We should call her, if she wants to come and shoot 
pool with us."

Tom's face burst into a smile a mile wide.  B'Elanna had been distraught 
ever since her fight with Seven and Harry, and worried that Harry would 
hold it against her permanently.  Tom figured that Harry just needed 
some time to himself.  It turned out he was right.

"I'm sure she'd love to, buddy, but she's pulling a double shift - Beta 
and Gamma.  I'll tell her you want to get together, though; she'll love 
to hear it."

Harry smiled at that.  At least one situation would be resolved.  "Do 
you know if she'll be free for breakfast the day after tomorrow?  I'd 
like a chance to make up with her - on my own, if that's all right, 
Tom."

"No problem, Harry.  I think she's free that morning.  I'll give her 
your message."  Tom felt good at this.  It was at least progress.  He 
decided to try and push his luck a little.  "Now, how about Seven?  When 
are you going to talk with her?"

Harry gave Tom his undivided attention at that.  Tom thought his friend 
would tell him to mind his own business, but Harry gave in a little.

"We worked together today.  You're right - she doesn't want to have 
nothing to do with me.  She asked me to dinner."

"That's great!" Tom exclaimed.  Then he noticed Harry wasn't smiling.  
"Wait a minute.  You didn't do something stupid like turn her down, did 
you?"

Harry looked glum.  "Yeah, I did.  I didn't want to hear that 'I like 
you as a friend' speech from her.  Not today."

Tom rolled his eyes.  "Harry, I don't think that the Borg ever learn the 
'just friends' line.  And it probably isn't one of the things the 
Captain has taught her while they're playing velocity.  Tell me 
something."  He waited until Harry was looking straight at him.  "I 
think I knew the answer, but was B'Elanna right?  Do you love her?"

"Yeah, as stupid as it is, I do."

"It's not stupid, Harry.  But if you love her, you have to talk to her.  
Even if she doesn't feel for you what you do for her.  You have to talk 
to her," Tom reiterated.

"I will.  I just don't know what to say to her."

"Well, figure something out, Harry.  Now rack 'em up, let's see if I can 
make it five in a row."

***


The next afternoon, Commander Chakotay sauntered into the mess hall 
whistling a merry tune.  He looked over to Neelix's counter, and saw the 
morale officer chatting amiably with Samantha Wildman.  The Talaxian 
would occasionally reach out and touch her arm while speaking with her, 
and Chakotay thought he saw Neelix looking happier than he had in a long 
time, whenever he was with Ensign Wildman.  Considering Neelix's usual 
happy expression, that was saying a lot.  He wandered over to the pair, 
and greeted them with a cheery hello.

"Hello, Commander," Sam Wildman responded.  "We'll see you at 1900, 
right Neelix?"

"That's right," he replied.

"Until then.  Bye, Commander."  She waved and left the mess hall.

"Good afternoon, Commander," Neelix said to Chakotay.  "What can I get 
you today?"

"Just some egg sale anandwiches, Neelix; I have to get back to the 
bridge.  Are you babysitting Naomi tonight?"

"Actually, Sam invited me over to dinner."

Chakotay shot Neelix and impish grin.  "Dinner, eh?  You been having a 
lot of those with Ensign Wildman lately.  Just being a good godfather to 
Naomi, right?" he asked slyly.

Neelix blushed a little as he made Chakotay his sandwiches.  "That's 
part of it," he admitted to the First Officer.

"Ah.  So, any other gossip I should hear about?"

Neelix was glad to be off the hook himself.  "Well, the Carey-Ayala 
practical joke war goes on.  After Richard Ayala rigged Joe's sonic 
shower to blare Andorian religious chants at Joe, he vowed revenge.  He 
adjusted Richard's commbadge to constantly play Bajoran children's songs 
every time he entered the holodeck."  Neelix grinned at this.  "Rather 
ruined his date with Stephanie Scheelar from Communications, I'm afraid.  
I wonder how he'll retaliate."

"Just so long as it doesn't affect the ship," Chakotay warned.

"Oh, I don't think you have to worry, Commander.  They're very good at 
that sort of thing."

"Keep me posted." Chakotay looked across the mess hall.  "Why is Seven 
of Nine eating alone?  Doesn't she usually eat with Harry?  He is on 
lunch, so I thought he'd be here."

Neelix moved in closer to Chakotay.  Whispering, he said, "Something's 
been going on with them, but I don't know what.  A few days ago, he 
turned her away from his table.  He hasn't been eating with Tom and 
B'Elanna, either, but at least he smiles at them."

In a hushed voice, Chakotay answered, "He didn't look to happy about 
helping her in Astrometrics yesterday, either.  I'll have to find out 
what's going on."

"Tell me when you do, Commander."

Chakotay ginned as the jovial Talaxian handed him his sandwiches.  "You 
bet."  He returned to the bridge.

***

Tom Paris was in the shuttle bay, trying to fix the propulsion controls 
of the Delta Flyer.  Ever since it had become Voyager's shuttle of 
choice, his 'baby', as he thought of his, had been taking a beating.  "I 
need a hand," he mumbled to himself.  The only ones he felt comfortable 
about working on it with him were the designers of the Flyer - B'Elanna, 
Harry, and Seven.  Even the repair crews from Shuttlecraft Maintenance 
made him anxious.  Having finally gotten his perfect shuttle, high 
performance, and with an actual cockpit and controls that made him feel 
like a pilot instead of a computer technician, he didn't like the 
thought of anyone else meddling with it.

B'Elanna was busy in Engineering today, however.  He knew she had a 
nasty schedule, and would be working straight through until 0700, when 
she'd have breakfast with Harry.  So he tapped his commbadge to hail 
Harry.

"Paris to Kim."

** Kim here.  What's up, Tom? **

"You busy, buddy?  I need a hand on the Delta Flyer."

** Sorry Tom, I'm stuck on the bridge for a while.  Try Maintenance. **

"And let them ruin my new toy?  Maybe not."

** Sorry I can't help you, Tom.  Try B'Elanna.  Kim out. **

Tom groaned.  Then he hit his commbadge again, muttering, "If at first 
you don't succeed..."

"Paris to Seven of Nine."

** What do you need, Lieutenant? **

"Are you busy in Astrometrics, Seven?"

** I am presently in Cargo Bay 2.  My duty shift ended one hour ago. **

"Care to give me some assistance on the Delta Flyer?"

** I will be there shortly.  Seven out. **

They worked together of the Flyer for two hours, and not only fixed the 
propulsion controls, but managed to increase the power efficiency of the 
Delta Flyer.  Seven looked at Tom and told him, "This is the method I 
tried to use for Voyager three days ago.  Lieutenant Torres objected to 
it."

Tom didn't want to be caught in the middle of this the way Harry had.  
"It's very efficient, and it works here because we have no other 
modifications to make."

She responded with a mere nod.

Tom had to admit that for whatever faults Seven had, she was an 
efficient worker.  When he expressed his admiration for her focus to 
her, she answered in a way he wouldn't have expected.

"I have not been very efficient recently, Lieutenant."

"Why's that?" Tom asked.  He suspected he knew the answer.

Seven hesitated.  She would rather discuss this with the Captain or 
Tuvok, but Lieutenant Paris was here.  He was also Ensign Kim's friend.  
Perhaps he could give her an insight into his mind.  "I have been 
preoccupied with attempting to ascertain the reason that Ensign Kim is 
avoiding me."  She looked straight at the Lieutenant.  "You have been 
Ensign Kim's friend since you boarded Voyager, correct?"

"Since the day before, actually."

"Then perhaps you can explain why he is avoiding me.  Does it have 
something to do with my recent dispute with Lieutenant Torres?"

Tom answered, "You really should ask Harry that, Seven.  You should hear 
it from him."

"Logically, he will not tell me why he is avoiding, because he is 
avoiding me, Lieutenant.  That is why I am asking you."

That elicited a sigh from Tom.  "Fine.  But before I tell you anything 
you have to promise to talk about this with Harry as soon as possible.  
O.K.?"

"I will try," she said, somewhat less than impassively.

"That's all I can ask," he said with a grin.  "He's been worried that 
you wouldn't want to have anything to do with him, since, well, since 
B'Elanna said what she said."

"That he is in love with me."

Tom nodded.

"Ensign Kim is my friend.  He was the first person on this ship to try 
and befriend me, and he has been persistent in his friendship despite my 
initially viewing him as an annoyance," she admitted.  "Why would I want 
to discontinue that friendship?"

"I honestly have no idea, Seven.  I think this whole problem is all in 
Harry's mind.  You get that way when -"  Tom stopped there.

"When what, Lieutenant?"

"When you're in love."

Seven's eyes widened.  "So Lieutenant Torres was correct.  Harry is in 
love with me."

Seven's use of his friend's first name brought a grin to Tom's face.  
"Yes, 'Harry' is in love with you.  He has been for quite a while.  
Probably since he first met you."

In a confused voice, Seven asked Tom, "Then why did he not wish to 
copulate with me last year?"

"You know, Seven, lots of people on this ship would be surprised to hear 
me, of all people, say this, but there's more to love than just 
copulation.  You were new to humanity - innocent, in a way.  Harry 
didn't want to just have sex with you, Seven.  He wanted a relationship.  
He still does."

Seven looked troubled at what Tom had just said, so he started to ask 
probing questions.  "How do you feel about Harry?  Is it just 
friendship?  Or something more?"

The former Borg's answers were faltering.  "I... he... I don't know."

"Do you think about him much?"

A small smile came to her face.  It was the first one that Tom had ever 
seen, but Harry had told him that she smiled to him occasionally.  
Seeing this hint of a smile on the blonde woman's face made Tom 
understand what Harry saw in her even more that he previously did.

"I find I am often contemplating Ensign Kim.  I enjoy working with him, 
and I enjoy dining and conversing with him after our duty shifts."  Her 
face fell a bit.  "Until he stopped wanting to take his meals with me."

Tom persisted.  "Sounds like you have feelings for him.  Do you love 
him?"

Seven hesitated again.  "I do not know.  I do not know if I feel as 
strongly for Ensign Kim as he does for me, but I do enjoy his company."  
She shook her head.  "I wish he were not avoiding me."

"Sometimes, Seven, I've found you can't let people avoid you for too 
long.  They may need space, but sometimes too much space can be a bad 
thing.  That's how it was with me and B'Elanna."

"She tried to avoid you before your 'relationship'?"

Tom looked wistful.  "Yeah.  A lot.  B'Elanna was special in a way no 
other woman had been to me, and I know she liked me, but she didn't know 
how to deal with it.  I had quite a bad reputation before I got together 
with her, you know."

"I have heard some of the crew mention this."

"Anyway, because she didn't know what to do, she tried to avoid me a lot 
of the time.  I knew she needed some space, but if I let her stay away 
from me as much as she thought she needed, she would have never dealt 
with me, and we wouldn't have our relationship.  And we'd both be very 
unhappy.

"Harry might think he has to avoid you, Seven, but I think he's wrong.  
You obviously do too.  Don't let him avoid you forever."

Seven nodded.  "Thank you for your suggestion, Lieutenant."  She started 
towards the door of the shuttlebay.

Tom stopped her.  "Two things before I let you go.  One: don't tell 
Harry what I told you.  Trust me, he'd must rather tell you himself, 
even if he doesn't know it."

"And the second thing, Lieutenant?"

Tom looked at Seven very seriously.  "The second thing is, don't toy 
with Harry.  If you really feel for him, Seven, that's great, and you 
have my full support.  I think you and Harry could make each other very 
happy.  But if you just want to experiment with someone, to try a 
relationship as a learning experience, then my advice is DON'T.  Not 
with Harry.  He really cares about you, and I don't want to see him 
hurt.  And neither does B'Elanna.  If you only want to stay friends, 
tell him.  It would hurt him less than to be used as -"

"As a 'lab rat', Lieutenant?"

"Yeah.  That's what B'Elanna said, isn't it?"

Seven frowned.  "Yes, it is.  As I told her, I would never use Ensign 
Kim as an experiment.  But..." she looked directly at him with a worried 
expression on her face.  "But I am unsure as to whether I 'love' Harry.  
I wish to spend time with him, and they idea of an association with him 
similar to the one between you and Lieutenant Torres is one I often find 
myself contemplating, but as I said, I am unsure whether I feel as 
strongly for him as he does for me."

Tom now smiled warmly at the unsure woman before him.  "Well, it does 
sound like you're interested in him, at least.  And we humans have a way 
of dealing with feelings that are more than friendship, but may not 
*yet*" he stressed the 'yet' "be love."

"And that method is what?"

"Our 'method', Seven, is dating," Tom answered.

"I will look it up in the databases.  Thank you for your assistance, 
Lieutenant."

"Just remember, Seven, don't let him avoid you."

"I will not."  She left the shuttlebay.

Behind her, Tom Paris was smiling.  To no one in particular, he said, 
"You owe me one, Harry."

***

Late that evening, Chakotay walked into the mess hall.  It was very 
poorly lit, at roughly one-eighth illumination, he guessed.  As the 
computer told him, Harry Kim was here, sitting on his own and staring 
out into space at the montage of stars racing past the ship.  Beside him 
on the table were his clarinet and some curious folded pieces of paper.  
He walked up to the table, and said, "Are these supposed to be gliders?"

Harry looked up with a start.  "Commander!" he exclaimed.  "I didn't 
hear you come in.  No, they're supposed to be swans."

"Ah.  Origami."

"Yeah, Baytart suggested I try it.  I'm not very good at it, though."

"I never was either," Chakotay responded.  He sat down beside the young 
ensign.  "Is something wrong, Harry?  You've seemed troubled lately."

Harry turned to the First Officer with a worried look on his face.  "Has 
it been affecting my performance on the bridge, Commander?"

Chakotay chuckled.  "Far from it.  You've been the model of 
professionalism.  Tuvok was commenting on how focused you seemed.  It 
not as fun working on the bridge, though, when you're unhappy.  Care to 
talk about it?"

Harry shook his head.  "Not really, Commander."

Chakotay looked intently as the young man, and said, "That's all right, 
you don't have to.  But I've found that talking about problems often 
provides solutions to them, and I figured you might want to unload.  I'm 
not here as your commanding officer, Harry, I'm just here as Chakotay, 
your colleague and friend."

Harry seemed touched by this.  He enjoyed working with the Commander, 
but the former Maquis had not often reached out to him before this way.  
He didn't realize that it was because he usually didn't need it.  But 
Chakotay was nothing if not a wise man, and so Harry, who had always 
respected his elders and superiors, heeded his advice in a way he would 
not for advice from others, even Tom or B'Elanna.

"All right, Commander - "

Chakotay shot him a mock stern look.

"I mean, Ch-Chakotay, if you think it's a good idea to talk about it..."  
He felt uncomfortable calling the Commander by his name.

"Is it about Seven of Nine?" the older man asked.

"Yeah.  How'd you know?"

"You didn't seem as eager to work with her yesterday as you usually do.  
And this afternoon, she was eating lunch in the messhall alone, and I 
know you usually eat with her.  You had lunch off, so I was wondering."

"Ah."

Chakotay tried to trod delicately over this next patch.  "Are the 
rumours about you and her true, Harry?"

"You mean about me being in love with her?" Harry said with difficulty.  
Chakotay nodded.  "Yes.  They are."

"Is that why you've been upset lately?"

"Sort of.  B'Elanna and Seven had a fight a few days ago, and I stuck my 
nose in the middle of it, and B'Elanna made fun of my... feelings for 
Seven in front of her, and told Seven I loved her."

"What did Seven say to that?"

Harry sighed.  "Seven tried to tell B'Elanna that I didn't love her, and 
as proof used an incident in the messhall last year."

Chakotay couldn't help but grin.  "Did this incident involve a 'Ktarian 
moonrise' holoprogram?"

Harry's eyes grew wide with trepidation.  "You know about that, sir?"

"I'm not 'sir' tonight, Harry.  And yes.  Seven told me about it after 
it happened.  She was worried you wouldn't want to work with her any 
more.  Don't worry, I told her not to spread that story around, and I 
haven't mentioned it to anyone else.  I must say, I was impressed you 
turned down her offer to 'copulate'."  Chakotay unsuccessfully tried to 
stifle a chuckle.  "Not many men would have refused to take advantage of 
her innocence.  Were you in love with her even then, Harry?"

"I suppose I was.  I just wanted to get to know her - "

"I know, Harry.  So Seven told B'Elanna about this.  What happened 
then?"

With a large amount of self-hatred in his voice, Harry said, "Then I got 
mad at both of them, and have tried to avoid them ever since.  I know I 
shouldn't be doing that, but I can't help it.  I'm going to have 
breakfast with B'Elanna in the morning, however."

"That's good.  You don't want to avoid your friends forever - both of 
them."

Harry smiled.  "You sound like Tom, Chakotay."

A few years previous, those would have been fighting words to Chakotay.  
He and Paris now had a respect for one another, although they would 
probably never be friends.  Chakotay would probably never be trying to 
empathize with Tom Paris the way he was with Harry Kim, but he had 
gotten over his dislike of the cocky pilot.  TOm Paris had proved to be 
an exemplary officer - something the old Chakotay of the Maquis never 
would have believed.

"He's trying to be a friend.  Why are you avoiding Seven?"

Another sigh.  "At first it was because I thought she would view me as 
an irrelevant annoyance."

"I don't think you have to worry about that, Harry."

"I know.  Now it's because I don't want to hear her tell me she doesn't 
feel the same way."

Chakotay put his hand on Harry's arm to reassure him.  "I don't think 
that's a good idea, Harry.  If she's the friend I know she is to you, 
you shouldn't avoid her.  And if you love her, she should know."

"Even if she doesn't feel the same way?"

Chakotay sighed at the parallels to his own situation.  "Yes, I think 
that even if it seems she doesn't  return you feelings, she should know.  
That way, she doesn't think you're hiding anything, and ked ight give 
her a new perspective on you.  And after all, you never know if she'll 
return the feelings."

"You're right, Chakotay.  You're right."  Harry's eyes moistened.  "It's 
just so damned hard!  Seeing Seven almost every day, working so close 
with her, being with her, knowing that I can draw her out better than 
anyone else.  It would be different if I didn't think something was 
there.  But I don't know if she wants to admit it, of even if she could!  
I mean, I'm the only one she smiles at.  She's more at ease with me than 
anyone else on the ship, it seems, with the possible exception of the 
Doctor.  We work well together -"

"You two are one of the best teams on Voyager," Chakotay interrupted.

"Thanks.  Sometimes I think it would be easier not to love her.  I've 
tried to get over her.  But I can't.  Every so often, she'll say 
something, or smile at me, or just *look* in a way that makes my heart 
think there's a chance.  It's hard to go on this way, though."

Chakotay listened intently to Harry's speech.  The young man's feelings 
seemed eerily similar to his own.  "I know it's hard, Harry.  Believe 
me, I know.  But I think it's worth it.  I don't work with you and Seven 
much, but I know she likes working with you, and I don't think it's just 
your efficiency.  You have a lot in common, and what you don't have in 
common, you could help each other with.  There's been no one who's 
helped Seven along in the little, day-to-day things the way you have, 
and I have noticed a spring in your step over the past year that wasn't 
there before.  
"I think her presence has helped you deal with the possibility that we 
may not be home for decades.  Her being here has shown you... 
possibilities that life on Voyager could be more than work and friends, 
Harry.  It could be a *life*.  A life well worth living."

Harry nodded at this.  "You're right, Chakotay."

Chakotay grinned.  "Of course I'm right.  You should always listen to 
your elders.  Don't avoid her any more, Harry.  Tell her how you feel.  
You may be surprised at what you hear.  At the very least, having your 
feelings out in the open will make it seem a weight has been lifted off 
your shoulders."

Harry smiled in return at the elder man.  "Thanks, Chakotay.  I think I 
will."  He hesitated before continuing.  "Is this what it's like between 
you and the Captain?"

Chakotay's first reaction was to not talk about his situation with 
Captain Janeway.  However, he had no one to speak to about it on the 
ship.  His closest companion was Kathryn Janeway herself, and he didn't 
really have any male friends to talk to about it.  Harry was as good as 
anyone, and would keep his word not to talk about it.  Plus, his 
situation was surprisingly similar.

"This doesn't go beyond this room, right?"  Harry nodded in response.  
"Yeah, it's a lot like me and Kathryn.  I take it there are plenty of 
rumours going around about this."  Another nod from Harry.  "She knows 
how I feel.  I'm sure she feels the same way too, but she refuses to 
admit.  It's like she doesn't want to be happy until she gets us home.  
The guilt of her decision when she destroyed the Caretaker array still 
weighs heavily on her mind.  I don't think she realizes that we don't 
hold that decision against her."

Harry nodded in agreement.  "I know.  I worry about her, Chakotay.  I 
think she's working herself to death."

"I'm glad to know it's not just that Doctor and I who think that.  I 
hope she lets herself return my love some day.  At times she seems 
willing to - like the night before we tried the slipstream drive.  We 
had the nicest dinner in her quarters - it's like she was saying that 
back in the Alpha Quadrant, she would have no problem loving me.  After 
the experiment failed, however, it was back to normal."  He sighed at 
that.

"Sometimes it does seem too much, though, I'll admit that," Chakotay 
continued.  "That's why that short time with Valerie Archer was so nice.  
She had no problem caring - even if she was an 8472."

Harry grinned.  "I could never date an 8472, myself."

Chakotay smiled back.  "And I could never be interested in a Borg.  
Again."  He pushed the thought of Riley Frazier out of his mind.  
"Chacun son gout, though," he said, raising an imaginary toast.

Harry looked at his Commander.  "I know what you mean about the Captain 
and her decision with the Caretaker.  I want to be with my family more 
than anything, but I've always known the Captain made the right 
decision, even if I have to be away from my family because of it.  She 
shouldn't beat herself up over it.

"I mean, for some people," Harry went on, "being in the Delta Quadrant 
has been the best thing in their lives.  Tom and B'Elanna, for example."

Chakotay laughed.  "I know.  And if I were back in the Alpha Quadrant, I 
probably would have been killed along with the rest of the Maquis.  
B'Elanna too."

Eager to provide another example why his Captain was right, Harry leapt 
in, "And if we weren't in the Delta Quadrant, Seven never would have 
been freed from the Borg.  And I never would have met her.  I can't 
imagine life without her."

Chakotay beamed at that.  "There's the spirit, Harry!"

The young man smiled larger than he had all evening.  "Yeah, I will talk 
with her tomorrow."  Then his expression darkened.  "What's going to 
happen to Seven if we get back to the Alpha Quadrant?  What's going to 
happen to you, for that matter?"

Chakotay frowned.  The lightened mood they had been experiencing 
darkened considerably.  "I suspect the outstanding charges against the 
Maquis will be dropped.  With this war the Federation is fighting, our 
actions against the Cardassians will probably let us be seen in a whole 
new light.  About Seven, I hope that Starfleet will see her as a person 
instead of just a Borg resource and treat her accordingly."  He shook 
his head.  "I've been wrong about Starfleet before, however.  That's why 
I became Maquis."

Harry looked downcast again.  "I don't want to let her go to be used or 
dissected by Starfleet security.  If I lose her because of her decision, 
that's one thing.  I won't let her be used, however."

Chakotay smiled.  "You remind me of a younger version of myself when you 
say that.  That's what I like about you, Harry.  You believe in the 
ideals of Starfleet through and through, but you've never forgotten it's 
about people.  I know that got you in trouble with Tuvok when Kathryn 
and I were stranded on New Earth because you didn't want us left behind 
when there was a chance we could be cured.  Tuvok's a good man, but 
sometimes he can't see the trees for the forest."

Chakotay then looked very seriously at Harry.  "I hope it doesn't come 
to this, but you do realize you may have to go 'Maquis' of sorts when we 
hit the Alpha Quadrant to protect Seven, don't you?"

Harry nodded sombrely.  "It's something I've thought about.  I don't 
want to, but if I have to to protect her, I will.  I would for any of 
you."

Chakotay smiled at that.  "I know.  And you should know that if we might 
lose someone - anyone - we care about to the machinations of Federation 
or Starfleet politics, you won't be alone."

"Thanks.  Besides," Harry continued, "I must have been a 'Maquis' of 
sorts in one possible future.  I mean, that future me erased ten or 
twenty years of what was the past when he sent that message to Seven 
during the slipstream flight.  Starfleet doesn't take kindly to changes 
in the timeline, does it?"

"Braxton certainly didn't.  Some things never change."  Chakotay 
grinned.  "This has been a good talk, Harry, but it's late and we both 
have to be up early tomorrow."

"I know.  I want to thank you, Chakotay, you've really been a help."

"No problem, Harry.  Just remember it's back to 'Commander', on the 
bridge tomorrow."  Harry chuckled at that.  "One more thing.  If you 
ever want to talk about anything, you know my door is open."

"The same think goes for you, Commander.  If you want to talk about you 
and the Captain, I'm here for you as well."

Chakotay smiled at Harry for that.  "I may take you up on that.  I don't 
really have anyone else to talk to about it, you know."

Harry smiled back.  "Anytime.  Oh, one more thing, Chakotay?"

"Yes?"

As they walked to the mess hall door, Harry put his hand on Chakotay's 
shoulder.  "You know how much I respect the Captain.  She's not just my 
commanding officer, she's like a mother of sorts to me.  I just want you 
to know that I can't think of anyone who would make her happier than 
you."

"I'm touched, Harry.  Thank you."

As they left the mess hall, and began to walk in opposite directions, 
Chakotay turned around one last time.  "Harry?"

"Yes?"

In his best commanding voice, Chakotay said, "Remember, talk with her 
tomorrow.  That's an order.  Understood, Ensign?"  His smile belied his 
tone.

Harry stood as straight as could be, saluted sharply, and responded, 
"Aye aye, sir!"

They both walked away smiling.

***


"Good morning B'Elanna!" beamed Neelix as Voyager's Chief Engineer 
walked up to his counter.  "What would you like for breakfast?"

B'Elanna Torres looked pensively at Neelix's breakfast selections.  One 
of the dishes looked like an omelette, but with Neelix, looks could 
always be deceiving.  A second offering looked like bright blue mashed 
potatoes.  The third - the third looked like a chalk-white porridge of 
some sort, with green and purple bean-like things suspended in it.  "I 
don't know, Neelix.  What are the options?"

"Well, this morning, we have cheese omelets, my Breakfast Surprise," he 
said pointing to the porridge, "and by special request, my whipped 
pilarbra tubers au gratin."

"I think I'll just stick with a cheese omelette, Neelix," said B'Elanna.

"You really should try the tubers, B'Elanna," said a familiar voice over 
her shoulder.

"Harry!"

"I take it you'll have the tubers, Harry?" asked Neelix.  Not waiting 
for a response, Neelix continued.  "Oh, and I found a clarst f in the 
mess hall this morning as I was making breakfast.  I assume it's yours.  
Late night practice session?"  He handed Harry his clarinet.

"No, I was just playing and watching the stars."

"O.K.  Have a good breakfast Harry, B'Elanna."  Neelix then went on to 
serve his next diner.

Harry and B'Elanna made their way over to their usual table.  Sitting 
down, Harry said, "I'm sorry I've been avoiding you lately, B'Elanna.  I 
didn't -"

B'Elanna interrupted him.  "No, I'm sorry for ripping into you like that 
a few days ago, Harry.  Seven just got my hackles up, and you were an 
easy target."

"Apology accepted, B'Elanna.  It did give me a few things to think 
about."

B'Elanna eyed her friend curiously.  "Is that what you were doing last 
night?  Playing alone in the dark, worrying about your troubles?"

"Yeah, until I had a visitor show up.  Had a good conversation, too."  
Harry smiled at the half-Klingon woman.  "I bet you'll never guess who."

B'Elanna's immediate response was, "Seven?"  She still spoke the name 
with a little bit of venom in her voice.

Harry shook his head.  He may be making up with B'Elanna, and he hoped 
to make up with Seven, but it wasn't going to be easy dealing with the 
two of them together.  "No, Seven didn't show up last night."

"Well, it probably wasn't Tom.  He said was going to be working on the 
Delta Flyer late into the night."  A smile crossed her face.  "Was it 
Sue Nicoletti?"

"No, why would Sue show up?"

B'Elanna looked a little guilty, and said, "Well, she has been asking 
about you a lot in Engineering lately.  She also seems to walk on air on 
nights after you two practice your instruments together."  B'Elanna 
grinned at that, and leaned in closer to Harry, conspiratorially.  "I 
think she has a crush on you."

"Sue?"  Harry didn't expect that.  She had seemed friendlier lately, but 
the thought that it was because she was interested in him had never 
crossed his mind.

"There's nothing wrong with Sue Nicoletti, Harry.  You could do a lot 
worse.  She's pretty, a good worker, and she enjoys music as much as you 
do.  You should go for her!"  B'Elanna hoped he did.  She thought Sue 
would be better for Harry than that Borg woman.

Harry shook his head.  "Sue's a great woman, B'Elanna, I know.  But I'm 
not interested in her."

B'Elanna's face hardened.  "Because you're interested in Seven."

"Yes."  He paused.  "Part of the reason I reacted the way I did a few 
nights ago was that you spoke directly to my fears."  His steady voice 
began to waiver a little.  "That she could never return my feelings for 
her..."

"So.  You're admitting you like her, now."  B'Elanna wasn't happy at 
this turn.  She saw how Harry dealt with the ex-Borg, and knew how he 
felt, but so long as he kept denying it, she thought there was a chance 
he'd get over it.  Now that he was admitting his feelings for her, she 
feared they'd be more permanent.  And that her friend would really get 
hurt by the former drone.

"It's more than like, B'Elanna.  I..."

The mess hall door slid open at that point, and in walked Seven of Nine.  
She saw Harry and B'Elanna sitting together and strode forcefully over 
to them.  "Good morning, Lieutenant Torres, Ensign Kim."  She looked 
directly at Harry.  "Ensign Kim, it is imperative that we speak.  
Privately," she said, looking directly at B'Elanna.

B'Elanna metaphorically raised her shields.  "Now, just wait a minute 
here, Seven.  I was here first and..."

'Oh no, not again,' thought Harry.  He interrupted his friend.  "Is this 
about ship's business, Seven?"

"It is not," she responded.  "It is about... us."  She seemed less sure 
of herself at that point.

"Well, Seven, I'm having breakfast with B'Elanna at the moment, but I 
think you're right, we do need to speak.  Privately.  It's just that 
now... really isn't..."

Seven stopped his explanation.  "Ensign, you have barely spoken to me 
for four days and have been avoiding me wherever possible.  Every time I 
try to speak with you, you tell me we will speak later.  We need to talk 
NOW."

B'Elanna was about to say something when Harry raised his hand as a 
warning to her.  "I said, you're right, we need to talk.  But I think 
this evening would be a better time.  Are you going to be busy at 1930 
hours, Seven?"

"I do not think so."

Harry tried to sound more confident than he really was at this point.  
"Would you like to join me in my quarters for dinner then?  We can talk 
privately then."

Seven's mouth rose into a slight smile.  She had not expected this 
reaction.  Lieutenant Paris had led her to believe that the Ensign would 
still try and avoid her, and from his recent actions, that was what she 
also expected.  She had an image in her mind of her having to pin him 
against a bulkhead and force him to speak with her.  She was glad it 
hadn't come to that.

"That would be acceptable.  I will leave you to your breakfast with 
Lieutenant Torres."  She then left the two and went off to the 
Astrometrics lab.

B'Elanna was bewildered at her friend.  "She comes in here, ordering you 
around, trying to kick me out of this conversation, and you take that as 
a cue to make a DATE with her?  I don't understand you sometimes, 
Harry."  She shook her head.

Harry, on the other hand, was just smiling.  "Yeah, I suppose it was a 
date.  Wow.  Now I have to figure out what to make for dinner.  I hope I 
have enough replicator rations..."

B'Elanna reached out and touched her friends arm.  She lowered her voice 
to a whisper.  "Tom wasn't kidding, was he, Starfleet?  You really are 
in love with her."

"Yes.  I thought you knew that.  That's what you told her, at any rate."

Her face flushed.  "I was just trying to annoy you.  I knew you had a 
crush on her, but I didn't know you had this... depth of feeling I can 
see you do."  She shook her head.  "This is too weird."

"No weirder than watching you and Tom dance around each other for 
months," he smiled.

"Now, Tom and I were completely different..."  B'Elanna stopped.  "We 
weren't, were we?"  Seeing Harry shake his head, she continued.

"I just don't want to see you get hurt, Harry.  You're my best friend on 
the ship, other than Tom.  I just worry that Seven's going to break your 
heart."

"Have a little faith, B'Elanna.  It's a possibility, but when is it ever 
not?"

B'Elanna persisted.  "Sue Nicoletti wouldn't break your heart..."  Harry 
just looked at her.  "Fine, Harry.  I just hope I don't have to say 'I 
told you so' to you.  And don't expect any double dates with me and 
Tom," she said, pointing a fork at him.

He smirked at that.  "You'll grow to like her.  If anything works out, 
that is..."  His face fell a little.

B'Elanna looked at the chronometer on the was.  0750 hours.  "You better 
get to the bridge, Harry."  She then smiled warmly at him.  "Well at 
least keep your hopes up, Harry.  You got her on a date, at least."

"Yeah, there's that."

"See?"  B'Elanna shook her head.  "Imagine, me trying to make you feel 
better about Seven.  Huh."  Then, smiling warmly at her friend, she 
said, "I'm glad we could have breakfast like this, Harry."

"Hey, I always like eating with a good friend."  He smiled back at her.

They took their trays back to Neelix's counter and left the mess hall 
together.

***

B'Elanna opened the door to her quarters and walked in.  She was 
immediately enveloped by a pair of strong arms from behind.  "Morning, 
Babe," came the voice of Tom Paris.

"Hi Tom," she turned around and kissed him.  "Tom..."

He put a finger up against her lips, and led her to the couch, where 
they both sat down, with her in his arms.

"Mmm, Tom," she continued, "I'd love... for you to stay, but I just 
worked a double shift, and I have to be at work at 1700, so I need my 
rest.  I'm sorry, but I don't have time for..."

"For what?  For sex?"  B'Elanna nodded.  Tom just continued.  "It's not 
always about sex, B'Elanna.  I know your tired, and that why I'm here.  
I just thought it would be nice for you to fall asleep in the arms of 
the man who loves you."

B'Elanna turned to look at him.  "Tom, you've never told me you love me 
before!"

The pilot looked uncomfortable.  "Well, it's true.  I do.  Love you, 
that is."

He paused a moment while she reached her head up and took him in a 
passionate kiss.  As he broke the meeting of their lips, he said, "I 
know I should say it more often, but I get uncomfortable saying it."

"I know, Tom.  It's nice to hear it, though."

"Well, I'll remember that.  How was breakfast with Harry?"

"It went fine.  I'm glad he's speaking to me again."  She then turned to 
look at him.  "Of course, Seven showed up and started pestering him.  
Harry made a date with her for tonight."

Tom looked shocked.  "He did?  Good for Harry.  Looks like my talk with 
her last night...  Uh-oh," he said as he saw the look on B'Elanna's 
face.

"You went to talk with her about Harry?"

"No, actually, she started talking about it while we were working on the 
Delta Flyer.  I told her not to let Harry avoid her forever."

B'Elanna's eyes narrowed.  "So help me, Paris, if he hurts him in one of 
her little sociological 'experiments'..."

Tom just held B'Elanna more tightly.  "I told her the same thing, 
B'Elanna.  I said only to do something if she really cared for him, and 
that if she hurt him, there's be hell to pay with both you *and* me."

"Oh.  Good.  Wait a minute.  Does she love Harry?"

Tom laughed.  "No, not yet.  But she cares about him.  Look, we have to 
trust Harry.  He's a big boy.  He can handle himself."

"I just don't know if he can handle that Borg."

Tom kissed the top of B'Elanna's head.  "I'm sure we'll see, Babe.  Now 
go to sleep."  He pulled out a padd.

She closed her eyes.  "What are you reading, Tom?"

He read the title of his padd to her.  "From Little Rock to the Bell 
Riots: American Civil Unrest, 1957-2024."

"Oooo.  Sounds fun," she teased.

"Well, I like it.  Nighty-night."

She fell asleep in his arms.  He was soon engrossed in his hobby, 
twentieth-century American history, but not so engrossed that he didn't 
feel he was damn lucky to be here with such a beautiful woman he love so 
much cradled up against him, softly breathing in her slumber.

***

On the bridge, Commander Chakotay and Captain Janeway got off the 
turbolift and walked towards the Captain's ready room.  Chakotay stopped 
to speak with Harry, who was looking a little worried, but not nearly as 
upset he had been in recent days.

He put his hand on Harry's shoulder.  "Did you take my advice, Harry?"

The ops officer smiled.  "Yes, sir.  Tonight."

"Ah.  Good.  Carry on."  He gave the Ensign a warm smile, and he and 
Janeway entered the ready room.

"Well, Commander, what was that about?" the Captain asked her First 
Officer.

"Oh, I was just talking to Harry last night.  I wanted to see if he had 
listened."

Janeway smiled at him.  "Well, it must have worked.  He doesn't seem so 
glum today.  May I ask what you talked about?"

"Well, it's sort of private," Chakotay said.

"I promise, it won't leave this room."

Chakotay's face broke into an evil grin at that.  "You realize, Kathryn, 
that that's how the gossip mill on this ship works, don't you?  One 
person tells another, and so on..."

Janeway smiled back.  "Yes, I suppose it does.  Well, if you don't want 
to tell me, that's fine..."

Chakotay sighed.  "Well, it was about love.  That's all I can really 
say.  I gave him some advice, and we had a good heart-to-heart.  I'd 
never really done that with Harry before."

Janeway's eyes twinkled.  "Love?  About a certain numerically-named 
crewmember?"

Chakotay nodded, almost imperceptibly.

"Since when did you become Mr. Lonelyhearts, dispensing advice to the 
lovelorn?" she asked.  Harry's affection for Seven of Nine was widely 
known on the ship.  So was the fact that despite it, Seven of Nine had 
remained true to her Borg passionlessness.

Chakotay's face took on a cloudy expression, an he said, "It's just that 
I knew what he was going through.  I've been there before - loving 
someone and not knowing they can return your feelings.  So I told him 
that she should know how he feels.  That way she at least knows the 
option is there, even if she doesn't take it."

Captain Janeway considered that.  Chakotay acted on his beliefs, and was 
always willing to share his advice with others.  Trying to avoid 
thinking of the more personal implications of his advice, however, she 
said, "I'd say that's good advice for young Mr. Kim.  He's been keeping 
this to himself for to long, if the rumours are true, and you're telling 
me that they are."  Then her eyes twinkled.  "She does always ask 
specifically for him when she wants help.  Who knows what will happen 
with them."

"Well I hope it work out between them, myself," said Chakotay.

"Speaking as Kathryn, and not the Captain, so do I.  Although as the 
Captain, I wouldn't be opposed to it.  She could hardly find a nicer 
young man than Harry."

Janeway resolved to ask Seven about this sometime in the future.  In the 
meantime, there was work to be done.  So she pushed thoughts of love out 
of her mind.  A part of her bitterly thought, 'Like you always do, 
Kathryn'.  That part got a mental 'Captain's Glare'.

"So, let's talk about crew promotions, shall we Commander?"

***

Harry looked at the chronometer on the wall.  1928 hours.  She'd be here 
in two minutes.  'Well, Harry,' he thought, 'better make the most of it.  
Tom and Chakotay were right.  You have to talk with her.  Tell her how 
you feel.'  He still worried about how she would respond, and he wavered 
between expecting a firm 'no' or a polite 'maybe' in response from 
Seven.

He looked around his cabin to make sure everything was all right.  
Dinner - check.  Dress shirt and slacks - check.  Illumination - check.

Confidence - maybe.

The door chirped.  "Come in!" he shouted.

Seven of Nine walked in.  He had to stop his jaw from dropping - she was 
wearing her silver catsuit, the one he hadn't seen in nearly a year.  It 
was his favourite of the clothes he'd seen her wear, although her 
velocity outfit, which he had seen one day after running into Seven and 
Captain in the hallway after one of their matches, was a close second.

"Hi, Seven," he said, composing himself.  "I'm glad you came.  Please, 
sit down.  I figured you'd be on time, so I have dinner all ready."

"I am always punctual, Ensign."

He smiled.  "I know, Seven.  Well," he said, gesturing to the table, 
"Let's eat!"

Seven noticed the artificial illumination in the Ensign's cabin was low, 
and the table was lit by candles.  She raised an eyebrow.  "Candlelight, 
Ensign?"

"Please call me Harry tonight, Seven.  You have twice already this 
week."  She nodded in response.  "I just like candlelight.  It makes the 
room look nice."

Seven ran through a checklist in her head.  Low illumination, dilated 
pupils, personal conversation, and a meal.  She thought back to their 
altercation in the mess hall a year ago, where she had asked En- Harry - 
if he loved her.  She had learned enough about human behaviour since 
then not to ask the same question.  She was certainly not going to ask 
him to copulate.  Every time she mentioned that he seemed to leave the 
room.

His attempts to create a 'romantic' mood pleased her, however irrational 
it might be.  She gave him a small smile, and responded to him, "Yes, it 
does look 'nice'."

He smiled back at her.  This evening had begun better than he thought.  
"Well, for dinner, we're having - "

"I have studied the databases on Alpha Quadrant food, Harry.  Let me 
guess."  They each had a bowl of vegetables, the most predominant of 
which was lettuce.  "Tossed salad."  The 'main course' was long, thin 
strips of pasta in a white, rich looking sauce.  "Fettucini alfredo, 
correct?"

Harry smiled at her.  "That's it exactly, Seven."

She was pleased at this, but then frowned slightly.  "This meal is 
missing something."

"What?  What's it missing, Seven?"

Seven looked at him.  "For a candlelit dinner such as this, would not a 
bottle of wine be appropriate?"

Harry was surprised she mentioned this, but said, "Yeah, it would."  
Then a sheepish grin.  "But I ran out of replicator credits."

It was Seven's turn to give a slight grin.  She seemed to be doing that 
a lot this evening.  "I have numerous rations, however."  She walked 
over to the replicator, and asked Harry, "What would be an appropriate 
wine, Harry?  I lack any experience in choosing wines for meals."

Harry wasn't an expert at it either, so he said the first thing that 
popped into his head.  "Uh, try a Beaujolais, 2371." He would ask for a 
2373, the year he met Seven, but they were of course deep in the Delta 
Quadrant, and so the computer would have no idea what a 2373 wine would 
be like.

She replicated a bottle and two glasses, and brought it over to the 
table.  She pored them each a glass, and said, "Now I believe it is 
appropriate to offer a toast."  She looked at Harry, clearly expecting 
him to do the honours.

'Think, Harry.  Something safe.'  Then the answer came to him.  He 
raised a glass.  "To our friendship."

She gave him a genuine smile at that.  "Our friendship," she repeated.

They ate their meal in silence.  When they were done, Harry asked, "So, 
how did you like your meal, Seven?"

"It was nutritious and inoffensive to my palate.  Thank you for inviting 
me, Harry."

"So..." he started nervously.  He tapped his fingers together, trying to 
think of something to say.

Seven looked around his quarters while he was trying to find something 
to say.  There was a black musical instrument sitting on his coffee 
table which was likely his clarinet.  It was also likely that was what 
he had been playing when she came to his quarters the night of their 
argument with Lieutenant Torres.  He had played beautifully, and she 
resolved to ask him to play for her sometime.

On his dresser were a number of pictures of people.  One of the images 
leapt out at her.

It was a picture of her.  She got up and walked over to it.  It looked 
recent, as she was wearing her blue outfit in it.  She was looking 
directly at whoever had taken the picture.  Then she realized it must 
have been taken at Mr. Neelix's Prixin celebration three weeks before.  
Harry had brought a holoimager to the party, and had been taking 
pictures of everyone there.  Hers was the only one from that party on 
his dresser.

There were three other pictures there.  Unlike the one of her, each 
contained multiple people.  One was of Harry in a Starfleet dress 
uniform, with a proud looking older couple beside him.  The older man 
looked vaguely like Harry.

She held up the picture to Harry.  "Are these your parents, Harry?"

Harry got up and stood next to her.  "Yeah.  That was taken upon my 
graduation from the Academy."  He looked lost in memory for a moment.  
"Mom said she was so proud of me...   That was taken a few weeks before 
I was assigned to Voyager.  It was one of the last times I saw them."  
He wiped a tear away from his eye.

The other two pictures were of people familiar to her.  One was of 
Lieutenants Paris and Torres playing pool at Lieutenant Paris' 
'Sandrine's' holoprogram.  The other was taken at Mr. Neelix's 'Talaxian 
Resort' program.  It was of Harry, the Captain, Chakotay, Tuvok, Neelix, 
Paris, Torres, and a pretty women with long red curly hair.  It took 
Seven a moment to recognize her as Kes, the Ocampan woman who had 
'evolved' off of Voyager soon after Seven had joined the crew.

"Why do you have pictures of these people?" she asked.

"All of them are people I care about, Seven."

"The picture of me is the only one with a single person in it."

"Yes, well..." Harry didn't really know how to reply to that.

Seven turned to look at him.  "Why had you been avoiding me, Harry?" she 
asked, completely changing the subject.

"Well... uh... in Astrometrics, when you and B'Elanna and I had that 
argument, I didn't know how to react to what you said."

Seven was confused.  "Exactly what did I say that made you unsure?"

'No time like the present,' he thought.  "When you told B'Elanna about 
what happened in the mess hall last year... I was embarrassed.  And when 
you told her that you were certain that I didn't have a crush on you, it 
was like you were rejecting the idea out of hand.  I didn't know what to 
say after that, so I just didn't."  He went to sit down on the couch.

Harry patted the cushion beside his, indicating that he wanted her to 
sit beside him.  She did not normally sit, but realized from her studies 
of human interaction that it might put him more at ease if she did.  The 
last thing she wanted was for him to get uncomfortable again, leave and 
start avoiding her again.  Even contemplating that possibility made her 
feel saddened.

"I was not 'rejecting the idea out of hand'," she said, sitting on the 
cushion he indicated.  "Your actions last year indicated to me that she 
was mistaken.  In addition, you made no other attempts to 'set a 
romantic mood' until this evening.  That evidence contradicted 
Lieutenant Torres' assertion that you were in love with me, and so I 
gave her my analysis."

"Well, uh..." he stopped.  Then he looked directly into her eyes.  "You 
were mistaken, Seven."

Her eyes went wide.  It was one thing to hear Lieutenant Torres, or even 
Lieutenant Paris, claim that Harry was in love with her.  It was quite 
another to hear him say it.  Sounding more unsure than she would have 
liked, she asked, "So you are in love with me, Harry?"

He took her hands into his.  She had not been expecting this.  She 
hadn't had much contact with other people's bodies, and certainly no 
contact in as tender a manner as with Harry's hands.  It felt 
pleasurable.  She had no urge to pull away.

"Yes, Seven, I am.  I have been since the day we met.  You were so 
alone, and so vulnerable, yet at the same time so strong an independent.  
You were a breath of fresh air.  And I could tell that even underneath 
all that Borg armour, that there was a very pretty woman underneath."  
He kept looking straight at her as he said this.  It was a struggle to 
maintain eye contact, and not to avert his gaze downward, but the 
assertive side of him he had been trying to show over the past six 
months paid off.

Seven smiled at that.  "The day we first met, Harry, I beat you 
unconscious with a blow to the base of your skull.  You were in love 
with me then?"

Harry chuckled.  "Well, maybe 'love' is the wrong word for when that 
occurred, and when I first met you, but I certainly liked you.  It 
became love shortly afterwards, though, I'm sure."

In a very low voice, she asked him, "When did you know you loved me?"

Harry took in a deep breath.  "Honestly, Seven - that night in the mess 
hall.  When I asked you to see the Ktarian moonrise with me.  That's 
when I knew I loved you."

Seven was extremely surprised at this.  She had hoped she wouldn't need 
to discuss the evening with him - it obviously made him very 
uncomfortable - but she had to know.  So she took the risk that he 
wouldn't leave the room, and asked, "But you said you weren't in love 
with me!  You didn't want to copulate!"

Harry shook his head.  "Seven, you're making the old 'sex equals love' 
mistake.  It doesn't."

"But love is often used to describe - "

Harry cut her off.  "It's a different use of the word love than I'm 
using.  I'm talking about romantic love.  I'm talking about caring for, 
and longing to spend time with someone.  I'm talking about a feeling of 
oneness, of being a half of a whole unit.  I'm talking about love in the 
sense of wanting to build a life with someone."

Seven looked confused.  "You wish to spend your life with me, Harry?"

Harry paused before answering, "In all honestly, Seven, yes.  Someday 
I'd like that.  When and if you're ever ready."  Another pause.  "Seven 
-"

"You nev notaid how you knew you were in love with me, Harry," she 
interrupted.

Another deep breath.  "When you asked me to copulate, all I could think 
of was that it would be using you.  That you would later resent me 
taking advantage of your ignorance about human sexuality.  That by 
having sex with you then, I would be ruining any chances to have 
anything lasting with you.

"Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't just have sex with anyone that way.  But 
when I realized that I didn't back away just because it was the right 
thing to do, but because I didn't want to ruin any long-term chances 
with you, that's when I knew I was in love with you."  He looked at her 
hopefully.

"It is a very confusion method of thinking," she said.  "I can see the 
logic in it, however."  She continued her questioning.

There was something else she needed to know.  It had been nagging her 
ever since her talk with Lieutenant Paris the night before.  "Why are 
you in love with me, Harry?"

Harry thought about this for a moment before answering.  "Well, a number 
of reasons.  The easiest to see is that you're extraordinarily beautiful 
- "

"You think I am beautiful, Harry?"  She found that hard to believe.  She 
knew that he found her physically attractive - his pupils and 
respiration when he looked at her told her that.  But she had been 
around humans enough to know there was a difference between 
attractiveness and beauty.  Borg drones, even former drones, did not 
usually fall within the standard human definition of beauty.

Harry shook his head at this.  "Seven, you are the most beautiful woman 
on the ship.  At least as far as I'm concerned.  You have a stunning 
body, a lovely face, and your Borg implants just serve to accentuate 
that.  You also have an air of confidence and grace about you that only 
adds to the effect.  You're actually the most beautiful woman I have 
ever met - and I've met some very attractive ones.

"Your beauty isn't the only thing that makes my love you, though.  It's 
not even the main one.  I love your strength and independence, your 
drive and determination.  I love your confidence in yourself.  I love 
your intelligence.  I love the wonder you show in your new 
individuality, even if you do try and hide it, and hide your emotions.  
I also love your sense of humour, which I'm proud to have been the first 
one to see.

He went on.  "A lot of what I love about you is how you relate to me.  I 
love that I can talk to you about technical problems longer than I can 
with anyone else.  I love that I seem to be the first one you want to 
work with on any problem.  I love that you trust me, and feel 
comfortable around me.  And I love that fact that you smile around me, 
more than anyone else.

"Finally, what I love about you is that you're unique.  A lot of people 
want you to become more human, but I just want you to be able to 
experience your humanity.  I don't want you to become more or less 
anything.  Your Borg past is part of what makes you unique, and thus 
part of what I love about you.  Don't get me wrong - I don't love the 
Borg Collective.  But the one former member of it that I'm with at the 
moment, I do love, especially in the state she's in, of being human as 
well as part Borg.  It's what makes you *you*.

"Even if I could, I don't think I'd change a thing about you.  Well, not 
really anything," he said smiling.  "You've always said that the Borg 
strive for perfection.  I honestly think that you, Seven, have come as 
close as they could get.  There's always room for improvement, of 
course, but not much with you, I don't think.

"That's why I love you."

Seven was speechless.  She had no idea what to say.  What Harry said to 
her was the most beautiful thing she'd ever heard.  The only way she 
could think of to react to it was one she had seen certain crewmembers 
used occasionally.

She wrapped her arms around him, and took him into a fierce hug.  "That 
is so beautiful, Harry.  Thank you."  She closed her eyes, and could 
feel moisture coming from her eyes.  Tears.

Harry was in heaven.  Feeling her warm body enveloped in his arms was 
something he had dreamed about many times.  His dreams were usually more 
sexual than this, but this was sweet in a way he thought he would never 
experience again after Voyager was stranded in the Delta Quadrant.  
Still hugging her, he asked, "Well, Seven, I've done all the talking 
thus far.  How do you feel about me?"

She pulled out of the hug, and looked at him.  "Harry... when I'm with 
you, I feel comfortable in a way I don't with anyone else.  I look 
forward to working together, and I have looked forward to our meals 
together recently.  When you stopped talking to me, I felt an emptiness 
I had since I was separated from the collective."

"I'm so sorry, Seven," he said sincerely.  "I didn't mean to hurt you."

She continued despite his interruption.  "You were the first on the ship 
to befriend me.  You always treat me fairly, even when I am impolite or 
rude to you.  After the fight with B'Elanna was the first time you were 
not."

"Seven-"

She held a finger to his lips.  "You care about me, Harry, in a way that 
no one ever has.  I don't feel as strongly for you as you do for me- "

Harry looked crestfallen at this.  Seven continued anyway.

"- but I do have feelings for you."  Harry brightened immediately at 
that.  "I would like to explore them with you, Harry.  I believe the 
term for what I would like is 'dating'."

He smiled the warmest smile she had ever seen on his face at her.  
Considering the warmth of the smiles he usually gave her, that was quite 
an achievement.  She smiled back - a smile so wide that she showed her 
teeth, something, Harry had never before seen on her.

"Oh, Seven," he said taking her hands in his, and beginning to stroke 
the backs of her hands with his thumbs.  Her right hand immediately 
relaxed under the attentions of his left thumb, but as he began to 
stroke her Borg hardware on her left hand, she pulled tund and back.

"I'm sorry Seven, did that hurt you?"  He was immediately regretful he'd 
done that without asking what kind of reaction he would get.

"I am undamaged, Harry.  It was a reflex action.  I am unused to being 
touched there - the Borg do not touch one another, and no one has rubbed 
the back my hand since I joined Voyager."

"It tickled, perhaps?"  Harry said, trying to help her along.

"Yes, that is likely it."  She smiled, and he took her hand again.  He 
tried stroking the hardware again, and this time, her urge to pull back 
was less, and soon she got used to it.  yes, she could like this a 
lot...

"What do you think of holding hands, Seven?"  He asked her.

"It is very... pleasurable.  It is inefficient, however, from a 
biological standpoint.  Why would holding hands be a necessary step for 
procreation?"

Harry was a little flustered by that.  "Well, I supposed it's probably 
not biologically necessary, although pleasure is designed to encourage 
living organisms to do what is biologically necessary.  I suppose the 
pleasure from touching one another's hands is meant to lead to... 
pleasure in other ways."

"You mean copulation," she said.

"Yes, I suppose.  Anyway, even if it's biologically inefficient, holding 
hands is culturally quite important.  Especially if you want to show 
affection in public, which I'm going to want to."

"Ah.  Marking you territory."

He sighed.  "Partly that, Seven.  But mostly just to show you I care."

"That could be done just as easily with verbal communication," she 
countered.

"Oh, possibly.  But isn't my doing this," he stroked her Borg-enhanced 
left hand again, "a more effective means of showing you that I love the 
whole Seven, not just the human bits, as telling you?"

Seven considered this.  "Yes, I suppose it is.  Most people are afraid 
of my Borg hardware.  You are showing that you are not.  I had not 
thought of physical contact as another form of communication."

He smiled.  "See?  You're learning about relationships already.  Another 
example.  What's a more effective way of saying I love you.  Verbally, 
or this."  With that he leaned forward and met her full lips with his, 
giving her a gentle, tender, lingering kiss.

After he pulled away, she said, "Yes, I see your point, Harry.  Would 
you care to demonstrate other examples?"  She had a gleam in her eye 
that could only come from one thing - lust.

Part of him wanted to 'demonstrate' right then and there; the woman 
beside him was so damned beautiful, and looked eager, but the rational 
part of his mind, the part that turned down her offer t copulate a year 
ago, was in control.

Summoning his reserves of self-control, he said, "Sometime, Seven, but I 
think we should take it slow, at least here in the beginning of our 
'dating' relationship.  We have lots of time, if you want to, but let's 
take it slow so far.  When we're sure we love each other - then we'll 
see."

She sighed.  "Very well, Harry."  She leaned in for another kiss, this 
one open mouths.  The interplay of their tongues as they kissed was 
ample demonstration of the principle Harry had talked about, as well as 
being extremely pleasurable, but Seven knew that would be the limit for 
now.  She didn't particularly mind, although a part of her had the urge 
to rip Harry's shirt right off of him and pounce of him.  She too had to 
exercise self-control.

The broke apart after what seemed like an eternity.  Gazing at his 
companion, Harry asked, "I have to know, Seven.  Why the silver outfit 
tonight?  I thought that was only a healing outfit for the beginning."

She smiled.  "It was originally, but I had the Doctor alter it today.  I 
told him I wanted another clothing option."

"Is that why you wore it?  Another option?"

This time she broke into another toothy grin.  "No, I wore it because I 
noticed that when I wore this outfit, your pupils dilated more than 
either of my other two suits."

"You wanted to impress me?"  Harry asked.

She nodded, still smiling.

"It worked."

She settled back on the couch, and he wrapped his left arm around her.  
"What happens next, Harry?"

"Well, Seven, we talk.  Get to know each other better.  And we go on 
more dates.  I'd really like to get to you try a few holodeck adventures 
with me."

"Holodeck adventures are irrelevant," she answered instinctively.

"Ah, but that's what you would have said about pleasure yesterday, or 
romance a year ago.  You have to give things a chance, Seven.  If you 
still find it irrelevant afterwards, that's fair.  But you have to try, 
first," he said, looking intently at her.

"Very well."

They sat together on the couch in each others arms for a few minutes in 
silence.

"So Seven," Harry asked, "what was it like being in the Collective?  
Tell me about your time as a Borg."

Seven turned to him, surprised.  "I find most people are horrified when 
I speak of my time with the Borg, Harry.  Are you sure you want to 
hear?"

"I want to know all about you, Seven.  Your years with the Borg are an 
important part of who you are.  I'd like to hear about them, if it's all 
right with you."

Seven was genuinely happy at this, and started touching his hand again.  
"Thank you, Harry.  I have had no one to talk to about this since I came 
on board."

Harry smiled at his friend.  "Well, if ever there's anything you'd like 
to talk about, no matter how irrelevant it seems, feel free to come to 
me.  I'll always want to hear it."

She leaned over and gave him another kiss.  Breaking free, she said, 
"Being Borg was like being part of something greater than yourself.  But 
there is no 'self' in the Borg..."

The sat in each other's arms and talked well into the night about there 
lives, their pasts, and their hopes and dreams, getting to know each 
other well.  It was well into the early hours of the morning before 
Seven left Harry's quarters to return to Cargo Bay 2, and each fell 
asleep with the satisfaction of knowing with absolute certainty that 
someone out there really cared about them.

All in all, it had been the best day in either of their lives.

The first of many such best days.

---

Finis.