Title: To Err is Human

Author: Anne Rose

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: Voyager and its characters belong to Paramount Pictures.

No infringement intended.

Spoilers: Human Error

Summary: K/7, some J/C, P/T,Harry and Seven discuss the events of

Human Error. (36k)

Archive: I would be honored if you want to archive it. Please let me

know where so I can visit it.

Author's Note: Thanks to Henry Lee and Hubby for beta reading. © March

23, 2001

To Err is Human

by Anne Rose

Seven was working in Astrometrics, on the gravimetric array she had

promised the Captain, when Harry found her. He arrived, ostensibly to

deliver a report, but he actually wanted to investigate the changes he

had seen recently in Seven; the apology to B'Elanna about missing the

baby shower, the gift, and then asking B'Elanna about styling her hair.

She had been engaging in one "irrelevant" social interaction after

another. Her whole attitude had changed - more relaxed and open. In

fact, he had half believed his own comment that she might be an alien

invader instead of their Seven of Nine.

He had hoped this signaled a turning point in their relationship. They

had grown much closer in the past year. Their time together on the

Nightingale and on a number of away missions had provided the

opportunity for long discussions on many topics, allowing them to get

to know each other beyond the rigid definitions of their work. They

had come to rely on each other both on and off duty for friendship as

well as each other's technical skills. But then, after the alien

warhead had been destroyed, and the ship saved, instead of joining in

the celebration with the rest of the crew, she had again hidden away to

work.

"Seven, here is the data you requested," he said, extending the PADD to

her.

She took it without comment and turned back to her console. She

continued inputting in data. He watched her back as she worked - the

curves of her body outlined clearly by her biosuit. She was

mesmerizing. "Ensign, you are still here. Do you require something

else?" she asked without turning around.

He smiled, a few years ago he would have blushed and stammered, but not

now. "I wanted to see how you were," he replied, gently. "You haven't

been yourself lately, and I thought you might need someone to talk to."

She regarded him - analyzing him for a moment. "Your observations are

correct. I have been performing at less than peak efficiency, but I

believe I have remedied the situation." She paused, and considered her

recent 'lessons' on social interaction. "Thank you for your concern...

Harry."

He smiled at her, and encouraged by her use of his name, he decided to

press on - nothing ventured, nothing gained. "I see. Then, are you

feeling up to attending the party tomorrow night at Sandrine's? It's

nothing fancy, just an excuse to unwind..." He trailed off, looking at

her hopefully.

"I have a great deal of work to complete here. I doubt I will have

time for a party."

"I understand," Harry sighed, and turned around to leave, but then he

stopped. Turning back around, his voice rising, "No, Seven, actually I

don't understand. You've been trying for years to become more human,

and in the last two weeks you seemed to have made a breakthrough. But

now you're turning your back on it and going back to being a drone

again." The angry edge to his voice had softened, and was replaced

with sadness and desperation as he continued, "Why? What happened?

Please talk to me," he pleaded.

Seven considered him for a moment, "Harry, I must complete this work,

but perhaps afterwards we could meet and 'talk'. Would 1900 this

evening be acceptable?"

"Yes," he said, a little dazed by her sudden reversal, "1900 would be

fine. Shall we meet in the mess hall? We could have dinner."

"I would prefer to conduct our discussion in private. I am still not

comfortable with the events of the past two weeks, and I do not want

them to become common knowledge on the ship. I believe your quarters

would be more suitable."

He nodded and decided it was best not to press for details just yet.

"Until tonight then," he said, and then he turned and left Astrometrics

still holding his breath. As she heard the door close, Seven leaned

heavily on the console, locking her arms to support herself. After a

moment she straightened herself, and went back to running simulations

on the array.

~*~*~*~

Harry was still arranging things in his quarters at 1850. She would be

there at any minute, and he wanted to set the right tone for the

evening. He was nervous, but this was hardly the first woman he had

had visit his quarters. Let Tom get all the attention for his skill

with the ladies - Harry didn't crave that sort of notoriety. That made

it all the more ironic when you considered that Harry had entertained

roughly the same number of women in his quarters and on the holodeck as

Tom, the reputed ladies' man. But Harry preferred to be in the

background, away from the attention.

He really did want to talk to Seven tonight, to find out what was

bothering her, and what had gone wrong. For these reasons, he chose

fairly bright lights and a simple dinner. No soft music, and no

candles, just the ordinary trappings of friends getting together to

share a meal.

He was putting the final touches on his program for dinner when the

door chimed. "Come on in," he said, and the door opened to reveal

Seven of Nine. She looked no different than normal, her dark blue

biosuit and hair were just as they always were, but there was something

about her posture, or was it her expression that caught his attention.

Her eyes didn't meet his; the penetrating Borg stare was missing. And

then it hit him - she was nervous.

He walked up to her and offered his hand. She hesitated, and then took

it, as they walked over to the couch and sat. "Welcome to my humble

home. I'd give you the tour, but when you've seen one set of quarters,

you've seen them all," he chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.

"It is ironic that you should say that. I have observed that each

crewman arranges and decorates his or her quarters very differently.

They find pleasure in using their surroundings to express their

individuality."

"Yes, I suppose that is true," he said. Then thinking for a moment he

added almost to himself, "I wonder what you would do if you had

quarters of your own? The cargo bay is not exactly homey."

Seven jumped slightly, and eyed him suspiciously. "Why did you ask

about that?"

"It's nothing. I was just curious," he said, noting how she had become

agitated by this topic. "Seven, have you been thinking about getting

quarters of your own? Does that somehow relate to what happened the

last couple of weeks?"

She stood and began to pace. It was another behavior Harry had never

seen before. He wondered what could have gotten under her skin.

Standing up, he reached out and took her hands as she came close.

"Seven, just relax for a moment. Tell me what happened. You know you

can trust me."

She stopped and brought her eyes up to meet his, "I do not think I can

explain it. I believe I will have to show you instead." He nodded in

silent agreement.

~*~*~

Seven had quickly reserved the holodeck for them, and they were now

walking along deck six. They didn't make small talk as they went. In

fact, the casual observer would have thought they were walking to a

duty assignment. When they reached the doors, Seven walked in and

accessed the internal holodeck controls. "Computer, run holodeck

simulation Seven of Nine beta 12, but do not alter my appearance."

As she said it, the messhall shimmered into existence. Along with it

appeared most of the bridge crew and a few others at what appeared to

be a party. The crewmembers were gathered around Tom and B'Elanna as

she opened gifts. Harry quickly recognized it as a simulation of the

baby shower, complete with himself as a guest. He laughed along with

the others when B'Elanna opened the Starfleet issue diapers.

After that, he and Seven walked over to a table and sat while the

shower continued. "Seven, this isn't so strange. You seem to have

been practicing for events with the crew. The only thing I don't

understand is why, after all this, you didn't go to the shower."

"This is only one of my simulations. There are others. I was running

one of them during the real baby shower," she said, again not meeting

his eyes.

"Seven, whatever it is, it can't be that bad," he said, suspecting that

he knew the nature of her other programs. "I'm sure whatever

'simulation' you were running pales in comparison to Captain Proton,

when it comes to opportunities for embarrassment. I promise not to

laugh, or judge you, Seven."

She looked at him for a moment, searching his eyes. "I will show you,

but afterwards you may wish I had not."

Harry reached over and took her hand again, "Seven, I promise, no

matter what it is, it won't change my feelings about you."

She smiled weakly, "Computer, run holodeck simulation Seven of Nine

gamma 7. Remove all characters and do not alter my appearance." The

messhall dissolved and in its place were simple quarters. There was a

little furniture, only the essentials. He noticed the decor and the

dinner for two, still arranged on the table.

"Is this for us?" he asked looking at the dinner for two laid out on

the table.

"No... it is from the simulation," she replied.

Harry walked around the room, stopping by the bed and looking at the

dream catcher. "And this, where did this come from?"

She shifted her weight nervously, considering how much to tell him.

"It was a housewarming gift from Chakotay," she said quietly.

Harry paused, uncertain of what to say next. It seemed Seven had

become comfortable addressing more of the crew than just him by their

first names. "The Commander visited your simulation, Seven?" Harry

asked quietly.

"No," she replied abruptly. "I would never bring anyone here. I did

not want anyone in the crew to see this. It is..." she searched for

the right words. "It is too personal to share with the others."

Seven began to pace back and forth as Harry looked around the quarters

in confusion, "Seven, these look like ordinary crew quarters, what is

so unusual about that. The desire to have quarters like the rest of

the crew is nothing to be embarrassed or concerned about," he tried to

reassure her, but he didn't know why she was uncomfortable. He

reflected for a moment and a couple of the pieces fell together.

"Seven, there is more to this than just the baby shower and these

quarters, isn't there?" She nodded, still unable to meet his eyes.

He wracked his brain, searching for the missing pieces. Finally he

said, "You prevented the computer from playing the whole simulation.

What was it you eliminated again?" he tried to remember. "You removed

additional characters, and prevented it from altering your appearance.

In fact, both times you stopped it from changing you." He considered

that for a moment. He didn't want to pressure her, but she looked and

acted like she wanted him to know, and he was pleased that of all the

crew, she wanted him to see this secret. "Seven, show me, please."

Seven paced for a moment and then stopped. Looking at Harry, she

reached up with both hands, to the back of her head, and pulled her

hair out from its tight knot. Running her fingers through it, she let

it cascade around her face. Then she commanded, "Computer, initiate

program Seven of Nine, delta three."

Harry was stunned as Seven of Nine shimmered out of focus and then

coalesced into a fully human woman in a blue sciences uniform. Her

hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail, revealing the smooth skin at

her neck and along her eyebrow. As Harry's eyes traveled down her

body, he noticed the complete lack of Borg hardware, usually so obvious

on her skin and beneath her biosuit.

He reached out tentatively to touch her face - pausing for a moment to

gauge her reaction. She flinched slightly, but did not pull back. The

skin under his fingers felt smooth, and soft. Next he gently placed

his hand on her waist and was surprised not to feel the hard metal of

her remaining exoskeleton under the uniform's fabric. He knew it was

an illusion, but it felt warm, soft, and real. As he was contemplating

these sensations, she reached up with her left hand and softly touched

his cheek. As her hand brushed over his face, his eyes closed, and the

entire galaxy condensed down to the feeling of her fingertips on his

skin, and the feel of her under his hands as he brought his other hand

around her waist.

They stood there, frozen for several long moments before he spoke

again. "Seven," he breathed, "You have nothing to worry about - you're

beautiful like this. I think everyone would approve of the changes,

and I could stand here with like this you forever." He heard a strange

sound, that sounded suspiciously like a giggle. Looking into her eyes

he saw the tension was gone, and Seven of Nine was smiling. "What's so

funny?" he asked.

"It would be very inefficient to stand here 'forever,' and I could not

show you the rest of the simulation," she replied.

"Lead on then. I can't wait."

She stepped back from him and made him turn around - allegedly to view

the new scene at the best angle. "Computer, run holodeck simulation

Seven of Nine gamma 8. Remove all characters and alter my appearance

and that of Harry Kim."

The scene that appeared before him was a slightly darkened, wood

paneled room. In the center was a grand piano with lit candles and a

metronome sitting on top of it. As his eyes swept the room, he took in

the details. "It's lovely Seven. You've done a wonderful job

programming it." As he looked down, he noticed that his uniform had

been replaced with softer, more casual clothes. He now wore a slate

blue-grey suit that was skillfully tailored to accentuate his physique.

He ran his hands over the jacket front, as he continued to turn

around. He was impressed again by the thought that went into it. It

was a snug fit, yet comfortable. "Seven, you're going to be able to

give Tom a run for his money with programs like this. It's all

wond...er...."

The words died on his tongue as he turned around and saw Seven. Her

uniform was gone, and her hair now flowed over her shoulders in a

golden cascade. As his eyes traveled down, he stopped breathing as he

surveyed the red silk dress she wore. It was sleeveless with a low,

square neckline on the fitted bodice, and then it flared out again from

the waist. He stared at her with his mouth open, unable to say a word.

"I'm glad you approve of my choice of dress," she said with a smile.

"I had hoped you would be pleased by it."

"Seven, I..." he choked out, "I think it's lovely." He met her eyes.

"I've never seen anything as beautiful," he whispered.

Seven blushed under Harry's intense scrutiny. Her research had led her

to believe the dress and the setting would have a dramatic affect on

her subject - no, Harry was more than that, he was her friend, and

tonight he was her date. One thing she had not taken into account was

her own reaction to him. Suddenly nervous again, she moved over to the

piano.

"I have also been studying music, as part of my research," she said,

sliding onto the piano bench. "Would you like me to play something for

you? I hoped to become proficient enough that I could accompany you

with your clarinet, and we could enjoy playing music together."

Harry walked over to the piano in a fog, and stood behind her as she

picked up the music. As she began to play he rested his hands lightly

on her bare shoulders. He felt her shiver as he touched her skin, and

heard her miss a note, but then she relaxed and continued playing. The

warmth from her smooth skin further clouded his mind, as he closed his

eyes and drifted away with the music - absorbing the sensation of touch

and sound. It was beautiful and familiar. After a few minutes he was

surprised to recognize it as one of his favorites. He chuckled when he

recognized how deeply Seven's program, and Seven herself, had affected

him, for him not to notice.

"How did you like it," she said as she finished the piece and looked up

over her left shoulder at him to gauge his reaction. When he looked

down at her face, he couldn't avoid seeing the expanse of bare skin the

dress revealed. Taking in a breath, he realized how perilous their

situation was, and he decided to sit down next to her instead.

"It is one of my favorite pieces of music, and you play it

wonderfully." He reached up and absentmindedly brushed a strand of

hair back from her face as he spoke. "and Seven... I would love to

play duets with you. Anytime you like, just let me know when and I'll

be there."

She smiled at his choice of words and then sighed contentedly as he

pulled her into his arms. Harry thought he heard another sigh escape

her lips, as she leaned her head on his shoulder. He held her for a

minute and kissed the top of her head. Then it was his turn to sigh.

"It's wonderful here Seven, and I could stay here all evening, but I

think we need to head back and eat dinner now. Before... well, before

we become too weak from hunger that we can't get back to my quarters,"

he said with a smile. It was a weak joke, but he had to get out of

this holodeck program before he completely lost control of the

situation - if he ever had been in control.

Instead, Seven reset the program to her quarters, and she left her

dress and his suit intact. "We can eat dinner here just as easily as

in your quarters," she replied. Harry nodded and went to the

replicator and transferred the program for dinner onto the holodeck.

Seven joined him and helped arrange the meal on the table.

The conversation over dinner was strained at first, but gradually they

relaxed and they talked more about the simulations she had created.

She explained about her desire to reclaim the emotions and

relationships she experienced in Unimatrix Zero. Harry listened

attentively, as he learned more about this woman who fascinated him so.

"So you included various members of the crew to allow you to practice

in social situations?" he asked.

"Yes, I wanted to try out new forms of interaction here, before

attempting them with the crew."

"Ah, so that explains the baby shower, but I am still curious about the

housewarming gift, the dream catcher you have hanging over your bed.

You said it was a gift from Chakotay." He looked at her intently, not

quite sure why he had latched onto this one element, but he was certain

it was important, that there was more Seven had not told him. "Seven,

I want to understand everything. I don't want to have secrets between

us - not now," he said as he reached over and took her hand. "Was

Commander Chakotay an important part in your simulation?"

She looked at him and took a deep breath before continuing. "No,

Harry, he was the simulation." Her expression was pained as she

observed Harry's reaction. This was what she feared most, that he

would not understand or forgive her.

Harry stood up and walked over to the couch. He sat, sinking down into

it and putting his head in his hands - trying to make sense of what he

had just learned - trying very hard to understand the choice she had

made. In all this time, he had been concerned that the Doctor would

become the object of Seven's affection. Never in a million years had

he considered the First Officer. How could he hope to compete against

Chakotay?

While he considered this, Seven stood and began pacing again, with her

arms crossed in front of her, and concern etched on her face.

"Seven, why?... Why this and why... him, and not someone else?" He

shook his head and sighed. Raising his face, he took a deep breath and

stood, moving forward he reached out to take hold of her arms. He took

another deep breath and looked her in the eye, "Seven... why not me?"

His hand floated up now and brushed along her cheek, "If not me, then

why not a hologram of me, instead of someone else? Are you in love

with the Commander? Is that it?" he breathed the last question, barely

above a whisper, dreading her answer, but he had to know.

"Are you certain you wish to know why I chose the Commander?"

"No... but I need to know."

She hesitated, and looked at him. He nodded and she said, "I allowed

the computer to make the selection. I gave it the parameters I

required. Someone with whom I would not form an attachment. Someone

already involved in a relationship. Someone who was not you, Harry."

At this he grimaced, but she continued. "Harry, not you because I did

not want to practice on you. If we are to begin a romantic affiliation

in the future, I do not want to compare you to a hologram of yourself.

I want what we share with each other to be real, not an illusion."

Seven paused, and searched Harry's face.

Her own face was strangely disturbed. He had never seen her like this

before - fear and embarrassment had always been 'irrelevant.' He was

almost overcome with self-doubt and anger himself, when he saw a tear

form in her human eye. As he watched its slow journey down her cheek

he finally understood. Harry raised his hand to wipe the tear from her

cheek. When he brushed the liquid aside, gently brushing her cheek,

she closed her eyes and leaned into his touch. With a relieved sigh,

he began breathing again.

He wrapped her in his arms, and crushed her to him. "I'm sorry Seven,

I was just shocked for a minute - and," he hesitated, but then he

thought about how much Seven had risked in revealing so much of herself

to him. How could he hide from her now? "I wasn't angry with you, I

was afraid that you were interested in Chakotay and not me." At that,

she looked up at him.

"Harry, I was never romantically interested in Commander Chakotay.

Given his relationship with the Captain, it would be futile. After

Captain Janeway, you were the first person on this ship to show me

kindness, and to treat me as an individual and not a drone. I have

always been interested in you, to one degree or another, but whenever I

considered approaching you to form a romantic affiliation, you have

always been involved with another woman. Even if you had not been, I

lacked the knowledge and experience to pursue a relationship. It

seemed hopeless."

Harry chuckled, "Well, now we both know the truth. So, where would you

like to go from here?" He gently stroked her face as they talked. It

seemed to sooth her and he reveled in the fact that he could reach out

and touch her without fear of rejection.

"According to my research, and the Doctor's lessons, at this point

there is usually a verbal declaration followed by an increasing amount

of physical and emotional intimacy. Is that your understanding as

well?" she queried, again falling back into her more customary manner.

Harry grinned. 'Trust Seven to dissect the process into efficient

steps,' he thought. "Yes, Seven, that has been my experience," he

said, as he continued to caress her face and placed a light kiss on her

cheek. "Shall I go first, or would you like to?" he said, pulling back

slightly, and smiling at her.

"You may proceed. In spite of my research, I find I am unprepared,

and," she thought for a moment, "I believe the sensation I am

experiencing is nervousness."

Harry's smile broadened, "We can fix that." He took her face in both

hands and looked at her intently, "I believe you said a declaration was

the next step?" She nodded. "Seven, I love you, and I hope you have

the same feelings for me," he said, just before he kissed her gently.

After a short time, he moved his head back to look at her. Seven

smiled at him, "I believe you have combined two steps, are you certain

that is allowed?"

Harry hesitated for a moment, and then chuckled. Seven's humor still

could catch him off guard. "Yes, I'm quite certain it is an acceptable

variation."

"In that case, allow me to respond." Instead of speaking, she pulled

Harry into a kiss. When she released him, she said, "I love you as

well. Shall we proceed?" Harry grinned, and nodded. Then he began to

kiss her more thoroughly, and began slowly exploring her form with his

hands, as he had only been able to do with his eyes before.

Seven swayed gently in his arms as he kissed and caressed her. He felt

her grow relaxed and then heavy in his arms. He didn't realize what

was happening until she began to slump, her form loose in his arms,

suddenly he was supporting her full weight. She slid to the floor as

he did his best to slow her fall, and cradled her head to avoid any

injury. He was paralyzed for a moment, but when he realized she was

unconscious, he slapped his commbadge. "Kim to sickbay, medical

emergency. Seven just collapsed in holodeck 2."

From: "Anne Rose" <anne3rose@yahoo.com>

To: "Anne Rose" <anne3rose@yahoo.com>

Subject: [shipperworld] NFS: To Err is Human [PG-13] 3/3

Date: Saturday, March 24, 2001 4:49 AM

Title: To Err is Human

Author: Anne Rose

Email: anne3rose@yahoo.com

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: Voyager and its characters belong to Paramount Pictures.

No infringement intended.

Spoilers: Human Error

Summary: K/7, some J/C, P/T, Harry and Seven discuss the events of

Human Error. (36k)

Archive: I would be honored if you want to archive it. Please let me

know where so I can visit it.

Author's Note: Thanks to Henry Lee and Hubby for beta reading. © March

23, 2001

To Err is Human

by Anne Rose

Part 3...

The only response to his hail, was the Doctor shimmering into existence

a few feet away. He looked at Harry and rolled his eyes. "It's

beginning to look like a parade," he said disdainfully, as he began

running the medical tricorder over Seven.

"Doctor, is she all right? What's going on?" Harry asked in a near

panic, but the Doctor only ignored him as he pressed a hypospray to

Seven's neck. "Doctor! What's going on?" Harry demanded, grabbing the

Doctor's arm.

The Doctor glanced at Harry with contempt and annoyance. "Computer,

end program." The room vanished but the Doctor found himself still

encumbered, with Harry's hand still locked onto his arm. "Computer,

end program and delete characters," he repeated angrily.

"There are no holodeck programs running," was the reply from the

computer. The Doctor gasped.

"Ensign Kim?"

"Yes Doc, who did you think it was? Now tell me what's going on with

Seven."

"That will have to wait. For now, you can assist me by lifting her.

Computer, initiate site-to-site transport. Beam Seven of Nine and

Ensign Kim to sickbay, and transfer my program to sickbay as well."

They all disappeared and then rematerialized in sickbay. Harry placed

Seven on a biobed and took her hand, rubbing it gently. Their previous

clothes had returned along with Seven's implants. "What's wrong with

her, Doc? Can you help her?"

The Doctor was bustling around sickbay, collecting instruments.

Walking up to the biobed, he began working on Seven. "Unfortunately, I

have some previous experience with this condition. The good new is, I

believe I can repair the damage." Harry watched him as he worked to

restore Seven's cortical node.

~*~*~

After half an hour, the Doctor began putting his instruments away and

tidying up sickbay. He again wore his usual smug expression.

"Seven slowly opened her eyes. Recognizing her surroundings, she

turned her head towards the very worried man next to her. "Harry?"

"Yes, I'm here. How do you feel?"

"I am experiencing pain in my head and I feel tired, but the anxiety is

subsiding as I speak with you," she said with a weak smile.

the Doctor interrupted and further conversation as he walked up to the

biobed. "Ah, I see you are awake. Next time, you may not be so

fortunate," the Doctor said with annoyance that puzzled Harry. Seven

remained silent, and turned her head away from Harry.

"Is someone going to explain to me what's going on?" Harry demanded.

"Seven, I think you should tell me what happened," the Doctor

interrupted, "and Mr. Kim, you should leave while I talk to Seven."

"No," Seven said, turning back toward them, "I need Harry." She

squeezed his hand, and looked at him with a sadness that startled him.

"All right then, please describe what you and Mr. Kim were doing that

precipitated this episode," the Doctor asked, through his clenched jaw.

"Harry and I were...kissing...when my cortical node began to shut down.

I do not understand why the failsafe activated then. Before, it did

not trigger until I argued with the simulation of Commander Chakotay."

The EMH sighed, and shook his head. "Clearly Seven, you feel

differently about Mr. Kim than you do about Commander Chakotay." His

face softened a little as he went on, "I'm sorry Seven, but it would

not be safe for you to pursue a romantic relationship. The next time,

I may not be able to revive you."

Harry looked stricken. "Doctor, there must be something you can do to

help her," Harry whispered.

"Almost certainly, I could repair her cortical implant, but Seven has

refused the operation. She feels the failsafe makes her more efficient

and guards against distractions. Isn't that right, Seven?" the EMH

asked pointedly.

Before Seven could utter a retort, Harry leaned down and gently touched

her face. "Is that true, Seven?" Harry asked, with only love and

concern in his expression. She looked up at him and, for a moment, he

thought he could see his happiness slipping away again.

She reached up and touched his face in the same way he had been

caressing her. "I do want to be with you Harry - to be able to love

you." She looked over at the EMH. "Doctor, I will undergo the

procedure. I wish to become fully human - able to experience

emotions." She looked back at Harry, and added quietly, "I want to

experience them with you."

"Fine," the EMH said brusquely. "That's settled now, and I have a

patient to operate on."

"I'll see you in a few hours," Harry said, lifting her hand to his

lips.

"Mr. Kim, unless you intend to assist me, please remove yourself from

sickbay." The Doctor's expression relaxed as Harry reached the open

doors. "I'll call you when I'm finished." With that, the Doctor

rushed him out of the room and began to prepare for surgery.

~*~*~

Harry was having breakfast with Tom and B'Elanna the next morning.

They had already been talking for hours, ever since he had practically

stumbled into their quarters. At first Tom hadn't known what to think.

He knew Harry had a crush on Seven, but never in his wildest dreams

had he imagined that she would return his affection. He had started to

laugh only to be silenced by Harry's agonized expression and B'Elanna's

stern glare.

They had sat up most of the night, listening to Harry and keeping him

company while he waited for the Doctor's call. Eventually, it was

breakfast time, and they moved to the messhall. By then, Harry had

gained back some of his control, and he was not in danger of making a

scene in public.

Or so he thought, and then the hail came. Harry was out of his seat

and across the messhall before he realized he had caught the edge of

his tray when he jumped up. The tray, and its contents, landed on Tom.

He turned slightly to apologize to Tom, and ran into the Captain,

knocking her back into Commander Chakotay, who was close behind her.

"Sorry, Ma'am," Harry blurted out, as he ran past them, though the

doors, and down the hall.

As Janeway and Chakotay were collecting themselves, B'Elanna waved at

them to join her and Tom. Chakotay chuckled as he watched Tom wipe the

food off his uniform. "Care to let us in on what's going on,

B'Elanna?"

"I can tell you part of it, but you'll have to speak directly to Harry

and Seven for the rest of it," she said.

Janeway and Chakotay exchanged a meaningful glance. "Harry and Seven?

That does sound interesting. I'm all ears," Janeway said. B'Elanna

nodded and began to fill them in.

~*~*~

Harry burst into sickbay, and glanced around furtively. He located

Seven and rushed over to the biobed where she lay. The Doctor observed

them as Harry took the hand she raised up to him, and pressed it to his

lips, but he continued with his work and allowed them their privacy.

Harry gently slid his arm around, under her neck, and cradled her in

his arms. "Doctor," he called out, "how did everything go? Is Seven

all right?" He was apprehensive, afraid of another setback.

"The first surgery was a complete success. I rose to the occasion yet

again," he said, very pleased with himself. "Fortunately, my expertise

and innovation were sufficient to create the new procedures required to

alter the Borg implants and remove the limitations on Seven's emotional

experiences." He looked expectantly at Harry and Seven.

"Thanks Doc, we'll always be grateful," Harry said, with genuine

enthusiasm.

The Doctor's expression eased into a smile. "It's very kind of you to

say so, Mr. Kim, but I was only doing my job. Seven will require

additional procedures, and time to recover, probably a few weeks, but

after that, she will be able to do whatever she wants.... In short, Mr.

Kim, she's all yours."

Seven reached up with her free hand and touched Harry's face. "So, now

that you have me, Harry, what are your plans?" He stared at her for a

moment, and then she pulled him down towards her. They shared a gentle

but passionate kiss, before they broke apart, smiling.

"First, I think I'm going to make sure you get well. Then, I think we

should do some serious planning for the future.

~*~*~

Several weeks later, Harry appeared at the doors to Sandrine's with a

tall blond woman in a red dress on his arm. Tom noticed them out of

the corner of his eye, and did not recognize the woman at first. Her

golden hair was down, flowing around her shoulders, and framing her

smooth, creamy face.

Tom's mouth fell open when he realized it was Seven, as did B'Elanna's,

which was the only thing that saved him from a vicious elbow to the

ribs. Harry smiled at their reactions, and steered Seven over to the

table where they were sitting with Janeway and Chakotay. "Captain,

Commander, Tom, B'Elanna - I don't believe you've met Annika Hansen."

"I am pleased to meet you," Annika replied with a smirk, as she

formally extended her hand to Tom to shake, and then the others.

"How is this possible? I thought the Doc couldn't remove all of your

implants," Tom asked in amazement.

"He did not. We are taking advantage of the holodeck's capabilities.

When I leave the room, I will resume my former appearance," she

explained.

"Would you care to sit?" Tom asked.

Annika looked at Harry, and they exchanged a silent communication.

"Save our seats Tom," Harry said, as he continued gazing at her.

"We're going to dance." Annika smiled, almost shyly, and he led her

out onto the dance floor.

He held out his arm and she placed her hand in his, as his other arm

wrapped around her waist. The song was an old waltz, and they floated

over the floor together. Annika's dress looked stunning on her,

hugging her gently and then flaring out softly. Crewman, who had

previously thought nothing could top her skin-tight biosuits,

reassessed that opinion, as they watched the couple circle the floor.

But as they danced they only saw each other. Unaware of how quiet the

conversations had become in the room, and that gradually, they had the

floor all to themselves. They were looking into each other's eyes with

a warmth and openness that left no question as to their feelings. As

they continued to dance, Harry brought their hands in to his chest, and

Annika leaned in to rest her head against his shoulder. He whispered

something in her ear, and her smile broadened.

From their table, Kathryn watched them dancing with a happy, wistful

look on her face. Leaning over to Chakotay she asked, "Do we still

look like that when we dance?"

He smiled back, wrapping his arm around her waist, and pulling her

closer. "After this dance, I think we should try it and see."

Tom chuckled at them, "Well, Captain, it seems you two have finally

been displaced as the main topic of gossip." Janeway smiled at that,

and contentedly leaned further into Chakotay.

And Harry and Annika continued their dance.

~*~*~ The End ~*~*~

Author's Note: Harry Lee felt that there needed to be more explanation of what

happened between the last scene in sickbay and Sandrine's at the end.

So he is writing the missing scenes. When he finishes, they will be

posted to RiF and linked to this story on my site. - Anne Rose