Title: Little One

Rating: K

Author: LastWaterBender

Pairing: C/7

Summary: Baby Paris makes her debut at the most dramatic fashion and Seven of Nine has to play doctor. Nothing in her vast knowledge given to her from the Borg has prepared her to deliver a baby.

Seven of Nine ran down the hall towards Engineering.

B'Elanna was due to have a baby 'any second', according to the Doctor's prediction, was in Engineering when the Red Alert sounded when she should have been in bed resting. The power relays were diminishing and someone would have to go into the Jeffries Tubes to make the fix so they could increase their warp speed to get out of enemy space and she had to beat the Klingon there before the Klingon was able to crawl into the tube to do it herself.

She slid inside as the ship banked to the left and she nearly lost her balance. "Where is Lieutenant Torres?" Seven asked crewman at the console.

"She went into the Jeffries tube!" He called out over the sound of the alarm as he uprighted himself.

Seven rolled her eyes. "Has it occurred to any of you that she is about to have a child at any moment?" She said with a growl as she took the steps towards the Jeffries tube that Lieutenant Torres had taken.

"You try telling her that!" Cried one of the crewmen as the ship jostled again.

She glared at him. "I see all of you standing right there and not one of you in the Jefferies Tube with her." She snapped as she dropped to her knees to climb into the tube and mentally mapped the most effective way to get to where she needed to go which was up at least two ladders and crawling to the panel in question.

After a few minutes of climbing and crawling, she could hear the familiar Klingon swear words muttered at the junction. "Seven!" She said surprised.

"You are supposed to be resting." She chided as she started to work, replacing power fuses that had blown.

B'Elanna glared at her. "I am perfectly capable. . . " She snapped back before doubling over in pain and took a couple of breaths. "Of handling this."

Seven raised her eyebrow. "I know that you are, but I believe the Doctor ordered you to rest." She answered, moving to help B'Elanna off her haunches and her back against the opposite wall. "I am sure that the Captain and the Commander also gave you orders to rest."

She shook her head. "I'm okay." She said between heavy breaths, her eyes fluttered a couple of times as if she were dizzy.

"You should be in the sickbay with the Doctor." Seven said as she took the screwdriver and finished screwing in the fuse that B'Elanna had stopped working on. "There are other people on board that can take care of this. . ."

B'Elanna gave a growl that would have made a lesser person flinch. "I know that sometimes it's just easier. . ." The ship banked again and Seven reacted by grabbing the pregnant woman to keep her steady, who groaned. "...to do it myself."

"Damage Report!" Called the Captain.

Vorik answered for Engineering, like a good assistant he was. The ship wasn't in terrible shape, the Warp Core was stable for the time being, the Doctor was knocked offline.

"Seven, were you able to replace the fuses?" Asked the Captain, who clearly gave B'Elanna Torres the benefit of the doubt that she was in her quarters resting and not in the Jefferies Tubes.

She shared a look with B'Elanna's whose eyes pleaded with her to not snitch on her. "Yes, you are able to transfer power to the weapons systems." She answered.

"Good, now we need you to help us find a way out of here." The Captain answered as she closed off the communication channel.

"Come on, Lieutenant." Seven said, pulling her to her knees. She would have to get the Lieutenant to a safe spot before finding a way out of this mess, which became her priority.

B'Elanna rolled her eyes, but followed Seven's directions and led the way down the Jeffries tube back the way they came. The ship jostled again and threw them into the right wall. "Lieutenant Torres?" Asked Seven from behind her.

B'Elanna was silent for a moment before rolling onto her back, with a gasp. It was the strongest contraction she had had so far. "I'm okay." She hissed and Seven looked at her skeptically and suddenly she was sitting in water. "Please tell me there is a waterline broken right here."

Seven shook her head and then took charge. "We must hurry." She said simply, crawling past her and instead of going straight like the way she came, she made an immediate left.

"Where are we going?" She asked following slowly.

"The break room on this level." Seven answered. "I don't think it is wise for us to take the ladder right now." B'Elanna was thankful for that and followed her through the maze and after five minutes of crawling, Seven stopped for a moment and a contraction racked through her body.

She swore in Klingon, trust this baby to have Tom's flair for the dramatics. The pain washed away like a wave and she was able to breathe again. "I'm okay." She waved at Seven.

Seven nodded. "We are close." She said hoping to give her some comfort.

Another minute of crawling and Seven pushed out the panel into the empty breakroom and helped B'Elanna crawl through the hole before propping her up against the couch so she could rest.

She stood up and went to the console, hoping to reactivate the Doctor, but currently, they didn't have the power for a system reboot. "Hey Seven." She said tiredly from the floor and Seven looked down at her. "Thank you, for being here."

The blond woman nodded as she moved to get prepared for this baby that was coming whether or not they wanted it to. She pulled open the cabinets for linen and towels as she racked her brain for any details on childbirth that the Collective could give her. Not much.

Checking her internal clock, she fell to her knees next to B'Elanna as another contraction took over her body and the Klingon caught her human hand causing Seven to wince in pain. Another minute passed and B'Elanna let go of her hand and took stabling deep breaths. "If you insist on taking my hand, at least take my other hand before you break this one, please." She said holding out her hand that was covered with the Borg exoskeleton and flexed her human hand to get the feeling back into it.

B'Elanna laughed. "That is probably the funniest thing I've heard you say." She said and it too brought a small smile to Seven's face. "But I will remember that for the next one." She nodded and continued to prepare for the birth of this child.

"SEVEN! DO YOU HAVE THOSE COURSE CHANGES?" Barked the voice of the Captain.

No, she didn't have them ready because she was playing doctor. "One moment." She answered back and stood up to the console.

"What is taking so long?" Piped up Tom and Seven rolled her eyes if he only knew what she was worried about at the moment.

"Please don't say anything!" Breathed B'Elanna, she didn't want to distract the crew. "And I'll deal with him later."

Seven could only shake her head as B'Elanna squeezed her hand tightly. Her contractions were getting faster meaning the baby would be here soon. Seven focused on giving brief instructions to Tom while mentally hoping that the Klingon woman wouldn't break her Borg enhanced hand. The small woman was stronger than Seven had given her credit for.

"Are you okay, Seven?" Asked the Commander, apparently, she couldn't hide it in her voice.

"I am functioning properly, Commander." She responded, shaking out her hand once B'Elanna let it go. Luckily for her, the Commander let it go and closed the channel as Seven glared at B'Elanna. It wasn't exactly her fault, but it also wasn't Seven's fault that she didn't want to distract the crew with her labor.

"Thanks." She said between gasps. "This was not how I imagined this happening." Seven moved to wipe the sweat that had gathered at her ridged forehead. The ship banked again, this time Seven nearly fell on top of B'Elanna.

"The situation is not ideal." Seven answered, pushing herself off of B'Elanna. She got up and walked to the replicator to requisition some supplies, not entirely surprised when she couldn't find a first aid kit in the room. She took a deep breath, she wasn't sure she was ready to deliver a child. She had no medical training, save for what she was given from the Collective. "But I believe we do not have a choice in the matter."

B'Elanna agreed. "Trust the baby to have Tom's sense of timing." She groaned at the thought.

"Let us hope they will grow out of it." Seven said, returning to her side to kneel down and check under the blanket. "I can see the head." When she looked back at B'Elanna, she paled and suddenly looked like she was going to be sick. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head. "I don't know if I can do this!" She cried, a tear falling down her cheek.

Seven tried to hide the huff, comforting her crewmates wasn't her strongest skill by a long shot and she always ended up hurting their feelings. She could attempt to comfort or she could attempt to play doctor, but it was overwhelming to have to take care of both. She took a deep breath and took B'Elanna's hand in hers. "I do not have doubt in your ability to raise this child." She said firmly. "And you will not be alone in that endeavor. . ." B'Elanna pulled her into a tight hug that startled the breath right out of her lungs as she cried into her shoulder.

"I'm sorry! It's just the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me." She cried, and Seven doubted. "It's these stupid hormones! I'm so sorry about how I've treated you! The ship couldn't have gotten this far without your mod. . ." She mumbled incoherently before being taken over by another wave of pain. When her grip finally loosened enough for Seven to get away, she sat back on her haunches, slightly dizzy. "I'm just really glad you are here." And another wave of pain. They were so close apart that she had barely time to breathe and from the feel of it, they were no closer to being out of the enemy territory.

That brought a small smile to Seven's face as she went back to check and she could see more of the head. "I think it is coming right now."

"Seven, I can use a little guidance here." Snapped Tom through her comm badge.

She ignored the pilot, he'd have to wait as she got ready to catch the baby Paris. She set out her supplies and helped B'Elanna adjust herself into position while B'Elanna cursed in Klingon a string of words that were sure to make another Klingon blush.

"With the next one, I need you to push. . ." Seven coached, keeping her voice soft and even, even though on the inside she was nervous as she counted down to herself the next contraction.

Three. Two. One. Like clockwork, B'Elanna tensed up and moaned in pain. "Push!" Seven called out and B'Elanna tucked her chin into her chest, pushing as hard as she could until she nearly turned blue. She flopped back against the cushion to breathe for a few moments. "Good."

After another couple of deep breaths, she was ready again and Seven ordered her to push again. Seven pushed her leg back to give her leverage and she counted out loud to give B'Elanna something to focus on.

"SEVEN!" Barked the voice of the pilot.

She smacked the button on her chest. "I am in the middle of something." She snapped back, closing the channel with a huff. "Come on, Lieutenant, keep pushing." She could hear them calling for her though her comm badge, so in one fell swoop, she unhooked it from her biosuit and tossed it across the room.

It brought a small smile to B'Elanna's face as she took deep breaths in between pushes. "Tom is going to be so mad." She asked with a tired laugh. "Makes you wonder what they are thinking now on the bridge.

"They will all assume the worst has happened, that I probably defected and sold everybody to the Borg." It was a very dry joke that made B'Elanna laugh.

She rested her head back against the couch. "You are way funnier than I gave you credit for." She said tiredly.

That made Seven smile. "Come on, I predict it will take only a few more pushes." Seven said and B'Elanna pushed as Seven counted slowly to make it more effective. "The head is clear." There was a bit of a relief to hear that. "One more, Lieutenant."

At that moment there was silence and it only lasted the blink of an eye. The shrill alarm from the Red Alert finally silenced but was replaced with the strong scream of the infant that was now in Seven's hands. She looked up at B'Elanna and both women had the same bewildered look on their faces, like neither of them could believe that there was now a baby in Seven's hands, screaming loudly as it's arms stretched out for the first time. "It's a girl."

B'Elanna started to sob as Seven sat the baby down on her chest and the Klingon woman cradled in her arms absolutely all of her energy spent. It was that moment that Seven found perfection. In this small little girl who had just slight ridges on her forehead and a ton of hair.

After a moment, time sped back up to normal and Seven moved to clean the baby off. B'Elanna caught her arm one more time. "Thank you." She said in a whisper and Seven nodded, who then realized that she too was crying.

"Seven do you have those course changes?" Asked the Captain into the comm system. It wasn't like Seven to be so quiet in the midst of a Red Alert.

"One moment." Came Seven's voice in return.

"What is taking so long?" Groaned Tom from the pilot's chair. He had better things to do than sit here and fly the ship that was being shot at. His wife was about to have a baby at any moment for God's sake and technically he was on 'paternity leave' until the baby came, fat chance on Voyager.

Seven voiced some half-assed instructions to keep heading in the direction that they were already going in and they would be at the border of Species 521 territory. It was lacking the detail that they have come to expect from her.

"Where the hell is she?" Groused the Captain as the ship trembled under another blast. Their shields were going to run out before Seven got her act together.

Chakotay looked over at the Captain with an eye roll. "Are you okay, Seven?" He asked nobody seemed to hear the stress in her voice.

"I am functioning properly, Commander." She responded to her voice back to normal enough to sound fake.

"She's fine." He responded with a shrug, he seemed to be the only one normalizing her behavior lately.

The Captain shot him an annoyed glare as she braced herself again from the shaking ship. She was going to have major words with her when this was over. She had one job, fix the fuses in the Jeffries Tubes and returns to the bridge. She would have Tuvok lock on her location after this was over, right now she couldn't spare it.

The ships were never-ending, most of them making kamikaze like dives towards them. "They are moving in a pattern!" Called Harry from his station. "Zig when they Zag!"

He nodded, it wasn't the technical movement he was used to, but Tom went with it anyway and missed the first part of the pattern and the whole ship shook again. "Sorry!" He called out and it was another few minutes of him dodging these kamikaze ships. "Seven, I need a little guidance up here. . ."

Nothing, she didn't respond.

"The big ship is charging up its big weapon." Called Tuvok from his station.

"SEVEN!" Cried Tom again, he needed an out so that they didn't get zapped out of the sky. He needed to know how much further he needed to go.

"I am in the middle of something!" Barked Seven's voice on the other end.

"What the hell!" Snapped Tom, suddenly even more annoyed. They were going to blasted into a million pieces and she's in the middle of something.

"Seven?" Called the Captain with a glare, it was downright insubordination at this point. There was no response. "SEVEN." She looked at her first mate with the mother of all eye rolls and he got the hint and started to search for Seven's location via the comm system. She was in a break room on the seventh deck.

"You don't think that something is wrong, right?" Asked Ensign Brooks from her station. All pairs of eyes fell on her. "Like you don't think we've been boarded and she has sold us out. . ."

Various degrees of a dirty look shot over at the Ensign. Chakotay stood up also shooting her a dirty look. "You really need to think before you speak, Ensign." He all but growled at her as he left the bridge to investigate Seven's odd behavior.

"What? I mean she's done it before. . ." The Ensign defended herself.

It was Tom who stood up for Seven. "Shut the hell up, Brooks." He growled as he dodged the major beam that was sent his way. He may be annoyed at Seven at the moment, but he wasn't going to deal with Brooks' blatant racism.

"Tom focus on getting us out of here." Captain interrupted before pointing to Brooks. "You and I are going to have a chat later when this is done." The Ensign flushed and turned back to her console.

"We are close to the border." Harry Kim spoke, taking over Seven's navigation job. "A thousand meters. 900 meters. . ." The count down felt like forever and suddenly the ship stopped shaking as Species 521 gave up the chase at their border, what Seven had originally hypothesized. "I think we're clear."

"Stay cautious for a few more minutes, just in case." The Captain said, sitting back in her chair and allowing Tuvok to stop the Red Alert and there was finally sweet silence.

Chakotay was cautious as he took the turbolift to the seventh deck in search of Seven. It was a random place for her to be in the first place and he hoped that she wasn't injured. She didn't sound like she was under duress, so what could be so pressing that her focus wasn't on getting them out of the enemy territory.

And then he heard it.

The scream of an infant and his heart sank to the floor as he took quicker strides to the break room, stopping at the doorway to see his oldest friend glistening with sweat leaning against a pile of couch pillows with a small infant in her arms. The woman he had been looking for sat on her knees looking pretty disheveled, her hair had started to fall out of its pins and she was covered in various body fluids.

"Commander." She greeted, brushing the sweat off her forehead with a towel.

He blinked a few times before he shook out of his stupor. "I don't know what I expected when I came looking for you, but it wasn't this." He said taking the steps towards B'Elanna, to fall to his knees press a kiss to her forehead and looked down at the baby who was beginning to settle against her mother, his godchild.

"It's a girl." B'Elanna sniffed, looking up at her lifelong friend from the little girl in her arms. "Say hello to Chakotay, little one."

"She's perfect, B," Chakotay said with watery eyes, brushing a finger over the baby's flaky face before looking up and Seven. "Thank you, Seven."

She nodded with her cheeks flushed. "You are welcome."

"I bet Tom's pretty pissed off that Seven blew him off," B'Elanna said with a small smile, the circles under her eyes darkened, she was absolutely spent to the point of being loopy. Seven was glad that she took Chakotay's intense gaze off of her.

"And the Captain, why do you think she sent me to find her?" He asked with a smile, looking at Seven who shrunk back and bit her lip. "But considering the circumstances, I think they will get over it. " It didn't calm her fears of being punished for insubordination. Chakotay pressed the comm badge on his chest. "Commander Chakotay to Captain Janeway."

"Go ahead, Commander." Came her tired voice.

"I have found Seven of Nine." He announced, but it made her shake with anxiety. "She's okay."

Janeway scoffed. "That's good to hear, might I ask what is going on?"

"You will just have to see it to believe it, bring Lieutenant Paris with you to the break room on deck seven." He answered and closed the channel to let the Captain and Lieutenant stew for a moment, it was only fair for being so annoyed with Seven.

B'Elanna took Seven's hand and gave it a squeeze. "Don't worry about Tom, I'll deal with him." She said with a smile.

Chakotay stood up to full height and moved out of the way of the door, not wanting to get plowed over by the new father. He walked around B'Elanna to stand behind Seven and out of the way as Seven moved to stand up but teetered backward unbalanced. Chakotay caught her and held on to her arm until she regained her balance."Okay?" He asked.

She nodded. "I have been on my knees for a while." She answered it didn't account for the crashing adrenaline rush that was soon being replaced by exhaustion. Her legs were numb and now burned as blood flow returned.

"I can imagine." He said with a soft laugh, not letting go of her arm for which she was grateful for and she started to tremble in his grip. "And that is probably the adrenaline rush."

Before she could respond there was a gasp at the door and they were joined by the father and the Captain. "What the hell?" Asked Tom in surprise before dropping to his knees to be next to his wife and daughter. B'Elanna looked up at her husband, a fresh wave of tears falling down her face. He pressed his lips to hers for a brief moment before looking at the towel wrapped infant.

"Meet your daughter." B'Elanna passed the baby to Tom, who was already a natural. "Who is as dramatic as you are."

"Hi, baby." He said tenderly with an emotional laugh, his finger tracing her soft ridges on her forehead. Her dark eyes blinked up at him a couple of times up at her father.

"You certainly were in the middle of something, Seven." The Captain said softly with a chuckle, "Congratulations B'Elanna, Tom." She squeezed the pilot's shoulder as she crossed the room to stand next to Chakotay and Seven. "Good work, Seven. I'm really proud of you."

Her cheeks flushed and her knees wobbled a little, she was glad that Chakotay still had a hold of her. "Thank you, Captain."

"We need to get the Doctor online." Mentioned the First Officer, his breath against her neck brought goosebumps to her skin. Seven nodded and moved outside of Chakotay's space to go to the console, but his grip tightened on her elbow to keep her in place. "Let someone else take care of it, Seven."

"Chakotay's right, you've done wonderfully today, I'll have Harry takes care of it." The Captain nodded and the woman nodded, exhaustion was setting in on her that she didn't bother to argue. She assumed that the First Officer could sense it and pressed his chest to her back and his hands holding her elbows to keep her upright, which she appreciated his support and his warmth. "Captain Janeway to Ensign Kim."

"Go ahead, Captain."

"I need you to get the Doctor online as soon as possible." She said into her comm badge. "Make it your top priority."

"Copy."

"Does our newest crew member have a name yet?" Janeway asked, kneeling down on the other side of B'Elanna.

"Miral." She whispered as Tom passed her back to B'Elanna so that the Captain could have a better look.

Tom stood up and crossed the room. "Seven, I don't know how to thank you…." He said emotionally and throwing his arms around her in a tight hug. Again, Seven was glad that Chakotay was there to keep her balanced as she slowly hugged him back.

"You're welcome." She said.

"Seriously Seven. . . " He fought for words as he pulled back to look her in the eye. "I don't know where to begin. . ."

She raised her eyebrow, he was starting to babble nonsense. "Seriously, Lieutenant Paris." She mimicked with a smile on her face. "It was not an imposition."

The pilot pressed a kiss to her cheek before returning to his wife and newborn. The Captain turned to look at her protege. "I didn't realize that Borg would have any information about childbirth." She commented with a smile.

"They did not." She responded.

"Maybe we should consider you for some medical training." The Captain joked and Seven paled, shaking her head negatively.

"Please no." She said and she must have swayed a little on her feet because Chakotay's right hand left her elbow and went to her waist. She started to tremble harder and she hoped that he didn't notice.

Janeway chuckled before turning her attention back to the new parents and cooing over the baby. "Do you want to go get cleaned up?" He asked in her ear and she nodded. She didn't listen as he gave an excuse for their exit, nor did she hear the Captain ask if she was alright. "I think her adrenaline has run out, I'm going to walk her back to the Cargo Bay."

She felt him guide her from the room with a small wave to everybody. "Thank you." She said quietly as they walked slowly to the turbo lift.

He gave her hand a squeeze. "You deserve some rest, Seven." He said softly as he pressed the button to summon the lift. "Do you think you are going to be able to stand and regenerate?"

She looked at her feet, she was afraid that the second he let her go she would collapse to the floor in sheer exhaustion. "It's okay, you can crash in my quarters for a while." She followed him into the lift and he pressed his floor. The doors opened and if a few moments she found herself inside his quarters. He guided her to his bathroom. "I have an actual shower, take your time."

Seven took a few moments before reaching over to turn on the water, it had been a while since she used anything but a sonic shower, it was a luxury for being the First Officer she assumed. He returned with a stack of towels and a change of clothes. "Here you go." He said with a reassuring smile to his face.

"Thank you, Commander." She responded and set them on the counter.

"It's Chakotay, especially in my quarters." He answered lightly and she nodded. The door swished behind him and slowly she shed her now ruined biosuit, stepping inside the hot water causing her to hiss. It felt amazing.

The hot water washed away the body fluids and the tension in her body. She scrubbed her body with soap and smiled, she was going to smell like Chakotay-which she didn't mind, he smelled good and she pushed the thought away, filing it away as inappropriate.

She indulged in the hot water for a few minutes before leaving its warmth.

When Seven exited the bathroom, she wore a pair of baggy track pants and a gray Starfleet Academy hooded sweatshirt, probably from his academy days. He looked up from his PADD when he heard the door open and he blinked a couple of times owlishly at her. "Feel better?" He asked. He seemed surprised, and it must have been quite a sight seeing her outside of a biosuit and her wet hair down past her shoulders, she barely recognized herself in his mirror.

"Yes, thank you." She answered as she sat on the sofa across from him.

"I'm glad." He answered. "The Doctor's back online, Miral is 'healthy as a horse,' his words." He answered when Seven raised a brow. "6 pound and 3 ounces, 20 inches long."

"Perfect." Seven said, leaning her head on her hand. "And Lieutenant Torres?"

"Also perfect." He answered. "He's a little sour that he wasn't there for the birth, B told him off for it according to the Captain. But he is also very proud of you and would like to discuss it with you when you are feeling up to it."

A tired smile graced her face. "It was not an ideal situation for anybody." She answered. "B'Elanna was supposed to be in her quarters and not in the Jeffries Tubes."

A flash of annoyance crossed his face. "Yeah, and I plan on discussing that with her after she's rested." He said, crossing his arms. "In the end, I can't really be angry because you're okay, she's okay and so is the baby."

"You do not have to worry about me." She answered shyly.

He scooted to the edge of his chair and took her hand in his. "I can't help that I do." He said with a squeeze of her hand. "And today, you went above and beyond to help my oldest friend give birth to her daughter, I don't think I can ever repay you." Her cheeks flushed at his sincerity and she couldn't drop his gaze. A silence fell between them for a moment before a yawn overtook her. "Come on, let's get you into bed."

"I feel better now, I can just go regenerate. . ." She protested as he pulled her to her feet.

"Nonsense, you can take a nap here for a while." He answered, leading her into his bedroom and she shivered. It was dark lit and surprisingly spacious, it was neat unlike the kept-chaos that the Captain kept in her quarters. "You deserve a nap."

It was the most absurd thing that she had ever heard before. He lifted the corner of the blanket for her to slide under it. She slid into his bed and he covered her with the blanket before sitting on the edge of the bed for a moment and brushing her hair behind her ear. "You did good today, Seven."

She closed her eyes for a moment. "I do not think that I have ever been that scared." She confessed. "I did not think that I could be who Leiutenant Torres needed me to be, I had no knowledge of birthing a child."

"It seems to me you figured it out quickly." Chakotay said softly, he took her hand in his and gave it a squeeze. "I can imagine you were a little overwhelmed with Tom barking at you for directions."

"Leiutenant Torres did not want to distract him on the bridge and then she was insecure that she was not ready to be a parent, I could not handle playing the doctor and comfort her and the navigator."

"It was a lot." He answered. "I can see why you were trembling when I arrived, you handled it very well and none of us can ever repay you for stepping outside of your comfort zone to help B'Elanna." Seven could hide the yawn and he chuckled. "I want you to sleep for at least an hour."

Her eyelids felt heavy, the bed was comfy and smelled like him. "Is that an order, Commander?" Her voice light and almost flirty as she rolled over to her side to look at him.

The smile brought to his face brought forward a dimple on his cheek. "Yes, Crewmen." He answered. "That is an order."

After a few moments, her eyes closed under the heaviness of exhaustion.

Chakotay wasn't sure what to do now that Seven had fallen asleep almost instantly in his bed. It was odd to see her so normal, actually seeing her fall asleep in a bed and not attached to her alcove. Even more, now that she was wearing his clothes, though baggy and long for her, it was oddly intimate, his clothes softened her curve in a way that caught his breath differently than her unforgiving biosuit ever did.

He got up off the bed and returned to his sitting-room, he might as well get some work done.

—

She woke up a little disoriented. She only ever slept in sickbay after something catastrophic, so waking up in an actual bed with her nose buried in a pillow and a blanket wrapped tightly around her was definitely something new.

It was nice.

Seven hadn't ever really experienced comfort before, which was why she didn't immediately jump out of the bed. It was warm and soft and she could easily see herself laying there for a few more hours. She knew that the commander wouldn't mind.

Her cheeks flushed at the thought of him. Was she flirting with him? And more importantly, was he flirting back? The Doctor had a whole lesson on social cues, but none of her interactions with the First Officer could be cataloged by the Doctor because this was real.

Her thoughts were silenced when he breezed back into his bedroom quietly so that he didn't disturb her slumber when he realized that her eyes were open, his face fell in a look she couldn't recognize. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." He said softly.

She shook her head. "You didn't, I think I've napped sufficiently." She answered and forced herself to sit up.

He stopped and looked at her, nearly breathlessly as a lopsided smile filled his face. "Your hair is wavy." He said.

"I did not brush it." She said with a shrug, running her fingers through the waves to get the tangles out of it. She never allowed her hair to become wavy, always choosing to sleek it back into her twist as soon as she got out of the sonic shower.

"It looks nice." He answered and it brought another flush to her cheeks. "I was about to go get something to eat, are you hungry?" She nodded, she could eat-it wasn't imperative, but she found that she wanted to spend more time with him. Another dimple bringing smile filled his face.

She got up and stretched her aching muscles, she would probably stop by the doctor for something later. She followed Chakotay out into the sitting room when she realized that she was still barefoot. "I cannot go out looking like this."

He froze and realized that she didn't have shoes and held up a finger, reaching into the closet for a pair of black slip-on shoes. "They're B'Elanna's but I don't think she'd mind."

She rolled her eyes and motioned to the hoodie that fell to her thighs and baggy black pants. "It's fine, honestly." He said with a wink. "It looks better on you than they ever did on me, and you should get a pass because your biosuit was ruined."

He gave her confidence, that was one thing that none of her lessons with the Doctor gave her. Seven gave a little half-smile and believed him that it would be fine looking so casual. "Okay." She answered and slid her feet into the shoes that were just a little bit small, but worked.

Dinner was a quiet affair, it was later than the normal dinner rush, he also convinced her to eat actual food, even though it was just a simple sandwich and soup, and not her normal nutritional supplement that she normally ate. It was also filled with laughter and she was sure that they were going to be mixed in with the rumors tomorrow, but she found that she didn't care.

He invited her to go see B'Elanna and the baby and she nodded, not really ready to leave his side. She was surprised when he took her hand in his and they walked from the mess hall to sickbay, hand in hand and had she not been laughing at his stories, she'd probably be breathless.

It wasn't until they got off the elevator that he slowly let his grip go and he stepped inside the sickbay with her in tow. B'Elanna looked up with a tired smile on her face, Tom, asleep next to her. "Hey." She whispered, to not startle her dozing husband and newborn that she held in her arms.

Chakotay was first by her side, again pressing a tender kiss to her ridges. "How are you feeling, Mama?" He asked. "Hello little one."

"I could sleep for a week." She answered honestly, motioning him to take the swaddled baby from her arms and he did, whispering softly in his home language to settle her. "Hey, Seven."

Seven nodded, brushing her hair behind her ear. "Hello, Lieutenant." She answered with a nod.

"You look. . . comfy." She answered with a small laugh, it was then that she noticed his name embroidered onto her chest.

Seven couldn't get the words out so Chakotay spoke for her. "Her biosuit was ruined and I offered her my bed to take a nap in." He answered, bouncing the baby up and down. "I don't even fit in those clothes anymore."

B'Elanna laughed. "I mean it's from your Academy days, like a hundred years ago." She teased her friend who only glared at him over her baby's head.

"Ha, was only fifty years ago, B'Elanna." He said flatly. He turned to Seven. "Would you like to hold her?"

He really didn't give her a chance to say no as he slid the bundle into her arms and she opened her eyes at Seven. Miral may have Lieutenant Torres' brow ridges, but she had Lieutenant Paris' blue eyes. She could hear Chakotay speak softly to the new mother, but Seven didn't listen. This little girl was absolute perfection.

"Seven?" Asked B'Elanna, bringing her back to reality and she looked up with a raised brow. "Tom and I were talking earlier and we would like you to be Miral's godmother. "

She looked up at B'Elanna with her brow raised, she had heard the term before-Chakotay had said it a couple times earlier, but she wasn't sure what it actually meant. "Traditionally godparents were picked to help guide the child through religion and spirituality, but now it's more as a backup plan should something happen to Tom or I. And sinceTom and I don't have any siblings, you'll be her honorary aunt."

Honest tears welled up in her eyes. "Are you sure you want to give me such responsibility?" She cried, tightening her grip on the baby.

"I couldn't think of anyone that I could trust with the responsibility of being her godmother, Seven." She said soothingly. "And I'm not planning on something to Tom or I, but you wouldn't be alone, Chakotay will be there with you."

She was quiet for a moment, looking at the baby in her arms who yawned as big as her little body would allow. She would sacrifice anything for Miral. "I accept."

Their moment was cut short when the Doctor came bustling in from his office pushing a sleeping cot. "Oh, hello Commander, Seven." He said with a bright smile.

"Good evening, Doctor." Chakotay greeted.

He walked around Seven. "That's a good look for you Seven." He said joking about her clothes." And Chakotay nearly stopped breathing, because it was true, Seven holding an infant in her arms looking absolutely beautiful, glowing in the harsh lighting and he almost wished that it was a vision of his future, not that he would voice it.

"Well catching a baby during a red alert takes a lot out of a person, Doctor." B'Elanna defended with a smile.

"Yes, it is all very exciting and I would like to hear Seven's tale of it all." The Doctor tutted, "I think it can wait until morning, it's time for everybody to get some rest."

She was glad that the Doctor wouldn't grill her tonight. Seven looked back down at Miral, she had fallen asleep in her arms and she could feel her heart race as she handed her back to her mother.

It was then that Tom woke up. "Whaaa?" He asked confused, the room fill with laughter, even a small chuckle from Seven.

Chakotay insisted on walking her back to the cargo bay. They chatted idly until they stopped right outside her door.

"Thank you for sharing your bed and your clothes with me today." She said, pink tinged cheeks.

"Anytime, Seven." He answered, "Seriously, if you ever need it, you are always welcome." She nodded. "And I enjoyed spending the day with you, I'd like to do it again soon."

"Like a date?" She practically squeaked.

He nodded. "Yeah, I'd like that."

"Me too." She whispered, she could feel the warmth of his chest close to her. She had never experienced this intimate closeness with another human before. He leaned in, bringing a hand up to rest against her face, smoothing a calloused finger tip across her cheek, and her eyelashes fluttered in the same way her stomach did.

"Is this alright?" he asks, voice low, hesitant.

"Yes," and then is met with one of the brightest smiles she's ever seen Chakotay give, all white teeth and curling lips and this chuckle of relief that is warm against her skin. It makes her chuckle, too, and he tilts his head and slants his lips against hers.

She makes a little noise that she can't help but make and he makes one of his own, deep and rumbling from his chest. He cups her face with both hands, pulling her closer to kiss her harder. It was so much more than what she had imagined it to be. It's exhillarating and for the first time in the last few hours, she felt awake.

Her cheeks flush, and her lungs burn, and as if Chakotay could tell, he pulled away ever so slightly and pressed one last kiss to her lips before dropping his forehead to her collarbone as they caught their breath.

After a moment he looked up at her. "I'll see you tomorrow?" He asked as if they could actually go anywhere.

"Of course." She said and he kissed her again. She got the impression that he didn't want to leave and she found that she didn't want him to go either. It was her turn to press her lips to his. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight." He whispered against her lips before turning on his heels and heading back to the turbolift, he turned to look back at her one more time for which he was rewarded with a small wave.

Seven turned into the Cargo Bay and bit her lip, she could still taste him on her lips as she reflected on just how crazy her day had been since the last time she set foot into her Cargo Bay. From the Red Alert to the birth of Miral Paris, her goddaughter. She would never have guessed that her relationship with Lieutenant Torres would have evolved to where she would trust her with the health and wellbeing of her newborn daughter.

She quickly changed out of the Commanders clothes to put on her blue biosuit, and pulled her hair into a loose braid. Maybe she should wear her hair down more often as she caught her reflection in the dark consol screen.

Her thoughts wandered over to Chakotay and there was a warmth that pooled in her stomach as she stepped inside of her alcove.

And he was the last thing she thought of as her mind entered the void.