Title: Annika
Author: C. (Stefan Cilia)
Rating: PG.
Codes: K/7

DISCLAIMER: Paramount and Viacom, who have _generously_ decided to make a fuss with the fans, do own the stuff that we see, hear and read about in the Star Trek universe. It even says in the ending credits. No copyright and/or trademark infringement intended. But the story is mine.

Annika
by
Stefan C.

Stardate: 52019.7

Seven ran out of Astrometrics Lab, crying. He had turned her down again, hurt her feelings, broke her heart, all over again.

The last time that she offered to change the nature of their relationship, offered him her body, he had sent her away, turned her down. That had hurt her more then she had shown at the time and now he had done it again.

She had approached him and asked him about his fiancée and if he still felt for her He'd said that she would always have a special place in his heart, but that he was sure that she had gone on with her life. When that was out of the way she had asked him the same question she had asked almost a year ago, but then he got angry. He had said that she was cold, insensitive and something about how she dared to ask him about Libby and then ask him if he wished to start a romantic relationship with her. Then she had broken down and ran out of the lab.

Harry stood in Astrometrics, wanting to run after her, but he couldn't move. She had hurt him. He had tried so hard to forget about Libby, but her behind him and now Seven had brought it all back to him. It had been unconsidered of Seven to ask him about Libby then offer to change their 'relationship', but he had, had no right to react the way he did. He could she that he had hurt her and with the thought that he hurt the woman he loved he ran out after her. It had been hard to let himself fall in love with her, and the thought of loosing her before he could tell her how he much he loved her was to much for him to bear He ran knowing that what he would to know would change everything.

Harry caught up with her, as she was half way to cargo- bay 2, he begged her to stop.
"Seven, please stop, I’m really sorry what I said back there."
Seven just kept walking thinking about the drone-rules //If it’s not a threat and you can’t assimilate it, ignore it.\\
"Seven please stop and listen to me."
Silence......
Then Harry grabbed her arm.
"Annika, please. //That’s strange\\ he thought //why did I call her that?\\, I’m sorry that I hurt you."
Seven looked into his eyes, why had he called her that.
"What did you call me." Her voice was shaking.
"Annika, that’s is your true name, the name given to you by your parents, your human name. Listen, I’m sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you like that, but you hit a nerve and I snapped. Please give my chance to explain myself. Come to my quarters in half an hour and I´ll explain everything." Then there was silence between them for a few heartbeats.
"Annika, I love you and I want to be with you and if you feel the same, meet me in half an hour." and with that he let go off her and left.
//He loves me and want’s to be with me.\\ Seven though, in shock after Harry’s revelation. //He called me Annika, I must find out why and tell him that I love him.\\. Seven headed for cargo-bay 2, to change.

Half an hour later in Harry's quarters.

Harry sat and listened to Beethovens´ Moonlight Sonata, full volume, then he heard the door chime.
"Computer music off." He stood up and straightened himself out. "Enter." Seven of Nine wearing a red dress and with her hair down entered the room.
"Annika, you came." Harry said staring at the woman who stood before him.
"Harry..." Seven began, but Harry interrupted.
"Wait, you called me Harry" a huge smile forming on his face.
"Yes, although I’m not sure why, it seemed the right thing to do, since you started calling me Annika." Seven said and she ran her hand through her hair.
"But I’m sure about why I’m here." then her voice began to break. "Harry... di.. did.. you mean what you said earlier, that you lo... lo.. loved me." She was now looking down at the floor. Harry walked towards her and placed his hand under her chin and raised her head so he looked into her eyes', she felt like he was peering into her soul. Then after what seemed like an endless moment he spoke, softly.
"Yes Annika, I do love you, I have loved you for the past year, not an hour goes by that I don’t think about you and at night all I dream about is you."
"Then why did you turn me down, earlier today." Tears forming in her eyes."Tell me Harry, if you love me so much, why…"
"Because you brought back memories of Libby and I didn't know if you felt the same way for me as I feel for you. But when you asked me about Libby and then asked about changing our relationship, I felt like you for toying with my emotions and I got angry. Then when I saw that, I had hurt you. I felt bad over what I had said." Harry said feeling tears coming to his eyes, her hurt was his hurt. He never wanted to hurt this woman, he loved her so much and he had come close to losing her so many times, and now seeing her almost crying over what he had done made him feel horrible.?"
"Annika, all I can say is that my feelings for you are true, I love more than anything in the universe, I would gladly give my life for you." he said as a single tear ran down his cheek.
Seven then took his face in her hands and wiped away the tear.
"Harry, I love you." that statement maid Harry’s heart jump. "If you want to take it slow we shall take, it slow, and if you sacrificed your life for mine I would simply reactive you, because I could not bear living with out you." She then kissed him gently and began walking towards the door.
Then Harry found his voice and called out "Annika..." then there was silence for a brief moment. "Don’t go."
Seven looked at him with love in her eye’s and said: "Go to sleep Harry, we both need to contemplate about what has happened today, we will talk tomorrow, plus we are on a spaceship we are not going anywhere." And with that she was gone and Harry was left alone with his thoughts //She loves me\\ then a smile broke out on Harry’s face, and he screamed "SHE LOVES ME." and jumped back onto his bed, in cargo-bay 2 Seven stood quiet in her alcove, while an image of Harry floated around in her head.

The next morning.

Tom, B’Elanna and Harry sat in the messhall 'enjoying' Neelix´s newest dish. Harry had a hard time keeping the smile of his face.
"So Captain Sunshine, going to tell us why you are so jolly this morning." Tom said, looking at his breakfast is if he was waiting for it to start to move.
"Ooh, no special reason." as he said this Seven entered the mess-hall and walked to their table,
"Lt. Paris, Lt. Torres, Harry." Everybody greeted Seven.
"Harry will you meet me in cargo-bay 2 at noon there are somethings we need to talk about."
"Surething Annika, I'll be there." Harry answered and with that she left. When Harry turned his attention back to his friends, their mouths hung open and they just stared at Harry for a few seconds then they both spoke.
"Harry... Annika..?"
"Mind telling us about what's going on here Harry" Tom said.
" Yeah Harry, what did you two do last night?" B‘Elanna added.
"Ooh, nothing special, fought, made up, talked, confessed our feelings for each other." Harry said. Now beaming a 10.000 gigawatt smile.
"So, you and her..." B’Elanna trailed of and started grinning.
"No, no." Harry said quickly "She just said that she loved me and that we should talk tomorrow."
"Okay, now that´s cleared up." Tom said smiling. "Mind telling us why you are calling her Annika?"
"That is something I’m not sure of myself. I started it last night to get her to listen to me, and after all it’s her human name."
"Well our shift starts in five minutes, so we should get going, Harry we will talk better about this another time." B’Elanna said and with that they stood up and left.

Time passed slowly for Harry, couldn't stop thinking about Annika and last night and that single kiss and what perhaps waited for him cargo-bay 2.
So after what seemed to be an eternity Harry found himself standing outside cargo-bay 2.
He entered and called out her name
"Annika!" For a moment he only heard the hum of the alcoves.
"Harry over here." Her voice sounded more soft than normal.
Harry followed the sound of her voice and found her sitting in her alcove, he walked over to her and sat down next to her.
"Okay here I am, you said we should talk so, talk."
"Harry last night you said that you had loved me for some time, why didn't you tell me sooner?" She asked because she had to know. How many nights had she stood in her alcove thinking about how Harry felt towards her?
"Annika." Harry began. "The reason I didn't tell you sooner, is that although I love you, I wasn´t sure you felt the same. Hell I wasn't even sure that you could feel the same. I’m sorry that my feelings had to come clear to you the way they did, but the important thing is that now we know, how we feel for each other, so the question is where to we go from here?"
"Harry as I said last night if you want to take it slow we'll take it slow. I do love you and I want more than anything to see you happy..." she smiled "with me." she added.
"Annika..." Harry touched her cheek, touched by the love Seven was showing him.
Seven felt herself shudder under the touch of his hand and she felt desire and need run through her body, she could not control these feelings and gave into them. She quickly closed the space between them and kissed Harry. After what seemed like a blissful eternity they both parted gasping for air. Seven wanted to resume the kiss, but Harry gathered all his inner strength and placed his hands on her shoulder and said.
"No, Annika, not here and not like this, come to by quarters tonight and we’ll..." he let his  voice trail of. He then kissed her forehead and left.

That same night Seven-Annika of Nine found herself standing outside the quarters of the man she loved. She found the door unlocked and entered, they only light in the room came from candles placed all over the quarter. Harry was lighting the last candle when she entered. She felt a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach, //anxiety.\\ She thought.

"Ah, Annika, welcome, please sit down." He pointed to the couch and there on the table stood two glasses, bottle of champagne and on a single red rose. Harry poured into the two glasses and handed one to Seven. "To us" he said and sipped his glass, Seven gulped hers down in her usual efficient manner.

Then Seven said "Now that, thats out of the way." She grabbed Harry and kissed him fiercely, after a moment they separated. Seven then stood up a took Harry’s hand "Harry I love you and I want to be with you." She said love shinning from her eyes. Harry stood up and looked into her eyes "Seven are you sure, you want to do this now." Seven silenced him with an another kiss and the using her Borg-enhanced hand ripped the shirt of him. "I'll take that as I yes." Harry said with a smile.

Seven then lead him into the bedroom where clothes were shed away and they both gave into their desires, living out their fantasys that had been playing around in their heads for so long.

The next morning Seven awoke and found herself lying in Harrys strong arms.
//I could adapt to this\\ she thought. She untangled herself from Harrys embrace and put on Harrys nightshirt She then walked over to the couch where they had sat briefly the night before, picked up and smelled the rose that still lay there. He had changed something within her she now felt more human. But yet at peace with her Borg-side. Then she heard Harry stir, she walked over to the bed and looked down at him, she sighed he looked so beautiful, so peaceful. She bent down and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead and as she was moving away, he opened his eyes and murmured. "Good morning my love" as he drew her in for an another kiss.

//I could definitely adapt to this\\ Seven thought.

The End

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