Star Trek: 10 Times Captain Janeway Was Right And Everyone Else Was Wrong
9. Keeping Seven On Board
By the end of Scorpion Part II, Seven of Nine has been disconnected from the Borg Collective. When Chakotay goes to see Janeway in the holodeck, he asks incredulously, "You plan to keep her on board?" doubting that she will even want to stay. Janeway’s reply is simple: they "pulled the plug" and so are responsible for her now. Moreover, they can offer one thing the Borg can’t: friendship.
In the year or so that followed, Janeway and Seven were often at loggerheads. Seven more than once openly contradicted Janeway, and even disobeyed direct orders. Under the influence of a Borg homing signal, she fled Voyager before being rescued, and she may have jumped ship of her own free will had the Dauntless not proven to be a hoax. Seven was an unknown risk for the crew, and B'Elanna definitely took a while to warm to her.
How many Borg hitchhikers are we gonna pick up on this trip? ~ Lt. Torres, Drone
At each stage, however, and often despite her own frustrations, Janeway supported, protected, and nurtured Seven in her development as an individual. Janeway’s decision to keep her on board was proven right. Seven became a vital member of the crew, a friend to all (and even lover to Chakotay), a mentor for Naomi, and, later, partner to Raffi and essential to Picard’s missions.
Even B'Elanna came around eventually: "Mild shock. Not bad!"