RESCUED (By The Arms of Love) By Aries4116@aol.com Disclaimers: Paramount owns the characters that we write about. We give them that acknowledgment. We just use them for our own ideas. Premise: This takes place after Scientific Method, and after Message in a Bottle. Although I have no idea what is about to happen in the future episodes, I'm just going with my instincts on this one. After reading some stories by CherPal2 and KimberAnn, my mind began ticking. Thanks for your stories, I was holding back tears!!! Rating: PG------> Nothing bad, just allot of emotion and such. Other Stuff: The title of the story comes from a song called "Rescued (By The Arms of Love) by Glass Tiger. Written by Frew/Parker/Washbrook from the album "Simple Mission". I know....I've been listening to allot of music lately and digging deep down into the words. What can I say??? RESCUED Engineering was bustling with activity while one person stood and watched them go about their duties. Personnel bumping into each other trying to get that particular task done quickly so another one could be worked on. Tom Paris had no where to be at the moment. His duty shift ended a hour ago and he had no plans for the night. It wasn't like he couldn't find anything to do, he only wanted to spend some time with B'Elanna. Time didn't seem to be on his side lately, when it came to spending time with B'Elanna. In fact, he had all kinds of time lately. Pushing away from the railing, he quietly left the second floor of engineering. A pair of brown eyes watched him push away from the railing and step into the lift. She had missed him. Again. This was the tenth time this week he turned away from the railing in engineering. Never bothering to find out if she was busy or not. B'Elanna didn't have a problem with making time for him. B'Elanna sat down at a console and stared at the read outs on front of her. There was something that was bothering Tom. He was good at hiding his feelings, but she was good at knowing when he was. Slamming her fist against the terminal, she growled. This working nights was going to drive her crazy. Not only her sleeping schedule was messed up, but her activities outside of work were screwed as well. She really wanted to spend some time with Tom. Just the two of them alone in the holodeck, lost in a tropical program under the stars. I could never understand the meaning of our lives Just at the moment when we let it slip away. Turning back the pages like a chapter in a book Filled with pain. Tom returned to his quarters and changed into his blue robe and sat down on the couch. It was going to be another long night. The nights have been more lonely than usual. Harry had been spending time with Seven of Nine, the transformed Borg into a human. Tom wasn't jealous, he missed the holodeck adventures that Harry joined him in. The word crush yelled at him every time Harry backed out of a holodeck adventure. Now there was time. Time to think about things that only visited him at night as dreams or nightmares. Images of a time that made him who he was and who he was not. Sighing, Tom shifted position so he was laying on the couch with his hands behind his head. He thought *Silence I call your name, I'm facing another lonely night.* There was only the silence of the room to answer him. He was getting used to it in a strange way. It was sort of like down time to think about the things and people that were important to him. The letter that was sent from his father was never received. He never knew what the letter said as it was lost in the clutter of the relay station. He knew B'Elanna did her best in trying to retrieve it. He could tell when she told him she couldn't get it, just the look on her face cushioned the blow of the news. Her words were a whole different meaning. *"Can't you see he is reaching out to you?"* It slapped him each time he thought about it. Then guilt settled in each time because B'Elanna was hiding her emotions about the Maquis in the Alpha quadrant that were dead. A mental laugh streaked through his mind. How different he and B'Elanna are, yet so much alike. *"You could assume he loves you and he is proud of you."* He had no idea why he could believe something like that. Maybe B'Elanna was right, he was a different person four years ago and maybe his father was too. It hurt not knowing what his father had written to him. Tom closed his eyes as the tears threatened to spill out. He would not cry over a letter that never came to be. He would not cry over words that his father would never say to him face to face. They were just words. Somewhere deep inside, the hidden feelings and emotions came to the surface. Tears fell. Shadowed by a darken sky My eyes just let you pass me by Forever lost forever all alone. B'Elanna retreated to her office for a little silence. The Engineering crew had their assignments and were busy. Grabbing a cup of coffee, she sat down at her desk and thought about Tom. Thomas Eugene Paris. Scoundrel, hot shot pilot, pig, and one hell of a wonderful man. How in the worlds would someone like him fall for me? Wonderful man?!?! I must have hit my head on a plasma manifold or something, lost my memory and realized that I'm in love with that scoundrel of a pig. Must be true. She sat back in the chair and propped her feet up, lost in the thought of Tom. Many times over the last month, she had missed him in engineering after his shift. Many times he left before she could get to him. Many times she just watched him leave as quietly as he came. Lately it had been different. It was like he was trying to tell her something. His mood was more mellow....sad. That didn't start until the letters from home started to arrive. Many times she wished she would have been able to salvage the letter his father had sent him. To give him something that he could bury some of his painful past away. Start a new slate in the comfort of knowing that his family didn't see him as a failure the way he did. She couldn't convince him that he was not a failure, not in her eyes. Failure was something B'Elanna knew all to well. She knew how it darkened the future and reinforced past mistakes. It was easy to fall to and hard to go on. Each day was lived as if it were a day of first time. Taken where the lonely go To places they can never call their own. You're never home. The Delta quadrant continued to exist and change as the rule of time marched on. It was an eternity to some and a micro second to others. Nothing ever is as it seems. Home was across the galaxy, thousands of light years away. Far from the familiarity of space and far from family. There was a new family that had evolved from this unfortunate twist of fate. Two sets of crews whose own beliefs were put to a challenge. A challenge of surviving in uncharted space, a challenge of respecting those around them. Learning to work together in order to survive, learning the meaning of friendship. Starfleet and Maquis alike, working together, surviving. Fate would decide this journey. I'm falling, falling falling But a light shines from above I'm captured by the moment Rescued by the arms of love Darling, darling, darling It's you I'm dreaming of Take me where that light shines I"ll be rescued by the arms....of love Tom woke up with a headache for starters and his back was stiff. He had fallen asleep on the couch with his teddy bear. Teddy Bear?? What the hell was going on?! He didn't fall asleep with his teddy bear on the couch. He looked around and sighed. Maybe sleepwalking wasn't too far off. He had done stranger things while asleep, so this wasn't too much of a shocker. Standing up, he stretched and headed into the bedroom with bear in hand. The chronomoter read 0630 as he jumped into the shower. He let the hot water hit him with a vengeance, making the headache slowly go away. While washing his hair, he thought about the dream he had. It was not the usual type of dream he had. It was....soft, warm and safe. He could remember it with a clarity. He was standing on a beach watching the stars wake up as the sun fell below the horizon. The light breeze was warm and relaxing. The water gently lapped upon the shore in quick waves and the sound of tropical birds filled the night. He turned to look behind him and saw B'Elanna walking towards him. She was smiling and wearing a red bikini. No sooner he turned around, B'Elanna wrapped her arms around him pulling him down to kiss him. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to his body which was clad in a black swim suit. Their mouths danced in time to the beating of their hearts. Two souls once alone in the universe, came together as one. Breaking the kiss, Tom looked deep into her eyes. There he found something that he only dreamed of having, a real love. Someone who loved him for who he was. Looking back at him were a pair of soft brown eyes that saw through the walls of his souls. "You are the reason......" Tom jumped as the hot water became cold. Quickly he shut the water off and grabbed a towel. He looked into the mirror and saw....one major mess. He didn't look any better before getting into the shower. Now it looked like he would have to put a little extra effort into looking presentable. Close your eyes Your mind will see That life is still a mystery B'Elanna had just crawled into bed. It was strange going to bed when others were just getting up. It was a interesting change in routine she admitted to herself. Flopping over to her stomach, she kicked the covers around some. Her mind was wrapped around Tom Paris. It had been all night. Her thoughts lost in those deep blue eyes, that warm and mischief smile, those warms hands on her face when he kissed her. Her stomach was getting all fluttery. If only he knew what he did to her...ahhh....nights were going to be the end of her. Tom Paris, pilot extordinare, first class pig, sexy scoundrel had wormed his way into her already tired mind. Making her think more and more about him during the worst times. B'Elanna buried her head under the pillow trying to stop thinking about everything. Which was impossible.....not really impossible unless you were in a coma. Wonder if the doc would put her into a coma so she could sleep. Before she could phantom an answer to that question, she was fast asleep. Tom met Harry for breakfast in the mess hall. Harry was mixing the contents of his meal creating the most hideous color Tom had ever seen. Tom watched in mid bite, afraid to eat. "Harry, are you trying to make me get sick?" Tom said putting his fork down. Harry looked up at him with a innocent look. "No. Just mixing it all up so I can eat it." Tom laughed, "Harry.....your making me sick." "You don't look too good any way. Did you stay out late last night?" Harry winked. "No Harry." Tom said. "I fell asleep on the couch." "Really?" Harry grinned back taking a bite of the food. Tom swallowed very hard and suddenly got up and ran out of the mess hall. Harry waited for a moment, knowing Tom would be back. But when Tom didn't come back, he found out where Tom was and went there. Tom busted into sickbay bringing the doctor out of his office. "Mr. Paris your not schedule to be in sickbay today." Tom then took a quick detour into the bathroom. "On the other hand." The doctor casually make his way to the bathroom facilities to hear the lieutenant getting sick. He waited until the worst was over and then went in to check on the pilot. Tom slumped to the floor after the bout was over, he was too tired to move right at the moment. He didn't want to move as the doctor came in. "Please let me die quietly." Tom groaned. "I'm sorry I can't let you do that." The doctor replied handing Tom some water to rinse his mouth out and a towel. "It would look bad on my medical care record." Tom accepted the doctors help and pulled himself up. His legs were weak and his stomach was still rolling, as the doctor lead him to a bio-bed. Harry came into sickbay and found Tom on the bio-bed and began to feel bad. "Tom?!!? I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to make you sick." "Ah Ensign Kim, the other half of the trouble of Voyager." The doctor stated with a smile. "What pray tell did you do?" "All I did was mix up my breakfast, like I always do." Harry said noting the very pale look on Tom's face. "I didn't do anything." "It's okay Harry." Tom rasped. "There is something wrong with me." "I always knew there was something wrong with you Mr. Paris." The doctor said snapping shut his tricorder. "Unfortunately I can find what that is medically." "Medically?" Harry and Tom said in unison. "According to the readings, there is nothing wrong with you. Although tricorders have been known to lie." "What next?" Harry asked. "Well...Mr. Kim you will be late for duty, I suggest you leave. I will notify the captain that Mr. Paris is in sickbay." "Harry I will be fine." Tom said holding his stomach. Harry patted his hand and left. Captain Kathryn Janeway made her way to sickbay when she was informed of Tom Paris's condition. Tom was a good officer and she felt responsible for all who were on this ship. They were like her children in a way and worried when any of them were ill. Just as she walked into sickbay, Tom flew past her at warp 10 and into the bathroom. The doctor stepped out of his office, "Mr. Paris is not going to make it to the bridge today. I can't seem to find a thing wrong with him." "What was your first clue?" Janeway said and went to check on Tom. The doctor gave her a funny look and went back into his office to find out what is wrong with the dashing but sick pilot. Tom found himself once again giving thanks to the person who created these nifty bowls. Which had more than one use. He felt clammy, weak and dumb. The doctor couldn't find a thing wrong with him. "Are you okay Tom?" Kathryn's voice sliced through his prayers. Tom jerked his head up to see the captain with a worried look on her face. *"Oh just wonderful."* "I'm fine.....I think." Tom joked weakly, not moving. He was even more shocked when the captain grabbed a glass of water and a towel and sat down beside him. This was a first. She handed him the water and a towel. "The doctor tells me that he can't find a thing wrong with you." She said with a understanding smile. "Maybe I will turn into a salamander once again." "As long as you don't try to take me with you." A small smile broke out on his face. She will never let him live that down. "Just don't pull your tongue out okay?" Tom had to grimace at that. "Want to tell me what is wrong?" She gently said patting his arm. She was not surprised by the confused look on his face. "What do you mean what is wrong?" He asked genuinely lost. "Your physically sick and the doctor can find nothing wrong with you." "Are you saying that this is all in my head?" Tom stated with shock. "Or in your heart." She saw a pair of deep blue eyes begin to fill with tears and close as they fell. Pulling his head to her shoulder, she let him cry. It wouldn't be long until he got down to the root of what he was hiding. Somewhere behind that devil may care attitude, was a man with feelings that often ran deep. Kathryn knew that being raised by Admiral Owen Paris couldn't have been easy. She served under him at one time. Perfection. He lived for perfection, preached it. Somewhere Tom got lost in his fathers' demand for perfection. Tom was the only male child to carry on the Paris name. Immortality, is what his father wanted. Then there was B'Elanna Torres, another facet in Tom's feelings. Kathryn was no dumb person when it came to love, she knew the signs and what to look for. They had connected in a way that most would not. Each had a hard past filled with pain, doubt and no chances given to them. It was sort of like teenagers in love with Tom and B'Elanna. Tom pulled away and looked up at his captain, tears still falling. How foolish he felt. "I'm sorry Captain. I didn't mean for you to waste your time trying to help me out." "Tom, if I didn't care, I wouldn't be here. I don't see it as wasting my time." She gently scolded him. "Besides, I want to know what is going on in your heart." "I'm not sure what to say." He said quietly. "Not many ever asked me how I was doing and stuck around to find out." "Well, get used to it." Kathryn said with a smile. Tom stifled a laugh and wiped the moister from his eyes. This was so embarrassing. Sitting in a bathroom with your captain crying on her shoulder. Stranger things have happened. "I was excited to get a letter from home." Kathryn quietly said. "I have always thought about my mother and my sister and how they were. I knew it had to be hard on them when Voyager disappeared." She looked up to the ceiling continuing on. "Getting a letter from Mark was the highpoint. God how I missed him. He missed me for awhile, found a home for my dogs puppies, began living again and got married four months ago. My world shattered into a million fragments in a matter of seconds. At that moment, I realized that I would be alone." "I'm sorry Captain." Tom said glancing her way. "It can't be easy." "Nothing about Starfleet is easy." She grinned. "Or it wouldn't be Starfleet." "There is nothing that says you have to be alone." "I'm a captain, in charge of getting this crew home. What happens in my personal life can't interfere with my duty." "Isn't that closing yourself off from experiencing a human touch. All of us at one time or another need the touch of another human." Tom replied. "It keeps us from getting lonely and loosing sight of our goals." "Speaking of personal experience are we?" She smiled at him. "Maybe." He answered. "I've spent my whole life afraid to feel. Afraid to let people see my vulnerable side. Let them see the loser I was. Hiding was always easy for me because most people never cared enough to take a second look." "What changed it?" "You, B'Elanna and Voyager." He said dead pan series. "You gave me a chance, had faith in me, you trusted me when the chips were down. Confidence that I once lost you gave back without doubt. You let me fly Voyager knowing what happened at Caldik Prime. Gave me the responsibility of 150 people when I fly. Then B'Elanna who hated my guts." He laughed. "Then realized I was not that bad of a person when B'Elanna called me friend. I guess I was not as bad as I thought I was." "Don't forget Harry." Kathryn laughed. "Can't forget Harry." Tom chuckled. "We have been through thick and thin and he still calls me his best friend." "What about B'Elanna now?" She said. "How does she make you feel?" "Getting personal aren't we?" Tom raised an eyebrow. "She makes me........." "I thought so." Kathryn said with a grin. "Your in love Tom. For the first time in your life you have experienced real love. It makes us do crazy things and can make us ill sometimes." "So, this episode is due to the fact I'm in love?" "Well...what else could it be? I've been down that road before." She said. "Love can make us feel vulnerable, but it can make us feel strong as well." "What about you and Chakotay? You can't tell me there is not something there?" "There is something there, I won't deny." She said looking at Tom straight in the eye. "I'm walking a fine line of chain of command." "One day Kathryn Janeway, love is going to slam into you like photon torpedo." Tom began. "And your going to be sitting right where I'm at and I'm going to be telling you about the workings of love." "You may be right." She said sighing. "But I'm not going to hold my breath." Tom nodded and watched her stand up and hold her hand out to him. He stared at the hand with a weary look. "So your not going to totally give up on the chance to love?" Tom questioned. "I don't think anyone ever gives up. They just forget about it." Tom took her hand and she pulled him up. "Now lets get to the bridge so you can fly the ship and I can command it." A hidden game of cheating and pretend Leave your heart with shallow friends They'll turn around and hurt you in the end...It never mends B'Elanna bolted up gasping, her heart was pounding faster than warp 10. She sat still for a few minutes while her heart stopped racing. She fell back against the pillow with a sigh. Dreams were a strange thing. They twisted events of ones life into a nightmare of meaningless thoughts that usually scared the living daylights out of the dreamer. This half-Klingon included. It was a dream of clouds in a bright blue sky, over a deep blue ocean. The wind was warm and the water gentle. She was at peace, something she rarely could remember. There was laughter from a distance followed by a splash. She turned towards the sound and found herself falling and falling down to the sea. She screamed just as the water rushed up to engulf her, then she woke up. It was strange dreaming of the ocean and sky. The color.....blue.......was there also. Blue. Her mind began running through the blues. Warp core. Most skies and oceans were blue. The icing on the Gebalian Fudge cake was blue. Medical and Science officers wore blue. Several members of the crew have blue eyes. Tom has blue eyes. Not just blue, but a pure and deep color of blue. B'Elanna pounded her fists on the bed in frustration. He was even in her dreams! Tom had just sat down in the mess hall with Harry for lunch. Harry stared at his food and then looked at Tom. "Are you sure I didn't make you sick this morning?" "No you didn't. I just had a few things that were bothering me." "Can I guess?" "Why would you want to guess?" "Because you just poured honey on your meat stew surprise." Harry laughed. Tom laughed sheepishly, "Take your best shot." "B'Elanna Torres." Harry said with a serious look. "That is what has you in knots." "You think so?" "I know so." Harry tossed back. "Tom you love her. It is written all over your face. It says, "I'm a arrogant pig in love with a beautiful half-Klingon." "It says that?!" Tom laughed. "Didn't think it would fit across my head." "Tom I know where your going, I've been there before." Harry sighed. "It makes you feel clumsy and weak. It makes your heart ache. But once you give into it, you feel stronger." Tom saw Harry's expression brighten and then slowly fade. He knew it had to be hard for him to forget about Libby. "I'm sorry Harry. I didn't mean to......" Harry cut him off, "No Tom. It is okay. I've had allot of time to let go of Libby. More so since getting a letter from home. I can't expect her to wait for me, it would not be fair to either of us. But you have to tell B'Elanna what you feel deep down inside. You have to tell her things that no one else can know how you feel. Then and only then, will you understand how you feel." Harry got up and walked out of the mess hall. Tom stared down at the plate before him, lost in a world of emotion. B'Elanna heard the faint sound of a chime in her sleep induced state. It took a few seconds before it actually impacted her fully. Which made her roll her body out of bed and stumble to the door. This had better be good because getting to sleep had been difficult. She hit the door release, and the face of Tom Paris filled the view. "Do you know what time it is?" B'Elanna said leaning against the door way. Tom didn't answer her at first, must have been the red pajamas that distracted him. It took Tom a split second to pull her into his arms and lower his lips to hers. A answer. B'Elanna was knocked off balance for a moment as his arms went around her and his lips touched hers. Even in a sleep like state, she knew a kiss when she got one. Her arms slowly laced around his neck, pulling him closer. Her mouth answering his in a passionate kiss, her body falling into the arms of love. Tom slowly released her tender lips and gazed down at her. She was beautiful half asleep and fully kissed. "What was that all about?" She said running her fingers across his lips and jaw. "I know that this is not a good time, but I need to talk to you." He said closing his eyes at the feel of her touch. "Let's sit down." She said holding onto him for fear she was going to loose him. They sat down on the couch side by side, his hand in hers. Tom could feel that queasy feeling looming over the horizon. Looking into her eyes he softly began to tell her what was in his heart. "I've never been so sure of anything in my life until you." He said holding her gaze. "I had never been in love before, a true love. I didn't know what it ment or how it felt. Then we began sharing things that no one else knows, feelings that we hide for a multitude of reasons. Somewhere in that time I began to fall for you. I was so afraid that you wouldn't love me because I had no honor. There was nothing to prove to you that I had any honor. My past never had any but my future has found some." B'Elanna held onto his hand even harder. She was not going to let him go. "When you told me you loved me, I was stunned. I didn't know what to say. If only you could have known how much I wanted to touch you and hold you. But we were floating in space, sharing oxygen and praying that it wasn't going to end in the silence of space. After that I didn't want you to feel that you had to say something that you didn't mean." "But I did mean it. From the bottom of my heart." B'Elanna cut in. "I didn't want you to feel something that was felt in the moment of death. Then you told me to shut up and kissed me. Something I've thought and dreamed about for a long time. I wanted to experience my true feelings for you, not brought on by some outside influence." She wiped a single tear that rolled down his cheek. "I was afraid of my feelings for you. No one has ever "pursued" me like you did. I didn't think I was worth being loved, but you persisted, and now you have a place in my heart. I was afraid of being deceived, but I was scared for no reason." They sat there in silence for a few seconds, letting the moment really sink in. They never broke eye contact during this time of talking. Each holding the others hands. "I'm so afraid of driving you away with my feelings. I wish you could climb into my dreams and see what I dream with you." Tom smiled. "Like a warm tropical day with a soft blowing breeze and white clouds against a blue sky." B'Elanna said dreamily. "The sound of the blue ocean as it crashes against the land. The sound of laughter under a star filled sky in the arms of love." "B'Elanna...what were you doing in my dream?" Tom said in shock. "I dreamed it too." She said. "I was dreaming of the day lost in the blues of the sky and ocean. Hearing your laughter...falling........I was falling for you. Now I understand!!!" "Falling for me?" Tom questioned. "No one has ever fell for me." "I did." She stated in seriousness. "I'd do it over and over again as long as I could have you." "I ended up getting sick over this and feeling pretty foolish about it." Tom laughed. "As long as I have you, I guess this sickness will go away." "Sick?" "Physically sick to the point I was in sickbay making new friends with the bowl in the bathroom. The doctor couldn't find a thing wrong with me and I didn't understand until Captain Janeway pointed it out to me." "Janeway?" "Well...she had come to sickbay checking up on me. I was in a hurry to be sick again.....she sat with me after I threw up." Tom said with a grin. "She asked me what was in my heart....I just started to cry. It was like a door was opened and for the first time in my life I understood what love was. How it was suppose to feel, what it means to me. She just held me and let me cry. I can't remember a time when anyone cared for me like that. All it was was a simple gesture....I've forgotten while growing up." Tom bowed his head for fear the tears would make B'Elanna angry. B'Elanna gently lifted his head and made him look at her. His blue eyes were swimming in tears waiting to fall. "Maybe together we can discover our feelings for each other and not be afraid of them. Our future is filled with the dreams that were never answered in our past." "I don't usually cry like this." Tom laughed wiping the tears away. "Don't be afraid to cry. I will only love you more." She said pulling him to her lips. Slowly their lips met in a gentle kiss, tasting the tears that they had shared. Why do I keep holding on forever A thousand tears I'm drowning in this river I want this love..........I need this love Tom broke the kiss and buried his face into her neck. She wrapped her arms around him and held him close. She could feel the heat from his body, the love from his soul. Time is all they need and time would make their dreams come true. "Lt. Torres to Captain Janeway." A few seconds later..... "Janeway here. Is something wrong?" "Lt. Paris and I are discussing some navigation problems with helm control. We both feel that we need to explore these sensitive issues. Is he needed on the bridge at the moment?" There was a brief silence. If Janeway got the hint....and she was sure she did. "We can do without Mr. Paris for the rest of the shift. Let me know if you have any concerns. Janeway out." Chakotay looked over at Janeway. "Mr. Paris has had a rough day. I hope he feels better." "I'm sure he will." Janeway smiled back at him. "I think that is the first time I have really seen you smile in the last couple of weeks. It is quite becoming." "It has been difficult these last couple of weeks. Sometimes you just need someone to reassure you that everything will be all right." ' Chakotay smiled and patted her hand. She smiled even bigger. I'm falling, falling, falling But a light shines from above I'm captured by the moment Rescued by the arms of love The End........