Captain Janeway smiled.  "No trouble at all.  Hello little fella," she said, crouching down to the doglike creature.  "Does he bite?" she asked.

The ambassador laughed.  "No, not usually.  You're too pretty a girl for him to bite, anways."

She looked up at Chakotay who was grinning, as she stroked the "dog's" soft black fur.  "He's a cute little thing.  Welcome to Voyager, Ambassadors Vrellian and Zxar."  She stood.

"Thank you much," said the Voressi.

Chakotay, still smiling, said, "If you will join me I will show you to your quarters."

"Very well, Commander.  I'll have to gaze at your captain later," he answered.

Zxar growled.

Everything was quiet in sickbay as he stood there, data padd in hand, reading quietly.  Quite suddenly the doors whooshed open and there was the light of his life.  He smiled.  "What can I do for you, Seven?"  Without words she pushed him to the wall grasping his face in her hands and kissing him fiercely.  When she finished she stood back and eyed him.

"I required a kiss.  I may require more as the day progresses."  Looking him from toe to head she nodded, winked and left.  All he could do was stand there.

Tom giggled at the Doctor's spacey grin.  "Do I even want to know what you're thinking about?" he asked playfully, looking back down at the experiment he was attending.

With a slight shake of his head the Doctor came out of his reverie and sighed.  "Sorry.  Just daydreaming."

"Yeah, about Seven."  Tom shook his head with a smirk.

The Doctor scratched his temple.  "Whether I was or not, it's none of your concern," he said.

"So how is the whole Seven situation?  Did you ever talk to her?"

The Doctor sighed.  "No, I haven't.  I think I should leave well enough alone for the time being.  Although, she has increased her social visits to me," he said thoughtfully as he measured a substance.

Tom nodded.  "See there.  She's starting to like you romantically, I'll bet."

The Doctor smirked.  "No more bets about Seven," he muttered.  "As to whether or not she's starting to think of me romantically, I couldn't say.  She hasn't made any advances.  Just dinner, singing, the usual thing.  What would you think?"

Tom bit his lips in thought.  "I don't know.  Can you look into her eyes and see anything like interest?"

The Doctor cocked his eyebrow.  "She seems...contemplative when she looks at me."

Tom smiled.  "Maybe she's contemplating you."

The Doctor shrugged and continued his work.

"Ah," Chakotay gasped, leaning against the wall.  "I thought you said he didn't bite."

Ambassador Vrellian shook his head.  "Not usually.  I can't imagine what's got into him."

Chakotay leaned down, lifting his pant leg to look at the red and slightly bleeding damage.  "Well, here is your quarters anyhow.  I'm going to have to take a trip to sickbay."

"Well, do you need my help?"

Chakotay shook his head.  "I'll make it.  Have a pleasant stay and please, keep a leash on your pet."

Vrellian nodded and Chakotay hobbled away.  "Zxar, you bad s'cretsi.  What's the matter with you, bitin' that poor young man?"

Zxar sniffed and made a sound akin to barking.

"No, I don't think he likes you now."

Zxar sniffed at the carpet, sneezed and twitched his nose.

"Zxar?  You've got a strange look in your eyes."

It was then Zxar took the initiative to bolt down the hallway.  Ambassador Vrellian took off after him, hoping that the fare he'd paid would still cover the ride by the time they got to Satar Station.

B'Elanna watched the Borg as she keyed a few commands into the console there in engineering.  Since there was nothing important going on Seven had suggested they adjust different systems on Voyager to make them run more efficiently.  She wasn't in to mood for working at the moment though, so she absently watched Seven and wondered what was going on with her and Doc.  "State the reason you are observing me, Lieutenant Torres," Seven said suddenly, making B'Elanna jump.

"Sorry," she said.  "I guess I'm not in the frame of mind for working."

Seven glanced at her with a slightly irritated look.  "It seems humans are rarely in the frame of mind for working whenever there is nothing adventurous happening.  Perhaps someone else should assist me if you are not up to the task," she suggested.

B'Elanna rolled her eyes.  "I'll be fine," she said curtly, picking up a data padd.  "So, anything new with you?"

"There is nothing new with me," Seven answered.

B'Elanna sighed.  This was going to be a long day.  "I hear you been spending a lot of time with the Doctor.  You two are pretty good friends."  Seven mutely nodded.  "So, are you two seeing each other?"

Seven turned her head and eyed B'Elanna before answering, "Our relationship is platonic."

B'Elanna smiled.  "Do you think it could turn into something more?"

Seven stopped her work and turned completely.  "Ensign Paris has been encouraging me in that direction and now you are taking an interest in the situation.  Explain."

B'Elanna leaned back against the console and shrugged.  "I'm just curious.  Tom asked me if I thought you two would be a good couple and I told him I thought you and Doc were suited.  It's just something friends do, playing matchmaker.  I guess it's just our desire to see friends happy."

Seven cocked her eyebrow.  "I find this practice almost as strange as the courting ritual.  And do you consider me a friend?"

B'Elanna bit the inside of her cheek.  "Seven, we may have our fights, but I like you all right."

Seven eyed her for a moment, then nodded, turning back to her work.  "In answer to your question, I do not know if anything will develope.  I would like to explore a romanctic relationship with the Doctor, but I am uncertain if he returns that desire."

It was at that moment Harry walked up.  "What are you two so deep in conversation about?"

B'Elanna rolled her eyes and playfully pushed Harry away.  "Girl talk."

Harry smirked.  "Oh, I'm in.  Who's taste in men are we discussing today?"

B'Elanna pushed him again.  "You're getting to be as rude as Tom.  If you don't have an official reason for being here, please, go do something."

Harry smiled.  "I'm not as rude as Tom.  See, I'll even leave you two ladies to talk."  He giggled and left.

Seven turned.  "Girl talk?"

B'Elanna nodded, leaning over a console and keying in some commands.  "Yeah.  It's a slang term for when two or more women get together to talk about men and more to the point, what's wrong with them."  Seven didn't pursue the meaning of that.  She hadn't been aware of them talking about any problems with the Doctor.  B'Elanna continued.  "Anyway, why don't you just ask him what he thinks?  He cares for you.  I know he won't hurt your feelings in any way."

Seven considered.  "The idea of asking him makes me feel...nervous."

B'Elanna smiled.  "He makes you nervous?  That's sweet."

Seven tightened her lips.  "I find nothing sweet about it."

B'Elanna shook her head.  "Well, I do.  But, Sev, you'll never know unless you talk to him."

"I will consider it," she said softly.

B'Elanna shook her head and took the data padd from Seven.  "Come on," she said, walking from engineering.  She stopped at the door and turned back to see Seven still standing there, uncertain as to whether or not to comply.  B'Elanna motioned her over with a wave of her hand.  "Well, come on."

Neelix was plastered to the wall as the beast growled.  He tapped his comm badge.  "Neelix to security.  There is some kind of creature in the mess hall.  It won't let me leave.  Nice boy.  Good boy.  Maybe we can be friends?"

Zxar growled.

Ambassador Vrellian ran into the mess hall just in time to hear Neelix's yelp of pain.  "I am so sorry," he said, getting a hold on the s'cretsi's collar.  "I don't know what's wrong with him.  He's just crazy for some reason, causing you nice people such trouble.  I assure you he's never acted like this."  It was then that a security team, phasers in hands, bounded into the mess hall.  "I got a hold of him," Vrellian said.  "I don't know what's wrong with him.  Do you have a doctor that would be nice enough to look at him?"

Zxar would have none of that.  With a twist of his body he jerked loose and bounded from the mess hall, large paws thumping against the floor.

"I want to ask you to dinner," she stated simply, standing there in sickbay.  "Meet me in Sandrine's at 19 hundred hours tomorrow?"  She cocked her head and waited for his reply.

The Doctor smiled.  "Sounds good to me."

She nodded and turned.  "I will see you at that time."

"See you."

As Seven stepped from sickbay B'Elanna joined her stride.  "So?"

Seven glanced at B'Elanna.  "He accepted.  I require your help in picking out a suitable garment."

B'Elanna nodded.  "Let's go to the computer and see what we can piece together."

Captain Janeway sighed as they sat there in meeting about Voyager's latest problem, Zxar.  "Sir, four of my crew members have been bitten and their bites have infected their systems.  In order for the Doctor to come up with a treatment we have to look at your s'cretsi.  Isn't there some way for you to call the animal?"

Vrellian shook his head.  "Something's wrong with him.  He's not listening when I command him and he's never acted like this before.  I don't know what happened to him.  Captain, I am truly sorry about this.  I could never have forseen such a thing."

"Well, Ambassador, you can't be blamed for something you had no control over.  Please, accompany Tuvok and try and stop Zxar from biting anyone else."

The Voressi nodded.  "I will."

"So, you and Sev are having dinner tomorrow?" Tom said to the Doctor as he scanned the unconscious commander.

The Doctor nodded.  "Yes.  She asked me to have dinner in Sandrine's tomorrow at 19 hundred hours."

Tom grinned, knowing why Seven asked the Doc for dinner.  "Are you going to tell her?"

"I don't know, Tom.  I may not even get to go if we don't find that s'cretsi."  The Doctor looked at the scans he had taken of Neelix.

Tom sighed.  "Can you believe this?  We've come beyond Borg and Kazon and dangers unimaginable only to be taken down by a dog."  He giggled.

The Doctor shook his head.  "I don't think you would be so amused if you were the one laying there on that biobed."

Tom grinned.  "No, I can't say I would.  But then again, B'Elanna would have to kiss me."

The Doctor's eyebrow rose.  "Excuse me?"

"It's an old earth custom called, 'Kiss it and make it better.'  To calm their children down mothers used to kiss their cuts and bruises, saying it would help the healing process."

The Doctor nodded thoughtfully.  "It's probably not far from the truth.  It's been said that love will heal almost faster than medicine."

Tom smiled.  "Such a romantic.  Seven will love that."

The Doctor bit his lip.  "She'd say, "Love is irrelevant to the healing process.""

Tom laughed.  "Yeah I suppose she would think that way.  But then again, you never know.  She might just have a romantic side somewhere under all that Borg technology."

"Well, be that as it may, kisses won't heal these wounds.  This could turn serious."

Seven stared down at the black mass of fur that lay on the floor.  "Seven of Nine to Captain Janeway."

"Janeway here," came the answer.

Seven folded her arms in front of her.  "The s'cretsi has been apprehended."

She heard Janeway sigh in relief.  "How did you get him?"

"The creature came out of an open jeffries tube and attempted to bite me.  I stunned him.  He is laying on the floor."

"He's not hurt bad, is he?" the Voressi Ambassador said.

"The beast is undamaged," Seven answered.

"Can you convey the s'cretsi to sickbay, Seven?" Captain Janeway asked.

"I can.  Seven out."  She crouched down and picked up the s'cretsi and took it to sickbay.

The next day the four bitten crew members were allowed to leave sickbay leaving the Doctor alone to think about dinner.  There was nothing unusual about having dinner with Seven, but the Doctor was nervous.  Tonight was the night he was going to talk to her about persuing a romance.  He found he kept asking the computer for the time as the day passed away into night.  Finally it was time to go.  Something felt different tonight.  Something so right.  He was about to leave sickbay to meet Seven when Tom entered.  "Doc, before the big night begins I want to tell you something.  For the music selection ask the computer to play Doctor Sequence Alpha2.  It's just the right music to set the mood.  Here is a list of the tracks."  He handed the Doc a data padd.

The Doctor skimmed through the list.  "Some of these I don't recognise.  Others though, are very beautiful, but isn't this a bit obvious?"

Tom smiled.  "Nah.  You're having dinner.  Telcarian Rock wouldn't suit the situation."

The Doctor shrugged.  "Okay.  Thanks Mr. Paris.  For everything."

Tom grinned.  "Just go.  I want a full detailed report tomorrow."  The Doctor smiled and left sickbay in the care of Tom.  Tom grinned, looked around conspiringly and tapped his comm badge.  "Paris to Torres.  Coast is clear.  Time for your check-up."

Seven looked herself over again in the mirror, making sure everything was perfectly in place.  Satisfied, she straightened her dress one last time and left the cargo bay.

The Doctor sat there at the piano he'd programmed into Sandrine's, absently stroking the keys and waiting for Seven.  He slightly regretted programming an approximation to 'butterfly's in the stomach' into his subroutine because with how nervous he was if felt like those butterflies were the size of kittens.  He blinked, gazing at the keys he was touching and hummed softly to the tune of the song he was playing in accompaniment to the track that was playing.  It was then the doors to the holodeck opened and she was there.  He never thought she could look more breathtaking than in that moment.  She was dressed in a long skirted, sleeveless, burgundy dress and her hair was down, cascading around her shoulders.  She smiled and walked to the piano.  "Is my attire acceptable?" she asked, brows up as she waited for her answer.

It took a moment, but he did answer her.  "You...you look beautiful."

She nodded, satisfied and said, "Thank you.  Shall we sit?"

He stood.  "I suppose we should, though I feel under dressed now.  I think I should change into something appropriate.  Computer something in black to compliment Seven's wardrobe."  Within seconds he was wearing a black suit with a burgundy shirt underneath the jacket.  He turned around.  "Is this acceptable?"  She nodded and he held his arm out.  She took it and he lead her to a table.  Pulling the chair out for her, he motioned for her to sit and she did.  Sitting across from her he said, "I had no clue you wanted to dress up for this occasion."

She folded her napkin onto her lap.  "I thought a change might be prudent."

He smiled.  "I think you look wonderful.  But you always look wonderful, Seven."

Did she just blush?  The Doctor couldn't be certain.  She did smile.  "An interesting music selection," she stated, listening.

He nodded.  "Mr. Paris has been introducing me to new music styles.  Perhaps sometime we could try some of these."

She nodded.  "That would be enjoyable."

As the night progressed neither of them could bring up the subject that was on both of their minds.  All the Doc could do was stare into her sapphire eyes, lost in them.  Several times she almost brought it up, but just as she was going to, she decided against it.  Somehow it didn't seem correct.  After a filling meal and converstation that kept them both from talking about their relationship, the Doctor decided it was time to ease into the subject.  He smirked.  He could just hear Tom saying, "Come on, Doc.  If you ease it anymore the subject will be eased into silence."  So he asked her to dance.

The song was soft and sweet and as she leaned into him she felt like she could melt into the warmth of his projection.  No, it might not have been right to bring up the subject, but this was right.  There was something so comfortable in this, so perfect.  For the first time Seven thought she knew what the joy of being an individual was.  He was singing softly to the tune that played and she closed her eyes, living in that voice.

She was warm and soft against him as she leaned onto him while they softly danced to the music.  He could have said it then and there,"I love you," it was such a perfect moment.  Time seemed like it had stopped and there was no reality other than that of he and Seven together.  He wanted to talk to her.  He wanted to know if she could possibly feel the rightness of it all.  But when she leaned back with the same question in her eyes all he could do was gaze softly into her eyes, singing gently.  No words they could have said would have conveyed the question as correctly as their eyes had.  And in each other's eyes they had their answer.  No words were needed, only the soft touch of lips as they leaned into each other and kissed.

"Surrender to the mad Doctor Paris!" he yelled, old fashioned stethescope hanging half off his ear as he chased her through sickbay, laughing and wiggling his fingers.

"Tom, you are crazy," she said from behind a biobed as he climbed across it and grabbed her, holding her to him.  "Do you think the Doc and Seven are doing good?"

Tom smiled and nodded.  "Oh yeah.  Look how long we've been here in sickbay fooling around.  They're doing just fine.  Let's get on with the experiment!"  He jumped down and pushed her to the biobed and she pulled him down and kissed him.

"I think the experiment on you went wrong," she said, grinning as he tickled her.

"Maybe," he said softly.  "That could be it."

In the morning Captain Janeway smiled at the Ambassador as they stood there in the transporter room.  "Again, I want to apologise, Captain.  It seems that old Zxar here was allergic to some of the fiber's in your carpeting and it set him off to biting people."

She bent dow and pet the now pacified dog.  "Well, you couldn't help it and neither could he.  No he couldn't," she said in a baby talk tone, petting the s'cretsi.

Chakotay grinned.  "You'll have to excuse our captain.  She's somewhat of an animal lover."

Ambassador Vrellian smiled.  "That's grand.  I'm one too.  Zxar's been my pal for about six years now."

Captain Janway stood.  "Have a safe stay, Ambassador."

"Well, thank you, Captain, for bringing me here and for not being too angry about the Zxar situation.  I've had a great time here, other than chasing this crazy beast."  He stepped up onto the transporter pad with Zxar.

Captain Janeway smiled.  "Energise," she said and just as the strange duo dissapeared she could swear she heard a bark.

"Did you and Seven talk?" Tom said, sitting on a biobed and leaning his hands on his knees.

The Doctor smiled.  "No."

Tom shook his head.  "Doc, you should have talked to her.  Now you're going to be moping around and probably giving me more work than ever."

The Doctor grinned.  "No, I don't think so.  We didn't talk, but that's not to say we didn't have a good time."

"And?"

"And what?"

Tom grinned.  "Look, are you gonna tell me if you and Sev are an item or not?"

The Doctor only smiled, handing Tom a data padd with today's agenda on it.

Seven turned to see who had just entered the astrometrics lab and was greeted by B'Elanna.  "Leiutenant Torres, how can I assist you?"

B'Elanna leaned against a console.  "How did dinner go with the Doc?"

Seven's eyebrow rose as she looked at B'Elanna.  "You wish to engage in 'girl talk'.  Very well.  It went well."

"Did you talk to him?"

Seven shook her head.  "Negative.  There was no need."

"No need?" B'Elanna asked.

Seven nodded.  "That is correct.  Through out dinner we engaged in small talk and as the night drew to a close he asked me to dance.  I accepted.  I wanted to approach the subject several times but it never seemed the correct moment."

"So you and the Doc aren't seeing each other yet?"

Seven cocked her eyebrow, something close to amusement in her eyes.  "I did not say that."

"So you are?"

"I did not say that either."

B'Elanna sighed and shook her head, leaving Seven alone in the astrometrics lab.  When the engineer was gone Seven went to a terminal and keyed in a message and set it to send.

Doctor,
I found last night very enjoyable.  I would like to continue our 'conversation' soon.  Resistance is futile.
Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix 01