“Are you still living in New York?” Chakotay asked his sister abruptly as the five of them made their way towards the large transporter depot; the silence had been painfully absolute since Adam had asked that well-meaning, but obviously ill-judged, question about his possible “auntie”.
Chakotay couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief as Sekaya laughed, “Oh no, I don’t even work for Columbia University any more…” She glanced back at Adam, who was skipping along beside Seven as she hung back awkwardly from the other adults. “We felt New York just wasn’t the right environment for kids…”
Hector nodded in agreement, “We live outside Albany now, Sekaya transferred about five years ago to the university up there and my work is flexible in terms of location.”
Seven, seeing an opening for conversation with a less intimidating party than Sekaya, asked politely, “And what is your occupation?”
A wry smile flickered over Hector’s lips as he gave a dismissive shrug, “I design replicators, sonic showers and so forth, the essentials of our age.”
“We always found them essential on Voyager, when they weren’t disabled by something or other!” Chakotay agreed with a dry laugh. He saw Sekaya wince at the mention of Voyager and sighed, if she was upset by what had happened to him to the point of not wanting to discuss it, what were they going to talk about?
Adam, by now sufficiently bored enough by the conversation to fidget impatiently, asked his mother, “Are we going home now Mom?”
“Yes, where else would we go?” Sekaya replied with a patient smile. “Why don’t you tell your uncle about school?”
“Yeah, you’re in kindergarten, right?” Chakotay asked him warmly. “Do you like it?”
“Uh huh, it’s okay.” Adam conceded reluctantly before turning his attention to Seven, “Do you like trampolines? That’s what my Grandma Martinez got me for my birthday and…”
Seven smiled weakly at his enthusiasm but still felt bemused, a feeling she knew would occur frequently until she adapted to Earth, if she ever did. “What is a trampoline may I ask?”
“What’s a trampoline?” Adam echoed incredulously, staring at her in disbelief for a moment before launching into an explanation, “You bounce on one, mine’s so big that I can see over the neighbour’s fence and wave in his windows!” He giggled mischievously and grabbed her hand, so excited that he barely batted an eyelash at the metal that laced up her arm and instead tugging her along with him. “Hurry up and come back to my house and I’ll show you. My rope-swing is fun too…”
Sekaya flushed in embarrassment when she saw many people staring at the spectacle of her little boy dragging a Borg drone down the street. “For goodness’ sake Adam, you’ll dislocate her shoulder if you keep dragging her along like that!”
“It’s fine.” Seven reassured her hastily as she saw Adam’s face fall, “This limb can withstand can withstand over 10 kilos of applied pressure before any damage is done.”
Chakotay saw the glint of deadpan humour in her eyes that he loved and laughed heartily as he walked into time with them and firmly grasped Seven’s other hand as Adam looked up at her in astonishment. “Is that true?”
“Yes, the same is true of all my implants, if not my organic tissues.” Seven explained.
“I don’t think Adam should concern himself with things like that.” Sekaya intervened tightly.
Seven’s head bowed, she’d obviously overstepped her boundaries. “No, of course not.” She responded quietly, sensing the other woman’s hostility.
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Star Trek Voyager: Bonds of Love, Ties of Family
FanfictionEven after Voyager's triumphant return to Earth, there are obstancles to Seven and Chakotay's relationship, not the least of which being Chakotay's wary family... C/7. Family/Drama/Romance
