Solaris

A/N: I'm sorry. That's all I really need to say, but if you want a little more substantial than that…I'm sorry a lot? I'm in my senior year of college…life is nuts and fanfic only happens in exceptionally boring classes that I can 'get by' in without paying attention.

Angry Warrior: Get used to that…I have large gaps in my writing because of lack of time.  Sorry.

FallToPieces: It's extremely likely that you read this forever ago and forgot about it. I did too…lol.

Mara Look-a-like: Thanks! I like it too…and I'm trying my best to continue!

RingWarriorKayla1607: Thanks!

MissRe: Glad you found it and liked it! I appreciate it!

Silent Cobra: I love Q. I was strapped for interesting ideas and went "How did I not include Q?!" and poof. In he went.

Stephanie: Thanks! Here's the next chapter. Better late than never!

Poppinswannabe: I think Chakotay is cool on the outside, but would be internally a wreck…even though he knows she'll say yes!

Kayla-louise: Here it is…sorry I forgot the hurry… 

Tayababy: thanks for following this! Sorry I took so long.

Aislinn Carter: I think that was me writing myself in…I babble a lot.

Ayjah: Picked up on the extra ambiance huh? Kind of like when ST harps on some particular image and you Know they are so winding up in a time loop or something…haha.

Cause for Celebration (and brooding)

Sitting at Sandrine's a night after their engagement, Kathryn and Chakotay were discovered.

"Capt…Kathryn," Tom began, quickly correcting himself with a sly smile. "Is that what I think it is?"

Everyone turned to Kathryn and she flushed, slightly from the attention.

"You're engaged?!" B'Elanna almost shouted, looking intently from Kathryn to Chakotay. She reached across the table and smacked his shoulder. "Took you long enough."

Chakotay smiled and Kathryn tried her best to hide her own smirk.

"What do you mean, 'enough?'" He asked, defensively.

Tom almost sprayed them with his beer, laughing. "You two…" he looked at their curious faces. "You guys really don't know, do you?" he asked, incredulously.

"Enlighten us," Kathryn ordered.

"Well, you really were behind for a long time. We all knew that you two were in love long before either of you noticed it."

Chakotay looked at B'Elanna. "Is that true?"

"It was painfully obvious. I guess some people," she gestured across the table to them, "are just thicker than others."

Kathryn and Chakotay turned to Seven, who stared coolly back at them.

"It was not difficult to see that an attraction existed between the two of you," Seven stated.

"Oh really?" Kathryn mused, wondering how many other things her crew knew that she didn't.

Seven nodded, curtly. "When the Doctor taught me about human relationships, you and the commander were used as an example of sexual tension."

"He did?" Kathryn asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise.

The Doctor raised his hands as if to protest, looking flustered next to Seven, but another nod from the former borg confirmed it.

"Well, I'm glad we're finally up to speed," Kathryn laughed, putting her hand into Chakotay's.

"Me too," he smiled, looking back at her with love.

Tom formed a heart with his fingers and thumbs, framing his former commanding officers in it.

"Yeah, I don't know…could you two be any sappier?"

"We could try," Chakotay offered.

"That's okay…" Tom yielded in defeat. "How about I just buy you a drink to celebrate?"

"Tom…the drinks are free," B'Elanna reminded him, rolling her eyes.

"I know. It's the thought that counts," he assured her.

While Tom and B'Elanna ripped into Chakotay as much as humanly possible, Seven turned to Kathryn.

"You okay, Seven?" she asked.

"It is just…I am curious," Seven admitted. "At B'Elanna's wedding when you caught the bouquet you said the ritual was insidgnificant…and yet, now you and Chakotay will be the next to wed."

Kathryn smiled. "That's just a coincidence. Anyone could have caught the bouquet and anyone could get married. Chakotay and I are in love, so marriage seems to be the next step in our relationship."

"Love sounds illogical but…nice," Seven admitted.

"Well, I hope you come to know it someday, Seven."

Seven looked thoughtful for a moment. "There is a phrase that Tom Paris taught me. 'I'll drink to that.' Is this an appropriate time to use such a phrase?"

Kathryn bit back a smile. "Yes, I think so." She raised her glass. "A toast…to love."

As she sipped her wine, Kathryn wondered what an intoxicated Seven of Nine would be like. She got her wish sooner than she hoped. Apparently the former drone had an extremely low tolerance for alcohol.

"I feel…unusual," Seven stated.

Kathryn grimaced. "Perhaps you should put down the wine and have some water instead."

"No!" Seven protested, clutching her glass. "It is a pleasant sensation."

Janeway fought the urge to further lecture Seven, but decided that she deserved to make her own decisions. Every young adult had a first experience with alcohol….it was only fair that Seven would too.

"…and it's not like I ever wanted to be borg, but I never wanted to be brought out of the collective either," Seven slurred. "I never really get what I want, you know?"

Janeway looked up, relieved to see Chakotay standing behind her kneading her shoulder.

"Care to dance with me?" He asked, flashing his gorgeous smile at her.

Kathryn looked back at Seven and bit her lip. "I don't know…" she began.

Chakotay pulled her from her chair, wrapping his arms around her and swaying. "Come on….dance!"

She was surprised, but he seemed so determined. With one last glance at the inebriated borg she followed her fiancé's lead.

Once in open space Chakotay put his hands on her hips, taking her free hand and steering her around the dance floor, wildly out of step with the music. Slowly, Chakotay kissed her hand, making his way up her arm and to her neck.

"Chakotay," she protested, still feeling that she was the focus of the crew. "What has gotten into you?"

"A few shots of vodka, one of bourbon, and a beer…at Tom's insistence."

Kathryn sighed. Was she the only person on Voyager's roster that could hold her liquor? "You too?"

"Me too? Who else is drunk?" Chakotay asked, stepping on her toes.

"You didn't notice that Seven of Nine was suddenly inclined to telling me her life story and stumbling all over her speech?"

"I only have eyes for you," Chakotay responded, kissing her again. Pulling back from her he made a face. "At least her being intoxicated means that this makes more sense."

"What makes more sense?" Kathryn asked, unable to follow his eyes due to the way she was facing.

Chakotay spun her around so that she could see, and Kathryn uttered something between a gasp and a laugh.

Contrary to her belief she now bargained that most of Sandrine's patrons could care less about Chakotay being all over her, because most everyone there was staring at Seven of Nine. She was sitting in a very surprised Harry Kim's lap, hanging around his neck and whispering in his ear. The whisperings didn't seem to be sweet nothings, because Harry was a brilliant shade of red, and his eyes kept widening every time she whispered more.

"Oh my…" Kathryn murmured.

Chakotay grinned. "At least I'm not that drunk."

Kathryn smiled at her fiancé. "I'm glad I don't have to go pull you out of Harry's lap," she teased him.

B'Elanna finally managed to pry Seven from Harry when she announced that she didn't feel well.

"Tom, will you find the Doctor?" B'Elanna asked, leading a queasy Seven toward the restrooms.

Tom looked through the crowd surrounding Harry, but did not spot the Doctor.

When he finally located him, Tom found the EMH at the bar, hunched over a glass.

What is it about tonight? Tom wondered. "Hey, Doc. You okay?" He began, speaking gently.

"Alright as a mere hologram could ever hope to be," he muttered, full of self-loathing.

Tom groaned internally, knowing that things would not be easy. They could never just be easy…

"Look, I don't mean to interrupt your evening, but have you seen Seven?"

"Of course I've seen her. Everyone caught her little show with Ensign Kim."

Tom stopped and re-evaluated. The doctor sounded like a jealous…oh no.

"I'm sure it meant nothing. She had way too much to drink and is really sick. B'Elanna is doing her best, but she could really use your help."

"Oh sure," the Doctor began, "Why not? After all, that's all the medical hologram is good for…medical problems. He couldn't possibly aspire to more than the sum of his program…he couldn't ever be considered as human as the rest of the crew. No…he's just a tool that you can pull out whenever you need, and forget about him the rest of the time."

"You know that isn't how anyone feels about you. You are just as much as individual as anyone on Solaris. You are just as good, and you know it."

The doctor slammed his glass down on the bar with a flair of drama. "But SHE doesn't," he yelled. "She doesn't see it, which is ironic, considering that I taught her how to be human. I'm even more emotional than she'll ever be…"

Tom exhaled quietly, clapping the Doctor on the shoulder. "Listen, Doc, you really are human. If you weren't, you wouldn't feel like this. Unfortunately for all of us though, being hurt in love is something everyone goes through, believe me…"

The doctor looked up at him. "Then, it isn't because I'm a hologram?"

Tom shook his head. "No. It's just you…well, that didn't come out right…but Seven of all people would not discriminate against a hologram."

"I don't believe it…she's really just not interested in me at all?" The Doctor looked into the bottom of his glass and found it empty.

"You don't know that she isn't interested. She's drunk. Give it time and talk to her…when she's sober. You can't know how she feels until you do."

"Alright. I'd better go take care of her," the Doc announced, standing up and appearing completely sober.

Tom looked puzzled. "Weren't you…I mean, aren't you….drunk?"

"Mister Paris, while a hologram may of course fall in love and experience any range of emotions and talents, it is impossible for one to feel the true effects of alcohol. I was merely acting."

"Acting…" Tom replied, rolling his eyes. It figured.

"Was it good?" The Doctor quipped.

"Yeah, Doc. You're a natural lush," Tom sighed.

The Doctor took Seven home and administered a hypo-spray to relieve the effects of her evening at Sandrine's.

"How do you feel?" He asked her.

"As though I were hit with a photon torpedo."

"That good…" The doctor frowned. "What were you thinking?" While the assumption was that he referred to the alcohol, he was actually referring to the lap dance she gave Harry.

Seven winced at the increased volume of his voice. "I have never experience alcohol before. I did not anticipate this effect."

"There were several effects," the Doctor snarled. "Which one didn't you anticipate?"

"I was aware that alcohol distorts perception and lowers inhibitions. I was also aware of the sickness many experience in the aftermath. However…I have found that I feel…embarrassed by my actions earlier tonight."

"You mean the actions you made while in Mr. Kim's lap?" He couldn't resist.

Seven raised an eyebrow and nodded. Her expression softened as she registered the pain in the doctor's eyes. "It was not my intention to hurt you," she declared.

The Doctor was taken aback. "Me? What does any of this have to do with me?"

"You were angered by my actions and apparent affections for Harry."

"Well, he's a very attractive 'flesh and bones' kind of guy," the Doctor retorted.

"I am not interested in Harry Kim," Seven stated.

The Doctor's emotions flare. "Then what the hell were you doing in his lap?!"

"Practicing," came her cool reply. Seven shifted with a look of discomfort. "The captain was discussing love with me. We toasted it in fact. I hoped to learn, so that I might later apply that knowledge…"

The Doctor couldn't tell if he had any hope or if Seven was just 'practicing' to satiate her own curiosity. It could be that she would never feel love for anyone…but at least she didn't have a thing for Harry.

"Seven, one fo the things about love…physical affection is part of it, but it isn't all of it. Everyone is different, and whoever you have a relationship with, you will have to learn how to respond to them individually. There isn't just one way to go about it or one key thing to know to make love work."

"Then, my attempt to 'practice' was futile."

"Unless you intend to court Mr. Kim, then I'm afraid it was."

Seven's eyes flashed briefly, hiding the beginnings of a feeling of anger. "That is not my intention."

There was silence between them. Normally the Doctor and Seven could go entire days in silence, each doing their own thing. This was the first uncomfortable silence they experienced together.

"Seven…" the Doctor began quietly, sighing. "You'll get the hang of it. Love is…whatever you make of it."

"Thank you," she replied. "Good night."

Seven turned toward her bedroom, leaving the Doctor standing alone in the living room. His eyes followed her until she was out of sight.

To be continued...