The Answer is Always ... LOVE --SEVEN?

�The woman says she saves worlds and yet, the bull headed men think they can pull one over her.� Lt. Toress was muttering to herself as she waited the result of her test on the console. �21 on 40 now how can someone even not inform me�� She had only started to complain aloud when she turned just to bump right into the sturdy figure of the Astrometrics officer.

�Kahless! Seven what are you doing here?� The Chief Engineer exclaimed as she saved herself from falling down with no help from the ex-Borg.

�Oh Yes! Is it 13:00 hours already?� Lt. Toress asked even though she knew that if Seven was there that meant it was already 13:00 hours.

�Well, thanks for coming, I was going to ask you to cover my shift in the engineering while I go and help Faith in the Holodeck 3.� Lt. Toress requested even though it was clear that it wasn�t something she was looking forward to doing.

�What does Crewmember Spencer require assistance for?� Seven asked completely out of character for her as one would have never expected her to have a follow up question after a request.

�Well, my husband lost a bet with her and she won some Holodeck rations from him, but she is not very good with programming the computer as to her specifications, so she asked him for help but at the last minute he got called to the bridge and now I got to go and help her out.� B�elana informed with her eyes glued to another console.

�What are you working on?� Seven asked abruptly changing the subject, which was completely in character of Seven.

�Well, the read out on main frame reactor is 21 on 40 and we just detected it now. I am trying to find the reason for it.�

�If you wish to continue with your search then I can assist Crewmember Spencer with her Holodeck programming.�

�Thanks Seven, I really want to do this myself.� Lt. Toress had only finished her sentence when she turned just to catch the back of the blonde disappearing at the door.

It was definately unlike Seven to forgo working with main frame reactors and go and help someone with a simple voice command programming, but right then Lt. Toress had other things to worry about.

When Seven entered the holodeck it was still in the state of complete emptiness and Faith was standing right in the center with her back at the door.

Seven paused for a second trying to figure who Faith was addressing but finding the said name similar to that of Lt. Tom Paris, she assumed that Faith wasn�t aware of the change in arrangement and she was still expecting Lt. Paris.

�Lt. Paris was called at the last minute to the bridge, but he had arranged for Lt. Toress to assist you. But, Lt. Toress did not wish to leave the engineering so I volunteered to assist you.� Seven outlined the circumstance leading to her presence.

When Faith had won the holodeck ration from Tom, all she wanted to do was re visit the happiest place of her life. Though rarely did she ever wanted to walk down those memory lanes but after seeing Seven again, it was as though the scar she carried next to her heart had opened up and she needed some kind of healing even if it meant a holographic healing.

But, unfortunately she had always been so against the whole technology thing that she had never taken the time to learn how to use it so she required help for programming the holodeck that she was sure even the youngest kid in every Federation ship could do it without even thinking about it.

But, now that Seven was the one who had shown up to help, she wasn�t sure if she could put the holodeck ration to its best use.

�What do you require?� Seven asked as she moved to the side from where the program would commence.

�Do you have any particular one is mind? All the specifications of every registered clubs after the shift are in the memory of the holodeck computer.� Seven informed.

�No, this one is not in the memory. Could you command the computer as I describe it to you?� Faith asked as she came behind the invisible line too.

�Right there was the semi circular bar and this side had all the private booths.� Faith said trying to remember all the details.

�Computer a semi-circular 20^th century bar area on the left corner and private booth complimenting the scene.� Seven commanded.

�No, it was a little more nearer to each other, and the bar was turned a little more left.� Faith specified.

After almost an hour of countless instructions Faith stopped and stared at the scene in front of her.

�This is it.� Faith said exclaiming at how remarkably exact it had turned out to be.

�Where are we?� Seven asked once inside what seemed like an empty night club.

Before her companions could answer Seven had already scanned the room and matched it to the image of the holodeck program that she had assisted Faith to build.

�Yes this is Piper�s club.� A very old man with glasses answered as he gestured for Seven to sit right next to him.

�My name is Rupert Giles.� He introduced himself as Seven looked at her surrounding and made a mental note of a particular corner next to the booths that Faith and Seven had spent 15.34 minutes trying to get it right but ultimately Faith had given up and settled for the best Seven could assess from her words. But, now she knew what mistake she had done and hoped that one day she would be able to correct it.

�I am Annika Hensen.� Seven reciprocated the gesture of the old man and introduced her self.

�How is the future earth?� Giles asked being a man who jumped right to the heart of the matter rather than circling it.

Seven did not answer wondering what she was to reply, as she herself didn�t have the exact specification of the earth�s condition at her present.

�You don�t have to answer that, but as you are from the future I hope you do understand why we had to betray the family.� Giles was gulping down his drink heavily as he spoke.

�I do not believe I understand.� Seven replied honestly.

�There is future. There is earth in the future so how can you not understand.� It was Willow who spoke almost screaming.

�There is definitely earth in the future.� Seven concurred Willow�s statement to be true but that certainly did not clarify anything to her. �Explain your statement.� Seven commanded.

�Explain, I�ll explain.� Willow got up and walked behind the bar and ducked. She appeared immediately after with a huge book in her hand that dropped it right on top of the counter. She repeated the action three times for three different huge books.

�This explains it all; the end of the world. Every religion, every book, every prophecy talks about the end of the world, and now every one thinks it�s that time.� Willow said looking sadly at the books that she had just spread.

�The world does not end.� Seven simply stated as if the people in the room needed a reconfirmation.

�We know that, you know that, but they refused to believe that.� Giles said taking off his glasses and still gulping his drink.

�Specify �they�?� Seven asked.

�The family.� Giles answered.

�The Charmed Ones, the Slayers the whole family except Kay. They just would not believe us when we said that it wasn�t the end of the world. Not even when Kay managed to buy the demonic portal that took him to the future and he confirmed that there certainly was a future, still they just do not believe it.�

�It�s the elders. They have convinced the whole good magical world that the end is near and now there is no stopping them.� Giles completed.

�So, we had to take help from the demonic magical powers to try and save this world. That�s why we alerted the Dark Lord about their ambush but we had no idea that Faith was immortal and Leo would actually reach them on time. But, now that you are here, I have hope again, you can stop them from destroying it.� Willow said with clear relief in her voice.

Seven did not even hear the last part as a feeling so alien to her flooded her system with such a rush that every muscle in her body contracted as a reaction.

�Oh Please what are you going to do? Kill us for it?� Giles said in a drunken slur as he watched Seven�s face turn furious. �If you want, I would say please do kill us for it. It would be thousands times better than living day by day with the blood of everyone you loved in your hands. You think it was easy for us to come to the decision to stand against the only people we ever-considered family. I never married, never had kids. But I had it all. Buffy was like a daughter to me. Kelly considered me her father too.� Giles had tears as he recalled the young slayer. �You know when Victor purposed to her, she didn�t go to Faith, or even Piper. She came to me. She asked me if I could give her away. She would have looked so beautiful in that white gown that she had picked out only last week.�

�But she is never going to wear that because I�� Giles didn�t have the strength to put words to his actions.

�Annika, they were our family too. You have to understand that this just did not happen over night. We battled over this decision for months; we tried every possible way to change their mind. For Christ�s sake I was the maid of honor is Tara and Phoebe�s wedding. I was Ken�s godmother, and Tara was Derek�s. Faith has saved my life, more times than I can count. I would die for them if I was asked to, but this is not about us, or them, it�s about saving the world that they are out to destroy.� Willow put a reason but even her own tears that were already streaming down her cheeks were not agreeing with her words.

�Faith might believe it is the end of the world, but that does not mean that she would destroy it. She saves the world, she does not destroy it.� Seven defended Faith even though she had hardly spoken a word with the Faith of the present.

�That might be the Faith you know. It is not the Faith here.� Giles pointed the obvious flaw in her conclusion.

�She was already all for the idea before, now that she has found out she is immortal she is not going to stop it, after all annihilating everything might be the only way to get rid of her immortality.� Willow said continuing her explanation.

�That reason would still not suffice for Faith to destroy a world.� Seven insisted.

�That is the only way she can die with Piper. You think she wouldn�t?� Giles who was visibly drunk still managed to be the voice of the reason.

�The Charmed Ones possess the Book of Shadows, one of the most powerful magical book but there is the Book of Dark Magic that is almost as powerful. In that it is predicted that only the future can save the present. You are from the future you will stop Faith.� Willow said turning the page to the specified quote and pointing it out to the astonished ex-Borg.

�You will stop Faith.� Willow predicted as Seven stared at a rough sketch that clearly resembled her in the book.

�Most crew members build their home in the holodeck but you built a club.� Seven voiced her assessment.

�This is my home Seven.� Faith said walking towards the dance floor. �Perfect owned this club.� Faith explained as she pointed to the where she was sitting just a moment ago.

�Right there, I sat right there night after night, till one night she finally took me home. She rarely bartended but she always served for me, and when she served I always ended up drinking more than I should. But thanks to my Slayer body I could hold good amount of alcohol.� Faith recalled her life when this bar was a home to her. �After every demon we vanquished or vampire we dusted we always came back right here. We came right here before every major crisis too. Here we planned to save the world, and here we came to unwind after we saved the world. So Seven THIS IS MY HOME.� Faith screamed the last part as though the sound would cover the tears that were forming in her eyes.

�You still cry for those days?� Seven asked as she approached the dance floor.

�I got nothing else to cry for. I made sure I would not get attached to anyone or anything after that. God! When you have eternity to live through no matter whom you get attached to, you are bound to loose them. So, I chose to mourn for none.� Faith confessed as she watched the blonde come closer.

�Computer, Dim lights out. Dance floor lights on. Kathryn music file 7196.� Seven commanded to the surprise of the Slayer who just watched in awe at the taller woman.

�Kathryn always said that dancing always cheered her up.� Seven said and raised her hand for the Slayer. �May I have this dance?� Seven attempted to twinge her lips to an almost smile as she asked.

�Sure.� Faith said as she fell into the arms of the blonde. �I can understand my the Captain chooses this music to dance with you, but I don�t know if it is appropriate for us to dance in.� Faith said even though she was already enjoying the closeness of the ex-Brog�s body.

�Do you wish to suggest any other music?� Seven asked as she pausing for a moment.

�Hell no.� Faith said grinning and going back to the swaying with the lone tune of the saxophone in the background.

�Seven why are you doing this?� Faith finally asked once she was able to recover from the shock of actually dancing with the blonde.

�When the Doctor taught me the norms of human behavior, he had stated that when a heart is damaged human�s felt sad. The only way one could repair a damaged heart is by love. I wish to repair your heart.� Seven confessed her motive as found herself closing her eyes.

�And what does Captain have to say about that?� Faith asked still swaying with the music in the blonde�s arms.

�I don�t believe that Kathryn would object to my attempt to help you.� Seven said honestly even though her human part was warning her otherwise.

Faith�s heart fell right back down on the floor and smashed into pieces as quickly as it had floated up just a moment ago. As Seven�s motives were not at question, it was her own, she thought to herself as she tried to not think about the effect the body next to her was doing to her as the blues continued. She could see the reason why the Captain chose this music to dance with Seven, especially if the Captain had taught Seven to dance so close.

She had danced with Kathryn on numerous occasions on that very music but never had she felt the need to be so close to another human body as she felt as the music continued. She pulled the Slayer closer as she snuggled in the nook of her neck. As the time passed, Seven found the bare skin of the brunette�s more and more irresistible, so much so that without even a slightest hint to her borg nano probes, her human part took over and she found herself softly kissing the skin giving into her temptation.

Faith pulled back the moment she felt the touch of the lips on her skin. She looked into those blue eyes that everyone called was nothing but ice, but at that moment, in the semi darkness and the lone saxophone just blending to the background, any hopes that had shattered previously resurfaced as she allowed the nature to take course and the two pair of starved lips met their destination.

Seven had kissed Kathryn numerous times before and after they had consummated their relationship, but the kiss that she was participating in at that moment was nothing like the one with Kathryn. This kiss, she had not seen it coming, yet it felt as though she had been waiting for it since the first moment she had seen the Slayer. Her hands were unconsciously on Faith�s hair pulling her head closer as she deepened the kiss, and allowed herself to clench her thirst with Faith�s lips and insides of her mouth.

�How well do you know Faith anyway?� Kaynard asked as he guided Seven through his mansion.

�I was just making conversation; I got to keep my mind occupied. Its not easy being the Judas of the family, you know.� Kaynard said taking a long drag of his cigar and putting a fake smile.

Seven recognized the analogy that Kaynard was making but decided not to comment on it; rather she pressed on the reason at hand.

�Where is the portal?� Seven asked once Kaynard had stopped inside a huge empty room.

He moved forward and stood on an invisible mark as he blew his smoke on to the air in front of him, revealing a multi color deformation.

�How does it function?� Seven asked nearing the, now very visible distortion in the space.

�Your guess is as good as mine. Or it might even be better. All, I do is pass through it, and couple of time it jumped me in time, but never for more than couple of seconds. Except for one time, when I was there for almost five minutes. That�s when I got out of the building where I appeared and went on the streets. There I remembered hearing the news about the Voyager. Other than that, once I appeared at a busy street where people were talking about the destruction caused by the explosion of Venus. That�s why I know that there is no Venus in the future.� Kay explained as he passed through the portal. �But most of the time, nothing happens.�

Seven took a long look at the portal and took a step inside. Just as Kaynard had predicted, nothing happened.

�I have to go back to the future.� Seven said a little to herself a little to her companion.

�This is not my time. I do not know if I should be a part of this or not. Earth is intact in future. It will be with or without my assistance. Hence I do not wish to participate in your strategy against Faith.�

�Annika, you were couldn�t keep your eyes off Faith during the dinner, which to me suggests, that you did not know that you would be seeing Faith. But, Faith knew it, being that this is the future-Faith�s past. Don�t you think that there might have been a reason why she didn�t warn you? A reason like, her leading the family to destroy the earth.�

�Are you telling me that there was no point at which she could have told you that she remembered you from her past?�

Seven stood still as Kaynard�s reasons became more computable to her thoughts. Seven stopped and turned around to the young man who showed no pride in what he had just accomplished with his words.