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September 9, 2378. The day was windy but quite warm in San Francisco. It was a nice 70 degrees, which was perfect for the light burgundy jacket and the tight black trousers Seven was wearing. She was dressed a bit more casually than usual. She left her bodysuit, which she still wore for her job at the Federation Research Institute, at home. It was Sunday and it was the day that Seven has been looking forward to for quite a few weeks. And yet, she found herself to be a bit nervous.
It's been a few months now since Voyager finally returned home and everyone reunited with their loved ones. Well, 'returned', is the word everyone used, and they all felt the full weight of the seven years spent apart from their home planet. But for Seven, the weight wasn't a mere seven years, it was much, much more. Apart from visiting her aunt's house when she was four, she had never been to Earth. Her recollections of those years were next to non-existent. It might as well have been an alien planet she was landing on and calling home.
The wind blew steadily, sometimes harshly against her. Her hair was tightly put up like it always was. She wondered if it would withstand the wind for long, a few strands were already getting loose. She would readjust it later. People were arriving and entering the zoo. Sunday isn't the calmest day for planning a zoo visit, but the zoo was large enough to not have it be a bother. Besides, it seemed to be a bit calmer than usual.
It was almost two pm. Another five minutes and she would be there. Normally. Probably. If her schedule didn't make her run late. Such things could happen. Captain, no, Admiral Janeway only got more important and flooded with work once she returned to Earth and was promoted. She was happy for her friend and mentor, but it also meant that it was very difficult to plan a meetup. And they both agreed they very much wanted to. But until then, they hadn't had a chance to find a date that suited Admiral Janeway's extremely busy schedule. Two and a half weeks ago the Admiral finally made it a point to put the meetup on her planner, saying she officially didn't have the time but would make the time for it. Seeing Seven again was important for her, she had said. So once they had the date, they brainstormed for a location. The first idea was just to have a nice meal together at a restaurant, then they started talking about planning a short visit to some historical monuments to do some sightseeing. Eventually, however, Admiral Janeway made another suggestion, a somewhat curious one. She proposed that visiting a zoo could be an interesting thing to do. At first, Seven had grimaced slightly.
"A zoo?" She recalled saying incredulously. "Why a zoo? Watching those creatures in captivity, just sitting there, or aimlessly moving around in their cage. It's a dull existence."
"That may be true," Janeway had said, "and it probably is. But look at it this way: we spent all those years looking for alien life and unique species in the farthest corners of the Delta Quadrant. Wouldn't you want to see some species that are native to Earth close up? A zoo may not be their natural habitat, but seeing them so real in front of you, Seven, it could be very special."
Seven had pondered about it. She had once heard from her colleagues at Voyager that at one time visiting a zoo was considered to be a kind of ritual. It was something that parents or grandparents did with their children, something that the children thoroughly enjoyed. Seven had never had the opportunity to do that, and following Admiral Janeway's suggestion, she started to think about it. Testing her knowledge with actual observation was something she could find herself enjoying, after all. In the end, she agreed and so their meetup was organized. They chose the San Francisco Zoo, which had existed for a long time, but still was said to be very impressive.
Seven looked at the time. Ten past two. Still no sight of the Admiral. She looked around and watched the trees at the zoo entrance move violently to one side then abruptly to the other due to the wind. Her open jacket moved in an equal way. Twenty past two now. Seven still stood at the same spot. She had stood there and waited patiently for more than twenty minutes, she started to feel like a statue. A borg statue, she thought amusingly. That would probably not sit well with the people. She felt herself growing restless. Hopefully, nothing happened to the Admiral. She pushed the thought away fast. No, Janeway was surrounded by capable people who wouldn't just let something happen to her. She sighed and went to have a look at a holographic zoo map positioned a few feet away. It was an interactive map. Tiny holographic images of animals of different breeds were walking at their respective place on the map. Touching an animal made a text field pop up with relevant information about that animal.
"Having fun with that map?" a familiar voice close to her said.
"Fun is irrelevant," Seven said quickly, almost automatically - an echo of her past rushing back into her mind-"I was just..."
"Killing time waiting for me? I know. I am sorry, Seven. My meetings took longer than expected."
Seven turned around and saw her former captain standing before her. Dressed in her black and red Admiral uniform, she looked amazing. Very self-assured. Also, a tiny bit sexy, Seven had to admit. Was it the contentment in her face of having achieved the nearly impossible task of getting her crew back from the Delta Quadrant? Or was it the renewed confidence she got because of her promotion? Either way, the Admiral seemed to glow.
"We're here to prove that fun is relevant," Janeway said and gave Seven a warm, welcoming smile. She firmly put her hands on Seven's arms. "Can I hug you? I feel like it's been so long since we've seen each other, though it's only been a few months," She laughed, "Now that I'm no longer your captain, a bit more familiarity between us can be possible." Janeway beamed.
"A hug is... acceptable, Admiral," Seven said, a bit unsure, but kind of liking the thought of 'more familiarity' with her former captain.
"Kathryn, Seven, please. I insist."
"... Kathryn," Seven replied awkwardly. There was some getting used to this 'familiarity', Seven thought. Before she could think about it much longer, Janeway gave Seven a firm hug.
"So, any particular animal you'd especially like to see?" Janeway asked as they both started walking toward the entrance.
"I was considering dolphins. They are very social animals. They swim together and protect one another. They sometimes swim in quantities of one hundred at a time. I thought it'd be fun to see... an animal species that values the 'collective', so to speak. But alas, they're not in this zoo. I just checked on the map. I haven't checked which other animals are here."
"Well, that's a pity about those dolphins. Maybe we should just take a walk, look around, and let ourselves be surprised."
"So it shall be, then," Seven agreed.
They checked in and started walking. At a fork in the road, they took the rightmost path, which soon led them near the African Savannah where some kudus with beautiful large horns were grazing. A bit further they could see the long necks of two giraffes sticking out.
"Their size is impressive," Seven said as she looked up to see them.
"Yes, it is," Janeway agreed. "I knew they could be nineteen feet tall, but seeing them before me manages to captivate me every time. Did you know they sometimes sleep standing up? And they don't sleep for very long, just a few hours each day. In the wild sometimes even just 40 minutes."
"Their sleep is very efficient then," Seven concluded, intrigued.
"You could say that," Janeway smiled and looked at Seven. She had that intense stare as she studied the giraffes walking in the distance, almost the same stare as when she was studying data in her Astrometrics lab. It was always a joy to see Seven being so interested in something, Janeway thought. Just right then, a wild gust of wind blew to their backs.
"It seems we've got an uninvited guest: the wind!" Janeway grinned as she softly took Seven's arm and guided her back to the road. Next to the African Savanna was the Lemur Forest. They stopped to try and find a lemur, but weirdly none showed itself. Disappointed, they walked on in the direction of the mandrills.
"So," Janeway began, not completely sure how to broach the subject, "How are you holding up? Is Earth everything you had expected it to be?"
Seven tensed a bit at the question.
"It's been... chaotic," She said. "A society so large with so many individual minds and opinions ... it's ... a lot to take in. A lot of social interactions to get used to."
Janeway nodded. She reminded herself that Seven has come a long way from being just a disconnected borg drone to a full-fledged individual. But still, there were things in which she was inexperienced, even a task as mundane as buying groceries would be new to her.
"However, I am fortunate to have been offered a job at the Federation Research Institute with the Doctor. It's been an enriching experience," Seven concluded firmly.
They both stood still for a moment, watching two female mandrills take fleas out of each other's pelts. A large, almost twice their size, male mandrill was sitting about four feet from the two females, watching Seven and Janeway intensely.
"But probably a bit lonely too?" Janeway offered softly, a sudden sadness seeping through her.
"I have the Doctor, who is my friend and as I said, is working with me. And I also regularly exchange messages with Naomi Wildman and Icheb about their educational journey. There may not be time anymore for any games of Kadis Kot with Naomi, but I'm proud that both of them are advancing greatly in their studies. There has also been my Aunt, with whom I have regular contact and for whom I come to care greatly."
"I'm pleased to hear that," Janeway said. "But that doesn't take away that..."
She waited a moment, trying her best to formulate her thoughts, "... that doesn't take away that everyone, me included, kind of went their own way. Back home, back where things are familiar for us. Though for you, nothing is familiar. On the contrary, by coming home, you've kind of lost your second collective, the Voyager crew. I think that for no one that loss has been felt as deeply as you have."
Seven didn't say anything; she focused her stare at an imprecise point further down the path.
"I... I will adapt."
That means you haven't yet, were the thoughts that immediately crossed Janeway's mind. Those three words, "I will adapt," contained so much sadness and loss. And instantly a deep ache and guilt started to fill her. Had she not been so buried in work and her promotion, she could have helped Seven with this transition, she thought.
Seven turned to face Janeway and offered her a smile tainted with tiny bits of repressed sadness. Janeway started to say something, but Seven already turned her head to the path and continued walking. A couple of kids passed them playfully shouting at each other, running away along the path in front of them.
They walked on in silence till they heard a series of high-pitched whistling sounds coming from their left. They both looked up and saw a large eagle sitting on a branch.
"A bald eagle," Janeway said and they both walked a bit closer to have a better look.
"He's not bald," Seven noted.
"Perceptive," Janeway said with a smile, "They're called bald because of the whiteness of their feathers on their neck and head."
Seven noticed a display tablet with information and started reading.
"Apparently they were endangered due to pollution a couple of times. In the 1970's due to a pesticide, and in the 21th century due to lead poisoning. The latter was because of the ancient types of bullets with lead that the hunters used. The eagles ate left behind prey that still had bullets in them and so the lead got into their body. The problem persisted and they almost became extinct due to that in the early 2100's. Change in gun technology eventually helped and their numbers started rising again."
"They're beautiful," Janeway said, mesmerized by the bald eagle before them. "And strong too. And if that story is any indication, they're persistent. They survive. I like that." She smiled.
"According to these texts, they also build huge nests. They add parts to their nest each year. A nest can thus become six feet wide." Seven paused. "And they mate for life".
Janeway's smile stiffened, a sudden wave of sadness roared through her. Where did that come from, she wondered? Mark didn't wait for her, that was a known fact. True, she had kept up hope for years only to finally get the devastating news. But she had gotten over it. She had to. She needed to continue her mission: getting Voyager home. Her being in command was also something that refrained her from starting a new relationship on board of Voyager. It was the correct conduct for a Starfleet officer, and she abode by that. And since she's been home, there was work. Tons of it. There hasn't even been time to see Seven again, even though that was something she very much wished for. For different reasons. She looked at Seven for a moment, then back to the eagle. Could she not make time? Maybe she needed to set priorities.
"There's that," Janeway added finally, and sighed.
"I'm sorry," Seven added. "I should have known that the situation with Mark..."
"... Is fine," Janeway said quickly. "It's fine, really. I got over that a long time ago. Mark and I have even gotten into friendly contact again after landing on Earth. I met his wife. She's nice. They're a good couple," Janeway chuckled, "Probably a better couple than me and Mark ever would have been. She's at home, a lot, from what I gather. That's more than I could ever offer."
"You have different things to offer a partner," Seven said softly, "Your kindness, for instance."
"I don't think... "
"I've seen how much you care for people, Adm... Kathryn. You care for people, you take them into your heart, you build them up," She paused, "You did so for me. You made me who I am today. And I am immensely grateful for it."
She needed to hear that, Seven thought. She needs to hear how much she means to people... how much she means to me.
Well, maybe," Janeway answered, suddenly getting a bit flushed. "How about you?" she added, trying to navigate the conversation away from herself. "I heard you and Chakotay broke up?"
"That's correct," Seven answered, "Not long after we landed, actually. I think maybe two weeks, perhaps three?" She took a deep breath, and indicated to Janeway to continue walking.
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"Don't be. It wasn't... It changed once we got to Earth. I think. I don't know. I spent a lot of time wondering about what happened, what it was Chakotay and I shared, and what we didn't. I think back on Voyager, after the experience of Unimatrix Zero with Axum, I just wanted to get that feeling again. The feeling of being with somebody, romantically. I thought it would make me more ... normal, more human. Chakotay seemed like a good choice. I found him intelligent, even charming."
"Yes, that he can be," Janeway smiled.
"I... I apologize," Seven stopped herself, "I don't know if this is ... awkward for you. I know you and Chakotay have always been close. I'm unsure if you two..."
"I appreciate him for a wide range of reasons," Janeway added in, "He's always been a good friend. It's a deep friendship we developed over the years. I really trust him and in a way, I love him. But as a friend. That's as far as it goes. So if you're thinking that this is awkward for me, hearing you talk about your relationship with him, rest assured, it's not." Janeway offered Seven a soft smile, an indication that it was ok for her to continue her story.
"Have you had contact with him recently?"
"Yes, we actually had a short video catch-up last week."
"Did he... did he say anything ... about me? About our relationship?"
"Not much. He said more or less the same thing you did, that once on Earth things changed."
Seven nodded.
"It's weird actually. In a way I am grateful though. I still remember you, the 'future you', talking about how me dying had a devastating effect on him. I wanted to break up with him back then, to spare him the pain. He disagreed. So we continued being involved, until the first weeks of being here." Seven paused. To their left, a greater one-horned rhinoceros was behind its fence slowly moving in their direction. To their right they were approaching the penguin island. A few couples with children were standing near the railing and laughing; their children pointing at the animals and counting them.
"In that timeline, we stayed together for years. It's odd to think about that. I guess coming to Earth kind of gave us a reality check. I never... I don't think I ever loved him. True, I was infatuated with him. A teenage crush, I think you could call it. I even... I even ran a simulation of him in the holodeck to see what dating him would look like. It's all embarrassing, actually. And childish."
Janeway chuckled.
"No need to be embarrassed. Researching all the data thoroughly before jumping into something, that's not a bad move."
Seven nodded, awkwardly. She felt a bit weird about sharing this information. Though this meetup with Janeway felt very ... freeing to her. It felt as if they were meeting each other again, anew. And in a way, they were. It was their first meetup since arriving on Earth. Maybe their relationship here would also change, Seven thought. The extra familiarity during this trip was very welcomed, who knows what else in their friendship could change?
They went to see the penguins and leaned on the railing.
"Did you know male penguins gift female penguins rocks in order to woo them?" Janeway asked. She looked sideways at Seven. Seven looked back at her, amused.
"I did not."
"The females use these rocks to build a nest. Birds here use twigs for that, but in the icy landscape of the Antarctic region, there are none available to them." Janeway paused, "Are you ... seeing someone?" she asked softly.
"No, are you?"
Janeway shook her head, "I think work wouldn't allow me." That was a thing she continually told herself again and again whenever a glimpse of a romantic longing emerged in her mind. There just was no time.
"I had a Klingon suitor, back at work, "Seven said. "It's a strange story."
"Enlighten me," Janeway smiled.
"Og'ihl Kodh. A Klingon astrophysicist who works in the Research Institute. He's very... sure about his research and his knowledge. I unfortunately had ... 'the pleasure' of working with him on a few assignments. Whenever I would make a comment about his data, he would never accept it, saying his work is always faultless and correct. A month ago we were both assigned to work on the same project. As you know, I am very efficient but he was just impossible to work with. At a certain point I became highly frustrated with him, so frustrated that I threw my tricorder at him. Unusual behavior of me, I admit. Apparently, a female throwing things at a male is some sort of Klingon mating ritual. He started to pursue me romantically after that, being as stubborn in it as in his work."
Janeway laughed, "Lucky you."
"I tried throwing off his advances, mostly unsuccessfully. Well, it has gotten slightly better over time. I do refuse to do any other projects with him though. I noted my objections to the board and they agreed."
They left the railing and started walking to a fountain a bit further down the path. As they left the penguin island, they made a few remarks about the amusing manner in which a penguin walks. Getting closer to the fountain, Janeway noticed a bench not far from it.
"Can we sit for a while?" Janeway asked. There had been something on her mind for quite some time and she wished to talk about it with Seven.
"I do not require rest," Seven noted.
"Neither do I really, but it can be pleasant just to sit for a while. Please?"
Seven nodded and they walked to a bench with a view of the fountain.
“This one is called the Lion Fountain, apparently," Janeway said, as she noted a small holographic screen next to the bench which showed the current location they were in.
"We should have invited Naomi," Seven said. "She would have loved studying all these animals."
"She most definitely would have," Janeway smiled.
They stared at the falling water of the fountain for a few quiet moments.
"You mentioned my older self before. I must admit I was a bit ... shaken by the encounter of meeting her, of seeing how cynical she had become. I feared, and still do sometimes fear becoming like her when I'm older."
"That was another timeline; it differs from our reality."
"Yes, I am aware of that. But I also wondered why she became who she was in the end. The extra years necessary to get home must have taken their toll, yes, but also... She lost you. She had to go on without you, Seven. And I thought about it, how going on without you would have been, how it would be. It has haunted me... a lot. You ... you mean a lot to me."
Janeway paused. Seven turned her head to look at her.
"As you do to me, Kathryn," Seven added softly. Calmly she laid her hand on top of Janeway's.
Janeway looked at Seven intensely, her eyes blue like a summer sky. Before she was well aware of what she did, she softly moved forward and placed a kiss on -what should have been Seven's cheek- but by some weird miscalculation, ended up being half on her cheek, half on her lips.
The kiss lingered for a few moments, both of them surprised and unable to move. Janeway hesitantly backed away, cheeks flushed. Embarrassed, she turned her face away.
"I don't know where that came from, I must have... I mean, I... It was supposed to be on your cheek," Janeway said and started laughing nervously.
Seven was also a bit flushed, and chuckled, "I... I don't mind," she said, "Actually... it was rather nice."
Then suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew from behind them. Several strands of Seven's hair were already loose and hanging at the sides of her face. The new gust of wind loosened yet another few.
Janeway looked at Seven's face again and saw the strands beautifully caressing her cheeks.
"May I?" Janeway asked, reaching out her hands to Seven's face. Seven nodded slightly and Janeway hesitantly pushed the strands behind her ears.
"I should probably redo my hair," Seven said shyly.
"You could also just... let it loose?"
"That... may also be an option," Seven noted, "I'll consider it."
They stayed silently for a few moments, just enjoying sitting in each other's company. Neither of them was really sure what to say.
"I am sorry," Janeway ultimately broke the silence, "I... I don't know what I was thinking, or what I'm expecting. I'm a bit confused myself. I... the more I thought about the encounter with "older me," the more I started to realize how... how deeply I feel about you. I want you to be a part of my life, in any way that is possible. Be it friendship, or maybe... I don't know. I just wanted to see you and tell you. But then again I probably can't... I mean, I also have work, and I..." She took a deep breath. "I'm rambling, I'm sorry." She shook her head.
"There is no need to apologize. I'm... glad you told me," Seven added gently, "I must admit, I also... Arriving on Earth was, as I already said, very confusing. You were right earlier, it was like losing my collective all over again. I'd gotten so used to everyone being there near me, especially ...you... who were my mentor, my friend." Seven paused and took a deep breath, "You were such a strong and guiding presence in those years I was on Voyager. I learned so much from you. I ... care deeply for you and I admire you. Your courage, your vision, your kindness and your gentleness..."
Janeway laughed nervously, "Now you give me too much credit."
"I do not," Seven added with a smile.
They fell silent once again. Both of them stared at the water that flowed calmly from the fountain into the basin below.
"Our lives now can be hectic, sometimes almost as much as they were back on Voyager. Yours more so than mine, but still," Seven said. "How nice would it be if we could be a sort of steady calmness to each other? Some kind of 'island of peace,' just like this fountain in the ever-changing park with all its energetic visitors passing by. A place we could go to when things got too crazy in the world."
"I would like that," Janeway said.
Seven turned to look at her intensely. Her brown hair fluttered wildly in the wind, her face softly smiling and serene. More and more it dawned on Seven.
"You're beautiful," Seven said.
Janeway's eyes found hers.
"So are you, Seven, you..."
A sudden wild gust of wind blew into them again, breaking the moment. It also loosened even more of Seven's hair.
"This is getting outrageous," Seven said, "I'm taking your advice."
She loosened her hair completely. Large strands of hair fell next to her face and over her shoulders.
Janeway looked mesmerized.
"So," Seven started shyly, "Where do we go from here?"
"To the crocodiles, maybe?" Janeway said, joking nervously.
"Please no crocodiles," Seven added playfully, "They make me think of species 6504. They're a very peculiar species. Do you know the manner in which they mate ... Well, they're peculiar."
They both laughed.
"Now you've triggered my attention. You'll have to tell me all about species 6504."
"Sometime," Seven said warmly. Their eyes met once again.
Seven calmly took Janeway's hand. Janeway welcomed the gesture and squeezed gently.
"Would it be appropriate if I would... kiss you?" Seven asked softly.
Janeway felt her cheeks flush, "I don't know if I can... Like I said, I have work, and..."
"Just a kiss. There needn't be anything more at this moment."
Janeway looked at Seven. There was a longing in her eyes. And something else too. Something akin to ... love.
"Yes," she said, barely a whisper.
Seven gently cupped Janeway's face and moved slowly towards her. She waited, stroked her thumb calmly over her cheeks. Janeway could feel Seven's breath against her lips. She closed her eyes. Around them the wind rushed wildly. Slowly their lips touched in a calm and gentle kiss. Their touch was soft but full of emotion and they stayed a moment frozen, enjoying the sensation. Then Seven moved back a little, but didn't pull away completely. Janeway felt like a weight lifted off her that she didn't even realize was there. She let herself be guided by her emotions and moved forward to quickly plant another kiss on Seven's lips. This kiss moved slowly into a more sensual one. Both of them were breathless as they finally ended the kiss and Seven removed her hands from Janeway's cheeks.
They looked at each other, with a new eyes full of wonder.
"That was...," Janeway started, but let the sentence be unfinished, unable to put her thoughts into words.
"It was," Seven agreed, smiling gently.
Janeway chuckled, then broke eye contact to look at a couple of trees at the other side of the fountain, wildly moving in the wind.
"I'm feeling a lot like these trees over there."
"I do as well. Though there is also... a certain calmness in me now. When I was waiting for you, I was... nervous. But now, it seems as if all is well. I feel like for the first time since landing on Earth, I found my home."
They both looked at each other, and smiled warmly.
"So," Janeway said."Shall we continue exploring the zoo? There are a lot of things we haven't seen yet and we still need to find the crocodiles so you can tell me about species 6504."
Seven chuckled. "I agree. We should continue."
Seven stood up. Janeway followed her example and they started walking towards a path that bordered the guanacos and the anteaters. Their hands softly grazed each other's and it didn't take long for them to link their hands, enjoying each other's closeness as they walked. They spent some time around the aviary, discussing the wild sample of birds that flew there. Then they visited the prehistoric gardens with their fine collection of ancient plants. They agreed to go see the koalas and flamingos before stopping to have a quick drink, all while idly chatting in their newfound closeness. Just before closing time, they were walking towards the entrance again as they passed a zoo souvenir shop. Seven noticed something in the store windows.
"I... I will be right back," she said and quickly disappeared into the shop. A few moments later, she reemerged with a small package wrapped in wrapping paper with the brand of the zoo on it. She gave it to Janeway.
"What's that?"
"Open it."
Janeway turned the small package in her hands, then slowly began ripping off the wrapping paper. When she opened it, she found a soft round rock in it that fit perfectly in the palm of her hand. On the rock was written 'You are my rock'.
"I know, it's kind of silly," Seven started, "but it made me think of that story you told about the penguins and..."
Suddenly, it dawned on Janeway.
"So you're... wooing me?" she offered with a mischievous smile.
Seven didn't say anything, but looked down shyly.
"Did you know," Janeway started, "that eagles woo each other by grasping each other's talons in flight and somersaulting towards the Earth. Maybe we could try something like that. We could borrow two small starships and try it out..."
"I... That would be reckless..."
"And exciting."
"Potentially," Seven agreed and offered her a soft smile.
They continued walking towards the zoo entrance. Once they exited the zoo, they came to a halt, standing next to each other. Both of them were a bit unsure of how to end this day.
"That was...," Janeway started, "That was an incredible afternoon. I enjoyed it thoroughly. I enjoyed being here with you. I enjoyed us, this new 'us'." She paused.
"I did as well," Seven added.
"I want this," Janeway said looking intensely at Seven, "I wasn't sure how I felt or what I wanted before today. I was confused, but now, I am certain. I have a feeling of being so... alive again. I don't know how I'll manage with work, but I will see to it that we can spend time together in the future. If... if that is something you would want as well?"
"I do," Seven said, "This feels good."
They looked into each other's eyes for a few moments. Finally, they closed the space between them and kissed each other gently. As they slowly moved away from each other, another gust of wind blew their hair in every possible direction. They tried to adjust it, but it was no use. A full afternoon of this wind had made their appearances look less than elegant. Maybe a bit wild even. To each other though, they looked as beautiful as ever.
"We didn't get to see the crocodiles," Janeway said as they were saying goodbye.
"I'll save that story for a special time," Seven promised.
They each went back to their respective homes and duties, daydreaming about their newfound connection and how it would just continue to grow in the future.