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Title: Marooned - Part 3
Author: Heather
Contact: madaboutmango@excite.com
Rating: PG
Summary: D/7
Disclaimer: I love Voyager. Please don't punish me for writing a story about it. I wish I could live at Paramount!!
Note: Sorry about the HUMONGOUS wait on Part Three and thank you for all the kind encouraging feedback! Since I started this story during Season Six, please assume that Unimatrix Zero and Human Error (yuck) never happened.
****************************************************
The Doctor retrieved his holo-imager from the Jeffries tube. He looked at it solemnly. How can one little device cause so much trouble? - he thought dejectedly.
Sighing, he put the machine on his desk and plopped down on his chair. He was completely and utterly confused. First, the mystery of what had happened on the Holodeck with Seven, then the strange behavior of the Captain, and finally what Seven was doing spying on him... The Doctor rubbed his forehead in frustration.
* * * * * *
Ensign Redmond was hard at work on Deck Two, section 34 when the door to the Jeffries tube flew open behind him. Seven practically tumbled out of the passage. She looked slightly embarrassed as she peeled herself off the floor and straightened her clothing before turning to the surprised Ensign.
"Excuse me. I did not mean to startle you," the ex-Borg said slowly in her usual cold demeanor.
"Oh.. oh that's okay," smiled Redmond. "You just caught me off guard, that’s all. Is there anything that I can do for you?"
"No. Proceed with your designated task," Seven stated harshly. She turned to go, but then decided to add in a softer voice, "Thank you, Ensign," before leaving.
Ensign Redmond just shrugged and continued with his duty.
The hall loomed before Seven of Nine like the mouth of a larqe beast. She didn't know where to go. Sickbay was definitely out of the question, and Astrometrics and Cargo Bay 2 seemed like bad ideas. The Mess Hall was located on this deck, and her internal chronometer told her that it was within a tolerable time period to ingest a nutritional supplement, so she decided to head there.
I hope the Mess Hall is not congested tonight - Seven worried inwardly. When the whoosh of the doors admitted her, she was glad to see that the room was pretty much deserted. Seven could hear the clattering of kitchenware coming from the main cooking area. A furry head popped up from behind the counter and smiled at her.
"Seven! What a pleasant surprise! Have you come for a plate of my famed 'coeur d'ourson'? Or perhaps you'd like some 'Rootin' Tootin' Chili?"
Seven looked down at the pesky Talaxian, "No," she said simply and turned towards the replicators. Seven ordered Nutritional Supplement 36beta and removed the cup of steaming liquid from the machine on the wall. She picked a table by the window, and sat down. After taking a quick survey of the room, she ordered, "Computer, locate the Doctor."
"The Doctor is in Sickbay," the Computer answered obediently.
Seven breathed a sigh of relief and began to sip her food. She stared out into the sparkling expanse of space before her but Seven wasn't looking at the beauty of the stars. She was caught up in the memories that the last 48 hours had provided her. What a great deal had transpired in that period! Seven had managed to damage the relationship between herself and the Doctor by letting random impulses and emotions affect her actions. Why had she kissed the Doctor in the Holodeck? What did it mean? What a fool I've been - she thought.
A chipper voice interrupted Sevens thoughts.
"You know, I've always found that a sweet dessert can lift my spirits in a way that not much else can. Don't you agree?" In his hand he held a plate of food. Seven looked annoyedly up at Neelix.
"I don't know, I've never ingested a dessert. They are nutritionally deficient."
"Oh, well, nutritional value isn't always that important. When you're feeling blue - a rush of sugar can be really therapeutic."
Seven arched her metallic brow and replied, "I have never thought of it that way."
"Well, you could ask the Doctor. I'm sure he'd love to tell you about the qualitative studies done on sugar."
"That will not be necessary," Seven blushed. "Give me the dessert. I will try it."
Neelix beamed as he handed Seven the plate with a huge mountain of chocolate cake and ice cream on it. He had adorned the confection with several ripe, red strawberries that glistened in the soft light of the room. Seven picked up a spoon from the table and delicately scooped some of the treat into her mouth. She smiled in spite of herself. The dessert was delicious.
Neelix had been watching with an undisguised look of anticipation and when he saw her smile, he gushed, "See?! It's working isn't it?! You're feeling better already!"
Seven regained her former composure and said, "I am feeling... slightly improved. Thank you." The Talaxian grinned and turned back to his kitchen.
* * * * * *
The Doctor swiveled nervously in his chair, pondering the choice he was making. He was seriously considering going to the Captain to ask her to clarify one of his little mysteries. The Captain had distinctly told him that Seven had been working on the baryllium problem with him. How could she have made such a false statement? There had to be something more to this, and the Doctor had a feeling it had to do with the recent events with Seven.
"Doctor to Captain Janeway," the hologram called.
After about ten seconds, the familiar voice replied, "Janeway here. What can I do for you Doctor?"
"Captain, I must speak with you immediately," the Doctor said.
"Can it wait? I'm up to my ears in reports today."
"Actually it can't, Captain. It won't take long, I promise."
"Very well, meet me in my Ready Room."
"Aye, Captain."
* * * * * *
Seven popped the last juicy strawberry into her mouth, savoring the sweet, freshness of it. An empty plate lay in front of her, the evidence of what she'd done. Seven rubbed her abdomen, noticing a strange feeling developing there. She felt as if she had ingested a huge rock, not some cake and ice cream. She picked up the empty plate and brought it over to the replicator. "Recycle," she ordered. The plate shimmered away. Seven walked out of the Mess Hall and decided it would be safe to head for the Cargo Bay. When she arrived there, she ordered a lock on the doors and sat on one of the blinking alcoves. Seven rubbed her stomach again, uncomfortable with the feeling of fullness.
* * * * * *
The Doctor nervously stood outside the Captain's Ready Room and rang her door chime. "Come in," came a voice from within. The Doctor slowly edged into the room. The Captain was sitting at her desk, scanning a PADD that she held in her hands, but she looked up when the EMH neared her desk. "Doctor, I hope this is important," she scowled.
"It is, Captain. I believe my program may be malfunctioning."
Janeway gave him a quizzical look, "I'm sure B'Elanna can help you with that. Why come to me?"
"I came to you because I thought you could shed some light on something you mentioned earlier."
Janeway put down the PADD and looked up at him, "Go ahead."
The Doctor moistened his lips, "Earlier, you mentioned that Seven and I had been on the holodeck today. Well, the last time I recall being with her was yesterday when we had the problems."
“You don't remember talking to me about the baryllium?”
The hologram shook his head.
"Did you ask Seven?"
The hologram blushed slightly and said, "No Captain. We're having... difficulty talking right now."
The Captain gave the Doctor a strange look.
"Captain, may I have permission to check the Holodeck logs? It might give me some clue as to what's going on here."
"I don't think that's necessary. I suggest you get over whatever it is you have going on with Seven, and ask her."
"But Captain!" the hologram protested.
"Doctor, the crew's holodeck programs are none of our business. It would be wrong to invade their privacy. Speak to B'Elanna if you can't talk to Seven. Have her run a diagnostic."
The Doctor nodded and left with a "Thank you."
The Captain waited a moment and then ordered, “Computer, encrypt holodeck program Janeway54, authorization Janeway Alpha 94Red.”
* * * * * *
Seven stepped out from a small curtained area in the corner, dressed in a navy tank top and leggings with a silver stripe running up her right side. Instead of her customary high heels, she had on silver athletic shoes. She commanded, "Computer, play music selection workout15." The Computer beeped and began to play a rigorous musical piece. She began to run laps in the Cargo Bay. Before long a small beep of her combadge interrupted Seven's thoughts. "Doctor to Seven of Nine."
Seven froze and began to feel her heart pound in her ears. "Seven here," she managed to squeak out.
"Seven, I need to speak to you."
“Concerning?”
“Uh, ah, I was hoping you could shed some light on some events that have transpired recently.”
"That won’t be possible, Doctor. I am extremely busy at the moment."
"Seven, I really nee…."
"Seven out."
The Doctor let out a huge sigh. It was obvious that Seven wasn’t willing to talk with him, so that left him with only one option. He might be going against the Captain’s orders but he didn’t care. He headed for the Holodeck.
* * * * * *
Seven did a couple more laps of the Cargo Bay before she collapsed in fatigue onto one of the alcoves. Why did the Doctor have to be so... bothersome? She wanted to move on, away from the past, and all he seemed to want to do was dredge it up. This would make it almost impossible for her to work with him in the future. Seven gasped for air, trying to breathe normally. It was unlike her to be so affected by a workout. She was sweating profusely and felt almost sick to her stomach. Itching her hand absently, she suddenly felt lightheaded. Seven glanced down at her hands and saw that they were covered in large red welts. Gripping the edge of the platform, she tapped her combadge, “Seven to Mr. Paris.”
“Paris here.”
“Mr. Paris, report to Cargo Bay 2. I require your assistance.”
“On my way,” Tom replied.
* * * * * *
The Doctor scrolled through the days holodeck logs, looking for any strange looking entries. What is this? - he thought.
Seven had run several encrypted programs in the last few days. One of these in particular had been running from 1100 to 1205 that morning – right before Captain Janeway had run an encrypted program of her own… What’s with all the secrecy?? - the Doctor wondered.
“Computer run holodeck program Seven Alpha 11.”
“Unable to comply. This program is protected by security protocols.”
“Computer, run holodeck program Seven Alpha 11, authorization Torres Yellow 336.” The Doctor cringed, waiting to see if his stolen password would work. After a few seconds, the computer said, “Program activated on Holodeck One.”
The Doctor looked around nervously and stepped into the room. He couldn’t believe the sight before him.
* * * * * *
Tom stood in front of the door to Cargo Bay 2. He was actually glad he had been summoned. He had been stuck back in Sickbay again while the Doctor went on some errands. He rang the door chime and when he didn’t get a response, he activated the door and stepped inside. He saw Seven laying across the platform of the alcoves and ran over to see what was wrong. Seven was shaking and she had red bumps all over her.
“Help me,” she whispered.
“Seven, what happened?” He ran a tricorder over her.
“Please treat me.”
“Seven, I can’t tell what’s wrong with you. I’m taking you to Sickbay. The Doc…”
“No! You must treat me yourself. Please!”
“Seven, this could be serious and I don’t have the same expertise the Doc has.”
“I must not be treated by the Doctor. Please… When I first came aboard Voyager, you told me that if there was anything you could do for me, you would grant my request... This is my request.”
Tom saw the desperate look in Seven’s eyes and caved. “Fine, I’ll do what I can... but no promises ok?”
“Thank you.”
Tom looked up at the ceiling and said, “Computer, locate the Doctor.”
“The Doctor is in Holodeck One.”
“Computer, I need a site to site transport of Seven and myself to Sickbay.”
On command, the two shimmered into Sickbay. Tom helped Seven onto a biobed and then grabbed a medical tricorder.
* * * * * *
“Hello Seven.”
The Doctor stared at himself in amazement. An exact replica of himself stood before him calling him ‘Seven’. He didn’t know how to react.
* * * * * *
Tom grabbed a hypospray with hydrocortisone and injected Seven with it. By this time she was breathing raggedly, finding it hard to draw air into her lungs.
“The medicine should do the trick,” Tom said soothingly. He ran a medical tricorder over her and got a worried look on his face. Seven took a deep gasp of air and then started convulsing on the biobed.
“NO!” Tom yelled. “Tom to the Doctor. Medical emergency in Sickbay… It’s Seven!”
* * * * * *
The Doctor was about to talk to the hologram when he heard Tom’s page. He yelled, “Computer, transfer the EMH to Sickbay.”
The Doctor shimmered into the room and ran over to Seven’s side. She was shaking and gasping for breath. She had a desperate look in her eyes.
“Doc, you’ve got to help her. I gave her hydrocortisone but it didn’t help.”
The Doctor ran a medical tricorder over her and reacted automatically. He attached a small device to the side of Seven’s neck and ran continuous scans of her. Seven’s convulsions stopped abruptly but she fell into unconsciousness. The Doctor softly touched Seven’s forehead and breathed a deep sigh of relief. Putting down the medical tricorder, he turned to Tom. “What happed here?” he asked accusingly.
“Seven didn’t want me to call you. I tried to treat her but it didn’t work.”
“Seven didn’t want you to call me? But why?”
“I don’t know Doc, but she was desperate.”
The Doctor seemed upset as he picked up a dermal regenerator and began healing Seven’s rash. He stared down at her now peaceful features.
Tom watched the Doctor from across the biobed. “You really love her, don’t you?”
The Doctor looked up at the young man. “What does it matter. It’s obvious to me now that Seven absolutely detests me.”
“I don’t think so. From what I saw on your holo-imager, she looked like she was really into you, Doc.”
“And you don’t know the half of it...”
Tom’s ears perked up. “Spit it out, Doc.”
“Earlier today, Seven was... spying on me. She stole my imager and was peeking out at me through that Jeffries tube.” He pointed to the opposite end of the room.
“No! That doesn’t seem to be something that Seven would do.”
“I know.”
“Well, it sounds to me like Seven likes you and she’s too afraid to admit it. I think you should ask her about it when she wakes up.”
“Thank you Mr. Paris. I’ll think about it, but forgive me if I don’t agree with your plan right away. The last time I listened to you, I regretted it.”
Tom just shrugged and patted the Doctor on his shoulder. “Well let me know how it goes. I’m pretty hungry... I think I’m going to go to the Mess Hall for a snack. See ya!”
The Doctor watched as Tom left the room. He looked down at the beautiful woman laying on the biobed and sighed.
* * * * * *
Seven got up from the biobed and surveyed the room. The lights were dimmed and the Doctor was nowhere to be found. Seven looked down at her hands . There was no sign of the rash and she felt fine. “Computer, locate the EMH,” she ordered.
“The EMH is offline,” came the monotone reply.
Seven took a deep breath and said, “Computer activate the EMH.”
The Doctor appeared in front of her. He didn’t appear surprised to see her up. “Seven,” he said in a low voice.
Seven’s mouth suddenly felt dry and she could hear her heart beating in her ears. The world around her seemed to freeze as she looked into the Doctor’s eyes. The Doctor held her gaze without moving.
“Doctor...” began Seven.
The Doctor didn’t let her finish. He moved closer and put his hand on her face. The he leaned in and kissed her fervently. Seven felt as if her whole world was being swept up into this moment. She kissed him back with the same intensity.
Without breaking the embrace, the Doctor slowly moved his hands down Seven’s sides and clasped her hands in his. When their kiss came to an end, Seven opened her eyes and looked admiringly at the Doctor. He looked back at her and said, “I love you Seven. I love you with everything that’s in me.”
For some reason, Seven suddenly felt very uncomfortable. She swallowed and exhaled deeply, breaking the eye contact between the two. She suddenly felt very unworthy of love, especially his. Backing away slowly, she looked down at the Doctor’s hands clasped in hers. It seemed almost surreal…
* * * * * *
The Doctor held Seven’s hand in his as he ran a dermal regenerator over it. When he was finished he kept her hand clasped in his, savoring the warm soft feel of her skin against his.
All of a sudden, Seven’s eyes flew open and she had a terrified expression on her face. She seemed confused for a split second but the she looked down at the Doctor’s hand holding hers and she yanked it away. She scooted back on the bed away from the hologram.
The Doctor was confused. "Seven! What's wrong?"
Seven didn't say anything. She just looked at the Doctor with terror in her eyes.
"Seven, I don't understand why you're acting this way."
"Why I'm acting this way?!"
"Yes Seven. Why you were spying on me this morning, and why you.... why you kissed me on the holodeck yesterday."
Seven averted her eyes away from the Doctor's.
"Do you have feelings for me Seven?"
The Doctor took a step towards the ex-borg.
"I don't know what you're talking about," replied Seven, still not looking at him.
"I saw the holodeck program you made, Seven. I'm talking about love. Do you love me?" the Doctor said softly.
"Of course not," Seven said, looking away.
"I see," said the Doctor. "Then explain to me why you’ve been acting the way you have toward me."
Seven straightened up and looked the hologram straight in the eyes. "Your program must be malfunctioning. I have no feelings for you except pity," she spat out. Seven got off the biobed and strode to the door of Sickbay. Turning around, she said, "I believe I have fully recovered. I am going to return to my duties now."
"Go ahead," sighed the Doctor.
She turned around and left without looking back.
* * * * * *
As soon as the Doctor knew that Seven was gone for sure, he dropped to his knees. He felt physically sick. Even though he was a hologram and could technically feel no pain, his whole upper body shook and his chest felt as if it would tear apart at any second. He felt as if he would rather endure the torture of Henry Starlings programmed pain over this feeling. Then the tears came. The Doctor wiped them away quickly, realizing what a spectacle he would cause if anyone should enter Sickbay at this moment and see him on the floor, crying; but he couldn’t seem to stop the flow.
Why oh why did I ask Seven if she loved me? I went too far. I’m such a fool. I’ve sent our relationship back 3 years: that is if she ever talks to me again. Of course she doesn’t love me. She was experimenting, and I was her holographic guinea pig. That’s not love. Oh how could I have been such a fool – the Doctor lamented to himself.
* * * * * *
Seven of Nine walked as fast as she could away from Sickbay. She knew that the Doctor wouldn’t come after her, but she still felt a need to flee the situation. Hearing a group of officers coming towards her in the hall, she walked into the closest lavatory. Stepping into one of the stalls, she closed the door and waited for the group to pass. Unfortunately, she heard the main door open and the gaggle of voices as a few of them came in.
“Isn’t he incredible?!” gushed a young female voice.
“He’s definitely into you, Sarah.”
“Do you really think so? I never thought of him in this way before. We’ve worked together for years, and all I’ve thought of him is a friend; a colleague. Why is it suddenly I’m feeling so drawn to him?”
Seven peeked through the slats and saw three young officers, in plain clothing, standing at the mirror, fixing their makeup. The officer in love was a pretty blonde girl. Seven had seen her a few times before but had never spoken to her before.
“I don’t know, hun, but it’s been obvious that he’s been after you forever,” sighed her brunette friend.
“Really? I don’t think so.”
“Come on! You’d have to be blind not to see it. All those extra hours he’d spend in Engineering just to be around you…”
“He’s a workaholic.”
“All those times he goes out of his way to let you know how he feels on a certain topic or moral dilemma, and how disturbed he gets when you don’t feel the same as he does.”
“Oh come on. He’s that way with every one.”
“You’re blind, girl. How about all those times he finds a way to touch you? He’s constantly putting a hand on your shoulder, or giving you his arm to help you up. And he’s always smiling when you’re there. He lights up when you’re around.”
Seven found herself thinking of the Doctor and the way he acted around her.
The other girl was suddenly very quiet. Seven was worried that they had heard her. She held her breath and pushed herself back against the wall...
“I’m so scared. When we’re working it’s fine, but sometimes when we’re alone on the holodeck, or have just shared some experience together, and he looks at me… I feel terrified. My heart starts racing and I find that I can’t look at him in the eye any more. Then I feel like running away, or changing the subject, or something; just to make the feeling go away.”
“I get the same way. We all do. But you’ve just got to let it happen. Take a deep breath and let it happen. As soon as it does, you’ll feel wonderful and you’ll never want it to end. You’ll wonder why you waited so long.”
“I just hope that I haven’t lost my chance. He may have finally given up on me. I’ve run away from him so many times. He may think that I want to stay his friend forever and go no further than that.”
“Well tonight’s your chance to let him know that you want to be more to him than a friend. You’ve got to tell him. You’ll be scared, but in the end you’ll feel better for doing it. No matter what he says.”
“Sometimes I’m glad Voyager got stuck in the Delta Quadrant. If it hadn’t, I may have never gotten to be such close friends with you guys.”
“Yeah, or Ben...!”
The three girls giggled and left the bathroom.
Seven stood still, thinking about the conversation that had just taken place. The girl’s dilemma fit her’s perfectly. She was scared and because of it she was sacrificing a relationship that she didn’t want to lose. It didn’t matter if the Doctor felt the same way as she did; she had to tell him the truth before it was too late. She could accept being only his friend but she couldn’t accept losing his friendship forever. She had an idea...
* * * * * *
The Doctor pulled himself off the floor and began to tidy up. When he was finished putting away his instruments, he took the data PADD that contained information on Seven’s treatment and carried it to his office to study it. He sat down and read the contents. It seemed as if Seven had digested something that had caused a severe allergic reaction. But what? The Doctor had not had a chance to question Seven about it. They had been too busy discussing... other matters. The matter of her having no romantic feelings for him and that she pitied him. She pitied him – that’s why she spent time with him. She felt sorry for him. He was pathetic. The Doctor shook himself, trying to think of something else. I know just who to ask about this... - the Doctor thought. He got up and exited Sickbay, heading for the Messhall.
* * * * * *
Seven stood in Holodeck Two. “Computer, run holodeck program BeachSim1.”
The warm, tropical setting appeared all around her. “Computer, display holodeck console.”
A rocky area just in front of Seven turned into a console. Seven walked over to it and began punching commands into it.
* * * * * *
“Well hello, Doctor!” exclaimed Neelix. “What a pleasant surprise!”
“Perhaps not,” replied the Doctor. “I’ve come by to ask you a few questions about a patient’s recent meal here.”
“Oh?! A patient?” the Talaxian’s face fell.
“Yes. It was Seven of Nine. She was brought to my Sickbay with a very serious rash and a severe allergic reaction of some sort that caused her to convulse. Can you tell me what she may have injested?”
Neelix scrunched his face as he tried to remember. “Oh, yes! She was here earlier, looking a little glum so I served her a plate of chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream.”
“Could it be a case of lactose intolerance? Usually the symptoms aren’t as violent...” The Doctor wondered aloud. “Was there anything else?”
“Only a few strawberries I put on top,” Nellix added.
“Strawberries? That’s it! It seems that Seven is allergic to strawberries, Mr. Neelix. I’ll trust you to remember that in the future please,” the Doctor scolded.
“Of course, of course. My goodness, is she alright? I feel so bad. Maybe I should send her a bouquet of flowers... unless of course she allergic to flowers... oh my goodness!”
“Perhaps you better leave it the way things are. Seven’s not in the best of moods right now,” the Doctor warned.
“Oh, okay. Will you let her know that I’m sorry?”
“I’ll do my best,” was the Doctor’s answer. If Neelix only knew about the Doctor’s situation...
* * * * * *
An amber sun burned brightly, sending it’s warming rays over an endless coastline The ocean was alive; powerful waves slamming into the shore before softly foaming onto the white sand. Seven surveyed her creation. The Beach program was the same in some areas, but in others, Seven had added some personal touches. Some tiki torches lined the waterfront and a tropical band played some steel drum tunes in the background. There was a small table perched on a rocky outcropping a little ways off and she could also see the beach house in the distance – the soft glow of the interior lighting looked inviting and warm. Seven looked down at herself. Clothed only in a teal bikini, she felt oddly bare. The borg were not modest, and under normal circumstances she would have not given her attire a second thought but this time she felt strange. “Computer, replicate a teal pareo,” she commanded. A rectangular piece of material appeared on the sand in front of her. She picked up the material and tied it around her waistline, knotting on the right side. There – she thought. At least I’m a little more covered up. But of course she knew that she didn’t want to be too covered up if she wanted to make an impession on the Doctor. Lesson 8 – Dress for Success - she thought, smiling. She walked over to a set of towels laying on the sand just out of reach of the waves and sat down on one. Taking a final look around her, she tapped her combadge, “Seven of Nine to the Doctor.”
The Doctor was pacing in Sickbay when he got the call. “Doctor here.”
“Please meet me in Holodeck Two.”
The Doctor was confused. “Holodeck Two? Is there a problem, Seven?”
“No problem, Doctor. I need to speak with you.”
He knew he should say no, but he was reduced to jelly every time she spoke to him. What could he do? “Very well, I’ll transfer myself there immediately. Doctor out,” he said in the least feeling voice he could muster.
The Doctor was suddenly quite nervous. What did Seven want to speak to him about? Was she going to let loose on him about how pathetic he was again? “Computer, transfer EMH to Holdeck Two,” he said with a gulp.
* * * * * *
Seven bit her lip when she heard the Doctor’s voice over the com. It was very cold. He sounded like he hated her. Maybe it wasn’t too late to erase the program before he arrived and play it from there. But when she saw the Doctor appear on the sand in front of her, she knew that it was too late, and what she had to do.
“Seven, what is this? Why have you asked me here? Are you ill?” the Doctor asked, looking around.
“I am not,” answered Seven.
“Then what is it you want? I’m a very busy man, you know.”
“Yes, I know.”
The way Seven was answering his questions was making the Doctor uncomfortable. And the way she was staring at him made him feel very strange. He had to get out of there. “Well, goodbye then,” he shook his head as he tapped his combadge. What a cruel thing for Seven to do. She was purposely showing him that she was having a good time alone in a program they had had built together. She didn’t need him.
The Doctor was just about to tell the computer to transfer him, when Seven walked up to him and took him by the arm. “Wait,” she said. “Come with me. I must show you something.”
The Doctor allowed himself to be led over some rocks toward a small table, set for two. While they were walking, the Doctor noticed Seven’s attire, or lack of it. He breathed deeply. She was gorgeous. Her golden skin seemed to sparkle in the warm sun and her wavy hair fluttered over her shoulders every time the breeze passed.
When they reached the table, which was perched at a considerable height above the ocean, the Doctor broke away from Seven’s grip and pulled out a chair from the table. Seven sat down and the Doctor proceeded to sit in the other chair. They both stared out at the magnificence of the mighty ocean for a few minutes before the Doctor broke the silence.
“Is this what you wanted to show me, Seven?” he asked in a very soft voice.
Seven almost shivered from the sound of it. “Yes. I find It very... soothing. I wanted to share the experience with you.” Seven managed to push the words out but she could not seem to look at the Doctor.
“Well, thank you. I appreciate the gesture,” he replied. The Doctor was surprised that Seven had actually called him to the Holodeck to share something with him. It seemed very un-Sevenlike.
“Perhaps you’d like to change into more appropriate attire,” she said breaking into his thoughts.
“I suppose I should,” said the Doctor remembering his Starfleet uniform. “Computer, change EMH’s clothing parameters to program Beta 1,” he ordered. The black and teal uniform morphed into the white T-shirt and navy shorts that he had been wearing the last time they were there. “Well this brings back memories... or not. Depending on who you talk to.”
“I’m sure the pig remembers it...” Seven smiled.
“Pig? I’m confused.”
“When you lost your memory, you were chased by a bush pig who extricated your shirt before chasing you. It was quite amusing.”
“I wish you had gotten a holo-image of that...” mused the Doctor.
Talk of the holo-imager reminded Seven of what she had called the Doctor to the Holodeck for. She swallowed and cleared her throat. “Doctor, I want to tell you about what happened on the Holodeck after you lost your memory.”
“I’d like that very much,” replied the Doctor.
“I’d also like to explain why I acted in the manner I did.”
“Very well,” said the Doctor, not quite able to look her in the eyes.
“You probably remember to the point of when the lightening struck us,” Seven began. The Doctor nodded. “I was knocked unconscious and when I regained my senses, I was laying on the sand holding your mobile emitter. You were off line. I attempted to initialize your program, but there was a malfunction. I then attempted to contact the Bridge, but the com system was inoperable.” She took a deep breath, reliving the sick feeling she had experienced when she had been alone.
“Eventually, I was successful in initializing your program, but when you came on-line, you were different. You had no recollection of anything, or anyone. You were distrustful of me and you ran away.”
“I was acting as I was when I was first activated, I suppose...”
“In a little while, I heard a noise. You were running towards the cabin without your shirt on. A pig was chasing you,” she smirked.
“Oh, really?!” the Doctor smiled as well.
“I rescued you, and we began to talk about our friendship, and your life aboard Voyager. We then proceeded to the beach,” Seven said quietly. She got up from the table, and walked past the Doctor’s chair, looking out at the exquisite sunset. She sensed the Doctor getting up from his chair and standing slightly behind her. She could feel his shoulder softly touching hers. All was silent except for the rushing of the waves against the shore. It felt so peaceful standing there, lost in the moment. Seven slowly turned around and faced the Doctor. About an inch stood between the two. The Doctor couldn’t seem to tear his eyes away from her sparkling blue ones. He stood there hypnotized. Seven’s throat was suddenly tight, and the way the Doctor was looking at her made her feel light-headed and warm. And scared. She broke the gaze, and said in almost a whisper, “I need to show you something.”
The Doctor couldn’t help but feel hurt when Seven broke her gaze from his, but when she asked him to come with her, he obliged.
Seven led the Doctor down the side of the hill to the white sand of the beach. She faced him and took his hand and placed it on her back. She took the other hand in hers and moved very close to the hologram. “You asked me what things we would do together; as friends, so I took you to the beach and did this.” She began to move from side to side. The Doctor did so as well. “Then I began to hum a song, since the Computer was malfunctioning.”
“What song did you hum?” asked the Doctor, inhaling the sweet smell of her hair.
“Someone to Watch Over Me,” was her reply as she began to hum the song.
They continued to dance; a slow, close dance. The Doctor’s cheek was upon Seven’s and she could feel the warmth of his skin and the steady beating of his heart against her chest. She shut her eyes for a moment to try and remember this moment. The Doctor was disappointed when Seven stopped suddenly. She slowly moved her head so that she could see the Doctor’s face. She studied it for a moment. His eyes were shining in the moonlight and his lips quivered slightly when she ran her eyes over them.
“Then suddenly, I did something very foolish,” she paused. “Would you like me to show you?”
The Doctor nodded, not taking his eyes off hers.
Seven slid her hands up the Doctors shoulders and held his face in them. There’s nothing to lose now - she thought. As her face moved closer to his, she shut her eyes tightly. She felt a soft breath on her face before her lips met his. His lips were soft and rough at the same time as she tasted them over and over again. The Doctor squeezed her tightly, encompassing her in his strong arms. When the kiss came to its end, Seven took a moment to regain her composure. The Doctor released her and took a step back, waiting for her to say something.
“Then you ran away,” she said with a hint of sadness.
The Doctor licked his lips nervously, and looked down at his hands and shuffled his feet in the sand. He wasn’t sure what to make of what had just happened. Did Seven care for him? Or was she merely telling him about a foolish event that had taken place. He wasn’t sure anymore.
Seven looked at him. Why wasn’t he saying anything? She couldn’t read him at all. She suddenly felt very very embarassed. She turned and began to run.
When the Doctor looked up, Seven was gone. He looked around frantically, finally catching sight of her running along the shore ahead.
“Seven!! Where are you going? Come back!” he called as he began to run after her.
Seven heard him calling after her.
The Doctor was catching her. “Seven, stop! Why are you running?”
Seven slowed down and waited for him to catch up to her. She turned to him. Her eyes began to tear up. “I insulted you in Sickbay, but it is me who deserves the pity. I’m so confused by what I’m feeling. I believe that I love you.” She broke down and covered her eyes with her hands.
What did I just hear? Are my simulated ears working properly? Did she just say she loves me? She couldn’t have... - the Doctor thought frantically. He put his hand on Seven’s shoulder. “Seven,” was all he could muster.
Seven felt the soft touch of the Doctor’s hand on her shoulder. He was trying to comfort her because he didn’t feel the same, she mused. She couldn’t let him see her like this. She was strong. She wiped her eyes, not daring to look at him.
“I love you, Seven. I have since the day I met you,” the Doctor blurted out.
Seven looked up at him, startled by what she had just heard. The Doctor leaned down and gently kissed her tear stained cheeks, eyes, and finally her lips. Seven was drawn towards his body once again, wrapping herself around him. The Doctor ran his fingers through her blonde tresses. He felt a dizzying giddiness as he realized that his dreams were finally coming true! Seven was his.
Seven was alive with happiness. Her senses were overwhelmed with the feel of the Doctors strong body against her, his fingers in her hair, and his lips claiming hers. All the fear she had recently felt was gone. All she wanted to do now was revel in this new feeling. She felt herself being lowered to the sand. They were both on their knees, looking at each other with hungry eyes. “You’re gorgeous,” whispered the Doctor. “I can’t believe this is happening,” was Seven’s answer. The Doctor slowly lowered Seven onto the sand and began to kiss her again. Seven sighed as the Doctor laid on top of her and began to kiss her fast and hard. They hardly noticed the crash of the waves as they overtook the shore and bubbled over their bodies on the sand.
THE END
