The mess hall was abuzz with music and chatter as the crew gathered there to celebrate Tom's birthday.  All in all it wasn't a bad little get-together, but Seven didn't feel much like being with anyone at the moment.  In fact, she felt like curling up on a bed and not moving.  It was back again, the strong aching that made her stomach hurt and chest tighten.  She couldn't make sense of the randomness of the attacks, but she sure knew the cause.  He was across the room with Captain Janeway, chatting.  At first she had been intrigued by the odd sensations that began to assaile her whenever she went around him.  But it wasn't painful then.  It was different now.  She started wanting to be with him more and more, finding excuses to go and see him, asking him to teach her new things all the time, and then soon being with him started hurting because she felt unfulfilled.  There was something missing in their time together, at least to her.  She originally thought that if she stopped seeing him so often, the feelings would degrade.  She was wrong.  It only made her want him more and what was worse was that she found herself going to him more and more, subconsciously.  He looked across the room and her and smiled and she tried not to flee the mess hall, these new feelings.

Does she know what an angel she is? the Doctor thought to himself as he stood there alone.  She looked absolutely beautiful as Neelix smiled and stepped up to ask her if she was enjoying herself.  Even with the slightly annoyed expression she was like a wonder of Heaven to him.  She made him regret programming physical reactions to mental stimuli.  She made him feel weak.  He sighed and listened absently to the music, replaying what she had said to him over and over in his mind.  She had said she didn't believe there were any potential mates aboard Voyager.  Well, that stopped him from any actions.  He looked over where there were couples dancing to the twentieth century music.  It was something from the late 50's of that century.  Tom had insisted that his party have a twentieth century Earth theme.  Well, it certainly was that.  The decorum, the music.  Neelix even tried to make some twentieth century Earth dishes for the party and screens had been placed in the mess hall that would display different images of that century.  The Doctor sighed and watched some of the images go by, but he was really only seeing her.

She sighed, leaning against the wall and watching one of the veiwscreens flashed images of a brown haired young man in an old fashioned hospital singing to the song that had just begun.  The song suited her mood perfectly.  She was tempted to go back to her "quarters" and listen to it in private and reflect upon her worsening mood.  She hadn't meant to be rude to Neelix, really, but she had trouble with hiding her annoyance.  Especially when she was going through something that confused her...and these feelings certainly did just that.  She had always heard from every source that love was a great thing and that to be in love was the best feeling.  That was until it happened to her.  It was so strange to her and new, but it wasn't something, no matter how inefficient, that she could stop.  It was like a knife in her chest...painful and deep under the skin.  "Seven?"  She hadn't even heard Harry approach.

She turned.  "What?" she snapped, startled.

"Whoa, Sev.  Just coming to see why you looked so sad.  Is something wrong?"  His brown eyes reflected his concern.

"It's nothing you could help with," she answered harshly, leaning back, tired and unhappy.

He leaned against the wall too and watched her, seeing her gaze slide to where the Doctor stood.  Looking into her eyes he understood then, what it was that must be bothering her.  "Talk to him."

Her gaze wasn't soft, that was for sure.  But she didn't snap back an answer either.  Instead she only sighed and said, "I just can't.  I am certain he does not return my feelings."

The song sure suited him fine.  It was solemn and searching desperately for the love it sang, just like he did.  He felt like screaming the lyrics to the stars and whispering them in the quiet of some dark room where no one would find him.  The screen flashed to a brown haired man watching an old home video and the Doctor looked on, feeling every sad inflection that the young man sang.  She was talking to Harry, seemingly upset at something.  Now his eyes were glued to her.  If she hurt in any fashion it now affected him as well.  Those blue eyes, so sad.  They reflected the sadness in his own brown eyes.  "Why don't you go to her, Doc?" Tom said from beside him, making him jump.

"She doesn't feel the same.  She told me herself that she didn't think anyone on Voyager would suit her."

Tom sighed and leaned against the wall with him.  "People change, Doc.  Sometimes things are said that aren't really meant.  I think if you talked to her about this it would be alot better for both of you."

The Doctor gazed at her.  "I don't know.  Maybe you're right.  Maybe not."

Tom shook his head and sighed.  It was going to take alot of convincing, but he knew the Doc was better off telling her.

Seven sighed as Harry walked away.  It was doing no good standing here wishing she understood what was happening to her, why she had such a longing.  She needed to find him and talk.  It was inefficient for her to keep the feelings inside her.  If anyone, he could help her understand what she was feeling and how she could make things better.  She looked to where he had been.  He was gone.  She searched the room, looking for him and didn't find him anywhere. He must have went back to sickbay, she thought.  She sighed, deciding that she would talk to him another time.  Right now returning to the cargo bay seemed like a good idea.

She was nowhere in sight.  Damn, he thought.  He was all ready to tell her everything and now she was gone.  Maybe this is a sign, he thought.  But sign or no, he couldn't keep it to himself any longer.  He needed to talk to her about it.  Another day.  She must be regenerating.  He sighed and headed for the door, ready to go back to sickbay and suffer alone for the rest of the night.

Show me the meaning of being lonely
Is this the feeling I need to walk with
Tell me why I can't be there where you are
There's something missing in my heart...