Author's Note

This is a continuation from "A Match made in Seven". If you haven't read that, this won't make a lot of sense at first.

Contains scenes of a sexual nature between two women. If you don't like that, don't read this story.

Paramount owns the characters.

Please don't repost any of the story elsewhere unless you ask for and receive permission from me.

A Match made in Seven continued

Janeway and Seven-of-Nine walked slowly back to the cabins. Light glowed from the windows, welcoming and warm. They entered the cabin that Janeway was to share with the Doctor and found the hologram at a computer console in the main room.

"Ah, welcome back. How was the sunset?" asked the Doctor, not looking up from the screen he was peering at intently.

"It was lovely, Doctor. You should come along next time," replied Janeway, moving to a cupboard and extracting a bottle of whiskey and two glasses. "Care for a nightcap, Seven?" she asked, and the Borg nodded.

"Let's go into my room, leave the Doctor to his -" she peered over his shoulder "medical journals."

"Before you go, Captain, I've arranged for your first session with a Ventosan doctor tomorrow morning, 08:00 hours. I've checked into his records and credentials and they are exemplary."

Janeway nodded her thanks. She entered her bedroom and the blonde followed, closing the door behind them.

"Captain, do you wish to have relations of a sexual nature?" said Seven with her customary bluntness. Janeway, used to her friend's forthright attitude, barely batted an eyelid. She looked up after pouring two generous measures of the fragrant amber liquid.

"No, Seven," she said softly, pausing before she carried on speaking. "We agreed to take things slowly, and you've told me that you're…concerned about intimacy. I don't want to push you; let's move one step at a time, hmm?"

The Borg took the glass that Janeway handed to her and hesitantly took a sip. Alcohol, even in small amounts, affected her motor functions considerably, and she didn't want to lose control.

"And what would such 'steps' consist of, Captain?" enquired Seven, raising one eyebrow. Janeway wasn't sure if Seven was serious or if she was teasing her, but she decided to answer as though the latter was true.

"It varies – let's just wait and see, shall we?"

Janeway sat on the bed, sipping her whiskey. As she was walking back from the lake, it had occurred to her that not once had Seven initiated any contact between them; it had always been Janeway herself who reached out to the Borg. She wondered if she was pushing too hard, though she couldn't imagine Seven-of-Nine allowing anything to happen that she didn't want to do. Maybe it was because Seven was totally inexperienced with relationships; she simply didn't know how to go about it, though Janeway knew she had studied human mating rituals thoroughly.

"Captain? Kathryn?" Seven's voice intruded on Janeway's musings and she smiled, looking up into the ice blue eyes of her companion. The Captain raised her glass and drained the remaining liquid, placing the empty vessel on a bedside table. She ran her hands through her thick, auburn hair and stifled a yawn.

"Well, time to turn in, I think. See you in the morning, Seven." Janeway didn't budge, though, but remained sitting on the bed. Rather than moving to hug the younger woman, she decided to hold back and wait for Seven to make the next move. For a moment the women looked at each other, then the Borg inclined her head, turned on her heel and walked out, leaving Janeway feeling half-upset, half-amused. "I suppose I asked for that," she muttered to herself.

**************

Dr. Berdan, the Ventosan who was treating Janeway, was an elderly, kindly man whom Janeway was inclined to trust instantly. He had the gentle manner of doctors throughout the galaxy, a knowledgeable smile and a professional bearing. The Captain was unimpressed that he had insisted on a full physical check-up prior to beginning to treat her psychologically, but he assured her that it was standard practice. It was no more than mildly unpleasant and soon completed.

"Well, Captain, there's nothing wrong with your physical health; you appear to be in excellent shape," Berdan said, smiling at Janeway across a small, wooden table. "Your Doctor was correct in that respect. Let us now focus on your mind. As you know, we are a telepathic species; however, we can only usually sense the feelings of individuals from other species. I'd like to enhance that connection by giving you a little injection."

Janeway raised her hands, stopping the Ventosan as he reached for an implement similar to a hypospray. "Whoa there, Doctor. I need a bit more information than that!"

"I will inject you with a neurological agent that will increase your receptiveness to telepathy. I won't be able to read your thoughts as such, however I should be able to receive strong images that I will prompt you to think about. By helping you to interpret and manipulate these images, the conflict in your mind will resolve itself. You can stop the process at any time by simply requesting it or leaving the room. You will come to no harm, Captain."

Janeway lowered her hands and nodded once, feeling a light tingling in her neck as she received the injection.

"Let us begin," started Dr. Berdan.

****************

Voyager's Doctor, Seven-of-Nine and Naomi strolled through the woods that bordered the lake, the girl chattering non-stop. Several times the Doctor had warned her about touching unknown species of plants, and when she presented him with a blistering hand, trying not to cry, he squatted down in front of her and spoke seriously,

"Naomi, please be more careful. We don't know what harmful species may live on this planet; some that are harmless to the Ventosans may be deadly to you. Don't touch anything else!"

Naomi bit her lip, nodding. The hologram smiled, healing the skin with a dermal regenerator. It didn't deter the girl's enthusiasm, though, and when she saw a tree with plentiful, low-hanging branches, she ran to it and began to climb. Seven scanned the tree with a tricorder. "No indication of dangerous chemicals, Doctor."

"No, just the danger of a broken neck. Come down from there, Naomi."

"Come on up, Seven, it's fun!" giggled the child, scampering fearlessly among the branches.

Seven raised her eyebrow.

"I think not. Let us continue our walk, Naomi Wildman."

The girl slid down to the ground and held her hands out towards the Borg. She hesitated before swinging Naomi up onto her slender yet powerful shoulders, and the three walked on. Before long, the young girl began to fall asleep and Seven carefully lifted her down to carry the little form securely in her arms.

"You've been awfully quiet, Seven. Are you…concerned about the Captain?"

"I am not. The Ventosan doctor is an expert in his field. I expect that Captain Janeway will make a full and prompt recovery," replied Seven quietly, striding ahead so that the Doctor had to almost break into a trot to keep up.

"Did you speak with her about what we discussed yesterday?" asked the hologram, telling himself he was asking out of a care for Seven's well-being and not simply prying. He lightly grasped the young woman's arm, stopping her and turning her to face him.

"I did. The Captain attempted to reassure me on that matter."

"And did she? Reassure you, I mean?"

"No. I am unsure that I wish to engage in intimate activities. I find the idea of relinquishing control to another individual alien to me."

The Doctor regarded his friend as she stood uncomfortably in front of him. For once, he was lost for words. Eventually, he spoke, careful to keep his tone as light as possible.

"It will seem strange to you now, Seven, like all the other things you have learned since leaving the collective. But if, with someone you love, you can truly let yourself go, the connection between you will be deeper than any other. And I believe it can be extremely pleasurable, too," he added dryly.

"Pleasure is irrelevant," came the reply, and the Doctor threw his eyes to the heavens. He should've seen that one coming.

"I doubt Captain Janeway thinks so, and you may change your mind, too, if you allow yourself to express your feelings for a nanosecond. The Captain is alone, and a few days ago the pressures she is feeling nearly killed her. She may not know it yet, but she needs you, Seven. Don't be afraid to reach out to her."

The young woman, girl and hologram made their way back to the cabins, where Seven put Naomi gently in her bed and drew the covers over her.

**********

Images flitted through Janeway's mind, ones she had suppressed for five long years. Voyager, crashed. Voyager, heavily damaged and drifting lifelessly in space. Her crew dead, injured, sick, missing. Chakotay, a fatal wound draining the life from him. Paris, desperately crawling from a mangled shuttlecraft. Seven-of-Nine, assimilated once again. Seven, lifeless in Janeway's arms.

"Stop!" she shouted, unable to take any more. "Please, stop," she sobbed, holding her head in her hands.

"It's ok, Kathryn. You're safe here. It's not real. Look at me. Look at me!" said Dr. Berdan, and Janeway lifted her head, cheeks streaked with tears. "You must confront your fears, or they will destroy you. You have a strong mind, Kathryn, a great intellect and a fighting spirit. I had to make you see your demons."

Janeway regained control, wiping her face with her shirt sleeve and meeting the doctor's eyes. "How will that help?" she demanded, fixing her trademark glare on Berdan who looked back with a kindly smile, totally unfazed by the blue-grey eyes locked onto his.

"You take the weight of all your worries on your shoulders, Kathryn. Tomorrow we will work on altering the way your mind processes the fears you have shown today. Who is the woman?"

Janeway frowned, confused. "What woman?" she asked, sitting up straighter in her chair.

"The young, light-haired woman with the curious metal adornments."

"Her name is Seven-of-Nine. We rescued her from the Borg. She's a fine crewmember and a friend." Janeway said this matter-of-factly, having no wish to discuss Seven with this stranger, doctor or not.

"I sense that there are difficulties there, Kathryn. You must think carefully and make a decision. Either commit yourself to what your heart wants, or walk away, for the conflict is adding to that which you already face."

"I – I don't know what you mean. We're not…I mean, it's complicated." Janeway struggled to find the words she was looking for.

Dr. Berdan smiled. "Kathryn, your love for this woman shines brighter than our two suns. Consider what I have said, and we will speak further tomorrow. Now," he continued, standing and briskly clapping his hands together, "I'll show you back to the transport site. Take care, my dear."

Janeway had little choice but to follow.

***************

"So, how did it go," asked the Doctor of Janeway, who was sitting at the computer console in their cabin with a steaming mug of coffee. She had already burned her fingers twice, having become so accustomed to her usual insulated, double-walled metal mug that she kept grabbing the Ventosan ceramic mug around the middle, forgetting it would be hot.

"You'd better ask Dr. Berdan, I haven't a clue. I don't really feel like talking about it, Doctor, if you don't mind."

"Mind? Why should I mind? You're only MY patient, after all," he replied, somewhat huffily. "What are you doing, anyway, you're on shore leave, remember? You're not supposed to be looking at star charts or warp drive schematics!"

"Relax, Doctor," said Janeway, waving a hand towards the hologram, "I'm just passing time until we can pick up our boat. You are joining us for fishing, aren't you?"

"There's something rather…barbaric about enticing living organisms to snare themselves on a pointed metal hook using other previously living organisms as bait. I think I'll pass, thank you. 'Do no harm', remember?" The Doctor picked up a PADD and tapped a few buttons. "I'm working on a new holonovel, I think I'll use the peace and quiet to write another chapter."

"As you wish, Doctor. Right," Janeway continued, standing up and finishing her coffee, "I'd better get the equipment together and round up the troops. Have fun."

"You too, Captain."

Janeway headed to a small shed at the rear of the cabins where she had stored fishing rods that she had acquired the previous day. Along with other necessary accessories she carried them to the lakeside where Seven and Naomi were carrying out a botanical survey.

"Captain, are we going fishing now?" asked Naomi excitedly, running over to Janeway with Seven following more sedately behind.

"We sure are," Janeway answered, handing Naomi a rod to carry that was bigger than the girl herself. Seven reached out and took a case from Janeway and they ambled along the path to the boathouse. Naomi as usual was some way ahead, and Seven turned to Janeway and spoke quietly.

"I wish to enquire as to the nature of your treatment."

"I don't want to talk about it, Seven," replied Janeway, equally quietly to prevent the girl ahead of them from hearing.

***************

The Doctor was irritable when he finally managed to communicate with Dr. Berdan. The Ventosans, though unfailingly polite, were a bureaucratic race, and the hologram had to go through four other people before he was allowed to talk to Janeway's doctor. Finally, the Ventosan appeared on the console's screen.

"Dr. Berdan, I presume," said the Doctor sardonically, leaning towards the screen. "I'm Voyager's Chief Medical Officer. I wanted to ask you about Captain Janeway's treatment and prognosis."

"Good to speak with you, Doctor…?"

"Just Doctor, I'm too busy to choose a name. How long will the treatment last?"

The old Ventosan smiled, steepling his fingers under his plump chin. "As long as it lasts, Doctor. I'm afraid I can't say for sure at this stage. Your Captain is suffering from severe psychological trauma brought on by a variety of factors. Her reluctance to share the burden of command, her recent near-fatal accident, her guilt over stranding Voyager here, her unresolved feelings for the woman, Seven-of-Nine. However, despite the severity of her condition, I have no doubt that she will make a full recovery, with my help."

"Is there anything I can be doing in the meantime?"

"Stop giving her the medication. I know -" he held his hand up to ward off the Doctor's protests, "I know it has helped her up to now, but Kathryn needs to experience the conflict in order to work through it. Suppressing it won't help matters in the long run. Encourage her to talk about her feelings – does she trust you, Doctor?"

The hologram adopted an irritated expression. "Of course she trusts me, I'm her doctor! I may just be photons and force fields to you, but the Captain sees me as a person, a friend."

Dr. Berdan unclasped his hands and placed them flat on the desk in front of him. In a solemn voice he replied. "Foremost in the Captain's mind, right now, is her relationship with the fair-haired woman. I don't know why yet, but she is linking the success or failure of her interactions with Seven-of-Nine to her ability to perform as the Captain of a ship desperately trying to get home. Whether the relationship is cemented or whether it is ended is unimportant – the conflict must be resolved. Focus on that, Doctor."

"Thank you, Dr. Berdan. I'll do what I can, though the Captain is a force of nature all by herself, and as for Seven-of-Nine – let's say I'd bet on her against a force ten ion storm any day. Keep me informed."